Chaos at the Testing Grounds
"I-I thought I was going to die..."
"You didn't even do anything." Orca looked at me as if I was being completely absurd.
Well, it's true I didn't do anything, but still...
I slumped on the park bench and retorted, "I felt like dying precisely because I did nothing! Do you have any idea how exhausting that is?!"
"I wouldn't know."
"I was dying of boredom, but time wouldn't pass! And I couldn't even move because I was conscious of the students watching me!"
To be honest, I absolutely detested doing nothing. I didn't understand what was so great about idle time. If I was just going to sit still, I might as well sleep, or play games if I was bored.
I clung to Orca's waist like a spoiled child and whined, "It was so hard..."
"Ugh, g-get off me!"
"No! My body feels all stiff!"
"What does that have to do with me?!"
Because it's fun when you squirm like that...!
Even as she tried to pry me off, Orca couldn't bring herself to use her full strength, worried she might hurt me. But even with that restrained strength, it was enough to lift me off the ground as I clung to her waist, giving me a brief sensation of flying.
This is so much fun!
The stiff, sluggish feeling that usually followed a period of mindless waiting seemed to vanish into the cool breeze.
"O-Orca. One more time! Do it again!"
"Hell no! Are you insane?!"
"Aw, come on!"
For a while, Orca and I spent our break bickering and fooling around. In the end, Orca vehemently refused, so I couldn't get another ride, but... Well, nothing could be done about that. I'd have to be satisfied with just once.
"You're stubborn as a mule..."
"Watch your language!"
"Sigh... Fine. The practical exam is starting soon, so I'll be going..."
"Ah, wait a moment."
"What now? I already told you I'm not doing that flying thing again."
"It's not that..."
Hmm, to be honest, I'm still a bit hesitant. Will Orca be able to hold her temper if I do this? What if she suddenly flies into a rage? Ah, whatever. It'll work out somehow.
I stepped up to Orca, who was glaring at me with a disgruntled expression. Standing on my tiptoes, I gently patted her head.
Why does she have to be so tall?
She was exceptionally tall, even compared to the other students. Because of that, I had to stretch up on my tiptoes just to pat her head. I didn't think of myself as particularly short, but I always felt dwarfed whenever I stood next to Orca.
"...?"
"Oh, it's so soft..."
I had never seen her take care of her hair. Was this the privilege of being a main character? Even without any maintenance, she easily maintained her status as a top-tier beauty. It was much softer than I had expected.
Ah, right. That's not what I meant to do.
"Ahem. Orca? How did your exam go?"
"...Who knows. I don't really get it. It's not like I've ever taken one before."
"Ah."
Ah, right...!
This was Orca's very first time experiencing school life. Cold sweat trickled down my back as I realized I had brought up a sensitive topic. H-How do I fix this?
"U-Uh, well... I'm sure you did great! Your hard work will definitely pay off!"
"What's so good about getting a high score anyway? I only did it because I was told to."
"..."
Even if I say 'for your future,' she probably won't understand. She was a child who had spent her entire life in the back alleys. Coming to the Academy wasn't even her own choice; it was the Headmaster's doing.
Maybe I should change my approach. Orca might remain completely indifferent to good grades. In that case...
"I'll give you a reward."
"What?"
"Hmm, what would be good... A Shark Plushie?"
Flinch.
I felt Orca's body shudder slightly. It was such a fleeting moment that I would have missed it if I hadn't been paying close attention, but since I was watching her the entire time, I caught it.
She really does love shark plushies. I knew it. In her happy ending, she was holding a shark plushie. Her name was Orca, so she loved seafood and shark plushies. No matter how I looked at it, the developers had been incredibly lazy with her character design, but... Well, she was cute, so it didn't matter.
"If your grades are better than I expect, I'll give you a Shark Plushie."
"...W-What? That's way too vague."
"That's the fun of it. If you don't know the exact standard, you'll have to try your absolute best, right?"
I beamed at Orca.
I said that, but in truth, I planned to give her the gift even if she came in dead last. But if I told her that, she probably wouldn't bother trying.
"Well, it looks like it's about time. Good luck on your exam! I'll be watching!"
"H-Hey, Teach! Wait...!"
Now, how would this turn out? I decided to watch with anticipation. There was nothing more I could do here anyway.
I just hope they don't get hurt. I prayed that the five students at the testing grounds wouldn't suffer any major injuries.
"Hup!"
"...That's incredible. Isn't that Sword Qi?"
"Hmm, I don't know. It feels a bit different..."
"Haah!"
"As expected of the Princess. How exhilarating."
"...Still, I wish she'd hold back on the kicks a bit."
"Yeah, true... One wrong move and you could be charged with insulting the imperial family..."
"The Watcher. Can she even fight? She's just a symbol of the Church. Her eyes are even covered with a blindfold..."
"Guess that wasn't the case. Whew. She's terrifyingly strong."
"Where on earth does that absurd amount of holy power come from?"
"...Her chest?"
"You crazy bastard."
"...What? Why is no one coming out?"
"They forfeited. Apparently, they just didn't want to do it."
"I don't know who it is, but they're completely out of their mind."
"Tell me about it."
The murmurs of the surrounding crowd drifted into her ears. Familiar faces and strangers alike showed off their strength against the training dummies. That brat Leo, the Princess, and even that creepy woman—they were all strong. One didn't even need to look at the numbers appearing on the dummies to know.
"Next. Orca. Step forward."
"..."
"Orca? ...The Devil Possessed?"
"We'd better watch closely. We might have to face her someday."
"Ugh, creepy..."
The noisy chatter of those who had already finished their exams and were watching the others buzzed in her ears. Honestly, it was irritating. She wanted to glare them down right this instant. But Teach had said she would be watching. So she would let it slide just this once. That woman doesn't seem to like it when I get into fights with these bastards.
"Are you ready? No preparation needed?"
"...I'm fine. This is enough."
"Very well. You've watched the others, so you should know the drill. Begin when the signal sounds."
But seriously, why did that woman say she'd give me a shark plushie? She had nodded along in a daze, but she had never even touched a doll before. When I was a kid, the last doll I touched was inside that mansion... Damn it.
Her mood soured instantly. To vent her irritation, she summoned the devil within her body, wrapping its power around her hands. She could have manifested it in the air to strike, but she preferred the physical sensation of hitting things directly. Remembering things she wanted to forget made her feel rotten. Anyway, that dummy isn't human. I can beat the crap out of it without holding back. Fine. I'll beat it until it stops working. Who cares about the time limit.
Beep—!
Just like the students before her, Orca began to pummel the dummy with the clear intention of obliterating it. However, the dummy's legendary durability, which had withstood the onslaught of countless students without a single scratch, held strong. It absorbed Orca's strikes silently, without budging an inch.
This is getting annoying.
"Fuck, your face looks so smug! Die! Just die!"
"...Why is she so mad?"
"No idea."
The stupid look on this dummy's face is really pissing me off. Just as she caught her breath and raised her fist to strike again, the signal rang out once more.
"Stop. That is enough."
"I'm not done yet!"
"Orca. Do not cause a scene. Your exam is over. Be warned that any further disruption will negatively impact your grades."
"Ha, grades? As if I give a shit about—"
...Wait, did Teach say she'd be watching?
Tsk.
"Ah, fuck it. Do whatever you want."
"...Watch your language with a teacher, Orca. Show some respect."
"Why should I? I don't care about that crap."
Her mood hadn't been this bad just a moment ago. Was it because she had remembered those unwanted memories? Her irritation flared up in an instant. She had wanted to relieve some stress by beating up the dummy, but even that hadn't gone her way. Nothing was working out today. I'll just go to the Counseling Room and sleep.
Just as she was grumbling and about to leave the arena—
Someone struck Orca's back with immense force, sending her crashing into the wall in an instant.
"Cough?!"
"T-The dummy?! What is it doing...! Stop it immediately! Hey! There's a system malfunction! It shouldn't have an attack function...!"
"Kyaaaah! What is that?!"
"S-Students! Please calm down! Follow instructions to stay safe!"
"H-Help me! The dummy suddenly...!"
"Help! Someone's pinned down! Priest! Priest!"
The teacher supervising the practical exam stared blankly at the surroundings, unable to comprehend what was happening. The training dummy was absolutely not supposed to have any combat capabilities.
"Ah, fuck... That hurt like hell..."
"O-Orca! Are you alright?!"
"Shut up, my head is ringing... Fuck, my back hurts like crazy... Why is my luck so shit today?"
Ha. Orca couldn't help but let out a dry laugh. She had genuinely tried to hold back. She was going to swallow her anger and just go sleep in the Counseling Room. But that tin can of a dummy had rejected her mercy and actively picked a fight with her.
"Hey, Teach... Don't you dare stop me now. Not until I tear that thing to pieces!"
With a savage grin, Orca lunged at the training dummy.