The day after our English-word strip-poker match, the classroom was abuzz from the moment I walked in.
At a glance, I noticed several familiar faces were missing, which was unusual. But that wasn't the immediate problem. The real issue was the bombshell that had just been dropped.
"What did you say?! If Class 2-A doesn't climb out of last place, Negi-sensei is going to be fired?!"
Ayaka was reeling, her voice sharp with shock after hearing the news from Shiina. The rest of the class was equally agitated, a wave of uneasy murmurs rippling through the room.
I stole a glance at Chizuru. Since she was in on the secret of Negi's true identity, she looked just as skeptical, her head tilted in a puzzled frown.
It made sense. Negi was a mage, the son of a legendary hero with a brilliant future ahead of him. The idea that he'd be sacked just because his class hit the bottom of the rankings seemed impossible to swallow.
If I had to guess, this was either some kind of magical trial… or something else entirely.
Scanning the room again, I realized that Asuna and Konoka—Negi's roommates—were also missing. They were likely tied up in some plan to keep his magic under wraps.
"Listen to me, everyone!" Ayaka shouted, rallying the room. "We must study with everything we have and escape the bottom of the rankings before the exams! Even those of you who usually slack off need to take this seriously. The real hurdle, of course, will be Asuna-san and the rest of the Baka Rangers. We have to make sure they at least show up and don't turn in blank papers…"
Ayaka's frantic planning was cut short the very next second.
Miyazaki and Saotome burst into the classroom, breathless. They were carrying news that was far worse than any of us had imagined.
"Everyone, it's terrible! Negi-sensei and the Baka Rangers have gone missing inside Library Island!"
"What…?"
The blood drained from the faces of every student in 2-A, Ayaka included. You could almost see the words 'We're doomed' etched across their foreheads.
Even Setsuna, who was supposed to be Konoka's bodyguard, looked visibly shaken. It seemed she had been left in the dark about this development as well.
"Then I, Yukihiro Ayaka, shall personally head to Library Island to rescue Negi-sensei!"
As Ayaka prepared to charge out in a blind panic, I reached out and gave her uniform a firm, grounding tug to catch her attention.
"Hey, hold on. Before you go storming into the depths of the library, wouldn't it be smarter to contact the Headmaster or Takahata-sensei first?"
"Seriously… that's just common sense," I heard Hasegawa mutter under his breath. "Why is everyone's first instinct to go on a search-and-rescue mission ourselves?"
I chose to ignore him for now.
"Y-you're right. As the Class Representative, I shall go at once…"
Ayaka nodded, composed herself, and marched out toward the faculty office.
"Axel-kun, could you go with her? Just to make sure she doesn't do anything reckless?" Chizuru asked.
"...Fair point. Knowing her, she'll probably go off the rails again if she's left alone."
If she caused a scene in the staff room and ended up vanishing into Library Island anyway, it would only make the headache worse. Following Chizuru's advice, I went after her. I caught up to her in the hallway just as she was picking up speed.
"Axel-kun? Is something the matter?" Ayaka asked, slowing down as I pulled up beside her.
"Chizuru asked me to keep an eye on you so you don't go 'overboard' again," I said with a wry smile.
"Honestly, Chizuru-san is such a worrywart."
"Well, based on how you were acting in the classroom, I'd say her worries were well-founded."
"Oh, hush! You too, Axel-kun?"
"Besides," I added, "I'm fairly certain Negi is going to be just fine."
Ayaka tilted her head, looking at me with curiosity. "How can you be so sure?"
"If my hunch is right, this whole 'disappearance' is probably just some event related to the wizarding world."
"...Ah, I see. Now that you mention it, Negi-sensei's father was a man called a Hero, wasn't he? You think it's related to that?"
"Exactly. Which is why we shouldn't be heading to the faculty office, but to the Headmaster's office."
"Understood. Then I shall accompany you."
Ayaka nodded in agreement. We bypassed the faculty room and made our way straight to the Headmaster's wing.
"Headmaster, it's Yukihiro Ayaka and Axel Almar from Class 2-A. May we have a moment of your time?"
"Whoa?! H-hold on just a second! ...Ahem. Yes, you may enter."
I heard a brief moment of flustered scrambling from behind the door before we were given permission to enter. When I pushed the door open, the Headmaster was sitting at his desk as usual, looking every bit the dignified administrator.
"Headmaster, I don't think we need to explain why we're here, do we?" I asked.
"Ho-ho. I assume it is regarding young Negi-kun?"
"Yeah. The classroom is in an absolute state of panic because he and the others have gone missing."
"I feared as much. Rest assured, Negi-kun and the others are currently under my protection, along with Konoka. There is no danger, so you may put your minds at ease."
"So I was right. This whole 'disappearance' is a setup for some magical training event?"
"Indeed. I set a challenge: if Class 2-A escapes the bottom rank in the upcoming finals, Negi-kun's practicum will be officially complete. However, Konoka and her friends went looking for a certain magical book within Library Island to help. This... 'disappearance' is partly their punishment and partly a study session."
I nodded. Part of it made sense, but there was still a glaring hole in the logic.
"I have a question, though. You said the condition is for the class to escape last place... but Negi is only the English teacher. Why is his success being judged based on the class's total overall scores?"
"Gulp?!"
"Furthermore, isn't Takahata-sensei the actual homeroom teacher? He couldn't fix their grades in two years, yet you're making it a passing requirement for a student-teacher like Negi? That seems a bit skewed, doesn't it?"
"Mmm... mmmgh..." Konoemon grimaced, stroking his beard.
"He has a point, Headmaster," Ayaka added. "If Negi-sensei actually succeeds where Takahata-sensei failed, wouldn't that completely destroy Takahata-sensei's reputation? People would start questioning his competence as an educator."
"Well... you are both technically correct. However, I ask that you view this as a trial for a mage."
"...Look, I'm not part of your Kanto Magic Association, so I'll leave those decisions to you. My job is just to back Negi up in his school life. But I want to be absolutely sure: the others aren't in any real danger, right?"
Konoemon nodded confidently.
"You needn't worry about that. They are currently in a room deep beneath Library Island. Negi-kun and Konoka are teaching the others as we speak. Though, I suppose my word alone isn't enough to convince you. Here, look."
He pulled a crystal ball from beneath his desk. Inside the sphere, we could see Negi and Konoka diligently tutoring the five members of the Baka Rangers.
…I see. That frantic noise we heard when we knocked? He was definitely using this thing to spy on them.
"Oh, Negi-sensei! I'm so glad to see you're well!" Ayaka exclaimed, her face lighting up. A second later, her expression soured as she looked at the image of Asuna. "Wait a minute! Asuna-san is sticking far too close to Negi-sensei!"
Despite her complaints about Asuna, the underlying tension in her shoulders had vanished. She was clearly relieved that her best friend was safe, even if she'd never admit it out loud.
"Now that you have seen for yourselves, could I trouble you to return to class and let everyone know they are safe?"
"Fine. We'll tell them they were found by staff after getting lost and are currently being looked after," I said. "But…"
"Hmm?"
"The fact remains that they broke into Library Island in the middle of the night. When they get back, make sure they get a proper scolding for that."
"Indeed. That is only fair. I intend to leave that task to Nitta-sensei."
"Good. Also, Setsuna was looking pretty restless about Konoka. You should probably give her a heads-up too."
"Ah, well... I was actually hoping you could handle that, Axel-kun."
"Me? Does Setsuna even know who I am?"
"...Good point. She is so focused on her duties as Konoka's guard that she has very little interest in other magical students or teachers. She likely doesn't know much about you at all."
"Then there's not much I can say that would carry any weight with her."
"Very well, I shall handle that side of things. You two just focus on putting the class at ease."
"We understand, Headmaster! And for Negi-sensei's sake, we shall escape that last-place ranking!"
Ayaka struck a determined pose, gave a polite bow, and led the way out of the office. I followed her, shaking my head with a faint smile.
"And so," Ayaka announced, standing proudly at the podium before the class, "Negi-sensei and the others have been safely recovered by the Library Island staff. Due to certain circumstances, they cannot return to the classroom just yet, but they are currently studying hard with the Baka Rangers. There is no need for alarm!"
The entire class let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Also, regarding the rumor that Negi-sensei will be fired if we stay in last place—that isn't entirely accurate. Negi-sensei's current status is that of a student-teacher. This final exam will determine whether he becomes a fully licensed teacher now or remains an intern. It is his certification exam!"
"Eh? So Negi-sensei won't disappear even if we come in last?" Fumika asked.
"Precisely. However," Ayaka leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with competitive fire, "shouldn't we use our own power to ensure Negi-sensei becomes a real teacher? Let's show them what Class 2-A can do!"
I knew exactly how the impulsive students of 2-A would react. A thunderous cheer erupted, shaking the very windows of the room.
...Of course, we all got a massive earful from Nitta-sensei, who was teaching in the room next door, immediately afterward.
Regardless, the class was finally united. We spent the rest of Saturday and Sunday huddled together, buried in our notes. When Monday morning rolled around, the "Library Island survivors" made it back just in time—barely—and the entire class sat for the exam.
There was a brief moment of drama the next day when it turned out the survivors' scores hadn't been tallied yet, nearly sending Negi packing back to England in despair—but in the end, we managed to take 1st place in the entire grade. I'd call that a win.
[Character Status]
Name: Axel Almar
LV: 38 | PP: 625
Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272
Defense: 272 | Evade: 302 | Hit: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to enhance Slime performance)
Growth Type: All-Rounder / Special
Terrain Rank: Air: S | Ground: S | Sea: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accel (SP 4)
Effort (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 30)
Awaken (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9, SP Regen, Concentration)
Telekinesis (Psychic Power) Lv.10
Attacker
Gunfight Lv.9
In-fight Lv.9
Morale Limit Break
Geass (Grey)
Magic (Fire)
Magic (Shadow)
Magic (Summoning)
???
???
Kill Count: 376
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