Following Eir's suggestion, we decided to take a sightseeing trip to <Mimir Industrial High School>, and from there, boarded an airship to <Scarlet Academy>.
It was then that the unexpected “Clara’s Hidden Power” event occurred.
No matter how much the original story had changed, it wouldn’t be Clara if she didn’t get kidnapped.
So, I did it.
‘Well, I suddenly did something crazy… I wonder if my juniors will follow me?’
I was kidnapped (?) by a fresh-faced sophomore delinquent. She was frantically fleeing on a cheap ether bike she had somehow obtained.
The loud engine noise echoed through the road.
Vroooom—!
‘So, this is… Clara’s perspective.’
The perspective of someone being kidnapped. A sense of powerlessness and emptiness washed over me, and the thought that something sinister might happen at any moment made my heart race. Even knowing it wouldn’t happen in reality, a strange tension arose.
‘Is the human heart so easily deceived by illusions?’
The feeling of deliberately yielding to the weak. A laugh tickled my chest with a somewhat sinister thrill.
‘When Hilde pins me down and kisses me, I’m genuinely scared… but this has its own kind of fun.’
Unlike the soft and pink prison of desire, the scenery now was fresh and new.
Quite a comical sight.
With that feeling in my heart, I screamed out.
“Kyaaa—☆ I’m being kidnapped—☆” “Shut up! You’re so noisy, shut your mouth—!!” “Yes—☆”
Hanging on from the back seat, I screamed until the sophomore delinquent scolded me.
“Ugh…!”
She seemed desperate.
Among the many people on the scene, only the delinquent leader felt a genuine threat to her life.
‘Does she seriously think <Scarlet Academy> is out to eliminate her?’
It was ironic. The criminal misunderstanding the situation alone.
‘If she could use [Wave Ether], she would be quite strong in the academy city… but still can’t handle the madness of <Scarlet Academy>? I’ll have to tell the kids to take it easy later.’
Vroooom—!
We were heading towards the outskirts. I stopped scratching her nerves with my screams and quietly looked up at the sky. The summer night sky of the northern wilderness was filled with countless stars. We were running away, following those stars.
“Huff…! Huff!”
And I heard rough breathing in my ear. It seemed like the delinquent leader was excited about her successful escape.
She was feeling the thrill of a dangerous adventure.
The delinquent leader, overcoming her fear, shouted loudly.
“Hehehe…! I got away from all of them—!! I’ll just grab my stuff and escape to my hideout—!!” “Wow!! Go for it—☆ Let’s run to the end of the horizon together!” “What?! You’re a hostage! I’m leaving you at the hideout!!” “Ohhh… so mean…☆”
But normally, don’t you just let the hostage go quietly after they’re no longer useful?
“….”
Having never been kidnapped, I didn’t know… but she didn’t seem like such a bad person despite being foolish.
“Hehehe!! Hahaha!!”
Though caught up in this situation, it seemed like she was gaining some fun memories. Isn’t it good if we can laugh together regardless?
Seeing her laugh made me feel better. It was good for both Clara and the delinquent.
It was a joyous occasion♪ It was a joyous occasion♪
Ahaha…☆
So, the hostage and the kidnapper laughed together.
“Hahahahaha!!!” “Ahahahahaha—☆”
But the delinquent leader suddenly yelled while looking at me. Her face was flushed with confusion.
“Wh-What are you doing?! Don’t laugh! We’re getting too familiar—!!” “Uuu…☆”
At that moment.
I heard many noises faintly behind us. It sounded like the noise from outside a concert hall.
[…!]
“Huh?” “Uh…?”
The noise was far away. Among the sounds of a violent ball, the noise of many ladies dancing was still mixed. Their party was ongoing.
But it was strange.
By now, except for a few chasing us, the noise should have been fading away. However, the volume of the noise didn’t seem to decrease.
‘It’s outside my range of perception, so it’s hard to hear… but why is the sound not getting farther?’
No…
‘The sound… is coming closer…?!’
Realizing this, both the kidnapper and I turned our heads to look behind us. And there, an amazing sight unfolded.
“…!” “…!”
A blinding light was chasing us. The airship traveling between <Mimir Industrial High School> and <Scarlet Academy> was leisurely following us beyond the horizon.
A searchlight burst out, illuminating us. And soon after, a loudspeaker boomed with a husky girl’s voice.
[Hey!! Hey!! Stop, will you?! Stop fighting and look over there!! Isn’t our sister being kidnapped—!!]
-Pink!! I saw pink!! Hiyahhhh—!! -Let’s go rescue our sister—! -Where is she?! Where did she go?! Catch her—!! -Anyway, give me more fights—!! -Hiyahhhh!!
[With the leader not here now!! I, ‘Fiona’, ranked second in <Scarlet Academy>’s fight hierarchy, declare this—!! The festival’s theme has changed—!!]
Even from a distance, I could see her bright red hair. A short-haired girl shorter than Albite was holding a loudspeaker like a rock singer and shouting vigorously from the airship.
[Whoever rides through the rough wilderness and rescues our sister—!! Will be granted the right to participate in this year’s ‘Combat Festival’—!!]
-Hiyahhhh—!! -Hiyahhhh—!! -Hiyahhhh—!! -Hiyahhhh—!!
[The race—!! Begins now—!!]
Vroom—! Vroom—! Vroom—!
And with that enormous broadcast, Cheering was heard from everywhere around us. People riding various vehicles were chasing and cheering for us.
-Waaaah—!!!
Clearly, these people seemed to have come from other schools. They shouted while shaking their heads or honking their car horns. Everyone seemed out of their minds, drunk on dopamine and excitement.
-Waaaah—!!!
The event unexpectedly shifted from a fight to a race, and everyone was enthusiastically chasing and cheering with crazy energy.
I was momentarily flustered.
‘Where did these guys come from?! And didn’t Eir say she was entering the Combat Festival this year…?’
The Combat Festival held in autumn. A combat tournament where only one person from each school could participate.
The participation rights were naturally decided by the school’s student council president. Therefore, Fiona’s impromptu declaration was quite an audacious act of overreach.
But <Scarlet Academy> didn’t care about such trivial matters.
The sound of hundreds of bikes approaching from the horizon.
A scene straight out of the end times.
Vroom—! Vroom—! Vroom—!
-Hiyahhhh—!! -Hiyahhhh—!! -Hiyahhhh—!! -Hiyahhhh—!!
It was a sight befitting someone in a Mohican hairstyle and a leather jacket.
But the hundreds of bikes pouring out from the horizon were ridden by girls in red uniforms. And among them were Albite’s group, wearing confused expressions.
‘Things… seem to have escalated.’
The kidnapper and I let out a silent sigh at the sight.
“…” “….”
Can we get out of this alive…?
Eir was pointing at the airship floating in the sky. She was stammering in confusion, shouting desperately.
“Fiona!! You jerk!! Hey, hey you!! I’m right here!! You don’t have that authority yet, you jerk—!!”
[Ether Master]’s booming voice echoed through the air. Then, Fiona’s puzzled voice came from the airship’s loudspeaker.
[Oh, the leader was here? Were you planning to join too?] “What join?! I said I’m participating in the Combat Festival this year!! Besides, you haven’t even awakened [Ether Master] yet—!!”
Fiona held the loudspeaker for a while, tilting her head, then scratched her short hair and answered.
[Ah… who cares. I’ll awaken [Ether Master] somehow… And isn’t it your fault for leaving your post? Anyway, the race has started!! Run, warriors—!! I’ll follow on the airship!!]
The airship gradually accelerated, chasing the bike that was only a dot in the distance.
Eir smacked her forehead with her palm and sighed.
“Damn! I shouldn’t have expected those crazy girls to handle things well!” “…Uh, sorry. Our senior…!” “What?” “I’m sorry!!”
Vroom—!
Albite caught up on her bike and spoke hesitantly. Beside her, vehicles driven by her classmates were following.
Eir shook her head roughly.
“No, it’s my fault for expecting those crazy girls to handle things well! Move! Now it’s my turn to catch [Spiral]!! I’m entering the Combat Festival—!!” “W-Wait!! We’re supposed to rescue the senior, not catch her…!!” “Wait for me, [Spiral]!! For the Combat Festival, I’ll definitely catch you—!!”
Vroooom—!!
But Albite’s protest was drowned out by the roar of Eir’s throttle. And with bizarre noises, numerous bikes raced towards the distant wilderness.
-Hiyahhhh—!! -Hiyahhhh—!! -Hiyahhhh—!! -Hiyahhhh—!!
Countless spectators in vehicles cheered. Numerous girls in red uniforms rode their bikes.
“….”
Albite muttered helplessly, watching the madness unfold.
“What the… hell is wrong with this school…?” “So? What are we going to do now?”
Kara, driving beside Albite, asked. Next to her sat Lota, wearing a bewildered expression.
“….”
Albite suddenly recalled the countless pranks Clara had pulled at the beginning of the term.
Looking back on each one, They were truly actions without any harm.
But because of them, she became the student council president of <Central Prism Academy>, And because of them, she clashed with many people and grew.
“….”
Always, behind the accidents and incidents, there was growth waiting for her.
Could all of that have been mere coincidence? At least, Albite didn’t think so.
‘Clara senior never intended to cause us trouble… And she always sacrifices everything for us in truly dangerous moments…’
It was still hard to understand Clara’s intentions or thoughts… but at least there had never been a time when she had bad intentions in what she did.
“Clara senior never had bad intentions towards us. Maybe she’s planning something alone again?” “…That sounds plausible.” “Then we should follow, right?”
Albite smiled at Lota’s words. She felt like mindlessly following Clara’s antics.
“Yes!”
Albite twisted the throttle, closely following Eir ahead.
And when she looked ahead, an incredible sight unfolded.
A dark night. Countless girls in red uniforms were racing beyond the northern wilderness, accompanied by countless sounds. It was an overwhelming sight like countless flames burning, yet it was ridiculous because of the bizarre noises and lack of direction.
“Haha.”
Seeing that, Albite couldn’t help but laugh.
“Pfft.” “Snicker…!”
Kara and Lota also started laughing helplessly in the face of this absurd scene.