Chapter 3
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Episode 1 - Holy Academy [3]
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"It's your turn."
The man pointed to Clementine Lunovar. She stood up, drew the sword she wore at her waist, and stood in front of the evaluator.
"Three, two, one…"
When the evaluator finished counting, Clementine moved her eyes, raised her sword, and blocked the attack.
The evaluator smiled.
"Not bad, but..."
This time, he disappeared and reappeared while launching multiple attacks with his sword against Clementine.
She clenched her teeth as she blocked each blow with a series of light steps and movements.
Clementine's fighting style relied on agility and powerful attacks.
However, in the next exchange, her sword flew through the air and a sharp blade appeared at her throat.
The evaluator's voice resonated in the ears of all the candidates.
"9 out of 10. Not bad for someone from Lunovar."
Clementine stepped down from the platform, clicking her tongue and muttering:
"Damn bastard."
Naturally, I could hear her murmur as if she were right next to me.
Clementine is a person who gets angry easily, no matter how ridiculous the situation may be.
For example, the argument I had with her less than an hour ago is a clear reflection of her character.
"It's best to stay away from her."
I made that promise to myself.
After a few seconds, the evaluator pointed to the next candidate.
"You're up, Leon Starlight."
According to the character design, his hair is golden and his eyes are red, and his brother has the same features.
He is tall and has a lean, muscular physique.
Additionally, he is considered a "handsome" character in the forums, especially among the players.
Leon stepped onto the platform and drew his sword.
Then, the evaluator said:
"Three, two, one..."
Just like before, he disappeared and attacked Leon. The fight lasted no more than five seconds, and he received a score of 9/10, the same as Clementine's.
Next were the fights of Charlotte, Leon's sister, whose main weapon is a lance, who also received a 9/10.
Princess Clana received a 9.5/10, the highest score so far, followed by Julian Reinhard, who also received a 9.5/10.
Diana received a score of 9/10.
Finally, the main character appeared, whom I had not seen in a while.
The protagonist of this world, someone particularly special.
She had platinum hair and eyes of an intense purple color: Lumina Moonlight.
And also... a regression.
"I wonder what kind of regression she's in this time."
In the game
"It's probably the 9,999th. Although it could also be the 10,000th, which was planned for a future DLC of the game."
However, unless I ask her directly, I probably won't know which regression Lumina is currently on.
When she climbed onto the platform, she unsheathed a white sword with a moon design on the handle.
The evaluator looked at her briefly and smiled.
"Lumina, of the Moonlight House... the only house with the rare lunar attribute."
Lumina didn't say a single word. She just stared at him.
The evaluator looked at her once more and sighed. Then he counted:
"Three, two, one..."
He disappeared and attacked Lumina with his sword.
She reacted easily, however, and counterattacked.
The evaluator looked at her, clearly surprised. Still, he retreated and then moved his feet in an odd way.
Suddenly, petals of rose appeared around him and covered the entire platform.
At that moment, the candidates opened their eyes.
"She's using a sword technique because she realizes that Lumina could defeat him if she doesn't."
That was my evaluation, along with the knowledge I already had.
Seeing the petals all around her, Lumina struck a strange pose and closed her eyes.
Soon, a white light enveloped her sword, and finally, tiny points of light appeared all around her.
These faint lights collided with the petals, and at the same time, Lumina's body moved quickly.
The evaluator smiled slightly, surprised, and attacked Lumina.
They exchanged a dozen blows in a few seconds.
The other candidates couldn't help but look on in amazement; meanwhile, my expression remained emotionless.
Just like Lumina's.
Finally, the battle came to an end. Lumina's sword flew out; however, if someone looked closely, they could see a slight red tint on the blade.
When looking at the evaluator, he had a wound on his cheek from which blood was dripping, as well as several more on his arms and shoulders.
When they saw this, the candidates couldn't help but be shocked.
"Ha, ha... We've got a real standout this year, haven't we? A perfect ten."
That was Lumina's score.
A perfect ten.
Lumina descended from the platform. Since I was last, I stood up and walked toward her.
As she passed me, I heard her whisper,
"Good luck."
"..."
I turned my head instantly and looked at her, confused.
'I thought he'd say 'who are you' or something like that.'
The typical reaction for a Returner upon seeing a stranger appear who didn't exist in their previous life is to say something like:
"Who are you?"
Or simply...
"...You're an anomaly. Before, you weren't here."
Or something like that.
There was no reason for me to say those words. I was sure that my sudden appearance would make her watch me.
However, something seemed very strange.
In the game, when players chose a character in multiplayer mode, Lumina's first words upon seeing the player were always:
"Who are you?"
That made me think seriously.
'Something is wrong.'
I couldn't help but consider several possibilities, but I couldn't come up with an answer immediately.
Lost in my thoughts, the evaluator's voice pulled me out of them.
"A blind candidate... isn't that quite interesting?"
When I came to my senses, I finally climbed onto the platform and stood in front of the evaluator.
"Since you're a swordsman and also blind, I suppose you have something special, don't you?"
I didn't answer. I simply lifted my head as if I were looking the evaluator in the eye.
He sighed and said:
"Just like that girl... Three, two, one..."
At that moment, everything around me slowed down, as if time had stopped.
"Okay, let's get this over with."
I wasn't sure if I would come in first or not. Still, there were more important things to do, like understanding Lumina's strange words.
In that instant, before my True Sight...
Dozens of red lines were drawn, while blue lines crossed over them.
This time I would test my senses: Mana Sense, True Sight, and Weakness Detection.
***
"Good luck."
When Lumina said that to Adel, she noticed that he froze suddenly and immediately turned toward her.
However, Lumina came back and sat down, ignoring his expression.
A smile appeared on her face, but at the same time, sadness and emptiness filled her.
"Adel…"
When she saw him standing before her once again, she was on the verge of rushing toward him, hugging him, speaking to him... and almost kissing him.
But she held back, restraining herself in an almost supernatural way.
Lumina couldn't help but recall the moment of Adel's death before she died in her previous life.
"W-what are you doing?"
Lumina looked at Adel, who was standing in front of her. Then she looked at his back. When he spoke, his trembling voice reached her ears.
"What else do you think? Unlocking a happy ending, of course."
She didn't understand those words. She begged him not to do anything foolish, but he ignored her.
She didn't want to lose him. He was the one who saved her life and changed her destiny through her countless regressions.
And he was the first love of her life.
"Who are you?"
That was her first question when a blind man appeared out of nowhere.
And now, that man was leaving.
Lumina couldn't guarantee that Adel would reappear.
She was afraid of returning to her lonely state, of dying over and over again in the same place and not being able to save the world.
Although it was selfish, she didn't want Adel to disappear.
She was afraid that Adel would no longer exist by the time she returned.
She still had a promise to keep.
Adel muttered something she barely heard at the time:
"I suppose I'll die without regrets... Still, I would have liked to see the 'Garden' or go home..."
"No... please, stop... don't leave, Adel."
"Didn't I tell you that I would keep my promise of a happy ending? Even if I don't see the Garden or return home... I only care about you, Lumina."
Lumina understood the garden, but not the part about returning home.
She knew that Adel didn't have a place to go back to, yet he insisted on it.
However, there was a touch of sadness in his voice when he spoke of returning home.
Still, Lumina observed the moment Adel used a trait.
〖The trait: Beyond Limits has been activated〗
〖All stats, traits, unique traits, and skills are increased by ×100 for five minutes〗
〖Warning: Once this trait is activated, the player will self-destruct〗
When an enormous explosion covered the world, Adel had disappeared.
Lumina observed that final moment when Adel's eyes revealed themselves and looked directly at her.
They were golden eyes with a reddish tint and semi-inverted pupils like a dragon's.
They were beautiful.
It was also the first time she had seen them, always hidden under a bandage.
Returning to the present, Lumina looked at Adel, who, with his absurd senses, had tied with the evaluator and left him speechless.
He put a hand to his chest and thought:
'This time I will keep my promise and...'
'...I'll make sure you survive.'
'My Adel.'