Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Chick Takes Flight: Paid Content Starts Here
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Time waits for no one.
That's why humans are always making preparations.
Even when you've done everything you can before a big event, it's inevitable that sometimes it still feels like there's not enough time.
But if you've done all you can, all that's left is up to you.
"Nefti. The results are solid, right?"
"Yes. We've crammed in everything we could cram in. Right, junior?"
"Yes, that's right! Instructor!"
Instructor? What the hell is that?
"Milmyu. Did you pack snacks?"
"Y-Yes!"
"Then we've done all we can, and the preparations are complete. Let's go."
"...Yes, senior!"
Today was the day of Milmyu's duel with Kelters.
And also the day my Magic Craft entry would be submitted.
Since there was time before the submission, I decided to walk Milmyu to the first-year shared dormitory.
As we arrived, Nefti grinned. When I asked why,
"I did the graffiti over there. And the posters too. Hehe. Nah, it was the Sabuten Wolves crew."
She flashed a mysterious smile.
Well, Nefti's always been like that. Lately, she'd even started wearing an armband on her right arm that said "Safety Manager."
"I'll head over to the Knight Division since I have business there. Good luck, junior."
"Yes, Instructor!"
"Go on in."
Nefti waved cheerfully as she vanished, and Milmyu and I walked past the shared dormitory to the first-year division building.
A strange silence hung between us as we walked, until Milmyu finally spoke up.
"Senior."
"I'm listening. Speak."
"Thank you. I'll definitely win."
"Good mindset."
"And if I win... for one day..."
Before she could finish, a loud voice echoed from afar, drowning her out.
"Milmyu! I thought you'd been eaten alive! Oh, Donut Senior. Hello. You didn't eat Milmyu, did you?"
"Milmyu, you're safe. Thank goodness. Hello, Donut Senior. Did you come to return her?"
"Vanilla, Yogurt...!"
The yellow chick and green chick had come to greet the pink chick, and the three hugged and laughed.
Colorful Chicks Assemble.
"Then give it your all in the test."
"...Um, Senior."
"What is it."
"I'll do my best!"
There wasn't a hint of doubt in Milmyu's eyes.
Honestly, I was rooting for this kid to win too.
Right now, in this match, how much had this child—who was originally supposed to lose and vanish—changed?
As a fellow third-rate extra, I hoped Milmyu would succeed.
"Milmyu."
"Y-Yes."
"Take this."
"...What's this?"
The last item I could lend her at this moment.
I took off the glove from one hand and handed it to Milmyu.
"It'll help you."
Milmyu blinked, took the glove, clutched it dearly to her chest, then slipped it on.
"...Yes. Even if we're apart, we're together."
What the hell does that mean?
That thing boosts Dexterity by 3 just by wearing it.
Listening to the oddly sweet conversation between Wolfram von Loengrin and Milmyu von Sabre, Vanilla and Yogurt exchanged glances.
"What do you think, Yogurt?"
"If you have any sense, don't ask. Vanilla."
"Right?"
"Yeah."
The two simply watched their friend with warm gazes.
Practical class.
The roughly hundred students gathered here sat in the stadium stands on the training field.
All except two.
"Before we start the class, these two haven't done their practical yet, so let's get that out of the way first."
At the professor's words, the two students stepped forward.
One was a red-haired boy with a refreshing smile. Kelters.
The other was a pink-haired girl who looked utterly timid. Milmyu.
Each held a wooden sword in one hand, bowing to each other from a distance.
"The duel continues until one is incapacitated—even if they fall—or admits defeat. You both understand?"
"Yes! Professor!"
"......"
The professor smiled at Kelters' energetic reply but shot a dissatisfied glance at Milmyu's mere nod.
"There's a clear status difference between you two, but I'll intervene anytime, so go all out without worry. Got it? Alright then. Begin the duel. Start!"
"Pleased to duel you!"
"......"
Milmyu just nodded.
Silently, she crunched down on the last piece clenched between her molars.
Magical Patissier's Buff
Activated via single snack consumption
Milmyu didn't think.
No, she couldn't afford the luxury of thought. Any hesitation, and Kelters would land a hit.
So, as taught, the first move after the fight started had to be an unconditional ambush.
[The Magical Patissier's buff activates when the benchmark of 'one pastry' is met. That means you can trigger it by eating almost an entire cake and then crunching the leftover chocolate chip between your teeth. Memorize this.]
[Junior Milmyu's stats are lower than Junior Kelters'. Even with Half Berserk, it'll be equal or less.]
Milmyu said nothing. She bit down, activated it, and charged.
"Haaah!"
"Wha—what?!"
Bam!
Not the clean hit of a wooden sword on flesh, but the clash of swords.
Even with this level of ambush, she failed to touch the body of Kelters, the top freshman.
[If the ambush fails, push in flashily again. Once you've launched the first assault, you can't go on the defensive. The stat gap is that hopeless. Got it, peep?]
"Iyaa! Haaah!"
"O-oh, whoa!"
Two more sword strikes clashed after that.
Following the seniors' advice, she kept up the relentless ambushes without letting up, but Kelters didn't take a single clean hit.
"Ugh... like this!"
Still, she succeeded in forcing the boy Kelters back two steps with the continuous ambushes.
Two steps stolen from the protagonist by an extra.
But that didn't mean the extra had the advantage.
[Junior Milmyu. If the opponent retreats, they'll definitely use their next skill. Counter like this.]
【Nameless Sword: Slash: Breakthrough】
Kelters & Milmyu simultaneous activation
Perfectly identical incantations.
Perfectly identical stances.
Perfectly identical charges.
They collided exactly midway, but the results weren't the same.
"Kyaaah!"
Kelters succeeded in Breakthrough, while Milmyu was sent flying back.
Thud! She rolled across the ground several times.
"A-Are you okay?!"
Kelters panicked, having accidentally hit too hard.
But Milmyu rose using her wooden sword as a crutch, glaring at him with undying eyes.
[Milmyu pastry is made by folding the dough thin, folding again, repeating. By the final fold, that dough has 2,187 layers.]
"...Just one layer now. Two thousand one hundred eighty-six to go."
Milmyu hadn't stopped yet.
The start was a fight where anyone could see the obvious outcome.
No one would say Milmyu had the edge now.
A no-name kid versus the grade-topper who got suspended. No need to watch the end.
【Nameless Sword: Slash】
Kelters strikes Milmyu
"Kyaaaah!"
Even now, Milmyu went flying from Kelters' strike.
Of course. He's the top shining freshman, deserving all eyes. Who dares challenge him?
But the atmosphere was odd.
"...Two thousand one hundred to go."
"Stop, just stay down already!"
That third-rater, the underachiever, the flashy-colored chick wouldn't fall.
It was the opposite.
"I said get up already!"
"Two thousand ninety-nine to go."
The topper was glaring at the chick with eyes on the verge of tears.
Milmyu thought.
'My whole body hurts. Standing is hard. Two thousand layers really isn't easy.'
"Why do you keep standing? You can just fall!"
"Because... I want to win."
"You can't beat me! My attacks are landing first! You keep flying back! Just forfeit!"
"...You're right, Kelters."
"Then..."
"But I promised not to lose until the two thousand one hundred eighty-seventh fall."
"Wh-what?"
"So... I want to win too."
"...Ugh."
【Nameless Sword: Slash: Breakthrough】
Kelters succeeds; Milmyu sent flying
Ah.
I'm the one flying again this time.
This is so unfair. What's that? I planned this with all the seniors' advice, but I can't see a path to victory.
Milmyu rolled on the ground, stood again, and thought.
How do I win?
[How to beat Kelters?]
"...Senior."
She recalled it at the same time.
The conversation with the cold, blunt senior who force-fed her tons of snacks.
[Senior. Kelters has higher stats than me. If we just trade basic sword forms, won't I lose...?]
[You lose. Even with Half Berserk, a loss is a loss.]
[Eh...]
[The problem is your terribly low Dexterity. You lose on technique even with the same skills. That's certain.]
[......]
She looked up at the senior with expectant eyes.
Over the past few days talking with this senior, she'd learned that puppy-dog "help me" face made him grumble but explain kindly anyway.
[So you need to draw out his trump card before Half Berserk runs out.]
The senior continued bluntly yet kindly.
[First, you must stand no matter what. That's the premise. Start by making Kelters think he's winning.]
[What illusion?]
"Stop standing."
"Kelters. With sword forms, you can't beat me. One thousand nine hundred ninety-seven to go."
[Then Kelters will switch tactics. He's versatile, so he'll create distance and prep another attack. That's your one chance.]
"...Tch. Pierce all foes before me."
"Not swordsmanship—magic."
Kelters held his sword vertically and began chanting.
She threw her body with all her might.
Her mana hypersensitivity made her body tremble instinctively, dodging the spear just barely, overriding her fear.
[But I have mana hypersensitivity, so even magic's aftereffects are dangerous?]
[Half Berserk is already on.]
[Ah, right.]
[Zero mana means no shaking. One problem though.]
[What?]
[You can't fear magic. Dodge Kelters' spell, and he'll prep a second attack.]
[Then what do I do?]
[Charge with everything. You're almost guaranteed the win.]
[To win completely?]
[Watch one spot. Smash it with all your might.]
[Where?]
[The crown of the head. The noggin.]
[N-Noggin?]
[Yeah. Channel all your anger from rolling around, yell loud. Focus on the noggin and shout this.]
[How?]
[The noggin—]
"Iiyaaaaah! The noggin!"
"Eh, uh, wha?!"
Kelters KO'd
Milmyu Victory
It was over.
One slumped to their knees, the other lay sprawled.
The funny part? The one slumped had lost consciousness, while the sprawled one was perfectly aware.
"Milmyu!"
"Milmyu, you okay?!"
"...Yeah. I'm fine. Ehe."
She grinned like an idiot, unable to stop smiling.
Milmyu just kept laughing and laughing.
"I... won, right? I got the 'bam,' right?"
"Idiot! Is that what you care about now?!"
"Infirmary. Let's see the doctor quick. Professor, can we go?"
"Uh, y-yeah. Go on."
Vanilla and Yogurt were making a fuss.
Why are they trying to move me when my body won't budge? Milmyu just lay there, naturally looking up at the sky.
On her left hand, she felt the glove Senior Wolfram had given her.
Thanks to this glove, she'd felt just a bit faster.
Forcing her hand up, she looked at the glove and smiled like her usual pink chick self.
"I got the 'bam.' Senior."