Rai didn't know it yet, but by the end of this day, half the academy would either hate him, love him, or want to drown him.
The students were once again gathered in the Grand Hall—the very same hall where the first-years had sat nervously on their first day at Magia Elemental Academy. But this time, it wasn't just the newcomers. As more and more students filed in, it became evident that something significant was about to happen.
Every student from the academy's first five years had been summoned, with each academic level comprising roughly 10 to 12 students, and each year averaging 50 to 60 in total. Among them stood familiar faces—Rai, Baruss, Rose, Gale, Mammoth, Lorenzo, Sylvia, Arieeta, and Aromas—spread across their respective year-group clusters, yet all united under one roof.
Despite the numbers, the Grand Hall remained far from full. Entire rows of seats stood empty—not due to oversight, but by design.
Rai tilted his head, frowning slightly as he glanced across the rows. These vacant seats weren't uniform. Some were comically large, others impossibly small. A few had unusual curvature or armrests shaped like claws. Some even lacked legs altogether and appeared suspended by runes or natural vines etched into the marble flooring beneath.
His eyes darted from one to the next, confusion plastered across his face. "Did someone mess up the furniture budget or... are we expecting a circus troupe?"
Gale, standing beside him with arms folded, gave him a sidelong look and sighed. "You're looking at racial accommodations. Those seats aren't meant for humans."
Baruss, always slightly more blunt, added with a dry grunt, "It means non-human students are joining us. Demi-humans."
Rai blinked. "Wait, you mean like... beastkin? Elves? Goblins? Real ones?"
Rose nodded. "Most academies house them separately in other domains. But it looks like whatever this announcement is, Magia's about to integrate them—for real this time."
Around them, murmurs stirred as more students began to notice the empty, peculiar seating. And they all had the same look on their faces—the same one they often shot toward Rai: the look of disgust, the look of unacceptance.
Rai, meanwhile, kept staring at a particularly tall, fur-cushioned seat shaped like a coiled spiral. A grin tugged at the corner of his lips. "Please tell me that's for a giant snake."
Then he spotted a row of half-filled tanks of water and quipped, "Forget Rose, I didn't realize we had mermaids for the picking."
Rose was not amused. She gave him a swift chop on the head. "Shut up and behave, you monkey," she said with irritation.
Gale pinched the bridge of his nose. "Please do not get us eaten, Rai."
The air inside the Grand Hall grew dense—not with fear, but with disapproval.
Something different was coming. And it was clear that Magia Elemental Academy was no longer going to be a sanctuary solely for humans—or perhaps, it never was.
Demi-humans have existed alongside humans for the past eight centuries, yet one constant remained: the doctrine of "purity." Under that rigid norm, demi-humans were deemed less than—even insects—unworthy of entering a true home. Their mere presence disgusted those of pure blood and potent magic, and even some lower-ranking humans clung to the same prejudice, despite suffering discrimination themselves.
Over the centuries, small improvements emerged. Demi-humans were eventually permitted to enroll at the Academy. And now, for the first time in recorded history, they would sit in the very same hall as humans—side by side, in full view.
Gale spoke as they all stood waiting for the demi-humans to arrive. "This is a huge moment, isn't it?"
"What? Why?" Rai asked, his face twisting in genuine confusion.
Gale sighed, folding his arms. "Rai, demi-humans have been treated as outcasts for as long as recorded history. It's only recently that they finally earned the right to attend elemental academies—even then, they were segregated. Separate classes, separate dorms, the whole deal. Only a select few extraordinary individuals got to mix with humans. Like Harchell. Or Mammoth."
Rai's eyes widened. He leaned forward, voice brimming with excitement. "Wait—Mammoth is a demi-human? How's that even possible? He looks just like a human!"
Rose, Baruss, and Gale just stared at him.
Then Baruss, after a pause, asked with dry curiosity, "So... the fact that he's like eight feet tall didn't ring any bells in that empty head of yours?"
"Well," Rai began, looking completely serious, "I just thought maybe he drank lots of milk. That's what my mom always said—drink milk and you'll grow big and strong."
The three of them fell completely silent, too stunned to respond.
Elsewhere in the hall, though still in the same class group, Arieeta and Aromas sat apart, their attention focused on the main entrance.
Back with Rai's group, Baruss was trying hard to understand Rai's brain. With genuine concern for his mental capacity, he asked,
"Rai, how tall do you think you could get if you drank more milk?"
Gale and Rose looked equally curious.
Rai answered matter-of-factly,"Two cups of milk a day—one millimeter of height per cup. That's a centimeter every five days. I'll catch up to Mammoth in no time."
He nodded proudly, as if he'd cracked some ancient secret of human evolution. Then he added,
"But I think this height is good enough, so I won't drink too much milk."
The rest of the group stared off into the distance like they'd just been asked to solve quantum physics using a potato and a stick. None of them could tell if Rai was serious… or if he was just messing with them. But the way he said it—with such innocent conviction—they honestly couldn't decide.
As the group was still busy trying to decipher the enigma that was Rai, the heavy doors of the Grand Hall creaked open. It was time. Every head in the room instinctively turned toward the entrance, anticipation thick in the air.
Gale tensed, dreading the worst—giant snakes slithering in, monstrous beastmen drooling at the mouth, maybe even a towering ogre or two ready to trample someone by accident. Meanwhile, Rai had clearly left the realm of reality, his eyes dreamy and glazed over. He was already halfway into a fantasy featuring elegant mermaids serenading him by moonlight.
Just as Rai sighed wistfully, Baruss leaned in and smacked the back of his head. "Focus, you clown. They're not coming here to kiss you."
Rose gave an approving nod. "Finally, someone did it."
But their guessing games ended the moment the first demi-human stepped through the doors. Then another. And another. One by one, they began filing into the hall, each walking toward the uniquely designed seats clearly intended for them.
Instead of the grotesque monsters Gale had imagined, they were sharply dressed, clean, and composed. Their uniforms bore the signature black and red of Magia Elemental Academy, modified slightly to fit their different bodies—but undeniably official. They belonged here.
Despite that, a heavy tension swept through the hall.
All around, murmurs began to ripple. The human students didn't clap or nod in respect—they sneered, whispered, and shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Some narrowed their eyes. Others scoffed openly. A few even covered their noses, as if the demi-humans brought a foul stench with them.
The silent, biting judgment spread like a fog.
Gale exhaled quietly, relieved to see there were no drooling beasts—but his relief faded fast as he glanced around. "So much for progress," he muttered bitterly.
Rai, still somewhat dazed, frowned as he scanned the demi-human students. He leaned toward Baruss and whispered, "I don't see any mermaids. What kind of false advertisement is this?"
Baruss resisted the urge to punch him again. "That's your complaint right now? Look with your eyes open—they're right there."
Rai turned to where Baruss pointed and stared in confusion. The merfolk were walking—on two feet.
"What the hell? This is worse than false advertisement. This goes against all of reality itself!" Rai exclaimed in genuine dismay.
Baruss and Gale quickly shut him up before he could get any louder.
"Shut up, Rai. How the hell do you expect them to survive on land if they couldn't use legs? Merfolk have the ability to switch between a fish tail and legs at will," Gale explained, desperately trying to calm him down.
"Ohhhhhhh, okok. That makes sense, I guess," Rai said, nodding as if a great mystery had just been solved.
He then continued to watch as the merfolk made their way to the partially filled water tanks. As they stepped in, their legs shifted seamlessly into shimmering tails. Rai's eyes brimmed with excitement, like a long-held dream had finally come true.
Gale and Baruss sighed in unison and shook their heads.
Even Rose looked like she wanted to slap him, but settled for rolling her eyes hard enough to count as an attack.
The demi-humans, for their part, walked in silence—dignified, composed, but clearly aware of the gazes bearing down on them. They came in all shapes and sizes: werewolves with gleaming coats, goblins with sharp eyes and intelligent posture, towering giants who ducked to avoid the archways, and even scaled draconoids whose tails curled behind them like living armor.
Despite their appearances, they spoke softly to one another, adjusted their uniforms, and glanced around with curiosity. They were students. Just like everyone else.
But to most of the humans, they were still outsiders.
And so, the demi-humans settled into their designated seats—but the murmurs didn't fade. If anything, they intensified.
Most of the elite students, particularly those from the upper years, looked upon the newcomers with thinly veiled disdain. Scornful glares pierced through the air like knives, whispers turned to sharp murmurs, and a few made no effort to hide their contempt. One cluster of noble-born students even began loudly commenting on the "audacity" of having demi-humans share the same space.
Then, a voice cut through the hall like a blade.
A tall student stood up from the section labeled "Level 5 – Year 5." His silver hair was slicked back meticulously, and a thin pair of glasses rested on his sharp nose. His posture oozed arrogance, his voice loud and clear for all to hear.
"This is absurd," he declared, his hand gesturing toward one corner of the hall. "It was already disgraceful that we had to tolerate that one—" he pointed directly at Mammoth, "—just because he had potential. And now, we're expected to sit here, as equals, with all these… lowlifes?"
A wave of tension rippled through the room.
The demi-humans stiffened in their seats. Rage flickered in their eyes. But none of them moved. None of them responded.
They couldn't.
Because they all knew—one wrong word, one burst of anger, and it would be used against them. Fuel for the fire. Justification for the very isolation they had fought so hard to escape.
Mammoth clenched his fists under the table, his massive shoulders trembling with restraint. Beside him, Sylvia placed a gentle hand on his arm, her expression sorrowful yet composed. Lorenzo sat on his other side, giving him a small nod of quiet solidarity.
They knew. Mammoth knew.
He could crush that student with a flick of his hand—but doing so would set everything back years
All around them, the elitist students were emboldened by the outburst. Their whispers turned to unified murmurs of agreement. Some laughed. Others scoffed openly. And all of them seemed to find renewed purpose in voicing how the "beasts" didn't deserve to sit at the same table as "true humans."
The atmosphere curdled. What was supposed to be a historic moment of progress had soured into a toxic stew of bigotry and pride.
No one dared to speak up. The silent majority remained just that—silent. Uncomfortable. Watching.
And amidst it all, the demi-humans sat still.
Ashamed. Furious. But shackled by the very dignity they were being denied.
It was a sad, bitter sight—one of prejudice, cowardice, and wilful ignorance.
A few of the demi-humans, clearly having reached their breaking point, quietly rose from their seats. Heads held low and shoulders tense, they began to make their way toward the exit. They would rather return to their isolated dormitories than sit and endure this venomous barrage in silence.
Their departure ignited a cruel satisfaction in the elites.
"Yeah, run back to your caves, you filthy beasts!"
"Know your place!"
"Don't ever mistake yourselves for our equals again!"
The taunts flew like arrows, sharp and deliberate, striking what little pride the demi-humans had managed to hold onto. Shame flickered across many of their faces. Anger brewed behind their eyes. But no one retaliated. They couldn't. If even one of them acted out, it would only confirm the bigots' hateful claims and justify further exclusion.
The atmosphere turned bitter and suffocating—a cocktail of prejudice, fear, and rising resentment. The elites, now emboldened by each other's support, grew louder, their words echoing through the hall like poison.
And then—just as the tension reached its sickening peak—an unexpected disruption cut through the growing ugliness.
Of course, it was Rai.
While most students either sat in awkward silence or joined the mob in scorn, Rai, completely unfazed by the social climate, casually strolled toward the mermaid section with a dopey grin plastered across his face. The mermaids, dressed in regulation bikini-style uniforms that shimmered like polished coral, sat poised but uneasy. Rai, however, saw none of the tension—only beauty.
"So, how are you beautiful ladies doing on this fine day?" he asked cheerfully, picking up one of the mermaid's hands with exaggerated gallantry and pressing a kiss to her fingers.
Before the mermaid could even react, a whoosh cut through the air as Gale, swift as a whip, scissor-kicked Rai straight into the nearest wall. Rai let out a wheeze and crumpled in comedic fashion, while the stunned mermaid hovered awkwardly above her tank.
Gale offered a frantic bow of apology. "S-Sorry about him. His brain isn't connected to his survival instincts."
The mermaid blinked, unsure whether to be offended or flattered.
But one person wasn't amused—far from it.
The silver-haired elite from earlier, now practically shaking with rage, clenched his fists. His voice hissed low but furious, "Unforgivable… a human behaving like that with one of them? Disgusting. Absolutely disgraceful." His words dripped with venom, and his disgust was clear. This wasn't just about demi-humans anymore—now, Rai had become a target too.
That silver-haired elite was anything but amused.
As Rai pulled himself up from Gale's earlier scissor kick, the taller boy began walking toward him, his cold, narrowed eyes fixated with disgust.
The demi-humans who had been retreating toward the exit halted mid-step. The room's tension shifted again, a sharp silence slicing through the ambient whispers. Every student—whether indifferent, supportive, or scornful—turned their attention to what would happen next.
With a sneer curling his lips, the elite student adjusted his glasses and spat out, "How the hell could you even think of being attracted to those ugly mutts?"
Rai, brushing dust off his shoulders, didn't respond right away. Gone was the usual dazed, light-hearted glint in his eyes. His expression had hardened into something far more deliberate—like a curtain had finally been pulled back to reveal a very different actor beneath.
He had everyone's attention now.
And that, it seemed, had been his plan all along.
Gale stood by his side, visibly tense. He muttered under his breath, "Please don't say something stupid… just once…" But even as he said it, he knew it was a lost cause.
Around them, the entire hall waited in complete silence. Rose, Baruss, Arietta, Aromas, Mammoth, Sylvia, and Lorenzo were locked in anticipation. Even the scornful elites paused, sensing something unpredictable brewing.
Rai looked up at the silver-haired student—he was only slightly taller, but the arrogance in his posture made him seem like he was peering down from a throne.
Then Rai smiled.
"Honestly, I'm not sure why you're so surprised," he said casually, loud enough for everyone to hear.
"I mean, you're here today because your dad was attracted to your mom… and those mermaids over there?"—he thumbed toward the tank—"They're leagues above your mother, that's for sure."
The silence that followed was nuclear.
For a split second, the entire Grand Hall was frozen.
Then—laughter erupted.
Not from the elites, but from the demi-humans and a smattering of bold first-years and neutral students scattered across the rows. Some snorted. Others burst into outright cackles. The mermaids in particular giggled behind elegant hands, splashing the water softly as they whispered among themselves.
But beneath the humor, the weight of Rai's words echoed like a thunderclap. It was a declaration—not just of defiance, but of defense. A blatant rejection of the superiority complex that had soiled the air since the demi-humans arrived.
The silver-haired student's expression twisted into one of pure rage. His hand clenched into a fist. But Rai remained still—composed, even smirking slightly, like someone who'd just played the first move in a much larger game.
The silver-haired elite was furious. His thoughts boiled with rage: "How dare this lowlife insult my family like that?"
Attempting to reclaim the moral high ground, he scoffed and said, "Wow, bringing a man's mother into this without a reason. Very manly of you, huh?"
Rai, now standing with a faint smirk, dusted off his robes and replied smoothly, "Yeah… just like how there was no reason for you to start talking about these demihumans—yet your dumbass still went ahead and spoke anyway. Sooo… I don't think I see a problem here."
Laughter erupted once again from the demihumans and the few humans who supported Rai, echoing across the dining hall like a defiant drumbeat.
The elite's fury only grew with each of Rai's casual, cutting retorts. Grasping for a solid counterpoint, he declared, "Well, Rai—what about the statistics? It's clear that demihumans are the cause of most societal misconducts."
A few gasps followed his words. The numbers didn't lie. Indeed, demihumans had the highest crime rates across the major realms. Some species, in particular, had recurring ties to trouble. Even the proudest demihumans knew the stigma they carried.
For the first time, Rai didn't have an immediate comeback. He stood in place… quiet.
He nodded.
"You're right."
The silence that followed was heavier than steel. The hope that had once lit the eyes of the demihumans flickered, then died. Even Mammoth—his massive shoulders tense—looked stunned.
But then, Rai continued.
"But… you've made one crucial mistake."
The room leaned in. All eyes were on him. The spark was back in his eyes—burning with intention.
"I'm not gonna stand here and sugar-coat the facts. The statistics aren't a lie, and I'm not about to pretend they are. You're right—what else can I say?"
Confusion crept into the crowd. What was he doing? What was he trying to prove?
Gale quietly started inching his way back to his seat, muttering, "Please don't blow up the world today…"
Rose, Baruss, Arietta, and Aromas remained fixed on Rai, intrigued—something powerful was coming. Mammoth, however, stared with unflinching attention. He had seen that look before—on the day Rai reignited his will to fight.
And then Rai laid it down.
"In a world moving as fast as ours, judging a book by its cover isn't just common—it's practical", Everyone focused in on him, almost like he was a beacon of knowledge and wisdom.
He continued, "People don't have time to read the whole story. So your logic… I'd understand it. If not for one glaring flaw."
Another pause. Anticipation cracked through the hall like thunder.
"You judged them by something they can't change—their species."
A collective murmur rippled through the students.
The silver-haired elite scoffed. "Are you dumb? How else am I supposed to judge them?"
Rai flashed a smile. "You judge them by the choices they make. How they dress. How they act and so on, because those are the things they can control. Those are the things that reflect who they are and where they come from."
A beat of stunned silence followed. The insight was unexpected—but undeniably powerful.
Rai wasn't finished.
"Let's take you, for example. From the way you dress and carry yourself, I can tell you grew up in an elite, wealthy household."
He then smirked, raising an eyebrow.
"But from the way you talk, the way you act, and your pompous superiority complex—well, that pretty much cements the fact your parents never loved you enough to teach you basic manners."
The silence shattered.
Laughter roared across the room—especially from the demihumans, many of whom had been on their way out moments ago. They were now seated again, their spirits reignited.
Rose's eyes widened in surprise. He's a fool... but gods, that was admirable.
Gale, originally cheering internally, stood up and clapped loudly. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't cheer for that?" he said with a grin.
Baruss nodded with a warm smile. Arietta and Aromas shared an impressed glance. Even they were enjoying the spectacle.
But the one most affected—Mammoth—was close to tears.
Rai had saved his dream once in battle. And now… he had saved their dignity. All of them.
And of course, Rai, with the tension broken and the room on his side, took this moment to stroll straight back over to the mermaids.
"Now, where were we, lovely ladies?"
The mermaids giggled and rewarded him with kisses on the cheek, one after the other. Rai floated into his own personal paradise.
Meanwhile, the silver-haired elite stood paralyzed—rage rising in his chest.
He stepped forward, ready to attack Rai from behind—
—but froze.
His eyes widened.
Behind Rai, he saw five figures—beings of overwhelming presence and unspeakable power. No one else in the room saw them. Only he did.
His feet refused to move. He knew—if he took even one more step, he would be cut down.
He said nothing. Just slowly backed away, trembling. The rest of the students looked at him in confusion.
But he didn't care. All that pride, all that fury—gone.
Replaced with one thing.
Fear.
The room had descended into utter chaos—between prejudice, laughter, and mermaid-flirting, order was a distant memory. But then, without warning, a hand reached out and yanked the silver-haired boy by the ear.
"That's enough of your nonsense, Silver," came a firm voice.
"Ow—I'm sorry, Kromus big brother! Let go, it hurts!" Silver whined, squirming under the grip.
A hush fell over the entire hall. Even Rai, pulled out of his aquatic fantasyland, blinked in confusion. And he had every right to be stunned—because standing before them, dressed in the vice-headmaster's signature dark uniform with silver trim, was none other than Frost Kromus, the stoic and highly feared administrator of Magia Elemental Academy... and apparently Frost Silver's elder brother.
Kromus's aura was intimidating almost like a giant about to crush everyone, be he was calm and cold as ever glanced toward Rai.
"Yes, I would agree," he said dryly. "Those mermaids are indeed more beautiful than my mother... though I suspect my father would beg to differ. Now—all of you, back to your seats."
His tone was absolute. Even the most arrogant elites dared not defy it. The hall quickly fell in line. Everyone sat, except Rai, who still stood in stunned disbelief—half because of Kromus, half because a particularly affectionate mermaid had just nudged him back to reality.
He slowly approached Kromus, face uncharacteristically serious.
"Vice Headmaster Kromus, I'd like to apologize for my earlier comment about your mother. I'm sure she must be a stunning woman—after all, she raised a man like you," he said with a bow. Then, with a playful glance toward Silver, he added, "Which leads me to believe that this one must've been adopted. Sorry about the misunderstanding."
And with that, Rai turned on his heel and strutted back toward the mermaids with a smug grin.
Laughter broke out across the hall, the tension lifting like mist in the morning sun. Even Kromus, who rarely cracked a smile, couldn't help but let a small one escape. Meanwhile Frost silver was irritated with Rai, but that vision from before of the 5 beings was too much for him to forget and so he just retreated without wanting to incur their wrath.
But not everyone found Rai's antics amusing.
Rose, sitting in her corner, clenched her fists. Her cheeks were puffed with fury. Her hair trembled from sheer rage. That idiot. That absolute donkey-brained flirt.
She was just about to explode when—
"HOW DARE YOU, YOU CHEATING SON OF A—!"
A furious voice rang out from the far end of the hall, growing louder with every step. Before Rai could even blink, a shadow closed in—and he was booted in the face mid-sentence with a perfectly executed comedic flying kick.
"GUUAAAH!"
Rai was sent spinning across the floor, his face planted in the tiles, his limbs twitching from the blow.
Standing over his twitching body was none other than Harchell, the self-proclaimed second wife of Rai, with fists on hips and a scowl that could melt steel.