"Axel-kun, it is time to wake up."
The voice pulled my consciousness back from the depths of sleep. I opened my eyes to find Ayaka's face hovering inches from mine, staring in silence just as she had yesterday. Honestly, if you looked at her objectively, she was a flawless beauty—it was just such a shame her personality and… hobbies… completely sabotaged that image.
With a wry inward sigh, I deftly rolled out of bed, putting a safe distance between us.
I had to admit, this canopy bed was dangerously comfortable. Considering it was provided by someone with the Yukihiro family's resources, the quality was top-tier—so good, in fact, that I was genuinely worried I wouldn't be able to go back to my standard-issue bunk on the White Star once I finally found my way home.
Ayaka looked slightly crestfallen that I'd dodged her "morning kiss," but she quickly masked it with a bright, professional smile.
"Good morning, Axel-kun."
"Yeah. Morning."
"Ayaka, Axel-kun, breakfast is ready, so get a move on," Chizuru called from the other room. "Axel-kun especially—it's your first day as a transfer student, so you need to report to the faculty office early, right?"
Following Chizuru's lead, I finished my morning preparations. I sat down to another delicious Japanese-style breakfast, which I appreciated far more than I'd ever admit to my old Shadow Mirror squadmates.
Ayaka had provided my school uniform—a standard blazer-type outfit. I'd been secretly terrified she'd let her delusions run wild and present me with a sailor suit or something equally absurd, so seeing a normal uniform was a massive relief.
Once breakfast was over, I prepared to head out ahead of the others, thinking they'd want to take their time. To my surprise, Chizuru, Ayaka, and Natsumi all decided to leave early with me.
"I can find the school on my own, you know," I told them.
"Perhaps," Chizuru said with a playful smirk. "But have you forgotten this is a girls' dormitory, Axel-kun?"
I realized her point immediately. A lone ten-year-old boy wandering the halls of a high-security girls' dorm would definitely trigger alarms. I didn't want to start my first day being tackled by security, so I accepted their help.
"Right. Thanks, I appreciate it."
"Please, don't think anything of it!" Ayaka chirped, already at a high-energy setting for the morning. "It is your first day, after all. Leaving a little early is a small price to pay to ensure your smooth arrival."
As we left the room, the hallways were relatively empty, but by the time we reached the lobby, the crowd had thickened. Every girl we passed did a double-take. Why is there a little boy here? was written clearly across every face.
Of course, a good number of them took one look at Ayaka and immediately wore expressions of "Oh, that explains it." It seemed the Class Rep's… reputation… was even more widespread than I'd imagined. Chizuru watched it all with her usual serene smile, while Natsumi looked like she wanted to disappear into the floorboards from the unwanted attention.
Once we were outside the dorm, the inquisitive stares finally thinned out. Natsumi let out a long sigh of relief and turned to Chizuru.
"Chizu-nee, the trains shouldn't be too crowded at this hour, right?"
"No, we've got about thirty minutes before the real rush hits."
Apparently, if we'd waited much longer, the commute would have turned into a literal sardine-can experience. I made a mental note to stick to this early schedule from now on.
We took the train to Mahora Central Station. It wasn't empty, but there were plenty of seats. From there, it was a fifteen-minute walk to Mahora Girls' Junior High.
"It looks different in the daylight," I remarked as the gates came into view.
When I'd come here at night two days ago, the place felt lonely and imposing. Under the morning sun, it looked like a standard, sprawling campus. No one would ever suspect that the literal leader of a secret society of mages was currently sitting in one of those offices.
"Well, I'm off to the faculty room. See you later."
"Ah! Parting is such sweet sorrow!" Ayaka wailed, clutching her chest dramatically. "Must fate be so cruel as to tear two lovers asunder so soon?!"
"Class Rep, you're nothing if not consistent," Natsumi sighed. Chizuru just kept smiling her gentle, "motherly" smile.
"We're in the same class, Ayaka. I'll see you in five minutes," I said, trying to ground her.
"Exactly! For we are two souls guided together by the red string of destiny!"
I realized that if I stayed here arguing, I'd never actually make it to class. "...Right. Let's go with that. See you in a bit."
I gave them a quick wave and headed for the faculty entrance. Since I was a "transfer student," I didn't have a shoe locker yet—though I had a feeling if I'd asked, Ayaka would have had a gold-plated one installed for me overnight.
I found the door labeled Faculty Office and gave it a sharp, professional knock before entering.
"Excuse me. Is Mr. Takahata here?" I asked the nearest teacher.
It had been a long time since I'd had to speak with such forced politeness. The teacher I'd addressed was a lanky, somewhat unreliable-looking man in his mid-twenties.
"Ah, right. You're the one I heard about. Axel Almar-kun? Takahata-sensei is… right over there."
He pointed across the room. Takahata was there, sporting his usual scruffy beard and looking uncharacteristically serious as he pored over some paperwork.
"Takahata-sensei, Axel-kun is here."
"Hm? Oh, sorry. You're early," Takahata said, looking up. "I thought you'd be a bit later, but this works out. I wanted to talk to you for a second about school life before we head in."
He led me to a private guidance room next door.
"Sorry for the secrecy," he said once the door was shut. "I can't exactly talk about magic in front of the whole staff."
"Don't worry about it. I assumed this was about the side of the school that isn't on the brochure."
"Sharp as always. Since we didn't have time to chat properly the other night, I wanted to explain how Mahora handles its mages. We have 'Magic Teachers' and even 'Magic Students' here. Most of the weirdness is covered up by a recognition-inhibition barrier. People generally just shrug things off with an 'Oh well, it's Mahora' attitude."
He went on to explain the "World Tree"—officially called the Shinboku Bantou—located at the center of the campus, and the "Library Island" facility which housed ancient magical texts. Apparently, mages were constantly trying to infiltrate the school to steal that knowledge.
"The guys who attacked Chizuru and Ayaka were likely after those secrets," he added.
We talked for quite a while, until the bell signaled the start of the first period.
"Anyway, that's the gist of it. If you run into trouble, just ask. Or, since Evangeline seems to have taken a liking to you, you could ask her. I'm often away on 'business trips,' so I might not always be around."
He mentioned he belonged to an NGO called "Western Wind" (actually a mage organization), which served as his cover for frequent absences.
"Is it really okay for a homeroom teacher to be absent that often?" I asked.
Takahata gave a weary, self-deprecating laugh. "It's not ideal, but it's usually unavoidable. I leave Class 2-A in the hands of the assistant teacher, Shizuna-sensei. Honestly, the kids probably think she's the real homeroom teacher and I'm just the assistant by now. Ahahaha…"
He looked like a man who had seen too much paperwork and not enough sleep. I felt a brief pang of sympathy for this Shizuna-sensei.
"Well, time to go. Let's head to the classroom."
We walked toward Class 2-A. Shizuna-sensei wasn't around today, so I'd have to meet her later.
"By the way," Takahata said as we walked, "about Negi-kun, the boy who's coming next month. He's in a unique situation. Beyond what the Principal asked of you, I'd appreciate it if you could… try to be his friend."
"His friend?"
"Yeah. Like I said, he's your age. Being surrounded by thirty-one older girls can get… suffocating. He'll need a peer."
"If it's that much of a burden, why send a nine-year-old to be a teacher in the first place?"
Takahata's expression soured, like he'd swallowed something bitter. "It's complicated. I'll explain the full story another time."
He stopped in front of a door with the plaque 2-A.
"Okay, I'll go in first and introduce you. Wait for me to call you in."
I nodded. As he stepped through the door, my combat instincts flared. I watched from the hallway as a chalkboard eraser fell toward his head. Takahata didn't even blink.
I saw a suction-cup arrow fly toward him; I reached out and plucked it from the air with my left hand. A bucket tipped from the doorframe; I caught it by the handle with my right before a drop could spill.
What kind of deathtrap is this classroom? I thought, stunned.
"Alright, everyone," Takahata said, completely unfazed by the chaos. "We have a transfer student joining us today. Come on in."
I stepped into the room, albeit with a bit more hesitation than usual. I wasn't worried about the pranks, but the sheer energy radiating from the other side of the door was daunting.
"Now then, Axel-kun. Introduce yourself."
I took the chalk, wrote Axel Almar in clear, bold strokes on the board, and turned to face the class.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The wall of sound—part cheer, part high-pitched shriek—hit me like a physical shockwave. I actually had to cover my ears, but the frenzy showed no signs of dying down.
"Wait, look at him!"
"A boy?"
"He's so little!"
"Look who's talking!"
"Hmm… I sense the aura of a powerful warrior, aru."
"I would very much like to test his steel."
The comments flew thick and fast. Even Takahata looked helpless, watching the mayhem with a strained smile.
"EVERYONE, PLEASE BE QUIET!"
Ayaka's voice sliced through the din like a command from a general.
"Honestly! I understand you are curious about our new classmate, but have you no sense of decorum?"
"Class Rep, how are you so calm?!" a girl with hair shaped like antennae—Haruna, I think—shouted. "He's a kid! And exactly your type!"
"Now, now, Haruna-san," Chizuru said, stepping in to help. "That's because Axel-kun is…"
I looked at Takahata, hoping for some guidance.
"Sorry," he whispered with a wry grin. "Just give them a minute to settle down."
I nodded, but a second later, two more voices screamed out in unison.
"NO WAY!"
Two girls in the middle of the room stood up so fast their chairs nearly tipped over. One had short black hair, the other had long, flowing pink hair. They were both pointing at me, their faces masks of pure, unadulterated shock.
Wait. Black and Pink?
I squinted. I'd seen that specific combination somewhere before…
[Status Window]
Name: Axel Almar
Level: 38
Total Kills: 376
Terrain: Air: S | Ground: S | Water: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands: Accel, Effort, Focus, Direct Hit, Awaken, Love
Skills: EXP Up, SP Boost, Telekinesis Lv.10, Attacker, Gunfight/Infight Lv.9, Morale Limit Break,
Geass (Greyed), Magic (Fire/Shadow/Summoning)
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