The next day, Rudeus came to me with a proposition.
"Alright, brother. How about a spar?"
I set my book aside and looked up. "Rudeus? What do you mean by a spar?"
Ignoring my question, he stood up and shifted into a basic karate stance.
"You see, I'm great at magic, but not so much at hand-to-hand combat. Plus, I already have a great physique..." He flexed both arms. "Hercules and Hulk, my trusty companions."
I facepalmed, though a faint smile slipped out. "So you want to fight? Fine, let's head to the training room."
Rudeus blinked. "Uh, aren't you going to ask if I'm ready or something?"
"No, Rudeus. Shall we?"
He grinned and headed for the door. "Alright, let's go."
Rudeus stood opposite me and resumed his stance.
"Brother, a few ground rules. I won't use magic, but you can't use Touki either. Deal?"
He wanted to level the playing field.
"So, strictly technique?"
He nodded enthusiastically.
"Fine by me." I took my stance and waited.
A minute passed.
Then two.
Rudeus didn't move a muscle.
"Rudeus?"
"Huh? Oh, right, sorry." He shook his head and lunged at me.
Though he wasn't the greatest fighter in the world, he was intermediate with a sword. That alone spoke volumes about his coordination and technique. As a martial artist, however, he was a complete beginner.
He led with a straight punch that I deflected with a simple flick of my wrist. Taking advantage of the opening, I shoved my palm into his face, stepped behind his legs to break his balance, and took him down with a sweep. I let go just before he hit the ground so he wouldn't get hurt.
Rudeus barely managed to tuck his chin in time to keep his head from bouncing off the floor.
"Ugh, without magic, I don't stand a chance against you..."
Yet, before he even got up, he launched a low sweep at my legs. It was an unconventional move, but an effective one. He used his position to strike exactly when most people would expect him to be recovering.
The kick connected, but instead of stepping back, I pushed forward. I closed the distance before he could react and pinned his face with one hand again.
"Not bad."
"I'm not done yet."
Rudeus slapped my hand away and pushed himself backward. With an agile bound, he opened up the distance and sprang back to his feet.
"Still going."
He charged again.
I deflected his punches and dodged his kicks.
At one point, I caught his fist and jammed it back against his chest, breaking his posture and locking up his movement. It was a counter he hadn't anticipated. He tried to compensate by throwing a knee strike with his free leg, but I caught that too before it could connect.
"Nice try, Rudeus. In a real fight anything goes, but you have to avoid getting grappled. Once someone controls your limbs, regaining the initiative becomes a hell of a lot harder."
He tried to retaliate with a headbutt, but I let go before it could land. Suddenly losing the support of my grip, he pitched forward and nearly fell flat on his face.
"Take this!" He used the forward momentum to launch himself at me once more.
He closed the gap in a flash and unleashed a flurry of blows.
I dodged the first.
The second was aimed straight at my face. If this were a real fight with no restrictions, it probably would have connected. But this was still just a sparring match.
I parried the strike with a short, precise motion and countered instantly. Rudeus spun around and hit the floor. A trickle of blood leaked from his mouth, but the magic circle beneath our feet immediately flared to life and healed the injury.
"It's useless! Every strike I throw, you intercept. It's like..."
I walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Rudeus, I've watched you fight way too many times..."
"..."
"...I know your habits, your preferences, and exactly how you string your combos together. No matter how hard you try, I can anticipate almost everything you're going to do."
Rudeus frowned. "So, what am I supposed to do then?"
"Be unpredictable. Break your own patterns. Do something you wouldn't normally do. Force your opponent to react instead of letting them anticipate. If you can do that, you'll stand a chance."
Rudeus stayed quiet for a few seconds. Then, he let out a dry huff of laughter.
"That's so unfair."
"Life isn't fair, Rudeus."
"Yeah, I know. It's just... how am I supposed to surprise someone who's literally known me since I was born?"
I studied him for a moment before answering.
"First, stop worrying about surprising me. Focus on becoming unpredictable in your own right. The rest will come with time, so don't beat yourself up over it."
Rudeus chuckled.
"I never stood a chance in this match, did I?"
I shook my head.
"No. But you placed unnecessary limits on yourself."
"You mean my magic?"
"Exactly. Magic is your greatest strength, Rudeus. Asking me not to use Touki was perfectly reasonable. But forbidding yourself from using magic was like fighting with one hand tied behind your back."
Rudeus looked thoughtful.
"I guess you're right."
"Training rules are meant for learning, not for proving a point. Never forget that."
"Next time, I'm using magic." Rudeus stood up and dusted off his clothes.
"Next time, I'm using Touki."
Rudeus froze.
"Then I'm dead."
"Maybe."
We both shared a laugh.
After that, we left the training room. The spar was over, but I knew Rudeus well. By the end of the day, he would undoubtedly be brainstorming some crazy way to catch me off guard in our next bout.
---
A month had passed since then, mostly because we had to wait for the entrance ceremony.
The Ranoa University of Magic isn't just the largest institution in the world. It is a sanctuary of knowledge co-sponsored by three nations and the Magic Guild. Under the leadership of the King-Tier Wind Mage, Georg, the academy houses over ten thousand students regardless of their race or background—from persecuted demons to exiled nobles. With a seven-year curriculum and an open-door policy, it is the one place where magical talent outweighs politics, entirely ignoring even the complaints of the Millis Church.
As a special student at Ranoa, I was assigned a private, twenty-tatami room in the massive five-story dormitory. Even though the university is a global powerhouse offering everything from general magical studies to advanced research for the Guild, daily life here still has its quirks. For instance, the toilets are manual, forcing students to use their own water magic to flush the system.
[Interesting. It's like the universities from my old world, but with far more freedom. Though they really ought to improve the plumbing situation]
Among thousands of students of all races, my "special" status granted me a few perks, most notably solitude. That was exactly what I was looking for by coming here, besides finding out the whereabouts of my sword.
As for the uniforms, the men were issued a suit, while the women received a blouse and skirt. These uniforms had just been introduced this year.
Rudeus found the designs quite cute.
[The uniform strongly resembles a Japanese high school style, really]
"Well, does it look good on me?" Elinalise struck a modeling pose in her new school uniform.
Rudeus stepped closer and tilted his head.
"If you roll up the skirt a bit and make it shorter, you might have better luck attracting guys. Just make sure it's high enough that they can almost see your underwear."
"Rudeus." I jabbed him with my elbow.
"What?" He rubbed his arm. "Brother, I'm just stating facts."
Elinalise, totally oblivious to our exchange, looked at Rudeus as if he were a misunderstood genius.
"Won't I get cold if I do that?" she asked.
"Wear thigh-high socks and you'll be fine."
"I see. I should have expected nothing less from you, Rudeus. You're a genius."
Taking his advice, Elinalise rolled up her skirt.
---
Afterward, we headed to the entrance ceremony, which was a major event at this school. Looking around the crowd, I saw one girl who looked visibly bored, while a boy nearby hung onto the principal's every word. Friend groups quietly gathered together, and a few students chatted animatedly in hushed tones.
"Ladies and gentlemen, many moons have passed since mages were considered inferior to swordsmen. It is true that the sword styles created by the Sword Gods are supreme. However! Magic is equally incredible! Swordsmanship, after all, is nothing more than a tool for killing. Magic is different. Magic holds the future! We will recover what we have lost and combine it with modern incantation styles to create a new—"
I stood quietly beside Elinalise and Rudeus, only half-listening.
So the sword is just for killing? Funny he'd say that, considering the sheer versatility of magic and the defensive value of a blade. Then again, I was admitted as a special student thanks to my silent casting, my immense mana pool, and my reaction speed. I never even scratched Sylphy during our duel, even though I easily could have.
I wasn't sure what would have happened if I had used my swordsmanship against Sylphy, who was currently masquerading as "Fitz," just another boy at the university, but the outcome probably wouldn't have been the same. The principal seemed to harbor a specific ideological grudge against swordsmanship in general, even though Touki is fundamentally just another application of magic.
The principal's sermon dragged on far longer than it should have.
"That is all. Ladies and gentlemen, the path of magic lies before you!"
Jinas wrapped up with grandiose words that made him sound like a champion of truth and justice.
"And now, a few words for our new students from the Student Council President."
At the vice principal's announcement, three people, a girl and two boys, stepped up onto the stage. Leading them was a young woman with golden hair styled in long, voluminous braids with elegantly curled tips.
"My, my, isn't that the boy you fought not too long ago?" Elinalise remarked.
Following her gaze, I looked at the two boys walking behind the president. One of them had white hair and wore sunglasses. I was absolutely certain it was Sylphy.
I don't know when to tell you, but I plan on doing it soon, Rudeus. I'll try to talk to Sylphy and figure out why she decided to hide her gender this time. Back in Buena Village, she wasn't pretending to be a boy. She just misunderstood the situation, thinking Rudeus was treating her like a girl rather than a guy. My brother, of course, believed the exact opposite.
I didn't recognize the other boy. He had slicked-back brown hair and a sword resting at his hip. He didn't look like a mage, and judging by his gait, he was almost certainly a swordsman, even if his posture was full of glaring flaws. Flaws aside, the guy bore a striking resemblance to Paul.
As the three of them took the stage, the crowd of students around us broke into excited whispers.
"That's Princess Ariel..."
"Then that guy over there must be Silent Fitz!"
"Aaah, it's Luke-sama!"
Apparently, the trio was quite famous. Luke was definitely cut from the same cloth as Paul. Basking in the high-pitched squeals from the girls, he casually raised a hand in response.
"My, my, now that is a fine-looking man," Elinalise murmured with deep interest.
"Quiet! Princess Ariel will now speak!" At Luke's command, the clamor instantly died down into absolute silence. "Please, Princess Ariel."
She waited until the crowd was completely settled before stepping up to the front of the stage.
"My name is Ariel Anemoi Asura. I am the Second Princess of the Asura Kingdom and the Student Council President of the University of Magic!"
There was something about her voice that projected a sense of calm. It was almost as if she possessed an innate talent for public speaking and conveying her ideals. It was that elusive quality people call charisma.
"All of you have gathered here from the farthest reaches of the world. Many of you hold different perspectives on what is considered normal. However, here at this university, we uphold a sense of order that may differ from what you are accustomed to."
The rest of her speech focused mainly on the school rules, emphasizing that even if the regulations here differed from their homelands, students were still expected to follow them.
"Now then, I hope you all enjoy your time here as students."
Ariel concluded her speech with that final line and stepped down from the stage.
It was right then that I noticed Sylphy staring at Rudeus. Since she was wearing sunglasses, I shouldn't have been able to tell she was looking our way, but the sheer intensity of her gaze made it unmistakable.
After the ceremony concluded, we parted ways with Elinalise and headed toward our designated classroom. Homeroom met once a month, and attendance was mandatory.
---
"Do you think we'll fit in?"
There were only seven special students in total, including the two of us. It was a notoriously eccentric and problematic bunch. Vice Principal Jinas had even gone out of his way to warn us: "Please, I beg of you, be careful not to get into any fights." He was probably aiming that at me, given my background as a swordsman.
"We'll just have to wait and see," I replied.
We walked to the very end of the three school buildings, making our way to the furthest classroom on the third floor. Halfway down the hall, I spotted a line drawn across the floor with the words: Past this point is the Special Students' Classroom.
Before I could mull it over much, we arrived at the room. A plaque on the door read Special Students' Classroom.
"Excuse us," Rudeus said softly as he opened the door and stepped inside.
Inside, the room featured a brand-new chalkboard, a podium, and a teacher's desk. Wooden student desks dotted the floor, and the windows were firmly shut. In stark contrast to the sheer size of the classroom, only four people were actually sitting in their seats.
In the front row, a boy was reading a book and taking notes. He turned in my direction and stared at me wide-eyed, instantly recognizing me. It was Cliff Grimoire. Apparently, he was attending the same university. He abruptly turned back around and buried his face in his book, acting as if he wanted absolutely nothing to do with me.
Truth be told, I hadn't expected him to say hi, and it was probably best to wait for the right moment to greet him properly anyway. Still, I figured he'd at least give a little wave of acknowledgment.
I wonder what's going through his head right now? Oh well, it doesn't matter.
Further back, by the window, sat two beastfolk girls. One was a dog-girl gnawing on a massive chunk of meat on a bone, her eyes carefully sizing me up. The other, a cat-girl, had her legs kicked up on her desk and her hands clasped behind her head, leaning back as she stared my way.
The two of them looked incredibly familiar, mostly because I had spent some time living in Doldia Village.
One specialized in healing magic, and the other in swordsmanship and physical attacks. Though now they look a bit more... thuggish. A bit more rebellious, if you could call it that.
And then there was the last guy, someone we had definitely seen before. He had a long face and wore round glasses. He spent a few seconds staring at my brother with his jaw completely unhinged before leaping to his feet and screaming:
"M-Masteeeer!!!"
He sent his desk flying as if it were a mere pebble. One by one, desks were forcefully shoved aside as he barreled straight toward Rudeus.
I instantly stepped in, grabbed his arm, and slammed him into the floor.
"Masteeeer!"
The man thrashed with unbelievable, monstrous strength, forcing me to let go. The second he broke free, he lunged at my brother and hoisted him into the air.
He grabbed Rudeus by the waist and tried to lift him to the heavens.
"Hey, hey, stop, stop! Relax your shoulders! Calm down! That's enough!"
"Master! Have you forgotten me? It's me, Zanoba!"
Zanoba was grinning from ear to ear as he squeezed him in a bear hug.
"Yes, I remember you. My dear disciple, please put me down. This is terrifying."
"I have been striving to be just like you, Master! I have diligently practiced my earth magic every single day!" Zanoba declared proudly.
"Really? I'm glad to hear Your Highness has been doing so well. Once things settle down, we'll craft a figure together."
"Yes!"
He beamed and nodded eagerly.
"Also, while we are here at the university, you will be my senpai. What year are you in?"
"Second year. Haha, please, do not refer to me as 'Your Highness' or 'Senpai.' Just call me Zanoba. You are my master, after all."
"Zanoba it is, then."
"Yes, Master!"
A sudden, loud thud interrupted the conversation.
"I know you, meow." The cat-girl stepped right up to me. Her face barely reached my chest, yet she still tried to look down on me. "You smell the same. You're exactly the same, meow."
She pressed her nose far too close to my chest.
"Uh, good morning. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Daiki Greyrat. And you must be Linia, right? You've grown a lot."
Linia's eyes sparkled in an instant.
"I knew it, meow! Your eyes and black hair were a dead giveaway, meow!" Her tail started swishing frantically back and forth. "Pursena, get over here, meow! It's him, meow!"
The dog-girl stood up and practically jogged over, never once letting go of her meat.
"Daiki-senpai? I-Is that you?" She took another bite, clearly out of sheer nervousness.
"I didn't expect you guys to actually remember me."
Linia lunged forward and hugged my side tightly, nuzzling her cheek aggressively against my chest.
"I didn't expect you to get so tall and imposing, meow."
I chuckled a little and patted her back.
"U-Uh, Linia, you're a bit too..." Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Rudeus watching the scene with clear jealousy.
"Shhh," she interrupted, clinging to me even tighter. "I always said you were mine. Now I want you."
"But Linia, that was a long time ago. You were just a kid... you can't expect me to—"
"Shhh."
I patted her back again, feeling more than a little nervous.
She finally let go after a few minutes. Taking a step back, she turned away and crossed her arms. Her tail kept swishing, but she refused to look me in the eye. I had no idea what she was doing, let alone what had just happened. I had honestly thought that after all these years, she would have forgotten about me and moved on with her life.
In the end, I realized it was foolish to think that way. She's a beastfolk, after all. With their heightened sense of smell and scent memory, they likely process memories entirely differently than we do.
"Well, uh..." Rudeus stepped in to salvage the moment. "I should probably introduce myself. It's a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Rudeus Greyrat. I'll be in your care starting today. I'll make sure to stay out of your way. I hope we can all get along." He gave a polite bow.
"Oh right, you're the guy who got locked up in our village and saved us," Pursena said, tearing off another bite of meat. "And there was that jealous red-haired girl too. Where is she?"
"She... well, she went her own way and is out doing what she thinks is right," Rudeus replied.
'Thanks, brother. I really wasn't in the mood to talk about that.'
Cliff turned around in his chair and looked at me again.
"Daiki. We meet again," he stated simply.
"Hey, Cliff. How've you been?"
"Good."
"Glad to hear it."
"I'm glad to see you're alive, Daiki." He looked at me, gave a faint smile, and went right back to his book.
'Seriously, I have no idea what is going on in this room.'
Heavy footsteps echoed in the room.
"Master! And Master's brother!" Zanoba clapped his hands together so hard the sound rang throughout the entire classroom. "The only one missing is Silent, but she is exempt from the monthly homeroom meetings!"
"Why is that?" Rudeus asked.
"An excellent question, but alas, I do not have an answer for you."
"I guess she must be pretty incredible."
"She is incredibly well-known. I've heard she wields massive influence within the Academy. She expanded the cafeteria menu, invented various magic implements... these uniforms were also Lady Silent's suggestion. Rumor has it she was recommended by one of the Seven Great Powers, which is why she receives such special treatment."
Recommended by one of the Seven Great Powers? Interesting.
"She usually locks herself in her private laboratory, but she comes out if she has a reason to. I'm certain you will eventually cross paths," Zanoba added. He also mentioned that Silent was a third-year student. If I ever ran into her, I'd make sure to show her the proper respect.
I walked over and looked at him. "So this person really never comes out, you say? What else does she do?"
Zanoba turned and met my gaze. "She carries a sword. Well, half a sword. I do not know why she keeps a broken blade at her hip, but she never parts with it."
"I see. Thanks, Zanoba."
Eventually, everything settled down.
"Well, I guess this is where we belong."
And just like that, my brother and I were officially absorbed into the ranks of the special students.