Infinite Mage

Yiruki, who had been lying on the table, spoke up.

“Did you actually do something about it? Just yesterday, you were saying you’d go after them and beat them up.”

Amy had no energy to get angry. Yiruki probably felt the same. After a week of relentless stress, even moving a finger felt like too much effort.

Amy, resting her chin on the bed, said,

“Seeing how things have turned out, I understand now. But there are still people fighting for Shirone.”

Nade, watching the sit-in through the window, interjected.

“But our side is mostly low or high classes. On the other hand, most of those protesting are advanced class students. If they really attack, we won’t be able to stop them.”

Sharelle said,

“But for now, we should be okay. We have the teachers on our side. Headmaster Alpheas, Teacher Siena, and Teacher Ethella are with us.”

“That’s because you don’t know, senior. Those people... their actions have been suspicious since yesterday.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Sharelle turned to Nade for an answer, but it was Yiruki who responded.

“It seems a few are missing. Amyra and Fermi’s absence is especially strange. At least one of them should be there to incite the crowd.”

Amy, irritated, shouted,

“Hey! Why do you speak formally to Sharelle but keep using informal language with me?”

Yiruki turned away, uninterested. He had no particular reason. He simply thought of Amy as a friend, being Shirone’s girlfriend.

The infirmary door opened, and Alpheas entered with Siena and Ethella. The teachers’ faces were increasingly worn due to the persistence of the student council.

“You’ve been through a lot. How is Shirone?”

“As you can see... no change.”

“That's unfortunate, but it can’t be helped.”

Even Alpheas now harbored doubts. A week had passed. If some absolute being claimed Shirone would come back to life, he could wait a year, even ten. But no one could prove Shirone would return, which was the problem. It was a fight against time.

“I’ll cast a spell on Shirone.”

Amy and Sharelle made way. Alpheas placed his hand on Shirone’s chest and cast a slow spell, a preservation treatment that wouldn’t harm the body.

After finishing, Alpheas stepped back. Now Shirone could last another day.

But for how long? Teachers were silently watching, but over time, voices of dissatisfaction would inevitably rise.

Siena gazed at Shirone, then gently stroked his head. It was unfair and regrettable. A promising mage like him ending up like this before blooming.

‘That's why I said I should have stopped it.’

Shirone had overcome the Overflow. But the price was frequent contact with the Immortal Function. Ethella had said she would take all responsibility at the time. Now, she didn’t want to criticize the choices made. If Shirone took the wrong path, she would spend her life comforting his spirit.

“Teacher! Something's happened!”

Sharelle shouted. Amy and Nade, looking out the window, couldn’t hide their anger. Siena walked to the window. Amyra and Fermi, unseen since yesterday, were pushing documents towards the infirmary.

“We, representing the students of Alpheas Magic Academy, will file a complaint against all teachers! Please allow us to take Headmaster Alpheas into custody!”

Siena felt a headache coming on. What she feared had happened. The student council had played a strong hand. Not only Alpheas but also other teachers were in line for punishment.

If the complaint was filed, the situation would escalate uncontrollably. If the students’ families intervened, the academy would collapse without a chance for recovery.

Siena opened the window, and the crowd suddenly quieted.

“What is all this noise about? Is this what the student council should be doing, stirring up the academy?”

Amyra walked toward the window.

“This isn’t incitement. We didn’t want to go this far. That’s why we haven’t submitted the complaint yet. But there are too many unanswered questions. It’s been seven days since Shirone’s death. But the teachers are reluctant to announce it.”

“Shirone isn’t dead. He’s just in a comatose state.”

“There’s no such thing as a coma without a heartbeat. The reason for no decay is also unacceptable. Couldn’t Headmaster Alpheas’ magic make it possible?”

The student council seemed to have reached that conclusion. It was an accurate prediction.

But there are things in the world that shouldn’t be judged by results alone. The student council failed to understand why Shirone had to be preserved.

The root of the issue was the Immortal Function. Even students of the Magic Academy didn’t know about the state of nirvana, so they responded emotionally.

“Your thoughts are correct. Currently, Shirone is being preserved from decay by a slow spell.”

Siena admitted frankly. The student council, and even the students blocking the entrance, stirred.

“Are you admitting the allegations?”

“That's premature, Amyra. Allegations are for when teachers use Shirone as a shield to escape. That’s not the case here.”

“Your words are valid, teacher. But we haven’t heard any facts which justify such a decision. The student council can’t understand the teachers’ actions.”

“The teachers haven’t acknowledged Shirone’s death. Nor are they trying to escape. That’s why we are asking for your understanding.”

"Teacher, Shirone’s death is also a sad matter for us. But the student council does not want our beloved alma mater to fall apart like this."

"We understand that you currently can’t trust the teachers. But we too have thought carefully and made the best decision. Whether you believe it or not is up to you."

Amyra pondered Shirone's words. There was a possibility that the teachers knew something they were missing. Humans tend to believe what they think is right.

But no matter how much she thought about it, it didn’t make sense. Shirone was already dead. Or, frankly, whether dead or alive, the fact that all teachers were protecting him was infuriating.

'Is this the right way? Am I in a rational state? What if Shirone comes back to life? But that's impossible...'

Amyra, as the student council president, didn’t want to file a lawsuit unless necessary. But if she backs down, the students would suffer the consequences.

Watching Amyra’s conflicted demeanor, Fermi was displeased. If things continued like this, the plan could fall apart. He decided to step in.

"So, we can’t find a middle ground after all. Then we have no choice but to use our last resort."

Siena looked at Fermi with a displeased expression. In her four years of teaching, she had never encountered a student like him. Talented, yet more skilled in hiding it.

He reveled in controlling situations with deception and lies. Though this might be a necessary skill for a mage, it wasn’t a quality a student should possess.

"Pfft, file the complaint or don’t, it's your choice. You’ll be the ones to regret it in the end."

"Fine, let's do that! First, we'll recover Shirone’s body and proceed with the lawsuit! Let's go! We’ll rescue Shirone with our strength!"

Fermi led the advanced class students toward the infirmary. No one could stop the crowd, now caught in mob psychology.

"Carry out Shirone’s funeral! File charges against the teachers! The academy belongs to students, not teachers!"

"Wait! Don’t do this!"

Maria, among other students supporting Shirone, stepped in. However, they couldn’t prevent the path from opening. Fermi’s side was mostly advanced class students, revered as seniors. If they resorted to force, numerical advantage meant nothing.

"Isn’t this too much? You’re making a big deal over a dead student. What does protecting him mean to you?"

"Shirone isn’t dead."

Nade, with tears in his eyes, said fiercely,

"What do you know? What can you say about Shirone?"

Even though she was feeling pity for Nade, Amyra couldn’t change her stance.

"If you want a physical confrontation, I won’t stand still. I'll subdue you before the students get hurt."

Amyra stepped back, gathering energy into her fists. White clouds billowed around her, the Cloud Magic from the weather series. It had a very good affinity with electricity. At Amyra’s level, she could even charge the clouds with Nade’s electricity and counterattack.

“Why do people make irresponsible decisions without thinking about the consequences?”

Yiruki emerged from the entrance. Nade frowned. What was he here for now? But Yiruki stopped not beside Amyra, but next to Nade.

“What? Don’t interfere. This is my fight.”

“But from now on, it's also my fight.”

“Weren’t you on their side?”

Nade’s tone was brusque. Although there was no lingering resentment between friends, Yiruki, who believed Shirone was dead, had no reason to get involved in this battle.

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