Terrifying Seniors
"Ah, there are no major classes today. It's the day when '' is allowed with you first-years."
Everyone knew that already, but some kids still tilted their heads in confusion. Our homeroom professor—who also served as our instructor—began her explanation with a serious expression, noting that while this might be special, it could also turn nightmarish.
"Just as there's a separate building for first-years, the same goes for second- and third-years. At the center is the 'Central Academy,' which includes classrooms for clubs, the student council room, the main faculty office, and so on. Starting today, you all can go there, and you'll be able to meet your upperclassmen too—but..."
──She also mentioned we'd probably see some upperclassmen who were still first-years hanging around the second-year building. Those who'd failed to advance and got held back might transfer to our building, or just stay put. Either way, it meant a tiny handful would end up with us first-years.
I wondered if this would shake up the whole "strongest four kings" dynamic. But getting held back probably meant they weren't that strong anyway. Hadn't Grand Duke said the competitive structure inevitably produced repeaters?
For me—a prime candidate for flunking out—this was a future that might actually hit close to home.
"That's why, once regular classes end today, you can roam freely after noon."
As a bonus, she told us not to cook in the dorms when we got hungry—the convenience store exclusive to Central Academy was huge and open 24/7, so eat there from now on.
Should we try running our café 24/7? If we could serve upperclassmen too, business would boom.
"Pfft, we barely work anyway, so just snag some evening shifts."
Beatus shot back with a bored look, chuckling that he was more excited about which quirky weirdo seniors might show up. The top student hated my guts and picked fights, but surely no upperclassman would just beat up a junior to teach manners, right?
"You might not care, but I could get pissed and smack you."
"Nah, that won't happen. If any senior tries, I'll beat 'em for you."
"So reliable—I almost fell for you~"
Beatus laughed, saying reality would probably just end with us both getting pummeled together, but he seemed genuinely pleased anyway.
Classes dragged on uneventfully after that. Math, social studies, language arts—I was barely scraping by in everything, despair clawing at my eyes with tears, but I held it together.
"Even studying at the café and dorm after school, why can't I keep up...!"
"It's your first time at an academy, duh. What'd you expect?"
Kali pitied me outright, pointing out that basic education was a given for nobles. As if some rural backwater had schools! Or textbooks, even!!
"Mom never planned to send me here at all!"
"Yeah, checks out."
"Gah!"
"I-I'm so scared, Grand Duke!! What if scary seniors bully me!!"
<"Don't jinx it... If that happens, my neck snaps first and I end up as chicken soup...">
Grand Duke muttered that if any senior tried bullying me, he'd have no choice but to kill them to save his own skin. Hearing that actually calmed me down a bit, so I scratched the back of my head sheepishly.
We all trudged toward Central Academy with tense faces, gawking at its overwhelming size—three times bigger than the first-year building. We marveled at the surrounding facilities: flower beds, fields, even a lake-like pond, and all sorts of creatures wandering about. Golems, walking dolls... It felt like stepping into a dreamland.
"Where's that goat punk I fought?! Gimme a café voucher for those points!!!"
That fantasy shattered with a guttural roar. Tsarara Diamond-senior—a second-year wrapped in a scarf—hunted for Beatus. Seeing her reminded me I should check on the two seniors I'd wrecked... but I had no face to show, so I'd put it off. Didn't even know where they were, and asking might come off as cocky. Honestly, guilt and fear kept me from asking.
Some kids were already chatting up upperclassmen—family ties or acquaintances, maybe. I had no one specific to meet and no intel, so I figured I'd just tour Central Academy.
That's when a massive shadow swirled around the plaza, drawing every eye. The living darkness rose like a pillar, silent and devouring sunlight, its visuals so violent that some first-year whimpered:
"M-monster!"
Nothing emanated from it, which made it creepier—but only for a moment. A sleepy, languid blonde beauty emerged from within.
"Ahh! It's the legendary [Manga Club Ghost] senior!!"
"The immortal repeater who flunked first-year for 70 years and second-year for 50!!"
"My mom said she advanced thanks to that senior!"
"What an intimidating presence... The pinnacle of deadbeats...?"
Her reputation skewed weirdly. Plus, 120 years total made her senior even to my mom—cold sweat.
"Heh... Hi, second-gen Witchcraft. As you can see, I'm a second-year senior—ribbon color gives it away, right?"
"Ah, y-yes ma'am."
Her age was impossible to guess pre-repeater status, so I clasped my hands politely.
"Well, you might not know... Anyway, I'm kinda the rep for us repeaters. Heard you have the legendary 'Absolute Math Notes,' so I came."
Aha, I get the vibe. For repeaters, anything boosting math scores was a lifeline. This senior was probably a sweet angel asking nicely instead of violence...
"So... Wanna trade for one of the treasures I've collected here? Pick what you like."
She handed over a tattered notebook—cover scribbled with farming tips. Whose was that?
<"Whoa...">
The rest was a jaw-dropping treasure list that'd impress even Grand Duke.
"Grads gave 'em to encourage me as they left—piled up. Might even have stuff from Aris-junior...?"
She didn't see Mom much due to buildings, but building demolitions? Frequent. She'd even witnessed Mom compressing a dragon into burger meat on a kingdom trip back in the day.
I gave an awkward smile and picked the useful-sounding [Cloak of Invisibility] from the list.
Without asking why, she rummaged in her shadow and handed it over.
"Aris-junior's daughter is nothing like the rumors~"
"Huh? Yeah...? Different up close, right?"
I handed over the notes, insisting I was a kind, weak junior unlike the hype.
Her response differed from my hopes.
"How to put it... You look like a total dunce. Got that flunk-out vibe."
"....."
"Heh, nice meeting you. Name's Akarino Kiduna, junior."
"Y-yes ma'am..."
Hearing I'd be her junior again next year despite being an eternal repeater felt like a hammer to the skull. I was grinding hard already, but now I'd need to cut sleep and chase progress desperately.
"...But senior, why so many repeats?"
"Ah... Lazy and slothful, racked up tons of tardies. Total shut-in... Little sis forced me in to 'grow up' once she was grown."
"...You okay with that?"
"Huh? No biggie...? I've lived over 2,000 years—120's nothing."
No, that's an insanely long life. This is an immortal... Her life's scale was way off ours. To her, it was just "eh, whatever, take it easy"?
Her "let's hang often" hit terrifying now.
"Whoa, was that the second-year top student just now?"
"Our top dogs crossed paths then. Who's stronger?"
"Second-year, probably?"
After she sank into shadows, the second-year topper approached me. Classmates buzzed—she'd met Ephemera first, then me. Distance remained, but I sensed it: strongest student I'd met since enrolling.
She was an elf with living, wind-tossed blonde hair streaked blue—like it blew itself.
"Hi, junior?"
"Ah, h-hi...?"
"Surprised I talked to you?"
"Kinda...? I'm a flunk-out too..."
"I─[love swords], y'know. Intrigued by juniors who handle 'em well. Cursed or something?"
Her piercing words and gaze on my hand. Gentle smile and kind looks aside, up close she felt razor-sharp—like a drawn blade slicing wind. Skin prickled, slashed sensation lingering.
"You can't sense it without effort. Two promising juniors? Never heard of a sword-swinging witch."
With that, she vanished like wind after "see you."
Shockingly, she ignored Greatsword Dummy entirely. He stared, stung—she'd deemed his sword inferior to mine, no backward glance. He glared daggers at me, but I just looked away.
<"As a guy, you must've been decent.">
"I've said it's unfair a million times!"
<"You don't seem aware, but that's not your level. That girl's a swordmaster wielding a flying sword shaped from the concept [Heavenly Flying Sword].">
"So?"
<"She's the current king—and the hero's disciple.">
"Eek!"
Getting "nice swordplay" from that caliber? What? More than that, a sword shaped from a concept...? Flying sword meant self-flying blade? Hard to picture, but she felt like she could slice without swinging.
"Ugh, wiped out... Haven't even entered Central yet—is this right?"
"Our junior's already beat?"
"Eek!"
Head down, I bumped someone—insanely soft, burying-deep. Apologizing and stepping back revealed massive breasts.
"H-huge..."
<"What warmth... Mother's embrace...">
Grand Duke babbled nonsense; it was that cozy and big! Tall too, but mine felt tiny. Legs buckled; she helped me up.
Red twintails tied with white ribbon suited her.
"Scared you? Sorry. Heard a fellow witch junior was here, so I came to see."
"Y-yes."
Her gentle, soft voice evoked Mom for a forgetful second.
"Get off her, you gum-tit."
Followed by a cold, brutally painful kick.
"Bukureshti... Be nice to fellow witches."
"Grrr...!"
"Treating her like an intruder in her territory."
"I'll apologize for her."
One senior looked viciously feral; the other radiated maternal warmth. Both witches?─Hard to tell from looks alone.
"This is witch Alice Bukureshti, unicorn bloodline. Bit prickly, as you see."
"Shove those pathetic tits at me and you. Die."
"Bit?"
"And I'm Onozuka Yungmei. Third-year senior~?"
Whoa, sky-high upperclassman! I finally noticed the third-year ribbon and bowed.
She cooed "cute" and petted my head.
"Guh! Big trouble, Grand Duke... My chest itches inside...!"
<"What fearsome yuri power... Too deep and you'll get purified—careful.">
"Come to think, few strangers are this nice to me."
Grand Duke silently closed his eyes, shedding tears.