The daily ritual of Ayaka and Asuna's bickering eventually simmered down into a low-voltage glare, allowing Negi to begin what was likely the first English lesson of his life.
Under the collective, expectant gaze of thirty-one teenage girls, he steeled his resolve and flipped open his textbook. He reached out to write the day's objective on the blackboard. Or rather, he tried to write it.
"I... I can't reach..."
It was a predictable hurdle. Negi was roughly the same age as my current physical form, and his height reflected that. The top half of the blackboard was essentially another country to him. A wave of affectionate giggles and "aww"s swept through the room.
"Sensei, please, use this."
Ayaka, ever the vigilant guardian of Negi's dignity (and her own aesthetic tastes), placed a suspiciously ornate, mahogany-finished step stool near the board. Where she had been keeping such a luxurious piece of furniture in a middle school classroom was a mystery I wasn't sure I wanted to solve.
"Thank you, Class Representative. This will help immensely."
Negi offered her a grateful smile and began his lecture. However, Asuna wasn't quite finished with her investigation into the "Eraser Incident." From the back of the room, she began sniping at the back of Negi's head with rubber bands and bits of eraser.
Naturally, Ayaka spent the rest of the period leaping in front of Negi like a human shield, and the lesson devolved into the usual 2-A chaos until the bell finally rang.
"A welcome party?" I repeated.
"Yes," Chizuru said, her hands clasped together. "We did the same for you when you transferred in, didn't we, Axel-kun?"
I winced, a flash of memory from that first "party"—which had been closer to a riotous bacchanal than a social gathering—flickering through my mind. It also reminded me that I still owed Madoka Kugimiya that beef bowl dinner I'd promised her.
"Do we really need to go through that madness again?"
"Now, don't be like that," Chizuru teased. "I know the girls just want an excuse to make a scene, but they truly do want to welcome their new friend."
"I suppose I can't argue with that."
In truth, I was grateful for Class 2-A. Despite the fact that I was a boy—albeit a young-looking one—they had accepted me into their fold without any real hesitation.
"The plan was for me to head out and buy the snacks and drinks, but I just got a call from the nursery school where I volunteer," Chizuru explained. "One of the teachers had an emergency, and they need me to fill in. I was hoping I could leave the shopping to you?"
"I don't mind helping out," I said, "but I'm the last person you should ask for snack recommendations. I'm more of a 'meat bun and sandwich' kind of guy."
"Fufu, don't worry about that. I've already asked your 'favorite' girls, Kugimiya-san and the others, to go with you."
"They aren't my 'favorites,'" I corrected flatly. "We just happen to have a history."
"Some people call that 'destiny,' Axel-kun."
"No. They really don't. That's a total misuse of the word."
"Is it? Well, regardless... here is the budget for the snacks." She pressed a five-thousand-yen bill into my hand.
"This much?"
"Never underestimate the caloric intake of middle school girls, Axel-kun."
Young power, huh? I looked up at Chizuru, and for a split second, I saw a familiar, terrifyingly benevolent smile. She was radiating that strange, primordial pressure again.
"Is there... something you'd like to say?" she asked sweetly.
"Not a word."
"Naba-san, sorry to keep you wait... ing...?" Madoka and Misa Kakizaki appeared in the doorway, but they froze the moment they felt the atmosphere. "Uh, actually, I just remembered I have a thing. Can we push this back an hour?"
"Yeah, us too. Super urgent business," Misa added, already turning on her heel.
Not so fast. I reached out and snagged both of their wrists, dragging them back in front of Chizuru.
"Hey! Axel-kun, let go!" Madoka squeaked.
"Since when is this kid so strong?! It's like being held by a hydraulic press!" Misa groaned.
"My, my," Chizuru said, her pressure vanishing instantly as she returned to her usual gentle self. "Is there something wrong, girls?"
"No! Nothing at all!" Madoka stammered.
"Yeah, totally fine... Damn it, Sakurako," Misa muttered under her breath. "She must have sensed this and bailed. That lucky brat."
I realized Sakurako Shiina was nowhere to be seen. They called her the "Lucky Mask of Mahora" for a reason; her true talent seemed to be an instinctual ability to sense impending doom and vanish before it arrived.
"Kugimiya-san, Kakizaki-san," Chizuru said, her voice like silk. "I'll leave Axel-kun in your capable hands."
"S-Sure."
"Though honestly," Misa whispered as Chizuru walked away, "I feel like he's the one who's going to be looking after us."
"Misa, that's embarrassing," Madoka sighed.
"What? It's true! Axel-kun is way more put-together than we are. Honestly, compared to Negi-sensei, he feels like a complete adult."
Well, she wasn't wrong. My mental age was leagues ahead of my appearance. I was essentially a grizzled veteran in a pint-sized package—the "Tiny Detective" routine, minus the bowtie.
"Look, I really don't know what's popular in the snack world," I said, cutting through their chatter. "I'll rely on you two to pick the stuff that won't cause a riot."
"Leave it to us!" Misa said, her energy rebounding instantly. "We know exactly what's trending right now. We'll get a mountain of the good stuff!"
"...Just a reminder, Misa. Nothing 'experimental.' Stick to things that are actually edible for the general population."
"Aww, come on, Axel-kun! Live a little!"
"Yeah," Madoka added, a mischievous glint in her eye. "You never know until you try it. Some things are surprisingly tasty."
I looked at them both. "If you try to buy Bitter Melon Crepes again, the deal is off."
"Ufufu," Chizuru's voice drifted back from the hallway as she prepared to leave. She was smiling, but a tiny flicker of that "Holy Mother" pressure returned. "I don't mind a little adventure... but it would be a shame if the party was ruined by 'unusual' tastes, wouldn't it?"
"YES, NABE-SAN! CRYSTAL CLEAR!" Misa snapped into a perfect military salute. Madoka practically hid behind her.
"Good. I'll leave the welcome party shopping to you three, then. I have to get to the nursery."
Chizuru hurried off, leaving the three of us standing in the quiet classroom. As soon as she was out of earshot, we all let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.
"Man... Naba-san is getting more and more 'intense' lately, isn't she?" Misa muttered.
"Seriously. When did that even start?" Madoka wondered.
"Well..." Misa shot a knowing look in my direction.
Madoka followed her gaze, and her face softened into a look of realization. "Oh, right. It started right around the time Axel-kun transferred in. Along with the Class Rep's daily meltdowns."
"Hey, Ayaka is just... being Ayaka," I said.
"True. But Axel-kun, I still don't know how you survive living in that room with those two. How are you still... 'intact'?"
"Whoa, Madoka! Going straight for the jugular, are we?" Misa teased.
"Huh? Did I say something weird?" Madoka asked, looking genuinely confused.
"You're basically asking if our little Axel-kun has managed to keep his 'purity' safe from the Class Rep's clutches, aren't you?"
Madoka's face turned a brilliant shade of crimson as the implication sank in.
Purity, huh? Technically, since I'd been stuck in this body, I hadn't exactly been "active." So, from a certain perspective, I suppose I was as pure as the driven snow. Ayaka had her moments of madness, but Chizuru and Natsumi were always there to act as the voice of reason. Plus, my bed was positioned right on the threshold between Ayaka's room and the living area—not exactly the most romantic setup.
"Anyway," Misa said, shaking off the awkwardness. "As much as I want to hear the gritty details of Axel's love life, we have a job to do. And Naba-san is scary when she's disappointed."
"Agreed," Madoka nodded, her face still a bit pink.
We left the classroom and headed toward the campus gates. "So, where are we heading?" I asked.
"The supermarket in the shopping district," Madoka suggested. "Remember? Where we ran into you that one time?"
"Ah, right. The day of the 'Sukiyaki Party from Hell.'"
Misa and Madoka both winced at the memory, a pair of wry smiles crossing their faces.
"That was... an interesting kind of hell, I'll give it that," Madoka muttered.
"Look, a high-class woman learns to leave the past in the past," Misa declared. "Right now, we focus on Negi-sensei's snacks. I want to see if they have those new seasonal releases..."
"I don't mind," Madoka said, "but if Naba-san gets mad about the selection, I'm telling her it was all your idea."
"Okay, okay! Just a few new things!"
Misa, the self-proclaimed mood-maker of Class 2-A, folded immediately. Chizuru's influence was truly something to behold.
"There it is," Madoka said, pointing ahead.
The supermarket was just a few minutes away. I recognized the storefront. We were about five minutes from finishing the first leg of our mission... assuming nothing went wrong.
Naturally, my "Soldier's Intuition" flared up exactly at that moment.
"Hey, hey, hey! Look at you two beauties. Why so serious?"
Two guys, looking like typical street punks with bleached hair and cheap jewelry, stepped into our path.
"How about you come hang out with us? We know a great spot nearby."
"No, thank you," Misa said, her voice tight. "We're busy—"
"Wait a sec," the lead punk said, squinting at Madoka and Misa. "Have I seen you two somewhere before?"
"Shut up, man," his partner laughed. "That's the oldest line in the book."
"No, for real... I definitely know... AH!"
The first guy's eyes traveled from the girls down to me. He froze as the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place.
"You! You're that... that brat from before!"
"What are you talking about?" the second guy asked, looking confused.
"Don't you remember?! This is the little squirt who stepped in when we tried to talk to these two last time! The one who humiliated us!"
The punk's voice rose to a snarl, drawing the attention of the passing shoppers.
Name: Axel Almar
Level: 38
PP: 625
Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272 | Defense: 272 | Evade: 302 | Hit: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Enhance Slime performance via SP consumption)
Growth Type: All-Rounder / Special
Terrain: Air: S | Land: S | Sea: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accelerate (4 SP) | Effort (8 SP) | Focus (16 SP) | Direct Hit (30 SP) | Awaken (32 SP) | Love (48 SP)
Skills:
EXP Up, SP Boost, Telekinesis Lv.10, Attacker, Gunfight Lv.9, Infight Lv.9, Will Limit Break, Geas
(Gray), Magic (Fire, Shadow, Summoning)
Total Kills: 376
-------------------------------
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