Volume 1 Chapter 7
Farewell in the Rain, the Moon Setting
in the Abyss of Night
Translator : PolterGlast
Nina gently
placed her hand on the shoulder of a male student who was backing away from
her.
She won by a
thirty-second margin. Jin might have complained that it wasn't enough, but she
wished he would praise her for getting through it with only her slow and fluent
speech and her mysterious atmosphere.
As usual,
countless eyes were on Nina as she exited the gymnasium.
And that's why
his figure caught her attention right away.
Jin was
sitting alone by the bushes, far away from the waiting students.
One could tell
without even confirming it. He was defeated by Bennett. He was utterly defeated
and plunged into the depths of despair.
A thought
crossed her mind, "Should I call out to him?"
Then, a moment
later, she was struck with a pang of guilt and self-loathing that made her want
to disappear.
─After what I had done, I had no right to say anything.
Nina turned
away from her accomplice in despair and walked down the path leading to the
classroom building.
In her ear,
someone with the same voice as hers questions her.
Was that really the right thing to do?
Was there no other option?
Am I able to show my current self to my sister, who
has been banished from the Stingray family?
"......
Shut up!"
Be gone.
I'd rather my ego disappear than hear these questions
whispered to me.
But this is
the end that Nina herself has chosen. There is absolutely no room for regret.
Footsteps
approaching from behind.
Because she
had closed her mind, Nina's reaction was delayed.
Her thin arm
was grabbed from behind, and fear ran down her spine like an electric current.
She hurriedly turned around to see a pale-faced Jin standing there.
A frozen
voice, devoid of any sense of temperature, slammed into her.
"......
You've done it, huh?"
"What are
you talking about?" Somehow she managed to keep her composure. "Get
your hands off me."
"Don't
play dumb with me. I know you have connections with Bennett."
"You're
not making any sense."
"Objectively
speaking ...... with my skills, there's no way anyone could have found out
about the matchbox swap. I can only assume that someone leaked the plan in
advance."
"......
Like I said, get your hands off me. You're hurting me."
"You and
I were the only two who knew about the plan. Unless I'm so foolish as to reveal
that information to the enemy in my sleep, then with a simple process of
elimination, you're the only one who could be the traitor."
Amidst the
pain in his tightening hands, she noticed that Jin no longer called her by her
name.
Their
accomplice relationship will never be the same.
Naturally.
Because she had done something that deserved it.
"......I
guess I was a fool for trusting you. I should have learned enough when I was a
kid not to trust anyone."
Nina almost
screamed when she heard Jin say that so sorrowfully.
Anger was
already gone from Jin's face. He was too devastated to care about such
feelings.
"...... I
had no choice but to do this."
No, that's not it.
I must not utter such unscrupulous lines.
I must be more thorough and throw out words that will
decisively hurt Jin.
Say it, quick.
Don't worry about it, even if it means I'll never be
able to forgive myself.
Breaking
through the emotional restraints, Nina hurled a sentence that was clothed in
determination.
"You
shouldn't be in a place like this. You should pack your belongings and go back
to your hometown and look for another way. You shouldn't be dreaming about
becoming a psychic. You hear me? You're out of place here, so get out of here.
...... please."
She could no
longer look him in the face.
Nina
forcefully shook off the hand that grabbed her arm and ran towards the student
dormitory.
There have
been many times when she suffered so deeply, so severely that she was unable to
stand up.
Even so, this
suffering was unusual.
Even though
she had hurt someone so deeply, she was not strong enough to live her life
pretending as if nothing had happened.
There would be
no one to whom she could confide the pain that swirled inside her anymore.
She had just
cut it off with her own hands.
"......
Huh?"
By the time
she realized it, Nina's vision was blurred with tears.
She looked up
with wet eyeballs to see a slightly blurred halo floating around a street lamp.
The almost illusionary sight seemed to ironically reflect her stormy mind.
Suddenly, she
noticed a shadow in the direction she was going.
Although he
was supposed to be wearing the same uniform as everyone else, Bennett's figure
exuded elegance. It was something that Nina could not possess without putting
on the act.
I wish I could be like him, Nina thought.
If only I were loved by the world's system, without
suffering.
It would be better if I could be a real monster.
"You
needn't feel bad about it, Nina."
"......I
don't know what you're talking about."
"What you
did to Jin Kirihara was not a betrayal."
Unpleasant
moisture clung to her long hair. It might be raining soon.
"This is
a race for survival to become a member of the <White Knights>, Nina. You
are someone who must aim high. To fly high, you have to detach yourself from
your bulky baggage. You did the right thing for your own cause."
"I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood to stand around and talk right now. Shall we head back to the dorms early, before it rains?"
"Listen, it's not your fault."
Bennett's
words certainly had a sincere ring to them.
"You are
just too kind, you were deceived by that man, you know? In other words, it was
self-defense when you gave me the information. Besides, there was always the
option of not giving me the information. If that still doesn't make you feel
better, I'm always willing to listen."
"Why are
you going to such lengths for me?"
"Because
we are comrades."
Yup, it's not
him after all.
Nina felt
hopeless.
Bennett is
certainly a good person. He has a genuine sense of justice, he is in the race
for survival with a genuine motive, and it's not just anyone who can provide a
training opportunity for C-rank students.
Yet he is
incapable of understanding Nina's pain.
He cannot
understand the horror of being a mere human thrown into the home of monsters.
"......
Have you thought about the alliance I told you about before?"
"I'm
sorry, can you wait a little longer?"
"I'll
wait as long as I have to. We have plenty of time."
".............Thank
you."
As Nina
watched Bennett waving his hand in perfect gesture as he walked away, she was
struck by the illusion of a thick wall of ice closing in on her.
The ominous
words "eternal solitude" appeared on the surface of the wall.
From now on,
until the moment when all lies are exposed and she is punished, Nina must
continue to play the farce by herself.
Still, she had
no choice but to do this to save Jin from his desire for destruction.
She had to do
this in order to keep the smile on his face when he showed her the lemon trick.
"...... Aーa, I've finally found it."
Someone to
whom she could expose all her secrets. An accomplice whom she could trust with
all her heart.
Nina blushed
as she realized that she had voiced her feelings as they were. But perhaps it
was an unnecessary worry.
The rain was
getting stronger, so surely no one would have heard her talking to herself like
this.
◆
Bennett was
able to make it to the dorm before the rain began to fall heavily.
As he stepped
into the entrance, he found several male students waiting for him. They look
like squires who serve their masters, Bennett chuckled inwardly.
"Bennett-san,
would you like to have a meal ......?"
"Oh,
thank you as always. Can you bring it up to my room, please?"
He felt bad
for the students who were running to the cafeteria in a hurry.
Although he
didn't remember asking for it, the members of the competition group came to
take care of Bennett's personal needs.
Waving to
them, Bennett went to his room alone.
He turned on
the light in his room and sat down on the comfy sofa by the window. There was a
candle on a platter on the table, but it had completely melted because he had
left the room without extinguishing it. There were still some in stock, but it
might be time to have them sent from his parents' house.
Everything is
going well, he thinks.
He was
exempted from the entrance exam and was able to enter the Heiberg School, and
the management of the fighting competition, which he had envisioned from the
beginning, is progressing well.
They are
sometimes ridiculed as C-rank students, but they are still psychics even if
they are incapable.
Since he has
so many people with the qualities to become human weapons in his ranks, it is
safe to say that the foundation for survival in this school has already been
completed.
"......
Haha."
Since no one
is in the room, there is no need to put on an act.
Therefore,
there is no need to stifle the laughter that rises up from the depths of his
throat.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
Subordinates
who are humble toward their classmates, those who think that the competition is
just a charity event, and the adults who created the flawed school system are
all irredeemably stupid.
Even at the
academy, where promising psychics are gathered from all over the country, the
end result is the same as the previous 15 years. For Bennett, who is destined
from birth to rise above the rest, it would be too easy to turn this place into
his own kingdom.
They are too
stupid to know what Bennett is doing behind the scenes.
They have no
idea that the [C-rank hunt] that gave him the excuse to organize the
competition is actually being carried out by Bennett himself.
He has already
beaten up and expelled five students for both pleasure and benefit.
Bennett
replayed the blissful moment on the back of his eyelids.
The prey are
chased by the [Executioner, of Immolation], screaming and scurrying through the
forest at night.
The screams of
the losers, caught alive in the fire, as if they were spitting out their entire
existence.
After all, Bennett
believes, the adults who created the school system are the villains.
Even the level
of torture prohibited by the laws of war is affirmed here. The reason is that
as soon as the expulsion is confirmed, the victims are put into a hypnotic
state and their memories of the school are sealed.
Above all, the
cat doll made by the principal which was present at the <Duel> that
Bennett has arranged for his pathetic victims is useless.
In the
academy, any kind of criminal act is allowed. Perhaps even killing people.
After all,
that is how the world is.
All is
forgiven to the strong. It is affirmed to eat, hurt, and dominate the weak.
"......
Well, only that guy, I have to crush him as soon as possible."
Jin Kirihara.
A confident man who tries to win Nina over with his
hubris, even though he has no ability. If such a foolish daydreamer were to be
destroyed, no one would have any desire to oppose me.
Of course, I have no intention of killing him, but it
won't be a problem if I inflict a few lasting scars on him. His memories will
be erased anyway, so everything can be treated as an unfortunate accident.
After that, it would be my turn to finally get my
hands on Nina.
I don't like women who don't seem to be used to
playing around, but she is more than worth using to solidify my position in the
kingdom. There should be no particular inconvenience in making her fall in love
with me.
So far, I've gotten everything I've wanted.
This time is no different. All of this is nothing but
a boring game.
The door to
the room was knocked again.
It should be
too early for his subordinates to come back from the cafeteria.
"......
Who is it?"
Without
waiting for his permission, the person opened the door and entered the room.
Since he forbade his subordinates to enter the room without his permission, we
could guess who it was right away.
"......
Oh, if it isn't Jin. Your room is not supposed to be here though."
Jin gave off
no hint of elegance, but was as cunning as a hungry wild animal. His black,
stagnant eyes that were framed by slanted slits appeared bizarre.
A few moments ago, I should have already utterly
crushed this man a few hours ago.
If so, then what is the true nature of this tenacious
atmosphere?
"I've
come to ask for a <duel>. Of course, I'll bet all my points on it."
"......
Are you serious?"
In any case,
he was intending to have a <duel> with Jin.
Like the other
victims, he was going to summon the [Executioner of Immolation] and make it
absolutely impossible for him to refuse, and then force him to sign a written
pledge.
However, he
had never expected that Jin would come to him instead. This man had lost Nina,
and he was supposed to be in a completely devastated situation.
Is it possible that he has become desperate?
─No, there was no way
this confident man would challenge me to a fight he had no chance of winning.
He must be plotting some sort of scheme. Just as he
had done before when he switched the matchbox in the <Chase Tag>.
Bennett
somehow managed to mask his discomfort and spoke in a friendly tone.
"You
gotta chill out. ...... How many points do you own now, anyway? Even if you
said you'd bet it all, it's just a small amount for me."
"But if
you lose to me, your position will collapse instantly."
"I won't
fall for your cheap provocations. First of all, there is no advantage for me in
fighting against you."
Bennett was
spinning his thoughts at high speed, pretending to be unaffected.
How should I play the cards in my hand to see through
his plan and crush him?
No, that alone would not be enough.
How could I inflict the maximum amount of pain and
humiliation on him so that he would beg for forgiveness himself?
To erase this
unbearable discomfort, he relentlessly thought to that extent.
"Wouldn't
it be humiliating for you to run away from a challenge from a C-rank
student?"
"You are
quite persistent, huh? Don't tell me you already prepared for another cheat for
this one?"
"Will you
stop making accusations? No one is as innocent as I am."
Bennett felt a
sweet numbness fill his entire body.
I see, this is not just a battle to burn down my
opponent with my psychic abilities. It is a battle of wits in which I must
defeat a cocky guy who pretends to be a schemer by using greater trickery than
he is capable of. On the day of the <Duel>, as soon as we face each
other, the winner has already been decided.
──Interesting.
The moment he
became calm, cruel ideas rushed through his brain like an electric current.
"......
It can't be helped. I'll accept."
I think I'm a heck of a villain to be able to come up with
such a strategy.
I must hurry back to the more serious conversation
before I can't hold my laughter any longer.
"In
exchange, I'll set the date and place."
"That's
fine. That's your right."
"You seem
to be enjoying this. Do you know what will happen to you?"
"Who
knows? Will you please enlighten me?"
Bennett's
futile efforts to prevent him from taking control of the conversation brought
tears to his eyes.
Jin still
didn't know anything.
Just three
days ago, Bennett had managed to crush two C-rank students just like Jin. He
was not aware that Bennett was a monster who could use malice and trickery even
more than he could.
What kind of
expression will Jin have on his face when he is shown the difference in power
and burnt in the fire of disappointment and humiliation?
After Jin
left, Bennett gulped down a glass of water and looked out the window at the
night world.
The moon,
which had been shining so beautifully yesterday, had now set behind thick rain
clouds.
It looked as
if it was mocking the poor man who had been cut off from all hope.
End of Chapter 7
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