Chapter 10: A Week Later

A week had passed since the incident where Kamito lost control.
Commander Sera Amanai was summoned by Central Command due to her negligence, which resulted in many casualties.
She arrived with firm determination, ready to accept any punishment—even the worst-case scenario of being dishonorably discharged.

“I’m prepared to face whatever consequences there are.”
Sera Amanai, the girl with long red-and-black hair and beautiful red eyes, wearing her military uniform, entered the headquarters of T.U.A.D.F to undergo an ethics trial.

She answered every accusation with unwavering confidence.

“That is not true. I only followed the orders given by Headquarters. I never violated or ignored any command.”

“Then another question—on the field, were you assisted by someone named Natsume Airi, the loyal bodyguard of Miss Masahiro Yuki?”

“Yes, she came and helped all of us, but she left immediately. She said she needed to catch up to someone.”

The judge nodded.

“Very well. Then, Sera Amanai, you are hereby demoted back to Sergeant. And due to your father’s request, you will also be punished by studying Ethics at the Magical Academy.”

Before the gavel struck, Amanai stood up in protest.

“Permission to speak, Your Honor! I accept every punishment, but I refuse to enter the Magical Academy. You know very well what my past with magic is like!”

The judges whispered among themselves.

“We’re sorry, Miss Amanai. Your request is denied. Punishment is punishment.”

“Oh, right. If I’m not mistaken, there is someone named Kamito Ryuga who is just like you—he also has no magic, yet he can use his power.”

The room reacted in shock.
They all knew Kamito Ryuga—son of Kamito Touma, the weak sorcerer who sacrificed his life ten years ago.

“Miss Amanai, perhaps you can learn Ethics together with him. He has perfect marks and failed three times trying to enter the Academy.”

The gavel struck.
Case closed.
Starting tomorrow, Sera would attend the Academy.

Filled with frustration, she immediately stormed toward the office of the High Commander—her father, Amanai Kouji.
She angrily protested the punishment, even bringing up the wounds of the past and the promise she shared with her mother.

“Foolish child. Do you think I’m happy seeing you suffer? I did all of this for you—for your future.”

“But Father, you broke the promise you made to Mother! You’re a terrible father!”

Amanai ran out of the room.
The guards wanted to chase her, but were stopped.

“Let her go. She needs time.”

Sera wandered the streets of Tokyo, sadness weighing heavily on her.
She saw a small child happily playing with his parents, holding a balloon and an ice cream.
She wished… she wished she once had moments like that.

The balloon slipped from the child’s grip.
Amanai moved to help—but someone else acted first.

A muscular man wearing a white shirt, jeans, and a construction helmet climbed up the construction frame and retrieved the balloon.

“Thank you, big brother!”

That man was Kamito Ryuga—currently working at the construction site.

Amanai approached him.

“Are you Kamito Ryuga?”

Kamito turned, confused.

“Yes? Um… what’s going on? How do you know my name?”

Amanai presented her T.U.A.D.F badge.

“Do you have a moment?”

They sat together in a restaurant.
Amanai began asking whether Kamito also couldn’t use magic. At first he was confused, but he understood right away—the person in front of him was just like him.

“Yeah… I can’t use magic.”

“I see.”

“Is something wrong?”

Amanai exhaled.

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll be entering the Magical Academy. But since I have no experience using magic, I wanted to gather some information beforehand. It’s always been my habit to prepare before stepping into a new place.”

“Wow, you’re really meticulous.”

“But… there is one thing you should know.”

“What is it?”

“I hate magic.”

Her words surprised Kamito.
He asked gently:

“Why? Did magic hurt you before? Or… was it something even worse?”

Amanai fell silent.
Tears slipped down.

Then she began telling her story.

Ten years ago—on Kuronami-jima Island.

The Ground Wave event destroyed the entire island, including the Kyouganashi Metropolitan City.
Kamito was shocked—he thought Ground Waves only happened in Tokyo.

But Amanai continued.

The Ground Wave there was far worse than the one in Tokyo.
The Japanese government isolated the entire island due to abnormal Ground Wave activity.

In Tokyo, monsters emerged from below.
But on Kuronami-jima, it was different.

Monsters came from below—and through black portals.
They attacked from every direction, endless in number.
No weapon could stop them.

Amanai continued.

She was twelve at the time.
She and her mother ran for their lives.

“Amanai, keep running! Don’t look back, sweetheart!”

Behind them, people were being torn apart by dark-skinned monsters, hunted like helpless animals.

Eventually, they reached the harbor—but a Crimson-Eyed Riftwolf appeared.

Black fur.
Crimson eyes glowing like cracks in magma.
Its body twice the size of a normal wolf.

It attacked.

Her mother shielded her.

SLASH

Dark Poison struck her mother’s body.

“Mother! Please, hang in there!”

The Riftwolf targeted young Amanai.

But—

DOOM

A shotgun blast struck the creature.
Soldiers stormed the area.
Her father, Kouji Amanai, had arrived.

But… it was too late.

Before drawing her last breath, Amanai’s mother made Sera promise:

Never give up on hope and dreams.

Covered gently with a cloth, her mother’s body lay still.

From that moment, Sera Amanai swore to destroy every monster from the Ground Wave—no matter how powerful.

Kamito listened quietly.

“We’re… the same, aren’t we? Both victims.”

Kamito lost his father ten years ago.
Amanai lost her mother.

Their shared sorrow formed a silent understanding.

They parted ways afterward.

Meanwhile, at Masahiro Yuki’s residence, she was reading a letter.

A notice:

All students would undergo training on that cursed island—Kuronami-jima.

Her hand slammed the table.

“What are they thinking?! Do they want all those children to die?!”

Her tea spilled from the shock of her anger.