It had been seven days since the students returned from their brief visit to Kiten Town. Their stay had lasted only two days, but the memories lingered.
After their time there, they'd swung by Cedric's residence to pick up Charlotte. From there, they made their way back to the academy.
Thankfully, parting this time hadn't been as heart-wrenching as it had been during the academy assessments. Although Jesse and Clara both teared up when it was time for Grey to leave, the atmosphere was much lighter.
With a few heartfelt goodbyes—and Clara throwing a sly wink at Scarlet that made the redhead's ears tinge pink—the group set off on their journey back to the academy.
The days that followed were a blur of intensity. Training reached an all-time high. Grey, however, didn't join them. Instead, he secluded himself in the hall, immersed in the Fusion Magic book, its ancient runes glowing faintly as he studied. As for the others—those planning to compete in the tournament—they trained like their lives depended on it.
And with Magnus cracking the proverbial whip, they barely caught their breath between drills. After one particularly brutal session, they gathered in the canteen, completely spent.
Where they once sat scattered across various tables, they now grouped together—one solidified team, bonded by sweat and determination.
"Ahhh! I'm so tired," Jay groaned, dropping his head lightly onto the table.
"I hear you," Vorden replied with a grunt. "I'm sore in places I didn't know existed."
"I want to go hooome," Vanica whined, dramatically clutching her hair in frustration.
"The good news," Scarlet said between sips of water, "is that the tournament starts in just two days."
"Right," Greg added while munching slowly. "Once the academy tournament is done, this hellish training ends."
"My arms ache from casting so many spells back-to-back," Raze muttered, rubbing his shoulders.
"But some of us might actually hit a breakthrough thanks to all this," Scarlet added with a yawn.
"Yeah, silver linings and all that," Greg said with a small grin.
"You guys haven't even talked about your trip to Grey's hometown," Arthur chimed in, leaning closer with interest. "How was it?"
"Fun," Greg said simply.
"Interesting—especially because of Grey's little sister," Raze added with a knowing smirk.
"It was… educational," Scarlet murmured, cheeks warming at the memory of something Clara had whispered to her.
"Yeah, Jesse's great. Way more fun than her stiff brother," Vince quipped, prompting every pair of eyes to shift toward Grey, who continued munching silently, expression unreadable.
"You know, you missed out, Arthur," Raze continued with a small chuckle. "Grey's mom? She's gorgeous—"
He trailed off mid-sentence as the air around them suddenly grew dense and electric.
Raze stiffened. The crackle of mana in the air wasn't subtle. He slowly turned his head. Grey still looked calm, chewing his food without care, but the invisible pressure around him was heavy—dangerous.
"Hm… this food's decent," Grey said casually, though the oppressive energy hadn't faded. "So what were you saying, Raze?"
"M-Me? Say something? Nope! You're probably hearing things, bro!" Raze stammered, sweating bullets.
With that, the pressure vanished. Raze let out a sigh of relief and reached for his water like it was life-saving elixir.
"The food here's okay," Scarlet said thoughtfully. "But honestly? I've tasted better."
Her thoughts drifted to Clara's cooking. Their stay at Grey's house had been brief, but none of them had wanted to leave. Clara's warmth and genuine care had wrapped around them like a protective cloak.
She hadn't treated them like outsiders—not once. Instead, she'd welcomed them like they were her own, especially Scarlet, who'd received more affection than she could comprehend.
It wasn't just the food—it was the feeling. A home most of them had never truly known.
Vince's mother had died during childbirth.
Scarlet's mother was distant, always occupied.
Greg had grown up solely under his father's roof.
Raze's mother had passed when he was still young.
For just two days, they felt something real—something they'd missed their whole lives.
"Yeah… Grey's mom is kind of amazing," Greg murmured, staring down at the sizable chunks of meat and turkey on his plate with faint disdain.
Even with all the coin Grey had amassed—from missions, from Cedric's reward after saving Max—the academy's food couldn't compete.
Despite her modest meals, Clara's dishes had been unforgettable, made with love and seasoned with the warmth of a mother's touch.
She only cooked extravagantly on special occasions—the night they arrived, the next morning before they left. But those meals had been unforgettable.
"She's a great cook and also the lo—" Raze began but stopped, swallowing his words along with his fear.
'Raze, your mouth is going to be the death of you.' he thought in worry as he gulped loudly.
"So… about the tournament," Gordon said, pushing aside his empty tray. "Got a game plan?"
"We'll have one once we know what the format is," Scarlet sighed.
"Yeah," Jay muttered. "All we know is that it's us versus the third-years."
"Then all we can do is wait," Arthur shrugged. "Prepare for anything."
"Grey," Vanica asked, her voice softer, cheeks flushed. "Since you're not participating… will you come watch?"
"Maybe. Maybe not," Grey replied with a shrug, his tone unreadable. "Who knows?"
"Why even bother asking?" Scarlet sighed, shaking her head just as the canteen doors burst open.
"So this is where you all are!" came Magnus' booming voice. "Now that your bellies are full, it's time to get back to training!"
"For real?!" Greg groaned, burying his face in his palms. "We just sat down!"
"If you lose this tournament, my reputation's on the line," Magnus snapped. "So unless you want to be known as my biggest failure, MOVE!"
"I hate my life," Raze mumbled, thudding his head against the table.
'The tournament, huh?' Grey thought, rising with his now-empty tray in hand. 'I wonder what kind of trials await… and I really hope nothing goes wrong.'
And there we have it folks! The long awaited tournament is starting soon and I want you to strap your belts, sit tight and delve deeper into the story because I guarantee a full on rollercoaster, shocking surprises that you all won't be able to predict.
Reunions, thrilling battles, so on and so forth. So let's go Magus Legion!