On the walk back to the dorms from Evangeline's estate, I fiddled with the wand and book I'd received as "parting gifts." Beneath my calm exterior, I couldn't entirely suppress the surge of curiosity bubbling up inside me.
When I was first reincarnated, my "starting perks" had listed a talent for magic. I'd been interested back then, but fate had seen fit to drop me into the world of Super Robot Wars OGs as Axel Almar—a world where magic was virtually non-existent. I'd long since given up on that part of my potential.
"To think I'd actually find that power here," I murmured to myself.
Of course, given that I was drifting between various dimensions, the possibility of landing in a magical world had crossed my mind. But my previous stops had been the worlds of Code Geass and Gundam SEED—realms of steel and gears. Between those experiences and my life in the OG timeline, I had practically made peace with being a career pilot. This was, by all accounts, an unexpected stroke of luck.
"Though, a little magic doesn't mean I'm about to forgive Blue Cosmos for what they did," I added, my voice darkening.
I wasn't sure of the exact mechanics they used, but they had clearly intended to overload the Lykaios to sever the link between the White Star and the SEED universe. Realizing they couldn't beat us in a direct tactical engagement, they'd tried to cut us off at the root.
"I just hope Lemon and the others haven't gone overboard with the retaliation."
It would be a dark joke if, by the time I managed to return to the SEED world, Blue Cosmos—and the entire Atlantic Federation along with them—had been wiped off the map.
"Well, there's nothing I can do but wait here until Lemon finds a way to fetch me."
Since my beacon seemed to be malfunctioning, there was no telling how long that would take. In the meantime, it only made sense to strip this world of every scrap of magical knowledge I could get my hands on.
Back in the OG world, my only goal was survival. I had navigated a minefield of "death flags" and come out the other side alive. It was time for a new objective. Code Geass, Gundam SEED, and now this world of magic… looking back at where I'd been and where I wanted to go, my next life goal became clear.
The Acquisition of the Unknown.
By mastering these foreign powers, my own strength—and by extension, the strength of the Shadow Mirror—would grow. It would make my original goal of "survival" that much easier to achieve. Though, I couldn't deny that a large part of this was driven by pure, simple curiosity.
"Oh? Axel-kun?"
I had been so deep in thought that I hadn't realized I'd reached the girls' dormitory. I turned toward the voice to find Chizuru standing there with a girl I didn't recognize.
"Chizu-nee? Who's this?" the girl asked, looking at me with a puzzled expression.
"I told you, remember?" Chizuru replied with a smile. "This is Axel Almar-kun. He's the test case for the co-ed skipping program. He'll be transferring into our class."
"What?! But... he looks like he's ten years old! When you said 'skipping grades,' I thought you meant by a year or two, not... this!"
"Now, now, Natsumi-chan. Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions."
"No, Chizu-nee, you're the weird one here! How are you accepting this so easily? Is it a 'wisdom of age' thing?"
"Hehe. Natsumi-chan… did you say something just now?"
"N-Nothing! Nothing at all! Just please don't approach me with that smile!"
Watching them, I couldn't help but be amused. The dynamic between Chizuru and Ayaka was already a chaotic mix of an unstoppable force and a movable object; these two seemed just as entertaining.
The girl, Natsumi, managed to dodge Chizuru's "pressure" and stepped toward me.
"I'm Natsumi Murakami. Nice to meet you! So, uh… Axel-kun, right?"
"Hmm? Yeah. Axel Almar."
"Now, Natsumi-chan," Chizuru interjected. "That's not quite right."
"Eh? What isn't?"
"It's not 'nice to meet you starting tomorrow.' It's 'nice to meet you starting today.'"
"Huh?"
Starting today? I see. So this was the other roommate Chizuru and Ayaka had mentioned yesterday. My suspicion was confirmed by Chizuru's next words.
"After all, Axel-kun is living in our room starting today. Well, technically since yesterday."
"Whaaa?! But Chizu-nee! He's—well, hypothetically—a boy! Is it really okay to have a boy in the girls' dorms?"
Natsumi's reaction was the only sane one, really. Unfortunately for her, she was dealing with Chizuru.
"Oh, honestly. He's just a ten-year-old boy. Don't tell me, Natsumi-chan… are you interested?"
Chizuru gave her a meaningful, sideways glance. It reminded me of the "Ayaka-is-a-shotacon" suspicions that had come up yesterday.
"Of course not! But why our room specifically?"
"Well, our room is quite spacious thanks to Ayaka's renovations. That's part of it."
"But wouldn't Ms. Hasegawa's room be better? Ours is a triple, but hers is a single!"
"Let's just say it's due to Ayaka's predi—I mean, her nurturing nature."
"You were definitely going to say 'predilections'!" Natsumi cried. "Are we really okay leaving this kid in a room with the Class Rep? I mean… for the sake of his virtue?"
"I don't think she'd resort to anything illegal," Chizuru said playfully.
"I hope so… well, it sounds like you've got a rough road ahead, kid. Nice to meet you."
"Yeah. Likewise."
"...Man, you talk like an old soul. I guess skipping grades really does mean you're mentally older."
Ah, right. When I first arrived, I tried to act the part of a child, but that went out the window the moment the mages attacked. I'd dropped the act entirely since then, and it seemed I'd stopped noticing the discrepancy myself.
"Wait, what's that you're holding?" Natsumi asked, her eyes falling on my wand and book.
"These? Parting gifts from Evangeline. Think of them as… occult props."
Chizuru nodded understandingly at the word "occult." Natsumi, who was still in the dark about the magical side of the school, just looked surprised.
"Huh. You're into the occult, Axel-kun? I guess that's normal for a kid. But wait, why were you with Evangeline-san?"
"Well, we went to your Drama Club yesterday, right?" Chizuru explained. "On the way back, Axel-kun got a bit turned around, and Evangeline-san happened to be there. We all ended up in the Principal's office together, and one thing led to another."
"Wow. Evangeline-san usually doesn't give anyone the time of day. I guess even she thought a kid like him was a rare find."
"I couldn't tell you," I said, cutting in. "More importantly, can we head inside? It's getting cold out here. I'd rather not catch a cold on my first day."
"You're right about that."
It was January, the dead of winter. Standing around outside was a trial even for me; for two average middle school girls, it was asking for trouble. I followed Chizuru as we made our way through the halls of the dormitory.
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen many other residents since yesterday. There are quite a few people living here, right?"
"Oh, yeah, tons," Natsumi replied. "But today is the last day of winter break. Everyone's probably buried in homework or prepping for the new semester."
"Hehe, our class is full of busy bees," Chizuru added. "A lot happened over the break, so I imagine they're all paying the price for it now."
"True. Asuna is probably crying to Konoka-san for help right about now."
"I can see that."
"Asuna?" I asked. The name didn't ring a bell. Then again, as a transfer student, almost every name was new to me.
"Asuna Kagurazaka," Natsumi said. "She's the heart of the class, I guess. She and the Class Rep are 'frenemies.' She's also the leader of the Baka-Rangers."
"Baka-Rangers?"
"In short," Chizuru smiled, "it's a collective name for the girls with the lowest grades in class."
Baka-Rangers, huh?
We continued chatting until we finally reached our door.
"We're home, Class Re—Wait, WHAT IS THIS?!"
Natsumi, who was the first through the door, let out a shocked shriek. I felt a pang of apprehension. I peered inside and felt my jaw drop.
"Whoa…"
The sight was… unexpected. Though, given Ayaka's tastes, I probably should have seen it coming.
The first thing I saw was a massive canopy bed—far too large for the space—spilling out from what was supposed to be Ayaka's sleeping quarters. The living room furniture had also been replaced with pieces that looked like they belonged in a palace.
"The Class Rep is dead serious about this…" Natsumi stammered.
"Oh my, Ayaka certainly went all out," Chizuru said, her composure remarkably unshaken. I just stood there, staring at the transformation.
"Welcome home, Axel-kun. Welcome back, Chizuru-san, Natsumi-san."
Hearing our voices, Ayaka emerged from the back room—the room now housing a second canopy bed, presumably mine.
"Class Rep, isn't this a bit much?" Natsumi asked.
"Nonsense! Axel-kun is living here now. This is the bare minimum requirement. But more importantly, you must be frozen through! I've prepared dinner, so let's eat."
"Oh? Did you cook, Ayaka?"
"No, when I had the furniture delivered from the estate, I asked our head chef to prepare something. Since Axel-kun expressed an interest in Japanese cuisine, I had him prepare sushi."
"Wait… sushi made by the Yukihiro family chef?!" Natsumi's eyes lit up. From what I'd gathered, Ayaka's family wasn't just rich; they were "conglomerate" rich. A chef employed by a family like that was bound to be world-class.
"Sushi, huh?"
My mind drifted back to a victory party after a battle off the coast of Orb. I remember being in an uncharacteristically high spirits then, simply because I hadn't expected to find sushi in the SEED world.
"Now then, tomorrow is Axel-kun's first day of school. Consider this a small, private celebration!"
Ayaka took my hand and led me into the room.
And so, my final night before transferring schools came to a close.
(Note: Since the furniture wouldn't fit in the separate partitions, I ended up spending half my time living in the same room as Ayaka.)
[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 (SP 4)
Effort (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 30)
Awaken (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9, SP Regen, Concentration)
Telekinesis Lv.10
Attacker
Gunfight Lv.9
Infight Lv.9
Morale Limit Break
Geass (Greyed out)
Magic (Fire)
Magic (Shadow)
Magic (Summoning)
???
???
Total Kills: 376
-------------------------------
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