Bubbles in the Abyss
Bubbles rose between my lips, faint pockets of air slipping free. In my blurred, hazy vision, all I could see was a pitch-black abyssal sea. I was standing at the bottom of the ocean.
'This place…'
I slowly turned my head, scanning my surroundings. The scenery felt both unfamiliar and strangely familiar, like déjà vu. It was the same space I had experienced in a dream—the one I had during the school trip when I lost consciousness.
-It's been a while.
Familiar voices echoed from behind me. I turned toward the source of the sound and, sure enough, saw two figures. Raiden and Kim Naru. The two boys, who shared nearly identical appearances, stood side by side, staring at me.
Their black hair swayed gently, drifting along with the rippling currents. They watched me in silence for a long moment before, all at once, they furrowed their brows and spoke in perfect unison.
-We told you, didn't we?
-Not to forget.
-Why can't you remember?
Their tone sounded almost accusatory. I frowned. What did they mean, don't forget? What were they suddenly talking about?
-We said we aren't different beings.
-You mustn't forget that.
Only then did fragments of the previous dream flash through my mind. That's right. Back then, I had spoken with them in this same setting.
I steadied my dizzy mind and walked toward the two of them. There were things I wanted to ask. What did they mean by we aren't different? And what exactly were these bizarre phenomena that kept appearing before me?
I moved my lips desperately, trying to form words even though no sound would come out. Bubbles streamed from my open mouth.
-You still haven't accepted anything yet...
-I suppose that's to be expected.
-That person probably didn't explain anything to 'me'.
-What a weird personality, seriously.
-I think so too.
The two boys conversed with each other, completely ignoring me as I flailed awkwardly in the water. For some reason, I felt like I absolutely had to hear what they were saying.
'Wait, what are you two talking about...! Tell me too...!'
As I screamed silently, Naru and Raiden exchanged troubled glances. After a brief silence, they whispered softly into my ear.
-We still can't tell you anything... or rather, we can't tell 'me' anything yet.
-Right now, we're blocked by a wall.
Blocked by a wall? What the hell did that mean?
-If it were up to us, we'd explain everything...
-Sorry. It looks like this is our limit.
The illusion wearing Raiden's form mumbled those words. Then the boy wearing Naru's appearance spoke next.
-This is as far as we can intervene.
-Anything more is impossible... unless the wall disappears.
The two of them stared at me with sunken, distant eyes. Within their pupils lingered a strangely nostalgic emotion.
-If you want to know everything, break down the wall.
-Then we'll come find you again.
Wait...! You're just going to disappear like that?
You haven't answered any of my questions. At the very least, you should tell me what this 'wall' even is......
-If you don't know, you must learn.
-That is how you reach both new truths and old realities.
With those final words, Raiden and Kim Naru vanished without a trace. Panicked, I whipped my head around, searching everywhere, but they were nowhere to be found. It was as if they had never existed here at all.
Right after, my vision began to blur. As consciousness slowly rose back to the surface, a faint murmur brushed against my ear.
-This time, really don't forget.
-That we are not different...
. . .
"......Ah."
When I woke up, I was sprawled across the bed in a pathetic position. The sheets were a complete mess from all my tossing and turning. I sat up, pressing a hand to my dizzy forehead.
My mind was still foggy; it wouldn't work properly. The aftereffects of sleep made me sway unsteadily for a moment. The contents of last night's dream were tangled chaotically inside my head.
"What the hell kind of dream was that...?"
Not only was I breathing normally at the bottom of the ocean, but I'd even had a conversation with two boys who looked exactly like Raiden and me. I let out a groan at how absurd the whole thing was and rubbed my dry face.
"Hoo... Have I been that tired lately?"
It wasn't exactly a nightmare, so I could just brush it off, but it certainly wasn't a pleasant dream either. After replaying the events of the night before, I shook off the lingering thoughts and got out of bed.
"......I can't afford to get caught up in nonsense like this."
Today was the first day of the ranking matches. There were only two days left until the Academy invasion. A tight schedule awaited me from morning onward, so I had no time to waste thinking about dreams.
After washing up and changing clothes, I left the dormitory and headed for the nearby carriage stop. There were many things I needed to handle, but the very first thing on the list was participating in the ranking matches.
No matter how likely it was that the exam would be canceled, I couldn't simply ignore the tournament bracket that had already been assigned.
-Whiiiish...
A passing breeze brushed across my cheek. The winter air had the power to wake up a sleepy morning. Every time I let out a tired yawn, a long trail of white breath stretched into the air.
As I rubbed my stinging eyes, a faint peach scent tickled my nose.
"......."
Did the smell somehow seep into me from Rachel's pillow? The sweet fragrance lingering on my clothes made my face grow strangely hot.
"Seriously... I'm not some middle school kid going through puberty. Why am I like this..."
I touched my flushed cheeks, trying to cool them down. Before I knew it, my feet had carried me to my destination. I boarded a carriage that had just arrived and headed toward the training grounds where the ranking matches were being held.
The scenery outside the window rushed past. I leaned my head against the backrest, thinking about the tournament that would begin in a few hours.
"Now that I think about it... my first opponent was Margaret, wasn't it?"
Match 4
Raiden Lisite vs Margaret Filer
***
The ranking matches.
They were a traditional practical exam unique to Reynolds Academy, held twice every year. Two students would duel inside a round, colosseum-style arena. This evaluation, which offered both raw combat and spectacular entertainment, was incredibly popular among the students.
It was an event that brought joy to the otherwise monotonous Academy life. The students viewed the ranking matches less as an exam and more like a sports festival. In fact, the Academy itself always organized them in the form of a festival.
"Hey, hey! The first match is about to start! Hurry up!"
"Wait! We have to buy popcorn first!"
Perhaps because the ranking matches had finally begun, the atmosphere within the Academy was more heated than ever.
"Who were the ones fighting in the first match again?"
"The Reverse Swordmaster Kelvin and Hammer Karl! Isn't that a total blockbuster matchup?"
"Hmm... I'm actually more excited for the third match."
In front of the open training grounds where the ranking matches were held, a massive crowd of students had already gathered, creating a noisy marketplace atmosphere. Eyes filled with excitement and anticipation were fixed on the tournament bracket posted on the bulletin board.
Reverse Swordmaster Kelvin versus Hammer Karl.
Black Mage Kurian versus Holy Power Rone.
There were several matches that stimulated the students' interest. And if there was one matchup drawing the most attention among them, it was undoubtedly......
"Hey, hey, look at this!"
"No way... Is this for real...?"
Match 4
⚔ Raiden Lisite vs Margaret Filer
Raiden and Margaret's matchup.
The students' eyes sparkled with interest as they stared at the two names placed side by side.
"It's the Magic Department's top student, Lady Filer! I absolutely have to go watch!"
"I heard Young Lord Lisite showed incredible performance in the recent incidents... I'm really looking forward to this."
"Both of them are incredibly skilled, after all."
"This match is going to be a real treat to watch, isn't it?"
Margaret, who reigned at the top of the Magic Department, and Raiden, who had earned the title of 'Academy Hero' after resolving the recent crises. At first glance, it was a matchup that naturally drew attention.
And there was one more thing. Aside from their outstanding abilities, there was another factor that captured the students' interest...
"Wow... The bracket is brutal."
"Why would they pit former fiancés against each other...?"
"I heard they broke off the engagement less than two years ago."
"It'll be entertaining, sure, but... is this really okay?"
It was the relationship between the boy and the girl.
Top-tier talents within the Academy, along with their complicated personal history. With such appealing elements, it was only natural that Margaret and Raiden's match became the biggest draw.
"I wish it would start already!"
"Who are you rooting for?"
"Obviously Lady Filer for me! What about you?"
"I'm going with Young Lord Lisite. We're both in the Swordsmanship Department, after all."
As the time for their match drew closer, the training grounds grew increasingly crowded. The nearly five-thousand-seat spectator stands were packed full of excited students and faculty members.
And watching that heated crowd with awkward expressions were a silver-haired girl and a black-haired boy.
***
-Waaaaaaaaah!!!
The moment I stepped onto the arena floor, a passionate roar slammed into my eardrums. It was the noise coming from the fully packed stands.
I was fiddling with the practice iron sword when I felt my ears go numb and frowned. What the hell? Why are they screaming like that? And why are there so many people here to watch...?
I broke out in a cold sweat as I looked at the stands, which were almost completely full. They were all holding popcorn and cheering enthusiastically.
"......"
Sometimes I really couldn't understand the sensibilities of this world. Even if they called it a festival, it was ultimately just a practical evaluation. Why were they so excited?
As I let out a small sigh and stared into space, my eyes met those of the silver-haired girl standing across from me.
"......"
"......"
Her crimson eyes burned with dazzling intensity. After sharing a brief gaze with those red pupils, the announcer's loud voice soon rang out across the arena.
-Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!
They really know how to make a scene. Would it kill them to keep it a little quieter?
I let out an even deeper sigh and adjusted my grip on the sword. On the opposite side, Margaret also gathered mana at her fingertips.
"I won't hold back."
A single sentence reached me while I was getting into position. I responded immediately with a plain, straightforward answer.
"As you wish."
With the announcer's loud signal, the match began. Margaret, who had been gathering mana, immediately aimed at me and unleashed her spell.
"Wind Cutter ×2!!"
The quick chant rang out, and fierce blades of wind came rushing toward me. I calmly raised my sword in a defensive stance.
'She's aiming for the head...'
I roughly calculated the trajectory of the incoming attack and kicked off the ground. Since it was a spell thrown out for a probing exchange, its power wasn't particularly strong. In this situation, deflecting it would be better than dodging.
I tightened my grip on the sword hilt. Then, with all my strength, I swung the blade in a diagonal arc.
-Kaaaaang!!
The next instant, a deafening crash erupted as magic and sword collided.