Harry Potter: The Legend of Nero Ravenclaw-Chapter 126: Obsessive Research

The afternoon sun hung lazily in the sky as students filed out of Mahoutokoro's grand halls, the golden glow casting long shadows across the pristine school grounds.

The hum of idle chatter filled the air, but Ayaka barely paid attention.

She walked alongside Mio, her mind elsewhere, her thoughts drifting back to a certain someone who had all but vanished from school life.

"So," Ayaka began, glancing at Mio with casual curiosity, "how's Nero been?"

Mio let out a long, drawn-out sigh, rubbing her temples. "Like a madman," she muttered.

"For the past three weeks, he hasn't even been coming to classes.

It's either the library or locked away in his room at Uncle Zen and Mu's house.

He barely sleeps, barely talks, and when he does, it's like he's speaking in riddles."

Ayaka raised an eyebrow. "That bad, huh?"

"You have no idea," Mio said with an exasperated huff.

"The other day, I caught him muttering to himself while flipping through six books at once. He didn't even look up when I called his name."

Ayaka smirked slightly. "Since when do you care about what Nero's doing?"

Mio shot her a sharp look. "I don't. But it's hard not to notice when your classmate is spiraling into madness right in front of you."

"Ohhh, so you do care," Ayaka teased, grinning. "Should I start planning the wedding?"

Mio flushed. "Shut up."

Ayaka laughed, but then her expression softened. "Seriously though, maybe we should check on him after school."

Mio crossed her arms, pretending to consider. "Oh? And since when do you care about Nero?" she shot back, mimicking Ayaka's earlier words.

Ayaka clicked her tongue. "Tch. I just don't want him keeling over from whatever insane experiment he's doing. He's still my rival, after all."

Mio smirked. "Riiight."

The two walked in comfortable silence for a few moments before Ayaka spoke again. "Do you think he's onto something big?"

Mio shrugged. "Hard to say. He's been diving deep into Shikigami research, apparently. Ordered a ridiculous number of talismans and scrolls.

If he's putting this much effort in, I wouldn't be surprised if he's trying to develop something completely new."

Ayaka tapped her chin thoughtfully. "A new technique? Again?"

"Possibly." Mio's brow furrowed. "But he's pushing himself too hard. If we don't check on him soon, he might actually collapse from exhaustion."

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After finishing their school day, they made their way to Zen and Mu's house, the familiar wooden estate standing serene amid the cherry blossoms.

The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by the scent of burning incense, mingling with the faint aroma of parchment and ink.

The air carried an unusual weight, an unspoken energy thrumming through the house.

It felt less like a place of rest and more like the lair of a scholar on the verge of a breakthrough, or complete madness.

Zen was lounging in the main room, lazily reclining on a floor cushion with a cup of tea in hand.

Across from him, Mu sat perfectly composed, meticulously flipping through an old manuscript, his expression as unreadable as ever.

The soft rustling of pages and the occasional clink of ceramic were the only sounds until the girls entered.

Zen's eyes flicked up, and a wide grin stretched across his face.

"Ah, if it isn't Nero's fan club."

Ayaka scowled, already regretting coming. "We're not..."

Before she could finish, Mio casually cut in with a smirk. "Actually, it was Ayaka's idea to come check on him."

Ayaka's head whipped toward Mio in betrayal. "You!"

Zen's grin widened, predatory and teasing. "Oh? How touching. Our little Ayaka, worried about Nero."

Mu, unbothered by the antics, merely closed his book and nodded slightly. "He's been in deep research mode," he said. "Hasn't done anything else except eat and study. Three weeks straight."

Mio exhaled, dropping onto a cushion. "What exactly is he researching?"

Zen stretched, setting his tea aside. "Dunno. Only thing that is certain is that it is related to Shikigami. He purchased enough paper to draw a detailed map of every town on the planet."

Ayaka frowned. "And he's still locked up?"

Mu inclined his head slightly. "He's been in the dojo for the past 10 days. Hasn't come out, except to take showers and get back to his research."

Mio let out a low whistle. "That's... intense."

Ayaka crossed her arms. "You just let him rot away in there?"

Zen chuckled. "What do you want us to do? Drag him out kicking and screaming?

We just send shikigami to bring him trays of food. Trust me, he's in too deep.

Nothing short of divine intervention will snap him out of it."

Mio exchanged a glance with Ayaka before they both stood in unison. "Alright, we're checking on him."

Zen smirked. "Try not to get sucked into his insanity."

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The air grew denser as they approached the dojo.

The traditional sliding doors stood closed, the wooden frame eerily still, as though it contained something unnatural.

There was no noise. Not even the rustle of fabric or the scratch of a pen.

Mio hesitated, casting Ayaka a wary glance. "Do you think he's... okay?"

Ayaka exhaled, reaching for the door. "Only one way to find out."

With a careful hand, Mio slid open the doors.

Their eyes widened in disbelief.

Standing before them, in the center of the room, were three identical Neros.

The room itself was in complete disarray.

Stacks of parchment, half-formed talismans, and ink-stained brushes littered the floor.

The scent of old paper and burning wax filled the air, and glowing seals flickered faintly on the wooden walls.

The scene was one of barely contained chaos, the aftermath of a mind too consumed by discovery to care for order.

Ayaka blinked several times, her brain struggling to process the sight before her. "What. The. Hell!"

Mio's mouth fell open. "Did... did he clone himself?"

The three Neros turned toward them in eerie unison, their movements fluid.

The one standing in the middle, presumably the real Nero, grinned like a man who had just cracked the code of the universe.

"Oh, hey. You're just in time."

Ayaka's eye twitched. "In time for what? Losing our minds?"

"To admire the brilliance of my genius, of course." Nero replied, his smirk widening.

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