The Bet of the Class Representatives
The bet between the class representatives of Class A and Class B had begun. The atmosphere between the two was so tense that I found myself swallowing hard. Marin was the type of person who gave her heart to those around her, even in the original story. Naturally, she would have been the same with the kids in Class B, and she must have trusted them just as much. Mei, too, despite appearing a bit blunt, was someone with immense affection for Class A. Since neither of them even considered the possibility that their own class would lose, one of them was bound to be hurt once the outcome was decided. Hoping for a 3-to-3 draw if possible, I peered at the battle of the first groups reflected on the floating screen.
Overall, it was Class B that was pressing the attack. However, Class A was holding out without much wavering, thanks to Daniel’s appropriate support and Andre’s solid defense. It seemed like a stalemate, but in an instant, Daniel moved behind Andre’s shield, slipped out of the opponent's line of sight, leaped into the air, and fired a powerful javelin. One of the Class B students who was hit by it must have taken damage exceeding the protective gear's threshold, as they vanished from the screen and were ejected from the illusion magic.
“That’s it, Daniel!”
“Ah! If he gets hit by that!”
The sounds of the two girls' conflicting emotions reached my ears. They had been evenly matched even when the numbers were equal, but the balance crumbled once a numerical difference emerged. As Class A, having gained the numerical advantage, turned to the offensive, the members of Class B were eliminated one by one, and Class A emerged victorious. As the magic dissipated, the victorious Class A students returned with a triumphant, majestic gait, as if they were on a victory march.
“Mwahahaha! Applaud me!!!”
“Daniel! Daniel! He’s a god!”
“The others were cool, too!”
As Daniel, the protagonist of the victory, raised his spear high and shouted, the other Class A kids sitting nearby cheered. Perhaps stung by that provocative celebration, the Class B students wore expressions of frustration. Mei tilted her head back slightly and muttered to Marin as if stating an obvious fact.
“Looks like Class A is going to win, doesn't it?”
“Hmph, it’s only been one match! Class B is going to win all the remaining five!”
Marin retorted to Mei’s provocation with an expression that said it was out of the question, then looked toward where the Class B students were sitting and shouted loudly.
“Don’t give up, everyone! Show them the power of Class B!”
I could see the Class B students’ fighting spirit rising at Marin’s shout. They seemed filled with the resolve to win and pay them back. Even so, Mei, who was convinced that Class A would win, was smiling with composure, as if telling them to give it their best shot. And when the results of the second and third group battles came out, the smile vanished from Mei’s face. It was because Class B had won both the second and third groups.
“Waaaaah, we lost......”
Jessie, who had shouted, ‘I’ll definitely win a point!’ before the third group battle, presumably having heard about the bet, returned with teary eyes. As I comforted Jessie, who was clinging to me like a leech, Marin smiled at the now-quiet Mei and said,
“Did you see? The potential of Class B. Do you still think Class A will win?”
“1 to 2, the final result isn't out yet.”
Mei spoke in a tone that suggested it was fine, but I could somehow tell she was feeling a bit anxious. Mei must be feeling it too. That the average level of Class B seemed to be superior to Class A. In the original story, when the classes were merged, the proportion of Class B students had been higher. That meant fewer Class B students had been left in the gymnasium than Class A, which meant that for now, Class B had a larger number of students who could be considered combat-ready. No matter how much Eve had tried to balance the groups, a difference was bound to arise. It was fortunate that Class A had won the first group because Daniel and Andre were stronger than expected.
When Eve called for the fourth group, Mei, who had been sitting in front, jumped up.
“Mei, fighting! Please get revenge for me!”
At Jessie’s shout from behind me, Mei turned her head to look at us. When I nodded at Jessie, who was cheering enthusiastically, to encourage her, Mei nodded at us as well and stepped forward. Her eyes were burning with the determination to win at all costs.
......I was cheering for her, but honestly, the matchup was a bit unfortunate. When I saw the roster for the fourth group, I thought the balance was completely off. Marin, who had been sitting next to me, uncrossed her arms and released the small girl she had been holding in her lap.
“I’m going!”
“Yeah, go get 'em.”
Flone, who bounced up from the floor and greeted her, looked completely unconcerned as Marin told her to go.
“It’s my first time seeing her in person today, but I’ve heard stories about the daughter of the Dolos family. If the stories I’ve heard are true, this group will be a bit tough.”
Sylvia whispered to me in a low voice from the side. The Dolos family, Flone’s house, was an incredibly famous lineage. It was comparable to Sylvia’s Astra family or the headmaster’s Aegis family. It was a family with influence as great as its fame. The reason Sylvia didn't know Flone’s face was likely because, due to her peculiar personality, the Dolos family rarely let Flone go outside. In any case, I knew the story about Flone that Sylvia must have heard because I had seen it in the original work. It was that the current generation of the Dolos family was as strong as they were eccentric. And I also knew that there was no exaggeration in those rumors.
The battle of the fourth group began. Flone pulled out a small rod with a tiny star-shaped ornament on the end from her pocket. Standing there with what looked like a magic wand, Flone looked like a magical girl from a children’s animation because of her short stature and pink hair. However, despite her harmless appearance, the Class A students didn't easily underestimate her and rush in. Since it was such a famous surname, perhaps the class representative who had heard her name had given them a heads-up. It was a good judgment, but that was only if there was a way to deal with her. Seeing that Class A wouldn't approach, Flone smiled brightly.
Dolos, the family of the hero who led the 70-man suicide squad that went to subjugate the Witch of Lust long ago. The ability of the hero, who had run without rest from the far west to his own family with a large hole in his stomach to report the noble sacrifice of the 69 and the subjugation of the Witch of Lust before finally breathing his last, was simple. It was just a robust body. That was all. It was just that he was strong enough to lead the heroes who were famous in their own right with just that. And Flone was evaluated as having inherited his blood more deeply than anyone else in the family to date. The reason Marin could hug and suppress her was simply because Flone didn't truly dislike that behavior. There was almost no one who could suppress that girl with simple physical ability.
The length of the rod in Flone’s hand stretched out. Until it was almost the same length as her height. From the star-shaped ornament, which had grown in size in proportion to the length, vicious thorns suddenly sprouted. It was a type of weapon called a Morning Star, though it looked a bit unusual. When Flone rushed at Mei and swung the weapon with one hand, a terrifying sound echoed as the heavy object cut through the air. Mei, who had dodged the attack by jumping back with nimble movements, wore a horrified expression, as if she had felt the terrifying destructive power despite having dodged it.
I recalled the story related to Flone’s weapon that I had read in the original work. It was a story that had left a deep impression on me, so I remembered it clearly. Long ago, as usual, dwarves who were drunk were debating what the most masculine weapon was, and they made a weapon out of Adamantium, the strongest and heaviest metal in the world. It was a true man’s weapon that could increase in size according to the user’s capacity, but the weight increased in proportion to it. The weapon, which was nicknamed the ‘Girl Detector’ because the thorns wouldn't sprout unless it reached a certain size and it took the form of a toy that little girls might carry, was born that way. And the dwarves who woke up from their drunkenness realized the truth. Because there was no lightweight magic that wasn't masculine on the weapon they had made, no one could make it into its true form. The dwarves, who had all become girls overnight, tearfully gifted the weapon to a true man who could handle it. And at this very moment, the ‘Girl Detector’ had been passed down and, ironically, was revealing its true form in the hands of Flone, who looked more like a girl than anyone else.
Perhaps not expecting Mei to dodge the attack, Flone tilted her head slightly, then jumped in again and swung the weapon in her hand wide horizontally. Mei jumped back significantly to dodge that massive attack, just like before, and her face was filled with astonishment. It was because the ‘Girl Detector’ had instantly increased in size in Flone’s hands, who had switched to holding the weapon’s handle with both hands.
“Hiyah!” Flone struck Mei with a cute battle cry that sounded like it should have had a ☆ at the end. As a result, a sound that wasn't cute at all echoed, as the defensive barrier Mei must have created with her ability shattered into pieces. Mei’s body, hit by the magical girl (physical) who had become a true man, floated into the air and vanished. After that, it was a massacre. The rest of the Class B students interfered with the Class A students who were trying to create distance while throwing checks at Flone, and as a result, Class A students were knocked out one by one every time Flone swung her weapon. The result of the fourth group’s mock battle was, as expected, a defeat for Class A.
Perhaps because Class A had lost three times in a row, or perhaps for some other reason, Mei returned with an expression as if her soul had been sucked out and sat down. Jessie ran over quickly and comforted her, saying it was okay, but Mei’s expression didn't improve easily. Flone, who had hopped over and snuggled into Marin’s arms, looked at Mei and said nonchalantly,
“I thought you’d be strong because you’re a class representative, but you weren't really. Marin is as strong as Flone. Well, don’t be too disappointed! It’s not shameful to lose to Flone!”
At those words, Mei seemed to be annoyed, but she held it in and just wore a frustrated expression without a word. However, Jessie couldn't hold it in and glared at Flone, shouting,
“Ugh, Mei isn't weak! You little shrimp!”
“A... shrimp?! Eek! You’re not that much taller than Flone either! Besides, it’s true that she’s weak! She was blown away by Flone in one hit!”
Flone, whose short height was a complex, shouted while trembling at Jessie’s words. Then Jessie, as if she had developed a sense of duty that she had to defend Mei, shouted back. The sight of the two short people clinging to their respective class representatives and arguing looked like nothing but a fight between elementary school students.
“I’m naturally small because I have a dwarf among my ancestors! You shrimp who is smaller than this dwarf! And Mei has a strong heart! Strong enough not to run away even in front of the Demon of Sloth!”
“So what if your heart is strong! You have to be strong in reality! And Flone will grow more in the future!”
“Ugh! Anyway, Mei is strong! And to think you’d grow more at this age, your head must be as small as your height! Our growth period has long since passed!”
“Ugh... Marin! She’s teasing me! Say something to her!”
Just like how young children look for their parents when they are at a disadvantage in an argument, Flone looked for Marin. Then Marin sighed and flicked Flone’s forehead lightly. Flone shouted with a wronged expression.
“Ouch! Why! Flone didn't say anything wrong!”
“You were wrong first. How could you say such things to someone else! Haah, I sigh more because of you. I’m sorry. She has a tendency to say things without letting them pass through her brain first.”
Marin sighed with a familiar look and bowed her head to Mei.
“Whew, no. It’s all true anyway. And Jessie, I appreciate your heart, but you shouldn't make personal attacks. You apologize too.”
Mei said that after catching her breath at Marin’s apology. Jessie, who had been wearing a face that said ‘I won!’, turned bright red at Mei’s words. It seemed she had realized how childish what she had done was. As Jessie carefully bowed her head to Flone, a scene unfolded where Flone also shook her head and apologized, saying she was wrong too. Usually, after doing that, they would be forced to do something terrible like a hug of reconciliation, but fortunately, Marin and Mei didn't seem to have any intention of making them do that.
“By the way, I heard there were students who defeated the Demon of Sloth that appeared at the school, and it seems it was you guys.”
Marin changed the subject to break the slightly stiff atmosphere. Perhaps because of what Jessie had just said, Mei answered when the story about the Demon of Sloth came up.
“To be precise, it wasn't people who defeated it, but a person. I barely did anything. It was Scarlet who defeated the Demon.”
As Mei said that and looked at me, Marin and Flone also sent their gazes toward me. It was a hot gaze that said, ‘Oh, amazing,’ so I avoided their eyes. Gazes, troublesome. Then Mei looked at Marin, gave a bitter smile, and opened her mouth again.
“Did you say you were as strong as the young lady of the Dolos family? If I were that strong, I would have been a little helpful...... Well, anyway, experiencing it firsthand, I know Class B is strong. Since you said you were strong too, it seems there are many excellent people.”
When Mei praised Class B, Marin shrugged her shoulders, perhaps feeling good.
“Hmph, have you only now realized the excellence of Class B? Well, if you’ve realized it, you can call off the bet we made earlier. I only did that because I thought you were looking down on Class B.”
In a bet where you win if you get 4 points first, she had already gotten 3. Perhaps thinking she had already won, Marin said to Mei as if granting a favor. Watching that, I sighed in regret. Although it was Marin’s personality to have a bit of a clumsy side even if she looked calm, why on earth was she building up karma for herself in a situation where she could just stay still? Mei said to Marin, who was shrugging her shoulders,
“......Hey, I didn't say I lost yet. If Class A wins the remaining two times, it’s a draw, right?”
“It seems you have something to rely on?”
When Marin asked, Mei glanced at me. To be precise, she must have been looking at Sylvia, who was quietly watching this situation while stuck to me. Then Marin said while looking this way,
“Is that so. It seems you were relying on the two people here. The successor of Astra and the student who defeated the Demon of Sloth...... Unfortunately, Class B has a secret weapon hidden away. It will probably be difficult, you know? Of course, you’d have to defeat me first before that.”
It seems she’s misunderstanding something...... Just as I was about to correct her, Eve shouted from the front for the people in the fifth group to come out.
“I’ll probably win 1 to 5, you know?”
Marin went out with a confident expression as she shouted that. Since Sylvia was also in the fifth group, she stood up quietly.
“Can you win?”
“Shall I win for you?”
When I asked that, Sylvia asked back. I glanced at Mei, who was sitting in the front seat. She was still a bit down, and I thought she would be even sadder if they lost, so I nodded.
“I didn't think of losing in the first place, but since Scarlet asked me to win, I’ll have to fight even harder.”
Sylvia said that with a smile and stepped forward. And the battle of the fifth group that ensued was incredibly thrilling. Marin’s parents were both heroes famous for their superpowers, and she had inherited both of their abilities, freely handling water and cold. Marin, who gathered moisture from the air to fire water cannons with intense water pressure, and attacked by freezing the moisture condensed above the opponent’s head to drop it by surprise. Sylvia intercepted all of that barrage of water and ice by using appropriate spells. The silver starlight symbolizing Astra, reflected in the water and ice. The kids watching through the screen were busy exclaiming in admiration at the sight, which was too beautiful even though it was a fight. However, all those beautiful attacks contained destructive power that could not be ignored, so even though Sylvia and Marin were constantly giving orders, the other students in the fifth group were swept up one by one and eliminated.
Mei was watching that scene with complex eyes. I couldn't know what kind of emotions she was feeling. But because she was now my friend, not an extra whose name didn't even appear, I gently held her hand from behind as she watched the battle of the protagonists of this world. Mei, startled by the sudden touch, looked at me for a moment as if surprised, then smiled slightly and squeezed my hand. I looked at the screen again. Now only Sylvia and Marin were left. Marin, who had been attacking, was now cornered, wrapped in a fortress of ice to block the swarm of starlight flying toward her. However, the destructive power of Sylvia’s starlight was more than enough to pierce through that ice. After Sylvia chanted a slightly long spell and the screen brightened for a moment, the battle of the fifth group ended with Class A’s victory.
“Yo...you’re strong.”
Marin, who had gone out confident of victory, returned slowly after winning and said to Sylvia, who was sitting next to me, with a flushed face out of embarrassment.
“Don’t be too disappointed. It’s not shameful to lose to me.”
As Sylvia said that with a slight smile, perhaps because Flone’s words from earlier had left a deep impression, Marin buried her head in the shoulder of Flone, whom she had been hugging, and was sunk. It would have been better if she had just stayed like that, but Marin, for what glory she wanted to enjoy, lifted her head slightly again and opened her mouth.
“......Still, Class B will really win the next group! There’s someone even stronger than me still left.”
Marin said that and looked at where the Class B students were sitting. Just in time, Eve called out the last remaining sixth group, and I saw a male student who stood out rise from where Marin’s gaze was directed. A male student with messy blonde hair and hollow eyes. Dway Nineheart, he was, for now, a character who was a rival to Yoon Siwoo. He was a mage with the setting of being a descendant of a great mage who had installed a barrier in the city in the past. He was one of the kids evaluated as an asymmetric power among the students.
“Dway is really strong. It will be difficult even for you, who defeated the Demon of Sloth. By the way, aren't you going out?”
Marin asked me while looking at me. She seemed to be firmly believing that I would be participating in the sixth group, but seeing is believing, so I shook my head and showed her my arm by removing the jewel I had attached to my left arm.
“Well, because of this situation, combat is prohibited for the time being.”
I had attached it because I was afraid the Class B kids would be surprised if they saw it, but unintentionally, I ended up deceiving them. Then Marin fell into confusion for a moment at the fact that I wasn't participating, then shouted in surprise after seeing the sixth group members from Class A go out.
“Four people? Really? Isn't this unfair?”
She was right. I nodded my head vigorously in agreement, and looked at the guy who fit the word ‘unfair’ best in this world. Yoon Siwoo, who made eye contact with me, nodded slightly toward me for some reason. I didn't know what was going on, but when I nodded back at him after seeing that, his expression improved. There was a murmuring sound from the Class B side, but it quieted down when Eve didn't say anything special. Dway was saying that it didn't matter, so let’s just finish it quickly. Since he was practicing magic every night, cutting into his sleep, it was natural that he would be tired.
Marin muttered to herself while looking at Dway with trembling eyes.
“One person is missing while facing Dway? Is that okay?”
It was a regrettable thing, but that had nothing to do with it. Regardless of whether Marin was confused or not, the battle of the sixth group began. And immediately after the start, several magic circles were embroidered in the space around Dway. Even though it was the beginning of the work, his ability to deploy magic to that extent. Students who knew a little bit about magic were shouting, asking if that made sense. Magic required a certain amount of time to activate, but Dway Nineheart was a genius who could drastically reduce that time and perform several of them simultaneously. The result of the combination of overwhelming talent and terrifying effort. The moment magic spells, each with considerable destructive power, were poured toward Class A, Yoon Siwoo moved.
A few swings of the hand holding the sword. Then the magic spells disappeared as if they had never been there. At the sight of Yoon Siwoo, who had performed the absurd act of instantly cutting through the pouring magic spells so simply, even the kids watching it lost their words for a moment.
Dway was agitated and deployed magic again. However, Yoon Siwoo could not be stopped by ordinary magic. The incarnation of unreasonableness, equipped with talent, effort, and even item-power, did not stop even at the pouring magic. In the first place, Dway had never defeated Yoon Siwoo even once in the original story. Much less, how could he have a way to deal with Yoon Siwoo, who seemed to have become stronger earlier than in the original story? So, the battle ended quickly, just as Dway had wanted.
Seeing that, Marin’s pupils were trembling, as if she had slightly lost her composure. Mei muttered as if it were absurd.
“It’s a draw. But I feel like I lost.”
Cheer up, Mei. Yoon Siwoo, who knew nothing, just smiled brightly and nodded toward me.