"Oi, stop dragging me..." Shinra forcefully tossed his body down the ground.

"You're quite the stubborn one, little Shi." The janitor stopped dragging Shinra.

"Stop calling me that."

"I'll stop if you call me boss or Cartel."

"Fine... you're also quite stubborn Cartel-san."

Shinra did not notice he was already adjusting his pace being around with Cartel

"Hmmph, we don't have time for this, let's go already we have many places to clean today." After changing, Shinra wore a janitor uniform quite large for his size and followed Cartel down the halls of the 2nd year building.

 

"Are you the only one that cleans the halls of Tempest?" Without much to go on, Shinra decided to get to know Cartel's job.

"If I was the only one, I'd die from exhaustion already. There are other ones, but I mostly occupy the larger stalls and areas." Cartel snickered.

There were a few 2nd year students walking down the hallway.

"Yoo, it's time to clean already huh? Have fun cleaning the mess, Cartel-san." Loitering around the place before Shinra could vent his anger out, Cartel had already whipped his broom against the 2nd year students.

"How dare you hit us...!"

"I don't have time to clean living trashes like you so get yer asses off already!"

"Hmmph, we'll remember this, crippled old man!" The students fled the halls immediately with their laughs echoing around.

"What're you doing just standing there? Start cleaning already!" Confused from what they've said the 1st year looked to stand still.

"Y-yeah..." Shinra thought it was not his place to ask Cartel-san about what the 2nd year meant about him being crippled.

The series of cleaning restroom, vacant classrooms, and halls lasted until the end of afternoon class with every interaction they got from students either mocked Cartel or made it harder for them to clean the area.

"Good work, little Shi. I'll be taking over so you can go back now."

"Sure... I'll see you later Cartel-san." In Shinra's mind, Cartel was quite eccentric and seem to be weird enough to get those kinds of reactions towards students.

 

Walking across the back of the 2nd year buildings, a loud conversation can be heard. Even if you try to not mind their voices you can clearly hear what they're saying.

"Do you see that old man Cartel back at it again with another student?"

"Oh, really? Hahaha..."

"I bet he'll do the same thing again and destroy that kid's future, hahaha...!"

"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Unable to shake it off his mind, Shinra stride forward towards the 2nd year students.

"Who are you?"

"Wait a minute, you're that 1st year with Cartel earlier."

"Don't waste your time with him, I tell you."

"It doesn't matter whatever you say, I'll decide what to do." Hearing more than enough Shinra stepped away as there was no point conversing further.

"If you don't listen to us, you'll regret it sooner or later. Oh, hey, there he is!" A figure of Cartel could be seen looking towards Shinra and the 2nd years as he walked away.

"Ask him what happened last year about the 5:00 pm incident."

The 1st year tried to keep up with Cartel's pace who quickly distanced himself away after taking a turn from the long hallway.

 

"Cartel-san...!" Unable to keep up with Cartel, Shinra shouted, "Why are you running away?" Although Cartel continues to get far from Shinra's vision.

Shinra bit his thumb and used the blood to grant him momentarily power. "Crucxy Arts: Elemental Boost Lightning!"

A small orb of overflowing mana manifested as Shinra destroyed it with both of his hands granting him temporary control of lightning magic.

Using the burst of lightning he bolted the long hallway in less than two seconds. "I need to keep calm and use this magic proficiently." Remembering what Milan told him, Shinra tried to carefully sprint inside the building.

Sounds of rummages and quick footsteps came from upstairs, for a moment, Shinra saw Cartel's figure.

There were many students occupying the spiral stairway, "I just have to do this." It was already ludicrous enough to simply call it reckless. Shinra leaped from the nearby walls and dashed upwards without tripping. A streak of blue lightning pouncing around the walls in one of the 2nd year buildings caught everyone's attention.

Going upwards towards the rooftop, Shinra scuttled along the staircase and walked outside of the opened door.

 

"Why are you running, Cartel-san?" Even if Shinra had gotten used to straining his body, the pain still lingers around and as every time he moves it worsens.

"Was it because of what they said, is it true?" Shinra stopped to catch his breath, before walking forward.

"Yeah, it is true. The 5:00pm incident. A 1st year student died on this rooftop." Cartel hated the idea of recalling it. "He was pretty cheerful; he would often help us faculty members even though he was lacking in self-confidence. Although all of it resulted to him getting killed, I killed him."

"Pushed out of his classmates and often being the center of jokes. He only found joy by tagging along with a crippled old man like me. I thought I know something about his troubles and suffering, but I could not even save him from committing suicide, truly pathetic."

The 5:00 pm incident, one afternoon after the end of classes. A body of a 1st year student was found at the grounds near the building, where Shinra is currently at. With little to no evidence, the school could not pursue further about the case. Even the fact that Cartel was nearby when the accident happened was not told to the public before someone realized it and told it to everyone.

"Do you know going up in high places was one of his favorite things to do? To see from up here that even himself and his troubles were little compared to the world around him. He did not see it in a bad way but rather it takes his mind off of his troubles if even for a while."

Shinra could understand how the scenery can take your mind away from your problems.

"Haaah...Now, that's out of the way, I assume you've used a technique to use lightning magic to get here?" Cartel did not like having a gloomy atmosphere and moved to change the subject.

"Yes, it's a technique from my family." Shinra barely noticed but he knew it was not the best to keep talking about it.

"Do you know the reason why Milan asked me to help you?"

"Isn't it because to control my emotions?"

"That's one part, but I used to be a very well-known magician who specialized in lightning."

"That means...?" Discombobulated at Cartel's remark Shinra tilted his head in confusion.

"I wanted to see what kind of lightning magic you would use and honestly it was an interesting lightning, little Shi."

"Wait, so the reason you ran from here was to see if I would use magic?" Shinra could not have seen it coming.

"Frankly, a bit. Although that doesn't matter, tell me why you use lightning magic despite the damage it causes to your body?"

"That is...someone find my lightning magic to be extremely beautiful back then, yet these days all I could think of was how to make it more powerful and deadlier. I need to get stronger, and if by using lightning magic would get me there, I don't mind if my body breaks as long as I achieve my goal." Shinra Mavirus deeply held the words that precious someone had told him long ago.

The breeze from the rooftop was quite chilly unlike when you're on the ground and the scenery was quite engaging as various buildings of Tempest can be seen atop.

"I see, is that so little Shi? Can you also temporarily give power to others using your technique?" Cartel neatly placed the equipment he had been carrying near the door of the rooftop.

"I might be able to, but why? Don't tell me?" Shinra could already guessed it.

"That's right, I want you to use your technique to me."

"That's quite reckless...!" The 1st year quickly retorted.

"Stop talking and just do it!" Even though Shinra was hesitant he could tell that Cartel is serious about it. Giving in, once again Shinra bit his other thumb as another sphere of overflowing mana was quickly thrown towards Cartel, "Crucxy Arts: Elemental Boost Lightning!"

"Ho, this is quite interesting. It feels as if I had regained some power." There were barely any streaks of lightning around Cartel, and it was more silent and precise. Shinra once again casted and used for himself.

"Now then, come at me little Shi, this'll be just a mock fight but it's up to you whether you go all-out or not." Cartel's breathing completely changed as the trajectory of the breeze shifted signifying a change in motion an instance Shinra Mavirus is completely unaware of.

"You're practically saying to fight you seriously or just be another coward, I don't hate your style Cartel-san!"

Starting things off, Shinra focused on his movements to be more inch-perfect to unnecessarily injure himself and excessively strain his body too much.

Cartel did not have the same idea and molded his right hand as a fist. "I'll start with this. Lightning Strike!" It was very silent in contrast to its speed.

Shinra tried to block it off with a defense spell, "Strengthened Shield!"

"The one thing a magician who specializes in lightning must always remember is that momentum is the key." Cartel quickly darted around and swiftly passed against Shinra's shield. "Discharge!" It was then a screeching sound to that of what lightning should sound like resonated through Shinra as it gets closer to him.

Shinra instinctively reacted and leaped backwards up towards the fences.

"You ain't getting away, little Shi."

 

Without anywhere to run off to, Shinra rushed across the rooftop of the buildings without any clear place to run off. Cartel would catch up to him before Shinra started firing lightning strikes.

"Is this what you're only capable of little Shi, running away?" Cartel shouted against Shinra who covertly scurried around the campus. As they get closer towards the main tower, Shinra thought it was the only place he could go.

There is a particular tall tower which can be clearly seen outside the campus of Tempest where Shinra and Cartel were heading.

The highest or the top part of the tower had an unusual spacious area. Shinra barely landed before dodging Cartel's continuous attacks.

"Great Magic: Imprisonment!" And as soon as Cartel landed his feet, Shinra seemed to be planning this.

"Oho, great magic? I see now... You ain't half bad, little Shi but you aren't getting anywhere." Cartel started casting to what seemed like a veil, but it only covered the top part of the tower.

"Lightning Spear!" The blue lightning formed a spear. Using the time interval between the effects of great magic: imprisonment, Shinra dashed through the spacious area intending to end the fight with this one strike.

"Overcharge!" Cartel aimed to do the same and poured out all his power to this one attack.

The collision of two lightning magic streamed and discharged throughout the area leaving both of them defenseless.

Shinra did not take into account the effects of their attacks and was defenseless the whole time.

"Damn brat, you really only see one thing when you're fighting." The power Shinra had given Cartel was supposed to wear out after his last attack. "You, why can you still use lightning magic?"

"Oh that, I myself don't know but seeing you use your family technique I somehow learned a part of it." The collision of their attacks soon stopped, and the veil-like barrier was destroyed.

"But it is not necessarily your family technique that I used. I merely manipulated the collision of our attacks... aarghh... it's hard to explain."

"Thank you, Cartel-san. It's my complete loss today." Shinra had finally accepted about his own shortcomings not just in fighting but also his emotions.

"You're awfully nice this time little Shi, I'll tell you more tomorrow but today you should go back and take plenty of rest. I could already sense, your body is immensely burning by using lightning magic, right?"

The 1st year nodded as Cartel read him like a book.

"I'll see you later Cartel---" Due to Shinra over exhausting himself, the effects of Milan's spell had already worn off. Even before the start of the fight, back when Shinra tried to catch up to Cartel, the spell was already gone. The only thing that got him this far was his will and unrelenting resolve.

"Jeez, you two are so alike, I wonder if this is another chance Mireo...? Aaarghh... I'm too old to be emotional." Gazing at the distant clouds, Shinra reminded Cartel of the student Mireo who died a few years ago. "I'll do what I can to do it right this time."

Cartel carried Shinra back to Milan's office using the little lightning magic he had conserved.