Esso shouted to Kim Dream, who was running toward to Esso.
"Hurry! Get Fire Professor!"
Kim Dream, panicked, turned and sprinted off to find the professor. Gritting his teeth, Esso faced the dark energy that had taken over Rain's body and shouted:
"You... leeching off a weak student?! Try feasting on my mind instead!"
The dark energy, now fully possessing Rain, flipped through the air and floated right up to Esso, whispering with chilling calm.
"The strongest one here... is this body."
Fear surged in Esso—every instinct screamed for her to run. But he stood his ground, desperate to save Rain.
The dark energy darted through the sky with terrifying speed, twisting and taunting Esso, adapting more and more to Rain's body.
Just then, Fire Professor arrived in a rush and shouted sharply:
"Raitokenium!"
Brilliant chains of light magic burst from his fingertips in rapid succession. But the dark energy moved with impossible speed, dodging each spell like flowing shadow. In a blink, it pierced through the professor's body. He was thrown backward, coughing blood, gravely wounded.
"Professor!!"
Esso and Kim Dream ran to Fire professor side in unison.
But before they could help, a flock of white birds soared through the sky, charging toward the dark energy in place of the professor. Gasping for breath, he whispered:
"If that keeps up... Rain's body will break. You have to wake her, even for a moment."
"Yes—yes! Got it!"
As Esso and Kim Dream ran off again, the professor leaned close to the white birds and whispered something. They scattered, flying off in different directions. The dark energy, noticing, began striking the birds down one by one.
Esso rushed forward, yelling to distract the entity.
"Rain! Rain! I know you can hear me! That flower vase gift—you got it, right?! I'll make sure that flower blooms beautifully, I swear! So... come back!!"
Esso's voice rang through the chaos, and within Rain's body, her consciousness began to stir—fighting back against the darkness. The entity twitched in discomfort, then shot away, retreating into the sky.
Meanwhile, upper-year students and incoming freshmen gathered, clueless about the battle unfolding in the distance. The welcome festival buzzed around them.
Among them, Elon proudly boasted:
"These fireworks? Worth more than a whole school building! Guess who sponsored them?"
Then, white birds and animals appeared, carrying fireworks in their beaks and paws, distributing them to students.
"Wait, weren't fireworks just for freshmen? Has the tradition changed?"
Even the headmaster received one—from a white stag. He stared at it, then suddenly turned to the crowd with a serious voice.
"At the end of the countdown, everyone—set off your fireworks at once!"
"Okay~!"
The students, unaware of anything strange, cheerfully took the magical fireworks from the animals.
Meanwhile, Esso was trying in vain to draw Rain's memories back. But the dark energy soared higher, hovering at the peak of the school, where it began to gather an immense blast of darkness.
It caught one of the flying birds, listened to something it said—and crushed it, letting it fall.
"You think some pathetic fireworks can hurt me?"
And then—the countdown began.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven..."
The entire student body stood ready, fireworks in hand.
"Six..."
Suddenly, Fire Professor reappeared behind the dark energy—teleporting straight to Rain's behind and embracing her tightly. The white birds began to cry out across the sky.
The headmaster, hearing their cry, shouted:
"Now! Set them off!"
In that moment, hundreds of fireworks launched into the air simultaneously. The colorful sparks all turned—strangely—all aiming toward where Fire Professor held Rain. The dark energy tried to flee, but couldn't fly fast enough while bound to Rain's body.
Each firework curved midair like homing missiles, closing in on their target. The students cheered.
"Whoa! It's like magic fireworks!"
With a thunderous bang!, the sky erupted. Hundreds of sparkling bursts bloomed together above the school, dazzling and beautiful.
"Wow! So pretty!"
Down below, no one could see Rain and Fire Professor anymore. The bright lights hid them, and the students only saw magic and celebration. Professors rushed toward the blast site.
Rain's body was intact, protected by Professor Fire's magic. But her consciousness—vanished with the dark energy.
Fire Professor silently gave the headmaster the sign.
Death.
Esso collapsed beside Rain's body, screaming.
"No—!! Why?! Why did you let Rain die?!"
He turned his rage on Fire Professor.
"Headmaster! Please... save her! Please!!"
But the professors only responded with solemn, hopeless faces. There was no bringing Rain back.
Even in his grief, Esso's mind swirled with desperation—there had to be something, anything he could do.
He raised his trembling voice and shouted a single spell:
"Rain!"
As his magic echoed out, a single lily of the valley bloomed beside Rain's resting place. It was the flower Esso had created—his the first spell, own magical blossom.
"Rain... Rain..."
Each time Esso cried out for Rain to wake, more lilies bloomed—spreading across the campus like snow. The school turned white under a sea of flowers. Students, unaware of the truth, thought it was part of the festival.
"Wow! Fireworks and flowers?!"
Esso's tears slid down Rain's still cheeks.
But Rain's body... her breath... didn't move.
No matter how loudly Esso shouted Rain's name—
No matter how many flowers bloomed—
Rain didn't come back.
In the center of all the magic, Esso had never felt more alone. Rain lay with peaceful expression, as if sleeping. The white flowers wrapped around her like a soft embrace.
Esso's cries continued, but they were drowned by the students' cheers.
From that day on, a legend began to spread through the summer campus.
The tale of a thousand fireworks, launched in unison,
that summoned a miracle bloom of white lilies across the school.
The students remembered it as a magical festival.
Only a few professors and students knew the truth.
Esso, from that day forward, said nothing. He simply went to class, buried in books at the library—hunting for a way to turn back time.
But no spell, no incantation could bring Rain back.
One night, Esso stood alone in the field, before Rain's grave. The once-blooming lilies had withered.
He whispered a spell:
"Rain."
At once, the lilies bloomed again in a glowing circle, surrounding the grave in gentle light. Esso had kept them blooming, always—just for her.
"Are you doing okay...?"
He gently touched one of the petals. After sitting quietly for a while, Esso stood and murmured:
"The guilt of not protecting you... I'll carry it all my life. And everything that stole your dream..."
His eyes hardened.
"I'll make sure they pay."
Above, the stars spilled across the night sky like silver dust. The white flowers swayed in the breeze, as if whispering back—
'It's okay.'