Infinite Mage (Re-make)

It was a peaceful holiday.

Normally, Shirone would have spent the day buried in books at the library. But today, he sat on a park bench in Central Park, sipping a drink and gazing absentmindedly at the scenery.

Iruki and Neid sat beside him, just as unmotivated.

“What time is it?” Neid asked.

“No idea. Still daytime, though,” Iruki replied.

“Oh... it’s been a thousand years,” Neid added dramatically.

An awkward silence followed.

Shirone sighed, and the other two followed with their own sighs, like an echo.

Finally, Shirone couldn’t take it anymore. He stood up and shouted, “Come on, what are we doing about the study group? Shouldn’t we be thinking of a topic to present?”

Iruki stretched. “Alright, alright. Let’s brainstorm. What kind of research project would actually get approved by the school?”

Neid shook his head. “I doubt any of ours ever have. We’ve done tons of weird and quirky experiments, but nothing the school would consider official research.”

It was hard to elevate their kind of fringe paranormal science to an academic level. If it were that easy, it would’ve already been accepted into mainstream science by now.

They went quiet again, minds wandering. Eyes followed passing female students, but thoughts were mostly blank.

Suddenly, Neid pointed. “Hey, look over there.”

Walking toward the school gate was a stunning woman none of them had seen before. She wore a stylish trench coat and heels, and her long, permed purple hair flowed down her back.

“Wow. That’s some next-level genetic design. Who is she?” Neid asked.

“Maybe a senior? No one our age dresses like that,” Iruki said.

While the others guessed, Shirone narrowed his eyes. Something about her seemed... familiar.

“Wait... is that Ms. Siana?”

“What? That’s Ms. Siana?!” Iruki and Neid both stared.

She wasn't wearing glasses, and her hair was down, but yes — it was definitely their teacher, Ms. Siana.

“Wow. People really change with makeup.”

“No kidding. But Shirone, how’d you recognize her? Got a hidden talent for spotting women in disguise?”

Shirone gave a vague laugh. He recognized her because he’d once seen her with her hair down — though he had no intention of mentioning that she’d visited him late at night.

“Haha, guess I’ve got sharp eyes.”

“But seriously, where’s she going? All dressed up like that... must be an important meeting.”

Iruki tapped his head thoughtfully. “According to the Women’s Human Body Research Association’s monthly teacher schedule, today’s her day off. No school events, no outside lectures... that only leaves one thing.”

“A date?” Neid asked, surprised. “No way. That doesn’t sound like her.”

Iruki shrugged. “Still, she’s twenty-six. Family pressure can get real around that age. And it’s not like the Olipher family’s status has dropped.”

“Hmm… fair point,” Neid said, stroking his chin. His eyes suddenly lit up. “Hey… should we follow her?”

“Follow her? Seriously?” Shirone raised an eyebrow.

“Come on, we’ve got nothing better to do. Don’t tell me you’re not at least curious. It’s a holiday. We’ll be back before sunset.”

Iruki remained cautious. “You do realize she’s a certified 6th-grade mage, right? Even if she’s not actively using her Spirit Zone, her awareness is on another level. We’ll get caught.”

“That’s why we’ll do this smart. Iruki, you track her from a distance. Shirone, you stay in the middle as the relay. I’ll stop by the lab to grab… you know.”

Shirone’s eyes narrowed. “The invisibility cloak?”

“Exactly. With that, even Ms. Siana won’t spot us. What do you think?”

Iruki smirked. “Tailing a 6th-grade mage... now that’s a challenge. I’m in. I’ll go ahead. Shirone, meet me halfway with Neid.”

As Iruki walked off toward the school gate, Shirone sighed. These two were always so quick to act when it came to this kind of thing.

Neid gave Shirone a thumbs up. “You’ve got the most important job, buddy. Just figure out the mid-point and keep us synced.”

Shirone nodded reluctantly. Despite himself, he’d already calculated the city’s grid structure in his head.

“Alright, but make it quick. I don’t want to stand around too long.”

“You’re the best!”

After Neid headed off to grab the gear, Shirone tracked Iruki for seven minutes, then circled back to meet Neid at the gate. Together, they followed the memorized route and regrouped with Iruki five minutes later.

Neid asked, “Where’d she go?”

“She turned right at the bakery. Looks like she’s headed toward the civilian district. We can still catch up.”

“The civilian district?” Neid raised a brow. “That’s weird. Most dates happen in the noble district. Is she meeting a commoner?”

“I’m not sure,” Iruki replied. “But she was very alert, watching her surroundings closely. If I hadn’t been tracking her eye movement, I would've been caught.”

“This is getting better by the second,” Neid said. “Think she’s secretly dealing in contraband like us?”

Shirone rolled his eyes. “She’s a teacher, Neid.”

“Hey, you never know. We could use something juicy to protect our research group’s reputation.”

Iruki pointed. “There she is.”

The three of them, now under the invisibility cloaks, quietly followed Siana through the crowded streets. The early morning bustle of the market made it easier to blend in.

Eventually, Siana stopped at a modest two-story house.

The trio peeked out from beneath their cloaks, watching closely.

Siana scanned the area, then knocked. Their hearts pounded.

Why is she so cautious? This just looks like a normal house...

Then the door opened, and a blond man stepped out. He hugged Siana awkwardly, then guided her inside.

The door closed behind them.

“She’s meeting a man...” Neid whispered. “That was definitely a man, right?”

“Yeah,” Iruki nodded. “But she seemed... tense. Like she didn’t want anyone to see her.”

“Maybe he is a commoner,” Neid said. “With her noble family background, that’d be scandalous.”

Shirone wasn’t convinced. “I don’t think they’re dating. Something felt… off. Too awkward.”

Neid grinned mischievously. “Let’s go check it out.”

“What? We can’t just break into someone’s house!”

“Why not? We’re cloaked, and technically Ms. Siana is already inside, so it’s not exactly a stranger’s house.”

“That logic is... impressively flawed,” Shirone muttered.

“Still, we need answers,” Neid insisted. “I’m the chairman of the study group — I’ll take responsibility.”

They crept around to the back, where Neid located an underground storage door.

He pulled out a strange device.

“What’s that?” Shirone asked.

Iruki explained, “Neid’s universal key. It adjusts to the lock’s internal mechanisms with insane precision. Unless the lock’s made by a master craftsman, he can crack it.”

Before he could finish, click — the lock popped open.

A strong vegetable scent hit them as the door opened.

“It’s a food storehouse. Let’s go,” Neid said.

Shirone followed reluctantly. “Fine, but I’m going with you. Someone needs to make sure we don’t get caught.”

Inside, they climbed up from the basement and into the main house. The living room and kitchen were open-plan, with a fireplace in the center.

They tiptoed upstairs. A voice came from the far room.

Siana.

“What are you doing? Hurry up already!”

Shirone and Neid froze, eyebrows twitching. Iruki quickly motioned for silence.

A man’s voice followed. “Wait a minute. I’m not ready yet. You take off your clothes first.”

Siana replied, “When’s your wife coming back?”

“She went to the market. It’s a big one today, so she won’t be back for at least two hours.”

The trio stared at each other, stunned.

“Wait… what? That guy’s married?!” Neid whispered, horrified.

Shirone’s thoughts swirled. Ms. Siana… is meeting a married man? Something didn’t add up.

This can’t be real. No way... Miss Siana? The model of integrity and innocence?

The more Neid believed in her character, the more betrayed he felt.

Still, he tried to stay optimistic.

Maybe this isn’t so bad. If we use what we saw today as leverage, maybe we can save our research group...

But then, he heard Siana's voice from inside the building.

“Are you not wearing anything today?”

“If you can feel it, lift your hips just a little higher.”

“Like this?”

“Yeah. And shift your legs a bit to the side. That’s it.”

Shirone and his friends immediately turned red.

They were young, sure—but they weren’t that naïve. They knew what adults did behind closed doors... but this sounded like an affair.

Nope. This is bad.

Neid clenched his teeth and glanced back. His friends gave him nods, silently agreeing.

“Alright, I’m going in.”

The second a man’s voice echoed from inside the room, Neid’s emotions boiled over. Sparks practically flew from his eyes as he grabbed the doorknob and burst in.

“Miss Siana! I’m seriously disappointed in you!”

Right behind him, Shirone and Iruki ran in, winking at each other like it was some covert mission.

A heavy silence filled the room.

Shirone slowly looked around—and his eyes widened.

“Huh?”

There was Siana, calmly sitting on the bed. Across from her was a large canvas.

“Huh? Wha…?”

Shirone and the others stood there, mouths agape like fish out of water.

At that moment, they all had the same sinking thought.

We’re so screwed.

Siana looked just as shocked.

“What? What are you all doing here…?”

She hadn’t done anything wrong, but being caught in a private moment like this by her students was… awkward, to say the least.

But the awkwardness didn’t last long. Her expression quickly turned cold as she realized what was going on.

“You were following me, weren’t you?”

“Huh? No, not exactly. We were just hanging out in the park, and then you walked by, and we kind of… um…”

“So you were following me!”

“Eek! I was wrong!”

Shirone and his group squeezed their eyes shut.

Knowing Siana’s personality, they figured it wouldn’t end with just a scolding.

But to their surprise, no scolding came. No fury. Just silence.

Carefully, Shirone peeked one eye open. Siana stood there, deep in thought.

‘How did they find me?’ she wondered.

Siana had been careful—she’d made sure no one saw her. She hadn’t even entered the spirit zone. For someone like her to be followed by a mere student? It didn’t make sense.

She was certain there was more to this.

“What are you hiding? Hand it over.”

Neid gulped and shook his head frantically. But when Siana’s eyes flashed with something close to murderous intent, he panicked and handed her the cloak he’d been holding—making sure to turn it inside out before letting go.

“What is this?”

She frowned at the mess of fabric—until she flipped it right-side out.

The moment she did, the arm holding the cloak started to vanish.

Then she draped it like a skirt over her lower half—and her legs disappeared too.

“An invisibility cloak?”

Realization dawned. Her eyes narrowed.

“Neid… This one of your patented creations?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“You made this?”

“I-I didn’t sell it on the black market, I swear! I still have some morals!”

Siana sighed deeply. The whole group flinched.

But she didn’t scold them. Not any further.

As a certified 6th-class mage, she knew better than to place all the blame on her students. Being followed meant she’d let her guard down, too.

“So why’d you sneak into this room?” she asked. “You knew you’d get caught. What’s this about being disappointed?”

Shirone stepped forward, his voice trembling.

“It started as a joke. We were just following you. But then… we saw you hugging some guy, and it looked suspicious, so we followed you in. We heard your conversation outside the door and, well… I thought maybe it was… an affair or something…”

“W-What? An affair?!”

Siana’s face flushed a deep red.

It was the first time they’d ever seen her so rattled.

“How dare you suggest such a thing!”

“But it’s true!” Neid cut in. “You should’ve heard the conversation! Anyone would’ve misunderstood! Who even is that guy?”

He pointed toward the man still hidden behind the canvas.

“You mean me?”

The soft, warm voice was followed by the creak of a chair.

A moment later, a man stepped out from behind the canvas.

The group fell silent.

He looked to be in his late twenties, with long blond hair flowing to his waist. His features were handsome—but what caught their attention were the tattered cloths covering his eyes.

He’s blind…

And yet he was a painter.

That chilling feeling Shirone had experienced earlier returned in full force.

‘No…’

Goosebumps crawled up his spine, and his bones felt cold. He clutched his wrist, trying to calm the trembling.

Neid, sensing his unease, patted his back.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure the teacher won’t kill us. I’ll take responsibility.”

“Huh? No, it’s not that…”

The strange cold quickly faded, and Shirone found himself relaxing again.

“Siana, I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t know much about that man, but since he’s your friend, we thought it’d be okay…”

“That doesn’t make it okay,” she snapped. “Stalking, sneaking into someone else’s room… You’ve clearly learned all the wrong lessons.”

But the man just smiled gently.

“They’re your students, right? They probably thought it was fine since you were here.”

“Exactly!” Neid said, jumping in. “That’s why we came. If it were anyone else’s place, we never would’ve entered. We’re not thieves, I swear!”

Shirone nodded in agreement.

“He’s telling the truth. Neid even said that before we came in.”

Siana pressed her fingers to her temple.

Their earnest eyes made it hard to stay angry.

‘Wearing an invisibility cloak to spy on me… They’re clever little brats, I’ll give them that.’

Despite everything, the man just chuckled again.

“My name’s Armin,” he said. “Siana and I are like siblings. We studied together at the Olipher School.”

Neid quickly shook his hand.

“Ohh, I see! Sorry for the misunderstanding—and for intruding!”

“Intruding? That was trespassing,” Siana snapped again.

“Hehe, that’s why I said sorry. But honestly, I’m just relieved this wasn’t some weird secret rendezvous.”

Siana put her hands on her hips and huffed.

Awkward silence followed.

Then Armin smiled.

“Let’s sit and talk. I’ll bring out some tea.”

Without hesitation, he walked out—his steps sure, despite the cloth over his eyes.

The group was speechless.

“Teacher… who is he, really?” Shirone asked. “Are you sure he’s just like a brother?”

Siana gave a soft smile.

“Armin was my classmate. Back at Olipher, he was considered the most talented student in our school’s history. Far more gifted than I ever was. He’s a painter now, but his magic potential was incredible.”

“He’s amazing… But… can I ask? Why did he lose his sight?”

Siana’s smile faltered for a second, but she soon answered.

“He lost his eyes… saving me.”

“What? Because of you?”

“Yes.”

She paused, gathering herself.

“I was nine. I was studying energy absorption theory… and I had an epiphany—one I couldn’t explain. That’s when it happened. A surge. An overflow.”

She smiled bitterly at the memory.

“Armin saved me. He always told me not to run from fear. That the world doesn’t change just because you close your eyes. He was only eleven at the time.”

Even as a child, Armin had been remarkable.

“So you overcame the overflow because of him?”

“No… I wasn’t that strong. I was just a spoiled girl who got special treatment for being born into the Olipher family. I didn’t like Armin back then. He was always preaching about facing fear. I hated that. I didn’t want to face anything. I wanted to hide.”

Shirone found it hard to picture Siana—the powerful mage they all admired—crying in fear.

“I kept running from him… into the fields, the forests, the mountains. He always found me, though. One day, in the middle of our little game of tag… something happened.”

She took a deep breath.

“It was monsoon season. Rain had poured for days. That day, I was walking by the river when a dam upstream broke. Water came rushing in. A flash flood swept away half the village.”

Her voice grew softer.

“I couldn’t scream. I was underwater in an instant. The river looked nothing like the one I knew. Broken wood, livestock, roofs—everything was swept away. I was going to die.”

Siana’s voice trembled at the memory.

‘Please, someone… save me…’

The current pulled her under, and the world went black.

Then—

“Siana!”

She looked up, gasping.

Armin was perched on a low tree branch, reaching for her.

“Oppa! Oppa!”

“Give me your hand!”

She reached out—but a sudden surge pulled her under again.

“Siana!”

Armin dove headfirst into the flood.

Seconds passed. Then he surfaced, holding her.

“Pphaa! Cough—!”

“Siana! You have to stay awake! We need to get out of here!”

“Save me… please… save me…”

He pulled her close and fought through the current, but all around them, the flood raged on.