Even if a mortal's life is as short as morning dew...
But...
It is precisely because of this short life that they can explode with a brilliance sufficient to make even gods take notice within their limited time.
Even the weakest ant...
The sword strike swung in a desperate struggle for survival is still full of unpredictable variables.
Because of this...
When a mortal, to protect a companion or out of pure ambition, breaks through their own limits and creates a feat that even the gods never anticipated...
In that moment, that spark known as the unknown.
For a god steeped in eternal loneliness, it is the sweetest wine in this world, the most dazzling light.
This is not merely a god's twisted observation of the lower realm.
It is a resonance between both sides in the quest for the essence of life.
Gods envy the potential of mortals.
Mortals crave the power of gods.
This is the core contract of that world.
An epic game where both sides take pleasure, wagering their lives and glory.
"So..."
"This is the place I'm taking you to."
"A world without ceilings, only endless challenges."
"A world where even if you die, you can die spectacularly, rather than rotting away in day-after-day of boredom."
As Heimdall's voice fell.
The gymnasium fell into a dead silence.
Only the occasional sound of the wind from outside the window and the slightly hurried breathing of the crowd intertwined in the air.
And this was not fear.
But an unprecedented throbbing.
Like an eagle imprisoned for a long time, seeing the blue sky called freedom for the first time through a gap in its cage.
That tremor originating from the depths of the soul made their fingertips go slightly numb.
"Heh..."
Kirukiru Amou raised her hand, casually brushing back a strand of black hair falling by her ear.
Those black pupils, which were originally always filled with arrogance, were now like ignited dry grass, burning with an almost obsessive flame.
She looked at Heimdall, her gaze burning.
As if looking at the salvation that had finally arrived after her long wait.
For this Empress who had already stood at the pinnacle of the academy.
The world Heimdall described.
Was simply a paradise tailor-made for her.
"That kind of place... is the destination I've dreamed of."
Kirukiru Amou made no effort to hide her desire.
If there really was such a world, even if she died the next second, it would be ten thousand times better than rotting and stinking here.
To this, Heimdall nodded slightly and turned his gaze to the others.
Nono Mozunono had already shrunk her neck, subconsciously hiding behind Onigawara Rin, clearly frightened.
But Onigawara Rin and Inaba Tsukiyo fell silent.
Although they didn't state their positions as directly as Kirukiru Amou, the light in their eyes couldn't lie.
After all.
That kind of thought...
Who hasn't had it?
As practitioners of martial arts, as those who hold sharp blades.
Who doesn't long for a stage where the sword in their hand can truly show its value?
Who would be content to stay in this tiny campus until graduation, and then fade into the crowd?
...
Just as the atmosphere was reaching its peak.
"Thump!"
A sudden, loud bang echoed from the ventilation window above the gymnasium, extremely disruptive to the atmosphere.
Everyone looked toward the sound.
They saw the high ventilation window of the gymnasium.
Following that was the clanging sound of a heavy object hitting a metal pipe, and the low growl of some startled beast.
"Aieee! It hurts!"
"Are you an idiot! Slipping at a time like this!"
Accompanied by a flurry of dust.
Everyone left the gymnasium area and looked out.
They saw.
Two figures—or more accurately, two people and two bears—fallen miserably below the high ventilation window.
The first one encountered.
Was a girl with a head of brilliant blonde hair, the ends curled into waves that looked like baguettes.
She wore a modified school uniform and was still clutching a thick dictionary tightly in her hand.
—Kikakujuo Mary.
One of the five swords of the world, and a well-known Rapier user in this academy.
...
"This is far too inelegant!"
"This is absolutely that stupid bear's fault!"
Kikakujuo Mary slapped the dust off her uniform while holding a thick dictionary with her uninjured hand, her face full of annoyance.
The culprit of this commotion was clearly not her.
As for the one beside her.
It was a petite blonde girl who looked like she was still in elementary school.
Hanazake Warabi.
Also one of the five swords members.
Despite her youthful appearance, she was the oldest among the five swords.
However, that almost toddler-like appearance really wasn't very convincing.
"Seriously! It's all your fault!"
"Failing at the critical moment! You've completely embarrassed me!"
At this moment, Hanazake Warabi was speaking while clutching her swollen foot, glaring at the giant bear lying on the ground with a look of disappointment.
Yes.
A giant bear!
A real Black Bear wearing a collar!
This Black Bear seemed to be a pet kept by Hanazake Warabi.
Because it had heard Heimdall's remarks about gods and was frightened into weak knees by the faint divine pressure, it tripped and fell, leading to the complete failure of this seemingly perfect stealth mission.
"Honestly... I told you to practice your sense of balance more, but you didn't listen!"
Hanazake Warabi scolded the giant bear, which was currently holding its head and shivering, in a fit of rage.
Then.
She seemed to realize something.
She turned her head and happened to meet those pairs of half-smiling eyes.
"Uh..."
Hanazake Warabi froze on the spot.
...
Facing Hanazake Warabi's instantly stiff expression and Kikakujuo Mary's attempt to hide her face with the dictionary like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.
The atmosphere in the air instantly became a bit subtle.
"Eavesdropping..."
Until a whisper broke the awkwardness.
The one speaking was Onigawara Rin, who had just slightly calmed her emotions.
She was seen.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her gaze, which had been dodging due to shame, instantly became sharp.
For Onigawara Rin.
Everything that just happened—her mask being shattered, her true face exposed, and that psychological analysis that was almost like a public execution—was the dark history she least wanted outsiders to know in her life.
A rival like Kirukiru Amou, who already knew her well, was one thing.
Being heard by Inaba Tsukiyo was also unavoidable.
But if Kikakujuo Mary and Hanazake Warabi, two people she didn't get along with on a regular basis, had watched the whole thing...
"As members of the five swords of the world, to engage in such behavior as hiding in the shadows and peeping like rats."
"Don't you feel ashamed?"
Onigawara Rin took a sudden step forward. Although she still had a blushing face, the tachi in her hand had already been unsheathed half an inch, gleaming coldly.
"Ha?!"
After being called out by Onigawara Rin, Kikakujuo Mary instantly bristled, her golden curls trembling with her movements.
She slammed the thick dictionary shut, her exquisite face, unique to those of mixed heritage, flushing red as she argued loudly:
"Who—who was eavesdropping!"
"This is called strategic reconnaissance! Do you understand strategic reconnaissance!"
"An intruder capable of causing such terrifying anomalies suddenly appeared in the academy. As the five swords responsible for maintaining public order, we naturally had to come to confirm the situation immediately!"
"Exactly, exactly!"
Hanazake Warabi, beside her, also ignored her foot pain and hurriedly waved the Wooden Staff in her hand, echoing like a bristling kitten:
"I specifically rushed over to provide support!"
"If it hadn't been for failing at the critical moment, we would have made a magnificent entrance long ago!"
The two of them spoke in harmony, trying to use the volume of their voices to cover up their lack of confidence.
However.
Their mutually understanding, shifting gazes.
Still betrayed the fact that they had actually arrived long ago and had been watching the show with great interest from above for quite a while.