Second Semester Kickoff!!
How the hell did things end up like this?
I had way too many worries piling up—too damn many.
I could turn back into a guy, but it only lasted a short while, so it felt kinda pointless. Plus, my ID had somehow gotten split into two. If I just came out now and said, "Surprise, I'm actually a dude!" it'd make everything awkward, and my friendships would go all stiff and weird. These were my first real friends, ones I'd barely made before enrolling at the academy. If they looked at me like that, I'd probably bawl my eyes out like some pathetic girl. Then I'd just say screw it and live a twisted life from there on out, going full wild-child like my mom. Filthy world...
I'd just been clueless, but I actually had more wealth than I could handle. Hell, I even had a fiancée who was fierce, prickly, and venomous in personality—but drop-dead gorgeous to match. And a noble title to boot. By witch standards, that put me basically on par with royalty, so what more was there to say?
Why the heck had I even enrolled at the academy in the first place? At this rate, I was just some immature teenage punk throwing a tantrum.
Okay, fine—I did have a bit of a city crush. There was nothing back in the rural village, boring as hell. I'd thought living with Mom made me happy, but had I subconsciously wanted to bail without realizing it? Now it just looked like I'd whined and thrown a childish fit to escape the countryside.
Why had Mom given in to me? Probably 'cause she loved me, but I'd always used my pocket money from farm work to buy manga and stuff I needed myself. The only thing I'd begged her for was that sword... and even that was just 'cause I felt like her son had to protect her.
How could she say no to a kid who loved her that much and worked hard for her, now begging to go to the academy? No way she could've been that harsh. If I'd just stayed farming like a normal villager, Aunt Poppins would've brought Ephemera over, introduced her as my fiancée, and we'd have this awkward, half-hearted village life together—me the country bumpkin paired with a city girl.
But top of the class? Nah... She'd nag nonstop, way too strict, and probably wouldn't let me stay up all night having fun. Plus, she was too pretty—intimidating as hell. Best to keep some distance. I'd totally wrecked her house and trashed her sword, so she must've lost all affection for me by now, right? At least I'd compensated fully with money, so no guilt there.
Still, I hadn't expected her to treat me like a benefactor—noble and knightly grace or whatever—and nag me like that.
"Waaahhh!!! This isn't the youth I dreamed of!!!"
Beatus... even you!!
...But thinking calmly, since I had no mana and needed protection as a male witch, it probably looked like I held their one surefire weapon. They wouldn't see the real me—the guy version—as some pitiful kid tormented by the girl version, right? They might even think we had such a great bromance that I'd beg like a kid for his sword and he'd hand it over with a laugh.
"If I marry you, your mom becomes Witchcraft? She has human rights too, y'know."
"No, no!!"
I was so wronged I felt like I might lose my mind, trying to argue back at Beatus's point. But my mom was infamous as the repeat-year tyrant who caused every disaster imaginable.
Rubbing my chin thoughtfully, I pictured my childish mom whining like a kid—that was cute on her. But me? It'd just be burdensome, even painful for whoever dealt with it.
"But one thing!! I can compromise on anything else, but not this!!"
"What?"
"I'm good with a sword!!"
"Bullshit."
Tang tang—!
I had no idea Orochi was behind me, but they nailed me with rubber bullets from the back.
Wasn't it common sense that the mana-using girl me, with a trained body, would outpower the guy me? Sure, right now I couldn't even lift pink dumbbells, my stamina was shot, strength lagged, and these heavy boobs slowed me down!!
"So, what happened over break?"
"This and that? Got some certifications... Oh, saw my first magic beast! It went full three-stage transformation."
"Dude, that's Demon King level."
"Not a hero here—if it's Demon King tier, I'd lose, right?"
"What're you on about? It'd take a Demon God to kneel before you on a whim."
Beatus said flatly that the outer god I'd contracted could pop a Demon King with a flick. ...Whew... Good thing the beast I fought wasn't quite that level. Ephemera had crazy bad luck running into a near-transcendent Demon King-tier one. Some witch helped her out—probably Aunt Poppins. Mom was that strong; no way the woman who raised her like a human was weak.
"But they say second semester's a big change—what's different?"
"No official notice?"
Beatus looked at me like I was hopeless, asking if I hadn't gone home. I shook my head. Probably stuck in our mailbox. They said get a phone, but machines and I don't mix... I could memorize numbers, use payphones, or familiars for messages, right?
"Full witch mode, huh? Fine, lemme explain."
First semester freshman year was standard classes to get used to the academy, make friends, mingle. Once settled, they open Central Academy for senior mingling, clubs, and meeting repeat-year losers(?) for a wake-up call. Finals, then break...
"Second semester's straight-up for promotion!! Screw up, and you're a repeat-year, Wiyu!!"
"Speaking of, how 'bout 'Wiyu the Repeat' as a nickname?"
"You given up already?"
This guy's eyes were already dead...!
"Subjects get specialized for more learning, more points. Competitive setup, so you could even go negative. Find your strong suit and charge it."
Beatus explained magic splits into advanced lines, swordsmanship into cold weapons, etc. Some classes mix with seniors, but scores judged by year separately. Tons of combo options, so choose wisely.
"Divination splits into feng shui, astrology, physiognomy, cards. Nature mages often take feng shui too—bundled like that."
"Got it, perfect."
"For real? Can I still see my friend Wiyu Witchcraft in second year?"
"We might both be freshmen forever."
I had the power to yeet second-year promotion if needed. Joking, but Beatus freaked, saying no endless first-year slice-of-life manga life. Trapped in "[First-Year Wiyu Army Time-Space]" or whatever—huh?
Anyway, first up: class registration. I ditched [Swordsmanship] cold. I'd tried hard, but no talent stuck. If I was graduating as a girl anyway, pick the practical path for max points.
...The life of Wiyu, mana-less, compromising dreams and romance. But as a girl now, if I could pull it off!! Since I'd resolved to brazenly pass as female undetected, time to learn real magic!!
"So!! I wanna properly take [Magic], Professor!!"
"Why?"
"It's romantic! I wanna try Meteor!!"
Second semester just started, and here's our underclassman prophesying world doom. What to do? Kaoru muttered about ditching savings and blowing cash wildly, lighting a cig.
Bluntly, a witch signing up for [Magic]? No one beats her in practicals. She could shred their circles before casting. What more to say about that monster?
"...But couldn't you drop meteors without learning?"
"Yeah, but better to study, right? I dunno what'll fall."
What if zombie movie-style, I drop one and zombie plague spreads? Kaoru chugged booze, staring at her eerily calm junior spouting terrifying shit.
She'd been called crazy back in her day with seniors, but not this level?
"Feels like I turned mortal outta nowhere. Realizing I'm a normal girl like this."
"Kaoru-senpai, you're kinda cute."
"Never heard that from anyone but you my whole life."
What's cute about a freaky mushroom person? Wiyu scratched her cheek: "But saying you look tasty would be bad, right?"
"Call me Cutesy from now on, underclassman..."
Sounded better than tasty, so Kaoru bought it. This kid could eat her if hungry—no biggie!
"So, can I learn?!"
"Sigh... Honest truth: I wish Wiyu never learned to fight."
"Huh, why?"
"Be the ideal backline support—familiars up front, you stay out. Contributes to world peace."
"Yeah, Prof's right. You fighting means second-gen Witchcraft disaster tales."
"Hng."
Regrettably, they were spot-on. I'd wanna spam [Meteor Strike] for fun. Hated pain anyway, and fighting? Meh.
"Killing's clean, no fallout, but life matters. Can't handle awkward post-fight vibes..."
"Fuck, quit with the terrifying shit. Your senior's begging here."
"Greatsword Dummy passed out ages ago."
They envied the dude who'd fainted stone-cold from sheer terror. Classic Witchcraft—prefer quick kills over messy human relations. At least she had morals against murder. Small comfort.
"Can't block a student who wants to learn. But!! Wait till promotion's locked—magic ain't my weak spot!!"
"One-on-one lessons from you, Prof? Sparring too?!"
"Kaoru, this is my will—keep it safe. Yes, spars included!!"
"Prof's resolve brings tears to my eyes."
Divination prof said find a sturdy prof(?), farm [points] for promotion lock first. Bizarrely, nine profs vanished from first-years already—vacation included. Fled, missing, retired... Departments merged, scores loosened. Chance to farm!
"P.S., Ethics prof quit in despair teaching you morals. Second-year one's filling in."
"Whoa! Who's that?"
"Hero party vet! Delicacy Mercenary Corps—second-gen heroes' bard, Azunu Vermilio."
Divination prof figured she'd survived Demon God fights; she'd tough out Witchcraft fine.
The rumor spread fast.
"Whoa, so few in first-year liberal arts? Thought loose scoring made it popular."
"You don't know yet... Vermilio prof. Witchcraft signed up."
She'd smash full-force for points since prof was tough. Rumor everywhere—second-year prof visiting first-year office looked stunned.
