The Price of Hesitation
"Good morning."
As I stepped into the classroom, the class representative greeted me as if she had been waiting for me. When I nodded in acknowledgment, she offered a faint smile and pulled cleaning supplies from the locker. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, the two of us quietly cleaned the morning classroom. My heart felt complicated whenever I looked at her smiling face. When I had been eating alone with Sylvia, the class representative had been staring straight at me. She was a clumsy girl who, despite apologizing for not approaching me sooner to sit by my side, still seemed to keep her distance, perhaps because she was still bothered by what she had said to me in the past.
I knew what kind of relationship she wanted to have with me. I even knew what I should say to make her happy. But I felt I had no right to do so, considering I had intended to leave her to her fate even though I knew what would happen to her. That was why I had forced myself to ignore her as she hovered around me during every break, and even when we did talk, I deliberately kept it brief. But the goodwill contained in the chocolate she had given me, and the time we had spent together every morning due to a promise I’d made by accident, had piled up in my heart little by little. Now, it had grown too large to ignore. And so, I couldn't help but think: I hope the class representative doesn't die.
"Attention, everyone! Today, we’re going to do a mock combat training session just like last time! However, today you’ll be in groups of five, and you won't be choosing your own teammates—you’ll be grouped with people I’ve already selected."
Eve shouted to the students gathered in the gymnasium, where the entrance was open but only materials were piled up, as if construction hadn't progressed during class. I recalled the mock combat training we’d done before. The class representative and the "Spear Guy" had practically carried me on their backs. I hadn't done anything except feed a large goblin a hot drink called Fire Punch at the very end. I wished this training would be as easy to coast through as the last one. As if she had read my thoughts, Eve spoke with a meaningful expression.
"Just know that since the last combat training was your first, I kept it at a child's play level. The things you’ll be facing today aren't weak monsters like last time—they’re Magic Beasts, so prepare yourselves mentally."
The expressions of the students hardened at the mention of Magic Beasts. The students who had entered Aegis Academy to become heroes were strong. At least, compared to ordinary people. But if the point of comparison became a Magic Beast, the story changed. Most of the students in this class would likely struggle to handle even a single low-rank Magic Beast on their own. That was why the kids had panicked when Eve showed them the illusion of a Magic Beast on the first day of school.
Magic Beasts with unique abilities, such as barriers that prevent those who enter a certain space from leaving, are usually classified as intermediate rank or higher. Because everyone was trapped in the classroom by Eve's illusion, they had mistaken it for an intermediate Magic Beast, and it was normal to panic because an intermediate Magic Beast is not an easy opponent even for active-duty heroes. People like Yoon Siwoo or Sylvia, who could attack an intermediate Magic Beast without fear, were simply out of the norm. Those two were "cheat characters" who could easily do more than their fair share even if they were active-duty heroes right now. In any case, the point was that if I wasn't in the same group as Sylvia or Yoon Siwoo, this training was going to be difficult. Please, please let me be in the same group as Sylvia!
"Alright, I'll call out the groups! By the way, Siwoo-kun, Evande-yang, and Sylvia-yang are in different groups again this time!"
My hopes were shattered from the start. The only saving grace was that I was in the same group as the class representative. The other members were two male students whose faces I knew but had never talked to, and a female student I remembered for her fanatical hatred of bugs. As I nodded to the group members who were introducing themselves and asking for my cooperation, I heard Eve's voice.
"Today's training will be set as close to a real-life situation as possible, so everyone be careful not to die while training. I've put in some protective measures so it won't hurt like you're actually dying, but it won't be a pleasant experience. Today, after all groups have finished their training, we'll all watch the training footage together and I'll tell you what needs to be fixed, so let's start with Group 1."
When Eve, who usually spoke with a cheerful voice and a smile, spoke about a serious topic with a grave face, the blood drained from the children's faces. Group 1 was the group Yoon Siwoo belonged to. As the five students, including Yoon Siwoo, walked forward, Eve snapped her fingers. As she snapped, the students disappeared. This time, unlike the last training, no screen appeared in front of us, so we couldn't see what the students were doing. Ten minutes passed before the students reappeared. The kids who had been in the same group as Yoon Siwoo were looking at him with eyes full of surprise and awe. Since there was no description of this training in the original novel, I didn't know what had happened inside, but judging by their reactions, it seemed like Yoon Siwoo had put on a one-man show.
Next was Group 2, which included Sylvia. The members of Group 2, who reappeared after 10 minutes, were all gasping for air, except for Sylvia, as if they were exhausted. Sylvia was pretending to be fine, but her posture was a bit off, so it didn't seem easy. Judging by the other members looking at Sylvia and talking about how amazing she was, I could roughly guess what had happened.
And then, Group 3—our turn. The members of Group 3, including myself and the class representative, lined up in front of Eve. I heard the sound of Eve snapping her fingers, and the scenery changed instantly. What came into view were residential areas and buildings. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary city. However, the group members, aware that this was training, formed a defensive perimeter with the bug-hating girl in the center. We had agreed in advance that since the girl was a telekinetic—a rear-guard type—the rest of us, being close-combat types, would protect her.
As we moved forward slowly in that formation, a monster that looked like a large dog appeared beyond the alleyway. Just as I was about to say I saw a Magic Beast, I heard the voices of the class representative and the other group members.
"Magic Beast confirmed ahead. It seems to have targeted us."
"Ugh... I see one over here, too?"
"Mine, too..."
It seemed like there were Magic Beasts everywhere. The girl in the center of the formation, acting as a sort of command center, said in a trembling voice:
"P-please take them on one by one! I'll try to create openings for you from the center!"
As soon as she said that, the dog-like Magic Beast lunged. My heart pounded at its savage appearance, but I had to block at least one on my own. I clenched my fists, thinking I would dodge its attack and land a counter. Attack, come on, attack. My physical abilities were excellent, so I could see and react to most attacks. So, I would dodge the attack and then somehow drive my fist into it. The moment my mind was filled with the thought of dodging the attack of the Magic Beast charging at me with bared teeth, the beast lunged off the ground and leaped right over my head. My mind and body froze for a second at the beast's unexpected behavior. This is bad, I thought, turning my body around.
The class representative and the two male students were each holding off a Magic Beast with the weapons they had. The beast that had leaped over me was now attacking the girl in the center. The girl in the center desperately reached out her hand toward the beast. Then, the beast's body stopped in mid-air. It was the girl's telekinesis. I let out a sigh of relief. While the beast's body was frozen, I wrapped my fist in flames and struck it. The beast went limp, as if that single blow had ended its life. When we worked together to finish off the beasts the struggling male students were facing, the class representative was also catching her breath, having apparently taken down her beast alone. It was a relief that no accident had occurred. I was just covering for my lack of combat experience with physical abilities far superior to others, so sometimes my head couldn't keep up.
"Sorry. I should have handled that properly..."
"No, it's fine. I'm standing in the center so I can deal with those kinds of unexpected situations."
When I bowed my head and apologized to the girl, she waved her hand, saying it was okay.
"You can reflect later, so get ready again. It looks like more are coming."
Just then, the class representative spoke to us. Everyone was startled by her words and looked around, and sure enough, large dog-like Magic Beasts, identical to the ones we had just defeated, were charging toward us. We quickly adjusted our formation and prepared for battle.
"There are five of them! Everyone, please take one each! I'll try to hold one back as much as I can!"
The girl's voice shouted from the back. Since there were five, I absolutely couldn't let any slip past me this time. With that thought, I grabbed the charging Magic Beast with both arms. As I set my hands on fire, the beast let out a painful scream. My hands trembled. It would be better if I could end it in one blow. The screams of the beast burning alive pierced my ears. Even if I tried not to be conscious of it, I couldn't help but be. The sensibility of a modern person, unaccustomed to violence, made me want to retch. Because of that, I was slow to finish off the beast, and slow to react to the scream the girl let out from behind me. When I turned around, I saw that the beast had broken free from the telekinetic restraint, perhaps because the resistance was stronger than expected, and was lunging at me. The beast in my arms, not yet dead, thrashed about. By the time I managed to finish it off, the other beast was already baring its teeth right in front of me.
"SCARLET!!"
I heard the class representative's shout. The class representative, who had run over to me at some point, drove her sword into the back of the head of the beast that was lunging at me. And at the same time, I saw the beast the class representative had been fighting sink its teeth into her neck. Blood erupted, and I screamed something as I smashed the head of the beast that was biting the class representative. But the class representative, who had fallen to the floor, didn't move anymore. The class representative was dead. Because of me.