The command from Instructor Ansberna.
The boy in front of me, Aki, smiles cheerfully.
“…Hold back? Even if you ask me to go easy on you, I’m not that strong. How am I supposed to do that?”
I could be overtaken by White and the others at any time…
“Kasuya , I’m glad I got to spar with you so early on like this.”
“Uh, oh, thank you.”
“Yes, I’m truly glad.”
The moment his smile faded, a shock hit my stomach.
With legs enhanced by magic, his speed surpassed that of any beast.
“I took care of the pests buzzing around Snow.”
“Ugh!”
His long legs kicked me straight away.
“Whoa, that was direct.”
“Aki, you don’t hold back~ LOL.”
“Looks painful~ LOL.”
“Poor guy, all because he accidentally broke that magic stone.”
The classmates watching around us began to cheer. My body rolled across the ground.
“Don’t worry, I won’t use my Gift. But you will feel pain, enough so that you’ll never dream again.”
“Dr…eams?”
“Yeah, you and Snow live in different worlds… I heard from Snow. He said he wanted to have you as a companion!”
“Ugh!”
Aki isn’t one to hold back.
He delivered another blow to my stomach while I was down.
His long legs, powered by centrifugal force and magic, struck my stomach again.
“That kid is naive. It’s a misunderstanding. He just got intrigued because he found someone rare—or maybe, someone he got along with a little. That’s why he tried to get close to someone like you, a nobody!”
“Ugh. Oof.”
A soccer-style kick.
This time it hit my side, targeting the weak points of the human body with precision.
“And you! You should have shown some restraint! You got close to him, taking advantage of his kindness! Show some restraint! Know your place! A commoner like you shouldn’t approach him so easily!”
Thud, thud, thud.
Over and over, Aki kicked and stomped on me.
“Face reality! You’re not suited for him! Right now, he has no room for someone like you clinging to him! Don’t manipulate his pity for you as a homeless kid! You’re just like all the others!”
Thud! Thud! Bam!
“Don’t rely on him! Don’t depend on him! Don’t expect anything from him! Don’t make Snow carry more burdens! Don’t approach him so casually!!!”
Bam!
A body strengthened by magic becomes a deadly weapon.
Aki’s kicks avoided vital spots, but still…
From the outside, it must look…
“Uh, Aki, isn’t he really angry?”
“Scary… yeah.”
“That homeless guy is so unlucky LOL.”
“There’s no way a homeless kid can compete with a knight’s family.”
“Aki! S-stop! Too much! Instructor! Instructor Ansberna! P-please stop the match!”
“…Be quiet, Snow. It’s not over yet.”
It seemed like a distressing scene.
I could hear Snow’s pained voice.
“Cough…”
“Do you get it now? You lack the qualifications. If you want to stand by his side, you need a minimum level of power, beliefs, and, above all, conviction.”
Aki crouched down beside me, muttering something.
“You’re weak. I hate weaklings. It’s always the same—people like you expect things from Snow, then get disappointed by him on your own.”
His voice was trembling.
“How many more times does Snow have to be hurt? Should I wipe out all the pests that cling to his light? Why should he have to bear all the burdens in this world too? For weaklings like you who only depend on others?”
“…”
“He’s too kind. He never should have been born into royalty. Coming to this other world, he finally thought he’d escaped his responsibilities, only to find himself among nobles again. It’s ridiculous. Why does such a kind child, who’s best suited for just living a normal life, have to keep trying so hard? Hey, are you listening?”
“…”
“It’s your fault, the fault of weaklings like you. Because you stay weak. Because you tolerate your own weakness.”
“That’s why I won’t allow weaklings around Snow. You are not worthy.”
Bam!
“Kasuya ! No! Stop it!”
A kick enhanced with magic sent me flying.
I heard Snow’s scream.
“Instructor, take him to the infirmary. If we treat him now, there won’t be any lasting damage.”
Aki turned his back, preparing to leave the scene—
“Oh, Aki. Are you saying you’re conceding defeat?”
“…What? What are you talking about?”
“Ahaha, I forgot to mention. The conditions for winning a sparring match are either a ring-out or a knockout. It doesn’t seem like you’ve accomplished either, does it?”
“…What are you saying? He’s clearly—”
Aki’s words were cut off.
“Huh…!”
“Hey, hey, hey, no way.”
“Is this real… that homeless guy…”
“Ritsu, look at that…”
“Kasuya , you are…”
“Wow… he’s scary after all.”
Voices.
What was supposed to be a public humiliation match by Aki von Schwarz against the homeless boy…
However—
“Kastani-san…?”
“…Ugh.”
The fact that I, Takihito Kasuya , managed to stand up ruined everything.
Aki slowly turns to face me.
“…Why are you standing?”
“…”
“That’s impossible… You didn’t use any magical reinforcement at all—or rather, you couldn’t use it… So why can you stand?”
“…”
“Ugh! Answer me! Takihito Kasuya !”
Whoa! That scared me!
Well… I just stood up because Aki’s attacks seemed to have stopped… Is that okay?
I wonder if I’ve already lost from being beaten up too much. What’s Instructor Ansberna’s reaction…?
“…As expected.”
Oh, it seems like I’m okay!
“Player, are you alright? You kept taking direct hits…”
Yeah, well, Aki’s magical reinforcement was really well done. He circulated his magic power through his body more efficiently than other mages. I got too focused on studying that.
“Well, as long as you’re uninjured, that’s good.”
“Hey, are you messing with me? Why won’t you answer…?”
“Heh, ha.”
“!?”
“Did you see that, just now?”
“H-he got beaten up so badly, but he’s standing up like it’s nothing.”
“And he’s even smiling…”
Oh, oops, I let out a weird cough.
“Kastani-san… I’m glad… Ah, no! Kastani-san! It’s too dangerous now! Please, surrender! Aki! Enough already! Why are you doing this to my friend?!”
“…Ugh, Snow, stay out of this! This is between me and Takihito Kasuya !”
“Heh.”
Snow and Aki are yelling at each other loudly.
I’m such an idiot.
I’d forgotten something important.
I see, that’s how it is.
To become friends with someone as popular as Snow, it’s not enough to just earn her favor.
I need to get along with her friends too!
“…Now? You realize this now?”
For that, I need to be acknowledged by Aki as a friend in earnest! Hmm, he was saying something about disliking the weak…
“Kastani… why do you keep standing up?”
“…”
Hmm, the whole thing about hating the weak, right? Hmm.
“You’re so beaten up, why… Could it be, you care that much about Snow? No, that’s impossible, I won’t accept it. There’s never been anyone like that. Everyone just raises her hopes and then leaves… You’re the same! Kastani!”
Oh, I get it.
If he hates the weak, then I just have to be strong.
Probably, to win Aki’s approval, I need to prove my strength in this battle event.
Life-field moments, just as expected! Life-field always teaches you something about life.
“Stop giving false hope!!”
Aki’s magic surges up.
His magic circulates without any delay.
His magically reinforced legs crush the stone floor, and in an instant, he’s in front of me.
The speed of his initial attack isn’t much different from White’s as he drives his kick into my face.
Whoa—my body goes flying!
“Kastani-san… this can’t be…”
“Whoa, right to the face…”
“Hey, he’s dead, isn’t he?”
“Ritsu—w-what’s happening—I can’t watch anymore!”
“Kastani Takihito, you…”
“Now, after all this time…”
Aki takes a deep breath.
“Now, after all this time, you show potential… Why does she have to endure so much—ah…!”
“…”
Alright. Let’s stand up.
Yeah, good form.
Okay, Aki.
Not bad.
“…”
“…What? No, injuries…? Haha, what is this, what’s going on with you…?”
Hmm, how do I show Aki that I’m not weak without standing out too much…?
Alright, I’ll win this with this method.
“Aki von Schwarz.”
I curl my finger, gesturing for him to come at me.
Bring it on, surely a battle-hardened guy like Aki would understand.
He should get it.
“…Fine then, Takihito Kasuya .”
“…Warning, S-rank Gift activation detected.”
“Aki! No! What are you thinking?!”
“Wait, no! Snow-chan, it’s dangerous!”
“Haru-chan, let me go! Aki’s using his Gift! Kastani-san is going to die! Instructor, please stop this! This isn’t just a spar anymore!”
“…The match will continue.”
“What are you thinking, you silly knight in that weird helmet?!”
Snow’s desperate screams.
The surrounding tension.
It’s only natural.
The vast magical power leaking from Aki’s body, that dark energy quickly envelops him.
It writhes, gathers, solidifies, and then.
“Gift granted—Black Knight’s Oath.”
“Oh.”
It becomes a magical armor.
The solidified magic wraps around Aki’s arms and legs, forming black gauntlets and greaves.
“If you really intend to stand by Snow’s side—then overcome this challenge, overcome me!!”
Oh, oh wow.
A real knight in black armor, fighting for a princess…?
That’s so cool.
“…Heh.”
Oh no, I can’t help but laugh at how awesome this is—
“Takihito Kasuya !! If you want to be with Snow—convince me!!”
“…S-rank Gifted—Favored by the God of Love and Loyalty, Gift name ‘Black Knight’s Oath’ [Ritter de Schwarz] incoming!!”
“Her older brother, me!!”
Aki rushes at me like a black wind—
“Technique activation—Distant Thunder Lightning Transformation Spell.”
“—Huh?”
Snap.
The curse energy inside me surges.
Distant Thunder Lightning Transformation Spell, its effect—
Movement as fast as lightning, along with lightning-speed attacks.
As Aki charges at me, I close the distance even faster and land a punch on his face.
—Will he die? Well, if it happens, it happens.
I’ll hold back just enough so that he doesn’t die.
A deafening crack.
The sound of Aki, the S-rank Gifted, slamming into the dome wall outside the ring reverberates.
“Gah…”
Aki slides down from the wall.
He won’t be standing up again. The black gauntlets and greaves melt away.
Just before he collapses face-first to the ground, Instructor Ansberna, who had moved without us noticing, catches him.
“—Match over, the winner is Kastani!”
A moment of silence, and then—
“Eeeeeeeh?!?!?!”
Shouts of astonishment echo across the magic academy grounds.
Hahaha. Hahahahaha.
Oh no, I got too carried away and went overboard.
What should I do now?
“…Don’t worry.”
