The first class had wrapped up, and a buzz of excitement lingered in the air. My fellow students filed out of the room, chatting animatedly, their steps light with newfound purpose. I lingered behind with Nana and Sam Yuzuara, and their group, the three of us still deep in conversation about everything we'd just learned.
"So, what's your plan, Deluke?" Nana asked, her eyes sharp with curiosity.
"Yeah," Sam chimed in, frowning slightly. "How do you plan to rack up points? I mean, sure, you handled those F-class Hell-Borns—like those Leech spirits we fought during the exam—but you know as well as I do that Hell-Borns aren't exactly the kind of creatures you want to take on solo."
I smiled; my confidence unwavering. "I should be able to reach level two before the year's out. As for the rest... well, I've got Shizu with me. We'll be fine."
Nana nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, with Shizu-san by your side, you two should be able to hold your own."
Haruwa, who had been listening in, leaned forward. "Don't think it's going to be easy, though. Even standard teams have four members, and many of them don't hit level three until their final year."
He had a point. As Kroos-sensei had explained earlier, Value Points were earned through missions, and while the missions themselves could be grueling, the real challenge lay in how many points were needed just to level up. Achievements could fast-track your progress—as I'd experienced during the exam—but unless you were both exceptionally talented and backed by a solid team, dreaming of reaching levels four or five was little more than fantasy.
"Don't worry," I said with a shrug. "We'll manage."
Just then, a voice cut through our conversation. "That's a lot of confidence you've got there, Izana."
A tall boy with sharp eyes and a casual smile approached, flanked by three others. I would later know him as Toto from the Behemoth Company.
"Didn't mean to interrupt," Toto continued, "but I couldn't leave without greeting the so-called Genius of Tokyo—the one who aced the exam and left the rest of us in the dust." He grinned, and his companions nodded in agreement.
"Well," he added, "if you weren't with Izana Company, you'd probably have a much easier time making it to level five."
Nana gave him a sidelong look. "I wouldn't be so sure. I mean, sure, I was worried about Deluke's chances at first, but you know he's got one of the legends from the Golden Era leading his company."
Her words made me blink. "You're kidding, right? Freed? That lazy guy?"
"You really didn't know?" Toto raised an eyebrow. "Every company in Tokyo knows about how Freed stepped in and saved Izana from collapsing during... well, that incident."
"That incident again..." I muttered, the pieces starting to click into place. "Everyone keeps mentioning it, but I don't actually know what happened. I only joined recently, and no one's told me anything."
Toto's expression sobered. "You'll want to find out for yourself. I don't know all the details either—I was too young at the time—but from what I've heard, Izana was responsible for the deaths of over a million people. Ordinary folks and awakened alike. They didn't get off easy, though. The company's still drowning in debt because of it. That's why most people avoid Izana, even with Freed at the helm."
"Freed's that famous? Wait—debt?" My head was spinning, a flood of questions surging through me.
Toto laughed lightly. "Well, it's been good talking to you. I'm looking forward to our future rivalry. Don't think I'm going to let you hog the spotlight like you did during the exam."
With that, he and his group exited, leaving me standing there with far too much to think about.
I said goodbye to Nana and Sam, and their group, my mind racing. I needed answers. Fast. Without wasting another second, I rushed back to the Izana Café, hoping to catch Freed, Diana, or Roger.
The café was quiet, filled mostly with elderly regulars. They smiled warmly as I stepped in, and I returned their greetings out of habit, scanning the room. Roger was behind the counter, serving drinks with his usual gentle efficiency.
"Ah, Master Deluke," he greeted, his eyes crinkling with his familiar fatherly warmth. "How was your first day?"
"It was fine," I said quickly, lowering my voice. "Is Freed around? Or Diana?"
"Miss Diana's away on business. But Freed—he's in the back. He's been waiting for you."
"Waiting for me? Thanks, Roger."
I made my way to the back room, the air shifting the moment I stepped through the door. A subtle but unmistakable spiritual energy cloaked the space, muffling the physical world. Freed was there, lounging on a chair, casually scrolling through his phone.
"Deluke," he said without looking up, "how was your first day?"
"It was fine," I replied, dropping my bag and walking closer. "Roger said you were waiting for me. But before we get to that, I've got a question."
He finally glanced up; eyes sharp. "You mean the Izana Incident."
My brows shot up. "How did you know I was going to ask about that?"
He smirked. "It's kind of obvious, don't you think?"
"Fine. But what about the debt?"
That got a reaction. Freed coughed, nearly choking. "Who told you about that?"
"Seriously, what happened?" I pressed.
Freed leaned back, waving me off. "Ask Shizu. She's better at explaining stuff like that."
"Alright," I sighed. As curious as I was, I wasn't about to push too hard. For now, I'd let it be. But the questions were burning hotter than ever.
"Good," Freed said, standing up. The air around him seemed to shift again, tightening like a coiled spring. "Now, the reason I called you here—time for a little lesson on spiritual spells."
His eyes gleamed with excitement, and the spiritual energy in the room sharpened, crackling with invisible power.
I took a deep breath, bracing myself. Whatever came next, I knew it wouldn't be ordinary.