episode_0021

The northern area of Academy City.

A barren place that cannot be reached by the eyes of large schools belonging to the union. It was a lawless zone of madmen who had come out of the slums and delinquent students who had given up on following Academy City’s rules.

There were no rules in this danger zone. It was a daily routine for the strong to rob the weak of everything, and for the weak to beg for mercy from the strong.

A wind full of coarse sand grains.

The roar of battle can be faintly heard beyond the ruins.

A place where everything disappears and changes like fleeting dust.

Several delinquent students were lying unconscious in the wilderness of the northern region.

A group of delinquent students who coveted the loot from the suddenly created Dungeon Gate. They all had bruises from being hit by something and were unconscious.

If you go up the path made by passed out delinquent students, there is a huge dungeon gate. Tens of meters high, at the top of the stone slab with a white snake and tree drawn on it, the ether core for running the dungeon was shining.

Paaah!

Blinking blue light.

It was a sign that someone had succeeded in their first exploration to obtain the highest grade ore, grimoires, and advanced weapons.

Eventually, the light of the ether core gradually quieted down. At the same time, the dungeon gate, where all the treasures were thrown out, has become a different space where only chaos exists.

Gugugugugugung… !

Both doors of the dungeon gate move with a loud sound.

plod

plod

A female student walked out of the dungeon gate that slowly opened.

In one hand, she was holding a box containing the dungeon’s treasures that the stunned delinquents had been desperately trying to obtain. And in his other hand, he was holding a huge lance.

“… ”

The hair, which was originally supposed to be silver, turned gray due to the dust of the northern wilderness, and became scattered as it was soaked with the sticky blood of the chaos insects that appeared in the dungeon.

“… ”

The hair, the face, the school uniform.

In a place that has become shabby, covered in dust and blood.

The two silver-white eyes were still shining brightly.

Grumble-

Grumble-

The lance held by the silver-white girl with a shabby appearance was dragged, drawing a clear trace on the floor.

However, it was not long before we completely escaped from the dungeon gate and our trajectory toward the wilderness was blocked.

“There it is!!”

“… ”

Reinforcements from the delinquent students whom the silver-white girl defeated just before entering the dungeon appeared.

A group of dozens of delinquent students carrying vicious modified weapons. He must have rushed over in a hurry, but he was breathing heavily through his mouth. They immediately surrounded the silver-white girl.

Rumble-

“… ”

A situation of complete siege in the open wilderness.

“… Get out of the way.”

Nevertheless, the silver-white girl’s eyes were still shining brightly. Without changing his expression, he quietly puts down the heavy box he was holding in one hand.

Tooung-!

At the same time.

The lance she is holding is instantly covered with red ether and begins to emit horrifying vibrations around it.

ridge-

ridge-

ridge-

ridge-

The delinquent students who heard that sound became thoughtful.

“Hey, isn’t that girl a freshman?! Why are you already using [Vibration Ether] like that??!”

“Even 3rd year manager level people like can’t use it like that!!”

“Damn, there is no one among us who can use it as well as me… !!”

“Jjol… Don’t be scared!! That’s right, I’m alone!! At best [vibration]… !”

That moment.

The rapidly vibrating ether from the lance spread out to the surroundings.

Haaa!

Although it was very slow, the red ether of the silver-white girl clearly took control of the surroundings.

The girl’s gap.

Ability to dominate space.

Everything about the people gathered there is uncovered one by one.

This situation means only one thing.

That silver-white girl was a freshman who had just entered school, but she had reached the level of [wave] that only the top powerhouses in Academy City used.

When the delinquent students realized that fact, they sighed.

“Pa… wave… ”

“… ”

“Jen, damn it… !”

A fear that is transmitted through the air.

However, as the cries of the leader rang out, the fear that had been slowly spreading also stopped.

“Don’t be scared!! That’s why I’m alone!!”

The delinquent students shouted, asserting their numerical superiority. As if he was trying to drive out the fear that was growing in his heart.

“… that’s right!!

“… That guy is alone!! Alone!! What are you pecking at!!”

“… !”

“Right… that’s right! If a few dozen people attack each other, I think I can stop it with that ether joke!!”

“This is our area!! You can’t survive if you’re scared by a bitch like that!!”

“We live in a lawless zone!! I’ve won countless times like that!!”

“Aaaah!!”

“Aaaaa!! Charge—!!”

Rumble!

Dozens of delinquent students screamed. They each drive out the fear that had arisen in their hearts and charge into the gap between the silver-white girl who invaded their territory.

… That was the moment when the fight was about to begin.

“Cover them all at once… !”

Teueoung-!!

The delinquent student disappeared into the distance in an instant. Before he could even finish the command he had given while shouting in front of him, he was hit by a red bicycle and was sent flying.

Charring―☆

“Eight☆”

A female student with impressive pink hair was riding a dark red bicycle. And on her red training uniform, a badge certifying that she was a first-year student was shining.

“Yes―☆ Get out of the way, get out of the way☆ A cute bicycle is coming out, ringing―☆”

Sigh!

Fluffy pink hair.

She rode her bicycle skillfully and went next to the silver-white girl.

“Hello―☆”

“… Phew.”

When she saw the pink girl’s bike, the silver-white girl who had been surrounded lost her expressionless expression for the first time. An expression of disgust appears on his face.

The silver-white girl spoke in a low voice.

“… There won’t be anything here for you to take, Clara. You said that the loot from the dungeon gate goes to the one who searches first.”

“I Brunhild too―☆ There is no need to be on guard like a kitten cornered like that! That kind of nobleness is your charm☆ Even though I go alone regardless of school and don’t need books or weapons~♡ I’m a noble and lonely girl who goes around with bare fists―☆”

“Then what’s the use?”

“Ugh―♪ Well? What do I need… Shall we find out while having a leisurely tea time together?”

“Get out. It’s disturbing.”

“Too much―☆ Okay! You can just tell me-☆ Just give me a few ether ores~ Even a cute girl needs money to eat delicious cookies♪ in a warm room-☆ If I go on empty-handed like this, I’ll have to sleep in an old room without moving-♪”

“This is what I got.”

“Hing! It’s too much―☆ Was there really only that much between us―?! Going back to , unlike you, who have a comfortable place to sleep, I am poor and go to a strange school… !”

“… If you bring up my school one more time, I will take you down too.”

“Ha―☆ Try it! Let’s continue our 11th fight since the entrance ceremony―♪ Cute girls don’t fall easily☆”

The group of delinquent students, who were surprised by the sudden appearance of the pink female student, hesitated. Soon, the two people seemed to have decided that they were not allies, and started to run at them again, yelling at them.

“Two people fight to get the loot-!! Everyone attack us!!”

“Aaaah!!!”

“Die!!!”

Numerous blades.

Dozens of projectiles.

Delinquent students rushing around.

Shuuu!

Shaaa!!

The deadly force emanating from the weapon covered in red ether was threatening.

Just before they lowered their weapons.

Pink and silvery white eyes shining.

Each person emits red ether waves from their fists and lances.

ridge–!!

The gap between the two female students widens as they merge in an instant. In that overwhelming space, the two girls were still chatting away.

“First of all… ! Should I scold those bad cats and reestablish our relationship?☆”

“… It’s only been a month since we met. There is no relationship whatsoever.”

“No, no―☆”

A smile appeared in the pink eyes of the girl who was looking ahead.

“… We will be eternal enemies-♪”

“… ”

For the first time, the silver-white girl who saw that smile was unable to respond.

A spear knife rushing at you.

Rushing ether.

In a place full of murder and hostility.

Taaa!!

Kwaaaang-!!

The two girls each charged the dozens of people with their fists and lances glowing red.

＊

‘… I should have picked up some grimoires and weapons while going through the dungeon.’

In front of the campus where dawn rises.

The road leading to the bike.

I sighed quietly, recalling old memories.

A period of gale and fury.

A time when I didn’t care about school, Academy City, or friends.

A time when I wandered outside to forget about the harsh environment I was given.

I felt like the futility of suddenly being possessed as the weakest character in another world was compensated by becoming stronger.

Beyond Clara’s hopeless aptitude for weapons, she focused solely on becoming stronger. I recklessly conquered dungeon gates that were generated regardless of the main story.

I didn’t care about the main story, so I used all the knowledge and tricks I knew as a gamer to dominate the dungeon and quickly became stronger.

But unlike games that have a status window. Since there was a limit to the amount of luggage that could be physically carried on a Red Toma, they would take as much ore as they needed and leave weapons and grimoires where they were.

“… Haha.”

I felt sorry for them and sighed again.

I should have kept a few and given them to my juniors…

‘At that time, rather than raising other juniors and preparing for the main story, I only focused on becoming stronger. It’s fortunate that there are still some ores left.’

It may have been an act of resentment toward the fact that the weakest character, Clara, was unable to fight properly without resorting to expedients.

‘Hilde was a character with incredibly strong basic strength from the beginning, so she put all her loot in a box and carried it around… ‘

I laughed, remembering the ignorant box Hilde was carrying around.

However, before I unlocked [Unique Aether], my overall physical ability was not as good as it is now. It was all about the expedients and knowledge that penetrated this world and its characters.

like that.

I became stronger ‘alone’.

By defeating strong players from the past, I finally defeated Hilde, the strongest character.

“… ”

In the process, I realized that not only did I become stronger, but I also came to love Academy City itself.

But there was nothing left for me.

Because I used everything I knew to ‘become stronger’.

Because I went down a distorted path, hoping only to become stronger.

This was because she became the [Pink Spiral] and even abandoned her fate as ‘foolish senior Clara.’

“… ”

So I threw everything away and started building from scratch.

Ping Chang, who loves school, her destiny as Clara. In order to start it all over again, [The Pink Spiral] chose to be forgotten.

All I could do for this city I had come to love was to gain a little knowledge and rush towards the main story.

“… ”

I thought I had let go of all my regrets in the final battle.

Selfishness and impulsive actions engraved in the past. Those karma would sometimes come to me in the silence, disguised as old memories.

‘Maybe it’s because it’s been a while since I saw a guy using [Wave Ether].’

Bell, secretary of the .

News from that evil concept guy.

It meant that the flow of the main story had changed.

Fate has been distorted.

“… ”

Even so…

If the predetermined fate has been distorted.

I, who have become stronger, can return to my original path.

‘In order to do that, I accepted Clara’s heart.’

It was then.

As I passed through the school gate and crossed the playground, I heard the voices of three juniors.

“… uh! Senior!”

“I went to the shopping district! Senior comrade!”

“Whoaam… ”

The juniors were cleaning up the main auditorium where repair work was completed early in the morning. They were gathered together, wearing the same clothes as me, the red training uniform from .

Albit cleaned with sincerity as always.

Kara pretended to give a speech with exaggerated gestures.

Lotta must have been reading a book late into the night, and he yawned repeatedly.

Albit came up to me and pointed at Kara, complaining.

“Senior! That guy stays up in his room until dawn and keeps making things, and that’s why I can’t sleep!”

“Hahaha!! Ah, Comrade Albert! Have you ever wondered what I make? If I told you earlier, I should have shown you!”

“I’m not curious, I’m just asking you to be quiet at night!”

“… For some reason, I heard something until late.”

“Comrade Rota! Are you curious about your comrades?”

“No.”

“Too bad! The answer is as sharp as a knife!”

“Too much is like you banging a hammer in the middle of the night.”

The playground of soon becomes noisy.

A smile came out as I looked at that.

‘In the story, Arbit never consulted anything with Clara.’

Even if you continue to act like Clara.

It seemed like there was still a little bit of dependence on his senior in Albit’s heart.

“… ”

It’s a little different from the game, though.

Somehow, the ‘fate’ has changed so much… It wasn’t bad.

I stopped laughing.

“Put… Ahahahaha―♪”

“Seon, sunbae-ae—! Don’t just smile!”

We chatted until that evening, looking at the mysterious flag Kara had made.

And that evening.

Concept Chung came back to school.

“You, you, you—!! I helped you so much!! Traitors—!!”

“… ?”