With great powers, comes a great harem!

“So what is your answer, Shirazawa-kun? Are you really in a romantic relationship with Maya-sama?”

Hearing the girl asking the same thing, Yuki felt like chuckling as he fixated his gaze on a certain brunette in the group before asking her,

“I never knew you were also interested in things like this, Kuroi~”

Hiyashi Kuroi, the fifth-rank renowned flame user, who blasted Yuki away on his first day was also in the group of girls who came asking him about his connection with Maya.

“Haah! Who allowed you to call me by my first name? And for your kind information, Maya-sama is my role model, so it’s my duty to affirm the rumor surrounding her.” With her arms crossed over her chest, she huffed in a haughty tone. However, the red icing over her cream shade cheeks betrayed her strict facade.

Yuki inwardly shook his head, before he answered them,

“Yup, it’s true. I am dating her. Right, Maya?” Hearing him call out that name, made the small group flinch at once before they slowly turned to look at the source of frosty chills.

With her hair tied in a bun and donning the black and white tracksuit of school, was the most stunning female of the first year. The strongest first-floor mage and the reason for everyone’s concern here.

Right before their eyes, Maya strolled her way, as they subconsciously moved away to give her space, before the blond halted before Yuki.

“Shall we get going?” Her tone while talking with Yuki was a lot different from how she usually speaks, which made the group raise their brows in astonishment.

Yuki decided that it was enough for a show, so he hooked his arm with hers and began to lead her to the ground.

“Wait a second, Yuki-sama…” Yuki halted as Maya called out, before the girl looked over her shoulder, making the group—once again stiff in alert.

With her voice entirely turning heavy and emotionless, she directed her warning,

“Do not ever bother Yuki-sama.”

Those simple and straight words were enough to instill what Maya intended. Her tone and wavering mana was a testament to how much she meant when she said that.

And in response, all the seven girls just nodded their heads in understanding.

If not for Yuki’s confirmation, then now they were assured about what kind of relationship Maya had with Yuki.

****

On the open field, the students were told to run around the track field and finish ten kilometers within an hour.

No one was allowed to use their magic in the exercise and to monitor everyone’s progression, a device was attached to their wrist in the form of a terminal watch, which would tell the instructor about the heart rate, speed, and the distance students have covered.

The instructors for physical exercises were different. Although the homeroom teacher was still nearby, the instructors had the role of motivating and even punishing those students who broke the rules or couldn’t complete the task within time.

Yuki and Maya were running together for the first ten minutes, but because she didn’t want to hold him back, Maya told Yuki to continue on his comfortable pace. And surely, the next minutes were enough for Yuki to finish seven rounds around the field, which left just one more round in the rest of the forty minutes.

From the perspective of physical prowess alone, no one beats Yuki, and that was already proven by now. If anyone, then it was Takanabe Akisu; Ryan’s best friend and the top-ranked blade user in the class.

Yuki admires the way Akisu trains his senses by maintaining a blindfold around his eyes all the time yet he does not falter to identify a single person who approaches him.

Just like now,

“Shirazwa Yuki. Something you want to ask?” Despite having run more than five rounds already, his breathing was as stable as Yuki’s when the black-haired youth asked him.

Yuki was taken aback at how observant the person was before he denied, “Nothing important. Just curious how you ‘see’ things?”

Yuki didn’t want to be rude, but his curiosity could no longer remain hidden. Naturally, if Akisu decided to keep his mouth shut on the matter, Yuki wouldn’t mind or pry anymore.

However, “I do need to see them to sense their gaze. I can just feel when someone is looking at me, or having some unpleasant intent toward me. However, I am still not proficient in detecting people who wear masks over their actual approach and like to sneak attack.”

Yuki wasn’t much good at word games so he wasn’t able to discern whether Akisu really was introducing his perspective skills to him or taunting Yuki for something he did to Akisu or his best friend.

Regardless, Yuki just let out a genuine response before continuing his run, “Thanks for telling me…I got to learn something new today.”

****
After several exercises, which included sprinting, push-ups, core training, and rock climbing, the students were assembled with a certain distance between them.

Most of the students still were panting after the exercise, except for some particular students—which didn’t include Maya.

She really needs to work on her stamina.

“Alright students, well done. For today, this seems to be fine but tomorrow, the exercise might get doubled. After all, a guest instructor will be joining us tomorrow.”

Hearing the Professor’s words, many students grumbled.

Although it was reasonable for the students to prepare in full force because the competition was just fourteen days away, it doesn’t change the fact that most of the people here have been enrolled in this academy based on their magic prowess.

It was rumored but someone was saying things like the upperclassmen from the second or third floors would also help the first-year train in the following days. However, the identity of this guest lecturer remained completely secret.

“Hmm?” Yuki’s senses blared before he turned to look toward his left. Not only him but most of the students and the adults also turned in the same direction upon finding the unnatural fluctuation of mana from the corner.

At the center of everyone’s attention, the space crumbled and lightning flashed across the open field. Earth shattered beneath the congregation of magic and a portal carved its way into the human domain.

A dungeon erupted right before everyone’s eyes.

Maki was a moment late to declare every student to back off when suddenly one student dashed away.

It was Yuki.

However, the place he headed wasn’t the dungeon rather he went past the gate and began chasing someone.

Maya instantly knew whom Yuki was chasing before she as well, teleported away to accompany her lord.

Maki wanted to bring those two back and scold them for their reckless behavior but her duty demanded to first tackle the dungeon, as such, she could only hope that those remained safe.

‘Who in the world are they actually chasing after?’

*****

A/N:- Guess the guest instructor.