The Friendly Match, Part II
Sigh. Orca let out a heavy sigh.
She couldn't care less about some stupid friendly match. If it hadn't been for the teacher's words, she wouldn't have bothered wandering around like this in the first place.
"Do your best, she says. What the hell am I even supposed to do my best at...?"
Orca couldn't understand why she was following the teacher's orders so obediently. It had been ages since she had resolved to ignore the words of adults—the words of anyone else, for that matter.
Granted, her mind had been much more at ease lately, thanks to the deep sleep she'd been getting from that incense—the one the teacher claimed was a relic. She couldn't exactly steal it and run away right now, and as long as she listened to the teacher, she got to enjoy its benefits. That was why she was staying put, realistically speaking.
But it didn't feel like that was all of it. There was something else, a subtle, inexplicable feeling...
Right then, a shout shattered Orca's train of thought from behind.
"Die, Orca!"
"...Why does everyone say the exact same damn thing?"
"G-gah?!"
As Orca sat there, an ominous arm erupted from her back and snatched the lunging student out of the air.
Realizing his ambush had failed, the student thrashed wildly to break free of the grip, but it was entirely futile. No matter how hard he struggled, the massive hand didn't budge an inch. Slowly, the student's face began to turn pale.
...And a moment later, Orca clicked her tongue as she realized the presence in her hand had vanished.
"Missed it again."
This was already the third or fourth one. She had knocked out the idiots who ambushed her, intending to torment them once they woke up, only for them to vanish into thin air. At first, she thought they had somehow escaped.
But by the time the third and fourth vanished in the exact same way, Orca realized what was happening. Someone was rescuing the students who were incapacitated.
Since it was a match, they were probably extracting them beforehand to keep things safe. It was obviously the teachers' doing.
But how? What kind of trick were they using to pull them out? That was the mystery. She had kept a close eye on her captives to figure it out, but to no avail. It happened in a literal blink of an eye. One second they were there, and the next, they were gone.
"...Is it magic? Tsk."
She felt like she might have heard something similar in a recent class, or maybe she hadn't...
Once she realized that her ignorance was probably because she never paid attention in class, Orca decided to stop thinking about it. She was curious, sure, but not curious enough to actually study the mechanics of it.
Still, once the seed of doubt was planted, questions she had never bothered with during her studies began to sprout.
"And why the hell do they keep shouting 'die' when this isn't even a death match...?"
Seriously, that was one thing, but why scream at the top of their lungs during a sneak attack? Did these morons forget that shouting literally alerts their target?
"...No, maybe not. They're just green."
She didn't completely fail to understand. Orca had been like that once, a long time ago. They yelled to mask their fear of failure. It made it easier to move. A sort of reflex, in a way. Though, while it made taking action easier, it also made failing a hell of a lot easier.
"...Now I'm in a shit mood."
Memories of the past she had buried bubbled up, prompting Orca to flop backward onto the grass. Recalling those days—days she hated to even think about—sapped whatever motivation she had left.
The teacher's words about how it would be good to do her best crossed her mind, but who cared? At least for now, she didn't want to do a single damn thing. She'd already taken down a bunch of them, so she could make a decent excuse about putting in effort. Sure, she had just sat there while they came to her, but whatever. Like she gave a crap. She was going to sleep. She'd done enough.
Not long after she lay down and bathed in the warm sunlight, she sensed another presence approaching.
Again...? What a pain in the ass.
Keeping her eyes closed, Orca lazily waved her hand to signal she had no intention of fighting.
"Just ignore me and pass by, or take me out. I don't give a shit."
"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Orca. You see, I have quite a lot of interest in you."
"What? Stop bothering me and piss off."
Irritated by the person ignoring her words, Orca snapped her eyes open to glare and tell them to get lost. However, the student who had spoken to her merely smiled warmly, completely unfazed by her hostility, and watched her.
"...What, you again? I thought you'd learned to keep your distance."
"It has been a while, Orca. I intended to do just that, but... I heard an interesting rumor."
Even with a pure white blindfold covering her eyes, she looked directly at Orca as if she could see perfectly, her smile filled with relief.
"As I thought, I was right to believe that you would gradually walk a righteous path."
"...Ugh, barf. Get lost."
"My, how prickly."
"..."
She's impossible to talk to.
Orca stared at Anastasia, the Watcher, wondering if she should have covered her ears instead of her eyes. Having been pampered and revered by the Church her entire life, the girl clearly didn't understand the concept of rejection.
"I don't know if a pampered little bird in a cage like you gets this, but... I'm telling you to get the hell out of my sight."
"I am well aware, Orca."
"What?"
"...To put it in terms a wild wolf might understand, Orca... I am currently attempting to bond with the wolf."
Sensing she would never win a battle of words with this girl, Orca let out a heavy sigh and lay back down in the grass. She'll probably be gone by the time I wake up from a nap.
"Pant, pant... Whew."
The young boy, Leo, dragged his heavy feet along the riverbank.
He was searching for a place to rest and recover his depleted stamina, but all he could see was dense, sprawling forest. According to the teachers' explanation, there was supposed to be a meadow just outside the woods. Yet, far from finding any meadow, Leo had been wandering aimlessly through the thick trees for hours.
...Perhaps taking on five opponents at once was too reckless.
As an aspiring knight, one must never yield to adversity and always face foes fair and square. Armed with that resolve, he had successfully repelled the ambush of five students... but he had clearly underestimated the reality of the situation. Though he had somehow managed to defeat them, his body was left utterly battered in return.
If he didn't find a place to rest soon, he would be in serious trouble. To make matters worse, his stomach was beginning to growl fiercely.
Is this where I fall? To be brought so low by a single lapse in judgment... I have much to reflect upon.
...What is this?
Just as despair was setting in, a savory aroma drifted past Leo's nose, instantly capturing his attention. It was fish. And perfectly grilled, at that.
Having wandered from place to place as an orphan, Leo knew this scent all too well. The smell of freshly grilled fish. Had someone caught it from the river? But how?
A chaotic battle was currently underway, with students flooding from the meadows into the forest. Most were busy fighting and knocking each other out. There was no way anyone would be leisurely grilling fish in the middle of this madness.
It had to be a trap. A trap designed to lure in exhausted, battle-worn students like himself to finish them off all at once.
Yet, even with that logical conclusion, Leo found his feet moving toward the delicious scent of their own accord. Had he not smelled it, he might have stayed away, but to a starving boy, the aroma was an irresistible temptation.
...Damn it.
In the end, unable to resist the mouthwatering allure despite knowing it was likely a trap, Leo marched forward.
Fine. If it is a trap, I shall break through it head-on. Even if there is an ambush, this smell is undoubtedly real. My nose, honed by countless meals, does not lie.
Though exhausted, he still took pride in his abilities, which far surpassed those of average students his age. If he could somehow defeat the ambushers and claim that fish...
"Yes, let us go with that plan."
"What are you muttering about all by yourself?"
"?!"
W-when did they...?!
Startled, Leo instinctively drew the sword at his waist and swung it toward the source of the voice. But his blade cleaved only empty air. The student who had spoken beside him merely let out a startled, flustered cry.
"Whoa, whoa! Hey, nice reflexes! You scared me. To think you can move that fast when you look so exhausted."
"...!"
He had moved instantly upon hearing the voice, his body reacting before his mind could even process it. Since the voice had been right next to his ear, he was certain his strike would land. Yet, he hadn't even managed to graze her, let alone cut her down.
While Leo stared at the student in sheer shock, the girl reached for something at her waist.
Is it a fight? I knew I shouldn't have come.
...However, the battle Leo anticipated never came. The girl's reaction was entirely unexpected.
"You look hungry. Want some?"
"...Huh? Fish?"
"Don't you want it? Or do you not need it?"
"I-I would be honored to accept, but..."
"Great, then eat up."
"Ah, yes. Thank you...?"
What the girl had pulled from her waist was not a weapon. It was a crudely skewered, perfectly grilled fish on a wooden branch. She handed it to Leo with a proud grin.
"I'm Aileen. Nice to meet you, Leo."
"...Ah, yes. It is a pleasure to meet you."
What on earth was happening?
Though utterly bewildered by the sudden turn of events, Leo found himself taking a bite of the grilled fish in his hand as he warily scanned his surroundings.
...Oh, this is delicious.