You! From yesterday!"
"Yeah, that's him! The guy who saved us from those creeps!"
The duo—a short-haired brunette and a pink-haired girl—pointed at me with wide eyes. Their voices sparked my memory. Right. On my way to Evangeline's place yesterday, I'd stepped in to deal with some particularly persistent lowlifes who wouldn't take 'no' for an answer from them.
"Oho? So, these two aces of the Cheerleading Club used their legendary intuition to stake a claim on the Class Rep's favorite little boy before anyone else could?" a new voice cut in. "Kakizaki, Kugimiya… mind if I run this as tomorrow's lead in the Mahora Times?"
"Like hell you will!" the brunette—Kakizaki—snapped. "Stop making things up! This is why everyone calls you a bottom-feeding paparazzi, Asakura!"
"Now, now, Kakizaki-san, Kugimiya-san," Ayaka interjected, her voice dangerously sweet. "I would very much like to hear the full details of Asakura-san's story. Slowly. And with every single detail."
"Crap! The Class Rep actually bought it!"
"Kugimii, do you know that boy~?" another girl asked.
"Don't call me Kugimii!" the pink-haired one barked.
They say three women make a market, but thirty middle school girls make a riot. The classroom was reaching a fever pitch. Amidst the chaos, the girl they'd called "Asakura"—the one labeled a paparazzi—swiftly closed the distance between us, notebook in hand.
"Hey, Takahata-sensei? Mind if I ask a few representative questions on behalf of the class? It's for the sake of harmony!"
"Well, we won't be getting any teaching done at this rate anyway," Takahata sighed. "Axel-kun, do you mind?"
"You've already created an atmosphere where I can't say no," I replied dryly. "Fine. Shoot."
"Oh? Quite the silver-tongued little guy, aren't you?" Asakura noted, her pen flying across the page. "Entry noted: 'Requires Caution.' First off, name?"
"Axel Almar."
"Age?"
"Ten."
"So young! What's a ten-year-old boy doing at an all-girls school like Mahora?"
"I'm told I'm a 'test case' for early graduation and co-ed integration."
"Hometown?"
Crap. I hadn't thought that far ahead. Should I go with America? England? Before I could flounder, Ayaka threw me a lifeline.
"Now, now, Asakura-san, don't be pushy. Axel-kun is from the United States."
"Wait, how do you know that, Class Rep?"
"Because he is currently under my care," Ayaka announced proudly. "He's living in our room."
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"
The classroom exploded again, this time with a sound that was half-scream, half-cheer.
"Hey, Asuna, did you hear that? He's living in the Class Rep's room," a girl with a Kansai accent whispered in the back. "Is he gonna be okay?"
"Who cares?" the girl named Asuna replied, though she looked annoyed. "I hate brats. It's none of my business."
"But think about it… you know, for his virtue."
"...Knowing the Class Rep, that's a terrifyingly valid concern."
I glanced over at Evangeline. She was watching the scene with a predatory, amused smirk. Chachamaru, her android attendant, looked much more concerned, fidgeting anxiously. Damn it. Chachamaru aside, Evangeline is clearly enjoying my suffering.
The two I'd saved yesterday—Kugimiya and Kakizaki—were now leaning in, their eyes sparkling with curiosity as the interview continued. Chizuru was giggling behind her hand, Natsumi looked like she'd given up on sanity, and Ayaka was shooting me apologetic glances. This, apparently, was the "normal" state of Class 2-A.
"Favorite food?" Asakura pressed.
"Lately, I've been enjoying the texture of fresh shrimp."
"Man, you really don't talk like a kid. Are you sure you're not faking your age?"
"Who knows?" I parried.
"Alright, last two questions. First: What's your type?"
"My type…?"
Images of Lemon, Cornelia, and Mariel flashed through my mind. My lovers from other worlds were all vastly different, yet they shared a certain core.
"I suppose… I'm drawn to people with a strong sense of independence."
Intellect, pride that matched their skill, a nurturing kindness—I could have listed a dozen traits, but "independence" was the one that felt right for a man who had spent his lives on the front lines.
"Independence, huh? Interesting. So, who in this class fits the bill for you?"
At Asakura's prompt, I scanned the room. I decided to trigger my Status Vision for a split second. My eyes widened.
Holy…
Shinmei-ryu swordsmanship, Half-Demon, Demon-blood, Koga Ninjutsu, Western Magic, Chinese Martial Arts, Mana-Circuitry, Magic Cancellation… the list of skills was staggering. Even those without combat skills had SP pools that were monstrous by this world's standards—one girl who looked like a total airhead had an SP stat over 300.
This wasn't just a classroom. It was a high-security holding cell or a specialized guard unit. Class 2-A was a collection of "special cases" gathered in one place to be watched or protected.
"Well? Who's the lucky lady?" Asakura prodded.
I sighed and looked toward Ayaka and Chizuru.
"I don't know everyone's personality yet," I said, choosing my words carefully. "But if I had to choose right now, it would be Ayaka and Chizuru. Followed by Natsumi and the two I helped yesterday."
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The resulting shriek was deafening.
"Axel-kun! I have received your feelings! We must begin the wedding preparations immediately!" Ayaka squealed.
"CALM DOWN!"
WHACK!
A massive paper fan—a harisen—appeared out of thin air and slammed into the back of Ayaka's head. The sound of the impact echoed like a gunshot.
"A-A-A-Asuna-san! What was that for?!" Ayaka cried, clutching her head. "Wait… could it be? Have you finally realized your obsession with old men is a dead end and decided to target Axel-kun for yourself?! I won't allow it!"
"Like hell I have!" Asuna roared, delivering a second harisen strike.
As the two of them devolved into their usual comedic brawl, the rest of the class started taking bets. 'Five meal tickets on the Class Rep!' 'Three on Asuna!'
"Lively class, isn't it?" Takahata remarked, walking over to me with a wry smile.
"...Is 'lively' the word? I was thinking 'deafening.'"
"Hehe. But as of today, you're part of the noise too, Axel," a cool voice said.
Evangeline and Chachamaru had drifted closer.
"Well, at least I won't be bored," I admitted.
"Hmph. More importantly, did you practice your magic after you got back to the dorms?"
"No. It's a triple room. I couldn't exactly start slinging spells with Chizuru and Natsumi right there."
"Ah, right. Murakami Natsumi is your third roommate."
I'd already been briefed on the 'Secret'—magic had to be kept hidden from the public. It felt strange to me; back in the OG world, Telekinesis wasn't exactly common, but it wasn't a crime to use it in your own living room.
"If you have a 'normal' person in your room, practicing will be difficult," Evangeline mused.
"Probably."
"Hm? You don't seem all that disappointed."
"I am, in a way," I replied. "But I'm not in a desperate rush to master it. This is mostly for my own curiosity."
"I suppose. You managed to hold your own against me without a drop of magic, after all. But with that absurd mana pool of yours, it's a waste not to learn. Mana isn't something you can just grow through training; it's an innate, fixed gift you're born with."
"...What?"
I felt a jolt of surprise. Mana… or SP, as my status called it. She said it couldn't be increased through training? In my case, I could raise it by spending PP, and it shot up every time I leveled. If the locals were capped by birth, I had a massive unfair advantage.
"Alright, that's enough, Eva, Axel-kun," Takahata interrupted, sensing the conversation turning toward forbidden topics. "We can't have you openly discussing magic in the middle of a classroom. If the administration catches wind, I'm the one who gets the lecture."
He shrugged and walked toward the center of the room to break up Ayaka and Asuna.
"Asuna-kun, Yukihiro-kun, that's enough. If you keep this up, Mr. Nitta is going to give us an earful again."
"T-Takahata-sensei! I'm sorry! It's just, the Class Rep was being an idiot again, and I just…"
"Excuse me, Asuna-san?! Don't you dare pin this all on me!"
A second round of the fight seemed imminent, but Takahata managed to settle them down with practiced ease.
"Seats, everyone. We're starting English. I know I'm away on business a lot, so let's make the most of the time I'm actually here. Axel-kun, your seat is next to Evangeline."
"Got it."
As I made my way to the back of the room, I caught a muttered comment from a girl with glasses.
"Seriously… why are there so many business trips? And what the hell is a 'co-ed test case'? My carefully constructed sense of reality is crumbling…"
She thought she was whispering, but with my enhanced senses, she might as well have been shouting. I glanced at her. She caught my gaze, looked panicked for a split second, and then gave me a stiff, awkward nod. I nodded back.
"Oh? Does Axel-kun have a thing for Chisamii-chan~?"
The girl sitting in front of me turned around the moment I sat down. She looked between me and the glasses-girl—Chisame—with a mischievous grin.
"Not particularly," I said.
"Darn, I was off! Still, you're taking this pretty well. I thought you'd be panicking, surrounded by so many 'big sisters.' Anyway, I'm Yuna Akashi! Nice to meet ya. If you ever get lost or confused, just call out for 'Yuna-Kid'! I'm always ready to help a friend in need."
Yuna-Kid? People in this world certainly had colorful nicknames.
"Hey, you interested in basketball?"
"I know the rules, but I haven't played much."
"No way! You're American but you don't play hoops? You gotta come by the club and try it out. It's a blast!"
"...Wouldn't I have to join the boys' team if I were to play seriously?"
"Ah… right. Bummer. I was hoping I could show off my cool side to a cute little brother."
"Akashi-kun, Axel-kun. Focus, please," Takahata called out.
"Oops! Takahata-sensei's classes are a rare drop, gotta pay attention!" Yuna chirped, turning back to the board.
"School, huh…"
I felt a wry smile touch my lips. I never expected that at my "age," I'd be sitting in a middle school English class. I pulled my textbook from my bag and decided to actually try and be a student for a while.
[Status Window]
Name: Axel Almar
Level: 38
PP: 625
Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272 | Defense: 272 | Evasion: 302 | Accuracy: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to enhance Slime performance)
Growth Type: All-Rounder / Special
Terrain: Air: S | Ground: S | Water: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands: Accel, Effort, Focus, Direct Hit, Awaken, Love
Skills: EXP Up, SP Boost, Telekinesis Lv.10, Attacker, Gunfight Lv.9, Infight Lv.9, Morale Limit Break,
Geass (Greyed), Magic (Fire/Shadow/Summoning)
Total Kills: 376
-------------------------------
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