The school at night, when everyone is asleep, feels eerie.
Especially if it’s an old building.
The creaking wooden floors with each step. A hallway so dark that, no matter how much light is shone, it’s impossible to see its end.
Standing there, the anatomical models in the science lab could be called a sort of cliché.
“… W-Was school always this scary?”
Lupina trembled.
There was no need to tell her to act more like the head of the occult club.
As I looked down the corridor myself, I couldn’t help but feel that some monstrous creature might suddenly jump out.
“It feels like something like a gremlin or a doll ghost could pop out…”
“Just follow me; nothing like that is going to show up.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“What we’re looking for is far scarier than any minor ghost or spirit.”
“… Ugh.”
With a short groan, Lupina clung behind me.
Since she wasn’t in the way, I let her stay there…
Rustle, Rustle.
Occasionally, her torso would brush against my back, providing a rather provocative sensation.
Could it be that those with the “gloomy” attribute are somehow affected in chest size?
Feeling that soft sensation made me want to…
‘Stay calm.’
I’m already getting used to the ‘excitement’ effect. I can restrain myself at this level.
Right now, it’s time to focus on the ones who’ve actually shown up before us.
Lupina and I cautiously made our way toward the center.
There was still no sign of anything unusual or any devices.
Only darkness and silence.
Creak, Creak.
After a while of walking down the creaking wooden corridor, we arrived at the central entrance.
– [2] Floor
The “Occult Research Room” we’re currently in is located on the second floor of the former Magic Wing.
– ↓[1] Floor
Going down to the first floor allows us to exit the building through the main entrance.
The distance from the central entrance to the main gate isn’t too long.
If we prioritize safety, leaving the building immediately wouldn’t be a bad choice.
– ↑[3] Floor
The ‘Dessert Research Group’ is located on the third floor.
When I extended my senses briefly to scan for a presence earlier, I felt a clear one coming from the third floor.
It was the presence of someone lying in wait, as if provoking me to come up.
“Hmm.”
I paused to consider.
Should we go down to the first floor and make a safe retreat for now?
Or go up to the third floor and settle things with those who seem to be assassins?
The second option appeals to me more.
‘I can’t be certain retreating to the first floor would be any safer.’
In fact, it’s likely that traps have been meticulously set along our escape route.
‘Looks like there’s only one option.’
I prefer this.
Just as I was about to step onto the staircase leading up…
“Huh… Hyaaah!”
Lupina shrieked and thrashed about.
“Save me! S-something’s on my neck…!”
Something was indeed clinging to her neck.
I reached out to her neck.
Swish.
After removing it, I held it out in front of Lupina.
“It’s just a notice.”
Lupina blinked her tear-filled eyes, realizing what had startled her. Her face turned red with embarrassment.
“Wh-where did it fall from?”
“This place still has all sorts of old flyers and notices stuck around here.”
Indeed, the interior of the old Magic Wing felt cluttered.
Old posters of now-defunct clubs were plastered all over the place.
“What is this?”
I read the piece of paper that had been stuck to Lupina’s neck.
— ‘Central Hall Usage Rules of the Old Magic School.’
- Walk softly with gentle steps.
2. Avoid loud talking.
3. Keep both hands visible at all times.
———
“…So, these are the usage rules.”
“It’s not strange to see things like this around here. I heard the rules were strict back in the old days at the academy.”
Lupina, leaning beside me to read the paper, chimed in.
Her side brushed against my arm.
“Let’s go up.”
I cleared my throat and stepped onto the stairs leading to the third floor.
The stairs were all clear. No unusual devices.
“I don’t feel any spells, either.”
Lupina added.
However, the presence grew stronger.
A distinct aura of murderous intent, something that could only be felt from a formidable foe.
With each step up, my suspicions turned to certainty.
I don’t know who, but an extraordinary opponent is waiting for me.
Calling me to the “Dessert Research Club” room.
Who could it be?
Swallowing hard, I stepped onto the third floor.
◆
At the top of the stairs, a bulletin board stood in front of me.
To the right was the washroom and restroom. To the left, down the line of club rooms, was the “Dessert Research Club” room.
The third floor was still shrouded in darkness.
But on my left, a faint light was visible.
From the supposedly darkened “Dessert Research Club” room, light was leaking out of the window.
And two shadows stood in front of it.
It didn’t take much to sense that they were waiting for me.
Did they, like me, confirm my approach?
Step.
One of the shadows walked forward.
Under her hood, the corners of her lips curved into a grin.
“I’ve been waiting a long time.”
A soft, quiet voice. It was a cold, feminine voice that made you lean in to hear it clearly.
With her words, she pulled back her hood.
A woman with sharp, blood-red short hair, giving off a fierce, intense impression.
Her tight leather pants made a faint creaking sound with each step.
“Isn’t the up-and-coming kid a little different? Ian.”
In Fantasy X Academy, sorcery isn’t limited to a single form.
It can’t be classified into elements, like magic.
Sorcery is the unique expression of a practitioner’s personal talents.
That is magic.
And here was a woman casually addressing me like a familiar younger brother.
I knew her face.
One of the top-ranked sorcerers in Fantasy X Academy.
At the same time, one of the most skilled assassins.
“…Leisha.”
Why is she here, of all people?
Leisha widened her eyes in surprise at my murmuring.
“Oh my. You know my name? Perhaps an old client?”
“No. I’ve heard your name from Eternal.”
“… Ho. That’s unexpected. Didn’t think there’d be such a young client of ‘Eternal’.”
Leisha chuckled softly, amused.
Her short hair swayed like a sword.
The reason for her amusement was simple.
The information guild, “Eternal.”
It’s a guild that only serves the highest elites from all sectors, hidden deep within the Empire.
Mentioning her name, as well as dropping “Eternal” as my source, was a form of bluffing.
It was one of the ways to deal with Leisha.
“Hmm.”
A slight hesitation appeared on Leisha’s lips.
The appearance of information beyond what she had already gathered made her slightly uneasy.
But, really, it was just a drop in the bucket.
Thwack.
With practiced ease, she pulled out a cigarette with one hand and placed it between her lips.
— Sizzle.
She snapped her fingers, lighting the cigarette, and exhaled a plume of smoke.
“What a shame. Watching someone like you, Ian, would be quite entertaining.”
“Did someone place an assassination contract on my life?”
“Can you even call it an assassination contract…?”
She tilted her head slightly, cigarette between her lips, and flashed a sly grin.
“Rather than a contract, it’s more like someone paid as if it were an event. Be happy, Ian. Your bounty’s up there with dukes, you know?”
That was valuable information. Whoever commissioned my assassination was either careless with money or very wealthy.
Should I press her for more?
“I could double the fee.”
“Double the fee… I don’t mean to underestimate you, but sorry, Ian. I don’t think you’ve got that kind of cash.”
“How much?”
“The request was 5 billion, so maybe 10 billion?”
“That’s beyond my means.”
“I thought so.”
Whoo-
Exhaling one last puff of smoke, she flicked the cigarette butt to the ground.
Thwack.
Before it could even hit the floor, it turned to ash and vanished.
“I like to keep things clean, you see.”
I watched her mocking smile for a moment.
She was strong—strong enough that the word “difficult” didn’t even begin to describe her.
An assassin who wielded sorcery.
Among her various techniques, the most challenging to counter was her skill called [Restriction].
[Restriction] was a sorcery of physical enhancement that imposed a self-limitation, drastically boosting everything else outside of that restriction.
For example, “sealing the movement of her left index finger to increase her entire physical ability by 10%.” That’s the kind of restriction she would use.
But she didn’t stop there.
She subtly hinted at her restrictions to her opponents, amplifying their effect even further.
A character who would announce her own restrictions and gain absurd buffs as long as she adhered to them.
In the end, the key to countering Leisha was straightforward.
‘Identify her restrictions and force her to break them.’
The problem was, no one knew what they were.
Not even in the game.
If you couldn’t find them, you died.
I focused intently on her every movement, every gesture.
Rustle.
She smirked at my vigilance and pulled something from inside her coat.
“Well, shall we begin?”
