Harry Potter: The Legend of Nero Ravenclaw-Chapter 114: A Morning Walk

The morning sun cast golden hues over Mu and Zen's house, illuminating the vast sky with shades of crimson and amber.

The salty sea breeze carried a refreshing coolness, rustling the cherry blossoms that adorned the school's courtyards.

Despite the grueling session with Mu and the extra hours spent in his room experimenting with new seals, Nero felt surprisingly refreshed.

It seemed Japan's naturally attuned environment helped restore his energy more efficiently than usual.

Today marked an important milestone: the beginning of his remaining three subjects.

Having already attended the introductory classes for two subjects, Onmyōdō and Fūinjutsu, Nero was now set to experience his first lessons in Elemental Convergence and Martial Spellcraft this morning, followed by Shikigami Arts in the afternoon.

As he stepped through the Torii gate onto the main school grounds, a sharp voice shattered the morning calm.

"AH!!! Nero Ravenclaw! What are YOU doing here?"

Turning toward the source of the outburst, Nero spotted a familiar head of fiery red hair bounding toward him.

A knowing smile tugged at his lips.

"Good morning to you too, Ayaka. Did you miss me already?"

"WHO WOULD MISS YOU?!" she shrieked.

The nearby students took notice, their hushed whispers spreading like wildfire.

"That's the Hogwarts exchange student, right?"

"Wasn't he with Mio-san yesterday?"

"Don't tell me... he's two-timing?"

"You don't get it! Mio and Ayaka are fighting over him!"

Ayaka's face deepened to a shade comparable to a ripe tomato.

With an embarrassed growl, she latched onto Nero's wrist and dragged him forward.

"A-Anyway! Let's go!" she huffed, pulling him away from the gossiping crowd.

Nero let out a quiet chuckle, allowing himself to be led. "You know," he teased, "this wouldn't have happened if you didn't yell so loud."

Ayaka glared at him without slowing her pace. "This is somehow your fault. Don't ask me how, it just is."

His laughter earned him another scowl, but Nero couldn't help himself.

The mental image of Ayaka and Ember meeting one day and ganging up on him surfaced in his mind.

That was a nightmare in the making.

They were halfway across the courtyard when a blur of red and white shot past Nero's head, missing him by inches.

"What the...?"

"Kumo!" Ayaka snapped. "Watch where you're going!"

The small paper spider fluttered in midair, wobbling apologetically before clicking its legs together like a soldier at attention.

Nero arched a brow. "Red and white, huh? Let me guess... inspired by Zen?"

Ayaka's blush returned in full force. "W-What?! No! I just... like those colors!"

"Sure you do," Nero drawled, unconvinced. "Good thing Zen isn't here. He might get jealous."

"Shut up!" she hissed, frantically glancing around.

Nero smirked, watching the paper spider hover above her shoulder. "So, you named it Kumo?"

"Of course! Unlike you, I have taste."

Kumo clicked its legs indignantly, as though agreeing.

"You spoil your Shikigami," Nero said, observing how the creature twirled through the air like an acrobat.

"He's a loyal companion," Ayaka declared, arms crossed. "He deserves some freedom."

"Freedom to nearly give me a heart attack?"

As if on cue, Kumo performed a dramatic somersault before landing lightly on Ayaka's shoulder.

They passed by the koi pond, where younger students were coaxing a water Shikigami to perform tricks.

Kumo made a show of swooping down, earning delighted gasps from the first-years.

"He learned from the best," Ayaka said, looking pleased.

"You mean Zen?"

"I meant me, you ass," she shot back.

The lighthearted banter continued until they reached the cherry blossom courtyard.

Pink petals drifted lazily through the air, swirling around them like snowflakes.

Nero paused, breathing in the faint floral scent.

"So," Ayaka asked, hands on her hips, "what's your impression so far?"

"It's fascinating," Nero said, glancing around the campus.

"The way tradition and innovation blend here... I feel like I'll learn more than I ever expected."

Ayaka blinked, surprised by the genuine tone of his response. "That's... actually pretty nice. Maybe you're not completely insufferable after all."

"Progress," Nero said with mock solemnity. "We should document this historic moment."

She rolled her eyes, though a smile tugged at her lips.

"Kumo," she said, "stop showing off."

The spider immediately froze mid-twirl, then flopped dramatically onto the ground in a pantomime of defeat.

Nero burst out laughing. "Even your Shikigami has your flair for dramatics."

"Don't encourage him," Ayaka groaned.

Nero knelt to study the creature more closely. "Kumo seems more... autonomous than what I've read about Shikigami. How does that work?"

Ayaka's eyes lit up. "Most Shikigami are just constructs that follow commands by sensing the caster's intent, like enchanted paper dolls. But Kumo's different. I used an old technique from my family, to give him a personality imprint. You can think of it as a tiny fragment of an artificial soul. Enough to give him basic instincts."

"That's brilliant," Nero said, genuinely impressed. "So he can react to his surroundings independently?"

"Exactly," she confirmed. "But it's tricky. Too much autonomy, and they might resist commands. Too little, and they become hollow shells."

Nero rubbed his chin. "I can't wait to see what the Shikigami Arts class is like."

"Oh, you'll love it," Ayaka said with a competitive glint. "If you can keep up."

"Was that a challenge?"

"Obviously."

They reached the sixth-year wing, and Ayaka slowed.

"Well, this is me," she said, gesturing toward the door.

"Good luck," Nero said, grinning.

After glancing around and lowering her voice, she added, "And... about this morning..."

"My lips are sealed," Nero said, eyes twinkling.

Ayaka gave a satisfied nod and disappeared through the door.

Kumo paused to give Nero a parting wave of its tiny leg before following her.

Nero lingered for a moment beneath the cherry blossoms, the scent of spring mingling with the thrill of new knowledge on the horizon.

With a faint smile, he turned and headed toward his own class, thoughts already spinning with new ideas sparked by their conversation.

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