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Upon arriving at the cla.s.sroom, a familiar figure was already seated in the adjacent desk. Though it seemed she had arrived just in time yesterday, perhaps she hadn’t prepared adequately, or maybe it was simply because she was reflecting on what happened yesterday. Recalling it now, back in the academy days, Aina was the type to arrive early and review ahead of time… As Soma pondered this, it seemed Aina had noticed him as well.
As he got close enough to hear her, she greeted him first.
“Good morning. You seem to come right on time.” (Aina)
“Good morning. Well, it’s probably just out of habit. I know if I leave home around this time, I’ll make it in time.” (Soma)
“Good morning. Indeed, at first we used to come early too, but somehow it’s become this time now.” (Felicia)
“Yeah. It’ll probably take me a while longer to get to that point. I’m not even sure I’ll get there. Oh, by the way, Soma, are you free during lunch break today?” (Aina)
“Hmm? Well, I am free, yes…” (Soma)
“Great. Could I have a bit of your time? I have something to discuss.” (Aina)
“Understood.” (Soma)
Soma nodded and wondered what she wanted to talk about, but logically, it would probably be related to yesterday. She did say she had something to talk about yesterday too. Still, he didn’t think it was something you’d typically discuss at school… but he would find out during lunch break. Thinking about that, he headed to his seat and sat down. Felicia, who was sitting in the front row, turned towards him with a slightly puzzled expression.
“Hmm, is something the matter?” (Soma)
“No… Aina-san’s att.i.tude, or rather her reaction, seems different from yesterday.” (Felicia)
“Is that so? Well, maybe she’s had time to calm down after a day.” (Soma)
Giving a casual response, Felicia tilted her head, but seeing no reb.u.t.tal from Aina, she seemed somewhat unsatisfied yet reluctantly accepted it. Well, since he couldn’t talk about what happened yesterday, he would just have to convince her to accept it. While thinking about that, the bell rang. The preliminary bell had already rung, so this was the main bell, and Camilla appeared immediately.
And thus began a scene of nothing out of the ordinary. After brief morning announcements, unlike yesterday, homeroom ended quickly, leaving behind a mixed atmosphere. It wasn’t overly noisy. The only slight commotion was from the adjacent seat, which would fade away once first period started.
After that, it was like a repeat of yesterday. The cla.s.s content was different, and there wasn’t too much noise from the neighboring cla.s.s, but that was the only difference. Soma had so many things to think about yesterday that he didn’t think about it, but…it was a nostalgic experience he hadn’t felt in a long time.
‘…Indeed, this is certainly peaceful. For some people, this may even seem boring. But perhaps that is what peace is all about.’
Soma had so many things to think about yesterday that he didn’t think about it, but…it was a nostalgic experience he hadn’t felt in a long time. He didn’t miss that time, and he had no complaints or regrets about his life now. However, he was grateful. He felt as if he had long since forgotten what it was like to have peaceful days where he could truly relax without feeling tense.
Of course, it wasn’t that this current life was completely uncomfortable or that he couldn’t feel at peace, but there had never been a time when he could feel this way. Or perhaps it would never come again, but that was all Soma’s wish. That was why he was grateful that it reminded him of such a peaceful scene. This scene was surely one of Soma’s earliest memories.
“Well then… I don’t like to unilaterally incur debts, after all. I’ll do my best to repay my debts properly.” (Soma)
“What? Did you say something?” (Aina)
“It’s nothing. So, where are we heading?” (Soma)
Without any incidents, cla.s.s and break time pa.s.sed, and soon it was lunch break. Following the morning’s instructions, Soma was brought along by Aina supposedly to have a talk. Her confident steps suggested there was a definite destination in mind. Despite having transferred just yesterday, it seemed things had been researched in advance.
“Don’t worry, I’m not planning to take you somewhere strange.” (Aina)
“That sounds more like something I would say.” (Soma)
Seemingly, there was no intention to tell him anything. Well, he wasn’t particularly concerned about being taken to a strange place from the start, but he was wandering where was he really going?
After descending to the second floor, Aina continued down the hallway without going back to the first floor. Apart from cla.s.srooms for the first years, there were staff rooms as well, but it wasn’t likely they were going there. As expected, Aina began walking in the opposite direction of the staff room. However, it didn’t seem like she had any particular cla.s.sroom in mind. She opened a door at the end of the corridor, and stepping outside, they found a concrete hallway continuing on.
“Hmm… I see, so we’re heading to the special building?” (Soma)
“That’s right.” (Aina)
The special building housed places like music rooms, art studios, and chemistry labs. It wasn’t often visited except for cla.s.ses and club activities, yet Aina’s steps showed no hesitation upon arrival. They continued up to the top floor, where Soma blinked in surprise upon seeing a familiar face. It was Sheila.
“You’re already here.” (Aina)
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“Well, given the location of my cla.s.sroom, it makes sense I’d arrive first.” (Sheila)
“That’s true.” (Aina)
“Hmm… Were you called here by Aina as well?” (Soma)
Sheela shook her head. Apparently, that wasn’t the case.
“I was called here separately… by the same person who called you and Aina.” (Sheila)
“I see… So Aina was just guiding us here.” (Soma)
“Exactly. I didn’t have anything specific to discuss with you. It was a bit complicated, so I didn’t explain earlier.” (Aina)
“Hmm… So, the person who called us is in this room?” (Soma)
His gaze fell upon a nameplate on the door indicating the room’s purpose. It read “Director’s Office.” However, Soma tilted his head in confusion. He’d heard that no one had ever seen the director. Given how maintaining this world would take all their effort, it made sense that the director wouldn’t have the time to appear publicly. In that context, it seemed improbable that Satya could summon them for a meeting.
As he pondered this, Aina knocked on the door. Without waiting for a response, she opened it and walked inside. Sheila followed, and after a brief hesitation, Soma joined them. The room that greeted them was one that Soma found quite fitting for the occasion. It was furnished with high-quality furniture and sofas, reminiscent of something he might have seen in a brochure or perhaps constructed from a place buried in his memories.
Regardless, what was certain was that this was Soma’s first time entering the director’s office. Despite this, the person inside was someone he recognized.
“It’s our first time speaking like this, isn’t it? Ideally, the director should be the one meeting you, but I’m afraid the director is busy. I’ll be speaking on their behalf. Do you need an introduction?” (??)
“No, I know who you are.” (Soma)
“That’s good to hear. Though I hold the t.i.tle of princ.i.p.al, you don’t need to concern yourself with that right now. I invited you here, after all.” (??)
The woman was Eleonora. If Satya was unable to act, it made sense that Eleonora would be next in line. This prompted Soma to recall something Eleonora had mentioned to him.
Hadn’t she said something about being completely taken over? Maybe that wasn’t the case, or perhaps there was another reason for her being here. Soma decided to set aside his questions for the moment. The current situation demanded more immediate attention.
“So, what exactly is going on here? I haven’t been told anything.” (Soma)
“Well, to put it simply, this is a confirmation meeting. After reporting yesterday’s events, I was asked to verify things directly.” (Aina)
“…Eleonora is a senior member of the organization I used to belong to.” (Sheila)
“I still consider Sheila a member.” (Eleonora)
As she said that, Eleonora gave a wry smile. Soma nodded in understanding while watching Eleonora’s expression. The connection made sense, and it wasn’t surprising. If this was the case, it was possible that other acquaintances were involved similarly. However, for now, there were other things to focus on.
“So, what exactly do you want to verify?” (Soma)
“Well, I believe seeing it firsthand is the best approach. Sheila, you have it with you, don’t you?” (Eleonora)
Sheela nodded and produced a sword from seemingly nowhere and handed it to Soma. He understood immediately. They wanted to see his power. However, he was aware that demonstrating his strength here would likely destroy the expensive-looking furnishings around them. But since this wasn’t the real world, there wasn’t much need to worry about that. He took the sword from Sheila. Feeling the surge of power, he turned to Eleonora.
“So, should I just destroy something around here?” (Soma)
“No, absolutely not! Everything here looks incredibly valuable!” (Elenora)
“I understand that, but it’s not like we can have a real fight here, can we? Swinging it around aimlessly would look ridiculous.” (Soma)
“Would you like to spar with me?” (Sheila)
“No, that’s not necessary. I consider myself fairly skilled, so just observing you is enough. I see now that it was true. Thank you, and I apologize for doubting you.” (Eleonora)
“No, I don’t really mind.” (Soma)
“Even I wouldn’t have believed it without seeing it for myself.” (Aina)
“Indeed, it’s only natural.” (Sheila)
Returning the sword to Sheela, Soma tilted his head in curiosity. He understood they wanted to verify his power, but he wondered why it was necessary.
“You look puzzled… Well, it’s because I told them that you might be the one we’ve been searching for.” (Aina)
“What do you mean?” (Soma)
“You’ve heard about the ‘Ones who resist’ haven’t you? They have several distinctive traits. As their power grows, their existence becomes more established, making them increasingly difficult to defeat. To put it simply, they become harder to kill.” (Eleonora)
“Even if their existence is becoming established?” (Soma)
“Their existence is becoming more established, but it hasn’t fully solidified yet. However, that’s precisely the problem. Because their existence is ambiguous, any attempt to defeat them with external force results in a backlash that reinforces their establishment. Thus, various procedures are usually necessary to defeat them.” (Eleonora)
“But you defeated them effortlessly. That’s why I suggested that you might be able to defeat the worst of the ‘Ones who resist’ that Felicia could unleash.” (Aina)
“…It’s a possibility, but I won’t let that happen.” (Sheila)
“So, since there’s nothing we can do about it, there’s nothing we can do about it…! Are you obsessed with Felicia and planning to destroy the world…?!” (Aina)
Soma glanced at Eleonora, who merely smiled wryly. It seemed she was content to let the argument ran its course. Soma decided to ask something that had been on his mind.
“Hmm… I have a question. If I can defeat even the worst of them, wouldn’t it be enough for me to continue defeating the Unyielding Ones? Didn’t Sheila do the same?” (Soma)
“Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Felicia’s body won’t hold out that long.” (Eleonora)
“Won’t hold out? I wasn’t aware Felicia had any physical weakness.” (Soma)
“Indeed, she doesn’t seem weak. However, our observations suggest that when the ‘ones who resist’ manifest, they drain Felicia’s life force,” (Eleonora)
“Hmm. I suppose it’s logical that manifesting something that shouldn’t exist would require a significant cost.” (Soma)
“Precisely. And because it’s such a fundamental drain, there are no visible changes or sensations to indicate it’s happening. By the time any changes become apparent, it will be too late. Moreover, when that time comes, countless Unyielding Ones will appear and spread simultaneously. Felicia is both the source of their manifestation and the lid containing them. Her limits are nearing, and the time left is short.” (Eleonora)
“In other words, the inevitable moment isn’t far off.” (Aina)
“It hasn’t been decided yet.” (Sheila)
Both girls, who had stopped arguing, wore similar expressions but both of their expressions were the same. Soma watched them, then sighed deeply.
“Indeed. However… it may be presumptuous, but please be prepared.” (Eleonora)
Soma hadn’t agreed to anything yet, but he couldn’t find it in himself to respond to Eleonora’s bowed head. He sighed again.
As they left the director’s office and returned to the cla.s.sroom, a heavy atmosphere hung over them. Felicia, who saw Soma and the others, tilted her head quizzically. It made sense. Soma had left with Aina saying there was something to discuss and now returned with Sheila. Felicia’s puzzled expression confirmed she was unaware of what had transpired. Aina had separated from them halfway, perhaps unable to face Felicia directly. But Soma couldn’t avoid it, and he sighed a third time, wondering what to do next.
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