Returning from their matricution ceremony, Yuuji and Aika returo their home along with Tatsuya and Miyuki. They pnned oing the CADs Yuuji and Aika received from the Group Chat using the teology they have in the basement of their home.

  And after they finished, Yuuji asked him if he would teach him how to do maintenand the basics of CADs as well as the basics ramming a spell into it while he checked their CADs.

  After all, in terms of teical knowledge, Yuuji knew very well that Tatsuya was a master in this field, and he didn’t want to miss this valuable ce to learn more about the teology in this world that he might be able to reprodue extent in his world.

  They stayed in the b for hours, and by the end of it, Yuuji was able to perform a basic checkup and maintenance of his own and Aika’s CAD as well as program a simple spell into his own.

  “I’m truly surprised… You learn things very quickly, Yuuji.”

  “Ahahaha… It’s thanks to my “Accelerated Learning Speed '' and “Programming Proficy”.”

  Yuuji stretched his arms up and leaned back to his seat. Though his body didn’t hurt, there was still a relieving and satisfyiion from stretg his body after staying in a seated position for hours in front of the puter.

  “As you know, programming in this world is very different frramming ba my world sihe teology here is far more advanced. Moreover, there’s no such thing as programming “magito maes in my world, so it’s a little hard for me to the cept around my head at first. But with yuidance, I was able to uand them very quickly and apply them iy.”

  “I see… But I don’t think that’s the only reason why you are able to get to this level this quickly.”

  “Eh?”

  Tatsuya picked up the golden gun-shaped CAD, the one simir to his but even more advanced once he took a look into it, and stared at it for a moment before handing it to Yuuji.

  “The way you think, your creativity, and yero learn and absorb knowledge… I don’t think you’d be able tram a ked spell into your CAD in the first few hours of learning without them, even if you have Accelerated Learning Speed and Programming Proficy.”

  Yuuji looked down to his CAD, his eyes reflected on its gleaming surface.

  “You should be proud. You are the first person I’ve ever met to be able to learn it this quickly. Even Miyuki had a harder time at first.”

  A smile slowly bloomed on his face as he stared at his CAD.

  “...Thank you. It means a lot, ing from you…”

  Just then, the sound of the metal door sliding open resounded along with light footsteps and a familiar cheerful voice.

  “Oooiii~! Dinner’s ready~!!! You guys have been here for hours, you know?!

  Aika jumped and g onto Yuuji’s back, ing her arms around him as she pletely leaned her entire weight onto him, while Miyuki made her way calmly to her brother’s side.

  “Oh, is it that time already? Time went by quite fast…”

  “What were you doing anyway?”

  Aika tilted her head to the side and peaked over Yuuji’s shoulder to see the s in front of him.

  “I’m learning how to maintain and calibrate CADs and also the basics ramming a spell into it from Tatsuya.”

  “Really~! That’s great~! Then, I’ll leave the maintenand upgrades of my CAD to you~”

  “Aren’t you ied in learning about this…?”

  “Hm~? I’ll just learn about it in school~ I’ll leave the actual thing to you, hubby~”

  Aika giggled and rubbed her cheeks against Yuuji’s.

  “Hah… What if I don’t want to?”

  “Fufufu~ Don’t worry, I have plenty of ways to vince you to do it for me~”

  Aika said, pushing her heavy mountainous breasts to his bad peg him on his cheeks.

  “Y-You little…”

  “Hehehe~”

  Watg their iion, Miyuki blushed and quickly turned her attention to her brother.

  “O-Onii-sama, shall we have dinner now?”

  “Of course. Let’s go, you two.”

  “ht. Let’s go.”

  “Okay~! Ufufufu~ You both look forward to this meal~ Miyuki and I did our best making it~!”

  --------------------------------X--------------------------------

  The m.

  It was their first day of css, and just like any other school, the first day was reserved for introdus, students getting used to their surroundings, as well as cheg their css schedules and the like.

  Yuuji did the same, accessing his student profile through the puter in his desk to che his schedules, css requirements, and some other miseous subjects such as the clubs that existed in the school.

  And to his surprise, this elite magic highschool had simir clubs to the schools in his world. There were sports-oriented clubs such as soccer, karate, kendou, etc. as well as culture-oriented clubs such as the tea ceremony club.

  There were also student anizations such as the student cil as well as the disciplinary ittee, just like other schools in his world. Though, they do have much more influend power here, given they’re led either by members of the ten master s or a fairly powerful and promising magi.

  However, as he expected, there were also clubs that were uo the schools in this world that were more orieowards the researd use of magid CADs.

  As he focused his attention to his s, his solemn and serious expression attracted the gaze of many, especially that of his female cssmates who could never succeed in pulling their attention away from him.

  While some had mao introduce themselves to him, they hadn’t shared ahy versations due to csses as well as the other beautiful girls sitting right o his seat who seemed to be his close friends.

  Two were especially close to their eye dy. Shiba Miyuki, the girl possessihereal beauty, intelligence, and powerful magid Kiryuu Aika, the girl with bewitg beauty, peerless figure, intelligence, and powerful magic as well, given her rankings.

  If Yuuji was the castle they wao quer, then those two were the high, nigh-imperable walls that defe from any kind of siege.

  However, hope was not pletely lost. The two girls sitting beside him, Mitsui Honoka and Kitayama Shizuku, had bee their shining bea of hope.

  While they both possess well above average beauty and were both quite talented in magic, they were living proof that one doesn’t o possess otherworldly beauty aremely taleo get close with Yuuji. They just needed a ce, a small catalyst! And perhaps, they could get close with him.

  Just then, the bell signaling the start of their lunch resounded. However, that wasn’t the thing that brought Yuuji out of his focus. It was the violent bump and familiar soft, warm sensation on his back that brought him back to reality.

  “Yuuji~! Let’s go have lunch~! We’ve promised Tatsuya to get lunch together, right~? Honoka- and Shizuku- will also be ing, so let’s go quickly~!”

  “Ugh… You know there’s other ways to get my attentiht…? Hah… A regur guy would’ve fated on the desk if you did this to him.”

  “Hehe~ But you’re not a regur guy and you know I won’t do it to anyone else~”

  “...Fine.”

  Aika let go of Yuuji as he stood up from his seat and turowards Honoka, Shizuku, and Miyuki.

  “I’m sorry for the wait. Are we ready to go?”

  “Y-Yes!”

  “Uhn. Anytime.”

  “Yes. Onii-sama and his friends seem to have also headed out to the cafeteria. He just messaged me.”

  “Alright, the’s go.”

  With Yuuji and Aika in the lead, followed closely by Miyuki, Honoka and Shizuku behind them, they all made their way out of the css.

  But just as they were about to reach the door, a brown-haired boy and several others called out to them, stopping them iracks.

  “Ah, Tsubakihara-kun. Would you and everyone like to have lunch together with us? We were just about to head to the cafeteria for lunch as well.”

  With but a look and his enhanced memory, Yuuji and Aika both immediately reized the boy before them.

  “Ah, Morisaki Shun-kun. I’m very sorry, but we have already made pns to eat with Miyuki’s brother and his friends. How about ime?”

  “Eh? Her brother…”

  A look of surprise fshed across Shun and his friends’ expressions before his previous smile returned.

  “Uhm… Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think you should mingle much with the “weeds”. You, Kiryuu-san, and Shiba-sahe top three of our entire year. You shouldn’t mih those who have no future in this world of magical teology. For them to be able to enter and stay in this school should already be a miracle for them.”

  Aika and Miyuki immediately frow him and the others who heir heads in agreement.

  Aika was even ready to snap and sh out at them, but was stopped by Yuuji moving in front of her.

  And while Honoka and Shizuku didn’t show aion as powerful as them, they were both still frowning at the words he iionally use to depreciate course 2 students.

  “Why do they not have a future in this world? If I recall, wasn’t the one ranked first iheoretical exam a course 2 student?”

  Shun’s face twisted for a moment as if he had received a fast jab to his torso.

  “B-But wouldn’t you agree that the most important thing in this world of magic is how skilled they are with magic? With theory alone, one wouldn’t be able to thrive and would soon be crushed by those with more skill and talent.”

  “I see…”

  This time, Aika was truly about to blow up. But before she could raise her voice, Yuuji’s calm voice stopped her iracks.

  “It is true. In terms of bat, perhaps a majority of those in course 1 would fare better than those in course 2. However, you should know that magi’t the end all and be all in bat, am I right?”

  “...”

  As someone experienced in real bat situations, Shun couldn’t find a word to refute Yuuji’s words.

  “I dare to bet there are some in course 2 with the physical prowess to subdue magis before they could cast a spell. Well, even if there isn’t, the world of magic doesn’t revolve solely around bat in the first pce, right?”

  “What…?”

  “Researto the utilization of magic to create a sustainable and renewable energy source, the teological adva of CADs, and the adva of magical teology in daily life utilization. To me, all of these are far more important thailization of magid magical teologies in bat, and most don’t specifically require exceptionally quick application ability, high magical tolerance, powerful interfererength, and amazing magic power to be able to aplish them. All that is needed is the knowledge, inspiration, hard work, dedication, and the desire to aplish them.”

  “Sustainable and renewable energy source”. This particur phrase reverberated in Shun and others who heard Yuuji’s words. After all, who didn’t know the reason that triggered the third world war that had taken too many lives.

  And even though they weren’t quite knowledgeable in the field, they knew very well how important it is to create a sustainable and renewable energy source. Thus, no one could refute Yuuji’s words.

  Seeing their silence, Yuuji gave them a gentle smile and pced his hand on Shun’s shoulder.

  “Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Just because they are g in magic power, doesn’t mean they are not worth aime. Telling everyohat they must excel in magi order to succeed in this world would be simir to telling a monkey and a fish that they only succeed in the world if they could reach the top of a tree.”

  Yuuji let go of Shun’s shoulder and put his hand on Aika and Miyuki’s bad began pushing them to the door, hoping to take these tere about to explode out of the room, with Honoka and Shizuku quickly following after him.

  And just before he left, Yuuji g Shu time.

  “Don’t let yht be clouded, Morisaki-kun. You are a good man with a lot of potential. It would be a shame if you limit your perspective by having prejudice. Try to see the good and strength in a person instead of their weakness. I assure you. You’ll find a lot more amazing people around you than you first expected.”

  Yuuji walked out of the room with his friends, leaving the entire css stunned in silend their own ps to his words.

  --------------------------------X--------------------------------

  The walk to the Cafeteria was mostly spent in silenbsp;

  Well, aside from Aika who was close to saying explicit things that would’ve caused many eyes to turn to her in shock multiple times. Fortunately, Yuuji mao stop her in time and help her calm down before reag the cafeteria.

  As soon as they arrived, they met up with Tatsuya, Erika, Mizuki, and a tall, muscur young man who were already holding their meals.

  “Ah, you’re finally here. You were a bit te. Did something happen?”

  Tatsuya asked, looking towards Yuuji, Aika, and Miyuki. But even before they answered, he could already tell just from their expressions that something did happen.

  “No… Well, it’s a bit troublesome, but nothing big.”

  “Hmph! It was really annoying!”

  “...”

  Seeing the helpless look on Yuuji, Aika’s annoyed expression, and Miyuki’s frown, Tatsuya couldn’t help but ask what happened.

  And as the one who wasn’t pletely ed by emotions, Yuuji expio them what happened.

  As he told them the story, Erika and the brown-haired man’s expression turned quickly into an angry frown while Mizuki looked down with a frown as well. Tatsuya was the only one who didn’t show any kind of rea to his story.

  “I see…”

  “Yeah… So that happened. But don’t worry. At the very least, I don’t think they’ll try and purposefully pick a fight with us. He’s just a bit of a prideful person with a tendency of having prejudice. He’ll learually… I hope.”

  “What about you? Are you sure you’ll be fine in that css?”

  “Hm?”

  Yuuji looked at Tatsuya with a slight tilt to his head.

  Then with an ever small, almost imperceptible smile, Tatsuya tinued.

  “I believe with everything you said to them, some might find it a bit difficult to approach you.”

  “Ah…”

  Yuuji finally realized what Tatsuya meant. In an enviro where most of those around him discriminate against course 2 students, his stance which was established the moment he fronted Shun would make him stick out and different from the others, perhaps even gaining their enmity.

  But…

  “Well then, it seems like I’m in luck since I have friends who’d still stick with me, right?”

  Yuuji turowards Honoka and Shizuku who immediately o his words.

  The two never really hold ay towards course two students, and they got along very well with Tatsuya, Erika, and Mizuki. Moreover, they also agreed with Yuuji’s words. One should see and focus orength in each other, rather than their weakness.

  “See?”

  “I’m gd.”

  This time, Tatsuya’s smile was no longer only perceptible to those with keen eyes like Yuuji and Aika or those who had known him for years like Miyuki. He was actually smiling and truly felt a sense of relief and happiness from knowing that his friends didn’t held such discriminatory believe.

  “Hehe~ That was really well said, Yuuji! I really wish I could see his face when you say it!”

  Erika skipped towards Yuuji and bumped her fist on his arm with a grin.

  “Well, what I say? His words really struck a h me, and I personally k least one person who could sweep the floor with him before he could reach for his CAD.”

  Yuuji secretly gowards Tatsuya, and before Erika could ask him who that person was, he turned his attention on the brown-haired man who had been standing beside Tatsuya all this time.

  “Anyway, I believe this is our first meeting. Hello, my name is Tsubakihara Yuuji. It’s o meet you.”

  “A-Ah! I’m Saijou Leonhard! It’s o meet you too!”

  Leo quickly took the hand Yuuji gave and shook it with a wide grin. After listening to his story, Leo’s perception of Yuuji was already sky high. He’s someone he could definitely get along with.

  “Sorry, I was quite surprised to see a course 1 student ag like that. Most of them were not that pleasant folks, in my experience.”

  “It’s fine. I ’t say for the rest of the student body, but at the very least, you won’t find any of the unpleasant sorts in this group.”

  Yuuji smiled and gowards Aika, Miyuki, Honoka, and Shizuku.

  “o meet you~ I’m Kiryuu Aika~!”

  “Shiba Miyuki. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

  “A-Ah, my name is Mitsui Honoka! I-It is o meet you.”

  “Kitayama Shizuku. A pleasure.”

  “Oh! A pleasure to meet you guys too!”

  “Well then, we’ll go ahead and buy something first. you guys grab a seat for us too?”

  “Of course. Leave it to us.”

  “Thank you.”

  --------------------------------X--------------------------------

  After school.

  Yuuji, Aika, Miyuki, Honoka, and Shizuku had promised to go home with Tatsuya and the others and grab some ice cream on the way home.

  They’ve promised to meet up he school gate, and upoing the building, they could already see Tatsuya’s group waiting for them there.

  “Sorry for the wait~!”

  “It’s fine. We just got here as well.”

  Mizuki replied to Aika with a kind smile.

  “Alright, the’s go-”

  Just as they were about to go, a voice shouting up Yuuji’s opped them iracks.

  It was a familiar voice.

  “Morisaki-kun…”

  Yuuji responded as they all turowards the approag Shun and his group of friends.

  Erika, Mizuki, and Leo frowned upon hearing the name and immediately shifted their attention towards the one Yuuji was referring to and put a face to the name.

  Shun and two of his friends approached Yuuji and his group before stopping a few meters away.

  “I’ve thought a lot about what you said, Tsubakihara-kun… And I do uand your point.”

  Shun began with a solemn tone. His eyes locked onto his with a frown.

  “I see. That’s great. I’m very gd.”

  “But… Even so, I’ll only believe something once I see it myself. That is why…”

  With a swift and practiced movement, Shun drew his gun-shaped CAD and aimed it towards Leo who was standing a few steps behind Yuuji.

  “Show me that your weeds are indeed worth something just like Tsubakihara-kun say.”

  A look of shock that Leo showed at Shun’s absurd as and words quickly turned into a feral grin.

  The ce to beat the sh*t out of the smug b*stard came soohahought.

  “Hoo? That’s iing. Fine, I’ll show you my worth.”

  “Don’t fall too quickly, weed!”

  Light began to emit from Shun’s CAD as he began deploying the activation sequence of his spell. And at the same time, Leo charged towards him with his hand stretched forward.

  “Onii-sama!”

  “It will be fine.”

  In an instant, the distaween them narrowed. But before Leo could reach him, Shun’s CAD was tossed into the sky as Erika appeared suddenly before him with her baton drawn.

  “Kuh!

  “At this dista’s just faster to move my body, you see?”

  Aika grinned and tapped her baton to her shoulder a few times in a rexed manner.

  “You…”

  He couldn’t see her movement. Before he k, she was already there, and his shock was immediately followed by an intense pain on his hand that caused him to let go of his CAD.

  “I agree with you, but weren’t you just about to smash my hand too?”

  “Goodness no~! I would never do such a thing~!”

  “Don’t you dare ugh it off!”

  Shun stumbled backward as the pain in his hand was still stinging from the hit.

  “I dare to bet there are some in course 2 with the physical prowess to subdue magis before they could cast a spell.”

  Is this what Tsubakihara-ku…? Is she the one he was referring to?

  Shun pondered as he stared at the girl, anger and frustration visible on his face.

  No… That ’t be…

  “You mere weed…”

  Seeing their friend hurt, the other two guys who came with Shun raised their hands and began to cast spells towards Leon and Erika as well.

  “No! Everyone, don’t!”

  Honoka reached for her CAD in a moment of panic, trying to cast a spell before they could finish casting.

  But before she could reach it, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

  “There’s no need for that, Honoka-san. Everything will be fine.”

  “Eh?”

  Just then, two pain screams resounded.

  Wheurned and looked, she saw the two male students, who were casting a spell, had fallen onto the ground after being blown away by an invisible forbsp;

  Then, another voice resounded from a few distance away.

  “Stop it right there! Unless for self-defense, head to head magic attacks are criminal acts!”

  A familiar feminine voice, albeit in a strict tohat was o Yuuji, resounded along with two sets of footsteps approag them.

  “I am Watanabe Mari , head of the Disciplinary ittee! I shall be taking your statements now. All of you, e with me.”

  The student cil president, Saegusa Mayumi, and the one who had retly introduced herself, Watanabe Mari, approached them, both fully prepared to cast spells at moments noti case they choose tle ialiation.

  “Eh? Y-Yuuji-kun…?

  Amongst the frozen group of students, Yuuji stepped forward to Honoka’s surprise as she watched him approach the two seniors.

  “I apologize for the ruckus. We didn’t expect our little horsepy to get this out of hand.”

  Mari raised her hand towards him, ready with a spell. Her eyes widened in shock from his appearance for a moment before her cold, strict expressiourned.

  “Horsepy?”

  “Yes. I told my cssmate and friend, Morisaki-kun, that I know a few course 2 students who were extremely adept in physical bat.

  It seems that it had ied him, so he came to us to see if it is irue. But unfortunately, it seems like we went a bit too far when we just wao show our capabilities to each other. Before we k, we ended up taking things a bit too seriously and caused the situation to escate drastically.”

  Yuuji told his story in an eloquent manner, perfectly depig the situation as one born out of resped curiosity in each other's strength that unfortunately got out of hand. No matter how hard and how deeply Mari peered into Yuuji’s eyes, trying to find any signs of lies or subterfuge, she could only see the truth in them

  However, that wasn’t enough. Even though his story might be pusible, there were still points that she couldn’t uand. Not to mention, the atmosphere she felt betweewo groups was not ohat stemmed from a friendly exge of knowledge, but a clear tenseness born out of flict. And upon seeing the emblems on their uniforms, she could easily guess the reason behind it.

  “...Is that why you stopped that girl from reag for her CAD?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then what about those two? Would you care to expin why they were about to activate an attack-type spell?”

  The two Mari referred to fling as they lowered their heads in fear of the punishment.

  “That was just a simple essential singurity-type movement spell meant to knock the others away from Morisaki-kuhey felt it was going too far. And its potency has also been siderably suppressed. They are only trying to protect Morisaki-kun.”

  The only spell which was to be cast that he knew about beforehand was Honoka’s spell that she almost cast in the anime. But, since he didn't wao get into Mari or Mayumi’s radar, he stopped her from even reag for her CAD.

  The spells Shun and his friends were about to cast weren’t specified in the anime, so in that instant, he used his elemental sight to read the activation sequences as it was being unched.

  Fortunately, although he wasn’t as skilled in it as Tatsuya, he seemed to have correctly deduced it after seeing Mari and Mayumi’s eyes widened in shobsp;

  “Oh… I see that you have the ability to read activation sequences as it is being unched.”

  “I lear from my friend who is extremely adept in analysis. I’m still green in that field. However, as it was a simple spell, I was able to deduce it correctly.”

  Yuuji sneaked a g Tatsuya aurned his gaze towards Mari.

  “I see…”

  “I truly apologize for causing this ruckus.”

  “...”

  Mari looked at Yuuji as he lowered his head, still hesitating on how she should pursue this case. But as she was deliberating, Mayumi moved in front of her and smiled brightly.

  “That should do it, don’t you think, Mari~? Yuuji-kun has apologized as well, so I think that’s enough~”

  Mayumi then turowards Yuuji and the rest of the group with a ge prim smile.

  “Showg each other’s speciality in order to gain knowledge is not prohibited. However, the use of magic still entails detailed restris. It would be wise to refrain from any self-schooling that involves magic activation.”

  “Sihe president herself seems to be so ined, I shall look the other way as well this time. However, make sure none of this is repeated again iure.”

  Yuuji, Aika, and the others all bowed towards Mari and Mayumi as they started to walk away.

  But just after a few steps, Mari stopped and turned back towards Yuuji.

  “What is your name?”

  “Css 1-A, Tsubakihara Yuuji.”

  Her eyes widened in reition of the name before narrowing once again.

  “Tsubakihara Yuuji… I see. Iing. Don’t cause any trouble again, honor student.”

  “I uand.”

  Mari and Mayumi then walked away, heading bato the school building, as Yuuji watched their backs reg into the distanbsp;

  “Tsubakihara-kun…”

  Yuuji turo his side, his gaze meeting Shun’s as he kept his frowning expression at him.

  “I’m still not vinced by your words. But for now… Thank you.”

  “Don’t mind it. But, if possible, try a different way of testing others’ strength other than pointing a gun to their head ime, okay?”

  “Ngh…”

  His face twitched for a moment before walking away along with his friends, leaving Yuuji behind.

  “Hah… He’s just as troublesome as he is in the anime, huh? And here I thought he’d calm down a bit after I talked a little seo him.”

  Just then, he felt a body suddenly jumping onto his bad ging on him. Without even having to see it, there was only one person who would do such a thing and who owned a chest that would cause such a heavenly sensation on his back.

  “Oh my~ That’s no good isn’t it, Yuuji~? You’ve been marked as a problem student on your first day of school~ What are you going to do now~? Are you going to be a deli~?”

  “Aika… Get off me… We’re still outside…”

  “Ara~ Are you embarrassed~ Ufufufu~ Fine~”

  Yuuji let out a sigh as Aika jumped down from his bad turowards the others who were approag him.

  “Well then, that was a bit ued. But… are we still getting ice cream?”

  “Of course~!!!”

  AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please ent your thoughts~! I would love to hear what you think about it~!!!!

  Also, if you'd like to read additional chapters ahead a a pdf version (Light & Dark), please feel free to chey at patreon./vergsx ~!!