Human envy the flying bird, so they created planes. Human envy the running cheetah, so they created vehicles. But even when they are capable of simulating the ability of a bird or a cheetah, they will never be able to capture the feelings of a flying bird or a running cheetah may feel.

I realize that as I run through the forest with my enchanted legs. The feeling of the wind pushing my face. The feeling of the lack of gravity as they no longer bind me back. As I jump and run, my hunch tells me that this is true freedom, without any limitation to chain me down.

The beasts I run past don’t even know what just passed by. Some beasts that do pursue the unidentified flying person give up midway when they realize they can’t catch up. For a moment, I feel invincible. Nothing can stop me in my path.

Except trees. Those damn trees.

My speed and jumping power are boosted up to eleven. However, my sense of control is still the same like a normal human, and a mere human is not fully capable of controlling themselves when running as my current speed. If I’m not careful during my run, I may find myself bumped into a tree. And since real world physics still apply here, the ensuring result will NOT be pretty.

But no matter, as long as I be careful and watch out for those trees. I’ll be fine. Well, time to finish the race!

BOOM!

Suddenly, a large thunderbolt falls from the sky, making a nearby land far away from my position explode from the impact. A strong gust of wind flows by after the explosion is over. Normally, one would think this is a terrorist bombing when something like this happen. But since this isn’t my normal world, only god knows what is happening right now.

With my current speed, I turn back and run toward the direction of the explosion. The path leads me to a lake in the middle of the forest. Before my eyes, a small part near the lake is charred by the previous thunderbolt. Thankfully there’s no fire coming out of the explosion. It will be bothersome if there’s a wildfire in the forest.

At the site near the explosion, I see a girl standing opposite of three male students. Those three are holding their hands out to the sky, projecting a magic barrier to protect themselves from the blast. It isn’t hard to connect the dots together.

They are saying something. As I approach closer, their conversation becomes clearer to my ears, and so are their identities. The girl is Amadia Deveraux. And those three guys? They are the ones who were bugging her in the infirmary the day after Amadia’s defeat. They look like your typical nameless delinquents, so of course, I have no knowledge on their name and everything else. Not like I would bother enough to remember even if they introduced themselves.

“Fascinating. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that spell was the famed 「Thunder God」.”

The bunch’s leader speak. All three lower their hands, and their barrier disappears afterward. Amadia’s expression becomes more tense. The girl bites her lips, while her hand is still pointing toward the three guys, preparing for another attack. However, it seems like her attack will have to wait for a while.

“Go back to where you came from. Don’t test my patience.”

Her sharp tongue and intimidating gesture are a stark contrast to the timid girl I saw that day. With her lightning-filled hand, seems like Amadia is totally serious with her words.

“Come on. Don’t be so harsh. We have repented. Let bygones be bygones and return to how it used to be.”

“Let’s become a team together again. You should feel honored to be invited by us!”

Says the two lackeys. Despite being threatened, they show no slightest hint of fear, despite having an obvious reason to. And it would seem like Amadia herself also noticed this, and she intends to bring that fear back to them by attacking again, namely shooting lightning bolts out of her hand. The two lackeys don’t even bother to dodge her attack and hold their position. They get hit, yes, but despite their shaking hands from the shock of the bolts, they prevail over the fear and pain and stand their ground. Amadia is understandably shocked.

“I don’t remember you two being this strong…”

Amadia mumbles.

“Haha. She finally remembered us, heh?”

One of the guy chuckles. His hands stop shaking when the aftershock from the attack is over.

“That hurts, damn it! Hey, young master, she refused. What now?”

“It’s simple. We explain the situation to her. She’ll understand when we’re done.”

Amadia looks slightly angry as her ears catch words from the leader guy. She shouts out loud.

“No matter what you say, I would never join you again! Go find someone else to be your party member, and leave me alone!”

The two lackeys look pissed. They slowly walk toward Amadia as they speak.

“I’m tired of this bitch, young master. We don’t exactly need her for our cause, right?”

From their cuff, the two lackeys each draw out a shiny knife with the size of a shortsword. Despite their armband indicating they are members of the Magic Art department, the way they hold their knife suggests that they are proficient in knife-fighting, contrasting with their wizardry appearance.

“Stand down, both of you! I won’t permit you two harming her!”

Despite their leader’s order, the two lackeys lunge toward Amadia, only seconds away from being within knife range. The way they approach the girl looks awfully familiar to the two hyenas that attacked me earlier during my run, but this is a highly coordinated attack, something mere beasts can’t hope to achieve. A pincer attack from both side. Amadia can’t take out the two of them at once with their speed. If she goes for one, the other will strike her down, and both of them don’t seem to hesitate to get themselves hit just so they can connect their attack. This won’t end well for her.

My instinct tells me this is the time for me to step in. With the vigor of a cheetah, I lunge toward the battleground with all my might. As Amadia gets into her attack stance, I jump in front of her and surprise the girl in the process. However, the problem hasn’t been dealt with, as the two guys with knife are still attacking. This require the help from my trusted Beretta 92FS. I take out my gun, and give out two shot at the ground in front of them as a warning.

Suprisingly, they do stop when I begin aiming my black gun to their face. Slowly, the two step back, yet they haven’t retreat to their leader. It seems like the stunt I pulled at Amadia’s fight and the charade afterward has finally produced its intended result. The two of them are aware of the strange magic I wield, and decide not rash things in my presence.

“Akuma…!”

Amadia speaks in surprise. As much as I want her to thank me, I feel saddened to know what she will inevitably say next.

“I can deal with them on my own!”

“A thank you would be fine, you know?”

I answer, with a smile of course. This is just like a TV show about heroes. A dashing, charming young hero saving the heroine in need of help. Well, I don’t think Amadia is heroine material, but being a hero does feel good.

“You two, stand back! We’re not here to fight.”

As we continue our comedic chatter, the leader dude announces his order. The two knife-wielders obey and retreat to the side of their master.

“Fancy meeting you here, Akuma.”

Says the guy.

“For you, anyway. I would prefer the three of you to stay as nameless background characters to the end of time.”

The three of them look confused as expected.

“You say the strangest things.”

“I get that all the time.”

The guy chuckles. He seems amused. If he is glad I’m here to stop his lackeys, he should be more honest.

“So what’s the deal between all of you anyway? How about we resolve all this shit without anyone dying?”

“Finally, someone who speaks my language.”

As the leader guy answers my question, he stares at his unruly lackeys like an owner looking down at his naughty dogs.

“We’re here today because we want to recruit Amadia to join our cause.”

“And that cause is?”

I ask the guy.

“To seek glory, fame and fortune!”

Glory, fame, fortune. Color me interested.

“Explain further.”

I lower my gun and put it back to my pocket. With this act of mine, the leader guy steps up and walks closer to me and Amadia as he begins his explanation.

“I will give you two a divination: On the start of the new year, the Dark Line will collapse, the humans will once again swarm this land like a horde of locusts, and a new war will come following their wake.”

The Dark Line, a defense line that was used to hold the army of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance at bay. A sturdy frontier that hasn’t been breached for ten years straight. And this guy says it will collapse in a matter of weeks.

“On what basis that you think it will happen just as you predicted?”

I voice my concern.

“Of course, if it has facts to back it up, it wouldn’t be called a divination, wouldn’t it?”

He has a point, though. That doesn’t mean I can simply trust the guy’s words at face value.

“Assuming what you said is right, how can mere cadets like us gain fame, glory and fortune from a war?”

“The Party system.”

Suddenly, Amadia speaks out after I asked my question.

“It’s a system that pairs the cadets from the 2nd and 3rd year into small special squads. They will take on various missions to help the war efforts. They will be rewarded financially for their services, and the more accomplished they are, the more fame they gain.”

Doesn’t that sound like how an adventure guild works? An adventurer takes on missions, and gains rewards and fame for doing so? I guess they are the same, except this one’s scale is larger and just a fancy way of conscripting people into soldiers.

“Then why Amadia?”

“The cadets are free to pick their team and partners. We simply want to pick the best for ours, and Amadia fits the bill.”

Well, she was notorious enough to catch his attention in the first place, so it’s nothing hard to guess. One may say she got into this situation because of her past actions. Oh, karma, you are such a bitch.

“But that’s the system for the 2nd and 3rd year only. Not until next Summer that we become 2nd year cadets. Making a team at this moment is way too unnatural.”

Amadia continues her defense.

“You’re too naïve, Amadia. Do you think the school administration will let the 1st years stand and watch as the whole Demon Realm is in danger? No, when the Dark Line inevitably collapses, even we 1st years will get drafted to fight on the frontline alongside with others. We have to prepare ourselves as much as we can before that very moment!”

Hmm. The guy does have a point. Knowing the Headmaster, she will make use of any manpower she has if such situation occurs, including sending the first years out. However…

“You’re right. It’s better to be prepare at this moment. However, that is assuming what you said is true. But do you really expect us to trust a simple divination of yours?”

I shout.

“Of course not, I don’t exactly need you to believe my words.”

As the guy says his part, he gives Amadia a quick glance. Right, she is their target all along. This is quite a pickle I got myself into. Say the wrong words, and I will find myself getting caught to another unnecessary fight.

“It’s alright, Akuma. I will deal with this.”

Before I can come up with a solution, Amadia suddenly walks past me and stands in the opposite of the leader guy.

“You’re right about one thing: I do seek fame, glory and fortune. However, they are not my end goal, and absolutely not what I am aiming for. For me, they are the tools I need in order to achieve my true goal. If merely seeking them is your goal, that would mean we do not share the same cause after all. I’m sorry, but I won’t join your team. I will find my own team to make my dream comes true.”

Rejected, the leader guy just smiles to cope with his rejection. The other two don’t look too tense, surprisingly, like they never expected this to work to begin with.

“So, a no is a no after all. What a shame.”

The guy chuckles. He takes off his wizard hat for a moment, like how an gentlemen would do to say goodbye back in the old eras.

“It can’t be helped. I hope that you can make your dream come true, Amadia.”

“Thank you…Naranath.”

Amadia answers. There is a shed of sympathy lies hidden in her voice.

“You finally remember my name.”

The guy chuckles yet again. His two lackey turn their back to us, as they prepare to take their leave along with their leader. However, he still have some lines left, for me.

“I heard that you’re going to enter the Familiar competition. Is it true, Akuma?”

“Yes.”

I answer. News sure travel fast, though, even that guy knows.

“Then let’s hope we won’t meet each other in that competition. Farewell”

As the guy finishes with his warning, he takes his leave together with his lackeys. The forest returns to the silence it once has before this charade happened. Only me and Amadia remain. The atmosphere seems tense. I can’t find any words to say, and I guess the same is true on her part. Amadia walks toward the lake and just silently stands there, watching the scenery without saying anything.

“I guess being Miss Popular is tough.”

My attempt to break the silence only makes the atmosphere more awkward as Amadia doesn’t response. She just keeps staring at the lake up until a minute later.

“Naranath was the first person I beat when I got to this academy.”

That guy? He seems weak alright.

“He’s a former noble whose family got striped off their name, ranks and statuses for the crime of treason. Naranath is the only remaining member of that clan. So, I guess he seeks to rebuild his clan by obtaining glory, fame and fortune, like what he said before.”

“And he intends to do that by using you.”

My words once again make the girl fall silent for half a minute.

“I know that. But he was the first friend I made. He was the one who helped gathered my followers. Following my defeat, seeing him like this, I guess those people had already left him since I’m no longer in charge to be the pillar binding them together. In a way, I pity him.”

So what goes around comes around. Typical karma.

“You’re an idiot, you know that?”

Nothing good would come from pitying people like that. The more mercy you give, the more chances they get to bite you in the back one day. It’s uncourteous to outright tell a girl she’s an idiot, but sugarcoating the truth won’t help anyone.

“Yes…I was an idiot. I was too blind back then to see my stupidity. But thanks to you, I know how much of a fool I was, and to know that there’s still a chance for me to repent myself.”

Amadia smiles.

“I think I own you my grati…Akuma? What’s wrong!?”

Suddenly, I feel like the sky turns upside down. But the pain in my head as I fall down to the ground indicate that it was just me falling. I feel…empty. But that is just the calm before the storm.

From my legs, I feel a tremendous and continuous pain. It’s like the pain of having your flesh pierced by a thousand needles. But that is not the pain from the outside, it comes from the inside of my muscles. I feel like my leg muscles are dying and on the verge of exploding like a timed bomb. The girl in front of me looks rightfully confused as she tries to give me some healing magic. However, no amount of magic can help ease the pain in my legs. I feel like screaming, but I think I have already did that countless times, and I just simply couldn’t hear them due to the pain clouding my mind and my ears.

My eyes slowly close as I try to cope with the pain. However, before I completely pass out, I see the shadow of two person running toward me. I fail to identify those two, but a simple hunch tells me that I know who they are…as I fall to darkness.

--------------------------

My sleep is long, like I was in an eternal slumber. But that eternity quickly ends as I open my eyes from the light outside. Before I know it, I am in my room once again. I’m lying on my bed, under the blanket and is wearing fresh clothes.

“Enjoying your sleep?”

I turn my head to the direction of the voice. It comes from Deborah, who’s sitting on a wooden chair near her study desk, still in her student attire. On my desk nearby, the equipment and items I have are already laid out on the table, including my gun.

“What…happened…?”

“You collapsed. Thankfully, Caelan and I were nearby, so I had Caelan brought you back to the school for treatment. You had been unconscious for two days.”

Deborah explains. Her reaction doesn’t seem to be different than her usual self.

“Two days…”

So much time passed, and I wasted them by sleeping comfortably on my bed.

My body is still heavy, so I can’t bring myself out of the bed to have a proper conversation. Though I guess Deborah is fine with having a conversation this way. But that is not what I should worry about right now.

“Why…did that…happen…?”

Deborah doesn’t answer. She stands up and keeps her face away from my sight…like she felt guilty or something.

“Your leg muscles were overworked. They got pushed far past their limits due to the effect of the enhancement magic. The pain you felt…it was because of the after effect from overworking your leg muscles when the enhancement ended. The school’s medical staffs can patch you up and heal your wounds, but prolong use of this spell and you can kiss your legs goodbyes.”

So, this was because of that magic of her. And yet…why…?

“Why did you…use it on me despite knowing…what would happen?”

“...”

Deborah falls silent from the guilt.

“You knew it from the start, right? With your current power, you won’t stand a chance against the beasts summoned by other mages. Running away is one thing, but fighting those familiars is inevitable. That was why you didn’t have any doubt when I came to offer you help. So, you want power, I gave you that power, and you paid the cost that came with that power. I simply made it clear about the consequences should you still want to fight.”

Finally, the girl turns back to my direction and meet me face to face as she speaks.

“Enhancement spells were designed to support seasoned warriors to achieve new heights in fighting. But even they couldn’t withstand the effect of these spells despite the benefits they gave. If you want to enter that competition, you will need power equal or more than those warriors to even stand a chance at surviving. Yet…do you really think you would reach that height in the span of three weeks? With how weak you are, you’re going to do nothing but senselessly throwing your life away in there!”

What does she knows about the struggles of the weak? When you are as powerful as her, all you can see in your eyes are fights that have been decided from the start by the differences in power. Does she not know of efforts, determination and the strength of will? Foolish, stupid girl!

“Can you think of…anything other than…power!?”

I try to bring my body up. Yet in my current state, all of my efforts are rendered null as the remainin strength I have rapidly leave my body. Deborah can only watch as I once again attempt to prove she is wrong in this pitiful state of mine.

“Someone like you…what do you know about…the powerless…?”

Power, power, power…enough of that bullshit!

“I do not know. But I can understand.”

“Liar!!!”

I shout out loud. I will listen to her bullshit no more!

“What do you know about being…weak? Unable to change the bad things…that happened in your life. Feeling pitiful of yourself…as if you accepted that it was your fate to be this….pitiful! What do you know about that!?”

Suddenly, as I shout, I fall to the ground when I attempt to stand up again. Deborah gives out a worried look, and she understandably comes closer to try and help me.

“Stand back…!”

I wave my hand around trying to stop Deborah from giving me a helping hand. I guess my stubbornness will be the end of me one day. However, today is not that day. I will prevail, and I will stand up again, no matter how many I fall. This will not be the day I lay on the ground and weep for my pitiful life!

“You…”

Deborah mumbles. She looks rightfully distressed.

With all of my remaining strength, and the help of the desk nearby, I bring my battered legs up to stand again. The pain from the old wounds still torments me as I try to defy my physical state, but will that stop me? No, pain is the least thing I would worry about.

“See…for yourself!”

My panting breath may kill what little coolness I have, but I felt like a badass as I stand tall and declare my will to the girl in front of me.

“I know…that you’re trying to do this…because you want to help me. I know that you…have another alternative…an alternative that could help me get through this alive…But, it will be something you know full well I will…never choose to do. So you resorted to do this in order to make me…change my mind, by breaking my will…and give me a rope to climb up when I am at my weakest...But…!”

Deborah keeps her silent as I try to keep myself from falling apart.

“Screw you! And screw your plan! I will do things the way I want!”

“Do you really want to die that much!?”

Seems like she can’t hold her cool anymore, Deborah began to shout.

“Living like a coward…is no better than being dead.”

Even though I would like to continue my bravado a little bit longer, but at this moment, my coolness meter goes rock bottom as my strength fails me and I fall to the ground, again. And this fall finally put me back to my sleep. But those words I said…will forever etched in my heart. And I also hope it reached hers at well.