Mana Knowledge

Magic does exist.

Even if the populace doesn’t know it, everything, no matter how small or big, contains a trace of magical energy known as mana.

It’s not because objects are alive. They simply gather mana from the atmosphere. And when something with too little mana comes into contact with a person or object with far more, it breaks. Shatters. Disintegrates.

Magic, and everything involving it, is extremely dangerous.

That’s why I’ve resolved to kill magic. It shouldn’t have existed in the first place. It twists the natural laws of the world and destroys anything weaker than itself.

My name is Rei Ardent. Sixteen years old, and the only person who has uncovered the secret called magic. Through constant experiments and reckless testing, I’ve learned three things.

1. The strong devour the weak.

If I concentrate all the mana in my body into a pencil, it snaps instantly, then crumbles into dust. That means if something with more mana than me ever targets me, I’d suffer the exact same fate.

2. To use, you must have.

I can’t use magic. No matter how much I tried, no flame formed, no water orb appeared. That led me to the question: what does it mean to use magic? What is magic? I know everything about mana, and still nothing about magic itself.

Meaning there must be a catalyst. Something that lets a person convert mana into magic. I don’t know what it is yet.

3. Too little is too much.

A few days ago, I tested what would happen if I drained an object of mana entirely,

And learned the hard way.

If something is emptied of mana, it desperately absorbs everything around it until it breaks itself apart.

That’s how I lost the use of my left eye.

Magic is dangerous. My own body is dangerous. It absorbs mana constantly, no matter what I do. And if I cross a certain threshold… just my presence could kill someone.

I’d never forgive myself for that.

By my estimates, I have about a week before I reach that limit. When that happens, I’ll become a walking disaster. A criminal. A nuclear threat. A serial killer.

No. No. No.

If only something existed that could suppress my mana. Or drain it. Or anything. Then I could live normally, go to school, panic about homework, eat convenience-store bread like a regular high schooler.

But that hope shattered the moment I saw them.

Men in white coats. Standing with the principal at the front gate. Talking with every teacher. Discussing something serious beneath a grey sky that looked ready to weep.

I sat in the back row of my classroom, staring out the window, pretending not to see a thing.

“Rei-chan, what’s up with the eye patch?” a voice called from in front of me.

“A fashion statement,” I answered.

“Huh?! What’s that supposed to mean?”

I turned toward the girl with dyed hair and makeup, currently braiding her hair, and flashed a playful grin.

“It means I’ve become a trendsetter.”

“Rei…” Hana sighed, pulling out a small mirror from her skirt pocket and holding it up to me. “Can the world even prepare itself for such horror?”

In the reflection, a beautiful girl stared back. Blonde hair. Brilliant blue eye. Skin as smooth as porcelain, an angelic beauty.

And then there was… the eye patch.

Bright red, decorated with skeletal white hands tearing apart the center, revealing a golden cat eye in a void.

A disaster purchased online, shockingly, for free.

I held up two fingers in a peace sign and struck a cute pose.

“Isn’t it adorable?”

“No, it’s not! It’s the opposite of adorable!” Hana barked, voice sharper than usual. “Didn’t you notice people staring at you this morning?”

“Uh-hm…”

At my flat response, Hana’s expression went from confused → realization → deeper confusion. She opened her mouth to lecture me—

SLAM.

The classroom door burst open, and a black-haired boy staggered inside like a feral creature escaping a predator.

“SAFE!” he yelled before collapsing to his knees. “Finally… I arrived on time!”

The class president didn’t even look up.

“Najima-sensei has already marked you absent,” she said.

The boy froze. Slowly stood. Then retreated to the corner of the room, curling up and rocking back and forth as unholy whispers spilled from his mouth.

“He’s swearing,” Hana noted flatly.

“Definitely swearing,” I added.

From the back, another voice shouted,

“Yo! Haruto! Could you please shut up?! I’m trying to listen to our latest song!”

A long-haired boy, headphones hanging from one ear, glared at him.

Haruto lifted his head, tears streaming down his too-wide eyes.

“Boss!! I did it again! I ruined my perfect attendance!”

Hana and I exchanged looks.

Yep. That’s Haruto, the former “Kindergarten Attenderer,” forever haunted by his glory days.

His “Boss,” also known as Shun, was the leader of a “gang” called the Listeners, which was really just a band. But nobody bothered correcting them.

Shun stood, slipped off his headphones, wooly skull-shaped ones, and walked toward Haruto. As he passed the class rep’s desk, he accidentally nudged it. She looked up instantly, frowning.

“‘Boss-kun,’” she said in a mocking tone. “Please watch where you walk. How many times must I tell you?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Or are you deaf? That would explain those ugly earmuffs you always wear.”

The temperature dropped. Shun glared back like a tiger sizing up a rabbit. The class rep stood, rolling her sleeves as if preparing to brawl.

But at the last moment, Shun bowed.

“I’m sorry, Shizuka-san. I should’ve been more careful.”

Shizuka froze. Her cheeks reddened. Embarrassment flickered across her face.

“A-As long as you understand,” she muttered. “And… I’m sorry for calling them ugly. They’re… cute.”

Yes! They are cute!

Hana glanced at me knowingly. “Rei, never buy anyone clothes as a present.”

What did she mean? I’ve bought so many gifts! I just… never see anyone wear them. They must treasure them too much.

Before I could explain, the intercom crackled and our homeroom teacher spoke.

“Class 3A, please proceed to the auditorium. Special guests have arrived to speak about your future. All five of you.”

The intercom clicked off.

I looked around the room. Indeed, only five students. Not for any special reason. The other classes were simply full.

“Let’s go, Rei,” Hana said, walking toward the door. I followed.