The Academy's Savior
I decided to get reasonably close to Hyodo Yuuki.
Hyodo Yuuki was the sort of guy who belonged in a light novel as the protagonist. Women flocked to him just by him standing still. The women I had my eye on were all connected to him one way or another. In short, sticking by Hyodo Yuuki’s side meant I could meet beauties without lifting a finger.
“Hyodo Yuuki.”
“Hmm? Seong. You can just call me Hyodo.”
“That woman over there has been staring this way for a while now… is she a friend of yours?”
I indicated her with a flick of my eyes.
A green-haired woman was watching us with zero subtlety. She was quite the looker. Her green hair gave off a bright, refreshing vibe, and her skin was almost translucent. The tips of her ears peeking through her hair were pointed—clearly some elf blood in the mix.
Of course, I already knew exactly who she was.
“…Ah. That’s Shinbo Reika. She’s a half-elf, but her combativeness is pretty intense. She’s the top-ranked first-year at our academy. She seems interested in you since you’re also ranked first.”
“For someone interested in me, her gaze looks pretty locked on you.”
“Haha. Does it…?”
Hyodo Yuuki laughed awkwardly.
I already knew the backstory from the original work. Shinbo Reika and Hyodo Yuuki had almost certainly had an unofficial spar. And the winner would have been Hyodo Yuuki.
How do I get Shinbo Reika’s attention on me instead? Should I pull an unofficial spar with her the same way Hyodo Yuuki did? If I crush her with overwhelming power, will she start taking an interest in me?
The bell rang soon after and class began.
Boring lectures were the same whether you were in Japan or Korea.
Arashi Academy had major departments as well.
During major class time I moved together with Hyodo Yuuki.
“Seong. I didn’t expect you to be interested in Shinto.”
“Japanese Shinto’s famous for a lot of reasons. Japan’s full of shrines that enshrine land gods, and most of those land gods turn out to be spirits. Spiritology and Shinto have more in common than you’d think. Besides, Arashi Academy doesn’t even have a Spirit Department.”
“Now that you put it that way, it makes sense.”
I piled on the excuses, but the real reason was simple: I wanted to meet the woman in the Shinto department. And while I was at it, I planned to make use of the department for my own schemes.
“You’re the surprising one. You look like a pure swordsman, so why’d you pick Shinto?”
“Hmm. This is actually a secret… but I’ll tell only you, Seong. The Shinto department’s a lot freer than the others, so it’s convenient. Plus my childhood friend’s in it…”
“So the real goal is cutting class.”
“Hahaha. When you say it like that I’ve got no comeback. But I didn’t choose it just for slacking. The place is quiet—perfect for training alone.”
We climbed the stairs and reached the shrine.
A torii, I think they called it. The red wooden gate welcomed us. The moment I stepped past it I felt a clear sense of wrongness.
“Oh. Seong, you felt it?”
“…A barrier?”
“Exactly. Tsukuyomi Shrine has a barrier set up so you can only enter through the main gate.”
“Not bad.”
I offered a quiet murmur of admiration and followed Hyodo Yuuki deeper in.
“Ho. Little Hyodo. What rare occasion brings you with a guest?”
Principal Tenrai Nagisa, who had been perched on the shrine roof, dropped lightly to the ground. The sleeves of her gorgeous red kimono fluttered. Hyodo Yuuki scratched his cheek with one finger.
“Principal Tenrai. You were here?”
“Just stopped by for a short walk. Planning to train here again today?”
“Yes. Is that all right?”
“I don’t mind… but wouldn’t the training room with the Aurora Simulator be better? Why keep insisting on this place?”
“Haha…. Maybe because I can’t settle down anywhere else. Training just feels more effective here somehow.”
“…Tsk.”
Tenrai Nagisa waved a dismissive hand at him.
“Fine. Go train. I… will have a little talk with the child of Thunder before I leave.”
She fixed her gaze on me. I met it without flinching.
“Uh, well…. Got it. See you later, Seong.”
Reading the room, Hyodo Yuuki hurried off toward the training ground.
“Hmm. Child of Thunder. Care for a cup of tea?”
“I don’t drink anything but cola.”
When it came to tea, I rarely touched anything that wasn’t brewed by Yuria.
“Cola is easy enough. There’s a tea room—follow me.”
We arrived at the tea room. Tenrai Nagisa handed me a can of cola, then prepared green tea with practiced, elegant motions. Her skill was excellent—though still short of Yuria’s.
“It’s not too late. Would you like a cup? Green tea personally brewed by this Tenrai Nagisa is a luxury even the politicians of this land rarely enjoy.”
“I’m fine. Cola’s enough. Whoever invented it, cola really is the best.”
“You like it that much?”
“My tastes are picky enough that most things don’t sit well with me, but cola’s fine.”
“Cola’s fine?”
“I’d call it the peak of carbonated drinks. If I’m going to drink something else, I’d rather just have cola.”
“Kids these days… I truly don’t understand them.”
“So, may I ask why you called me over?”
“Nothing special. I was simply curious about Seong Ha-ri’s son. You’re more ordinary than I expected—rather deflating.”
“What exactly were you hoping for?”
“I thought you’d pick a fight on the spot and demand a match. Your mother was like that.”
“What?”
The absurd claim pulled a reflexive retort out of me. But thinking about it calmly, young Seong Ha-ri might very well have been that kind of person. Judging by how people around her reacted, her younger days… had apparently been full of trouble.
“Why follow Hyodo into the Shinto department? Interested in Shinto?”
“I’m a spirit mage. I have some interest.”
“Then I shall personally guide you around the shrine. Ah—after I finish this tea.”
She drank her green tea at a leisurely pace.
I finished the cola in one go and asked,
“I heard the shrine belonging to the Shinto department is called Tsukuyomi Shrine. Is it the one that enshrines that famous moon god?”
“So even a Korean like you knows of Tsukuyomi. Yes, this shrine does enshrine him.”
“Does Tsukuyomi actually exist?”
Tenrai Nagisa’s lips curved into a bitter smile.
“This world has all sorts of gods. Or rather—had. No one knows why the gods vanished. Some claim they were annihilated; others claim they simply left. What is certain is that they once existed. The proof is the power they left behind in this world.”
“So they don’t exist now. Then why keep the shrine? Is there any point believing in a god that isn’t here?”
“We believe because we wish to believe. That is faith.”
“……”
Tenrai Nagisa studied my face for a long moment, then burst out laughing.
“Hahaha. That face says you don’t understand at all. I have no intention of forcing you to see it my way. Think for yourself and decide for yourself. If you want to believe in gods, believe. If you don’t, then don’t. You have that freedom.”
“I only believe in gods I’ve seen with my own eyes.”
“Is that so.”
Trivial questions followed—where I learned spirit arts, whether Seong Ha-ri still rampaged like a wild boar, how Arashi Academy felt, and so on. I gave her rough answers.
When tea time ended she rose from her seat.
“I will guide you around the shrine myself. Follow me.”
I trailed after Tenrai Nagisa. She showed me every corner of the shrine while explaining its history. It was dull. I had no real interest in Tsukuyomi Shrine itself.
I’m interested in the thing hidden here.
Naturally, Tenrai Nagisa never mentioned the secret space.
I’ve already pinpointed the location with the Heavenly Eye. Knowing where it is doesn’t mean I can take it yet, but…
There was no need to rush.
According to the original story, something would happen soon.
That’s when the chance to take the item will appear.
I had obtained the Ghost Cloak precisely for that moment. If everything went according to plan, there would be no problems.
After touring the shrine with Tenrai Nagisa we returned to the entrance and ran into a shrine maiden sweeping with a broom.
Black hair pulled tight into a ponytail. White top, long red skirt—the classic shrine maiden look. She was also Hyodo Yuuki’s childhood friend.
“Principal Tenrai.”
“Oh, Mieko. Cleaning, are you? Hard work.”
“No. It’s simply a shrine maiden’s duty. Who is the person beside you?”
“An exchange student from Korea. Name’s Seong Yujin. As a spirit mage he expressed interest in the Shinto department. This is Miyakado Mieko, the sole shrine maiden of Tsukuyomi Shrine.”
“Seong Yujin. Please take care of me.”
“Miyakado Mieko. You’re joining the Shinto department? That’s… inconvenient. We don’t really do much of anything here. I’d recommend looking at another major.”
Tenrai Nagisa cut in.
“Mieko. What’s wrong with the Shinto department? It is the root of Japanese culture. Teach this fellow the excellence of our culture thoroughly.”
“Principal. Culture has no superiority.”
“Ehh. You’re far too serious about everything. Can’t you take a joke?”
“……”
One way or another, I ended up in the Shinto department.
The first exchange match ended.
The result was a narrow defeat for Korea. The shocked Korean academy students threw themselves into hellish training.
I sat in a classroom chair, half-listening to the teacher’s lecture and killing time.
I made no forced approaches toward Shinbo Reika or Miyakado Mieko. Women of their type only pull back if you come on too strong. The goal wasn’t for me to go to them—it was for them to come to me.
KWAAaaaaaaang!
A massive explosion tore through the air.
I snapped my eyes open and looked out the window. Black smoke was rising from multiple points across the academy.
Arashi Academy was under attack.
KWAAaaaaaaaaaaaaang!
Something flew in from outside the grounds and slammed into Arashi Academy’s barrier. The barrier held, but it shuddered violently.
“It’s an attack!!”
“They attacked Arashi Academy?! What kind of lunatics—?!”
“Only one group would pull something like this! Madojeong! It’s Madojeong!”
Panic flooded the classroom.
The teacher who had been mid-lesson flung the chalk to the floor and roared at the students.
“Quiet! This is an emergency! Everyone stay calm and follow me! We move to the shelter immediately!”
“Teacher! We can fight them!”
“Shut your mouth! You are students! Don’t delude yourselves into thinking you’re heroes! Get to the shelter right now!”
Kuuuuung!
The building shook. The teacher clenched his teeth and pointed at the door.
“Move!”
The explosions kept coming.
And the ones that kept ringing out at regular intervals were coming from the direction of Tsukuyomi Shrine.
Hyodo Yuuki, sitting beside me, checked the chaos around us, then slipped out of his seat the moment everyone’s attention was elsewhere. I pulled the Ghost Cloak from my inventory, draped it over my shoulders, and followed him.