I Became the Academy's Pink Airhead - Chapter 21
The northern region of the academy city.
A barren place beyond the sight of the large schools affiliated with the union. It was a lawless zone of madmen flowing out from the slums and delinquent students who had given up on following the rules of the academy city.
There were no rules in this danger zone. It was everyday life for the strong to plunder everything from the weak, and for the weak to beg for mercy from the strong.
Wind carrying stuffy sand particles.
The faint sound of fighting explosions heard beyond the ruins.
A place where everything changes and disappears like dust in vain.
Several delinquent students were lying unconscious in that northern region wilderness.
A group of delinquent students coveting the spoils of a suddenly appeared dungeon gate. They were all unconscious with bruises as if they had been hit by something.
Following the path made by the unconscious delinquent students, there was a huge dungeon gate. At the very top of the stone slab dozens of meters high with a white snake and tree drawn on it, an ether core for operating the dungeon was shining.
Flash―!
Blinking blue light.
It was a sign that someone had succeeded in the first exploration where one could obtain the highest grade ore, magic books, and high-class weapons.
Soon the light of the ether core gradually subsided. At the same time, the dungeon gate that had spat out all its treasures became just an empty space filled with chaos.
Rumble…!
The two doors of the dungeon gate moving with a huge sound.
Trudge
Trudge
A female student walked out from the gradually opening dungeon gate.
In one hand she held a box containing the dungeon treasures that the unconscious delinquent students had so desperately wanted to obtain. And in her other hand she held a huge lance.
“…”
Her hair, which should have been silver, had turned ashen from absorbing the dust of the northern wilderness, and was disheveled, soaked with the sticky blood of chaos insects that had appeared inside the dungeon.
“…”
Her hair, face, and uniform.
Amidst everything changed shabbily from absorbing dust and blood, only her two silver-white eyes were still shining brightly.
Drag―
Drag―
The lance held by the shabby-looking silver-white girl drew a clear trail as it dragged along the ground.
But it wasn’t long before the trail advancing from the dungeon gate towards the wilderness was blocked.
“There she is!!”
“…”
Reinforcements had arrived for the delinquent students that the silver-white girl had taken down just before rushing into the dungeon.
Dozens of delinquent students wielding vicious modified weapons. They were exhaling rough breaths through their mouths, as if they had run here urgently. They instantly surrounded the silver-white girl.
Rumble―
“…”
A completely surrounded situation on the open wilderness.
“…Move aside.”
Nevertheless, the silver-white girl’s eyes were still shining brightly. Without changing her expression, she quietly put down the heavy box she was holding in one hand.
Woong―!
At the same time.
The lance she was holding was instantly covered in red ether, and began to emit a chilling vibration around it.
Dong―
Dong―
Dong―
Dong―
The delinquent students who heard that sound turned pale.
“Th-That girl’s a 1st year, right?! Why can she already use [Vibration Ether] like that―?!”
“Even <Gjallarhorn> or 3rd year department heads can’t use it like that!!”
“Damn, none of us can use it that well either…!!”
“Don’t… don’t chicken out!! She’s still alone!! It’s just [Vibration] at best…!”
At that moment.
The ether rapidly vibrating from the lance spread out to the surroundings.
Whooosh―!
Though at a very slow speed, the silver-white girl’s red ether definitely dominated the surroundings.
The gap between them.
The ability to dominate space.
Everything about those gathered there was thoroughly exposed.
What this situation meant was only one thing.
That silver-white girl was a new student who had just enrolled, but she had reached the realm of [Wave], which only the upper strong ones in the academy city use.
The delinquent students who realized that fact lamented.
“Wa… Wave…”
“…”
“Da-Damn it…!”
Fear spreading along with the air.
But as the shout of the one acting as leader rang out, the gradually spreading fear also stopped.
“Don’t chicken out―!! She’s still alone!!”
The delinquent students shouted, touting their numerical superiority. As if trying to drive away the fear gradually growing in their hearts.
“…That’s right!!”
“…That girl is alone!! Alone!! What are we cowering for!!”
“…!”
“Th-That’s right! If dozens of us stab her once each, she can’t block it with that ether trick!!”
“This is our territory!! We can’t live if we cower before one girl like that!!”
“We live in a lawless zone!! We’ve beaten things like that countless times!!”
“Uaaaaah!!”
“Aaaaah!! Charge―!!”
Rumble―!
Dozens of delinquent students let out monstrous screams. Driving away the fear growing in each of their hearts, they charged into the distance of the silver-white girl who had invaded their territory.
…It was the moment the fight was about to begin.
“Everyone attack at on…!”
Bam―!!
The delinquent student instantly disappeared into the distance. Before even finishing the words he was shouting instructions for, he was sent flying after being hit by a red bicycle.
Ching―☆
“Hup☆”
On the deep red bicycle was a female student with impressive pink hair. And on her red tracksuit, a badge proving she was a 1st year was shining.
“Yes―☆ Excuse me, excuse me☆ Cute bicycle coming through ding-a-ling―☆”
Screech―!
Flowing pink hair.
She skillfully rode the bicycle to the side of the silver-white girl.
“Hello―☆”
“…Haah.”
Seeing the bicycle ridden by the pink girl, the surrounded silver-white girl relaxed her expressionless face for the first time. What appeared on that face was an exasperated expression.
The silver-white girl spoke in a small voice:
“…There shouldn’t be anything for you to take here, Clara. Your side said that the spoils from dungeon gates belong to whoever searches first.”
“Oh Brunhilde, really―☆ No need to be so wary like a cornered kitten! Though that noble point is your charm☆ I who wander alone unrelated to school have no need for things like magic books or weapons~♡ I’m a noble and lonely girl who goes around barehanded―☆”
“Then what business do you have.”
“Hmm―♪ I wonder? What could I need… Shall we have a leisurely tea time together to figure it out?”
“Get lost. You’re in the way.”
“How mean―☆ Okay! You just had to say so―☆ Just give me a few ether ores~ Even a cute girl needs money to eat delicious cookies♪ in a warm room―☆ If I go back empty-handed like this, I’ll have no choice but to sleep in an old room―♪”
“This is what I obtained.”
“Wah! So mean―☆ Is that all our relationship amounts to―?! Unlike you who has a comfortable bed to return to at <Aesir Girls’ High School>, I’m at a poor and strange school…!”
“…If you mention my school one more time, I’ll take you down too.”
“Ha―☆ Just try it! Shall we continue our 11th fight since the entrance ceremony―♪ A cute girl doesn’t go down easily, you know☆”
The group of delinquent students who had been surprised by the sudden appearance of the pink girl hesitated at first. But soon, judging that the two were not allies, they started charging again while shouting.
“They’re fighting over the spoils―!! Attack them together!!”
“Aaaaagh!!!”
“Die!!!”
Numerous blades.
Dozens of projectiles.
Charging delinquent students.
Whoosh―!
Slash!!
The killing intent emanating from the weapons covered in red ether was threatening.
Just before they swung their weapons down.
Pink and silver-white eyes shining.
Each emits red ether waves from their fist and lance.
Dong――!!
The distances of the two girls instantly merging and expanding. Amidst that overwhelming space, the two girls were still chattering away.
“First…! Let’s teach those bad cats a lesson, and redefine our relationship―☆”
“…We’ve only met a month ago. We have no relationship.”
“No, no―☆”
A smile formed in the pink eyes of the girl looking ahead.
“…We’ll be eternal rivals―♪”
“…”
Seeing that smile, the silver-white girl failed to retort for the first time.
Charging spears and swords.
Surging ether.
In a place filled with killing intent and hostility.
Flash―!!
Bang―!!
The two girls each lit their fist and lance red, and charged at the dozens rushing at them.
* * *
‘…I should have stocked up on some magic books and weapons while dungeon diving back then.’
In front of the school grounds as dawn was breaking. On the way in, pulling my bicycle, I quietly sighed as I recalled old memories.
The stormy period.
A time when school, the academy city, and friends were of no concern.
When I wandered outside to forget the poor environment given to me.
It was with the feeling of compensating for the futility of suddenly being possessed as the weakest character in another world by becoming stronger on my own.
Overcoming ‘Clara’s’ hopeless weapon aptitude, I focused solely on becoming stronger on my own. I recklessly conquered randomly generated dungeon gates unrelated to the main story.
I didn’t care about the main story at all, and mobilized all the knowledge and tricks I knew as a gamer to monopolize dungeons and quickly become stronger.
But unlike games with status screens. There was a limit to the luggage that could be physically loaded on Red Hare, so I would take only as much ore as needed and just leave weapons and magic books behind on the spot.
“…Haah.”
I sighed again as those things became regrettable.
I should have kept a few to give to my juniors…
‘Back then I focused solely on becoming stronger itself rather than raising other juniors and preparing for the main story. It’s fortunate that there’s still some ore left from what I had stocked up.’
Perhaps it was an action that contained resentment towards things I couldn’t properly fight without tricks in the body of ‘Clara’, the weakest character.
‘Since Hilde was originally a character with insanely strong basic strength, she carried around all the spoils in a box…’
I chuckled as I recalled the ridiculous box Hilde carried around.
But until I unlocked [Unique Ether], I didn’t have good overall physical abilities like now. So only tricks and knowledge that penetrated this world and the characters were everything.
Like that.
I became stronger ‘alone’.
Defeating the strong ones of the past time, I finally beat Hilde, the strongest character.
“…”
In that process, I realized that I had come to love not only ‘becoming stronger’, but the academy city itself.
But nothing was left for me.
Because I had used up everything I knew for ‘becoming stronger’.
Because I had advanced on a distorted path only desiring to become stronger.
Because I had become [Pink Spiral] and abandoned even the fate of being the ‘foolish senior Clara’.
“…”
So I threw everything away and built up from one again.
The fate as Clara, the pink airhead who loves the school. To start that again from the beginning, [Pink Spiral] chose to be forgotten.
Because all I could do for this city I had come to love was to run towards the meager knowledge and main story.
“…”
I thought I had shaken off all regrets in the final battle, but.
The selfishness and impulsive actions engraved in the passing time. Those karmic effects would occasionally visit wearing the mask of old memories in the silence.
‘Maybe it’s because I saw someone using [Wave Ether] after a long time.’
Bell, the secretary of the <United Student Council>.
The news that vicious concept person delivered.
It meant the flow of the changed main story. Fate had been distorted.
“…”
Even so…
If the predetermined fate was distorted, I, who had become stronger, could put it back on its original path.
‘To do that, I accepted Clara’s heart.’
It was then.
As I crossed the school gate and traversed the grounds, I heard the voices of three juniors in my ears.
“…Oh! Senior!”
“Back from the shopping district! Senior comrade!”
“Yaaaawn…”
The juniors who had been cleaning the newly repaired auditorium since early morning. They were huddled together wearing the same outfit as me, <Central Prism Academy>’s red tracksuit.
Alvit was diligently cleaning as always.
Kara was making exaggerated gestures pretending to give a speech.
Rota was constantly yawning, having probably read books late into the night.
Alvit approached me and pointed at Kara while pouring out complaints.
“Senior! That guy keeps making things in the room until dawn, clanging away, and I can’t sleep because of it!”
“Hahaha!! Ah Comrade Alvit! Were you curious what I was making? I would have shown you if you had just asked!”
“I’m not curious, I’m telling you to be quiet at night!”
“…I thought I heard some noise until late.”
“Comrade Rota! Are you curious too?”
“No.”
“How cruel! To give such a curt answer!”
“The cruel one is you, hammering away in the middle of the night.”
The grounds of <Central Prism Academy> soon became noisy.
I couldn’t help but smile seeing that sight.
‘In the original work, Alvit never consulted Clara about anything.’
Even if I continued the ‘Clara act’ to that extent, it seemed there was still a bit of reliance on her senior remaining in Alvit’s heart.
“…”
It was a little different from the game, but.
Somehow, that changed ‘fate’ was… not bad.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Pfft… Ahahahaha―♪”
“Se-Senior! Don’t just laugh!”
We chattered until that evening while looking at the mysterious flag Kara had made.
And that evening.
The concept freak came to the school again.
“You, you, you guys―!! After I helped you so much!! Traitors―!!”
“…?”