“Hah hah…It’s not enough…I need more…”

As the full moon comes up the sky, a man is sitting in a dark room, foaming while holding his left arm. On the table, there are used syringes, implying that he just injected all of them into his body. On the floor, you can find unlabeled empty pill bottles lying around, explaining his current state.

As he’s struggling to keep himself sane, he tosses all the syringes aside. He aggressively punches the table before standing up and throwing the chair to the wall. All the pills he took, all the serums he injected, they’re getting the best of him, and before he even knew it…

“More…More!!!!”

Like an animal being starved to death for days, he’s mauling all the remaining drugs on the floor, swallowing them down his stomach. He rips his shirt off, revealing his naked upper-half full of popping veins that could explode at any given time.

“Ahahaha, yes…I can feel it flowing inside me! I can do whatever the fuck I want. I can do whatever the fuck I want! No one is gonna stop me, I’m invincible!”

All he ever needed is power, and those substances he took give him just that. His stats skyrocket and his mana flow is pumping like crazy.

As he’s down on his knees, he spreads his arms and laughs maniacally. Since the place he’s at is sound-proof, no one can hear him losing his mind. Gaining what he wants in such an easy way has broken him, mentally and soon physically.

But to him, it doesn’t matter.

“With this, I can finally do it. Just wait for me princess, your one and only prince is coming…”

“Sen…senpai…what are you doing…”

As he’s growling on the floor like a wild beast, someone opens the door. He turns his head around and sees a shy girl with long red hair and glasses standing in front of him shaking. Even when he’s losing his mind, the boy still realizes who she is.

He gets up and tries comfort her, but the girl takes a few steps back, planning to run away in fear…

“Kyahh!!!”

Before she could even run away, the boy corners her into the wall behind, ruining her ponytails. He covers her mouth, trying to calm her down.

“Come on Ayami-chan, it’s me. Don’t you realize your own childhood friend?”

“Mmph…mmph!!!!”

Being disgusted by the monstrosity in front of her, she screams in horror and agony, while struggling to escape from it. Unfortunately, all of her effort is worthless as the creature holds her arm too tightly, making it impossible to get out of the situation.

Eventually, she gives up and passes out. Seeing all of that, the boy eventually lets her go, while seemingly steps back inside of his room in fear.

“No, no, no…”

Being snapped back to reality, the boy starts shaking his big and heavy body while holding his head in confusion and terror. The same insane, egotistic boy has temporarily “disappeared”, all that’s left is a sad little man inside a dark filthy room.

“I can’t let anyone knows. I won’t let anyone knows. Nobody shall know…”

Muttering those words, the boy stands up and carries the girl into another room in his house, eventually locks her inside of his own home.

 

Three weeks has passed since the Miller Mega Center incident.

In that time, my stats on the app had been updated, with everything involved Tiamat being left out of the database. From what I’ve known so far, Takabeya-senpai is the strongest student in the academy, with the overall ranking of SS.

When I asked him about it, he told me about what he called the [Golden Generation], which is just a phrase to emphasize how stacked the talents around his age are. I was surprised to hear him explained that I’m also a part of it, given I couldn’t even do magic until last month. I’m pretty sure they would consider me a black sheep with no hesitation at all.

And to prove them wrong, I keep on training harder than ever. If we don’t count [Summoning Magic], [Super Strengthen Magic] is the only ability I have. If I have to be a one-trick pony, I might as well master it in every aspect possible.

“That’s it Master, I can feel your mana flowing inside me!”

“Are you sure Tiamat? I don’t have much left in the tank so this better works.”

“Trust me Master, I got this!”

She creates a fireball and throw it at the dummy. The heat seems to be too much to handle, as it immediately explodes right in front of us. I slowly kneel down on my knees, eventually sitting down on the ground exhausted due to the training.

“See Master? I told you it'll work.”

“Yeah...Damn I’m fried...”

After the fight with [Fire Fist], Tiamat and I came to the conclusion that she didn’t fight me with 100% her power. [Hellfire Mode] was definitely crazy, but according to Tiamat, she’s more capable more than that. She could beat me with everything she had, but I guess I got lucky back then, as I was able to drain her out enough  to beat her.

To make sure I’m prepared for someone like or even stronger than her, we decided to turn the training up a notch. This time, using [Judgement Strike] as the blueprint, I tried my best to transfer my mana to a person rather than an object.

We came to the conclusion that by doing this, it could enhance others’ power and help me control my mana better while I'm using [Super Strengthen Magic]. “Killing two birds with one stone”, she said.

"Alright Master, get some rest. You’ve done good so far. I’m sure you’ll nail it down soon, but you have something more important to do, don’t you?”

Helping me get up, Tiamat opens the portal back to my bedroom, ready for the big day ahead of us: the [Summer Tournament].

As an annual event occurs every June at Kiriwatari Academy, this is a great opportunity to give out a good first impression and the chance for the seniors to see how far they’ve gone, some even see this as the begining of their last dance. Whether you’re a contestant or a spectator, nobody wants to miss out on it.

As for me, just like others, I’ve always wanted to participate in this tournament. I’ve seen others training before, so having a chance to fight them would be a great opportunity to give my best shot and see how far I’d go.

At least that was my intention.

“Yasutaira-kun, you’ll join with Masayuki-kun and Miwako-chan to be this year’s commentators.”

One week before the event, Kiriwatari-sensei called me to her office to announce something important. I thought she wanted me for a mission or something like that, given I now work under her wings. Turns out, she needed me on the sideline with the president duo.

“Uhm sensei, why me?” I asked while pointing finger at myself.

“Because you work for the student council, which frankly is the reason why this year’s tournament is gaining more attention than ever.” Kariuda-san said as she’s handling some papers.

“Huh?”

“Normally, [Summer Tournament] is treated like a warm-up for students to test their abilities. But thanks to “someone”, this year has become a fierce battlefield where whoever survive it will have a big advantage on the upcoming voting season.” Kariuda-san angrily explained.

In an unexpected twist, Takabeya-senpai and Atagi-senpai are the reason behind why I didn’t get to attend the tournament. They got jealous of how I got the assistant job, and since theirs just quitted the job a few weeks ago, they decided to spice things up a bit.

That brings us to the upcoming event, where everyone will give everything they have for a chance to be a part of the student council. Atagi-senpai I get it, but Takabeya-senpai too? At first I thought that he was just dragged into this situation without his consent. Turns out I’m way too wrong.

“I already told them how ridiculous that idea was, and trust me, I really wanted to see you fight in this tournament. Unfortunately, they were way more stubborn than I realized, so I had to make the choice.”

“But on the bright side, you get to be in the studio with us! Isn’t that exciting?” Atagi-senpai said.

 “Yeah…right…” I laughed it off.

So the rules for this year are the same, with some slight changes. Normally, sixteen classes will choose two of their students to compete. Those contestants will fight over a span of five days to determine who’s the champion. To save time, the contestants will compete in the form of knockout matches. The winner of the tournament will receive a prize money of ¥100,000.

But for this year, those who work for the student council aren’t allowed to compete. The final two will receive ¥150,000, alongside a great chance of working as an assistant for Takabeya-senpai and Atagi-senpai. Those who don’t make it to the final aren’t casted aside either. They could still have a place in the council through the voting season.

At least that’s what Atagi-senpai said.

“You know Master, in paper, this isn’t a bad idea. That is until they decide to leave you out.” Tiamat said to me through [Telepathic Line].

“Yeah, it’s kinda unfair, but there isn’t much I could do to change it. Besides, being a commentator seems like an interesting job. Hope that my eyes are fast enough to catch up with their movements.”

When I started training with Tiamat, I never thought that I’ll use them for something like this. I guess I’ll just have to give out my best and see where that’ll get me.

“It’s alright. Think of this as a way to train for your future battles. Trust me, you can learn one or two things just by watching others. Don’t worry Yasutaira-kun, I’m sure you can handle it.” Takabeya-senpai cheered me up.

After that day, I spent the entire week learning everything I need to know, including every contestant’s names, abilities and stats. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve done so far, but I managed to do it just in time for the tournament. Let’s just hope that it’ll pay off hugely.

 

“Woah, this is amazing…”

 The first matchup begins at 8 am, but since I’m now a commentator, I have to be at the arena early. It’s only 6.30 am but I’m already inside the commentator cabin, getting familiar with it for the big day.

“Alright, gotta plug this in and...There we go.”

I plug the headset into the commentator unit and test it. After that, I take out the notebook and put it on the desk. Inside that notebook are every information about the contestants in case I miss them while commentating. I’m still new to this, so I need to be careful.

“This place...it’s way bigger than I thought. Don’t you think so Master?”

“Well, from what I’ve heard, sensei and the previous principals have spent tons of money maintaining and upgrading the academy, so it’s no surprise that it would be this big.”

[Summer Tournament] is undenialbly one of the biggest events of the year, so it requires the best facility the academy has to offer. The [Kiriwatari Arena] was made to furfill that purpose.

As an outdoor 60×50 arena, it can hold at least a thousand person. For a place as big as Kiriwatari Academy, the arena stands out quite a lot. It’s a shame that I can’t compete this year, but hey the future is still ahead of us. Let’s see what next year has to offer me.

“Oh my, you’re early. I haven’t prepared anything yet!”

“Ah, good morning Atagi-senpai!”

While I’m briefly explaining to Tiamat about the arena, Atagi-senpai comes in. Takabeya-senpai follows behind her and greets me as well. They immediately prepare their headsets. They don’t have any notebook with them since they asked me to jot down everything beforehand.

“You two must be used to it huh...”

“Yeah Yasutaira-kun, this isn’t the first time we do it. Don’t worry, you can do it. Just take a deep breath and you’ll be fine.” Takabeya-senpai said.

Throughout the week before the tournament, Atagi-senpai helped me a lot with the preparation, giving me advice on how to win the audience and catch up with everything in the fight.

“The key is to give out your thoughts on what the contestants would do and hype the audience up once something interesting is about to happen.”, she said.

Takabeya-senpai on the other hands taught me how to use my hand movements, while also reminding me to constantly make eye contact with them, creating some kind of chemistry between the three of us.

The first match is still two hours away from now, so in the mean time, we walk through what we can and can’t say, all the contestants’ profiles as well as testing the unit, making sure it works.

As time goes, the arena starts filling up with more and more spectators, indicating that the tournament is coming closer than ever.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2023 [Summer Tournament] here at Kiriwatari Academy. I’m Miwako Atagi.”

“And I’m Masayuki Takabeya.”

“Hold on tight to your seat, cause we’re bringing the party!”

The crowds start cheering nonstop, as Atagi-senpai announces that the tournament is officially started. Before the first match begin, the crowds were entertained with the balloons and fireworks the student council prepared beforehand. It seems that everyone is all looking forward to this day, and they’re ready to rock the world up.

“Thanks Miwako. You know, this year is going to be a special year, and I can feel it. Thirty-two contestants from sixteen classes are gathered here to compete for not only the prize, but also a chance to impress everyone. The talent is there, but the question is: do they have what it takes to be the winner?”

“Well, only one way to find out. Let the tournament begins! For more information, let’s go to our third member of the team, Waka Yasutaira.”

“Thanks Atagi-senpai. First off, I want to say…”

I stop for a moment to see how the crowds react. My reputation is still there, so not many people are fond of me sitting alongside their idols. They won’t act out for the sake of the tournament, but that doesn’t stop them from holding a grudge against me. Whatever comes out of my mouth next will determine whether I’m winning them over or not.

Takabeya-senpai looks me straight in my eyes and nods lightly, assuring me that things will be fine. I take a deep breath and continue my part.

“It’s a pleasure to be here and live this moment to the fullest. Thirty-two competitors, but only one will go home with ¥150,000 and the title [Summer Champion]. This is your chance to give everything you have and see how far you can go. And what better way to kick-start the tournament than the first fight of the day. On the left corner: they called him the “dark horse rookie”, some might say he has what it takes to win it all. From class 1-A, let’s give it up for Yokomura Haruto!”

"With an overall ranking of A despite being a freshman, he’s proving to be force to be wrecken with. What will the rookie, nickname [Flame Devil], bring to the table? Can he go all the way to the final? Ladies and gentlemen, Yokomura Haruto!” Atagi-senpai lit up the crowds as the big screens is showing footage of Haruto-san.

A red hair student emerges from the tunnel. He’s waving to the crowds, more specifically his fans, as he’s heading to the ring. Being born in the Yokomura family, one of the oldest and strongest families all across Japan, but some still look down on him. After years of making his name, Haruto-san is now finally considered the one to watch.

Despite having the same overall ranking as him, I’m confident that I can still defeat him, even though it won’t be easy. His ability is the same with [Fire Fist], but much weaker. From what I’ve seen, he has a somewhat similar fighting style with her and weapon being the key difference.

“And on the right corner: she’s the blooming flower of her generation, some even said she’s the reincarnation of Apollo. She has the finesse, but will that be enough? From class 1-D, Takenada Mitsuko!” Atagi-senpai said through her microphone.

On the other side, a girl with white long hair emerges from the tunnel. As she’s stepping to the ring, the whole arena rumbles in excitement. Despite only be here for around a month, Takenada-san has become a sensation all across the academy. You have no idea how many students followed her or even wanted a quick match with her. Even when she declined all of them, they still wouldn’t give up. Having her fight the first match is basically an adrenaline shot to the whole crowd, and the moment her name and stats are on the big screen, they start going wild.

Takenada-san’s entrance really puts the pressure on Yokomura-san’s back. The [Summer Tournament] is broadcasted nationwide, so that doesn’t help at all. Through the monitor, I can see him breaking his sweat a lot, as he’s clenching his fists to pump himself up.

“Before we start, let’s run down a few rules shall we? There’ll be 4 fights in the morning and 4 in the afternoon. Every fight will have a time limit of thirty minutes. Get defeated, you lose. You give up, you lose. Get knocked out of the ring, you also lose. If after thirty minutes and there isn’t a winner, whoever deals the most damage will move on. Deadly magic abilities are prohibited, and those who use them will immediately be disqualified.”

The referee, who happens to be Kariuda-san, explained as the two competitors are now facing each other. She also reminds that due to safety policies, a thick layer of [Mana Protection] is surrounding the grandstands, acting like an invisible shield from outside to inside.

Multiple cameras start rolling to different places in the arena, including the V.I.P seats. Unsurprisingly, Kiriwatari-sensei and her companions sit there and enjoy the view. Despite having a tight schedule, she still promised to be here anytime she could.

As the footages are shown on the monitors, I use everything I have to analyze and form my commentating part. Just like the contestants, us as commentators also have to anticipate what could happen on the ring, and that’s the easy part. The way we deliver to the crowds will determine whether we’re doing a good job or not.

“Well then, let’s the battle begin!”

Kariuda-san, now standing in the sideline, blows the whistle. The crowds cheer on as the two fighters take out their weapon. As opposed to Takenada-san and her longsword, Yokomura-san opts for two cutlasses.

“Interesting, very interesting! It’s the battle between the one-handed and the two-handed! Long sword vs Cutlass! Masayuki-kun, what do you think?”

“Yokomura-san might have the weaponry advantage, but in terms of power, Takenada-chan is the superior. It’s hard to tell who really has the upper hand, so if could go both ways.”

“I agree with you senpai. Both contestants have what it takes to win, so it all comes down to who hits the hardest the fastest. One small mistake and they’re out.”

As we’re giving out our predictions, the cameras capture the reaction of the crowds. Despite having almost the entire arena rooting for her, Takenada-san is still very cautious with her move. As for Yokomura-san…

“Yokomura-kun’s weapons are on fire! He’s going all out! The [Flame Devil] has finally awakened!” Atagi-senpai shouted through the microphone.

The crowds are in awe with what they’re seeing. Almost half of the arena is filled with students from the academy, so it’s a perfect mix of excitement and curiosity from the other half. To top it all off, Yokomura-san spreads out his fire wings and horns, completing his transformation. He’s now just like Atagi-senpai said, a fully awakened [Flame Devil].

“What will Takenada-chan do now? Oh wait, she’s transforming as well! The [White Princess], she has descended from the sky and faced the devil!”

As Atagi-senpai is hyping the crowds up, Takenada-san covers her weapon and her skirt in [Light] element, with and addition of a white cape. They’re all now glowing in purity and holiness, ready to fight the demon on front of her.

“The rookies are giving out a statement! They aren’t here to play, so you’d better watch out for them!”

As the cameras are rolling, the two opponents are caught having a friendly conversation with each other. It seems like they’re showing respect and admiration to one another.

"It’s always nice to see contestants giving each other flowers, don't you think Takabeya-senpai?”

“Absolutely Yasutaira-kun, and that’s the beauty of this tournament. Winning is great, but how sweet could it be if you don’t just go out there, have fun and give them the best performance possible? Shouldn’t that be the message we deliver to little kids?”

“Well, let’s just hope they get it by the time they hit the fourth grade senpai. Now, let’s get back to the match shall we?”

As we’re entertaining the crowds, the two opponents clash each other, beginning the first match of [Summer Tournament].

 

(Takenada Mitsuko’s POV)

“Kugh…!”

After a brief conversation, Yokomura-kun is the first to attack. Using the cutlasses as a cross, he jumps in the air and fly down at me like a fiery meteor. I manage to block his attack with my sword, but I don’t think I can hold it much longer.

“What’s the matter princess? Scared of the little devil?”

“Oh please, it’ll take more than that to make me tingle.”

“Oh yeah, then how about this?”

He then takes a few steps back and disappears in thin air, leaving no trace behind. The crowds are impressed and surprised by what they’re seeing. Inside the cabinet, I can clearly hear Yasutaira-kun and Atagi-senpai discussing what could possibly happen next.

Among those is the idea of Yokomura-kun moving too fast not many people can catch up to him.

And they’re right.

“What’s wrong? Too much to handle? Should I slow down for you lady?”

He’s fast, that’s for sure. Too bad for him, I can still keep up with his speed, so it isn’t much a problem to me. Honestly, he comes off as a little more cocky than I expected to be. Either that or he’s playing with me, hoping I’ll make some mistakes along the way.

“Yokomura-kun…He’s cornering his opponent! There’s no room for Takenada-chan to breathe now! Can she make it?”

As Atagi-senpai is commenting on the battle, I’m trying to come up with something in order to defeat Yokomura-kun. He doesn’t seem to slow down at all, so I can’t let my guard down at any moment. One simple slip in the crack and I’m out.

What will he do? Where is he going to attack? How hard will he hit me? Can I block, dodge or even counter them all?

Those are just a few among other tons of questions running through my mind as I’m working out my strategy. A [Water] Magica would be a better option to counter him, but I believe my [Light] could somehow do the job just as well.

“Hah!”

All of sudden, from the right, Yokomura-kun throws his cutlasses at me. Those things fly towards me as fast as a bullet, but I manage to dodge it just in time. I was relieved that it didn’t hit me, but it doesn’t end there.

“[Twin Flame]!”

Yokomura-kun once again disappears. This time, he's heading to where the cutlasses are with a speed that my eyes couldn’t catch up. He grabs them and swings at me with everything he has.

“It’s the infamous [Twin Flame]! One of his signature moves that made him who he is today! Can Takenada-san stand the heat?” Yasutaira-kun said through the microphone.

Just like Yasutaira-kun said, [Twin Flame] is one of his go-to moves, and for a good reason. The heat from the weapon, combine it with the speed of it could literally burn through my uniform and melt down everything it touches. That move is no joke at all!

“Kugh…!”

I don’t have time to dodge it at all, so my only solution is [Mana Shield]. It could hold on for quite a while, but that doesn’t stop me from getting pushed back to the edge of the ring.

“[Final Light]!”

I plug my sword down and create a small dorm full of [Light] element. As it’s expanding, it pushes Yokomura-kun back, eventually neutralizing his [Twin Flame]. He quickly spins a few rounds before getting back on his feet. I’m save for now, but it really drained a good portion of my mana pool.

“*puff puff* You’re better than I thought princess…Countering my attack… Not bad…”

“You too Yokomura-kun…You’re one hell of a fighter…”

We stop for a moment to catch our breaths and praise each other, before heading back to the battle and give the audiences the fight they want. The crowds cheer on in excitement every time our sword clash.

I may have the higher overall ranking, but one sword vs two cutlasses isn’t an ideal fight for me. The way he moves and attacks really gets into my nerve, as I have to essentially block his attacks and give him the advantage. You can never know which hand he’ll go first. I manage to hit him a few times, and so does he.

“[Devil Cross]!”

“[Light Beam]!”

Yokomura-kun keeps a distance from me and swings his cutlasses. A fire cross forms from it and flies towards me with high speed. I quickly shoot a beam from my sword to counter it, eventually creating an explosion. The moment the smoke is cleared, he once again comes at me with everything he has, hoping this time he can finally end the fight and take home the first win.

Unfortunately, this time, I have plan of my own as well.

“Huh?”

Before he even realizes, I’m no longer there. He isn’t the only one who can move fast, so let’s see how he handle it himself shall we?

“[Light Push]!”

I get behind him and put my hand on his right upper waist, charging an attack. In just mere seconds, he gets pushed back from the blast and rolls a few rounds. He’s almost knocked out of the ring, but luckily he manages to get back up before it’s too late.

“Damn…She’s getting serious!”

“No, this is serious. [Horizontal Lighting Strike]!”

Leaving him no room to breathe, I dash to and hit him with my sword. I put a good amount of mana into the attack, so to everyone outside the ring, it’s like they’re watching a white spear traveling in super speed. That white spear won’t stop to anything until it hits the target.

At least, that was my intention.

“Huh?”

I stop right at what I assume to be where Yokomura-kun is standing, but the moment my sword hits, his presence fades away. It’s like I just tear through a thick layer of fog, except this time, it’s red. Everyone is pleasantly surprised by what’s happening, even Yasutaira-kun and two senpais.

“Looking for me?”

I turn around and see Yokomura-kun slowly walking to the side with a smirk on his face, explaining about his [Flame Clone] he made. I keep my guard up and take a step back. I don’t know how many tricks he has up his sleeve, so I need to be cautious. He could pretend to stand there mocking me and then sneak up right behind and preemptively attack me.

I can’t lose right in the first match. Not like this. The assistant spot is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I’m not letting him stop me from achieving it.

“You know, things are not going anywhere if we keep fighting like this. How about we settle this with the next attack?”

“What you say is?”

“You and me, hitting as hard as we can. No arbitrary percentage or any other measurable amount of damage. I don’t care what your next move is, I want you to go all out.”

“No trick up your sleeve this time?”

“No trick up my sleeve this time.”

“Then it’s a deal!”

I don’t trust him completely, but seeing the seriousness on his face, I figure that the least I can do is go out with a bang. I grab my sword tightly and charge my attack. The wind starts swirling like crazy as my sword is getting bigger. A golden aura forms around my body, strengthening me more than ever. I can feel my mana flowing in and out of my body, as if it’s becoming whole with me, lending me just enough power to defeat my opponent.

He said “go all out”, and I have just the thing to deliver that.

“Takenada-san…She’s charging her final attack! She’s burying the whole ring in her holy light!”  Yasutaira-kun hyped the crowds up as they’re covering their eyes.

Not letting me steal of the spotlight to myself, Yokomura-kun starts charging his attack too. Using his wings, he flies up to the sky and turns his cutlasses into two gigantic swords. He’s far away from me and the ring, but I can tell that attack could burn through even the hardest material known to mankind, that is if we don’t count [Chimera].

“Are you ready princess? Cause I’m bringing the heat!” Yokomura-kun said.

As he’s about to fire the attack, the flaming sensation from it gapes his shirts, leaving it unbuttoned entirely. His jeans are on the verge of tearing apart and his shoes are completely disintegrated. He now looks like a mad man losing control and want nothing but destruction.

“[Devilish Flaming Phoenix]!”

Like a meteor about to crush everything on its way, Yokomura-kun flies down to me with two giant swords on his hands. His intention is bright as day: knock me out of the ring and claim his victory. Not many had figured out a way to counter [Devilish Flaming Phoenix], and by using his strongest move, it’s a guarantee that he’ll win.

At least that’s what he thought.

“[Golden Justice]!”

With everything I have, I swing my golden sword. The fine jewel in the crown, [Golden Justice] is the result of hard work, pain and my desire to be better. I never actually used it in battle before, so this will be its official debut. I bet nobody in this ring knows about this, except for “her”.

“Boom!”

The two attacks collide and create a giant explosion in the air, brightening up the arena. I waited until he was closed enough to hit him, so the impact affected me as well. I took all the explosion to myself, results in me getting knocked back to the edge of the ring.

I was severely damaged by the explosion, almost to the point of not being able to get back up. Thankfully, [Mana Protection] prevented my uniform from not tearing apart, and I managed to stand up despite all the wounds on my body. I carefully look around, waiting for the smoke to be cleared to see if he’s still here or not.

He was in the center of the impact, so in theory, he took the most damage. There’s a chance he escaped it the last minute, but he could also lie down  among the smoke, he might even get knocked out of the ring.

And I was right.

“Yokomura-san...He’s out of the ring! The [Flame Devil] is defeated! The winner of the first match is Takenada Mitsuko!”

As Yasutaira-kun announces the result, I muster up all the strength I have left in my body and slowly stand up. I raise up my fist, claiming my victory. The crowds cheer me on as my face is shown on the large screen.

After letting the crowds and the fireworks have their moment, I step down from the ring and head to where Yokomura-kun is lying. Due to the explotion, his shirts was destroyed, leaving him not wearing anything but his pants, which somehow not being ripped apart like the rest.

"Hey, are you alright?”

“Not really…Man, where did that come from?”

“Magicians never reveal their secrets. Here, take my hand.” I helped Yokomura-kun get up while waiting for the medics.

“Hey.”

"Hmm?”

“Good fight.”

“Yeah, you too Yokomura-kun.”

After a few minutes, the medics arrive and give first aid to us. We’re both heavily injured, mainly due to the final attack, and since the tournament goes on for six days straight, medic plays an important role in this situation.

“Hey...Sorry about your clothes...”

“Don’t worry, this happens all the time. I’m still working on it so you don’t have to apologize really. Although you did stop me from getting the money I need to fix the problem...”

"Hahaha...”

We fist pump each other as the medics put Yokomura-kun on the strecher and take him out of the arena. As for me, I stay for a bit longer, waving and celebrating with the crowds before finally heading to the medical center, ending the first match of [Summer Tournament].

 

(Yasutaira Waka’s POV)

“They did what now?”

After finishing my job for the morning, I sat down with Atagi-senpai and Takabeya-senpai in the other room and enjoyed our lunch. Takenada-san joined us too, as she’s now fully recovered from her match. But that small peaceful time doesn’t last long as Atagi-senpai delivers the bad news to me.

“Yeah, [Rising Phoenix] struck again a few weeks ago. This time, their target was Greece, specifically Athens. And I planned to visit there! How dare they do that?”

“Was anybody hurt? Did they take anything?” Takenada-san asked

“Reports said at least ten people died, but the numbers could rack up more. We don’t know what they took, but we’re still working on it…” Takabeya-senpai calmly said as he’s enjoying his tea.

“Damn, those guys…Just what in the world they were thinking…”

“Yeah, that’s insane. I was planning to go there next month!” Takenada-san said with a disappointing tone.

Left speechless by the news, I put down my bento box. I know for a fact that they are ruthless and not hesitated to do what needs to be done, but just what would they benefit from that? What are they going to achieve? Is there any reason behind those actions?

“Ah Athens, ancient Greece’s favorite city, really brings back some good memories.” Tiamat talked to me through [Telepathic Line].

“You’ve been there before Tiamat?”

“Uh huh. Great place, great food. Too bad those idiots ruined it. They don’t have anything better to do other than endless and meaningless destruction?”

“Yeah…”

Call their actions “meaningless” is a bit of a stretch, but that’s just from a stand point of a normal person. Tiamat has been through countless of dynasties and battles. This whole fiasco might just be another annoying Tuesday to her.

While we’re eating, we talk about the first four matches of the day, how things went out and who we think would win it all. The results are shown on the large screen during the break time:

Match 1: Takenada Mitsuko (Class 1-C) vs Yokomura Haruto (Class 1-A). Winner: Takenada Mitsuko.

Match 2: Hakuseki Mikaru (Class 2-B) vs Sakama Jouki (Class 2-D). Winner: Sakama Jouki

Match 3: Touda Matsuho (Class 3-B) vs Hisata Samika. (Class 2-D): Winner: Touda Matsuho

Match 4: Watanabe Rei (Class 1-B) vs Nagai Kisato (Class 1-D). Winner: Watanabe Rei.

There were some pleasant surprises among these four matches. For example, everyone thought that the second match would end in no time, as Kurosaki-senpai was considered a top dog in this tournament. But in an unexpected twist, he was eliminated.

The audiences were left in shock by his early exit, giving his background and capability. -san is a strong student, don’t get me wrong, but him moving on to the next round was not in people’s mind at all.

I don’t know how far he’ll go, but it’s interesting to see how the other matches would play out. Maybe there’ll be more surprises along the way.

As for the final matchup, Watanabe-san took home the victory, no doubts in mind. What made it a pleasant surprise is that she, despite clearly having an advantage in terms of power, only won the match after struggling for thirty minutes. It wasn’t the worst thing to watch, but it really concerned people whether she could go further or not.

“So Yasutaira-kun, you made this on your own right?”

“Yeah, I figured that if I’m already a line cook myself, I might as well do the cooking at home as well. And so far, I haven’t disappointed myself.”

“Woah…”

Atagi-senpai asked me about the bento box I made for lunch, and I gave her a brief explanation. I also told her about how I became Sukeno-san’s protégé, as well as how I’ve been living for the last few years.

I’m pretty sure they already knew about it, but I guess they just wanted to hear it from me instead of some boring profile. Honestly, it’s always nice of them to willingly sit down and talk to their juniors. I don’t mind retelling the same story over and over, as long as they care about it. That’s all that matters.

“Yeah Atagi-senpai, you should try his food someday! There’s no way back once you get to taste it, trust me senpai!” Takenada-san excitingly said as she’s finishing her lunch.

“Aw, you sound so energetic about this Takenada-chan. What, you live nearby him so he cooks for you or something?”

“Uhm well…I’m not denying it or anything, you know…” Takenada-san said shyly.

Somehow, Atagi-senpai got it right on her first try. That’s impressive and terrifying at the same time. Next thing I know, she’ll say my son’s name correctly without even meeting him ever before.

After months of searching, Takenada-san’s family had finally found a place to call home. Coincidentally, it isn’t far away from my house, so we occasionally go to school together. That idea alone could make countless people jealous, and that is exactly what happens. Imagine if they found out that I make lunch for her. They’re going to be bamboozled and would even go crazy over it.

“You know Atagi-senpai, if you want to, I don’t mind teaching you one or two things about cooking.”

“Really? That’s grea…”

“OK, I think we should finish our lunch quickly. Those microphones aren’t talking by themselves, you know that right?”

“Ahahaha, yeah…”

Did Takabeya-senpai just get jealous over something like this?

I know Atagi-senpai and him are dating, so his action is justified. People might think he’s petty, but in my eyes, he’s just caring about his girlfriend, at least that’s what I think.

They may not be on the same side of a coin in terms of personalities, but their love for each other can erase those differences and help them go further than ever in life. That’s what I like about them.

After finishing our lunch, Takenada-san says goodbye and leaves the room. As for us, we take a power nap before heading back to the cabinet, getting ready for the afternoon matches.

 

“And now, the final match of the day! On the left corner, he’s the modern day vagabond, the gentlemen women would desire. From class 3-A, Arazaki Kuroto!”

The moment Atagi-senpai announces the name, the whole crowds go crazy. Banners with his name on them, carboard cutouts, you name it. Not letting the hype die out early, a student with silver hair emerges from the tunnel, waving and sending kisses to his hardcore fans. Carrying a longsword on his back, yet he still moves flawlessly like it’s nothing. That is the testament of how strong he truely is.

"Arguebly one of the best in his generation, Arazaki Kuruto is favored to win it all. But can [Silver Prince] fulfill his potential when his opponent is none other than the [Speed Demon] herself, Yamamoto Nahoka from class 2-B!”

From the other side of the arena, a tanned girl with brown hair steps on the ring with a bright smile on her face. Unlike other students, she’s donning the PE uniform with trousers, a headband, sleeveless white shirts and a blue training jacket with the word “Speed Demon” written in the back.

There’re no rules stating you can’t wear other clothes during the tournament, so hers definitely stands out for obvious reason. This could be either a one-time thing or a reoccurring trend for the next days, regardless it’s always nice to see a change of pace, and the crowds seem to agree with me as they keep on cheering for her in the next few minutes. They’re excited to see what kind of performance two of the fan-favorites would produce, and so do I.

“So Yasutaira-kun, what do you think about this matchup? Will there be one final surprise for the day?”

 “It’s hard to say anything Atagi-senpai given how strong these two are, but I do think that Kuroto-senpai needs to be careful. Let the [Speed Demon] catch you off-guard and you’ll pay for it!”

“I see…”

As I’m giving out my own insight, the two contestants bow down to each other. After that, they take out their weapons and get into their fighting position.

“Brass knuckles huh...quite an interesting choice of weapon coming from Nahoka-chan, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, and it makes perfect sense. When you can run faster than a speeding bullet, you know you can hit just as hard. The real question is: What can Kuroto-san do to counter?” Takabeya-senpai responded.

Since this is the last fight of the day, you know the pressure is on for both of them. Contrary to what I thought, they don’t seem to be nervous at all. As expected from my seniors, they sure know how to handle the situation. I don’t think I would reach that level of confidence if I were the one to stand there right now.

“Let the battle begin!”

The moment Kariuda-san blows the whistle, Nahoka-senpai wastes no time and kicks Kuroto-senpai right in his face. Not a single camera can catch her movements completely, which just shows how fast she can be.

"She’s fast! But no wait, he made it! He blocked the kick just in the nick of time!” Atagi-senpai said through the microphone.

Using the sword, Kuroto-senpai managed to protect himself, but he still got pushed back a little bit. Seeing her attack didn’t work, Nahoka-senpai steps back, preparing for her next move.

“[Gatling Punches]!”

With the same speed used for the kick, Nahoka-senpai throws multiple punches at Kuroto-senpai. He once again blocks them all with his trustworthy weapon, but this time...

“It’s not enough! Nahoka-senpai is cornering him! What will he do now?” I said.

The crowds start worrying for him, as this isn’t what they thought things turn out to be. Eventually, Nahoka-senpai punches the sword away and in an unexpected twist, she kicks him to the side, instead of knock him out of the ring. As Kuroto-senpai is flying away, Nahoka-senpai quickly moves to right behind him, planning to follow up with her next attack.

“[Stone Wall]!”

As Nahoka-senpai is throwing her punch, a wall appears from the ring, eventually blocks her attack. The wall is thick enough to not get one shotted by her, and Kuroto-senpai is using that little advantage to pick up his weapon back.

“My turn.”

Kuroto-senpai gears up. The ground is shaking as he’s powering up. Nahoka-senpai, now finally destroyes the wall in front of her, immediately realizes what he’s up to and rushes towards him. Unfortunately, it’s too late.

“[Stone Golem], attack.”

Kuroto-senpai summons a golem using his sword. The golem throws its punch the moment Nahoka-senpai throws hers as well, creating a shockwave that impacts the whole arena. Through the monitor, I can see some hats being blown away due to the clash.

“Rargh!!!”

Using more of her strength, Nahoka-senpai eventually destroys the golem, turning it into a pile of stones. Everyone, including her, thought that’s the end of it, and from what happens next, it proves to be wrong.

“Kuroto-san…He used the golem as a distraction, and now he tries to land a hit on Nahoka-kun, but she blocked it! The hunter has become the hunted!”

While waiting for Nahoka-senpai to punch through the golem, he enhanced his sword with his magic and quickly forestalled her. Luckily, Nahoka-senpai was fast enough to cross her arms and use [Mana Protection].

“Well, she might be able to dodge the first bullet, but there’s no guarantee she’ll make it next time. She may be fast, but remember, speed kills.” I said through the microphone.

The crowds, being amazed by the fight, cheer on nonstop. Despite not having as many spectators as the morning, the energy across the arena is still as high as ever. It really shows just how much people love [Summer Tournament] and all the entertainment values it brings to the table.

“Guess I underestimated you, senpai...”

“Heh, you called that “underestimated”? Are you trying to fool me or something?”

After a quick conversation, the two take a step back, planning for their next moves. The crowds are holding their breath, waiting patiently as the cameras are rolling around the arena. The mix of cautiousness, excitement and seriousness on the contestants’ faces can be seen on the large screen.

And that is where the problem begins, at least for me.

“Huh, that’s strange…” I thought to myself.

I don’t know how to describe it, but Kuroto-senpai…there’s just something uneasy about him. He appears to be completely normal and quite charming I must say, but behind that “perfect mask”…it’s like starring at a chaotic void and the moment I blink, it sucks me into it, not letting me get out no matter how hard I try.

In other words, he’s up to something behind the scenes, and he tries to fake it for the sake of whatever his plan is.

I look at my seniors to see if they’re thinking the same. At first, that doesn’t seem to be the case. But once our eyes met, I immediately realizes that I’m not the only one. The three of us, now with this uncomfortable feeling inside, keep doing our job while trying to come up with a plan to solve this as fast as we could.

 

(Tiamat’s POV)

“Tsk...That stupid brat...” I whispered.

I knew I smell something fishy when that silver hair arrogant kid stepped into the ring!

That absurd amount of mana, while is still nothing compare to Master, doesn’t feel natural at all. I thought those illegal drugs back in the day are all gone now. Did someone dumb enough just dug that back?

“Hmm, what’s wrong? Why the long face?”

“Well, I don’t want to sound rude or anything but...There something isn’t right about that boy down there, and that concerns me.”

“Oh I see…Don’t worry, you’re not alone.”

Ms. Kiriwatari interrupts my thoughts after she saw how pissed I am. We’re now sitting inside the V.I.P room opposite to the commentary cabin. I can’t let everyone in this room know my identity, and lucky for me, Master and I had found a cheat code.

Theoretically, Master works under Ms. Kiriwatari, and since he’s, well, my master, it means that I can freely go out as long as I'm “working for Ms. Kiriwatari”, per se. And right now, I’m her bodyguard, a job eligable enough to sit right next to her and not worry about being caught at all.

Honestly, this [Summer Tournament] thing isn't half bad as I thought, even if Master didn’t attend it. I thought that I would be sitting here yarning all day while watching some half-ass kindergarten quarrels. Turns out, these kids do know how to fight properly, even better than I expected them to be.

Of course the students aren’t as strong as those I met back then, but these kids sure know how to put on a show. I don’t have high hopes for them, but at the very least, they don’t disappoint at all. Quite an interesting  scenery I must say.

That is until that Kuruto kid showed up.

“Here, take a look at this.”

Ms. Kiriwatari hands me her phone. I can see someone’s profile on it, and when I look through it…Something catches my eyes.

“Huh, so he really is an idiot...” I said disappointingly.

“Yeah. We’re investigating somekind of illegal enhancing drugs called [M.B.S]. It has been floating around for a few months now. I managed to find the suppliers, and when I interrogated them...”

“It turned out this arrogant kid is one of their buyers?”

“Yes, and even worse, I speculate that he’s also the one behind this.”

Ms. Kiriwatari also shows me what looks to be a police report, and the name “Matsumoto Ayami” caught my attention. Seems like this girl is somewhat related to this situation.

“She’s a good student and a great friend of Kuroto-kun, so I was surprised to find out that she had just suddenly disappeared last week. The police and her family had tried their best, but they eventually couldn’t locate her…”

“And you decided to step in thinking it might bring you closer to the main case?”

“Yes and no. Thanks to this incident, I was able to pinpoint down who the buyer is. Unfortunately, it’s too late for me to do anything further...”

Just how dump humanity can be?

They knew they're jumping straight into a lava pool, yet they still voluntarily did it. Had they learnt nothing from the past? Do we have to sacrifice another two millions to make them realize?

Assuming this stupid kid has been on this drugs for a while now, just how long until that body no longer handle all of them and starts showing horrible side effects? I should be surprise seeing how he manage to keep it attached, but at this rate...anything could happen. He could die right in front of my eyes and I’ll have to pretend that I give a damn about it.

“So does anyone else here know about this?”

“Nope, just you and me.”

“Well, I guess you should pump that number up.”

As she’s confusing on what I’m referring to, I point my finger to the commentator cabin, letting her know that Master and his friends had also noticed it. Knowing that, she puts a light smile on her face as I hand back her phone.

“I see..You’ve growned a lot, haven’t you...”

Leaving her some time and space to reminisce, I continue watching the match. It’s almost 5 p.m now, so you know those sunlights are still shining down on the ring. But that doesn’t stop the contestants from fighting with everything they have, especially that Nahoka girl.

Despite clearly having a disadvantage against a walking pool full of drugs, she still holds on fairly well. She knows how to dodge and throw a solid punch, and that’s enough to give her opponent a hard time to deal with.

Unfortunately, that’s all she could do.

“[Supersonic Mega Punch]!”

The Nahoka girl clenches her fist and dashes to her opponent with top speed. Barely anyone’s eyes can keep up with it, so you know she’s going to hit hard. There’s only one thing inside that girl’s mind: knock her opponent out and take home the victory.

“[Stone Crusher]!”

The ignorant kid, now covering himself in enhanced stone armor, throws his fist at the girl. From what I’ve seen, that armor isn’t easy to break, at least for Master. The girl might have a shot at punching through it, so let’s just see if she can do it or not.

As I’m crossing my arms, the two attacks collide, creating yet another explosion on the ring. It’s not as bright as match number one, but all the smoke and dust causing from the clash are still enough to block everyone’s vision. It took quite a while to see what’s happening down there, and just as I thought…

“Nahoka-senpai…She’s out of the ring! The winner of the final match is Arazaki Kuroto!” Master announced inside the cabin.

The arrogant kid survives, while the girl is defeated. She did in fact break his armor, and he’s severely injured, so I’ll give her that. But her body took on quite some damage from the impact of the attack. Her right arm appears to be broken, and so is her left leg. Her uniform is torn apart, but still somehow attached enough to not be completely naked.

Even though there’s isn’t much left in his body, the arrogant kid still stands there, waving to the fans, and claims his so-called “victory”. He may laugh today, but tomorrow, you know he’s going to suffer from whatever side effects coming from those drugs. He injected all of those for what, some minor competitions with a prize that only lasts for not even a year?

Honestly, I can’t wait until Master just go down there and beat his ass. That’ll be the best day of my life.

After a few minutes, the medics arrive and take the two contestants away. As they’re leaving the arena, Kariuda steps back to the ring and reveals the next day’s matchups with the help of the large screen. All the spectators then leave the arena, ending the first day of [Summer Tournament].

 

(Yasutaira Waka’s POV)

It’s 9 p.m now.

Since there isn’t any homework to do, I went straight into the shower right before dinner. After that, I got on my bed and enjoyed the rest of the day, thinking about what to say for tomorrow.

But those moments didn’t last long, as Tiamat delivered to me what she considered “bad news”, and from what I’ve heard, she’s right.

“[M.B.S]?”

“Yeah Master, it stands for [Mana Boosting Steroids], it’s a kind of drugs that enhance the user’s mana pool, eventually strengthening them. Of course there’ll be consequences after using them for too long.  Honestly, it should have been named [Mega Bullshit]…” Tiamat said after letting out a big sigh.

“You seem…pissed off…What happened?”

“You know what I hate the most besides human Master?”

“I…don’t think I know the answer…”

“Unnatural enhancing drugs Master! Imagine depending your whole life on those kinds of scummy pills. At some point, you’ll get addicted to them and before you even know, the only thing you want is an instant death. I hate how dumb humanity can truly be, but that’s just borderline stupidity!”

“Ah, I see…”

Surprisingly, I get where she’s coming from with that rant.

From what I’ve known, those kinds of drugs have been banned for quite a while, and for a good reason. Using them as a one-time thing isn’t the problem, but keep constantly consuming them is. “You’ll get stronger, but you’ll also die way sooner”, that’s her point I think.

“So this [M.B.S] thing…It’s somehow in the hand of Kuroto-senpai?”

“Yeah, and that arrogant kid sure know how to abuse the shit out of them. Heck that bastard even kidnapped his own childhood friend just to keep things from leaking out!”

“Wait, Ayami-senpai? So that’s why she has been disappearing recently?”

“Well, at least that’s what your sensei told me. The police could have searched his house, but it’s definitely a risky move giving how unpredictable things might turn out…”

“You know Tiamat, I think I have an idea…”

“Really Master?”

I then tell her my initial plan. Like Tiamat said, before thinking about busting this case, we first have to make sure that no one dies, otherwise it’ll go south uncontrollably.

I don’t know if it works or not, but let’s at least give it a shot and see how far it’ll go.

“That’s great! It’s not a bad idea! You’re a genius Master!”

“Haha, don’t sweat it, I’m sure Kiriwatair-sensei would think the same too…”

After a little discussion, we lay on our bed, getting ready to sleep. I still have to do my job so every resting minute is as precious as ever. Besides, I really want to master the new technique Tiamat and I have been working on for weeks now. If I can do it, then I might have a chance to ascend to the next level.

“So now there’s a problem in this year’s [Summer Tournament] huh…”

As I’m closing my eyes, the idea of [M.B.S] is still floating inside my head. Had I known about it sooner, I would have disqualified him already. But I feel like it won’t solve anything. In fact, it might make the situation even worse.

I should be careful with this case, one small mistake and things could go south very quickly.

“But I can’t just let it happen right in front of my eyes like that…” I thought to myself.

I know the way we’re getting our powers isn’t necessary orthodox, but you can’t justify popping those pills and injecting those serums into your body. If the others contestants know about this, they’ll demand more than a mere explanation and trust me, it won’t be pretty for everyone involved.

“Hey Tiamat.” I asked as I’m inside the [Hyper Realm].

“Hmm, what is it Master?”

“I know we had this conversation before, but…do you still think us human have a weird method of, you know, gaining magic abilities?”

“Of course Master! The concept alone is about as stable as Achilles’s heel, and it baffles me how long it has been going on so far!”

“And do you want to know what’s more crazy? I never once asked you about the origin of it, despite thinking about it from time to time.”

“Huh, how did that happen…” Tiamat jokingly asked.

The whole situation with Kuroto-senpai got me rethinking: Since when did we apply crime as a gateway to obtain abilities? Like Tiamat said, the whole idea just isn’t that practical on paper and in reality. 

Since crimes are used as an gateway to achieve impossible feats, setting limitation is crucial to make sure that society won’t fall apart. The “First Penalty” Law was made for that sole purpose. As the name implies, the law will grant you a second chance after you committed a crime. Of course there are still conditions that need to be satisfied, and I’m not super into laws, but so far, it has worked us a favor more than we thought.

But even if it is one of the greatest thing humanity could ever make, it still begs the question: Who in the right mind would add that kind of system anyways? I already had some theories in my mind, although…

“Well Master, I would love to answer it, I just don’t feel like you’re ready for what to come yet. But let me tell you this: Whatever speculations you formed, don’t drop it. You’re going the right way and when the time comes Master, you’ll get to that “door”. Until then, I’ll always be here for you whenever you need me Master.”

“Yeah…You’re right Tiamat. Thanks.”

Ending our little conversation, we quickly get into training, ending my first day as a commentator.

 

(Kiriwatari Chiyoe’s POV)

“Thanks, I appreciate your cooperation. I’ll call you again when I have more information.”

“Hahaha, don’t sweat it Chiyoe-san. Friends help each other, am I right?”

After that, the man hangs up his phone. He’s a friend of mine who works in the Police Department, and he’s also the one asking for my help with the “Ayami case”. Little did I know that what he brought me is the key to solve my own case that I’m following.

Two of my own students are now involving in an illegal enhanced drugs trafficking network. This situation if not handle right might damage more than just the academy’s image.

There’re a few ways I could think of to solve this problem, but the risks are still a bit too high. I can’t afford any mistake, and I have to make sure it stays that way at least  until the end of [Summer Tournament].

I light up another cigarette to relief myself from all the stress. There’s only me in the office, so I can smoke whenever I want without someone interrupting me.

“Still busying with work huh…Even thinks of a vacation? I heard Spain has some great beaches. Or perhaps you love something a bit more…romantic?”

“Oh my, you’re giving me a heart attack, you know that right?”

Tiamat, one of the oldest and strongest mythological creatures, emerges from the corner of the office. That red velvety hair, the smooth yet powerful voice, that curvaceous and glamorous appearance…It’s like witnessing such perfection that none of us could ever reach to or even dream of.

She was once trapped inside the [Almighty Scroll], but now she has escaped and become a servant for Yasutaira Waka, one of my own students. I didn’t even believe it at first, but after a few months, I finally get used to it, although sometimes she’ll pull something just like that. Well if anything, tasting my own medicine is good way to remind myself that there’s still someone better than me out there.

“Of course, but don’t worry, I’m here to bring you something even better.”

The red hair woman approaches me and puts her hand on my shoulder. All of a sudden, an immense load of information flowed through my mind. After a few minutes of struggling mentally, I finally get back to the game.

“I see, so that’s what you wanted to do…”

“Heh, I was surprised that he could even come up with something like that. I guess he did learn one or two things from you.” Tiamat said with a bright smile on her face.

I don’t want to drag him into this, but since he’s my , technically he’s allowed to do so. I know he’s a bright kid, but thinking that far…He really is their son after all…

“Master did tell me that his plan is quite risky, so of course it’s up to us to crank it down to zero. The question is: Can you handle it?”

“Oh please, don’t you dare look down on us mortals like that. We have a few tricks up our sleeves, and I don’t mind showing them off to you, my goddess.”

“Heh, now that’s the spirit.”

After the friendly bickering, I immediately pick up my phone and make some calls. I carefully explain the situation while leaving some details out, making sure that they aren’t involved deeply in this case.

As I’m constantly working my absolute best, Tiamat slowly disappears from my office without trace. Our meeting that night was a secret never been told or brought up again, but the aftermath from it will forever be remembered as one of the most chaotic events in the academy’s recent year.