The trio stepped out of the restaurant, the late-afternoon sun casting long shadows behind them.
Taro suddenly snapped his fingers. "Oh, that's right—what's gonna happen to us at the academy now?"
Kobe opened his mouth to answer, but a sharp voice cut through the air from ahead of them.
"KOBE!"
All three turned.
A young woman with fiery red hair and crimson eyes stood panting in front of them. Taro blinked, then grinned and leaned toward Kobe.
"Ooooh. Your new girlfriend?"
Kobe scowled but didn't get a word in before the redhead marched up to them.
"I finally found you! Where the hell were you?"
Kobe scratched the back of his head, clearly cornered. "Ah… Arianna. I was just, uh, walking. Walking with these kids."
Arianna's gaze swept over Rin and Taro. "These are the two boys from the court case, right?"
Kobe hesitated. "Aaa… yeah. That's them."
"Well, good thing they made it out in one piece," she said, brushing back her hair. Then her tone shifted. "So… um, w-wanna eat together? We could bring the boys along."
Kobe leaned slightly toward Rin and Taro, whispering like a man on the edge. "Get me out of this."
Rin blinked, caught off guard, unsure how to respond.
Taro, on the other hand, grinned like a devil. "Oh yeah, absolutely. Let's eat. I'm starving." He winked at Kobe.
Arianna beamed. "Great! How about the place right behind you?"
Kobe turned to Taro and hissed, "I will kill you when we get back."
Rin finally understood Taro's game and said quietly, "You really went for it, huh?"
Taro smirked. "Oh, should we head back to the academy?" he said aloud, playing innocent. "We should prepare ourselves, after all."
"Yeah, yeah. Let's get going," Rin joined in, stepping backward.
"Anyway," Taro added, "you two enjoy your meal! Make sure to eat well!"
Kobe stared at them like a betrayed soldier, eyes hollow.
"But… why not eat all together?" Arianna frowned. "You're clearly hungry. Whatever you need to do can wait."
Both Rin and Taro paused. Taro leaned to whisper, "What do we do? She's not letting us escape."
"I kind of feel bad now," Rin admitted. "Let's just eat. We'll prank him another time."
Taro sighed, shoulders dropping. "Fine."
His face brightened as he turned back. "Alright! Kobe's got us covered!"
Arianna tilted her head. "I'm not sure about that—"
"N-No, it's fine," Kobe muttered, dying a little inside.
Fifteen minutes later, they sat at a new table in awkward silence. No one spoke until Arianna finally broke it.
"So… why exactly did you two end up in court?"
Rin and Taro exchanged a look.
"Well," Rin began, "we were set up by a homeless man."
He went through the story again. Arianna's jaw dropped.
"W-WHAT? You lied to a commander? And fought him?! What were you thinking?!"
"We panicked," Taro said with a sheepish smile. "Didn't exactly have a playbook for that situation. But hey—we made it out."
After the food disappeared, Kobe pushed his chair back. "Alright. Time to head back."
Arianna stood with them. "I'll help."
As they stepped outside, she turned to Rin and Taro. "Can you two step back a bit?"
They looked confused, but Kobe muttered, "Just watch."
Arianna raised her arm, palm facing out. The air twisted unnaturally—compressed, shrank, and bent inward. A dark shimmer spread, then widened into a swirling portal.
"Go. Quickly," she said, panting.
Rin and Taro stared, stunned.
The boys stepped through the portal and found themselves standing at the academy gates.
"Holy—" Taro whispered. "You can make a portal?"
Arianna gave a tired nod. "Y-Yeah. Takes a lot out of me though."
Rin blinked. "Wait… are you an instructor?"
She nodded. "Intermediate class. I don't teach advanced."
Taro was still stunned. "That was insane."
Kobe walked ahead. "Come with me."
"Sure," Rin and Taro said in unison.
Arianna waved. "See you two again soon!"
As the trio made their way through the quiet academy halls, only their footsteps echoed.
Taro broke the silence. "Hey, if you're mad at what we did… we were just trying to help. Can't let you die alone and single, man."
Kobe sighed. "It's not about that. You should be thinking about what to say to the Headmaster."
Taro froze. "W-Wait… we're seeing him?"
"Address him as 'Headmaster,' not 'him,'" Kobe warned. "Speak formally."
Rin frowned. "Why can't you explain everything?"
"Because I wasn't there," Kobe said, stopping in front of a large double door.
He knocked once. "Yo, Headmaster. I brought the two kids."
Rin stared at him, mentally screaming: You just told us to be formal… and then said 'yo'?
A deep voice answered from within. "Enter."
The moment the door opened, a wave of pressure slammed into them like a wall. Rin and Taro struggled to breathe. Their legs stiffened.
It wasn't just power—it was presence. Like the air itself was bowing to whoever sat inside. Their instincts screamed caution, as if their very souls recognized the authority behind that desk.
Kobe spoke casually. "Can we get this over with, Headmaster?"
The pressure vanished.
Both boys gasped, regaining their breath.
Taro's thoughts reeled. W-What the hell was that?
The headmaster behind the desk leaned forward, calm yet powerful. "Fine. Kobe… boys. Sit."
...
To be continued...