The next morning, the three of them got ready and headed to the academy.
As the class began, Raii entered the room.
"Today," he said casually, "we're going to learn something quite useless."
The entire class was confused.
"Useless? What do you mean, sir?" some students asked.
From the back, Mare muttered, "Looks like sir doesn't know it himself, that's why he's calling it useless…"
Raii instantly glanced at him.
"Idiot. It's not useless for me—it's useless for you."
The class went silent.
"Today, we'll be learning double spell casting."
Murmurs spread across the room.
"You can barely use a single spell properly, so forget about using two," Raii continued.
"Even experienced mages struggle with this."
Some students immediately lost interest.
"Then what's the point of learning it?" someone whispered.
Horobi, however, spoke up calmly,
"Sir, I've heard that double spells are far more powerful than single ones. Even if we can't master it now, it could be useful in the future."
Raii looked at him and gave a slight nod.
"Exactly. That's why you need to understand the basics."
---
Raii's Explanation
"Double spell casting has four main components," Raii said, turning toward the board.
1. Mana Division
The caster splits their mana into two or more parts, each fueling a separate spell.
2. Parallel Processing
"Normal mages can only control one spell at a time. But advanced users can process multiple flows of mana simultaneously—like running multiple threads in the brain."
3. Separate Structures
Each spell has its own formula, chant, and mana flow.
"They must not interfere with each other."
4. Extreme Concentration
"A single mistake can cause a collapse… or even a mana backfire."
He paused before concluding,
"In simple terms—split your mana and control two spells perfectly at the same time."
The class fell silent.
---
Horobi Steps Forward
"Sir… I'd like to try," Horobi said.
Immediately, Danzo spoke,
"We get it, you're A-rank. That doesn't mean you can actually do this."
Mio snapped back,
"Did anyone ask you?"
Liora added with a smirk,
"If you want a fight, just say it."
Danzo instantly backed down.
Raii raised his hand to stop them.
"To be honest, I only took this class because I expected someone like you to try."
He gestured forward.
"Come."
---
First Attempt
Horobi closed his eyes.
Inside him, his mana didn't feel like a smooth flow… it felt heavy and compressed.
As if it was stuck in one place.
He forced it.
Suddenly—
His mana split violently.
Two streams formed—left and right.
The next moment—
They collapsed.
Raii narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You split it instantly…?"
He muttered,
"Most students take days just to do that…"
Horobi opened his eyes.
"I can't control it…"
"Your problem isn't speed," Raii said calmly.
"It's balance."
---
Second Attempt
"Left hand: Wind. Right hand: Water."
Horobi tried again.
Wind formed instantly.
Water followed.
Then—
The wind became unstable… and disrupted the water.
Collapse.
"Again," Raii said.
---
Third Attempt
This time, the water remained stable…
But suddenly—
Pressure surged from the wind side,
as if the mana itself was pushing outward.
Collapse.
Raii fell into thought.
"You're not making any conscious mistakes…"
Horobi spoke slowly,
"It feels like… the mana reacts on its own."
Raii's expression turned serious.
"As if it has a will of its own…?"
Horobi nodded.
---
Final Attempt
Evening approached.
"One last try," Raii said.
"This time, choose your own spells."
Horobi raised his hands.
Left: Fire
Right: Water
He took a deep breath.
This time—
The mana split smoothly.
No resistance.
Fire stabilized.
Water stabilized.
Raii's eyes widened slightly.
"Did he… do it?"
For a brief moment—
It was perfect.
Then—
The water began to overcharge.
The fire started compressing.
As if both were pushing against each other.
BOOM.
Both spells shattered.
Horobi fell back, breathing heavily.
---
Raii's Realization
Raii walked toward him, his tone serious.
"This isn't normal…"
"Your control was perfect… and yet it still collapsed."
He paused before saying,
"Your mana… doesn't seem to follow normal rules."
Horobi looked down, confused.
"What am I doing wrong…?"
"You're not doing anything wrong," Raii replied.
"The problem isn't you… it's your mana."
---
After Class
Mio and Liora rushed to him.
"It's okay! You almost did it!" Mio said.
"You'll definitely succeed next time," Liora added.
From behind, Danzo muttered,
"I told you, you couldn't do it."
Mio's expression darkened.
"Looks like you won't understand until you get beaten."
Raii stepped in.
"That's enough. Horobi just did something even high-level mages struggle with."
"A good start."
Class was dismissed.
---
Outside the Academy
Mio and Liora stood outside, waiting.
Horobi said, "Let's go home."
"You go ahead… we'll come," Mio replied coldly.
Soon, Danzo stepped out.
"Hey, come here," Liora called.
As he approached, Mio grabbed his arm.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Let go of me—"
Thud!
A punch.
Then another.
And another.
Horobi quickly stepped in and stopped them.
Danzo hid behind him.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
Mio and Liora warned him,
"If you say anything against Horobi again… it won't end well."
Danzo ran off immediately.
---
Ending
The three of them returned home.
Evening had already fallen.
Without wasting time—
they resumed their magic practice.
Because they all knew—
This was only the beginning.