It’s already mid February and nothing interesting has been happening ever since the Magic Duel Qualifier. The Group Stage will begin on May which is about 2 months and a half from now. The fact that nothing major has been happening recently means that our world was totally kept in peace. Today however, an unfortunate event happened today. An event that a number of boys have been waiting each year. It was a day to remember for them. It can also be a day that needs to be forgotten for some people. It can also just be another day to the lesser few.

It was non other than Chocolate Day. It’s a day for a anyone to appreciate their companion. It can be about your friends, lover or family. Be it because you care so much about them or you love them. It is also the perfect opportunity for these people to confess to their crush. But most importantly today was also a day where the unfortunate ones will be left alone and end up joining in an awkward guys only hangout. Which brings us to one thing…

“What the heck are you guys doing?” I asked my friends.

“Nothing important at all, White. Not to worry.” said Blax as he carried a box that I couldn’t tell what’s inside.

“It’s nothing to be worried about, White. All of these preparations are not for today. It will be for a later date.” explained Rulend.

“Then what am I doing here?”

Blax clarified to me, “You’re here to make sure that all of us do our work and keeping out for any suspicious activities.”

“So this is what I get for helping Mrs. R? Being appointed as some kind of spy for the librarians just because of how people doesn't notice me.”

“At least you got to wear a cool looking armband.” said Rulend.

“Yeah, it’s cool. But why am I the only one who got appointed? Why Hosuke wasn’t chosen?”

“You were chosen because of your invisibility. No one seems to notice you at all. It’s a perfect role for someone like you.” Rulend told me that as he was wiping the floor with a broom.

“I’m surprised that the Mrs. R actually notice me.”

“It’s because we told about you to Mrs. R. And with her recommendation, you’re not useless anymore.”

“Anymore? So I’ve been useless all this time then?”

“Well uh…” Rulend was lost for words.

“It’s alright. Just do your thing and I’ll do mine…” I walked out of the library to take some fresh air.

As I was about to walk out of the library, a junior of mine called me. It was Nif who seemed to be nervous about something. I would ask her what’s wrong but that would certainly make her even more anxious because of how she is. So, I end up trying my best not to notice her nervousness. After a few stuttering, I told her to relax and take a breath. She finally gained her composure after relaxing.

“You see…White…I actually have…” she stuttered again.

“It’s alright. Just say it. It’ll be fine.”

Nif swallows her saliva and immediately handed out a small box to me, “I…I…Iactuallyhavesomethingtogivetoyousopleaseacceptthisthankyou.”

She talked too fast that I couldn’t catch up what she was saying. After receiving the small box that she handed to me, she was gone in a blink of an eye. That was as fast as Rika’s electricity flow.

“What was that all about?” I was confused.

I shake my hand and put the small box inside my backpack and went outside of the library. After exiting the library and went downstairs from where the library was I saw Serena was running toward me from a distance. Why was she running? Before I even got to figure it out, she jumped onto me. Forcing the back of my head to meet the concrete floor.

During the confusion, Serena went and said, “Please accept this, White. Goodbye.”

She gave me a small box that almost feel like it was the one that Nif just gave to me only with a different colour this time. She immediately stood back up and headed upstairs, leaving me lying on the ground in confusion.

“That girl is annoying alright. You could have just give this to me like a normal person would do.”

After regaining my composure back, I finally realised what was going on. I forgot that today was Chocolate Day. But then again, even if I remember about it, there’s no way I’m getting something today. I didn’t expect I would already have not one but two box of chocolates. I’m certain that it was a box of chocolates. What kind of typical gift would a girl give to a guy on this kind of day.

In any case, I got a feeling that this thing will not be over just yet. So, what did I decided to do? I went to the cafeteria to wait for something to happen. But as I was on my way to the cafe, a strong wind suddenly begins to blow. The wind was very strong. I tried to hold on from it but after a few moments later I was pushed away by the wind. Amazingly, I didn’t fell down to the ground. But instead, I was carried by the wind. This was the work of a wind manipulator. I got a feeling it would be someone who I know. I let the wind carry me and enjoyed the ride. The wind brought me to the school’s garden. I was instantly dropped once the wind arrived.

“Ouch…Can’t you be more gentle or something?”

“Just pull up your socks already, White.” as I expected, it was Fitz.

“What do you want from me?” I said in an uninterested tone.

Fitz responded, “Don’t you run away from me yet, idiot. I got two things that you must do today.”

“Why should I, Fitz?”

“Because of…uh…” she was trying to find some words. “You will die if you don’t!”

“That seems legit…I think?”

“Whatever, Idiot! Just take this chocolate and get lost.”

“Alright. Alright.” I accepted the box of chocolate and walked away.

As I was leaving the area she pulled me with her wind magic.

“On second thought. Give me back that box. You probably don't need it.”

“Okay then…" I returned the box that has my name written on it. "I’m leaving now. Have a good day, Fitz.”

“Y-you too, Idiot.” At a moment glance, she was showing some kind of regret. But what do I know.

Jeez what was wrong with that feral cat. She sounded as if she was trying too hard to make me interested in her. I thought we were done already. It was only a one time crush when I stopped thinking about Rika back then. Nothing else. But then again, she teach me a lot about elemental magic. I guess that's one reason to hand out a chocolate.

Putting that aside, as I walked around the school compound I was wondering, why the heck were there so many girls surrounding someone over there? I try to take a look but it was too damn difficult. I figured it would be some popular guy or something but apparently no. It was actually number 2 in The Top 7 Students of Soul Power High School. First and foremost, she is a girl. Second of all, she is the head of the prefects.

With her recognisable short hair, she is the one and only, The Kingly Queen, Faith Rayna. Why does she have such a nickname like The Kingly Queen? Because not only she is the highest law rank among the student body. She also have a wicked ability called Conquest. What the power basically is, it gives Faith the power to command a force brilliantly without fail.

She can appoint 5 or more people to help her in the battlefield. It is basically like a chess piece. Faith acts as the King, she will then appoint a Queen, which gives a boost to both physical and magical ability. A Rook, which gives the appointed one high offence and defence. Next on the list is the Bishop, which gives them a boost in their magical abilities ranging from healing to offensive one. Her team will also consist of a Knight, which enables the appointed one to have significance speed and mobility to them. And finally, the one and only Pawn where if appointed as one will enable them to promote into a Queen, Rook, Bishop or a Knight in enemy territory.

This is not a utility type magic by the way. It is Type Unknown. The same type as my Time Manipulation ability. She is also the master of all four elemental magic. She can also cast light and dark magic. Her nickname, The Kingly Queen is not a nickname to be underestimated.

“White!” Faith called me as she notices me watching her being surrounded from a distance.

She gently pushed the other girls and walked to me and then I greeted her, “What’s wrong, Faith?”

“I’m just going to say thanks for agreeing to become our spy.”

“Oh it’s no problem, malady.” I jokingly said that.

“Please, don’t call me that. You’re not my pawn or anything.”

We both laughed. Then I got mysterious feeling that was being stabbed repeatedly from behind. All distasteful eyes from the other girls were all on me. Filled with hatred and revenge, probably.

I tried my best to get out of this situation, “You know what, Faith. I gotta go now. I have something I need to do.”

“Well then see you later, White!” Faith waved back at me. "I appreciate your help."

That was a close one. I’ll be dead meat if I go on any longer than that. I got no room for breaks. After escaping the ‘deathly stares’, I ended meeting with Izzy who traded with me another video game.

“Are you sure you want to trade with that game, Izzy?”

“Yes, I am absolutely sure, White. I just finished playing the new Elematrix that you gave me the other day.”

“That’s cool. I bet you only finished the main storyline.”

“Yeah! You’re right. I still haven’t done all the interesting side story. Well then, gotta jet.

“See ya!” Izzy gave her farewell and left the school happily.

Seeing her expression made me also wanting to get back home and so I did. But I was stopped as soon as I felt something weird inside my body. It looks like someone was ‘disrupting’ the electromagnetic in my body. There was only one person who could ‘tickle’ me like that. I look up toward one of the school’s building rooftop and saw The Thunder Mouse, Rika Lightning waving at me.

“Here goes nothing.” I sighed and headed to the rooftop.

“I’ve been waiting for you all day long, White.” Rika told me that once I opened the rooftop’s door.

“Yeah. What do you want, Rika? Forcing me to climb the horrendous stairs. Jeez.”

“Can’t you please read the moment, White?” she pouted.

I looked at her with an annoyed look and said, “You think I would be an easy target or something?”

“I heard from Hosuke that you’ve been hanging out with a little girl from a storybook recently.”

“What of it then?”

“So tell me…who is this little girl? How old is she?” Rika tried to press me.

I replied to her, “Are you seriously jealous of a little girl like Zen?”

“So her name is Zen? Well…at least she is just from a book. It’s not like she is real.”

Thankfully, Hosuke didn’t tell her EVERYTHING about that. Zen is actually real and according to my calculations, she is pretty much the same age as us right now. She’s probably studying in a high school at her place at Crediah. For some reason, I really do miss that little girl. If I would guess, she would be around the same height as both me and Rika. But I wouldn’t know though. What the heck am I rambling about? Why am I being excited about another girl?

“In any case, White…” Rika snapped me back to reality.

The gentle breeze blows her long hair. For some freaking reason, some flowers started to fly around the scene. I took a little check and notice Blax and the others were throwing flowers into the air. Those guys are going to get it after this.

“White.” She looked at me with her gleam pristine crystal eyes.

“Yes?”

“Take this…” She handed me a heart-shaped box of chocolate.

“Why…thank you, I guess?”

“You know…I have something to say to you, White…”

“What is it this time?”

“Actually, I…”

This was the moment that most of you probably have been waiting for or something. Well, even I was expecting this to happen sooner or later. In any case, let me tell you what happened next.

“What is it Rika?” The next thing I hear was something that I totally didn’t expect to happen after all those build up.

“I’m still your friend, right?”

Here I thought she was going to confess her love to me but then again, there’s no way that can happen at all. Well, at the very least I’m not heartbroken as much as any other guys in the school if she ever told the same thing to them. Why? I don’t have time to think about that stuff right now. Right now I need to find my purpose in life. I also have to figure out what the heck was my long distance cousin, Cyclone Flash was talking about. I need to find him and know more about it.

I sighed and said to her, “Of course we’re friends. If anything happen to you, I’ll come running just for you. That’s what friends are for right?”

“Yeah.” She gave a cheerful smile to me. She bowed and left the rooftop.

“Glad that’s over…” I said.

“YOU ARE OFFICIALLY FRIENDZONED!!!!!!!!!” Hosuke jumps in from behind me.

I let out Seven and slowed the time together with Seven. During that 4 seconds of slowed time, I made my move to everyone who was involved in that setup. Blax, Rulend, Hosuke, Rider, Lore, Airi, Kaym, Haz and Zone. Non will escape from my wrath. In any case, it has been an eventful day for me. It has also been quite a great month so far. We finally got to get into the group stage for the Magic Duel. So…what’s next for Stardust? It will come in time...

END OF VOLUME 2