[26] What Money Can't Buy (1)
Black Magisher.
A study group of six troublemakers centered on Jake.
Except for Jake, they were a bunch of students who kept failing to advance—a group without dreams or prospects.
They had once been seen as shining talents. If they'd had the courage to try again, they might still have claimed victory someday.
But they'd given up on competing. In a way, they were the only dropouts of a brutal contest.
"This can't be. Something's wrong."
Jake shook his head. Even if it had been Amy, there was no way a brand-new freshman could beat the Black Magisher.
"No—we didn't lose. Just bad luck."
The students Jake had pushed out before had scores far above Shirone's. It was just an unlucky break. Don't you get days like that sometimes?
It's not over yet. I'm Class Four. I'm fundamentally different from those who pull anti-magic tricks from behind people's backs.
Shirone tensed as he read Jake's murderous intent. Jake's Spirit Zone had shifted into a star pattern and Shirone felt it through his synesthetic sense—it was like hundreds of archers drawing bows at once.
What can I do? I still haven't learned magic.
Anti-magic was a contest of Spirit Zones and could be countered, but once it became a magical duel it was a different story.
Shirone hadn't even learned basic defensive spells like an Air Shield, much less offensive magic. There was no way he could face Jake in a proper spellfight.
Jake cupped his hands, pressed the air between his palms as if compressing it, and molded it into a rotating disc. A Wind Cutter, sharp enough to slice through a log.
"I'll take your arm first. Then your leg."
Just as Jake began the Wind Cutter, someone grabbed his shoulder from behind and spun him around. Shirone sensed the approach through his synesthesia and felt the contact at the same instant. It was no human speed.
Amy's face hovered into view, red eyes flashing. Her fist smashed into his jaw and the world blurred.
"Ugh!"
For a mage whose weakness was physical attacks, getting hit by a Schema-imbued strike left Jake's Spirit Zone with no chance.
Amy vaulted onto Jake's stomach and rained down punches. Each blow hit like a hammer on stone.
"What do you think you're doing? Say that again, you bastard! Say it again!"
Jake's head snapped from side to side. Seeing what would happen if this continued, Shirone dashed forward.
"Senior, stop! You'll kill him!"
"Let go, you bastard! You think you can laugh at me?"
"I'm telling you—he'll die!"
Jake heard the shouting through the haze of fading consciousness. He didn't feel pain, only a dull pounding.
Die? Me?
Fear of death jolted Jake awake. He covered his face with his arms and cried out hoarsely.
"S-save me! Spare my life! Please!"
Tears sprang to Amy's eyes. She'd almost ended up one-eyed. The thought that this trash had humiliated her made her blood boil.
"I'll never forgive you! You disgusting—!"
"Please stop, senior!"
Shirone dug in and pulled with all his strength. The Schema had skewed her body balance so much it felt like uprooting a stake. Only after he heaved everything he had did Amy topple backward, crushing Shirone beneath her.
"That's enough, senior. Please stop."
Shirone sucked in a ragged breath. As his head cleared he realized something soft and trembling had been pressed against him. He hastily pulled his hands away when he understood he'd been pressing on Amy's chest.
"I—I'm sorry!"
Amy didn't respond. She simply breathed in ragged bursts and shivered. Her emotions ran through her body and Shirone felt a pang of sympathy. He slipped an arm around her waist and spoke gently.
"Senior, because of me—"
"Ah! That feels great~!"
"Ugh!"
Amy sprang up like a spring and struck Shirone's lower belly with her hip.
Shirone clutched his stomach and rolled over. If the blow had landed a touch lower, it would have been a disaster.
"You okay? Anything hurt?"
He'd missed the vital spot, but the force had driven downward and a cold sweat slicked his brow. He couldn't show it, though.
"No, it's nothing."
"Hehe! Of course not. I'm so light, after all."
Curious and frank since childhood, she couldn't have missed Shirone's condition. This clumsy show of affection was her way of being close—and also a tacit cover for the accidental indecent contact Shirone had made.
"So, what now?"
Shirone shifted the subject and looked back at the Black Magisher. He hadn't noticed it in the chaos, but now their condition looked bad.
They were all passed out with nosebleeds, and Jake was half-crazed, crawling across the ground.
Amy examined them and decided to drop it for now. She wanted to expel them, but if the incident blew up Shirone's identity might be exposed.
"Let's go down. They've got something to hide, so they'll keep quiet from now on."
"But Senior Seriel will come here, won't she?"
"What? You told the teachers?"
"Of course. How could I come by myself when you were in danger?"
Amy sighed and pressed her palm to her forehead. She could swallow the humiliation, but she'd hoped to collect the credit for the victory. Hearing that a report had already been filed left her deflated.
Shirone felt a deep warmth. Amy's disappointment sprang from wanting to protect his secret.
"Thank you, senior."
"Hm?"
"You came because of me. But don't worry. Secrets don't matter to me anymore. I'm just glad you're safe."
"No, I didn't—"
Amy scratched her cheek and averted her eyes. Raised in the free-spirited Karmis household, she'd sometimes felt neglected and drifted through back alleys searching for warmth. Shirone's kindness pleased her but was hard to fully digest.
"Hmph! Who says I did it for you? I'd do this to scum like him alone. I've been itching for it. Finally caught him, that's all."
Amy's cheeks were flushed to the ears. Shirone felt satisfied—he thought he finally had a handle on what kind of person she was.
"Heh heh, pathetic. You think people like you are geniuses? No. You're just kids who don't know the world."
Jake planted a hand on a tree and pushed himself up. His face was a mess, but his eyes were venomous.
"Can't even stand up? Just lie there if you're that pathetic. Don't act like some pervert who likes getting hit by me."
"Puhahahaha!"
Jake never admitted defeat. Money ruled the world. He may have lost the fight, but he still had deep pockets.
"You think it's over? This is just the beginning. Tell the truth—deep down you couldn't kill me, right? If you're so confident, try killing me. As long as I'm at this school, you'll never graduate. I'll ruin you any way I can!"
A chill ran through Shirone. But Amy, who had prowled the back alleys since childhood, knew people like Jake all too well.
"Kill you? Why would I kill you? My life's too bright to waste on scum like you. But mark this—you won't be killed, but I can beat you to a pulp."
Amy clenched her fist and stepped forward. Jake flinched. No matter how hard you harden your heart, the body remembers fear.
Screeeech!
A sharp sound of rubbing came from the sky. Shirone looked up; he didn't need to see the others to know what it meant.
It was the distinctive noise of high-tier spatial teleportation.
Just as he thought the stars were twinkling, a flash curved down toward them.
Seriel landed with two teachers.
Amy checked them like someone scratching a lottery ticket and exhaled.
Shiina of Ice Magic and Sade of Flame Magic.
Ugh, of all people.
They were among the youngest faculty at the Magic Academy, alongside Etella. There was no way they'd let this slide.
"Amy! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Seriel rushed to Amy, her voice catching.
"I'm fine. I wouldn't go down that easy."
Seriel, with her delicate nature, noticed little things. Amy's bangs, drooping over her right eye, looked singed and frazzled.
Even if Amy's retro hairstyle always seemed at odds with her looks, Seriel's heart ached to see hair she'd kept for six years damaged.
"What happened to your hair? What went on?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Anyway, it's already past seven?"
"What do you mean? Do you know how long we looked for you? If it weren't for us teachers you wouldn't have made it in time."
Dusk had fallen and darkness was settling.
As evening deepened, Sade cast a flame spell. A burst of fire shot up with a bang, burning the air like a small sun.
So that's Fire Sun magic.
Shirone admired the glowing orb in the sky. Though it lit the surroundings like daylight, it gave off no heat. It required converting thermal energy into light—an advanced technique usually seen on battlefields, according to the books.
Sade approached Amy with a worried frown.
"What happened, Amy? Someone as exceptional as you—why would you do something so foolish…?"
Sade was soft around women; he barely registered Shirone. Especially with Amy—top grades, first-class family, and beautiful—he couldn't help but be doting.
Annoyed by Sade's attitude, Shiina turned to Shirone.
"Shirone, can you explain what happened?"
"Uh, well, the thing is—"
"I'll explain it."
At Jake's words the teachers turned. The instigator offering to explain? Were they so dazed from the beating they'd lost their minds?
But it was Jake's calculation.
Punishment meant little. The school that needed funding from the Ardius family would never expel him.
And Shirone? Jake had heard talk of secrets in the earlier exchange. He'd heard Amy try to cover things up. That meant they had something to hide.
"I called Amy out. Her skill was superior, so I had to use anti-magic. But it was a fair fight. Old grudges deepened until it became a pride contest. As you can see, our side took it hard."
Shiina said, displeased.
"You expect us to believe that? You broke the school rules."
"I'm not saying it was right. But think—if Amy were the victim, why didn't she report it? They covered things up because they have something to hide."
"What nonsense! What are you talking about? We didn't hide anything! You threatened to kidnap Shirone!"
"Haha! So we kidnapped him? No, of course not. Besides, even after Shirone read the note we sent, he didn't tell the teachers. What does that mean?"
"You… you bastard—"
Amy couldn't counter. To someone unaware of the true circumstances, it was absurd that Shirone—who hadn't been kidnapped—ran to the teachers without reporting anything. But if they told the truth, Shirone's secret would be exposed.