"Alright, let's begin the sparring matches. Everyone get ready. It might be good to watch the earlier pairs go at it and share your impressions afterward."
✍️ WRITER-NIM ✍️It's finally starting! Wow!
"We'll start in the order that's been set."
I glanced at the paper in my hand.
It had "10" written on it. The very last number.
✍️ WRITER-NIM ✍️Hehe, as expected, the protagonist always shows up last! That's fine, right?
"Sure, that's fine."
The sparring order was decided by drawing lots, but that meant nothing to Writer-nim and me.
Probability wasn't probability for us.
If Writer-nim wanted it, we could do anything—as long as it fit within the bounds of plausibility.
Pushing the protagonist's big moment to the end? Piece of cake.
"What do you think?"
"Huh?! W-what do you mean...?"
What? Why is she so startled?
She looks like she's out of breath or something.
Did I flirt too hard? No way she's actually fallen for me, right?
"I mean the students sparring right now. Do they seem to be fighting well?"
"...Well. That guy with the spear is strong, but his opponent's too weak. It'll be over quick."
She's switching between polite and casual speech all willy-nilly.
Whatever, I'll let that slide. Even to my eyes, it does look like it'll end soon.
The blonde girl with the spear was pressuring him with that long reach, and he couldn't cope at all.
Gonna wrap up fast, huh?
He couldn't even keep up with her speed, let alone get her in his sights.
"Ah, it's over."
"...He couldn't deal with it at all. What's her ability?"
"Not sure exactly, but I can kinda feel what it is."
Circulating mana boosts physical abilities, sure—but this was beyond that.
No doubt about it. It's an ability.
Probably some kind of body enhancement.
✍️ WRITER-NIM ✍️Both of them are heroine candidates! Aren't they pretty?
"Hmm..."
I get the blonde spear girl, but that other one too?
Well, late-bloomer heroines who start off as frustrating sticks in the mud do pop up a lot.
Probably that type.
Yoo Siu spots her flaws as a heroine and swoops in to save her—something like that?
"...Any other candidates?"
✍️ WRITER-NIM ✍️Hmm, not at this point. Too many from the same class might feel off... Maybe during swordsmanship class?
Hmm.
Guess no need to pay special attention then.
I watched the second match start with a bored gaze.
Yeah, the level was definitely higher than the first one.
Still not enough.
No one stood out as stronger than that first heroine candidate girl.
Third, fourth, fifth.
Before I knew it, the eighth match had begun, but no one seemed stronger than that initial girl.
...If it had been anyone else, they might've lasted a bit longer against her.
That girl who went around spreading a gloomy vibe everywhere... She kinda stuck in my mind.
"Next up, the final match! Once this is done, class is over, so the rest of you can relax!"
"Ah, our turn. Shall we head up?"
"...Yeah."
✍️ WRITER-NIM ✍️Kyaa, kyaa! The protagonist fighting coolly! Hurry!
I'd get to see it soon enough without the nagging.
We took our positions on the platform.
The protagonist, Yoo Siu, gripped his sword with a hardened expression.
"Ready? ...Begin!"
What if I lose right at the start?
I'd never heard just how strong the protagonist was.
Losing immediately would be too embarrassing, so I hoped for at least a decent fight.
I tensed up, waiting for Yoo Siu to charge... but even after a while, he didn't budge.
...What's going on?
"What's the holdup, you two? Some kind of problem?"
"No, teacher. No problems here."
"...Got it."
The homeroom teacher obviously thought our frozen stances were weird after staring for so long.
She seemed to let it slide for now, but we probably needed to get moving.
"Not coming at me?"
"..."
Yoo Siu stayed silent, sword aimed and focused.
Doesn't look like he's planning to attack first.
✍️ WRITER-NIM ✍️Ughhh, you said it was starting!
"Guess no choice... I'll go first."
Teacher's watching, and Writer-nim's whining about when it'll start.
Yoo Siu shows no sign of coming, so I have to.
The threads from the undershirt under my gym clothes unraveled and surged toward him.
"...!"
"Not a bad call. I'll give you props for that."
I was impressed watching Yoo Siu dodge the fast-charging threads.
He's not trying to swat them away?
If they touched his weapon, they'd wrap it up and steal it in a flash.
As I paused in slight surprise, he spoke for the first time in the match.
"I saw you tie up that monster with my own eyes. No way I'd try to knock them off."
"Hmm... How about this then!"
I unleashed more threads in an attack. Let's see how he handles this.
Ting!
The sound of metal clashing rang out, and the thread hit the floor.
"...You didn't dodge—you deflected it?"
"I saw you slice concrete with them too."
"You're sharper than I thought."
He saw that?
I like him.
As expected of the protagonist? Quick at gathering intel.
✍️ WRITER-NIM ✍️Ahem, our protagonist's ability is Intuition! He's great at sensing physical threats!
"Intuition, huh..."
Nice ability.
He could counter even if an invisible person attacked.
Made it even more impressive that he could distinguish my threads, which all look the same.
The downside was lacking raw physical potential, but the protagonist would grow out of that.
"H-how do you know my ability...!"
"Here comes more! Think you can block this?"
So, what if I hit him with an unavoidable attack?
I used up one full undershirt, attacking not him but the space around him wildly.
No dodging an attack like that, even with intuition.
"Hoo, whoo... That startled me."
"...You're even better than I thought. I like you."
Whoa, seriously?
I figured intuition meant he'd drop if I made it undodgeable.
I thought I'd covered the space enough with threads, but apparently not.
He flicked away the deflectable ones to collide with others, slipping through the gap.
Is this guy even human? No hidden abilities, right?
If someone with overwhelming base stats has that power, it's busted!
"Good, then next..."
✍️ WRITER-NIM ✍️I don't like it.
I was about to use the other undershirt to attack when Writer-nim's sullen voice chimed in.
"You don't like it...?"
"...?"
Suddenly?
No clue why Writer-nim's in such a bad mood.
As the attack never came, Yoo Siu caught his breath and shot me a questioning look. I listened to Writer-nim.
Her voice was way more subdued than usual. She sounded genuinely disappointed, so joking around might cause trouble.
✍️ WRITER-NIM ✍️I can't even see the protagonist's debut scene. It's his first match, but...! What's this?! He doesn't look strong at all—he's getting pushed by the reader!
"Ah, shoot..."
Oh no.
I forgot the most important part!
I'd paired up with him thinking I'd get to gauge the protagonist's strength.
But he wasn't coming at me, and it was my first time really unleashing my abilities, so I got too excited.
I should've hyped him up...!
✍️ WRITER-NIM ✍️I'm mad...! Hmph!
"This is... really tricky..."
What do I do?
Writer-nim's furious.
This time it was my screw-up, so I had nothing to say to her.
"I forfeit."
"...What? You serious, Arte?"
"Yeah, dead serious."
✍️ WRITER-NIM ✍️The protagonist's first match, ruined by the reader! Waaaaaah!
Students looked flustered, and the teacher stared in disbelief, but I had no time for them.
I needed to soothe the crying Writer-nim.
Letting the protagonist win makes it easier to retcon later anyway.
"This is gonna be hard to clean up..."
✍️ WRITER-NIM ✍️Waaaaaaaaah!◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"That girl uses threads."
I'd approached the guy from the monster takedown story hoping to spar with him, but something tripped me, and I fell.
By the time I got up, he'd already paired with someone else.
No choice but to find another partner, but it was too late—I ended up with the leftover kid.
...When I fell, I swear I glimpsed a black thread, but I brushed it off as seeing things.
No way...
"And what was that? She had the win and forfeited?"
She'd dominated that male student the whole time.
Just keep draining his stamina, and victory was hers.
But suddenly she's mumbling about not liking it and how it's tricky?
Declared forfeit after some weird muttering.
Not even messing with people.
Everyone looked stunned, but I was pissed.
Couldn't show her skills fair and square, toys with her opponent, then throws the win!
"Arte Isis... One of the ones who took down the monster during that incident, right?"
I'd heard those two beat it while everyone else evacuated and wanted to befriend them.
Didn't expect such a shameless person.
Wasn't it for saving students?
Her skills seemed legit.
But that shady behavior rubbed me the wrong way.
Couldn't see her as Academy material.
"I'll be watching you, Arte Isis...!"
I'll keep an eye on whether she fits at the Academy!
Amelia vowed to herself.