Hello Everyone! This is MagicName88 here with a new story that just popped up in my head. Let me tell you this right now that this is NOT AN ISEKAI STORY NOR A CROSSOVER. Well, there will be elements in the story that I might take from other fantasy anime and games as an inspiration but that doesn't mean this is a crossover. There is no excuse for me as to why it took so long for me to write this story and update my other stories. Just pure laziness from me, that is all and I apologize for that.

So without further ado, let's begin!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Oregairu series as it is respectfully owned by the author and studios.

"Okay son, let me teach you a basic spell." A man in his thirties spoke to his child as he bent his knee to look at him at eye level. The boy formed a wide smile from his father's declaration.

"Really?! Really?!" The boy asked him in a cheery tone.

"Yeah, and it's kinda easy too." The father stood up and grabbed a nearby wooden stick. He has a look of concentration as he breathes deeply and the stick glowed white, amazing his son. The glow faded and his father looked at his son with a smile. "This spell is called 'Hearten'. It allows you to reinforce anything you touch."

"Reinforce? What's that mean?" The son asked with a confused expression.

"Oh, uh... Here, let me show you." His father approached a nearby boulder and swung the stick. The son expected the stick to snap in half since a boulder is a lot harder than that. However what really happened shocked the child. Instead of breaking the stick, his father scraped the boulder. The son gasped in awe.

"And that's it." The father said while grinning. "It makes anything you touch harder than it originally was."

"How's it work?" The son asked with enthusiasm, ready to learn the spell.

"Well, here hold this," He gave the child the wooden stick. "Pour your mana into that stick and concentrate."

"Okay..." The son followed his instruction as he imitated how his father concentrated his mana into the object. They noticed the stick glowing white, indicating that the spell worked.

"I-I did it!" The child said excitedly while being proud of his accomplishment.

"Nice job but stay focus. If you put mana in it too recklessly it'll-" The father explained but it was too late. The wooden stick glowed too bright and then exploded into pieces. The boy yelled in surprise and fell down on his back while his father bent his knees to him. "Hachiman! Are you okay? You hurt anywhere?"

"N-no, I'm fine father." The child answered while checking his entire body to see if there's no injury. The palms in his hands are the only parts that felt painful to him due to the explosion. "My hand hurts."

"Welp, you still have to learn how to control mana. Let's go back to the basics then practice the Hearten spell. Okay?"

"Yes, father!"

"Wake up..."

A distant voice echoed. He sees nothing but pure darkness until he tried opening his eyes.

"Wake up..."

The distant voice of a woman is growing louder. His vision is all blurry as his eyelids felt heavy from trying to open them. It can't be helped. He was sleeping peacefully, and he just woke up yet the dream ruined his sleep, not the distant female voice. A dream that was once a childhood memory full of warmth and brightness. He still took his father's lessons to heart, even if the memories were painful to look back on.

"I said wake up, Hikigaya!"

He felt a sudden pain in his head and that regained his consciousness as he clutched it to relieve the pain while grunting. He heard the laughing crowd around him as they snickered at his lackadaisical attitude. Our protagonist named Hikigaya, finally remembered that he is currently in a classroom he slept halfway through the class period. He realized his mistake that he slept on a class of a teacher who will not tolerate his tardiness and lazy attitude.

"Glad that you're awake, Hikigaya." Our protagonist looked up to see a woman with long, black hair that reaches her shins, sticks out at her neck, and falls over her shoulders and purple eyes. Her attire comprises a black robe that wears it over her shoulders like a cape with gold trimming and a golden crest printed behind it; a black kimono and hakama. Her expression is full of annoyance with veins appearing on her head.

"My office. After the teacher's meeting." Those were the only words from the woman until they heard a small bell on a desk. "Oh, Time's up. That was quicker than I thought. Alright class, don't forget the lessons because it's gonna be part of the academics exam. Got it!"

"Yes, Madam Hiratsuka!" All the students shouted except for Hikigaya who is holding his forehead.

"Why does that Christmas Cake hit too hard? I think my skull cracked from that punch!" Hikigaya said in his thoughts and stood up from his seat at the middle row of a lecture hall table while rubbing his head. Classmates next to him were quick to stand up as he noticed their obvious desire to stay away from his proximity. After Hiratsuka left the room, whispers and snickering permeated through the atmosphere. All the classmates were quick to express their contempt towards him.

"Where to eat next?" He walked outside to the hallways as other students in his proximity immediately scowled at his presence. However, he completely ignored every comment from them. "Last time was the back of the academy. I guess that old room should do. Pleasant view at the window, no one will come over there."

"It's him."

"How is he still here?"

"Ugh, his rotten eyes give everything of what he really is. A dirty, rotten peasant."

"Is he carrying a weapon? Is that even allowed?"

"Including that weird getup?"

In this magic academy, all students must wear a short, white cloak with the academy crest that covers the upper half of one's torso. Hikigaya's robe has the same color and crest, but it is draped over his right shoulder and attached by a red cord that wraps around his neck. The robe is tattered as if it was damaged from a battle. His attire consists of a black kimono with its right sleeve completely torn off, revealing his muscular right arm and plain black, hakama. Behind his back is what looks like a sword all covered in brown cloth as he carried with a rope wrapped around it. What is strange to the others is that no one wears such an attire except him and also the sword he carries.

"He's a foreigner from the same kingdom as Madam Hiratsuka. Uh, what's the country called again? Tai...Taiyo-"

"It's Taiyokigen. What he's wearing came from that country's culture."

"Pfft, I wonder if all of their citizens look this barbaric." The moment the student said that line, Hikigaya scowled at him. The student and the others shook in fear and walked away at a quick pace. The protagonist calmed himself with a deep breath before maintaining his stoic expression.

In this world, magic is everything. It is a power that every human and almost every being possessed from birth that utilizes the energy of the world and in one's soul called "mana". With the utilization of mana, the individual can perform different kinds of powers and techniques, as well as strengthen the principles of its spirituality and philosophies.

"Many will tell their children that magic is a gift that brings miracles." He said in his thoughts. "It is true, you can bring out fire from your hand, risen the earth to form a wall, control wind to fly. I also believe that magic brings miracles but at the same time... it is a curse that will ruin anyone."

Hikigaya turned right into an empty hallway. This area is abandoned because of its poor management and the establishment of a recent building which is where his class is although there are some people came here for privacy reasons. After a few minutes of walking, he opened a door to an empty classroom with all the lecture hall tables filled with dust. He sat on the furthest seat next to a window and eat what appears to be meat yet the color is green.

"Information is the most important for anyone who can understand knowledge. That is why misconception is dangerous. And misconception on magic is even worse. Everyone fully believed that magic defines a person, ignoring other traits and efforts that person did. It's a foolish mindset, and that is why... I will never associate with any of these students."

"Well? What do you say for yourself?" Hiratsuka said as she crossed her legs and put her hands together in her kimono sleeve. She and Hikigaya sat across each other on couches in a room. His teacher's office comprises a bookshelf behind him, a wooden training dummy in the far corner, and a desk beside them. Hiratsuka expected an apology from Hikigaya for sleeping in class but instead...

"Can I quit this stupid academy now?" He asked indifferently.

"No," She immediately denied his request. "No matter how many times you ask, I won't let you drop out of the academy."

"What's the point? I'm not aiming to be a knight to serve the king or any arrogant superiors, nor will I be a boring scholar."

"Hikigaya, do you know why I became a teacher here instead of a knight?"

"Because you want to be as feminine as possible to find a ma-" Before he could finish his sentence, she punched him in a gut. She was so fast that Hikigaya didn't even sense her standing up from the couch.

"If that's really my reason, I could've taken a more suitable job for it instead of being a teacher right, Hikigaya?" The teacher said as she emits a menacing aura with her fist still sank deep in his stomach.

"R-right..." He said between grunts of pain. Hiratsuka went back to her couch with the usual sitting position. "So why did you become a teacher?"

"To help the younglings."

"Being a knight counts as helping the 'younglings' too."

"It's different from that. Kids like you don't understand how reality works. Did you know that most of the students here want to be a knight?"

"Yeah, they're naïve."

"Exactly. Very often our students dreamed of becoming a knight to serve the king or to achieve a fulfilling life. But when they joined the military, half of those students resigned after doing only a couple of missions. Sometimes they resigned before they could even do missions."

"Wasn't it because of the Blood Squandered War that people are so afraid to take part? And then the kings and emperors forced their male citizens to join the war. Should they refuse, there would punishment like being exiled or pay huge amounts of taxes. The war ended over a hundred years ago, so shouldn't the idiots today forget about all that?"

"Hikigaya, war is not something to look down on. It's a serious conflict that doesn't have a real winner as both sides will take heavy casualties. The scars of all kingdoms remained. War is also a time of change in culture and hierarchy."

"Pfft. Change in the hierarchy?" Hikigaya refrained his laughter. " I don't see any changes. Nobles are still sitting on their luxurious chairs while peasants and merchants are at the bottom of the pyramid."

"Didn't you hear?" Hiratsuka asked with a smirk. "There were some peasants who turned rich and became part of the nobles."

"Since when?" He asked with his dead-fish eyes widened.

"Near the end of the war. Lots of merchants used the conflict as a business opportunity to sell items of protection and survival while some used it as a scheme. There are few merchants who allegedly stole the nobles' wealth to be nobles themselves or tricked them."

"Huh, so now it's the peasants turn to be arrogant idiots," He scoffed while folding his arms. "Literally nothing changed. The world is still maintaining such a flawed social structure."

"But that gives us an important lesson," She retorted. "That everyone has a chance of being to the top."

"Not everyone."

"No, everyone does. It's just a matter of how high those chances are and if they're willing to take them. But anyway," She coughed lightly and changed the topic. "Back to our previous topic. You kids don't understand the real world and once you got caught up in it without knowing anything, your lives will go downhill."

"So you became a teacher to let them know, huh? No wonder you're the most strict teacher in this academy."

"Yeah, well someone has to give them a taste of the actual world or else they'll walk around blindly in the future," She took a deep breath before continuing. "I want to make you and the others strong while you all enjoy a brighter life before going to the danger zone."

"My life is already bright until you took me in." He said while scratching his head.

"Do you have any friends?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course I have-"

"I mean human friends or Elven friends or at least some Demi-humans. We're not counting your pets."

"They're not pets." His expression turned dark as he scowled at the teacher. Hiratsuka felt bloodlust emanating from him but she isn't affected by it. "They're my friends."

"Okay, okay. They're your friends." Hiratsuka sighed. "Now easy with that bloodlust or I won't do my job here without being bothered by it."

"Bothered? You didn't even twitch from that." He thought as he calmed down and canceled his bloodlust.

"Still, I'm really impressed for you to see beasts as friends"

"Not my fault you guys don't know how to make friends with them."

"Whatever."

"...So, can I quit the academy now?"

"Will you stop asking that!? Didn't you hear my reason!"

"I did and I say screw your reasons. You want me to study here just to make friends with those idiots? Forget it."

"It's not just that. Didn't you say that you want to go to the Heartless Ash Wasteland?"

"...Yes."

"That place used to be a peaceful village until it got caught in the middle of a war between this kingdom and an elven kingdom. Many died while others are captured for slavery. No one knows exactly what happened, but some scholars speculated that because of the clash of magic between kingdoms, the mana distorted the landscape into a hellish field as if it's the demon realm. Nature is dead there and it became home to the most powerful monsters in the world."

"Then shouldn't you be training me personally than getting me into this academy?"

"Learn how to have fun, y'know? If all you think about is training, then you're gonna have a boring life."

"I don't care if my life is boring and all that crap. I want to get strong enough to go to the wasteland."

"Hikigaya," Hiratsuka's expression turned serious but has this warmth in it. "If a man's only drive in his heart is just one goal, he would be the most fragile."

"I have more than one goal. After finding what I'm looking for in the wasteland, I'll become a father to beasts."

"You mean you want to become a beast tamer?"

"Tamer? Don't lump me in with those fools who see beasts as transportation or figures to show off. I'm going to be like a guardian of beasts. Watching them, nurturing them into healthy and mature animals."

"But you won't socialize with others," She sighed while holding her forehead and stood up. "Follow me."

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"I'm introducing you to someone."

The walk to their destination is quiet. The only sounds Hikigaya can hear are the footsteps of him and the teacher. The sound of their wooden slippers stomping the ground echoed in the empty hallway. Whoever this person who Hiratsuka wants him to meet, he won't be happy to see him/her. Hikigaya is cynical to humans and other beings. They lie and have ulterior motives in their actions. There is said to be a spell that can read minds but that was just a rumor he heard and he can't find any confirmation to that. Even if it exists, the spell will be considered as part of the forbidden magic for ethical reasons and there would be a severe punishment in using forbidden magic.

Humans are unpredictable, as well as other races. Even if he could read between the lines through one's expression, any motive is possible to intellectuals who mastered the ability of deceit. He trusts Hiratsuka because she knew what he is yet she still accepted him. It took time to develop that trust and his teacher became the only human he could count on.

"Hikigaya, do you really want to know why you can't go to the Heartless Ash Wasteland right now?" Hiratsuka asked without looking at him.

"Because the monsters there are too strong for me to handle?" He guessed.

"That's the first reason," She raised two fingers. "The second reason is that you can't enter unless you're part of the extermination team. Every year, this country will send a group of highly skilled knights to kill as many monsters as possible to take back our land one step at a time. And also to keep them from getting close to the entrance. So you need to graduate as a knight and join the team to get in the wasteland. Also, you need to have trustworthy allies because the moment they discover your abilities, they'll either backstab you or give you poor treatment throughout the mission like you doing the job alone while they sit there eating."

"...Fair point," He sighed.

"That's why you need to make friends who wished to become knights or at least build some trust with them so that your journey in the wasteland is smooth. Als-" Hiratsuka didn't finish her sentence as they heard an explosion behind the door in front of them. Smoke came under the door and the protagonist gripped his cloth-covered sword, ready to remove it and unsheathe it.

"What the hell?" He said as he stayed alert until Hiratsuka waved a hand to stop him.

"Relax," She said indifferently. "Nothing bad happened. Looks like she was trying out her invention, and it failed."

"Invention?" He asked with a raised eyebrow but the teacher ignored his confusion. She approached the door and opened it, revealing more smoke coming from the room.

"Ooooiiii! Yukinoshita?" She called out to someone. They couldn't see the room clearly because of the smoke, but they heard a female voice.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, I told you many times to knock before you enter." The smoke cleared, and they saw a girl with long black hair which is tied with two red ribbons by each shoulder and angular blue eyes. She's wearing the signature academy cape over her blue frilly blouse and black long skirt. Hikigaya admitted in his mind that this girl is beautiful, probably the most beautiful he had ever seen so far. A white, glowing magic barrier also surrounded the girl to protect herself from the explosion.

"You never respond when I knock though," The teacher retorted while waving off the smoke from her face

"That's because you don't wait for a response before barging in." Yukinoshita said before she undid the barrier as the smoke clears.

"So what happened here? Another failed invention?" The teacher asked and came in while Hikigaya followed her inside.

"Yes," The beautiful girl exclaimed. " I was trying to create an item that emits a concentrated flame that can cut anything but I must've made a mistake on the gears."

"I see," Hiratsuka said while looking at the mess with scorch marks on the floor.

"So who is this strange anomaly?" The girl asked as she noticed Hikigaya.

"Oh, yeah. This is Hikigaya Hachiman." Hiratsuka answered and looked at him. "Surely you know who she is, right?"

"Yeah, I know," He sighed. "She's Yukinoshita Yukino, daughter of one of the most prestigious noble families in the Taiyokigen Kingdom. Those idiots in the classroom kept talking about her like no tomorrow."

"Welp, that makes introductions easier." Hiratsuka put her hands on her waist. "You'll now be helping her with her research."

"Hah? What research?" He wore an annoyed expression and looked around the room. There seemed to be many strange contraptions that he had never seen before. There are flasks, a mortar and pestle, and stacks of paper and books on the desks.

"Is she an alchemist?" He speculated in his mind.

"Hiratsuka-sensei," Yukinoshita sat on a nearby wooden chair. "I asked you to seek a professor that is willing to assist my cause, not an enigmatic mercenary."

"Oi, what makes you think I'm a mercenary." He thought and looked at his appearance. "Is it my attire? Dear rich, arrogant woman, this attire is a perfect symbol of our beloved country's culture and tradition. You must be too fixated on wearing those clothes from a different country and you can't see me down here from your throne so high above the social hierarchy. So shut your mouth."

"Relax, he's not a mercenary. He's a student here." Hiratsuka reassured. "Despite his appearance, he's ranked top 3 in the entrance exam so he is a lot smarter than you think. He'll be a better assistant than any professor and scholar."

"Just because he scored high on the exam doesn't mean he could bear with me and my research." Yukinoshita retorted while touching her forehead in irritation from her teacher's suggestion. "Does he even have experience in the same field as I?"

"Nope, but he'll learn quickly enough," Hiratsuka answered without hesitation. The beautiful noble sighed from that and Hikigaya facepalmed. "Plus, I did talk to some professors but they were either busy doing their own research or didn't support your cause."

"Why are you making me her assistant?" He asked the teacher. "There should've been better candidates for that."

"I told you, you need allies so she's perfect for you." She answered. "Also, this is punishment for sleeping in class. Your objections and opinions on this will be ignored."

"You've got to be joking." He sighed once again.

"So Yukinoshita, as you can tell from his look and rotten eyes, he's a pitiful student. He is a bona fide loner here, so this is a personal request from me: While he works as your assistant, I'd like for you to mend his twisted misanthrope mentality."

"I refuse." The noble denied her request while covering herself in her arms. "Looking at that man's vulgar and scheming eyes makes me fear for my chastity."

"As if I would be attracted to your unappealing body. Also, you're a noble, so that turns me off more." He said in his mind.

"Don't worry, this guy has self-control," Hiratsuka reassured once more. "He won't do anything stupid that will get him executed. At best, he's a minion."

"Oi, just say that I can make sensible decisions." He said while folding his arms.

"A minion, huh?" Yukinoshita held her chin. "I see... He would be a good assistant."

"Are you deaf, noblewoman?"

"Well, I can't really deny a request from a teacher so I will do as you say." The beautiful noble accepted.

"Welp, that's that." Hiratsuka walked back towards the door and exit the room. "I'm counting on you, Yukinoshita."

"Oi, don't just-" He tried to complain to her but she closed the door and left. The room is silent. The only sound that he could hear are the papers being touched and organized by the beautiful noble. He is just standing there trying to assess what the annoying yet responsible teacher got him in. He needs to find trustworthy allies willing to join future extermination parties. On one hand, Hikigaya didn't mind being used by other knights as long as he can enter the wasteland and fulfill his primary objective but he sees more benefits in having allies that support each other. He doesn't care if they have selfish reasons to join the extermination as long as they're experienced and aid him in his goal.

"As long as they do their jobs and not getting in my way, I can tolerate being with them. But finding such allies will be hard. After all, my criteria is too high for these lowlives. But..." Hikigaya stared at Yukinoshita reading papers on a desk. Her eyes are filled with focus as if she won't be bothered until she finished reading it. "... This situation I'm in right now is something out of that garbage romance novels HE loved once. 'A man with troubles encounters a woman by fate, and aids him on his adventure'. What a stupid trap that anyone will fall for. Women are only interested in strong handsome men and dirty relationships. Hell, they'll fall for a noble the moment they knew about his status. What filthy gold-diggers. Lies and deceit are such terrifying abilities."

"Why don't you take a seat." Yukinoshita said while still engrossed in the papers. Hikigaya glared at her back with strong bloodlust emanating from his eyes. This is a test to evaluate her senses and will. If she twitched even slightly, he will give her a failing grade. If not, then either she has a strong will or her senses are too dull. Yukinoshita turned around and gave him her own glare. For Hikigaya, it's as if her eyes cast a powerful freezing spell and dropped the room temperature dramatically. he didn't sense any bloodlust from her but he can see the aura of superiority. This isn't a glare that has an intent to kill, it is a glare that has the intent to bring her enemies to their places.

"Fine," He stopped his glare and complied. He sat on a chair a few feet away from her. Hikigaya still doesn't understand what her research is about. He guessed that it is related to alchemy, but that's only it. He observed the beautiful noble as she took off her cloak and started crafting something on a piece of wood.

"It's weird for a graceful noble like her to using tools." He said in his thoughts

"Is there something wrong?" Yukinoshita suddenly asked him. She felt his gaze from behind.

"It's just that there's a lot I don't understand," He explained. "What kind of research are you doing, anyway?"

"... Take a guess." She answered while using a hammer. The protagonist held his chin to analyze his surroundings and come up with an answer.

"Arts and crafts?" He said with a sarcastic tone.

"Hoh~? And why is that?" She asked, sounding amused yet irritated at the same time by his answer.

"Because of all these weird contraptions."

"Wrong."

"Something about toys?"

"Wrong."

"Is it related to alchemy?"

"Close but still incorrect."

"... I give up. What is it then?"

"Hikigaya-kun," Yukinoshita turned around to face him. "Since when was the last time you've talked with a girl?

"What's that have to do with your research?" He asked in confusion.

"Nothing. I just thought even if you're a pitiful brute, you still should have at least a low level of communication with others, especially women."

"Well rejoice, you're the first girl I ever talked to. Be grateful."

"I expected much but for you to take pride in for your meager ability. This request might be more difficult."

"Of course I'm proud of it. I'm not so naïve to just talk to girls or just anyone. You just fit one of 108 traits on my criteria to meet my standards."

"Should I be joyful that I met your poor standards?" Yukinoshita sighed and then stood up from her chair to walk around the room. "In a world where magic, spirits, and gods push our future, mana is everything to advance our civilization, at least that's what everyone believes. For me, they're fools. Our world has so much more to offer besides mana. There is another way to push into the future, science. Through a systematic study of different structures and behaviors by observation and experiments, we can all create wonderful things to without the use of magic. Welcome to the True Science Institution."

"True... Science Institution?"

"Yes, and your job is to assist me in my research to invent scientific creations that do not rely on mana whatsoever. While you do your role, I've been requested to assist YOU in fixing that mentality of yours. I will help you solve your problem so you are now my responsibility."

"Problem?" Hikigaya stood up and faces her. "I don't have a problem. I'm already at the pinnacle of perfection, but the problem is the common sense of every race in society. You heard what Hiratsuka said, I ranked top 3 on the entrance exam and I'm a quick learner. I'm also a strong fighter with good looks so you could say I'm top of the line."

"And yet you have no friends or even a lover."

"I have friends. They're not human, Elven, or even Demi-humans."

"So they're dwarves?"

"No."

"Demons?"

"I will never be associated with the demonic race."

"Ara, and I thought your twisted attitude could charm them over."

"Humans are already a race of deception and superficiality, so demons are on another level. I will never trust those bastards. Besides, I bet you could win them over by giving them gold and that icy glare of yours." He retorted as he folded his arms. Yukinoshita touched her chin with a finger while having a smug on her face.

"From what I can tell in this conversation, the reason you're all alone is that rotten nature and twisted sensitivities of yours," She said as she also folded her arms. "And on the topic of strength, I never saw you in any duels here nor take part in the Magical Tribute Festival so I can't judge you on that yet. However, if we're talking about looks, you ought to know that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. In other words, the only one who can decide whether you have "good looks" is me."

"Tch, that sounds ridiculous but makes sense at the same time." He clicked his tongue while averting his gaze from her.

"Anyway, that concludes our mock conversation," She brushed her long hair with her hand as the tone of her voice sounded arrogant. Hikigaya looked at the noble and he could've sworn he saw angel wings on her back. "If you can talk to a girl like me, I think you should be able to talk to most other people as well. Perhaps I did rehabilitate you a little."

"Let me make this clear. It's not that I can't talk to people, I just don't indulge in pointless small talk. I don't need a rehab."

"I think you're in for quite some trouble in your social life if you don't change yourself."

"Change?" Suddenly, the tone of his voice went lower and his expression is filled with anger and the intent to kill. He released a terrifying bloodlust at her and half of his magical energy. "You think I'm the one who needs to change? Wrong. What needs change is this foolish society filled with lies and sinister criminals. Don't force me to do your bidding."

"Is that so," Yukinoshita gave him an icy glare while also emitting a strong magical energy. The entire room shook by the clash of the two mages' immense pressure of mana. Both will not falter until the other admits defeat but the door suddenly opened.

"I'm coming in!" Hiratsuka entered the room and felt the pressure of their clashing mana. "Looks like you're having trouble fixing Hikigaya's problem but easy there with the pressure you two. Don't go wasting your mana."

"I apologize, sensei," Yukinoshita complied and lowered her magical energy. "But this man doesn't acknowledge his flaws."

"Don't give me that crap," Hikigaya talked back while lowering his own magical energy. "Like hell I need to change. I don't need people telling me who I should be, damn it."

"You're just running away." The noble retorted.

"But isn't changing myself also running away?" He smirked. "Why can't you accept who you were and who you are?"

"That..." Yukinoshita clenched her fist in anger to his statement. She admits that Hiratsuka's request will prove to be the most difficult task she had ever taken, but she will not falter. This man is the opposite of Yukinoshita's ideal. If she quits the task, it is a sign of defeat. She can't afford to lose against someone like him. "That doesn't solve any problems, and it won't help anyone either."

"Hah?" Hikigaya stared at her serious expression. To be honest, he is quite puzzled by this situation. He understood Hiratsuka's reasoning for their compatibility to his goal but what he doesn't understand is the task she gave to the noblewoman. The teacher should've just said, "You two will work together so get along! He may be awkward and a loser but he has talent." and then they would let nature run its course but instead, she requested Yukinoshita to handle his so-called "problems" and that woman accepted it like it was a daily routine for her despite refusing at first.

"Calm down, you two." Hiratsuka stopped their stare-down and Hikigaya looked at her.

"Hey, sensei. Is there something else about this 'institution'?" He asked with a scrutinizing gaze toward her. Hiratsuka smirked by his deduction.

"Heh, so you realized," She lifted her chest and folded her arms. "This isn't just a scientific institution, but this also run service duties!"

"Service duties?" He then turned to look at Yukinoshita with a puzzled expression to which the noblewoman noticed what he was thinking.

"it's not the service you're thinking right now, Hikipervert-kun." She said while covering herself in her arms.

"Oi, I didn't think that." He said while maintaining his nonchalant expression, but the two women in the room noticed a crack in it, indicating that he did think of that.

"Sorry for ruining your hopes, Hikigaya," Hiratsuka explained with a look of pity. "What you'll be doing is to help other students with problems."

"Sounds like too much work for one person," He said. "And again I didn't think any of that."

"That does sound like too much work, but that's where you come in to give her a hand." The teacher pointed at him.

"But still, why doing two different tasks?" He asked, and Yukinoshita answered.

"There are those who, out of the goodness of their hearts, provide those who are in need." The beautiful noble sat back into her seat. "We extend a helping hand to those in need, regardless of their status, race, and citizenship. This is also a way to advance civilization so we must help others without being discriminate."

"That's one big delusion you have there," He said in a mocking tone while sitting down on a chair. "Sensei, this won't work at all. I request a different ally."

"Request denied," Hiratsuka shook her head. "She is your best option right now and you two have so much in common. I'm sure you two will come around. And you don't get a say in this either, Yukinoshita. He's the only smart student here that will help you in your research. You should realize it by now that not a single scholar or professor can understand your vision unless they're dwarves which can only be encountered in Shuddjhal, the Aquatic Frozenland. And you know they're not willing to help humans."

"Then I don't give a crap if knights treat me like trash," Hikigaya exclaimed in a desperate tone. "As long as I could get in the wasteland then I'm fine wit-"

"Hikigaya," The teacher's tone in her voice lowered and her expression turned serious. "There is no limit to their cruelty once they found out about your magic."

"..." The protagonist stood frozen from her serious aura. Her statement wasn't a funny joke nor a lie to deceive him. He already experienced such cruelty during his childhood from being born with this kind of magic. However, if Hiratsuka's telling the truth, then he can't imagine what they will do to him before he could even enter the wasteland. He has confidence in enduring the harassment from others, but that will hinder his primary objective to a huge degree. He can't afford to fail or else he won't get another chance.

Meanwhile, Yukinoshita gave him a scrutinizing gaze. Hiratsuka's statement about his magic piqued her interest. From their clashing mana earlier, she assessed that he is a powerful mage, but she doubted he's on her level. There are two topics regarding discrimination in magic that she could think of: First, a mage's strength is determined by his/her social status. Majority believe that nobles and royalties have the strongest magic abilities. While strength in magic is in the criteria a king must have, it is still ridiculous for them to have such worthless assumption; Second, elemental affinity. Every individual carries only one affinity of the five existing elements: Water, fire, earth, air, and lightning. However, there are also two other elements rare for any race to be born with.

"Could it be that-"

"Alright, looks like none of you are objecting. For now, at least." Hiratsuka said while going out of the door. "How about we end this for today and think about this at home, yeah?"

"...Yeah, I agree." Hikigaya stood up to grab his cloth-covered sword and a big pouch filled with school books.

"... It can't be helped," Yukinoshita also stood up, wear her academy cloak and leather shoulder bag. "See you tomorrow, Hiratsuka-sensei."

"Yup, see ya." The teacher waved at them as Yukinoshita went outside first before the protagonist. "Oh, Hikigaya."

"What?" He stopped and turned around.

"Do you want to come to my place." She whispered so that no one can hear them. "Komachi is cooking one hell of a dinner for us."

"Not today," He shook his head. "I need time to think. Alone."

"...If you say so."

Hikigaya walked down the main street of town as the sun sets for nightfall. Civilians passing by wore unique kinds of clothing. Some are wearing either yukatas or kimonos, while others are wearing tunics with baggy sleeves and cote hardies. This is the Villfalt Kingdom, where everyone accepts diversity in their lives. People from different kingdoms come here either to make business offers with other kingdoms or to just meet all kinds of cultures coming together in one country.

Right after the Blood Squandered War, a general who partake in the war established this kingdom to make it a symbol of unity among kingdoms. He saw how senseless the battle was and how many even forgotten the sole purpose of declaring the war. All the bloods of races squandered by the strong and unfair. Witnessed the horror of war and the joy of socializing with other races, he wished for everyone to understand each other and to prevent another war from happening.

"Pfft. 'Everyone', he said," Hikigaya scoffed at the history. "Everyone living here are all humans. Elves and Dwarves don't trust this kingdom because humans started the war in the first place. What diversity? It's just humans from different countries and ten years passed and no one tried to convince the other races."

Hikigaya Hachiman studies here at the capital of Villfalt, Alexander. Named after the general turned king who founded the kingdom. However, he actually lives outside of town. There are cheap taverns and the academy provides an apartment for students to live in, but our protagonist prefers to be far away from the liars and fakers. He found a sewer entrance and went inside to go underground. The sewers reek with waste and the floors are dirty with dust and drainage water but the smell didn't bother him much since he went down here almost everyday to get home.

From going left, right and then forward, he reached a dead end. Nothing but a brick wall in front of our protagonist, yet the corner of his lips moved upward. He touched the wall and took a deep breath to pour his mana into it. A large magic circle appeared on the wall as it glowed white until the wall opened itself to reveal a ladder to climb.

"Here we are." Hikigaya climbed to the top and opened the ceiling door to look around and see the woods.

He's now in the middle of a forest.

There are only a few birds sitting in branches high on the trees, and small animals such as rabbits and squirrels. He took a deep breath and did a loud whistle. The sound echoed throughout the forest and he waited for something. A few seconds later, he heard the footsteps of an animal, no, a beast. And it's moving fast. He saw a shadowy figure in the woods, approaching him fast. The figure pounced at him and he fell to the ground.

"Ow!," He grunted in pain but he wore a warm smile to the beast. "How's it going, Tenro?"

The beast is a large, seven feet-tall wolf with golden fur. The wolf's eyes are pure white as if it has blindness, but that is just part of its trait. During daytime, the wolf's eyes turn white because those are layers protecting them from the light of day as its eyes are more used to a darker environment. The large wolf growled at Hikigaya's smiling face before licking him.

"Haha! Okay, okay! Good boy," Hikigaya rubbed the wolf's head with one hand and scratched its neck with the other. Tenro stopped licking his face and enjoyed the pleasure his master is giving him. The master stood up and rode the wolf on its back. "Alright, Tenro. let's go home."

The wolf barked once and followed his master's order. This is one of Hikigaya's friend, Tenro. a beast known as a massis wolf. The massis wolves are the largest wolves among all of their species. The sunlight slowly fades as the time of night approaches. He noticed that his friend's fur turned from gold to black.

"No matter how many times I've seen it, your fur is still amazing." He complimented while giving the wolf a head pat. Another trait of the massis wolves are that their fur changes. At daytime, it is gold and at nighttime, it changes to black. It is a big advantage for nocturnal beasts as the fur make them hide in the dark. Tenro's white layers in his eyes lifted to reveal his red glowing eyes. "So does your eyes too."

Humans are unpredictable, as well as any intellectual beings, but beasts are the opposite. Beasts and animals have innate behaviors called "instincts". They do not rely on cognition or consciousness to decide their paths. Every beast has its own stimulus and behavior that are empowered by instincts. They act before they think. That is why Hikigaya trusts beasts more than any human. Rather than relying on information and influence from others without distinguishing lie from truth, they rely on their instincts to determine an individual. All the individual needs is to provide the beast the right stimulus to gain its trust. Comfort the beast, feed it, nurture it, and bond with the beast to gain their friendship. Social status and elemental affinity do not apply in their criteria so long as the master/friend provides the right treatment for their innate behavior.

"Almost there." The ride wasn't that long as massis wolves are twice as fast as horses and very agile to move in the woods despite their size. They finally reached an old small cabin in the middle of a glade.

"Thanks for the ride, Tenro. Now go back to your kids." Hikigaya gave him one last head pat before letting him off the woods. He opened the door to his cabin and entered. There is nothing much to expect from the inside: there is a small rectangular table on his left, and a wooden bunk bed on the right; on the middle is a small fireplace. Hikigaya removed his academy cloak and put his cloth-covered sword standing next to the bunker bed as he laid down and rest.

"I'm home, Wylfrid-san..." He said in an exhausted tone. He then grabbed his pouch and took out what appears to be a small, green arm. He sat up and started eating the green arm. "Goblin meat for dinner, huh? This is surprisingly edible coming from an ugly monster. It's not as delicious as Komachi's cooking though... I should've asked sensei what she cooked for dinner... "

After finishing the meat, he stood up and put some wood in the fireplace. Thinking that he put enough, he used a flint and steel to lit the fireplace and threw the bones on the flames. Then, Hikigaya sat on the chair at the table to contemplate the events that happened this day. Hiratsuka Shizuka, a teacher of his magic academy, forced him to be friends with a noblewoman known as Yukinoshita Yukino. According to Hiratsuka, he has to become Yukinoshita's assistant in her scientific research and work together to fulfill requests in order to "get along" with one another.

"Doing two things at once." He internally voiced out his criticism. "Does she think that she's so high and mighty that she can do everything or is that noblewoman confident in her multi-tasking ability. Either way, she's living in a pipe dream. Also, since she's doing research on science, shouldn't she be in the Scholar course? Why did she enrolled in the Knight's course? And... Will I be able to fulfill my promise to him?"

So many questions are in Hikigaya's mind and none have answers. He stopped thinking about them as he realized it is getting late. He laid down once again on the lower bed, cover himself with a blanket and closed his eyes as consciousness fades.

"Let's just get it over with tomorrow... Good night, Wylfrid-san."

"Alright, class!" A female teacher wearing a yukata shouted to gain the children's attention. "Today, we will find out what element you all have!"

"Eh? What do you mean, sensei?" A child asked.

"It means you will all learn how to control your elemental affinity!" She explained. "It's a ritual. If your affinity is fire then you'll be able to use fire magic, if your affinity is earth then you'll be able to use earth magic! Simple, right?"

"Oh! I want to be a fire mage!"

"I want water magic!"

"There's lightning magic, right? Then lightning mage it is!"

The children's excitement emanated the classroom. The teacher couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm and their will to learn more magic. She's especially glad for the boy sitting in the far back. She swore she could see his strand of hair on top of his head moving on its own. The boy is their top student in this class for being a fast learner in both academics and magic. His father did train him well during his spare time.

"Hey, What do you want to be?!" A classmate asked the boy.

"Hmmm... I want fire magic because our king is a strong fire mage!" He answered while jumping with joy.

"Okay then, line up kids! We're going to another room for the ritual." The teacher said to them and they complied. The entire class lined up in two; one for girls and one for boys. They reached an empty room with only one magic circle on the floor drawn with chalk and a crystal in the middle of it. There is no furniture, window, nor even a single object besides what's present.

"We go by alphabetical order, so that means Asahi will go first." She said and the mentioned classmate stepped forward.

"O-okay!"

"First, sit with legs crossed on the center of the circle." She instructed the child. "Then, hold the crystal firmly. Now concentrate your mana on the crystal and inchant these words while closing your eyes."

"Yes, sensei!" The child followed her instructions correctly albeit nervously. The other classmates including the top student watched as the crystal glowed red and the magic circle lit aflame.

"A-Asahi's on fire!" One of the classmates screamed in fear.

"It's okay, everyone. look!" She pointed at Asahi and the class noticed that he's not burning to death. In fact, the flames didn't affect him at all. Not a single burnt mark or a sign of pain coming from the child. "It's all part of the ritual. Asahi is a fire mage!"

"Eeeeh?! Fire?" Asahi opened his eyes in shock of the teacher's words. "But I want lightning!"

"Well, sorry. Asahi-chan. Fire is your affinity." She tried to cheer him up but the young fire mage felt disappointed by his affinity but he moved on quickly and now it's the next classmate's turn to do the ritual. It was only a few minutes passed and many children discovered their element. Some are joyful while others were either surprised or disappointed. They witnessed different kinds of elements arise from the circle. The teacher is content with the results and now she's excited to see what the top student's element is.

"My turn!" The boy sat at the center of the circle and followed her instructions.

"Remember, close your eyes and focus your mana." The teacher said while watching him closely. The entire class went silent as they also want to see what element the top student is given. The boy is nervous but followed the ritual correctly and breathe deeply. He felt his mana flowing inside the crystal and he heard everyone gasped in awe. He could hear them whispering but the sounds in his surrounding are slowly fading until silence remained. The boy opened his eyes to see what happened but all he saw is black.

An endless void of darkness.

"Hello!?" The boy shouted, hoping that anyone would respond but sadly no one did. Everywhere he looked, there is only darkness. He couldn't even see his own body and limbs. Fear started spreading in his body and mind. It's as if the world disappeared and he's the only one left standing. "T-this is scaring me... Sensei! Mother! Father!"

Suddenly he opened his eyes once more as if he woke up from a nightmare. He is still sitting in the middle of the circle, holding the crystal tightly with cold sweat. He looked around and saw everyone shaking in fear, including the teacher.

"S-sensei?" The boy asked in confusion. "What's wrong?"

...

Sleep is an important activity for the mind and body to rest, and Hikigaya couldn't agree more to that fact. The fatigue and the pain from being punched by Hiratsuka disappeared. Truly, sleep is an activity that he wished it was part of academic performance. However, it can be exhausting if the bed is not comfortable or the dream is not pleasant. The latter is what made Hikigaya woke up from his sleep albeit slowly opening his eyes.

"Another damn nightmare." He sighed as closed his eyes once more but he heard an animal's grunt outside of his cabin. "What the...?"

He stood up and opened the front door to see a deer with three pairs of golden eyes and the tips of its antlers glowed green. There seemed to be flowers and weeds attached to its body like it grew from it.

"An alvarez deer?" He said with widened eyes. "Is there something wrong."

The deer turned its head to the left as if it's pointing at something.

"Trouble, huh?" He noticed a yellow lightning shooting down from the sky and he already guessed that it was a spell chanted by a trespasser. He removed his sandals and stretched for a moment.

"I'm borrowing your stuff again, Wylfrid-san..." He went back inside to grab his sword, removed the cloth and then he wears a long brown, tattered cloak. He strapped the sheathed sword on his waist and then wore a hollowed-out alvarez deer head as a mask. with its antlers much shorter than the living deer outside.

"One final touch," Hikigaya then pulled out something in the closet. A cloth made of grey striped fur with a white back and strapped it behind his waist. "I'm also borrowing your strength, Kamakura."

He went outside, rode the alvarez deer to the location it pointed at. he can hear voices coming from the direction, indicating that he was getting close. The whimper of an animal also reached the protagonist's ears and his anger grew but he maintained his calm. He halted the deer to hide himself behind the bushes to observe what is happening. There are two people wearing black cloaks with their faces hidden under their hoods. They surrounded an alvarez deer lying on the ground. He noticed the deer's injuries and suspects that those men were hunting.

"Heh! I thought this hunt would be as hard as what those cowards said but look at this!"

"Don't let your guard down. Massis wolves are dangerous during nighttime."

"Nah, we can take them. What we need to be careful is when we encounter the guardian of this forest."

"Guardian?"

"There's a rumor that there is someone guarding these beasts. All the mages that came here to hunt survived but got their limbs cut off."

"Sounds like a psychopath. What does that bastard look like."

"One defining feature is that he has an alvarez deer for a head."

"What? That's just weird."

"Enough talking. Tie the deer up and-" The cloaked man stopped and dodged an incoming attack from above. The other turned to look but it was too late as the ground exploded and sent them flying.

"Gah!"

"What the hell was that?" One of the cloaked man landed on his feet. However, he couldn't dodge all the small debris that were blown away by the explosion. His head is dripping blood down to his cheek and his gut felt as if he was punched several times. The man resisted the pain and tried to see who the enemy is but the smoke covered the spot completely.

"Barak! You still hanging!?" The man shouted. "If it's him, this surprise attack wouldn't affect him in the slightest."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm still good, Dustin." He saw his companion name Dustin on his right a few feet away. Dustin's hood lifted to reveal his bald shaved head and blue eyes. "Looks like the 'guardian' came to us."

"...Yeah," Barak removed his hood to reveal his black hair tied into a ponytail and brown eyes. The smoke slowly dissipated and saw the "Guardian"'s figure but they noticed something odd. There appears to be something bulking out of his shoulders. When the smoke cleared, both hunters were shocked at what it was...

The "Guardian" is carrying the injured alvarez deer on his shoulder...

"An adult alvarez deer weighs almost as heavy as a horse," Dustin said in his mind. "And you're telling me he carried it on his shoulder like it was nothing?"

"Heh, Looks like we're facing something monster-like. Or rather... We're fighting against an actual monster..." Barak unsheathed his double-edge sword with golden runes carved on the blade. "Get ready."

"You don't have to tell me," Dustin answered. "Maybe we should've brought mercenaries with us."

"We couldn't find a single mercenary on our level so stop complaining," Barak retorted and both saw another odd spectacle. There is a massis wolf right next to the "Guardian" and it bowed down to him. The Guardian put the deer over the wolf's back and it ran away while carrying the deer.

"H-he can tame a massis wolf?" Barak said with a shocked expression.

"Give me the sight of the world..." Dustin inchanted a clairvoyance spell and his eyes glowed blue to find a trick behind the Guardian's ability to command the beast, from his clothes to his sword strapped in the waist and even the deer mask. However, Dustin found nothing and it left him even more confused. "I don't see any enchanted items in his disposal. I guess he knows more about beasts than probably everyone."

"He's going to attack." Dustin said as the ground under the Guardian's foot exploded and launched towards him at terrifying speed. Barak reacted in time by jumping in front of his comrade and blocked a punch with the fuller of his sword.

"Get back and be my support, Dustin." Barak said while looking straight at the "Guardian". "I'll do the harder job."

"Got it!" Dustin complied and jumped away from them. The Guardian (a. k. a. Hikigaya) made the first move as he lifted his feet and Barak already guessed what he's about to do. Barak tried to escape but Hikigaya caught his wrist and then proceeded to stomp the ground. The ground exploded into Barak and got knocked in the air.

"Heal!" Dustin shouted a spell and a green magic circle came out of his hand. Barak flying body glowed green and the black-haired hunter landed on his feet in time.

"Thanks!" He shouted in gratitude to his bald partner. If Dustin cast the healing spell a second late, Barak would lose immediately. Hikigaya unsheathed his sword and the ground beneath him exploded. The hunter swung his sword downward with its blade enveloped with lightning. Their swords clashed and Barak got pushed back by Hikigaya's charge. However, he held his ground well and now their sword fight has begun. Holding with only his right hand, Hikigaya swung his blade first, aiming for the hunter's leg. Barak saw it and blocked the attack but after doing that, his face is met with the Guardian's fist.

"Gghh! His sword..." Barak noticed that Hikigaya's sword is probably the ugliest he has ever seen. Hikigaya' double-bladed sword looked dirty and the blade has been chipped multiple times. It's as if he found it buried in the middle of nowhere. What puzzled Barak is that the sword is not broken by their clash, at least not yet. "Could it be the Hearten spell? But for that piece of junk to withstand my blade covered in my lightning magic. And also the way he fights is-"

He couldn't finish his thoughts as he blocked a side swing from Hikigaya and then got kicked in the stomach. An explosion occurred between Hikigaya's bare feet and Barak's stomach and the hunter was knocked away. Dusitn cast a healing spell once more on his partner and then...

"Raining Lightning!" He raised his hand and a yellow magic circle came out of his hand. Yellow lightning came down from the sky, striking Hikigaya but the Guardian dodged it in time. More lightning came down and the he jumped away from all of it. Unbeknownst to him, Barak used a clairvoyance spell and found the secret to his movements.

The moment before he jumps," Barak analyzed. "The ground directly under his foot glowed and then exploded. Could it be that he's-"

He stopped his own thoughts as Hikigaya is about to charge at Dustin once more. Fortunately, the bald hunter cast a barrier in time to defend and his strike made a big crack on it. Barak took a deep breath and a large magic circle appeared on the ground he's standing on. Yellow lightning surrounded his body and then charged towards the Guardian in a flash. Hikigaya quickly responded by redirecting a pierce attack with his ugly sword. Barak and Dustin couldn't see his expression behind the deer mask but his eyes widened and has a struggling look.

Barak, now emitting lightning around his body, fought the Guardian once more with swords at tremendous speed and the Guardian is keeping up with him. Dustin can only watch in awe by their sword fight and noticed the difference in sword techniques. Barak is more refined and professional. Every movement is elegant and with skill while Hikigaya has the movements of a barbarian. He is just swinging his sword while throwing punches and kicks. Add that with the creepy alvarez deer mask, it's like Barak is facing a beast in a form of a human.

"His has strong physical capabilities like he IS wearing enchanted gear or drank potions but he didn't," Barak said in his thoughts. "What this bastard did back there. He was using Hearten this whole time. He cast the spell on his feet to the ground and pour so much mana, it exploded and propelled him forward. Same thing with that kick earlier. How can he release that much mana in a short amount of time?! To think that he can make a beginner's spell this useful in battle. If he's using Hearten on the ground, then I'm going to get him airborne."

"This guy is so fast," Hikigaya mentally voiced out his analysis. "The only people that can learn that spell are from the Raimei Kingdom, The Empire Below the Heaven's Roar. I have to get his guard down."

After blocking an electric sword swing from the hunter, he stomped the ground once more and it exploded. The explosion propelled him towards Dustin and the bald hunter cast a barrier on time. The result was the same as the previous, Dustin defended himself and the barrier cracked from Hikigaya's attack. Barak charged at the Guardian and did an upper swing to sent him airborne.

"Crap!" Hikigaya cursed in his mind.

"Lightning's Prey!" Dustin cast a spell and five wolf heads of lightning came out of his hand. The lightning wolf heads are flying towards Hikigaya at any direction, surrounding him. Meanwhile, Barak jumped and attacks Hikigaya with another piercing attack of lightning.

"Got him!" Both hunters had the same thought but they were wrong. As the lightning attacks closed in, Hikigaya released black spikes around his body, stabbing all the wolf heads to nothing and Barak cast a barrier in front of him to not get pierced by the spikes. The black-haired hunter and his eyes widened at what he saw. Dustin is just as shocked as his partner is at Hikigaya's magic.

"A dark mage?!" Dustin shouted. While still airborne, Hikigaya clicked his tongue in irritation and enveloped his sword in flames of darkness and swung it at the bald hunter. The swing released a black, crescent projectile at Dustin quickly and he can't dodge it in time. Dustin tried to defend himself with a barrier as usual and it barely saved him. The barrier stopped the slash but it broke in the process and the impact pushed the caster back into a tree.

"Dustin!" Barak shouted at his partner to check but he didn't respond as Dustin fell unconscious. "Damn! What the hell do you want here, you fucking dark mage?!"

"Why are you hunting here?" Hikigaya asked in a muffled voice due to the mask.

"We just want to make some enchanted gear out of that deer, that's all..." He answered in an angry tone. "And what about you? Trying to keep all the beasts and magic to yourself?"

Hikigaya responded by emitting an immense, black aura.

"Not much of a talker, huh? Or is that your way of saying yes? Y'know, dark mages like you should live in a place like this. I mean, who knows what kind of shitty things you'd do if you live with us in town or even in a small village."

"... Dark magic..." Hikigaya muttered and then gathered his black aura back in his body. Barak noticed that he's about to cast a dark magic spell so the hunter quickly enveloped himself in lightning and charged at the Guardian with the same terrifying speed.

"No you don't!" He shouted as he closes in on Hikigaya. However, Hikigaya jumped to the side and finished his spell.

"Nocturnal Abode,"

And then everything went black. Barak can't see anything but the stretching void of darkness. His lightning is not enough to illuminate the entire area so all he could see is his body, his weapon, and the ground he is standing on.

"Give me the sigh-"

"Too slow." Barak suddenly felt pain on the back of his head and his body became heavy. His vision blurred and his grip on the sword loosened as he slowly fell on the ground. Hikigaya canceled the spell and the night of the woods are back in his vision.

"Alright, then..." Hikigaya said as he looked at both unconscious hunters. "What to do with you two?"

Next Day

"Ara, I didn't expect you to come by here," The noblewoman known as Yukinoshita Yukino sat at the same desk as yesterday. "Does this mean you accept being a member of this institution?"

"First, I want to ask you something."He answered as he put down his cloth-covered sword and bag, and sat down on a chair facing her.

"What a coincidence, so do I. Mind if I ask first?"

"Ladies first."

"Are you a dark mage?"

"Right off the bat, huh?" Hikigaya sighed. "That damn teacher. Either she's not good at being tight-lipped or this is her actual intent."

"So I'm right..." Yukinoshita stood up from her seat. "I will be blunt, I do not care if you have the dark elemental affinity so long as you are willing to cooperate with me in my research."

"How should I know what you're saying is true?"

"Have you forgotten what I told you about yesterday? We extend a helping hand to those in need, regardless of their status, race and citizenship. This is also a way to advance civilization, so we must help others without using discrimination. This is my ideal."

"...Okay then," He said as he folded his arms. "Now it's my turn to ask. Why take the Knight Course when you should've taken the Scholar Course to present your research or get a recommendation from professors to help you?"

"Presenting alone may not suffice," She answered while holding her chin. "Those professors are too ignorant to recognize the benefits of my scientific inventions. If I can prove the effectiveness of my inventions in the upcoming extermination team, they will not resist my research."

"Inventions for the extermination?" He raised an eyebrow at that. "Are you saying you're going to invent weapons? I didn't expect you to advance civilization by violence."

"As cruel as violence is, it is a part of the nature of this world. And besides, we're using these weapons against monsters and if there is a chance that my inventions will be used to hurt others, we'll make sure to silence them..."

"You sound like a tyrannical queen there,"

"Enough with your sarcasm. There is still one more question I want to ask." She said as she folded her own arms and looked at him with a serious expression. "Why do you want to join the extermination team so badly?"

"...I'm finding something." Hikigaya answered while closing his eyes.

"Something?"

"Or rather... someone."

...

"Your wife and daughter?" A boy asked a man wearing a plain green yukata. They are both sitting on the ground filled with grass as they enjoy the beauty of nature in the woods.

"Yeah," The man answered with a warm smile. "There is a rumor that there are survivors in the Heartless Ash Wasteland hiding underground from the monsters and chaos. You need to find a certain cave where the entrance resides and then find the underground spot."

"But didn't your wife left you and took your daughter with her?" The young boy asked.

"It doesn't matter," The man shook his head. "I want to see them again. Even if they left me, I still love them. Those bastards shouldn't get my village involved in their petty war."

"So your only choice is to wait for the extermination team and hope that they found something..."

"Yes," The man coughed and the boy stood up to comfort him. "I want to go there myself but I can't with this condition..."

"Then," The young boy looked at him with determination. "I'll go to that wasteland and find your family for you."

"Hahahahaha- gh." The man laughed and then coughed once more. "Thank you, but I don't want you to lose your future..."

"But I-"

"You don't have to," The man gives the boy a head pat. "We could just stay here and play with the beasts you made friends with."

"I want to help you, Wylfrid-san. To repay you for being with me."

"You want to repay me?" Wylfrid said with a raised eyebrow and then wore a serious expression. "Then let's stay here and have fun. If my wife and child didn't make it then that means you're the only one left."

"Wylfrid-san..."

"So live strong, alright?" He pulled the boy into a hug. "To me, you're like my son."

...

Hikigaya opened his eyes from reminiscing the memory.

"Are you talking about that underground rumor?" Yukinoshita asked.

"Yes," He answered. "You can call me crazy all you want but that's my primary goal right now."

"It's fine," She shook her head. "Even I am curious whether that rumor is true or not. The rumor spread out of nowhere and the extermination team last year did not find any evidence. Or rather, they did not bother finding one."

"Then that makes it better for both of us."

"What do you mean?"

"Imagine this: 'A young knight, Hikigaya Hachiman, found evidence of a rumor believed to be false. The accomplishment is thanks to the tools made by the intelligent noble, Yukinoshita Yukino'. If we successfully proved the rumor, everyone will pay attention to your efforts while I get a step closer to finding the underground. Even if we don't find one, if we make effective inventions, a lot of people will support your research and my search for proof."

"Hmmm... Interesting. I suppose we can make this work. Does that mean you're now part of my institution?"

"Yeah,"

"Well then," She reached out for a handshake. "Welcome to the True Science Institution."

"Pleasure to be of acquaintance." He held her hand and shook. Yukinoshita smiled while Hikigaya grunted in approval. They let go of each other's hands and she folded her arms back. They do not see each other as friends, probably not yet. For now, they are acquaintances, allies with their goals interact. Hikigaya will follow Yukinoshita's work and see if she's worthy enough to earn his trust. He's still cynical towards her but he cannot deny that her vision is useful to his goal. Yukinoshita will act on Hiratsuka's request to help in fixing his rotten attitude. She knew that dark mages are being discriminated against and ostracized the moment their affinity was revealed, even at the moment of their birth.

"But don't forget," Yukinoshita went back to her usual serious expression. "I will still fix that rotten attitude of yours as per Hiratsuka-sensei's request."

"Don't bother," Hikigaya shook his head. "For what's standing before you is the best version of Hikigaya Hachiman."

"If that's how you define 'best', I'm worried how you will be helpful to my research."

"I'm a fast learner so don't worry about it besides me opposing some of your ideas."

"How overconfident. You think that you can surpass me in science just from learning it once?"

"Maybe you're the one who's overconfident. After all, you keep thinking you're the only smart noble that can understand science. Just because you're the smartest and ranked top 1 in the entrance exam doesn't mean you can order me around, Ms. Tyrannical Ice Queen."

"Ara, then-" Their argument lasted for who knows how long. They're arguing to the point where they don't care where the topic is going, from the subject of looks to the difference of their abilities, physical and magical. If someone entered this room and witnessed this bantering, one could say this is comparable to an overwhelming clash of magical energy. And once again, none will falter until the other admits defeat. Fortunately or maybe unfortunately for these two students, they heard a knock on a door and the voice of a girl behind it.

"Excuse me~." The door was opened to reveal a girl with fair skin, light orange hair with the loose side bun, and peach-reddish eyes. She is wearing the signature white academy robe, and a short, brown, long-sleeved dress. "I came here because Hiratsuka-sensei told me about this 'Service Duties' you guys do here..."

"Oh right," Hikigaya facepalmed. "I forgot that we're also doing service duties to help other students. This is going to be more tiring than calming down a vanatore bird."

"Ah!" The orange-haired girl pointed a finger at the protagonist. "W-What's Hikki doing here?!"

"Yup, this going to be hell... And wait, did she just call me Hikki?"

So yeah, this is my new oregairu fantasy story. It just popped up in my mind because I don't think there is an oregairu fantasy story that is not isekai nor crossover and if there is, it must've been on hiatus or something. The next few chapters will be more on worldbuilding while I try to figure out how to blend the oregairu elements and the important theme that makes it so good, and the action fantasy fanfic that I envision. This could be difficult for me but I'll think of something.

Thanks for reading this fanfic. Please leave a review as your opinions will help me make this story better.