Eilona didn't move from the lower bunk for a long time. The only sounds in the room were the rustle of Ryuko's page turns from the top bunk and the soft, rhythmic click-click-click of his Rubik's Cube—a habit she now recognized as part of his constant need for precise, quiet focus.
She looked down at her hands. The Mana Suppression Artifact was the equivalent of a nuclear deterrent in their world, and her enemy was sleeping six feet above her. He had used his power to engineer this proximity, forcing her to accept his presence in the name of a trivial "friendship."
The only way to coexist with this new, terrifying variable was to adhere perfectly to his rules while simultaneously establishing her own. She would enforce the "peace" he wanted, and in doing so, gain the ability to monitor the dangerous presence.
She took a deep breath. The cold war had just begun.
"Ryuko," she said clearly, looking up at the space where his head lay.
"Yes, Eilona?" His voice was calm, immediate, not breaking his focus.
Eilona adjusted her posture, setting her own terms for the truce. "I propose that Rule One is absolute honesty about our movements. No unexpected disappearances or late-night operations that could bring the Ministry down on this dorm."
Ryuko set his book aside. He leaned over the edge of the top bunk, his gaze direct. "That's not a rule for friendship, Eilona. That's a pact for survival."
He gave her a slight smile—the smile of a fellow soldier recognizing the true battlefield. "I accept. What is Rule Two?"
"Since you value quiet above all else, Rule Two is absolute silence and a Mana-free zone after 11 PM. No use of any Mana-based Artifacts within the dorm building."
"Agreed, Eilona. Absolute silence and Mana-free zones after 11."
He then paused, a serious expression settling over his face. He leaned down further from the bunk, his voice dropping to a low, intense tone that broke the pragmatic nature of the pact.
"I have a condition that overrides both of your rules, Eilona."
Eilona raised an eyebrow, her posture challenging. "Rules are non-negotiable, Ryuko. You can't just—"
"I am not following any rule if it's a situation that puts my friend in danger," Ryuko interrupted, the quiet intensity in his eyes absolute. "I will end that threat if it costs me my life. The pact for survival is only valid if we both survive."
The unexpected intensity and self-sacrificial nature of the statement completely disarmed her. Eilona, used to the transactional nature of politics and power, stared at him.
"Were you always this… chivalrous, Ryuko?" she asked, her voice quiet with genuine bewilderment.
Ryuko gave her the smallest, most natural smile she had ever seen on his face. "Only when the stakes are this high."
Eilona froze. The heat from her fire Mana, which had been dormant since the duel, surged to her cheeks in a deep, immediate flush. She felt a furious, unfamiliar mix of embarrassment and confusion. She quickly averted her gaze, pulling the blanket up to her chin.
"Idiot," she muttered, concealing her blushing expression.
Ryuko chuckled softly, a rare, genuine sound. He retreated to the top bunk, picking up his book. "Good night, Eilona."
Rin stood rigid in the exact center of her new, standard-sized dorm room, her arms crossed tight over her chest. The room was not small, but it was occupied by an energetic mess.
Yuuta Tenjo was currently attempting to stack a dozen miniature golem models onto a shelf already overflowing with wires and soldering tools.
"See, Miss Rin! Plenty of space!" Yuuta declared, gesturing vaguely at the small, cleared patch of floor where her pristine travel bag still sat. "I just didn't realize a Maid Knight would be moving in, so my organizational skills were... relaxed. But I'm adapting!"
Rin's eyes twitched. The chaos was an assault on her senses, but her focus was elsewhere. She planted herself directly in front of Yuuta.
"Silence, Yuuta," she commanded, using his name with forced politeness. "You were with Ryuko before the Princess transferred. You are his friend. I need information to protect Her Highness from this manipulative rogue."
Yuuta immediately straightened up, his eyes wide. "Rogue? Ryuko's not a rogue! He's just... really private."
"He beat an S-Rank with a hidden Artifact and then demanded friendship as his spoil," Rin hissed. "You will answer my questions. Start with his rank. If he's truly B-Rank, how does he possess such overwhelming physical skill?"
Yuuta adjusted his glasses with a thoughtful hum. "If it's about rank, I'm C-Rank."
Rin scoffed, crossing her arms tighter. "I know that. I'm asking about him!"
"No, I mean, that's the only way to explain it," Yuuta continued, suddenly serious.
"Everyone calls him The Zero because his Mana is... minimal. By all standards, his rank should be D-Class, maybe C."
Rin leaned forward, her frustration barely contained. "Then why is he B-Rank? The Ministry must have a reason."
"They do," Yuuta conceded, rubbing the back of his neck. "The Ministry cites some 'exceptional combat results and technical adherence to non-Mana-based weapon mastery' to justify the B-Rank placement, but honestly, I don't know exactly how that happened. The paperwork doesn't make sense if you only look at his Mana count."
Rin stared, the information fundamentally contradicting the display of strength she had witnessed. "Then his physical skill must be the source of his power. How is he so skilled?"
"Well," Yuuta began, rubbing the back of his neck, "he's had mock battles with Director Chabashira since he enrolled, and... he's beaten Director Chabashira before, multiple times."
Rin's breath hitched. Director Chabashira Shizuka was an A-Rank, widely considered one of the top five mages in the country. "She was holding back, right? I've heard even though she's an A-Rank, she can erase your existence, lock your power, movements, magic, Mana, speed, strength and everything within her own rules conceptually, with or without her Divine Artifact."
Yuuta nodded vigorously. "True, she didn't use her full erasure technique, but her Lock Bullets were a different story. That's what she used to lock my Divine Artifact and why I can't use it right now. But long story short, Ryuko's broken out of those bullet locks before, so yeah. But don't worry about it, it's not a big deal anyway."
Rin stared at him, aghast. Her voice, usually crisp and controlled, was now a harsh whisper. "That's not just backwards, that's impossible! That's a breach of conceptual magic! How did a mage with little or no Mana in him bypass an A-Rank's absolute lock?"
Yuuta simply shrugged, his cheerful pragmatism returning. "Hey, I just watched a fight. You need to find out the rest from him. But him telling you is about five to one percent chance."
Rin's jaw dropped. "That's backwards! Why would you give me such a low chance for a simple answer?"
Yuuta adjusted his glasses, a knowing look on his face. "He tells you what he wants you to know, when he wants you to know it. You're better off learning by simply observing, Miss Rin."
Rin finally stepped away, her entire strategic assessment of the situation ruined. She had been exiled to a madhouse of wires and collectible golems, and the only person who knew the truth was either too naive or too loyal to explain it.
"I will be purchasing a new, industrial-grade Mana sensor in the morning," Rin declared, pulling her cleaning supplies out of her pristine travel bag. "Until then, this entire room is a no-fly zone for dust and debris. Organize this mess, Yuuta."