I Hate the Butterfly Effect
I hate the butterfly effect. I hate the butterfly effect.
The flap of some no-account butterfly's wings builds into a gale over time, swells into a typhoon, and crashes down on you out of nowhere.
Changes that hit without a single warning sign.
And right now? That was exactly the shit I was dealing with.
KROOOAAAR!!!
In the original story, magic beasts weren't supposed to show up at the academy until a month after the opening ceremony.
So why the fuck was one standing right in front of me now?
All I'd done since arriving at the academy was beat the shit out of those assassins who attacked the train and save Elisicia from plummeting off that terrace to her death.
Other than that, I'd been laying low, living quiet as a mouse.
So why the hell was a magic beast rampaging just days after classes started...?
"Quiet graduation's turning out to be a real pain in the ass."
"Huh? What're you talking about?"
"Talking to myself. Eyes front."
I had a ton I wanted to say, but the situation was shit right now.
Lia had landed a sneak attack and drawn blood, but the bastard was totally fine.
KROOOAAAR!!!
If anything, it was pissed as hell now, no intention of letting us off easy.
Should I bail?
I fiddled with the red orb in my pocket.
If I were alone, I'd pop the Stealth Artifact without a second thought and ghost.
But I wasn't alone.
Lia was right there with me.
"That thing's dangerous. Too much for one person. Need help."
Lia Berge.
The Berge family's crowning achievement... and their black sheep.
The Berge family had served the imperial family for generations as executioners.
Lia, born into that lineage, had mastered every assassination technique passed down through the ages by age ten—a total genius.
So why the "stain" label?
"You didn't kill it again, huh."
"Weak. Pitiful. No need."
"That guy's a villain. Spare him out of pity, and more innocents suffer."
"Then I won't. Killing the weak is cowardly."
She couldn't kill people.
Or any creature she deemed weaker than herself.
And now, Lia—who'd lived her whole life that way—was asking me for help.
What did that mean?
The magic beast in front of us was seriously fucking strong.
"Vital spot. I'll stab. Cover the opening."
I hadn't even said what we'd do yet, but Lia charged out first.
KROOOAAAR!!!
"Shit."
The bear magic beast moved the second Lia did.
For something the size of a house, it wasn't slow—it was fucking fast.
It closed on her in a blink and reared up a front paw.
One hit from that, and Lia was pancake city.
"Hey! You slow-ass bear bitch! Over here!"
KROOOAAH?
True to its dumb brute nature, one shout and it turned to me.
Lia slipped inside during the gap.
Her agile moves were no joke.
SHUNK!
The honed dagger plunged into its chest.
But.
KROOOAAAR!!!
Instead of dropping, it went even more berserk.
"Kyaaak!"
The backlash flung Lia away, dagger and all.
"We're fucked."
DPS down. Support solo now.
Normal folks would've folded and called it quits.
But I could swap roles.
"Feels like I've used this shit nonstop since coming to the academy."
Griping under my breath, I triggered Super Acceleration.
The charging beast froze like the world hit pause.
In the slowed reality, I zipped to its front and smashed my fist into its chest where the dagger stuck—full power.
BOOM!!!
The impact exploded like a bomb, driving the dagger clean through.
Time resumed.
KROOOAAH...?
Its massive bulk toppled slowly.
Even falling was sluggish. No magic beast could tank a Super Acceleration hit.
"Was half-worried it wouldn't die."
Confirmed dead, I collapsed.
Every time, it wrecked me. Couldn't even twitch a finger.
But I couldn't stay down.
If I passed out here...
"...Hurts. Help."
Who'd look after the one slumped over there?
Lia had slammed back-first into a tree after the beast batted her. Looked like more than a couple breaks.
"What a clusterfuck."
One magic beast, and one of us was tapped out exhausted, the other busted up and begging for aid.
Total shitshow.
The one with intact bones had to suck it up.
Dragged my wrecked body over to her.
She was a mess. Clothes shredded, one arm bent wrong.
"You alive?"
"Alive. Arm. Few ribs cracked. That's it."
Most people would've blacked out from that.
Lia? Cool as ice, like pain didn't register.
"Can you walk?"
"Nope."
Figured.
Even with monster stamina, busted arm and ribs? Walking's a miracle.
"Hop on my back."
"..."
"Get on."
"Can't move."
"..."
Yeah, no way in that state.
"Fuck..."
Short debate later, I scooped her up princess-style.
Super Acceleration backlash had me wrecked; she felt like a boulder.
"You're heavy as shit."
"Not heavy. Slim."
She puffed her cheeks and thumped my chest with cute little fists.
"Shut it. If I say heavy, you're heavy."
Legs shook every step.
"Gonna die, for real."
Part of me wanted to chuck this load and run.
But I gritted my teeth and trudged on.
She giggled at the sight.
"Cain. Face funny."
"Shut up."
Teasing a guy on his last legs? Might actually drop her.
She tested my patience a few more times on the way.
Wanted to yeet her so bad, but held out till the infirmary.
"What the hell happened to you two?"
The infirmary teacher rushed out, shocked.
Late night, two students half-dead? Yeah, weird not to freak.
"Not me first. Her. Arm and ribs are smashed."
While the teacher checked Lia, I slumped against the wall and hit the floor.
Felt dead.
Nah, half-dead already.
Just a quick nap.
Eyes drifted shut.
*
"Gasp!"
Woke to sunrise.
Morning. Guess the fatigue kept me out a full day in the infirmary.
Looked around. Teacher gone, place dead quiet.
"Wait. Where's Lia?"
"Looking for me?"
She slipped through the curtain. Arms and waist wrapped tight in bandages.
Proper treatment yesterday, looks like.
"...You good?"
"Still hurts. Can walk though."
To prove it, she hopped in place and bounced around.
"Settle down, hyper."
"Okay."
Good listener.
Tried sitting up. Body wouldn't budge.
Backlash worse than I thought.
"Today's a total wash."
"Cain hurt bad?"
"Feels like death."
She squatted by me, stared silently for a bit.
"...Quit staring. Piss off."
"No."
"Sigh."
Exhausting.
That magic beast yesterday nagged at me though.
Lia's hiding something.
In sis's trashy romance-fantasy, one huge arc was the Great Magic Beast Uproar.
Lia was at the center.
And last night? Beast shows, Lia's there.
Couldn't not suspect.
Quick recap.
Original: Uproar a month post-opening.
But nights ago, days in? Beast appears.
Like Derek and Sophia in that non-canon class. Shit kept skewing.
It's veering off course.
Couldn't trust original knowledge anymore.
Had to dig up info myself now.
And.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Why were you there yesterday?"
Easiest intel? Ask the source.
"Smelled food. Told you."
"Anything else? Like... your pet turning magic beast or some shit?"
BAM!
Her fist slammed my bed before I finished.
"What're you saying?"
First time seeing that face—fierce aura rolling off her.
Seeing her that emotional? Confirmed.
The Great Magic Beast Uproar... had begun.
Haven't even found a hideout yet...
Butterfly effect, you bastard. I hate you.