14
Chapter 14
"Are you really okay?"
"I told you, I am."
"You were screaming your head off just a second ago; it's hard to believe you when your voice is this raspy."
"Is that so?"
Estella mentioned that I had suddenly screamed as if having a seizure. She was probably referring to when I felt the pain.
"Yes, it is!"
"What about you? You look like a mess."
While her injuries weren't as severe as mine, Estella was covered in bandages almost everywhere.
"Ah! Right, that's why I came here. You said this would be manageable, you bastard!"
Normally, she would have hit me a few times while saying that, but perhaps because she was injured herself, or because she'd seen me groaning in pain as a patient, she didn't resort to violence.
"I'm sorry."
"Since when did you start apologizing so easily, you jerk?"
The condition for her to awaken her first Star Radiance was to reach her limit, so I had intentionally pushed her toward it. There aren't many situations where she is pushed to her absolute limit.
So, I do feel sorry about that. If I were to make an excuse, I could say that maximizing her Star Radiance is for her own good, but that's just an excuse.
It was my own selfishness, ignoring her opinion.
There's no denying it; it was entirely my fault.
"It was my fault. And thank you. For succeeding."
"Who do you think I am? I'm the rising Divinity, the genius of the century."
"Right, you're amazing."
"By the way, is what happened today related to that thing from earlier?"
"It's hard to know exactly what you're asking when you put it like that."
I wasn't playing dumb; I genuinely didn't know. Too many things had happened today.
"You know, that part where you were in agonizing pain. Does that have something to do with me awakening my Star Radiance?"
"It doesn't. That was just the result of my own recklessness."
It had been a battle so reckless it was practically suicidal.
"Is that so?"
As Estella looked relieved, a voice called out from behind us.
"Miss Aria, why are you lingering in front of the door, acting so indecisive?"
"Wait! If you just open it...."
The door opened, and before our eyes stood a girl with light purple hair and a figure in armor nearly two meters tall.
"Ahem, eavesdropping isn't a very nice habit."
"I wasn't eavesdropping!"
Aria snapped back defensively when I teased her.
"Then why weren't you coming in?"
"Well, Lady Estella is in there, how could I just walk in.... I-I was just waiting...."
"Is that not Lady Estella! The only daughter of the Pendragon family, known as the descendants of the Knight King, Estella Pendragon!"
Quixote usually spoke in a monotone, but his voice had risen about a half-step, suggesting he was quite excited.
To be fair, I hadn't known him long enough to say "usually," and the previous situation might have been special.
Still, seeing as he called himself a Knight even in the modern era, it wasn't hard to guess he harbored a deep admiration for the Pendragon family.
"We're all classmates, so don't be so formal. Just treat her normally."
I said this as I rested my hand on Estella's shoulder.
"It feels like you're the only one being too casual, Seo-ha!"
"No, he's right. From the moment we entered the Academy, we're all just fellow freshmen. I'd prefer it if you didn't feel so intimidated."
Aria spoke in surprise, but Estella chimed in to support me.
Upon hearing that, Quixote took a step forward and spoke.
"In that case, may I request a duel?"
"Hey, you're injured too. Why are you talking about dueling already? Besides, you just met her."
I tried to stop him. Estella, having awakened her Star Radiance, was far too dangerous for an average student to spar with.
"Unlike you, I have already been cleared for normal activity. After hearing about the terror attack, medical teams from other continents arrived, and the Academy can now save almost anyone who isn't already dead. Look at your arm as proof."
I looked back at my arm. I couldn't see it clearly because of the patient gown, but it looked remarkably clean.
So much so that I couldn't feel any strange sensation. Just as I tried to lift my arm, Estella stopped me.
"Try not to use your arm for now. The doctor said the treatment is complete, but he told me to keep an eye on it until today just in case."
"It doesn't even hurt, though?"
"They gave you emergency painkillers while you were screaming."
Ah.
"So, if you don't mind, could I ask for one duel?"
His eyes were shining so brightly they practically pierced through his helmet.
"Sure, I should get a feel for this new power I've gained anyway."
"Excellent. Since dueling is part of training, there is nothing strange about refining one's unpolished skills."
"Wait, you're planning to use that? Isn't that a bit overkill?"
The Star Radiance she had awakened for the first time was definitely the Crown.
The power that stands above all creation.
She's going to use that for a simple duel? Is she trying to kill someone?
"Well, I only used it once back then and couldn't do it properly, so I want to get a feel for it this time."
"Hey, you're going to use a human as a practice dummy for that?"
It's a power capable of slicing through Reika's three lackeys—who received the power of the stars—in a single blow.
Before I could even stop them, they had already left the hospital room and were walking down the hallway.
"Hey! Wait up!"
I tried to get up, but one of my legs wouldn't cooperate. It seemed the damage to my leg was worse than I thought. Did I get hurt while shoving an arrow into that guy's eye? Or was it an anesthetic instead of a painkiller? I can move, but I can't really feel anything.
"Um... would you like some help?"
Luckily, Aria stayed by my side instead of following them, so I was able to stand up with her support.
"W-what's going on?"
"That crazy bitch is trying to kill someone."
"What?!"
***
We rushed after them as fast as we could, but between the difficulty of being supported and Aria's clumsy, hesitant steps, we only arrived after the duel had already begun.
"The thrusts are fast, but too predictable. Even with the helmet hiding her eyes, I can tell exactly where she's looking."
"To parry my spear so effortlessly, without even using mana... I can see just how lacking I am."
"Shall I try something now?"
Crazy bitch, crazy bitch, crazy bitch.
I wanted to see her dominate the battlefield using the White Crown she gained through her Star Radiance, not see her cause an accident during a duel.
Starlight began to flow from her Stigma.
For a moment, I almost thought it was beautiful, but given the situation, I had no time to be sentimental.
"Hey, stop spacing out and hurry up!"
At my words, Aria snapped out of her daze and started walking again.
"Stop..."
"Kingdom."
Eh? What?
A reddish-brown light erupted, forming a domain centered around the dueling area.
"What is this?"
Why is it reddish-brown instead of white?
"What's wrong? Don't tell me Mr. Quixote is already dead?!"
When I stopped abruptly, Aria noticed something was off and spoke to me.
"No. Uh... well..."
"Oh, you're here? Watch this!"
Estella shouted toward me.
"Looking away during a duel... you've underestimated me."
Quixote thrust his spear toward the distracted Estella.
But the spear was quite slow. Having fought alongside him within the Barrier, I could tell that the speed of his thrust had become unnaturally slow.
Estella was already gone from where the spear landed. She had already moved behind Quixote, holding her sword to his neck.
No one caught the movement, but it wasn't because she was simply fast. If she had moved at high speed, dust would have flown or her hair would have fluttered, but there wasn't a single tremor.
"My defeat. This was a great experience. I heard you were the primary contributor to stopping the terror attack, and you are even more impressive than I expected."
Quixote humbly accepted his defeat. Instead of being discouraged, he seemed to be contemplating how to grow further.
"Pretty awesome, right?"
Using that teleportation again, she appeared instantly in front of me.
"This is what you were talking about, right? Wow, it's amazing every time I use it."
I was worried she might cause an accident, but something even bigger happened.
"So, what's your review?"
The original plan was to resolve the incident based on her combat power after obtaining the Crown. But if her strength doesn't meet expectations...
"Hey! Are you ignoring me?!"
[You must persevere on your path.]
The voice I heard before waking up seemed to echo again. It's okay if things shift a little. I can cover for her somehow.
"Ah, looking at you again, I might actually fall for you. This is problematic."
"Fall for me? Bullshit."
"This jerk shuts his mouth when it's time for a compliment, but the insults come out instantly."
She spoke with a smirk.
Right.
If I hadn't intervened, would she be able to smile like this right now?
The Academy is still in chaos.
Yet, no one seems particularly sad or depressed over the deaths.
Not because they don't mourn the casualties, but because there are no casualties to mourn.
***
Right, the path ahead won't be smooth, nor will there be a red carpet laid out or beautiful floral decorations.
The road you take will be narrow and treacherous, a path of thorns rather than flowers, but you will not walk it alone.
Even if your efforts are revealed to the world, most people might not believe them.
My original purpose in bringing you here wasn't the salvation of the world, but if you choose salvation as your path, all I can do is pray for you.
Prayer, expectation, faith, and hope are like strong liquor. Exhilarating and blissful while drinking, but once the intoxication fades, a deathly hangover strikes.
But if you die and I wake from this stupor, the hangover of regaining sobriety after losing hope and expectation—my sorrowful weeping as I realize the reality—will be my mourning for you.
I pull out something covered in dense writing.
It is a record. A record of something so long the paper seems endless.
At the very top, it reads:
[Faculty: 10, Casualties: 10, Minor Injuries: 3, Major Injuries: 7, Deaths: 0]
[Freshmen: 650, Casualties: 648, Minor Injuries: 72, Major Injuries: 248, Deaths: 328]
With a few gestures of my hand, I push the text above downward.
In the space created, I carve new letters.
[Faculty: 10, Casualties: 10, Minor Injuries: 9, Major Injuries: 1, Deaths: 0]
[Freshmen: 650, Casualties: 618, Minor Injuries: 422, Major Injuries: 186, Deaths: 0]
So, I shall drink this strong liquor and remain intoxicated.
Casting aside worries about things that haven't happened, so that the intoxication from this drink may last forever.
The record grew longer once again, but this time, I was able to smile.