What remained in the training ground was the scent of blood and the remnants of a shattered barrier.
The attackers had already been subdued. However, the students of the Elementary School Division lacked the emotional capacity to truly understand who had accomplished the feat. Only one heavy fact remained: someone had risked their life.
"Stretcher, over here!"
At the shout of a teacher from the Middle School Division, several upperclassmen moved with practiced speed. A white cloth was spread out, and beneath it lay the small, quiet figure of a boy. His face was hidden from view, but the blood-soaked uniform peeking out from the edge of the cloth told the entire story.
"...Master Luka..."
Yuka stood rooted to the spot. her knees felt weak, and she struggled to draw a proper breath.
"Pull yourself together!" a male student from the Middle School Division barked, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Medical treatment is the priority right now. What good will you be if you collapse?"
Even so, her gaze never wavered from the white cloth.
I was supposed to protect him.
That single thought burned like acid in her chest.
A short distance away, Elicia stood frozen. She couldn't find her voice. She couldn't even find tears. She simply watched the white cloth as it was carried away, her eyes fixed on it as if watching something that wasn't quite real.
"...Elicia."
A hand was placed gently on her shoulder. She turned to find Caiel standing beside her. He looked pale, but his voice was surprisingly steady.
"You don't have to think about anything right now," he said, stepping half a pace in front of her. "I won't tell you not to look. But... I’ll be the one to support you."
Elicia finally managed a small, shallow breath.
The moment the stretcher passed the exit of the training ground, a low, resonant voice echoed through the hall.
"—Wait."
A group of students from the High School and Middle School Divisions appeared, the different colors of their uniforms marking their status. The atmosphere shifted instantly. At their head stood a tall young man.
"I am Fazil Noctear."
The mere mention of his name caused a stir among the crowd.
"The casualty?" he asked curtly.
"A student from the Elementary School Division," the teacher replied, hesitating for a fraction of a second. "The injuries are severe, but his life is not in immediate—"
"His name."
The teacher swallowed hard. "...Luka Noctear."
Fazil stopped in his tracks. His gaze dropped to the stretcher—to the small body hidden beneath the cloth.
"...Luka?"
He took a single step forward. His hand twitched as if he meant to reach out and touch the cloth, but he stopped, clenching his hand into a tight fist.
"...What happened?"
His voice was low and tightly controlled, yet he couldn't entirely mask the underlying rage.
"The attacker is in custody and the Academy is handling the situation. The Student Council is also—"
"I see."
Fazil didn't say another word to the staff. He turned his attention solely to the boy on the stretcher.
"Make sure you survive. That's an order."
It was the command of an older brother.
High School Division, Student Council Room.
A heavy silence filled the room where five students were gathered.
"Report the situation," commanded the Student Council President, Arvel Reinhardt.
Miharu, the secretary, flipped through her documents. "An organized infiltration occurred during the Elementary School Division's evaluation exam. The barrier was breached. One student is critically injured."
"The name?"
"...Luka Noctear, the third son of the Duke’s house."
At the mention of that name, the Vice President, Rizel Alphyria, quietly lowered her eyes.
"...And Serena?" she asked.
"She’s unharmed. She’s likely in shock, but physically she's fine."
"I see." She breathed a sigh of relief. Being alive was enough for now.
"That leaves us with one major question," Carona, the treasurer, remarked, prompting Rizel to look up again. "Why target the Elementary School exam?"
"Probably just a bit of 'Noble Hunting,' wouldn't you say?" Glen, the head of public order, interjected. "They understood the barrier's structure. There’s a high probability that internal information was leaked."
"The Academy will have to answer for this," Carona sighed.
Arvel interlaced his fingers on the desk. "...And there is one more thing."
The others turned to him.
"Luka Noctear. Was he the specific target, or was he simply caught in the crossfire?"
Silence followed his question.
"Whichever it may be," Rizel said softly after a long pause. "When he eventually wakes up, the Academy will be expected to provide an answer."
Beneath a white ceiling, the boy’s chest rose and fell with faint, rhythmic breaths. He had not yet opened his eyes, but his heart continued to beat. The soul at the center of the storm was still blissfully unaware of the chaos surrounding him.
Before I knew it, I was standing. Or rather, I felt more like I was floating.
You know that weightless feeling on a roller coaster? The kind where your stomach drops and you feel like your legs are being left behind? (They aren’t, obviously.) It felt exactly like that.
The ground beneath my feet looked like clouds. It wasn't fluffy, per se, but I could stand on it just fine. There was no ceiling, just a vast, clear blue sky stretching out forever. Honestly, it was a hell of a view.
"...Well, I don't exactly feel like I'm still alive."
I spoke aloud, but my voice didn't echo. It felt a bit lonely. If this was heaven, shouldn't there be an angel or something to guide me? I’m the guest here, right? Isn't the customer supposed to be God?
I waited for a bit, but when nothing happened, I decided to wander around. I wasn't looking for anything in particular; my body just felt so light, as if I’d completely forgotten about the pain I’d been in. That alone was enough to lift my spirits.
Though, I’m still not over the whole dying thing. I’m definitely going to haunt that edgy, cheating, 'darkness-incarnate' piece of trash until he joins me in the grave.
...Man, I finally got reincarnated, and I only made it to age seven? That’s way too fast. I haven't even seen an elf or a beastman yet!
As I grumbled to myself, I spotted three figures a short distance away.
Oh? Seriously? There are people here.
I mean, I know I'm the one saying it, but shouldn't I be more surprised? Between this weird space and seeing other people, was I always one of those "I have no emotions, do you have any questions?" type of guys? Whatever. First, I'll observe, then I'll approach.
Two of them looked like normal humans. High schoolers, maybe? They were wearing what looked like modern school uniforms. They seemed strangely comfortable in this setting, their faces filled more with excitement than nerves.
The third thing... I couldn't quite tell what it was. It looked like it had a human shape, but it also didn't. It was just an existence that I knew was "there."
"So? This is really the world of Eta-Al, right?" one of the guys asked in a casual tone.
"Yep, yep. It’s pretty much exactly what you guys think it is," a voice replied.
It was a shockingly easygoing voice. Not majestic or intimidating at all. It just existed there, naturally.
...Is that God?
"No way. What's the difficulty setting? Hard? Nightmare?"
"That’s up to you. Though I haven't set up any guaranteed 'dead-end' routes, so don't worry."
"Wow, God, you're so generous~"
So it really is God... I’d almost believe you if you told me it was the Marshmallow Man, but okay.
The two guys were laughing. What the hell is this? What am I watching?
"Can we check our statuses and stuff?"
"Just the bare minimum at first. There are plenty of growth elements to find, though."
"So no overpowered protagonist vibes from the start, huh?"
"Exactly. It wouldn't be any fun if you didn't have to put in a little effort, right?"
...I don't fully get what they're talking about, but given the situation, this is obviously... the orientation meeting for an isekai reincarnation, isn't it?
Hehe, excuse me, I think I missed the memo. Could you start from the beginning for me?
I took a step forward. The distance wasn't great, and I closed it quickly. I was close enough to reach out and touch them.
And yet—nobody looked at my way.
Hey, that's rude, you know!
Our eyes never met. They didn't even react to my presence.
"...Hellooo?" I called out, quite loudly this time. "I also—"
"So, where’s the starting point?"
The guy cut me off mid-sentence. He didn't hear me. In fact, it was like I wasn't even there.
...Is this a dream after all? It feels a bit too real for a dream, though.
"Somewhere generally safe. Whether you're a noble or a commoner is decided at random."
"Ugh, a gacha start?"
"Isn't life basically the same thing?"
They laughed again. I just stood there, invisible. Like air.
Hmph. Fine, play it that way. I’m telling the teacher on all of you.
"Well then, I wish you both luck."
Seriously? Total ignore?
the entity called God gave a light wave. The two guys began to drift away, fading as if they were melting into the light.
Then, at the very last second.
For some reason, I felt like God turned to look at me.
I couldn't see any eyes, but I knew I was being watched. He didn't say anything, and I couldn't even tell which way his face was pointing, but I felt the weight of his gaze.
...What's his deal?
My feet started moving on their own. I stepped forward, driven by a sudden urge to reach out and touch "it." Just as I was one step away, my entire world turned white.
"...Ngh... hey... wai... t..."
My hand reached out, even though God was already gone.
In that moment, a shadow fell over my eyelids, and a familiar, comforting voice reached me.
"...Master Luka?"