Ihatra never imagined that his transfer to this school would also mark the end of his life journey. He had never fallen in love and had always been bullied since childhood due to his weaknesses that were difficult to overcome. Why couldn't he be like the male protagonists in stories who always have a heroine? Would he die in such a pitiful state?
"HROAAAARRGGHH!!!"
Struggling against the pain that engulfed his entire body, Ihatra, who had witnessed his three schoolmates transform into terrifying monsters, forced himself to get up and run through the dark corridor toward the basement.
"It seems like the demons won't just come from outside; they can also take over human consciousness," he thought, running aimlessly while feeling the walls in the darkness. Lux venit! Lux venit! Lux venit! He repeatedly chanted the spell to produce fire but kept failing.
Who knows what would happen if he were truly caught by them. Luckily, the narrowing corridor successfully slowed down the three students who had transformed into monsters and were now twice their original size.
Ihatra didn't care. Even if it meant risking his life, he would reach that place.
HOOSH! HOOSH! HOOSH!!!
His breathing grew heavier. Each step became more painful. He had no idea what would happen next. He felt himself starting to lose hope. Or perhaps, hope had never existed from the beginning?
BLAAARRR!!!
A bright light accompanied by an explosion that shook the ground suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Reflexively, Ihatra turned to witness a figure in a black robe fighting against the three bullies who wanted to kill him. He heard echoing footsteps approaching him. He resumed running until he reached a larger stone room.
"HAAHH... HAAHH... HAAHH..."
Finally, he was free from the claustrophobic feeling of the long, narrow corridor. However, the trouble was far from over because the three monsters, his transformed schoolmates, were still present. The difference now was that he could see who was fighting them.
"Kasyaira...? Why is she here?" Weak and unable to use magic properly, Ihatra could only wonder in confusion. His eyes couldn't help but widen in awe as he watched her adeptly wield magic. It wasn't just her spellcasting that was extraordinary; her agility and strength were equally impressive.
No wonder she was so popular among the students at this school.
"HELP ME PUSH THEM BACK, YOU IDIOT!" yelled the girl, standing amidst several magical formations trying to hold off and attack Farel, Raditya, and Yudha, who had lost their consciousness.
Ihatra, somewhat slow on the uptake, quickly rose and ran toward Kasyaira, though he had no idea what to do.
Kasyaira spoke to Ihatra behind her, "I'm going to bombard them with mid-level attacks. That should be enough to drive them back. Your job is to create a mana barrier around my attack path to keep it on target!"
"How can I do something like that in a situation like this, Kasyaira? I... I'm not good at controlling the mana within me," Ihatra responded doubtfully, his voice trembling.
He was indeed trash among the trash, someone who couldn't even be relied on by a girl. No wonder the world seemed to hate him, always bringing people to bully him.
"But you dared to run here alone," said Kasyaira amidst her concentration, maintaining the magical formation that protected them from the dark forces before them.
"I just wanted to..."
"Everything will be in vain if you don't believe in yourself."
I used to believe in myself, and all I got was failure. Should I believe again now and let my failure affect the lives of others? He's the only one I can trust right now!
"If you give up, you will never see him again, Atra. Not just him, but tomorrow will end the moment you close your eyes."
Kasyaira's words were like invisible strings controlling a puppet named Ihatra. He was weak and always needed a push to do anything. He struggled hard to draw mana from within himself to create a barrier that would direct Kasyaira's attack towards its target.
"HOOOAAARRGGH! HOOOAAARRGGH! HOOOAAARRGGH!!!"
"Good. They're starting to get pushed back," said the girl, trying to boost Ihatra's confidence.
Ihatra continued to struggle, controlling the flow of mana from his body to gather it precisely. Suddenly, the monster that had transformed from Raditya's body stopped being passive and attacked aimlessly. Their lips began to move, chanting a spell.
"Kegelapan dipunundang déning papan pasareyaning manungsa. Dalem ingkang nangis damel manungsa lali marang cahya. Kanthi jengkel lan denda, kula aliraken emosi awon punika dhumateng panjenengan! (Darkness is summoned by the graveyard of humans. The inner self that cries makes humans forget the light. With resentment and hatred, I channel these evil emotions to you!)"
BWUAAASSHH!!!
"Haaaaaakkhh!" screamed Ihatra, his body flung alongside Kasyaira, who remained calm.
She quickly got back on her feet. She looked at the three monstrous figures with a determined gaze, hoping to study what would happen to them next. But...
"Ohok." A lump of black fluid emerged from her mouth. From the cluster gathering on the floor, it seemed like a living creature was lurking. "Damn it."
Seeing this, Ihatra immediately asked Kasyaira to retreat, saying, "Go to that place in my stead! I... I'll hold them off here!"
BRAAKK. The door to the large stone room suddenly burst open from outside with a massive force. The possibilities were either other enemies indicating the outer defenses had fallen or a tardy hero's arrival.
Through the billowing smoke, a student with a blue tie and a pristine uniform emerged. His textured crop haircut, dyed green, clearly identified the brave student.
"Argani," Kasyaira shouted unconsciously, "why are you here?" she asked, wondering if the situation outside was safe enough for a class leader like him to be there.
He didn't immediately answer but instead moved his hands to summon several magical formations. Energy began to flow from the lower part of his body, lifting parts of his magical robe. Argani appeared deeply concentrated, performing a high-level magic ritual to confront the monstrous forms of the three schoolmates.
"HEEEEEKKKHH!!!"
"HEEEEERRGGHH!!!"
BWOOOOSSSHH.
"HWAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKHHHH!!!"
The monsters seemed to choke, struggling for breath before finally igniting in brown flames.
"Go!" ordered Argani, still serious in his ritual. "I'll handle things here."
Will they be able to find him?
What other obstacles will they face?
Who is he?
Everything that happened today brought his memories back to when it all began. The challenges he had to face to become a wizard student at Galsonmejer Academy of Radiant Exemplars. "I can overcome this challenge too!" he vowed.