040 Kitten and Sasami

“...Wait, are you two dating?”

“I-I only came because I was invited!”

“Yeah. And why did you show up, too?”

“Is it a crime for a classmate to come over to play? Seems pretty normal to me, doesn’t it?”

Well, I guess it isn't a crime.

When he put it that way, it did sound almost normal. That said, most people would at least send a message ahead of time.

It was the middle of the Estarm period—our summer vacation. The incident with Tucker had been resolved, and I was spending my days waiting for Teacher Milk to return. I’d been having tea with Cynthia during my spare time, but she’d been busy with family matters lately, so we hadn't seen much of each other.

However, Carta had finally returned.

I’d called her over immediately so I could get to work on learning [Flight Magic]. An uninvited "bonus" had decided to tag along, though.

Duke stomped inside and stared up at the ceiling.

“This mansion is huge! Though, isn’t this area a bit too much of a backwater?!”

Does this guy have a single functioning brain cell?

In contrast to Duke's boisterousness, Carta was frozen at the entrance. She looked terrified, her knuckles white as she gripped her staff.

“...Get in here.”

“Yes!”

Carta Wiore and Duke Billian.

The runt and the muscle; the little girl and the protein; the kitten and the Sasami. You could describe them in any number of ways, but the two of them were complete polar opposites.

In the original story, Carta was expelled, so even I didn't know how this combination would play out. Could it be they actually have good chemistry?

Somehow... the thought annoyed me.

“Your house is surprisingly decent, Weiss.”

“What exactly were you expecting?”

“You know, slaves kneeling under the tables to act as footrests. People in collars standing against the walls. That kind of thing.”

“Don’t be an idiot. There’s no way—”

Wait, I'm pretty sure the 'real' Weiss actually did do that.

Which meant, in this world's history, the past version of me had done it.

Damn, this guy is sharp.

“Wait, Weiss-kun, why are you suddenly at a loss for words? Is it... is it true?”

“Shut up. Come to think of it, didn't you call me 'Baabuus-kun' or something the other day? Are you mocking me, Carta?”

“N-No! Not at all! I mean, I... I really like you, Weiss-kun!”

...Like?

“What, are you guys actually dating? Well, I know parents usually pick the fiancé, but make sure you follow the proper procedures first, okay?”

“I’m going to kill you, Vitamin.”

“Why?! What did I do?!”

It was too much of a pain to correct him every single time. Carta was blushing and fidgeting, but I wasn't looking for a rom-com subplot.

“Duke, I called Carta here to learn [Flight Magic]. Since you’ve invited yourself along, I assume there’s some benefit in this for me?”

“Ha! I knew you’d say that. I’m a member of the Billian Family. You know what that means, right? Weiss, I’m going to surpass you. And I’m going to use you to do it.”

He was similar to Allen, yet fundamentally different. At his core, he was just like me: he wanted to be number one. The way he declared it with such idiotic honesty was actually his one redeeming quality.

Ah, I see. Weiss. You actually liked this guy, didn't you?

Maybe that was why I didn’t hate him, either.

“...We’re moving to the courtyard. Carta, I’m going to be stricter than usual today. Don’t you dare give up on me.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

Hah. For someone who was usually so timid, she had a habit of staring me straight in the eye at moments like this.

Good grief. These 'protagonist' types and their sincerity.

---

“I don't mind taking you both on at once, but Duke—you’re up first.”

“Alright! I’m going full throttle from the start!”

“Do your best, Duke-kun!”

As "Vitamin" started doing leg stretches, Carta cheered him on with both fists clenched.

Maybe I really should just kill him.

Actually, this was a perfect opportunity to test out [Time Lapse]. Duke was a fool, but he wasn't stupid. He’d been working his ass off ever since he lost to me. Even in the original game, he was strong enough to keep pace with Allen. I was genuinely curious to see how far he’d come.

“I’m not giving you a countdown. Come at me whenever.”

“Fine then! Don't complain when I don't hold back—!!”

Duke—or Vitamin, whatever—lunged at me with startling speed. I triggered [Dark Eye] and followed it immediately with [Time Lapse].

Even the magical power drifting through the air became visible to me. The movement of the world slowed to a crawl. I’d tested this a few times, but it was incredibly effective against fast opponents.

Duke was closing in on me with terrifying velocity. His physical enhancement was remarkably versatile. He always screamed “[Power Up]!” like a moron when he used it, but it was actually a chantless activation. It boosted his attack power and magic, but also his physical and magical resistances. It drained mana while active, but his massive frame and high mana capacity allowed him to sustain it.

During our three-day survival exercise, he’d never once run out of mana despite staying on the move with me. In terms of pure stamina, he was likely top-tier even within Nobless Academy. A full-power fist backed by that much speed and magic would be devastating if it connected.

Key word: if.

“Too slow.”

“Dammit! How are your eyes so good?!”

“Your movements are readable. You’re too... 'clean.'”

Duke had been raised with an elite knight’s education since he was a child. Despite his boisterous personality, his combat techniques were the product of perfect, orthodox training. But sometimes, that becomes a double-edged sword.

Between a textbook-perfect, straightforward attack and a wild, unpredictable one, it’s obvious which is harder to deal with. It wasn't that his style was bad, per se; he just had a terrible match-up against a counter-type like me who could see through everything.

Honestly, you’d be much better off if you just moved naturally.

“Shit! In that case—!”

Seeing that his physical attacks weren't landing, he leaped backward to create distance. Then, he began to manifest a magic weapon in his hand. It was an 'Original' modification he’d come up with after I’d thrashed him.

But... it was still pretty weak.

“Hah! Tei!”

He produced a small bow and magic arrows, firing at me from long range. They were slow. Honestly, they were slower than his own physical movements.

Still, it was a terrifying omen for the future. Duke’s magic was still in its infancy. Once he gained more experience, he’d become a true all-rounder capable of fighting at any range. On a real battlefield, he might actually end up being the strongest of us all.

“Good grief, you idiot.”

I dashed forward, circled behind him in an instant, and delivered a sharp blow with my wooden sword. He tumbled forward and smashed his face into the dirt, but his nose didn't even bleed. Being sturdy was certainly a plus.

“OWWWWWWWW!”

“Next. Carta, you're up.”

“Yes!”

With a slight bounce, Carta straddled her staff and soared high into the sky. Man, that’s just cheating. In so many ways.

“Whoa! That’s incredible!”

I couldn't really blame Duke for howling like a gorilla. Carta was a literal genius. Flying through the air was the equivalent of trying to write different sentences with both hands and both feet simultaneously, yet she pulled it off with a perfectly calm expression.

However—

“If you’re just going to hover there, it’s no different from last time.”

“...I know.”

Carta aimed her hand at me from above. She’d been able to fire mana cannons before, but...

“...Hah. Not bad.”

The size and raw power of the spell she unleashed was triple what it had been during the Tag Tournament. Every single one of them was working so hard. Dammit, isn't being a 'hard worker' supposed to be my thing?

But well...

“I haven't been sitting on my hands either.”

I coated my wooden sword in black mana and fused it with [Light Magic]. I didn't see any need to give the technique a name.

“I can see you clearly.”

Thanks to [Time Lapse], the flow of magical power was visible. The mana cannon looked like a sphere to the naked eye, but to me, it looked like it was covered in hairline fractures. I let my sword glide along those cracks, and the spell began to splinter with a high-pitched creaking sound.

Magic attacks are just converted mana. On the surface, they look like giant bullets, but the interior is held together by a magic formula. My new technique destroyed that very formula.

In other words—

“Wait, Weiss, that’s cheating!”

“No way...”

Like a Jenga tower having a key piece yanked out, Carta’s mana cannon shattered into harmless dust. This was a "strongest" tier magic I’d developed myself—something that didn't even exist in the original game. I could now destroy magic itself.

It was all thanks to Tucker’s [Time Lapse]. Well, if I traced it back, it was thanks to everyone.

“Alright! My turn again! Weiss!”

“I don't hate that spirit. Come on then, Duke.”

I suddenly remembered something Teacher Milk had said.

‘The act of teaching allows one to train oneself at the same time. You’ll understand that someday, too, Weiss.’

I wasn't exactly "teaching" them, but I think I finally got what she meant. Though, the stronger I got, the further away Teacher Milk seemed to be.

---

“See ya, Weiss! You’d better use my [Power Up] well!”

“Yeah, yeah. I'll use it better than you ever could.”

“Goodbye, Weiss-kun.”

“Carta, your flight is impressive, but you need to practice close-quarters combat. I’ve managed to learn how to fly a bit thanks to you, so stop running away from your weaknesses.”

“I-I understand! I mean, yes! I will!”

“Good.”

We were rivals. We weren't going to stand around hugging and being all friendly. But being able to polish our skills against one another was a good thing.

...Man, I really have become soft, haven't I?

Wait. Come to think of it...

“How did you two get here, anyway? And how are you getting back?”

“I ran.”

“I flew!”

Putting a moron and a genius side-by-side is actually hilarious. Even if you ran, it would take four hours to get here from the Royal Capital.

“...Good grief. It’s late. Carta, you have to be exhausted. Flying at night is dangerous. Wait here, I’ll have a carriage prepared.”

“For real?! You’re a lifesaver!”

“...Thank you, Weiss-kun.”

“I wasn't talking to you, Vitamin.”

“Hey, come on! We’re friends, aren't we?!”

...If it’s these two, they might actually believe me if I told them about the Calamity.

“Master Weiss, the preparations are complete.”

Zebis appeared at my side. He seemed to understand what I needed without us even making eye contact. Or rather, he’d probably predicted my actions before I even took them. Everyone in my life was so competent it was becoming a problem.

“...It’s almost dinner time. It would be a stain on the honor of House Fanscent to let guests leave hungry. If you aren't picky eaters, stay and eat. But wash your hands first.”

“What are you, my mom...? Fine, I’ll take you up on that! I’m starving!”

“Yes! Thank you for the meal!”

Watching them, I realized that I might be starting to like this world more and more... well, I suppose I liked it from the very beginning.

Duke -> Muscle -> Protein -> Sasami -> Vitamin -> ????