Self-Cast
"I'll take you on with my eyes closed."
I declared it as I charged at my past self. Slash! The wooden sword Edn had gifted me was effortlessly bisected by the Black Demon Sword. In that instant, my past self seemed to anticipate the sword splitting in half and neatly discarded it, hurling her body backward to evade. I nearly killed my past self in a single strike.
"This isn't fair."
I said, briefly setting the Black Demon Sword aside. Now, both my past self and I stood with only our fists raised.
Romantic, isn't it? I curled the corner of my mouth into a grin, and my past self mirrored it with a thrilled twitch.
Boom! I lunged first again. Kicking off the ground sent a shockwave like an exploding bomb rippling through the Colosseum floor, kicking up clouds of dust. Under the massive moonlight, my fist gleamed. Thud! Boom! The young Celestia tried to block my attack, but the sheer mass sent her flying backward. I pursued relentlessly, slamming my heel down. Boom! But the young Celestia rolled away, dodging the strike. She escaped like a slippery rat. Still, I didn't let her go. I tracked her with ruthless speed and persistence.
Riiip—the gash on my body tore open. Blood seeped out. I wiped it with my finger and tasted it. Thrilling.Boom! My fist plunged into the young Celestia's gut. Her belly caved in! Crunch! She flew back from the gut punch, crashing into the Colosseum wall. Clutching her stomach, she spat blood.
"Oh~ Now I get why gut punches are a thing. So damn hot."
Just like Celestia. Even taking a gut punch, she looked stunning. That expression—mouth full of blood, glaring with labored breaths—was utterly seductive. Of course, she quickly closed her eyes again... She shut them as if analyzing my moves, holding a standoff. Surviving one gut punch was impressive enough, but now she was trying to read my attack patterns? Yes. Everyone has their own unique rhythm and pattern. No matter how many feints you throw, you can't hide that personal beat. One of my specialties is reading an opponent's rhythm and striking off-beat. And here she was, my young self, attempting it against me. But I knew she was me, while she had no idea I was her future self. In other words, I already knew her patterns.
Because it's me from back then... I beckoned with my fingers. Come at me.
"Had enough rest?"
This time, the young Celestia boldly charged. She threw a punch and swept a low kick scraping the ground. I easily dodged the fist while blocking the kick with my shin, then countered with my own punch. She slipped past it effortlessly. We traded blows, each evading the other's strikes. Her patterns were clear to me, just as mine were to her. At first, she took a hit or two, but now she was reading me perfectly, dodging everything. Soon, neither of us could land a blow.
"That's enough."
Boom! Of course, I'd been holding back. Some attacks can't be blocked even if you know they're coming. Sorry, young me, but this is the end.
—Do... ■... ■there...□...
The translucent past Celestia scattered like dust and vanished. As she disappeared, a massive double door on one side of the Colosseum creaked open.
I picked up the Black Demon Sword again and strode through.
"Ha... haha...! You made it this far? You beat yourself? In that situation?"
Beyond it were Amelia, manipulating the dungeon core, and a crystal orb displaying my ordeal via CCTV.
So here you were, Baldy Professor.
"It was easy."
"Wh-what?!"
"Baldy Professor, I have so many questions."
Shing—you trapped me, so time for some payback. I drew the Black Demon Sword and slowly aimed it at Professor Amelia. She stumbled back, then held up her open palms.
"Wait! If you want answers, I'll give them. What are you curious about?"
"Are you the final boss?"
"I don't know what that means... If you're talking about those black mercenaries, I'm not with them!"
"Really?"
"Really! Calm down, Celestia! I'll confess everything!"
She tossed me the crystal orb. Inside floated the image of Milon, the early villain from the original story.
"I was just paid! By the Roishutent family! Haven't you seen a professor bought with money before? I needed cash! So I covered for Milon!"
"Doesn't sound like a lie."
Unlike last time, no tremors or labored breaths betrayed deception.
"Then what about those black mercenaries?"
"They approached me! Said they'd help eliminate you if I gave info! I refused at first, but they offered more money!"
This was a lie. She was terrible at acting; the falsehood rang clear. But I couldn't pinpoint which part.
"Anything else? I'll answer it all!"
"No, Baldy Professor. You really did answer everything."
"Of course... I'm on your side, Celestia. Not right now, but... life is worth more than money. Thanks for the time, student!"
Boom! The crystal orb exploded. Acrid smoke and shards flew everywhere. At the same time, Baldy Professor activated a return teleport. With my eyes closed, I could peer through the smokescreen, but I couldn't catch her in time. Magic enveloped her in an instant, and she vanished.
"Still, she left something valuable behind."
Among the shards gleamed embedded gems. Even selling just the fragments would fetch a fortune. Like gleaners in the field, I scooped them into my pockets. Good farming.
Too bad I missed Mariella and Yuria in soaked, disheveled uniforms... With that thought, I stepped onto the return teleport array. Light flashed. Vision went black.
Glan Braden. Yuria, Mariella, and I had tailed Celestia to the end, but we couldn't track her down. Still, solving the maze en route got us to the fourth floor faster than expected.
"This is... a swimming pool?"
The fourth floor resembled one: endless tiled floors and pools. Tempting to dive in, but no.
"Mariella, Yuria—be careful. Don't touch the water."
"Can't trust anything a dungeon makes. You're right, Glan."
But things didn't go smoothly. The monsters were killer piranhas and cave bats. Stray from the pool, bats pursued; approach the water, piranhas lunged to bite.
"Watch out!"
As combat intensified, Mariella tripped, dragging Yuria into the water with her. We'd cleared the piranhas, so it was safe—but both were soaked. They'd ditched their coats, leaving only white shirts. Suddenly, nowhere to look.
"Ugh...!"
"Gotta get out quick! This water's weird!"
Dripping wet, Mariella and Yuria climbed out. Their shirts clung transparently... Yuria sniffed the water while Mariella leaned on the wall, trembling and dizzy.
"What's wrong?"
"This water... it's draining our mana... haa..."
Thud—Mariella's face flushed. Yuria's too. They were weakening, faces red. Awkward... I averted my eyes and draped my coat over Mariella, then my shirt over Yuria.
Mariella giggled.
"What an idiot..."
"Truly..."
They shared an incomprehensible laugh.
In the end, Professor Amelia vanished without a trace. No clues, no word to the academy—just gone. We couldn't confirm any link to the final boss.
"Whatever."
I sold the crystal shards at the adventurer's guild for a nice sum. Macaron time.
Ding!
"Welcome~ Oh, it's you! Macarons again?"
"Yes. But a different kind this time."
I'd skipped the pricey plump macarons before—one cost as much as two regulars. Today, I chose one.
"You really love macarons, huh?"
"Not particularly."
"Of course... naturally."
The bakery lady smiled warmly, bagging the plump macaron.
"Your uniform's torn up... and bandages. What happened?"
"Tripped in academy class. Got caught on bush thorns, I guess."
"Be careful. Service for you."
She slipped in an extra macaron. That's why I like this place. My lips curved up.
"Thanks, goodbye."
"Come again."
I paid and left, checking myself over.
"Guess I need another uniform..."
Bloodstains were mostly gone from the fourth floor and cleaned by the Black Demon Sword, but rips and slashes remained. Wounds healed by the waiting recovery professor, but the uniform was wrecked.
No spares left... Gym clothes till a replacement? It'll work out somehow.