"Are you okay?" Professor's Eury's soft voice came close and her soft hand pressed down on Leo's shoulder. "Is there mental damage? Memory loss? I can get you potions."
"It's okay, it's okay. No need." Whatever weird shit he got himself involved in, it came second to what was important: getting into Arcadia Academy. "I'm a future Arcadia Academy student. I can't let myself get slowed, especially in front of a professor," he joked.
Professor Eury pulled her hand back and brought them together with a smile. It was now he noticed that her pointy witch hat and robes seemed to have symbols that constantly moved and flowed—like the soft sea. Magical protection, no doubt.
"You applied?" the professor exclaimed and applauded him. "I'm so happy!"
Aaand she was hugging him. What. Why was she hugging? It was a sort-of bearhug since they were the same height and she was the happy initiator. When she pulled back, she took a long stride back as though recognizing that maybe the hug crossed a line but smiling as if it was worth the sin.
A beat passed.
'Just roll with it.'
"I was supposed to apply today. I had the money and everything." Yeah. Totally. He had the money. Cue the long sigh and the hand down his sweaty face. "I hope everything is still there."
"I'm sure it is. Come, come. Your future seniors are outside." The professor peaked over at the homeless people in the room. One of them had slouched against the wall. "I will take care of everything here. It seems healing magic is in order."
Leo gave an appreciative nod and walked through the door. What he saw—or rather, what had changed had him stop in his tracks. The statue of Hera was toppled over and sliced in three pieces. The floor was full of craters. The worshippers from before had collapsed, breathing and being tended to by a student.
Most of all, there was a random circle of fire right in front of him.
Leo blinked.
The fire suddenly disappeared.
"Sorry about that pro—woah, you're not the prof. You're…Leo?"
"Ashen?"
They pointed at each other. Leo with his one brown eye and one brown-yellow eye was easy to identify. Ashen even moreso with his golden hair streaked with red and glowing red eyes. Fresh from battle, Leo could tell.
'Those eyes are very much glowing. Yep, no question now, he either messed up his Mana System or his Mana System is super badass.'
"You remember?" Ashen asked.
"It's only been what? A couple hours."
"A bit more than that. How did you get yourself here?" Ashen wiped the blood running down his left eye. His uniform was scorched in several places and he had a small hole in his shoulder. The battle had been tough.
"...bad luck."
"You allowed yourself to get caught?" He clicked his tongue and shook his head. Ordinarily, I would say that's not a good start but…" Ashen drew in a breath and narrowed his eyes, head tilting over at the priest sealed and guarded by three students. "That heretic was no joke. The professor had to help out and even then…"
Hierophant Meiyu's arms and legs were bound by fire cuffs. His head hung forward, eyes closed and strangely uninjured. Internal injuries, perhaps?
"Oh." Both of them looked up. "So that was what happened?" Leo had noticed one other thing when he went through the door. Hell, it was the second thing he noticed after the circle of fire. The ceiling—or rather, the lack of a ceiling. The entire ceiling was blown off and he could see the stars in the sky.
That kind of firepower was ridiculous. 'Seriously? How much time did that illusion affect?'
Three third year students heading into fourth year and one unconscious priest. They guarded Hera's great worshipper like their lives depended on it. Probably because it did.
"Oi, Head Boy! Who's the kid?"
A boy and a girl. Both in damaged garbs of Arcadia Academy and both with brooches of the phoenix. They must have been apart of the Luminara House like Ashen. Rather, they were under him because apparently, Ashen was the Head Boy. Leo's mismatched eyes flicked between the students.
The first was a tall boy with a lean, athletic build. His white tunic was scuffed with dirt, and his brown hair was damp with sweat. He held a long staff in one hand, its tip glowing faintly with residual energy. His dark eyes were razor sharp and pointed at the hallway they had come from with the restless caution of someone expecting another fight.
The second was a girl, shorter than the boy, with wild, black curls pulled into a messy ponytail. A longsword embedded into the floor rested in her grip. "Hellooo?" she called out. "Ashen? Who is he?"
Ashen cocked his head, looking at Leo and then at his friend. "Sophie, quick question. The ceiling we just blew off…it wouldn't have to have, I don't know, a second floor?"
"Huh? Probably. I don't know, I'm a swordswoman, I don't do architect."
"Right, right, but this place is pretty deep underground. So where do they store their stuff?"
"Stuff?"
"Food, dinner tables, that sort of thing. Maybe even, I don't know, treasure areas."
Hehehe.
Hahahaha!
Yes! This was going waaay better than expected!
"H-hold on, are you telling me…" Leo put a hand to his mouth and gasped. "That…was fifty gold!"
"M-my bad…?" To his credit, Ashen did look guilty and that sold the whole thing that much more. "It was…I mean, I didn't expect him to deflect it—"
"You made my money disappear!?" Cue the dramatic gasp. "I…I have to check. Just in case."
"Uhh…"
They both looked up at the same time. What was there to search and check? Literally nothing. Ashen blew that shit sky high.
Good job.
In between the awkward silence, Professor Fellowen Eury walked out. She seemed puzzled by whatever had happened to the homeless men. "Ashen, Sophie, Midas—I need your help to carry those men. They are not responding to everything. Physically, they are fine but some sort of magic is making them blank out and resistant to magic."