Chapter 87.

PART 1.

It is time for the new year’s celebration. Whether in the magical dimension or the normal world, the human population worldwide is celebrating the new year, as the clocks in their parts of the world hit zero o’clock. At the Academy of Institute of Magecraft and Sorcery, the students have stuffed themselves with the food, danced to their heart’s content, and they are now counting the final countdown to zero o’clock, as the fireworks heat up.

As soon as they reach zero, with impeccable timing, the fireworks all go up in the sky, and everyone screams “Happy new year!”

However, the celebration is disrupted by a louder explosion, which drowns out the fireworks. It was as if someone cast an amplified Blast spell right in the middle of the party. The professors and students are recovering from the explosion, when suddenly, a swarm of wasps and bees appear in the midst of them, followed by elephants who declared their arrival with a loud horn. As if this wasn’t enough, rhinos and snakes also followed, as well as one hippo. He looked out of place since everyone had their group among the animals.

The appearance of these animals out of nowhere caused panic among the students, unable to adjust to the sudden shift in mood. Just a few moments ago, they were celebrating, and now this hoard has appeared out of nowhere and is now attacking them indiscriminately. The students remembered how a swarm of bees actually appeared in the mess hall a few months ago but disappeared quickly when the professors got in action.

They thought if they could hold for long enough, the professors would get involved, and these animals would run or die. But nothing like that happened. The professors got involved, and the animals did not run at all. Instead, they closed their ranks like an army, facing professors and students alike, trampling and goring anyone who gets in their way.

As the magic started to fly, the animals responded with their magic, further baffling everyone there. Animals are never observed to use magic in such a large group or variety, since there are multiple species here. Usually, these species will never get along with each other. But here, they are working together for a common goal, though what exactly that goal is unknown.

The students find that their spells are not having any effects. The animals have magic resistance, so they ignored the effects of their spells, but even professors are struggling to damage these animals. They are shrugging off whatever they could throw at them. The professors cannot use their more destructive spells, for students and their colleagues can end up in the crossfire. The mages are known to hold on to grudges for a long period; they do not wish to make more enemies.

Already, various students have taken advantage of this chaos to settle their score with their enemies with the judicial application of a spell in the back or friendly fire, using a destructive spell to target an animal, where someone also ended up getting caught in the effect of that spell.

PART 2.

Hatori’s friends are enjoying this night, though they are not partaking in the activities with the same enthusiasm as others. Having a banished friend puts a damper on the mood, and even though months have passed since that banishment, they are decidedly not over it yet. What this narrator wouldn’t give to have friends like these on his side…

Getting back to the story, when they saw the attacking animals, they abandoned the open area, got close to each other, and were joined by Nandan. “Just stay with me, and make sure no one takes potshots at me. I’ll protect you,” he said to them.

Just when they were about to make their way outside of the grand hall, where this party is held, they see Hatori walking out of the cloud of the swarm, looking at ease around the bugs. They change their direction wordlessly and start to make their way to him. Not only do they need to ask him about this chaos, but they realize he’ll need their protection as soon as other students see him here.

Though he doesn’t seem to be having any trouble navigating in this chaos. Likely, his magical senses have developed a lot, and that crow on his shoulder is also gesturing and nudging his head from time to time.

The animals seem to avoid them entirely, as a snake who was waiting to strike suddenly stopped midway as he saw them. The reptile then attacked other students, putting multiple students in his coils, and squeezed until their bones cracked.

Ignoring the brutality around them, they steadily make their way to Hatori, who seems to be moving in a certain direction. At least bees are not causing havoc there, so it is easier to reach there. It is hard to see things around you when wasps and bees are clouding your vision, and everyone is running around like headless chickens. This is an absurd example; headless chickens don’t run unless necromancy is used on them.

PART 3.

Ishwar Chandravanshi was part of the plot of persuading Hatori to the family’s side before Swaraaj blew it up. He then humbled Hatori last year, when he heard him bragging. Currently, he finds himself against a magically resistant hippo, who seems to have laid out a professor nearby, as young students hide behind him.

The hippo suddenly turns around and leaves him, but Ishwar didn’t have a chance of breathing a sigh of relief. He was grabbed from behind, and his head was bashed into a table multiple times. Once the attacker was done with him, they dropped him to the floor with his brain dizzy, and his head bloody.

“Call it a payback.” Said Hatori, and he then walks away.

“Ug. Kids these days. No respect for their elders.” He muttered dazedly.

“Should we go after him?” asked Bhanu, his loyal underling.

“Nah, leave him be. Instead, plot a way out of this mess. I don’t want to see it until the end.” Said Ishwar.

Hatori feels as if a heavy load is lifted from his shoulders. No one can get away with humiliating him. However, his feelings of elation don’t last long, as his friends surround him with his classmates, clambering at him at once.

“What’s the meaning of this?”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Stop this chaos at once!”

Now, ordering him like that is going too far. So, he silences them with his magical pressure, rooting them on their spots. “You’ll get answers to your questions, but do not dare to order me around. You hear me?” he said, with lightning crackling around his head.

“Raven, Josh, James, Shin, feel free to join me if you like, this new year celebration is wonderful,” he said with a disturbing smile.

His friends agreed to join him, and Nandan went along for the ride. Maybe if they are with him, then they can keep him from causing even more chaos.

PART 4.

Each year during the festival, experts from Subcontinent as well as abroad come to the Academy to deliver lectures and talks, and participate in conventions. This year is no different. Currently, a group of Albion, Zhongguo, and Nihon are observing the chaos around them, safe within their bubble laid down by the only subcontinent mage among them. Most experts don’t stick around for the year-end celebration, but these four stayed. The stories alone are going to buy them beers in their meetings for years to come.

“Do you see that boy?” asked old man Lee, the expert from Zhongguo. “That boy modified those animals. It is evident by how they listen to him.”

“Indeed.” Said Henry the Horrid. “He didn’t even use any blood magic.”

“He did use some runes.” Said Munshi, the only expert from the subcontinent. “Interesting choice. I think the boy has a talent for soul manipulation. What do you think, gentlemen?”

“I also see a sign of a ritual. Custom, no doubt.” Said Ryoko, the only female expert in the group from Nihon.

“I must say, this is a delight to watch.” Said the old man Lee, while noting what he has been able to gleam so far. “I’ve never seen animals modified like this before.”

“They were lucky.” Said Henry. “I would have sicked an entire army of undead animals with even more dangerous animals.” Said Henry.

“Yes, that is why you’re never invited to parties.” Said Munshi.

“You take that back!” Said Henry. “I’m the spirit of the parties, people love me.”

“Lies. You’re delusional.” While they bicker, Ryoko comes close to Lee and whispers to him.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Did you notice how they are casting destructive magic?” She asked. “It is not instincts. They are in full control.”

“Hmm. It is terrifying.” Said Lee. “I do believe we need to be careful with our experiments from now on. Though I do hope this bunch won’t cause a problem, I would hate to kill such specimens.”

“Me too. I wish to observe them in the wild.” Said Ryoko.

Let’s try to understand why these experts are so interested. What Hatori has done is possible, but it takes long, and the results are inconclusive. These people, as a result, discarded the possibility of modifying themselves and others with runes alone, going the route of soul magic and blood magic along with rituals. But Hatori is showing them a way that they have completely written off and never had any interest in pursuing. The fact that they do not have to wait for months to see results, and they are seeing everything live with a front seat is a bonus.

PART 5.

Hatori is thankful for the crow on his shoulder. He has saved him from professors who wish to detain him, and teachers and pets who are helping them. ‘Looks like my kill count has risen recently.’ He senses more threats but only finds the cooling bodies of the students who tried to capture him.

The area is riddled with the sign of elemental magic, as Hatori has to rely on it heavily for fighting these older students. He has found that they are not resistant to lightning elements, unlike fire. The earth element is also a nice surprise since people rarely expect the ground under their feet to buck wildly and throw them off their balance. Hatori took advantage of this ruthlessly and dispatched everyone who attacked him.

However, he notices the unrest within himself. He would be exhausted after a fight right before his banishment. But now, he is not feeling any strain, aside from slight sweating, which he suspects is because of those flaming tables nearby. He had the pleasure of throwing one student who was protecting everyone from his attack on them. The screams were satisfying. Disturbed with his thoughts, Hatori decides he will examine his feelings later, as he avoids more students.

Most of the swarm of bees and wasps is now gone. It was quickly routed once their numbers started to fall. But they left their impact. Many students are experiencing the poison of their sting, delivered through the dangerous variety of Stinger spells. While Hatori knows the Poison Stinger, the wasps, and bees use a much more dangerous version of it, more painful too, judging from the howls coming from around him.

The elephants, rhinos, and snakes took longer to defeat, but they are also sent back into the forest once their shield runs out. Hatori is happy to see that no animal got captured. However, he senses the hippo who has outlasted everyone, preparing for a dangerous spell. He shook from its force; after sensing it, and forgetting about the students coming after him, he runs to find shelter.

Hatori is not the only one who has sensed the danger. Some professors rallied students, and tried to stop the beast in the middle of his charge; but the elephant, the sole member of his herd, kept them off his back. Once the spell is ready, he opens his mouth. Aside from the big teeth, if anyone would have peaked in the hippo's mouth, they would have seen a multicolor light swirling around in the form of a ball. With a whoosh of breath, he fires that spell, which explodes after connecting with a wall. After that, both mammals disappear, leaving behind a destroyed grand hall, with a ruined wall, a roof with a gigantic hole in it, and an equally large crater in the ground.

PART 6.

While everyone is getting out of their shelters after that huge explosion. Professor useless… I mean, Professor Krishna Menon and deputy headmistress Surbha are trying to convince Corvus to punish Hatori for humiliating them in front of the foreign mages. “Look at this destruction he has caused.” Said Krishna with theatrics.

Corvus is not even listening clearly, he is sitting with his chin in his hand with a board look. “I fail to see what he has done wrong.” He said, not even lifting his face to say those words.

“Look around you!” screeched Krishna Menon. “He destroyed the grand hall, caused a lot of students' injuries, killed even more of them, and you’re asking what he has done?”

“Headmaster, the boy has gone too far.” Said Surbha, with much better control than Krishna.

“Honestly, if I gave a damn about deaths, I would have fixed it a long time ago.” Said Corvus. “Ever since the inception of this Academy three thousand years ago, we have allowed students to compete with each other, with the understanding that this may result in casualties. You took advantage of that during your own Academy days, if I remember correctly. So why are you protesting so much now? The boy has done what the Academy encourages anyway. Besides, he is banished, remember? I can hardly do anything worse than that.”

“Headmaster,” chimed Professor Dhiraj, “At least ask the boy why he has done this; there has to be a reason for such huge damage to the school’s property.”

“Finally, an intelligent suggestion. I think I’ll increase your salary, Dhiraj.” Said Corvus. He straightens himself, and with a wave of a hand, drags Hatori from his hiding spot in front of the professors.

As the professors and the experts from the outside watch, Corvus asks Hatori. “Well, boy? Do you have a reason for damaging my grand hall?”

“I was banished wrongfully.” Said Hatori. “I did not deserve it. I want it overturned.”

“You deserve it!” snarled Krishna, trying to reach for the boy. Corvus stopped it with a burier, though. He backed off, he does not wish to cross the headmaster. “You deserve worse than banishment!”

“Corvus, may I ask the boy, what was his crime that he was banished?” asked old man Lee.

“Certainly.” Said Corvus. He has no problem with that question.

Feeling this older mage look at him, Hatori considers, what should he do. Zeko has not taught him ways to greet older unknown mages yet. “Well, boy? Please answer my question. I do not wish to repeat myself.”

“I was banished for killing students sent after me by a professor useless.” Said Hatori.

Lee chuckled. “Who is this professor useless?” he asked.

“Him.” Hatori points to Krishna Menon, who is gritting his teeth, unable to do anything. He can’t touch the boy in front of Corvus.

“How dare you? This is a matter between us; you shouldn’t bring a foreigner in the middle of it!” said Krishna Menon.

“Much like how you shouldn’t have brought my pet crow in the middle of it?” asked Hatori, moving his face to get eyes to the to-to-empty eye sockets with Krishna.

“Forgive me for speaking in the middle, senior Lee, headmaster. But I think we should stop this farce already.” Said Bali, sporting some injuries. He couldn’t help but tangle with some of those elephants. They provided him with one hell of a workout. “That banishment is worthless, since the boy is here anyway, and we all know those reasons to banish him were dubious anyway.”

“You can’t do that. The students voted for it!” said Krishna.

“You caused this problem by scheming with the students in the first place. Besides, I do believe that voting was rigged. Why did you not allow first to fourth-year students to vote?” asked Bali.

“Besides, remember, I let the student council exist on my Wim.” Said Corvus. “I’m not bound by their rules. I can decide to turn all of you into dust, and you will be helpless to stop me. so do keep that in mind while making future decisions.” Said Corvus.

Everyone in the hall is hearing this entire conversation; the students who are part of, or are involved with the student council shiver after hearing those words. It sounded like a very pointed warning to them.

“I also think this banishment should be overturned.” Said Amrita. “Mostly because I do not want that boy to grow up with a grudge against us.”

Amrita’s point gets a lot of support from other professors. “Besides, why should we care about a professor who doesn’t even do anything here?” asked Dhiraj. “You don’t help in the maintenance of this institute; you do not teach, and you’re not a researcher either. So why should we listen to you?”

“All the right questions.” Said Corvus. “Remind me, why do I tolerate you again?”

“The deal!” Krishna puts those words out with a lot of loathing.

“Ah yes, the deal. Though you have not kept your part, I think. Should I make it public then?” Krishna remains quiet. “No?” still no answer. “That’s what I thought. I Corvus, headmaster of Magecraft and Sorcery Academy, hereby overturn the banishment of one Hatori eagle. Welcome back, student.”

“Thank you, headmaster.” Said Hatori, clasping his hands as a sign of respect.

(End.)