I Became the Academy’s Pink Airhead

I took one last look around.

“…”

The airship that had already started its engines was ready to take off from the dock with a gentle breeze. The noise was bustling with students busily moving materials that the airship had brought along on its way from to .

Hilde’s figure couldn’t be found anywhere among them.

Before leaving the hospital ward, I had asked the health department students one last time.

But they too had only seen the United Student Council president hurriedly moving her feet somewhere. Other students also didn’t seem to know where Hilde had headed.

She had disappeared from the city as if evaporating since yesterday.

‘Yet I felt like… she would still be here.’

For some reason, I had an intuition that Hilde hadn’t yet left the north. A truly inexplicable… truly nonsensical intuition, but. I had a feeling I would meet Hilde one last time before leaving this city.

But silver-white hair wasn’t visible anywhere at the dock.

All that could be seen was the scene of numerous students chattering noisily while moving luggage.

“…”

Was that an illusion?

Despite irresponsibly leaving once.

Still wanting to be considered a friend…

Was it self-rationalization created by such an adult’s selfishness?

“…”

I shook my head and walked towards my juniors who were putting luggage in the cargo hold. It seemed better not to make any more strange predictions.

‘From now on, let’s talk directly after meeting, without suddenly acting or assuming things on my own.’

I will surely be able to meet Hilde again.

Let’s talk when we meet again someday.

Thinking that in my heart, I walked towards the entrance of the airship.

Eir was standing there in a row with numerous students.

With the black coat tails fluttering in the gentle wind blown out by the airship, she had a peculiarly shaped sword hanging at one hip. And the surrounding students were also holding their weapons and wearing black coats with simple designs.

‘Hundreds of people in black coats, black masks, and red uniforms as a group… They look even more delinquent than real delinquents.’

If delinquent students were thugs, these children looked almost like mafia. Moreover, their average combat power was far superior to such riffraff.

I saw a few noticeable 2nd year students among them.

Some children still looking at me with passionate eyes. Those guys were named characters who would become allies… in other words, playable enough later on.

‘Were they out somewhere far that time? I didn’t see them that night… Well, to block all the chaos insects, the whole school must have been scattered here and there.’

I wanted to make a final impression on those children, but since Eir was waiting right in front, I just passed by.

As I approached, Eir welcomed me with a smile.

“You came, [Spiral].”

“Yes♪ I came, [Trajectory].”

Wow.

Wow…

Oh my…

It came out naturally, and I responded right away.

To think we would greet each other using our aliases.

It was something unimaginable even in our stormy first year.

To respond so naturally to such an act like martial artists exchanging courtesy names. Honestly, rather than feeling embarrassed after doing it, it felt more like the feeling of company employees exchanging business cards.

Just a feeling of greeting naturally…

‘I’ve really become a game character…’

The students saw that and shouted ‘Hiyah!’ in excitement. Unable to contain their excitement, some were pounding their weapons on the ground or stomping their feet.

‘These kids really love things like passion, oaths, resolutions, aliases…’

I smiled bitterly seeing that sight.

Eir made a chuckling sound, showing her crooked shark-like teeth. Perhaps because she was also a student to her bones, she seemed to really like this meaningful greeting.

“…Kuku, I think it’s the first time you’ve called me that.”

“We’re now―☆ comrades who fought the same enemy~♪”

“Ah… That’s right… We were comrades.”

“Yes☆”

“…”

“…”

Eir’s magenta eyes that always burned fiercely trembled slightly.

Unlike the harsh atmosphere on the night we met after a long time, Eir’s face now truly showed that comfortable expression from the old days. Somehow, it seemed to contain a bit of longing and regret mixed in.

Eir slowly relaxed her slightly stiffened face and quietly muttered:

“I should have… gone to find you earlier… to talk with you.”

“It’s not too late now―☆ We’ve met again like this♪”

“That’s right… Yes, that’s right… We can still… meet like this.”

Eir closed her eyes and smiled slightly, as if she had shaken something off a little. In the end, she too was a girl seeking something unchanging even in the changed times.

I felt somehow sorry seeing that face… and also glad, like meeting an old classmate again in an unexpected place.

‘If I knew she would be this happy, I should have just been honest from the start.’

She was disappointed in the changed me when we first met, but I was glad that she seemed to have softened after seeing me fight against [Priest of Erosion].

‘Well, since I fought so openly shooting energy blasts, the [Faded Spiral] cosplay was completely exposed.’

Eir soon blew out air through her nose as if she had resolved something, and walked towards me.

And then…

Whoosh―!

She hugged me tightly.

A powerful hug strong enough to feel each other’s heartbeats. What was felt there was burning passion rather than a shy girl’s heart.

I looked at Eir’s fierce face that had come close and said:

“Eir, what’s the matter―☆ Did you suddenly feel upset?”

“…”

Eir answered in a rough but sincere voice:

“…Clara. Thank you. For saving me, for protecting our school.”

“Huhu☆ It’s nothing―♪”

“Because you risked your life for me, for your juniors, for everyone…”

Eir swore while looking into my eyes:

“I too will risk my life for you, for your juniors, for everyone. Thank you, my friend… I’m sorry for misunderstanding you.”

“Yes―☆ It’s nothing―♪ Thank you.”

“And…”

“…?”

Eir quietly whispered in my ear. But that voice contained conviction:

“There’s a realm beyond [Unique Ether]… right?”

“…!”

“Seeing your fight and that ‘priest’ guy’s fight that night. Somehow I felt a different level. That there’s a realm beyond [Unique Ether], which I thought was a wall until now.”

“Eir…!”

“A realm that makes the common sense I’ve held until now, that [Unique Ether] is complete, unnecessary.”

I looked at Eir’s face in surprise.

An expression still burning with confidence.

Somehow she seemed to have noticed the existence of ‘wuji’.

Like that, Eir declared her second oath with fiery momentum:

“I will definitely…!! Definitely reach… that place…!!”

“…!”

“So watch my growth…!! [Spiral]!! You have the duty to do so, as the true strongest in the academy city that I acknowledge―!!”

I shuddered.

She called me the ‘strongest’.

Knowing the weight of meaning that the title of strongest holds for her who only knew fighting, I could only shudder with wide eyes.

While I was surprised, Eir stepped back a few steps and shouted loudly:

“Demons of flames!! Is our friend!! Our benefactor worthy of receiving our send-off―!”

[Yes―!]

[She is worthy of receiving our send-off―!]

Soon followed the rumbling of hundreds of feet.

The shouts of numerous warriors shaking the sky.

’s farewell ceremony not shown in the game.

The demons of flames shouted.

The demons of flames stomped their feet.

The demons of flames pounded their weapons.

[Send off―!!]

Thud!!

[The warrior―!!]

Thud!!

[The hero―!!]

Thud!!

With each stomp of their feet, the earth shook and it felt like the sky was falling. And they took out their weapons and lit red flames. The weapons wrapped in flames shone and shot flames towards the distant sky.

Paaat―!!

[Light―!!]

Thud!!

[The flames―!!]

Thud!!

Hundreds of students shouted in unison. All the people in the northern city looked this way at the passion and spirit fully contained in those voices.

[You are our sister and heart―!!]

[We will gladly burn our lives for you―!!]

[If there are enemies, turn your head and call the red flames―!!]

Eir finally added:

“Anytime!! Call us!! If you need the flames of war!! We will gladly step forward!!”

And the cheers that followed.

-Waaaaaaah!!!

-Waaaaaaah!!!

They sent off shouts of farewell until their throats burst until we boarded the airship. Shouts that all in the north could hear. They shook the earth, rang through the sky, and entered our hearts.

[The airship bound for will depart soon. Passengers please be seated…]

Even after we boarded the airship and sat in our seats.

For a while we just shuddered feeling that reverberation, unable to say anything while looking out the window.

I chuckled looking at my juniors who were shocked at first but soon moved:

“Huhu☆ The kids are♪ so nice too.”

“What?”

“We only fought together once, but they called us sisters who can share our lives―☆ Yes♪ I guess that means they’re passionate girls full of enthusiasm―☆”

“…”

Alvit answered with a voice that seemed a bit dissatisfied with my words:

“…If you lost all your ether from that one fight and became unable to fight anymore. For such… a hero, that much seems appropriate.”

“Hm…?”

“…That’s just my opinion though.”

Alvit who turned her head away from me.

She pouts and pretends not to know, as if she’s been hurt by something.

Lost?

Power?

All of it?

…Who?

“…”

I pressed close to the window again, watching the backs of the kids sending us off and leaving. Recalling some sense of discomfort, I could only be shocked.

‘Do these kids still think I’m really [Faded Spiral]… and in complete power loss mode?! I thought they knew I was fine from the health department kids’ examination…?!’

After fighting so spectacularly.

Have I become seen as someone who lost power… not just hiding power.

No wonder Hilde, Bell, and Eir all said goodbye so solemnly.

‘This is bad…’

But without time to clear up the misunderstanding, the airship was already floating and advancing towards .

* * *

Eir blankly watched the airship moving away to the east.

‘Watch me… In place of you who completely lost your power for us, I will someday defeat [Azure Lightning Lance]… and become the strongest.’

Only that…

Would be a tribute to Clara who burned her preciously held last flame for them.

[Pink Spiral] was still bright and cheerful despite losing everything.

No…

Even her faded appearance before fighting by squeezing out her last strength was no different from her past appearance. She was always an existence who cheerfully walked her own path.

Eir self-deprecated with a bitter smile.

‘Rather… I was the one who had lost my way.’

And when she opened and clenched her fist again, she felt the path that was slowly starting to appear. The boredom felt since awakening [Unique Ether]. It had already advanced towards the path of the strongest, following the pink spiral.

Eir punched towards the air.

Whoosh―!!

Now she just had to advance.

* * *

Brunhilde stood atop the tallest building blankly watching the airship.

“…”

In her eyes, the faded pink hair sitting by the window far away was clearly visible.

In the end.

She didn’t have the courage to go find her and say goodbye again.

She avoided it like a coward due to the shock of being rejected once.

“…”

So Brunhilde blankly watched the airship.

At that moment.

Somehow it seemed like the faded light pink hair swayed and looked this way.

“…?”

Brunhilde stood up abruptly.

It was a distance she couldn’t be certain of even aiming for a realm beyond wuji, but somehow it felt like Clara had looked this way.

She slowly waved her hand beyond the window.

“…Lara.”

Perhaps it was just a greeting to the students who had sent her off.

But…

Still Brunhilde waved her hand.

“…Farewell.”

Farewell.

Let’s… meet again.

I hope we can meet again.