Fanfiction by: myIdentity.
Honoured one at Magic High.
Chapter two.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Ayakafurushi Retsu.
He has been blind for as long as he could remember. Perhaps it was due to a genetic problem.
That, no one could say.
But it's true that for the longest time, he could only remember faint sensations of the world around him.
Of course, they were sensations he couldn't prove whether they existed or not. The brief warmth of something which that woman called a mother.
Perhaps it was also another thing in its entirety. But he'll never know. Regardless of all that, it's not strange to say that blindness, as well as the darkness, had been his oldest companion.
He'd never seen the sky nor seen the sun rise in the morning. He'd never seen the vibrant colours the way normal people did.
Still, he never longed for them.
To tell himself there was a reason for this blindness would be nothing but a joke. Then, as though to make it even more comedic, he had an aptitude for magic.
Oh, the paradox of it all.
And it wasn't just aptitude alone. He also had potential.
Of course, if we were being grounded, it wasn't as much potential as saying he's destined to be one of the most powerful magicians or anything.
Regardless, potential is still potential.
While it's true, it's not every magician that garners attention; however, one particular thing attracted such attention, and it exactly wasn't the good kind.
In modern society like this. Being able to use magic was not simply a skill or something you have as a personal skill.
This is something the nation claims as theirs. The moment you become a magician, you're expected to use said skill for your country.
And in a world where strength can be passed down through fuckery called genetics. A person like Retsu, blind and defective, was a no-go. A dead end.
Since magic through genetics is passed down, in the eyes of the system, he was such a cul-de-sac. Since his defectiveness had a higher chance of being passed down to the next generations.
And that was what they wanted.
Back then, researchers were especially desperate for one theory:
If a magician could enhance their capacity to perceive information, they could attain something close to the legendary Elemental Sight — a technique that allowed a caster to grasp Eidos directly, to see beyond the physical.
But ambition, as it often did, outpaced caution.
Where others sought to see individual Eidos structures or pierce through physical obstacles, they wanted more. Not to perceive information — but to further it.
It was an experiment that was doomed to fail no matter what, as even attaining said theorised elemental sight was close to impossible.
But they wanted to try it still.
And they called it the Six Eyes Protocol.
Naturally, what happened next was as anyone would expect.
The early trials failed. Catastrophically.
Subjects who underwent the enhancements suffered sensory overload. One child screamed for hours, repeating the same phrase, "I see everything" — just before his optic nerves collapsed.
Most were driven insane by sheer information alone. A few went comatose. Others had their brains overloaded.
It was a disaster.
Then, someone asked a question so stupid, so reckless, that it slipped past reason entirely. What if we tried it… on someone who's already blind?
That was the moment Retsu's life changed.
Children born with both magical aptitude and severe disabilities were rare. Most were screened out.
Thus, because of this, he became the perfect candidate.
Currently,
…. Retsu's cane clicked against polished marble as he walked a quiet hall inside a sleek, high-rise tower.
The building stretched many floors high, a lattice of glass and steel piercing the cloud-heavy sky.
He moved with steady rhythm — one step, tap, one step, tap — the perfect imitation of someone far more helpless than he truly was.
His long black coat shifted around him as he stopped at the end of the corridor, facing a massive matte-black double door bearing an elegant golden emblem.
He raised his hand and knocked. Three times. A voice answered from inside, "Come in."
That was his cue. He entered.
The office was wide, sleek, and modern. All clean lines and subdued tones. A full glass wall behind the desk revealed the dull grey cityscape far below.
At the centre of the room, reclining in a high-backed chair, sat Ayakafurushi Chifuyu.
She was a striking figure: slender, yet curvaceous, her black suit perfectly tailored but carelessly unbuttoned, shirt collar open with no tie in sight.
Her dark hair was cut short and pulled into a low ponytail, with uneven bangs falling over one sharp yellow eye.
A cigarette burnt lazily between her fingers as she tapped away at a transparent screen hovering over her desk.
When she saw him, she smiled.
"How was work?"
Retsu walked to the nearest chair, propped his cane against the side, and sat down smoothly. "The same."
Chifuyu blew out smoke in a thin curl and raised an eyebrow. "The same, huh? That's one way to say you finished the job alone as usual."
"...."
Retsu didn't reply. And seeing this, Chifuyu raised her hand.
"I'm not criticising," she said. "Just noting the body count...."
Then with a whisper more to herself. "Already three hundred and counting..."
He shrugged, and she chuckled, leaning back. "Still doing this of your own will?" she asked, voice dropping just a little. "You know I'm not forcing you."
Retsu looked at her for a moment, then answered simply.
"I'm doing this because you helped me. That's all."
Her expression changed — just slightly. The playful mask softened.
She was the one who saved him from the people who made him what he was today.
Whether it was out of pity or something else, she had saved him, and that was all that mattered. A life-saving grace.
After that, she had adopted him, legally. On paper, he was her younger brother now.
Ayakafurushi Retsu.
Not a weapon. Not an asset. Just family. Though he lived separately, the name still meant something.
Chifuyu's eyes moved to the cane beside his chair. "You know", she said, "you don't need that thing."
"I like it," he replied.
"Just like how you didn't need to play along with those idiots last night? You could've wiped them anyways. But nooo, you had to appear as helpless as a helpless maiden."
He said nothing.
"You have bad taste," she muttered.
He didn't argue. Because she was right.
Despite his dead pupils, Retsu could see. Not in the normal way. His eyes, even dormant, allowed him to feel the outline of the world.
From those patterns alone, he could discern shapes, movement, and even colour through sensory logic and feedback.
But when his eyes activated, the world became painfully, terrifyingly detailed. Total comprehension.
He hated it.
"I'm just comfortable this way," he said at last.
Chifuyu rolled her eyes and flicked ash into a tray. "No, you do it to appear weaker. You want them to underestimate you. Still, don't forget — I raised you."
He didn't respond, which only made her grin wider. "Yup. Bad taste and petty tendencies. All mine."
She took another drag, then exhaled slowly, eyes drifting toward the cityscape. Then, all of a sudden, her tone changed.
"Ever think about trying a normal life?"
It was the type of tone she always uses whenever she has done something without him knowing, so he wouldn't decline when she brings it up.
Suspicious. He blinked. "Not necessarily."
"Well, too bad. I already applied for you."
He turned his head sharply. "Here we go again… What did you do this time?"
She smirked playfully. "Don't look so shocked. You're still technically a high schooler. It'd be weird if your big sister didn't try to get you enrolled somewhere."
He clicked his tongue and leaned back with a sigh. "That was unnecessary."
"You're fifteen, dear brother, not fifty," she said, puffing smoke. "You need more than murder missions and shit like that."
He said nothing, but his expression shifted — a flicker of thought behind those white eyes. He knew her well. Knew when her words carried more than teasing.
Chifuyu tapped her cigarette once, then smiled. "I've got a gut feeling. You'll meet some interesting people."
Retsu raised an eyebrow. "How so?"
She grinned wider. "Don't know. Just a hunch."
Retsu let the silence sit for a moment, his face unreadable.
Chifuyu didn't press. She knew his quiet spells weren't passive. His silences were decisions, weighing pros and cons and if it would benefit it or not… things like that.
Knowing this, she leaned back in her chair, watching him.
Finally, he nodded. "Fine. I'll bite. What school?"
That.
Hearing that made her yellow eyes twinkle with something dangerously close to mischief.
"National Magic University Affiliated First High School."
The air grew still for half a second. Then, Retsu's scowl deepened for a moment before letting out a long, resigned sigh.
"Of all places."
He muttered that.
National Magic University.
The jewel of Japan's magic education system. And of course, it extends far beyond that. Not to mention, several magic clan scions attend these schools.
It's the type of school where, if anyone were going on an undercover mission, should be very careful and not stand out.
Not to mention… the Ten Master Clans.
The very kinds of people he was often deployed to assist.
"I was expecting somewhere obscure," he muttered. "You know, less... eye-catching than that place."
Chifuyu rolled her eyes. "Don't be dramatic. It's a high school, not a battlefield."
"For someone like me, there's no difference."
"You're not going there to start anything," she countered, raising a finger like a mother scolding a child. "In fact, young brother of mine, I believe it's high time to make a friend."
He gave her a look that was more tired than offended. "You're asking a blind assassin with hyperdimensional eyes to 'make a friend'."
She smiled wantonly and blew smoke sideways. "Worked so far, you and your agents."
"That's a pure work-based relationship."
Despite that, she gave him that look. One that seemed to say, And so what?
Finally, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, head tilted slightly. Hold up, something's suspicious. He thought.
"You applied for me behind my back. You went out of your way to enrol me. That's more than overstepping. So let's hear it — why First High?"
Her smirk froze. Her eyes moved sideways.
Retsu narrowed his gaze. "...You're hiding something."
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I—"
Before she could finish, he was already behind her.
She didn't see him move. One moment he was sitting; the next, he was looming over her chair.
His hand gripped the back of her seat. His white, dead eyes stared straight down at her.
Her body tensed not because she was scared, but because of the feeling as though he had completely seen through her, though she didn't mind since it was him.
Still, her cigarette trembled.
"Spill," he said softly.
Chifuyu sighed, raising one hand in surrender. "Fine. Alright. Geez."
He waited, unmoving.
She exhaled and spun slightly in the chair, leaning away from him and avoiding his gaze.
"There was a document I saw. I don't know how much I should trust said intel. However, something interesting popped up, so I was thinking, This is the perfect time; you get to enjoy yourself and work on a long-term mission."
Retsu raised an eyebrow. "Is that all…?"
She hesitated, then nodded.
Retsu stepped back from the chair, retreating to his seat without another word. His fingers brushed the cane by his side.
Chifuyu turned back towards him. She didn't speak again until he stood up.
"I'll be heading home."
He didn't wait for permission. Didn't look back. Just picked up the cane, tapping it softly against the floor with each step toward the door.
Click. Click. Click.
"Retsu."
He paused at the doorway, hand on the knob. Chifuyu looked over her shoulder.
"You're… not going to hate me, right?"
She usually did this. It wasn't something he liked, nor was it something he hated. Still, it didn't matter, and he didn't answer.
Then — the door slammed behind him. The office fell into silence again.
Chifuyu stared at the empty space where he'd stood, ash hanging off her cigarette like a dying wick.
She sighed — a long, tired breath that seemed to pull the tension from her shoulders as she slumped forward on the desk.
Her head dropped into her folded arms, and she let out a muffled groan.
"God, he's going to hate me."