3.30.

Sitting on the dusty ground, Sequencee stared up at the fist sized spinning magic above him.

'It's been a few days since Iona stopped coming.'

Normally, she would accompany him through the evenings. So it felt both eerie and lonely ever since her absence.

He pointed his finger down. With a small boom, the magic threw dust up from the ground and created a small crater.

It was a mini replica of Star Auger.

He got up and summoned command orbs to execute the supporting magic functions while he generated three key catalysts for the main formation of the spell.

The summoning magic used by Sequencee here was different from how most mages understood it. Most people thought of summoning magic as a rare form of magic that only selected mages with talent could utilize. It involved summoning elemental creatures to accompany the owner in battle.

Sequencee however, had a different take on it. His theory was that summoning magic was actually the formation of a spirit body through the resonance of a complex network of spirits in the surroundings. Hence why most summoned creatures looked like they were of a single element.

Sequencee thought summoning magic could possibly be a subset of spirit magic. Taking this logic, Sequencee injected custom commands into the spirit network to form a creature without a corporeal body. From there, he would create the form manually instead of having the spirit decide what shape it should take. In fact, part of the elemental beads he had floating around him involved some level of spirit intelligence: dodge incoming people. Even spells that involve creating realistic representations of creatures such as the blue flame butterflies he created for Yui and Dunken a while back had aspects of summoning magic imbued into it.

Sequencee merely took things one step further by making these 'spirits' act like the ensemble mages capable of executing simple magic formulas.

'If I studied this properly, I could create automated turrets can't I?'

The thought of it sounded enticing, but Sequencee didn't know if it really was possible to code something so complex whilst maintaining an appropriate mana cost factor. Moreover, there was the little issue of the summoned entity firing at people at random.

Sequencee thought this was also part of why the summoner's magic proficiency played a big part in whether or not the creature summoned would act obedient or wild.

A wild whirlwind blew; a set of five small Star Augers exploded on the field.

Sequencee could feel his mana fatigue rise at an astonishing rate. Clouds of dust whipped into the air each time a Star Auger slammed against the ground.

During the ensemble practice, most of the energy was supplied by the staff and wands. So the impact of it didn't really affect Sequencee.

"How can I reduce the mana cost?"

Sequencee couldn't use this altered Star Auger spell in a practical setting, yet. Perhaps if he needed piercing power, this was a good option, otherwise, it should sit at the back burner of his magic repertoires.

Sequencee assumed his finger as a conductor's wand, drawing a circle to mark the base point of the magic circle he said.

"Fire."

A strong recoil sent his hair fluttering as a small light sliced the air at the speed of sound. It hit the ground with a strong thud. Instead of a crater, the ground had a narrow hole drilled into it.

"Starfall is alright.."

Sequencee could draw these circles and have them float around hidden using illusion magic. They acted as the catalyst while Sequencee controlled the other factors such as magic input, spell velocity, timing and stabilization– basically, the reverse of Star Auger. These components could be easily controlled because of the difference in the magic formula pathway.

If Sequencee wanted to have any chance of using Star Auger any time soon, he would have to reverse the formula pathway for it.

"Hm?"

Sequencee looked towards the small row of audience seats and found someone there.

Though the figure wasn't clear, he could somehow make out her smile from afar. She got up from her seat and walked towards the field.

Evelyn Equestria.

"Morning," Sequencee said.

"It's midnight," she responded, checking the watch which clung to her priestess uniform.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing. I heard from some of my colleagues that someone often doesn't sleep," Evelyn said nonchalantly.

"..."

"I don't care even if you're a demon, you need to rest properly too."

'Is it because Iona isn't here today?'

"I know."

"Then you should fix this habit of yours. While I admire how much effort you put into improving yourself, I abhor the fact that you're sacrificing your health for the sake of it. Didn't you say you've squelched your desire for revenge? So why are you still pushing yourself like this?"

"NOut of habit, I guess.." Sequencee tapped the ground and used earth magic to repair the holes he dug.

Evelyn watched silently as the field regressed back to its original state.

"Are you here for something?" Sequencee asked.

"Do I need to have a purpose to meet you every time?" Evelyn asked with her brows furrowed.

"No.."

"So?"

"So?"

'I wonder what she's here for..'

"How is it coming along? The magic concert."

"It's coming along fine."

"Do you think you'll be able to clinch the first prize?"

"I don't think so."

"And your basis for that is?"

"There's always someone better than me."

"That's a general rule, not really a basis. Whatever."

Thinking maybe another awkward silence could ensue, Sequencee sifted through his mind for any topics he could talk about.

"How are Risa and Linzy getting along?"

"Oh, that.. it's been hard to watch."

"The reason why you're here is because of the two of them?"

"As I said, do I need a reason to come see you?"

'Either she's making things obvious, or I'm overthinking things.'

"No, you don't need a reason," Sequencee shook his head unwittingly and conjured an array of Starfall magic circles.

"..."

Like the charging of plasma cannon, the sound of energy condensing to the ripping air elevated as more mana was pushed into the spell.

Until it finally exploded.

Evelyn shielded her eyes to the blinding light produced.

"How about you? How's the semester going for you?" Sequencee asked.

"Just so you know, I'm not part of the enforcer course. I'm training to become a priestess, remember?" Evelyn sat crudely at the edge of the field. She watched the dust settle down to reveal yet another fist sized hole in the earth.

"Oh right. I forgot that."

"The semester has been alright, for the most part," Evelyn quipped.

Sequencee nodded.

Though he wasn't keen on admitting, Evelyn's presence was affecting his ability to train properly.

"Go on. I'll just sit here and watch," the princess said with her knees supporting her chin.

"Aren't you tired?"

"I'm assigned to watch over the med bay for the training theater tonight."

"Then it's a good idea for you to rest there. You never know when the next patient will arrive."

"I'll actually fall asleep if that were the case. Moreover, the place is eerie when there's an absence of people."

"Fine. Fine."

Consciously pushing Evelyn's presence to the corner of his mind, Sequencee began creating various derivatives of the Starfall spell.

'Huh? Interesting. Maybe that's why I'm struggling to come up with original spells. I don't have enough references to draw from.'

Trying to create woodwork without studying a craftsman's technique, or writing a story without reading enough of the novels in said genre. Both cases stifle one's ability to come up with new ideas. Things regress to staleness– similar to how Sequencee almost always depended on basic elemental spells despite his advanced profieciency.

'I should go to the library or re-read my grimoire.'

Explosions rang out intermittently as Sequencee played around with various adjustments, hoping to find new ideas in which to advance the narrow diversity of his repertoire.

And when he stopped to take a short rest, he naturally turned to Evelyn– staring back at him, no surprise.

"Do all demons have so much mana?" She asked.

"I'm an abnormal demon. Maybe because of my mom."

"Makes sense."

Sequencee walked to the edge of the field.

"You're taking a break right now?"

"Yeah."

"Why are you going over there?"

"No reason."

"Oh. So you're trying to mimic me now?"

"Not on purpose."

"Speak what you wish."

Sequencee sat a little further away from Evelyn and laid his back flat on the floor.

He stared at the high beams above.

'Should I just go back now? I've completed my routine, and it's not like I'll find some new spell today either.'

"Hey," Evelyn called.

"What is it?"

"What can I do to win you to my side?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"You gave up on revenge, but now you're colluding with the demons. Because of your fiance, you've decided to go along with her pace, her will."

"Yeah.. that doesn't have anything to do with you, does it now?"

"It absolutely does," a hint of ire could be heard from her voice. "I don't know a lot about demons, so naturally I'd be worried about what she's planning. How certain are you that the attack on your home wasn't staged?"

"Are you trying to get me to pursue revenge again? I'm through with that, stop trying."

"That's not my point. My point is that you don't know what the demons are planning."

"It's not like I know what the humans are planning either. It's the same on both sides."

'What's the true agenda here? My alliance with the demons affecting the human race, or her worry about losing to Schwii?'

"Are you sure?" Evelyn narrowed her eyes.

"Do I think I know what kind of plan the empire has to fight against the demons?"

"Though I may say that her words could be trusted, how sure are you that she's seen enough to tell you the truth?"

'If Schwii wasn't a proxy ruler, I would've had some doubts; but she was. And even then, she didn't know a lot about father's affair.'

"Evelyn. I've decide to trust her. That's all there is to is," Sequencee got up and prepared to leave.

"You're going already?"

"Yeah."

Evelyn gritted her teeth.

"See you again some time."

"Sequencee. People are noticing."

".. I don't know what you're talking about."

"It's.. that if you choose to side with the demons, you'll definitely be the enemy of some from the human race."

"So be it."

"Do you not understand the gravity of what I'm saying?! You remember what happened the last time a political infight happened, don't you? Three years ago, you saved me so you should know!"

"I'll be fine even if something like that happened. In the first place, it was my mistake for ever coming to the academy. Think of it as atoning for my sin, for holding revenge so highly in the past. See you."

Sequencee left promptly, Evelyn rendered speechless by his reasoning. A tinge of green could be seen emanating from the thin golden aura surrounding his body– the colour of disgust.

She hung her head low.

She was a princess. With her influence and connections, she should have a chance still. So what was she doing wrong?

'I need to improve myself.'

She still hadn't got over how worthless she had been to him. She knew that Schwii was many times more learned when it came to persuasion and reciprocating value. She also knew that her chances with him would slip away should she continue like this.

Honestly, what was she thinking? Threatening him by saying he will have enemies so that he would obediently come crying for her help? Who did she think he was for saying something like that?

'I need to do something.'

Resolving once again to make up for her past and win him over to her side..

'What can I do to win your heart?'