Chapter 371
Chapter 371
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 371
Chapter Title: The Iron Gate (1)
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It was the first day of the new term at the magic academy.
Shirone, who had been up since dawn, folded his blanket and packed his belongings.
The Kubrick was convenient in daily life as well. He distributed his miscellaneous belongings into six of the slots and placed the Arman in a separate one. This was a precaution, just in case.
When he left his room and went downstairs, Olina greeted him with a smile.
“Are you all ready? Oh, where’s your bag?”
“I’ve got it. Right here.”
Shirone held out his palm, showing her the ring.
Olina stared at her son's playful face for a moment, then turned away without asking anything.
She had realized her son was a mage after the Kazura incident.
“Come and eat quickly. You'll be late.”
Shirone watched Olina's retreating back for a long time. She was his one and only mother in this world.
“I love you, Mom. And thank you.”
As Shirone wrapped his arms around her waist, Olina's hands froze for a second.
Of course, at home, he was an affectionate only son. But a mother's intuition could sense the heavy fate carried in her son's voice.
‘Something is happening again… God, please protect this child.’
Regaining her smile, Olina turned and gave Shirone a sharp rap on the head.
“You little…”
“Ow!”
“Acting like a child when you're all grown up. And you shouldn't just go around touching a lady's stomach.”
Vincent, who had finished washing his face, spoke as he dried it with a towel.
“That's right, that's right! I'll never give up Mom, Shirone. So you should hurry up and get Amy at school—!”
“Stop your nonsense and just eat.”
“Yessir.”
Vincent sat at the table with the gait of a soldier. Shirone's laughter brightened the kitchen. He hoped this happiness would last forever.
* * *
After arriving at the academy in the Ogent family carriage, he found the front gate bustling with people.
It was the start of a new semester, and parents were stooping to meet their children's eyes, showering them with nagging advice.
When an announcement declared the start of the entrance ceremony, countless students rushed past Shirone.
But Shirone was in no hurry. The graduating class event was at 2 PM at the Iron Gate, and he had already moved into his new dorm. He planned to head to the society room to kill time with his friends.
“Hey.”
Hearing Amy's voice, Shirone turned with a smile. But his welcoming expression quickly vanished, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Uh, uhhh?”
“Why so surprised? It's like you've never seen a red-haired girl before.”
Amy's red hair had been cut short, just above her shoulders. It framed her cheeks, and her bangs were styled in an asymmetrical straight cut. It was more than just unfamiliar; she looked like a completely different person.
Amy, as if holding back a laugh, twisted her lips into a smirk and ran a hand through her hair.
“So, what do you think?”
“Huh? It's… pretty?”
She playfully punched Shirone's shoulder, then stomped her foot and laughed.
“What kind of answer is that? Besides my looks, can't you feel a difference in my resolve?”
“Ah, yeah. It's like, you seem a bit sharper?”
“Hmm, you think so?”
Amy seemed satisfied, lost in her own thoughts for a moment before turning back to him.
“Anyway, what happened? Did everything go well with the Association?”
“Yeah. I asked about Heaven, had a bit of a tour, that sort of thing.”
Shirone fudged the details, staying within the bounds of truth. Even with his closest friend in the world, he couldn't reveal secrets she couldn't handle.
Amy just gave a subtle smile and didn't press him.
Seeing her again after two months, it was clear her confidence had grown.
“It suits you, but why'd you cut your hair?”
“Just because. It was getting in the way of training, and I wanted a fresh start.”
Amy was a strong candidate for graduation, having reached 5th rank in last year's graduating class.
Breaking the second-year jinx was key, so it seemed she'd adopted a strategy of starting over from scratch.
“You're early, by the way. The event isn't until 2. Are you going to see the idiot duo?”
“Yeah. I was going to meet up with Iruki and Nade and head up together. What about you?”
Amy pointed with her thumb toward the distant uphill path.
“I'm heading to the Iron Gate. I have to get ready to welcome you guys. Oh, right. Later, you have to say ‘me’.”
“Me?”
Shirone pointed to himself as he asked, but Amy shook her head.
“No, not you, *me*. Got it? Just say ‘me’, no matter what.”
“What's the point of that?”
“Hehe, you'll see at the event. You're going to be really grateful to me. See you at the Iron Gate at 2.”
Amy wrinkled her nose in a smile and turned away. Just as her hairstyle had changed, her personality seemed brighter than before, but Shirone still wasn't used to it.
Amy clasped her hands behind her back, spun around, and said.
“Welcome to hell.”
“Haha! Yeah, thanks a lot.”
Amy giggled to herself as she walked away, seeming delighted about something.
Shaking his head as if to say she was hopeless, Shirone turned away, a smile creeping onto his lips as well.
‘Right, we're finally standing in the same place.’
He thought he understood why Amy was in such a good mood.
* * *
Paranormal Research Society.
Iruki was lost in thought, staring at a chalkboard covered in equations.
He was finally in the graduating class. But to be honest, it felt like he had just sort of ended up here.
‘Becoming a mage? Me?’
It was a place he could have reached anytime he set his mind to it. At least, that's what Iruki believed.
What had held him back was the fear of how his monstrous intellect might be used in the world.
‘In the end, I followed Shirone all the way here.’
It wasn't a bad feeling. The reason he could remain calm, even with graduation exams a year away, was likely because a massive control mechanism named Shirone had been installed in his brain.
‘Yeah, being a mage is Shirone's calling. I wonder if he's preparing well?’
Honestly, there was no need to worry about Shirone. As long as he had a firm goal, he would never stop.
‘Nade, on the other hand…’
There was a high chance he'd done nothing again.
He'd probably return after being cooped up in a warehouse all day, building strange contraptions.
It was a shame, but it couldn't be helped. Nade didn't want to become a mage.
‘Has it already been six years?’
Six years ago, Iruki had been expelled from the Royal Magic Academy and transferred to Alpheas Magic Academy.
Of course, his personality was still eccentric, so no one tried to associate with him.
Iruki wasn't interested in making friends either. The one person who caught his eye was Nade.
A boy who always sat in the very back of the classroom, glaring at the chalkboard with murderous eyes.
‘Hmm, a peculiar one.’
After watching Nade for a few days, Iruki, with his characteristic shamelessness, asked his classmates about him.
“Nade? I don't really know. He doesn't talk. I think his grades are decent.”
“I don't like Nade. He's… gloomy? Kind of a creep, too.”
“Why are you curious about Nade? You'd better leave him alone. His glare is just too intense.”
Iruki could roughly guess what Nade's school life was like.
A few days later, Nade approached Iruki's desk. His gaze was as cold as ice.
Iruki raised a hand nonchalantly.
“Hey. What's up?”
“Are you the one who's been digging into my background?”
If you leave a long trail, it's bound to be stepped on. Rumors that Iruki was asking about Nade had spread, and the subject himself had come to confront him.
“Digging into your background? Why would I be investigating your ass?”
Somewhere, a snort of laughter erupted. At the same time, Nade's fist slammed into Iruki's jaw.
Iruki, toppling over with his chair, lay motionless on the floor.
“I'll ask again. Are you the one who's been digging into my background?”
“Ptooey.”
Iruki spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and slowly pushed himself up.
But it was a feint. He immediately lunged forward, attempting a two-fingered eye poke.
“Acho!”
Iruki's arm shot out. His fingers stopped just short of Nade's eyes, who had leaned his upper body back.
Even so, Nade's expression didn't change one bit.
“…”
Withdrawing his arm, Iruki took a stance mimicking a snake, ready to fight.
The atmosphere chilled rapidly, and the faces of the lower-class students turned pale.
“Hoo.”
Nade looked at Iruki's ridiculous pose and let out a long sigh.
He didn't know how such an idiot got into the magic academy, but it was best not to engage.
“This is a warning. Don't ever take an interest in me again. Next time, I won't let you off.”
“No thanks. Why should I listen to you?”
A savage glint flashed in Nade's eyes.
“You… will actually die.”
“I know. I'm human, so I'll die someday. Are you an idiot, by any chance?”
Nade heard the sound of his reason snapping. The only thing stopping him from throwing a punch right now was the fear he might actually kill Iruki.
“You. See me after class. Meet me at the place I tell you.”
“Hoh, is this the legendary after-school duel I've heard so much about? But are you sure? I'm pretty strong, you know.”
Nade didn't even bother to reply and turned away.
If he was too scared to show up, then so be it.
But if he did appear at that place… Iruki wouldn't be able to attend school from tomorrow on.
“Oof, that was one hell of a punch.”
Righting his chair, Iruki sat down and touched his lips.
Class began, but Nade didn't show up.
The weather was gloomy, and by the end of class, gray storm clouds had covered the sky.
Iruki stroked his swollen cheek and gazed at the sky outside the window.
‘It's going to rain.’
Lightning flashed, and the thunder that followed tore the world apart.
In the downpour where you couldn't see an inch ahead, flashes of lightning and explosions chased each other's tails without a moment's rest.
“Hah, hah.”
Iruki lowered his chin, breathing heavily. The rain pounding on his head soon felt hot, and raindrops streamed down from under his soaked hair.
The only thing alive was the look in his eyes. His focus still pierced sharply through the darkness of the rain.
Beyond the curtain of the downpour, Nade's silhouette was visible.
Each time bolts of lightning squirmed like eels, parts of the silhouette regained their color, but the monstrous face he had seen at first never reappeared.
‘This is a bit serious.’
Iruki had to admit his calculations had been wrong.
He had thought Nade was no ordinary guy, and he was right. But this case was far, far beyond the normal range.
Iruki's voice cut through the rain.
“You… how on earth did you end up in ‘that state’?”
Nade approached, splashing through the water. The horrific expression was gone, replaced only by a sense of unease.
“What the hell are you? Why are you so interested in me?”
“It's not interest, it's a search. I've been looking for something lately.”
“Looking? For what?”
“As you can see, I'm a genius. A real, bona fide genius. Depending on how it's used, my ability could become a disaster. I might even kill countless people. That's why I need someone who can control me.”
Nade neither scoffed nor took him seriously.
“Kill countless people?”
“You, of all people, should be able to tell. With my abilities, it's more than possible.”
“That's absurd.”
Nade said with cold eyes.
“You. Have you ever killed someone?”
A massive peal of thunder crushed the world.
Iruki turned from the chalkboard with a bitter smile.
The opponent he had fought to the brink of death was now his inseparable friend.
Of course, Nade's personality only softened sometime after that incident.
But at the very least, it was from that moment on that he accepted Iruki as a friend.
“Well, my brother-in-arms. What a reunion.”
Nade burst through the door, stood ramrod straight, and saluted. As the memory from six years ago surfaced, a dry laugh escaped Iruki's lips.
(End of Volume 15)