I Became the Academy’s Pink Airhead

“Whew…”

Freya sat down weakly right beneath the World Tree. Due to the aftermath of pouring out all the ‘golden armaments’ stored countless times in [Eternal Spinning Wheel] at once, fatigue suddenly hit her.

Drip—

A sudden warmth felt below her nose.

It seemed the recoil from instantly extracting all her ether had finally come.

‘If that ruffian knew about this… she’d tease me terribly…’

After lecturing Clara so much about not overdoing it with [Fate] and whatnot, if she knew I had overdone it myself to go beyond [Fate]… she would surely tease me for a long time.

If that happens.

I’ll counterattack Clara by casually mentioning Brunhilde.

Twitch

Purple cat ears moving playfully.

Freya recalled the two who had exchanged an amount of skinship questionable for just one night. It was irritating to watch.

‘Anyone can see those two have feelings for each other… What on earth are they hesitating for, especially the ruffian’s side is so obvious… Hmph. Such fools.’

Well…

‘…That’s a problem for those yuri girls to solve themselves.’

Those who intrude between lily are not forgiven.

That must be a universal truth acknowledged even by beast gods and the World Tree.

…Probably.

Rub rub—

While thinking that.

Freya wiped her nosebleed with her dusty sleeve.

The uniform sleeve that had been all elegant white was now a mess covered in all sorts of dust and blood. The beautiful fabric was torn and frayed here and there, becoming unsightly.

“…”

It was like the appearance of her alma mater, , which had nearly ruined everything with vanity unsuited to its station. From now on, a reality different from the past will come to those left behind.

‘The beginning of beastkin was… not golden nobility, but curiosity in caves. Perhaps this is a more correct direction.’

Freya muttered with a stifled heart:

“Haah… All the research materials and books burned… The school buildings are damaged… The noble faction is all knocked out… E-Everything has become a mess…”

Even while saying that.

She could no longer turn a blind eye now, after all.

For that purpose, she had shaken off all lingering attachments.

“…”

Research will start anew based on the new magic.

The school will be reorganized to fit the new situation in this city.

In any case… the research faction including herself will be at the center of it.

“…”

Freya leaned completely against the World Tree’s trunk while thinking about the aftermath.

The World Tree’s trunk full of faint white light.

A sacred place that should normally be protected by multiple layers of barriers. Now only the building in the deepest layer remained as a barrier.

This wasn’t really a space to relax leisurely.

‘Who cares… I’m so damn tired I can’t move a finger…’

But due to fatigue, she didn’t care about that anymore now. She just leaned against the massive trunk of the still nobly standing World Tree. Faint warmth was felt from her back.

A moment’s rest.

…

“…?”

But why aren’t they coming down?

Don’t tell me they’re doing crazy yuri things up there?

Are they seriously planning to set fire in front of the World Tree?

‘Surely not…’

Freya slightly raised her head.

“…S-Surely they’re not really rubbing against each other up there… r-right? That would be truly insane. M-My goodness… rubbing on top of the corpse of the enemy they defeated…”

When she looked up, she saw [Snake of Wisdom and Cycles] gradually disappearing from the head down. The massive snake that had seemed about to swallow even the World Tree was vanishing into the twilight.

Whoosh—

The scene of a night’s nightmare disappearing.

The remains of a huge ancient god that could have destroyed the academy city were scattering as ashes. Sunlight coming through the gaps. The evening sunset was pouring down through the clouds that had somehow cleared along with the power of the great lightning.

Warm sunset light tickles Freya’s face.

“…”

But there was a new presence that had entered here.

Rustle—!

“…!”

Freya turned her head towards where the sound came from.

There was Frau, in as much of a mess as herself.

“…Frau.”

“…Freya.”

The fox-eared girl, Frau, was bleeding from her nose like herself. And along with the gradually disappearing snake tattoo, she was swaying as if losing strength. Ether was slowly scattering over her slender shoulders.

Whoosh…

Unlike herself who had simply poured out all her strength.

She was truly losing all ether.

‘…Perhaps she won’t be able to use even as much power as before anymore.’

After today passes, she will become so weak she can no longer live in this academy city. She will become an ordinary human like residents of the outside world.

‘…Because of the stolen [Fate], her remaining life will be empty from now on.’

Freya spoke in a bitter voice:

“Why… did you make such a choice.”

“…”

Frau looked at Freya with empty eyes. What was beyond those eyes was a kind of resignation… beyond inferiority.

“I wanted to become a shining magician like [Golden Witch]… and like you. Among us who were called the golden generation, there were many geniuses… but at least I… wanted to surpass you. So I wanted to defeat even [Azure Lightning Lance] and show you.”

That I am a greater magician than you.

That we, noble faction, would achieve great feats like [Golden Witch].

“…”

Freya was bewildered by the fact that the endless arrow of inferiority was aimed not at the strongest in the academy city, but at herself.

“I-I’m just… a-an unsightly student.”

Sage of Ignorance.

A commoner who rolled in.

Even if she awakened [Unique Ether], wasn’t her [Fate] just that much? No matter how insignificant Frau might be as a magician, for her to say she herself shone brighter than the rightful leader of the noble faction…

Well, she couldn’t agree.

‘The one who truly inherited the first magic book and magic left by [Golden Witch] was another student after all…’

Contrary to Freya’s thoughts, Frau spoke in a voice so hollow it seemed about to break:

“I too… wanted to become someone who pierces through unknown darkness alone… like you…!”

“…”

“Now… I have no [Fate]… no honor, nothing…!”

“…”

“Then… what’s left for me now is…!”

“…”

Frau raised her wand and pointed it at Freya.

“…”

Frau’s unreasonable final venting.

Since Freya had no energy left to even avoid it, she quietly accepted her fate. There was nothing she could do with a body that seemed about to faint at any moment.

‘Is this… my [Fate]. Well, I’ve done too many things beyond my station yesterday and today.’

In her gradually darkening vision.

Freya inwardly offered a final prayer towards her juniors.

‘Orange cat-ears, Mila, and everyone… keep moving forward. Don’t be afraid of not knowing things like I was.’

Drawing up the last of her ether.

Just as the dagger was about to be fired towards Freya’s neck…

The sound of an arrow flying was heard.

Whoosh—!!

The scream was heard from the opposite side.

“…!”

A deep green ether arrow was stuck in the ground at Frau’s feet.

“Kugh…?!”

Frau was trapped by vines extending from the green ether arrow, unable to move an inch. After struggling for a while, she soon went limp as if losing strength.

“Oh my…! What in the world is this ruckus!”

A tall elf girl approached with large strides from far away. She spoke in an elegant voice like jade beads rolling:

“The spirit of the sword was whining, so I quickly ran here from plowing the fields, but Golden Street is in ruins…! Why are you fighting while bleeding from your noses in front of the World Tree…? I don’t understand… If you like using your bodies that much, why didn’t you come to our school and dig potatoes or something?”

“…”

Freya looked ahead and called out the epithet of the girl holding the bow in a trembling voice:

“…[Verdant Great Bow] Anna.”

“Yes, yes.”

[Verdant Great Bow], Anna.

An elf student with dazzlingly beautiful golden hair tied in a single strand swaying. She was holding a bow as tall as herself. And as if she had just come from working in the fields, she was wearing baggy pants and a loose shirt.

The strongest of spoke while scratching her head:

“So what’s going on? Why are you causing this commotion under the World Tree? What’s that huge snake head? I need to get back to plowing the fields, so tell me quickly.”

“W-World Tree…”

“…Hm?”

Freya spoke in her gradually darkening consciousness.

“Th-The World Tree is just a big tree… wh-why do you white-ears use honorifics… I-I’ve never really understood…”

“What, has this crazy bitch gone mad—!!!”

Freya fainted on the spot, having used up all her strength.

* * *

On top of the ‘snake’s’ remains gradually disappearing.

At the scene where all enemies had vanished in the massive white lightning, Hilde and I were quietly holding hands looking at the academy city’s sunset. A faint throbbing pulse could be felt from the warmly intertwined palms.

“…”

“…”

The scenery of the city we had protected was spread out below. But… as breathtaking as that scenery was, traces of destruction by could also be easily seen.

“…”

“…”

There were surely many things we needed to do, and many things we needed to prepare for the future.

But…

I wanted to ruminate on what we had learned from the connected hearts.

Joined hands.

A realm beyond wuji.

The moment souls resonated.

The emotions that had flashed through our hearts.

“…”

“…”

I carefully opened my mouth. It wasn’t just my imagination that the joined hands trembled matching my opening lips.

“…Back then.”

“…”

“You said there was something you wanted to say—☆”

“Yes, that’s…”

Hilde nodded and was about to say it without hesitation. The warmth felt in her gaze proved it was the content I was expecting.

But.

I stopped Hilde from speaking.

“…Wait a moment.”

“…Lara?”

Hilde looked at me with bewildered eyes.

She probably thought there was nothing to hesitate about now that we vaguely knew the emotions we had felt in that connected moment.

But… even so.

I didn’t want to simply rely on her just from confirming our feelings. I didn’t want to decide such precious emotions so hastily.

A girl’s tender consideration for a friend.

A man’s final pride who had loved a woman.

A complex heart with everything mixed together.

So…

“I’ll tell you all my stories… to you who loved me.”

“…Lara?”

“My wavering emotions, the things I watched, and secrets I didn’t tell others… I’ll let you know everything.”

“…”

“After hearing all of that… if you still have the confidence to say it, could you tell me—☆”

“…Yes.”

Hilde spoke with an ever-dazzling smile. Somehow… it seemed there was only one certainty contained in that smile.

“Of course. I… will always.”

Wait for you.

“…”

…

Where on earth does this certainty come from? In my past life and current life, have I ever been loved like this anywhere? Is it really right to make this girl wait even longer?

Countless thoughts flashed by.

“…”

All I could do was… make a promise.

I spoke while grasping Hilde’s hand.

“Surely… surely… I will love you.”

“…Mm. I’ll wait.”

“Surely… I will become someone who can go to where you are.”

“You already… have.”

I shook my head.

“Not yet… not yet.”

“…”

And I gave her the most intimate expression I could give to the one who had waited for me.

I slightly raised my heels to kiss the cheek of the girl a bit taller than my female self.

Smooch—

“…Hehe, 10 merit points to Hilde who waited for me… who loves me☆”

“…”

Rumble—

Somehow a faint thunder was heard.

I was about to look ahead again like that…

“No.”

“Hm?”

“Not enough.”

Hilde grabbed my cheek and brought her face close.

“…!”

What I saw was silver waves.

What I felt was the softness of lips.

Hilde seeped into me, becoming silver waves.

“…”

“…”

Clumsy movements.

The hardness of teeth.

The warmth of touching cheeks…

“…”

“…”

I quietly grasped Hilde’s back in return.

We were like that in the silver waves shining in the sunset…

『You get along well.』

A golden cat was watching us.

We hurriedly separated and screamed.

“Uwaaah?!”

“Agogo—☆”