Volume 1 Chapter 5.3
Autonomous Thinking Puppets, Sand
Castles are Prone to Collapse Part 3
Translator : PolterGlast
◆ On the day of the
<Practical Test> ◆
The students of
Classes 5 and 6 were gathered in front of the gymnasium, which was located on
the outskirts of the school's spacious grounds.
Jin observed his
surroundings from a short distance away from the crowd.
Nina, who was wearing
a strong act, and the others who were talented, such as Bennett, kept a relaxed
expression on their faces.
On the other hand, the
students with lower grades - the so-called [C-rank] students - seemed to be
fighting hard against the pressure of having no choice but to show results
here.
Perhaps due to the
extreme tension, there has been no end to the number of students who have
rushed to the restrooms located near the gymnasium since a few moments ago. It
seemed that one of the private rooms had been occupied since before the
assembly time arrived, as if some of the participants were under severe mental
pressure.
No wonder, Jin
thought.
If they were among the
five students with the lowest grades at the end of the month, their memories
would be immediately erased and they would be expelled from the school without
any questions asked.
When Isabella, the
school's grade advisor, appeared from inside the gymnasium, the students all
fell silent at once.
"Looks like
you've all gathered here, heretics", she said with the same excessively
abusive tone as usual. "I will once again explain the rules of the
<Chase Tag> we are going to conduct this time."
A one-on-one game of
tag played on a field with obstacles.
Three rounds of tag
are played, with the participants alternately taking turns as the demons, and
the winner is the one who has the highest total number of seconds to escape.
Everyone was familiar with the outline of the game up to that point.
"There are a few
additional rules. The winner of this game can take points from the loser for
the difference in the number of seconds they escaped."
The students started
to make a fuss over the rules that Isabella announced so nonchalantly.
One of the female
students raised her hand hesitantly.
"...... What if
we lose points beyond the amount we own?"
"You swine are
not allowed to ask questions. Do you want to be expelled?"
After saying this
coldly, the female instructor contorted the edges of her mouth.
"...... Of
course, there is a limit to the number of points you can earn. No matter how
many seconds you are behind, you will never lose more than 50 points.
Conversely, the game ends when one of the participants is ahead by more than
fifty seconds. That's the second additional rule."
Jin understood the
feelings of the female student who was utterly stunned.
Perhaps she, too, just
barely passed the entrance exam and was forced to take the <screening test>.
Many of the participants in that test had less than 50 points.
As though she didn't
care about the despair of the weak, Isabella continued.
"The last thing
I'll explain is what is forbidden. The use of psychic abilities is of course
allowed, but if you injure your opponent, you will be given a penalty of -20
seconds. Also, as a general rule, destroying obstacles is prohibited. That's
all."
Conversely, direct
attacks are permitted as long as contestants are prepared to bear the 20-second
handicap.
And if one were to
knock one's opponent unconscious, the game would be decided at that point.
"Wait......!"
Perhaps unwilling to
back down, the girl from earlier cut in again.
"I can't accept
those rules! It's as if there's no room for those with psychic abilities that
aren't suited for combat......"
"Exactly."
Isabella declared so
without changing her expression.
"The academy is
not a sanctuary where we take care and nurture you, plebs. This school's
purpose is to find talented individuals who can be sent to the <White
Knights>. Even if your psychic abilities are not suited for combat, all you
have to do is to make the best use of them. We have no use for incompetents who
can't even understand that."
"No
way......"
"What? We are
generous, you know? We can even introduce you to a new place to transfer to. Of
course, we will erase your memory of this place......"
Of course, going to
another affiliated school does not close the doors to the military, police, and
some large companies.
But the only way to become
a candidate for the <White Knights> is to graduate from the Heiberg
Academy.
Students who entered
the school with dreams of becoming heroes of the country would never accept a
transfer to an affiliated school. The school is fully aware of this mentality,
and is therefore encouraging intense competition.
It is a truly
tasteless scheme. Jin felt like applauding.
"......As I
thought, the weak ones should be eliminated as soon as possible. Let's change
the rules."
The instructor
suddenly said something outrageous.
"We will change
the match-up system to a self-reporting one instead of lottery. Nominate the
opponents you want to take as your prey, starting with those who have the most
points at the moment.
The female student who
had been expressing her opinion to Instructor Isabella suddenly turned pale. If
such a rule were to be made, she would be the first to be targeted.
Her eyes met with
Nina's, who was standing at a distance.
She was entirely back
to her former self, her little mouth agape.
"Ah ...... what
an unexpected situation this is."
The number fourteen
plate that he had hidden in his pocket turned into nothing more than a piece of
junk.
However, all he had to
do was ask Nina, who would have the second highest points, to nominate him.
Everything would be fine.
"Well then, the
first one is you, Bennett Rohr. Pick your opponent."
Bennett put his hand
on his chin and made a thoughtful gesture.
Everything about him,
from his slender back, to his innocent smile, to the dark circles around his eyes,
seems to have been sculpted with perfect calculation.
With all eyes on him,
Bennett declared.
"......I would
like to nominate Nina Stingray as my opponent."
◇
What a disaster, Nina
thought inwardly.
Nina, who is known as
a monster at the school, has no choice but to accept Bennett's challenge with a
fearless smile on her face.
With no good solution
in mind, the instructor leads them into the gymnasium. The reason why only the
people playing the game are allowed in the gymnasium is so that their abilities
are not known to anyone unnecessarily.
"......What a
scary expression you have there. We're not going to kill each other you
know?"
It was an unfortunate
mistake that she was not able to hide her agitation, but Bennett seemed to
interpret it in a positive way.
For the time being,
Nina decided to take advantage of the misunderstanding.
"I'm bound by the
rule that I can't injure people. Even though I can't control my abilities very
well when I get excited."
"Haha, please go
easy on me."
Her acting as an
unstable monster should have been perfect, but all Bennett did was shrug his
shoulders a little.
Her usual tactic of
making her opponents surrender by acting is not going to work on a real
powerful opponent like Bennet. After all, it was not even magic.
This might be the end
of everything, she thought.
Her thick mask would
come off, and her true self would be exposed.
If that were to
happen, there would be no one to protect her.
"......Uuu. I'm
sorry, Jin."
Nina muttered in a
voice that no one could hear.
That was all she could
say to her accomplice, who was probably still outside the gym thinking of a way
to reverse the situation.
The first to play the
role of the demon turned out to be Bennett.
Across the obstacle
composed of pipes and wire mesh, he was smiling a perfect smile.
Jin had told her about
Bennett's psychic abilities in detail. And the more she learned, the more it
seemed to her that his power was so great that it would not matter if many
people knew about it.
As soon as the instructor
sounded the whistle, Bennett pulled out a box of matches from his pocket.
"Looks like you
already know about my psychic abilities, Nina."
Nina nodded, a gentle
smile plastered on her face.
After staring at her
with satisfaction, Bennett lit a single match. He did not move from his spot,
staring at the flickering flame at the tip of the match.
─I wonder if he is still not coming to chase me.
The hope that sprouted
for a moment was quickly shattered. Once that one is completed, she will no
longer be able to do anything but wait to be destroyed.
It began with a small
mass of fire the size of a fist.
The fireball generated
in front of Bennett gradually gained momentum and reshaped itself like clay
being kneaded. Eventually, the flames grew to exactly the same height as the
tall Bennett, and its shape began to mimic that of a human being.
──Executioner of Immolation.
The burning figure,
which has been given such a grandiose nickname, is said to act autonomously in
accordance with Bennett's instructions. It is almost as if he has created a
single imaginary creature. No matter how one looks at it, it is far beyond the
level of a mere student.
"Look, I touch
you."
By the time she
realized it, Bennett, who was slowly walking toward her, had tapped her on the
shoulder.
"What's the
matter? You're spacing out. Look, it's your turn."
Nina, who had come to
her senses, hastily made her way to the starting position for the role of the
demon.
The autonomous fire
puppet was dispersing high temperatures all over the field, and just standing
there was making her break out in a sweat.
Nina is supposed to be
able to guard her surroundings with her powerful psychokinesis, so she has to
maintain her nerves so that her face alone does not break out in sweat.
What should I
do?
If Jin were
here, what strategy would he offer?
"Alright, time
out."
Just as she was about
to burst into tears, Bennett suddenly blew on the match.
With that as a signal,
the <Executioner of Immolation> also vanished like a phantom.
Nina was unable to
grasp what was happening, but Bennet muttered to her in a calm tone.
"This game is not
fair. Your <Queen of Calamity> is too powerful to be used in a place like
this. It's impossible to avoid destroying obstacles. But if you were to attack
me without regard to the rules, I wouldn't be able to survive either."
"Then what are
you suggesting?"
"How about we
both conspire together?"
"Conspire?"
"I mean, let's
pretend to be fighting and get through this game. Well, let's decide the winner
by rock-paper-scissors. As long as one of us loses by only one second, there
should be no problem."
─Yay! I never thought it would turn out this way!
It was a great offer,
but jumping at it with such vigor was against the character of [Nina Stingray].
Nina expressed her reluctance
for a moment.
"It's an
interesting suggestion, but I wonder if the instructor would allow such a
thing."
"Our abilities
have been well proven in the <ability assessment>. It is not against the
rules, so there should be no reason for the instructor to say anything about
it."
The instructor glared
at Bennett, but there was no sign that she was going to argue with him.
Nina pondered whether
she could trust him.
No, it doesn't matter
whether she can trust him or not.
If she did not take
him up on his offer, her life would end there.
".......I
understand. Let's do it. Certainly, it would be a shame to have one of us
killed in this kind of exam."
After a tedious farce,
the winner of the <Chase Tag> was Nina.
She won by one second,
which would not have been possible if it had not been mutually agreed upon. For
these two, who already possessed an enormous amount of points, it was really a
very small change.
Nina and Bennett left
the gymnasium together, as those who had completed the exam were allowed to
return to the classroom building.
The stares of the
waiting students pierced their backs. She didn't look at Jin because I didn't
want to appear unnatural, but she wondered what kind of expression he had on
his face.
The two of them walked
in silence through the school grounds, which were gradually turning a deep blue
color.
Should I thank
him?
While she was
wondering whether she should thank him or not, Bennett broke the silence first.
"Nina, have you
given that matter some thought?"
On the way home that
day after she roped in Rudy-sensei in the <ability assessment> fraud,
Bennett, whom she met near the dormitory, suggested that the two of them should
form an alliance.
Bennett has several
C-rank students in his employ through his charity work, and he is leading the
race for survival at the school.
Besides, having talked
to him so many times, he seemed to be a good guy.
That is, not to
mention the fact that compared to that villainous person who enrolled in the
school under the disguise of being a psychic and is trying to survive by
committing fraud upon fraud.
Still, Nina could not
accept this offer.
".......My
apologies. About that..."
"Ah, are you
perhaps feeling bad for Jin Kirihara?"
Nina couldn't hide her
shock at Bennett, who seemed to have predicted that she would refuse.
"......I-It's
nothing to do with that man!"
"Sorry, I didn't
mean to offend you. Of course, I know there is nothing going on between you
guys. I just thought you might be having trouble dealing with his
advances."
She felt like she was
being tremendously misunderstood, but Bennett's eyes were serious.
After last week's
<duel>, they avoided getting involved with each other in the classroom as
much as possible, so she wondered if Bennett had caught them together
somewhere.
"You were cutting
corners during your <duel> against Jin, weren't you? ......I know you're
not the monster everyone says you are. He is taking advantage of you and using
you. It's okay to discard someone like that."
Looking at Nina, who
could only smile vaguely, Bennett continued.
"And I'm sure you
share my beliefs."
"......What kind
of beliefs do you mean?"
"You've heard the
rumors, haven't you? Currently in our grades, [C-rank hunts] are rampant.
Several students are being forcibly expelled from school before they even
receive their official notice from the school at the end of each month. They
lose their memories of their time here and are expelled."
"So, you want to
change the school system?"
"It's not that
grand. It is true that the school encourages students to crush each other, and
I don't like some of it, but ...... I don't have the power to change the whole
system."
"Then, what are
you planning to do?"
"I just want to
give those who are exploited the power to fight for themselves. It's one thing
to be ostracized as a result of healthy competition, but to be threatened with
psychic abilities and forced to engage in <duel>s is absurd. If they gain
strength, the [C-rank hunts] nonsense would cease. Well, the only thing I can
do now is host a competition."
"...... No, I
don't think that is something anyone can do."
Until now, Nina has
seen many psychics with arrogant ideas.
At the dinner parties
her father took her to, at the welcome parties for freshmen, at the family
dinner tables.
Bennett, who embodies
the duties of the noble, is surely the righteous one.
So much more so than
them, who are trying to fool the world.
"Well, there's no
need to rush. We still have time."
".......Sorry."
"No, it's okay.
Just be careful with Jin Kirihara. I can sense something ...... you know, fishy
about him."
─T-That's absolutely right!
She almost nodded her
head unintentionally.
It is true that Nina
knows very little about Jin's past. She only knows that he is hiding something,
but she has not been told the secret that lies behind his thick skin.
But it was not going
to be easy to discard him either.
He is not just an
accomplice necessary to survive in this academy.
There is something
more fundamental about him that she feels a connection with him.
As she desperately
tried to figure out what that was, it seemed that she had arrived at the
classroom building. As they part ways to go to their separate classrooms,
Bennett smiles gently at her.
"Let me know if
he's still bothering you. I'll take care of it."
"I can't let you
go through all the trouble."
"Yeah, sorry. I
got a little emotional. Well ...... let me just give you a little warning for
the next <Chase Tag>. Rough things are definitely not a good idea."
For a moment, she
couldn't read the emotion behind Bennett's eyes, but she decided not to think
about it too deeply.
Before that, there was
something she needed to know.
What secrets does the
boy, Jin Kirihara, hold?
What kind of
background has made him what he is today?
Why did he come to the
Heiberg School, even to the extent of resorting to outlandish lies?
Without finding those
out, she knew she would not be able to proceed any further.
End of Chapter 5
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