章 9: Haku's Revenge

As the second day at the magical school began, I hoped for a more peaceful atmosphere without any conflicts between the weaker and stronger students, often referred to as Weed and Bloom.

Let me tell you what happened: Just before the five of us were about to head home, we waited near the exit gate for Miyuki 'our little sister', to finish her class so she could join us. However, to our surprise, she was followed by some unexpected individuals.

It was during this incident that I witnessed a different side of my classmates. Mizuki, typically shy, displayed a passionate outburst, much like Erika and Leo, who were always cheerful and optimistic.

An argument had been brewing between a student I overheard named Morisaki, and Mizuki, who exploded with loud accusations against the unreasonable behavior of Miyuki's classmates.

Mizuki took the lead in the argument, confronting Morisaki directly, while I stood between Leo and Erika. We positioned ourselves slightly behind Mizuki as if we were her bodyguards. I disapproved of Miyuki's behavior; instead of resolving the situation, she seemed to be enjoying the attention and the conflict.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Miyuki acting like a damsel in distress, engaging in some sort of romantic exchange with Tatsuya. Witnessing that made me nauseous. "Miyuki, please don't apologize. It's not your fault," Tatsuya defended her. His words caused my mouth to twitch, and I shook my head in disbelief.

Seriously! Instead of engaging in public displays of affection, why don't you come here and put an end to this?

Turning my attention back to the front, I noticed the intense glare of my three friends directed at Miyuki's classmates. I had the urge to give that woman a good shake to bring her to her senses, but I restrained myself and stood behind Mizuki, ready to intervene if the situation escalated.

Oh, by the way, I had been recording this incident from the beginning.

But despite everything, I admired these three new friends of mine. Each had their unique qualities, and despite only knowing each other for a short time, they were already willing to stand up for their friendship.

In this particular case, we were protecting Miyuki, the popular student, from these classmates who insisted on spending more time with her.

"Can't you all stop acting like losers? Miyuki-san wants to go with her brother. It's not your place to say otherwise, right?"

"Haven't you guys been treated well enough by Miyuki? If she wanted to go with you, she would have said so. Who are you to separate the two of them?"

I couldn't help but burst into laughter, holding my hand to my mouth.

Mizuki's words were a stark contrast to her usual personality. It's true what they say, don't underestimate the quiet ones.

"Haha! Well said, Mizuki!" I couldn't contain my laughter any longer. "Aren't you embarrassed by your behavior right now? No offense, but you're acting like a bunch of stalkers. I suggest you leave before someone calls the police," I said, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Mizuki, haven't you misunderstood?" I turned around, taken aback by Miyuki's response.

I was disappointed in her.

The siblings engaged in another conversation.

"We already asked her!"

Morisaki was the one who spoke.

"That's right! We apologize for Shiba-san, but we just wanted a little more time," said Miyuki's female friend, whose name I didn't know, while glaring at us.

I couldn't help but burst into laughter three times, slapping my forehead comically with my friends. We were surprised and amused by their response.

"Haha! That's just self-justification. Find a better time and place for that," Leo laughed, but his expression quickly turned serious.

"If you had truly asked, maybe you would have received Miyuki's approval from the beginning, right?" Erika grinned mischievously. "But instead, you ignored Miyuki's intentions and did as you pleased. Aren't you ashamed, or do you lack basic manners?"

I took a deep breath and grinned playfully. Erika's sharp words and sarcasm were intended to offend the other party. But wait! Isn't that exactly how I am?

As expected, the leader of Class 1A's group seemed ready to explode.

"Shut up! Students from other classes, especially Weeds, have no right to interfere in our affairs, Blooms!"

My friends around me reacted negatively to the use of such derogatory terms, which were prohibited by an unwritten rule.

Well, whatever "weed" or "bloom" means, I grinned mockingly at him, thumbs down, and said, "Wow! Look at that, his true colors are finally showing."

But then Mizuki erupted, "We're all freshmen here. How can you Blooms consider yourselves better than us?" Her voice wasn't loud, but in the silence, her words echoed throughout the schoolyard.

Oh boy.

The three of us exchanged looks as if to say, "Oh no." Meanwhile, Morisaki, gritting his teeth, smiled with an air of understanding. I knew what he was planning to do next.

"If you want to see how good I am, I can show you."

He was about to do something dangerous, completely disregarding Mizuki's intention of seeking equality.

Regardless of whether you're better looking, wealthier, or, as in the case of magicians, more powerful, we are all governed by laws that separate us humans from animals.

"Hah, interesting! By all means, show—hmph!?"

Before Leo could finish his dangerous words, I forcefully covered his mouth. After all, I had my way of getting back to Morisaki.

Mizuki didn't flinch at all; she continued to glare at him, unwavering, even though he had given a signal.

I also noticed Erika, hiding a baton-shaped CAD up her sleeve. "Erika, stay still." Erika gasped softly, looking at me in surprise and asking, "How did you know?"

The people behind Morisaki slowly backed away, as if they understood the situation.

Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at the two women in their group who didn't seem to approve of Morisaki's actions despite being part of the same group.

The argument had now attracted a considerable crowd. I hoped that either the school authorities or the student council would arrive soon, as I didn't want to reveal my abilities in front of everyone.

"In that case, I will!"

Morisaki seemed unfazed as he pointed his Specialized CAD, shaped like a short rifle, directly at Mizuki, as if he believed in "gender equality." However, he foolishly broke the law by aiming it at a fellow student.

"This is bad!" I exclaimed to myself.

At this point, I had gathered substantial evidence after recording everything from the beginning.

Although I intended to quietly attend school and keep a low profile, I couldn't stand by and risk a friend's safety.

"Huh...?" Mizuki's eyes widened, and her mouth hung open as she realized the danger she was in. At the same time, I knew she wasn't someone accustomed to fighting, despite being a magician.

"Mizuki!" Leo and Erika shouted.

Morisaki pulled the trigger of his CAD, and the activation sequence quickly flowed from the device to him.

"Onii-sama!"

Miyuki cried out, but I had already moved swiftly. Using Body Flicker, I positioned myself in front of Mizuki, extending my right arm, which was charged with compressed psions. The compressed psions surged into Morisaki's CAD, shattering the activation sequence in an instant

Everyone was taken aback by my incredible speed, especially when I used Gram Demolition.

I utilized the non-systematic magic of Gram Demolition, a compressed Psion, to forcefully dismantle Morisaki's activation sequence.

"Tsk! You're nothing but a nuisance! Stop this-- AACK!"

Without giving him a chance to activate his CAD again, I closed the distance between us using Body Flicker and firmly grasped his wrist, causing him to scream in pain.

As Morisaki's CAD dropped with a thud, he knelt in agony, clutching his roughly seized wrist.

While his face displayed immense pain, my expression remained cold and detached. I moved closer to him, tightening my grip on his wrist.

"ACKKK AHH!"

"Do you think I'd allow you to harm my friends, especially during my first week at school?" I whispered with a chilling gaze that pierced his eyes.

"Hiiiiik! I'm sorry! Please let me go!"

Morisaki pleaded, but my mood was not inclined to listen. "Tsk! Let him go, you fool!" I glanced in the direction of the voice and noticed two boys from Class A, releasing their Psions in anger.

"Haku!" Leo and Erika shouted, rushing towards the two boys who were preparing to attack me, determined to teach them a lesson. "Everyone, please stop!" A female student, a classmate of Miyuki, interjected, sliding her finger across the general CAD bracelet shape, which startled everyone except me.

Entering the information dimension, I could perceive the activation sequence of her magic, "Flash of Light Magic." As I discovered her intended spell, I muttered to myself, "Besides, they are late." Suddenly, a Psion bullet emerged from nowhere, shattering her activation sequence, causing her to stumble backward, only to be caught mid-fall.

"Stop!"

Glancing toward the voice, I saw the student council president accompanied by a female student, adjusting her CAD with her fingers.

"Launching direct magical attacks for reasons other than self-protection is a crime!" The president emphasized.

"All of you will accompany me for questioning!" declared the tomboyish female student, turning her gaze toward me. "You can release him now." I released my grip.

"Tsk! Ack!" Morisaki bit his tongue, tears streaming down his face.

While the tomboyish woman pointed out the potential danger of magic being cast at any moment, they both approached Morisaki and me. Simultaneously, Tatsuya approached, saying, "I apologize. Our little prank went too far." The tomboyish senior student raised an eyebrow in confusion. "A prank?" she inquired.

"Yes, the Morisaki Clan is renowned for their fast attack spells, so I asked him to practice as a reference. Unfortunately, it seems things escalated beyond our control, making it appear more realistic."

Casting a glance in my direction and then at the still-kneeling Morisaki, the woman seemed satisfied with Tatsuya's explanation.

"Can you then explain why the girl from 1A had prepared a magic attack spell?" She directed her question towards Tatsuya, leaving the girl whose magic had been disrupted gasping and turning pale.

Tatsuya smiled slightly and replied, "It was merely a blinding magic spell, intentionally reduced in intensity to avoid causing blindness or harm."

My eyes widened slightly, and I thought, 'He can see into the information dimension like me?' Just as I suspected, he is...

Lowering her arm, the tomboyish woman smiled and remarked, "Ah, I see... So you can read the activation sequence of magic before it is cast, huh?" Tatsuya let out a small sigh. "My practical skills may be lacking, but analysis is my specialty." I chuckled inwardly, thinking, 'What an absurdity.'

The tomboyish woman furrowed her brow, her expression turning serious. She stated, "And it seems you excel at masking reality as well." Before Tatsuya could respond, I interjected, "That's correct." My stern voice grabbed their attention.

After capturing their focus, I retrieved my prototype terminal, earning awe-stricken reactions from the three of them. However, Tatsuya frowned, realizing his suspicions were accurate after I presented them with the footage of the earlier events.

As I flipped my terminal, a highly detailed 3D hologram emitted from it. "Initially, it was a non-violent argument, but this guy here lost control when he believed his 'Bloom' would exempt him from the law," I explained, glancing at the pale Morisaki caught in the act.

The tomboyish woman was the first to snap out of her awe at the sight of my terminal technology and commented, "I see... You've prepared quite thoroughly." She smiled, and for a moment, I thought she had a somewhat sadistic nature.

I gave a wry smile. "Of course, I wouldn't turn a blind eye after he pointed his CAD at my friend like that, especially during his first week here. And naturally, I'll await the resolution of this matter."

After the recording concluded and the hologram ceased, I continued, "Since I've recorded all of us here, I am confident that we are innocent victims." Although I didn't look at Morisaki directly, I could sense his desperate and regretful expression.

"I may not understand my friend's motivation for protecting Morisaki, but I believe he intends to resolve this without causing further trouble for us. Unlike me, he is a good person. I fail to see any wrongdoing on our part, so why should I show kindness to someone who wanted to harm my friend, even if he failed in the end..." Finishing my monologue, I grinned subtly.

"You're not one to show mercy, huh?" The tomboyish woman chuckled, but her expression turned serious as she looked at Morisaki, fixing him with a glare.

I smiled with satisfaction, though that smile concealed a wider, more sinister grin.