The Fading Chant

"Hey, wait up!" Ayame's voice rang out across the empty street as she dashed after Kenshin, hair streaming behind her.

Kenshin didn't even glance back. His shoes scuffed the pavement with every irritated step. "Why does it always have to be her?" he muttered. "She's so annoying."

Ayame caught up, practically skipping beside him. "Let's walk together, Kenshin!" she said brightly, as if he hadn't just ignored her for the past five minutes.

"I'm busy," Kenshin snapped, eyes locked on the road ahead. "Go find someone else."

Ayame puffed her cheeks. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?" she teased.

"See ya." Kenshin veered left, leaving her mid-sentence.

"Wha—just like that?!" she shrieked, waving her arms dramatically.

"I don't have time to waste with you," he called over his shoulder. "Besides, isn't Sir Makabe your dad? Even if you're late, you'll be fine."

Ayame pouted, falling into step behind him anyway. "Yeah, but walking alone is so boring. Walk with me, Kenshin, pleeease!"

"Where are your friends? Go bug them."

She sighed loudly, kicking a pebble across the street. "Why do you always have to be like this? I'm your friend, you know…"

***

The school gates loomed ahead, iron bars covered in ivy. The bell rang a second time just as they stepped onto campus.

"You're late. Again," boomed Sir Makabe, Ayame's father and the academy's most feared instructor. His voice echoed across the stone hall like a rolling storm.

Kenshin rolled his eyes. "Relax, sir. Your daughter kept bugging me all the way here."

"Excuses won't save you. Sit down. This is your last chance. One more tardy…" Sir Makabe's voice trailed off, but the weight of his words hung in the air like a death sentence.

Kenshin slumped into his chair, throwing Ayame an accusing glare. She responded by sticking out her tongue and mouthing It's your fault.

Sir Makabe turned to the class, his glare sweeping over dozens of bowed heads. "Now. Today, we continue our study of summoning familiars. I need a volunteer."

"Me! Me!" Chizuru nearly fell out of her seat, her hand waving frantically.

"Anyone else?" Sir Makabe asked, eyes scanning the class, but every student looked determined to examine the wood grain on their desks.

He sighed. "Fine. Chizuru, come forward. But spare us your butterfly this time."

Chizuru giggled, stepping into the center of the room. "Don't worry, sir! This time I'm going big—I'm summoning a dragon!" She planted her feet dramatically and raised both hands. "O mighty spirits, heed my call—"

With a poof, a tiny, fluffy rabbit appeared at her feet, blinking up at the class.

"Behold!" Chizuru announced, arms wide. "My… um… rabbit!"

A wave of laughter swept the room.

Sir Makabe pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Kenshin stood abruptly, his chair screeching. "Pathetic," he muttered. "Let me show you how it's done."

The room fell silent. Eyes darted from Kenshin to the teacher and back.

Sir Makabe's brow twitched. "What did you say, Kenshin?"

"I said I'll demonstrate what a real summoning looks like."

Sir Makabe hesitated, then gestured to the front. "Very well. Show us."

Kenshin stepped forward, his movements confident but casual, like he was taking a stroll rather than preparing magic. He raised his hand, tracing symbols in the air that shimmered faintly. Papers rustled on desks. A low hum filled the room, vibrating in students' chests.

Without a single word of incantation, light erupted at his feet. A wind swept the classroom, blowing hair and papers everywhere.

As the brilliance faded, a figure stood in the center of the summoning circle—a girl, no older than fifteen, with silver hair cascading to her waist and eyes like molten gold. A faint glow radiated from her slender form, and an unearthly aura filled the room.

Gasps and shocked whispers erupted.

"She's… she's human?!" one student squeaked.

"No," Sir Makabe said, voice shaking. "That's not a human… that's a spirit manifesting in human form. A high-level familiar… It's impossible…"

The girl opened her eyes slowly, gaze sweeping the room before settling on Kenshin. She smiled faintly. "Master, you called?"

Kenshin's expression flickered—was that surprise?—but he quickly recovered, arms folding across his chest. "Yeah. You took your time."

A hush fell. The girl stepped closer to Kenshin, brushing imaginary dust from his shoulder with a small, delicate hand. "I am yours to command."

Ayame felt her chest tighten, a strange feeling bubbling up she couldn't quite name. Just who are you, Kenshin Hoshimiya? she wondered.

Sir Makabe cleared his throat, his voice hoarse. "W-what's your name, spirit?"

The silver-haired girl tilted her head slightly, eyes glowing. "I am called Yoshino. I am a celestial spirit of the seventh plane."

"Seventh plane…" Sir Makabe's eyes widened. "That's beyond advanced summoning. Even archmages can't reach that level. Kenshin… what exactly are you?"

Kenshin didn't answer. His eyes were on Yoshino, the faintest smile ghosting across his lips.

***

Suddenly, the doors slammed open. A tall figure stood in the doorway, clad in flowing crimson robes lined with gold. His eyes burned with intensity, and a black staff thudded against the floor with each step.

"Sir Makabe!" the man thundered. "I felt a distortion in the ether. Who dares summon a celestial spirit without authorization?!"

The entire class froze. Even Sir Makabe looked pale. "Headmaster Akimoto…"

The headmaster's eyes swept the room, landing on Kenshin and Yoshino. His gaze narrowed dangerously. "So… you're the one."

Yoshino stepped protectively in front of Kenshin, hand raised. A transparent shield shimmered to life, blocking a surge of dark energy that crackled from Akimoto's staff.

"Enough!" Yoshino's voice boomed with unnatural authority. "You dare threaten my master?"

Akimoto stared, lowering his staff. "That power… who are you, boy?!"

Kenshin's eyes hardened. "My name is Kenshin Hoshimiya. And if you lay another finger on me or Yoshino, I'll show you what true magic looks like."

Akimoto hesitated, then backed down. "Dismiss your familiar."

Yoshino's eyes glowed. "I will not leave his side."

Kenshin placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Yoshino. Stand down."

She hesitated, eyes softening, then dissolved into motes of silver light that drifted into Kenshin's chest, leaving only silence behind.

The crackling magic energy still shimmered in the air, faint sparks drifting around Kenshin as Yoshino's last wisps of silver light faded into him.

Headmaster Akimoto lowered his staff slowly, his stern eyes softening just a fraction. "So it's true," he murmured. "I felt a rift in the ether. I thought an intruder had broken through our wards." He exhaled, tension leaving his shoulders. "It seems I was wrong. But your power, Kenshin… It's beyond what even our highest-level mages can produce."

Kenshin's frown deepened. "You mean… You didn't come to attack?"

Akimoto straightened his crimson robe with an annoyed flick. "Of course not. I came to protect the academy from a possible threat. But it seems the threat… is our student."

He paused, his eyes sharpening. "Or perhaps… our academy's greatest hope."

The entire class exhaled collectively, as if remembering how to breathe.

Ayame's heart thundered in her chest. I thought he'd get hurt, she realized with a jolt. Why do I care so much? She bit her lip, eyes shimmering with a strange mixture of relief and anger. Marching up to Kenshin, she jabbed a finger at his chest.

"Are you an idiot?!" she shouted, voice cracking. "You could have been expelled! Or worse! Don't you ever do something like that again!"

Kenshin blinked at her, stunned. He hadn't expected her to yell—or the way her eyes brimmed with tears she tried to hide.

The entire class went dead silent, heads whipping between Ayame and Kenshin like an intense match.

"Y-yeah!" Chizuru piped up shakily, raising a trembling hand. "You can't just…just bust out some legendary spirit like it's nothing! That's not normal!"

A boy in the back let out a low whistle. "Man, Kenshin… you're a monster."

Voices erupted all at once:

"Did you see that spirit girl? She looked like a goddess!""I thought he was a slacker, but he's some kind of summoning prodigy!""I heard he didn't even chant anything. How's that possible?""He's going to be famous now!"

Sir Makabe clapped his hands sharply. "That's enough! Settle down! The headmaster has determined there is no immediate danger, so we will continue our day."

He shot Kenshin a wary glance. "Though I expect you in my office after class, Hoshimiya."

Kenshin sighed. "Yeah, yeah."

Headmaster Akimoto cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping the class one final time. "What happened here must not leave these walls. Do not spread rumors. Kenshin's safety—and perhaps our entire academy's security—depends on your discretion."

But as soon as Akimoto turned on his heel and swept dramatically from the room, the whispers started up again, ten times louder.

As the day continued, word spread through the academy like wildfire despite the headmaster's warning. By lunch, students from other classes crowded the hallway outside Kenshin's classroom, peeking inside like he was a rare animal on display.

"I heard he summoned a celestial spirit.""My friend said the spirit was a beautiful girl who called him 'master'!""No way! That's just a story…""Is he secretly royalty? Or a demon?!""Maybe he's the reincarnation of an ancient hero!"

Every time Kenshin stepped into the hall, conversations fell to a hush, eyes wide with fear or awe.

Meanwhile, Ayame hovered around him like a frustrated storm cloud, smacking away other girls who tried to get close.

"Back off!" she barked at a giggling pair of students. "He doesn't need fangirls right now."

Kenshin raised an eyebrow at her. "Possessive, are we?"

Ayame flushed red. "I-I'm not possessive! I'm just…protecting you! From…distractions!"

Chizuru bounded up to them at breakneck speed, nearly colliding with Kenshin. "Kenshin, that was so cool! Can you teach me how to summon a high-level familiar too?"

"No," Kenshin said flatly, stepping around her.

"Aw, come on!" Chizuru whined, chasing after him. "Please?!"

Ayame grabbed Chizuru by the collar mid-bounce. "He said no!"

By the time the final bell rang, the academy was buzzing with stories of Kenshin's feat. Some students whispered about him like a hero; others eyed him like a dangerous ticking time bomb. But even amid the chaos, the school day continued as normally as it could—lectures resumed, students scribbled notes, and the lunch bell brought its usual stampede to the cafeteria.

Kenshin finally slipped away to a quiet corner of the school's courtyard. The afternoon sun broke through drifting clouds, dappling the grass with light. He leaned back against a tree, staring at the sky. Yoshino's presence felt like a warm hum deep in his chest.

Just what am I? he wondered. And what does this mean for me… and for her?

Ayame found him there minutes later, her expression softer now that they were alone. "Hey," she murmured, sinking to sit beside him.

Kenshin stayed silent.

She hugged her knees to her chest. "You know… you don't have to carry this alone. Whatever this is… I want to help."

Kenshin glanced at her, surprise flickering across his face. "You're really stubborn."

A shy smile curved her lips. "So are you."

They sat in silence as the wind rustled the leaves overhead, the academy grounds bustling just out of earshot—almost like nothing had changed.

But for Kenshin Hoshimiya, everything had.