❝ 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚒𝚖. ❞
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"If you were me and I was ordered to fight..." Mash caresses the servant beast's face gently as he stares at him in pity. "...I wouldn't want to have to hurt you."

The servant beast stares at the ravenette in front of him silently. 'This boy... he's a human...' his mind ponders. 'But he's... kind to me.' He returns back to its smaller form, his eyes staring at the ground blankly.

"What are you doing?" Sand attacks the servant beast out of nowhere, sending him flying slightly as Mash widens his eyes. "Did you even try to do your job?"

Orter pushes his glasses back to the bridge of his nose as his servant beast trembles. "M-Master Orter..." he stutters. "F-Forgive me!" The poor beast immediately apologises, just the moment Mash steps in front of him protectively.

"Don't. It's okay." He assures gently. "You're the one who has business with me. Isn't that right?" He gets into his fighting stance as the servant beast stops him, saying that Orter is not someone who he can defeat easily.

Orter takes out his wand, and the sand floats around him. "We don't need you. I, alone, am enough. Allow me to show you."

"And I have to beat you..." Mash mutters. "...if I'm ever going to be accepted."

Mash's muscles have surpassed the magic powers before. And this time too, muscles would've beaten magic.

That's it, if he wasn't fighting Orter Madl.

"You're an anomaly. Removing you from society benefits the majority." Orter murmurs after defending himself from Mash's kick. "You may be accepted by the school, but don't expect the same from the world. Discrimination is just a means for survival of the fittest."

He raises his hand to push his glasses back to the bridge of his nose. "You're on the wrong side of history... asking for the majority to turn a blind eye."

He waves his wand gently. "Take that dwarf there. He's considered a servant because he exists to make our lives easier." Mash widens his eyes when the small beast is attacked by the sand before surrounding him. "When they failed to fulfill their duty, they needed to be punished, in accordance with the rules."

Orter brings the servant beast closer to him with his sand. "Mash Burnedead. For every attack you dodge, this dwarf will suffer in your place." He says sternly. "This is but an example of how your foolish words and actions affect others. You need to understand that your existence brings about a net loss."

Mash stares at him silently, no words escape his mouth as the small beast recalls his action from earlier. The kindness that no one ever showed him, the warmth of his touch that he never felt...

The beast gulps as he takes a deep breath. "I-I'll.. be fine..." he stutters assuringly, tears of fear at the corners of his eyes.

"Now then..." Orter murmurs, his sand forming a sharp point to attack the ravenette.

However, before he can command his sand to attack, he catches a blur of red by the corner of his eyes. Jumping out of the way, he dodges the red spear from impaling his flesh.

Mash's eyebrows lift at the spear as he tilts his head to the side confusedly until a familiar voice reaches his ears.

"You four-eye bastard..." the pale hand lifts the large spear with ease as she walks between the desert cane and the unmarked teen. "How dare you lock me up in your office like that," she smiles as a tick mark appears on her cheek, her grip on the red spear trembles in anger.

Orter frowns, "How did you-" his eyes catches the red liquid dripping down on his sand from her index finger. He narrows his eyes at her. "You made a key out of your blood."

(Name) rolls her eyes as she brings her spear forward. "Well duh, idiot. Everything I make is made of my blood."

Hearing that, Mash frowns, his eyes on the large red spear in her hand. 'Then that spear is made of her blood too?' He wonders in his head, about how she's still alive after using that much blood.

After a minute of staring contest, Orter breaks the eye contact. "If I didn't lock you up, you'd get in the way."

"Bastard, you think I'd let you kill him-" (name) groans loudly before she takes a deep breath, her gaze on the ceiling. "Oh look, isn't the weather great today?"

Mash deadpans, "She's angry." He figures.

He flinches when (name) suddenly turns to him, the threatening smile from earlier is replaced by a cheerful one.

"Mash! Doing good?" She chirps, skipping towards him. "Hope Orter didn't get you much." She smiles apologetically.

Mash shakes his head, no. "No, I'm fine. Anyway..." he murmurs, his golden eyes avert at the spear in her hand. "You can turn that thing back to your blood?" (Name) raises an eyebrow at him before looking down at the weapon.

"Oh." She blinks her eyes blankly. Taking out her wand, she cuts her palm using the magic item. Mash winces silently when some blood escapes the new wound on her palm.

The red spear floats in the air before turning back into its original form. The liquid slowly flows back into the opening of (name)'s palm until her skin reattaches itself.

"Ta-daa~!" (Name) shows her clean palm at the teen. "It's cool, right?" She says cheerfully as Mash nods his head. "Sure." He hums, "It'll be cooler if it doesn't affect you," he adds, which makes (name) smile softly.

She raises her hand to pat his head gently. "Always so kind," she caresses his hair, a longing smile on her face. "You remind me of him." The ravenette raises an eyebrow at his words, but before he can say anything, a yawn interrupts them.

Eyes turn at the immortal cane, who slowly makes his way to them. His own sharp orbs land on (name), who smiles at him, which he returns with a grin. "Yo, (name). I hope Orter didn't lock the door?"

She irks. "He didn't, instead, he locked me in his office when I came to ask him about this test." She murmurs as Orter rolls his eyes.

"State your business," the desert cane mutters, adjusting his glasses to prevent it from falling off.

The immortal cane hums, before he tilts his head in confusion. "Huh? Why am I here again?" He asks as Mash shrugs. "I don't know."

Renatus furrows his eyebrows, "Gah! It's on the tip of my tongue..." he mumbles. "Cheer me on! I almost got it..."

(Name) tries to hold her laugh at Mash's attempt to cheer him on. But then Renatus tells him to quiet down as he wants to concentrate, which earns him a bonk on his head.

"You told him to cheer you on, idiot." (Name) deadpans.

"Oh! I remember!"

"...so I need to hit your head to make you remember?" She sweatdrops, this immortal being is really an odd one.

Renatus ignores her words as he looks at Mash with a serious expression. "You have been granted permission to proceed to the next stage, Tri-Magic-Athalon divine visionary final exam."

Mash tilts his head to the side curiously as (name) frowns. "Already?" She murmurs.

Renatus proceeds to explain that three magic schools will send their top three best students to compete to become the divine visionary. However, he says that this time is different.

It is believed that Innocent Zero has snuck someone in as a Walkis student, a school that values strength and nothing else.

(Name)'s frown darkens as she glances at Mash to see his reaction, only to widen her eyes in disbelief. Mash is staring into the air blankly, drools escaping his mouth. She blinks her eyes weirdly, 'Does this guy have the brain of a shrimp?' She ponders. 'But eh, his battle IQ is quite high. So it's fine, I think.'

Renatus continues about the wand of beginnings, which makes Mash even more confused, instead of drools, blood escapes his lips.

"Anyway, the divine visionary final exam is a country-wide celebration, an offering to God. We can't stop it because of a hunch. We gotta keep the world from falling into a panic, so..." the immortal cane puts his hands into his pocket. "We're entering you into the tournament in order to protect the wand and crush that dark-magic school."

(Name) steps in front of Mash as she frowns, her eyebrows furrow. "So you're going to send someone who is not accepted by the world to protect the world itself?" She mutters the unfairness.

Renatus glances at her before letting out a sigh. "I understand your anger. It's unfair, I know." He mutters. "No one said it's going to be easy. The Walkis' top three students are something else. Their number one, Domina Blowelive, is the current strongest student magic user."

Orter perks up his head in interest. "Is he as strong as us visionaries? Stronger? Hard to say..." the immortal cane runs a hand through his hair. "...considering Domina is probably Innocent Zero's kid."

(Name) glances at the ravenette beside her in concern, but it immediately vanishes when all Mash mutters are "Must destroy dark-magic school."

"Anyway, win the tournament, pass the exam..." Renatus continues. "And the world will welcome you as the next divine visionary."

That catches Mash's attention as his eyes widen slightly. A small smile slowly creeps across his lips. "A true final exam..." he murmurs, eyes staring at the ground.

He will finally get to live in peace.

(Name) softens her eyes at the sight. For a moment, a flash of a familiar figure has overlayed Mash's, making her widen her eyes. Blinking them twice, the figure disappears. She furrows her eyebrows as she looks away, her lips purse into a thin line.

"You cool with that too, Orter?" She turns to look at the desert cane after Renatus asks that question.

Orter pushes his glasses to the bridge of his nose for the hundredth time that day. "Domina... Blowelive." He murmurs under his breath before huffing.

He then turns around, sand surrounding his figure. "I'll be acting on my own, so do what you wish." He says sternly before completely disappearing.

"Anyway," the immortal cane continues. "Domina was at the centre of a lot of nasty rumors in middle school. There's been talk about the visionary who came after Orter, the one before Rayne. They were crushed so badly there was nothing that could be done for them."

Mash listens to him silently and carefully as (name) closes her eyes, recalling the rumors from years ago.

"The rumors say it was Domina who was responsible. It's unreal that a middle schooler could beat a divine visionary, but for Domina it could've happened." Renatus adds. "Take my word for it, there's never been a student magic user tougher than him."

However, Renatus assures Mash that they got some guys from Saint Ars who competed with Rayne last year. He'll contact the sword cane, to let him know to help Mash out.

Mash hums, "With Rayne... I'm sure I can count on him." He mutters, making the girl beside him smile. "I'm glad you don't find him cold." She ruffles his hair affectionately. Mash lets out a soft sigh as he gets used to the affection that he never really earns before.

He wonders, if (name) is just experienced or she has little siblings that he manages to feel comfort under her touch.