Chapter: 79. Female Protagonist “Hoshikami Nagi” (Middle) (4k5)
Nagi approached the crystal ball and gently placed her palm on it, under the gaze of everyone present.
If the first time was merely a coincidence, how should the second time be explained?
For some reason, the people present seemed to have their curiosity piqued, and the atmosphere suddenly turned tense.
Even students in other assessment areas stopped their actions, directing their attention toward this side.
In contrast to the tense atmosphere around her, Nagi’s mind was racing with completely different thoughts:
— This time it’s willful damage to school property… Could they really ask me to pay for it?
— Forget it, I’ll just have Gikou settle the bill for me later.
With a certain resolution, Nagi slowly closed her eyes.
A silvery-white glow of magic power flashed in her eyes.
Then —
Click.
Just like before.
The device known as the “absolutely unbreakable” magic detector once again easily shattered in her hands.
All present fell into a brief silence.
For the students, this was a scene they had never witnessed, something unimaginable.
They had never seen a crystal ball crack from being infused with magic.
However, in contrast to the students’ confusion, the nearby examiners had an inkling of a possibility.
Especially the bald examiner.
This was already the second time he had witnessed such a phenomenon.
Though it was hard to believe, he was almost certain of the answer.
Thus, without hesitation, he leaped onto the stage and, facing the crowd, spoke with a grave tone regarding the reason:
“High concentration of magic power?”
“High, high concentration of magic?!” the glasses-wearing examiner exclaimed instinctively, “That’s an advanced control skill… Why would a student without any awakened abilities know about this…?”
— Oh wow! You really get it, bald uncle!!!
— And you! Glasses uncle! You understand too!!!
Nagi felt an overwhelming sense of emotion deep inside her.
Finally, the atmosphere she had longed for appeared, filled with the “surprise” and “disbelief” from the examiners and students.
And she was more than prepared with the “answers” needed for this occasion.
“Why is it that, despite having no supernatural ability, no contracted beast, and not using any extraordinary items, your high concentration of magic power comes from—” Just as the glasses-wearing examiner continued to press her.
Nagi seized the pause in his speech perfectly, and with a calm tone, she took the initiative to speak:
“… My soul seems to have been infected by a fantasy monster known as ‘End’.”
As soon as the words fell, the scene erupted immediately.
“Infected by… End!?”
The glasses-wearing examiner’s pupils trembled violently from shock.
There was no record of this in the information about “Kamishiro Akane.”
Gikou had already used his authority to conceal and lock this incident away.
However, for Nagi, she had her reasons to disclose this now.
Her goal was to become an “x-level supernatural ability user.”
Because this was the strongest combat power that Gikou possessed; only by blending in could she have the opportunity to access deeper secrets, such as the “β system.”
She needed to find every means to gain Gikou’s trust further, and through the “β system” behind him, pursue the trail of Amakiyama Shinkou.
Thus, she decisively chose to reveal the “truth (misunderstanding)” about herself in such an occasion.
It must be admitted that the power of End was indeed very convenient.
As long as everything could be blamed on “End,” everyone would tacitly accept it.
No supernatural ability? No problem.
No contracted beast? It doesn’t matter.
No extraordinary items? Also not an issue.
As long as she said, “It was End who did it.” — Everything could be explained.
Everything was manipulated by End!
— And thus, the blame was neatly shifted.
Meanwhile, somewhere on Earth.
A certain fantasy monster suddenly couldn’t help but sneeze.
—————–
Hoshino Academy, Main Gymnasium.
Nagi’s statement about the “End infection” instantly caused an uproar throughout the audience.
Students began to chatter among themselves, and the room fell into unprecedented chaos.
However, under the orderly guidance of several examiners and teachers present, this commotion didn’t last long, and the observing students gradually quieted down.
Once, the term “End infection” was a taboo word that people avoided, a topic that instilled great fear.
However, the situation had finally changed not long ago.
With the joint efforts of Special Ring SemA and Tsuki Academy, a “vaccine” was officially developed, allowing supernatural ability users to no longer worry about their souls being infected or their bodies being controlled by the power of End.
Because of this, nowadays, when students learned that Nagi had suffered from an “End infection,” their reactions were no longer fear or rejection.
On the contrary, what emerged in their eyes was compassion and respect for a girl whose fate had been marked by hardships.
A girl who had been corroded by End yet resolutely chose to harness that power to become a supernatural ability user, striving to save the world — many students already imagined a heartwarming story.
Returning to Nagi’s assessment venue.
The glasses-wearing examiner, who was originally in charge, had stepped aside, with the bald examiner, an ace-level supernatural ability user, formally taking over as the main examiner.
In fact, the information about “Kamishiro Akane being infected by fragments of End” had long been known to the bald examiner through Gikou.
So he was not surprised by her earlier statement.
At this moment, he could only appear in his capacity as an ace-level supernatural ability user to confirm that the girl in front of him was not lying; it was just that this matter was still under confidentiality and investigation, thus not yet recorded in the student profile.
He then produced the evidence that “Kamishiro Akane” had already received the “Black Flame Vaccine,” allowing everyone present to rest easy without doubting whether she might currently be controlled by End.
After the uproar regarding the “End infection” subsided.
The students in the audience became even more eager for the upcoming developments.
A girl without supernatural abilities, no contracted beasts, and not even extraordinary items, relying solely on the power from being cursed by “End,” what kind of performance could she showcase in the practical assessment?
Just like the previously displayed “high concentration of magic” —
A skill that even many A-level supernatural ability users struggled to master was being easily utilized by her, a first-year student who had just enrolled, which was nothing short of a surprise.
Because of this, everyone’s interest was thoroughly piqued.
Perhaps this new student could indeed persist under the examiners’ scrutiny in a state of “no abilities” and pass the practical assessment?
……
……
“We have understood the situation regarding your supernatural abilities,” the bald examiner commanded staff members to take away the already damaged magic detector while turning to Nagi, speaking in a serious tone.
However, he soon noticed that Nagi seemed a bit uneasy,
As if worrying about something.
He couldn’t help but ponder in his mind —
Was she worried about being disqualified because of an abnormality in her soul?? Or was she just anxious about not having enough magic left for the upcoming assessment?
This left the bald examiner somewhat uncertain.
After all, he had received direct instructions from Gikou to do everything possible to ensure this girl passed the assessment smoothly.
If anything went wrong at this critical moment, it would indeed be a wasted effort.
Fortunately, the glasses-wearing examiner beside him seemed to understand Nagi’s current concern.
“Um, don’t worry. The damage to the detector is a common wear-and-tear situation in practical assessments; we won’t ask you to compensate for it.”
The glasses-wearing examiner explained in a gentle tone while organizing his notes.
“Thank goodness, thank you…” Upon hearing this, Nagi finally sighed in relief, a reassuring smile coming to her face.
— So that’s what she was worried about!?
The bald examiner silently scoffed, feeling like he was unable to keep up with her pace.
But soon, he adjusted his demeanor, restoring his usual stern expression, and asked the girl again:
“Ahem, back to the point — according to the procedure, the next segment should be the ‘Application of Supernatural Ability Scenarios,’ which requires students to choose a simulated scenario that best showcases their abilities.”
The bald examiner cleared his throat, maintaining a serious tone, yet his voice unexpectedly softened toward the end: “Kamishiro Akane, based on your situation… how do you plan to set up the scenario? Or do you wish to skip this segment?”
In fact, he sincerely preferred to skip the preliminary steps and enter the final simulated combat segment — preferably to have a casual fight and then let her pass directly.
“Can we directly arrange for a simulated battle?”
The girl’s response brightened his eyes.
She had spoken the very words he was secretly hoping to hear.
“I understand.” The bald examiner nodded, looking noticeably more spirited: “Do you mean, you wish to skip the ‘Application of Supernatural Ability’ and proceed directly into the ‘Simulated Combat’? May I ask if you prefer it to be a ‘Personal Battle’ or a ‘Team Battle’ —”
However, before he could finish, Nagi gently interrupted him.
“No—”
The bald examiner was momentarily taken aback, while the glasses-wearing examiner displayed a puzzled expression, apparently failing to grasp her intention immediately.
“In fact, I hope to… set up a ‘Simulated Combat’ scenario; this would be the format where I could best showcase my abilities.”
“Kamishiro Akane, are you implying—” this time it was the glasses-wearing examiner who took over the conversation: “You consider yourself skilled in ‘combat’?”
“Yes.” Nagi nodded.
“I, I understand…” The glasses-wearing examiner quickly organized his materials, then continued to inquire, “So, may I ask which examiner you would like as your opponent? Do you have any special requirements regarding the examiner’s abilities, combat style, or venue conditions? Additionally, do you prefer ‘Personal Battle’ or ‘Team Battle’?”
In the “Simulated Combat” segment, Hoshino Academy typically provided a series of preliminary options designed to maximize the students’ opportunities to showcase their abilities.
For example, they might be asked if they preferred the scenario to be set in close combat or ranged terrain, if there were specific restrictions on the examiner’s abilities, or even whether they wished to team up with an examiner for simulated combat.
The distinction between “Simulated Combat: Personal Battle” and “Simulated Combat: Team Battle” was intended to cater to both solo and collaborative students.
In “Team Battle,” students could propose teaming up with a particular examiner, provided that examiner’s level must equal or be lower than the opposing examiner’s supernatural ability level.
For instance, if the opposing examiner is a B-level supernatural ability user, the student could only choose a B-level or lower examiner to team up with.
Faced with this series of detailed confirmations, Nagi deliberately feigned deep thought, as if seriously weighing her options.
After a while, she slowly opened her mouth:
“I would like the opponent to be an Ace-level examiner—”
“What, what?!” The glasses-wearing examiner was instantly taken aback, his tone revealing a hint of barely concealed shock.
Even if her soul was infected by End and she wielded high-level skills like “High Concentration of Magic,” the fact remained that she was a “three-no” student without supernatural abilities, contracted beasts, or extraordinary items. Even if she requested a more advantageous scenario, it was unreasonable to assume she could compete with an Ace-level supernatural ability user.
Just then, Nagi calmly supplemented the second half of her sentence:
“—and I would like to choose a Team Battle.”
Upon hearing this, the glasses-wearing examiner finally let out a small sigh of relief.
— Turns out, she was just being a bit clever.
Students like her had certainly existed in the past.
As long as they selected an Ace-level examiner as an opponent in the practical segment, they could simultaneously designate another Ace-level examiner to be their teammate in a “Team Battle.”
Although they were all Ace-level, the strength among the examiners actually varied significantly.
Some examiners could even handle multiple opponents, easily suppressing an entire group during mock assessments.
If she did her homework and chose a “stronger” Ace examiner as her teammate, she might just manage to hold on until “time’s up.”
However, students trying to exploit loopholes like this typically failed to grasp the true purpose of “Simulated Combat.”
The important thing was not about “holding out until time is up,” but rather demonstrating one’s value in battle.
Simulated Combat was not about testing whether you could last until the end, but rather assessing whether you could showcase your worth during combat.
Whether you could earn the trust of other supernatural ability users and make an impact at crucial moments was key to being recognized as “qualified.”
Thus, students attempting to game the system like this almost never passed assessments.
After all, as a “student,” one could not possibly intervene in battles between C-level supernatural ability users; unable to keep up with the pace of the battlefield, how could they showcase their own contributions?
— Surely just a child, right?
Thinking this, the glasses-wearing examiner’s tone dulled slightly, as he lost some expectation, casually asking:
“Well then, Kamishiro Akane, which examiner would you like as your teammate?”
However, the following answer completely exceeded his expectations — no, it could even be considered beyond the scope of his understanding.
“Uh, I’m sorry.” Nagi lowered her head a bit shyly: “I didn’t express myself clearly just now.”
“Ah no, I apologize; I didn’t make myself clear earlier…”
“I was hoping — to face multiple Ace-level examiners as opponents while participating alone in this ‘Team Battle.’”
“As for the rules… no restrictions, no time limits.”
—————–
Nagi didn’t have much time.
Although there were currently no signs of the unique presence she awaited, that wasn’t a reason for her to sit idly by.
Generally speaking, each student has an assessment grade limit for becoming a “supernatural ability user,” capping at “A-level.”
To move further and be recognized as an “Ace-level supernatural ability user,” not only outstanding combat abilities are necessary, but one must also personally complete a significant number of practical tasks to accumulate sufficient achievements and experience.
Then, one would need to wait for the formal assessment in the following year and go through layer upon layer of screening to earn the title of “Ace.”
For Nagi — this process was far too lengthy.
To grow step by step from an ordinary student to an independent supernatural ability user, then through completing various tasks to accumulate experience and achievements, moving from A-level to Ace, and eventually being recognized by Gikou to become an X-level supernatural ability user — time simply did not allow for it.
Because of this, she intended to act as boldly as possible.
She wanted to make a name for herself in the “Practical Assessment.”
To directly showcase her power far exceeding A-level, making everyone present have to acknowledge her existence, even compelling Hoshino Academy to make an “exception” on the spot and directly grade her as an “Ace-level supernatural ability user.”
And now, this was the perfect moment to achieve that goal.
Given the rules allowed it, she could name multiple Ace-level examiners as opponents at once and require them to do their utmost without holding back.
Had it been in the past, when she couldn’t use the power of the “Elemental Sovereign,” she might not have taken such a risky action.
But now, Nagi, even without harnessing her past ability as the “Elemental Sovereign,” possessed the powers of “Mist,” “Twilight,” and “Azure Thunder.”
And this was the power from “another protagonist.”
The power of the female protagonist in the original game “Hoshiyuki 2” — Hoshikami Nagi’s power.
