Chapter 204

Episode 200: The Annoying Beauty and the Slacker

The moment they faced each other, Nei sensed it.

(2, 3, 4… Yeah, 18 moves. Any more than that and I’d probably get beaten to a pulp. This is definitely the real deal, yup.)

Standing before her was the enigmatic S-Rank member whose true identity even the Board of Directors couldn’t ascertain—Solciera, the strongest of the strong who had once defeated Rokuhara in battle.

Nei already knew from prior intel that there was no way she could win against Solciera.

(These imposters outside are a different story altogether—there’s no opening. …No, wait. Could it be that someone within this girl is compensating for her blind spots? I think I remember hearing something about a “Zero” unit. Not being able to see their cards is troublesome. What a pain.)

Nei observed Solciera.

The girl holding a large scythe seemed to be watching her carefully, as if on guard.

She knew that if they continued like this, she’d soon be labeled an enemy and the outcome would be predictable. Hence…

“—Alright, um… Solciera-chan?”

“What is it?”

Nei slowly raised both hands and smiled brightly. “I surrender!”

“…So you do.”

Solciera responded indifferently, seemingly uninterested. But Nei saw through it and became certain.

(Ah, she’s putting up a front. Maybe she’s just a regular girl inside? It’s such a shame that someone so cute has to carry such a heavy burden.)

Having played countless roles across numerous stages, Nei immediately recognized Solciera’s act for what it was. Every gesture, every movement of her eyes, every inflection in her voice carried a faint trace of acting—an impressive technique, but still discernible as performance.

And once Nei realized it was all an act, and that the person inside wasn’t a monster but a girl, she knew there were plenty of ways to approach the situation.

“If possible, could you let me off the hook? Hey, do you want some snacks? I have a lot with me.”

“I don’t need them.”

“Don’t say that! You should listen to your elders. I always tell my cute number one disciple to carry snacks around. Here, have some chocolate.”

This was a different kind of skill altogether.

Assuming Solciera was just an ordinary girl, Nei chose the appropriate mask and quickly closed the distance between them with words and actions that eased the girl’s vigilance.

Every word, tone, and glance was meticulously calculated, showcasing the performer’s artistry.

And it seemed to have quite an effect on the girl who had always been treated as a monster rather than a human.

“I’m not much into sweets, actually.”

“…Haha, then how about this bitter chocolate? It’s really good. Not too sweet, perfect for boosting brainpower.”

Saying that, Nei offered a small bag of chocolates. After hesitating for a moment, Solciera accepted it, activated a magic circle, inspected it thoroughly, and then took a bite. Nei didn’t miss the slight smile that crossed her face.

“How is it? Delicious, right? These cost 1500 yen each—they’re premium chocolates. Enjoy them slowly.”

“…You’re the one who forced them on me.”

“Was I? Maybe. …Ah, by the way, if it’s not too much trouble, could you put away that scythe? As you can see, I’m just an ordinary beautiful teacher carrying snacks.”

With that, Nei pleaded, and Solciera sighed before making her scythe disappear.

(19, 20… Wow, even without the scythe, 30 moves is my limit?! Seriously? How strong is this girl? She’s on Ryuko’s level. Thank goodness I didn’t pick a fight.)

Simulating the battle internally, Nei breathed a sigh of relief. Still, choosing the wrong option could mean death.

“Oh, by the way, did you come here looking for something? Or researching? If you’d like, I can help. Though, it’s probably about Sanctuaries, isn’t it?”

“Well, maybe…”

Solciera evaded the question.

(I can’t read her mind! I understood her act, but her true feelings remain unclear. Ah, could she be here to study Sanctuaries… No, unlikely. She seems smarter than me or Ryuko.)

While casually dragging Ryuko into the category of fools, Nei smiled kindly and extended her hand.

“Anyway, if you’d like, I can teach you about Sanctuaries. After all, I am one of the first Sanctuary Users!”

Facing such a Nei, Solciera sighed, turned her back, and walked away.

“Eh!?”

Ignoring Nei, Solciera walked further into the area. Nei followed pathetically.

■

This beautiful woman keeps following me relentlessly.

A beauty like this doesn’t exist in my data!

“You should give up on that position already.”

Why!?

“…My Lord, don’t let your guard down. I don’t particularly like that woman.”

Why do you say that, Kame?

Look at her—perfect proportions, short crimson hair neatly trimmed, and sharp eyes.

Yeah, she’s beautiful.

“Hawa-wa~＞＜”

What should I do if she stares at me~＞＜

“She’s far too carefree in her actions. Besides, she’s not…?”

Not what?

“Not a Loli.”

Dismissed.

Ah, that’s why Lolicon is annoying.

“I don’t sense the innocence of a Loli from her. She’s probably a liar!”

“If you say that, Solciera herself is made entirely of lies!”

Star Reader’s Staff delivered the truth, leaving Kame speechless.

Tsk tsk, I’ll have to educate him about the charm of older women later.

“Ahh, look! This is the explanation of the third-generation Sanctuary User. That kid was amazing. She condensed the Sanctuary into a sword—a concept I could never come up with. And over here, the fourth generation—”

“…So?”

What should I do about this?

A beautiful female teacher keeps following me.

Where am I heading anyway?

I just came here to study. What should I do?

“The only option is to escape via teleportation.”

Escape…?

This mysterious beautiful girl…?

“But currently, you’re completely in the position of the one being pursued. A cool student with secrets and a cheerful, beautiful teacher. Moreover, she’s a former Sanctuary User. Either way, you’re already the heroine.”

When did this turn into a teacher-student romance game…!?

Is this what a Sanctuary is!?

“It’s not.”

“Nope.”

Cruel denial.

I give up.

“Hey, have you met President Dia of the Student Council yet? Her Sanctuary is incredible too—you know, comparable to an S-Rank user.”

“I’m not interested.”

“Come on, don’t be so cold. Opportunities to be guided by someone this beautiful don’t come around often… Oh! Sorry, got a little too excited there…”

When I glared at her sharply, Lady Nei stepped back a few paces.

But it’s exhausting to be rude to such a beautiful person.

If it weren’t for Solciera, I might have accepted her kindness more openly.

Should I pretend to understand something and go home? At this rate, she’ll keep following me forever?

“Well, I guess that’s the only option. I’ll look up Sanctuary information on a summary site later ^^. ”

Why rely on such unreliable sources?

Is it okay for Demon Gear users to be so uninformed?

“Let’s go, My Lord. And since you ate chocolate, you should brush your teeth thoroughly. If you find it difficult, I can help.”

Hmm, business as usual.

At this point, it might be better to reschedule.

Since tomorrow I have free time during the day, I’ll come then.

Maybe bring Hikari along to study together.

“That’s great, My Lord!”

That’s a Lolicon perspective.

Well, let’s head home now.

“Though it’s a rare night meeting, shall we end it here?”

“Eh? Wait a minute. There’s still the fun lecture on the history of Sanctuaries—”

A teleportation magic circle appeared in front of me.

As Nei tried to say something behind me, I prepared to step into the circle when…

“Stop! That’s not my magic circle!”

“Hostile presence detected. My Lord, assume combat stance!”

On the double warning, I swung my scythe at the teleportation circle without hesitation. However, it was blocked by another scythe emerging from the circle.

“…Impressive mimicry, though not unexpected.”

From the circle emerged a familiar figure.

Clad in pitch-black attire, with a dark veil.

Darker than usual, resembling a grim reaper.

“Second Form…!?”

“A fake. But stronger than before.”

Does Fake Siera have a Second Form?

Then, isn’t this seriously bad news??

“Summon the Sanctuary User.”

“I’m tired of hearing that.”

I positioned my scythe and created distance.

In contrast, Fake Siera stared at us expressionlessly.

“This is the form we created together for the first time! I won’t let some imposter wear it! Summon me! Let’s burn them to ashes in Twin-Star Form!”

“Calm down. What if creating that form becomes a trigger for copying the Twin-Star Form?”

That’s right, calm down, Star Reader’s Staff.

Here, let’s reveal which one is the real deal.

Since it’s not Na Takikai, there’s no need to hold back!

With renewed determination, I positioned my scythe.

“—Yeah, five moves on this side.”

The voice from behind sounded the same as before.

Yet, I felt an unfathomable Something.

A hand rested on my shoulder as I turned.

“To kill oneself, even if it’s a fake, leaves a bad taste in the morning.”

Lady Nei said this while standing protectively in front of me.

Then she turned around with a smile.

“Trust the adults around you. Don’t worry, I’m pretty strong despite everything.”

“…Then, let’s see what you’ve got.”

“Hahaha, leave it to me! I’ll show you the ultimate move that Ryuko told me ‘Never use this again, seriously. It’s not training material.’!”

The person saying that is Ryuko-chan, so I trust it less…

“Shall we begin?”

What Nei pulled out was a beautifully decorated rapier.

Even as an adult, she could summon armed gear through Deep Gear.

That alone is proof of her strength.

“Summon the Sanctuary User.”

“Would a former Sanctuary User suffice?”

It was a joke.

However, the moment she took her stance, the atmosphere completely shifted under her control.

And…

“—Yes, victory.”

A fleeting flash of light.

All that remained where Fake Siera stood was a pile of sand.

It was sudden, as if the scene had changed abruptly.

……Huh?? What happened??

“…Couldn’t see it. High-speed combat?”

“No, it’s different. That’s an ability to extract results. It appears capable of instantly applying predetermined outcomes to the current situation.”

Wow, you figured that out quick.

Star Reader’s Staff, without you, Kame and I would’ve been left scratching our heads.

“It’s written in the pamphlet.”

Is it really?

“Apparently, it’s very popular both inside and outside Academy City. Most information is available.”

“My Lord, perhaps that woman isn’t simply strong?”

Of course it’s obvious just by looking!

Extracting results? What the heck is that!?

I’ve never heard of such a powerful character!

“How was that? Not as strong as I used to be, but I’m still pretty good, huh? Want an autograph?”

“No thanks.”

“Eh… How about merchandise? Exclusive Nei figurines and stuff?”

“No.”

By now, Nei had returned to her cheerful demeanor.

But knowing how strong she is, I’m genuinely uneasy.

What if she’s a battle maniac in a different league from Rokuhara?

If she smiles and transitions into a fight with me…

“There’s nothing left for me here.”

“Could you be here to defeat that thing?”

Let’s leave it at that.

Star Reader’s Staff, let’s go home.

Irregularly strong characters are the weaknesses of Mysterious Beautiful Girls!

I learned that well from Kanon!

“Already halfway traumatized, hasn’t she?”

“Did Kanon plant trauma in My Lord…? Who exactly is Kanon…?”

Kame, you’re doing that too?!

Star Reader’s Staff, stop teaching weird things!

“We’re not teaching anything weird ^^. ”

A genuine teleportation magic circle appeared before us.

Without saying anything extra, I disappeared from the spot.

■

“Ah, he’s gone…”

Nei sighed as she gazed at where Solciera had been moments ago.

“Tense… Honestly, I can’t handle it anymore. I’ll call the Student Council and request more security ASAP.”

Nei retrieved a broom and dustpan from her expanded domain and began sweeping up the sand left behind.

(Solciera, huh.)

A terrifying monster and the strongest girl.

That’s what she’d heard, but after meeting her, the impression was different.

(Monsters don’t make faces like that. She’s just a normal girl trying her best alone.)

There was no way to feel fear.

Rather, seeing that girl, whom she couldn’t save as a teacher, filled her with indignation.

A star too powerful to rely on anyone, standing alone.

Who could possibly save her?

(My abilities wouldn’t even elicit a reaction from her… Despite being fairly well-known, even those who know about it usually react with surprise.)

Even without Nei’s intervention, Solciera would have killed the imposter without batting an eye.

But that was something Nei couldn’t allow.

As a teacher, it was a matter of pride to do whatever she could.

(That’s all I can do. The rest… Yeah, I’ll leave it to Ryuko. That’s the plan.)

Placing immense expectations on an ordinary-looking girl, Nei began humming a tune.

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