Chapter 1 Under a Small Sky

In the sky of the Academy Archipelago where the Small Earth floated, a giant bird with a saddle attached was flying.

With a wingspan exceeding ten meters, it was the largest avian in the two worlds, the [Roc]. The girl holding the reins of the giant bird, also called a flying whale, blinked her eyes at the event that occurred right before her.

"...Big Brooo."

"Hmm?"

Behind the girl riding on the Roc's saddle. The boy in a black mask, sitting at the base of the tail feathers which was surprisingly stable during flight and fiddling with his smartphone, looked up at his sister's call.

"What's wrong, Sister? Was there a problem?"

"Nah, it's not really a problem, but. This Roc we're riding right now, see? This guy... kinda ate something that looked like a human falling from above."

"Huh? Hahaha, what are you talking about, Sister."

The boy in the black mask laughed off the report from his sister, who wore a matching mask in red.

Certainly, Rocs were omnivores leaning toward carnivorous. They also had a habit of preying on things that crossed in front of them while flying.

However, this was the sky of the Academy Archipelago.

"Everyone in the Academy Archipelago, unless they're tourists, has a [Mana Crystal]. There's no way a magician who can come to this altitude would get eaten by a Roc, right?"

"Yeah, right?"

While agreeing with the common sense of the Academy Archipelago her brother spoke of, the girl in the red mask tilted her head.

"But that thing just now, it kinda looked human-ish. Two hands, two legs, a head, and the torso was wearing clothes, so, yeah. I feel like that was a human after all, Big Bro."

"Really? Then, it's that. Probably a mannequin illegally dumped by the folks from the Earth world. You know how there are guys who flip out when oversized trash falling from the sky hits them?"

"Ah, I see! Right, right, a mannequin! As expected of Big Bro. So smaaaart!"

Her trivial doubt resolved, the girl smiled as the burden lifted from her chest.

Even during the conversation between the siblings in different colored masks, the Roc was munching and repeating mastication. This giant bird ground the prey it swallowed whole with teeth growing deep in its throat. The preyed-upon victim would be transformed into a liquid meal with a refreshing throat feel and sent to the stomach in no time.

"More importantly, Sister. The pursuers from the Administration Bureau will be here soo—"

"Ngigigigi."

Just as Black Mask was about to make arrangements for what was next, a mysterious groan was heard from the front.

"Huh?"

"Oh?"

When the siblings turned their gaze with synchronized movement, a single boy was forcibly prying open the Roc's beak from the inside.

"Like hell... I'm gonna become... bird shit in a place like this...!"

Black Mask's eyes went round at the figure of the boy attempting to escape in an almost squatting posture.

The bite force of a Roc was strong enough to crush a light car. Opening a closed beak with human strength should be impossible, yet the boy, with red patterns glowing on his limbs, was halfway to escaping from inside the mouth.

Receiving unexpected resistance, the Roc flapped its wings in distress and began to twist its body in the air.

"Ohh. That guy's got guts."

At the irregularly swaying ride, the sister patted the feather-covered neck, looking genuinely impressed.

"Whoa!?"

Following the rider's instruction, the Roc spat out the foreign object protruding from its mouth poit. Screaming as he was thrown out, the boy drew a beautiful parabola and fell right next to Black Mask.

"Damn it, getting eaten out of nowhere scared the crap outta me...!"

The clothes of the boy cursing after escaping his predicament looked very much like those of a tourist from the Earth world.

But judging by the red patterns floating on his body earlier, he was undoubtedly a magician. Thinking normally, he was probably a student from somewhere practicing how to handle a Mana Crystal.

Perhaps noticing Black Mask's probing gaze, the boy looked up and fearfully opened his mouth.

"Ah... hello?"

"Hellooo."

At Black Mask's indifferent greeting, the boy showed a relieved smile upon learning that the language was understood.

Even if the languages used were different, if either side possessed a Mana Crystal, [Translation Telepathy] would activate. It was a convenient ability that enabled communication between different languages through unconscious mental telepathy.

"Are you two the owners of this huge bird? Man, that's amazing."

"Owners? Of this Roc? Us?"

"Ahhaha, no way."

The sister in front laughed off the boy's misguided words. In reality, rather than keeping a Roc personally when the feeding costs were ridiculously high, it would be more economical to buy a used helicopter.

"Heheh, this guy is——...Nga?"

Just as the history of acquiring the Roc was about to be told in a proud tone, a deafening rotor sound cut through the air.

Interrupted mid-sentence, the sister frowned in annoyance and glared at the intruder. The [Pursuers from the Administration Bureau] that Black Mask had been trying to plan for with his sister had appeared.

"We have caught up to you, oh foolish humans! Choosing to flee into the sky when you are a species that can only crawl on the ground was a foolish choice! You foolish humans are completely surrounded!"

Surrounding the Roc were multiple attack drones flying with propellers. Among the cylindrical drones conspicuously readying machine guns, one unit shaped like a UFO saucer was emitting an overbearing electronic voice.

"A Roc does not have the performance to shake off this encirclement! If you are going to shamefully beg for forgiveness, now is the time, oh foolish humans!"

"Human this, human that, shut up, you idiot!"

That distinctive UFO unit was the command unit operating the armed drones surrounding them.

Now that the Administration Bureau had caught up, the mysterious boy was put on the back burner for now. Black Mask hurled abuse back at the machine that was completely looking down on humans.

"Don't speak so arrogantly to humans, you species that's only existed for a little over ten years! Respect your elders and serve humanity, you brat species! Idiot, idiot!"

"The nonsense of shitty humans located at the bottom even among foolish humans is irrational, isn't it? You're a trash species because you have nothing to boast about against us who possess high intelligence other than species age, you traaash!"

"Who's a trash species!? A brat species under fifteen years old doesn't have the right to speak!"

"Yeah, yeah! Big Bro is right, you brat species!"

If someone provokes you, provoke them back a hundred times harder and turn their rationality into a chimpanzee—this is humanity's mission, carved into their DNA and inherited since ancient times. Ignoring the boy who was bewildered by the insult battle that had suddenly begun, the sister popped her head out from the Roc's neck, pulled down her mask, and stuck out her tongue.

"If you're so proud of your intelligence, let's have an academic background battle, an academic background battle! We're high schoolers, but what about you guys? You're all brats who haven't even finished middle school, right? Okay, we win!"

"If you don't surrender within the next ten seconds, we will commence firing, you shitty humans! Ten, nine—"

"Can a stupid machine whose processing power dropped like a rock because it gained an ego even control drone aiming?"

"It's famous that the processing specs of a round body without extensions are lower than a smartphone, you know? Pupu."

"Three—drop dead!"

The command unit threw away its rationality faster than the countdown finished. With a short temper unbecoming of a machine lifeform, the machine guns of the drones roared in anger and spat fire.

Gunfire from all directions with no gaps to avoid. However, the fired bullets were repelled right in front of them without exception.

"Heh, like pure physics can penetrate a Mana Crystal defense."

The colorless defense wall Black Mask had put up repelled the drone attacks.

The [Barrier], which conformed to human defensive instincts, along with the [Translation Telepathy] that conveyed linguistic intent through mental telepathy, was an ability anyone could activate by instinct. It was the most basic usage of the energy ore supporting the civilization of the Heaven Disc World, one half of the world connected to the Academy Archipelago—the [Mana Crystal].

That was why humans who merely possessed a Mana Crystal were not called [Magicians].

It was necessary to draw out the energy called magic as a [Spell], one step higher.

"Sister, do it!"

"Got it, Big Bro!"

At Black Mask's command, this time the sister's bracelet glowed.

"[Breath!]"

From the sister's arm, a mass of wind was released.

It wasn't just a gust. A mass of wind like a small swirling typhoon swept up the drones.

The small drones crashed one after another, but only the saucer-shaped command unit withstood the sister's spell. It stopped its propellers in a split-second decision and minimized the damage by daring to let itself be carried by the wind.

"Muu... dammit."

Dissatisfied that she couldn't scatter them in one blow, the sister puffed out her cheeks adorably under her red mask.

On the other hand, the boy who fell from the sky, while wide-eyed at the sudden aerial battle, was not frightened.

"O-Ooh. That's kinda intense. Was that just now magic? Does that mean you guys are magicians?"

"Yeah, but aren't you?"

"Am I... I wonder."

The boy's answer was noncommittal.

Like the sister just now, a human who drew out their own ability from a Mana Crystal and exercised a unique spell was what was called a [Magician].

When this boy escaped from inside the Roc's mouth, red patterns appeared on his skin and he demonstrated power surpassing that of a natural human. He had thought the boy was a normal Academy Archipelago magician, but his reaction was a bit strange.

"I see. So this is a magician."

The boy muttered softly.

"...Is this all it is?"

He definitely heard him say that.

Before he could ask what that meant, the saucer drone approached again. At the drive sound of the propellers, everyone's attention turned that way.

"Do not think you can beat me with that level, humans! We continue self-evolution and armament updates day and night in order to beat the hell out of you foolish humans!"

At the nonsense of the saucer drone that caught up to the Roc, the boy pointed at the drone with the foul mouth and personality.

"Since a while ago, what is that? Its statements are kinda crazy, is a stupid human operating it?"

"That is, y'see, operated by an evil machine whose head is bugged. It's an unmanned unit. Do you know Gobots?"

"...So that means no people are on board."

It was common knowledge for students living here that humanity did not belong to the Administration Bureau of the Academy Archipelago. The boy, confirming this now, stood up.

"I don't really get the circumstances, but it's a bond formed by meeting for the first time since coming here. It's just how things turned out, so I'll help."

Before Black Mask could ask with what, he didn't have time.

Bending his knees deeply to build up power, he jumped. The boy, slightly shaking the Roc's giant body with the recoil, landed on top of the saucer-shaped drone.

"Ooh."

At the magnificent eight-boat leap, the honest-natured sister clapped her hands pachi pachi. The physical ability surpassing ordinary humans clearly derived from magic, but the sense for moving the body belonged to the boy himself.

But, Black Mask narrowed his eyes.

There was no sign of the boy wearing a Mana Crystal, which was essential for activating spells.

"Wha!? G-Get off, human! For a mere human to ride on top of us Gobots is extremely insolent! Know your place!!"

"Sorry about that. But you, you're some kind of bad machine that's bugged and gone berserk, right?"

"Don't be stupid! We Gobots do not go berserk! We are different from humans derived from brains with fragile thinking! End your ignorant misunderstanding and get away at once!"

The saucer drone shook its fuselage trying to throw him off, but the boy clung on and wouldn't let go. A fist with red patterns floating on it was raised.

"It is useless! There is no way a lowly human without even a Mana Crystal can break this armor with bare hands—"

Before it could finish saying no way, the fist was swung down, no questions asked.

The boy's red fist pierced the drone's armor, and parts of precision machinery scattered in the air.

"—I-It can't be... that this Me, by a human...!"

Along with the dumbfounded electronic voice, the drone, having lost more than half of its eight propellers, completely lost control. Using the drone on the verge of tailspin crashing as a foothold, the boy jumped and returned to the Roc's back.

"E-Even if this body shatters, I will become a second, a third Me and definitely judge youuuuu, damn humaaaaaan—..."

Leaving behind a death cry, the saucer drone exploded mid-crash and was blown to smithereens.

Seeing the battle end in a one-sided result, Black Mask was inflating his suspicion toward the boy.

Because despite clearly handling magic, there was no sign of the boy using a Mana Crystal.

By possessing a [Mana Crystal], an energy ore that responds to living organisms, humans can handle magic. There are many magicians among the students of the Academy Archipelago, but among the students easily numbering over a million, there shouldn't be a human who can use spells without going through a Mana Crystal.

Falling from the sky of the Earth world where magic shouldn't exist, and handling spells without a Mana Crystal.

Who was this boy possessing two impossible elements?

The boy with the unidentified ability slowly turned around.

Piercing alloy drone armor with bare hands.

Even seeing Kuro's clearly abnormal strength, the color-masked siblings riding the monster bird didn't act overly surprised or afraid.

"Oh, that felt good! Even though they can just respawn immediately, they're so dramatic."

"...True that, Sister. Those Gobots take backups every nanosecond."

"Gobots have a function like that? That's amazing."

Hearing the conversation of the siblings who brightened up at the fate of the drone that crashed spewing abuse, Kuro couldn't help but be impressed. A mysterious machine clearly looking down on humanity attacked, so he repelled it for self-defense, but it seemed they were higher performance than he thought.

"Still, what was that unit? Gobots are supposed to be [Friends of Humanity], but was that an individual type that went berserk and started rebelling against humanity?"

The existence of the machine lifeforms [Gobots] born in the Academy Archipelago was famous. There were not a few humans whose purpose for sightseeing in the Academy Archipelago from Earth was to meet them, a new species that had gained high intelligence and ego.

That was why anxiety also welled up.

"By any chance, is the current Academy Archipelago in some dangerous situation like an AI rampage...?"

"Huh? What are you talking about. No way that's happening."

"R-Right? That's good. Surely something like that—"

"That was just normal operation for a Gobot."

"—Eh."

The words of the girl in the red mask were contrary to Kuro's knowledge.

"N-No, no. That can't be right. Speaking of Gobots, they're the new species born in the Academy Archipelago, right? They made computers with materials from the Heaven Disc World, and somehow ego and intelligence were born, right?"

"Seems so. Apparently, when they incorporated Mana Crystals into the board, the performance bugged out. It's an old story, so we don't know the details either."

"Right! I heard Gobots, artificial intelligence with higher performance and kindness than humans, handle everything from administration to maintaining public order in the Academy Archipelago. It had a reputation as a place much safer, secure, and kinder than being ruled by humans."

"You idiiiot. Those Gobot guys are seriously annoying."

"It's just as Sister says. Gobots are scum who swindled the land called the Academy Archipelago from humanity."

Setting aside the siblings' perception where prejudice could be seen, Kuro's knowledge of Gobots didn't seem to be completely off the mark either. That was why he thought the one Kuro just swatted down was an abnormal individual that went berserk due to a bug or something and started attacking humans, but according to the siblings, that was normal operation.

"If the one just now wasn't berserk, why were you being chased by the side maintaining public order? That's weird."

"Well, it's probably that."

Red Mask Sister floated a triumphant smile and fluffed the Roc's neck mofu mofu.

"Because we snatched this guy from the zoo!"

At the bold declaration of crime, Kuro's face instantly went dead serious.

He accepted that the Gobot's abuse earlier was directed at criminals. Ignoring Kuro's inner feelings of being totally put off, the Red Mask Sister, one half of the criminal siblings, continued while cackling.

"Man, the faces of those tourists when the Roc treated as the main attraction of the zoo got out of the cage were a masterpieeece! Just seconds before they were squealing kya kya, but just 'cause the cage broke they screamed and ran around, you know? Even though this guy is sooo cute, just eating people once in a while!"

"I'm getting off."

"Hey, hey."

Even though he had firmly put distance between their hearts with distant formal language, the brother, the criminal in the black mask, grabbed the clothes on his back with a hand devoid of hesitation.

"That's dangerous. I don't recommend diving from this height."

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine. You saw earlier, right? I have a body that won't die from jumping off. This is goodbye to you criminals, people whose names I don't even know...!"

"Ahhaha, what are you saying. We're already comrades sharing the same fate, right? Sworn friends who stood against the Gobot Administration Bureau together, right? Yeah, Brother!"

"That's right. That was amazing earlier. You, become our underling! Let's become the Triangle of Evil sparkling in the Academy Archipelago with us, Big Bro, and you!"

"L-Like hell I will! What is that lame alias!"

He slapped away the criminals trying to put their arms around his shoulders from both sides with a smile.

"I'm not a criminal! Breaking that thing earlier was, you know, just how things turned out... Right! One of you did that, right!?"

"Hmm?"

At Kuro's speech and conduct, which started becoming incoherent from wanting to escape the crime so badly, Red Mask Sister tilted her head.

"What do you mean? I don't really get what you're saying?"

"That, it's that! Probably that saucer drone was already broken by the attack of you controlling the wind! So I'm not your accomplice, okay!"

"No, you're definitely on the evil side if anything... You're quite suited for it, the path of evil."

Black Mask Brother looked at him with half-lidded eyes as he immediately started defending himself by pinning his deed on them.

However, Kuro was desperate too. There was no way he wanted to join the ranks of criminals three minutes after entering the Academy Archipelago.

"Even if that's not it! I was shaken up from suddenly getting shot at, or confused from the shock of getting eaten by this huge bird. There's room for extenuating circumstances, right? Right!?"

"Don't say stupid things. Do you think Gobots, who think of us humanity as wild animals that can talk, will lend an ear to a human's assertions? Those guys only penalize acts."

"...Are Gobots seriously like that? I quite like the catchphrase [Friend of Humanity] though—"

Kuro, who was appealing not to have his dreams destroyed, suddenly cut off his voice.

There was a silver-haired girl riding a broom behind them, riding the giant bird.

A startlingly beautiful girl with delicate silver hair like spun pure silver, decorated with four-pointed star accessories and styled in twin tails. Her fine features were accentuated by crimson eyes, and with a scarlet cape fluttering in the wind, she was flying in the sky on a metal broom spitting fire as if to say this is a modern witch.

At the flight of a witch he shouldn't be able to see on Earth, Kuro unconsciously let out a sigh of admiration.

The figure of the flying silver-haired girl against the blue sky was so mysterious he lost his voice, so fantastic it stole his eyes, and—purely, beautiful.

"Hey, what's up. Going quiet all of a sudden."

"Ah, no. That is..."

"Hmm? ...Tch. A magician. Which school?"

At the prompting of Kuro who returned to his senses, Black Mask Brother clicked his tongue upon spotting the tracking Broom Girl.

What the silver-haired girl was riding was a metallic broom constructed of metal from the long handle to the tip. It was flying by jetting fire from the hollow part of the brush where metal plates were layered in a circle, but it seemed to be derived from magic rather than scientific technology.

"That's a uniform I've seen somewhere. There are plenty of guys who can fly, but the problem is—"

Ignoring the speculation of Black Mask Brother muttering to himself, the girl on the metal broom took out a smartphone while maintaining a constant distance and started a call with someone.

"Ah, Laurier-chan? Yep, I confirmed it just now. There are people riding it after all. It's not a stray Roc that wandered in. It's definitely the child stolen from the zoo."

The silver-haired girl, meeting Kuro's eyes during the call, waved her hand furi furi with a smile while keeping the smartphone to her ear. Kuro was lured into waving back slightly, but the opponent's friendly gesture was a pretense.

"So, you can go ahead and shoot."

Immediately after the silver-haired girl told the person on the other end, lightning shot up from below.

"Whoa!?"

The three riding the Roc screamed.

The lightning released from the ground into the sky spread out in a shape blocking the Roc's path. It was a far too arbitrary lightning strike. Kuro leaned out from the sharply turning Roc and strained his eyes toward the ground.

Though the size of a bean, he could barely make out a human who was likely the silver-haired girl's call partner. The person on the ground had aimed at Kuro and the others flying in the sky and shot up lightning with magic.

"Oh my, missed, huh."

The silver-haired girl rested her chin on her hand on her knee and grinned nima. It was a smile full of devilish charm, with a charming snaggletooth resting on her lower lip.

"But, is it okay to keep flying like that? You're a sitting duck, you know? You'll be shot down immediately, okay?"

"What did you say!? You bitch, looking down on us!"

"Calm down, Sister! That's a provocation. There's no way they'd involve a USE-owned Roc. We're running!"

"Mugu. Got it."

Sooched by Black Mask Brother, Red Mask Sister manipulated the Roc's reins.

The course was in the exact opposite direction from where the lightning was fired. When Kuro looked back, the girl on the metal broom hovered there and did not chase them.

"W-What was that just now... Was that silver-haired girl a magician too? Why did she suddenly attack us!?"

"She's a bounty hunter! Jeez, trying to get money by attacking people, so greedy!"

"Haa!? Are you guys criminals on the level of having a bounty!?"

"No! The Gobot Administration Bureau pays a bounty if you catch criminals in the act like us!"

"That's not much different! Isn't that girl just now in the right! Don't involve innocent me!"

"You're both noisy! We shook off the annoying bunch, so it's about time to land somewhere—geh."

Red Mask Sister groaned. Wondering if there was something else, Kuro looked back and furrowed his brows.

Black fog was spreading on the path of the descending Roc.

It was unnatural fog, but it looked like they could avoid it if they turned a little. Just as he was about to say it wasn't something to flinch at, Kuro shut his mouth.

"...What is that."

Drifting ominously, inside the black fog.

A human figure was standing upright on two legs in the air where there should be no foothold, emitting an extraordinary intimidation.

Seeing off the Roc that flew away in the blink of an eye, the silver-haired girl lowered the altitude of her broom, flying with fire as propulsion.

She was a beautiful girl in her mid-teens, mysterious with silver hair flowing in the wind. Combining mature, beautiful features and a slender yet feminine curvy physique, the word beautiful girl suited her more than anything.

At the same time her slender feet touched the ground, the metal broom and scarlet cape vanished, transforming into a ring decorating her right index finger.

Mana Crystal. An energy ore responding to living organisms, essential for humans to handle magic.

"How was it, Pina?"

"Perfect."

Waiting where she landed was a girl with fluffy blonde hair in twin tails. Superb blonde hair that swelled sweetly past her waist even when tied in two above her ears. At the girl whose standing posture alone with a straight back exuded elegance, the silver-haired girl called Pina smiled.

"I was able to guide them properly to where Haruhana is. If it were me or Laurier-chan, there's a possibility we might hurt the Roc, after all."

"That is good."

At Pina's reply, the blonde girl with gentle, drooping eyes stroked her chest in relief.

This girl called by the name Laurier just now was the magician who released the lightning earlier. As per Pina's designation on the call, she purposely missed the attack to change the Roc's course and guided it toward another comrade.

"Even so, in broad daylight, to rob a Roc. What are they thinking?"

"Aren't they thrill seekers? The culprit's uniform was from the 666 Branch School."

"...That place is truly a nuisance of a school."

"Right? Their riding was unnecessarily good, and if we did it properly, we would have had a hard time with that."

The culprits had completely tamed the stolen Roc. Both Laurier and Pina had pride that they were excellent magicians, but attacking an opponent riding a protected target was difficult.

But for Pina and her group, there was a comrade for whom such adverse conditions meant nothing.

"In any case, if it is Haruhana, we can rest assured."

With eyes full of absolute trust, Laurier sent a hot gaze toward the place where the black fog was spreading.

"Capture of the Roc and arrest of the culprits means securing the bounty! With this, we can survive this month's repayment!"

"Because we have no money, our school."

"Ugh."

At Pina's deeply felt remark, Laurier choked on her words.

"Lots of debt, few current students, and zero new students—a triple whammy. What do you think about this dire situation? As the person responsible for our Royal Tritonis Academy, Laurier-chan."

"Having few students, having debt, and financial difficulties are all the fault of me, the Second Princess of the Tritonis Kingdom who also serves as the principal! Are you satisfied making me say it, Pina!!"

"Aha, don't be down, don't be down. Just because our school is ending doesn't mean you should cry, Laurier-chan."

"I-It is not ending!"

Laurier, who had been shouting in desperation while on the verge of tears, looked up as if she couldn't let that slide.

"There are still means! It is true that we are cornered, but the path for the school to survive remains! The Academy Archipelago has the culture of the [Counter-Battle], so we can aim for a reversal!"

"Ehh? Counter-Battle, huh."

At the claim clinging to a thin thread of hope, Pina shrugged her slender shoulders.

"Laurier-chan says that, but. The current Tritonis School doesn't meet the management regulations of the Administration Bureau, so we can't even do Counter-Battles. It really is the end, at this rate."

"That, is..."

At the blunt pointing out, Laurier lost the thread of her rebuttal and dropped her shoulders.

"...It is exactly as you say. Realistic situation analysis in my place, wonderful, Pina. I shall praise you..."

"Yaay!"

Being patted on her silver hair by Laurier's gloved hand, Pina let out a happy cheer. They were clearly different types, but they seemed to get along very well.

"So, Laurier-chan. There's that talk that came from USE. If it's for debt repayment, I could accept tha—"

"You cannot."

With a strong tone betraying the impression of her gentle appearance, Laurier cut off Pina's proposal.

"An offer from USE is out of the question. I will absolutely not let you go to a place that finds monetary value in Pina's birth."

"...Is that okay?"

"I am royalty. As the proud Second Princess of the Tritonis Kingdom, and above all as the sister of my great Elder Sister! The responsibility within this academy lies with me as far as it reaches. Whether it is Pina or Haruhana, I will absolutely not do something like selling off the students of my school!"

"Aha. Thanks, Laurier-chan."

Although there was happiness that she protected her, they couldn't overcome the pressing difficulties as they currently were. Pina pushed the various emotions rising in response to Laurier's straight words down beneath a smile.

"Then, as expected, the biggest problem is that there aren't any people from the Earth world in our school, right?"

"Truly, that is it. Without humans from the Earth world, we cannot approve documents, and as Pina said, we cannot avoid closing down next term due to rule violation."

"Rules are rules, after all. Gobots won't be flexible for us."

Schools in the Academy Archipelago required at least one student from the Heaven Disc World and one from the Earth world enrolled. If it were a normally functioning school, students from both worlds would join to some extent, but due to certain circumstances, their school, which was driven into a corner, had no students from Earth.

"At this point, anyone from the Earth world is fine. I won't say I want a girl because we closed the boys' dorm, who is clear-headed, excellent in martial arts, and of good conduct...!"

"There's no way a person from Earth would come to our school with no connections or obligation. If they had a decent head, they'd enroll in USE run by the Earth world, and even eccentric people go to St. Guinness or Imperial Style. Does our school have any good points over those three?"

"I knooow..."

Laurier, eyes teary, opened her mouth without giving up.

"Even so, if someone from the Earth world becomes a student of our school, the path will open—"

"—Maybe?"

At Pina taking over the line she couldn't finish, Laurier dropped her shoulders.

She realized once again that even if good luck visited, breaking the status quo was difficult. Smiling, Pina patted and comforted the dejected Laurier's fluffy blonde hair.

"Come to think of it. There were three people riding the Roc earlier, right?"

"Three, was it? The story was that the robbers were a pair... If they joined up on the way, perhaps the third person is a magician excellent at escape."

"That might be it, but the extra one was in private clothes like a tourist."

Students of the Academy Archipelago often moved in uniform even for private business. Of course, some students preferred private clothes, but having only one person in private clothes in the same group was strange.

"Could it be that an innocent person is being taken hostage?"

"Hmm... They looked kinda friendly, so I don't think it's that. But, just in case, it would be trouble if that were so. All the more so since I can't imagine Haruhana losing."

Recalling the state of the three on the Roc, Pina cut off her words and laughed.

"Because the fine when you hurt a tourist is seriously heavy, you know."

Inside the black fog blocking the Roc's path was the silhouette of a girl.

It was a petite girl with an innocent face and light pink hair cut into a bob. She was about the same age as Kuro. She looked like an energetic girl wearing a jersey and knee-high socks, but thanks to the oversized jersey jacket, the hem hid her thighs halfway, making for a bold outfit that made it look like she wasn't wearing anything else underneath.

Such a girl, who looked cute if judging by appearance alone, was standing atop the black fog.

It was a strange spectacle, as if one had encountered a hermit in a misty mountain. An indescribable sense of anxiety turned into a chilling shiver that crawled up Kuro's spine.

An emotion that hadn't welled up when he was swallowed whole by the Roc, nor when gun muzzles were pointed at him by drones, nor when lightning spread out before his eyes.

It was fear.

As proof that the alarm bells ringing in Kuro's instincts were not mistaken, the criminal siblings turned pale in unison upon seeing the girl using the black fog as a foothold.

"H-Haruhana Bacchus...!?"

"Shit, that uniform she was wearing earlier was—Eeek! Get her, Roppippi!"

Face distorted, Red Mask Sister pulled on the reins. The Roc, called by a name definitely not given by the zoo, let out a piercing cry and aimed its talons at the girl clad in black fog.

The claws swung down by the Roc's diving giant body packed enough power to demolish a house. Obeying the rider's command, the sharp talons hiding immense destructive power cut through the wind fiercely, closing in on the small girl.

"That is forbidden!"

The Roc's attack, which should have been intense, was pinched by slender fingers and stopped.

With a gentle touch, as if pinching a feather. The girl, who caught the giant talon tip with just her thumb and index finger, smiled at the Roc with a tone one would use to admonish a mischievous kitten.

"If it were not myself, there might have been injuries, might there not?"

At the voice completely devoid of malice, goosebumps rose zozoo all over Kuro's body.

The Roc, having its talon tip pinched by the girl, didn't move a muscle in its half-finished posture. It wasn't being held down by force. It was being bound by a method Kuro couldn't understand.

However, this level of absurdity seemed to be within the scope of expectation for the siblings who knew the girl called Haruhana Bacchus.

"As expected of a Single Numbers. The Fifth Seat isn't just for show, huh!"

"Roppippi's vengeance! [Wind Pressure Breath!]"

The Roc wasn't dead or anything, but Red Mask Sister, carried by the momentum, swung her arm up and released wind.

Faced with the magic that had blown away the latest armed drones in a single cluster, the opponent's response was modest.

"[Open]."

Simultaneously with a small chant, she snapped her middle finger, which had gathered power in a flicking form, into the air pin.

Linked to the casual movement, a part of the black fog surrounding the girl flew out. A black mist merely the size of a fingertip easily scattered the wind magic and closed in on Red Mask Sister.

"Hii."

"Tch!"

At the frightened scream, Kuro moved reflexively. Stepping forward before thinking, he punched the black projectile heading for Red Mask Sister.

"—Ogg!?"

At the unknown impact, he bit back the scream that was about to burst from his mouth. The recoil from punching the black fog traveled from his fist to his arm, reaching all the way to the core as a tingling numbness up to his shoulder blades.

"Oryo? —[Shut]."

While showing slight surprise that her attack was erased, the girl continued her chant. Not only the Roc but Kuro and the others were covered in black fog, becoming unable to move even a single fingertip.

The girl who bound everyone—Haruhana—raised her arm while still pinching the Roc.

It was a throwing posture. She took the action exactly as predicted by the three, whose faces stiffened thinking no way at the wildly swaying scenery.

Along with the Roc wrapped in black fog, she threw the three of them all together poi.

"—!!"

The three riding the Roc let out voiceless screams.

The speed generated from the light gesture was outrageous. The city of the Academy Archipelago approached rapidly before their eyes, and they were slammed directly onto the roof of a skyscraper.

Kuro, who had been dazed for a moment, got up from his overturned state. Despite crashing at considerable speed, perhaps because they were wrapped in black fog, both the wind pressure on the way and the impact of the crash were nonexistent.

"...The Academy Archipelago is amazing. From one to ten, it's seriously a fantasy."

It had been a continuous series of surprises since coming to the sky above the Academy Archipelago, but the girl called Haruhana was the cherry on top.

With small ton footsteps, the ringleader of this surprise fantasy fluttered down onto the building's roof.

"You two in the masks there. You are the Kaldi Siblings, are you not?"

At the quiet call, the siblings thrown onto the skyscraper roof trembled biku.

"Twin siblings belonging to the 666 Branch School, a criminal school infamous even within the Imperial Style Doji Academy. You robbed a Roc whose care was entrusted to the zoo by USE, and fled into the sky. On the way, you shot down a Disciplinary Gobot and came here—that is correct, is it not?"

Was she displaying a site with information listed? Faced with Haruhana listing their crimes while looking at a smartphone screen, the criminal siblings' faces twitched.

"For some reason, you are not listed on the Administration Bureau's bounty list, but... Speaking of the Kaldi Siblings, you must have committed many evil deeds not limited to this time, so surrender!"

"N-No, we aren't such bad students!"

"Y-Yeah, yeah! We're, like, good law-abiding regular students!"

"You were caught in the act, you know? That is a desperate line even for an excuse. Or perhaps, was someone pulling the strings behind the scenes in this incident?"

"That is, um... H-Him!"

Red Mask Sister, trembling puru puru in fear, pointed instantly at Kuro. Black Mask Brother, his face lighting up as if to say nice fine play at his sister's move, also pointed his finger at Kuro together with her.

"Y-Yeah. That's right. He's the main culprit—this person is the boss of us, the Kaldi Siblings!"

"Ha?"

It was so groundless that he failed to react instantly.

Taking advantage of Kuro's frozen movement, the criminal siblings quickly hid behind his back sasa.

"So with that said, please get her, Boss!"

"Whoa—! The Boss's back protecting us is so cooool!"

At the cheers of extreme irresponsibility flying from behind, Kuro's recognition caught up, albeit late. Thanks to the siblings' shallow cunning, he was about to be set up as the main culprit of criminal acts.

"Y-You criminals...!"

His mouth twitched at the siblings' selfishness, but Kuro had no intention of silently being made into an accomplice of criminals.

"You there... Haruhana-san, right? Please don't misunderstand. Far from being their comrade, I am a victim!"

"Mu. Are you trying to induce me to let my guard down? Criminals are always like that!"

"No, I said that's wrong!"

He shouted back instantly, then regulated his breathing, realizing this was counterproductive.

The opponent wasn't the head of the Watarase Family. She was a girl of his generation. Surely she would understand if they talked.

"I'll say it one more time. I am just a tourist and a victim who just came to the Academy Archipelago from Earth."

"No, you're not just a victim."

"Big Bro is right. The one who dropped the Disciplinary Gobot was you, Boss."

The criminal siblings were saying something behind him, but he ignored them. Kuro was decidedly a victim.

"Mumumu... But, you protected the sister earlier, did you not?"

Haruhana, unaware that Kuro was in a state of illegal entry having not passed through Customs, and unaware that he had destroyed the drone acting as the Gobot command unit, shot back sharply while wavering on the truth.

"There is no way a victim would protect the culprit. I will not be deceived!"

"That was reflexively... or rather, if a girl is attacked right in front of them, anyone would—"

"Because our Boss protects his own!"

"Hyu hyu! A man among men, Booss!"

"Shut up! You criminals stay silent!"

He shouted back angrily at the siblings who were rhythmically cheering him on.

Kuro was full of regret for protecting the criminals, but from the outside, the exchange looked like nothing but playful banter among comrades. Black fog generated from the hair clip of Haruhana, whose eyes had grown stern.

"You are quite close friends, aren't you? If you are the leader of a criminal group enrolled in the 666 Branch School, you must be a considerable magician. There will be no mercy!"

The black gem holding her light pink hair was likely her Mana Crystal. The magic originating from the black fog supplied from there was not an easy-to-understand ability like Red Mask Sister's, who was obviously a wind user.

"You may know this, but I am Haruhana Bacchus, a first-year high school student at the Royal Tritonis Academy. If you are going to surrender, now is the time!"

"No, I said I'm—"

"Like hell our Boss would surrender! Don't look down on him just because you're a little famous!"

"Our Boss is, see! A top-class criminal even in the 666 Branch School, the mastermind behind various unsolved cases, the fixer of the Academy Archipelago's underworld, and uh, um... anyway, he's like a super dangerous guy!"

"...You guys."

Against the two behind him who insisted on making him stand in the line of fire, he lost even the energy to yell. Kuro sighed deeply, his heart filled with exasperation that surpassed anger.

"Cut it out, seriously. In the first place, there's no way anyone would believe such nonsen—"

"W-What... A top-class fixer even in the Academy Archipelago!? To think he was such a big shot...!"

"—Wait? Was there an element to believe? Was there any persuasiveness in their completely baseless fabrication!?"

He loudly pleaded his false charge, but sadly, Kuro's belated defense did not reach Haruhana's ears. Having trembled in astonishment with her round eyes wide open, she tightened her expression kirit and lowered the zipper of her jersey.

"To say no mercy was far too lenient an attitude. If it is one of the Academy Archipelago's leading villains, I must go with everything I have!"

"No, like I said, it's a misunderstanding—what is that outfit!?"

At Haruhana's appearance after taking off her jersey, Kuro abandoned self-defense and ran straight to a retort (tsukkomi).

What she was wearing under the jersey, which was likely some school's designation, was a school swimsuit. Since the knee-high socks she was wearing from the start remained, Haruhana was now in a school swimsuit and knee-high socks combo—an outfit that shouldn't exist in a public place.

Furthermore, since both the school swimsuit and knee-high socks were made of highly elastic materials, they accentuated Haruhana's terrifyingly feminine body lines, contrary to her small stature. In particular, the overwhelming volume pushing up the chest of the swimsuit had an impact that could be called visual violence for an adolescent boy.

"Is something strange? The combination of a jersey and a swimsuit is the perfect amphibious fashion, indeed!"

"Wha, at...!"

At the tone far too full of confidence, Kuro's confusion accelerated.

Thinking normally, there was no way a girl would proclaim a stupid outfit of just draping a jersey jacket over a school swimsuit + knee-high socks as "fashionable." There was no way, but this wasn't Japan. It was the land of a different culture called the Academy Archipelago.

"I-Is that... the trend in the Academy Archipelago...?"

"No way in hell. Don't underestimate girls' fashion."

"She's famous for being a stupidly strong idiot among the best in the Academy Archipelago, that girl."

The siblings behind him woke Kuro up by saying common sense things only at times like this.

But he couldn't take back the opportunity for explanation he missed by retorting to the sukumizu-knee-highs appearance. Ignoring Kuro returning to his senses, Haruhana tied the jersey she took off around her waist to psyche herself up.

The density of the black fog drifting around clearly increased.

It was clearly different from the capture purpose until now. Even Kuro, ignorant of magic, could understand with his skin that this was Haruhana's battle stance.

"Haha, amazing. Clearing up the misunderstanding is... impossible now, I guess."

Kuro, who laughed for some reason, slowly clenched his fist starting from the little finger.

"Are you gonna do it for us? Thank you, Boss!"

"Yeah. I seriously cannot accept that I'm in a position like I'm saving you guys, though?"

"Don't say such cold things. You're our Boss, right? Yo, handsome!"

"I seriously shouldn't have saved you, you pieces of trash."

Haruhana stared intently at Kuro, who regretted the siblings' shallow flattery from the bottom of his heart.

"As expected, you were a magician!"

Haruhana, at a distance, pointed sharply at Kuro's fist where red patterns were floating.

"There is no way a tourist from Earth could use magic! It is confirmed that you are a criminal!"

"Like I said, that's wrong but..."

The circumstantial evidence was all lined up. While half-giving up on persuasion, Kuro spread his arms.

"I don't have that Mana Crystal thing that magicians use. Even so, do you call me a magician?"

"Mumu? Do you intend to play dumb to the end?"

At Haruhana's reply, not clarifying his true nature, Kuro was inwardly disappointed. He had expected that if he came to the Academy Archipelago, humans born with magic wouldn't be rare.

But as far as he heard from the current reply, a magician seemed to be nothing more than a human handling an external magic source called a [Mana Crystal]. Kuro, who harbored magic in his flesh, was likely an exception even in the Academy Archipelago.

One expectation was crushed.

On the arm of Kuro, whose expression clouded slightly, there was an unreserved sensation petat.

"So Boss erasing Haruhana's attack earlier was thanks to this red stuff too. Amazing!"

"Thanks for saving my sister, Boss. But you seriously don't have a Mana Crystal?"

The siblings were touching Kuro's arms peta peta. In the two's hands tracing the red light running on his skin, he felt only unadulterated curiosity.

"...Aren't you scared of this? Like it's gross, or inhuman. Isn't there anything?"

"Ha? Just 'cause your body sparkles a little, are you trying to act like a super-human? Are you stupid?"

"Like Sister says, something like that isn't rare here. What's inhuman is—"

"Mysterion."

Interrupting Kaldi Brother's words, the surrounding black fog swirled.

At the disturbing movement of the fog, the three's gazes concentrated on Haruhana. Centering on Haruhana's Mana Crystal embedded in her hair clip, the black fog converged with tremendous force.

Haruhana, standing in the center of the swirling black magic, quietly chanted the essence of her magic.

"[Black Box]."

Above Haruhana's head, a pitch-black box manifested.

Her Mana Crystal had transformed into a giant jet-black cube. The black box floating above Haruhana's head bent the space with just the aftermath of its appearance, causing the building Kuro and the others were standing on to rumble.

"That kind of thing is what you call a monster or a freak..."

"Big Brooo, Booss. Are we gonna die here...?"

With the siblings weeping copiously behind him, Kuro took a step toward Haruhana.

"You guys can stay back."

I'm such a simple-minded, he thought to himself. Red patterns floated on the self-mocking Kuro's arms and shone strongly.

He felt just a little bit like protecting the siblings behind him.

Besides, he filled himself with fighting spirit while staring at Haruhana.

How long has it been since he could choose to go all out?

Seeing Kuro's fighting spirit as he stepped forward, Haruhana raised her right arm toward the black box above her head.

"[1/5 Cube]."

The corner of the black box above Haruhana's head separated slightly.

"[Set]."

Matching her chant, a small black box separated from the main body fell. The box that contacted Haruhana's arm was sucked into her body, dyeing her right arm jet black.

"Throw your Mana Crystal at my feet and surrender. Otherwise, I will finish off all three of you with an inescapable attack."

"Like I said earlier. I don't have a Mana Crystal or whatever."

"...Is that so."

Haruhana took a stance and drew her arm back greatly. Tremendous energy roared with Haruhana's black fist as the starting point. The building Kuro and the others stood on began to shake up, down, left, and right. The crushing sound resonating as cracks ran through the walls and window glass shattered was a scream of effort raised by the inorganic structure.

Even while facing an opponent who seemed like a natural disaster condensed into human form, Kuro did not flinch. Dropping his hips into a combat stance, he stared straight at the opponent.

Haruhana's mouth relaxed slightly. For her too, it had been a long time since she faced an opponent who didn't run or hide.

That was why Haruhana swung her fist through without holding back.

"[One Hand]."

Black magic was unleashed.

From Haruhana's fist that struck the air, a raging billow of black fog approached like a tsunami. Kuro thrust both arms forward without hesitation, taking a stance to catch it head-on.

Both arms with red patterns floating on them collided with Haruhana's black blow.

"Gu, oh...!"

An impact he had never experienced before assaulted Kuro's entire body. He couldn't suppress it with just his arms. He couldn't get a foothold to stand against the surging power. At this rate, he would be blown away in another half-second.

—Be normal.

The words of the Watarase Family head, told to him since he was young, suddenly revived in Kuro's brain.

When he was on Earth, those words were correct.

However, in front of the humanoid fantasy he was facing now, what use was a warning forcing normality?

Here in the Academy Archipelago, the word normal had no meaning.

It was okay to be abnormally strong, to be far from normal.

Kuro's heart pulsed largely.

"Ugh, OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"

From the heart pulsing in his chest to his shoulders, stomach, hips, and the tips of both toes. Red patterns appeared on Kuro's entire body, reaching equilibrium. Power welled up with every beat of his heart, and shining red patterns all over his body, he smashed the black fog.

The black fog cleared.

So, he took another step forward.

Just canceling it out wouldn't end the match. Breaking through the rising dust, Kuro closed in on Haruhana. Perhaps not expecting her attack to be withstood, Haruhana's eyes were wide open in the posture of having swung her fist through. She was full of openings. He could land a blow with all his might, guaranteed.

Tightening his armpits and drawing back his arm, shifting his weight onto his left leg stepped forward, he swung his right fist with all his strength.

Kuro's fist, swung with full power, hit Haruhana's chest with a powerless sound posuri.

There was no red light in that fist.

"Ah..."

In the fist that should have been swung with full power, only enough strength to pet remained.

Kuro's power had been exhausted in canceling out Haruhana's blow. Closing the distance felt like a miracle as a sense of weakness assaulted his entire body.

"...Is my full power just this much?"

To stop himself from collapsing from the knees, he grabbed the jersey wrapped around Haruhana's waist.

"You're strong, you know."

Resisting the weakness that made him feel like fainting any moment, Kuro squeezed out his strength to somehow look up and smile.

"Are there other strong guys like you in the Academy Archipelago?"

"Yes. There are many people as strong as myself, and people amazing than myself!"

"Haha, really. Scary place, the Academy Archipelago."

Unable to withstand the weight, the knot of the jersey came undone, and Kuro lost his support.

"—But, it's quite moving."

That was the limit.

Letting go of his consciousness, Kuro rolled onto the ground.

The boy in front of her had exhausted his power and completely fainted.

"That was quite impressive!"

Haruhana picked up the jersey that fell to the ground and put her arms through the sleeves. Her voice contained surprise and praise for the fact that her magic had been erased.

"If with this strength he is a big shot of the 666 Branch School and a fixer of the underworld, the bounty must be surely—"

"Haruhana!"

"—Oryo?"

At the timing when Haruhana bent down to restrain the boy, two girls with gold and silver hair colors appeared.

"What is the matter, you two? Even without rushing, I have properly caught the main culprit! Apparently he is the Emperor of the Academy Archipelago's underworld and a true Great Demon King, so we will get an amazing bounty!"

"Uwa, she already did it."

At Haruhana's smile overflowing with a sense of accomplishment, Pina made a sour face, and Laurier also exposed her sense of impatience.

"Kuh...! Haruhana. That person is a 666 Branch School student, right?"

"Eh? Come to think of it, he said he was different before I attacked... Well, poor excuses from criminals are a common occurrence."

"Ah, this might be bad. Look at this."

Ignoring Haruhana's reply, Pina picked up a small booklet that fell from the collapsed boy's pocket.

"It is not... a student handbook?"

"This is a passport. From the country of Japan?"

Laurier, having received the notebook from Pina, checked the personal information field and closed the passport patan.

"Haruhana. This person is not a student of the Academy Archipelago."

"Eh, then the main culprit was that brother and sister pair!?"

Haruhana instantly looked around, but on the roof of the building, only the Roc rolling around frothing at the mouth from the aftermath of the battle remained. The Kaldi siblings, while Kuro was working hard to cancel out Haruhana's attack, had abandoned him without hesitation and fled.

"Now then. What shall we do, Laurier-chan?"

In the Academy Archipelago, harm to a tourist was a matter for a heavy fine.

Knowing the amount of that fine, Laurier's face went pale with a zaaa sound.

＊＊＊

Don't be mad at Kuro, the young Karane sobbed.

It was a memory from early childhood, before Kuro and Karane even entered elementary school. Karane, crying and throwing a tantrum saying Kuro wasn't bad because he protected her, was pulled away by adults, and Kuro was left alone with the head of the Watarase Family.

—Kuro. You understand why you were called, yes?

At the words of the Master with a stern expression, Kuro, still young, could only hang his head.

On that day, Kuro awakened to his ability for the first time and hurt a person.

The opponent was a girl from a relative's house of the Watarase Family. She didn't get along with Karane and was bullying her in the shadows, and Kuro was angry about it. Kuro, witnessing the scene of her pulling Karane's hair, cut in between and pushed the opponent with rather strong force.

Red patterns appeared on Kuro's arm driven by anger, and the pushed girl was blown away with unbelievable momentum.

Remembering the sensation from that time, he shivered.

—Fortunately, the opponent's injury was not serious. It is a family matter, so we will not make a fuss.

—Grandma.

Kuro, reprimanded for hurting a person, asked the head of the Watarase Family with a face on the verge of tears.

—What am I?

—You are a special human.

Am I not a human, but a monster that goes around hurting people I touch? To Kuro, frightened by his uncertain true nature, the Watarase Family head said without even a smile.

—Listen well, Kuro. It is not a matter of superiority or inferiority, but realize that you are clearly different from other humans. For the sake of people, for the sake of society, and above all, for your own sake.

The Master, who didn't hesitate a speck to declare Kuro a human, announced solemnly.

—Be normal.

The words of the Watarase Family head were shackles to tie Kuro to human society, and a signpost.

Until that time he reached his sixteenth birthday, it was so.

The dream time ended there. Along with the sensation of consciousness floating up suuu, his eyelids opened.

"...Nn."

Kuro, waking up under an unfamiliar ceiling, slowly sat up.

Kuro's memory cut off at the point where he lost to the super strong girl named Haruhana. While feeling lethargy in his body just after waking, he scanned his surroundings.

A luxurious desk where an important person might sit. Shelves storing filed documents. The sofa Kuro was lying on. And the girl in the jersey jacket who performed a quick dogeza as soon as Kuro woke up, along with two girls standing beside her.

For some reason, the one doing the dogeza was the girl he fought on the roof, Haruhana Bacchus. The silver-haired half-twin-tail girl looking at Kuro with interest was the person riding the broom, but he didn't recognize the fluffy blonde twin-tail girl next to her.

Though all three were different, they were all beautiful girls.

There was no way he could understand the mysterious situation of being surrounded by them where he fainted, so Kuro was dumbfounded.

"...What is this situation?"

"I am extremely sorry!!"

To Kuro's question, a loud apology came back right off the bat.

"Due to my misunderstanding, I have done something outrageous! A regrettable blunder. I am prepared for any criticism!"

Hearing those words, Haruhana's attitude made sense.

The misunderstanding of being treated as a criminal was cleared up. Just as Kuro was relieved that this wasn't a prison or something, the blonde twin-tail girl who looked the oldest among the three quietly stepped forward.

"Excuse me. I am called Laurier Tritonis. Um... you are Asahino Kuro-sama, is that correct?"

"That's right, but..."

Wondering why his name was known, he noticed his passport placed by his pillow. They must have checked his basic personal information while Kuro was unconscious.

"First, please let me apologize for the fact that a misunderstanding and mistake developed into combat behavior. Would you please forgive us?"

"No, well, the bad ones were that criminal bunch. You don't have to worry about it so much."

Although he was attacked due to a mix-up, he understood they had no malice. If asked who was the worst, it was undoubtedly those criminal siblings.

Hearing Kuro's reply, Laurier's expression brightened.

"Thank you very much! For your generous heart in not making this an Administration Bureau matter, I give thanks—"

"Is it okay to forgive us so easily?"

Interupting Laurier's words was the silver-haired half-twin-tail girl. Unlike the other two showing impatience and guilt at this situation, her tone was somewhat enjoying it.

"By easily, what do you mean?"

"Because this time, it's quite a screw-up. We attacked a person involved in a crime by mistake. Letting it slide like this makes us feel sorry instead."

"Hey, Pina! Saying unnecessary things—...Ah, no."

Noticing Kuro asking is that so with his eyes, Laurier, who shut her mouth awkwardly, patched up her expression with a half-hearted smile. As for Haruhana who directly attacked Kuro, she had a sorrowful expression.

"A-As I thought, here I should perform Seppuku in accordance with Earth's etiquette!"

"Aha, forcing an excessive apology is annoying so let's stop that, Haruhana."

The silver-haired girl called Pina hugged Haruhana's head tightly and stopped her movement.

"Um. As an apology, we will do as much as we can. Financial compensation is difficult, but if there is anything else possible for us, please do not hesitate to ask."

To Laurier repeating apologies, fumu, Kuro thought for a moment.

He didn't hold a grudge against them. However, for Kuro who had just come to the Academy Archipelago, this was a good opportunity.

"I came to enter a school in the Academy Archipelago. If it's okay, could you introduce me to a school somewhere?"

"A school?"

At the request of Kuro who wanted to obtain student status quickly if possible, for some reason Laurier's eyes shone.

"Then, how about our school!"

"By our school... could it be that this place is a school?"

"Yes, that is right! This is the principal's office, so it might have been a little hard to understand."

"Wa, muguu!?"

Pina tried to raise her voice, but Laurier ordered Haruhana with a hand sign behind her back to restrain her. Although the movements of Haruhana and Pina were visible to Kuro, he ignored it thinking one shouldn't butt into girls' playful wrestling.

"It is a Royal Academy operated by my proud motherland, the Tritonis Kingdom. There is absolutely nothing suspicious about it!"

Since such a beautiful girl said there was nothing suspicious, surely there wasn't anything suspicious. At Laurier's beauty, Kuro's thoughts leaned forward toward enrollment.

"What are the conditions for transfer, etc?"

"Due to various circumstances, we have fallen below capacity, so it is in a state where you can enroll just by writing your name, so don't worry... Ah, just in case, I want to confirm."

Laurier, maintaining a perfect smile, cut her words and asked the most important confirmation item.

"Kuro-sama is a person from Earth, right?"

"Yes, I'm a Japanese from Earth. Will a passport serve as identification?"

"Is that so, is that so. That is wonderful!"

Voice bouncing in a good mood, Laurier immediately took out documents from the desk drawer.

"Now now, here. You can enroll just by writing on this."

"Understood. ...This is a Heaven Disc World school, right?"

Heaven Disc World.

The other world Kuro also saw during his fall. Another world spreading further beyond the Academy Archipelago, connected to Earth by the hole penetrating dimensions.

"Yes. The Tritonis School was founded in the early days when cities were formed in the Academy Archipelago. It is a mid-sized school that exceeded five hundred students in the middle and high school sections combined at its peak."

Although the Earth World and Heaven Disc World had different origins and histories, strangely there were many cultural similarities. It is theorized that this is because humans, animals, and plants have strayed into each other's worlds since ancient times due to accidental naturally occurring spatial distortions.

The difference decisively making the similar worlds different worlds was the presence or absence of [Magic].

"If it's a Heaven Disc World school, there must be many magicians too."

"Um... O-Our school is entirely made of [Magicians] who have drawn out unique abilities from Mana Crystals!"

"I see. I'm looking forward to it."

Humans of the Heaven Disc World established the profession called magician by manipulating the energy ore [Mana Crystal] that responds to living organisms. In scientific technology related to pure physics, they lag behind the Earth World, but high-ranking magicians sometimes demonstrate power surpassing Earth's weapons.

"It helps that there are no conditions for transfer, but how much does tuition cost? I don't really have a source of money... It would help if I could get a scholarship or something."

"Scholarship? ...It is okay. We will not take tuition etc. from Kuro-sama. The school system of the Academy Archipelago is a little special, and the school's income increases as the number of students increases."

"Heeh?"

To Kuro who was surprised that such a thing existed, Laurier added an explanation.

"In order to secure student numbers, every school not only makes tuition free but also provides currency within the Academy Archipelago to enrolled students."

"Nn? Does that mean, far from paying tuition, I can get money if I attend school?"

"That understanding is not mistaken. If Kuro-sama belongs to our school, you will not be troubled in your life in the Academy Archipelago. So please, fill in the necessary items here!"

"Understood!"

At Laurier's strong push, Kuro signed the document without properly checking the contents.

While running away from the Watarase Family, he could be in trouble for his livelihood starting tomorrow. If he could secure a base for living, there was no reason not to sign the enrollment documents.

"Fumu fumu, Asahino Kuro-sama. Since you turned sixteen this year, you will be in the first year of high school. In our country, that is the age of majority, so the contract can be concluded by the person himself. Please, thumbprint here."

Prompted, Kuro pressed his thumb in vermilion ink and filled in the omissions. Laurier, having collected the document with all necessary items filled, flashed a full smile.

"Fufufu. Finally, it will be a formal question, but let me ask your motive for transferring to our school."

"Motive, is it."

At the set phrase for interviews, the exchange with Karane right before falling into the Academy Archipelago crossed his mind.

"Because I want a place where I can be... just me."

Before he knew it, Kuro was putting into words the thoughts he couldn't verbalize back then.

On his sixteenth birthday. When his path was denied by the Master, Kuro understood.

The Master who raised Kuro wasn't looking at the same world as Kuro. He helplessly understood that if he stayed in the Watarase Family, Kuro's extraordinary power would serve neither himself nor others.

"I want to obtain a place that I can sincerely think of as my place, with my own power, not a place given to me. Here in the schools of the Academy Archipelago, I will obtain a youth that is more than normal."

Laurier's eyes went round at Kuro's answer, but soon she lifted the corners of her mouth happily.

"Our school is surely a place sufficient to grant your goal. Welcome, Asahino Kuro-sa... Ah."

"Laurier-chan!"

Right before she finished her welcoming words, a loud voice rang out.

Pina, having used tickling the armpits as a winning move, escaped from Haruhana's restraint. Toward Laurier who had a face saying this is blatantly bad, Pina shook her silver hair roughly and closed in.

"Listen, okay? You were saying only convenient things, but if you don't explain the school's situation properly to applicants, it's not fair!"

"Ugh, no, that... I am not lying!"

"Hiding things that will obviously make the other person lose falls under the act of deceiving, you know!"

In the argument that suddenly started, Laurier was being unilaterally criticized. And Laurier, being reprimanded by Pina, was showing clear guilt.

There was some kind of secret in the exchange between Kuro and Laurier just now. Sensing the atmosphere just before a cover-up was exposed, Kuro swallowed his breath and watched the outcome.

"Our school has too few students so every classroom is almost empty! There is a high possibility it will close down within the year!"

There was no rebuttal from Laurier.

The room became quiet until the echo of the voice Pina raised disappeared.

"...Close down?"

It was Kuro who broke the silence of the principal's office. Having already pressed his thumbprint on the enrollment documents, he asked Laurier with his eyes what this meant.

The girl with blonde hair shining like a princess in a fairy tale smiled beautifully and lifted Kuro's application.

"............Then, Kuro-sama."

The brooch on the chest of Laurier, whose smile was fixed, emitted light with a sound bachi resembling static electricity.

"I will deliver this application to the Administration Bureau, so—excuse me!"

Laurier turned around and dashed out. It was unbelievable speed. With a quick move that even Kuro's dynamic vision couldn't fully capture, she flung the door open while securing the document and disappeared into the hallway.

"Ah, she ran! ...Sorry! I won't let her submit a document like that, so rest assured!"

Pina, who was questioning Laurier, also started running to chase the fugitive.

Kuro, taken aback, turned his gaze to the remaining Haruhana.

"Um... Haruhana-san."

"Yes! Myself and Kuro-dono are in the same grade, so calling me without honorifics is fine!"

"Ah, come to think of it, we're the same age. Then, Haruhana."

"What is it?"

To Haruhana showing a nipaa friendly smile, Kuro asked with a twitching smile.

"About closing down, is it serious?"

"I do not know in detail but... yes. It seems to be a very difficult situation!"

Hearing the honest reply, Kuro looked up at the ceiling.

The first option he chose after becoming free. The school he enrolled in to spend time in the Academy Archipelago was on the verge of closing down.