A few days had passed since our rooftop confrontation with the Upper Schoolers. As I walked through the halls with Ayaka, I noticed a subtle, sharp shift in the atmosphere. The air felt brittle, charged with a strange, frantic energy.
"Ayaka, is it just me, or is everyone acting a bit… twitchy?" I asked.
Ayaka paused for a second, then gave a solemn nod. "It is that time of year, Axel-san. Final exams are looming."
"Ah… finals," I muttered.
I'd almost forgotten that such things existed in the civilian world. Since I'd only transferred to Mahora in January, this would be my first real test of academic merit. But looking around, something didn't add up.
"If that's the case, why does our class seem so business-as-usual?" I asked.
"Well… you see," Ayaka began, her expression clouding with a mix of embarrassment and resignation. "Mahora is a direct-track system. Most students are guaranteed a spot in the higher schools without having to take external entrance exams. As a result, the motivation to study isn't exactly… high. Despite my best efforts as class representative, Class 2-A has consistently ranked dead last in the entire year. It is a failure that weighs heavily on my soul."
With a melodramatic flourish, she slumped against the wall as if the weight of thirty-one underachievers was physically crushing her. I reached out and patted her head—she was at the perfect height for it.
"Well, if they don't have to study, they won't," I said. "Especially with the personalities in our class."
"Exactly!" Ayaka squeaked, leaning into my hand with a faint, dreamy look before catching herself and sighing. "Specifically Asuna-san and the rest of those 'Baka Rangers.' Honestly, they don't seem to realize that once they hit high school, 'repeating a grade' becomes a very real and terrifying possibility."
She looked genuinely worried. This was why people called her a "good person"—she cared far more about her classmates' futures than they did themselves.
"It probably doesn't help that Takahata-sensei is always away on 'business trips,'" I noted.
"I used to think so too," Ayaka whispered, glancing around to ensure no one was eavesdropping. "But now I realize… those trips are for that side of things, aren't they?"
"Most likely."
From what I'd seen, Takanami-sensei's combat prowess was absurd for a mere schoolteacher. It was obvious he was being deployed to whatever front lines—magical or otherwise—needed his specific set of skills. Why he bothered juggling a teaching career and a life as a wandering mage-contractor was beyond me.
"I fear we are destined to wallow at the bottom of the rankings once again," Ayaka lamented.
I appreciated the sentiment, but I really wished she wouldn't do the "distressed maiden" routine in the middle of a crowded hallway. And there was absolutely no reason for her to be hugging my arm this tightly.
"The next exam is right around the corner! Therefore, I have decided that today's homeroom will be a Mandatory Great Study Session!"
The next period, Negi stood at the front of the class, practically vibrating with enthusiasm. It seemed Ayaka's concerns had rubbed off on him.
"The truth is… if our class doesn't escape the bottom rank this time, something terrible might happen! So please, let's all work together and do our very best!"
He bowed so low and with such force I thought he might crack his forehead against the lectern.
"Negi-sensei… truly an inspiration," Ayaka swooned from her seat.
"Hey, hey! I have a proposal!" Sakurako Shiina called out, waving her hand.
"Yes, Sakurako-san?" Negi asked, hopeful.
"I think we should study using 'English Vocab Strip-RPS'!"
The suggestion was met with a chorus of cheers and whistles. This was 2-A, after all—any excuse for a game or a bit of chaos was welcomed with open arms. I waited for Negi to shut down such a ridiculous idea, but instead...
"Alright! Let's go with that!" Negi chirped.
"You idiot!" I barked.
I didn't even think. I snatched an eraser out of my pencil case and flicked it. It flew with ballistic precision, catching Negi square in the forehead and nearly knocking him off his feet.
"Ow! Wh-what was that for!?"
While the rest of the class was still hooting about the game, I walked up to the front and leaned in close to his ear.
"Axel-kun? What's wrong?"
"Do you even know what Yakyuuken—Strip Rock-Paper-Scissors—actually is?" I hissed.
"Well, no… but from the name, I assumed it was a study method involving baseball metaphors?"
"…Right." I forgot he was Welsh. They don't have ritualized stripping games in the UK, apparently. "Look, before you agree to anything, go to the faculty room. Find your supervisor, Shizuna-sensei, and tell her: 'Please teach me the rules of Yakyuuken.' Go. Now."
"Eh? But the class—"
"Just go. You'll understand why once you ask."
Blinking in confusion, Negi scurried out of the room. I caught Ayaka's eye and gave her a nod. She immediately stepped up to restore order.
"Alright, everyone! That's enough nonsense!" she shouted, clapping her hands. "Homeroom is for studying, and we are starting now. That goes double for the Baka Rangers! Focus!"
"Ehh? But Preuuub, what about Strip-Vocab?" Shiina whined.
"Don't be absurd! If we did that, Asuna-san—as the leader of the idiots—would be stark naked within five minutes!"
"Hey! Watch it, Class Rep!" Asuna yelled, jumping up.
"Did I say something incorrect?" Ayaka countered coolly.
Asuna opened her mouth to argue, then slowly sat back down, grumbling. In a test of physical prowess, Asuna might win, but in a battle of wits and social standing, Ayaka was an apex predator. The "Baka Ranger" title wasn't just for show.
Suddenly, the door burst open. Negi stumbled back into the room, his entire face a shade of crimson I didn't know was humanly possible.
"Axel-kun! Axel-kun!" he stammered, looking like he was about to short-circuit.
"I take it Shizuna-sensei filled you in?" I asked.
"I—I didn't know! I had no idea it was… that!"
He was practically hyperventilating. From what I heard later, he had walked into the middle of the crowded faculty room and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Shizuna-sensei! Please teach me how to do Yakyuuken!" The resulting lecture from a mortified Shizuna had apparently been quite thorough.
"Let this be a lesson," I told him, pitching my voice low. "Don't just swallow everything this class tells you. They'll run away with any joke if you let them. You have to be the one holding the leash."
"…Yes, sir," he squeaked.
"Good. Now, go help the Baka Rangers with their English. They need it more than anyone."
I watched him walk over to Asuna's desk, then felt a familiar, piercing gaze on the side of my head. I looked over to find Evangeline smirking at me.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing. I just find your 'big brother' act entertaining to watch."
"…Hmph."
As I traded barbs with Eva, I felt a sudden ripple in the local mana flow. Eva felt it too; her eyes sharpened instantly.
Near the back of the room, Negi had instinctively reached for a wand that appeared out of thin air. He was a split second away from casting some kind of focusing charm when Asuna suddenly leaned over and whacked him over the head for getting a math problem wrong.
The wand vanished as quickly as it had appeared as she dragged him toward her notebook. I quickly cast a subtle Cognitive Interference spell over the area to ensure no other students had noticed the slip-up, then looked back at Eva.
"Did you see that?" I whispered.
"I did. It looked like he was about to use magic, and Asuna Kagurazaka stopped him."
"Wait… does that mean she already knows his secret?"
"Likely," Eva mused.
I frowned. The Headmaster had mentioned he wanted his granddaughter, Konoka, and her roommate, Asuna, to eventually find out, but Negi had only been here for a month. Had the old man moved that quickly? No… if there was an official plan to reveal the truth, I should have been briefed so I could manage the fallout.
"Did he just… mess up and get caught?" I wondered aloud.
"Probably," Eva said, leaning back and using her arms as a pillow on her desk. "He's a novice. And knowing that old fossil of a Headmaster, I wouldn't be surprised if he just forgot to tell you."
"Aren't you going to study?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Please. How many years do you think I've been a 'middle schooler'? I could pass these tests in my sleep."
Despite her bravado, I recalled her being surprisingly low on the last quiz rankings—at least compared to the top tier. She was better than the Baka Rangers, but that was a low bar.
Is she actually a bit of a dunderhead? I wondered.
Eva's head snapped up, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Just so you know, my grades are only low because I don't care enough to try. Don't you dare think for a second that I'm stupid."
Between Chizuru and Eva, I was starting to think everyone in this school could read my mind.
"You just have a very expressive face," Eva grumbled, settling back down to nap.
"Master watches you very closely, Axel-san," Chachamaru added helpfully from the next desk. "That is why your thoughts are so easy for her to discern."
Eva bolted upright, her face flushing. "Shut up, you bucket of bolts! Stop saying unnecessary things!"
She grabbed Chachamaru by the collar and began shaking her back and forth. It was a typical day for the master and servant.
The next day, however, the peace was shattered.
I arrived at school to find the classroom in an uproar. Negi Springfield and the entire Baka Ranger squad had vanished without a trace.
Status Report
Name: Axel Almar
Level: 38
PP: 625
Stats: Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272 | Defense: 272 | Evasion: 302 | Accuracy: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost
Spirit Commands: Accel, Effort, Focus, Direct Attack, Awaken, Love
Skills: EXP Up, SP Boost, Telekinesis Lv.10, Attacker, Gunfight Lv.9, Infight Lv.9, Morale Limit Break, Geass (Grey), Magic (Fire/Shadow/Summon)
Total Kills: 376
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