Unleash the Chuunibyou!

Chapter 31: Second Class Visit

"I have returned!" Fumiko declared the next day after waiting for Tiez to allow her inside. And, while she'd expected a better reception than she'd received the day before, even she was surprised as nearly everyone in the room smiled at her entrance. Including the teacher.

"Welcome back, Ms. Fu!" All of the kids greeted her, slightly shocking her by how they all seemed to be glad that she was there seeing as she'd never had this kind of experience before.

"Well... okay then. Is it alright for me to begin?" She asked after recovering herself.

"Of course, you may start whenever ready." Tiez replied, though Fumiko immediatly casted him a look of suspicion afterwards as the man was completely failing to hide his arm behind his back and the part that she could see was bandaged.

"You know, when I told everyone to be careful, I didn't just mean the students." Fumiko said softly as she passed him, causing the man to flinch slightly before she arrived at the podium. "Okay everyone, now before we begin, I'm sure that several of you attempted to cast spells last night and several of you might have questions. So let's start with that!"

"I tried using fire spells yesterday but nothing happened!" Bell spoke while raising her hand before even being called on. "I thought of fire and even said 'Ignite' and everything."

"Remember that there are three processes. And even if you think of fire while saying a chant, it'll all be useless if you don't concentrate your magic and imagine what you want your spell to do." Fumiko explained. "However, using concentration as a first step may also be a mistake as most of you will be likely deviate to strengthening your bodies subconsciously seeing as that's what you've most likely been taught up until now. However, I plan on at least helping with that today seeing as I'm going to be walking all of you through a very simple but very useful spell to have. Now, are there any other questions before we get started?"

With every hand that had once gone up going down as soon as she said that she would help them with a spell, Fumiko guessed that everyone had just been about to ask if they were doing it right or not before she smiled at them and clapped her hands together seeing as she was ready to continue as well.

"Alright, then today I'll be walking you through how to create a light that will be able to illuminate your surroundings should you ever find yourself in a dark place without a lamp." Fumiko explained. "First, you're all going to watch me as I demonstrate. Then, you'll attempt it yourselves one at a time. And while you may chant anything you want for it which involves light, I prefer 'Illuminate'."

'Because it sounds more magical.' Fumiko thought in her mind but didn't tell her students, though after her unnecessary thought, she held out her hand and demonstrated. "Illuminate."

With a bright light immediately forming in her open hand, Fumiko held it up high so that she could show everyone before she cancelled it.

"Now then, let's start over here." Fumiko stated before walking towards a nervous-looking Bell. "Hold out your hand, think of something bright such as a fire on a dark night or the sun, imagine whatever you choose floating in your hand, concentrate on your magic without enhancing the area that you're sending it to and say your chant."

"I... I don't know if I can get past the concentration part..." Bell finally spoke after nearly a minute of trying before Fumiko reached forward and gently held the girl's outstretched hand with her own before using her other hand's fingers to trace a long oval on the girl's forearm with the other.

"Magic in your body is like a river, constantly flowing and circulating." Fumiko explained before tracing her finger towards the girl's hand and eventually stopping the contact in the middle of her palm. "Simply allow it to flow to your hand. You don't have to control it with your muscles at all and your body shouldn't be tensed in any way, so just use the feeling of where my finger left to use as your guide."

Trying for almost another minute, Bell closed her eyes as she concentrated but still didn't seem to be able to do it as she tensed her entire body.

"Relax and take deep and even breaths. Remember, it can either be a creek or a river, but if you stress your magic then it'll be nothing but rapids and thus be harder to control." Fumiko further explained. "Remain calm and gently let your magic flow towards the point which you want it to. Then, when you have it rotating there almost like a whirlpool, think of a source of light and say your chant."

"I-Illuminate..." Bell eventually stuttered, and Fumiko could't help but smile as the girl's hand sparked slightly before what looked like a tiny floating spark of electricity began hovering above her open palm while casting a pale-blue light throughout the room.

"Congratulations, Bell, you did it." Fumiko congratulated the girl who had her eyes closed up until now before she opened them and looked on in wonder at what she'd created. "Though I never would have imagined that you'd use lightning as the source of your light. Certainly a tempest has left its mark in your soul somewhere, awakening your potential and setting you on the path of surge."

"Huh?" Bell gave Fumiko a look of confusion before her gaze turned back towards the light and she broke into a wide grin. "I did it!"

"That's good. Now, the light will last until either all of the magic that it took from you is used up or you dispel it yourself by focusing on it and attempting to pull the power that you put into it back into you, which will absorb it. However, before you try anything else, rest for a bit seeing as you don't know how much of your energy that you just put into it and the over-use of magic can lead to fatigue so great that you could fall unconscious."

"Thank you, Ms. Fu!" Bell thanked her in reply, and just like Fumiko had been eager to test the limits of her power when she'd first arrived on Hail, Bell seemed to be the same. However, seeing as the girl had gotten it right and she wanted to believe that her student wouldn't practice until she fell unconscious, Fumiko continued on to the next student and then the next before she eventually addressed the entire class save for Nio and Kae. However, just when she was able to help the girls, the bell rung and the class finished for the day. Though apparently, Fumiko wasn't going to get away with skipping over them as the two girls puffed out their cheeks while cornering her after class.

"You're mean, Fu! You skipped us on purpose!" Nio accused.

"That's right, but that's just because I knew that we were running out of time and I'm staying with you. Therefore I'll teach you two tonight when we get home." Fumiko explained.

"Promise?" Nio asked while still apparently grumpy but holding out her extended pinky finger with an air of expectation.

"Promise." Fumiko agreed while grabbing Nio's pinky with her own before the two shook on it. Though before she could leave the classroom...

"Miss Fu... I know that I might be out of line to ask, but-"

"You want me to guide you through it as well, Mr. Tiez?" Fumiko asked knowingly. "That isn't a problem. Making sure that magic is practiced properly is a goal of mine, after all. And it wouldn't do for you to be behind in the matter as a teacher."

"I appreciate it." The teacher replied with a kind smile, and after walking through the process again with him and making sure that he succeeded at least once, Fumiko joined both Nio and Kae before they all walked back to their home and the two immediately demanded to be taught how to make a light. And while she was already tired from the long day of teaching, Fumiko was as patient as she could be with them before they finally finished and she could move on to what she still had to do that day. Because while she'd already been busy, tomorrow would be incredibly important for her. And if everything played out correctly, she would finally put the matter to rest if her visions were true or not.