A mortal life may be as fleeting as morning dew. And yet, it is precisely because that life is so brief that, within its limited span, it can erupt with a brilliance powerful enough to make even gods take notice.
Even the smallest ant, when cornered by death and forced to strike for survival, can deliver a blow filled with unpredictable possibility.
And that is why, when a mortal, whether to protect a companion or driven by pure ambition, shatters their limits and achieves something even the gods themselves did not foresee, at that very moment, that spark called the unknown becomes, for gods drowning in eternal solitude, the sweetest wine and the brightest radiance in existence.
This is not merely divine amusement at the affairs of the lower world. It is a resonance, a shared pursuit of life's true essence.
Gods envy the boundless potential of mortals.
Mortals yearn for the power of gods.
That is the core covenant of that world: an epic game in which both sides willingly stake their lives and honor, and revel in doing so.
"So… that is the place I intend to take you," Haimer said at last. "A world with no ceiling, only endless challenges. A world where, even if you die, you die in blazing glory, rather than rotting away in monotonous repetition."
When his voice faded, the gymnasium fell into silence. Only the faint whisper of wind outside and the slightly quickened rhythm of breathing lingered in the air.
It was not fear.
It was something else, an unfamiliar tremor.
Like an eagle long imprisoned catching its first glimpse of open sky through the bars of its cage, that shudder rose from the depths of the soul and left their fingertips tingling.
"Heh…"
Amou casually lifted a hand and brushed a strand of black hair from her ear. The arrogance that usually filled her dark eyes had transformed into something far more intense, like dry grass suddenly set ablaze.
She looked at Haimer with blazing focus, as though the salvation she had waited for her entire life had finally descended.
For the Empress who already stood at the summit of the academy, the world Haimer described was nothing less than paradise crafted precisely for her.
"That kind of place… is where I truly belong."
She did not attempt to conceal her desire. If such a world truly existed, then even dying the very next second would be ten thousand times better than decaying here.
Haimer gave a faint nod and shifted his gaze to the others.
Mozunono instinctively shrank back and hid behind Rin, clearly shaken.
But Rin and Tsukuyo remained silent.
They did not speak as boldly as Amou had, yet the light in their eyes betrayed them. After all, who among them did not harbor such a thought?
As martial artists, wielders of blades, who would not long for a stage where their swords could truly prove their worth? Who would willingly remain confined within this narrow campus until graduation, only to fade into obscurity?
…
Just as the atmosphere reached its peak,
Bang!
A sudden crash exploded from the ventilation window high above the gymnasium, shattering the mood instantly.
Everyone looked up.
From above came the metallic clang of something heavy colliding with ductwork, followed by the startled growl of a beast.
"Aieee! That hurt!"
"Are you an idiot?! Slipping at a time like this?!"
Dust billowed into the air.
The group hurried outside to investigate, only to find two figures, no, two girls and a bear, sprawled awkwardly beneath the high ventilation window.
At the forefront was a girl with radiant golden hair, the ends curled into waves like freshly baked baguettes. She wore a modified school uniform and clutched a thick dictionary tightly in one hand.
Kikakujou Mary.
One of the Tenka Five Swords and the academy's famed practitioner of Western-style fencing.
"This is utterly inelegant!"
"This is absolutely that stupid bear's fault!"
Kikakujou Mary brushed dust from her uniform while gripping the heavy dictionary in her uninjured hand, her refined features flushed red with irritation.
The real culprit, however, stood beside her.
Or rather, a petite blonde girl who looked as though she still belonged in elementary school.
Hanasaka Warabi.
Also one of the Five Swords.
Though she appeared the youngest, she was in fact the eldest among them. Unfortunately, her near-childlike appearance did little to lend credibility to that fact.
"Honestly! It's all your fault!"
"You choke at the critical moment and drag my reputation down with you!"
Hanasaka Warabi clutched her swollen foot and glared furiously at the enormous black bear lying on the ground.
Yes, a bear.
A genuine black bear, complete with collar.
Apparently her pet.
The beast had sensed the faint divine aura in Haimer's earlier words, its legs gone weak from instinctive fear. One misplaced step later, their supposedly flawless stealth operation had collapsed in spectacular fashion.
"I told you to work on your balance!"
Warabi snapped at the bear, which now crouched on the ground, covering its head and trembling.
Then she slowly realized something.
She turned her head.
And met a row of half-amused, half-knowing gazes.
"Uh…"
Warabi froze on the spot.
…
Faced with Warabi's stiff expression and Mary's futile attempt to hide behind her dictionary, the air turned distinctly awkward.
"Eavesdropping…"
The quiet accusation came from Rin, who had only just regained her composure.
Her eyes narrowed.
Moments earlier, her mask had shattered. Her true face had been exposed. Her heart dissected with merciless precision. That entire ordeal was something she least wanted outsiders to witness.
Amou already knew her too well. That was unavoidable. Tsukuyo's heightened hearing had made secrecy impossible.
But if Mary and Warabi, two rivals she rarely got along with, had watched the entire spectacle unfold…
"As members of the Tenka Five Swords, hiding like rats in the shadows to spy, don't you feel ashamed?"
Rin stepped forward. Though her cheeks were still faintly flushed, her katana had already slid half an inch from its sheath, steel flashing coldly.
"Hah?!"
Mary bristled instantly, her golden curls bouncing as she snapped her dictionary shut.
"Who's spying?!"
"This is strategic reconnaissance! Strategic reconnaissance, do you understand?!"
"A suspicious intruder appears in the academy and triggers phenomena like that, of course, as members of the Five Swords responsible for maintaining order, we had to confirm the situation immediately!"
"Exactly!"
Warabi chimed in, ignoring her aching foot and waving her wooden staff like an indignant kitten.
"I rushed over specifically to provide support!"
"If not for that stupid slip, we would have made a magnificent entrance!"
The two spoke in perfect unison, raising their volume in a desperate attempt to compensate for their lack of conviction.
But the guilty flicker in their eyes, the subtle avoidance in their glances, betrayed the truth.
They had arrived long ago.
And had been thoroughly enjoying the show from above.
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