{Time has passed so quickly... It's been almost a year since I joined the Magic Academy, but I still haven't been able to use magic. The battles between the students in my class begin in just a few days. Even without magic, I must train my strength and endurance. Fortunately, they've allowed us access to the Gravity Chambers for this.} — Arthur thought.
He headed toward the Gravity Chamber. The heavy metal door swung outward, revealing a spacious yet notably compact area, resembling the inside of a gray, featureless box. There was nothing beyond the smooth faces of the square-shaped walls, completely enclosed, with no windows or decorations. A purely functional environment. Arthur peered inside.
— Hello? Looks like no one's here. — Arthur said to himself. — Most students don't use these chambers. They just want to train magic. At least, I'll have this space all to myself. — a smile formed on his lips.
Arthur was mesmerized, lost in thought and excited about having the chamber to himself—so much so that he didn't notice someone approaching.
— Hey, what do you think you're doing, you idiot? Do you actually believe you'll accomplish anything in the Gravity Chamber? At best, you'll collapse to the floor, beg for help, and crawl like the worm you are! — Kidero mocked, laughing loudly with his friends.
— Go on, Arthur. Step inside. Let's see what you're capable of! — Sanzu taunted, his hands hovering over the gravity magic control panel.
Kidero shoved Arthur inside the chamber and shouted for Sanzu to increase the power to level 2. Instantly, Arthur fell to the floor, unable to withstand the pull of gravity.
— Is this how you plan to face the class? So weak and pathetic? Just give up and save yourself the humiliation! — Kidero said with disgust.
Mia suddenly appeared at the entrance, her face flushed with anger.
— Hey, you idiots! Leave him alone! — she yelled.
— Oh, great, here you come to ruin the fun. Let's go, Sanzu. Let's go, Shirō. We'll take down that loser in the battle! — Kidero sneered, walking away with his friends.
— Hey, failure! You always rely on a girl to save you. Let's see what happens in the battle when she's not there to help! — Kidero added as he walked off.
The Academy's Director observed everything through dimensional screens installed throughout the school, projecting live footage into her office. However, she did not intervene, believing she should not interfere unless something truly serious occurred.
— Director, we need to do something. They're just children! We can't allow this behavior in our school! — Moriyama insisted, visibly upset.
— We must not interfere in matters concerning student 121. He must resolve his own problems. The king made it clear that he is not like the others. That is why I decided not to step in and instructed the other senseis to do the same. — the Director responded firmly.
— But this is... — Moriyama murmured, deep in thought, unable to finish her sentence.
Mia deactivated the Gravity Chamber and approached Arthur.
— Are you okay? — she asked, concerned.
— Y-yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for helping me. — Arthur responded, embarrassed.
— Those guys are total idiots, huh? They don't care about training and even disrupt others' practice, just because they think they're the best in the class. — Mia said, extending a hand to help him up.
— If you want, I can help you train. I need to prepare for the student battle too. — Mia offered, smiling.
— I heard that at the end of the first academic cycle, in three years, there will be a special event. In the second year, battles will take place between all students in the academy. And in the third year, the biggest battle of all will be held in the grand arena. Every student will participate, and even people from across the kingdom will be able to compete. The first-place winner will receive a special prize. — Mia continued.
Arthur, overwhelmed by all the information, felt his head spin and fell backward.
— Sorry! I talked too much, didn't I? — Mia said with a shy smile.
— Yeah... — Arthur murmured, still on the ground, his head burning.
— Shall we train? — Mia asked.
— Yes! — Arthur confirmed, standing up.
After their conversation, they left the chamber and moved to the courtyard for a training battle. Arthur held a wooden sword, while Mia prepared herself, her hands glowing softly with a light green energy aura. She made the first move.
— Cutting Winds! — Mia exclaimed, launching gusts of wind toward Arthur.
Arthur dodged each attack and rushed toward her. As he neared, he jumped, ready to end the fight.
— Wind Wall! — Mia called out, creating a barrier of wind in front of her.
The wall repelled Arthur, sending him flying backward.
— Are you okay? — Mia asked, running toward him.
— I'm great and ready to continue! — Arthur responded, determined.
— Wind Guard! — Mia announced, summoning a wind guardian her size to fight Arthur.
Arthur focused and charged forward. Without realizing it, he infused a trace of dimensional magic into his sword. As soon as he struck the guardian, it vanished instantly. Mia, surprised, activated her strongest magic.
— Tempest Gale! — she shouted, releasing intense wind blasts.
Arthur, excited after defeating the guardian, blocked the blasts and advanced, getting closer and closer to Mia. She began to feel nervous, but at that moment, her friend interrupted.
— Hey, Mia! You said you were going to train with me and Shiori! — Ichika exclaimed, her expression irritated but adorably frustrated.
The interruption shattered their focus, and Arthur tripped, falling onto Mia.
— Ow! Are you okay? — Arthur asked, awkwardly.
— Yes. Can you get off me, please? — Mia requested calmly.
— A-ah, sorry! — Arthur said, jumping up quickly.
— I'm coming, Ichika. Go ahead! — Mia said, turning to Arthur. — Hey, don't forget to train hard this week, okay? See you later, bye!
Arthur, motivated, tightened his grip on his sword and whispered:
— Definitely.
Looking at the sword, he noticed it was damaged.
{What happened to my sword? Must've been Mia's wind magic.} — Arthur thought.
Little did he know that it had actually been a small manifestation of his dimensional magic when he defeated the wind guardian.