I came back but the world is still a fantasy!? – Garesto Academy – Exam Arc: Chapter I – Those Who Take Advantage of the Test – 04-16: The Gathering ‘Troubles’ (1/2)

He ran through the dark forest with the geographic data and map of the fields open.

He took care not to run too fast, so that the people chasing after him wouldn’t be left behind.

The happy expression he wore on his face did not at all resemble the sort of expression one would expect from a person being pursued.

—She’s surprisingly a good teacher.

At first, he didn’t think he would be able to trust her this much.

When they first met, she struck him as an unfortunate beauty with a lot of problems like her battle junkie tendencies. He trusted her to some extent, but only to some extent. It wasn’t that deep.

It was only today, after spending more time with her, that he finally realized that there was more to her than he thought.

She was still immature in a lot of ways, but someone as brilliant as her was rare nowadays.

He was confident in his Resistance as well, but her being able to move in a situation like that was really worthy of praise.

He was so surprised in fact that his own movements actually dulled a little.

When he saw how she resembled a certain demon instructor from somewhere, his cheeks slackened.

A teacher who raised the next generation while being one of the few living wielders of the divine raiment spirit machines.

An unprecedented nun who used a divine tool as nothing more than a weapon.

A woman who put the life of a boy(friend) over her church’s doctrines and her own life.

A decision she paid for with her life and soul, and she even used the Divine Raiment Spirit Machine to drive into the boy the power to overcome the evil god.

“So much just to save a single soul… The scales, they’re not even at all…” Shinichi muttered as he unconsciously held the Crescent Moon(Pendant) under his clothes.

When he realized how he was acting, he immediately let go of the pendant and shook his head.

He was being too sentimental after Frire asked him so much.

He let his guard down too much, but at the same time, he thought she was worth that much.

That’s why he even told her something she would find difficult to believe.

Although he needed to tell someone about it, it was his first time actually doing so.

“…But then again, I do feel like I’ve gotten weaker ever since I came here. Sill, that was way too selfish of me,” Shinichi inadvertently mouthed out his grumbles and grumbled internally even more.

At this rate, it was doubtful if he could even stay here for the next three years.

He remembered he had to think about what to do when that time comes.

It really wasn’t something he should be thinking about given he had only transferred here just a month ago, but alas…

Suddenly, he stopped moving.

Beyond the forest was an open area, where the beautiful starry sky revealed itself and the rocky terrain welcomed him.

It was just like the area where the students of 1 – D fought the B Rank raybeast.

In the next moment, various presence surrounded him. Even without the Night Vision skill, his trained eyes could easily see the exact number of people and their appearance.

They wore a hard head gear over their heads and a simple armor covered their chest and their limbs.

There was a considerable number of them if he were to count even the ones still coming from behind, sixty all in all.

Among them were those who’ve deployed various equipment. It looked just like those scenes in Sci-Fi when a character was surrounded by a group of unnamed armed soldiers.

“Hey.”

Of course, it only resembled the scene appearance-wise. As far as thoughts went, the person they surrounded only found the situation ridiculous.

There was no one unexpected among the members, but the appearance of the Simple Exoskeleton(Protector) was unexpected.

“So you can’t run through the forest in the dark at that speed without those?”

He ran slow enough, so they could catch up, but it turned out they were using something like that.

And they have the gall to call themselves his seniors? At this point, he couldn’t help but doubt the school’s education.

But then again, given the delicate military balance between the two worlds, he wouldn’t be able to give a good answer either if he were asked how much he could train the Earthlings, and besides, the simple exoskeletons weren’t suited for field operations.

“H-Ha ha, wow, you sure run fast, Nakamura-kun. I can’t believe you can run through this forest that easily even without a protector.”

There was evident surprise on the face of the boy that stepped out from his group, something that Shinichi found laughable. Fortunately, at least, none of them were out of breath.

“…Did you need something from me, representative of class 2 – C, Okumura Reiji-senpai?

“O-Oh, so you know about me?”

“Of course, how could I not know about the people who sent me those terrible love letters.”

“!?”

Shinichi smiled at how honestly surprised Okumura was when he revealed his name.

Someone like him who reacted so easily was worth toying with.

If he had the time, he would’ve loved calling out the people behind those love letters, reading aloud those fake love letters they prepared, while offering his own suggestions. A pity.

“Wha— Ha, ha ha ha, if you know that much, then that makes things quick! I’m glad to have a human as brilliant as yourself joining us!”

Without knowing what Shinichi was thinking behind that mirthless smile of his, Okumura started talking in a grand manner despite his agitation.

The people around him showed their agreement and cheered.

“I knew a person like you would surely become our comrade! The way you acted as you please regardless who’s in front of you felt so good! This school, no, this world is mad! A world like this that only looks at Status without any consideration for the essence has corrupted our world! It has filthied the culture and history we pride ourselves— GUGYARABA!?!?”

“You people are so noisy.”

Shinichi shut him up with a good punch to his face.

Because his face was locked into his headgear, his face was crushed, and he fell onto the rocky ground unconscious.

The excited crowd were shocked at the sudden turn of events and that attack that was so fast they couldn’t even see it.

“I thought I’d listen for a bit, but I think my ears will go bad if I listen any longer. I mean the only reason you guys are complaining is because your grades suck, right?”

“What!?”

“We’re thinking about the future of this world!”

“This school is mad! We need to change it!!”

“How dare you hit Okumura-san! He welcomed you as a friend!!”

All of the students of 2 – C and 2 – D were getting rowdy, but Shinichi just looked at them as though they were annoying and intentionally mocked them.

“Ah~ Yes, yes, I understand. Let’s skip all the tedious talk, and just come at me already. Fortunately for you guys, you’re all just pitiful victims who’ve had a ring forced onto your heads.”

“Huh?”

The students couldn’t understand what Shinichi was saying, but despite the headgears they were wearing, Shinichi could clearly see the ring of photons on their heads.

They were duller than the ones used on the class of 3 – B, but they were definitely the same thing.

The students of 2 – C and 2 – D, all 60 of them, were the next victims of the mind skill.

But considering how the love letters started since last week, perhaps they were in fact ‘the first’.

“Look, I’ll let you off with just a hit on the head, okay? So get your ass here already, and let’s get this started, you spoiled, trashy, former-rich-kids!”

The students’ faces all became red when he pointed that out.

He had already figured out before the exam who the people behind the fake love letters were.

8 years ago, these children possessed authority and wealth, but because their parents couldn’t keep up with the times, they were ruined.

“It’s normal for people to serve you? It’s normal to be spoiled? It’s normal for people to do everything for you? Hah! What does a bunch of leeches, who can’t even earn a single cent, know?”

Was it mere coincidence? Or perhaps it was inevitable given their lack of will?

But the students of 2 – C and 2 – D today were all like that.

In an attempt to turn their lives around, they had their parents send them to this academy, but their grades were terrible, and they were at the bottom of the rankings.

Given their spoiled background, it was only natural that their unhappiness would pile up.

—Seriously, it’s ridiculous. Just them being able to come here is enough of a blessing, and yet they act like this.

Honestly, Shinichi had the urge to crush everyone here, both in mind and in spirit, but as rotten as their minds were, they were not acting on their own accord right now.

And because he knew that, the most he could do was to hit them a little hard on the head.

“As if you have the right to say that, you All D failure!”

“Oho? I thought you rejected Statusism?”

“Shut up! We don’t deserve any of this!”

“The people below us should just listen to what we say!”

“Ha ha, what can a group of cowards who can’t do anything after surrounding the weakest of the common people do? Ah, could it be? Are you an up-and-coming group of comedians? In that case, I must say, you’re pretty good.”

“You brat!!!”

That’s why he intentionally provoked them to weaken the influence of the mind skill on them.

The brilliance of the rings were now starting to resembling those of the ones on the technology class of 3 – B.

Those students couldn’t remember a thing after he broke the spell.

Given what he’s about to do, it would be worrisome if they could clearly remember the events here.

“There are two classes here, you know! Don’t think you’ll get out of this with just a lynching!!”

“Go ahead… If someone like you can, that is.”

“H-How dare you make mock me!”

It was curious if it was because of the mind skill or if they were short-tempered from the start, but Shinichi’s mocking face and voice finally got to them, and they lost their last strand of reason.

The students closest to Shinichi kicked off against the ground simultaneously and jumped up, then they aimed their weapons at Shinichi.

These students may be bottom feeders, but they were still 2nd year students equipped with the simple exoskeleton.

Just a single jump of theirs passed 2 meters high, but…

“…”

Shinichi only quietly walked a few steps to the side with a pained expression as though he had a terrible headache.

“GAH!?”

“KYAA!?”

“NOO!!”

Just like that 10 foolish students fell down screaming from the sky toward the location where Shinichi was just a moment ago.

“Well, if you all jump toward the same guy at the same time like that, of course, it would end up like that.”

Shinichi looked down at the pile of students with a fed-up look on his face.

They had similar status while using the same equipment that also strengthened their jumping strength, so naturally, with the same timing and the same target, it was only a given that they would crash midair.

Normally, they would have used their heads a bit more, but the mind skill had them too riled up.

At least, Shinichi hoped that was the case.

“How dare you!”

“Uh, they did it to themselves, though?”