Grade six did not begin quietly.
From the very first morning, Hiko Shinoegami could tell that something had changed.
The school building was the same as it had always been—white stone walls, tall windows, the familiar bell above the entrance—but the students were different. Voices were lower. Movements were sharper. Even the teachers walked with heavier steps, as if each one carried invisible weight on their shoulders.
Hiko sat at his desk and looked around.
Everyone seemed tense.
When Instructor Hale entered the classroom, the atmosphere tightened instantly.
She did not smile.
"You are in grade six now," she said, her voice calm but firm. "This is the final year of elementary education."
She paused, letting the words sink in.
"From grade seven and above, every student is required to attend a Magic Academy."
A murmur spread through the room.
Hiko felt his chest tighten slightly.
"This is not a suggestion," Instructor Hale continued. "It is a requirement. The world beyond this town is not safe enough for untrained sorcerers."
She turned to the blackboard and wrote a single name in large letters.
TENGEN HIGH
"This academy," she said, tapping the chalk against the board, "is the best choice available to you."
Her eyes swept across the class.
"The teachers are strict. The studies are advanced. The exams and tests are high-level. Many students fail and are forced to choose lesser academies—or abandon the path entirely."
A few students swallowed hard.
"But those who succeed," Instructor Hale said, "gain the strength to survive."
The rest of the day reflected her words.
Math lessons were no longer simple calculations. They required layered equations, logic, and speed. Science lessons focused on unstable mana reactions and real-world consequences of mistakes. History was no longer about heroes—it was about disasters, massacres, and cities destroyed because sorcerers were too weak or too careless.
Magic class was the worst.
Instructor Feld stood with his arms crossed, eyes cold.
"From now on," he said, "you will be judged as future academy candidates."
Students released mana one by one.
Bright flames. Gusts of wind. Hardened skin. Simple abilities.
When it was Hiko's turn, he closed his eyes.
Deep inside him, the Cursed Flame stirred.
It was not a normal flame. When it surfaced, it shimmered with multiple colors—deep violet, crimson red, faint blue, and streaks of gold—twisting together in slow, mesmerizing patterns. It was beautiful, almost enchanting, yet it carried a quiet sense of danger, as if everything it touched would gradually weaken.
Not raging.
Not violent.
Just waiting.
He released a controlled amount of mana. The air around him darkened slightly, as if light itself weakened.
Instructor Feld's gaze lingered on him longer than the others.
But he said nothing.
---
After school, Hiko walked with Goru Oraso.
The stone road stretched ahead, familiar and calm. Houses lined the sides. Trees swayed gently in the breeze.
"So," Goru said, breaking the silence, "Tengen High."
Hiko nodded. "It sounds difficult."
"It is," Goru replied. "Really difficult. My cousin failed the entrance exam. Twice."
They walked a little farther.
"Do you still want to go?" Goru asked.
"Yes," Hiko answered without hesitation.
Goru smiled. "Good. Me too."
The moment stretched.
Then—
A deafening sound ripped through the air.
Emergency horns erupted from hidden towers along the road, loud enough to make Hiko clamp his hands over his ears. The sound vibrated through his bones.
A mechanical voice echoed over and over.
"RANK 0 BEAST! RANK 0 BEAST!"
"EVERYONE IS REQUIRED TO LEAVE BEFORE IT KILLS YOU!"
Hiko's heart slammed against his chest.
People screamed.
Doors slammed open. Civilians ran in every direction.
The ground shook.
Then it appeared.
The monster burst from the trees, tearing roots from the soil. Its massive body was covered in dark plates like broken armor. Long claws scraped against the stone road, sending sparks flying.
Goru's face drained of color.
"Run!" he shouted.
They ran.
Hiko's lungs burned as his legs pushed forward. Behind them, the monster roared, the sound cracking the air itself.
"Rank 0?" Hiko gasped.
"Lower rank number means stronger!" Goru yelled while running. "For sorcerers and beasts!"
Another roar echoed.
"Master Rank is below zero for sorcerers!" Goru continued. "For beasts, it's Calamity Level!"
The ground cracked beneath the monster's weight.
Hiko's foot struck loose stone.
He tripped.
Pain exploded through his hands and knees as he hit the ground.
"Hiko!"
The monster was already there.
A massive claw swung down.
Hiko rolled with everything he had.
The claws missed his skull by a breath—but not enough.
White-hot pain ripped across his right cheek.
Warm blood poured down his face.
Hiko screamed.
He scrambled backward, heart racing, vision blurred. The monster raised its arm again.
Then—
"Gold Freeze!"
The air turned heavy.
A wave of freezing pressure swept across the street. The monster's body locked in place, transforming instantly into solid gold. Cracks spread across it.
The golden statue shattered.
Fragments crashed to the ground.
Silence fell.
A man stood between Hiko and the remains.
Golden hair. Calm eyes. Robes traced with metallic patterns.
Gold Prasso.
Master Rank Sorcerer.
Hiko stared.
So this was power.
Gold Prasso glanced back once, then looked at Hiko.
"You're lucky," he said calmly.
Hiko tried to respond.
His vision darkened.
The last thing he saw was gold shining under the sun.
Then everything went black.
---
When Hiko did not wake up, they carried him to the hospital.