On Sunday night, after going to sleep, Yuu visualized the mirror in his room and saw a new place he never saw before. It seemed to be the middle of the African savanna and in front of him, there was a huge rock surrounded by countless animals such as elephants, giraffes, antelopes, different types of birds, and many more different species from the area.

"Another dream?" He asked aloud. "I can hear the wind..."

That dream had nothing to do with Alice and the Queen of Hearts, Yuu was not even wearing the blue dress, instead, he was dressed in a white cotton shirt with a tribal design on the neck, brown pants of the same material, and sandals on the feet.

He lifted his left sleeve and just as he expected, the blue print was shining.

Looking up, he again saw the dark shadow in the shape of a person, her silhouette did not seem to be wearing a dress either, so he deduced that she was wearing the same clothes as him. The girl, in the case they were actually one, looked carefully at the animals around her as if she was as surprised as him. Yuu could see that her right shoulder also emanated a blue glow.

The girl finally noticed him and got startled.

The most sensible thing to do at times like this would be to be careful and run, but for some reason, Yuu, while he was intrigued, was not afraid for her. However, he wanted to keep his distance.

"Hey," he called her. "Who are you? What's all this?"

He got no response. Both of them turned their attention to the top of the rock as they saw what appeared to be an ancient baboon holding a small animal in his arms.

Then he lifted the animal above him as if he was introducing him to all the animals below, revealing himself to be a little lion cub.

"Simba..." Yuu whispered. Just like with Alicia, he knew the names of those present despite never having seen them before.

As if it were a miracle, rays of sunlight filtered from the top of the clouds and illuminated the little lion. The other animals bowed in respect. Shortly after, Simba's parents appeared next to the baboon, a pair of lions who looked proudly and tenderly at their baby.

Dialogue and context weren't needed, the moment was purely incredible and majestic.

The girl returned to focus on the animals in front of her and dared to try touching one of them, but the images began to disappear and she backed away.

That meant the dream was over, but Yuu did not feel that he was going to wake up and stood in that place, now a grayish space without animals or blue sky, just her.

The girl glanced back at him and they stared at each other for a while. She must also have noticed the blue light on his left shoulder because she happened to raise her right sleeve and gestured a surprised movement with her head as if she saw her print there for the first time.

Gathering the courage to make the first move, Yuu slowly approached her. "Excuse me..."

However, the girl took a step back. Yuu took a couple more steps with some doubt and she ran in the opposite direction.

"Wait, come back!" Yuu exclaimed before running after her.

They barely ran for a few seconds because the girl stumbled, rolled over on the ground, and looked at her feet accusingly. She apparently was not used to running with sandals...

Yuu wasn't either but was able to reach her. Seeing him approach, the girl shook her head quickly in fear and tried to push him away from her with a kick that did not even touch him.

He took a couple of steps back and noticed that the girl's jaw was moving as if she were speaking hurriedly, but there was absolutely no sound coming from her voice.

He slightly raised his arms to say he had no ill intentions and crouched down. The girl barely moved from her place but was still alert.

Yuu offered her his hand. "Don't be scared, I'm not going to hurt you. Come, let's find out what this place could be. Let's get out of here together!"

He couldn't tell if the girl was incapable of hearing him as he was with her, but she seemed to understand his gesture. Her head seemed to look at his hand, then at him, as if she was suspecting something.

She finally brought her hand closer to his in doubt but pulled it away suddenly to bring her arm to her mouth and cough hard.

That worried the young boy. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked hastily.

He wanted to help her, but as he tried to touch her shoulder, her silhouette began to fade. "Wait! Don't go!"

But he visualized the mirror again and shortly after opened slowly his eyes.

He rubbed his eyes wearily and felt a severe headache. He had first dreamed of animals and then of the shadow girl, who didn't seem to feel exactly well. "Who are you...?" He muttered.

"Funyaaaaah!! Kabooooom!! Raranyaaaaaaaah!!"

He finished waking up with the fright caused by those screams and immediately straightened up. After clearing his mind, he noticed that Grim, still asleep at his feet, was talking and moving animatedly in his dreams.

That eased his worries and couldn't help but laugh a little. "That really was a strong lion roar," he murmured with amusement.

"Gunyaaan. How about that one? You can see now how strong the great Grim is...!" The little monster spoke asleep.

Yuu laughed again and shook him slightly. "Grim, wake up," he told him.

"I've defeated the tyrant Riddle." He opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. "What!? I'm in Ramschackle dorm?"

"Good morning, Grim!" Yuu greeted him. "It seems you had a great dream."

"So it was just a dream..." Grim muttered, disheartened. "I thought I was the strongest magician and defeated Riddle. What a disappointment..."

"Sometimes dreams like to mess up with us," Yuu sighed, thinking of his own dream. "We've been through a lot, but we still have a lot to train to be great magicians. Come on, let's get ready to go to class."

Grim quickly perked up again. "You're right! Let's go..." He said as he stretched himself. "This will be one day closer to being a great magician, yanno!"

"That's the spirit," Yuu said before yawning.

Several hours later, they both headed to the cafeteria with Ace and Deuce.

"Ugh... Professor Trein must be using some spell to make me feel sleepy," Grim murmured wearily on Yuu's shoulders. "No matter how hard I resist, I always end up falling asleep!"

"You fell asleep within five minutes of starting, that's not resisting at all," Deuce told him sternly.

On the other hand, Ace was more focused on food. "Time to eat ~!" He sang happily. "I wonder what I should choose today."

As soon as they peeked through the cafeteria door, they noticed that the cafeteria was full of students and the lines had lengthened.

"There are a lot of people today," Ace commented, surprised.

One of the ghosts who worked in the cafeteria, dressed in a gray cape and a chef's hat, heard him and approached them. "Today is a special day that happens once a month!" He explained. "A very popular bakery in the city is promoting here at school. "The goods sell out quickly, so the early bird gets the worm."

The ghost returned to work and the boys rushed through the ranks for the bakery stands they were able to accomplish despite the large crowd they had to fight their way through.

"I want three chocolate croissants!" Asked a blond Heartslabuyl student.

"I was able to buy something this month!" Exclaimed another silver-haired boy with something in his hand enthusiastically. "These egg salad sandwiches are the best!"

"The egg sandwiches are out of stock! There's only one deluxe minced cutlet sandwich left!" One of the ghosts in the cafeteria announced.

The line was long but fast. The three young boys and the little monster were able to get close enough to be able to peek out and see what was for sale.

"Everything looks good," Ace said cheerfully. "What should I choose?"

"This is really popular," Deuce commented as he turned to Yuu. "Yuu, Grim, what are you going to choose?" He looked at the young boy in dismay.

"What's wrong?" Yuu asked him and realized that Grim was no longer on his shoulders. "Grim! Where are you?"

They saw him running to the post through the legs of the students in line in front of them.

"Get outta my way!! Everyone!" He exclaimed maliciously. "That deluxe minced cutlet sandwich is mine!"

"Hey, don't cut the line!" A student from Heartslabyul exclaimed.

"You have guts to cut line in front of your seniors, freshman! Get out of here!" Another one shouted.

The three young boys stared at Grim in amazement.

"He really loses his mind over food!" Deuce murmured.

"Yeah," Ace said as he shook his head.

"Grim, come back here right now!" Yuu exclaimed energetically as he went forward to go after him.

By the time they reached him, Grim had caught the long-awaited sandwich from him.

"Look how strong I am!" He exclaimed proudly. "The last deluxe minced cutlet sandwich is mine alone! Nya, ha, ha!" He chuckled before looking back at the available selection. "I'll also take a yakisoba bread and a bread filled with cream!"

At that moment Yuu's quick hands grabbed him and lifted him into the air. "I'm sorry! We won't bother you anymore!"

"Stop it, Grim!" Deuce scolded him. "We are very sorry, seniors!" He apologized to the students.

"Excuse me, sir!" Ace called to the ghost at the post. "I want a panini with beef and lettuce!"

"Don't cut in the line too!" Deuce snapped, even more annoyed.

"Grim, return that right now!" Yuu exclaimed as he grabbed Ace by the arm. "Nobody is going to buy anything until our turn comes!"

"Eh?! They can take it away from me, yanno!" Grim exclaimed in dismay.

Fortunately, the two students in front of them decided not to choose that sandwich and they were able to buy it without any problem. The three young boys also bought something, Yuu decided on a chocolate Neapolitan and a beef sandwich. He would have taken one with bacon and cheese if it hadn't been sold off.

On the way to sit down to eat at a table, they passed Ruggie commenting out loud in frustration that he hadn't arrived in time to buy someone a meat cutlet deluxe sandwich, but they didn't listen to him.

"Nya, ha, ha!" Grim laughed proudly as he was placed on the table. "This is the taste of victory. I'm going to enjoy every bite!"

Hearing him, the animal-eared youth noticed him and approached with an interested expression with his hands behind his back. "Oh. Hey, you. That's great!" The young boys looked at him in surprise. "So you got your hands on a deluxe minced cutlet sandwich, huh?"

Grim looked at him suspiciously and wrapped both paws protectively around his sandwich. "Eh? What do you care?" He asked.

"The point is, I need that sandwich no matter what, but they've already sold out before I could buy one, so I have an offer for you: would you like to exchange that deluxe minced cutlet sandwich for this mini red bean bun I have?"

"What!? No way!" Grim exclaimed in annoyance, making it clear that even he knew how unbalanced the change would be.

Ruggie smirked. "Come on, come on, don't say that. Here you have!" Then he walked towards Grim with both arms outstretched.

Yuu would have sworn that he had heard a sound of magic, but he didn't see anything nearby that could have caused it.

To his surprise and for the two young boys from Heartslabyul, Grim spread both legs holding the sandwich as he walked over to Ruggie.

"Ffna?!" He exclaimed with a mixture of fear and confusion. "What's happening to me!? My arms and legs are moving by themselves...!"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Ruggie took his sandwich and set the little bun on his paws.

"Grim!?" Yuu exclaimed, stunned by what he had just seen.

"Very good, it was a pleasure doing business with you. Shi, shi, shi." Ruggie laughed satisfied. "Thank you so much for being so kind! That mini bean bun is sooooo good as this sandwich!" He put a hand behind his neck. "It's a shame it's so small! Thank you and bye!" He said before running off to find Leona.

Still unable to process what had just happened, Grim's eyes filled with tears within seconds. "F-f-ffgnaaaaaaaa!!! My deluxe minced cutlet sandwich!!!" He yelled in emotional pain.

Moments later, when Grim finished eating the yakisoba bread and cream-filled bread, he began to munch on the bean bun through tears.

"Today," he said with his mouth full, "is the worst," he swallowed and took another bite, "day of my life," he chewed again.

Yuu, still confused by the exchange, tried to comfort him by petting his head.

"This bread is difficult to swallow," the monster complained after finishing eating it.

"You say that after eating three whole ones," Ace told him.

"And what was that about?" Deuce asked annoyed after returning to the table with a tray of pasta carbonara since the sandwich he had bought earlier had not been enough to fill him. "If you were going to complain so much, you shouldn't have done the trade in the first place."

"You're wrong!" Grim insisted. "When that guy stretched out his arms, my body moved by itself... When I wanted to realize it, the change was already made."

"Ah, I see. You got carried away," Ace concluded. "Those things happen."

"It's not that either..." Grim insisted, puzzled before grunting. "I don't know how to explain it!" He frowned. "I'm so confused I'm going to eat to feel better! Deuce, give me some of your pasta!"

Deuce put both of his arms around his tray to protect it and stop him. "I'm not part of this! Leave me alone!" He exclaimed annoyed as Yuu grabbed Grim to stop him.

"By the way, the headmaster told us to go to his office after class to talk about something," Ace recalled. "What could it be about?"

"Surely something related to what happened to dorm leader Rosehearts the other day," Deuce deduced.

"That evil berserker mode? Probably," Ace agreed.

Grim regained his good humor. "Hey... We might get a ton of cans of tuna for our great effort!" He exclaimed convinced.

"I already bought you ten cans of tuna for your great effort, and there are still some in the fridge," Yuu reminded him. "By the way, that boy from before seemed familiar to me..." He thought of his big ears and that jacket that was too big for him. "Ah, I know why! He was in the botanical garden when that guy with lion's ears wanted to attack us."

"You mean the one when we went for chestnuts?" Ace asked him.

"Yes... It wasn't his intention to help us, but he appeared at the right time to stop him..." Yuu murmured as he remembered the threatening look of that tall, young man.

When they finished eating, they went directly to the principal's office.

"Excuse the intrusion, Director," Deuce said as he entered.

"Excuse me," Ace and Yuu said at the same time.

Crowley was sitting in front of his desk and he put the paper he was reading on it.

"I see that you are all here, then let's go straight to the subject. Since the situation has calmed down completely after the Heartslabyul incident, there is one matter I must discuss with you," he announced calmly. "If you are going to become magicians, you need to be aware of the berserker state that young Rosehearts fell into."

"It was called Overblot, right?" Deuce recalled.

"Yes, exactly," Crowley said.

"My older brother told me about it," Ace commented, "but seeing someone accumulate so much blot to transform into that was entirely something else. That was indeed an 'evil berserker mode'".

"But wait, what's blot?" Grim asked from Yuu's shoulders.

"Exactly, I should also explain it to you two, young Yuu and Grim," Crowley said. "I'm going to explain from the beginning since I'm very gracious," he said cheerfully, something that made Yuu raise an eyebrow. Crowley cleared his throat and returned to the subject. "The blot is a type of waste generated when someone uses magic," he explained. "Just like when a vehicle expels smoke through the exhaust pipe while using fuel, spells use magic to manifest themselves, at the same time they create blot... Do you understand it this way?"

"Is blot a waste of magic?" Yuu summed up with concern. "That doesn't sound very healthy..."

"The blot has been investigated since the beginning of history, but it still has many mysteries to solve," Crowley replied. "There is one thing that is known for sure, and it is highly toxic. Once used too much it can harm body and mind in dangerous ways."

"It's true," Ace said, surprised. "My grandmother used to say, 'Don't use your magic carelessly if you don't want a blot,' or something like that."

"With great power comes great risk," Crowley continued. "No matter how good the magician is, they can never use their magic unlimitedly."

Grim gulped. "Are you saying that the more magic we use, will it become more dangerous?" He asked with concern.

"No, that's not entirely true," Crowley said calmly before looking thoughtfully. "Mmm, I think it will be faster if I show it to you instead of explaining it in words. Ghosts, I have a job for you!" He exclaimed aloud.

A little ghost dressed in a gray cape suddenly appeared. "Oh, look at that. You called us, Headmaster," he said happily next to Ace, who got startled when he saw him.

"What? Hey, what is this all about?" He asked stammering.

"Help me teach these young students a little lesson," Crowley pointed out.

Another ghost, a big one, appeared next to Deuce, startling him as well.

"What!?" Deuce exclaimed, confused by what the headmaster had just said as he walked away from that ghost.

"Understood," said the big ghost. "We'll show them how it's done, sir."

"Very good, prepare your magical pens, young students. Your special lesson with the headmaster is not over yet," Crowley said cheerfully.

"What?! Fight a battle in your office, headmaster?" Yuu asked, stunned.

"Don't worry about that! This battle is for educational purposes and this place is safe," he assured.

Still confused, Grim and the boys from Heartslabyul battled the ghosts for about fifteen minutes, giving their best in the process. To help them, Yuu paid attention to the ghosts to give directions to his friends to attack or dodge blows. The ghosts disappeared when Crowley thanked them for his service.

"Hey, headmaster!" Grim exclaimed in annoyance after catching his breath. "This training with the ghosts didn't make me understand anything about the blot!"

Far from flinching, Crowley pointed to his neck. "Grim, look at the magic gem on your neck, please."

The monster obeyed and widened its eyes. "What...? My magical gem has some dirt on it!" He rubbed it with his paws and became even more concerned. "It doesn't come off no matter how much I rub it...!"

Yuu crouched down and could see on Grim's gem a small black spot, similar to ink... He didn't have a good feeling and those dripping sounds came to his mind...

"That black stain that looks like ink that you see there is the blot, which appears when using magic excessively," explained the headmaster.

Deuce brought his magical pen closer to view. "Ah...! Now that I take a closer look, mine also has a dull ink stain," he said in surprise as he showed it to Ace and Yuu, who had lifted Grim in their arms.

"Hey, it's a bit dirty, yanno!" Grim exclaimed nervously.

"Is there a way to eliminate this, headmaster?" Yuu asked.

"Of course."

"What a relief! Phew," Grim exclaimed, relieved. "How can we clean it? With soap?

"No, but if you take a proper rest, the blot will go away in a matter of time," Crowley said. "Magic crystals not only help create spells but also prevent the blot from accumulating on the wearer. This wonderful object can carry such a big load up to a certain limit."

"I see, if the gem starts to stain, it means we need to rest," Deuce summed up.

"Exactly," answered Crowley, satisfied with the understanding of his students. "If you eat, sleep and rest properly, the blot will gradually disappear."

"I can't use magic," Yuu said. "I guess I wouldn't run the risk of accumulating blot."

"That is correct, young prefect," Crowley said. "That fact is not usually mentioned much, but is an advantage that magic-less people have, they are exempt from falling into something so dangerous."

"Cool!!" Grim exclaimed. "That means I can do a lot of bang-bang spells and become a great magician, yanno! After all, I eat and sleep a lot."

Yuu sighed in disbelief.

"However, the amount of magical power varies from person to person," Crowley continued. "It's true there are exceptions, but the amount of blot doesn't change."

"What do you mean?" Grim asked.

"In other words, people with a lot of magical energy like young Rosehearts must be extremely careful about the amount of blot they accumulate."

Ace quickly understood what he meant and took another look at his magical pen. "Yeah, if you're not careful and keep using a lot of magic without paying attention, you'll end up covered in blot," he said.

"Yes, but looking at your skill levels in magic, I don't think you have to worry about blot accumulation yet. That's a relief!" Crowley said quickly.

He had basically reminded them that their levels were still low, something that annoyed Ace: "Do you really think we can be happy about that?! Look at that way of saying it!"

"Does that mean that if we use lots of magic and our gem turns completely black, we'll fall into a villainous berserker mode like Riddle?" Grim asked, shuddering just thinking of that moment. "I was hella scared of that monster behind him, you know?"

Yuu winced as he remembered the image of Riddle's magical gem turning completely black as coal before transforming into that appearance.

"The physical and mental state of the person also plays a fundamental role. Anger, sadness, terror, confusion... Constantly experiencing negative energies makes it easier to accumulate blots. Hence, it becomes easier for one to enter into Overblot.

"That makes sense, I remember Riddle was furious that day and used a lot of magic," Yuu commented.

"Negative energy..." Deuce whispered thoughtfully.

"We can say that that gigantic evil shadow behind Rosehearts was the manifestation of the blot and the negative energies that he accumulated. Although to be honest, this is all I know. It's known that there are many ways to enter the Overblot, but since it doesn't happen frequently..."

"I'd rather it never happen again, I don't want to experience something like that again," Ace said with determination.

"It was fortunate that young Rosehearts came back to his senses, otherwise..." Crowley covered his head with both hands. "AAAHH!! I DON'T WANT TO EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT!! IT WOULD BE HORRIBLE!!"

The three young boys were startled by the headmaster's sudden shout.

"Don't yell like that! You scared me!" Grim exclaimed.

Crowley cleared his throat to compose himself. "My apologies, I suddenly lost my cool," he said quickly. "This was a long explanation, but I hope you understand now the risks that magic can have. Don't ever forget these warnings, please."

"Yes," all four answered at the same time.

He smiled. "Here ends the wonderful lesson from your kind headmaster! You can go back to class."

"Before I go, headmaster. Have you found any way to take me back to my world?" Yuu asked with interest. "I've tried researching something, but haven't found anything yet."

The question took Crowley completely by surprise. "Eh? Ah... Aaaaah... A way to get you home," he stammered nervously. Of course, I've been doing my research too. I haven't forgotten at all, of course not," he said unconvincingly. "But you see... I've been so busy lately..."

"You're looking away," Grim said incredulously.

"N-No, I'm not lying," he tried to insist between stutters. "I am actually very busy with the preparations for the intra-dorm Magical Shift tournament that will take place in October. In fact, I have a meeting with the dorm leaders after this."

"Magical Shift?" Grim asked curiously.

"What's that?" Yuu asked.

"What!? Don't you know what Magift is, Yuu?" Ace asked incredulously.

"It's the first time I've heard that word," Yuu answered.

"It's a world-famous sport," Deuce explained. "There's a professional league and even a world cup."

"I don't know what that is either," Grim commented.

"Magical Shift... or Magift for short is a sport played with two teams of seven players," Ace began to explain. "To put it simply, you have to take a disc and try to shoot it at the opposing team's goal to score points. The team that scores the most points wins."

"Oh, sounds interesting," Yuu commented. "The way you describe it, it's kinda like American football."

They all looked at him curiously.

"American football? Is that a sport from your home, Yuu?" Deuce asked him.

"It's a well-known sport in a country called the United States of America. It was my father's birth country, so he told us about it."

"Hmmm. I've never heard of those names," Crowley said thoughtfully. "I'll research them next time I go to the library, it might serve as a clue, after all."

"Hmm... But I think it would be difficult for Yuu to participate in a Magift tournament," Ace said.

"Why's that?" Grim asked.

"Magical Shift is a sport that uses magic," Deuce explained. "Magic is used to carry the disc, and all attacks and defenses used require magic as well."

"Oh..." Yuu muttered although he didn't care much about the fact that he couldn't play because he was unable to use magic. Unlike Yukiko, he wasn't exactly a sporty person.

"And making a great show with magic on the field is also part of being a great player," Ace added.

"Exactly!" Exclaimed Crowley suddenly with glee. "This is why Night Raven College is world-renowned powerhouse when it comes to Magical Shift! Many of our students are currently professional players! What's more, Magical Shift is a sport that tests not only physical strength but also skill in magic! Many professional teams will be observing our inter-dorm Magift tournament, so will a lot of well-known magicians from around the world," he continued. "There will also be lots of shops and exhibiting products from all over the world will be displayed. It is an important and exciting event that will be broadcast worldwide on television."

"It's broadcasted on television!?" Yuu asked, astonished. That was a new reason for him not wanting to play.

"And people from all over the world will be watching it!?" Grim asked immediately. "Does that mean that if I win the tournament, will everyone know me!?"

"Of course, exceptional players who win are invited to join professional teams, which is also a given that it comes with popularity," Crowley replied.

"In Grim's case, people would be very surprised to see a monster playing in the tournament," Deuce said.

Grim climbed onto Yuu's shoulders triumphantly. "Alright~!" He exclaimed. "From now on I'll train hard and aim for victory!"

"Ah, but you can't participate, Grim," Crowley said suddenly.

Grim lowered his paw slightly, raised his ears high, and froze. "Eh?" He asked confused.

"I have mentioned several times that it is an inter-dorm tournament, remember? Your dorm doesn't have seven people to make a team, so you can't participate."

Grim's illusion was ruined. "WHAT!? It can't be!!" He exclaimed with tears in his eyes.

"But you can do a lot more things during the tournament, you know? Like handing out drinks and helping prepare the grounds. The players are not the only main characters, after all."

Before Grim could respond, Yuu snorted in a failed attempt to hold back his laughter and let out a strong laugh, surprising everyone.

"What are ya laughing at!?" Grim exclaimed angrily as he hit him on the head with one of his paws, an action that didn't hurt him.

As he calmed down, Yuu held him in his arms and kept smiling "Sorry," he said with the laugh still reflected in his eyes. "I didn't want to laugh, but imagine you trying to do something like what the principal just said...!" He laughed softly again.

"No... I don't wanna!! I want to hear people say things like 'Wow, Grim is so cool!' or 'Have you seen that amazing boy?' And make the crowd admire me.

"That's a wild delusion..." Ace commented astonished.

"Right... You can't do anything about it because you don't have enough people. You can wait to see if more students join Ramshackle dorm next year, but now it's best to give up on it," Deuce adviced. 

"If you'll excuse me, I have to go!" Crowley said as he rose from his chair to head for the door. "Ah, so busy, so busy."

"You're mean for giving me expectations..." Grim told him through tears as he watched him leave. "First my deluxe minced cutlet sandwich and now this... This is definitely the worst day of my life!"

[Published on 27/12/2021]