Raku's room felt quiet. The desk lamp glowed softly, illuminating part of the room while shadows stretched long across the wall. He had lain down as soon as he got back that afternoon, but ended up sleeping for quite a while. When his eyes slowly opened, he blinked several times to adjust to the light.
His gaze fell toward the wall clock. The short hand pointed at nine, the long hand exactly at twelve. Night had just begun.
"Nine o'clock… so I really did sleep for a long time," Raku muttered hoarsely, rubbing his eyes.
Suddenly, his empty stomach growled loudly. Raku stifled a small laugh at himself, then slowly got up from the bed. He reached for a thin cardigan, put it on, and left the room. The house was rather quiet, only the occasional footsteps of the servants busy in other areas could be heard.
Descending the stairs and walking through the corridor, he arrived at the kitchen. There, a few servants were still on duty, making sure all the household needs were available. One of the servants greeted him politely, but Raku only smiled, saying he wanted to take the food himself.
The kitchen storage was full of simple choices—bread, neatly wrapped side dishes, and a few snacks. Raku took a pack of rice with teriyaki chicken and a bowl of warm soup still covered with its lid. He thanked them, then walked back to his room carrying a small tray.
Once in his room, he opened the window wide. The cool night breeze drifted in, carrying the scent of earth and trees from outside. In the distance, the night sky looked clear, scattered with twinkling stars.
Raku sat on the chair near the window, then began eating quietly. Every bite felt simple, but enough to fill his empty stomach. While chewing, he let his eyes gaze at the night sky, as if searching for answers he couldn't put into words.
After finishing the meal, he carried the dishes back to the kitchen, washing them himself even though one of the servants had offered to help. Raku gave a faint smile, saying he wanted to do it himself. After that, he returned to his room.
He lay back down on the bed, pulling the blanket up to his chest. But his mind didn't calm right away. A vague memory of the physics lesson that morning came to him. Those strange words, "Arc of Embodimen… Outer God… Energy as the foundation to fight foreign beings."
"Arc of Embodimen…" he whispered.
Raku sat up briefly, reaching for his smartphone on the desk. He opened the internet, typing slowly: Arc of Embodimen.
The search results appeared. The top title read clearly: Arc of Embodimen – Fairy Tail Wiki.
His brows furrowed. "Fairy Tail? Anime?"
He tapped the link. The screen displayed a description: Arc of Embodiment is a Lost Magic that allows its user to create anything from their imagination, including inanimate objects, weapons, even certain phenomena.
Raku read slowly, staring at the screen without blinking. "So this magic really exists… at least in fiction. But why… do I remember it as if it were real? Why did it appear in my mind during physics class?"
He let out a long sigh, closing his eyes for a moment. But his curiosity grew even stronger. He placed the smartphone on his chest, then raised his right hand into the air.
"If that's the case… let's try."
He focused, trying to imagine energy flowing within him. His breaths grew deep, his hand trembled slightly. Then he whispered softly, "Fire."
Silence. No fire, no light. His hand remained cold.
Raku lowered his hand, his face tense. "Is this someone else's memory… or my past self? I don't even know why I have to fight… Outer God? Or Trihexa? All of this sounds insane."
He fell silent for a moment, staring at the smartphone in his hand. "But… maybe I should watch Fairy Tail. If Arc of Embodimen is really there, I can learn more."
Immediately, he opened the anime streaming app, typed in the title Fairy Tail, then started from the first episode.
Hours passed. He watched scene after scene, until finally he reached the Tenrou Island arc. Episode 107. Rustyrose appeared, showing his Arc of Embodimen.
Raku leaned forward, staring intently at the screen.
"Glasses…? Hands turning into monsters? A shield? That's it…?"
He fell silent for a few seconds, then let out a long sigh. "If it were me… I'd use it differently. Create micro bombs, plant them directly in the enemy's brain without them noticing. Just snap my fingers… their head explodes. That's efficient."
Raku stared at the blank screen after the episode ended, then turned off the smartphone.
"How foolish… that magic user," he murmured.
Without thinking further, he turned off the room's light. The smartphone was left beside his pillow. Slowly he closed his eyes, his body relaxing, until he finally fell into a deep sleep in the darkness of the night.
Outside the window, the starlit sky kept on twinkling, as if watching over his sleep.
Sunlight filtered through the curtains of Raku's room, soft yet bright enough to wake him from his slumber. Birds chirped merrily outside, adding to the peaceful mood of the morning. Raku slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times to shake off the drowsiness.
He rolled to the other side, looking at the wall clock. The short hand pointed at six, while the long hand was close to fifteen. "Six fifteen… still enough time," he murmured with a sigh.
Raku got up from the bed, sitting briefly while stretching his body. His muscles felt a bit stiff after sleeping soundly, so he raised his hands upward, stretching until a small "crack" sounded from his joints. He gave a faint smile, feeling relieved.
His steps then moved toward the window. He pulled the curtains aside, and sunlight poured in, filling the room. The view of the spacious yard became clear, with a neatly maintained garden and dew still clinging to the leaves.
"A bright morning," he said softly, as if greeting himself.
After that, he walked to the study desk, tidying up the books he had left scattered last night. The smartphone still lying beside the pillow he placed neatly on the desk. For a moment he glanced at the dark screen, remembering the Fairy Tail episodes from last night. Briefly, Rustyrose's face and the Arc of Embodimen magic reappeared in his mind, but he quickly shook his head. "I'll think about it later. Focus on school first."
He then opened the wardrobe, taking out the Sobu school uniform he had prepared since the night before. A neat white shirt, a gray blazer with the school emblem on the left chest, long pants, and a simple tie.
Raku walked into the bathroom. The sound of running water lasted for a while as he washed his face, then brushed his teeth with slow but steady movements. The mirror showed his face, still a bit sleepy but refreshed after the cold water touched his skin. He combed his hair, making sure it wasn't messy.
A few minutes later, he was already dressed in full uniform. His tie was a bit loose, but he carefully adjusted it until it was neat. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, letting out a short sigh. "Not bad. Pretty decent for the second day."
Raku then opened his school bag, putting in the textbooks according to the schedule he had noted last night. Pens, notebooks, and his smartphone he placed in the front pocket. He also made sure there was a small water bottle inside the bag.
When everything was ready, he closed the zipper and slung the bag over his shoulder. A small growl from his stomach was heard again. "Hahaha… I need to have breakfast first," he said with a small smile.
He left the room, walking slowly through the still-quiet house corridor. The faint aroma of food from the kitchen could already be smelled—toast, miso soup, and omelets. In the dining room, the table was neatly set with various breakfast dishes. A few servants were adding hot tea into cups.
Issei was already seated in his chair in casual clothes, reading the morning paper. He looked up briefly when he saw Raku coming. "Morning, Raku. Did you sleep well?"
Raku pulled out a chair and sat down. "Pretty well, Father. I actually went to bed earlier last night."
"That's good," said Issei, sipping his tea. "How about today? Still excited for school?"
Raku picked up his chopsticks, then began scooping warm rice onto his plate. "I'll try to stay motivated. There are still many things I don't know, so… I want to take it slowly."
Issei gave a faint smile, then went back to reading the paper. "That's a good attitude."
Breakfast went by quietly. Raku ate heartily but still politely, occasionally glancing out the large dining room window that showed the blue morning sky. After finishing, he set down his chopsticks, thanked the servants, then stood up.
"I'm heading out now," he said while slinging his bag over his shoulder.
Issei folded the paper, glancing briefly. "Be careful on the way. Don't forget, if there's any problem, call me through your smartphone."
Raku nodded with a small smile. "I'll be fine. See you later, Father."
He walked toward the front door. The fresh morning air greeted him right away as he stepped outside. Near the family car, Ryunosuke was already standing neatly, waiting.
But Raku raised his hand, gently refusing. "No need to drive me, Ryunosuke. Today I want to walk again. It'll help me get more familiar with the city layout."
Ryunosuke bowed respectfully. "Very well, Bocchan. Safe travels, take care on your way."
Raku nodded, then stepped onto the path leading to the main street. The bag on his shoulder felt light, the morning air filled him with spirit, and the blue sky above his head seemed to mark the start of a new day.