Pilot (1)
《Clang!》
Shards of steel rained down behind a deafening roar.
They surged like a tempest of a hundred black swords, a spectacle that inspired awe in all who beheld it.
It was as if it were showing off an insurmountable wall of talent.
However.
There was a boy who wasn't intimidated by such a calamity.
Golden hair fluttering in the wind.
He stretched out his hand toward the fiercely surging wave, as if to block it.
"Break."
Everyone thought the boy was reckless.
But the moment his lips uttered the incantation, the seemingly languid situation was flipped on its head.
《Boooom!》
With a thunderous noise, the screen shook.
Visible beyond the wildly flashing scene was a jet-black shadow swallowing its surroundings in an instant.
It was an ominous, flickering darkness.
《Crack!》
Immediately afterward, the barrier covering the circular arena shattered.
The wall of talent that seemed insurmountable just a moment ago shattered like a pane of glass.
It gradually scattered into dust.
It returned to a state where it seemed like it never existed in the first place.
Everything happened in the span of less than three seconds.
"Whew."
The blond boy let out a nonchalant breath.
As if he thought it was an obvious outcome.
The scene ended with him brushing off the remaining mana from his fingertips.
"…"
The faculty stared at the screen in silence.
They had been replaying that part over and over again, but it was still difficult to escape the shock.
The sharply fluctuating bloodlust.
The wave of mana stretching to its limits.
And the composure that didn't lose its cool even in dangerous situations.
It all far surpassed the level of a student.
As a complex silence followed, a murmur escaped someone's lips.
"…Is this really a student who just entered the Academy?"
Astonishment was evident in the dumbfounded voice.
Perhaps it represented the feelings of all the faculty members currently sitting in the waiting room.
They sputtered for a moment like malfunctioning magic devices, and then began to explode.
"What in the world did I just see?"
"Rewind to that part again! Did it record properly?"
"No way."
"You're telling me that's a magic a student can handle…?"
"Did he just use a small amount of mana to create a distraction? That's not a technique a student should be able to handle, this is insane!"
"Where did this kid even come from?"
They stared at the screen with excited eyes.
Perhaps it was because their prediction of an overwhelming defeat had been overturned, but the reaction from the faculty was more fervent than ever.
It was truly the emergence of a gem that would leave its name in history.
"He's the Snake's son, so I didn't expect much… but what a fascinating talent."
"I guess there really might be a genius who surpasses even Her Highness the Crown Princess."
"This goes far beyond even the level of a graduate!"
"He's at least assistant teacher level… with a little push, we could even consider him professor level, don't you think?"
"Hey~ That's going too far."
"Right?"
The young professor scratched his head awkwardly.
It seemed he had given an overly generous assessment.
The faculty of Galimar Academy were each monsters in their own right, so they couldn't be used as a basis for comparison.
Of course… there were always exceptions.
This was intentional on the boy's part.
In the process of breaking the barrier, he had subtly controlled his power and hadn't revealed himself beyond a certain level.
To others, the boy would simply appear to be a 'gem of immense talent.'
"Still, it's amazing."
"Amazing is an understatement. He's already better than the teaching assistants who assist in classes."
"To reach this level at such a young age… His future is bright."
Little did the faculty know.
That if the boy set his mind to it, he could easily wipe them all out.
Sometimes, ignorance was bliss.
The clueless professors continued their heated discussion for a while longer.
"Let's have some quiet, everyone."
It was none other than the Headmaster who brought order to the boisterous atmosphere.
The white-haired old man reacted calmly. His pupils, which didn't waver easily, hinted at his many years of experience.
"Selena."
"Yes, Master."
"It seems the top student for the class placement exam has been decided."
"Indeed."
Selena gave a vaguely ambiguous answer.
Her tired, red eyes blinked.
Behind her carelessly flowing purple hair, her delicate hand held a bottle of strong liquor as always.
It was the clear image of a drunkard.
"…"
The Headmaster swallowed a sigh.
He wanted to point out her attitude right then and there, but he was currently in a situation where he was somewhat indebted to her.
He spoke in a resigned tone, "I made a mistake."
"What do you mean, Master?"
"About the top student of the new class. I doubted the documents I approved and even insisted on setting conditions."
"Ah… yes, about that."
The woman shrugged nonchalantly.
She reacted as if she hadn't cared from the beginning, but the Headmaster couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
"I apologize."
"It's alright."
"I knew you'd say that… but is there anything you want?"
"Something I want…?"
"If it's within my power, I'll grant it."
"Hmm."
Selena finally showed interest.
She paused as if lost in thought, then parted her lips with a hazy smile.
"In that case, I'll tell you what I want. In this cohort, I want…"
The disciple's request followed.
The other faculty members' eyes widened at the completely unexpected content.
Fellow professors stared at her blankly.
Meanwhile, Selena simply brought the bottle of liquor to her lips.
***
My plan had completely fallen apart.
Originally, I was going to lose spectacularly in the exam and hand over the top spot… but things had gotten too twisted.
It was my mistake for not considering Charlotte's overflowing thoughtfulness.
It wasn't like the flow of events had become completely hopeless.
I had the chance to properly get acquainted with the Little Prince and even exchange a few words with him.
Her reaction wasn't bad either.
At least she didn't seem to be wary of me.
'Considering Charlotte's personality, I doubt she'll go around badmouthing me either.'
It wasn't like I could turn back time anyway.
Well, there was one person who could turn back time… but I wanted to avoid getting involved with that person as much as possible.
Let's just be content with this much.
With that thought, I raised my head.
The first thing that came into my blurry vision was the circular arena.
"Hmm."
I was watching the exam from my seat in the waiting area.
Currently standing in the arena were a pink-haired girl and a blue-haired villainess.
I discreetly checked the match list.
[Match 23]
[Regia Pilots vs. Emilia Vanity]
'The protagonist and the villainess's confrontation…'
It was something I already knew from the original work.
I quietly recalled that part.
[EPISODE 1. The Outsider]
Regia entered the academy with an excited heart.
There was one event awaiting her… the class placement exam.
As a top-ranked student, there was pressure, but her anticipation for meeting new people was greater.
She was hoping to use this opportunity to get acquainted with the other students.
- I'm going to make friends too.
- Ugh… I'm a little nervous, but let's do our best!
Regia, who had never had a single friend due to her wandering life.
She made up her mind.
This time, she would definitely build good relationships.
And so, in the arena where she stepped with confidence…
- How pathetic.
The girl was utterly defeated.
It was just her bad luck that she had a tough opponent.
It was Lady Vanity, who was said to be the greatest genius after Charlotte.
- You need to know your place.
- This is a place for those who are qualified… It's not a place where a mere commoner like you should even think of being.
The protagonist, who entered the academy as a commoner.
As expected, the villainess treated her like a thorn in her side.
Then came the opportunity of the class placement exam, and Emilia thoroughly subdued her opponent with her skills.
Even her fragile heart.
- Leave, outsider.
A cold voice directed at the girl.
Those harsh words would remain as a scar on her heart for a long time.
That was the gist of the first episode, showing the protagonist being crushed from the very beginning.
"…I'm worried."
The words unconsciously escaped my lips.
Trials came with growth.
I knew it was a necessary process, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
As I was watching the exam with complicated eyes.
"She's really getting pushed around."
"Miss Irene."
The fox sitting next to me muttered.
The maid-dressed girl, Irene, who was leaning back against the backrest and watching the exam, tilted her head and asked, "By the way, didn't you say that pink-haired girl was a Summoner?"
"That's right."
"Then why isn't she summoning anything and fighting barehanded?"
"Ah."
Irene had a point.
There wasn't even a single rat inside the circular arena.
The majestic Wyvern she had shown during the entrance ceremony was nowhere to be seen, and only the delicate girl was left trembling in place.
I smiled bitterly.
"There's a reason for that."
"A reason?"
"It's Miss Regia's weakness… so to speak."
Regia's abilities wouldn't work if she panicked.
Mental strength was paramount for summoning rituals, and she was someone who lacked that aspect far more than the average person.
In urgent situations, her summons would often fail.
In fact, in the original game, when she was inflicted with the 'Confusion' status effect, all her skills would be disabled.
A powerful character, but one that required careful management.
'She eventually overcomes her weakness in the latter part of the story…'
But right now, it was practically still the tutorial stage.
The way the exam was unfolding was, in a way, only natural.
"It's unfortunate."
"It is. But even this is part of Miss Regia's charm."
"But how do you know all this? It's not like Pinky would have told you any of this…"
"Hehe… Do you really want to know?"
I smiled faintly.
A sinister arc formed on my lips behind my half-closed eyes. It was a chilling smile.
"…On second thought, I'll pass."
"That's a relief. I was wondering how to answer you."
I didn't know why, but…
Everyone seemed to avoid my gaze when I smiled like this.
Thanks to that, it came in handy when I got difficult questions or wanted to avoid answering them.
Irene subtly changed the subject.
"Anyway, putting that aside… Won't she get hurt like that? It looks like Pinky can only use basic magic."
"She'll be fine."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Well…"
Although she appeared as an extra, a villainess…
Emilia was a person who strictly adhered to the lines she drew.
She might have mentally broken Regia multiple times, but she wasn't the type to truly wish harm upon her.
"Even though I say that… I can't help but worry a little inside."
"That's surprising."
"Hmm?"
"You, worrying about someone. I thought you wouldn't care about anyone."
"Haha, how could that be? I'm just a human being, too."
"…Are you really human?"
"If not, then what do you think I am?"
"A Chimera?"
"…Let's stop there."
I was sure we had similar conversations like this before.
Psychopath, monster, and now a Chimera.
I was starting to wonder what kind of outrageous answer would come next.
'I've been so nice to her… To think she was treating me like Edward oppa all along.' [T/N: Seems I lack the knowledge, anyone knows the reference here?]
It was a heartbreaking realization.
With my wounded heart, I grabbed the fox's tail.
"Yiekk?!"
"This is your punishment."
"W-Wait…! Not the tail! It feels weird…! Heek!?"
"Accept it gracefully."
I vigorously stroked the soft bundle of fur.
As I was busy disciplining the wicked fox, an announcement rang out.
It was the voice announcing the end of the exam.
《Match 23 has ended.》
《Students who have finished their exams, please exit according to the instructions of the faculty.》
Two girls stood in the arena.
The villainess turned her back with a cold air, and the protagonist knelt behind her.
《Regia Pilots forfeits. The winner is Emilia Vanity.》
There were no surprises.
The pink-haired girl remained frozen for a moment before staggering to her feet.
She left the arena with unsteady steps.
Her retreating figure seemed particularly lonely.
"Well then… shall we get going too?"
"Already? There are still about ten teams left."
"There's someone who needs me. A friend should be there for them when they're struggling."
"What are you up to now…?"
"Hehe."
Instead of answering, I smiled.
The sky I looked up at was particularly cloudy. With the dark clouds gathering, it seemed like it was going to rain.
I asked the fox casually, "Miss Irene."
"What?"
"It looks like it's going to rain."
"I brought an umbrella… There are only two of us, why did you make me bring three?"
"There's someone I want to share it with."
I answered simply.
"I don't want to leave her alone."
Now then.
Shall we go and comfort our protagonist a little?
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thats definitely a twilight reference. Edward Cullen Oppa
ReplyDeleteI believe it's a fullmetal alchemist reference. Stop reading if you care about spoilers, but there was a characted that was turned into a chimera and called the protagonist, Ed, as nii-chan in the transformed state.
ReplyDeleteThat joke was beaten to death so hard all that's left is bloody mist on the pavement so it doesn't matter if it was a spoiler. Still a heartbreaking scene tho.
ReplyDelete