A mortal's life may be short as morning dew.
But it's precisely that brevity that lets it blaze with brilliance enough to make even gods stop and stare.
Even the weakest ant, swinging a sword in desperation to survive, carries unpredictable variables.
That's why—
When a mortal breaks their limits to protect comrades, or for pure ambition, and accomplishes something even gods never foresaw—
In that instant, the spark called "unknown" is the sweetest wine and brightest light to divinities drowning in eternal solitude.
It isn't merely gods indulging in a cruel curiosity.
It's a resonance—both sides reaching for the essence of life.
Gods envy mortals' potential.
Mortals hunger for gods' power.
That is the core contract of that world.
A grand game—betting life and glory—enjoyed by both sides.
"So," Haimer concluded, "that is where I'm taking you."
"A world with no ceiling—only endless challenges."
"A world where even death can be spectacular, instead of rotting inside day-after-day monotony."
As his words fell, the gym sank into silence.
Only the occasional wind outside and the faint quickness of breathing remained.
Not fear—
But a trembling unfamiliar to them.
Like an eagle kept in a cage glimpsing, for the first time through a crack, the blue sky called freedom.
That shiver reached all the way into their fingertips.
"Heh…"
Zanzan lifted a hand, brushing back a strand of black hair.
The arrogance that had always filled her eyes now burned like dry grass set alight—an almost obsessive flame.
She looked at Haimer as though salvation had finally arrived after a long wait.
For an Empress already at the academy's peak, the world Haimer described sounded like paradise crafted for her alone.
"That kind of place… is where I belong."
She didn't hide her desire.
If such a world existed, even dying the next second would be better than rotting here forever.
Haimer nodded slightly, then looked to the others.
Nono shrank instinctively, ducking behind Rin, clearly terrified.
But Rin and Tsukuyo fell silent.
They didn't proclaim themselves like Zanzan—but their eyes couldn't lie.
Because who didn't crave a stage where their sword could truly matter?
Who would willingly waste away in a narrow campus until graduation, then disappear into ordinary life?
…
Just as the atmosphere thickened—
Boom!
A sudden loud crash erupted from the ventilation window high above, violently breaking the mood.
Everyone looked up.
A series of clanging impacts followed—something heavy striking metal pipes—and a frightened beast's low growl.
"Aieee! That hurts!"
"Are you an idiot?! You slipped at a time like this?!"
Dust billowed.
When they hurried out to check, they found—
Two figures—more precisely, two girls and a bear—sprawled in a mess beneath the high ventilation window.
The first was a girl with brilliant blond hair, the ends curled into baguette-like waves.
She wore a modified uniform and still clutched a thick dictionary like her life depended on it.
Kamegakure Mary.
One of the Five Swords, and famously a fencer.
…
"This is completely un-elegant!"
"This is absolutely that stupid bear's fault!"
Mary brushed dust off her uniform with her uninjured hand, her face full of indignation, while the heavy dictionary served as her improvised weapon and shield.
Clearly, she wasn't the real culprit.
Beside her stood a much smaller blonde girl, who looked like she belonged in elementary school.
Hanasaka Warabi.
Also one of the Five Swords—despite her childlike appearance, she was the eldest among them.
Which was, frankly, not convincing at all.
"Seriously! It's all your fault!"
"You picked the worst moment to fail me! You're making me lose face!"
Warabi clutched her swollen foot, glaring at a large bear collapsed nearby like she wanted to strangle it.
Yes—
A bear.
A real black bear wearing a collar.
Apparently Warabi's "pet."
It had been startled stiff by Haimer's talk of gods and the faint pressure of his presence, slipped, and destroyed their stealth in a spectacularly ungraceful crash.
"Honestly… I told you to practice your balance!" Warabi snapped at the bear, which was now cowering and clutching its head.
Then she suddenly realized something.
She turned—
And met a row of eyes looking at them with amusement.
"Uh…"
Warabi froze on the spot.
…
Facing Warabi's stiff expression and Mary's attempt to hide behind her dictionary like a child playing pretend, the air turned awkwardly strange.
"Eavesdropping…"
A low voice broke the silence.
Oniwa Rin—who had only just managed to steady herself—spoke through narrowed eyes.
For Rin, what had happened earlier—her mask shattering, her face exposed, that near-public execution of her heart—was the kind of black history she never wanted anyone to know.
Zanzan already knew her inside out. Fine.
Tsukuyo hearing it couldn't be helped.
But if Mary and Warabi—two people she barely tolerated on a good day—had watched the whole thing…
"As one of the Five Swords," Rin stepped forward, still red-faced but sharp-eyed, her katana sliding half an inch from its sheath, cold light flashing.
"How can you do something so rat-like—hiding in the dark and peeping?"
"Don't you feel ashamed?"
"Hah?!" Mary exploded instantly, her blond curls bouncing.
She snapped her dictionary shut, her mixed-blood features flushing bright red as she shouted back.
"W-Who was eavesdropping?!"
"This is strategic reconnaissance! Strategic reconnaissance, you hear me?!"
"Something that dangerous appeared in the academy—someone capable of causing that kind of terrifying phenomenon!"
"As the Five Swords responsible for security, of course we rushed over to confirm what was happening!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Warabi chimed in, forgetting her aching foot, waving her little wooden stick like an angry kitten.
"I came to provide support!"
"If that idiot hadn't failed at the critical moment, we would've made a glamorous entrance already!"
They spoke louder and louder, trying to bury their lack of confidence under sheer volume.
But the way their eyes darted—full of guilty, knowing glances—
Sold them out.
They had been there for a while.
And they had been watching with great interest.
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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