[Ding ding ding~ Good morning~ Ding ding ding~ Bap-bap-]
Squeeeeeeek!!!
I let out a silent scream, fumbling for the alarm clock by my pillow and turning it off.
Seeing that part, it was clear I had been quite out of it.
Maybe it was because I was tossing and turning all night, kicking off the blanket.
I needed some chives.
After quickly cooking them, I felt a sense of calm as I put the stir-fried chives in my mouth.
Itâs a very comforting taste.
I munched on the chives, savoring the flavor.
*
I arrived at school a bit early because I had something to talk about with the class president.
I thought I was quite early, but the class president was already there, cleaning the classroom.
She was really diligent, as she had come earlier than me last Friday too.
âGood morning, Scarlett.â
âGood morning, class president.â
I greeted the class president, who was looking at me, and took a broom from the cleaning closet to help her.
We didnât really talk much while cleaning.
It wasnât because it was awkward.
It was more like a comfortable silence where we didnât need to talk.
I felt that if we tried to make small talk, it might break the current atmosphere.
The class president seemed to think the same and focused on cleaning without a word.
By the time we finished, students started to arrive.
As I nodded to the greetings from the tank and the shield guy and tidied up my seat, there was a moment when the noisy classroom suddenly went quiet.
It was the silence that signaled Sylviaâs arrival.
Her silky hair, flowing over her shoulders and back, shone silver, and her bright blue eyes sparkled as if stars were embedded in them.
She had a slightly longer and sharper ear, fitting her High Elf race, and exuded a mysterious aura like a fairy.
She looked even prettier after not seeing her over the weekend...
When Yun Siwoo came in, there was a brief silence too, but who cares.
Sure, he had a good-looking face, but it was a bit too good-looking, and he had that middle school syndrome.
A white-haired guy with heterochromia, showing both black and white eyes, was at the level where you could punch the guy who came up with this idea in the head and get away with it.
With the Holy Sword of Radiance, he could easily snap out of any illusion once he realized it.
Originally, he was supposed to wake up from the illusion without any change in expression.
But Yun Siwoo had the most pained expression I had ever seen on him.
I wondered if I had just forgotten the novelâs content and was being an idiot.
Yun Siwoo looked pale, breaking out in a cold sweat, as if he was trying to hold back something.
After a while, he seemed to grit his teeth and woke up from the illusion.
When he woke up, he looked confused, glanced at me, and his face turned as red as a tomato before he rushed to his seat.
Is this some kind of hidden camera?
Is there a mission to look at me once you overcome the illusion?
I was taken aback by the unexpected reactions when Eve called my name.
I started to feel nervous as I sat down in the chair.
My heart was pounding as if I were standing on a bungee jump platform.
What will I see? I was tense when I heard the sound of Eve snapping her fingers.
*
It was a wasteland.
What was once a city was now nothing but collapsed buildings and debris scattered on the ground.
A desolate wind blew through the broken windows of the fallen buildings, making a sharp sound.
That was the only sound I could hear.
A desolate and lonely landscape, a city without a single person in sight.
A city without people meant it was a city in ruins.
Thinking this, I felt a sense of unease.
I realized I was in the middle of the âBoggart Trainingâ from the novel.
It was a bit surprising.
Is this what I fear the most?
I thought I would see something more terrifying.
I tried to imagine the most horrifying thing I could think of.
Perhaps, a world filled with anger, hatred, and malice.
A world where all chocolates had mint in them, and every pizza had pineapple on top.
It gave me goosebumps.
That would be a complete hell.
Just thinking about it made me break out in a cold sweat and my breathing quickened.
When I came to my senses, the mint chocolate and Hawaiian pizzas were surging towards me.
Squeeeeeeek! Gwaahhhh!
I fainted.
*
âScarlett, are you okay?â
When I opened my eyes, the class president was looking down at me with a worried expression.
...I must have fainted.
She helped me up from the mattress, holding my hand.
âWhat did you see? You looked really distressed.â
â...Just darkness.â
I lied to the class president when she asked what I saw.
How could I tell her I fainted because of mint chocolate and Hawaiian pizza?
She gently held my hand.
â...I see. If youâre having a hard time, just let me know. Iâll help you.â
Then, please get rid of mint chocolate and Hawaiian pizza from this world.
I wanted to say that to the class president but held back.
Looking around after getting up, I saw Yun Siwoo looking at me with a troubled expression.
Why are you looking at me like that?
*
After lunch, Sylvia was sending out vibes that she wanted macarons, so I quickly ran to the snack shop and bought some.
Usually, her face would soften a bit when she got macarons, but today, she kept making a pouty face every time she looked at me, even while taking the macarons.
It felt like her âfriendship degradation gaugeâ wasnât going up today, which made me feel a bit down.
*
After school, I came home, took a quick shower, and changed into my pajamas.
When I feel a bit gloomy, chives are the best.
I stir-fried a bit more than usual and stuffed my mouth with them, chewing.
They were delicious, as always.
I love chives.
After finishing, I sprawled out on the bed, ready to fall asleep quickly.
I didnât sleep well last night, so I wanted to sleep early today.
I lay down and closed my eyes, thinking about it.
As soon as I closed my eyes, the scene from the illusion came back to me.
A desolate city with no signs of life.
A place filled with the debris of collapsed buildings.
Something large and shield-shaped protruding from the debris.
The letters A, E, G, written in a familiar handwriting.
Every time those letters came to mind,
my breathing became rapid,
and I hit my head against the wall hard enough to make a thud.
My breathing returned to normal.
Damn, that hurts.
I rubbed my forehead, which I had just hit, with a grimace.
At least the pain was better than the other feeling.
Taking a deep breath, the nausea subsided a bit.
Iâll go to sleep quickly.
I wonât think about anything when I sleep.
I kept muttering to myself, trying not to think about it until I fell asleep.
Donât think about it.
Iâll only think positively.
Iâve done well so far.
Tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that, if I keep this up, Iâm sure
I can survive in this world.
I donât want to die.
Author's Note
The world of [The Holy Sword of the Academy] is not a place overflowing with dreams and hope.
One day, someone who knew this better than anyone else fell into that world.
And not only that, but they also changed gender.
If they had taken it calmly, that would have been even stranger.
Since this part marks the beginning of a shift in the storyâs atmosphere, it took me a while to write.
I apologize for not being able to post at a fixed time every day, as I write and post day by day without any buffer.
I imagine some readers might have been surprised, thinking this was a comedy about misunderstandings, but the atmosphere has become more serious.
I wrote this with the intention that readers would not only see the characters misunderstanding the protagonist but also question whether this is the protagonistâs true nature.
Just like the illusion shown by the Zanpakuto in the manga Bleach, [Keikaishu], you were already under my spell from the first chapter.
In the future, the story will progress gradually, and there will be moments like today.
I will try my best to make these parts narratively convincing.