Chapter 44

Rea​d ​o​n KatReadingCafe

A ceiling I don’t recognize.

That was the first thought I had when I suddenly opened my eyes.

A stark white ceiling, almost oppressively so, with faint lighting.

A subtle scent of chemicals.

The bustling sounds coming from beyond the hallway.

I quickly realized that I was in the academy’s hospital wing.

I didn’t think Lucia would end up in a hospital, but here I am.

Well, I did sustain critical injuries. Any other supernatural would have died instantly if they suffered my injuries.

But I’m Lucia.

Don’t underestimate super regeneration.

By the time I woke up, all my wounds had already healed.

Aside from feeling slightly sluggish and a bit drained, I couldn’t find anything wrong.

I could probably be discharged right away.

“And the others…?”

I hope they’re all okay.

They should be, right? I did block the ambush, after all.

Eugene probably handled the rest without issue.

He is the protagonist, after all.

He is a person whose strength can only be described as absurd and irrational—he definitely would have won.

Even if he’d been in a life-or-death crisis, he’d either awaken dramatically or get backup from somewhere to come out unscathed.

…Right?

Suddenly, a wave of anxiety washed over me.

Things have changed so much from the novel that I can’t be sure anymore.

“Oh, you’re awake? That was a quick recovery.”

While I was lost in thought, arms folded, the door to the hospital room opened, and a familiar face walked in.

Purple hair, deep dark circles, an assortment of random accessories, and a delinquent’s uniform.

“Regina?”

“Huh? Did I ever tell you my name?”

Oops.

Now that I think about it, all she did was steal a bunch of chocolate from me, and I never actually heard her name.

Maybe I’m still a little drowsy; it made me slip up on something so obvious.

“I haven’t caused any trouble in the academy… So how did my name get around? Is it because I’m from Class D?”

Luckily, Regina brushed it off casually.

True to her reputation as a troublemaker, she seemed to have had her fair share of similar experiences.

It didn’t seem all that unusual for someone to know her name.

Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, I tried to act normal and asked,

“What about everyone else? Are they safe?”

“Well… more or less? But really, the first thing you do after waking up is to worry about other people? Don’t you care about yourself?”

“My ability is super regeneration.”

“You heal quickly, and you’re hard to kill, sure. But that doesn’t mean you’re invincible, or that you won’t die. Seriously, you and the others seem to have no sense of self-preservation at all.”

Thud.

Regina frowned, pulled up a chair, and sat down.

She intertwined her fingers behind her neck, crossed her legs, and leaned back against the chair.

“They’re all fine. Everyone in Class A, students and teachers alike. They’re hospitalized, of course, but since their lives aren’t in danger, you could say they’re safe.”

“Oh, good. That’s a relief.”

“Two teachers are in the hospital. Some students, too. The others had only minor injuries, so they got treatment and went home.”

Looks like everything was resolved.

With the lingering unease in my chest finally gone, I felt even more exhaustion seeping into my already tired body.

I just wanted to lie down and drift back to sleep. Recovering must have drained my stamina; I felt completely burnt out.

But then…

Why was Regina the one telling me all this?

I don’t think we’re close enough for her to be checking up on me.

Maybe my thoughts showed on my face, because Regina furrowed her brow and said, “I used my drugs to save you.”

“Huh?”

“I used it on the others too, but you were in particularly bad shape, so I had to increase the dosage.”

Regina used drugs? On me?

Oh… I get it. She was trying to boost my regeneration.

“I came to check in case you showed any symptoms of addiction. It’d be a pain if you started begging me for more.”

“Haha…”

“I did say drugs, but you’re not reacting much, huh? So, you even know about my ability?”

“I heard a bit of a rumor…”

Actually, I know because of the novel.

But since Regina’s ability is so unique, it wouldn’t be strange if it spread as a rumor.

Apparently satisfied with my response, Regina gave a nod.

“You could say that right now, there’s more drugs than blood flowing through your veins. Your injuries were that serious, and I had to go all out with my ability. Honestly, when that monster got you, I thought you’d die instantly.”

Regina pulled a small packet out of her pocket.

The transparent packet allowed a clear view of its contents: several small, bead-like pills.

“Make sure to take one a day. It’ll help dilute the drugs in your system.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Yeah, sure, if that’s all you’re going to say. If you’re really grateful, pay me back with something material.”

“I’ll buy you chocolate. Lots of it.”

“…Hmph.”

Regina scoffed, but she didn’t seem entirely against the idea, as she made no further comment.

So, drugs, huh…

No wonder I feel so sluggish—that explains it.

Technically, with Lucia’s super regeneration, I could neutralize it all on my own without the antidote.

But I don’t want to dismiss Regina’s effort, so I’ll just leave it be.

“Well, I’ve done what I needed, so I’m off.”

“Oh… already?”

“We’re not exactly friends who’d hang around chatting, are we?”

That’s true.

The only interactions we had were the few conversations on the bus.

More accurately, I had all my chocolate taken, and she ate every bit of it.

I’d brought it for Alice, actually…

Luckily, I’d brought other snacks too, or… wait.

“Re–Regina!”

“What now? Why are you calling me all of a sudden?”

“What happened to my backpack on the bus?”

Lucia’s limbs (or what was left of it) were in there.

I’d planned to handle it after field practice, but… how could I have forgotten it until now!

“Your backpack? Oh, was it valuable? If it was, then sorry to say…”

“…Huh?”

“The bus blew up. During the fight with the monster. Not just any explosion, either—it was because of that guy’s technique, the one you saved, Eugene? Nothing was left but ashes.”

“I… I see.”

“I know it’s a shame, but let it go. There was really nothing left but dust. The bus itself was obliterated, so your backpack wouldn’t be any different.”

Regina patted my shoulder sympathetically.

Then she reminded me to take care of myself and not to forget the antidote before leaving the hospital room.

I lay back on the bed, feeling drained.

Eugene…

I’ll grant you two wishes!

◈

I thought I’d be able to leave right away, but it looks like I’ll be stuck in the hospital for a while.

It’s because of the drugs that are still coursing through my veins.

The nurse said I can’t be discharged until the substance is fully gone.

…Should I just use my super regeneration to get rid of it?

If I did that, I wouldn’t be able to do any self-harm with the drugs.

Ugh, I was looking forward to that…

But I can’t exactly start self-harming in a hospital room, even if it’s a private one.

And I’ll only be discharged once the drugs are diluted enough, so I’m stuck here either way.

After thinking about it for a moment, I decided to leave the drug traces as they were.

The relaxed feeling isn’t so bad. It feels like I’m floating gently on a cloud.

Anyway, with Regina’s antidote, I’ll probably be out of here within a week.

For now, I’ll take this time to rest in the hospital.

While I was here, I learned that Eugene was also hospitalized.

Apparently, he sustained various injuries while fighting the high-rank monster directly.

He collapsed and passed out after reinforcements from the second division arrived to end the situation.

Aside from Eugene, Leo was also hospitalized. He’d been battered trying to take on the high-rank monster.

Fortunately, aside from the two of them, the other students were in good condition, so only three of us were admitted, myself included.

Lying in bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling.

At the time, the situation was so urgent that I didn’t have the luxury to think deeply, but now I have nothing but time.

The slightly fuzzy feeling, like being tipsy, mingled with the strong smell of antiseptics filling the room, intensifying the sensation.

With a somewhat hazy mind, I recalled the events of that moment.

“Astaroth…”

The name slipped from my lips.

The one responsible for turning what should have been a minor field exercise into a disaster.

“You know what the others are like? They’re all cowards. They don’t try to get involved recklessly. Foolishly, they just shake in fear, saying that acting rashly would trigger the ‘Chosen One’s’ awakening. And then they tremble. That’s why this round will fail too. They don’t want to move to the next round.”

Those were the words left by the girl with the red fox mask.

I kept going over her statement in my mind.

It wasn’t long, but there were several clues hidden within those words.

“When Astaroth mentioned ‘the others’, she must have meant other devils. Judging by her speech, they must also have memories of the ‘previous rounds’ like Astaroth did.”

Who exactly is the ‘Chosen One’?

Who exactly is it that even the Transcendent beings are so wary of?

As of now, this person doesn’t seem to have awakened, but they’re cautious purely because of the possibility that they might trigger that awakening.

“…It’s obvious. It’s Eugene.”

The story of “The Dawn of the Sword” revolves around the protagonist, Eugene.

He is the hero chosen by the gods.

A symbol of favoritism and absurdity.

He’s the natural enemy of the monsters from the otherworld, and by the end of the story, he exterminates all the monsters and ends the long war, becoming humanity’s savior.

If the devils, who likely know the future, are so wary of someone, it can only be Eugene.

Moreover, Astaroth’s interference has already resulted in Eugene’s unprecedented, explosive growth, proving that the devils’ caution were not unfounded.

But if that’s the case, then there’s a huge question left unanswered.

Why don’t they just kill Eugene now?

As he currently is, still undeveloped, Eugene would be little more than an insect to the devils.

If they simply snuff him out before his talents have a chance to blossom, it would be over. Why are they letting him be?

Devils aren’t fools.

If there’s an easier way but they’re taking the long way around, it must be because they have a reason to.

“My previous self from the last round seems to have died… and the one before that, and the one before that too… What am I, the captain of some death squad? Why do I keep dying? So I thought, maybe if I gathered a bunch of useful minions, I might not die this time. Yeah, let’s gather strong ones like you. Well… even if I still end up dead, it’s worth a try.”

What if it’s not that they aren’t killing him—but they can’t?

Maybe even the devils don’t know who the “Chosen One” is.

Astaroth seemed to know about the future but acted like she didn’t know the details.

She knew she’d died in the previous rounds, but not necessarily how or why.

If she did know everything, she wouldn’t have used such uncertain words like “seems to”.

And the four gods who protect this world are neither incompetent nor foolish.

They wouldn’t just stand by and let time keep looping.

In short, even the devils seem to have limited information.

Perhaps even when time rewinds, their memories aren’t perfectly carried over.

Whether this is due to a limitation of their powers or the interference of the gods is unknown.

…Well, it’s all just a theory.

I don’t know the truth myself.

I’ve pieced together what I could from the few clues, but it’s all just my own speculation without solid evidence.

There may be other circumstances, or perhaps Astaroth lied on purpose.

“What am I supposed to do next…?”

All the plans I had made so far are now void.

How am I supposed to navigate an entirely blank future?

I racked my brain over and over, but no answer emerged.

Maybe it was the drugs in my system flowing through my veins, but my vision grew blurry.

Yawning, I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand.

I should take the antidote that Regina gave me… oh, it actually tastes pretty good? It’s chocolate-flavored.

Let’s just sleep and think about it later.

Good children go to bed early and rise early.

Since Lucia is a good kid, she’ll go to sleep now.

Yawn… Somehow, the antidote makes me even sleepier.

Goodnight.

 

Author Note

Eugene burnt Lucia’s limbs.

That’s too cruel!

Translator Note

The ‘main crisis’ has been solved, heh.