The dining hall, Pane, was filled with the fragrant aroma of freshly baked bread. Morning light streamed through the tall windows, mingling with the pale glow of the Aethera lamps. It was Wednesday morning. The four of them sat around their usual table by the window. "[serious]...Aren't we relying on Mash too much?" Dot murmured quietly, their fiery red swept-back hair swaying slightly. Their golden eyes were fixed intently on the breadcrumbs scattered across the table. "[sad]I think somewhere in our hearts, we've been taking it for granted that Mash will handle everything—Finn's injury yesterday, those rumors, all of it." Finn Ames gripped their bandaged right arm tightly on their lap. Their shoulder-length, light blue hair trembled faintly. "[sad]...That might be true, datteba." Their slightly drooping, yellow-green eyes slowly turned toward Mash. "[sad]When I shielded Lance yesterday, I think somewhere in my heart, I was thinking that Mash-kun would figure something out anyway." As they spoke, their voice grew quieter. It was as if their own words were piercing their own heart. "[scared]N-No, that's not true!" Lance half-rose from their seat, their waist-length, silver straight hair swaying. Their narrow, purple eyes were already glistening with tears. "[crying]That's not true at all... If you weren't here, I... I would..." Their voice trembled. The words wouldn't come out right. That was when it happened. Mash Burnedead slowly put the last cream puff into his mouth. Chew, chew. Gulp. His large, round brown eyes were half-closed, as usual. His 174-centimeter frame was wrapped in the academy's white shirt, and the back of his left hand still bore no mark. "I see." His voice was flat. "Then, I'll disappear." He stood up quietly. The three of them froze completely. "[surprised]...Huh?" Mash gave a slight bow toward Gerda-oba-san at the dining hall counter. "Thanks for the meal." Saying only that, he started walking toward the dining hall exit. "[angry]Wait, wait, wait!! You're joking, right!?" Dot kicked their chair aside in their rush to chase after him. But. By the time they got out into the hallway, Mash's broad back was already nowhere to be seen. Only Dot's ragged breathing echoed through the empty stone corridor. "[crying]Why...?" When they returned to the dining hall, Lance still couldn't get up from their chair. With trembling fingers, they stared at the table where only the empty cream puff plate remained. They bit their lip, desperately holding back tears. "[sad]You... idiot." It was a voice that barely qualified as one. Finn sat with their head down, cradling their bandaged arm. "[sad]It's my fault... for saying something unnecessary." The morning light simply shone brightly on the table that was supposed to be for four. --- Mid-morning. Inside the academy, it was as bustling and noisy as ever. But to the three of them, everything looked different. Dot had come to the training grounds, Gravis. A dirt field roughly eight thousand square meters in area. A place used for practical magic training, but now it was empty. A pull-up bar stood there, all alone. "Mash always used to hang upside down here." They remembered. Even during class, he'd casually hang upside down doing pull-ups, get scolded by the teacher, and still not stop. "[sad]If you're not here... who am I supposed to play the straight man to?" Their golden eyes clouded over. Their chest felt strangely hollow. Finn had returned to their shared room in the Creta dormitory. A double room. Next to their own bed was Mash's bed, neatly made. The sheets were pulled taut, the pillow placed right in the center. Finn touched Mash's bed. "[sad]It's because I said something like that." They sat down, hugging their knees. Their bangs fell over their eyes, and they couldn't even muster the will to brush them back like usual. "[crying]Mash-kun, you idiot... Where did you go, datteba...?" Their yellow-green eyes grew red and watery. Lance was gazing out a hallway window. Their long silver hair swayed gently in the breeze coming through the window. (*Why am I thinking about nothing but you?*) Realizing their own feelings, their face turned red. "[angry]I-It's not like that! It's not like I care about that guy or anything—" Outside the window, someone was doing muscle training. They gasped and strained their eyes. ...No, it was just a third-year student. "[sad]What am I even doing?" Their purple eyes looked down, then lifted again. Their face reflected in the window glass looked like it was about to cry, but also, just a little bit flushed. Noon came. The three of them gathered in the dining hall again. But the fourth person wasn't there. Even the smell of freshly baked bread felt hollow today. Someone spoke up, unprompted. "...Should we check out the underground?" Finn looked up. "[serious]...Yeah. We have to do something ourselves." Lance was still biting their lip, but they gave a small nod. "[sad]Even if you're not here... I'll do it. I will." The three of them headed for the lowest level of the main building. --- In front of the off-limits iron door. The entrance to the underground was in the very back of the main building, a place no one ever came to. The air was cold and damp. The bluish-white light of the Aethera lamps flickered unsteadily. "[serious]I'm opening it." Dot held up their left hand. Magical power emanated from their golden mark, and the iron door's lock was wrenched open with a grinding sound. *Creeeeak...* With a heavy sound, the door opened. Inside, it was pitch black. "Some light." Finn held out their hand and created a small orb of light using a wind-based formula. The pale light dimly illuminated the dark passage. Stone walls. A damp smell. The three of them held their breath and advanced. They hadn't gone more than a dozen steps when— *Rumble, rumble, rumble...* A low, vibrating sound echoed from deep within the passage. "[scared]Wh-What is that!?" The next moment. Two red lights ignited in the darkness ahead. They were eyes. A stone giant, roughly three meters tall, slowly rose to its feet. Four stone arms extended from its torso, its eyes glowing a dull, dark red. A relic from the ancient Orphan era—a Guardian Golem. *THOOOM!!* A stone fist slammed into the ground. "[angry]Dammit!" Dot slammed fire magic into it. *FWOOSH!!* Flames licked the stone surface—but didn't leave a single scratch. The magic was completely repelled. "[scared]Magic doesn't work!?" Finn deployed a wind-based formula, trying to seal the stone arms' movements. But the difference in power was too great. *BAM!!* The formula was blown away in an instant, and Finn's back slammed hard against the wall. "[crying]Agh...!" Their bandaged arm hung limply. "[scared]Finn!" Lance channeled magical power into their magic circuits. The semi-transparent mark on their left hand flickered unstably. They were about to strike with maximum output—at that moment. Due to their mental instability, their control over their magic went haywire. *KABOOOOM!!* An explosion erupted in an unintended direction. "[angry]Watch out!" Dot shoved Lance out of the way. They stood right in the middle of the blast. *THWAM!!* "GYAAAAAHH!!" Dot tumbled across the floor. Their clothes were scorched, and blood oozed from their arm. The Guardian mechanism slowly advanced. The golem raised all four of its stone arms. The three of them were cornered against the wall. "[crying]Mash...!" Dot muttered it unconsciously. Finn, still with their hands on the floor, squeezed their eyes shut. "[sad]I'm sorry, everyone... It's my fault..." Lance fell to their knees, tears spilling over. The stone arms, aimed at the three of them— —swung down. Just before they hit. *DOOOOOM!!!!* The side wall of the passage exploded inward with a thunderous roar. Rubble and dust billowed up. "I took a little detour." Mash emerged from the dust cloud, sand still clinging to the shoulder of his clothes. The Guardian's stone arms switched their target to Mash. All four arms came crashing down on him at once. *THUD!!* Mash raised both hands and caught the first stone arm head-on. He didn't budge an inch. "This is pretty heavy." His fingers dug into the stone. *Crack.* A fissure formed. The next instant— *Creak, creak, creak... CRAAAACK!!* As Mash put strength into his arms, the stone arm shattered from its base. The Guardian launched a continuous attack with its remaining three arms. Mash didn't take a single step back. He grabbed the left arm—and crushed it. He grabbed the right arm—and snapped it. He wrapped both arms around the last one—and twisted it to pieces. *CRACK, CRACK, CRAAAACK!!* Stone fragments rained down like a shower. Finally, Mash wrapped both arms around the golem's torso. "Here we go." *Grrrrrrr...* He applied pressure, as if wringing it out. *Creak... Crack... SQUELCH!!* The Guardian mechanism collapsed from within, making a sickening, squelching sound. Silence fell. The stone debris pattered down and settled. Mash took something out of his pocket. A slightly squashed cream puff. "I asked Gerda-oba-san to wrap this up for me earlier. Want some?" He held it out to the three of them. Dot's face crumpled. "[crying]You said you were gonna disappear, and the very next second you went to Gerda-san's place?! What is wrong with youuuuu?!" They shouted. Tears were streaming down their face. "I didn't have enough cream puffs." "IS THAT REALLY ALL IT IS WITH YOU?!!" Finn slowly stood up. Their yellow-green eyes were red and watery. "[crying]...Mash-kun, you came back." It was a small voice. But the weight of the words was different. "No, it's not really about coming back or anything." That's when it happened. "[crying]Idiot...!" Lance pressed their forehead against Mash's back. Their tear-streaked, messy face was pressed tightly against his white shirt, trembling. "[crying]You... you're always such an idiot...!!" Mash tilted his head slightly. "When Lance cries, my muscles get restless." Dot shouted, wiping away their tears. "[crying]Give that emotion a name!! Give it a name, right now!!" "[crying]Why are you like that, you idiot Mash-kun!" Finn was laughing too, before they knew it. Their face still wet with tears, they were laughing softly. Lance, still pressing their face against Mash's back, was blushing bright red all the way to the tips of their ears. In the underground passage filled with swirling stone dust, the laughter of four people echoed. The Guardian mechanism was pulverized. But. Beyond the shattered golem, the dark passage still continued. The darkness of the underground ruins waited, its mouth gaping open. The fact that they had broken Candela's prohibition order would soon weigh heavily on the four of them. But—for now. "If no one's eating the cream puff, I'll eat it." "[laughing]Why, man?!" Amidst the rubble, the four of them shared the slightly squashed cream puff. The underground air was cold, but the cream puff was sweet.