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A Prologue Where Another Day Starts with Daily Training

A Prologue Where Another Day Starts with Daily Training

A hazy image rose to the surface of her mind. She didn’t know how many years ago it happened, but she understood the memory was from when she was a student at the church, the only school of learning in her hometown, the village of Millil.

“All right, children, let’s all form groups and conduct our independent studies today!”

At the nun’s call, her classmates all let out enthusiastic cheers.

G-G-G-G-Groups?!

Younger Yuffie’s heart nearly stopped. To her, the only one in class without a single friend, the word “group” meant death. Luckily for her, the nun had already assigned groups for the day.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of the class without me having to take the initiative…!” she whispered to herself, clenching her fist in determination. “I have to make the most of it!”

So Yuffie and her group mates began their research project. As far as the topic, she felt like it had something to do with investigating the types of insects that inhabited the schoolyard. Probably. Maybe.

“Um, um, what should I do about this…?”

There was something she didn’t understand, so she mustered up the courage to ask a boy in her group. But she had an ulterior motive—to use the question as a chance to deepen their friendship. However, he looked annoyed and said, “You should be able to figure it out without me having to tell you.”

“Y-You’re right! I’m so sorry!”

ZOOOOM!

Yuffie ran away in defeat, proverbial tail tucked between her legs. Sweating profusely and breathing shallowly, she hid in a corner of the classroom and thought back to what had just happened.

He’s right… I shouldn’t ask people things I can figure out with just a little thinking…

Having convinced herself, she sucked in a deep breath, took a few more moments to compose herself, then returned to the group. The boy had already forgotten his brief exchange with her. He and the other members continued their research.

Meanwhile, Yuffie noticed something and mentioned it to a girl in the group.

“Um, um… I think it’d be easier to read if you drew this diagram over here…”

The girl gave Yuffie a puzzled look. “Oh, you’re from my class… Who are you again?”

She doesn’t even know I exist!

Nyooo!

In her shock, Yuffie ran away again. She’d finally had the opportunity to talk to her classmates, but now everything was ruined. Despair hit her hard. It felt like falling headfirst into a deep hole.

“Uuurk… Why is it always like this…?”

The moment the bitter words left her mouth, she realized there was no sound around her. So she looked up, only to find no one there. All of her classmates who had been there a moment ago had disappeared.

“Oh, of course…” A sudden epiphany settled in her heart. “I’m…gonna be alone forever…”

Then everything abruptly warped, and the classroom she was supposed to be in began to crumble, the rattling sounds ominous.

💠🌸💠

YUFFIE woke up with a gasp.

“That was a dream…right?”

All she could see was blue sky and white clouds. It was early morning, and the sun’s rays glinted warmly.

“Thank goodness…” She took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead, but then her hand stopped. “Oh, I see.”

The wind, battering her entire body and its roar vibrating in her eardrums, was the reason for the lack of sweat.

“I should…slow down…”

And so, Yuffie, free-falling from high above, steeled her expression.

Mountains towered in the Eldora region, north of the magical Kingdom of Elvador. She had used this place as a practice ground for offensive magic since she was a young child. Although she had enrolled in the Academy of Magic to study healing magic, she occasionally still came here to practice her attack magic. Yuffie didn’t think of herself as unique or interesting, so her ability to use offensive magic was her only identity.

“If I can’t use attack magic anymore, I’ll be completely worthless.”

That thought lurked constantly in her mind, and driven by that anxiety, she came here regularly to practice.

Today, she’d decided to work on her wind magic, so she had taken off from the ground into the sky. But she flew too high with too much force, and the rapidly thinning oxygen made her lose consciousness. She woke up in the nick of time, because at this rate, she would crash, leaving behind a Yuffie-shaped hole in the ground. Fortunately for her, she was an old hand at bizarre and unexpected situations, so she remained perfectly calm. She spun around and faced the ground.

“Wind Cannon!!!”

She pointed both hands at the ground and shouted the words. With a bang, a mass of compressed air shot out from her palms. Usually, wind magic was used to blow enemies away, but firing it toward the ground while free-falling slowed the speed of the free-fall.

“Wind Cannon! Wind Cannon!”

BOOM! BOOM! As she unleashed blasts of wind magic one after another, the air pressure slamming into her body lessened.

“Okay, just keep this up and I’ll be fine…”

There was still plenty of distance between her and the ground. By the time she landed, she should be moving at the speed of a leaf fluttering down. Just as she was aiming to cast Wind Cannon again, a huge object appeared without warning at the edge of her vision.

A dark red back covered in rough scales. The enormous form rivaled a noble’s estate in size. With large wings sprouting from both sides, it looked like a fortress in the sky. The creature was a dragon, a monster renowned as the ruler of the skies, reigning at the top of the food chain. Dragons were classed as A-rank. They were so strong that it took an entire combat brigade to defeat one. And one was right underneath Yuffie as she zoomed toward the ground.

“Wind Ca— Huuuuh?!”

She tried to cut herself off, but it was too late. The spell hit the dragon directly on its back.

“Graaaaaar?!” Gliding blissfully and elegantly in the air up until that point, the dragon panicked at the shock of the blow.

“Hrngh!” Yuffie slammed into its back, skidding clumsily.

The dragon’s scales felt cold and hard. A powerful vibration thrummed under her feet as the dragon turned its head around, picking up on her presence. Anger burned in its gaze. A tense silence was exchanged between the two.

Smile. Unable to bear the silence, she broke into an awkward smile.

“Grrrrrraaaaaaaaawwwwwwrrrrrr!”

Which only sent the dragon into a rage. Roaring and flailing, it began to rampage.

“Waaaah!”

It felt like she was on a runaway carriage, the way its body shook so violently and the sound its enormous wings made as it slashed through the air.

“Nooo…!!!”

Yuffie desperately tried to grab onto the dragon’s back, but a living creature’s scales just weren’t designed to be used as handholds. Unable to withstand the monster’s ferocious movements, she found herself flung into the air once more. It whipped around, intent on chasing her.

As she hurtled upside down, the dragon opened its mouth. The small fireball inside, surrounded by rows of sharp teeth, quickly grew into a massive one—rushing right at her.

Fire Breath—a dragon’s signature move. Synonymous with death. A scorching flame powerful enough to reduce anything in its path to ash.

This particular dragon used it as revenge on the intruder who had interrupted its flight in the sky. But there was no sign of panic on Yuffie’s face. In fact, she retaliated with fire magic of her own.

“Roaring Flame Bullet!”

The gigantic fireball unleashed from her palm collided with the dragon’s Fire Breath. Since the monster’s attack couldn’t be negated, she repelled it instead.

“Graaar…?”

The dragon, obviously not expecting a mere human to counter its signature move with even stronger flames, was stunned enough to be slow to dodge. Those few moments were enough time to turn the tables in her favor because Yuffie’s fire spell hit the dragon’s right wing.

“Graaaaaawr?!”

Instantly, flames engulfed that wing, sending the monster into a panic as it frantically tried to control its descent to the ground.

“Wind Cannon!!!”

In a panic herself, Yuffie blasted another massive wave of air directly below her. With a BOOM, she found herself slowing down.

“Wind Kick!”

Next, she wrapped the air around her body, making final adjustments for landing, but…

“Hngh!”

Unable to completely kill her momentum, she crashed to the ground, sliding a fair distance before coming to a stop.

“Ow, ow, owww…”

She tasted dirt. Her palms and knees hurt. It was hard to believe a dragon had nearly killed her while she fell from over 30,000 feet in the air. Considering how underwhelming her reaction was, she might as well have tripped over a rock. Yuffie had been practicing attack magic in this place since she was a small child and had overcome countless dangers, so her sense of normal was definitely off. With a cloud of dust still obscuring her vision, she slowly sat up and shook off her clothes.

“Ouch…”

She grimaced at the sharp pain in her hands. Probably had to do with the way she thrust them out just before she landed to brace her fall. Looking at them, she saw that her left palm was scraped and slightly bleeding.

“Oh, lucky me.”

Yuffie’s face suddenly lit up, as if she’d won candy as a prize. Her daily routine was to practice healing magic after offensive magic. The timing of this injury couldn’t have been more perfect because she’d planned to hurt her fingers for practice. Yup, her definition of normal was definitely not normal. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and chanted.

“I invoke the power of healing.”

A light enveloped her palm. This spell healed wounds and illnesses. However, the light was faint, like the soul left in a cicada nearing the end of its life. An average healer could take care of a scratch like this in about ten seconds. But for Yuffie…

“…”

Five minutes passed.

“…”

Even after ten minutes, the wound on her palm remained. When she took a closer look, she saw it was closing. But very, very slowly. It would take forever at this rate.

Her serious expression didn’t change, though, as she concentrated on using the recovery magic. In order to become like the Saint she’d admired since childhood, she poured herself wholeheartedly into her attempts to increase the effectiveness of her healing magic—even if just a bit. So thirty minutes passed like this.

“Grrr…”

STOMP! A vast shadow loomed behind her—the dragon, with its right wing charred black. It regained consciousness while Yuffie was hard at work casting healing magic. The monster was furious at having one of its beautiful wings burned. Veins throbbed in its head, similar to how they did in a human’s forehead when one was furious. Its golden pupils constricted as it prepared to take down its prey.

“Grrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaawwwwwwrrrrrr!!!”

The dragon’s thunderous roar could easily have been mistaken for mountains crumbling. It opened its mouth, ready to unleash another blast of Fire Breath.

“Rock Hammer.”

She cast the spell absentmindedly, and a giant rock shaped like a hammer appeared above the dragon’s head.

“Grrr…?”

It had only a second to notice the shadow before the hammer came down.

“Sorry, I need to focus.”

WHAM! Tremors from the impact shook the earth. Even a scaly dragon with a skull as hard as rock couldn’t come out unscathed from that kind of attack.

“Grr…”

THUUUUD.

Dizzy, the dragon collapsed. Its once-glowing eyes rolled back into its head, and it foamed at the mouth. Thankfully, the monster was only unconscious again and would live to see another day because Yuffie had been concentrating all of her energy on healing magic, so she didn’t divert much of her mana to the offensive spell.

And so, after half an hour of hard work casting the healing spell again and again beside the unconscious dragon, she crowed in triumph.

“I did it!”

Rejoice! Fanfare! Victory! Yuffie raised her healed hand to the blue sky.

“Uh…oh.”

The strength suddenly drained from her body, and she slowly went down, slumping on the ground face-up. Sweat trickled down her forehead and cheeks. Her breath came in shallow pants, like she had just completed a full marathon.

“What can I do…about this gap…?”

She could cast powerful attack spells while humming, but it took everything she had just to heal a scratch. About a month had passed since she enrolled in the Academy of Magic. Her only goal was to become a Saint, so she’d been pouring her heart and soul into practicing healing magic, but she hadn’t made much progress. Her offensive magic was too strong, and her recovery magic too weak. This girl named Yuffie was living proof that having talent didn’t mean you wanted it.

“Gaaah!”

She rushed to stand. This was no time for maudlin thoughts. Today was another normal day at school. If she didn’t leave soon, she’d be late.

“Wind Kick!”

Focusing all her energy on the wind spell, Yuffie raced off to the Academy.

Chapter 1: Yuffie, You’re Acting Suspiciously, as Usual

Chapter 1: Yuffie, You’re Acting Suspiciously, as Usual

YUFFIE had only one reason for becoming a Saint.

“Yuffie, you’re always alone.”

To eradicate these words from her life. Just thinking about them made her head feel like it was about to explode.

Born in the village of Millil, a notoriously small and insignificant place in the Kingdom of Elvador, Yuffie had always been small, timid, and extremely shy—a triple threat that left her with no friends. A true loner, she spent recess, lunch, and even after school alone at the church that doubled as the local school.

The day she saw a miracle performed by the visiting Saint in her village marked a turning point in her life. When the young woman healed Ed—an elderly neighbor who lost an arm in an accident—and the villagers clapped and cheered for her, the sight had inspired little Yuffie. I want to be useful to others, just like the Saint! And then, everyone will fawn over me too… Heh heh heh… Those thoughts ran through her mind then.

Regardless of her questionable motives for wanting to become a Saint, Yuffie could only use offensive magic. In this world, attack magic was said to be the domain of men, while healing magic was for women only. But Yuffie’s ability to not only use offensive magic but all five elements at the most advanced level shattered this so-called absolute rule like a punch to the face.

So, this made her very existence unprecedented in human history. However, having grown up in an insular village, she grew up unaware of the abnormality of being a girl who could use attack magic. At the same time, she was completely useless at healing magic, her true ambition, despite her diligent efforts to practice it. Case in point—she spent an hour just trying to heal a small cut.

Maybe if I left the village and studied at a real school, things might change.

Having come up with that plan, she enrolled in the Academy of Magic, the Kingdom of Elvador’s top educational institution. On her first day of class, she accidentally used an offensive spell, which the third prince, Lyle, ended up witnessing. That incident led to her joining the student council. She also defeated an A-rank monster, a King Cyclops, that attacked her fellow council members. While school life didn’t quite match what Yuffie had imagined, she nevertheless spent her days in peace and calm…

“Yuffie Abisus! Such nerve to be late to my class!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!”

She found herself being berated at the entrance to Class 1-1’s classroom, her classroom. Since her tardiness was nothing new, the atmosphere in the classroom was as chilly as a lake frozen in the middle of winter. The woman shouting at her was Professor Sharon, the perfect example of an overzealous teacher. Her fiery red hair matched her blazing temper.

“What excuse do you have for me today?” Sharon asked, crossing her arms and glaring at her.

I was late because I spent an hour healing the scrapes I got when I shot down a dragon while falling from the sky!

There was no way she could tell her that, even if it was the truth.

“I was enjoying the sun’s warmth?”

SNAP! Yuffie swore she heard her teacher’s anger go into overdrive as the vein at her temple bulged even more. Then the woman gave her a tight smile.

“You, young lady, are a member of the student council! That makes you a role model for the other students! As such, oversleeping is completely unacceptable!”

“I-I-I-I can’t argue with that…”

Her words pierced Yuffie like the sharpest of knives. She wanted to dig a hole, crawl into it, and die. Just as she was about to disintegrate into tiny particles and disappear…

“Professor Sharon, don’t you think she’s had enough?”

One of the girls in her class came over to Yuffie, who was on the verge of devolving into a single-celled organism.

“It’s obvious she’s feeling remorseful, so please forgive her,” Erina said while pulling Yuffie into a protective hug. Her large, clear eyes were gentle yet radiated a strong, unwavering light. With her beautifully sculpted nose and plump, cherry-colored lips, her face looked like it had been painstakingly crafted by a god. Her pale, smooth skin was like porcelain, and her silver hair, which reached down to her back, shone like silk. The school uniform highlighted her slender figure. All of it combined to create a picture-perfect being exuding a holy aura, seemingly capable of purifying all the evil in the world.

“E-Erina…” Yuffie clung to her like someone who had just found her savior.

As the daughter of a prestigious ducal bloodline and one of the candidates to become the next Saint, Erina wielded tremendous influence at the school. Sharon looked uncomfortable for a moment, then sighed loudly and turned on her heel.

“If you’re late again tomorrow, I’ll show you the meaning of hell on earth.”

“I-I won’t! Thank you, Professor!” Yuffie saluted like a private answering her drill sergeant, her voice such a low whisper, it was hard to believe she had just killed a dragon.

“Phew. You made it out alive, Yuffie.” Erina sounded relieved.

Yuffie released her in a rush and, in one fluid motion, dropped to her hands and knees, pressing her head against the floor. “Thank you, thank you, Lady Erina. You’re an actual lifesaver. I’ll repay you, no matter what I have to do. Maybe I can start by polishing your shoes with my tongue…?”

“Oh, stop. You’re so dramatic. Just don’t be late next time, all right?”

“All right…” Yuffie nodded tearfully.

“Tee hee… Yuffie, you are just so adorable… Gosh, I’d love to take you home and lock you up in my room, and then…”

Yuffie’s head suddenly jerked up. “What did you just say?”

“Nothing. Come on, let’s go to our seats.”

“O-Okay…”

Despite feeling like a canary in front of a hungry cat, Yuffie nevertheless took Erina’s outstretched hand.

💠🌸💠

CLASSES at the Academy of Magic were roughly divided into theory and practice. The former involved lectures, while the latter involved practicing magic, with classroom learning taking up a greater portion of the students’ time. In addition to general education classes, like the national language and mathematics, there were also many courses related to magic.

“…Therefore, it is believed that magical power and physical strength are directly connected.”

Professor Sharon stood at the front of the class, textbook in hand. It was oddly refreshing to see her lecturing like an academic, given her muscular, athletic build.

“The amount of mana a person can possess is determined at birth, but it has been observed that a slight increase in an individual’s supply is possible through increased muscle and physical strength.”

Today’s lecture was about the relationship between magical power and physical ability. Most of the students were listening to Sharon’s lecture with expressions that said, “Isn’t that obvious?”

Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What do I do?! Sweat poured down Yuffie’s face. I can’t find my pencil case!!! She realized now she’d forgotten it in her panic to get back to the Academy as quickly as possible from the Eldora region.

“Increasing your physical strength also increases the power of your magic. In other words, running and strength training are important forms of training that open new magical possibilities!”

Sharon thwacked her pointer at the words written on the chalkboard—Strengthen your body → Strengthen your mana—while Yuffie’s heart pounded.

This is bad… What if she finds out?

Her teacher had already ripped her a new one for being late. Just imagining what would happen if the terrifying woman found out she’d forgotten her writing utensils made Yuffie tremble in fear. She gulped, her throat dry. Then she suddenly heard a shout.

“I knew it! Getting jacked is the ultimate goal!”

The student who jumped up from his seat had short red hair casually swept back. His well-toned muscles, visible even through his sloppy uniform, conveyed the extraordinary effort he put into shaping his body. At first glance, the young man looked like your average delinquent. Jack, the son of the Minister of War for the Kingdom of Elvador, was also a member of the student council and a musclehead.

Sharon glared at him. “You should know better than to speak without raising your hand. Run ten laps around the courtyard as punishment.”

“Really?!” Jack’s eyes lit up. He clearly thought himself lucky. “You mean I can train my muscles during class?! Let’s make it a hundred laps. Heck, a thousand!”

Jack puffed out his chest and raised both arms, about to show off his biceps. But then…

FWISH! SIZZLE!

A piece of chalk grazed the side of his temple, shaving off a few tufts of hair.

“I’m aiming the next one directly at your head. Is that understood?”

“…My bad.”

“I don’t think I caught that, young man!”

“I’m so sorry!”

Afraid of making eye contact with Professor Sharon, Jack hurried to sit back down.

If she finds out I messed up, she’ll drill a hole in my forehead!

Yuffie’s face turned pale as she witnessed the exchange. She mustn’t let the teacher know that she’d forgotten her writing case. She had to protect her secret at all costs.

Oh, I know! A miniature light bulb flashed above Yuffie’s head. She carefully tore a page of notebook paper, trying not to make any noise. She rolled it up, and lo and behold, something magical happened. Awesome! Looks just like a pen from far away!

Genius inventor Yuffie was born. Just when she thought she could breathe a sigh of relief…

“Next up, we’ll be taking turns reading aloud from the textbook!”

“Eep?!”

Sharon’s words sent her into a spiral of despair. Why? Because she was the type of teacher who walked around the classroom while students read passages out loud.

“Morgan, start reading from page 42.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The moment the boy began reading, Sharon walked around her desk at the front of the classroom and started moving toward the students. The sound of her heels inching closer and closer to Yuffie’s seat might as well have been the sound of an executioner preparing a guillotine.

Once she reaches me…

She unconsciously squeezed her hands to stop the shaking, accidentally crushing the makeshift pen she’d made out of notebook paper. Its deformed shape might as well have foreshadowed what Yuffie would look like in just a few minutes.

What do I do?! Go to the school store and buy a new one…? I-I-I-I’m so dead!

With Yuffie’s tardiness and Jack’s interruption, Sharon was already on the verge of blowing her proverbial top off, so asking permission to go to the school store was suicidal.

Ah… I got it! The light bulb above her head flickered on again. Realizing this was her only option, Yuffie turned her attention to the girl sitting next to her. I can just ask Anna to lend me one!

The girl sitting to her right was the first student Yuffie had talked to outside of the student council. The day after their battle against the King Cyclops, Anna was practically squealing in delight over Lyle talking to her, so Yuffie decided to speak to her. She was so enthusiastic that she banged her head on the desk behind her, earning strange looks from nearby classmates, but she managed to make small talk with her.

“Th-The weather’s great today, huh?”

“A-Are you sure about that? I heard it’s supposed to rain in the afternoon… Wait, you hit your head pretty hard just now. Are you okay? Do you want me to use a healing spell on you?”

“I see, rain in the afternoon… Did you bring an umbrella with you?”

“Huh? U-Um… I did, just in case?”

“Very smart of you. Very smart indeed.”

That was where the conversation ended. Yuffie had the feeling they hadn’t been quite on the same page. Still, the fact that Anna even spoke to her was a huge first step in her life. With that first exchange out of the way, the hurdle of talking to Anna was much lower than for anyone else.

So, I can do it… I’m sure you can, Yuffie Abisus! “May I borrow your pen?”

Five words. All she had to say was those five words. She mustered her courage and steeled her resolve. She felt like a hero on the battlefield, ready to risk his life.

“Um…who are you again?”

The moment she tried to speak, Yuffie remembered those words said to her on that fateful day. It was like being doused in ice-cold water. Her heart began to beat violently, and every part of her body stiffened. Asking someone for a favor was an incredibly difficult task for her.

Stop it. Calm down. Just calm down…

Life had taught Yuffie that nothing good ever came from talking to people while tense. Her eyes darted, her voice pitched high, and her body quaked—all of which made people wary of her. She’d experienced their suspicious stares countless times whenever nerves got the best of her.

The most important thing is to stay calm… Yes, just stay calm…

Determined not to repeat her own mistakes, Yuffie took a deep breath. Deep breaths were effective for calming her racing heart. Next, she straightened her spine and stretched both arms as far as she could toward the ceiling. This was good at helping her release physical tension…

“Why are you standing up?”

“Gah!”

The low, cold voice brought Yuffie back to her senses. Sharon had arrived at some point, and now she stood there glaring at her. The rest of her classmates had also been sending curious looks her way. They were obviously wondering what she was doing.

Darn it!

She had been too focused on staying calm! Then Anna’s question put the final nail in her coffin.

“Yuffie, why do you have notebook paper rolled up like that?”

FLINCH! Sharon frowned when she saw Yuffie go rigid.

“Don’t tell me you…?”

“Eeep!

Professor Sharon’s face was at point-blank range now. Yuffie’s heart skipped a beat.

“You forgot your writing instruments, didn’t you?”

Yuffie’s mind blanked as she stood there.

“Class has been in session for half an hour now, and all you’ve been doing is daydreaming this whole time?”

I’m finished…

Uh-oh. It was all over. All Yuffie could do was hope her next life was a better one. She was no longer a hero carrying the fate of the world on her shoulders. No, she was now a hamster quivering under the menacing glare of a hungry snake. Imagining the rage Professor Sharon must be in, Yuffie was resigned to giving up on everything…

“Hmm?” Suddenly, Sharon noticed something. “You do have one. Hmph.”

“Huh?” Yuffie looked down and saw a pen lying on her desk. One she didn’t recognize.

“Why didn’t you just spit it out? What a waste of my time.” Sharon spat before picking up her textbook again. She then called on the next student and resumed pacing around the classroom.

Who? Who did this???

After sitting back down, Yuffie spent a moment admiring the strangely ornate pen when someone suddenly tapped her on the shoulder. Startled, she turned around.

“That was a close call.”

The person who spoke in a soft whisper was Lyle Elvard. He was the vice president of the student council at the Academy of Magic, as well as the country’s third prince. His face was the embodiment of beauty. His eyes, a clear blue like the deepest ocean, were so beautiful that they enchanted anyone who stared into them. Kindness and intelligence dwelled there as a smile played on his lips. His shining golden hair looked as soft as silk. That was when Yuffie figured out that Lyle, who sat behind her, realized the pickle she’d been in and discreetly placed the pen on her desk.

L-Lyle, my hero!

Her eyes welling with tears, she bowed in heartfelt gratitude.

💠🌸💠

“THANK you so much, Lyle!”

As soon as class ended, Yuffie handed him his pen back and bowed deeply.

“I’m glad I could help,” he said with a smile that had captivated countless young ladies. Yuffie was no exception, so to avoid falling under his spell, she ground her forehead into the desk, almost lying on top of it as she thanked him.

“You saved my life. I’ll repay you for this, even in my next life.”

“Who even knows if we’ll meet again in the next life, huh?”

“Y-You’re right!”

“You never fail to make me laugh, Yuffie,” Lyle chuckled, putting his hand over his mouth. Then he said, “Oh, that’s right,” like he’d just remembered something. “This pen was easy to use, right?”

“Oh, yes. So light and smooth.”

“I thought as much. It was custom-made for the royal family.”

“What?” Yuffie’s face turned pale.

“Apparently, it’s the latest model, developed by a team of the Kingdom’s engineers. They made it with ease of writing in mind— Whoa, Yuffie?! Why did you suddenly start strangling yourself?!”

“I’m so sorry that a paramecium like me stained such an expensive item. So please, let me apologize by dying.”

SMACK!

“Ouch?!”

A young man wearing glasses hit Yuffie, busy with her attempted suicide, over the head with a rolled-up textbook.

“What a stupid thing to do.”

“Edward!”

He looked down at her, his eyes glittering behind his lenses. Edward was also a member of the student council and the son of the prime minister of the Kingdom of Elvador. Her impression of him was that of a serious, honest, and slightly scary boy who spoke his mind.

“Next up is the physical fitness test, which means we’re switching classrooms, and everyone knows the fundamental rule is to arrive five minutes early. Go get changed.” With that, Edward left the classroom, holding his gym bag.

“Oh, he’s right. Almost forgot. Guess I’ll get going too. Good luck, Yuffie,” Lyle added as he followed suit.

“Physical fitness test…” Alone, Yuffie muttered to herself before shrieking in despair. Oh no! My gym clothes! I forgot my gym clothes!

One problem solved, only for another one to pop up right after. Yuffie realized she had left her gym clothes, essential for the physical fitness test, at home. The physical fitness test was a traditional event held every time students moved up to a new school year. It measured students’ physical abilities through various activities, like running and jumping. With the whole body in vigorous motion, gym clothes were mandatory. If she were to take the exam in her school uniform, she had no doubt the teacher would make fertilizer out of her to bury underneath a camphor tree.

“Ugggh… I don’t even wanna know what else I’ve forgotten today…”

Yuffie realized all over again how true the saying “haste makes waste” was.

“We have to do our best on this test.”

“I’ve been running a lot lately! My stamina should be better than last year!”

“Wow! You’re amazing!”

Meanwhile, the other girls in her class were changing into their gym clothes, apparently excited about the upcoming exam.

“What should I do… What should I do… What should I do… What should I do…?”

Even though the test hadn’t even started yet, Yuffie was already sweating buckets.

“You can borrow mine!” Erina, dressed in her gym clothes, came over and patted her chest.

“Huh? But then what are you going to do, Erina?”

“Not a problem. I have plenty of spares just in case.” She snapped her fingers, and one of her attendants appeared out of nowhere, bringing a clothes rack lined with gym clothes.

“W-Wow! So, this is how the better half lives!” Yuffie sighed in admiration at the sheer difference in scale between them. “I-I appreciate it, but maybe…I shouldn’t… Especially after Professor Sharon chewed me out earlier…”

“Don’t you worry about that.” Erina gave Yuffie’s shoulders a gentle squeeze, her expression doting. “Lending you my gym clothes is no serious matter. We’re friends, right? I’d hate to see you in trouble over something so minor.”

“Erina…”

Such a pure heart her friend had, just what you’d expect of the next Saint candidate. The way she reached out to those in need, without expecting anything in return, was the very epitome of a Saint. Yuffie genuinely wanted to be like that from the bottom of her heart, realizing she needed to work harder to achieve her goal.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” Choosing a set from Erina’s offering, Yuffie bobbed her head in gratitude. “I’ll make sure they’re nice and clean before giving them back to you.”

“It would be a waste to wash them!” her friend exclaimed. Her demonic expression was now a complete contrast to her serene one just a second ago.

“…Erina?”

“My apologies. It’s nothing.” She schooled her features to calmness so quickly that Yuffie thought maybe she’d hallucinated the dreadful look. “Ahem. Those gym clothes need to be washed in a certain way. You can return them as-is after you’re done.”

“Oh, really?! Then I’ll give them back to you as soon as class ends.”

“Lovely! I appreciate it. (Yuffie’s sweat-soaked gym clothes. Heh heh heh. Goodness, I can barely control my excitement).”

Yuffie wondered if she had imagined Erina’s eerie mutterings toward the end too.

“I can’t believe there’s a special way to wash gym clothes.”

“Mm-hmm.” Erina sounded ever so nonchalant. “They’re a custom line from one of our brands, so the materials are a bit…unique. A special detergent, a specific washing cycle—it’s all very complicated.”

“Even if my body ends up covered in mud, I’ll return these gym clothes in perfect condition!”

Lyle with his custom-made pen and Erina with her custom-made gym clothes. Yuffie, a simple girl from a remote village, could only marvel at how far out of her league they were.

💠🌸💠

THE Academy of Magic’s schoolyard was so well-maintained that not even a pebble was visible, ensuring no injury even if students fell. It was a place where they could exercise to their heart’s content. Used for a wide variety of purposes, from physical education classes to major events and magical training, it was so spacious that it made a popular attraction at parent-teacher meetings.

“Let’s begin the ten-lap endurance run around the schoolyard!”

With a spirited call from the gym teacher, the girls, lined up side by side, all took off running. Yuffie was among them. At first glance, she appeared pale and slender, her physique the kind you’d expect from someone who spent most of her time lounging around in her room. But her expression was clear.

I went to the mountains a lot to practice my attack magic, so I’m confident in my stamina…! She was fully motivated, knowing that the time had come to take advantage of the few benefits of living in the countryside. I’ll take first place in this run and impress everyone…

Her grades weren’t great, but maybe she’d be praised for her physical strength. Yuffie, who suffered from a severe need for approval, threw herself wholeheartedly into the endurance race.

“Haaa…haaa…haaa…”

Within five minutes, she was having trouble breathing. She was sweating profusely, and her legs shook violently, unsteady like a newborn fawn. Meanwhile, the other students ran around the schoolyard with their expressions completely unfazed.

Why…? How…?

Yuffie’s stamina was supposed to set her apart from the others, but she was now last by a huge margin. It was a far cry from the endurance she had when running freely through the mountains.

This…is…strange… What’s…happening…? Where did…my stamina…go…? Ah…

Her mind raced through her memories, and she suddenly had an epiphany.

“Wind Kick!”

“Soaring Gale!”

She forgot she’d been using wind magic even for short distances these past few years. No wonder she didn’t grow any stronger; she was relying on that instead of her own feet. It was human nature to use any means of transportation easier than walking.

“You brought this on yourself… You’re reaping…what you sowed!” Yuffie muttered to herself, gasping for breath in the vast schoolyard.

“Are you finally done, Yuffie Abisus?”

Yuffie limped across the finish line, and the gym teacher mercilessly recorded her time. She was two laps behind the other students—a crushing defeat. As she staggered toward the break area, she collapsed with a thud. Panting and twitching, she looked like a stray dog being bullied by cruel children.

“Yuffie, are you okay? Do you need some water? Here, let me help!” Erina came running out of nowhere and cast a healing spell on her.

“Thank you, Erina. I’m sorry… I got your gym clothes dirty because I’m so weak…”

“Don’t worry about that or your lack of stamina. You are a transfer student, after all.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

The Academy of Magic was divided into two groups: escalator students who had moved up from affiliated schools for nobles and transfer students, such as Yuffie.

“If a student is determined to have magical power at a young age, they usually receive special magical training. And since there’s a certain correlation between magic and stamina, they also receive physical training.”

“I see…”

No wonder everyone else was so fit.

“Climbing Mount Ecest—which is about 42,000 feet above sea level, the highest mountain in the kingdom—on a scorching hot day was quite an undertaking,” Erina reminisced as she stared off into the distance.

Just hearing that made Yuffie want to scream. Just then, her classmate Anna arrived, carrying some kind of flat equipment.

“Did you two finish doing the grip strength test?”

“The drip strength test…? That sounds uncomfortable.” Yuffie tilted her head in confusion.

“Yuffie, I think you heard wrong,” Erina said with a chuckle.

Anna held up the device and explained. “The grip strength test measures the strength with which you can grip something. If you squeeze this magical device tightly here, it will measure yours.”

“Wow… That’s amazing!”

Magical tools were convenient gadgets that utilized mana. While they were widespread in the royal capital, they were much less common in the rural areas. Yuffie stared in awe at this device she’d never heard of or seen until now.

“Would you like to try it, Yuffie?”

“I-Is someone like me allowed to touch it?!”

“You can’t measure grip strength otherwise…”

Yuffie took the test device from Anna, who smiled wryly.

It’ll be fine… I still can’t twist a lid off, but my strength should at least be average.

Convincing herself, Yuffie took a deep breath. “Here I go.” She squeezed the device with all her might. “Hngh…hngh…hrrrngh! Graaah!” The way her body wriggled was reminiscent of a certain desert tribe’s dance moves. “S-So what’s the result?!”

“Um, your grip strength is…2.”

“I-Is that good?!”

Yuffie had never had her grip strength measured, so she had no idea what the average was. But her eyes lit up at the thought of the chance to impress others. Anna answered her awkwardly.

“Um… Maybe you rank higher than a baby?”

“I knew I was garbage. I’m sorry for thinking otherwise.” The light faded from Yuffie’s eyes.

“Your turn, Lady Erina.”

“Thank you.” Erina took the measuring device and inhaled deeply. “Take that!”

KRAK. The tool made a sound it shouldn’t have.

“127?! Lady Erina, that’s amazing!”

“Goodness, I’m that strong?”

“Your score went up from last year! Why am I even surprised?!” Anna sounded in awe.

“Erina… That’s incredible…”

God had given Erina two gifts; he’d even thrown in some extras. Yuffie could only clap her hands in a daze at the huge gulf between them.

“Haha! Still as strong as a gorilla, huh?”

When the girls turned around, they found Jack standing there with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. Calling a duke’s daughter, one who just so happened to be the next candidate for Sainthood, a gorilla was nothing short of disrespectful. But Jack was also the son of the Minister of War, and the two were childhood friends, so maybe such language was acceptable. Yuffie had always envied their relationship, a bond built since they were very young.

“Jack, you toad, you shouldn’t say such things to ladies.”

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Gorina.”

“Would you be so kind as to give me your hand?”

“Why?”

“So I can do this!”

KRAAAK! A sound that should have never come from a human’s hand.

“Oooooowwwwww! My bad, okay?! My bad!”

After releasing Jack, who was in genuine pain, Erina asked, “How are your results this year, Jack? Same as ever?”

“Damn straight! Endurance running, long jump, shot put, grip strength—I’m number one in everything, baby! Nobody’s even close!” He pumped his fist in triumph and smiled proudly. Yuffie gazed at him with admiration.

“Number one in everything! You’re amazing, Jack,” Yuffie commented.

“Naaah. I still have a long way to go…” His expression clouded slightly. He looked almost as if he was admonishing himself.

Jack, you’re pretty hard on yourself… she thought empathetically.

Then he turned to Yuffie and asked, “Oh, yeah. What are your results?”

“Um, last in everything.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes. I’m so sad.”

While Yuffie was on the verge of tears, Jack tapped a finger against his chin and cocked his head and murmured in a low voice only she could hear, “That’s weird… You can use all that attack magic, but you have zero stamina?”

“Unfortunately, you’re spot on…”

She immediately understood what he was trying to say. If there was a correlation between physical strength and magical strength, then Yuffie, capable of unleashing such powerful offensive magic, should have bottomless stamina. Except she had zero. Never mind the biggest question at hand—how could she even use offensive magic in the first place when only men were supposed to be able to? The mystery remained unsolved.

There’s still so much I don’t understand…

A mystery concerning the laws of this world couldn’t be solved through casual conversation, plus the physical fitness test was over.

“Thank you for letting me use your gym clothes!”

“No, thank you. I’ll keep them as a memento.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing.”

Erina’s smile seemed to imply something, but Yuffie couldn’t figure out what.

💠🌸💠

AFTER all her classes were finished, Yuffie went straight to the student council room. Lyle and Erina were chatting with other classmates, Jack was working out in the training room, and Edward was handling administrative tasks given by a teacher in the staff room. The other members were spending their time as they pleased before the meeting began, but Yuffie, with nothing to do, simply slipped out of the classroom, making sure no one noticed her leave.

“This is a pretty big step for me,” she said to herself, her voice light and airy as she walked alone down the hallway.

Back in Millil, she would leave the village after school and go straight to the Eldora mountain range to practice her offensive magic. Thanks to that, she could now use top-tier offensive magic, but as she thought back on it now, she wondered if that had just been a way to cope with her lonely life.

“N-No! I can’t go down that road!” She shook her head fiercely, trying to clear her thoughts. Just then, she heard a thunderous sound. “What’s that?”

Driven by curiosity, Yuffie pivoted and headed toward the source of the noise. When she stepped outside the school building and onto the training grounds, she saw a boy practicing fire magic. Based on the color of his tie, he was an upperclassman. He had a sculpted, muscular physique. To borrow a phrase Anna had used during the physical fitness test, he had a body that looked like he could crush an apple with one hand. His gaze was sharp and intense, as if he could win a staring contest with an apex predator. Long hair swayed in the wind, highlighting his wild features. A scar on his cheek added an even more intimidating edge to his face. He threw a round ball high into the air.

“Piercing Flame.”

His voice was low but resolute, and fire shot from his hand. The fiery bullet tore through the air and pierced the ball he had just thrown. In an instant, it was engulfed in a raging flame, then turned to ash. The immense power of the fire, excessive for such a small ball, sent a wave of heat all the way to Yuffie.

“Wow…” she murmured, mesmerized.

The power of the flame and the skill to hit the tiny ball so precisely led Yuffie to conclude that he was a highly skilled fire magic user. Jack also used fire magic as his main power, and he was talented in it too. However, the aura this older boy, man, gave off felt even more powerful than Jack’s.

He continued casting various fire spells, turning one target after another into ash. Despite unleashing such advanced magic in rapid succession, he showed no sign of fatigue. The way he calmly wielded his power was like a battle-hardened warrior silently practicing with his sword.

“Gah, I shouldn’t be here!”

It was rare for her to see high-level offensive magic used by someone other than herself, and she had become so engrossed in watching that she lost track of time. Yuffie had a bad habit of wasting time when she wasn’t careful, so she quickly set off for the student council room.

“Oof!” Just as she turned on her heel, she bumped into something. She looked up in surprise and saw three men standing there.

“Watch where you’re going, you moron!”

“Eep…” Yuffie let out a small cry.

They were clearly bad news. Their voices were low and menacing, their uniforms sloppy, and their eyes hostile. Delinquents, obviously, very different from Jack in all the worst ways. Whether they had come to the training grounds for practice or just to loiter was unclear, but running into them was a stroke of bad luck.

“I-I’m so, so, so, so, so sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going!”

If she got serious, Yuffie could annihilate all three of them on a molecular level. However, using offensive magic was strictly forbidden by the student council, and Yuffie, who shrank to the size of an ant when confronted with hostility, could only tremble in fear and apologize.

“You think that’s gonna cut it?!” one of the boys yelled, slamming his hand against the wall to intimidate her. The sound made her heart shrink even more.

“Pay up, and this will all go away. Just give us 10,000 ennis.” The two behind him smirked sinisterly.

“I-I’m sorry…” Yuffie fumbled in her pocket and pulled out a paper-wrapped item. “This is all I have…” It was a piece of burdock root that she kept with her as a snack.

“Huh?! Are you messing with us?!”

“Aaaah! I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry!” She had only made things worse.

“What are you doing?” a powerful voice came from behind them.

“H-Hans…”

The older boy who had been practicing fire magic—Hans—appeared, and the three froze. His presence, with his imposing physique that looked like he could crush the three delinquents with one hand, completely changed the atmosphere. He stood in front of Yuffie and faced them without backing down. Yuffie felt like he was a protective shield.

“Three men trying to extort money from a first-year. Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves?”

They flinched at the derision in his voice before turning defiant again.

“To hell with you! She bumped into us first! It’s not our fault!”

“If it was an accident, an apology is enough. You don’t have any reason to demand money.”

“This has nothing to do with you! Stay out of it!”

“But it does, and I won’t. It’s my duty to handle problems on school grounds.”

The delinquents’ anger rose as Hans remained expressionless despite their threats.

“You’re getting on my last nerve, man! I don’t care about your hoity-toity medal, so don’t get cocky!”

The angry trio all rushed at Hans at once.

“Idiots,” Hans sighed softly.

As the first of the troublemakers raised his fist, Hans calmly eyed him and quickly raised his right arm to guard.

“Ugh…?!”

The delinquent’s fist bounced off Hans’s powerful, muscular defense, grimacing in pain. In the next moment, Hans’s left fist shot out like lightning and sank deep into the other boy’s abdomen.

“Ngh… Guuuh…” he choked. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground.

“Damn you!” Despite his obvious fear, the second boy charged at Hans anyway. He tried a roundhouse kick, but Hans simply grabbed his leg with one hand and threw him. “Gah!” The boy flew through the air and hit the ground, losing consciousness.

“Are you still going to fight?”

The last of the trio hesitated for a moment at Hans’s question. But seeing his friends beaten filled him with rage, and he picked up a nearby wooden bench, which he threw with an angry roar.

“Eeek!” Yuffie instinctively closed her eyes.

Hans didn’t move an inch. The moment the bench was about to hit him, his right leg shot out like a flash. KRAK! The bench shattered into splinters. As wood fragments flew everywhere, Hans kept his eyes on the man.

“Die!” His opponent charged, swinging a wild punch fueled by anger.

“Hmph!” Hans quickly grabbed his arm, and in an instant, executed a flawless shoulder throw. The boy flew through the air and crashed into the ground.

“Guh!” He was down for the count.

Hans beat all three in less than ten seconds.

“To eradicate evil is the duty of those with strength,” he said flatly, glancing at the fallen attackers. There was no hesitation in his voice, only unwavering conviction.

“Amazing…” Yuffie murmured, awed by a strength that wasn’t based on attack magic but came from pure, physical power. She was also genuinely impressed by Hans’s kind heart because he had helped the defenseless—her—without hesitation. “Th-Thank you so much for saving me!”

“No thanks necessary.” Hans gave a small nod, then effortlessly hoisted the three delinquents onto his shoulders, carrying them like sacks of flour. “I’m heading to the guidance counselor’s office to report this and turn them in. You should come with me.”

“A-All right. Um… May I ask a question?”

“Why are you so formal?” Hans narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

“I-I was just wondering if someone like me could ask a person like you a question…”

Hans raised an eyebrow at Yuffie’s uncomfortable expression. “You and I are both students. We’re equals. Ask whatever you want.”

He’s a good person! He really is! To Yuffie, who basically thought of herself as a microbe, anyone who treated her as an equal was, without question, a good person.

“Oh, thank you so much! I’m actually in the student council, and I have to head there soon. I was just wondering how long the report will take.”

“The student council?” Hans looked a bit surprised. “Are you Yuffie Abisus, by any chance?”

“H-How do you know my name…?”

“…I see. So you’re the rumored anomaly.”

“Huh?”

Hans chuckled and replied, “My name is Hans Arnold. I’m a member of the student council.”

“You’re what?!” Yuffie’s shocked cry echoed across the training grounds.

💠🌸💠

AFTER leaving the guidance counselor’s office with Hans, the two headed to the student council room. The other members were already there, making them the last to arrive. As soon as Hans explained what happened, Erina rushed over to Yuffie.

“Yuffie, are you hurt?! Are you okay?!” she asked, patting her all over.

“Y-Yes. Hans helped me, so I’m perfectly fine.”

“Oh, good,” Erina let out a sigh of relief, but her expression quickly turned into a terrifying glare. “To think someone would try to harm you… If I had been there, I would have turned them all into minced meat.”

“Erina, you’re kinda scaring me!” Yuffie’s mind was filled with images of the delinquents being crushed like pomegranates by her friend’s immense grip.

“By the way, what happened to those jerks?” Lyle asked Hans.

“They’ve been suspended. I used my authority to have them sent to a rehabilitation facility, so they won’t be setting foot on school grounds for a while.”

“That’s good to hear. It takes a lot of nerve to stand up to you, Hans.”

“People with short fuses often fail to analyze a situation calmly,” Hans responded, crossing his arms in exasperation.

From his seat at a particularly luxurious desk at the back of the room, the beautiful young man who served as the student council president, Noah, spoke in a voice like a whisper on the wind. “Shall we begin today’s meeting? We’re already running behind schedule.”

Everyone in the room turned their attention to him. He had translucent, pale skin like fine porcelain, and light blue hair that shimmered softly in the light from the window. His deep emerald-green eyes held both calm and warmth that seemed to cocoon anyone who looked at him. His elegant demeanor gave him the air of ancient royalty. And for good reason—Noah was the second prince of the Kingdom of Elvador.

“I-I’m so sorry for being late…” Yuffie apologized, trembling slightly, realizing that none of this would have happened if she hadn’t been distracted.

“It’s quite all right. Don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t get upset over a simple case of bad luck.”

“Th-Thank you for your understanding…”

“You’re welcome. Now, let’s begin with his introduction.” Noah gestured toward Hans. “This is Hans. He’s the son of Duke Arnold, a family that has produced countless heroes throughout our country’s history. Hans is a second-year student like me and serves as an aide to the student council. He only returned yesterday, having been away since spring break on a monster hunt abroad.”

H-Hans is an amazing person too…!

The fact that he, a student, had been fighting monsters, backed up the incredible fire magic she had just seen him use on the training grounds.

“Looking forward to another year working with you all,” Hans greeted the room.

“I-It’s nice to meet you,” Yuffie replied nervously, taking the hand he offered. His palm was rough and it felt like his grip could crush rock.

“Noah told me that you’re unique because you can use offensive magic. He also mentioned your special circumstances. It’s hard to believe, but Noah isn’t the kind of person to lie,” Hans relayed. “I’ll do my best to ensure your school life is peaceful. If you ever have a problem, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

“Oh, okay… I-I’m sorry that someone like me is putting you through all this trouble…” Yuffie quickly pulled her hand away and took a few steps back.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s just a reflex, don’t mind me.” She couldn’t bring herself to say that the confidence radiating from him was unbearable. The complete opposite of her, with her confidence so low it might as well have been buried on the other side of the planet.

“Hm. Is that right?”

The other members had an inkling of why Yuffie acted that way, so their lack of reaction was normal for them. Only Hans looked confused, but he didn’t press her any further.

“Now that introductions are over, let’s move on to the next topic. Edward, if you would.”

“Yes.” He stood up and began to speak, looking at a document. “First, I have an update on the recent attack, specifically the identity of the attacker.”

The relaxed atmosphere in the student council room became tense. A few days ago, they had been lured into the forest by a letter in the suggestion box asking them to find a lost dog. The letter itself turned out to be a trap. A powerful A-rank monster, a King Cyclops controlled by a mysterious enemy, ambushed them. Jack and Edward were seriously injured, but they managed to defeat it thanks to Yuffie’s offensive magic. The attacker, however, had escaped and was still at large.

“His name is Gordo, and he’s a Fundamentalist of the Valencia faith.”

Everyone frowned at Edward’s words.

“A Fundamentalist, huh?”

“While I’m not surprised, this doesn’t change how much more problematic things have become.”

In contrast to Lyle and Erina’s serious expressions, Yuffie hesitantly raised her hand and asked, “Just to clarify, Fundamentalists are the ones with extremist beliefs within the Valencian faith?”

“I’ll give you credit for remembering,” Edward answered with a snort, then continued to explain to her. “As you know, the Church of Valencia is a peaceful religion. However, a faction has interpreted the teachings in an extremist slant and defected to the Demon King’s side. This Gordo acted in the name of that banner.”

“Basically, they think ‘all living beings have an equal right to exist,’ right?” Hans confirmed.

“That seems to be the case. Just as humans have a right to live, so do monsters. In a conflict where humans have defeated so many of the creatures, he likely saw that as unforgivable under his interpretation of the faith.”

“That’s ridiculous. Coexistence with monsters that lack reason is impossible.”

Edward nodded in agreement with Hans’s comment, then continued relaying the details. “The Demon King has seven high-ranking demons known as the ‘Seven Pillars.’ I was able to confirm that Gordo was acting on orders from one of them, a demon named Zax.”

“Wait a minute. Does that mean the demons know that Yuffie can use offensive magic?” Erina asked, standing up in agitation.

Edward inclined his head. “We have to act quickly now that they know too. We’re already fast-tracking the selection of people we should inform about her ability. A meeting will likely be held soon.”

Yuffie looked down, her face tense. “I’m so sorry my very existence has made things so complicated…” She felt crushed by guilt for causing so much trouble for so many people.

“You have nothing to worry about, Yuffie,” Lyle assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “If you hadn’t used your attack magic back then, we would all be dead. We should be thanking you, not blaming you.”

“Lyle…” Her expression brightened a bit at his consideration.

“I’m also investigating and coordinating everything related to the recent attack and the part your magic played in the incident, Yuffie,” Noah informed her. “I’ll report back as soon as I have an update. Be patient until then, all right?”

“I-I will! Thank you very much.”

“Now, let’s forget about this doom and gloom for a moment,” he continued with an elegant smile. “The next topic is our progress on the May Festival.”

“The May Festival…?” Yuffie tilted her head, having never heard of it before.

“The May Festival is a fun event held at the Academy,” Lyle explained. “Its purpose is to foster camaraderie between new and older students. There are all kinds of things: food stalls, games, musical performances, and more.”

“Oh, I see! Just like our village’s harvest festival,” Yuffie observed.

“Right, something like that,” Lyle replied.

“A harvest festival, huh…?”

Memories of her village’s harvest festival from when she was a child came to Yuffie’s mind. All her classmates at the church would go with their families and friends. But Yuffie, always alone, had no one to go with. While all the villagers laughed and enjoyed themselves in their brightly decorated hometown, she spent the day by herself at home.

“Get the tastiest squid for only a hundred ennis!”

“Yay!”

Inside her room, she would construct a makeshift food stall out of paper and play festival games by herself.

“This is so yummy! I’m having a blast!”

Her paper stalls featured all kinds of foods, toys, and games. She used her imagination to craft a real harvest festival. Her expression clouded from the loneliness and isolation she still remembered so vividly.

“Yuffie! What’s wrong?!” Lyle’s voice pulled her out of her reverie as he shook her shoulders. “Your soul looks like it’s leaving your body!”

“Huh?!” She snapped back to reality. “I’m sorry! I was just thinking about something embarrassing and wanted to die, so please don’t worry about it.”

“Maybe because…something happened at the harvest festival?” Lyle poked.

“It was more like…nothing happened.” To stop him from prying, Yuffie deliberately averted her gaze from his.

Lyle picked up on the hint that she didn’t want to talk about it and ended the conversation with a gentle, “I-I see…”

“There you have it then, the May Festival. The faculty handles most of the operations, so we don’t have to do much. However…” Noah paused and looked at all of them before continuing. “I think a few of us in the student council may participate in the duel, so I’d like to discuss that now.”

Jack shot a sharp glance at Hans. “You’re entering, right, Hans?”

Hans didn’t even look at Jack with his response, his voice devoid of any emotion. “The dueling tournament is one of the most anticipated events for students at the May Festival. It’s our duty as the student council to meet their expectations. If I’m nominated, there’s no reason for me to refuse.”

Jack grunted in annoyance at his answer.

“Can I ask what a dueling tournament even is?” Yuffie posed confusedly.

Lyle kindly explained, “At the May Festival, the students with the best grades from each year compete to showcase their magic.”

“I understand now! That’s exactly what I’d expect from a magic academy.” She sounded impressed.

Lyle, however, wore a somewhat sadistic grin as he added, “By the way, at last year’s festival, Jack, who was still in the middle school division, competed as a wild card. But Hans completely trounced him. They’ll both probably be chosen again this year, so you could call this a rematch Jack’s been waiting ages for.”

“Lyle, who said you could bring that up?!”

“I thought it might motivate you,” Lyle shot back with a cackle.

Meanwhile, Yuffie shuddered at this dark side of the third prince she occasionally caught glimpses of.

“Wait, but…if it’s based on grades, wouldn’t you be chosen, Lyle?”

“Very good deduction, Yuffie,” Noah added. “Since Lyle and I are members of the royal family, we’re automatically excluded from being in the candidate pool, to avoid any danger to ourselves.”

“Oh, of course, that makes sense…” She was so used to thinking of them as her friendly classmate and upperclassman that she sometimes forgot the two boys were royalty. She once again felt like she was out of place.

Lyle added, “By the way, there’s also a division to compete in healing magic.”

“Really? That sounds fun!” Unlike flashy and easy-to-understand offensive magic, she had no idea how a healing magic demonstration would be conducted, but she was grateful for the chance to see a top-tier magic performance.

“I can see you already thinking like a spectator, but you may be chosen as a contestant, you know,” Lyle warned.

“Ha ha ha! No way. Not a chance. The one who can barely heal a scratch in an hour? I wouldn’t be chosen even if the world turned upside down.”

The thought of casting magic in front of a large audience, especially when she couldn’t use recovery magic at all, was a nightmare. Judging from the fact that Jack and Hans were selected for the attack magic division, she assumed that only excellent students would be selected for the healing magic division as well.

“Well, if it goes like previous years, they’ll probably pick Erina this time,” Lyle mused.

“That makes a lot more sense,” Yuffie nodded in agreement.

Erina, however, was completely indifferent. She simply said, “I suppose I’ll just have to do my best if they pick me.” There wasn’t much enthusiasm in her voice.

At that moment, Yuffie didn’t notice that the corners of Lyle’s mouth curved into a mischievous grin, like he had just thought of something good.

“I think that’s all we need to share about the May Festival. This concludes today’s student council meeting.”

“All right, I’ve gotta train, so I’m out! You guys handle the rest.” As soon as Noah finished speaking, Jack rushed out of the room lightning-fast. Yuffie watched him go, dumbfounded.

“Looks like he’s really fired up now,” Lyle observed nonchalantly.

Jack really is amazing. Admiration filled her at how the boy immediately went to work on improving himself as soon as he had a goal. Maybe one day they’ll choose me too… No, no, no! Don’t even go there!

She wanted to be able to use healing magic at a level where her being a dueling candidate was a distinct possibility. But the thought of being the center of attention in front of a huge crowd was an absolute nightmare. It will never happen for me, Yuffie thought, a self-deprecating smile on her face.

💠🌸💠

YUFFIE returned to the dorm as the sky began to darken.

“I’m home.” The moment she entered her room, a fluffy black creature rubbed up against her feet, meowing.

“Welcome back, Yuffie.”

A smile tugged at her lips when she heard the voice echoing in her head.

“Tee hee. I’m back, Friend.” Yuffie knelt down and stroked the black cat’s throat. “Haha, look at you, all fluffy today too.”

“Heh. Thank you. Your hair is so smooth and feels nice too.”

“Really? Really, really? I’m so happy. Tee hee hee.” She beamed in response to his praise.

Friend was an imaginary friend dreamed up by her mind. Originally, the cat existed only in Yuffie’s head, but the day before attending the Academy of Magic, she protected the black cat when she destroyed a Black Wolf, a B-rank monster. That was when her imaginary friend’s personality possessed the black cat. From then on, she began to communicate with Friend through the animal. From the outside, she seemed like an unstable person who thought she could talk to cats.

After a brief chat with him, Yuffie started preparing dinner.

“What should I use for seasoning today?”

Her only option was a burdock dish. Yuffie hailed from a remote rural area, and her parents couldn’t send her much in the way of an allowance, so she cooked for herself using burdock root, a local specialty of her village. She had brought it in large quantities from home. Since she wasn’t a big eater anyway, her supply never really dwindled, making it the perfect money-saving ingredient for Yuffie.

“Mmm, delicious.”

Yuffie smiled as she munched on the burdock root. Tonight’s dinner was burdock root wrapped in meat. It was a quick, simple, and fairly tasty dish made by wrapping thin pieces of pork around burdock root and stir-frying them with vinegar, soy sauce, mirin, and more. While she ate silently, Friend was chowing away at his cat food nearby. A cool breeze blew in through the slightly open window, bringing a sense of tranquility.

“It’s so quiet,” Yuffie murmured softly. For some reason, she felt at peace, like she could fall asleep if she closed her eyes in this slow, serene moment…

The hand holding her fork was trembling. An uncontrollable urge welled up from deep within, and she surged to her feet.

“What’s wrong, Yuffie?”

Ignoring Friend, who stared up at her in concern, Yuffie ran to the balcony and shouted her feelings to the world!

“I didn’t enroll here to take it easy like this!!!”

The night sky swallowed up the cry ripped from the depths of her soul. She’d imagined a school life where she rapidly improved her healing magic while enjoying a happy youth surrounded by friends. It definitely wasn’t spending her days pecking at burdock root alone at night. A baby could probably outdo her at healing magic right now. Plus, she was still alone during breaks and lunch. Lyle invited her to eat with him once, but she felt so out of place that she’d eaten lunch alone ever since. As soon as lunchtime came around, she would disappear, head straight to the bathroom, and munch on burdock root.

I’m happy that Lyle and the others think of me as a friend, but…

Yuffie thought that was purely them being professional, on account of being fellow student council members and because of her unique ability to use attack magic. Although joining the student council had allowed her to talk to a few people, including Lyle and Erina, Yuffie still felt that their relationship could hardly be called a genuine friendship.

“Ugggh… Can I be more annoying and melodramatic?”

She’d been a loner her whole life, so her concept of friends was off in the sense that she deified them. But she was self-aware enough to understand how those around her might feel about that.

“Do you really think of me as a friend??? Hey, do you? Tell me, tell me, tell me.”

Having someone emotionally unstable like that would definitely be a turnoff.

“I can’t keep acting like this… I have to practice my healing magic more!”

Yuffie clenched her fists in front of her chest in determination. Her current isolation at school was largely due to her terrible healing magic. Her number one goal in life was to become the greatest Saint. Everyone would talk to her then. She was terrible at starting a conversation, though. Even when one started, she didn’t know what to say, and a hellish silence inevitably ensued. Yuffie couldn’t stop thinking they might think of her as weird, or worse, hate her. Her inherent crippling shyness and social anxiety made her completely unfit to be in the company of others.

Then I should just become someone that people want to talk to.

It was only natural for her to arrive at that conclusion. If she became an S-tier Saint, everyone would be fighting for her attention. She wouldn’t have to lift a finger.

“There’s no time to slack off!”

Going back inside, Yuffie shoveled a few more burdock root meat rolls into her stomach. Then, she changed into her tracksuit and left to practice healing magic.

Chapter 2: Physical Training Is Obviously Just Hell on Earth

Chapter 2: Physical Training Is Obviously Just Hell on Earth

“YUFFIE, your eyes look like cracked pavement. Are you okay?” Lyle asked with a worried expression the next morning in class.

“I-I’m f-fine,” she stammered, exuding a dark aura.

“Yeah, you don’t look fine at all.” Lyle gave a wry smile at her slurred, unintelligible words.

And for good reason. Deep bags were carved under Yuffie’s eyes, and her face was gaunt and pale.

Ugh… I went overboard again and practiced healing magic until morning…

As a natural long-sleeper, who used to spend most of her time sleeping since she had nothing else to do (and was mostly alone), the damage from even a single all-nighter was immense.

Since Yuffie looked like she was about to collapse, Lyle said, “Just a moment,” and pulled out a handkerchief. “Water Ball. Heat Wave.”

As he chanted the names of the spells, the handkerchief in Lyle’s hand became damp and then began to steam.

“Yuffie, look up.”

“Huh?” Lyle placed the handkerchief over Yuffie’s eyes, which were squinted shut. “?!?!?!?!”

Instantly, a pleasant warmth spread across her dry eyes. The sensation was like soaking in warm water, and it permeated her entire body, starting from her eyes.

“Ahhh… what is this…?”

“I applied water and fire magic to make a warm, damp compress out of the handkerchief. It feels good, right?”

Lyle’s words blew her away. She had only thought of offensive magic in terms of destruction and power output, but she was in awe that it could be used like this.

“It feels better than good, it feels amazing…” Yuffie relaxed, closing her eyes and savoring the warmth with a dreamy expression on her face. She could feel the tension leaving her shoulders and her body relaxing. The warm, damp handkerchief gently soothed her eyes and mind, which were both stiff with exhaustion.

As Yuffie was about to fall asleep from the luxurious experience, Lyle spoke again. “What do you think?”

“It feels like…a gentle hug.”

“This handkerchief is a custom-made royal item.”

“What?” At Lyle’s words, the color drained from Yuffie’s face.

“It was developed by the royal engineers to be a new model that focuses on texture and… Wait, Yuffie, why are you suddenly choking yourself with it?!”

“I’m sorry! I’ll die to apologize for using such an important handkerchief!”

“What are you two doing so early in the morning?” Edward sighed deeply at the sight of the commotion.

Then the teacher came into the classroom, and morning homeroom began. Thanks to Lyle’s handkerchief, Yuffie’s droopy eyelids had improved slightly, but she was still sleepy.

I-I have to be careful not to fall asleep. She pinched her cheek hard to fight off the drowsiness when the teacher began to speak.

“I have an important announcement today,” he began in a calm tone, and the students’ attention was immediately drawn to him. “For the May Festival’s dueling tournament, Jack Gallini will be representing our class in the offensive magic division. Let’s congratulate him.”

A murmur rippled through the classroom.

“Congratulations, Jack!”

“Our very own flashy fire magic user!”

“We’re looking forward to your rematch against Hans!”

The students cheered for Jack with a mix of anticipation and excitement.

“Haha! Do or die, I’m winning this year for sure!” Jack proudly raised his fist, his face filled with determination and passion.

He really is amazing…

Yuffie already knew from the student council meeting that Jack would be chosen, but seeing it happen in person again, she felt a renewed sense of respect for him. Even if Lyle was the top student, there was no doubt that Jack was a skilled user of advanced fire magic. Yuffie truly admired that his self-training and hard work had led to him being picked as the class representative.

“Next, for the healing magic division,” the teacher continued, and then announced a familiar name. “Erina Celestia.”

A murmur rippled through the class again.

“As expected, Lady Erina!”

“The next Saint!”

Unfazed by the endless cheers, Erina stood up gracefully. In an instant, a hush fell over the room, as if a seasoned army had been commanded to be silent. She looked around at everyone and spoke in an angelic voice, “I will do my best to live up to everyone’s expectations.”

A round of applause erupted. Yep, that makes sense, Yuffie thought, clapping along with everyone else. At the same time, she felt a deep sense of relief. The thought of being chosen herself was a ridiculous one, but she was genuinely relieved that she hadn’t been nominated.

It would be nothing short of torture for me to show off my trash healing magic in front of everyone. For both her and the audience. Watching her use healing magic would be a sleeping spell in itself.

“Quiet down. This year, the healing magic division will be different from previous years. Two representatives will be chosen from each class.”

The applause stopped at the teacher’s words, and the room began to buzz with whispers. With a calm but somewhat pained expression, the teacher pointed his finger at one of the girls.

“…Huh?”

Almost everyone voiced the word in unison. Yuffie couldn’t comprehend that the teacher’s wrinkled finger was pointing directly at her. She instinctively turned around and tried to make awkward eye contact with the boy behind her, as if to ask, “Is it you?” “I’m a guy, though?” His face answered for him. So she whipped back around, but the teacher’s finger was still pointed squarely at her. The digit might as well have been a sword.

“You, Yuffie Abisus,” the teacher intoned in a flat voice, like a judge sentencing a defendant to death. “You have also been nominated to participate in the healing magic demonstration.”

“WHAT?!” The classroom erupted in a chorus of stunned shouts.

Nominated…? Me, to participate in the healing magic division?

Was this a mistake? Her already pale face turned completely white, and her heart began to beat wildly. The world felt like it was collapsing, and her vision became blurry.

A female student, unable to accept the news, raised her hand. “Sir! I can understand Erina, but why Yuffie…?”

The teacher tried to be considerate, but his explanation was still cruel. “I don’t know what the selection committee’s reasoning is, but starting this year, the student with the best grade in healing magic and the student with the worst grade will be paired to perform.” He paused before continuing hesitantly. “The administration wishes to raise the overall level of the competition by having the better students guide the weaker ones…and to teach the importance of teamwork and cooperation.”

That line of thought made a certain amount of sense, so the girl simply responded, “I see…” then sat down. The atmosphere in the class was a mix of acceptance and sympathy, as if they were all thinking, “Ah, well, in that case…”

Meanwhile, Yuffie, who had finally grasped that she had been nominated, was sweating profusely. N-no, no, no! Absolutely not!

“S-S-S-S-Sir! Is there some kind of mistake?!” she stammered, mustering what little courage she had.

“No, there is no mistake,” the teacher replied, slowly shaking his head. “Yuffie, what is your grade in healing magic?”

Yuffie looked away.

“I don’t need to say anything else. It’s done. Do your best.”

His words felt like a heavy stone had been placed on her chest, and she had been dropped into the ocean. Despair engulfed her. Her new reality was so shocking that her vision blurred, distorted.

Erina, who seemed happy to be able to participate with her, beamed and did a little fist pump. “Let’s do our best together, Yuffie! Oh my goodness, Yuffie?! Sir! She isn’t breathing!”

As Erina shook her shoulders, Yuffie’s head lolled back and forth.

“Good…bye…my life…” Her face was ashen, and she saw her life flashing before her eyes.

💠🌸💠

DURING the first hour of break time, the classroom was abuzz with talk about the representatives for the healing portion of the dueling tournament—and most of the discussion was centered on Yuffie.

“It makes sense that Lady Erina was chosen, but why Yuffie…?”

“She’s a commoner, isn’t she? Even if the format changed, they could have chosen someone else.”

“That girl’s healing magic can barely heal a scratch in an hour, right? That’s not a dueling tournament, it’s a waste of time.”

Amidst the sharp whispers from the girls, Yuffie sat at her desk, her pen scratching across a piece of paper. With her back ramrod straight and an air of detachment, she looked like a bodhisattva who had renounced the world.

Suddenly, Erina popped over and asked, “Yuffie, what are you writing?”

When she peered at the paper in Yuffie’s hand, she saw a large headline that read: WANTED! Young, Motivated, and Strong Individuals! ~Long-Term Tuna Fishing Job in the Veil Strait~

“Yuffie, calm down! Don’t do anything rash!”

“Erina, please let go of me! I have to go get tuna!” Yuffie struggled, and Erina managed to pull her away from the paper.

“Oh, Yuffie, you can’t do that. You can’t go out on a fishing boat without me.”

“Ohh… I’m sorry, Erina. I lost my mind for a moment.”

Erina had never scolded her like this before.

Lyle, watching from the side, chuckled, covering his mouth with his hand. “Honestly, Yuffie, you’re something else. Most people would fake an illness or a family emergency, but you chose tuna fishing. I wonder what you ate to come up with that idea.”

“Just burdock root…” Yuffie muttered dejectedly, reflecting on her actions.

After being told she had to participate in the dueling tournament, she immediately started looking for ways to get out of it. Then, she remembered the job application forms she had grabbed from the school’s academic affairs office. She had originally kept them in case her allowance ran out, but she had decided that if she went tuna fishing for six months, she could avoid the tournament. Even though taking six months off from school would mean she would likely have to repeat the year, her desire to avoid the tournament was far stronger than her desire to avoid repeating the year.

“But this could be a chance for you, don’t you think?” Lyle posed, raising his index finger, voice light. “You know how people get serious when they’re pushed to the wall? Maybe participating in this tournament will be just the opportunity for your healing magic to awaken.”

“You…may be on to something there…” Yuffie’s face remained somber. It wasn’t just the healing magic that worried her; she couldn’t stand the thought of being the center of attention.

“It’s all right. Be confident in yourself,” Lyle insisted gently, taking her hand, his voice a murmur. “You have an amazing talent, you know. So I’m sure you can show your true potential with your healing magic as well.”

“Lyle…”

He really is a good person. With him being so positive, the situation no longer felt impossible, and she began to feel like she could actually do it.

GLARE! Feeling a piercing gaze, she quickly pulled her hand away from Lyle’s.

“What’s wrong, Yuffie?”

“N-nothing… I just felt a murderous stare…”

Lyle, who was perfect in every way—looks, status, and personality—was extremely popular with the girls in class. It was highly likely that many of them considered Yuffie an assassin-worthy target for being so friendly with him and, even worse, for him holding her hand.

“Wonderful, Yuffie! Let’s practice healing magic together after school!” Erina exclaimed, her face lighting up. She leaned in and took Yuffie’s hand, her voice sultry.

“Oh, no… I can’t…”

“Don’t be so reserved. I’ll teach you every step of the way…”

GLARE, GLARE, GLARE!

The murderous stares from the girls increased, sending a shiver down Yuffie’s spine.

“N-no, I’m fine!” she blurted out.

There were countless girls who would give up all their possessions to get a private healing magic lesson from Erina, who had an almost cult-like following herself. So the idea of Yuffie, a commoner with no redeeming qualities, asking Erina to teach her healing magic was beyond presumptuous. She wouldn’t even complain if someone stabbed her on the way back to her dorm.

Besides, I can’t let Erina waste her valuable time on someone like me.

The thought of making her spend time on something so utterly pointless was so embarrassing that it was almost unbearable.

“I-I want to see how much I can do on my own,” Yuffie muttered awkwardly.

Erina looked a little disappointed. “Hmm, all right. If you say so… But if you ever need help, feel free to ask! I’ll always be there to teach you.”

“Th-Thank you.”

Erina’s encouraging words gave Yuffie a glimmer of hope. Maybe Lyle was right, and this was a chance after all. It was true that people would put their all into something and unlock potential they never knew they had when they were pushed to the wall. This situation, where she would have to perform healing magic in front of a vast crowd, would force her to train harder than ever before.

I want to be a Saint.

For her life’s goal, being chosen for this tournament might just be a great opportunity, Yuffie thought.

💠🌸💠

“NO, no way! Let’s think about this rationally, it’s impossible!”

In the past, when she felt overwhelmed, she’d roll around on the floor, crash into the wall, and annoy her neighbors. That night, she restrained herself and rolled around on her bed instead. She squirmed on the soft mattress, clutching her head as if to tear out her hair. The cushion sank with a series of soft BOOFS, as if absorbing her screams. Even the distant sound of students laughing and chatting or the rustle of leaves in the wind felt like they belonged to another world entirely.

“Yuffie, what’s wrong?” Friend came over to her pillow to ask, as if concerned by his owner’s distress.

“Friend, what am I going to do?! I’m going to die! Maybe I should’ve just become a tuna fisherman instead!”

“You’re making even less sense than usual today,” he replied.

Crying, Yuffie told Friend everything that had happened that day.

Friend looked up at Yuffie with his large, amber eyes, twitching his ears for a moment before he spoke. “It’ll work out somehow. You can do it, Yuffie. You got this,” Friend replied nonchalantly, grooming himself. He was an imaginary friend brought to life, and his thoughts were identical to Yuffie’s. He didn’t offer any solutions to her problems, only constant validation. For Yuffie, who was desperate for affirmation, he was a kind of emotional stabilizer. But this time, his words were just a drop in the bucket.

“Ugh… It won’t work out… This is impossible…”

She imagined herself demonstrating her pathetic healing magic in front of a huge crowd. Just the thought of it made her want to fly away from the balcony. The more she thought about it, the more panic and dread spread like muddy water. Yuffie pulled the blanket over her head and curled up into a ball.

“Is there…anything I can do?”

There were only two weeks left until the May Festival. Since she couldn’t just skip the event, her only option was to improve her healing magic and make it at least a little more presentable.

“But how…how do I get better?”

It had been a month since she started school. She had studied the fundamentals of healing magic in class and worked hard at her training, but it still took so long to heal a minor scrape. It felt like she was running and running, but her feet were just spinning, and she wasn’t moving forward at all.

“Magical power and physical strength are directly connected.”

“Ah!”

In the midst of her frantic thoughts, Professor Sharon’s words from yesterday suddenly came back to her.

“The amount of mana a person can possess is determined at birth, but it has been observed that a slight increase in an individual’s supply is possible through increased muscle and physical strength. Increasing your physical strength also increases the power of your magic. In other words, running and strength training are important forms of training that open up new magical possibilities!”

“Okay!” Yuffie jumped to her feet.

Physical strength and magical power are proportional.

She saw a glimmer of hope in those words.

“I have to do this!”

Yuffie decided to build up her muscle and stamina, even if just a little, and went for a run. She quickly changed into her tracksuit and looked at herself in the mirror. It was a slightly awkward fit because of a conversation she had with the salesperson: “It’s a little big, isn’t it? Should I get you a smaller size?” to which she replied, “N-No… This is fine.”

I’m going to do everything I can before the May Festival…

She took a deep breath, staring at her reflection with determination to calm her nerves.

“I’m heading out, Friend.”

“Have fun!” he yelled as Yuffie ran out of her room.

💠🌸💠

THE Academy of Magic was an incredibly vast educational institution. Countless buildings were scattered across its immense grounds, with plazas, gardens, and training fields neatly arranged. The sheer size of the Academy was unparalleled, a result of constant expansion funded by generous donations from the students’ parents. Looking at the campus as a whole, it resembled a small city, and using magic to get around was highly encouraged. This spacious campus seemed like the perfect place to build stamina through running, but…

“Haaa…haaa…”

Yuffie’s knees buckled just a few minutes after she started running from her dorm. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps, her chest heaved, and sweat dripped from her forehead.

Just how out of shape am I?

She had a slight feeling during her physical fitness test that she lacked stamina, but this was far beyond what she had imagined. She wasn’t exactly athletic, but she used to walk a lot while living in the countryside, so she thought she at least had average endurance. However, she realized she had spent most of her time cooped up at home, so there were never any opportunities for her to build up her stamina. On top of that, she started to get lazy and use wind magic to get around, which had reduced her already nonexistent stamina to practically nothing.

“What… What am I going to do?” she fretted.

At this rate, there’s no way I’ll be able to build up my stamina by the May Festival.

That thought flashed through her mind. A wave of negativity washed over her, and she was about to give up and turn back to the dorm when Erina’s smiling face from earlier that day came to mind.

“Let’s work hard together, Yuffie!”

“She’s right…”

The word “together” lit a spark in Yuffie’s faltering heart. She had given up many times before, but those were situations where the consequences affected only herself. This time was different. If she failed, she would be letting Erina down.

I can’t let that happen!

Strength returned to her anemic-looking legs. She slowly stood up and planted both feet firmly on the ground. Erina was her friend—a friend who had always been so good to her. She couldn’t and wouldn’t cause any trouble for Erina. This conviction took deep root in her heart.

“I want to be useful too…”

Just as she steeled herself to push through the shaking in her legs and start running again, a sudden metallic scraping sound pierced her ears.

“Ah!” she gasped.

Startled, she leaped and quickly hid in the bushes. She peered through the leaves, but saw no one. Still, the metallic sound continued to ring out.

What could that be? she wondered.

Popping her head out from the bushes, Yuffie cautiously headed toward the source of the noise.

💠🌸💠

IN the schoolyard, a lone male student was bathed in moonlight.

“Jack?” Yuffie murmured, surprised.

“Hmph! Hnnnnngh!”

Half-naked, Jack was using his feet to lift a dumbbell with two plates, each weighing 110 pounds, on both sides. With every lift, sweat flew, and the muscles in his well-toned legs flexed and bulged. Several large workout machines were scattered around him, making the area look like a small outdoor gym.

“Next!”

After finishing his dumbbell lifts, he hung from a pull-up bar by his pinky fingers, repeatedly raising and lowering his body.

“Hah! Hah!”

An incredible amount of pressure must have been on his pinky fingers, but Jack continued the pinky-pull-ups in a steady rhythm, punctuating each with a grunt.

“All right, next!”

He quickly set up ten roof tiles and shattered them all with the same pinky fingers he had just used. The tiles broke with a loud crack, shattering into tiny pieces. His strength was so immense that it would make a veteran karate master run for cover. The sight of this incomprehensible training routine completely captivated Yuffie.

“All right, now for… Oh?” Jack was taking a moment to catch his breath in front of the shattered tiles when he noticed her. “Yuffie? What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry, Jack! I didn’t mean to spy on you!” Yuffie blurted out, sliding onto her knees and bowing deeply before Jack could even finish his sentence. “I don’t have any ulterior motives, honest. It was just a moment of weakness. I’ll give you all my money, just please don’t kill me…”

“The hell do you take me for, some kinda thug?” Jack retorted, scratching his head. “It’s not like you seeing me is gonna hurt me. Don’t worry about it.”

“R-Really?”

“Why would I lie about this?”

“Right, of course… Thank you.”

Jack let out a deep sigh, and Yuffie timidly stood up. Then came an awkward silence.

This is so uncomfortable!

Now that the tension had lifted, Yuffie completely froze. A different kind of sweat, not from running, started to bead on her skin. Jack also looked like he wasn’t sure what to say.

Yuffie realized this was the first time she had ever spoken to Jack alone. Her first impression of him was that he was a scary person, since he had initially approached her aggressively outside the student council room. But shortly after, she had to prove her ability to use offensive magic in a one-on-one duel with him. The result was Yuffie’s overwhelming victory. Since then, Jack had stopped behaving hostilely toward her. She wondered if he, a person who believed that hierarchy was determined by strength, thought of her as a superior being and not someone he could speak to casually. They were classmates and fellow student council members, yet they had never even had a casual conversation.

“Why are you wearing a tracksuit, Yuffie? What were you up to?” Jack asked, sensing her social anxiety.

“Oh, well… I guess you could say I was training my stamina for the tournament.”

“Oh!” Jack’s face lit up. “Training! Me too!” A sense of camaraderie formed, and the tense atmosphere between them began to relax. “Training my muscles is important for increasing the output of my offensive magic. So I decided to do the same training at night that I do in the morning.”

“Y-You do this kind of training in the morning and at night?!”

“It’s nothing special,” Jack responded, chuckling. Yuffie shuddered as she looked at the workout equipment casually strewn behind him. She knew that with just one of those dumbbells, she would probably give up after lifting a quarter of a pound.

“What kind of training were you doing, Yuffie?”

“…I was running.”

“Running is a fundamental and essential part of training! You have to run at least eighteen miles to build up your lung capacity!”

I can’t tell him I got tired after only 100 yards… Yuffie’s mind was in turmoil as Jack nodded in agreement.

After making sure no one was around, Jack continued, “With attack magic that powerful, all you need to do is train hard and practice a little healing magic, and you’ll be the top dog in no time.”

“Gah!” Yuffie winced and sank to her knees as Jack’s words felt like sharp daggers piercing her heart.

“What’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing…”

Since there was a clear divide between boys using offensive magic and girls using healing magic, they didn’t really know how skilled their peers were. Of course, they knew Erina was an incredibly talented healer, but they didn’t really know the level of the other girls’ healing magic. Yuffie knew that her own ineptitude at healing magic might have come up in conversation, but no one probably thought it was so severe that she hadn’t improved even after years of training.

“Even so, Jack, you’re really dedicated…” Yuffie murmured, trying to change the subject, but her words fell flat.

However, her comment seemed to strike a chord with Jack.

“Yeah. I have to beat Hans this year, no matter what.”

He clenched his fists, his eyes burning with a fierce and firm resolve. It was clear to Yuffie that Jack was incredibly determined to get his rematch against the older boy.

“That’s it!” Jack yelled, hitting his hand as if a great idea had just come to him. “I have a favor to ask!” He bowed his head and raised his voice. “Please teach me attack magic!”

“Huh…?” Yuffie was taken aback at first, but it quickly registered. “Wh-Whaaaat?!”

Yuffie’s surprised shriek echoed across the school grounds.

💠🌸💠

ON a vast plain, far from the Academy of Magic.

“Wow, wind magic is awesome. I can’t believe you can use it like this,” Jack expressed, a little excited, as he landed on the ground after using Soaring Gale to fly through the air. Despite it being night and them being the only ones out, they had decided to move to a deserted area so that Yuffie could use her magic without any problems.

Oh no, what do I do…? I just went along with it and agreed…

Even after changing locations, Yuffie’s confusion remained. Earlier in the schoolyard, Jack had begged her to teach him offensive magic.

“W-Wait, for someone like me to teach you… I couldn’t possibly…”

The thought of teaching the son of the Minister of War anything was simply too daunting. She tried to refuse, but Jack was relentless.

“Please! You can use attack magic that’s so much stronger than mine! This is definitely the fastest way for me to level up mine!”

“But…”

“I’ll do anything I can to thank you! How about a lifetime supply of chicken breasts?”

“Oh?! W-Well, that is a little tempting, but…”

As someone who was always short on money, the idea of adding chicken breast to her usual diet of burdock root was enough to make her mouth water.

“I’ll throw in broccoli too! Please! I’m begging you!”

“…Okay.”

Yuffie was weak to pressure. In exchange for a lifetime supply of chicken breast and broccoli, she (more or less) ended up agreeing to teach Jack offensive magic.

Ugh… Can I even handle being a teacher? She wasn’t even good at talking to people, so she had no confidence in her ability to teach someone. I’ll just try to act the part…

Jack ignored her lack of enthusiasm because his was more than enough for both of them. He grabbed her hand with the drive of a tiger who had just captured his prey.

“I’m counting on you, Master!”

“Wha—?!”

Master… He called me Master. Master!

The word echoed in her head. It was a word that had never been—and never would be—directed at her. The symbolic word, used to express admiration for someone, rang through Yuffie’s heart like a bell.

“You can count on me!” Yuffie blurted out.

Yuffie was so easily swayed. She puffed out her chest, gave it a proud pat, and acted like how she thought a real master would.

“Sweet! So, what should I do first?”

Yuffie placed a hand on her chin and mumbled, “Let’s see…” Since she was being paid with chicken breast and broccoli, Yuffie needed to make sure Jack actually got some results. After mulling it over for a bit, she posed, “First, why don’t you cast a few spells into the sky until you can’t stand up anymore?”

“Got it!”

Yuffie’s first suggestion was surprisingly demanding, but Jack took to it without a single complaint.

“Inferno!” he shouted.

He raised both hands to the sky, and from his palms, a torrent of crimson flames erupted and turned into a series of fireballs. Ten shot out in an instant. It was the same classic fire spell she had seen him use at the training grounds.

“Whoa!”

The flames shimmered in the air, spreading out like fireworks against the night sky.

“Wow…” Yuffie couldn’t help but gasp at the beautiful sight.

“I’m not close to being done! Blazing Blade!”

Jack shouted the name of his next spell, and flames once again burst from his hands. This time, a giant blade made of fire appeared above his head. The edges of the burning red blade glowed like a physical object.

“Take that!” He raised both hands, and the fiery blade gained even more momentum. It shot straight up into the sky like a giant sword. The blade carved a path as if it were slicing through the moon in the night sky. The blazing blade remained in the night sky, shimmering like a flash of light.

“Woooow…”

The fiery blade flashed one more time in the air. The trail of flames it left in the night sky showcased Jack’s skill. After casting a series of high-powered fire spells, his expression, initially oozing confidence, began to falter. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his breathing became shallow. But he didn’t stop.

“This is the last one! Roaring Flame Beast!”

He bellowed, the loudest he’d been all night. A red-hot flame began to surge. In an instant, it transformed into a huge, beast-shaped entity of pure fire. This was the same ultimate spell Jack had used during their duel.

“Waaaaah!”

Red and orange flames swirled together, and the scorching heat made the air ripple. The beast roared fiercely, its fiery fangs and claws bared, and it ascended into the night sky with a ferocious wildness.

“Haa…haa…”

Beads of sweat streamed down Jack’s face. His breathing was labored, and he could no longer hide his fatigue. Finally, he fell to his knees.

“This is my limit… Any more than this…and the backlash will take me out…” he wheezed, sprawled on the ground. Exhaustion and triumph were on his face, but there was also a hint of frustration. Like he wanted to say, “I can’t beat Hans like this.”

“G-Good job! Gosh, that was incredible casting! Here, have a warm towel.”

With an awkward smile, Yuffie approached Jack with a towel she had created using water magic on her handkerchief, inspired by the magic Lyle had used earlier that day. He took it from her with a wry smile.

“Coming from you, that sounds a little sarcastic.”

“Oh, no, no, no! I didn’t mean it that way!”

Even though she was capable of using extraordinary offensive magic, Yuffie understood the typical power level of her male peers now that she was in the Academy. So, she was genuinely impressed by Jack’s ability to use such powerful fire magic at his age.

“I know,” Jack replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead and letting out a soft laugh. He seemed to understand she wasn’t being malicious.

“S-Speaking of which, I think you just cast a lot more spells than you could before, right?” Yuffie asked, a sudden thought occurring to her. When they fought at the training grounds, Jack had reached his limit after casting five Infernos and then Roaring Flame Beast. But tonight, he had cast ten Infernos and even used Blazing Blade.

“Yeah, I leveled up a bit,” Jack answered, scratching his cheek. “It’s embarrassing to admit this, but…you kicking my ass six ways to Sunday lit a fire inside me. No pun intended. I’ve been upping my training a lot lately.”

“O-Oh, really? Heh…”

“That makes you happy, huh?”

“No, no! Not at all!”

Yuffie shook her head wildly, thinking it would be presumptuous of her to be happy that she was the reason Jack leveled up.

But still… He increased his training, which resulted in a tangible improvement to his magic. Perhaps if she worked hard, she could also level up her healing magic. Yuffie clenched her fists in front of her chest.

“All right! I’m all good now!” Jack exclaimed, standing up and turning to face Yuffie. “What next?”

“Oh, then, just like before, cast fire magic into the sky until you collapse.” When Yuffie said this so casually, Jack’s eyes widened. “Huh? Did I say something weird?”

“Uh, no… Guess that works…”

Despite his puzzled expression, he once again raised his hands to the sky and began to repeatedly cast fire magic until he collapsed, only to rest and do it all over again.

💠🌸💠

FAR from the Kingdom of Elvador, the Demon King’s castle stood tall in a barren wasteland. Its very appearance was a manifestation of a nightmare, instilling fear and anxiety in all who beheld it. The castle walls were black, with countless jagged spikes jutting out at odd angles. A murky fog constantly swirled around the castle, and a cold wind howled, creating an eerie sound. The sky was an eternal gray, so cloudy it seemed to have forgotten the sun’s light. Occasionally, lightning would rip through the darkness, making the castle look even more terrifying.

In the deepest part of this castle lay the Demon King’s chamber. When the enormous doors opened, a vast hall filled with cold, damp air was revealed. The walls were etched with geometric patterns and ancient runes, and the floor was paved with cracked black obsidian. In the center, a huge silhouette was dimly visible on the massive throne. This was the master of the castle and the supreme ruler of all demons—the Demon King himself. His figure was shrouded in darkness, making his true form indiscernible. Yet, his presence alone created a bone-chilling aura of intimidation.

“You failed?” the deep, low voice echoed throughout the hall. It was filled with such coldness that the already frigid air instantly froze. The terrifying, dark aura surrounding the Demon King intensified.

“Yes, my lord,” replied Zax, one of the Seven Pillars, kneeling before the throne. He had a muscular physique, sharp, glowing eyes, and pale skin. A pair of enormous black wings spread out from his back. “We planned to use human traitors to kill the powerful mages at the Academy of Magic, but a girl named Yuffie led us to fail.”

“A girl?”

“She wields powerful offensive magic.”

“How?” The Demon King’s question was laced with disbelief at the report.

“I don’t know. I will investigate at once,” Zax’s voice was calm, but a slight tremor was mixed in.

The eyes in the black silhouette narrowed, and his form shifted slightly.

“That won’t be necessary,” the Demon King replied.

He slowly raised his right arm. Instantly, a mist arose from a corner of the hall, and a figure appeared out of nowhere. Lumea, another one of the Seven Pillars, was both beautiful and terrifying. Her long, silver hair flowed down her back, and her purple eyes glowed menacingly. A thin, black robe covered her snow-white skin, giving her the appearance of a human, but the wings on her back showed that she was a demon.

“You called for me, my lord?” she intoned in a voice as quiet and cold as the wind on a dark night.

The Demon King nodded slowly, his silhouette shifting slightly. “Assist Zax,” he replied, letting the words hang in the air for a moment for emphasis.

“As you wish,” Lumea answered, bowing her head deeply.

After leaving the Demon King’s chamber, Zax relayed to Lumea as they walked, “Yuffie Abisus is an anomaly. A girl who can use powerful offensive magic.” He looked troubled. “I’m already investigating, but I can’t find a reason for her peculiarity at all. Her presence is so faint, like a shadow, it makes you wonder where she’s been all this time.”

Lumea let out a small laugh. “Zax, didn’t the Demon King say that an investigation isn’t necessary?”

Her face twisted into a smirk, and her eyes filled with murderous intent, but Zax warned her. “Be careful. She isn’t normal.”

“You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll carry out the Demon King’s orders in my own way.” With that final exchange, the two vanished into the darkness.

💠🌸💠

THE day after training all night with Jack, he led Yuffie to a massive facility on the outskirts of the Academy. It was a vast indoor space with a high, open ceiling, and its sheer size was impossible to take in at a glance. Countless running tracks crisscrossed the floor, and a variety of workout equipment was neatly lined up along the edges. The facility was so well-equipped, with everything from training dummies for various weapons to magical combat, that Yuffie was completely overwhelmed.

“This is a military training facility for the Kingdom. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid,” Jack explained, his hand resting on a huge bench press with a hint of nostalgia.

If she squinted, she could see scorched marks in various places on the training ground, suggesting that he had been diligently practicing his fire magic there for a long time.

“If you lock the door from the inside, nobody can get in. It’s the perfect place for secret training, right?” he added, grinning.

Yuffie’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe a student like him had this vast training ground all to himself.

That’s right, Jack is the son of the Minister of War!

“All right, let’s hop to it! What’s in store for today’s special training?!” He radiated excitement from the center of the arena.

“O-Okay! Well, just like yesterday, please cast magic until you’ve completely run out of mana.”

Jack’s hand slipped, making him lose balance and nearly fall off the bench press.

“Wh-What’s wrong? Did I say something weird?” Yuffie asked, sensing the sudden shift in the atmosphere.

He scratched his head, looking hesitant. “It’s not that I mind casting spells, but…aren’t you gonna teach me any tips or tricks?”

“Tips?” Yuffie tilted her head, confused.

Jack gestured with his hands. “Yeah, like what you focus on when you’re casting, how you use your body, or how you visualize the magic.”

All they had done was cast fire spells until Jack ran out of mana, rested, and then cast more. It was a monotonous routine, and he was starting to have doubts about whether it was actually improving his magical abilities.

“Well…” Yuffie frowned and thought hard. She couldn’t recall doing anything special from the day she first cast offensive magic to now. Whenever she vaguely imagined what kind of magic she wanted to cast, it just appeared. “I’m sorry, I don’t know,” she uttered, shaking her head.

Jack let out a dry laugh. “Okay, yeah, that makes sense. There’s something different enough about you that you, a girl, can use offensive magic. It was stupid of me to expect anything normal when it comes to you.”

“Hrng… I’m sorry… I’m useless…”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. If all you needed were a few tricks to get better at magic, we wouldn’t need a school like this in the first place.”

“The only thing I ever did was…practice magic every day until I collapsed for about nine years…”

“Until you collapsed?” Jack looked like he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.

“Th-That’s right. Well, not all day, of course. I’d do it until dinner time, and then again from after dinner until the new day started…”

“Every single day for nine years?”

“W-Well, I spent less time on attack magic when I started practicing healing magic, but…”

Jack was stunned speechless by her quick answer, and then he covered his mouth. “Heh heh… Hahaha!” He burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.

“D-Did I say something funny?!” Yuffie yelped incredulously.

“Why do you look so happy?”

“Oh, sorry! I got carried away! Please forgive me!”

“’s fine. I just… Honestly, I thought you were the type to lie around on a sofa, slacking off ’cause of your talent. But you’re actually an incredibly hard worker, huh?”

“A hard worker…” Yuffie repeated, her voice a murmur.

Jack wasn’t done. “Training in magic is tedious as hell. The more you practice, the more powerful your magic becomes, but if you skip your daily training, your skills will get rusty. It’s like building muscle.”

He patted his bicep fondly, like he was saying, “You’re such a handful.”

“The only way to use magic that goes beyond your natural talent is through hard, diligent work. But people usually hate putting in that kind of effort. Honestly, there are plenty of times when I think it’s a pain. But,” he looked straight at Yuffie, “you didn’t just have talent; you put in an immense amount of effort. I respect that.”

R-Respect?!

Respect: To admire someone’s character or actions, to look up to them, and to want to follow their lead. From the Elvadorpedia Dictionary.

“I-It’s really nothing!” Yuffie replied, her lips curling into a goofy smile and her body wiggling.

“You know you’re grinning from ear to ear, right?”

“I’m sorry! I got carried away! I’m sorry for my weird happy dance! Please forgive me, please!”

“No offense, but you need help, girl. You’re all over the place.”

Yuffie’s self-esteem was practically nonexistent. She just didn’t know how to react to this experience of having someone acknowledge her efforts. Back then, all she was focused on was becoming a Saint and getting rid of her loneliness, desperate to achieve that goal. She was so consumed with changing her current situation that she never once felt like she was working hard. But just as Jack said, what she had done was, to others, a monumental effort.

“I’m really glad I asked for your help, Yuffie. You reminded me of the most important thing,” Jack admitted, his expression clearing as he raised a fist to the sky. “The quickest way is to give up on the easy route early on and do the hard, dirty work! That’s the real shortcut!”

“Y-Yes, that’s it! That’s exactly right!” Yuffie agreed.

Yuffie had never intended for this to happen from the start, but she decided to fully embrace the situation.

“All right! I’m going to cast spells until I drop again! Whooo!” Jack shouted excitedly as he began to unleash a barrage of fire spells into the open sky.

Seeing him so happy and energetic now, brought a smile to Yuffie’s face. He seems to have come to terms with it somehow… That’s good… Wait!

“This isn’t good for me! I have to practice my healing magic too!” she exclaimed.

She had somehow ended up helping Jack with his offensive magic training. However, Yuffie herself had done next to nothing to improve her healing magic. The only thing she had done was run a few hundred yards and get exhausted.

“Oh, perfect,” Jack gasped, collapsing to the ground after using up all his magic. “As you can see, I’m completely spent. Just hit me with some quick healing magic.” Lying on his back, he pointed to his body.

“O-Okay… Excuse me…” Yuffie knelt beside him and held her palms out. She took a deep breath, and as she whispered, “I invoke the power of healing,” a faint light glowed in her hands. She concentrated, putting all of her energy into the recovery spell.

“Why don’t I feel like I’m healing at all?” Jack questioned.

“I’m sorry, this is all I can do!” Yuffie cried, tears already streaming down her face.

“Your healing magic is really that bad?”

“D-Didn’t you know? I thought everybody knew how much it stinks.”

“I don’t pay attention to things I’m not interested in.”

“O-Oh, I see.” Apparently, he hadn’t heard her conversation with their teacher yesterday. “Well, now you know why I’m dead last in healing magic in our grade, so…I have to build up my physical strength to increase its power.”

“Man, your body really must be weird, considering your attack magic is on another level.”

“Ugh… I wish it were the other way around…” Yuffie muttered, her frustration making her forget to be polite. “Which is why I have to go running now. In the meantime, you just keep casting spells! I’ll be back in about an hour.”

“Hold on,” Jack said, grabbing Yuffie’s shoulder as she turned to leave. “What are you gonna do to build up your stamina?”

“W-Well, run, for starters.”

“That’s not very efficient,” he told her.

“It’s not?” Yuffie blinked, surprised by Jack’s matter-of-fact tone.

“There are different types of physical strength. Endurance is important, sure, but to cast high-powered spells, you need explosive muscle strength and power first.”

“Explosive strength…?”

“Yup. You need to do strength training, but also sprint and get your heart rate way up, then let it calm down a bit before building it up again. That’s the kind of training your body needs.”

“I-I see!” Yuffie took out a notebook and started scribbling notes furiously.

“Want me to make a training plan for you?” he offered.

“What?!” Yuffie was so shocked that she dropped her pen. “I couldn’t possibly. I’m already getting chicken breast and broccoli…”

“No biggie. I’ve designed countless training programs before.” Jack flexed his arms to show off his muscles. His toned arms added a layer of credibility to his words.

To refuse him now would be rejecting his kindness. Also, she realized she was a complete amateur when it came to stamina training. It was obvious that it would be better to rely on an expert like Jack than to create a random training plan herself.

“Th-Then… I’m sorry to trouble you, but I’d appreciate it if you could…” she uttered, bowing her head.

Jack gave her a wide grin. “Leave it to me! I’ll whip you into shape in no time!”

And that was how he started helping Yuffie with her endurance training.

💠🌸💠

WHY did I agree to this?! I am such an idiot!

Yuffie regretted agreeing to Jack’s supervision of her physical training in a second.

“What, giving up already?! That’s way too fast!” Jack yelled, his voice like a drill sergeant’s.

From the moment her dash training started, Yuffie’s spirit was already on the verge of breaking. She had to repeatedly sprint and touch a marker on the floor, then sprint to the next one.

“More! Go faster! This will train your explosive power and agility!”

“Haaa…haaa…haaa…”

Yuffie ran with all her might, touching each marker on the floor one by one. The markers were arranged randomly, so she had to run around frantically to find the next one. Naturally, Yuffie’s stamina hit rock bottom in an instant. Her heart pounded so fast that it felt like it would explode, and her breathing became ragged.

THUD! She stumbled and fell, but Jack didn’t let up.

“Don’t stop! Get up!”

“Y-Yes, sir!” Driven by his voice, Yuffie continued to push her legs forward. “Haaa…haaa…”

I’m going to… I’m going to die!

As she lay on the ground, face pale, Jack added insult to injury with her next task.

“All right, next is plank jumps!”

“P-Plank jumps?”

“Do what I do! Now, go!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Without a moment to rest, she started on the so-called plank jumps. Following Jack’s instructions, Yuffie placed both hands on the ground in a plank position. Then she jumped with both feet together, pulled her knees to her chest, and returned to the original position.

“M-My abs and back…are screaming!”

“’Course, they are! No pain, no gain! Now keep going!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Even though she could feel the muscles she never used crying out, Yuffie desperately continued the plank jumps.

“All right, that’s enough!”

At Jack’s signal, Yuffie collapsed on the spot.

“Haaa…haaa… I can’t do it anymore…” she breathed, gasping for air while lying on her back. Her whole body was burning, and she felt a searing pain in her joints as if they were being ripped apart.

“You can still talk, so you haven’t reached your limit, huh?” Jack’s sadistic grin made her shudder. “The last drill is shuttle runs! Let’s go all out!”

“Noooooo!”

Shuttle runs were a simple exercise where she had to sprint a set distance, turn around, and sprint back. It was a monotonous workout, but doing it after being completely worn out from dashing and plank jumps was physically and mentally grueling.

“Come on! You’ve only done ten rounds! The goal is a hundred! Show me what you’ve got!”

“Haaa…haaa…”

With her eyes almost rolling back into her head, Yuffie desperately pumped her legs.

💠🌸💠

“ALL right, we’re done!”

At Jack’s signal, the shuttle run was over. Yuffie instantly collapsed. Her whole body felt as heavy as lead, her breath was ragged, and her heart felt like it was about to explode. Yuffie’s vision was blurry, and a dull ringing echoed in her head. Jack knelt beside her.

“Hey, you okay? Still alive?”

“I…I can see…”

“Huh?” Jack frowned at Yuffie’s seemingly peaceful expression.

“I can see my dead grandma… W-Wait for me… I’ll cross the river to you soon…”

“Whoa, whoa, don’t you dare!” He frantically lifted her and gave her a few quick slaps.

“Wh-What was I doing?! Where’s Grandma?!”

“You’re back.” Jack let out a sigh of relief when he saw life return to Yuffie’s eyes. “Man, you weren’t kidding about your stamina. You’re in desperate straits.”

“I have nothing to say in my defense,” Yuffie whispered sadly.

“You don’t need to apologize,” Jack said. “I didn’t realize you were so out of shape, and I pushed you too hard. So I’m the one who’s sorry.”

“N-No!” Yuffie shook her head wildly at Jack’s apologetic tone. “You created a training plan and supervised me… I’m so grateful.”

Jack looked at Yuffie with a strange expression, as if he were seeing a rare animal. “Being happy despite being pushed so hard you almost died… You know that makes you a masochist, right?”

“A maso-kist? What’s that?” Yuffie tilted her head.

Jack froze for a moment, his face showing his bewilderment. After thinking about how to explain, he explained awkwardly, “Uhhh… Well…someone who’s strong in the face of adversity, I guess?”

“Oh, I see! Thank you! I learned something new! I need to write that down.” Yuffie took out her notebook and did just that, her expression earnest. Jack couldn’t hold back his laughter.

“Wh-What’s wrong? Did I say something weird?”

“No, sorry. I just… You really are so weird,” he replied, chuckling.

Yuffie hadn’t meant to be funny, but Jack seemed to find her amusing. She laughed awkwardly along with him. “Heh…heh.”

“All right, you can go home now.”

“But…”

“You’re at your limit, right?”

“I-I-I suppose so…”

Her body definitely was. Her legs trembled like a puppet with its strings cut, and she could barely stand.

“Get plenty of protein tonight and rest up.”

“Protein…” Yuffie tilted her head, confused by the word she didn’t hear often. “Does burdock root have a lot of protein?”

“Ah…” Jack looked like he had just remembered something. The memory of Yuffie eating burdock root by herself during lunch with the student council members came to mind. “Right… Riiight, right, right… All you’ve been eating is burdock root ’cause you’re trying to save money.”

“Um, Jack?” She had a feeling he was seriously misunderstanding her.

“Wait here,” Jack told her with a serious expression before leaving.

What is it?

She stayed put like he told her to, and soon he returned with a large box in his hands.

“Wh-What’s this?!” Yuffie’s eyes widened as she stared at the contents of the box. It was packed with neatly packaged, nutritious food.

“Boiled chicken breast, dried meat, broccoli… A protein all-star lineup,” he answered.

“This is amazing… And so much!”

Even though she usually just ate burdock root, Yuffie wasn’t completely indifferent to food. She loved delicious food and had wanted to eat something other than burdock root. Seeing the array of animal protein in the box, Yuffie couldn’t help but drool.

C-Can I eat all this?

Jack seemed to notice her concern and looked at her with a gentle expression. “Your diet has been pretty sad, huh? So take this chance to stuff your face.”

“O-Oh…” Yuffie was worried about whether she could finish everything, but it seemed Jack had a different concern in mind. Regardless, she was grateful. She decided to accept his kindness.

“From now on, after physical training, you have to eat protein. It will help repair your muscles and make them stronger. A post-workout meal is particularly important,” he instructed.

“Okay! I understand!”

“I also wrote out a meal plan on this paper. You can use it as a reference.”

“You’re so prepared!” Yuffie exclaimed in surprise. Her heart was filled with gratitude for Jack’s thoughtful consideration.

When I first met him, I thought he was scary and unapproachable… But now, she realized he was surprisingly kind and caring, despite his gruff exterior.

“Thank you so much for everything,” Yuffie exclaimed, bowing her head deeply.

“I’m the one who’s making you help me with my attack magic. This is nothing,” he replied.

“You’re so nice, Jack.”

He quickly looked away, rubbing the area under his nose. “Why would I be mean to someone who’s working hard? That’s all there is to it,” he grumbled.

💠🌸💠

“I-I ate everything…”

That night, in her dorm room, Yuffie stared at her empty plate in disbelief. In addition to her usual burdock root, she had completely devoured the boiled chicken breast, jerky, and broccoli Jack had given her. She still had some food left, but she had eaten a tremendous amount compared to her usual portion. The food seemed to get absorbed into her body, as if to replenish the calories she had lost during her training.

“That training was insane…”

She now fully understood just how grueling Jack’s training plan was. It had been a long time since she had felt this exhausted.

“Yuffie, the jerky was delicious, thank you,” Friend said, jumping onto her desk and nuzzling her. His large amber eyes shone with kindness.

“Hehe, I’m glad,” she replied.

“You worked so hard today,” he emphasized, as if to console her.

“Ugh… I thought I was going to die…”

As if to prove her words, the fatigue from her training still clung to her body. Her thighs and calves felt numb, and her entire body was still warm. Friend jumped onto her lap and meowed.

“You really did your best today! Be proud of yourself, Yuffie!”

“Thank you, Friend.”

After a hard day, nothing was better than getting a full dose of praise from Friend. As she stroked his soft fur, Yuffie felt her fatigue slowly dissipate.

“You worked so hard today, so your healing magic must be a little stronger, right?” he suddenly asked.

“Ah, you’re right!”

Yuffie immediately went to the kitchen, took out a knife, and carefully cut her finger in the same spot, with the same length and depth as always. She needed to make sure the wound was exactly the same; otherwise, the healing time would vary. This required the skill of a seasoned craftsman, but after years of cutting her finger, it was a piece of cake for Yuffie.

After confirming that blood was oozing out, she turned on the “timer,” a magical tool she had bought at the academy store that measured time precisely. At the same time, she began casting her healing magic, whispering, “Power of healing…” A warm light seeped from her fingertips, gently touching the wound. Yuffie concentrated and continued casting the spell. Ten minutes passed, then thirty, and then…

“It’s healed!”

She slammed her hand down on the timer as if she were in a lightning-fast quiz show. The display read “59 minutes and 50 seconds.”

“It’s ten seconds faster!” Yuffie let out a cry of joy. Her heart pounded, and a smile spread across her face. “I did it! I did it! Finally! I finally did it!”

She jumped up and down, dancing in celebration. Her eyes, which were usually lifeless, now shone with the joy of her efforts paying off. Friend, who had gotten bored after about thirty seconds of her casting the healing magic, twitched his tail once, as if to say, “That’s good news.”

“All I was missing was stamina!”

It was only ten seconds, but for Yuffie, who had never seen any progress with her healing magic in her entire life, this was a huge achievement.

“Ten seconds faster with that training…which means…” Yuffie’s eyes lit up as she began to calculate. “I can shave off 60 seconds in six days, and if I keep this up for 365 days, I’ll save 3,650 seconds?!”

This equated to about one hour. Currently, it took Yuffie an hour to heal a small cut.

“So, if I keep up that training for a year, I’ll be able to heal wounds instantly?!”

It was a ridiculous calculation, like thinking you could lose 100 pounds in 100 days by losing a pound every day. But Yuffie was so happy to see a tangible result in her healing magic that she believed it was true.

“If I gain…even more stamina…”

Her healing magic was sure to become more powerful. A light had finally appeared in the darkness she couldn’t escape from, no matter how hard she tried. The exhaustion she had felt just moments ago was now completely gone.

“I’ll do my best again tomorrow!” Yuffie vowed with a newfound sense of purpose. She believed a glorious future awaited her beyond this hardship. She resolved to do whatever it took to become the best Saint.

💠🌸💠

IN a daze, Yuffie heard a thunderous cheer.

“And now, we begin the healing magic ceremony for the May Festival Demonstration!”

The huge hall was filled with an audience, their cheers filling every corner. The magnificent chandeliers glittered, and the lavish decorations made the hall as beautiful as a dream.

“Now, representing Class 1-1, Yuffie Abisus!”

She stepped onto the stage wearing a pure white robe that looked like a celestial maiden’s feathered garment. When the light hit, it shone with all the colors of the rainbow, enchanting the audience. Yuffie’s hair fluttered gently in the breeze, and her eyes sparkled like stars. She looked like a real Saint, her beauty taking everyone’s breath away.

“Yuffie, please offer the blessing of healing to the suffering and wounded,” the emcee announced with a flourish.

She nodded slowly. In the center of the stage were people who were injured or ill. From children to adults, they all looked worried. Their faces showed their pain and angst, and their eyes, devoid of hope, were fixed on her. Yuffie smiled gently and spread her hands.

“I invoke the power of healing.”

At that moment, a soft light radiated from her hands. It enveloped the people. First, the pain on a child’s face softened, and she beamed. Next, a soldier’s leg wound healed instantly, and he was able to stand and walk again. An old man’s coughing stopped, and he could breathe easily. A woman who had lost her hand grew a new one. The people were, in every sense of the word, healed by the Saint’s miracle. Applause and cheers erupted from the audience, echoing throughout the hall. Tears streamed down their faces, filled with emotion and respect.

“Thank you… Thank you…” the healed proclaimed, one after another.

Yuffie continued to smile, emitting an even more powerful light.

“The winner is Yuffie Abisus!” the emcee’s voice boomed.

The hall erupted in an enormous roar of applause, and the audience members all looked pleased. Yuffie had shown them an overwhelming display of healing magic, so it was only natural that she would win.

“Yuffie Abisus! Yuffie Abisus!”

“You’re amazing! Marry me!”

Receiving a huge ovation, Yuffie raised her hand and smiled proudly.

“Congratulations!” The emcee extended his hand for a handshake.

When Yuffie shook his hand, the emcee smiled, looking honored. “With your innate talent and tireless efforts, you have reached the pinnacle of healing magic. Your achievement is great, and you deserve a grand prize.”

“A prize? No, thank you,” Yuffie replied, shaking her head humbly. “I just did what had to be done. The smiles of the people I saved are my greatest prize. Please give the prize you were going to give me to those who are less fortunate.”

At that moment, the corners of the emcee’s mouth twisted into a smirk.

“I can’t do that.”

“Huh?”

The atmosphere instantly changed. A chilling tension filled the hall. The cheers from a moment ago were gone, as was the audience itself. Yuffie’s celestial robe had disappeared and was replaced by her school uniform.

“You are going to accept this prize, no matter what.”

The emcee snapped his fingers, and smoke billowed up from the audience seat. At that moment, the emcee’s face, which had been that of a generic character, transformed into a familiar one.

“J-Jack?!”

The emcee, now Jack, loudly shouted, “Your prize is ten thousand years’ worth of chicken and broccoli!”

When the smoke from the audience seats cleared, they were tightly packed with chicken breast and broccoli!

“Eat a lot and get strong!” Jack yelled.

At his command, the chicken and broccoli filling the hall began to move, as if each piece had a will of its own. They all surged toward Yuffie, who stood in a daze in the center of the stage!

“Ahhhhhhh!” Yuffie screamed as she was overwhelmed by the flood of chicken breast and broccoli.

Jack’s cackling laughter echoed throughout the hall.

Her consciousness faded away.

“Ugh…the chicken breast…the broccoli…”

SLAP!

“Ouch?!”

Yuffie leaped up at the sudden jolt. A sharp pain shot through her head, and she looked around.

“Wh-Where’s the chicken breast?! And the broccoli?!”

As she frantically looked around, she saw that she was not in a grand hall, but in her usual classroom. In a daze, Yuffie let out a sigh of relief.

“It was a dream…thank goodness…”

Her bizarre mutterings drew the attention of her classmates, but to her, it was more important that a flood of protein hadn’t crushed her.

“You were evidently having a very unique dream.”

“Huh?!”

A low, menacing voice made her ears tremble, and Yuffie immediately stood up. Her chair scraped loudly against the floor, but it was drowned out by the creaking sound coming from her thighs.

“O-Oh, ouch…”

M-My muscles…they’re so sore!

Her thighs were stiff, so she could barely turn around. Standing behind her was Professor Sharon. Though she smiled, the expression didn’t reach her eyes, devoid of light.

“Ack…”

Her breath caught in her throat, and the blood drained from her face. In the face of Sharon’s angry aura, Yuffie trembled like a small animal caught by a bird of prey.

“You have gumption for sleeping in my class, Yuffie Abisus!”

“Eek! I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!”

“If apologies were enough, we wouldn’t need laws! Your punishment is one hundred laps around the schoolyard! Go now!”

“O-One hundred laps?!”

If I run with this muscle soreness, I’ll die!

Her leg muscles had hardened like plaster from the daily training. Now, just walking sent a searing pain through her legs.

“No, please! Anything but that!” she begged.

Sharon grabbed Yuffie by the collar and growled in a low voice, “I was going to whip you, but I’m doing you a favor by changing your punishment to a run. Isn’t this a fantastic deal?”

“…I think I’d prefer a whipping.” It would be less painful than running.

“Don’t be ridiculous and get going!”

“Y-Yes, ma’am!”

And so, Yuffie was forced to run around the schoolyard, dragging herself on her sore legs.

💠🌸💠

BY the time Yuffie finished her hundred laps around the schoolyard, it was already after school.

“Mmm…ugh…the chicken breast…the broccoli…”

“Yuffie, are you okay?! You don’t look okay! I’ll heal you right away!”

Under the shade of a tree in a corner of the schoolyard, Erina was using her lap as a pillow for Yuffie, who was mumbling in her sleep. Her powerful healing magic caused Yuffie’s stamina bar to shoot up instantly. The muscle pain in her legs also went away, and Yuffie’s eyes popped open.

“Huh?! What am I doing?!”

“Thank goodness!” Erina hugged the now-sitting Yuffie. “Yuffie, you collapsed as soon as you finished running, so I rushed over and carried you here to cast a healing spell on you.”

“Oh! Oh, I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry for causing you so much trouble!” Yuffie apologized profusely.

“Don’t worry about it,” Erina asserted, then her expression turned serious. “More importantly, what’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“Lately, you’ve been sleeping during every break, and you’ve been dragging your feet. Something’s definitely going on, isn’t it?”

“Well…” Yuffie looked away, hesitant to speak. She had been training with Jack to improve her stamina as he worked on his offensive magic. There was nothing wrong with that, but she had once turned down Erina’s offer to practice healing magic together. She felt guilty.

“You okay, Yuffie?”

“Jack!” Yuffie exclaimed when she saw him. The dream she just had flashed through her mind. “I-I can’t accept ten thousand years’ worth of chicken breast!”

“What are you talking about?” Jack shot back, looking puzzled.

“Do you know what happened to her?” Erina demanded from him.

“I have an idea,” mumbled Jack, scratching his head. “It’s ’cause I’ve been making her train every day.”

“Making her train?”

“We exercised pretty intensely yesterday, so she’s probably exhausted.”

“Intense…exercise?”

“Jeez, Erina, you’re so far off base. Also, a Saint should never make that kind of face.”

Jack realized she was getting the wrong idea, so he explained that Yuffie had been helping him practice his offensive magic for the demonstration, and, in return, he was helping her with her stamina training for her healing magic. By the time he was done, Erina’s expression had returned to its usual serene state.

“Oh, I see. So that’s what it was. I thought you were— Mpf!”

“Stop right there. You’ll make Yuffie’s brain short-circuit.” Jack covered Erina’s mouth.

Yuffie was confused by their exchange and had several question marks floating over her head.

“Bah,” Erina cried, escaping from Jack’s hand. “So just to be clear, you two aren’t dating, right?”

“No! My type is tall, blonde, blue-eyed, and kind of a bad girl! I wouldn’t ever touch a shrimp like her!”

Well, that’s rude! Yuffie was shocked, but she couldn’t argue because everything he said rang true.

“Nobody asked for your type, Jack. Still…thanks for letting me know.” Erina let out a sigh of relief. Yuffie had no idea why. Erina then puffed her cheeks and directed her attention back down. “Regardless! You should have told me, Yuffie. If you had, I, a healing magic specialist, could have helped you practice.”

“I’m sorry, Erina…” Yuffie’s voice trailed, her shoulders slumping. “I didn’t want to take up your valuable time…”

“Oh! No, I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to blame you,” Erina expressed, quickly continuing, “You don’t have to feel bad about taking up my time. Besides…” She gently stroked Yuffie’s head. “You and I are friends. I want to help you. So please, don’t hesitate to rely on me if you’re ever in trouble.”

“F-Friends…”

The word “friend” still felt strange to her, as if it wasn’t meant for her. It warmed her heart but also stung a little. After a moment of silence, Yuffie protested in a small voice. “Thank you… But…”

“You should have known without asking.”

“Who are you again? That girl in my class…?”

The cold words her classmates had spoken to her when she tried to talk to them came back to her. As a result, she felt a strong sense of guilt about relying on others. The idea that someone would spend their time on someone as worthless as her was too much for her to bear, and she couldn’t bring herself to accept Erina’s kindness.

As if she had read Yuffie’s mind, Erina asked with a hint of dissatisfaction, “I mean, you’re already getting help from Jack, so why not from me?”

“Well, I guess so, but…”

She hadn’t felt uncomfortable training with Jack because she had just gone along with it. Besides, there was an equal exchange with Jack—she was teaching him offensive magic, and he was helping her with her stamina training.

But…it would be wrong to refuse her help. Not being able to rely on someone was her own problem. She didn’t have the courage to ask for help.

That’s right, in the church, everyone helped each other…

If someone forgot a pen, they would ask a classmate to borrow one. If anyone had plans after school, they would ask a friend to cover their cleaning duties. Yuffie finally understood that relying on others was a normal part of a friendship.

“Okay, Erina…” Yuffie began, her eyes filled with determination. “I want you to teach me healing magic!”

A smile spread across her friend’s face. “That’s the spirit! Let’s work hard together from now on, Yuffie.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it!” Yuffie beamed at Erina, then turned to Jack. “I’m sorry to trouble you, but I’d like to train with Erina today as well…”

“No,” he responded bluntly.

“Huh?” Yuffie’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You’re taking a break today and tomorrow.”

Yuffie looked at him in shock. “Why?!”

“You’re exhausted from training every day. You’re falling asleep in class. It’s obvious you’re overworking yourself.”

“He’s right. You need to rest, Yuffie,” Erina chimed in, gently smiling.

“B-But thanks to your healing magic, my muscle pain is gone.”

“Healing magic isn’t a cure-all,” Erina chided, holding up her index finger. “It can heal injuries and illnesses, but not mental exhaustion.”

“That’s what we were talking about in class today. When you were sleeping,” Jack added.

“Ugh…” Yuffie winced, feeling like they had just hit a sore spot.

“If you keep pushing yourself, your mental health will suffer…and in the worst case, you could become a vegetable,” Erina continued.

“Th-That’s horrible…” Yuffie shuddered in fear at Erina’s words.

“So we’ll start training again the day after tomorrow. Erina can join us then.”

“O-Okay!” Yuffie saluted.

Erina placed a gentle hand on Yuffie’s shoulder and smiled encouragingly. “Rest is important. Get plenty of it, and we’ll do our best then.”

“Yes! Thank you for everything!”

With about a week left until the demonstration, Yuffie once again resolved to give it her all.

Chapter 3: Yuffie Goes Home (And Dad Smacks Her with a Broom)

Chapter 3: Yuffie Goes Home (And Dad Smacks Her with a Broom)

IT was after school, the day after Jack had ordered her to get some rest. Yuffie was spacing out on her bed in her dorm room, literally just staring up at the ceiling.

“It’s so peaceful…” she murmured.

Beside her pillow, Friend was sleeping soundly, letting out soft little snores. The sunlight streaming in from the window was warm, casting a soft glow across the room. Up until now, her afternoons had been spent in grueling physical training with Jack, lasting well into the night. She had been put through every workout imaginable, from sprinting and jumping exercises like burpees to even the bench press.

She had been living through days with literally no time to catch her breath, so this sudden break left her with a feeling like a gaping hole had opened in her heart.

“He told me I should rest, but…”

The tournament was now only a week away. The thought made her fidget. She sat up on the bed and did a light stretch. She could feel the considerable tension remaining in her muscles and sensed that doing any strenuous exercise right now would indeed be dangerous.

“All right then.”

Getting to her feet, she headed for the kitchen. Friend briefly opened an eye to watch her go before drifting back to sleep with a soft sigh. Yuffie picked up a knife and spoke, as if to convince herself.

“Just a little… Practicing my healing magic should be fine, right?”

Then, with the practiced hands of an artisan, she carefully cut her finger. She returned to the living room, set a timer, and held her palm over the wound, taking a slow, deep breath.

“I invoke the power of healing.”

A soft light emanated from Yuffie’s hand, enveloping the cut. She had a feeling the light was stronger than it had been a week ago. She could feel the sensation of the wound gradually mending, the feeling traveling up from her fingertip. Ten minutes passed, then thirty. Yuffie deepened her focus as she watched the cut slowly close.

The instant the wound healed completely, Yuffie stopped the timer. Her eyes widened at the number displayed.

“58 minutes and 00 seconds…”

Exactly 58 minutes. Since she had started training with Jack, she had managed to shorten the time by two minutes. Compared to the healing magic Erina could use, the difference was still like that between an ant and the sun, but after years of no change whatsoever, her own magic was steadily improving. The realization gradually softened Yuffie’s expression, and a wide grin spread across her face.

“Heh heh…” Her facial muscles seemed to move on their own as a smile crept onto her lips. “Heh heh heh… Mwahahahahaha…!”

Beaming, Yuffie started rolling around on the floor. In the past, she had rolled around whenever she made a mistake, but this was a roll of pure joy.

“Gahahahahahaha hahaha!!!”

THUD!

“Gaaah!”

She had picked up too much momentum and crashed right into the wall.

“Oww… That hurts…”

She pressed a hand to the back of her head, which was throbbing with a dull pain.

“Hey! What is all that racket?!” a sharp voice pierced through the wall.

“Eek! I’m so sorry!”

Yuffie scrambled away from the wall and pressed her forehead to the ground in a deep bow. She had been trying to be careful about not rolling around lately, so this was her first full, desperate apology-bow to the wall in a while.

“I…I have to give her some burdock root again…”

Whenever she made too much noise in her room, she managed to smooth things over by presenting her next-door neighbor with a tribute of burdock root. Yuffie wobbled to her feet and went over to her backpack. It was much less bulky than when she had first arrived at the dorm. She popped it open and looked inside.

“Ah!!!” The involuntary shout escaped her lips when she saw that the massive supply of burdock root she was sure she had was gone—not even one was left.

KNOCK, KNOCK.

“Eeep?!”

The sound of a knock on her door startled Yuffie.

“It’s Catherine. Open the door, please.”

Her next-door neighbor. She was done for. With light fading from her eyes, Yuffie headed for the door. When she opened it, she found Catherine standing there with her arms crossed and a pout on her face. Her trademark, large corkscrew curls, bounced proudly. Catherine’s assertive eyes were a deep blue, sparkling like jewels. Her features were as beautiful as a painting, and the way she perfectly wore her uniform seemed to embody her status as the daughter of a ducal bloodline.

“Hello. I heard you had another grand collision with the wall today.”

“Ugh… I’m so sorry… I was trying not to be loud, but the best thing in my entire life just happened, and I got a little carried away and rolled.”

“The best thing in your life happened here in your dorm room? Whatever could it have been?”

“…Uuuum.”

Yuffie quickly averted her gaze. If she told her that the happiest moment of her life was shaving two minutes off a healing spell that used to take an hour to heal a paper cut, she would surely be seen as a pathetic child.

“…I just cracked an egg and it had a double yolk.”

“Isn’t the bar for happiness in your life set a little too low?”

Her attempt to deflect had resulted in Catherine looking at her with genuine pity.

“Well, no matter. The point is, the noise you made has disturbed my tranquil after-school teatime. Don’t you think some form of apology would be in order?” Catherine glanced at Yuffie pointedly. Her gaze was filled with such obvious expectation that Yuffie understood exactly what she wanted.

“I AM SO VERY SORRY!!!” Yuffie prostrated herself with enough force to embed her head in the floor.

“Wh-What in the world?!”

Ignoring the bewildered Catherine, Yuffie blurted out her words. “The truth is, I’ve run out of burdock root!!”

“What. Did. You. Say?!” Catherine’s shriek of disbelief was loud enough to echo down the entire hallway.

“Ever since I started my physical training, my appetite has grown out of control…so I started eating a lot of burdock root, and I finished the last of it with dinner yesterday…” Yuffie explained, her forehead still pressed to the floor.

“I see… So that’s what happened…” Catherine mumbled, her eyes vacant.

“I…I do have an infinite supply of chicken breast and broccoli, if you’d like…?”

“I have no need for that! I’m not a bodybuilder!”

“You’re right, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry!” Yuffie once again slammed her head against the floorboards, having achieved the pinnacle of prostration.

Catherine, meanwhile, was still standing there stunned, as if she couldn’t accept reality. “…Well, don’t worry about it… It’s just a root, after all… It’s only natural for it to be eaten to oblivion…” Her voice was hollow, and her eyes seemed to be looking at something far away.

Seeing her so obviously dejected, Yuffie asked with concern, “Catherine, I’m sorry if I’m wrong, but…have you grown fond of burdock root?”

“O-o-o-o-o-of course not?!” Catherine whipped her head away so fast it looked like it might twist right off. Her face was bright red, her agitation spilling out all over. “It’s not as if I couldn’t forget the taste of that burdock root salad and was eagerly waiting, just wondering when a noise from next door would give me an excuse to come and collect some! Something like that would be impossible, even if the heavens and earth were turned upside down!!!”

Even Yuffie, who was terrible at reading people, could grasp Catherine’s true feelings. Lifting her head, she asked tentatively. “Um… My family’s home isn’t too far, so…should I go get some for you?”

“Truly?!”

In a flash, Catherine crouched down and grabbed both of Yuffie’s hands as if she were her savior. Her face lit up as if sprinkled with stardust, and she was breathing heavily through her nose. It was a sight unbecoming of a duke’s daughter. As Yuffie stared, dumbfounded by this sudden change, Catherine came to her senses with a start. She stood up and cleared her throat.

“If you were to bring some, I wouldn’t be disinclined to accept it.”

Seeing her attempt to regain her composure, Yuffie couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. Just like with Jack, her first impression had been, “This person is scary,” but now that she had actually talked to her, Yuffie found her to be friendly and interesting.

“All right then, I’ll bring some tomorrow.”

At Yuffie’s words, Catherine touched one of her corkscrew curls with an elegant hand and nodded in satisfaction.

“Excellent. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

And so, Yuffie decided to make a trip to her family home to get more burdock root.

💠🌸💠

THE Demon King’s domain was a desolate one, with a barren wasteland stretching out as far as the eye could see. The trees were dead, their trunks scorched black, with no hint of life. Countless fissures ran across the ground, and steam rose from some of them. The sky was covered in dark clouds, and lightning occasionally tore through the gloom, releasing a momentary flash of light.

Blending into that nighttime darkness, Lumea, one of the Seven Pillars of the Demon King, was flying. Her long silver hair danced in the wind, and her purple eyes gleamed coldly. Her thin black robe flapped in the wind, revealing a glimpse of her muscular body hidden beneath. She had a sour expression on her face as she controlled the massive black wings on her back.

“Damn Zax for caving in. What’s with all this ‘wait until preparations are complete’ nonsense?” Lumea clicked her tongue in irritation. “Even at this very moment, those humans are steadily gaining strength. Killing as many of them as possible, as fast as possible, would also be for the Demon King’s sake.”

Then she had an idea and pulled several pictures—lifelike images taken with a magic tool—from her pocket. They depicted students attending a magical school.

“There’s no problem at all with me hunting down some of these small fries while Zax is twiddling his thumbs,” Lumea mused with a cold laugh, gazing at one of the pictures. It showed a girl with golden corkscrew curls. A sadistic grin twisted her lips.

💠🌸💠

AFTER saying goodbye to Catherine, Yuffie immediately went to the store and bought a hood and a pair of clown glasses.

Can’t have anyone recognizing me, just in case.

Hurrying to put on the clown glasses and pulling the hood down low, she slung her now-empty backpack over her shoulder and headed for the school gate. As she walked, she heard whispers: “Hey, who’s that…?” and “An intruder?”

A-An intruder?! I need to make sure I don’t run into them…

Utterly unaware of her own suspicious appearance, Yuffie left the Academy and found a secluded spot. She then quietly chanted a spell.

“Wind Kick!”

A gust of wind swirled around her, and Yuffie’s body was lifted into the air. She flew through the sky toward her hometown, Millil Village. Although Millil Village was a remote area far from the capital of Gardelia, it was a quick trip using wind magic.

“Ah, this feels amazing.”

The sound of the wind whispered in her ears, and the sensation of soaring through the sky was incredibly pleasant. Below her, the landscape looked like a painting. A beautiful scenery of plains and forests unfolded, mountain ranges gradually grew smaller, and a river gleamed as it meandered. Occasionally, a flock of migratory birds came into view, and Yuffie wove her way through them. When she zipped past, the startled birds scattered, and she instinctively blurted out, “Oh, I’m so sorry!”

Trusting the powerful propulsion of the wind magic, Yuffie continued to fly. Soon, her hometown came into sight. As the village grew closer in the distance, a sense of nostalgia swelled in her chest.

“Hooray, I’m here!”

And just like that, before the sun had set, Yuffie landed in front of her family’s house. It was a weathered, single-story structure. The exterior walls had been exposed to the elements, and cracks were visible in some places. The wooden door was well-worn, the peeling paint noticeable. Old curtains rustled in the wind, hanging from the window frames. At first glance, it looked abandoned, but the well-tended garden flowers suggested that the owner was still living there.

“I’m…home…” Yuffie murmured in a low voice as she opened the door softly. Perhaps because it had been a while, but she felt shy walking through the entranceway.

As she stepped into the house for the first time in a month, a familiar smell tickled her nose—a unique scent of wood mixed with a bit of dust.

“Ah, home sweet home…”

She had never been away from home for so long, so a sense of relief, along with nostalgia, had spread through her heart.

Liz said she was having a slumber party with Elsa and the other girls tonight… I’m so jealous…

Today’s the summer festival, huh? I wonder if festivals are fun? I’ve never been, so I wouldn’t know.

“Nooo!”

Memories of sitting alone in the corner of her musty room, muttering to herself, were suddenly triggered, causing her to drop to her knees in the entryway instinctively. Except when practicing attack magic, Yuffie had always been alone in this house. In a way, this house symbolized her lonely life.

“N-Now’s not the time to wallow in my emotional pain!”

She jumped back to her feet and took a deep breath. Since entering the Academy and making friends, she felt that she was able to recover from these feelings a little faster than before.

“Catherine is waiting for the burdock root. I have to get it and go back soon…”

With a renewed sense of purpose, Yuffie walked down the hallway. When she stepped into the living room, there was no one there.

Why is no one home?

That was strange. Her parents were usually home at this time. Yuffie’s father would come back in the early afternoon after toiling away at farm work since early morning. Her mother was a housewife who rarely left the house.

“D-Don’t tell me…”

She adjusted the clown glasses like a detective and declared with certainty, “Kidnapped?!” Yuffie’s deductive skills were beginning to point in the entirely wrong direction. Meanwhile, a shadow crept up behind her.

SMACK!

“Oww!”

She reflexively spun around, her eyes catching a man brandishing a broom, ready to strike a second time.

“You thief! Breaking into my house in broad daylight! Well, kiss your luck goodbye!”

“Wait!”

SWISH! She barely dodged the second blow.

“Dad! Calm down! It’s me! It’s me! Your daughter, Yuffie!”

“I won’t fall for that ‘it’s me’ scam! My daughter wouldn’t dress up in such a ridiculous outfit!”

“Oh.”

She had forgotten that she was still wearing the clown glasses and the hood. From any angle, she looked like a complete stranger.

“Die, you thief!”

Her father raised the broom high as if to deliver the final killing blow.

“W-WAAAAIT!”

Just as Yuffie screamed, a gentle voice from behind yelled, “Aha!” and removed her clown glasses and hood. She turned around to see a woman who bore a slight resemblance to her.

“Why, hello, Yuffie. Welcome home.”

“Mom!” Her face lit up like she was looking at her savior.

“Dwah?!” Her father rushed to stop himself mid-swing and stared intently at her face. “Well, dang, it is you, Yuffie! You’re home!”

Once her father finally recognized her, Yuffie crumpled to the floor in relief.

💠🌸💠

“DAD, that was mean.”

“I said I was sorry, honey.”

In a corner of the living room, Yuffie sat with her knees hugged to her chest, sulking under a blanket. The psychological damage from being treated like a thief by her own father, Tom, and being whacked with a broom like a cockroach was considerable.

“Come on, here’s some candy to cheer you up.”

“…I don’t want it.”

In contrast to her words, Yuffie’s hand snuck out from under the blanket and snatched the candy from Tom’s hand. As she rolled it around in her mouth, it tasted like the familiar, nostalgic flavor she used to have here at home.

“When her words and actions don’t match—that’s our Yuffie, all right,” her mother, Aisha, chuckled. She watched the exchange between her husband and their daughter with gentle amusement. “Now, stop sulking and come out from there. You know you’re at fault too for making your father misunderstand, hm?”

“Urk… You’re right! I’m so sorry!”

Yuffie emerged from the blanket and prostrated herself on the floor in front of Aisha.

“That’s right, lay into her, sweetheart!” Tom shouted, waving a flag of the Kingdom of Elvador that he had pulled from who knew where, cheering his wife on.

“Even with the glasses and hood, the fact that you couldn’t recognize your own daughter by her voice is a much bigger problem.”

“I am so very sorry!”

Tom threw himself down in the exact same way as Yuffie. It was an age-old custom in the Abisus family to never defy Aisha. Looking back, Yuffie’s habit of immediately bowing to the ground whenever she was scolded was likely something she learned from watching her father.

“Honestly, you’ve always been so quick to jump to conclusions,” Aisha clucked.

“Yeah, I’m a bit embarrassed,” Tom admitted sheepishly, scratching his head.

Apparently, her tendency to make assumptions was also a trait passed down from her father.

“But still, I’m glad you’re home, Yuffie. You could have at least sent us a letter letting us know, though.”

“I’m sorry, Mom. I just had a bit of an urgent errand…”

“I understand, we just worry since it takes days between here and the capital.”

“…Right. It maybe took a while.”

She didn’t tell them it had basically been a breeze to get back, thanks to wind magic.

“Care to enlighten us on that very long pause, sweetie?”

“N-N-N-Nope!”

Yuffie shook her head frantically. The fact that a woman could use attack magic was a national-level matter of great importance. She had only learned that after enrolling in the Academy. Before leaving home, she didn’t think it was all that rare, so she hadn’t told her parents.

Maybe I should keep quiet for now…

Lyle had strictly forbidden her from speaking about her ability to use offensive magic. She wasn’t sure if that included her parents, but there was no need to add any unnecessary anxiety.

While the thoughts whizzed in Yuffie’s mind, Tom asked, “So what’s this urgent errand? Did you run out of your allowance already?”

“Uh, well…”

“Oh, I get it,” Tom said. “When I was working in the capital, I spent too much time at those shady gambling dens. I’d take the allowance I got from my parents and bet it all.”

“And who was it that saved you when you were penniless and on the verge of death out on the streets?”

“I-I’m so grateful to you, my love!”

Tom fell to the ground in a heartfelt bow to Aisha. It was a sight that stripped him of all fatherly dignity, but it also filled Yuffie with a sense of nostalgia, as it was a scene she had often witnessed while growing up. Her mother was originally from a noble family and ran away with her father, a commoner, to this village. From what she had heard, their first meeting didn’t sound great, but the fact that they were still so close at this age meant they must have truly loved each other. While Yuffie was lost in thought, Aisha placed her hands on her shoulders and looked at her with a gentle, reassuring expression.

“Yuffie. You’re still young, and since you have this man’s blood in you, I can understand why gambling might tempt you. But promise me this: only use any extra funds for that. You must never touch the money you need for daily life.”

“You’re assuming I’m gambling, but I’m not!”

“Oh, well, that’s a relief. So, what was the errand?”

“I came back to get some burdock root because we ran out.”

Tom looked at Yuffie suspiciously as she put down her empty backpack. “You came all the way home just for burdock root? We would have sent you as much as you needed if you had just sent a letter.”

“My friend said she wanted it right away—”

“FRIEND?!?!?!?!”

Tom and Aisha shouted in unison, their voices louder than at any other point that day. They looked at each other, then sighed and shook their heads in unison.

“Aisha, call the doctor.”

“You’re right. She must be so lonely in the city that she’s started fantasizing about having friends.”

“Wait, wait, wait! Is that really what you think of me?! Some lonely, crazy freak?!”

“Now that you mention it, you did mumble and talk to yourself a lot, kiddo.”

“I should have realized that was an omen. If only we had taken her to a doctor back then.”

“I guess I can’t deny that, Dad…”

After all, she had created an imaginary friend named Friend to talk to.

“Don’t worry, Yuffie,” Tom assured Yuffie, patting her head, his expression gentle. “There’s a doctor in the village who’s very good with these kinds of hallucinations. You’ll be cured in no time, then you can come back to your friendless reality.”

“Ugh, seriously! I’m telling you: I have friends! Real, live friends!”

Yuffie then tried her best to explain to them that she had made several friends at the Academy. Seeing their daughter so desperate to be believed, the two of them slowly started to trust her.

“S-So you really made friends?” Tom asked, his tone like a father confirming his wife’s pregnancy.

“What have I been saying all this time?!” She sounded exasperated and exhausted.

Her parents looked at each other. Then they high-fived and jumped in the air.

“We did it! We did it, honey! Yuffie finally has friends!”

“Yes! We’re celebrating tonight, darling!”

“Huh? Huh? Huh?”

In an instant, the house transformed into a party. Aisha busily cooked in the kitchen, and Tom scurried around decorating the living room. Lavish dishes were laid out on the table one after another, and a banner with the words “A Party to Celebrate Yuffie’s First Friend!” written in beautiful calligraphy was hung from the ceiling. The usually quiet house became as lively as a festival.

“Wow, Yuffie finally has friends. I’m so emotional.”

“Oh, oh, it’s so wonderful.”

Tom folded his arms and nodded in satisfaction, and Aisha wiped away tears with a handkerchief.

Th-This has gotten way out of hand…

Yuffie, with a triangular party hat on her head and a sash across her body that read “Guest of Honor!” was now stuffing her face with food.

If anyone finds out they’re making all this fuss over me even though I’m already fifteen, I’ll never live it down here…

But then she realized that her presence in the village was so insignificant that she probably wouldn’t even become a topic of conversation, which was sad in its own way.

Come to think of it, they’ve always loved celebrating everything…

“A Party to Celebrate Being Able to Talk to a Neighbor for the First Time,” “A Party to Celebrate Trying to Go to School After Six Months of Truancy,” and so on.

Uh-oh. I…kinda wanna crawl into a hole and die.

Yuffie’s mood began to plummet, so she stopped thinking. Then, Tom brought her back to the celebration. “You have to bring your friends over sometime. I must thank them for being your friends.”

“I’d like to meet them too.”

“No! That’s so embarrassing, stop!”

Yuffie’s face turned as red as a tomato. If Lyle and the others saw “A Party to Celebrate Yuffie’s First Friend Coming to the House,” they would be beyond mortified for her. Besides, they were too important to come all the way to this remote village.

“By the way, what are your friends’ names?” Aisha asked.

“Um, there’s Lyle, and Erina, and Jack…”

“WHAT?!?!”

Their words overlapped again. Unlike the cheerful tone from before, their voices now sounded like interrogators questioning a criminal.

“Yuffie, is that Lyle…by any chance, His Royal Highness?”

“Oh, yeah, I think he’s the third prince?”

“And Erina, is she from the House of Celestia?”

“Yep. She’s one of the candidates to be the next Saint. Isn’t that amazing?”

Her parents glanced at each other when they heard her casual tone.

“Honey, the party’s off. Call the doctor.”

“Agreed. Friends with a prince and a duke’s daughter? This is too delusional, even for her.”

“B-But it’s true!”

From her parents’ perspective, it was understandable that they would think she had lost her mind after hearing that their daughter, who had been a loner for fifteen years, was now friends with the Kingdom’s third prince and a duke’s daughter. Even Yuffie herself still couldn’t believe she was friends with Lyle and the others.

“Look, it’s a long story…” She started to explain, but then swallowed her words. The reason she became friends with Lyle and the others was that they found out she could use attack magic. It would take forever to try to make her parents believe her again.

💠🌸💠

THE morning sun was brilliant, casting a golden hue over the entire area. The day after the party, Millil Village was filled with a soft light.

“Okay, I’m heading back to school now,” Yuffie announced, her backpack—now stuffed with burdock root—heavy on her back. The weight was a satisfying sign that her burdock root mission had been a success.

“Already?” Tom asked.

“You should stay a little longer,” Aisha added, both with sad expressions. Tom crossed his arms while Aisha gripped the hem of her apron.

“I-If I don’t leave today, I won’t make it in time for class,” Yuffie replied, her eyes darting around. She had told her parents that she was using her school’s extended break for the trip home.

“Then it can’t be helped. Make sure you stay for longer during your next break,” Aisha sighed.

“And give our regards to Prince Lyle and Lady Erina,” Tom added.

“O-Okay, I will.” Yuffie was relieved that they had somehow come to believe that Lyle and Erina were her friends.

The day before, she had explained to them that she had met Lyle because she had joined the student council. When Tom pointed out, “There’s no way you could get into the student council!” she silently agreed, but she couldn’t just say, “You’re right.” So, she explained a system that Edward had employed on the spot, where the best and worst students were put together to allow them to better empathize with a broader range of students. Her parents bought the story. It made her sad to say it, but she couldn’t blame them for not believing her. She swore she saw a hint of nostalgia in Aisha’s eyes when her mother heard the words “student council,” but Yuffie was so focused on convincing Tom that she couldn’t figure out the true meaning behind her expression.

“Well, I’d better get going,” she mumbled.

“All right, good luck, kiddo,” Tom called to her.

“We’re rooting for you,” Aisha added.

Her parents’ warm words made Yuffie’s eyes sting with tears. The two people who had always been by her side during her lonely life were incredibly important to her. Without them, she would have never even entered the Academy of Magic. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t sad to leave, but she had class to get to.

“Thank you, Mom, Dad…” Yuffie muttered, bowing her head.

In response, Tom and Aisha smiled.

“I’ll come back an amazing Saint,” she promised.

“We can’t wait,” her parents replied.

Their words resonated in her heart, and Yuffie renewed her resolve. She vowed to become a worthy Saint for both their sakes and her own.

“Goodbye, then.”

Turning her back to them, Yuffie readjusted her backpack, pulled up her hood, and put on her clown glasses as she began to walk away.

“Yuffie, I don’t know about that outfit,” Tom pointed out.

“Th-There’s a long story behind it!”

It took her a while to come up with a plausible excuse for her strange fashion sense.

💠🌸💠

THE landscape below rushed past at an incredible speed, and the sunlight shining through the clouds felt pleasantly warm. Using wind magic, Yuffie was flying back to the Academy at full speed.

“That was a quick trip home, huh?”

She glanced at her backpack, which was bulging with burdock root. A small giggle escaped her lips.

“I wonder if Catherine will be happy,” she muttered. The thought of giving the other girl burdock root and being thanked made her grin uncontrollably. As she continued flying, the Academy came into view.

“Ah!” she exclaimed.

She could see Catherine’s trademark ringlets sparkling in the sunlight as the girl made her way from the dorms to the school building. Yuffie found a secluded spot and quietly landed. She then ran along the path to the school, weaving her way through other students to reach Catherine.

“Catherine, good morning!”

“Eeek! Who are you?! Some suspicious individual trying to kidnap me to get their hands on the assets of the Kulkovich family?”

“I-It’s me, Yuffie!” Yuffie took off the clown glasses, and Catherine gasped.

“Yuffie! Good morning, but why the backpack?” Catherine questioned, her eyes wide.

Looking pleased by the question, Yuffie put down her backpack and took out an armful of burdock root.

“The burdock root you wanted, I brought it back from my hometown!” Yuffie’s voice echoed along the path.

“Omigosh, stop!” Catherine exclaimed, looking around in surprise and confusion. Other students were watching them.

“Hey, isn’t that…?”

“It’s Lady Catherine of the Kulkovich family and…that loser Yuffie?”

“What is she giving her? Is that…burdock?”

They both heard the whispers, and Catherine’s face turned red. “C-Come with me!”

“Huh?!”

Yuffie ran along, pulled by the other girl. They arrived at a deserted area behind the school building, where the air was cool in the shade.

“Phew… It should be fine here,” Catherine breathed with a sigh of relief. Yuffie, on the other hand, was confused about why she had been brought there.

Behind the school… Just the two of us… Is this a shakedown?! A light bulb went off in her head, and the blood drained from Yuffie’s face.

“All right, now for the burdock root we talked about— Hey, what are you doing?!” Catherine exclaimed, shocked to see Yuffie prostrating herself on the ground with a pile of burdock root in front of her.

“I’m so sorry, Catherine. I don’t have any money with me right now, so this burdock root is all I have to offer!”

“A lady of the Kulkovich family would never do something as crude as extortion!” Catherine protested, and Yuffie finally raised her head. “Still, you came back with it so quickly,” Catherine observed.

“Y-Yes! I got it from my family home.”

“That’s some quick work! By the way, where are you from, Yuffie?”

“Oh, Millil Village.”

“Millil?!” Catherine’s eyes widened in shock. “That’s several days away by carriage from here! How in the world did you get the burdock root?”

“Oh!”

I messed up! Yuffie’s heart jumped. Yesterday, she had told Catherine that she would get the burdock root from her family’s home. The fact that she had returned with a large amount of it in less than a day, despite the distance being several days by carriage, was unexplainable.

I can’t tell her I flew with wind magic.

“Um, um, um… Well, you see…” Yuffie stammered, sweat beading on her forehead as she desperately tried to come up with an excuse. “I-I-I-I thought we ran out of it, b-b-b-but it was a-a-a-all sleeping at the back of the closet!”

“You forgot you had this much burdock root?”

“I-I-I-I have a terrible memory… Heh heh heh…” Yuffie stammered, trying her best to feign innocence.

Catherine looked at her with a dawning realization. “It’s true, you did get a zero on the last memorization quiz, and the teacher scolded you for it.”

“E-Exactly! My memory is just that bad…” she trailed off. The real reason she couldn’t study was because of sore muscles from her physical training, but she had to push through with this excuse.

“Oh well, that’s fine,” Catherine nodded, no longer interested in digging any deeper.

Yuffie sighed with relief, grateful that she was able to get away with it.

“So how many may I have?” she asked.

“Oh, just take as many as you like.”

“All right, I’ll take one… No, three… Can I have ten?”

“Yes, of course!” Yuffie proclaimed enthusiastically, holding up ten large burdock roots for Catherine. “Here you go.”

“Yes, this is it… Precisely what I wanted…” she crooned dreamily, hugging the burdock root to her cheek. “Thick, firm, strong… This smooth texture…and this scent… Absolute perfection.”

Happiness radiated from Catherine. A photo of a noble’s daughter hugging a burdock root would surely become a scoop for the gossip news publisher in the capital.

I’m glad I went home to get it… Yuffie smiled, seeing her so happy.

“Thank you, Yuffie. I’ll be enjoying my meals for the foreseeable future,” bubbled Catherine, and her words warmed Yuffie’s heart.

“Y-You’re very welc—”

Before Yuffie could finish her sentence, Catherine gasped as if she had noticed something.

“Look out!”

“Eek!”

Catherine suddenly threw the burdock root away and covered Yuffie to protect her.

“C-Catherine?! What are you—?”

At that moment, the burdock roots in Catherine’s hand and Yuffie’s backpack exploded with a deafening roar.

“The burdock root—”

“Don’t be daft!” Catherine yelled, grabbing Yuffie’s hand and pulling her up.

They looked and saw a large crater smoking where they had just been.

“Attack magic…?”

“You dodged well,” came a voice filled with a darkness like the bottom of a lake, echoing in the back of the school. A strange being landed silently in front of them. She had long silver hair that flowed down her back and eerie purple eyes. At first glance, she looked human, but her height—twice that of a normal person—and the large wings on her back told them she was a demon.

“A Demon Pillar…” Catherine shuddered. Her voice was filled with the kind of despair one feels when encountering a carnivore in the mountains.

“You’re Catherine Kulkovich, aren’t you?” the demon asked with a cold smile.

“…I don’t know that name. Who are you?” Catherine inquired back in a low voice, staring at the demon. She seemed calm on the surface, but her hands were trembling. For a student who couldn’t use attack magic, a demon’s presence was nothing but a threat.

In response, the demon raised her index finger, pointed it at Catherine, and fired.

“Ahh!”

The beam of light pierced her shoulder. A splash of fresh blood sprayed out, and she instinctively fell to her knees. Blood dripped from between her fingers as she pressed down on her wound.

“Catherine!” Yuffie cried out.

Catherine grimaced in pain but glared at the demon as she chanted a healing spell. “I invoke the power of healing.” A faint light radiated from her hand, and the wound instantly healed.

“Oh. Just as the report claimed, you’re quite good,” the demon remarked, her eyes narrowing in admiration and a slight smirk on her lips. “My name is Lumea, and I am one of the Seven Pillars.”

This time, she pointed her palm, not her index finger, at Catherine. “You’re a threat to the Demon King. Sorry, this is where you die.”

At the demon’s words, she gritted her teeth. This isn’t good… If things continue, Yuffie will… Her mind was filled with concern for the other girl, who was in danger because of her.

“Yuffie, I’ll be the decoy. Take this chance to get away— Wait, where did she go?” She was gone. It would have been nice if she’d run away, but to Catherine’s surprise, Yuffie was now standing in front of Lumea.

“Who are you?” Lumea asked, frowning as she looked down at Yuffie.

“Wait! Yuffie?! What are you doing?! Hurry and run!” Catherine called out.

But Yuffie, still looking down, said, “You ruined the burdock root I went all the way home to get, and you hurt Catherine…” She then looked up and glared at Lumea. “I’m not going to forgive you!” she declared loudly.

From Lumea’s perspective, a human female who couldn’t use attack magic dared to show hostility toward her. She bent over, unable to hold back her laughter.

“Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! This human girl says she won’t forgive me! I’ve been alive for centuries, yet this is the first time I’ve witnessed such a strange sight!”

After a few moments, her laughter petered out and her smile disappeared. In a voice that could chill a person to the bone, Lumea gloated, “You are nothing but a pest, human.”

She shifted the palm she’d aimed at Catherine to Yuffie.

“I’ll give you a painless death for your courage.”

Her hand began to glow. The light grew stronger, and the air around them started to hum.

“Yuffie! Run!”

“Lightning Bomb.”

As Catherine’s scream echoed, a flash of lightning shot out from Lumea’s hand. It was a lightning spell with several times the power of the one that had just pierced Catherine. The ball of energy, which could instantly incinerate a normal human, rushed toward Yuffie at a speed that was impossible to follow with the naked eye.

“Water Barrier.”

With a calm voice, Yuffie generated a massive amount of water in front of herself. The liquid moved as if to repel Lumea’s spell.

“Eek!”

A deafening crackle followed by a blinding flash. The water magic Yuffie had cast enveloped the lightning magic.

“…Huh?” Lumea blurted in bewilderment.

Yuffie nonchalantly waved her hand as if swatting a fly, and the electrically charged water shot up into the sky and disappeared into the distance with a shimmer. When the lightning disappeared, water droplets fell to the ground. Silence descended, and Lumea stood there, a look of shock on her face, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

“Yuffie…?” Catherine’s voice broke the silence, her face filled with disbelief.

“I know I promised not to tell anyone that I can use attack magic,” Yuffie spoke with a deep breath, her voice trembling like a child who had been caught doing something wrong. “B-B-But protecting a f-f-friend is an exception… Right?”

Lumea regained her composure and looked at Yuffie with caution. “Are you…a man in disguise?”

“As if!”

“Then what did you do to my lightning magic?”

“Well, water conducts lightning, so I used water magic for defense—”

“That’s not it! That’s not what I’m asking! How can a human female use offensive magic—?” she began, then stopped, a look of realization on her face. “I see… So, it was you…” Lumea’s voice dropped, as if everything had clicked into place. “You’re Yuffie Abisus, aren’t you?”

“Who might that be? I do not know this person you speak of.”

“You’re a terrible liar, you know.”

Yuffie quickly looked away.

Oh, no… She definitely knows, right…?

She remembered the recent student council meeting where they discussed the fact that her existence had been exposed to the demon side. This demon, Lumea, must have known about Yuffie’s ability to use attack magic, despite being a girl. Just then, they heard a voice.

“Hey, what was that loud explosion?”

“It came from over there!”

Other students were coming, having heard the commotion.

“Zax told me to stand by, but this is perfect! I’ll finish you off too!” Lumea declared, readying her next attack spell.

What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?!

Lumea was clearly going to fight here. But Yuffie couldn’t let any more students find out that she could use attack magic.

In that case… she thought, glancing at Catherine, whose face still looked like she couldn’t accept what she had just seen. When Catherine’s eyes met hers, she flinched. She seemed to feel a bit of fear toward a girl who could use attack magic, which should have been impossible.

Despite the pang of hurt that Catherine’s reaction gave her, Yuffie pleaded, “Please, keep what you just saw a secret for now.”

“Die! Yuffie Abis—”

“Rock Hammer!”

The moment Yuffie chanted the spell, a gigantic stone in the shape of a hammer appeared.

“Huh?”

BAM!

“Bleugh!”

The hammer sent Lumea flying high into the sky like a golf ball. Yuffie then used wind magic to catch up to her, her speed tearing through the sky.

“You…!” Lumea growled, regaining her balance. Her purple eyes blazed with fury as she tried to cast a lightning spell.

But Yuffie’s speed was far superior to Lumea’s.

“Gale Force!” Yuffie’s words were a battle cry. A sharp mass of air ripped through the sky and shot directly at Lumea. The wind was like a giant blade, approaching her at a speed faster than sound. Yuffie’s spell sent Lumea flying across the continent, carrying her away like a dandelion puff.

“Whaaaaaaaaat?!”

As Lumea reeled in shock, the ground disappeared from under her, and the glittering sea spread out below.

This way, no one will see us!

Thinking calmly, Yuffie effortlessly overtook Lumea, who tried to focus her lightning magic in a counterattack this time, but Yuffie had already unleashed her next move.

“Hellfire Blast!” A fireball shot from Yuffie’s hand, instantly becoming a massive tornado of flames that enveloped Lumea.

“Aaaaaahhhhh!”

The raging flames consumed her body, painting the sky red. When the fire cleared, Lumea was scorched in some places, but she didn’t seem to be seriously injured. Her durability was impressive for a demon.

“You! I’ll kill you! I’ll defi—”

“Crushing Rock Prison!”

Before the enraged Lumea could finish her sentence, Yuffie cast an even more potent earth spell. In an instant, a giant boulder suddenly appeared in the surrounding space. It had a heavy presence, as if a piece of a mountain had been cut out and was floating in the air. The massive rock circled Lumea, then began to move, closing in to crush her.

“Aaaaaahhhhhh?!”

Lumea wore a pained expression and desperately tried to escape, but she was helpless against the onslaught of the rock. The rocks continued to crush her. She had lost her ability to escape in the air, and she cried out in pain, purple blood streaming from her body.

“Guh…you…!” Lumea struggled to pull her body out of the gaps between the rocks. However, her efforts were in vain, and the heavy rocks continued to push her back.

“This is the end!” Yuffie’s eyes gleamed, and she raised her hands high. The sky momentarily darkened as storm clouds began to gather. Looking up at the sight from a crack in the rocks, Lumea’s expression was filled with shock.

“Wait, stop! You must be joking—”

“Heavenly Strike!”

Thunder roared, and a flash of light ripped through the sky. A massive bolt of lightning fell from the heavens directly toward Lumea. The light was so bright that it was as if a sun were falling from the sky, and a deafening roar echoed across the area.

“Gyaaaaaahhhhhhhh!”

Lumea’s scream, after being directly hit by the lightning magic, reverberated in the air. The energy of the lightning pierced through her body, and a tremendous light and heat enveloped her.

A boom, followed by an explosion. The lightning magic melted the rock prison and disintegrated Lumea. Fragments of rock and what looked like flesh rained down into the sea.

“Well, that should do it, right?” Yuffie nodded, wiping her forehead with the casualness of someone who had just finished a household chore. Suddenly, she realized she had left Catherine without any explanation. “I-I have to hurry back!” In a panic, Yuffie flew back to the Academy. She left behind only silence and the smell of scorched air.

💠🌸💠

WHEN Yuffie returned to the Academy, the campus was in chaos.

“Is it true that a demon showed up?”

“No way, that can’t be…”

“But people saw it!”

Rumors flew around, and students looked anxious. Teachers rushed through the halls. Classes were abruptly canceled, and the entire school was in turmoil. Weaving through the confusion, Yuffie hurried to the student council room.

“Yuffie! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Erina cried, immediately hugging her as she entered the room.

“Are you hurt anywhere? If you are, I’ll cast a healing spell right away!”

“W-Wait, Erina, calm down! I’m fine!” Yuffie stammered, looking around the student council room as Erina hugged her with a vise-like grip.

Noah, Lyle, and the other student council members were gathered, along with Catherine. She was curled in on herself, trembling slightly, face pale, and eyes downcast.

I can’t blame her…

She had faced an overwhelmingly powerful demon. The fear from that must have been immeasurable.

“Good. You’re safe,” Lyle said, approaching her with a look of relief.

Yuffie’s face, however, was clouded with apology. “I’m sorry, Lyle. I used attack magic…”

“There’s no need to apologize, Yuffie. You did a great job,” Lyle replied, and she blinked in surprise. “You saved Catherine. As vice president of the student council, I’d like to give you an award.”

“Ack… Really?” Yuffie shook her head, her words unsteady. She had expected to be scolded for using attack magic in front of Catherine, so being praised was a surprise. As Yuffie stood there, confused about how to react, Noah spoke to her in a serious tone.

“We heard everything from Catherine. What happened to the Demon Pillar Lumea?”

“Oh, I blew her up.”

“…It still amazes me how you can say such outrageous things so casually.”

“Gah! I-I-I’m so sorry…”

“There’s no need to apologize. By the way, how did you defeat her?”

“Well…” Yuffie explained the attack spells she used to defeat Lumea, her voice still a little shaky. “Then I trapped her with earth magic and finished her off with a huge thunder spell. Bang!”

Yuffie gestured with her hands, like a child explaining how they caught a big beetle to their mother. The student council members, however, only stood there, dumbfounded.

“Even if Lumea was the weakest of the Seven, to defeat her so easily…”

“Again, I’m convinced that something is seriously wrong with Yuffie’s attack magic,” Edward pondered. Lyle nodded in agreement, both with beads of cold sweat on their foreheads.

Meanwhile, Hans folded his arms and sighed, “It feels like I’m listening to a child’s fantasy.” Since he hadn’t seen Yuffie’s magic with his own eyes, he found it difficult to believe.

“In any case, Yuffie isn’t the type of person to lie about something like this. Of course, we must cross-reference with reports from our spy on the demon side to confirm Lumea’s death. But for now, we can assume that Yuffie defeated her,” Noah asserted, and Yuffie sighed in relief.

Noah then continued, “In any case, what we need to think about now is the aftermath. Rumors are already spreading throughout the Academy. As long as we keep Yuffie’s ability to use attack magic a secret, we need to handle this carefully. Whether we treat the demon’s appearance as misinformation or say that the military took care of it, it will be a challenging problem to deal with.”

Noah rubbed his temples and sighed, and Yuffie’s face paled.

“I-I’m so sorry for causing trouble!”

“There’s no need to apologize. As I’ve said many times, this is a major victory in the grand scheme of things. You defeated one of humanity’s greatest threats. Normally, this would be a reason for not just an award, but a national parade, which unfortunately isn’t an option,” he muttered that last bit with a wry smile before continuing. “After this, we plan to discuss Yuffie with the headmaster and the Minister of War and seek their judgment on what to do next.”

Oh… the Minister of War… Yuffie thought. That was Jack’s father. She glanced at the boy in question, who was looking down with a somber expression.

Before she could guess what he was feeling, Noah concluded, “Until a decision is made, please continue to keep Yuffie’s ability to use attack magic a secret.”

The other members of the student council nodded, their faces serious.

“That includes you as well, Catherine. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

The girl flinched, but determination shone in her eyes. “Yes. I swear on the name of the Kulkovich family that I will not speak of this.”

“Excellent,” Noah replied.

And with that, the impromptu student council meeting ended. As Yuffie was getting ready to leave, Catherine came over to her.

“Yuffie.”

“Oh, Catherine! Are you feeling all right?”

“Y-Yes, I am, thanks to you…” she stuttered, gently touching the shoulder that Lumea had pierced.

Yuffie looked apologetic. “I’m sorry, Catherine. I couldn’t save the burdock root.”

At Yuffie’s words, the tension on her face eased slightly. She then let out a small laugh. “To be honest, when you used attack magic, I was terrified.”

“Eeep!”

Dismay!

“We women can’t use attack magic. It’s only natural to be scared when you witness something that defies such an absolute truth, right?”

“Ugh… I suppose so…”

Catherine’s words stung, and Yuffie’s spirits plummeted. But a part of her also felt that it was a natural reaction. Lyle and Erina’s quick acceptance was the exception. It was actually normal for people to find her ability unsettling.

I scared her away…she might hate me now… As these negative thoughts swirled in her head, Yuffie slumped.

“But, Yuffie, you’re still you,” Catherine continued with a gentle look in her eyes. “Thank you again for saving me. I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

“Oh, um…you’re welcome, I guess…” Yuffie stammered, feeling awkward and shy. Unused to being praised, she never knew how to react to such straightforward gratitude. But the warmth that spread through her chest was a sign of how happy she was.

I’ve always wanted to save people with healing magic, but… She realized that saving someone’s life with attack magic was also a joyful thing for her.

“If you ever get more burdock root, please bring me some again.”

“Yes! Of course!” Yuffie gushed, her voice animated. The bond she shared with Catherine was, at the very least, stronger than any burdock root.

After Catherine left, Jack came over to Yuffie.

“Hey, Yuffie.”

“Y-Yes?”

They had initially planned to practice magic for the May Festival with Erina joining them, but the incident with Lumea had put a kibosh on that. He seemed a bit awkward, but he looked Yuffie straight in the eye.

“I know this is a bad time… But could you practice with me for a bit?”

💠🌸💠

TEN minutes after the impromptu student council meeting ended, Noah was in another room for a new conference. The reception room, where guests were welcomed, was filled with a heavy, oppressive tension. It was sealed off from all others, and sitting with Noah were the Headmaster Anton and the Minister of War for the Kingdom of Elvador, Gaios.

Anton, who wore thin-rimmed glasses and had a timid look about him, was the first to speak. His tone was hesitant. “Your Highness…to be honest…I, too, am…at a loss for words…”

Despite Noah being a student, the man knew the boy outranked him in status as the second prince of the country. Greater than matters of standing, though, was his struggle to hide his bewilderment at Noah’s story.

“Please, speak freely. Don’t hold back,” Noah replied in a calm voice, as if he had already anticipated this reaction.

“Then, if you insist… The girl, Yuffie, can use attack magic… How can this be true?”

“It is. My brother Lyle, the next Saint candidate Erina, and many others, including Edward, Jack, and Catherine, are all witnesses.”

“S-So many heirs to important families…!”

Hearing the names of those who were part of the “Miracle Generation,” the next generation of key figures in the country, Anton broke into a sweat. “I don’t mean to doubt your words, Your Highness, but…I still can’t believe it. A woman using attack magic…”

“We can discuss that later.”

A deep voice cut him off. The speaker, Minister of War Gaios, was a man with a powerful presence. He had a large physique and an eye patch covering one of his eyes. His uniform, decorated with numerous medals, spoke of his military history and authority.

With his arms crossed, Gaios spoke, his voice brooding. “Considering how young Noah here used his authority as the second prince to call an emergency meeting with the headmaster and me…I can’t imagine he’s lying. Whether this girl, Yuffie Abisus, can truly use attack magic is something we can verify later. The issue now is the need to take swift action against the growing threat of demons.”

“I-I suppose so…” Anton resigned meekly, intimidated by the unwavering confidence in the other man’s voice. “I believe she should be immediately expelled and her case handed over to the national government. This is an exceptional case that the Academy cannot handle on its own.”

The headmaster’s cautious proposal made the air in the room even colder.

“There’s no need to expel her,” Gaios replied. His deep voice carried an air of authority that brooked no argument.

“Why not, my lord?” Anton asked.

He answered matter-of-factly, “She came to this Academy to learn healing magic and become a Saint, didn’t she? We shouldn’t disregard the path a young person has chosen because of adult matters.”

“But—”

“I’m joking, of course,” Gaios interjected, a cynical smile on his face, before continuing. “A person, let alone a woman, who can use the most powerful attack magic is unprecedented in history. She should be immediately taken into our custody and studied.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Which is why I still believe expelling her is the best course of action.”

“However, consider this,” Gaios began, staring into Anton’s eyes. “According to Prince Noah’s report, that girl is a master of offensive magic, to the point where she could single-handedly defeat a demon. Expelling her might unnecessarily provoke her. It would be a disaster if she threw a tantrum and blew up the entire country.”

“Surely, that’s not even a remote poss—”

“Can you say for certain, though?” Anton fell silent then. Gaios then turned to Noah. “Does Yuffie have any personality issues?”

“Well, yes…” Noah fumbled for the right words. “She is a bit emotionally unstable, I suppose… Quite unusual too… In my opinion, she’s very unpredictable.”

As he spoke, his mind raced. In a normal situation, Yuffie should have attended this meeting. But he hadn’t let her. The reason was simple—Noah felt that Yuffie tended to act…well, quite eccentrically. Since he hadn’t fully grasped her nature and couldn’t control her, he decided it would be better to inform them himself first, thinking that an unforeseen accident could happen if she were present.

“Then we need to investigate her first,” Gaios responded with a small sigh. “Until we understand what makes her tick, we shouldn’t provoke her. On the other hand, if the fact that a girl can use attack magic becomes public, it could lead to more enemies trying to target Yuffie or cause chaos. It’s best to have her continue to attend school as normal while we secretly investigate and assess her abilities and their potential impact.”

Noah nodded in agreement. “I agree with that plan.”

“I…understand… Then, let’s proceed accordingly…” Though he sounded hesitant, Anton nevertheless agreed with their decision. When the second prince and the Minister of War were in lockstep, it wasn’t the place for a headmaster to object.

And so, a plan was drafted without Yuffie’s knowledge.

💠🌸💠

WHILE Noah and Gaios were having a tense meeting in the reception room, Jack was at his private training ground.

“Man, you’re something else, Yuffie,” Jack blurted out without any context.

“Um, um… I’m sorry for always saying and doing things that make no sense…”

“No, that’s not what I mean. You defeated a Demon Pillar! ‘Awesome’ doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

“Oh, no, it’s not… I guess my grudge over what she did to my burdock root was just that deep.”

“Uhhh…what’s this about burdock?”

“Nothing!” Yuffie shook her head frantically. “So, what are we going to do now?” she asked.

Jack’s expression became determined. “Yuffie, let me spar with you.”

“S-Spar…?”

“Yeah,” Jack nodded. “Thanks to your training methods, I’m way better at using my magic. My mana’s gone up too, and my fire magic is much stronger.” He clenched his fist. “There are only five days left until the May Festival. To reach an even higher level, I need some real combat experience.”

“Oh, I see…” Yuffie was surprised that the festival was so close. Jack, who had sworn to get his revenge on Hans, must have wanted to test how much stronger he had become.

“If you’re okay with me, I’m ready whenever you are,” she urged.

“All right!” Jack yelled, pumping his fist in a determined gesture.

And so, the two of them stood in the arena, facing each other.

“Don’t hold back. Come at me with all you’ve got.”

“If I do that, I’ll blow this whole place up…”

“Okay, okay, okay. Then…go easy on me, but not so easy that I’m completely unscathed.”

“Got it.”

Erina, who could instantly heal him, wasn’t there. Yuffie needed to hold back so she wouldn’t seriously injure Jack.

“All right, let’s go!”

“Yes! I’m ready whenever you are.”

In contrast to Jack’s aura full of fighting spirit, Yuffie just stood there quietly.

Ah… I’m shaking…

The memory of having his butt kicked in front of the student council last month came back to him, and his legs trembled. Yuffie looked small and frail, like a girl who would crumple if someone hit her with a wooden stick. But in reality, she was powerful enough to defeat one of the greatest threats to humanity single-handedly. Jack’s instincts screamed at him to run.

But I…I have to win!

He pushed his fear away, thrust his hand forward, and yelled out his spell.

“Blazing Blade!”

And so, the curtains rose on an intense battle.

“Damn it! I got completely annihilated!”

Jack was on the ground, his body covered in dirt. In less than three minutes, Yuffie had utterly decimated him.

“A-Are you okay?” Yuffie rushed to his side, looking worried. She was unscathed, with not a speck of dirt on her uniform.

Jack sighed. He hadn’t been able to land a single hit. “Duh. It was a mistake to think I could even get a point in on a monster who could instantly kill a demon.”

“Um, well…” Yuffie didn’t know what to say and fidgeted awkwardly.

However, Jack stood up and pointed his index finger at Yuffie. “One more time!”

“A-All right!”

And so, the intense battle began again.

BOOM! ZAPLASH! WHACK, WHACK, WHACK!

“A-Are you okay, Jack?!”

This time, the fight didn’t even last a minute. Yuffie ran over to him. He was still soaked from the final blow of water magic and coughing up water.

“Damn it… Where the hell do you even get that power from…?”

“Um, um, um…if I may be so presumptuous…” Yuffie carefully began to say as she watched a frustrated Jack. “I don’t think it’s impossible for you to win, but it’s not likely when we compare our raw power, so maybe it’s not a bad idea to think about winning using something other than pure power.” She had tried to choose her words carefully and ended up rambling as usual.

Jack looked down, lost in thought, but then shook his head. “You’re right, that makes sense… Still…” He stood up straight and puffed out his chest. “I wanna do this head-on! Tricks aren’t my style! Again! One more time!”

“Y-Yes!”

POW! BANG! CRUNCH!

“Jack!”

“Gah! One mor’ fime!” Jack challenged again, his speech slurred after being hit in the cheek with a rock created by a killer earth spell. But this time, the fight didn’t even last 30 seconds.

“Haaa…haaa…damn it… I don’t feel like I’m making any progress at all.”

Yuffie looked at the worn-out Jack, who was barely able to stand. “Um, I think we should stop…”

“No, not yet! Again! One more—” Jack’s body swayed and collapsed to the ground.

THUD!

“Jack?!” Yuffie rushed to him in a panic. He had run out of mana from continuously casting attack spells. He was feeling the recoil.

“Damn, this is pathetic…” Jack grumbled, chewing on a piece of sand, his voice full of frustration. “At this rate, I’ll never beat Hans…”

She felt a pang in her heart at his distressed voice. Why is Jack so obsessed with Hans?

Yes, he was a sore loser, and everyone knew how desperately he wanted to beat the older boy whom he had lost to last year, but Yuffie suspected there was another reason for Jack’s fixation.

💠🌸💠

THE side effects from running out of mana were something that could be fixed with a little rest. For someone with Jack’s skill, he’d recover quickly. However, after being beaten up by Yuffie so many times, his physical injuries were becoming more apparent. They decided to call it a day to avoid any fatal injuries.

“Ouch… Looks like I’ll have to get someone to heal me,” Jack grunted.

“I’m sorry, it’s all because my healing magic is garbage…” Yuffie replied.

As they made their way back to the Academy, they ran into Noah in one of the corridors.

“Oh, hello, you two,” he greeted.

“G-Good evening, Prince Noah…” Yuffie muttered.

“Father…” Jack mumbled at the large man standing next to Noah. He bowed respectfully.

Th-This is Jack’s father?! Yuffie quickly knelt and prostrated herself on the ground, touching her forehead to her hands.

“I know I’m pretty high up as far as rank, but you’re the first person I’ve met who went this far.”

“It’s a lesson from my father—that doing this keeps a husband and wife happy…”

“Huh… That one sentence gave me a look into what your parents are like,” Gaios noted with a small sigh. “Stand up. We can’t talk like this.”

“O-Oh, yes. I’m very sorry,” Yuffie peeped, standing up stiffly.

She was overwhelmed by the sheer aura of the man who now filled her vision. He had a muscular, large build, and his uniform was adorned with many medals. The patch covering one eye seemed to be a testament to the life-or-death battles he’d fought. At the very least, he was completely different from her father, Tom, who often lost all his money gambling and was subsequently beaten senseless by Aisha.

“We were just talking about you, Yuffie,” Noah said with his usual cheerful smile.

“O-Oh, you were…? Thank you for taking the time to discuss a loser like me…”

That’s right, they were going to talk about my future at the student council meeting. She had a vague memory of Noah saying that.

Gaios looked at her and spoke. “So, you’re Yuffie Abisus, eh?”

“Ah…yes!” Her heart screamed in fear, hearing her name in his deep voice.

“I’m Gaios Gallini, the Minister of War.”

His title was so far removed from her own experience that it didn’t really click for Yuffie. He’s an important person… I have to make sure I don’t mess up. She told herself, then a thought struck her.

“I’m sorry… A demon turned my burdock into charcoal,” she confessed.

“What are you talking about?” Gaios asked, looking confused.

Noah explained, “It’s a habit of hers. She gives burdock root as a gift to people she meets for the first time.”

“I see… She really is an odd one.” Gaios’s eyes narrowed. “At our meeting earlier, we decided what we’re going to do about you. You’re coming to the castle soon.”

“O-Okay!” Confused and shocked, Yuffie’s back straightened at the mention of the royal palace.

A divine place that only a select few of the elite can enter… Yuffie clenched her fists. I need to wear something appropriate! It went without saying that what Yuffie considered “appropriate attire” was a far cry from what the rest of the world considered to be proper fashion.

“Jack, I heard you’re in the dueling tournament this year,” Gaios went on, his gaze shifting to his son.

“Y-Yes, sir. I’ll definitely beat Hans!”

“’Course you will. Don’t be proud of what’s expected of you,” Gaios stated, his gaze filled with heavy expectation.

Jack’s expression tensed. He looked down with a hint of frustration and apologized, “I’m sorry, Father…”

Is this what they’re like as father and son…? The relationship between them left Yuffie dumbfounded, so different from her own family.

💠🌸💠

AFTER saying goodbye to Gaios, Jack began walking with Yuffie to the girls’ dormitory. He didn’t say a single word the whole time. He just plodded along next to her, shoulders slumped and gaze fixed on the ground.

Th-This is so awkward… The silence was suffocating, but Jack gave off a “don’t talk to me” aura so that Yuffie couldn’t say anything. Before she knew it, they had arrived in front of her building.

“Th-Thank you for walking me back…”

“Yeah…”

Yuffie felt sad seeing him still so down.

“Thanks for today,” he said.

“Oh, no, not at all… You’re welcome, though. What should we do about our training tomorrow?”

“I have something to do, so…I can’t make it.”

“A-All right then.”

“Sorry. I gotta go.” And with that, he turned on his heel.

If I miss this chance… Yuffie bit her lip.

“W-Wait!” She couldn’t help but blurt out.

He turned around, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Her heart pounded in her chest as she asked, “Jack…did something happen with Hans?”

His eyes widened at her question.

“Um, um, um… Well… It just seemed like you were so fixated on beating him…and I was curious about why…” she stumbled as she fought for the right words.

He scratched the back of his head. “…It’s not a big deal. Honest.” He then motioned for Yuffie to sit down on a nearby bench. She did just that, albeit nervously. Jack sat next to her. He took a deep breath and stared off into the distance as he began. “To put it simply, Hans’s family, the House of Arnold, and my family, the House of Gallini, have been rivals for a long time.”

Yuffie listened intently.

“I was born as the son of the Minister of War, and my training has been pretty strict since I was little. The goal? To make me the strongest attack magic user. When they found out I had a talent for fire magic, they upped my training to every day.” His voice was quiet, his words weighed down by the years of effort and the constant pressure he had endured.

“Hans and I have been competing since we were kids,” Jack continued. “We’ve been in the same schools since kindergarten, and people have always compared us to each other. He’s a year older, so he’s always one step ahead. When I was happy about creating one measly fireball, he’d make two, the arrogant prick. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been frustrated ’cause of him. But our rivalry made us both get stronger.”

Yuffie couldn’t even imagine the calm and collected Hans having a smug expression. In any case, she understood that the two of them were rivals because of their family lineage.

“I’ve always carried my family’s expectations. To protect our family name and pride, I worked like a madman. Hans is the same, and…he was recognized for his achievements in attack magic and joined the army to fight the Demon King’s forces before I did. So, yeah, I got impatient.” Jack’s laugh was a little sad and self-deprecating.

“Anyway, long story short, I just don’t wanna lose to him, especially ’cause I’ve been competing with him since I was a kid… Despite the one-year handicap, I wanna win and make him cry. That’s all… Hey, what’s wrong, Yuffie?”

The despair on her face startled him.

“It just hit me how pathetic I am, so don’t worry about it, and I’m sorry…”

She was aiming to be a Saint so she could stop being a loner and be showered with attention! Compared to her ulterior motive, Jack’s incredible passion for attack magic was so dazzling that Yuffie felt like she was melting. Her family and circumstances were so different from his that she couldn’t possibly understand the pressure and deep conflict he was carrying. Even without understanding, she felt a sort of radiance in his effort, his struggles, and his determination to get stronger—a radiance that she didn’t possess.

“If you say so… But, um, chin up, I guess?” Jack gave her a thumbs-up, though he still looked confused.

“Thank you for telling me all of that. In any case…you have to do your best to beat Hans!”

“…Yeah, you’re right. I definitely will. I’m not holding back, but…sometimes, I get anxious. What if it’s all pointless because he has more talent and experience than me?”

It was a rare moment of vulnerability for Jack with his “mind over matter” attitude. However, he wasn’t invincible. He was carrying immense pressure and was probably very anxious about whether he could beat Hans.

“I can absolutely relate.”

“You can, huh? Lookee here, folks, the girl with the strongest attack magic can relate to a pansy like me.”

Even she didn’t miss his sarcasm. But she replied, her voice sad, “What I really want is healing magic…”

Her words surprised him. “…That bad, huh?”

“Yes. No matter how much I practiced, I just couldn’t get any better.” She sighed, her expression turning somber as she recalled her painful past. “It would take me an hour just to heal a small cut… I tried so many different things every day to try and shorten the time, but no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn’t get any shorter…” Her face grew increasingly gloomy and lifeless as she thought back to those days.

“Why didn’t you give up?” Jack asked.

Yuffie looked a little surprised by his question. “Huh? Because…if I gave up, I would lose all the time I spent practicing, wouldn’t I?” she shot back, with an expression that read, “Isn’t that obvious?”

He looked bewildered. She, realizing she had made things awkward, quickly added, “O-Of course, I felt like giving up sometimes! I felt that way every single day. But if I just kept going, something good might happen, right? I mean, look, you put me through all that physical training, and now the time it takes for me to heal a cut has gone down from an hour to 58 minutes!”

Yuffie’s words were straightforward and filled with an innocent belief. Jack was confused for a moment, but then he began to understand. Her words resonated deeply with him.

“I get it now… Giving up just isn’t in your vocabulary,” he reasoned, nodding. He stood up, his face full of new resolve. “All right!” he declared, clenching his fists. “I’m fired up now. No matter what, I’m kicking Hans’s ass!”

“I-I’m rooting for you!” Yuffie yelled, giving him an awkward cheer.

Jack turned to her. “Thank you. Seriously. Thanks to you, I feel like I can keep trying without giving up.” He looked much more cheerful now. Yuffie hadn’t thought she said anything profound, but her words seemed to have given him the boost he needed.

“Y-You’re welcome,” Yuffie piped up, looking down shyly. She was happy she could help him, no matter how small. She smiled a little.

“I still don’t know how a fidgety scaredy-cat like you is so strong.”

“Y-You’re so mean!” Yuffie groaned, crestfallen.

Despite his words, his eyes held respect for her. “But you have the strongest will out of all of us.”

“U-Um… Thank you…?” Yuffie replied haltingly. A strong will…? No…I just had to keep trying with healing magic. So, I did. That was all there was to it for her.

💠🌸💠

WITHIN the Demon King’s castle, which stood tall on the barren lands of the demon homeland, the air in his chamber was colder than ever before.

“…Lumea is dead?” a deep voice echoed throughout the hall. It came from the giant, shadowy figure on the throne, filled with fury. The dark aura surrounding the Demon King warped.

“Yes, my lord,” answered Zax, one of the Seven Demon Pillars, kneeling before the throne. His muscular body and large wings looked small in the presence of the Demon King.

“The cause of death is unknown, but…it’s possible that Yuffie Abisus was involved.”

The Demon King slowly stood up and walked toward him. As he approached, the air grew heavier, and Zax couldn’t even move his eyes.

“You incompetent cur…” the Demon King whispered. He then placed his large hand on Zax’s head. With a sizzling sound, the back of Zax’s head—which should have been invulnerable—began to smoke and melt.

“Ngh! Aaahhh…” Zax grit his teeth, enduring the pain and fear. From experience, he knew that if he screamed, even more suffering would await him.

“What the bloody hell are you doing? The demon forces are the only ones taking losses, while the humans have suffered no casualties at all.” The Demon King’s voice was calm, yet filled with cold fury.

“I apologize, my lord. I’ll make sure to—” Zax started, straining his voice through the pain.

“There will be no next time.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The Demon King’s hand moved away, and Zax bowed his head deeply.

“I’ll take the most powerful under my command and attack the Academy, and I’ll make sure the humans know what true fear is.”

The Demon King didn’t respond to Zax’s words. He returned to his throne, his form melting back into the shadows. Only silence remained in the wake of his wrath.

Chapter 4: Hanging Out at a Friend’s House!

Chapter 4: Hanging Out at a Friend’s House!

IT was a day off from classes, and Erina was going to come over to teach Yuffie healing magic.

“…Phew, that should do it.”

That morning, Yuffie looked around her dorm room and wiped the sweat from her brow with a sigh. The dark circles under her eyes made her look so worn out that she might collapse if pushed. The night before, she suddenly realized she should clean up before Erina’s visit and had spent the entire time tidying her room. As a result, it now shone spotlessly, every wall and floor free of a single stain. Even her clothes, from top to socks, were all pure white, chosen to give off a sense of cleanliness.

Combined with her pale skin and the exhaustion of no sleep, she looked almost like a ghost—but she wasn’t aware of it herself.

Wh-What if the room is too plain and she gets bored…?

Her room had always had few belongings, and as someone without friends, she of course didn’t own any games. After worrying over it, Yuffie had decided to decorate the room as brightly as she could.

And it was no wonder she got carried away.

“Hey, hey! Can I come over to your house today, Mia?”

“Of course! Let’s play dolls!”

“Yay! I can’t wait!”

Back when she attended the local church school, she used to overhear her classmates’ conversations and could only imagine what it’d be like to have a friend come over to play. But those days were long past.

Someone is actually coming over… One of the things I dreamed of is finally happening!

So Yuffie threw herself into transforming her room. She decorated it with colorful ribbons and balloons, added bouquets for brightness, and even hung a banner in the center: “WELCOME! Honored Guest Erina Celestia.” She had also prepared an enormous party cracker. Everything was ready for her friend’s grand entrance.

“All that’s left is to greet Erina. Uuurk, I’m so nervous…”

Though she was exhausted from staying up all night, the thought of having a friend over kept her wide awake. There was still time before Erina arrived, but she couldn’t bring herself to nap.

“…Maybe I’ll do a little practice.”

Yuffie went to the kitchen and picked up a knife.

“Today I’ll try something a bit bigger.”

Her healing magic had been improving little by little, so she decided to test herself with a larger wound than usual.

“And maybe change the spot too…”

She’d usually cut her fingertip, but this time she chose her wrist. If she slipped, it could be serious—but with her sleep-deprived mind, she felt no hesitation. Yuffie drew in a breath, said “Here goes,” and pressed the knife to her wrist—

KNOCK, KNOCK!

“Wha—?!”

STAB. SPURT!

“Aaaaaaahhh?!?”

Startled by the sudden knock, she cut far deeper than intended. Blood splattered across her white clothes.

“Yuffie? It’s Erina. What’s wrong? I thought I heard a scream.”

“I-I-I’ll be right there!”

Rather than treating her bleeding wrist or putting down the knife, Yuffie rushed to greet her guest.

“W-Welcome, Erina!”

“Eh…?”

The moment Erina saw her, she froze. And it was no wonder. From her point of view, the one who appeared at the door was Yuffie—her pure white clothes sprayed with blood, crimson flowing from her wrist, knife in hand.

“Yuffie! Don’t do anything rash!”

“Huh?!”

YANK! A pale Erina grabbed Yuffie’s knife hand.

“If you’re struggling with things or hurting inside, you know you can always come to me! I tell you that practically every day!”

“W-Wait, Erina! Please calm dooown?!”

Startled by the girl’s crushing grip, Yuffie stumbled back. Erina panicked as well, and the two of them fell together into the room.

“Gaah!”

“Wahhh?!”

As they flailed, they crashed into the giant party cracker Yuffie had set up in the middle of the room—

KABOOOOM!!!

Yuffie’s room exploded.

💠🌸💠

“I’M sorry, I’m sorry! I’m really, really sorry!”

Yuffie bowed so hard it seemed her head might smash through the floor. Thanks to Erina’s healing magic, the bleeding from her wrist had already stopped.

“No, I should be the one apologizing. I jumped to conclusions. And after you worked so hard on this…”

Erina looked around the room, now a wreck. Confetti from the cracker was scattered everywhere, and from the entryway to the living room, Yuffie’s blood trails made the scene look like a disaster.

“This is going to be hard to clean up…”

“D-Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it myself, so please don’t mind it.”

“I can’t leave it all to you, Yuffie. Hmm…” Pressing a finger to her chin, Erina thought for a moment, then clapped her hands. “That’s it. Yuffie, why don’t you come to my house?”

“M-Me?! The filth of my existence will make your house melt into nothing!”

“So what, you’re some poison monster now? Pish posh. Besides, remember you promised before that you’d come visit.”

“Ah… now that you mention it, I think I did.”

“See? Isn’t this the perfect opportunity? As for this place, I’ll send one of my retainers to clean it. So don’t worry.”

“Whaaat?! No, I’d feel so bad!” Yuffie shook her head furiously.

“Don’t worry. I share some of the blame, and just thinking about you cleaning this place all by yourself…it hurts my heart.”

“Erina…”

What a kind, caring person she was. Yuffie’s chest ached from her generosity—

“…And maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll get the chance to collect some of your hair or nails.”

“Erina?”

“What? I didn’t say anything.”

Was it her imagination? Sometimes when she was with Erina, a chill ran down her spine.

“Anyway, leave the rest to me. Let’s go.”

“A-All right then…”

And so, swept along, Yuffie ended up heading to Erina’s house.

💠🌸💠

“I-IT’S my first time riding in a carriage!”

Looking out the window of the Celestia family’s private carriage, Yuffie raised her voice in excitement as the capital city of Gardelia spread before her eyes: the stone-paved streets, the neat rows of houses, the bustling market, and the dazzling shopfronts. Children’s laughter rang out from a plaza, while carriages and cars passed each other on the wide avenues. It was her first time seeing the capital’s cityscape, and compared to her home village of Millil, it felt like a hundred trillion times more urban. Her heart was racing.

“Tee hee, I’m glad you like it.”

Erina smiled gently as she watched Yuffie’s childlike excitement. For her, traveling the city by carriage was nothing unusual. But seeing Yuffie’s innocent reaction made it feel fresh even to her. That was when—

“Huh…?” Yuffie caught sight of a familiar figure. He wore a hat pulled low and dark glasses.

“What is it?” Erina leaned in to look out the window with her. “Oh, that’s Jack. With a build like his, the disguise doesn’t work at all.”

“What’s he doing…?”

Come to think of it, Jack had mentioned he had plans today. But what was he doing alone in the middle of the city? His movements seemed suspicious. He kept glancing around nervously, like he was on guard against something.

“How suspicious…” With a smile, Erina called out to the driver, “Would you stop for a moment?”

“Right away, my lady.”

The carriage came to a halt, and the two girls stepped down.

“Wh-What are we going to do?” Yuffie asked timidly.

“Isn’t it obvious? Follow him.”

“Huuuh?!” Yuffie’s eyes widened. “N-No, we can’t! He’ll get mad at us!”

The thought of secretly tailing someone made her tremble.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Jack won’t be angry over something like this. Come on, quickly now, or we’ll lose him.”

“Ummm…”

Is this really okay?!

Still bewildered, Yuffie gave in to Erina’s eager tone and reluctantly began following Jack. Before long, he stopped in front of a large building with old stone walls and an imposing, dignified air that spoke of history.

“Gardelia Central Bookstore… The largest bookstore in the capital.”

“A bookstore?”

“Yes. A shop that sells many, many books.”

“Wow! So there’s a place like that here!”

Back in her village, books were expensive luxuries, so Yuffie had rarely seen them. But in the capital, it seemed they were commonplace.

The girls saw Jack draw in a deep breath, as if steeling himself, and step into the store.

“Ah, he went inside. Let’s go!”

“Y-Yes!”

Erina strode forward boldly, and Yuffie followed behind her. The unusual situation, strangely enough, made Yuffie feel a little excited too. Because they were so focused on tailing Jack, the two of them failed to notice—

“Hey, wasn’t that Lady Erina, the candidate for the next Saint?”

“Yeah, no doubt. But who was that with her?”

“They just went into the bookstore. Hurry, this could be a scoop!”

💠🌸💠

“OH no, we lost him.”

Yuffie and Erina had followed Jack, but once they stepped into the bookstore, his figure was nowhere to be seen.

“Th-That’s too bad…”

Yuffie breathed a sigh of relief, hoping this meant Erina would give up. But her friend’s determination held firm.

“This is a humongous bookstore… Let’s split up.”

“Whaaat?”

Apparently, Erina was the type who didn’t give up easily. So Yuffie ended up separating from her to look for Jack on her own. The bookstore was vast, with high ceilings and marble floors that gave it a solemn air. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with colorful spines in neat rows. The towering shelves, stacked all the way to the ceiling, felt like towers of knowledge.

I-I need to find him quickly…

Feeling both guilt and anxiety, Yuffie searched. She walked between the shelves, peering carefully around. Every time she thought she saw a shadow, she crept closer, but it was never Jack.

“Where could he have gone…?” she muttered as she pressed deeper into the store. Only the scent of books and the sound of her own footsteps filled the quiet. Then, suddenly, she caught sight of a familiar back.

There he is!

Like a child finding a lost treasure in the sandbox, Yuffie hurried closer. Jack was browsing a section of books, his expression dead serious. He was scanning each spine carefully, like he was searching for a wanted criminal in a crowd. At last, he picked up a book. The moment he saw the cover, he pumped his fist.

“Claire Rivix’s new release… I finally found it!”

His eyes shone as he held the book. The title read: At the World’s Edge, I Long for You. The ornately decorated cover showed two lovers gazing at each other with aching tenderness. Yuffie glanced up at the sign above the shelf.

“Oh, romance novels…” The words slipped out by accident.

Jack’s shoulders jerked violently. He turned toward her with the creaking stiffness of a rusty machine doll, his face full of shock.

“Y-Y-Yuffie?!?! What are you doing here?!”

“Ah, shoot!”

He hastily shoved the book back into place, then grabbed her shoulders with a desperate grip. “You…you can’t tell anyone about this, got it?!”

“I-I won’t, I won’t! Please calm down, Jack, you’re literally on fire!”

Aura was rising from his body, heating the air around them. If it caught the books, the whole store could go up in flames.

“Ah, sorry!” Jack let go quickly.

Yuffie hesitated, then asked softly, “Do you…like those kinds of books?”

Honestly, she found it surprising. Jack, the embodiment of manly vigor and fighting spirit, was reading something so emotional?

“‘Like’ doesn’t even begin to cover it!” Jack suddenly raised his voice with conviction. “Romance novels are part of this nation’s culture and the greatest form of entertainment. They purify your heart, and by empathizing with the characters’ love stories, you can get in touch with your own emotions. They take you to another world. When I’m worn out from training, when something bad happens, I turn to romance novels. They’re the one and only thing that brings color to my life!”

“I-I see… So that’s how it is…”

Overwhelmed by his passion, Yuffie nodded rapidly. In her village, romance novels weren’t common, so hearing this was new and fascinating.

“So, it’s like…they make you feel all warm inside?”

“Exactly! But wait, there’s more!” Encouraged, Jack launched into an even more heated explanation.

As Yuffie listened to him happily gush about romance novels, she thought to herself, Maybe he reads them to free himself from the pressure he’s always carrying…? She was almost positive she was right, considering what she knew of his personal situation.

KLIK.

What was that? Puzzled, Yuffie looked around, but saw nothing out of place. Jack’s impassioned speech continued, and she tilted her head. Maybe I imagined it…

“Oh, there you are, Jack!”

Erina appeared, drawn by the sound of his loud voice. The instant he saw her, the color drained from his face. She smirked, grasping the situation immediately.

“So, this is what you’re into.”

“Damn it… I’ve been hiding this from you since we were kids…”

“The son of the Minister of War, the hot-blooded fire mage Jack, is actually a romance-novel-loving softie?”

“You better not tell anyone! Or I swear, Erina…!”

“Don’t woooorry, I woooon’t. For old times’ sake, I’ll keep it our little secret.”

“…Thanks,” he muttered shortly.

Her smile widened. “By the way, are you free right now? Yuffie and I are headed to my place. Would you like to come along?”

“Nah, I was gonna go home and read this new book—”

“Oh, but I heard a rumor. The Magic Spring Cannon press is running around looking for juicy gossip on the sons and daughters of high officials…”

“Ya know! I’ve been meaning to pop by again! Let’s go right now! I’ll even bring a gift, whatever you like!”

Jack thrust his fist in the air and laughed awkwardly. Yuffie wiped a nervous bead of sweat from her brow.

Sh-She’s so scary…!

Usually, Erina was gentle and kind. But whenever she showed this cunning side of hers, Yuffie couldn’t help but tremble.

💠🌸💠

WHEN they left the bookstore with Jack in tow, there was—of course—a carriage waiting right out front.

“Come on, come on, let’s go,” Erina urged, and Yuffie was about to step up into the carriage when—

“Edward? What a coincidence.”

“Hm?”

Jack seemed to notice someone, and sure enough, a familiar voice followed. Standing there was Edward, his arms full of paper bags. He wasn’t in his usual uniform but dressed in casual clothes.

“Oh my, Edward. What are you doing here?”

“I ran out of ingredients for cakes, so I was buying them at my usual shop,” he explained, raising the bags in his hands. They all had cute designs, mostly pink and white, and looked absurdly out of place cradled in the arms of the stern-faced Edward with his glasses and ever-present scowl.

“Oh, yeah. Baking’s your hobby, huh?” Jack remembered then.

“B-b-b-baking?!” Yuffie was legitimately shocked. Serious, strict, by-the-book Edward loved making sweets? All she could do was stare.

First Jack’s romance novels, now Edward’s cakes… They’re nothing like I thought they were! I can’t keep up with all this info dump!

Meanwhile, Erina chuckled and asked, “Yuffie, do you like sweets?”

“Ah…yes…a little.”

In Millil, sugar was a luxury. Cakes and sweets rarely made it to the table, and when they did, it was bliss. But Yuffie was still a teenage girl, one who’d been deprived of sweets and fed burdock root all this time. No wonder, then, that her voice pitched high in excitement at her friend’s question.

Erina noticed and turned to Edward with a bright smile. “Since we’re all heading to my home now, why don’t you come as well, Edward?”

“Well, I planned on baking a cake…”

“You can use my kitchen.”

“Then I’ll go. It’s about time someone judged my pâtisserie skills.”

Jack’s jaw dropped at his quick agreement. “You…really don’t hide anything, huh? You’re amazing, man.”

“Why would I? I don’t believe one needs to feel guilty about what one likes. I don’t have to broadcast it, but neither must I hide it.”

“Ngh…” His words stabbed Jack straight through the heart.

While Jack fell under the attack of an invisible arrow, Erina turned to Yuffie. “Isn’t this great, Yuffie? You’ll get to eat Edward’s homemade cake.”

“Y-Yes, I’m looking forward to it!”

And so, the four of them boarded the carriage and headed for Erina’s mansion.

This is kind of…nice…

Spending a holiday going to a friend’s house together. It wasn’t anything like her original plan, but Yuffie’s heart was racing at her first experience.

If I’d known this would happen…I would’ve invited Lyle too…

That was her only small regret.

💠🌸💠

“WELCOME back. I’ve been waiting for you all.”

When they arrived at Erina’s estate, Lyle was already in the garden, sipping tea with his usual elegance.

“L-L-Lyle?! Why are you here?!” Yuffie exclaimed in shock.

“Well, you see, I was going to invite you out, so I stopped by the dorm…but you weren’t there. And your room was a disaster.”

“Ah…”

Both Yuffie and Erina let out guilty noises at the same time. It was easy to imagine what Lyle must have thought when he saw the aftermath of Yuffie’s decorating spree—blood splatters and confetti all over the place.

“Naturally, I thought something must have happened to you. I decided to make use of my royal privilege and received word that you were heading here with Erina. So I came ahead. I didn’t expect Jack and Edward to be with you too, though.”

“Ahh, I’m so sorry! Because of my stupidity, I caused you all this trouble!”

“Whatever the reason, I’m glad to see you safe.”

“I-I mean…a lot did happen, but thanks to everyone, I’m all right…”

Lyle beamed at her, and Yuffie couldn’t help but smile back.

“Man, you sure are reckless,” Jack muttered.

Yuffie shivered. Now that I think about it, isn’t Lyle pretty dangerous too? Using his princely authority just to track down a classmate…

Edward chimed in, “Lyle, the girls’ dorm is supposed to be off-limits to boys. How did you…?”

“Oh, come on, don’t sweat the details.” Lyle waved a hand dismissively.

Yuffie quickly averted her eyes. He probably tried to sneak in from the balcony again… She remembered what had happened the last time Lyle visited her room.

Edward sighed in exasperation and continued nagging him. “You’re the student council vice president, for heaven’s sake. If you were caught breaking into the girls’ dormitory, it would be a blood scandal!”

“I know, I know. All’s well that ends well, right?” Cutting him off, Lyle stood and clapped his hands sharply. Looking around at everyone, he spoke brightly, “Well then—what kind of fun did you all have in mind?”

💠🌸💠

HANGING out at a friend’s house—that was one of the events Yuffie had always dreamed of. Since childhood, she had spent her days alone, and even after she began attending church, she always went straight home after classes. To her, spending time at a friend’s house was a symbol of unreachable longing, something special that existed beyond her grasp. The idea of laughing and having fun in that sacred “friend’s house” space carried a unique sparkle no other experience could match. Fifteen long, lonely years of being a shut-in…and at last, Yuffie had finally achieved that dream—

“Uuuuuuugh… Someone… Anyone! Please save meee!”

In the glittering parlor, decorated with grand chandeliers and lavish furniture, she was on the verge of tears. Right in front of her were two cards in Lyle’s hand. One of them was the dreaded Joker—the card of ruin. She only had one card left, which meant a fifty percent chance of losing.

Since arriving at Erina’s house, she had been dragged into a round of Old Maid with the others. Of course, Yuffie had never even heard of this game you played with other people. She had simply followed Erina’s instructions in a panic… Only to somehow end up in a one-on-one showdown against Lyle.

“You can do it, Yuffie! This is your moment!”

“Hurry up and end this already, dang.”

Erina and Jack both watched the showdown with interest, having gotten rid of their cards before them.

Uuuugh… what do I do, what do I do… which one should I take?!

She had wanted to show off a little on her first-ever social game, but everything she tried had backfired spectacularly. Her mental stamina gauge was nearly zero, her hand trembled as she reached toward Lyle’s cards, and her shallow breathing made her feel like she was about to hyperventilate.

Lyle smiled slyly at her distress. “This one’s probably safer.”

“Oh, then I’ll take that one!” Trusting him without question, Yuffie snatched the card.

“Oh, dear…” Erina sighed with a wince.

“Huuuh?!”

Yuffie’s eyes goggled wide and fell on a card depicting a grinning little devil. She could practically hear it cackling.

“Heh heh heh heh… Yuffie, you’re too trusting, you know that?”

“I-I’m not done yet!”

Lyle was clutching his stomach; he was laughing so hard. Yuffie shuffled her two cards and presented them dramatically.

“Here! Take your pick!”

BA-BAM!

“Hmm… Which one should I take…”

As he stroked his chin, Lyle noticed her eyes. Despite her best efforts, Yuffie’s gaze was laser-focused on one card, practically screaming, “Please don’t take this one! Anything but this one!”

“I’ll go with this one.”

“Ah!”

“And that’s game!” Pairing off the cards, Lyle made an over-the-top declaration of his victory.

“H-How did you know?! Are you secretly a psychic…?”

“No, Yuffie. You were way too obvious. You couldn’t stop staring at the Joker.”

“Uuugh… I’m sorry I was such a crummy opponent…”

“Don’t be silly. It was your first time playing Old Maid, right? No one’s good at a game the first time. You’ll get better.”

“Lyle…!” Her face brightened thanks to his kind words.

Meanwhile, Jack yawned. “Old Maid’s mostly just luck anyway, not strategy— Ow!”

Erina smacked him lightly on the head. “Now, now, Jack. Don’t spoil the fun. What should we play next? Yuffie, do you know any other games?”

“…Forgive me, I don’t. I always thought cards were a forbidden game for loners…”

“I-I’m sorry to hear that…? Then we’ll teach you some simple ones as we go.”

“Thank you…”

And so, Yuffie found herself trying out various card games with them—poker, parliament, blackjack… With only fifty-two cards, people had made so many different games. She was honestly impressed.

“Okay, Yuffie loses again!”

“Whaaat?! You’re joking?!”

By the time Yuffie had lost for what felt like the umpteenth time, the door clicked open. Edward entered.

“It’s ready.”

His pale apron made an interesting contrast against his stern face and glasses. Oh, and the fact that he carried a cake, of course. To the untrained eye, he looked like someone who had lost a bizarre game, and this was his punishment.

“Ohhh, finally!”

“It smells amazing!”

He set the cake on the table. A dazzling confection of pure white cream, with layer upon layer of soft sponge, vivid strawberries tucked between them, and a glittering crown of fruit on top.

“Wow… It’s like something from a shop!” Erina clapped happily.

“You seriously made this yourself?” Jack asked.

“No, I had little fairies do it for me,” Edward retorted.

“… Definitely doesn’t fit your vibe.”

“What was that?”

“N-Nothing! Put that knife down, you psycho!”

“Come on, Yuffie, let’s eat!” Erina chimed in.

“O-Okay!”

With a practiced motion, Erina whisked the knife from Edward’s hand and began slicing the cake. “Here, Yuffie. Say ‘ahh.’”

“Ah… ahh?” The moment the cake touched her tongue, a bolt of lightning shot through her brain. “This is incredible!”

The cream melted on her tongue, the strawberries burst with freshness, and the sponge was so airy it seemed to vanish instantly. A hint of vanilla fragrance tickled her nose. The whole experience felt like a dreamland explosion in her mouth.

“Tee hee, I’m glad.” Erina sounded pleased, never mind that she wasn’t the one who’d made it.

“After eating nothing but chicken breast and broccoli lately, this sweetness sure is a shock to my system!”

“…Why are you on that diet?” Erina looked puzzled.

Meanwhile, Jack and Lyle dug into their slices.

“Whoa, this is amazing! A serious calorie bomb, though!”

“Why am I not surprised by your professional-level masterpiece? I’d hire you to supply my family’s desserts.”

“No, thanks. There is no need to turn a hobby into work.” Edward crossed his arms pompously right as a knock came at the door.

“Pardon the interruption. I’ve brought the tea.”

A servant swiftly set out a full tea service, then exited.

“Here, Yuffie. Try our special tea. It’s made from leaves grown in our garden.”

“Th-Thank you, I’d love to!”

“Wait, it’s hot. I’ll blow on it for you.”

“I-I can do that myself—”

“Now, now, leave it to me.” Erina gently blew on the tea before handing it to her. “Here you go.”

“M-Much obliged…”

Watching the scene, Lyle muttered under his breath, “Stop babying her…”

Yuffie carefully sipped. The slight bitterness and refreshing flavor spread through her mouth, and her eyes widened again. “It’s delicious!”

“I’m glad,” Erina beamed again, nodding in satisfaction.

Yuffie took another eager sip. The lemony note of the tea balanced perfectly against the sweetness of the cake, cleansing her palate and making each bite feel like new again.

“I picked a bold tea to pair with the cream cake.”

“You sure know a lot about food, Erina…”

Even when her friend was being so normal, these refined touches reminded Yuffie that she truly was one of the nobility.

“There’s plenty more, so eat as much as you like.”

“Oh, no, this is enough! A nobody like me could never take everyone else’s share—”

“Nonsense. There’s more than enough, don’t hold back.” Like a doting grandmother, Erina kept feeding Yuffie more cake and gently cooling her tea.

💠🌸💠

“YUFFIE, you look sort of…pregnant?”

“Uuuuugh… It hurts…”

Flat on the floor, Yuffie groaned. She’d kept shoveling down cake and tea at Erina’s urging until her belly looked like she’d swallowed a whole watermelon. Every time she shifted, her gut sloshed like a water barrel. If someone were to land a dropkick on her right now, the mansion would suffer catastrophic flooding.

“I’m so sorry, Yuffie. You just looked so happy eating that I got carried away…”

“P-Please don’t…worry about me…”

Her eyes had already rolled into the back of her head as she forced the words out. Lyle watched, arms folded.

“Yuffie, you may want to work on speaking up for yourself a bit more.”

“Whaaa?! Me, assert myself? I could never do that…!”

“You think you don’t deserve to?”

She averted her eyes and gave a small nod. Lyle’s expression grew serious.

“If you never speak up, if you’re always passive…it can lead to bad outcomes, you know. Case in point, now. You’re in pain, and Erina feels guilty for overfeeding you.”

“Ugh…that’s…true…”

Yuffie couldn’t argue. Just the other day, when she forgot her pencil case and gym clothes, she couldn’t bring herself to ask anyone for help. Lyle and Erina had only noticed because they were unusually perceptive.

Please lend me a pen.

Could you please lend me a set of gym clothes?

A few simple phrases. That was all it would have taken. Instead, she simply stayed quiet and waited for things to resolve themselves.

“Don’t expect me to read your mind.”

Those words, spoken long ago by a classmate, were still etched deep in her memory. They were a big part of why she’d grown so bad at asserting herself. And yet—

“We’re your friends. If you want something, say it. None of us will think it’s a burden.”

She could feel Lyle’s words healing her oldest scar. With everyone here…it’s okay for me to say what I want. It’s okay to ask for help, she whispered to herself inside, feeling a cool breeze sweep through her chest.

“…Thank you, Lyle.” Overflowing with gratitude, she lifted her head. “So, may I…ask for one thing?”

“Of course. Go ahead.”

Yuffie trembled and declared, “I-I’m about to burst, if you know what I mean…”

“Erina! Show her where the restroom is!”

She’d guzzled too much tea. Ughhh—Lyle was giving me such important advice, and I ruined it like this! Stupid bladder, stupid me! Still, regret wouldn’t help hold it in.

“Go out, walk straight ahead, then turn right, and make a left at the end,” Erina quickly told her.

“Th-Thank you!”

“Wait! My house is big, I’ll guide you—”

“No, no! I’ll be fine! I can manage!”

Not wanting to trouble anyone further, Yuffie staggered off with her belly sloshing.

“Straight ahead… Right… Then left…” she muttered to herself while trudging down the absurdly wide hall with its vaulted ceiling. “…Then left again, right? Wait…was it left? Or right? Huh…?”

Before she knew it, she had no idea where she was. Oh no, I’m lost… The ducal mansion was massive. Ridiculously massive. For a terminally directionally challenged girl like Yuffie, it might as well have been a labyrinth.

“This…was a mistake…”

She sighed. Of course, she should have let Erina guide her. But she had no time to wallow now. One more minute, and she’d be banned from the mansion for defiling the floors. Scanning frantically, she spotted a small, modest-looking door that screamed “restroom” more than “grand salon.”

“This must be it…”

She opened it with a creak and stepped inside. Instantly, goosebumps rippled up her spine. Wh-What is this…? Someone’s watching me… It felt like a stalker’s gaze boring into her. She spun around—nobody there. Relieved, she glanced back at the room itself.

The walls were plastered with photos (captured by some magical device called a “camera”). The glare from the sunlight made it hard to tell who was in them, but…the silhouettes looked disturbingly familiar. This isn’t a toilet! Panic jolted through her. She had to get out before someone noticed she’d trespassed—

“Huh?” At the far wall, straight ahead from the door, something was displayed in a frame. “…Gym clothes?”

An academy gym uniform, hung in a grand frame like a relic. Not new, either. Creased, with dirt stains still clinging. Bathed in sunlight, it shone like some sacred artifact adored by zealous worshipers.

“…I’ve seen those before, haven’t I…?”

As Yuffie strained to recall, pounding footsteps thundered closer. WHAM! BANG! The door slammed shut, handled by none other than Erina, who had sprinted in like a storm.

“Gah! I-I’m so sorry, Erina! I got lost, thought this was the restroom, and—” she rattled out excuses, but Erina didn’t reply.

Instead, she turned slowly to Yuffie. Though her lips curved sweetly, her eyes remained stone cold. “…Yuffie. Did you…see?”

“N-No! I didn’t see a thing!”

“Are you sure?”

“…I, um…saw the gym clothes. Just a glimpse. I think!”

“Oh, the gym clothes!” Erina exhaled in relief, her smile returning to her usual gentle one. “R-Right, sooo…those are from when I won the middle school marathon. My parents…are a little sentimental, so they keep them as a memento in this room.” The words rushed out of her at high speed.

“I-I see! How…lovely…?” Yuffie nodded along furiously.

“Now, the restroom’s this way!”

Before Yuffie could say another word, Erina hustled her down the hall, practically shoving her out of the room as fast as possible. She accepted the explanation. But… Weird. The dirt stains, the wrinkles… The clothes looked exactly like the ones I borrowed from Erina the other day… Still, her instincts told her probing any further was a bad idea. Like, ancient-curse-level bad. …Best not to think about it. And with that, she chose survival over curiosity.

💠🌸💠

AFTER attending to her bathroom emergency, the impromptu feast with Lyle and the others continued. Before she knew it, night had fallen. Yuffie had even been treated to a divine dinner prepared by the chef of Erina’s household. By the time the moon was shining high and bright, she had slipped out for a break on the mansion’s wide balcony. Moonlight and the glow spilling from the rooms illuminated her softly.

“Feels like it’s been forever since I talked this much…”

Rubbing her throat, faintly sore, Yuffie let out a sheepish smile. Since she usually spent her days alone, her daily word quota had long since been obliterated. From the room beyond the balcony came her friends’ animated voices. They seemed to be having a raucous post-dinner round of board games.

“Tee hee…” The simple fact that she had been part of that circle—playing, laughing together—brought an unbidden smile to her face.

“Got a space for me next to you?”

She turned and found Jack stepping onto the balcony.

“Of c-course! P-Please!”

“Thanks.”

As soon as Jack stood beside her, Yuffie’s back went ramrod straight. Even after more than a month of knowing him, his overwhelming aura was something she still couldn’t get used to.

“Sometimes, you need a chill day like this, huh?”

“It was the first time for me.”

“…Damn. Sorry to hear that.”

“No, no, don’t be!” She shook her head furiously. Jack gave her a searching look.

“Had fun?”

Yuffie narrowed her eyes and answered him quietly. “I did. Lots of fun. Hanging out at a friend’s house, all together… I had so much fun, I thought I was dreaming. So fun I can’t even— Anyway, I had a blast.”

“If I had an ennis for every time you said ‘fun’ just now… I’m only kidding.”

“Uuurk… Forgive me for being so tongue-tied… My brain is…mush.”

If she were a novelist, she could easily have filled a whole volume about how wonderful this day had been. That was how blissful, how heaven-sent this day had been for her. As Yuffie basked in the day’s lingering warmth, Jack suddenly spoke again, his tone earnest.

“Thanks.”

“Hm…?” Not sure what he meant, she tilted her head.

“For helping me practice attack magic. I owe you,” he continued.

“Oh, but I didn’t—”

“Your stubbornness too,” he cut her off. “I’ve always known I’m a pretty stubborn guy myself, but deep down, part of me still kept thinking, ‘Maybe it’s impossible.’” Then Jack looked straight at her. “And you lit a fire under that weak part of me. Even in a hopeless situation, spending years with no progress, you never gave up, you kept working, and you finally clawed your way out to the light… Your attitude made me think, ‘I can keep trying too.’”

At that point, maybe feeling embarrassed, he turned away and muttered in a low voice, “So…thanks.”

“…Nothing makes me happier than to know I was able to help you.” Yuffie lowered her gaze as well. She couldn’t let him see her face right now.

Whether she meant to or not, her actions had supported someone else. And that fact had surely stretched her lips into a dopey, ridiculous grin.

Then Jack asked, as if it had just occurred to him, “How’s your healing magic coming along?”

“…Healing magic?” She blinked at him like he was speaking in tongues.

“You know, you said you’d practice with Erina. How’s that going?”

At those words, realization slammed into her. Sweat began pouring down her face in torrents. “Healing magic… May Festival… Demonstration…!”

The truth was, today wasn’t supposed to be like this at all. Why were Lyle, Jack, and Edward even here? Pure coincidence. The original plan? A quiet training session with her and Erina.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”

Yuffie’s memory came back like a guillotine blade dropping. Yes, she’d been having fun playing with everyone. Yes, she’d been laughing and drinking tea and eating cake. But the real reason she was here today? To practice healing magic. And she’d completely, utterly, spectacularly forgotten.

“I FORGOT TO PRACTICE!!!!!!”

Her shriek tore across the balcony, echoing through the estate like a banshee’s dying cry.

Chapter 5: What a Fun, Fun May Festival!

Chapter 5: What a Fun, Fun May Festival!

UNDER the bright blue sky, colorful tents lined the grounds, and cheerful voices rang out from every direction. The food stalls overflowed with the savory scent of fried noodles and the sugary sweetness of cotton candy. In the central plaza, a special stage had been set up to host band performances, choirs, and various acts one after another. On this day, the Academy felt like it had transformed into a whole different world.

The May Festival was a yearly tradition at the Academy of Magic—basically, the largest school festival. Its goal was to bring freshmen and upperclassmen together, and with so many events lined up, everyone could jump in and enjoy themselves. Featuring food stalls, live music, games, and attractions, it was a chance for the entire student body to cut loose and have fun.

“Yuffie, you look so adorable! That outfit is absolutely perfect on you!” Erina’s voice echoed through a classroom marked with a sign that read Cosplay Experience.

“It looks even better because it’s something you would never wear, Yuffie,” Lyle added, nodding thoughtfully like discussing a scientific fact.

Yuffie sat stiffly on a chair in front of them, totally out of her element. “U-Um… Wh-What exactly is this outfit?”

It was definitely not her usual school uniform. She wore an extravagant, crimson satin dress embroidered with gold thread, featuring a giant ribbon at the chest and a skirt layered with more frills than she could count. A blonde wig covered her natural hair, and with the help of trendy colored contacts from the royal capital, her eyes were now a vivid blue. The result? A gorgeous, almost intimidating figure—no one could have imagined that it was actually Yuffie.

“It’s a villainess cosplay,” Erina stated matter-of-factly.

“V-Villainess…?”

“From those romance novels everyone’s into in the capital. The villainess is the heroine’s rival.”

“Wh-What?! B-But I’m not a bad girl!” Yuffie froze, thunderstruck.

“Villainesses are usually of noble birth, selfish, and strong-willed,” Erina chuckled. “But inside, they have all sorts of complicated feelings swirling around. Or a conviction they’ll never bend on. They’re not just terrible people but captivating characters too.”

“I-I see… When you put it like that, I suppose I can’t complain…”

Yuffie looked down at the frilly outfit she’d normally never even dream of wearing. However, it didn’t take long for the embarrassment to hit her all over again. Being stared at was agony. With her drab gray hair and spindly figure, she’d never once thought of herself as pretty.

There’s no way these fancy clothes actually look good on me… Or so she thought.

“I simply cannot get over how cute you are! Honestly! I could take you home and stuff you for display and— Oops, ignore that.”

“Erina…?”

She thought she’d heard something deeply unsettling. Still, being praised didn’t feel bad. And transforming into someone completely different was kind of exciting too. A peek at the mirror showed Yuffie a girl in a lavish dress, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and platform boots that made her taller than usual. The change was so complete that one thought slipped out before she could stop it. Maybe…I don’t look totally awful?

Lyle checked his watch. “Hey, it’s almost time for the tournament.”

“Oh, already?” Erina answered casually.

Yuffie, on the other hand, felt her heart drop straight to the floor.

“We have to cheer for Jack!” Erina said, all smiles.

Yuffie fell silent, her face pale with worry. The tournament—it was finally time for her to demonstrate her healing magic. In the end…it didn’t really get much better… Her mind drifted back to the day after they’d hung out at Erina’s mansion.

“Sorry, Yuffie! I totally forgot to practice with you!”

“N-No, really, it’s fine…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you today for sure!”

“Th-Thank you very much!”

And so Erina’s “lesson” began.

“Healing magic feels like… Whoosh! Then fuuuwaaa!”

“Whoosh and…fuuuwaaa…?”

“Exactly! Do that, and you’ll cast a perfect healing spell!”

I-I don’t understand a single word…!

Yuffie realized an awful truth when staring at her friend’s perfectly sincere face—Erina was such a natural-born genius that she had absolutely zero teaching ability. So Yuffie had no choice but to spend the few days until the festival sharpening her endurance, hoping it would help. That improved it a little, so I guess my training wasn’t a complete loss…

Even so, healing a simple cut still took her fifty-seven minutes. Compared to Erina, who could fix a major injury in an instant, the difference was like a pebble and a mountain. She could already see herself holding Erina back. And honestly? She kind of wanted to ditch everything and apply to work on a tuna boat instead.

“Come on, let’s go, Yuffie!”

“Oh, all right, I’ll change out of this—”

“No need, just go like that!”

“What?! But this is the shop’s costume—”

“I already bought it!”

“Huuuuh?!”

As Yuffie reeled, Erina gripped her shoulders and declared with fiery conviction, “What matters most in our performance is impact! A healer dressed as a villainess—the juxtaposition will blow the judges away!”

“I-I see…! That does sound like a good strategy!”

“Right?”

And so, Yuffie ended up heading to the exhibition in full villainess cosplay.

Lyle sighed, watching them with a rueful smile. “She’s so gullible.”

As for Erina, she mumbled to herself, “It would be a crime not to capture this cuteness in photos. I’ll have the spies take some later and hang them in my room…”

Yuffie thought she might have heard something disturbing, but couldn’t be sure because the noise swallowed the words.

💠🌸💠

SHE arrived at the arena together with Erina and Lyle. The venue was an open dome with a soaring ceiling. It was the largest facility in the entire Academy, big enough to hold thousands, and when you looked up, the endless blue sky stretched overhead. In the center of the expansive, tiered seating stood a massive stage.

“What a crowd!” Erina exclaimed, her voice bouncing with excitement.

Students filled the seats, eyes shining with anticipation as they stared at the stage. The whole place buzzed with energy. Children from various families had gathered, lined up in their dazzling outfits.

S-So many people… I’m getting dizzy…!

Being from a tiny backwater village, Yuffie was hopeless in crowds. With the sheer press of bodies and the wave of heat rolling off the audience, her stomach felt like it was about to flip inside out.

Before she could even steady herself, a booming voice rang out across the dome, belonging to a glamorous woman in a very revealing outfit who served as the emcee.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you’ve been waiting for! The main event of the May Festival—the exhibition matches for the offensive magic division are officially underway! Let me hear those screams!”

“Yeeeaaaahhhh!”

Eeeeeek!!!

The roaring of the crowd made Yuffie’s head spin.

“All right, let’s welcome our first competitor! Representing the first years is Jack Gallini!”

As the emcee called his name, a cheerful fanfare blared and triumphant music swelled through the dome. With a burst of smoke, Jack strode into view. The cheers grew even louder.

“Go, Jack!”

“Get your revenge this time!”

Voices urged him on, reminding everyone that Jack had lost by a hair last year. He waved to the crowd as he walked toward the center stage. Though his face looked calm, a trace of nerves lingered. However, his eyes shone with unshakable resolve.

“And now, representing the second year, is Hans Arnold!”

The atmosphere shifted entirely. This time, the music was heavy and oppressive, like the moment a shark glides up beneath you in the ocean. The tension in the air thickened. With a burst of flames, Hans emerged. The crowd erupted.

“Lord Hans!”

“You’re such a dreamboat! Marry me!”

Unlike Jack, Hans seemed to draw more than his fair share of adoring female fans. But he didn’t so much as glance their way. With his back straight and stride unwavering, he walked like a warrior marching into battle. Hans’s eyes gleamed, sharp and confident.

“I’ll give you credit for standing here without tucking tail and running,” taunted Hans the moment he reached the stage.

“I’ll do the same to you if you’re still standing five minutes from now,” Jack shot back.

“Your manners toward your elders could use work.”

“Best not to underestimate your juniors, then.” A cocky grin tugged at Jack’s lips.

“Now then, let’s go over the rules,” the emcee announced.

At once, the cheers cut off, the dome falling into silence.

Calmly, she explained, “You may use any magic you like. However, spells that could kill your opponent are strictly forbidden. If one fighter surrenders or can no longer continue, the other automatically wins. Any questions? No? Good.”

Even as she spoke, Jack and Hans locked eyes, the latter composed, the former trembling faintly. The weight of this long-awaited rematch—and the overwhelming aura radiating from Hans—pressed on him hard. I’ve done all I can… Jack thought, forcing his fists to still. Now all that’s left is to give it everything I’ve got.

From the stands, Yuffie watched the pair. Her heart pounded wildly, and her palms grew damp. She felt so tense she almost forgot to breathe.

“Jack… Please win…” she whispered, clasping her hands at her chest, praying for her comrade-in-arms.

“Let the match begin!”

And with that, the battle was on.

💠🌸💠

JACK was the first to act.

“Inferno!” he shouted, his voice echoing loudly as he thrust both hands toward the sky. Ten fireballs instantly formed above his head. The fiery light illuminated the arena, and the heat made the air shimmer.

“Oh?” That was all Hans muttered before Jack immediately launched the fireballs at him. They rushed forward with a roar, like meteors hurtling toward the earth.

“Riptide.” Hans’s voice was calm as ten clusters of water appeared around him.

They raced toward the fireballs. Fire and water—the opposing energies clashed in the air, filling the arena with a roar and a cloud of steam. With perfect, split-second precision, Hans’s water blast shot down all of Jack’s fireballs. When the rising steam cleared, Hans was standing there without a scratch. The crowd erupted in cheers.

“Whoa!”

“Go, Jack! You got this!”

“Hans, you can do it!”

The spectators were captivated by the sight of a magical clash of this magnitude, something rarely seen at a student level.

“So you can control more fireballs now,” Hans observed. “That’s a lot of improvement for a first year.” Though his tone held genuine praise, there was also a hint of something else, like a king looking down from a throne high above.

Jack clicked his tongue in frustration and unleashed his next spell.

“Blazing Blade.” Fire danced from Jack’s palm, instantly morphing into a sword. It was a new technique he’d developed after his defeat against Yuffie—a crimson blade of pure flame. The blade itself was fire, making the air around it waver and distort. With the sword in hand, Jack charged at Hans. “Hyaaah!”

But without even chanting a spell, Hans created a fire sword just like his opponent’s. A sharp sound, like metal on metal, rang out. As he parried Jack’s blade, Hans let out a small laugh and asked, “Do you really think you can beat me in swordsmanship, after all the monsters I’ve slain on the battlefield?”

“Guess we’ll find out!” Jack pressed his attack with a series of slashes, thrusts, and parries. Each one was wreathed in flame, tearing through the air as they bore down on Hans. But Hans blocked every single one with seamless, precise movements. Sparks flew each time their swords met. Hans’s defense deflected the force of Jack’s every blow, the shockwaves reverberating through the surrounding space. The fierce exchange between the two was a captivating fire dance for the audience.

“Your momentum isn’t bad, but…” Hans didn’t miss a beat. He stepped in and swung his sword powerfully, knocking Jack’s blade into the air.

“Ngh!” Jack lost his balance for just a second and stumbled backward.

“Charging in headfirst so single-mindedly means you can’t win if your opponent is stronger than you,” Hans continued flatly as he pointed his sword at Jack.

“I’ll show you single-minded.” A grin spread across Jack’s face.

Hans’s eyes widened. A dozen fiery arrows now surrounded him, glowing red, their tips aimed to pierce his body.

“Raging Arrows!” Jack shouted. The flaming projectiles rushed toward Hans all at once.

“A good move,” Hans said calmly. “Using swordsmanship to distract me while you cast another spell. But…” he shouted, “Serene Waterfall!” A massive wall of water instantly appeared around him. The fiery arrows plunged into the wall one by one, a hissing sound filling the air as the dense wall of water extinguished them. When all the arrows had been absorbed, all that remained was the rising steam and Hans, still standing unscathed.

“Damn, guess it wasn’t gonna be that easy, huh?” Jack clicked his tongue again, and Hans’s face showed a flicker of admiration.

“Using swordsmanship to distract me while casting another fire spell. That was a good move for you,” Hans repeated.

In terms of fire magic alone, Jack had reached a level where he could hold his own against Hans. But Hans had the advantage of being able to use water magic as well, an incredibly effective shield. Last year, Jack’s fire magic had been completely neutralized by Hans’s water magic, leading to his defeat when his magical power ran out.

“I’ll admit you’ve grown over the past year. However…” A hint of disappointment tinged his voice. “You’re still not even close.”

That was his signal to counterattack.

“Flaming Giant King,” Hans intoned, and a huge mass of fire appeared around him. It quickly took shape, transforming into a giant humanoid figure. Composed of burning flame, it looked like a demon that had crawled up from hell. Its eyes glowed red, and a blast of heat swept through the arena. The spectators were overwhelmed, gasping in primal terror at the sight. A deafening roar filled the air, as if hellfire had become a living thing.

“I’m ending this,” Hans declared.

“The hell you are! Roaring Flame Beast!” Jack countered, unleashing his signature, grand-scale spell. What appeared was no ordinary fire but a colossal, beast-shaped statue of flame. Swirling red and orange flames shook the air with scorching heat. The fiery beast growled as if alive, its fangs and claws bared, radiating a ferocious aura.

“A final test of strength, then?” Hans asked.

At that moment, the fiery beast charged at the giant. Its fist and the beast’s fangs collided, creating a shockwave that spread in all directions. A deafening crash echoed as the spectators watched in a mix of awe and excitement.

“Just give up. It’s obvious how a simple power struggle will end,” Hans’s calm voice rang out. Indeed, in terms of sheer output, Hans’s blazing golem looked to be a cut above Jack’s fiery beast.

“You’re right, Hans.” Jack gritted his teeth, pouring more power into his magic. “You’re definitely stronger. But…I’ve faced something way scarier than you!” Jack’s shout was a catalyst. The fiery beast launched another fierce assault. It dodged a giant fist, and its fangs bit into the golem’s torso. Spectators watched the fierce battle rage on, as the golem and the beast tested each other’s might.

“Raaaah!” Jack threw his entire being into the fight, pulling out every last bit of power from the fiery beast. The magic pouring from his body transformed the beast into an even larger and more ferocious form.

“Idiot,” Hans’s voice, on the other hand, was cold and composed. Jack was sweating, rapidly using up his strength and mana, but Hans’s face showed no change. Still, the golem’s power increased, and it began to overwhelm the fiery beast. Its movements were flawless, like a knight in heavy armor, leaving no opening. With each giant punch, a sound like cracking stone echoed, and the fiery beast began to lose its shape. Each blow was a merciless, divine judgment that steadily pushed the beast back.

“Damn…” Jack’s face showed his agony. Even his ultimate spell was losing momentum against the golem’s overwhelming power. The giant symbolized invincibility, and seeing the beast overwhelmed was like watching a helpless mouse being swallowed whole by a snake.

“I thought you’d learned to use your head a little, but you’re still a one-trick pony with a limited bag of tricks,” Hans said in a detached voice as the golem’s massive fist delivered the final blow to the fiery beast. The instant the punch landed, the beast’s body began to crumble, letting out a sorrowful shriek before it vanished.

“Haaa…haaa…” Jack’s face was drenched in sweat, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Anyone could see that he was at the very limit of his magical power.

“I win.” For the first time, Hans’s expression changed. Confident of his victory, his lips curled into a slight smile.

“Ah…it’s over,” someone in the crowd muttered. Everyone anticipated Jack’s defeat, and disappointed murmurs spread through the seats where the first-year students sat.

“One-trick pony, huh?” Jack grinned, as if he had been waiting for this exact moment.

In that instant, something flashed from the sky and flew toward Hans. It was the fire sword that he had knocked away in the early part of their battle. ZWOOOSH!

“Guh…!” The blade sliced across Hans’s back. The sudden pain broke his concentration, and the fiery golem vanished like a phantom.

“You’re mine!” Jack dashed forward. He caught the fire sword as it flew past with a WHOOSH, and mustered the last of his strength to close in on Hans.

“Damn…” Before Hans could regain his footing, Jack pressed the tip of his sword against his throat. The arena fell silent. Everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events.

“You made me think it was just a throwaway, but you had it waiting for you up there all along,” Hans realized quietly.

“That’s what you get,” Jack responded with a laugh. “You thought you could beat me on sheer power, that I was just a one-trick pony.”

Hans remained silent.

“Told you not to underestimate your juniors.”

The fighting spirit drained from Hans’s face.

“You completely outmaneuvered me, huh?” Hans chuckled, a look of acceptance on his face. His smile wasn’t regretful so much as proud, like a parent watching their child grow. “You found yourself a great teacher, didn’t you?”

“Yep. The strongest in the world,” Jack answered proudly.

Hans put his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

“Th-The winner is…Jack Gallini!” the host’s voice boomed.

The entire arena exploded into thunderous applause.

“Unbelievable! Jack actually won!”

“Whoa, that was so cool!”

The spectators all stood up, cheering and shouting with excitement. The cheers and excitement were a palpable force, and Jack’s heart pounded in his chest with elation. A sense of fulfillment and accomplishment coursed through his body, and he savored the moment.

“You’ve gotten stronger,” Hans noted, offering his hand in a gesture of congratulations.

“’Course I have,” Jack replied, dispelling his fire sword and taking his hand.

“I’ll be waiting for a rematch next year,” Hans said.

“Bring it on,” Jack shot back with a teasing smile. “But…” CREEEAAAAAK! His hand made a strange noise. “Ow… Ow, ow, ow, oooowwww!!!”

“You need to be more polite with your seniors, you dimwit.”

“Really?! You’re gonna lecture me now?!” Jack pulled his hand free and blew on his reddened fingers. He gave Hans a look of playful accusation. “We used to be so close as kids!”

“You are such a thorn in my side,” Hans retorted, chuckling. His smile showed the deep trust and friendship that had grown between them over the years. They weren’t just upperclassmen and underclassmen, but two people who had grown strong by training together since they were children. The crowd continued cheering.

💠🌸💠

“NICE work, Jack!” Erina called out as she joined him in the contestant waiting room, giving him a solid smack on the shoulder.

“Ow! Knock it off! You trying to break my shoulder?”

“Don’t worry, even if I did, I’d heal it right away!”

“What am I, a doll?”

As the two of them bantered, Yuffie came running up. “Jack! Congratulations!”

“Huh…?” Jack froze at the sight of her, staring at her with a dazed expression.

“You were so brave! And you looked so cool when you fought with your sword! Not to mention the way it whizzed back at the very end. I’m just so impressed! Um…Jack…?”

“Oh, right, sorry,” he said, snapping back to reality. He took Yuffie’s hand, his voice a little too smooth. “Are you a fan of mine? Thanks for coming to see me. If you’re not busy later, maybe we could grab some coffee?”

“Um, is this some kind of sick joke…?”

“Jack, I don’t know what sort of misunderstanding you’re operating under, but for your information, this is Yuffie,” Erina explained.

“…Say what?” he choked out. Jack looked from Erina to Yuffie, then let out a strangled cry that was more like a gasp. “Y-Y-Yuffie? What the hell are you wearing?!”

“A villainess costume, I think it’s called…?” Yuffie replied, looking slightly confused.

Jack, meanwhile, was still reeling. Their reactions put a knowing expression on Erina’s face. “Oh, right. You like girls with blonde hair, blue eyes, who are a little tall, and bad girls, hm?”

“Stop it, Erina!” Jack’s face flushed with embarrassment, his voice rising.

She leaned in close. “If you try anything with Yuffie…you know what will happen, don’t you?”

“There you go again, making that face a Saint isn’t supposed to,” he muttered.

Yuffie, completely clueless over their conversation, tilted her head in confusion. Then she remembered why she was there in the first place. “A-Anyway, congratulations on your victory, Jack!”

“Oh, right,” he replied, clearing his throat and turning back to her. “It’s all thanks to you, Yuffie.”

“Oh no! I didn’t do anything!”

“What you said during our training stuck with me. That I should fight with something other than brute force.”

“I don’t think it’s impossible for you to win, but it’s not likely when we compare our raw power, so maybe it’s not a bad idea to think about winning using something other than pure power.”

“Oh… Oh! You’re right, I did. I’m sorry if I was out of line…”

“No, you were right,” Jack argued, shaking his head, his face calm. “If I tried to match Hans’s raw power, it would have been an uphill battle. So I had to use my head.” His face softened as he reflected on his victory. “You helped me level up. I really don’t know how to thank you.”

“W-Well, I appreciate that, but…” Yuffie, unaccustomed to being thanked, looked both happy and a little flustered. “You’re the one who never gave up, who fought, who worked hard, and who won… So you should pat yourself on the back instead… Omigosh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, that sounded super condescending!”

Jack blinked, then huffed out a small laugh. “The person who taught me to never give up and to keep trying was you too, you know.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.” He changed the subject. “By the way, have you seen Edward?”

“Edward? No. Why?”

“No biggie. Just that he said he had an important role in the healing magic part of the tournament, so I was worried when he wasn’t in the waiting room.”

“Oh? I heard the waiting rooms are split by grade, so maybe the stagehands are somewhere else.”

Just like Erina stated, the three of them were the only ones there. That made Jack even more curious about what part a guy like Edward could possibly have in the other division. That was when the emcee’s voice echoed through the room.

“In ten minutes, the healing magic segment will begin! All contestants, please make your way to the arena!”

Yuffie’s back snapped ramrod straight.

“It’s almost time, Yuffie.”

“It… It sure is…”

Her face was a mix of nervousness and anxiety. The moment she had been praying from the bottom of her heart wouldn’t come had finally arrived. The healing magic segment was about to begin.

💠🌸💠

“WE now commence the healing magic portion of the tournament!”

The emcee’s voice rang out, and the entire venue was filled with applause and cheers. Unlike the previous attack magic competition, there was a greater presence of female students, and the atmosphere was noticeably more vibrant.

“Let me introduce our contestants! Representing the first-years, Erina Celestia! Aaand Yuffie Abisus!”

Yuffie stepped onto the stage with Erina. At that moment, a wave of cheers erupted, so loud it seemed to make the spectator stands shake.

“Lady Erina! You’re so wonderful!”

“Have my children!”

Erina responded to the high-pitched cheers with a confident smile and a wave. Yuffie, on the other hand, received no words of encouragement.

This is so awkward!

Next to her, Yuffie simply shrank back, desperately trying to keep her trembling legs moving.

“Hey, who’s that girl next to Erina?”

“Yuffie, or something like that? I think she’s at the bottom of her class…”

They’re definitely saying stuff like that…

The intense feeling of being out of place made her feel nauseous, as if countless eyes were piercing her. Her heart pounded, and her palms were slick with sweat. If she let her guard down, she felt like she’d collapse.

“It’s okay, Yuffie,” soothed Erina, giving her hand a warm, reassuring squeeze. “You’re a star today too, so hold your head up high and do your best.”

“Erina…”

Encouraged by her words and gentle smile, Yuffie’s heart felt a little lighter.

That’s right… This is my moment too…

She’d always dreamed of this, of displaying her healing magic in front of a crowd and being praised. Her progress may have only been a three-minute reduction in healing time, but there was no doubt her healing magic had improved. With that confidence, Yuffie clenched her fists tightly.

As the two reached the center of the stage, the host’s voice rose again.

“Next, representing the second-years…”

Two girls from the grade above walked toward the stage. One was the most skilled healer, occupying the same position as Erina, with a look of calm composure. The other seemed to be in the same boat as Yuffie, shuffling along with an expression of intense nervousness, barely able to put one foot in front of the other.

With the stage set, the host boomed, “Allow me to explain the rules! But first, I’ll introduce you to the one receiving their healing magic, our ‘patient,’ Edward!”

Edward walked out from behind the stage.

“Walk straight, you filthy pig!”

“Mpf! Hngh!”

He was shirtless, being whipped from behind by Professor Sharon.

“Uh-oh! Our patient is getting some serious licks from a very scary teacher! We’d better apply some healing magic quickly or else the pain will be too much for him!” The host’s little skit began, and the audience roared with laughter. Since healing magic was a part of everyday life, very few students were seriously concerned about such an injury. The sight of Edward, usually so earnest and steady, being mercilessly whipped as he walked onto the stage, was a huge hit with the crowd.

“So that’s what his ‘important role’ was.”

“It looks painful…”

“Oh, don’t worry about him. He’s tough…and besides…he has…well, a certain…predilection…” Erina stammered, averting her gaze as if a bit embarrassed to say it.

A light bulb went off in Yuffie’s head. Like a student who had just solved a difficult problem, she said proudly, “So Edward’s a masochist!”

“Yuffie, who taught you that word?”

“Um, Jack.”

“…Remind me to have a word with him later.”

“Why?!”

While they were talking, Edward arrived at the stage. He plopped onto the ground with a thud, his upper body covered in blood, moaning, “Just…end me…”

The emcee continued without missing a beat. “The rules are simple! You will cast healing magic on Edward and compete for the fastest time to heal him fully!”

“So he gets healed and then whipped again,” Erina observed.

“Eeek!” Yuffie shrieked.

“Don’t worry, my skill is such that I can perfectly replicate the exact location and intensity of the whips,” assured Sharon, tapping the torture device in her hand with a sadistic smile. Yuffie let out another shriek.

“First up, the first-years!”

Erina stepped forward with an elegant flourish, while Yuffie nervously followed suit.

If I can just make my healing magic a little bit more powerful, I can win… She was in a team with Erina, racing against the other two to heal Edward. But if I lose focus for even a second…

The power of healing magic varied depending on one’s physical condition and mental concentration. It was highly likely that her nervousness would cause her to lose focus, preventing her from performing as she usually would. Especially with so many people watching. Oh no, what if that happens? What if I embarrass Erina? No, no, no… The worst-case scenario made her legs tremble. A gentle touch patted her back.

“It’s okay, Yuffie,” Erina said, giving her a beatific smile. “Don’t worry about me. This is a festival, so just have fun with it.”

Yuffie’s tense body relaxed as Erina’s words hit home, as if she could read her mind.

“Yes…” Yuffie nodded and took a slow, deep breath. I worked so hard for this moment… Jack coached her through grueling physical training, gradually shortening her healing time. Her healing skills were clearly better than they had been two weeks ago. That fact gave Yuffie a measure of confidence. She pursed her lips tightly, her gaze settling on Edward, who was in agony.

“Now…begin!”

The host gave the signal, and the moment of truth had come…

“EVERYONE GET DOWN!”

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A flash and a deafening roar. The center of the stage exploded, sending a massive plume of smoke into the air.

“AHHHHHHHH!”

A shockwave swept through the arena, and screams filled the air. The smell of burning flesh hit Yuffie’s nostrils, and a wall of smoke obscured her vision. She coughed furiously.

“Wh-What was that…?” Yuffie choked out, stunned. Pain shot through her body from the blast.

“Yuffie, are you okay?!”

“Y-Yes!” She managed to answer, hearing Erina’s voice. As she desperately tried to make sense of the situation, she heard someone’s shout from somewhere else.

“Look up! Look up!”

“It’s a demon! A demon attack!”

Yuffie looked up and saw a grotesque figure floating in the air. A muscular body, sharp, glowing eyes, pale skin, and enormous black wings. His inhuman appearance was exactly that of a demon. He held a battle-ax several times bigger than a person, the weapon a symbol of fear and power.

“That’s…the demon, Zax!”

Yuffie’s heart jumped at Erina’s words. She suddenly remembered what Edward had told them all in the student council room. “The Demon King has seven high-ranking demons known as the ‘Seven Pillars.’ I was able to confirm that Gordo was acting on orders from one of them, a demon named Zax.” This demon was the one who had manipulated Gordo, a religious extremist, to attack the student council.

Demons were ranked even higher than the highest-level S-rank monsters. In other words, they were beings that the national army could only defeat by working together. Encountering one meant certain death.

Zax’s arrival sent the arena into a panic. Girls shrieked and ran. The crowd rushed to the exits, causing even more chaos. People screamed, cried, and stumbled. It was pandemonium.

“Yuffie! Erina! Are you two all right?!” They heard Lyle’s yell above the noise.

“Yes, we’re fine!”

“W-We’re okay!”

Then he immediately turned to Zax and raised his hand.

“Marina Burst!” A spiral of water shot from Lyle’s hand, forming a giant pillar and flying toward Zax.

“Roaring Flame Beast!”

“Flaming Giant King!”

“Lightning Whirlwind!”

“Shattering Earth!”

Lyle, Jack, Hans, and other male students and teachers bravely unleashed a barrage of spells at Zax. Fire, water, lightning, earth, wind—spells of every element rushed toward the demon.

“Hah! Your puny attacks won’t work on me!” He swung his battle-ax, blowing all the magic away, sending the various energies raining back down like a destructive storm. The giant water pillar crashed into the ground, causing a flood, and the whirlwind created a twister of flames and smoke.

“No way…!”

“This can’t be…!”

Screams echoed as a shadow of despair fell over the entire venue. All the spells had been nullified by the demon’s immense magical strength. Zax was a walking, talking embodiment of overwhelming power. Some of the students who had cast spells at him screamed and ran.

“Damn it… He’s too strong!” Lyle cursed, shouting, “Yuffie, Erina! I’ll hold him off! Get out of here!”

“B-But I should fight too…”

“You can’t! There are too many people watching for you to use your power!”

“Gah! Y-You’re right! But I don’t think this is the time to worry about that!”

While they were talking, Zax looked down and said, “You worms. I don’t even need to get my hands dirty.” He raised a hand to the heavens and said calmly, “Come to me, my strongest servant, Ultimate Gigadragon!”

At that moment, a light tore through the sky, and the heavens shook. A colossal shadow descended from the sky with a thunderous roar. Its back was covered in thick scales, a blackish red. Its massive body was like a fortress, resembling a lizard. With its massive wings, its form in the sky was like a flying fortress.

“Grrrrr…”

Its growl was bone-chilling. This monster was a dragon—the top of the food chain and the ruler of the skies. An A-rank threat. It was so strong that an entire brigade of the kingdom’s army would be needed to take it down.

“It’s over…” someone muttered. Two beings that the national army couldn’t handle on its own stood before them. With no chance, students gave up on running away and could only stare blankly, their short lives flashing before their eyes.

“Kill them all,” Zax commanded.

GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAR! Obeying Zax’s command, the dragon spread its enormous wings and descended with a mighty roar. Just as everyone prepared for death, a spectator suddenly muttered, “Hey…why does that dragon have a big lump on its head…?”

SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! The dragon suddenly slammed on the brakes. Because it had spotted a girl among the crowd—Yuffie. Its eyes bulged in shock.

“Y-Yuffie! What are you doing! You need to run…?” Lyle started shouting, but then he noticed the dragon’s strange behavior.

As soon as Yuffie made eye contact with the creature, something clicked in her head. “Aha!”

The dragon in front of her was the same one she had run into just two weeks ago while practicing her wind magic. It had attacked her, and she had beaten it with a giant hammer made of earth magic. The slightly singed wings and the huge bump on its head were proof. Though her appearance had changed with the villainess costume she was wearing, the dragon must have sensed she was the same person. After making eye contact with her, it started sweating profusely.

Both sides were silent. The crowd watched, bewildered. I-I-I-I-I hate this so much! Just go away already! Then she turned to the dragon and smiled. But the smile screamed for it to scram.

The dragon reacted like a mouse that had stumbled upon a snake. It seemed to have understood Yuffie’s “go away” aura. The dragon—the strongest monster in existence and a symbol of disaster—slowly nodded. Then, like a docile subordinate leaving a terrifying superior’s house, it bowed its head, flapped its large wings, and flew away into the distance.

“…Huh?”

Everyone was dumbfounded, not understanding what had just happened. Zax was just as confused, his face slack.

They didn’t see me use attack magic, right?! Yuffie’s heart was pounding. She tried to convince herself that outside of the student council, nobody would think she was the one who chased off the dragon.

Lyle, who had a pretty good guess about what happened, quietly asked, “Yuffie…was that dragon a friend of yours?”

“Um…I might have…punished it just a tad before, so it might be a bit scared of me.”

“…Sometimes, I wonder if you’re really human,” he commented with a dry chuckle.

“What do you mean by that?!” Yuffie retorted.

Zax, on the other hand, snapped out of his daze. “You good-for-nothing cur!” he yelled, his face flushing with anger at the unexpected turn of events. A wave of fury from his muscular body radiated outward like heat. “Fine, I’ll personally turn you all to ash.”

He raised his battle-ax to the sky, and the surrounding air changed. An immense amount of mana from his massive body flowed into the weapon, a truly abnormal sight.

“This is bad! If that thing hits the ground, no one will survive!”

“Run!”

The remaining people in the arena rushed toward the exits. Some were frozen in place by fear.

What do I do, what do I do?! Yuffie was in turmoil. The rule of “don’t use attack magic in front of people” held her firmly in place. While she logically understood that survival was number one, this was the first time she had been in such a situation, and she couldn’t decide what to do. As her panic rose, Yuffie suddenly remembered the time Lyle had lent her his hand towel.

“Ahhh… what is this…?”

“I applied water and fire magic to make a warm, damp compress out of the handkerchief. It feels good, right?”

“A combination of fire and water magic…” Moments from Jack and Hans’s battle flashed in her mind.

If I can use steam as a smokescreen…! She could keep herself out of everyone’s sight while using her offensive magic. Just as she was about to put her plan into action, she realized that anyone seeing her create the steam at all would defeat the purpose.

“Jack! Lyle!” Yuffie shouted toward the stage.

“What?!”

“What’s wrong, Yuffie?!”

She was about to ask for their help…

“You should have known without asking.”

“Who are you again? That girl in my class…?”

The words stuck in her throat. She remembered those hurtful things others said to her in the past. They weighed on her now, freezing her to the spot.

No! Don’t be like that! Yuffie was furious at herself for not being able to take a step forward, even in a life-or-death situation for her friends. She slapped her cheeks, trying to get rid of the dark memories.

“We’re your friends. If you want something, say it. None of us will think it’s a burden.”

Lyle’s words came to mind and gave her a push. Why are you letting your trauma stop you now?! She steeled herself and shouted, “Make a massive steam cloud to blind him!”

Lyle and Jack immediately understood.

“Inferno!”

“Marina Burst!”

The two moved like they’d been a team for years. Jack unleashed a volley of fireballs, and Lyle countered all of them with water magic. Fire and water collided, creating explosions everywhere and filling the expansive space with steam.

“A pointless distraction. I’ll still turn you all to ash,” Zax sneered, his sharp eyes fixed on the sight below.

The sudden steam had covered the entire arena in white, but it wouldn’t matter since he planned to blow up the whole school anyway.

“Soon, you’ll all be corpses.” Zax sneered, then released the immense amount of mana he had gathered into his ax. The moment he did, a sharp flash shot out of the steam. A deafening roar erupted, followed by the sound of flesh tearing. The battle-ax, his companion for so long, shattered, along with his arm.

“GWAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” A ground-shaking bellow echoed through the hall. His face was no longer oozing confidence; instead, it was contorted in pain. Blood splattered, his black wings shook violently, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air.

“What…what was that…?” Zax was confused as he tried to figure out what had happened. He looked around, and a girl emerged from the smoke—Yuffie, who had flown up using wind magic.

“Lightning Flash!” As Yuffie chanted, the air sizzled with the sound of burning oxygen. A lightning spell that warped the air shot from her hand, rushing toward Zax like a living thing.

“Hngh!” The demon tried to block it with his other arm, but Yuffie’s magical power easily overcame his defense and blew away his other arm in a brilliant flash; the sound of flesh tearing and bones breaking filled the air.

“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

A human girl with an unbelievable magical attack. Her hair and eye colors were different from the reports, but only one person could have done such a thing.

“You’re the one… Yuffie Abisus?!”

“Oh, hi, yes, that’s me.” Her casual tone and reply, out of place in the tense atmosphere, broke the tension.

“Damn you!” With exertion, Zax regrew his blown-off arms back with a sickening squelch.

“Ewww…”

“Don’t look at me like I’m trash!” he screamed in response to Yuffie’s expression of disgust.

It was the first time he had confronted Yuffie directly. He had only heard about her in reports, and every one of them was so absurd that he thought they must have been a hallucination. Lumea may have been caught off guard, but he was different. He had planned to take care of the Academy’s powerhouses during the festival and wipe out Yuffie Abisus as a bonus. But she was…

A force beyond my expectations…

The humiliation of having both of his arms blown off by a human girl who was supposed to be powerless. Anger surged within him, but his coldly calculating mind told him he couldn’t win if he faced her head-on. Zax was a rational demon.

“I-I have to finish this now because it would be really bad if someone saw me! I’m so sorry!” Yuffie exclaimed, raising both palms toward Zax, ready to unleash an ultimate attack.

“I don’t think so,” Zax retorted. In a flash, his outline blurred. “We’ll meet again, Yuffie Abisus.” Then he vanished without a trace.

“H-He’s gone?!” Yuffie looked around, but the demon was nowhere to be found. It was the same kind of illusion magic Gordo had used when he attacked the student council.

“I guess…it’s over?” She was annoyed she couldn’t end him, but at least the threat of the demon had been neutralized. Yuffie let out a sigh of relief.

💠🌸💠

SHE descended quietly to the ground, careful not to be seen.

Debris littered the area, the air reeked of smoke, and plumes of ash and vapor rose from various spots. Most of the spectators had apparently evacuated, yet somewhere in the chaos, she could still hear shouts and groans. Although the worst had been avoided, the scene remained in panic.

“Wait… Where’s Edward…?”

Yuffie froze. He would have been exactly where Zax’s first attack had exploded. An awful premonition spread through her chest, and the blood drained from her face. She hurried toward the epicenter and saw Edward lying in the rubble, barely clinging to life.

“E-Edward!”

At her cry, his eyes flickered open faintly, but he seemed too weak to respond. He was severely injured—his skin was charred, and blood streamed from multiple wounds. Half of his right arm was gone, and his legs were twisted unnaturally. He obviously needed treatment immediately, or he wouldn’t survive.

“I invoke the power of healing…”

Yuffie held her hands over him, pouring every ounce of her energy into the healing spell. But while she could unleash magic powerful enough to blast demons away, her recovery magic remained weak. Even if she sped up healing from an hour to fifty-seven minutes, the spell’s effect was still minor. While it might slow the approach of death a bit, it wasn’t enough to save him. I can’t do this alone…! Helplessness washed over her, and tears threatened to spill.

“Someone! Anyone, please! I need healing magic or Edward…he…!”

Her voice cracked. But her plea didn’t go unanswered. Footsteps came running toward her.

“Yuffie!”

“Erina!”

Like a guardian angel, she arrived, breathless but determined. She knelt beside Yuffie, her face a mix of tension and resolve.

“Erina… Edward, he… I… Please…” she begged her in tears.

Erina gasped at the sight of him, but quickly regained her composure. “I invoke the power of healing…”

She pressed her hands over him and cast a powerful spell. Light radiated from her hands. Blinding and warm, it was almost as bright as the sun itself as it enveloped Edward’s entire body. The light seeped into his wounds, regenerating his skin, stopping the bleeding, and restoring his missing right arm. His breathing stabilized, and his complexion regained color—this was healing magic of a scale incomparable to Yuffie’s.

“There. You’re safe now,” Erina exhaled in relief. Edward was unconscious from the pain, but his breathing was steady.

“Thank goodness…” Yuffie also let out a sigh of relief and collapsed, her body drained of tension. She clasped her hands to her chest, gripping them tightly.

“I’m so sorry. My healing magic… It was useless…”

Erina shook her head gently and held Yuffie’s hands. “Don’t say that. Yuffie, you defeated the demon.”

“Gah! You saw that?” She shuddered, realizing her smokescreen had been a dud.

“No. I couldn’t see through the white mist. But his presence is gone. You took care of it, didn’t you?”

Yuffie nodded. “Well…technically, he escaped…”

“But you still saved everyone. Truly, thank you, Yuffie.”

The praise made Yuffie’s chest tingle.

“And…” Erina’s voice grew serious. “If you hadn’t cast your healing magic, Edward might not have survived.”

“Huh?” Yuffie froze in surprise.

“After hundreds, even thousands of healing spells, you start to sense these things. And I know if you hadn’t intervened…he likely wouldn’t have made it.” There was certainty in Erina’s voice. Considering she was the most capable and talented healer in their year, it had to be true.

“Healing magic can’t bring back the dead. So, Yuffie, you saved Edward’s life.”

The words struck deep in Yuffie’s chest. Heat rose from her core, and tears began to fall.

“Thank…goodness…” She covered her mouth, overwhelmed. For so long, her healing magic had been a source of insecurity. It might have been weak, but it had saved a life. That realization warmed her heart, and the tears spilled.

“I’m so, so…glad…”

Yuffie’s heart swelled with relief and joy. She had saved Edward. Her own power had made a difference.

Erina didn’t say a word. She just wrapped her arms around her. Yuffie couldn’t stop her tears as she bowed her head, but in that quiet hug, all the anxiety and helplessness she had carried melted away, replaced by a faint but growing confidence.

An Epilogue Where You Can’t Even Take a Much-needed Breather

An Epilogue Where You Can’t Even Take a Much-needed Breather

THE May Festival was cut short by the sudden appearance of the demon Zax, but the very next day, classes resumed as usual.

“Excuse me! You’re a student at the Academy of Magic, right?”

“Can we get a comment about yesterday’s demon attack?”

At the school gates, reporters from the Gardelia Times and Weekly Magic Spring were swarming students for interviews. Inside and out, the school was abuzz from early morning, with no shortage of hot topics. The most popular were the grudge match between Jack and Hans and the demon’s appearance. But overshadowing even those was the rumor of the mysterious cross-dressing boy who had driven it away.

“Did you hear? About the blond cross-dresser who chased off the demon?!”

“I heard, I heard! They say he blasted the thing with insanely powerful attack magic!”

Gossip spread like wildfire among the students.

They don’t know, they don’t know, they don’t know… Right?! Yuffie was doing her best to disappear, slumped face down at her desk. It felt a lot like hiding under a bed while a monster prowled the house.

Thanks to her quick thinking, Lyle and Jack had covered her with a fog screen, but it hadn’t been enough to blind all the witnesses. At least one student had seen someone with long blond hair unleash a colossal attack spell into the sky. The mist and steam had been thick, and Yuffie had immediately flown off with wind magic after casting the spell, so the student had only seen her wig.

Still, the rumor that someone had driven off a demon—the strongest being in existence—was more than enough to send shockwaves throughout the Academy. By morning, the story had spread beyond the school, drawing reporters from all over the capital of Gardelia. Since it was widely believed that only men could wield attack magic, no one suspected that the “cross-dresser” had actually been Yuffie dressed as a villainess. Everyone automatically assumed it had been a blond cross-dressing boy.

“Lady Catherine… You wouldn’t happen to be a cross-dresser, would you?”

“H-How dare you?!”

As a result, several blonde girls in Yuffie’s class found themselves under suspicion. Uuugh… I’ll have to apologize to Catherine later… Just as Yuffie was drowning in guilt—

“Everyone’s talking about you, Yuffie.”

“Eeek?!” Startled by the whisper in her ear, she shot upright. “L-Lyle! Good morning!”

“Morning. How are you holding up?”

“I feel like I’m going to die.”

“Haha, I bet you do,” Lyle chuckled before continuing, “Shame about the tournament being canceled halfway through, though.”

“It sure…is…”

The May Festival and any remaining events, including the healing magic portion of the tournament, had been canceled. Yuffie never got the chance to showcase her ability in front of everyone. Strangely enough, she didn’t feel any disappointment. Because yesterday, she had saved Edward’s life after he was left barely breathing from Zax’s attack. For her, that was worth much more than winning in a contest.

Edward had stayed home to recover, but his life was no longer in danger. I really…saved him, didn’t I? It still didn’t feel real, but Erina’s reassuring words filled her with quiet satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Lyle sighed. “I went through all that trouble to get you in too. If I’d known it would end like this, I might not have bothered.”

“…What did you say?” Thinking she’d misheard, Yuffie looked at him.

Lyle grinned like a mischievous child. “I had a word with the organizers. Nudged the selection for the healing magic slot, just a little…”

“W-Wait, then the reason they chose me was…?”

She had wondered. Until last year, the slot had always gone to the top student of each grade. Suddenly, this year, the bottom of the rung had been picked.

Lyle beamed at her. “I figured it might be a good turning point for you.”

“You! You abused your power as a prince for something like that?! God, you’re terrifying!”

“But it all worked out in the end, didn’t it?”

Yuffie had no comeback. In hindsight, he was right—being chosen had driven her desperation into overdrive, forced her into training, and in the process sharpened her healing magic. Ultimately, Lyle’s meddling had helped her. She found herself floundering mentally, unsure how to feel about this revelation. Then suddenly, the classroom entrance erupted in cheers.

“Hey, Jack’s here!”

“Jack! You were amazing yesterday!”

Amid applause and shouts, he entered, holding a bouquet of roses, probably handed to him by some fan in the hall. Ignoring the admiration from boys and girls, he walked straight toward Yuffie. He stopped, but seemed at a loss for words.

“Morning, Jack,” Lyle greeted.

“Yeah. Morning.”

Taking their exchange as a chance for her to take the initiative, she straightened her posture in her seat and said, “Good morning, Jack!”

“Yeah… Morning…”

He seemed a lot softer than when they first met. Now he stood there, uncertain, scratching the back of his neck while he tried to think of what to say.

“If you ever want chicken breast and broccoli…gimme a holler.”

As part of their deal, Jack owed her a year’s worth of chicken breast and broccoli for her coaching him in offensive magic.

“Th-Thank you! You’re a lifesaver since I was about to run out of burdock root…” Yuffie smiled brightly at him.

“Cool. Great. Glad I could help.” One side of his mouth lifted just a bit.

Lyle frowned, watching them. Am I imagining things? Or was there a hint of red in Jack’s cheeks?

“E-Excuse me!”

They turned to see an excited girl standing nearby.

“You two both like comics, don’t you?!”

She was clutching the newest issue of Weekly Magic Spring. The cover headline blared: “The Hidden Secrets of Jack Gallini, Son of the Minister of War!”

“Ah, shit…” Jack visibly paled.

Yuffie whispered nervously, “D-Do you think they caught you…in the girls’ comic section?”

“If they did, my life is over!” he hissed back.

The fall from the fire-magic hero who defeated Hans to a hopeless romance junkie would be too much to bear. But when Jack snatched the magazine, what he saw instead was…himself, caught mid-passionate speech to Yuffie, with a bookshelf featuring BL (Boys’ love: a literary genre portraying love between two men) in the background.

“!○?#*@&$%?!” He gave a strangled, wordless cry, his face white as a sheet.

The romance novel shelves had been right next to the BL corner. The reporter must have snapped the photo there, making it look like Jack was talking up BL to Yuffie.

“Isn’t this great, Jack?! They didn’t expose you as a romance novel fan!” She sounded relieved.

“No, it’s not great at all!!! This is way worse!!! Now the whole country thinks I’m into BL! Damn it, that woman gave this to me ’cause that’s exactly what she thinks!!!” He slammed the bouquet down on the desk. At that moment, the classroom door crashed open.

“L–Lord Gaios, Minister of War?!” a student cried out at the sight of the towering man who had just entered.

His overwhelming presence had several students snapping bolt upright. Gaios strode up to Jack and Yuffie, picked up the magazine, and glanced at the spread.

“D-Dad, this isn’t what it looks like—”

“Your hobbies are your own business.”

“Argh! Not you too— I don’t want you getting the wrong idea!”

Utterly unconcerned, Gaios continued, “I watched your duel with the Arnold boy yesterday.”

“You…you were there?”

“I had business nearby. Decided to drop in for a moment.” Then, for the first time, his stern expression softened. “You’ve grown stronger.”

The gentle words struck a deep chord in Jack.

“Dad…” Caught off guard, he could only stare. Then, rubbing under his nose, he let out a cocky laugh. “Heh. I wouldn’t mind more compliments, ya know.”

“That’s not what I came here for.”

“…Oh. Then why…?”

Gaios’s gaze shifted to Yuffie, who had been doing her best to fade into the background.

“Yuffie Abisus.”

“Yes, sir?!” she squeaked out in surprise.

With heavy, quiet authority, Gaios stated, “You’ve been summoned. You’re coming with me right now to the royal palace.”

“…Wh-Wh-Whaaaat?!” Yuffie’s shriek rang through the classroom.

No sooner had one storm passed than another loomed on the horizon.

Afterword

Afterword

TO those of you meeting me for the first time, it’s nice to meet you! And to those of you who’ve been with me before, welcome back. I’m Fuyu Aoki.

What did you think of the second volume in this exhilarating, heartwarming, and off-the-beaten-path school comedy about a loner who just so happens to be the strongest attack magician? As always, Yuffie was such a restless little thing throughout the writing process that I kept worrying, “What if her antics stop being funny and just become plain weird…?” But then I reminded myself, “Hey, I’m writing a comedy! I don’t need to pump the brakes for anyone!” So I went full throttle instead.

In the end, I think Yuffie once again managed to bring both laughs and warmth to readers’ hearts, so…mission accomplished! Never mind that I get the feeling Erina’s “slightly unhinged” aura only grew stronger as a side effect, but…let’s just call that my imagination. Probably. I think.

Anyway, Jack took the spotlight in this volume. Back in volume one, he was little more than a sad sack who existed as a foil for Yuffie’s strength. But this time, I dove into his background and gave him room to grow through his interactions with her, turning him into a much more rounded character. Personally, I love meathead, macho types like him. That mindset of powering through everything with grit and determination really resonates with me, making him a joy to write about.

At first, I worried that mixing him with Yuffie would spark some kind of chaotic chemical reaction that would make the story all over the place. But once I started writing, they turned out to be surprisingly compatible. The kind of odd couple everyone loves! Granted, after all the twists and turns, Jack somehow ended up being someone with somewhat questionable hobbies. However…let’s chalk that up to my imagination too. Maybe. Perhaps.

That’s the sort of energy I’ll keep going with—relaxed and easy. I hope you’ll continue to watch over Yuffie as she muddles along her path toward sainthood with her gentle delusions.

Since I’m running out of pages, it’s time for acknowledgements. To my editor, I-san, thank you once again for sticking with me through this second volume. The manuscript ballooned way beyond what I expected, and I can only be grateful for your patience in waiting for me to finish it finally (I’m so serious right now. Not even joking).

To the illustrator, Bodax-sensei, thank you for turning yet another one of my bizarre requests (“make her look like a villainess while a cat perches on her shoulder”) into a drawing worthy of a painting. When I first saw Yuffie’s character art, I literally went “Pfft?!” out loud. It was hilarious, and I loved it!

To my parents, who always welcome me with open arms whenever I go home to the countryside; to the readers who supported me on the web version; and to everyone who helped bring this book to print, I give my heartfelt thanks to you all.

Thank you so very much!

And with that, I hope to see you again in volume three.

Fuyu Aoki