A Vast Space Filled with Falling Stars
In the vast space filled with falling stars, three chairs were placed randomly.
On the leftmost of the three chairs sat a girl in a white dress. Her appearance was all too familiar.
Clara, sitting in the chair, spoke to me with a smug expression.
"Hehe―☆ How does it feel to see the face of the most beautiful lady who once saved the academy city from an evil group♪ You can clap with your hands and feet to cheer if you want―☆"
As someone who knew the original story, I had to point something out.
"Well… you didn't do anything there." "Uuuu…♪" "At some point, you were just huddled in a corner, not even coming out." "Auuu…☆"
Her pink hair drooped along with her sagging shoulders. Clara, knowing I was aware of the entire main story, became disheartened.
Loving the school and being a kind girl aside, it wouldn't be 'Clara' without acknowledging her incompetence.
Surprisingly enough, this Clara was the 'Clara at the point of clearing the main story.' I asked Clara how much she knew.
"I don’t really know―♪ My memories only go up to the moment Alvit saved <Yggdrasil Academy>―☆ Even then, there are gaps everywhere―☆" "What about the prophecy from 1500 years ago or the altered deeds of <Ratatosk>?" "Don’t know, don’t know―☆" "The truth of this world or the [Dragon Crouching in the Abyss]?" "Don’t know, don’t know―☆" "Why did you turn back time to bring me here? What’s the reason behind such a miracle?" "Don’t know, don’t know―☆" "What about the current state of the juniors or <Scarlet Academy>?" "Don’t know, don’t know―☆ If you can’t see it, I can't either―☆" "What do you know?" "Don’t know, don’t know―☆"
Clara, shaking her head like she was dancing, seemed infuriatingly happy.
"Sigh…"
Clara at the point of clearing the main story knew nothing about the altered storyline. It seemed she didn’t even properly know the story of the main plot.
‘It's like bringing in a character from a comedy scene…’
Even when I asked why I came to <Yggdrasil Academy>, the answer was the same—she didn’t know.
‘Asking about what happened to the seniors after the ending would be pointless.’
Out of sheer curiosity, I asked, but as expected, the answer was the same.
I was at a loss for words. Clara also fell silent, looking sheepish.
"…" "…"
Breaking the silence, Clara burst into an innocent laugh.
"Since 'you' arrived, I’ve vaguely felt something―☆ But I don’t really know―♪ Most of my memories and consciousness weakened since 'you' came―☆ Haha! Just like a sleeping princess♡" "Why did you summon me, someone who died of overwork in a previous life? Why is this world similar to the game I played?"
Clara shook her head vigorously.
"I’d love to tell you, but… I forgot―☆" "…"
So what was the reason for summoning me to this space?
As I pondered, Clara clapped her hands.
"But more importantly, tell me your story now―☆ Yes♪ The price for using a girl's body harshly is a 'girls' talk' session―♪" "You won’t find it interesting." "No way♪ I’m really curious about you―☆ I want to hear about the things you achieved, knowing things I don’t♪ You came to love the same things I did in this academy city―☆" "…"
I had no words for Clara's statement.
I had used her body without permission. At the brink of death, I had arrived in this space. Despite that, she didn’t reprimand me. The least I could do was to share my story.
"…"
Strangely, I felt like telling Clara my uneventful life story wouldn't be embarrassing.
"Well, where should I start? I was weak since I was young."
And so, my awkward tale began to grow.
Was it her pure curiosity and positive pink eyes? The allure of the endless falling stars and the mysterious night sky? The liberation from using a 'pretty filter' and speaking in my usual manner?
Uncharacteristically, I found myself talking for hours.
The story of my life. The tale moved past my previous life. To the time right before I became [Pink Spiral] after the entrance ceremony.
Clara continued to listen intently, her sparkling eyes wide open.
"So I decided to use it in reverse. If the area skill's damage always dealt 10 to any enemy, then if I hit with a heart attack, I could deal 10 damage unconditionally, right?" "Yeah―☆" "Disregarding stat bonuses or enemy resistance, if I could just repeatedly use it a hundred or a thousand times with no ether consumption and skill mastery… that’s practically a secret move." "Wow―♪ Such a deadly―☆ The scent of a lethal girl☆ A dangerous lady―☆ When did I become such a dangerous princess♡"
Clara, unable to contain her excitement, cheered, flapping her small bare feet.
Whoosh—
At the same time. Limbs visible under the loose dress.
The original Clara seemed to have slacked off on training; her limbs were slender and soft. Her white, glowing skin looked as though it had never seen sunlight.
She indeed looked like a princess.
"…"
Seeing the current 'me' filled me with complex emotions.
Scars from harsh training and battles. Skin toughened from harsh life in the wilderness. My limbs, still thin, now had defined muscles and calluses.
It felt like I had changed her appearance, making me a bit sorry.
"…" "And then~?" "Hmm?" "What did you do next―☆"
Clara snapped out of her world and urged me to continue.
She didn’t seem particularly interested in my original world’s story, except in a broad sense. She seemed to feel a sort of vicarious satisfaction from the tales of conquering the academy city using her body.
‘Maybe it feels like reading an alternate history novel.’
I inwardly smiled wryly at her appearance.
‘She really is Clara…’
Seeing Clara’s excessively pure and innocent behavior, I understood where all her trolling in the main story came from.
‘Oh right, Clara can somewhat read my thoughts in this space…’
Before she could sense my inner thoughts, I continued the story quickly.
"Moreover, Clara, your skill barely consumed any ether, so I decided to push it to the limit and condense it into different forms. I called it [Secret Art]." "Wow―☆ You're really smart!! I could never dream of such a thing♪ I couldn't even use [Basic Ether] properly―☆" "It’s a simple application. You could’ve done it too." "Even now, I don’t understand it at all―☆ But it's amazing―☆" "Using those, I sparred with and defeated the Ohs from the academy city since my first year." "Wow!!! Even Eir? No way…! Even President Brunhild…?!" "Yeah. I defeated them all." "Wow!!! Amazing―☆ I’m the strongest in the academy city―♪" "I said that recently after beating [Priest of Erosion]. Other than that, I couldn’t even have a proper conversation and just killed them." "Wow~!! You beat that creepy low-class perverted ether thief centipede lizard already―?! Without a word? Hahaha―☆ You put the snobbiest member of <Ratatosk> in their place―!! So many kids were hurt by that creep~!!"
Clara's already large eyes sparkled even more. The falling stars in her eyes turned into a small galaxy.
"Woohoo――☆"
Clara cheered on the chair, clapping like a seal.
Clap clap clap clap clap clap― Slap slap slap slap slap slap―
An enthusiastic seal clap using both hands and feet. A girl who looked graceful with her mouth closed, but looked utterly foolish clapping with her bare feet and hands.
"Hahaha―☆ How wonderful!! I’ve only ever been called useless all my life~ But I beat everyone and proclaimed myself the strongest? Hahaha―☆"
Clara got up and began to dance spontaneously.
"La la la―la la―♪"
Her white dress fluttered, dancing along with the stars in the night sky. The long skirt moved erratically and unpredictably. It was like watching the northern lights.
It was natural and lovely.
Under the night sky filled with falling stars. A dance with no rhythm or melody. It held a certain pure charm that made it hard to look away.
I just watched it blankly.
"…"
Watching the girl who was purely happy, dancing just from hearing the life story of someone who borrowed her body—that was the 'real Clara.'
"…"
I couldn’t approach the pure Clara, just watching as the fake Clara.
How long had it been?
The pure joy in her dance slowed, and Clara approached me step by step. Her smile, radiant like the starry night sky, never left her face.
"Yeah♪ Truly a shining [Fate]. Your story."
Your?
'My?'
At her words, I was momentarily confused.
"What are you saying? I just…!"
I just followed the rules of a game. I just followed the correct answers in the original. I lived borrowing the life of a girl named 'Clara.'
Before I could say more, Clara, who had been listening intently, spoke decisively.
"I want to keep watching 'your' story―☆ Therefore… Yeah♪ I finally remembered something! Ah~ I should have said this sooner!! I tend to forget―♪" "Remember what?" "How you can wake up again―☆" "…!"
In a situation where I was on the verge of death from forcibly accepting a myriad of ether and [Fate].
What method could possibly wake me up?
Under the starry sky. Clara smiled sweetly, pointing at me.
"I’ll give you 'completely,' my name." "What?!" "Your [Fate] is entirely yours from now on." "Wait, wait a minute!" "Of course, we might reunite someday~♪ But I’ll hold on to 'those' for now―☆"
Suddenly. Something left me. Something twinkling like a small star. Following it, many murky lights also left.
Paaat―
It left my chest, rising to the night sky and becoming a star. Like a compass needle returning to its place. Among the unmarked stars in the sky, one star shone the brightest.
□□□ smiled, watching the star with gentle eyes.
Then she whispered quietly.
"My soul's name is now… [Urd]. A useless star that only watches over you―☆ A remnant of the past, just a starlight to remember―♪" "Urd?" "Clara."
Urd stood before me. Slowly raising one palm. She smiled playfully, waving her hand slightly.
"Let's do our best―♪ If fate moves, we can meet again☆ Until we meet again☆ I’ll remember more and be a capable starlight―☆" "…!"
I raised my hand to meet hers. Our hands met, like a mirror image. But there was a difference reflecting our separated times.
Urd, winking playfully, said.
"High five―!!" "Yeah!"
Clap――
A cheerful clap. And I opened my eyes.
To be continued...