Chapter: 29. I Am Not Your Female Protagonist
“Did you get the gist of it?”
After the attack.
The president of the Ark Academy, who had rushed back after receiving the notification, picked up the report of the incident with an unhappy expression.
He had initially thought that the assailants were merely a group of rats lurking within Ark Academy, living in fear of being discovered every day.
But now it seemed that this was undoubtedly a foolish thought.
While Ark Academy was trying to identify the true culprit, the other party was also looking for internal personnel that Ark Academy had planted within.
Although this internal person was not involved in the investigation of the Noah’s Ark incident,
the other party seemed indifferent to that point. As long as it was personnel directly affiliated with Ark Academy, they would recklessly launch attacks in broad daylight without regard for the consequences.
“The ‘protagonist’ plan seems to have been exposed,” the man in the president’s office remarked, resting his legs on a seemingly expensive coffee table and looking at the president.
“It’s hard to say. It might just be that she’s made a careless mistake,” the president disagreed with his view.
“This attack has at least eliminated a suspicious target.”
“Are you referring to Nishikawa Fuuko and Hoshimiya Nagi?”
“No, only Nishikawa-san has been excluded.”
“So Hoshimiya Nagi was also caught in the attack?”
“Then is she dead?”
“I see, are you suggesting that she might have colluded with them to clear her own suspicion?” The man chuckled lightly. “What an unqualified president you are, to doubt your own students like this.”
At that moment, the telephone on the desk suddenly rang.
The president ignored the man’s teasing and walked straight to his desk.
“What is it?” the man asked curiously.
“Nishikawa-san has woken up,” the president said after hanging up, turning his back to the man. “Could you go visit her?”
“If she has revealed anything—”
“—It would only add another blood debt to those guys,” the president said coldly.
The night sky outside the window.
Stars twinkled.
—————–
“Wind.”
Fuuko had almost forgotten when she became aware of the concept of “wind.”
Was it when she learned these words in kindergarten?
Or was it after she first awakened her abilities?
It was clearly an invisible thing, just a phenomenon caused by the flow of air.
But Fuuko developed a feeling that she could “master” it.
Because of this, she won the opportunity to “master her own life.”
That year, Fuuko was still a middle school student.
Not long after awakening her powers, she was secretly summoned one night.
Also summoned were girls of a similar age.
“Wind-type abilities, huh… and she has a pretty face too.”
Fuuko vaguely remembered this was the assessment given to her at the time.
“Special Task Force SEMA has an important mission and hopes to receive your assistance.”
“After various evaluations, you have been selected as one of the candidates.”
“As long as you complete this mission, Special Task Force SEMA will grant you the reward you desire.”
“…Any wish can do?”
“Yes, as long as it is within our capabilities.”
“Even… even if it’s to bring back my father—”
“You want to find your biological father? Of course, we can help with that.”
“Really?! Then I’ll do it! What’s the task?”
“It’s simple.” They pulled out a portrait of a boy with short black hair.
“Make him fall in love with you; that is your task.”
…
…
“Damn, it turns out the revolving lantern is real…”
Was it because her inner thoughts were exposed? After fainting, memories from her past flashed through Fuuko’s mind.
Her memories of joining Special Task Force SEMA as an ordinary person with abilities.
The explosion’s shockwave filled the air with dust.
The proximity of the explosion caused severe tinnitus, and her vision blurred with overlapping images.
Being hit by an attack of that magnitude without any defenses, it was impossible for her, being only flesh and blood, to survive—why—
“Nishikawa-san, are you alright?”
In her line of sight was a beautiful face, akin to an angel, still retaining its charm even when covered in dirt and blood.
I… was saved by Hoshimiya-san? No, how could that be? Fuuko chuckled to herself at this thought.
This wasn’t just a normal traffic accident.
It wasn’t a matter of one person pushing another to safety.
But—
Fuuko recalled the sight of Nagi charging towards her without hesitation at that time.
What a strong and kind child.
And here I was, wanting to take away the person she liked for my own selfish reasons…?
If the angel before her was saved by doing good deeds.
Then why would someone as selfish as herself survive the attack?
This question in Fuuko’s heart was answered by the wind.
“…Wind?”
At this moment, Fuuko finally noticed.
Around her, the strong wind transformed into a tornado, enveloping her and the angel before her, as if forming a natural shield.
The yellowish dust and the heat produced by the explosion were all sent into the sky by this wind.
Is this… my ability? Did I unconsciously use my powers because I was in life-threatening danger?
Fuuko looked at the scene before her in disbelief; at this moment, even raising a finger was incredibly difficult for her.
Yet the magical power surging from her was like a never-ending spring, transforming into the raging wind.
It far surpassed her achievements in training.
It was as though something was guiding her strength.
Well, although she didn’t know what was happening, as long as Hoshimiya-san was safe—
“No… no, wait… run…” Fuuko suddenly realized something and forced out a weak voice with great difficulty.
They were targeting her.
If they saw her use her abilities, they would naturally know that she had not died in the attack.
Then there was a high likelihood they would attack again.
As if confirming Fuuko’s unease.
Amid the dust outside the tornado, a bright red light shone.
That was the prelude to an attack.
Damn it… at this distance… this barrier can’t…
The approaching aura of death brought back Fuuko’s recently severed memories—
“Why? Who is the person in the photo?”
“He is—”
—the protagonist.
On the other side of the dust.
A golden light pierced through the yellow debris.
Before Fuuko could comprehend what was happening,
a silver blade pierced through the dust, pointing directly at the red light.
Fuuko recognized that it was a “weapon” uniformly issued to the elite students of Ark Academy.
Even if the user had no magical power, they could use the magic embedded in the wristband to transform it into a blade.
The silver blade, carrying incredible momentum, interrupted the attack that was about to be launched.
The red light dimmed and retreated back into the dust.
And the figure of the “protagonist” burst forth from the dust—
That short black hair and determined face made Fuuko recall when she first saw him.
—is this it, this is the protagonist?
—The protagonist who always appears at critical moments…
—but.
—I am ultimately not the female protagonist in his heart.
“Ko Nagi, are you alright?!”
