Chapter: 30. Master and Apprentice Showdown
——Original World Line——
【Daytime · Seikage High School】
“Let’s welcome our new transfer student—”
At the podium.
The teacher is introducing the student who will be transferring to our class today.
The students around me seem excitedly shouting:
“So cute~” “Is that real blonde hair?” “Is she a foreign lady?”…
But I lack interest and keep my gaze fixed on the blue sky outside the window.
Ever since Senpai Amamiya disappeared from Chaozi Research, I’ve lost the motivation to go to school every day.
I understand that I can’t skip class just because I’m feeling down or unmotivated, because that would trouble Uncle and Aunt, but—
Why did Senpai Amamiya leave without saying anything?
“Hello, may I sit next to you?”
Suddenly, a girl’s clear and firm voice came from beside me.
I turned my head in response.
What met my eyes were a pair of beautifully emerald-like eyes.
Standing in front of me was a beautiful girl with blonde twin tails.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Alice Astrea, please take care of me.”
……
……
—————–
——▍▍▍▍’s World Line——
Twilight enveloped the Star Academy.
The night was dispelled by the golden afterglow of the sun.
Kanade once again encountered the friend from long ago, who was also the master that brought him into the extraordinary world—
“……Alice,” Kanade struggled to keep his expression calm.
The golden-haired girl with wings was currently floating in mid-air, quietly meeting Kanade’s gaze from the helipad.
Alice Astrea.
Ace Half-Blood Dragon Princess.
No, that was her past title.
Now she should be called—
Threat Level 11, Divine Species, Fantasy Monster – Dusk Dragon.
“Over the years… Alice, where have you been?”
“…I heard about Nagi’s situation, I’m sorry, if I had been there at the time—”
Alice did not answer Kanade’s question but spoke softly.
As soon as he heard the name “Nagi,” his eyes suddenly flickered with intense golden light, and magical power surged within him.
“And, I’m sorry for not being by Tsukimi’s side when she needed me—”
“—No, what I need is not your apology.” Kanade coldly interrupted Alice.
Her words pulled Kanade’s thoughts back from the happy past.
It was no longer the summer of first grade in junior high.
He was no longer that naive kid just discovering extraordinary powers.
That girl was no longer by his side.
This was reality.
A cruel world.
No matter what happened, he had only one goal.
To bring that girl back to this world.
For that, he could sacrifice anything—
“Alice, why are you here?”
As an S-rank esper of Tsuki Academy, and one of the candidates for the protagonist, Kanade was now facing an intruder, a traitor esper invading Star Academy.
“……”
Alice’s golden dragon eyes met Kanade’s beastly eyes.
“Why did you take Professor Amakawa? Why did you betray the Special Ring Sema and the three major academies?”
“……”
Kanade slowly raised the Life Blade in his hand, pointing it at Alice hovering in mid-air.
The master who once taught him how to use swords had now become the target of his blade—
“Alice, what is your purpose?”
“I am here to… disband the Special Ring Sema and the three major academies.”
After a moment of silence, Alice slowly spoke.
“What do you mean?” The unexpected answer stunned Kanade.
“An organization built on falsehoods and lies—this is the real culprit endangering this world.”
“I want to expose that biggest, most evil lie and bury the Special Ring Sema and the three major academies completely—”
“Tsukimi, I won’t force innocent people like you to join us…”
“But, I hope you won’t stand in our way.”
After finishing her sentence, Alice turned her back to Kanade, trying to leave directly.
But Kanade stopped her with a cold remark—
“I can’t let you go, Alice. If I let you go, I can never become that sole protagonist.”
“……Tsukimi.”
“I must become the only protagonist. I don’t care if the Special Ring Sema and the three major academies are righteous or evil. I need the resources, technology, and powers they possess, no matter the cost—”
Jet-black flames turned into a barrier, blocking Alice’s path.
“Even if the cost is—your life.”
“……Yes, I understand, Tsukimi Kanade. I won’t hold it against you.” Alice surprisingly did not get angry, but smiled lightly.
“For that child, you are willing to do anything—aren’t you?” She said while slowly turning back around.
“However, there exists someone like that in my life too… If it’s for him, I’m willing to sacrifice anything, even you—Tsukimi Kanade.” Crimson blood flowed like blood flames down Alice’s body, revealing beneath it blood-colored dragon scales.
Complete Dragon Transformation.
The jet-black flames and crimson blood flames collided at that moment—
Boom————！！
A powerful magical shockwave surged, centered at the point where the two clashed.
The railings around the rooftop were instantly shattered, steel twisted like paper, and the glass walls of the entire building shattered in this instant, sending thousands of glass shards soaring into the sky like flowers dispersed by the wind, reflecting suffocating bits of light in the twilight.
Kanade had put on the ring before the battle.
That was the authority Adam once gave him—authority of the game.
In an instant.
A green health bar appeared above Alice’s head.
In this domain, as long as the health bar was emptied, one could ignore all external factors and kill the individual.
However, Alice had long since activated her own authority.
Authority of Dusk, blurring the boundaries between life and death.
Even death could be reversed at dusk.
“You’ve grown, haven’t you, Tsukimi.”
The fully transformed Alice drew the artificial fantasy spirit armament from behind, brandishing dual blades to face Kanade’s colorful knife and black flame blade.
Clang!!
Sparks erupted like daylight flames igniting the twilight rooftop.
The two instantly closed in, unleashing a phantom-like duel.
In a daze, the two seemed to return to the summer of their first grade in junior high, where they trained swordsmanship every morning near the White Spirit Shrine.
Blades clashed repeatedly, sending sparks and magical residue flying in the air.
Each collision resonated like thunder, shattering the puddles beneath their feet, creating ripples and shards of light in the gathered water.
And beyond the clashing blades.
Crimson blood and jet-black flames collided in mid-air, entwining like living beings, emitting a roar-like sound, unleashing intense magic and impact, causing the steel structure below to twist and collapse.
At the other end of their battlefield.
The new students of the Stardust faction, responsible for the feint, realized it was time to retreat.
Ding-dong.
They seemed to have practiced this countless times, orderly utilizing the mist authority’s wishes, vanishing from Star Academy one by one.
At the same time, they retained enough personnel to block the espers of Star Academy, preventing them from pursuing.
“You all go ahead; I’ll hold them off.”
“Okay, okay, thanks, Maria!” One of the Stardust esper said, and was immediately enveloped in white mist, disappearing on the spot.
Leaving behind a beautiful woman with red hair standing in front of the students.
Former Ace Blood Raven, Maria Akai.
One of the original female protagonists from “Seiyuu 1.”
Countless blood-red crows began to gather around her, expending 99.8% of her fantasy power.
With just her strength, she was enough to buy time for her team to retreat safely.
……
……
When the star-shaped aircraft carrying Amakawa Arakumo flew out of Star Academy, heading toward the vast sea.
Everyone on the plane believed they were safe.
“This is Team A2, we have successfully retreated—”
Before the words could finish.
The team leader’s peripheral vision suddenly caught a glimpse of a pale light.
As he turned his head out of curiosity.
Through the cabin, what came into view was—
A storm chasing after the plane, and a lightning bird soaring beneath the dark clouds.
Danger was still not far away.
