School Time

Shiro and Sachi stood at the gates of Oxford Elementary Magic School, their hearts pounding with excitement and nervousness. It was the first day of school, and they were about to embark on a new chapter of their lives. The prestigious school was renowned for its rigorous curriculum and esteemed faculty, and both Shiro and Sachi felt a mix of anticipation and apprehension as they prepared to enter its hallowed halls.

As they stepped inside, they were greeted by a bustling courtyard filled with students of all ages, chatting excitedly and hurrying to their classes. Shiro and Sachi glanced around, taking in the sights and sounds of their new surroundings.

"Wow, this place is amazing," Sachi exclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder as she looked around.

Shiro nodded in agreement, a sense of awe washing over him as he took in the grandeur of the school. "Yeah, it's even more impressive than I imagined," he said, his voice filled with excitement.

As they made their way through the courtyard, they soon encountered a group of students standing in a circle, chatting animatedly amongst themselves. Among them were four familiar faces: Mizu Nami, Raiden Hayashi, Fujin Nakamura, and Daichi Ishikawa.

Mizu Nami, with her striking blue hair and cyan eyes, caught sight of Shiro and Sachi and immediately made her way over to them, her eyes alight with excitement. "Hey there!" she exclaimed, her voice bubbly and cheerful. "You must be the new students everyone's been talking about. I'm Mizu Nami, nice to meet you!"

Shiro smiled warmly at her, impressed by her outgoing nature. "I'm Shiro, and this is Sachi," he replied, gesturing to his fiancée. "Nice to meet you too."

Sachi nodded in agreement, offering a shy smile. "Yeah, hi," she said softly, her cheeks tinged with pink.

Mizu grinned, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "So, what brings you guys to Oxford Elementary?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Shiro shrugged, unsure of how much to reveal. "We're here to study magic," he replied vaguely, not wanting to go into too much detail about their backgrounds.

Mizu nodded understandingly, sensing Shiro's reluctance to share. "Cool, well, you'll love it here," she said, her enthusiasm contagious. "We've got some of the best teachers in the country, and plenty of opportunities to hone our skills."

As the conversation continued, Shiro and Sachi quickly found themselves drawn into the group, chatting and laughing with their new classmates as they made their way to their first class of the day.

Inside the classroom, the students took their seats, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their teacher. Shiro and Sachi found themselves seated next to Mizu, Raiden, Fujin, and Daichi, and they exchanged excited glances as they prepared for their first lesson.

Before long, the door swung open, and their teacher entered the room, a stern yet kindly-looking man with graying hair and a twinkle in his eye.

"Good morning, class," he said, his voice carrying authority. "My name is Professor Haruki, and I'll be your instructor for Elemental Magic 101."

The students greeted him with a chorus of "good mornings," their excitement palpable as they waited for the lesson to begin.

Professor Haruki wasted no time in launching into the day's lesson, covering the basics of elemental magic and its various applications. Shiro and Sachi listened intently, taking notes and asking questions as they sought to absorb as much information as possible.

As the lesson progressed, Shiro found himself growing more and more fascinated by the intricacies of magic, his mind buzzing with possibilities. He couldn't wait to put what he had learned into practice and begin honing his skills.

After class, Shiro and Sachi joined their new friends in the courtyard, discussing their plans for the rest of the day.

"So, what do you guys want to do now?" Mizu asked, her eyes shining with excitement.

Shiro glanced around at his classmates, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "How about we explore the campus?" he suggested. "I hear there are some pretty cool places to check out."

The group nodded in agreement, and together they set off to explore Oxford Elementary Magic School, eager to discover all that it had to offer. As they wandered the halls and grounds, Shiro couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement building within him. He knew that this was just the beginning of their magical journey, and he couldn't wait to see where it would take him away.

As the group of friends continued to explore the campus of Oxford Elementary Magic School, they found themselves drawn into a conversation about their dreams and aspirations. Shiro listened intently as Daichi, Fujin, Raiden, and Mizu shared their goals and ambitions.

"I've always dreamed of becoming a hero," Raiden confessed, his eyes shining with determination. "With the Blessing of the Chief God of Lightning, I want to protect the people of our world from any threats that may arise."

Fujin nodded in agreement, a determined look on his face. "I share the same dream," he said. "With the Blessing of the Chief God of Wind, I want to use my powers to ensure peace and prosperity for all."

Daichi, with his brown hair and eyes, spoke next. "I may not have a flashy Blessing like the others, but with my holy club, I want to bring justice to those who seek to harm others," he declared, his voice firm and resolute.

Mizu remained silent for a moment, her gaze distant as she contemplated her own dreams. Finally, she spoke up. "I want to be a hero too," she said softly. "But more than that, I want to use my powers to protect those I care about and make a difference in the world."

Shiro nodded, impressed by his friends' determination and resolve. "Those are some admirable goals," he said, his voice sincere. "I'm sure you'll all achieve them with hard work and dedication."

As the conversation continued, Shiro couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. He knew that he had his own dreams and aspirations, but he couldn't bring himself to share them with his friends. After all, he was already engaged to Sachi, and he didn't want to complicate things further by revealing his true feelings.

Meanwhile, Tasukeru Hinata watched from a distance, his expression dark and brooding. He had overheard the conversation and felt a surge of resentment towards Shiro and Sachi. They were nobles, born into privilege, while he had to fight tooth and nail for everything he had.

"I'll show them," he muttered to himself, his fists clenched in anger. "I'll prove that I'm just as good as them."

As the days passed, tensions began to simmer beneath the surface of the group's friendship. Tasukeru's resentment towards Shiro and Sachi only grew stronger, fueled by jealousy and bitterness.

During their classes, he would glare at them from across the room, his eyes filled with hatred. And whenever they crossed paths in the hallway, he would shoot them a venomous look before stalking off in the opposite direction.

Shiro and Sachi couldn't understand what they had done to earn Tasukeru's ire, but they tried to ignore his hostility and focus on their studies. However, it was clear that the rift between them was growing wider by the day.

One afternoon, as Shiro and Sachi were walking to their next class, they were confronted by Tasukeru and his group of friends. The atmosphere was tense as Tasukeru stepped forward, his eyes blazing with anger.

"What's your problem, Hinata?" Shiro demanded, his voice laced with frustration. "Why are you always picking fights with us?"

Tasukeru sneered, his lip curling in contempt. "You think you're so special just because you're nobles," he spat. "Well, let me tell you something, you're nothing but a couple of spoiled brats who don't deserve any of the privileges you have."

Sachi bristled at his words, her temper flaring. "That's not true!" she exclaimed, her voice ringing out defiantly. "We've worked hard to get where we are, just like everyone else here."

But Tasukeru just laughed, a bitter, mocking sound that sent shivers down Shiro's spine. "You're delusional if you think that," he said. "You and your fiancé are nothing but a couple of entitled rich kids who don't know the first thing about real struggle."

Shiro felt his anger boil over, his fists clenched at his sides. "That's enough, Hinata," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "If you've got a problem with us, then say it to our faces instead of hiding behind insults."

Tasukeru's friends stepped forward, backing him up with sneers and taunts. The tension in the air was palpable, and it was clear that things were about to come to a head.

But before the situation could escalate any further, a voice rang out from behind them, cutting through the tension like a knife.

"Enough!"

It was Professor Haruki, their Elemental Magic instructor, his eyes flashing with authority as he stepped forward to intervene. "What's going on here?" he demanded, his voice stern.

Shiro and Sachi exchanged a wary glance, their hearts pounding in their chests as they waited to see what would happen next.

As the tension between Shiro, Sachi, and Tasukeru began to simmer down, a new teacher was introduced to the class. His name was John, a tall man with brown hair and eyes, who exuded an air of authority and confidence.

"Good afternoon, class," John greeted them, his voice firm but friendly. "My name is John, and I'll be your new Elemental Magic instructor."

The students murmured amongst themselves, curious about their new teacher and what he would be like. Shiro and Sachi exchanged a glance, wondering how this would affect their training with their respective masters.

John continued, "I've heard great things about all of you, and I'm looking forward to working with each and every one of you to help you reach your full potential as magic users."

He then went on to introduce himself to each student individually, taking the time to learn their names and a little bit about them. When he reached Tasukeru, Daichi, Fujin, Raiden, and Mizu, he paused, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I understand that you five are heroes with the Blessing of the five chief gods," John said, his tone respectful. "I'm honored to have such talented students in my class."

Tasukeru and the others nodded, their expressions serious. They were used to being treated differently because of their status as heroes, but John's words made them feel seen and appreciated.

Meanwhile, Shiro and Sachi couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. They longed for the day when Tengen would arrive to train them, but it seemed like that day was still far off.

As the class continued, Shiro noticed Mizu stealing glances in his direction. He couldn't help but wonder what was on her mind. After the class ended, Mizu approached him with a determined expression on her face.

"Shiro, can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked, her voice eager.

Shiro nodded, curious about what she wanted to say. "Sure, what's up?"

Mizu glanced at John, who was busy talking to another group of students, before turning back to Shiro. "I was wondering if...if I could train with you and Sachi under your master," she said, her voice hesitant.

Shiro blinked in surprise, taken aback by her request. "Uh, I don't know..." he began, unsure of how to respond.

But before he could say anything else, John approached them, his expression curious. "What's going on here?" he asked, his gaze shifting between Shiro and Mizu.

Mizu squared her shoulders, determined to speak up. "I want to train with Shiro and Sachi under their master," she said boldly. "I think it would be beneficial for all of us."

John considered her request for a moment before nodding thoughtfully. "I don't see why not," he said. "As long as Shiro and Sachi are okay with it, I don't see any problem with you joining their training sessions."

Shiro glanced at Sachi, who shrugged in response. "I'm fine with it," she said. "The more, the merrier, right?"

Shiro smiled, feeling a sense of camaraderie with Mizu. "Yeah, sure," he said. "You can train with us."

Mizu's face lit up with a bright smile. "Thank you, Shiro," she said gratefully. "I won't let you down!"

With that settled, the three of them made plans to meet up for their first training session with John the following day. As they parted ways, Shiro couldn't help but feel excited about the prospect of training with his friends by his side.