The classroom was enveloped in silence as all eyes remained on Ryuu and the magic ball.
The puzzled expressions on everyone's faces were clear—no one had ever seen a magic ball change to an azure color with such dim light.
"W-what element is this? Is it wind or water? Why is the light dimmer than even D-level magic? This has never happened before,"
One of the officers muttered in disbelief.
"I must inform the Magic Association immediately."
The officers hurriedly left the room, leaving the students in confusion.
Ryuu, still bewildered by the result, sat back down at his desk, deep in thought.
Just as he was lost in the whirlwind of his mind, a gentle hand landed on his shoulder, pulling him back to reality.
"Hey, do you know or remember anything about that magic? Do you know what element it was?"
Ryoko asked in a firm but surprisingly gentle tone. Her crimson eyes sparkled with expectation as if she was waiting for an answer only Ryuu could provide.
Ryuu blinked, even more confused now.
(Just what does she want from me?)
"How could I possibly know when even the officers don't?" Ryuu responded, feeling overwhelmed.
Ryoko's eyes briefly flickered with sadness, and her voice grew softer.
"I will make you remember one day,"
She muttered under her breath, so quietly that Ryuu almost didn't catch it.
"Did you say something?" he asked, puzzled.
"It's nothing," Ryoko replied quickly, turning away, her usual icy demeanor returning.
A short while later, the officers reentered the room, accompanied by the teacher. The officer cleared his throat before addressing the two students.
"Tatsuno Ryoko and Aramiya Ryuu,"
He began, his voice steady but laced with urgency.
"Three days from now, the president of the Magic Board will return to the country.
You are both required to report to the Magic Association at that time—Ryoko for an interview, and Ryuu for further investigation into your unique magic."
Both Ryoko and Ryuu nodded in acknowledgment, and with that, the officers departed.
The class resumed as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, but the tension in the air lingered. It wasn't long before evening fell, and the school day came to an end.
As Ryuu was packing his things, Sengoku approached his desk with a wide grin.
"Ryuu, let's head home together."
"Oh, Seichii! Sure, just give me a second to grab my stuff," Ryuu replied, shoving his books into his bag.
The two were about to leave when a soft, almost hesitant voice called out to Ryuu from behind.
"R-ryuu-kun, wait!"
Ryuu turned to see Ryoko standing there, her usual cold expression softened by a slight blush.
"Can I head back with you too?"
she asked, her voice gentle and uncharacteristically shy.
Ryuu blinked, taken aback by her request.
"You want to walk with me? But why?"
He asked, confused as to why someone as beautiful and distant as Ryoko would want to walk home with him.
Seichii sighed heavily, shaking his head. (This idiot... he's going to die single for sure.)
"W-well, it's because my home is in the same direction,"
Ryoko stammered, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.
"I thought... maybe we could walk together?"
Ryuu hesitated, still unsure of her intentions. He was cautious, still wary of the cold aura she had displayed earlier.
And yet, there was something else....something familiar, buried deep within him.....that urged him to say yes.
"Okay... let's go together,"
Ryuu finally agreed.
Ryoko's face lit up with a bright smile, a warmth that Ryuu had never seen before. His heart skipped a beat.
(She's... beautiful when she smiles.)
He found himself both captivated and unsettled by the stark contrast between her warmth now and her icy demeanor from earlier in the day.
With their bags slung over their shoulders, the trio started the walk home, chatting about the day's events, particularly the magic test. After some time, they arrived in front of Ryoko's house.
"I will turn here" Ryoko said, her usual composure returning. "See you tomorrow at school, Ryuu-kun, Seichii-kun."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Seichii replied, waving enthusiastically. Ryuu simply waved, still lost in his thoughts as they continued walking.
As they walked away, Seichii couldn't help but tease his friend.
"Hey, Ryuu, isn't Tatsuno-san really beautiful? Why do you always try to keep your distance from her when she's being so nice to you?"
Ryuu frowned.
(Of course, she seems beautiful to you. You didn't see the terrifying side of her that I saw this morning.)
"It's none of your business," he muttered.
"Bro, you're seriously going to die a virgin at this rate," Seichii teased, shaking his head.
Suddenly, they heard heavy breathing coming from the woods beside them.
"Hey, did you hear that?" Ryuu asked, freezing in his tracks.
"What are you talking abou-?" Seichii asked, but before he could finish his sentence, a dark figure emerged from the trees.
Its body was massive, black as night, with sharp fangs and water dripping from its tongue.
"I-I-IT'S A DOG DEMON! B-but how could it appear here? The city is surrounded by magic barriers!"
Seichii stammered, eyes wide with terror.
The dog demon snarled, closing the distance between them in an instant. Without warning, it lunged at Seichii, its claws ready to tear through him.
But Ryuu, acting on pure instinct, threw himself between Seichii and the beast.
"RYUU!"
Seichii screamed, watching in horror as the demon's claws raked across Ryuu's chest, leaving a deep, bleeding wound.
Ryuu gasped, stumbling backward as blood soaked through his shirt.
His vision blurred, and he felt himself losing consciousness. The dog demon growled, preparing to strike again, its claws aimed at Ryuu's throat.
"RYUU! NOOO!" Seichii shouted, helpless to stop it.
Just as the demon's claws were about to land the final blow, a flash of white appeared before Ryuu.
The dog demon stopped, its snarl turning into a whimper. Ryuu's fading vision caught a glimpse of white hair and crimson eyes.
(Is that... Ryoko-san...?)