Chapter 49

Chapter 49

From Cosmic Rascal to Professor.

Episode 49: Duel (2).

Out of nowhere, Zelnya lashed out at us.

“Both of you are so sloppy.”

“What?”

“Do you think with those skills, you can become an A-grade inspector?”

It must have been a thoughtless remark, thrown out like chewed gum.

“Reinhardt, I knew about you, but…you’re nothing special either.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“What do you think? Give up.”

Zelnya flicked her fingers as if dismissing us. Veins throbbed at the corners of Rustila’s eyes.

“I’ve felt it since the last time I saw you. Your swordsmanship hasn’t been properly learned. It’s child’s play. All brute force, no technique, and completely clumsy. With such swordsmanship, you cannot cut down even an A-grade monster, let alone reach S-grade.”

She taunted Rustila with a skill that could be called artistic, unaware that the sword was both Rustila’s everything and her Achilles’ heel.

“Are you done talking now?”

“No, not yet.”

Look at that, look at that, someone who’s completely lost their manners. If Zelnya just kept her mouth shut, she’d be a beauty who attracts crowds, but she always manages to make enemies with her sharp tongue.

“Please wait a moment.”

“I cannot tolerate any more insults to my miss!”

So much so that even Sonia and Verdia, who had been at each other’s throats just moments ago, now stood together in unison to intervene.

“Get lost.”

The two androids were pushed back.

“I have no interest in tin cans.”

“T-Tin cans…? Are you really saying that?” Verdia shouted with a voice tinged with outrage.

“Though humans created me, I must speak up. Please don’t say things like that. It hurts my feelings!”

Even as androids, the 5th generation is still the 5th generation. They possess emotions just like humans. They couldn’t help getting angry after being called a ‘tin can’.

Unlike Verdia, who was fuming and clenching her fists tightly, Sonia looked calm.

“Actually, I’m not particularly interested in humans either. No need to store that in my memory. Hmph.”

She grabbed Verdia’s arm and quickly led her away. Her skill in maneuvering conversations with Aidel was still intact, and she knew with precision when to retreat.

Rustila clenched her teeth and glared at Zelnya.

“No need for a lengthy discussion. Just tell me why you started this fight.”

“So impatient,” Zelnya replied.

“You just want to mock me, don’t you?”

“Mock you?”

Zelnya, who had been slowly advancing, closed the distance until she was only a few steps away from Rustila. Zelnya lifted her chin while Rustila looked down, her posture far from submissive. She gently caressed the sword in her right hand.

“Feeling itchy for a fight?”

“…Yes.”

“What a coincidence. So am I.”

Only then did Zelnya unclasp her hands from behind her back, and with a rustling sound, she revealed her weapon.

A plasma sword.

“I will let you know your place.”

“You…”

“A girl who’s lacking in both academics and swordsmanship has no place in our class. You’re just muddying the waters.”

“I’ll shut you up soon enough.”

Wow. The confrontation between the protagonist and the antagonist at the college part was electrifying. My heart swelled with anticipation even though they hadn’t started fighting yet.

The setting was a stadium, perfect for a showdown.

They positioned themselves apart, each gripping the hilt of a sword devoid of Ether.

Were they about to fight?

“I’ll let you strike first.”

So, they were indeed fighting!

“…No excuses later.”

“Enough talk, just come at me already.”

In the next instant, the sound of slicing air filled the stadium, and Rustila vanished. The ground where she had stood moments before now bore a dent.

In the blink of an eye, Rustila’s sword blade thrust toward Zenlya’s chest, but Zenlya boldly countered.

Just as Rustila’s eyes widened in surprise, Zenlya rammed the hilt of her sword into Rustila’s stomach.

The next morning, as I was organizing my dorm space and preparing to head to school, a loud shout erupted from the opposite dorm.

“Son of a bitch!”

I paused, wondering what the commotion was about this time.

Ceti burst in, her expression as fierce as a demon’s, spewing curses. Thankfully, Sonia, in her desperation to protect me, managed to shield me from what could have been a disastrous blow to my head.

“Little sis, what happened?”

“That bitch, Zelnya, she—!”

Ceti stomped her feet and shouted.

“I will kill her! Definitely!”

I could roughly guess why she was angry.

Yesterday, during the duel with Zelnya, Rustila had been defeated, and not after a series of clashes, but with a single hit. Even though their skills might be similar, Zelnya possessed a sense of technique and finesse that Rustila lacked, and that small difference had resulted in an overwhelming outcome. Even I was flustered because Rustila, who was to be the future Sword Saint, had been defeated in one hit.

“You were there at the time. Why didn’t you stop them?”

“I thought she would win.”

“Ah, shit…”

“So, is Rustila alright?”

I went to the hospital with her just in case, but since a night had passed, her condition might have worsened.

“Her stomach is covered in stark bruises. She can still move…but she groans whenever she gets the chance. That crazy bitch, I’ll never forgive her!”

Ceti clenched her fist tightly.

But what could be done just by being angry? There was a clear difference between Zelnya’s power and ours, a gap too wide to bridge, even if we wanted to beat her. And even if, by some chance, we managed to beat Zelnya up, it would be problematic. When she, a direct descendant of Adelwein, is taken down by an unacceptable method, it’s impossible to predict the consequences. Ceti knew this too well, but all the way to school, she continued to mumble like a parrot that she would kill her.

“What was the first period again?”

“Drill training.”

“We should head to the stadium then. Ah, wait a moment…”

Ceti paused and then let out a chuckle.

“Can we not use drill training as a pretext to beat her up?”

“Fat chance. Even if the two of us team up, we’d lose.”

“With how pissed off I am right now, I might just pull it off.”

I sighed.

Ceti was usually rational when it came to money, but she always lost her reasoning when it came to Rustila.

“Don’t confuse courage with recklessness because of momentary emotions. Stick to what you can handle.”

“What can I do then?”

“That is for you to find.”

I knew the answer but chose not to reveal it, believing it was better for Ceti to uncover the truth herself. By doing so, she could bring down this aspect of Adelwein through her own strength and determination.

Adelwein is a villainous group within ‘SOG’. If they cannot be recruited to our side, they must be eliminated.

I have a plan to take them on academically, Rustila with her swordsmanship, and Ceti through finance.

In addition, the other characters must also develop their abilities in order to keep the entirety of Adelwein, including Zelnya, in check. Of course, I would only provide subtle assistance so they feel they have grown through their own efforts. After all, that is true growth.

It might feel like Zelnya is being ostracized, but it’s unavoidable. I want to change her, but if she doesn’t change by the end, she will ultimately remain an enemy.

With a heavy heart, I headed to the class location.

On one side of the stadium, I could see Rustila diligently swinging her sword.

Fortunately, she seemed undeterred by yesterday’s events.

Soon, a man with a robust physique captured the attention of the students training independently by blowing a whistle.

“Class is starting. Everyone, gather around.”

It was a face I hadn’t seen before.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“The new teacher.”

“What happened to the teacher who was here until last week?”

“Fired.”

The students all looked shocked. Just last week, the drill class had been relaxed and easy.

“Let’s introduce ourselves now. My name is Isaac Clark.”

His name resonated with a certain authority.

It was certain that he was a very strong individual. One could come to that conclusion even without knowing the contents of the novel. This person possessed the aura of a Constellation, and on a galactic scale at that.

“I-Isaac Clark…?”

“Clark? That is the surname of the Omega-level inspector couple…!”

Murmurs of recognition rippled through the students.

“Not just any Omega, but a Great Omega, you fool.”

Great Omega.

Among the Omega levels, twelve exceptionally strong inspectors are known as Great Omegas. They adopt the zodiac constellations as their Constellations and defend the corresponding sectors for each number.

No, why would someone like that come to our school as an instructor?

“Now, now, enough with the chit-chat,” Isaac declared. “There’s only one reason I’ve come here as a teacher. It is to make you all stronger.”

“To make us stronger…” Rustila echoed softly.

“We have had a hard time during the last two attacks. It seems there was a breach in the Ether Belt that was protecting us, and that was due to some unknown cause. Scientists are still struggling to determine why the belt was compromised.”

“Uh?”

The students asked in surprise.

“A breach in the Ether Belt…?”

“Ah, right. This was supposed to be confidential, wasn’t it?”

Silence fell over the room.

“Well, there’s no reason to hide it from you. You’ve already endured such attacks twice. It would be pointless not to inform you of such a critical issue, wouldn’t it?”

Instructor Clark clicked his tongue and continued.

“Anyway, I will teach you the finest swordsmanship and skills to ensure none of you die. Learn as much as you can so that you can grow to take good care of yourselves.”

Rustila’s eyes shone with anticipation.

In contrast, Zelnya displayed a listless demeanor.

It appeared she had encountered Omega inspectors several times before, her gaze fixed on me without any trace of emotion.

Her stare was piercing, so I met her gaze with an equally sharp glare.

From the first lesson, Instructor Clark had arranged sparring matches. He wanted the students in the elite class to pair up with someone they were close to for a simple sparring match.

This approach allowed him to gauge everyone’s skill level roughly.

Clark’s eyes surveyed the scene and settled on two girls.

Blonde and silver hair.

Rustila Kersil and Zelnya von Adelwein.

“Didn’t the instructors say we should form teams with students we are close to?”

“Why? We are close.”

“Just because we clashed ONCE doesn’t mean that much.”

Zelnya emphasized the word ‘once’ strongly, a jab at Rustila being knocked down with a single hit.

Gritting her teeth, Rustila was determined.

“I won’t fall for the same trick twice.”

Her resolution was clear in her deep blue eyes. Instructor Clark’s eyes widened, sensing her fighting spirit.

“Hoo,” he muttered.

The two girls took their stances.

Both displayed considerable skill.

The silver-haired girl had adopted a stance typical of military swordsmanship. Where she had learned it was unclear, but she also incorporated movements that suited her own body. In a word, she was a genius.

On the other hand, the posture of the blonde girl was crude. Her feet were positioned awkwardly, her body weight poorly distributed, and her grip on the sword seemed more about securing her field of vision and protecting her vital points than about intuition or strategy.

It was reckless to judge which side was more skilled.

But if the discussion was solely about proficiency, the silver-haired side was far superior.

“You still don’t know your place. Fine. Come at me.”

“…I will win,” Rustila declared, charging forward and leaving a long afterimage of her ponytail.

“Yawn.”

Amidst the onset of this fierce battle, a voice broke through Instructor Clark’s immersion by gently treading on his ears.

Clark turned around. There, a boy lay horizontally on a bench, rustling through a bundle of papers.

“… You, student. You are Aidel, right?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Why are you by yourself?”

The boy, Aidel, replied without shifting his gaze.

“When you divide 25 by 2, 1 remains.”

It was an incredibly abstract answer, but the instructor immediately understood the meaning behind it.