The sun was blazing in the sky (not to say it was hellish)... the lack of clouds... the wind that felt like an Air Fryer... the lack of sunscreen... and the crazy desire to have ice cream. Fani and Aarush were helping Lydia - the expert Herbology teacher - care for her newest Florentias - a rare plant from an icy, snowy desert that has since turned into an arid desert.

The little plant was beautiful, small, and delicate, with bluish dots on its snow-white petals, which also felt like snow to touch because they were naturally cold.

“We’ve been here for quite a while…” Aarush fanned himself with a small colored fan.

"Lydia… hurry up… I'm going to melt!" Fani groaned, holding a pack of crushed mana fairies' powder.

"Where is Mine? He said he would help," Aarush asked, fanning the group as best he could.

“He is busy at the arena. Some students are fighting, and he went to intervene” Lydia shrugged and patted the soil around the flower bud she had just placed in the hole.

"AND YOU MADE US SLAVES HERE!" Fani argued. "We could be seeing a beautiful light show!!!"

POOF

The esteemed transfiguration professor turned into a small, furry rabbit. Without wasting another second, she ran – or rather, hopped – towards the arena, leaving her friends perplexed not only by her audacity but also by the bag she was carrying that was almost wasted if Aarush hadn't caught it before the worst occurred.

“Thank you so much, Aarush!" Lydia sighed, relieved.

"Don't worry," he smiled. "Fani is always... Fani."

"I wanted to give her some time relaxing her mind, touch the dirt, you know? But that messy girl..." Lydia laughed and almost put her dirt-smeared hand on her face. "Anyways, I'm finishing here, and later Hera will come to check their temperature," she grinned and took the gloves out.

"Teacher Hera will have lots of fun for sure," Aarush chuckled, remembering when teacher Hera used to spend more time doing yardwork than teaching.

"Oh! Come Aarush. There's a new bud we need to take care for Mr. Gard, he is waiting at the main greenhouse," she excitedly said while checking her phone.

"Is it the new...?" Aarush asked in awe.

"Yes! Now wear this... and this," she gave him especial clothing, imbued with Light mana while Aarush slowly turned pale until he began to see everything spinning.

It really was a very hot day.

Heat, shouts, and sand were thrown in the air.

The practice arena was a mess!

Two hot-headed students were clashing with each other with their mana-made swords and shields, a (risky and deadly) spare like old times. A vicious spell here, a forbidden gesture there, they were breaking the University's Ethical Code at each interaction and spell. 

Blinding rage. 

Blood stains. 

Humid sand from sweat, spit and blood.

Their "audience" tried to cast neutralizing spells to cushion some blows and spells, but they didn't have much success. An attempt to cast a stunning spell by a student was easily avoided by the duo, who responded swiftly with a counter spell that caused the girl to fall to the ground, unconscious. Luckily her teammate came to his rescue in time, while the other students screamed for help to anyone outside the arena and in the nearby blocks.

The first teacher to answer the call arrived in time, standing beneath the airborne troublemaker duo and admiring how stupid the spells were. He took his wand out of his pockets and soon emerged into the air with a levitation spell, causing the sand to scatter on the ground, raising dust.

The students did notice his presence, yes, precisely. They weren't that stupid and blind with anger...

But before they could grab the intruder's neck, in an incredibly quick movement preceded by a brief flash, the professor placed his hand, in sequence, on the shoulder, forehead, neck, and stomach, causing a sudden and complete numbness – cramp-like – spread throughout their bodies.

The professor seemed stern and not very happy.

"Do you think it's Harry Potter?" Mine hissed, observing that the students' levitation spell began to wear off. “Oh my...” he sighed and aimed his wand at the duo.

With a wave of his wand, the teacher cast a protective spell over the area, ensuring that no harm would come to the students when they fell to the sandpit. 

Landing back on the sandy ground, Mine knelt down next to the two passed-out students. He gently touched their foreheads and healed small cuts and bruises.

“Hmm?” he muttered and noticed something off about one of the students.

He lifted the lizard hybrid student's torn sleeves and found an unsettling dark-colored matter spreading on the skin and glowing with small red dots. Finishing tearing off the already torn sleeve, Mine felt the student's arm and saw smaller cuts oozing a dark red, putrid liquid. It had a certain viscosity and, therefore, it had not flowed into the sand or mixed with it yet.

"… there's miasma around them," someone approached and knelt.

"What?" Mine turned to the person.

The teacher beside Mine stood up after doing a recognition on both boys. The young man wore a long dark brown cloak with silver details on the sleeves and buttons that, unfortunately, did not match the professor's accessories, such as his thin golden glasses and a Jade-like jewel on his necklace.

"Look at their hands," the teacher showed how dark their hands were. "They were already infected with miasma. Fortunately, they were horrible with spells, otherwise they would be a lot of work."

"What are you doing here, Addai?" Mine crossed his arms.

"Any 'thank you' for my hard work?" Addai also crossed his arms. "There was a commotion, and I got curious. That's why I am here."

Meek footsteps. Heavy breathing. 

The teachers interrupted their now usual bickering when they heard the student approaching.

She wore elegant clothes and sported a beautiful hair clip. However, a gash on her left arm caused all of her elegance to become stained by the crimson of her blood and the miasma that was in the duo. Before she could say anything, she staggered, and Mine quickly caught her.

"Teacher... they started fighting over mindless things. We don't know how they burst into madness," she coughed.

"Let me heal the wound first," Mine worried and carefully took her arm, healing the wound that seemed to have been the work of a mana blade.

"Hey, you three," Addai called a group of students. "Take her to the infirmary. Make sure she doesn't faint midway," he offered the small pouch that smelled of a bitter herb.

"Thank you, Mr. Karawaga and Mr. Addai," she bowed, supported by the trio.

Mine turned to the fallen students and began to ponder while Addai examined the other students nearby.

The miasma marks were significant: their skin still had dark spots that, despite being contained, the fetid liquid was still present. Furthermore, small symbols were engraved on the palms of their hands. It was bright red, and Mine had never seen a sign like it before.

"These represents their doings with miasma," Addai informed, placing a sigil on them. "You don't need to think that hard," he mocked.

"Yeah?" Mine looked at him. "Once you are very knowledgeable, you should investigate this case."

Addai didn't know which emotion to use among the “bitter” ones, but he chose a suitable one: revolt.

"... but I have class!" Addai argued. "I just came because I had a small free time-"

"Whatever. I'll free your schedule and set you to this investigation," and that was enough to silence the incredulous Addai. "I'll take your class, but only for today and don't scowl at me this way."

Oh, dear God.

That short and not-at-all humble teacher – the proudest kid he had ever seen – was getting on his nerves. Ok, he wasn't very nice in the teachers' common room, but how his tutor was demanding was remarkable, at least. Mine loaded the newbie teacher with books and articles about his classes as if he had graduated for that! He was the Light Mana teacher, not the Dark Mana one.

The more Mine talked, the more Addai had to fake a smile and swallow bitter words he wanted to spit. As Mine turned his head, a fleeting moment presented itself for him to unleash his emotions and be as bitter as he wanted to be, or at the very least, appear to be (but mutely).

"Ah…," Addai sighed deeply. "Ok, I'll do it," grumbled.

“Good, the pol-”

“But you need to book a match with me later," Addai interrupted, annoyance visibly noticeable in his voice. "I need to see if my tutor is that good, like how people tell," he crossed his arms, staring at Mine.

"Sure," Mine calmly nodded, "but don't interrupt me anymore," slapped Addai's hand, which he offered for a handshake to firm their spare. "Also, we don't need this dumb chivalry. I'm late for class and I need to aid a friend who passed out midway,” he informed, checking Lydia's message about Fani.

"As you wish," Addai bowed as Mine walked away. "Your Highness."

Fortunately, the last sentence wasn’t said out loud.

Addai stayed in the arena, diligently completing the tasks assigned to her by his pain-in-the-ass tutor. He waited for the ambulances to arrive and kept an eye on the students and the police... until they finally left.

With some free time on his hands, Addai decided to hone his skills in preparation for the duel with Mine.

With his curiosity piqued, he intended to test his tutor's abilities and determine whether the high praise from Shire – who came earlier to check on the students – was truly deserved.

Barefoot, Addai began to draw some symbols in the sand and feel all the different textures and grains of the ground, adapting himself - so that his movements became smoother.

In a quick motion, he raised two fingers and as a result, several targets appeared from the sand. These targets were made of a sturdy material whose dark color contrasted against the light sand. Each target had a single dot positioned in the center, which illuminated with a glow when approached closely. 

Flexing his legs, Addai ran towards each target, tracing an irregular but quick and precise route. He hit all the targets with impure mana in the blink of an eye, but soon they grew darker and darker and... subtly withered away.

"Shiiit," Addai cussed and crouched, analyzing one of the targets. "Maybe If I redirect some of my flow…"

By redirecting the flow of mana to his legs, Addai repeated the same movement as before and hit each target, only simultaneously this time. He tripped over some piles of sand and, panting, wiped the sweat from his forehead to go see the targets.

However, this time around, the dark mana that was infused in the attack rendered the targets murky and impure. Just the way he wanted.

"Hah! This is it," he voiced satisfied, and a lonely clap resounded throughout the field.

"I could do it faster," someone teased and approached him with a mana chronometer that precisely showed Addai's speed of action.

Addai smiled and bowed before speaking. “Oh... If it isn’t Mr. Karawaga... What are you doing here so early? So diligent you are..."

"Ha,” Mine scoffed and crossed his arms, “this mask of yours won't trick me again.”

Addai chuckled softly, and his eyes sparkled with strange excitement. "Which mask?" he asked and touched Mine's chin with his finger, lifting it. "There aren't any masks here, and… you said you could do it faster?"

"Yes- take your hand off me," Mine hissed and slapped Addai's hand. "I'll use light magic instead," he challenged.

“Hm… well, I want to see it before our match then," Addai teased, taking the chronometer from Mine's hands. "It's an honor to be praised by your early efforts," he chuckled cheerfully and sat at a nearby bench.

"Ok, hold my coat," Mine undressed his teal robe, throwing it on Addai's grinning face.

Flexing his legs, Mine made two targets – still imbued with impure mana – appear in the air and remained suspended until he kicked one of the targets on the ground and hit one of the two new targets. He levitated the rest of the targets Addai used and, in a chain reaction, he managed to align them in the shape of a diamond, purifying and imbuing them with pure mana.

“See that symbol there?” Mine scoffed, dusting off his sandy clothes. “It means everything is purified,” and he crossed his arms, looking at the other teacher.

“…” Addai remained with a smile on his face, but said nothing.

"...? Hey."

"Oh~ I get it... you want me to praise you, right?" Addai changed his smile to an even more cynical one.

Mine didn't know which ugly expression to use, so he used his standard one and, in disbelief, looked at the other teacher with a cynical smile.

"Dude..." Mine put his hand on his waist, turning his eyes to the sand. “You know how to be insufferable huh?”

“Thank you,” Addai bowed and picked up the timer again. “Look... you were really quick,” and he clapped his hands but something made the corner of his mouth curve upwards yet again. “But it’s a shame. You arrived five seconds after me,” and showed the timer to Mine, who only didn't snort because he was too perplexed.

Mine walked over and took the timer without much ceremony.

In fact, he was five seconds after Addai scored.

"My… bad then…" Mine declared, gritting his teeth, and slapping the hand Addai offered for a handshake. "And don't touch me," he warned, but the other teacher pretended to not hear it.

"Ok, ok~" Addai widely smiled in an almost beaming expression. "At least it seemed to be good job," pondered.

Mine snorted.

Of course it was a good job. He was the best in that field, and he was sure Addai didn't purify the targets to (purposely) make things difficult. Wasting a few seconds was no shame, especially when you're practically sure that someone sabotaged-

"Hey, what are you doing?" Mine snarled.

Studying something on Mine's face, Addai didn't seem to care about the other teacher's personal space, who feared having some dirt on his face and felt his neck retract like an angry turtle. The closeness was unsettling, the personal space was minimal, and Mine couldn't help but wonder what Addai was looking at so intently.

Behind the glasses, Mine noticed that Addai's pupils were very thin and that didn't seem normal, but it was, somehow, interesting.

...

...

Interesting my ass! That guy was weird!

"You're quite good and I could praise you but..." Addai leaned in even more, increasingly reducing Mine's personal space – who no longer knew how to shrink anymore, “... I won't.”

Mine began to bubble from the inside out, just like a kettle or a volcano, as his face was red. He clenched his fists and cast a single curse at Addai, who dodged it before he was hit.

“I DON’T NEED ANY COMPLIMENTS FROM YOU!!! YOU HEAD OF-” and then he started cursing - and chasing Addai, who used shadows to move swiftly - because his opponent was formidably fast!

"I could praise you if you wanted" Addai flicked the tip of Mine's nose when he got distracted.

“YOU LITTLE SHIT!!”

In the end, both needed a bottle of elixir, and the match didn't happen.