They sit back down at the table, acting as if nothing weird happened.
"So, could he do it?" Ryou asks.
Maya thinks to herself.
I don't think people should find out about this yet. It would put a target on his back.
"He casted his first spell. Nothing special, but good enough to get a pass."
Ryou is too smart for that. He doesn't buy it.
"I want you to show me a spell, in return for embarassing me in our duel."
Before Renji gets to answer, Lia comes to save the day. She brought their food.
That was a well-timed change of subject.
But then...
"Alright, back to you. After we're done eating, I want you to show me."
Of course he wouldn't forget so easily.
Renji sighs. "Alright, we'll do that. Then we're even. Actually, you owe me."
Maya gets worried.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. I know what you're thinking, and you're right, but I think these two are good people."
"If that's what you want..."
They finally get to eating, taking their first bite.
Maya's face lights up.
"Mmmm! This is delicious!"
Rena smirks from across.
"I... told... you!"
Maya laughs.
"You were right, this food is tastier. But there's still a downside."
"What is it?"
"The food at the academy is free."
"That's right. But we should eat here once in a while."
They all silently agree and continue enjoying their food.
Thirty minutes of eating and chatting go by, then Maya offers to pay the check.
"Alright. The school will pay for what you did earlier, but you can't do it again or we'll be in big trouble. Let's go back to the academy and use a training room."
They leave Forks & Flames behind, stepping into the streets of Almenio.
As they walk through the academy gates, the mood shifts. The crowd from earlier is gone. The courtyard is quieter, but a few stragglers eye them with curiosity, whispers trailing behind.
They walk up the marble steps of the main hall, turning left toward the Training Wing. Maya leads them to a heavy oak door marked Training Room 3B. She pulls out a keycard, taps it to the scanner, and the door swings open.
They step inside the wide chamber. The walls are stone, but faintly glowing with enchantments. Several scorch marks and dents hint at past battles. It's the kind of place built for chaos.
Maya stands by the far wall with arms crossed, with Ryou and Rena next to her.
Renji takes a breath, walking to the center of the room. He closes his eyes. Focuses. Palms forward, like before.
He starts to feel that weird pull again, like a running current trying to erupt.
The words come to him.
A compressed jet of water blasts from his palm and slams into the far wall. Loud, violent, fast. The wall dents. Hard. Cracks ripple outward. The enchantments flicker under the pressure, but hold.
Maya thinks to herself.
This is even stronger than his first cast...
Ryou and Rena are both shellshocked.
"This... this makes losing to you feel different. Holy f-"
"No way! Is this real life?!"
"You swear you're new to this?"
"I am. Really."
Ryou thinks, then looks to Maya.
"Should we teach him something else? I want to see more."
Maya sighs.
"I'm not even sure I want to be a part of this... we might create a monster."
Rena smiles.
"He'll be our little monster."
"Hello, guys? I'm still here. I can hear you."
Maya thinks about it, then walks up to Renji.
"Alright. For the next step, think about what I taught you. Let's try a different element this time. Let's go with fire. All you need to do is pour more mana into it and make it stronger in your imagination."
She pauses, then continues.
"There's no special trick to a more powerful spell, at least when it comes to the basics. It's just that your imagination can only take you so far. The spell will come out only as strong as you are right now. Amp it up this time."
"Alright."
Maya steps back.
Renji starts the process once again.
Ball of fire. Big ball of fire. Bigger ball of fire.
He chants the spell and lets it out.
A ball of flame roars into existence, swelling mid-air before slamming into the far wall with violent force. The impact is deafening. Stone cracks. Enchantments flare and groan. Heat radiates back at them like they're standing in front of a blast furnace. The impact zone glows red-hot. A solid chunk of wall disintegrates into scorched rubble and smoke.
Silence.
No one speaks.
Not even a breath.
Rena's eyes are wide, her mouth slightly open.
Ryou stares, unmoving, like he's trying to process whether that actually just happened or if he's hallucinating.
Maya is still shaken despite seeing what he's capable of earlier. This ball of flame was a step further.
Renji lowers his hands slowly.
"Was that big enough?"
Maya shakes her head.
"I don't want to inflate your head, but I'll be honest. The average third-year can't do what you just did. With a couple years under their belt."
Ryou and Rena still can't find their words.
"I just did what you said. Imagined it stronger."
Maya steps toward the damage, inspecting the ruined wall. She places a hand on it, then pulls it back like it burned her.
"That amount of output isn't normal, Renji. It's not even advanced. It's dangerous. And to think this is your starting point..."
A voice comes from the entrance. It's the Headmaster.
"You!"
He looks to Maya.
"Who is this kid?"
"He's... well... a freshman."
"A what?! You two, come with me."
Renji looks at Maya, as if to ask if he's in trouble.
She shakes her head and grabs him along.
The other two are left behind. Rena finally speaks.
"Uhm... what do you make of this?"
"Just... I need to get some air."
On their way to the Headmaster's office, Maya frowns.
So much for keeping this a secret.