The morning sunlight streamed in through the window, the pink curtains swaying gently in the breeze. Tiny fragments of leaves drifted lazily into the infirmary.
Ray caught a faint floral scent before slowly opening his eyes once again.
"This is…a ceiling I don't recognize," he muttered while staring at the plain white concrete.
He tried to sit up, but felt a heavy weight pressing on his chest. Looking down, he found a rabbit, a cat, and a red bird sprawled across him on the infirmary bed. Glancing over to the sofa nearby, he saw Jason and Aria fast asleep.
"Wow, sleeping so soundly, huh? I'm jealous," Ray said with a bright grin.
The morning air was fresh and cool. Seeing his friends sleeping peacefully, Ray chuckled to himself. "Hmm, guess I'll just sleep a little more too," he murmured, pulling the blanket over himself and shutting his eyes.
"Wha—hey! You've been asleep for two whole days already, and you're gonna sleep some more!? You idiot!" Jason suddenly woke up, shouting loud enough to rattle the entire infirmary. Everyone jolted awake.
"Gahhh! Why the hell are you yelling, Jason!?" Ray cried.
Aria had just woken up as well. She let out a refined, ladylike yawn, rubbed her eyes, and slowly turned her gaze toward the patient on the bed.
"Good morning, Ray."
"Morning, morning!" Ray waved weakly. His beasts flocked to him, snuggling and playing in delight at his recovery. The brown-haired boy burst out laughing from the ticklish sensation. "Haha! Stop, stop already! That tickles, hahahaha!"
"How are you feeling? You merged your spirit three times in one body—are you really okay?" Aria asked.
"Oh, I'm totally fine, don't worry, Aria." Ray spread out his arms to show her.
"Tch. Big deal. I've done spirit fusion three, four times before. More than you, in fact. Stop acting all proud. You end up collapsing and guzzling down rice porridge for two days, dragging everyone else down. Pathetic." Jason scoffed.
"Yeah, yeah, fine, I'm pathetic, whatever! Not gonna argue with you anymore, Jason!" Ray snapped, frowning, then smiled softly. "But…thanks. For pushing me out of the way back then."
"Heh. Weaklings like you naturally need a cool, godlike guy like me to bail them out." Jason smirked, eyes filled with disdain. "Next time, don't just stand there like an idiot getting in the way, loser."
"Yes, sirrrr, oh great and mighty Jasonnnn, the strongest of us all!" Ray shot back in exaggerated sarcasm.
Aria laughed, Ray followed, and soon Jason broke into loud guffaws too. After the long fit of laughter, the infirmary settled into a calm, relaxed air again.
"…So I was out for two whole days? What about the exam results?" Ray asked.
"We passed," Aria replied simply, arms crossed.
"Seriously!?" Ray's eyes sparkled.
"Of course, idiot. We caught the hundred-point beast. If we didn't pass, that'd be a real joke, weakling." Jason sneered.
"I'm touched! Jason actually called me by name—even if it's 'weakling Ray'!" Ray clasped his hands dramatically and bathed in the sunlight pouring through the window.
"What the hell are you laughing at? And you too, white-hair!" Jason barked at Aria, who was covering her mouth in a refined giggle.
She leaned over to Ray and whispered in his ear.
"What!? Not only have I been upgraded from just 'weakling' to 'weakling Ray'…Jason even came here every day to check on me!? No way! That's not the Jason I know! Who are you, impostor!?" Ray pointed accusingly, mouth agape.
"You little troll. You want a busted lip before winter or what?" Jason growled, rolling up his sleeves.
"See! There it is! Now that's the real Jason!" Ray cheered, raising both hands in triumph.
Aria laughed and added, "Honestly, we took turns watching over you, Ray. Since you don't have any relatives, we came."
"A burden, that's what you are," Jason muttered.
"Waaah, thank you, guys! You're the sweetest," Ray said cheerfully. "Anyway, I'm starving. Got anything to eat?" He rubbed his grumbling stomach.
"Think you can walk? Let's go to the cafeteria," Aria suggested.
Ray slid off the bed, only to sway and collapse face-first onto the floor. Luckily, Jason and Aria caught him just in time.
"Professional burden."
"Yesss, Jason, I get it alreadyyy!" Ray groaned.
Aria stifled another laugh behind her hand.
They finally reached Temmecia's cafeteria—a vast hall with high windows letting in sunlight. Over twenty food stalls lined the walls, with tables neatly arranged at the center for students.
Since it was still early morning, and classes hadn't officially started yet, the place wasn't crowded. Ray and his friends freely chose their seats.
Starving, Ray grabbed food from the nearest stall without hesitation: a steaming bowl of rice porridge. Aria enjoyed a refined sandwich from the basket her father had prepared, while Jason scoffed at the stalls.
"These cheap joints are beneath the tongue of someone like me."
Ray snickered but quickly clamped Jason's mouth shut before he could offend the stall lady again.
Between spoonfuls, Ray asked, "Hey, we got a hundred points, right? So what about the Fruit of Evolution? Did we get it?"
"We told Professor Witzany we'd wait until you woke up so we could receive it together," Aria explained, nibbling her hot ham-and-cheese sandwich.
"Hahaha! My dad was so thrilled when he saw I scored a hundred points. Well, obviously! Especially me—I put on such a legendary performance during the exam! Hahaha!" Jason pounded the table with laughter, shaking it so much Ray nearly spilled his porridge.
"Tone it down, Jason. Oh yeah—what about your music? Didn't you say you didn't want to be a tamer?" Ray asked.
"Hmph. Sorry, weakling Ray, but I think further ahead than you. I may not like following my old man's dream, but once I graduate and succeed, I'll make my own fortune. Then I won't need him anymore. That's when I'll finally do what I want."
"Ohhh, so you're afraid of being kicked out of the house." Ray summarized bluntly before sipping his soup.
"Y-yeah, so what!? You're the same, aren't you—studying here just to gain recognition and status. Don't act all high and mighty with me!" Jason snapped, turning away in frustration.
Ray just grinned and turned to Aria instead. "What about you, Aria? Why did you want to study here?"
She calmly chewed her bread, then looked him straight in the eye.
"I like knowledge. That's why I came to learn."
"…"
"…"
Both boys froze at her simple, pure answer. One had been forced here by his father, the other seeking status. In contrast, Aria's sincerity shamed them both.
"We're such idiots," Ray groaned.
"Yeah. Weakling Ray, no wonder we almost flunked," Jason agreed.
Aria smiled and lightly tapped them both on the head. "You're overthinking. Whatever your reasons, just focus on learning. Now hurry up and finish—we need to see Professor Witzany."
At Professor Witzany's office door—
"Eh? She's not here." Ray rattled the locked door.
"Where the hell is she? Classes start tomorrow," Jason grumbled.
"Professor Jason. It's professor," Aria scolded.
"Bet she's at some male host bar in Dagasia," Jason said, flashing a silver coin.
"No way. She's definitely at a cat café drinking bubble tea," Ray countered, pulling out a coin of his own.
"Do you two seriously think the heroine of the world acts as stupid as you?" Aria sighed, massaging her temples.
"Yes."
"Absolutely," they chorused.
Dagasia Mountains.
"Ah-choo!" Professor Witzany sneezed, bubble tea in hand, standing deep inside a dark cave surrounded by men in dragon-patterned red robes.
"You! What are you doing here, Witzany!?" the cultists of Pandora cried, brandishing their swords.
The bespectacled blue-haired woman merely sipped her drink, smiling coldly.
"I'm here to deal with you, of course. Though…I did get a little distracted by Dagasia's host bars and the cat café, so I'm running late."
"How did you even find our hideout!?"
"Oh, your Unit Three captain summoned an Ancient Orca to harm my students. I played with him a little until he spilled the beans." She folded her hands sweetly, yet her aura was terrifying.
"N-no way! Don't tell us…you killed Commander Uron!? You monster!" The cultists shuddered, realizing their captain, wielder of a legendary beast, had been defeated.
"My, my. 'Monster,' is it? You people are so greedy—coveting Ray's phoenix, harming my students. I can't overlook this. Time to set an example." She snapped her fingers.
The cultists roared their motto in unison: "Born with Pandora, we burn with Pandora! Hyahhh!" Over a hundred robed figures charged her.
Witzany remained still.
"Nel. Burn them."
A blue phoenix, Level 99, unfurled its wings and bathed the cave in azure flames.
Even as the cultists screamed, they shouted their curse: "We who remain will awaken everything once more! The society of this world that you protect, and you yourself, shall collapse! We who remain will bring about your annihilation, Witzany! Aaaarghhh!"
Their bodies turned to ash. The professor let out a weary sigh.
"My, my. Such effort. But even if you succeed one day, even if you kill me, the children of Temmecia will defeat you regardless." She smiled, thinking fondly of someone she had entrusted her hopes to.
"Achoo!" Ray sneezed on the school lawn near the fountain while picnicking with his friends at midday, watching students and beasts play soccer in the grand stadium.
"Still not fully recovered, Ray?" Aria asked.
"Close to death already?" Jason teased.
"Jason! Your damn mouth!" Ray barked.
The three of them burst out laughing. Then they turned back to watch the beast-soccer match, hearts racing with excitement for tomorrow—the start of their dream life at Temmecia.
Ray hoped for just one thing: that the three of them would be placed in the same dorm together.
"I bet Professor Witzany is totally at a cat café. Twenty coins."
"No way. Host bar, forty," Jason countered.
Aria sighed, massaging her forehead.
"…So these idiots are the future of our nation."