An old woman's teasing voice came from the other end of the line.
"I told you that you'd eventually agree!"
When she first discovered Makoto, she noted that he had certain talents as a sorcerer. She had merely nudged the latent curse energy within him, which had led to his mood swings and erratic behavior due to not knowing how to properly train. This had all been part of her plan.
"Are you sure you can help me become a top sorcerer?" Makoto had no time for her jokes. All that mattered was growing stronger.
"Don't worry!" The woman's tone turned serious. "You have the most potential I've seen. As long as you follow my guidance, I can help you achieve it all!"
"Alright," Makoto finally agreed.
He once believed that he was invincible until he encountered a true sorcerer. The old woman who defeated him didn't break a sweat. It was then that Makoto realized he'd glimpsed the true reality. Since discovering his curse energy, Makoto became obsessed with power. He craved admiration, thrived on attention, and basked in the awe that others showed.
That was why he wanted to host a karate competition—to draw more adoration. If karate wouldn't suffice, then he would become a sorcerer.
"As long as I become the strongest sorcerer, nothing else matters!"
"Hehehe," the old woman cackled on the other end of the phone. "Of course, I'll help you, but keep in mind—I'm not a sorcerer. I'm a curse user!" she clarified.
Although they wielded similar powers, sorcerers and curse users were two distinct entities.
Ryuji was unaware of Makoto's situation. After a few relaxing days, he decided to return to school. Not because he was particularly diligent but because he was bored. The school had plenty of pretty girls, and staying at home felt like a waste.
"Ryuji!"
"Ryuji's here!"
"Good morning!"
The moment Ryuji walked into the classroom, the initial surprise turned into a flurry of greetings. Particularly from Yumiko and her group, who hadn't known he was coming and were taken by surprise. Seeing him lifted their spirits, especially Yumiko, who ran straight to him.
"Ryuji! I missed you so much!"
The sight left the other girls in the classroom stunned.
"She's so bold!"
"That's Yumiko for you!"
Everyone had known that Yumiko liked Ryuji, but this was the first time she'd shown it so openly. Yumiko, however, ignored their comments, clinging to Ryuji with utter devotion. If she could, she'd stay by his side forever.
"Are you sure it's okay for you to be at school?" Yui asked, unable to hide a touch of envy but still genuinely concerned.
"It should be fine. Ms. Hiratsuka told me to come," Ryuji replied, not particularly worried. Enough time had passed since the live broadcast, and he assumed any chaos had probably settled down. But he was wrong.
Just as Ryuji thought everything would remain calm, sudden shouts echoed from the hallway.
"Ryuji's here! It's Ryuji!"
"Where? Where?"
"Ryuji, I want to have your baby!"
"Ryuji, please take me as your disciple!"
"I want to be a sorcerer too!"
Before anyone could react, a crowd charged into the classroom, voices filled with excitement. Some were just curious, wanting to see what the fuss was about, while others were genuinely enthralled by the allure of sorcerers. For most, the chance to meet one up close was too rare to pass up.
Within moments, students swarmed around Ryuji, some dropping to their knees in desperation.
"Master Ryuji, please take us on as your disciples!"
Teenagers naturally yearned for the extraordinary. Now that an opportunity to gain supernatural power presented itself, no one wanted to let it slip by. In the blink of an eye, the classroom was packed.
Even Shizuka rushed over, but there wasn't much she could do against such an overwhelming crowd.
"Everyone, back to class!"
Her shout fell on deaf ears.
"…"
Tsk. Ryuji had half-expected this scene but felt the frustration of seeing it unfold firsthand. He had underestimated just how strong people's desire for supernatural powers was.
Not that giving ordinary people supernatural abilities was difficult for Ryuji, who possessed advanced spellcasting techniques. A simple gesture would suffice. But why bother? These people were nothing to him.
If he ever announced that he was accepting disciples, many would come from far and wide to join him. Why would he pick the people in front of him?
"Ahem."
Ryuji cleared his throat and then said,
"Silence!"
The two words were infused with cursed energy, instantly turning the loud, chaotic scene into an eerie silence. Some people tried to speak but found they couldn't.
Those with sharp minds quickly realized this was Ryuji's doing. The power of a sorcerer! Their eyes burned with even more fervor, willing to give anything to learn from him.
"It seems you don't understand what it means to be a sorcerer," Ryuji said, scanning the crowd. "Sorcerers need a specific lineage. Without sorcerer blood, it's impossible to become one. Even if I wanted to teach you, you wouldn't be able to learn!"
"…"
His words stunned everyone into silence. A bloodline? They were familiar with the concept of family heritage but hadn't expected sorcery to work the same way.
"How could this be!"
"Do I not have the bloodline of a sorcerer?"
"Is there any way to train it?"
Realizing they might not be able to obtain supernatural abilities, some students couldn't take it, some even started crying. The sight was both pitiful and unique.
"Ryuji!"
Suddenly, a girl in the crowd called out,
"Does that mean a child born from you would definitely have sorcerer talent?"
"…"
Ryuji hadn't expected this question but, after a brief pause, nodded.
"Yes, that's true."
While it wasn't guaranteed that a sorcerer's child would have powers, the odds were high. And with his mastery over numerous techniques, Ryuji's offspring would have an even higher probability than others.
The moment he confirmed it, the eyes of the girls in the crowd glowed with excitement. Even if they couldn't be sorcerers, if their children could, it would be worth it. Plus, being connected to Ryuji could change their life status dramatically.
"Ryuji!"
"Pick me, Ryuji, I'll do anything!"
"Ryuji, I've had a crush on you for ages!"
"Ryuji!"
Only the girls were shouting now; the boys had quieted down, making the atmosphere even livelier than before. The fighting spirit of these girls was on full display!
Especially when some tried to push past to get closer to Ryuji.
"Enough!"
Ryuji hadn't even reacted yet when Yumiko stepped in.
Unbelievable. It was one thing to deal with competition from the Service Club girls, but now everyone was after her man? She felt utterly disrespected.
No one had heeded Hiratsuka's earlier orders. Now, they ignored Yumiko too, eyes locked on Ryuji.
"Damn it!"
Yumiko had enough. Ryuji looked at her, clearly amused, without any sign of stopping her. Fueled by determination, Yumiko stepped forward, her eyes blazing.
"Boom!"
Under the astonished stares, flames erupted in Yumiko's hand, swirling around Ryuji and creating a barrier that kept the crowd at bay.
"This!"
"Is this...?"
"A spell?"
"Whoa!"
It was the manifestation of Yumiko's fire spell. She had practiced relentlessly to make sure she didn't disappoint Ryuji the first time she demonstrated her ability. The wall of fire held everyone back, leaving them stunned.
"Is that... a spell?"
"Yumiko's a sorcerer too?"
It was beyond belief. They'd never noticed before that a sorcerer had been right beside them.
"That's right, this is a fire spell!"
Yumiko held her head high. She wasn't about to reveal that Ryuji could give ordinary people the chance to become sorcerers. Let them think what they wanted.
"Ryuji is mine, so give up now!"
She boldly walked up to Ryuji and wrapped her arms around his.
Ryuji made no move to correct her, finding it amusing.
"This can't be!"
"Damn it!"
"I'm so jealous!"
With the threat of fire, no one dared push forward despite their reluctance. Slowly, they started to disperse, casting both envious and bitter glances at Ryuji and Yumiko.
"Hmph!"
Unfazed by the attention, Yumiko stood proud, clutching Ryuji's arm.
"Typical Yumiko," Yui muttered in admiration. Though she felt a pang of envy, she couldn't deny it—Yumiko's boldness was impressive. Yui knew she wouldn't have been able to act so decisively.
"Enough!"
At that moment, Shizuka's voice cut through the crowd from behind.
***