Fortunately, contrary to my expectations, I didn’t end up rolling around on the ground.
Ah, of course, it wasn’t that I didn’t roll at all because of my duel with Rina, but the kids who followed us didn’t interfere with the duel. Most just stood by, watching me and Rina spar.
Of course, most of them had brought their weapons, and they probably thought they would genuinely participate in the training.
But—
“Haah… Haah… Haah…”
“Hurgh… Hurgh… Hurgh…”
It seemed they changed their minds after seeing us sprawled out on the ground, gasping for breath. Everyone was staring at me and Rina, mouths agape.
“I guess it was a serious fight…”
I heard someone mumble that.
Upon hearing that voice, Linea smirked. To be honest, I wasn’t too serious at first and thought I could just push Rina around with my unique abilities, so I wasn’t really considering anything.
To be honest, my skills had improved to this point solely thanks to Rina, who trained with me daily, and Linea and Aurora, who worked hard to coach me after our duels.
And then there was Selena and Jian, who boosted Rina’s skills, along with Satsuki, who joined later.
Those three were actually wearing proud expressions after hearing the kids. Although they had dark circles under their eyes.
“We really can’t find a reason to oppose you now.”
Olivia sighed as she spoke. She was one of the kids who got up when I told the Cardinal I would participate.
With long, dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail and a beautiful face that would fit in an ink-wash painting, there was a stark mismatch between her name and her appearance, especially with the huge sword she was propping up with her hand.
“Your physical abilities were already overwhelming compared to ours.”
“More importantly, Hicks can push Clara that hard? Impressive.”
“I thought he was already good, but… Ah, did Jian really…?”
The kids buzzed among themselves.
After finally catching her breath and sitting up, Rina glanced away. Though she could now hold at least a short conversation with Jian, Selena, or Satsuki, the only one she really interacted with in the classroom was still me— which was extremely one-sided— and she seemed awkward when her name was mentioned in the kids’ chatter.
Well, it’s more preferable that she doesn’t just up and leave.
Rina would be at school when I went out. It would be much safer than the main story. At least, she wouldn’t have to sacrifice herself for anyone.
“How about showing off your skills?”
Having recovered a bit, I plopped down next to Rina.
“What are you saying?”
Rina shot me a disdainful look.
“Honestly, you have impressive skills, right? I doubt there are many people who can beat you in a one-on-one.”
Sure, Jian wouldn’t stand a chance, but based on skill, I’d say that Selena and Satsuki are top-tier A-class fighters, and I expect Rina would be about even with them. To be honest, I’d like to see Rina spar against someone like Selena, who uses a bow, or Satsuki, who combines throwing knives with magic, rather than the close-range technique I used.
“……”
Rina said nothing.
“D-Do you want some water?”
Aurora, who had approached without me realizing, handed me a bottle of water.
“Oh, thank you.”
As I was drinking the water, Jian approached from a distance.
“Here.”
Jian tossed a towel, and Rina snatched it out of the air, burying her face in it.
“You…”
With her face still buried in the towel, Rina muttered in a muffled voice.
“How can you be so calm?”
“Huh?”
“We’re going to the battlefield in two weeks. To die. How can you look so unfazed? Don’t you really get it? Are you really that dumb?”
“……”
That’s a good point.
When I said I was going, the others stood up without a care, so I didn’t think about it. It seems normal to be scared. Yeah, that makes sense.
“……Well…”
Honestly, I wondered how to respond.
Saying, “The Goddess is watching over me,” wouldn’t be a believable claim even to ordinary people. If the Goddess truly protected everyone fighting demons, there wouldn’t be any casualties on the battlefield.
“This is what I have to do.”
“……You really don’t get it.”
Rina said that and stood up.
“Well, it’s just a matter of getting it over with in two weeks. Whether you die or not, it’s none of my business.”
Rina had already turned her back to me, so I couldn’t see her face.
*
Time passes quickly.
Since I came to this world in mid-February, almost two months have already gone by. If I hadn’t been hit by a truck, I would still be rolling around as a new employee at the company.
Strangely enough, I didn’t feel homesick. I didn’t have the desire to go back or the wish to live in a more peaceful world. Characters in stories who found themselves in situations like this usually didn’t have families or had no lingering attachments to their original world, but I didn’t really feel that way.
I was just a typical young man in his mid-twenties who was born into an ordinary family, studied hard, graduated from university, and scraped by with a meager salary like everyone else.
…Maybe it’s because I don’t have a way to return.
To be precise, even if I wanted to go back, there’s no way for me to return to the place I used to be.
I didn’t wake up one day in this world after sleeping, nor was I suddenly pulled through a portal by a cosmic entity for an internet broadcast.
If the Goddess is considered a cosmic being, then that’s somewhat accurate.
I died in the other world. There’s no doubt about it. I lived and chose to save a young child and paid for it with my life. I’m lying if I say I have no regrets. But if I had survived while watching a little girl get hit by a car, I would have regretted it even more.
I’m not saying that death is better. I could have done better, and perhaps there were better ways. There might have been a way for both me and that child to survive.
Perhaps enough time hasn’t passed yet. One day, suddenly, I might remember my parents’ faces, which I can no longer see in pictures, and feel an overwhelming urge to see them again. I might also be haunted by the faces of friends I used to meet for beers, having forgotten what they looked like due to the long time since we last met.
But what has happened has happened, and the world I’m experiencing now is the result of that.
There’s no way to turn back. Even if I go back, my place will no longer exist.
Then, I must firmly hold the place where I am right now.
“And honestly, there are things about this body that I like.”
I stood alone in an old shower room that only produced a trickle from the showerhead due to years of neglect, looking into the mirror as I muttered to myself.
With a doll-like pretty face, silky smooth hair, and soft skin. On top of that, I had an amazing figure and physical abilities, and I was equipped with a capability to earn much more after graduation than the meager salary I used to live on.
Isn’t that enough for a fresh start in a new world?
Oh, honestly, how grateful should I be that despite never putting in much effort, I somehow transformed into a super beauty that looks good in anything without trying? If I had gotten through life as I was before, I would have been despairing.
Maybe after graduation, I’ll try my hand at modeling instead of going to a treatment center. I honestly think I would do well at it.
Although, I feel like there might be something I lost that I haven’t been able to write down…
I slapped my cheeks with my hands. I shouldn’t feel down. I need to get my condition in check.
Tomorrow is the day, right?
“Haah.”
I exhaled a breath. The mirror fogged up, making my face look hazy. I wiped the fog away with my hand, and the lingering water droplets distorted my reflection.
Am I smiling or crying?
*
“I really hope they let me go!”
I shouldn’t be the one saying that, but honestly, I felt very nervous just a day before deployment. We had narrowed down the number of people going to three, but I wasn’t sure how the two who were coming along would turn out.
Once deployed, I wouldn’t be able to return for quite a while. As students, they would send me back one day, but who knew how long the period the cardinal had in mind would be.
And there was the time limit, too.
In the story, the suspicious witch breached the city by the end of May. I practically had a month to find and take care of that witch.
Is a month enough time? If I can’t find her in a month, will I be able to join the kids back in the academy? There were still many uncertainties.
But worrying about things I can’t solve right now won’t help. What I have to do is face the tasks in front of me. I’m in a story that doesn’t originally contain my character. The plot doesn’t hinge on my existence. The protagonist, Lee Ji-An, is still around.
It’s just Rina who’s a bit anxious.
Since the last time the kids saw my duel with Rina, they hadn’t brought up the topic of me participating. Life went on as usual; Rina and I continued to spar, and Selena, Jian, and Satsuki kept helping her.
There were some positive changes. Both Rina and I, along with the three supporting her, had fully adapted to our current pace, feeling considerably less fatigue. Though we still felt tired after training, I could tell my stamina had undoubtedly improved. That was a good thing.
Arriving at the classroom first as always, I opened the storage cupboard and began my cleaning. After quickly finishing up, Selena and Jian arrived to greet me, followed by Satsuki and Rina.
Hmm, thinking back, it’s a bit misleading to say nothing had changed in the past two weeks.
Rina had changed a little during these last two weeks.
No, rather, it would be more accurate to say that Rina and the others around her had changed a little.
Before, many kids had disliked Rina. Although no one openly bullied or ostracized her—after all, this was a hero academy—everyone treated each other like they had signed a treaty, avoiding even eye contact.
“Hey!”
“Hey, Rina.”
More and more kids passed by, greeting Rina as they went.
Since I entered the academy on the church’s recommendation, I had never properly felt that atmosphere, but St. Ariel Academy was a school where, under the Goddess’s name, future heroes, or at least elites, who could contribute to society were trained.
Given that it was a school for elite training, it required talent or an intense amount of effort to gain admission, and naturally, those who managed to overcome those hurdles had a sense of pride.
Since it was a hard-earned spot in the academy, it meant many students were genuinely eager to do well. Moreover, they were all first-year students new to the academy.
In the eyes of those kids, Rina must have seemed pretty annoying. She was someone who openly slept in class, showed no interest in creating relationships, and didn’t seem to make any effort at school, even though she was above average in skill.
She must have been seen as a slacker among top students.
But they saw her fighting with me two weeks ago, and realized she was someone who could work hard just like them.
With set goals, she would push herself to practice all night while leaning on the support of others, eventually realizing that effort.
Perhaps they noticed that positive change.
And an aspect of Rina’s attitude change played a part, too.
Well… Rina didn’t exactly start greeting people back or initiating conversations, but—
In the past, when someone tried to engage her in conversation, she would just lie on her desk, completely unresponsive. Now, she would stare at anyone who greeted her as if they were doing something utterly strange.
Anyone who had greeted Rina or tried to talk to her at least once during the semester would have felt how positively her attitude had shifted. Moreover, Rina, being a succubus, had an incredibly pretty face. Judging by the reactions, people mostly thought she was cute rather than aggressive.
Well, she was probably thinking, “What’s wrong with these people?”
*
Since that duel two weeks ago, it had become common for kids to watch us train. Particularly those who used swords like Rina or blunt weapons like me. For Rina, they came to learn, and for me, they came about teaching.
Even if they were talented and eager to learn, it had only been about a month. Though they were absorbing the basics reliably, they weren’t quite at the level of being called skilled.
The stance for a downward strike, the angle for an upward strike. How to move a shield more efficiently or deflect an enemy’s attack.
There wasn’t enough time to master all those fully, but still, I didn’t refuse teaching them everything. Every bit they offered me was for my sake, and they were indeed helpful tips.
As for Rina—
“Ask that guy over there. I don’t really know.”
She always coolly responded in a curt manner to kids who approached her for tips while wiping her face with the towel Jian had given her after our duel.
Honestly, even a majority of the classmates watching that situation would probably be shocked. How could she be so oblivious?
In the two weeks since then, aside from weekends when I didn’t come to the academy, I trained with Rina every single day. Of course, even on weekends, Linea and Aurora kept feeding me training content.
And today was no different.
The only notable difference was that all the kids from our class were watching us.
And that our homeroom teacher, Seo-A, was observing as well.
Everyone sat quietly, staring at us. I wasn’t sure what they were thinking. They probably all had their own thoughts. There might be some who wanted to pick up something from watching our duel, and others who were simply curious if I had grown strong enough to survive the upcoming expedition.
As for our homeroom teacher, she was probably just concerned that I wouldn’t be here the next day.
Rina was gripping her sword with both hands, glaring at me.
I raised my left hand to block, and my right hand prepared to strike down whenever needed.
And, as usual, the duel began with Rina charging at me.
*
And the outcome was, as expected, a draw that didn’t need explaining.
Rina kept improving. Her skills were never bad to begin with, and after all, she was getting direct training from the strongest in this world that I was aware of.
And, of course, that sword was aimed solely at me.
She repeatedly tried to find my weaknesses, attacking and creating openings. Adding more and more finesse to her swordplay.
However, regrettably, I was also growing.
And… it seemed my potential for growth was higher than hers.
Rina’s swordsmanship was getting better and better, but the degree of that improvement was gradually diminishing. While it was too soon to say she hit a limit, it at least meant she was nearing the maximum growth she could achieve in a short span. If she continued training for years to come, it would be another story.
Conversely, I hadn’t even bloomed yet. I had just barely gotten the basics down, and learned only a few advanced techniques that were reserved for seasoned fighters. I wasn’t even trying to incorporate finesse. In actual battles, it was better to focus on defense rather than opening myself up to attack with half-baked strikes.
But if you ask whether my ‘basics’ are unthreatening, that’s not the case. While my objective skill level was stuck at the basics, the power and speed behind those basics rivaled that of seasoned fighters. No, honestly, I was convinced of how incredible the power behind each of my strikes was.
So—
“Damn it!”
It was only natural for Rina to explode like this.
Earlier, I mentioned how the kids viewed Rina negatively.
Having not made any effort to get into this academy while still being skilled, and spending her time seemingly gliding through without working hard, it stood to reason they’d harbor some ill will.
To be completely honest, that wasn’t a fair characterization for Rina.
Indeed, basic physical strength and stamina do surpass that of humans. Since Rina was a lesser demon, a succubus, it wouldn’t be a far stretch to say she had some talent.
But no matter how much talent you have, without putting in the minimum effort, swordsmanship will not flourish.
Just like me on our first day of sparring, flailing my weapon around in the air without any clue of how to use a shield.
Rina was sprawled out on the ground like that, banging it with the grip of her sword. Bang! The sound was so loud that a normal person would never make it.
“Why, why, why isn’t it working? Why…”
At first, this might have just been a minor pride skirmish. Maybe we both thought we were just jesting a little, but after a while, I bet the feeling of not wanting to lose set in strongly.
There was a momentary thought of whether I should have let her win at the end, but I shook my head to dispel it. Rina would probably realize that immediately. After all, when you spar with someone every day, the intent— whether it was done on purpose or on accident— becomes pretty clear. It wouldn’t make sense to accept inferences like, “I must have had something else on my mind.”
I wobbled over to where Rina was sulking deeply and plopped down beside her.
“There’s no need to beat yourself up. We can do it again when you get back.”
“……”
Rina said nothing in response.
“Whenever we meet again, we can do it again.”
“Are you saying you can come back?”
Rina clenched her teeth, her voice strained.
“You… you don’t understand anything. There… there are things you can’t even imagine over there.”
Her tone resembled someone exhaling.
Rina lifted her head. Her expression was twisted in torment.
Even though I still thought she had a beautiful face. Well, she was the heroine class; she wouldn’t go down easily.
I could understand what Rina was thinking. After all, she knew about the witch.
She was a being born from the hands of the suspicious witch herself, so she had heard how the demon forces burnt cities and killed people. Even if she grew up in a low-level city, she’d know all too well how horrifying those entities could be.
“I see….”
Even if I said I understood, those words would likely sound like mere platitudes to someone who really lived through it.
And that was indeed the case.
Even if I wrote it myself, it was still just mere text. Even if I imagined it, it was only that— an imagination. I had never seen or experienced it. I couldn’t foresee how I would feel when I faced it directly.
I knelt before Rina.
“If that’s the case,”
I bent down to grasp her hands tenderly.
“Please pray for me.”
And I held her hands delicately in mine, intertwining my fingers with hers.
“What?”
Rina let out a bewildered sound.
“You know, that I…”
“The Goddess is merciful to everyone.”
I said this and closed my eyes. I was unsure if Rina followed suit.
“The Goddess’s mercy extends to all. Humans, elves, beastmen, gnomes—even to you.”
Isn’t that so?
“……”
Fortunately, Rina didn’t withdraw her hands or anything. Perhaps it was desperation?
“O merciful Goddess Ariel,”
There is a structured prayer here, much like the Lord’s Prayer. For instance, the dawn prayers I performed every morning in the convent.
However, bringing such a prayer here would hold no significance. There was no prayer for demons in this world. Even if I said something to an existence that never showed gratitude toward their divine being, it would mean nothing.
So, I didn’t need a prayer.
“Please protect this little lamb in front of you.”
There was no need for complicated rhetoric or formalities. No need for tales of gratitude or devotion.
Who said it? The act of prayer is a ludicrous request to ask the universe’s principles to be overridden for one individual’s plea. Perhaps that could be the case. After all, demons are fundamentally the antithesis of divine power, and asking the deity to protect such beings could be deemed as unreasonable.
However,
But, in the story I wrote, didn’t that happen?
At the end, when Rina prayed sincerely for her friends for the first and last time, Ariel answered her prayer. As a result, Rina was sacrificed, the suspicious witch disappeared, and the protagonists were kept safe.
That mighty divine power incinerated Rina in the process.
I really hope that doesn’t happen.
“I pray as a weak and insignificant being,”
I have received so much from you, yet I have nothing to give in return. How embarrassing, but I still implore you nevertheless.
“Please protect us. Please grant us the Goddess’s mercy.”
May my friends not disappear, and may I succeed in what I set out to do.
“I pray.”
Please help me so that this girl does not have to grieve because of me.
I simply pray.
…Ariel’s voice did not echo back.
However.
A small light brightened up my closed eyes.
I opened my eyes to see my hands enveloping Rina’s tiny hands. The light spilled outward from there.
It was infinitely weaker than the holy power I usually wielded— just enough to slightly illuminate the darkness around.
“……”
But, Rina’s face was filled with astonishment. The prior expression of sorrow that twisted her face just moments ago.
Divine power burns the flesh of demons. A powerful holy power might not merely inflict burns but extinguish the very existence of demons. This is a very basic physical law in this world. It wasn’t that the demons purposely sought to seduce humans to create witches and breed successive generations.
But now, the light illuminated between my and Rina’s hands gently, not harming anything, merely warming the surroundings.
“Rina.”
A glimmer of miraculous light sparkled in her violet eyes as she looked at me.
“Please pray for me.”
*
[All I can do is pray.]
“How naive you are,”
A man scoffed at the Goddess Ariel who was listening to the prayers.
“……”
Ariel listened silently, not uttering a word.
“Now, about that prayer— do you intend to grant it? Perhaps, as they say, ‘overriding the laws of the universe for one person’s petition?’”
“Those are not the laws of the universe,”
“Right, I know. It’s fundamentally because our deities are on equal footing.”
“Indeed.”
Ariel simply smiled at the man.
“……How unfortunate that someone who died sacrificing himself for another believes he can give nothing in return. Merely being here is what you’ve wished for all along.”
The man murmured, sounding more contemplative than sarcastic. Ariel felt that this was the first time she had heard him speak like that. However, she chose not to point it out.
“Yes, that is indeed true. Therefore,”
Ariel closed her eyes.
“Therefore, I intend to grant it.”
Something that is wholly reasonable; something that no one has simply considered until now.
For the sake of that lovely notion, as someone from beyond.
……As compensation for everything you will do going forward.
“Sometimes,”
The man, quietly watching the Goddess, opened his mouth.
“There are times I want to pray, too.”
“……Indeed, I can truly believe that.”
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