COTE: Expelliarmis… Wait, Why Isn’t It Working?! (MTL)

I, Kuzunoha Renji, wasn't always a fearsome magic researcher (both literally and figuratively). When I was young, I was just an aspiring but… severely uncontrolled magician.

However, deep inside me was always a dream – a dream to create magic that could change the world, despite the fact that the path I chose was always filled with prejudice and hardship.

In fact, I came from a completely ordinary family – not a noble, not a descendant of a great magician.

My father, Kuzunoha Takeshi, was a diligent worker in a magic printing factory that produced printed products for society, from popular books to high-level academic documents for magicians.

But before he had this peaceful life, he was a combat mage, serving in the revolutionary army's combat unit. Although he was born after the revolution nearly 700 years, there were still many remnants of the conservative faction all over the country.

His mission was to suppress the last remaining strongholds of the conservative faction, those who stubbornly resisted change and clung to the old order of the magical world.

The battlefields my father had walked through were not glorious and honorable confrontations, but long battles in the ruins and ruined cities.

Lands scorched by destructive magic, areas where both nature and humanity were almost completely wiped out. It was those years that changed my father forever.

He once said that, standing among the ruins of a once-prosperous city, he realized that magic – which should have been a symbol of knowledge and progress – had become a tool of death and destruction.

After being discharged from the army, my father abandoned the path of fighting and decided to choose a quiet life and work for a government printing factory.

Over a thousand years ago, the Great Magic Revolution brought miraculous advances to humanity, but at the same time devastated the world in ways no one could have predicted.

The terrible battles between revolutionaries and conservatives across the magical world left barren lands in many different countries, where magic had completely eroded life instead of nurturing it like our noble ideals today.

Even though centuries have passed, the traces of the war are still imprinted on the land. Many cities across the continent were still in the process of being rebuilt, with new, grand buildings rising up next to the ruins of old civilizations.

In the remote areas that were most devastated by the magical war, there were areas that were still isolated, cut off from the outside world, left in the shadow of the past.

In the magical island nation alone – our homeland – the death toll from the war reached 42 million, including soldiers and civilians, and basically every family was in mourning.

Before the Magic Revolution, the entire country had a population of only 109 million. That meant that nearly half of the country had been lost in the fires of magic due to civil war. Even though a thousand years had passed, the wounds of the war had not yet fully healed.

My father had always believed that knowledge was the key to healing this world. If magic can destroy, it can also be used to regenerate.

He believes that only when everyone has access to knowledge and is liberated in consciousness, only when the lessons of the past are not forgotten, can this world truly move past its old pains and move forward.

My mother, Shirayuki Aoi, was a saleswoman for a store that specialized in magical electronic products.

My mother had the ability to talk for hours without losing any energy, and she could sell anything from a glowing crystal lamp to magic stones that no one knew what they were actually used for.

My mother always told me, 'Magic isn't just about incantations or ancient scrolls, but how you convince the world to believe in what you create.'

I guess my mother's gift for speaking and persuasion also had a lot of influence on me… only I used it more for convincing myself to try stupid magic than for selling.

Everything in my life changed that day, a day I will never forget, the day I met her.

I still remember the scene clearly—a golden autumn afternoon, when the sunlight filtered through the ancient trees, casting shadows on the stone-paved path of the academy.

I was holding a pile of books high above my head, walking around without paying attention to what was ahead. Fate, or perhaps my clumsiness, led to a violent collision.

The books flew everywhere, I staggered back, and the other person was no better off as we both fell to the ground.

About to open my mouth to apologize, I suddenly froze when my eyes met hers—a pair of blue eyes like a lake under the moonlight, reflecting a world I had never known.

She had long silver hair, a color typical of people from the northern part of the island nation—where snow covered the whole year and the people carried a cold but resilient temperament.

Each strand of hair gently swayed in the wind, reflecting the sunset like silver threads. Her face was delicate and calm, with harmonious features but also a hidden sharpness, as if her blue eyes could see through everything I tried to hide.

"You know you just broke a rule?" She raised her eyebrows, her voice a little teasing but also serious.

I blinked in confusion, stammering, "What... rule?"

"The rule of not crashing into people in such a grand manner." She chuckled, then reached out to pick up a book beside her. "You seem to like research? Let's see... 'Application of real-time information magic to serve life'. That's quite interesting."

I had never met anyone who could read the title of my book without laughing or looking at me like I was a freak. At that moment, I knew I had met someone special.

"I'm Yukishiro Rin, and you?" She asked, her tone still maintaining the calmness of a northerner, but there was a hint of mischief in her eyes.

"K-Kuzunoha Renji." I replied, trying to hide my confusion.

Rin tilted her head, as if she was sizing me up. "So you're the name at the top of the 'special student monitoring' list I've heard of? Hmm, I thought you'd… burst into flames the moment you touched me."

I smiled wryly. "Trust me, I thought so too."

At first, I didn't think much of Rin. She was an enigma, someone who seemed cold on the outside but possessed a frighteningly sharp intellect and a penchant for teasing others.

She was unlike anyone I'd ever met before. But then, from the endless debates about magic, from the times she persistently corrected my mistakes without ridicule, I realized that I had fallen in love with her before I knew it.

We spent a lot of time together, exploring the hidden corners of the magical world that we both longed to understand better.

I taught her about my research, about the ideals I pursued. She taught me about things that books could not teach—patience, understanding, and the pain of facing what cannot be changed.

Rin was not only a companion, but also the person who made me understand that magic is not only a tool to change the world, but also a bridge between people—no matter how different they are.

But our love was also what set us on a challenging and forbidden path.

Life went on like that, until one day I happened to meet a strange man right in the academy yard. He was tall, wearing a thick cloak typical of the Northern Island region, his face was cold but his eyes shone with an unpleasant arrogance.

He approached me, not shy at all, staring at me as if he had known me before. "Are you Kuzunoha Renji?" he asked, his voice low and decisive.

I raised my eyebrows, not hiding my discomfort. "Yes. And who are you?"

He smiled slightly, but it was not a friendly smile. "I am Kurogane Shinto. Rin's future husband."

I was stunned, each of his words was like a hammer hitting my head. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Shinto shrugged, his expression indifferent. "Rin and I were arranged by our families long ago. Back home, our clan only married within the sect to preserve our bloodline and faith. Do you think you can interfere?"

I clenched my fists, trying to contain my rising anger. "So does Rin agree to this?"

He chuckled, his eyes shining with pity. "Rin has no say. You should give up before this gets worse for both of you."

Rin's family didn't just object—they considered the relationship a blasphemy. They were staunch followers of the Temple of Magic, an ancient sect that believed that magic was not meant to be changed, but to be preserved as it was given by the gods.

To them, my research—my experiments, my desire for innovation—was nothing more than a blasphemy and an affront to the sacred order.

Although the sect was banned by the government after the revolution, it had become so deeply ingrained in the people's consciousness that it was difficult to completely change the situation overnight.

What had to happen had to happen. I knew I couldn't hide it forever, so one evening when the whole family was gathered around the dinner table, I decided to tell them everything.

"Dad, Mom, I want to talk about Rin." I started, my voice more serious than ever.

My father stopped chewing, put down his chopsticks on the table, and looked at me sharply. My mother still had her usual gentle smile, but I could sense the tension hidden deep within.

"Rin? The girl from the North that you often mentioned?" My mother asked, her tone as if she already knew which direction the conversation would take.

I nodded. "I love her. And she loves me. But her family… they disapprove. They belong to an old sect, they see me as a heretic just because I want to study and improve magic. And they have arranged her marriage to another man."

Silence filled the room. Then my father sighed, his eyes carrying a weariness I had never seen before.

"Renji... do you know what you're doing? That girl's family isn't someone who can be persuaded by reason. Their religion has been ingrained in their blood for generations. Do you think they'll accept you just because of love?"

I clenched my fists, my eyes filled with determination. "So should I give up? Should I let them decide Rin's fate without doing anything?"

My mother spoke up now, her voice gentle but no less determined. "Renji, there are things that cannot be changed by will alone.

Their family is not just an ordinary family—they are loyal believers who are willing to do anything to protect their faith, I have fought those people for nearly a third of my life.

Here is my advice to you, if you continue, you will not only confront her family but also those who are willing to use any means to stop you, including me."

"But I love her!" I almost shouted. "And I know she doesn't want her life to be controlled like that. Should we just let things go their way?"

My father stood up, put his hand on my shoulder, his voice low.

"Renji, I don't forbid you from loving her. But you have to understand, love isn't always enough to change the world."

"If you really want to go down this path, you must be prepared for the consequences. And once you step into it, there is no turning back. As a father, I never want you to fall into that situation."

I looked at my father, then at my mother, feeling the worry in their eyes. But at that moment, I decided that I could not turn back. No matter the price, I would not give up on my love.

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"He will drag you down the path of heresy, Rin!" Her father, a high-ranking priest who had traveled all the way from the far away countryside to the academy to bring Rin home, growled.

"This world is too tolerant of people like him! Those who want to change magic and study the gods are blasphemers and traitors to tradition!" Another relative spoke up, furious.

Rin squeezed my hand tightly, her blue eyes flashing with resistance.

"If you believe that magic is a gift from the gods, then why do you forbid those who want to understand it better? Why deny the possibility that it can develop and help humanity in a better way?"

But to them, it didn't matter. They didn't want to hear it. To their cult, revolutionaries were blasphemers, those who dared to challenge the sacred order established since the beginning of time.

They believed that magic was a gift from the gods, sent to maintain the balance of the world. Anyone who sought to improve, change, or question magic was considered an affront to the divine will.

The cult's teachings had been ingrained in their minds for generations: 'Magic is not for humans to control, but for humans to obey.'

The Magic Revolution, in their eyes, was not a liberation, but a sin—a rebellion by arrogant people who dared to consider themselves gods.

They believed that the revolutionaries had destroyed the perfection of the world, plunging humanity into a period of chaos and instability that would last for millennia.

And so I—a man who dared to challenge the limits of magic, a seeker of change—became the embodiment of everything they hated and wanted to destroy.

They didn't want to listen to me, nor did they care who I was. They just wanted to stop us, at any cost.

Despite everything, Rin and I continued to be together, meeting in the hidden corners of the academy, secretly exchanging letters under close surveillance. The more forbidden, the stronger our love became.

But deep down, I knew that one day, we would be faced with an inevitable choice: give up everything to be together, or accept losing each other forever.

Little did I know that behind it all, there was a deeper conspiracy. Rin's family did not simply send her to the academy to broaden her knowledge or access more advanced education.

In fact, they had another purpose: to force her to participate in the reactivation of an artifact of destruction, an ancient magical weapon that their sect believed would 'purify' the world.

To them, the current order of the world was a blasphemy. The revolutionaries had changed magic, turning it into a tool to serve humans instead of preserving its sacredness.

Therefore, they believed that this world needed to be 'cleansed' to restore the original order that the gods had decided. And Rin, with her family's special bloodline, was the final key to activating that weapon.

I didn't know anything about this, until it was too late. A week before that fateful day, Rin had told me that she was pregnant with my child even though we were still students at the academy.

I was shocked and then extremely happy, but that joy didn't last long. Rin had disappeared, she had been kidnapped by her own family, she only had time to leave a magical message for me in her room.

I didn't care about the reason, I didn't care about the danger. I immediately rushed to the magical police station to report the case to them and rushed out that night, without thinking. Rin was in danger, and I would bring her back.

I wasn't alone. Some of my friends from the academy, my fellow researchers—who were also dissatisfied with that extremist sect—volunteered to help me.

Thinking back, it was probably because we were all impulsive children filled with a passion for justice and ideals, otherwise who would have dared to get involved in such a thing.

We set off immediately. As we stood before the portal to the teleportation center, I could see the tension on everyone's faces.

"This technology hasn't been fully tested yet, there might be errors," a technician named Arata Kisaragi warned, his voice trembling.

I didn't care. "Just start it, I don't have time."

A magical light flared up, enveloping us in a vortex of magical power. For a moment, I felt my body being torn apart and then put back together in an instant. When our vision cleared, my group and I were already in the Northern Capital.

The cold wind cut through our flesh as we stepped out of the teleportation station. "Damn, it's cold!" one of the group said, shivering.

I pulled my cloak tighter, turning to my group. "There's no time to complain. We have to cross the icy mountains ahead. Only those who make it there alive can complain."

The journey began. The wind howled through the cliffs, and the snow fell heavily, obscuring our vision. Every step on the frozen path was a challenge, but no one stopped.

I couldn't stop. Ahead lay Rin's village—where the cult was conducting their evil ritual. I had to get there before it was too late.

The journey lasted for days, with every step taken with caution. We were ambushed, we were hunted, but nothing could make me stop.

When I finally reached the shrine where Rin was held, I felt my heart stop. The surrounding space was filled with a dark magic, the chants echoed in the wind like calls from the dead.

I rushed in, breaking through all the magical barriers, fighting the guards with all the strength I had. But by the time I got there, I was too late.

Rin lay on the stone pedestal in the center of the ritual, surrounded by magical symbols carved into the ground, emitting a bright red light.

She was still breathing, but her breath was weak, her body was covered by a thick barrier. Her family stood around, their faces calm as if they had not committed any heinous crime.

"Stop!" I roared, rushing towards the stone platform, but an invisible barrier knocked me back. The black-robed men only looked at me with cold eyes.

"You're too late, Kuzunoha Renji." One of the elders spoke, his voice frighteningly calm. "The ritual has begun. Even if you kill us all, it won't stop."

I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists so hard that my nails almost dug into my skin. "Why…? Why would you do this to your own descendants?"

"Because it's your mission." Another replied, his eyes filled with fanaticism. "To activate the artifact, a woman must become pregnant in pure love. We only follow the will of the gods, so that the world can be purified."

I looked at Rin, tears welling up without realizing it. She opened her eyes slightly, looking at me with pain but not reproach. I couldn't let this continue. I must save her... at all costs.

The chants of the cult still echoed around me, and the black-robed men were surrounding me from all sides.

They didn't give me a chance to counterattack, dark magic streams rushed towards me like blades cutting through space. I roared, trying to erect a protective shield, but each successive attack left me almost exhausted.

"Renji! Behind me!" A voice shouted—it was Kensi! He was one of my comrades who was resisting, but it was clear that we were at a disadvantage.

A ball of dark magic power flew straight towards me, I tried to dodge but was still thrown back, hitting hard against the stone pillar. My vision blurred, my body ached, but I couldn't give up. I had to save Rin!

The cult sneered, one of the elders stepped forward, his voice cold: "I said, even if you kill us, the ritual will still continue."

At that moment, the ground shook. A deafening sound rang out, tearing the space of the temple apart. They turned their heads in surprise, and I recognized the blue light of the special teleportation—the Magic Police had arrived!

"All of you stand still! You are under arrest for practicing religion illegally and using forbidden magic!" An authoritative voice rang out, and in the blink of an eye, a group of uniformed mages appeared, chanting a spell to seal the entire area.

The cultists panicked, but they did not give up. Some tried to flee, others stubbornly resisted.

The battle immediately turned into chaos, but this time we had reinforcements. I gritted my teeth, steeled my resolve, and charged into battle once more—for Rin, for everything they had taken from me.

In this world, no matter how strong the sect is, no matter how many fanatic followers they have, the law still exists, and I will use it to pull them all down.

I chanted, magic power flowing through my hands like the last remaining flame of the massacre. A column of green light burst out in the middle of the temple, breaking the darkness.

The battle quickly overwhelmed and turned in our favor thanks to the support of the powerful mages from the northern police department. A few escaped, but the battle was over.

An old mage from the Magic Police Department stepped forward, silently observing the surroundings, his eyes solemn but also heavy. Based on his experience in handling the matter, he said:

"If we want to stop the ritual, we must isolate and destroy the underground shrine with powerful destruction magic at the place where the ritual is taking place. Only then will the flow of magical power that nourishes the artifact be cut off. But if we do that, no one down there will be able to survive."

I clenched my fists, looking at Rin—she was lying on the stone platform, her breathing weak, her face pale. She didn't have much time left.

"Renji..." Her voice was very small, like a passing wind. I bent down, taking her hand. That hand that had once been so warm, now gradually became cold as ice.

"Don't say anything, Rin! I will save you, I swear—"

She shook her head slightly, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "You're so stupid... You're always like that... Stubborn until the very end..."

I clenched my teeth, hot tears welling up in my eyes that I couldn't hold back.

"Live well, Renji... Forget about me and go out with everyone... Don't let my death be meaningless."

I shook my head, my arms tightening around her. "No! I won't leave you behind! We'll leave here together!"

Rin smiled weakly, her blue eyes looking at me with love and regret.

"Do you remember the first time we met?... At that time, I accidentally read the first draft of that Project."

"I still remember the look in your eyes when you talked about it, the passion, the desire to change the world. That's why I love you... So, let's complete it... let's make our dream come true. If anyone can do that... it's only you, Renji."

She looked at me one last time, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something more, but then... her eyes slowly closed.

A loud explosion rang out from underground. Below the shrine, a crimson light poured out like hellfire. The police mages began to retreat, while the barrier slowly crumbled. I remained kneeling beside her, my hands trembling, unwilling to let go.

"Renji! We have to leave now!" A voice shouted from behind. Someone yanked me to my feet, but I still turned back, looking at Rin one last time.

Before the darkness swallowed the shrine, I swore to myself—I would not let our dream fade into ashes.

That plan was no longer just a plan or a crazy idea. It had become Rin's last wish, a reminder that no matter how cruel the world was, there were still people who dared to stand up and change it.

I will complete the Project, not only for Rin, but for all those who have been caught up in the vortex of extremist beliefs, those who have been bound by the past and no longer dare to dream of a different future.

No matter the cost, I will find a way to turn magic into something that brings hope instead of terror and lead this world to progress so that everyone can live in peace and happiness.

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Ten Years Later

Ten years have passed, and every day, like every other day, I—Kuzunoha Renji—still end my workday with a few glasses of strong alcohol before trudging home from the magic research institute.

Alcohol doesn't help me forget the past, but at least, it makes the memories a little less painful.

Tonight is no exception. I staggered down the empty street, the cold air blowing against my face, carrying with it a hint of the scent of late autumn rain. And then, like an ironic twist of fate, a figure rushed straight at me at a terrifying speed.

"Ah! Watch out—!"

Before I could react, my entire body was thrown to the ground. A sharp pain shot from my back to my head, but I didn't have time to curse, because right before my eyes was a young girl, hastily reassembling her flying broom.

"Oh my god! Are you okay?" she asked, her brown eyes filled with worry and confusion.

I squinted at the girl who had just hit me. Her brown hair was tied up high, her face was covered in sweat from the strenuous exercise, and most importantly—she was still clutching the handle of her magic broom.

For a moment, a strange feeling rose in my heart. There was something about her—her eyes, her smile, her impulsiveness—that reminded me of someone I had loved more than anyone else in the world.

Another voice rang out from above: "Reika! Are you okay? We were racing and you just lost control?"

I sighed, realizing that I had just become the victim of a magic broom race. Looking up at the girl in front of me, I felt something very familiar—a vague feeling, as if I had seen her somewhere before.

She scratched her head and laughed awkwardly. "Ah ha ha... I think I hit Anh a little too hard..."

I grimaced, pain shooting up from my right arm. I tried to move, but a sharp pain ran from my shoulder to my wrist, making me grit my teeth.

"Damn... I think I broke my arm." I muttered, my face contorted in pain.

Reika panicked, quickly bending down to check. "Oh my god, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I know some first aid, let me see..."

I raised my eyebrows, before I could react, she grabbed my arm, twisting it at an angle, making me almost fall backwards from the pain. "Ouch! Be gentle! Are you trying to help or kill me?"

Reika smiled awkwardly. "Ah... I think it really is broken. But don't worry, there's a hospital nearby! Or if you trust me, I can try using healing magic...?"

Looking at her guilty and mischievous expression, I sighed. Apparently, I've gotten myself into another trouble......