Sura looked up from the map he was holding.

“This is the place,” he said.

“You’re kidding me, right?” muttered Fiona next to him.

Side by side, the four Flawed stared at the sight. In front of them stood a comfortably sized two-storey house. Unlike the stylized glass of the academic buildings, this structure was built of stone and concrete, and looked much more like a private apartment one might see anywhere in a well-to-do residential area. Around it ran a stone wall, enclosing within it a small lawn along with the house itself.

“This is our dorm?” said Fiona. She sounded like she could scarcely believe it.

“That’s what it says here,” replied Sura, folding up his orientation papers.

“It’s a friggin’ house,” said Fiona. “A whole-ass house. These Elysium people got money pourin’ out their ears…”

While it was tempting to reply that the building was actually meant to house more than just 4 people, Sura knew it wasn’t true. The orientation papers stated that students of the same class would live in shared dormitories together. Since the standard class size at Elysium was 30 people, a facility like the one in front of them simply wouldn’t have been big enough for any class other than theirs. In addition, Sura had seen the other dorms on their way there. They all had the metal and glass construction of the academic buildings themselves, and were considerably larger than the house they stood in front of.

In other words, it was very likely this facility had been built specifically for 3F.

“There’s no need to gawk,” interrupted Alice, already walking forward. “It’s not that impressive.”

“Tch. Damn rich kids,” muttered Fiona, following after her. Asuka jogged to keep up with her, leaving Sura by himself for a moment. Hefting his bag a little higher on his shoulder, he decided to check out his accommodations.

Like many of the gates at school, the one around the dorm complex opened as the four of them approached. Walking through it, they came to the house itself. The front door was made of sturdy oak, and Sura had a feeling it was Enhanced with Magic to be tougher than it would otherwise be. With that being said, unlike the gate, it did not open by itself when they stood on the porch.

Alice frowned.

“What’s with this? It doesn’t open.”

“Maybe we need a key,” said Fiona.

“I’m not going all the way back to ask for a key!” said Alice.

“M-maybe we should knock,” suggested Asuka in a small voice. While she was normally drowned out by the loud arguing of the two other girls, Sura heard her. Extending a hand, he tapped the door lightly with his knuckles twice. In response, it swung open. Sura looked at her and nodded.

“Good call,” he said.

Asuka’s face immediately grew red as she looked down, unable to hold eye contact.

Not quite understanding what was wrong with her, Sura decided to focus on the matter at hand, pushing the door inwards as he entered the house.

“You’re late,” said a cold voice as the four students stepped into the hall.

Sitting on a couch, looking right at them, was their homeroom teacher.

“You…” said Sura. “Why are you here?”

Once more, his three classmates noted that he seemed to know the woman, though she did not give any sign that this was mutual. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“Haven’t I told you before? You will address me as ‘teacher’.”

The air in the room had shifted, and Alice could sense it. She snuck a glance towards Sura, and noted, to her surprise, that he did not have the same defiance as he did earlier, when facing the teacher who had intervened (late) after the assault on them by the Mages. In contrast to then, he held his tongue. While his eyes still burned, he seemed to be holding himself back. It took a moment for Alice to realize what she was seeing. When he looked at their homeroom teacher, he looked at her with respect.

It took her completely by surprise. As a Flawed, she had her own deep-seated hatred and distrust of Mages. While she and Sura were worlds apart, that, at least, was one thing they had in common. When he had struck down the bullies who had attacked them, she could see that anger and rage on his face, and in his fists.

So to see him look at a Mage with respect was something she had not expected.

However, respect her though he might, for whatever unknown reason, he wasn’t about to stand there silent.

“All right then, Teacher. What are you doing in the student dorms?”

His use of the word had sarcasm dripping off it. It seemed that his respect did not extend to the point where he acknowledged her as his teacher.

The woman’s eyes narrowed a few degrees further, and Alice felt the blood in her veins freeze. The very gravity in the room seemed to have increased. Alice’s body felt heavy, almost paralyzed. She had known from the moment she had first laid eyes on the gigantic woman, but now, it became abundantly clear.

She’s an exceedingly powerful Mage.

Every instinct in Alice was telling her that even all four of them together stood no chance here.

“Sura!” she warned frantically, but it was too late.

The woman stood up from the couch.

“You need to be taught a lesson in respect, boy.”

Sura reacted immediately, jumping and landing ten feet away. His hands were up, his feet wide, as he took a fighting stance, on guard and on edge.

He could sense her enormous fighting power, beyond anything he had felt before. A part of him wasn’t surprised. After all, she was the reason he had gone down this path. It only made sense for her to be strong.

But even so, it went far beyond what he had expected.

“Surprised, are you?” she said, even as she walked towards him. “You arrived here, armed with the Old Ways, the Martial Arts. You must have thought you were invincible.”

Sura was doubly on edge. On the one hand, he had to look out for the pulse that would indicate the casting of Magic. On the other, he knew that was not the only threat when dealing with her.

And sure enough, she suddenly moved.

Sura’s eyes widened as he momentarily lost sight of her.

Stepping back, he raised his hands as he saw her appear right in front of him. He was just in time, as a moment later, a fist crashed heavily into his guard, pushing him back.

Don’t let her control the pace.

As he stepped back, he raised his leg and shot it forward in a front kick.

It was parried aside effortlessly, causing Sura to pivot on his grounded leg, turning sideways to her.

“Sloppy. You leave yourself open.”

Something smashed into his back, sending him flying through the air. He realized he had been roundhouse-kicked.

She’s good. Even when attacking, she’s prepared to deal with counters.

The kick had sent him hurtling towards one of the walls, and as he shot towards it, he flipped over in the air so that he landed on it with his feet. No sooner had he done so than he pushed off it, launching himself right back at the woman like an arrow.

As he neared her, he swung his left fist towards her in an overhand blow.

“Wasted movement.”

Sura’s hand was parried aside in a circular movement, making it pass harmlessly next to her head without hitting anything. Unable to recover himself in mid-air from the whiffed attack, Sura couldn’t stop her from burying her fist into his abdomen in a brutal uppercut.

Time seemed to slow down, even as the sheer force of the blow bounced him up, keeping him in the air.

Sura’s toughness was the only thing preventing his abdomen from being shattered by the attack.

He dropped to ground on his hands and knees, gasping to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him.

From somewhere above him, he could hear her voice.

“You fight like a wild animal, as though there is nothing in this world that your fangs cannot reach. And that is why you fall when you encounter those who can see through the swipe of your claws.”

Sura got to his feet, teeth clenched from the pain. With some effort, he looked up at her. From this close, her towering height and stature were more evident than ever.

The difference between them, which he had known from the moment her fighting intent had been unleashed, was now clear as day.

Grudgingly, he spoke the words.

“All right then, teacher. Where am I lacking?”

His words calmed her anger to an extent, and her stance relaxed imperceptibly. To the untrained eye, nothing changed, but the three girls of 3F were able to finally breathe easily again, as the oppressive aura in the room vanished.

She looked down at Sura.

“You’re unaware of your place in the world,” she said, her words cold as ice. “There are Mages at this school more powerful than you can imagine.”

A shock went through Sura.

Immediately, he growled back.

“I’ll take them on!”, he said, fists clenched as he glared at her. “I’ll beat them. You’ll see.”

She stared at him a little while before turning away.

“We’ve wasted enough time,” she said.

Looking at the rest of 3F, she continued.

“As I said, you are late. This is your first day, meaning your names must be entered in the register.”

From seemingly out of nowhere, she pulled out a bound leather book, opening it to a certain page as she handed it to Alice.

“Write your names here, one by one.”

As this was happening, Sura noted, somewhere in the corner of his mind, that a Magic pulse had gone off. Normally, he would be alert for it, but as it was, he was seething.

His homeroom teacher’s words had struck home, and struck deep.

While his classmates wrote on the register, he mentally wrestled with his own doubts.

More powerful than I imagined? We’ll see. No matter the Mage, I’ll beat them down. I’ll beat them all down.

“... hey, you listening? We haven’t got all day.”

He looked up, and found Alice holding the open register in front of him.

They were all looking at him expectantly.

Accepting the book, he took the pen she was holding it, and prepared to write his name. As he was about to put pen to paper, he noticed there were already four names on the page, as opposed to three.

Mizuki Muramasa

Asuka Suzuki

Fiona Arterton

Alice Wolvenheim

The topmost name on the list did not belong to any of the students of 3F. Almost automatically, his eyes turned to the person to whom it must.

Mizuki Muramasa. That’s her name.

He looked at his homeroom teacher, at the one who had inspired him so long ago, set him on his path. The one who now told him that he couldn’t do what he had set out to.

I’ll prove you wrong. Watch me.

He wrote his name on the paper before handing the register to her.

Once more, the tome seemed to disappear into nowhere almost immediately after entering her grasp.

“That will be all for now. The kitchen and dining room are on the ground floor. The bedrooms are on the first floor and have adjoined bathrooms. You may each pick whichever room you prefer. The room at the end of the first floor hallway is off limits.”

Her tone left absolutely zero room for questions or argument.

Sura put two and two together, and realized what was going on.

“You live here,” he said aloud.

Even in his sour mood, a note of surprise and wonder had entered his voice.

He thought teachers must have their own separate living quarters in a place this big.

He felt that his statement wouldn’t be acknowledged, but Ms. Muramasa unexpectedly did answer, her tone marginally softer than usual.

“... The school did not see fit to provide you with your own accommodations, as is customary for all classes here. Thus, there was no choice but for you to move in here. Be warned though: I will not tolerate any indiscipline.”

Having said what she had to, she turned away.

“That will be all. Students are free to do what they wish after classes, provided no rules are broken. Curfew is at seven in the evening. You must return here by that time every day.”

She walked away, leaving 3F to digest everything that had just happened.

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Sura watched her leave, his pride still wounded, both from the trouncing he had received, and her words.

His brooding was interrupted by Fiona’s dry voice.

“Heh. This school is full of monsters, huh?”

Something about the matter-of-fact way in which she said it calmed Sura down somewhat.

“Seems so,” he replied.

“Ya should talk,” said Fiona. “Yer one of ‘em.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Are ya kiddin’ me? I’ve never seen anyone move that fast, or hit that hard. How are ya that strong without Magic anyway? Ya beat down those assholes like they were nothin’.”

“It doesn’t matter how he did it,” cut in Alice.

Fiona glared at her, about to reply, but the blonde went on.

“Didn’t you see? How easily our teacher put him down? That’s the power of a top-level Mage. It’s not a gap someone like us can ever bridge.”

Her words, which started out as scathing, ended up loaded with self-loathing and bitterness. They hung in the air like a heavy cloud of dread over the four of them.

“No, that’s not true.”

The three girls stared at Sura.

“Not true?” said Alice angrily. “You just experienced it, didn’t you?”

“That wasn’t her power as a Mage,” said Sura.

Alice started slightly.

“What do you mean?”

“She didn’t use Magic against me a single time,” the boy said. Though his voice was level, a single look at him was enough to show that his mental state was anything but. His hands were clenched, his jaw tight.

“She fought me purely as a Martial Artist.”

Seeing that the others hadn’t understood, he explained.

“Martial Arts are an ancient method of fighting that doesn’t rely on Magic. They’re how I’m able to take on Mages.”

A moment of silence followed as the girls took in this new information.

“So… she beat ya without Magic?” said Fiona. “Just how crazy are these Mages…”

“She’s an exception,” said Sura quietly. “I doubt there’s anyone else like her.”

Alice shook her head.

“It doesn’t matter. Even if you do use some ancient technique. That fight should have been proof. Elite Mages live in a different world from us.”

She glared at Sura.

“You can’t beat them. It’s useless to try. Just give up and put your head down. Survive a year in this place, like the rest of us, and get out alive with that degree. That’s the best you can do.”

The intensity in her voice took the others aback. There was no clear reason for it, at least that they knew.

Sura couldn’t read the reason in her face. But he had his own reasons for what he did too.

“I’m going to fight,” was all he said.

Alice looked like she was going to argue further, but once again, Asuka proved to be the unlikely peacemaker.

“I-I think we should choose our rooms,” she said.

Everyone stopped, before nodding in agreement. It was already nearing evening, and they hadn’t even gotten settled in yet.

----------------------------------------

A rumour was spreading like wildfire around Elysium. It was on everyone’s lips. The contents of the rumour were incredibly unlikely, but perhaps that was why it had succeeded in capturing everyone’s attention. It had to do with the new transfer students, who had been brought in as part of a new program the school had started, aimed at offering education to Magically challenged sections of society. Most of the students were indifferent towards this. Being elite Mages, many of them from high ranking families, they saw this as nothing more than a political move to garner favour with the new age movements, which spoke of equality and equal treatment. At best, having Flawed students at school would be a fun distraction, a source of amusement, nothing more.

Thus, when word spread that one of the Flawed had publicly beaten down not one but three boys at the same time, people were excited. Disturbed. Disbelieving. Angry. There were all kinds of reactions to the rumour. At first, it was dismissed as a lie, some kind of joke. But soon enough, more and more people learned that it was in fact true. Someone had recorded the footage on their phone. The quality of the video wasn’t great, mostly because of the shaky hand of the person shooting it. There was also the fact that they were struggling to get a view of what was happening over the shoulders of those in front of them. However, even with all of that, it was impossible to miss the one moment that was clearly in focus, unimpeded.

The Flawed boy, a hulking beast with a body most people could scarce believe possible, lashed out with savage punches and kicks. The students used Enhancement Magic to sharpen their vision, while some simply slowed down the playback speed, all to be able to see his movements clearly. And it was undeniable: he had struck nine blows, all in less than two seconds.

And so, disbelief and denial turned to outrage.

How dare some lowlife, inbred, Flawed scum strike a Mage?

It was unthinkable. And unacceptable.

People were raring to avenge what they saw as an insult.

As for the four Mages involved in the incident, none were more eager for revenge than them.

All of them being in the same class, they had gathered in their dormitory, that being the one for 2E.

“Damn it! Damn it all!” growled the one named Chris. He struck the post of the bed on which he sat. “That fucking piece of shit Flawed… I’ll never forgive him!”

His jaw, which had been replaced in its natural position and fixed by the Nurse in the Infirmary, still stung, more from the memory of his humiliation than physical pain. He had gotten out of his school uniform

His friends, sitting around on the other beds in the shared room, were also angry, but more reticent.

Unlike Chris, who had been knocked out right away, the others had had a chance to see what had hit them.

He glared at them.

“What’s the matter with you lot? Aren’t you pissed? Don’t you have any spine?”

He directed the last part at Thomas, a pale, slender boy with his dyed-brown hair swept back. Looking at him, one would scarcely believe that he had been beaten unconscious earlier in the day. Though the Nurse’ prodigious skill had brought him back to health, he could feel the phantom pain from the beatdown he had received, and he had seen the report too.

Cracked left and right thighs. Bruised ribs. Liver damage. Concussion.

He couldn’t help but think that these injuries were less severe than what they could have been. That they were a warning.

Yes, he was furious at the Flawed boy.

But even as he sat in bed, he could feel himself shaking slightly.

Making an effort, he hid his fear from his friends.

“We’ll get back at him,” he said, though deep inside, he knew he would not do such a thing. He dared not approach that boy himself again. Being the one who had instigated the whole act in the first place, he could not say that aloud though.

“Hmph.”

Chris did not seem entirely convinced, as he gazed at the others.

“And you two have nothing to say?”

The remaining two members of the group, Jaimon and Seth, glanced at each other.

“I don’t know, man,” said the former. His dreadlocked hair was let loose in the dorm. He clutched at his stomach, remembering the feeling of having the breath knocked out of him. Likewise, he also rolled his shoulder unconsciously, the same one that had been dislocated.

He looked at Chris seriously.

“That guy… he’s bad news.”

Chris’ eyes were bulging fit to pop.

“Are you… fucking kidding me?”

He was standing up, shouting.

“We’re backing down from a Flawed? Some shitty fucking Flawed? We’re Mages. We got into goddamn Elysium. We should own people like that!”

It was Seth who answered this time.

“Dude… you were knocked out early. You didn’t see him. That guy… he’s not human.”

Chris was about to shout a reply, but a fifth voice cut him off before he could.

“Interesting. Tell me more about the new student.”

The four of them turned towards the door. Their faces paled as they saw who was standing there.

Chris stuttered.

“Al-Alphonse…”

His bravado of just a few seconds ago was gone as he gaped at the boy walking into his dorm.

He was of decent height, with a lean build. Loose flowing blond hair framed his face. His eyes were a bright gold. Though classes were done for the day, he still wore his uniform. Over his breast pocket was a silver pin in the shape of a pair of wings, the Elysium logo.

Chris watched him approach, not daring to say a word.

The boy named Alphonse walked over, sitting down next to him on the bed.

From this distance, Chris could feel the Magic the blond youth radiated unconsciously. It was greater than what he could muster with every ounce of his effort.

“What’s wrong with your faces? There’s no need to be scared of me. Not unless you’ve done something you’re not supposed to.”

Chris gulped.

“So, where were we? Ah yes. The Flawed boy. Tell me about him.”

Thomas was the one who answered, not wanting to be in any more trouble than he had already gotten into.

“He- he’s strong. Very strong.”

“How so?” asked Alphonse, genuine curiosity in his bright eyes. “You’re a Mage. Shouldn’t your Enhancement Magic make you stronger than some powerless Flawed?”

Thomas swallowed. Pushing down both his pride and fear, he answered.

“His physical strength is greater than what I have with my Enhancement Skill. I’m only Level Three though, so…”

He trailed off, not liking the glint in Alphonse’s eyes.

“He’s physically stronger than a Level Three Mage?” the blond asked, excitement practically sparkling in his eyes, his voice bursting with barely contained glee.

The four other boys inched backwards, uncomfortable.

“Don’t you think that’s amazing though?” said Alphonse, smiling widely. “A mere Flawed, through nothing but the strength of his muscles and bones, able to fight Mages as an equal. Nay, a superior. After all, he thoroughly ground you into the dirt, did he not?”

His gaze lingered on Seth, who alone had escaped a beatdown, by turning tail and running. The amusement in his smile grew.

“Amazing, and a tale worthy of a bedtime story.”

The four inhabitants of the dorm were deeply uncomfortable now.

Alphonse continued.

“A bedtime story that should be told to all Mage children, as a warning against mediocrity.”

“Al-Alphonse?”

“To not be the sort of weak, pathetic trash who can’t even make use of their Magic.”

His eyes remained perfectly bright and cheerful, even as that single statement shattered the pride of the four boys around him.

Standing up as though nothing had happened, he continued.

“Oh well. Punishing mediocrity is not the Student Council’s job. If the school sees fit to keep you around, I’m no one to question their decision.”

He walked towards the door, and the boys breathed a sigh of relief.

Alphonse stopped right at the door.

“Oh, by the way?”

“Y-yeah?”

When he turned around, the smile was finally gone from his face.

“You touched my sister. There’s a price to be paid for that.”

Alarmed, the boys were about to protest, but their voices had stopped working. In fact, they couldn’t move at all.

Try as they might, they were held in place with bands of Magic.

Bands that were tightening by the second.

“Did you know? The Flawed boy you fought… he took it easy on you. You’ll find I’m not as gentle as him.”

The bands tightened further, and Chris felt his ribs start to break.

“Don’t worry too much. I went over it with our Nurse before coming here. Would you believe it: she has no problem with molesters and scum being beaten to an inch of their lives.”

Screams echoed from that particular dormitory, but no one from 2E came to help the ones from whom those screams emanated.