Sira, Arc, and I find ourselves face to face with our instructor as we nervously wait for her to speak up. However, she suddenly smiles and eagerly looks at me with starry eyes, and before I can register, she starts asking me questions about how I did that. All I can do is sit there as she rants for the next few minutes. She stops, clears her throat, and says, "Sorry. I lost my composure. Would you mind telling me how you did that?""I can try, but I was barely able to explain it well enough to teach Sira a couple spells when we were younger. I doubt I'll be much help." I say awkwardly. "I can explain the concept though since it's pretty simple. I make my mana force open my gates like a river bursting through a dam. Although if I force it too much, I was told it would damage my gates." Arc seems annoyed at my statement but doesn't say anything.She sits back in her chair and seemingly studies me. "Alright then." She turns to Sira and asks, "Would you be able to teach anyone?"Uncharacteristically, Sira sits there and thinks for a couple seconds before defiantly saying, "No. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."This shocks the instructor a little and with a displeased look, she says, "Okay then. Don't tell anyone about this. Continue pretending to do the incantations Kazuhiro."We return back to class and lie to everyone, saying that it was a misunderstanding. However, this incident doesn't improve upon us being class outcasts. The teacher calls out to everyone, and we line up shoulder to shoulder to be formally dismissed from classes."Man, that sure was nerve-wracking when I was called to come with you guys. I was worried about being lumped in with you two freaks of nature." Arc says unapologeticallySira snaps around at Arc and angrily says, "You have been nothing but rude to Kazu since he became friends with you. If you don't treat him better, I'll have all three of us expelled."Arc looks taken aback and reluctantly says, "I'm sorry for calling you guys freaks. I'll try to be nicer to ya'll in the future.""Now calm down Sira. I would rather not be expelled in such a dumb way."Sira snaps back to me with an annoyed look. "And you need to stand up for yourself more. Just because it doesn't bother you doesn't mean I'm not bothered by it, so I would appreciate it if you stood up for yourself more often."I smile softly at her and say, "I'll keep that in mind going forward. Thanks for telling me." she blushes slightly as I smile at her and turns away to head back to our new dorm."Damn. You are one lucky guy." Arc says to me before heading after Sira."I don't deserve her love." I mumble to myself before running to catch up.A few days pass and nothing of note happens. Arc asked to be taught incantationless magic, so I told him the basic premise and that it would take lots of practice. I was playing cards with Arc one Saturday night when we hear a knock on the door."Coming." I say as I go to answer. Suddenly the door flies open and in walks our homeroom instructor with a timid looking girl following behind her"Listen up ocilates. This unsightly girl will be part of your squad from now on so treat her nicely." And with that, she leaves the room as if she didn't just announce an important piece of information. I stare blankly at the girl. I finally get a hold of myself and go to greet her. I realized she was the girl from homeroom who I saw speaking with Sira on the first day."Hello. This is a bit sudden, but this here is Arc and my name is Kazuhiko." When I said my name, she flinched a little. "May I ask what your name is?"She replies in a meek voice with, "L-Levey." "Sira is in the office being scolded for punching another student. Welcome to the misfits, Levey." I say while mock bowing.Arc pipes in and retorts, "I ain't a misfit. I only got lumped in with you because we happened to be in the same testing ground.""Anyways, here's hoping for a long friendship." I say extending my hand to her. She hesitantly shook my hand after making me grab for it. "Did you want to join us in some cards?"She answered by shaking her head and sitting down to watch us. A long silence ensues."Do you have any favorite foods?" I ask awkwardly.She answers in a quiet voice with, "H-Hotpot.""Personally, I am a curry guy. What about you Arc? What is your favorite food?"Arc opened his mouth to answer but then closed it, leaving another awkward silence behind.This will be a rough time I think to myself before Sira walks in looking frustrated."What was I supposed to do!? Let him keep insulting my friends!?" Sira frustratedly says in a loud voice."Hey Sira. How did it go?" I asked nonchalantly, still focusing on the card game.She glares at me and says, "I have limited defac visits and I have to scrub the girl's bathroom.""That doesn't sound fun. Then again, punishments aren't supposed to be fun, especially when you deck someone in the face." I say teasinglyShe shoots me an annoyed expression before asking, "Who is this girl?"I turned to her confused and ask, "Were you not speaking to her on the first day of class?"A look of realization hits her and she turns to Levey and says, "You're the girl who I thought insulted Kazu on the first day."Levey's face turns scarlet and she looks down at her knees. Clearly feeling guilty, Sira continues, "I'm sorry for accusing you like that. It was wrong of me.""Hey would you look at that. She did learn her lesson." Arc says without turning away from the game.Sira flares up in rage until she sees Levey and I chuckling at Sira's expense. She sits down and turns her head away a little embarrassed. Sira turns to Levey. "Is there a reason you had to transfer to our squad?"Levey stumbles over words and says, "Th-The t-two that l-l-left the first c-class were m-m-my s-squad m-mates."Sira looks annoyed at her stuttering but doesn't say anything about it as she laid on her bunk, only saying, "Is that so?"The next day, our squad is at physical training. While waiting in line at the obstacle course, I turn to Sira behind me and say, "There is something I would like to try out. Would you mind covering for me if it doesn't work out?"Sira sighs and says, "I'm against it, but I wont be able to stop you, so I might as well support you."I've had an idea brewing in my head a few weeks now. I will try to be the first person to magically enhance their strength. I take a deep breath and slowly open all the mana gates I'm capable of doing at once. My magic system circuits become visible as my body starts glowing from the inside. People start turning towards me and staring at me. I feel a surge of power through me. I go to complete the course, but as soon as I take a step, I feel myself pass out.I wake up and see an unfamiliar ceiling. I then realize I'm in the infirmary and Sira is asleep on my legs in a chair next to me. I put my arm over my face, disappointed. "Damnit. It failed."Sira opens her eyes next to me and sees me. She suddenly embraces and says, "Damn idiot. Why did you worry me like that!?"I hug her back and ask how long its been."It's been three days and nothing of much note has happened other than a few new rumors about you circulating. They say your a reincarnation of some dark god. What a bunch of bullshit." She says all this without letting go of me. Her warm hands attempt to grab mine, but I push her away and ask how she has been holding up.Disappointed by my refusal, she says, "I feel better with you awake now, but otherwise, I'm doing alright. Arc and Levey have been avoiding me..." A doctor comes and shoos away Sira and looks at me with a sad expression. The doctor sits down where Sira had been and says, "I'll be blunt. If you try to do that again, you will destroy your magic circuits and be unable to use magic. You will have to spend the next week in here recovering your gates and circuits."I look down dejected. "Was my theory right at least?" I ask the doctorHe pulls out a cigarette and says, "You're one damn crazy kid. Yes. Your theory was correct, but your execution was poor. From what I've been told and seen on your doctor report, you activated all at once. Don't ever do that again." he says sternly before continuing. "I don't know much about what you tried to do, but I do have a suggestion that might work. Although, it would be pretty difficult to pull off. Try activating one gate at a time while loosening it in a way that doesn't damage it. I recommend slowly sending mana through each gate constantly, one at a time over the next few months. That said, it will have to wait until you're fully recovered." He snuffs his cigarette and before walking away, ominously says, "And if you try to do it before you're fully recovered, I will know and I will not let you off so easily." I'm left in the infirmary bed to think about what he said.