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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Peculiar Presence
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"Haa..."
"Is something wrong? We're still winning! You're much stronger than I thought!"
Dorothy's overly excited voice reached his ears.
Her earlier gloom, where she'd been convinced they'd lose, had vanished. After a few battles, she seemed to be in high spirits.
"I was wondering why you were so confident, and now I see why!"
"..."
"What's wrong? You've been like this for a while. If you make a face like that while we're winning, it makes *me* nervous. Is something wrong?"
"Ah, it's nothing. My bad."
Only then did he realize, from Dorothy's words, how he must look.
If a teammate was winning triumphantly and he was sighing, they'd naturally worry. He hadn't thought of that.
"It doesn't seem like 'nothing' to me. Tell me quickly."
"W-Well..."
Should he tell her?
Si-woo pondered for a moment.
Then he decided. He shouldn't.
*I figured out Arte's ability, the one I'm most wary of! Her ability is to turn her clothes into threads.*
*So, to beat her for sure, I'm planning to drag the fight out into a long battle! But I was just wondering if it was really okay to do that!*
It was clear as day what would happen if he said something like that.
They'd treat him like a lunatic and look at him with scorn.
Anything but that, anything but that.
He'd be socially dead. His heart couldn't take it.
"Sorry. I can't say."
"Alright. If you don't want to talk about it, then I guess there's nothing to be done. Just tell me when you feel like it later."
"Yeah. Got it."
He said that, but Si-woo had absolutely no intention of ever telling her.
He could talk freely with Amelia.
As usual, nonchalantly, as if nothing was amiss.
Because he was sure she wouldn't give him a look of scorn.
No, she'd probably get even more excited and say, "Let's drag it out as long as possible and strip her naked!"
But Amelia was with Arte right now.
His current teammate was Dorothy. Would another woman agree to stripping someone naked, even if it was to win?
Si-woo didn't think so.
If he were with Amelia, he wouldn't even need to have this dilemma.
And then, Si-woo suddenly realized that he was becoming like Amelia.
Before he started spending time with Amelia, he wouldn't have pondered such thoughts.
He would have tried to win fairly, in a short, decisive battle.
As the saying goes, 'proximity to ink makes one black.'
Unbeknownst to him, Si-woo's way of thinking had begun to resemble Amelia's, if only slightly.
"Why are you suddenly clutching your head?"
"Oh, it's just... I realized that you really need to choose your friends wisely."
"That's strange. Why are you bringing that up now? It's obvious."
Yes, it was obvious.
You need to choose your friends wisely. He'd always heard that.
*My friends are normal. Even if they do something bad, I'm confident I won't be swayed.*
*If they go down a bad path, couldn't I just be a good friend and influence them?* That's what he'd always thought.
But ink seeps in slowly.
He only realized that truth after he'd already been tainted by his friend's influence.
There wasn't much time left until his fight with Arte.
He had to figure out what to do before he faced her.
***
"Amelia."
"Hm?"
"Do you know Dorothy's ability?"
"Nope."
"...What?"
He'd asked, assuming she'd know, but the answer he got was that she knew nothing.
What was this?
"You fought her once before, didn't you?"
"That's true, but she didn't use her ability then. I don't really know."
"...Hmm."
Asking the Author was pointless.
Since the Author prioritized the novel's entertainment value above all else, she wouldn't tell him anything, believing that if he prepared, the fun would diminish.
It was also pointless to argue that knowing the ability would allow for more dramatic flair.
Well, he roughly understood her intention.
This is an academy where the protagonist needs to shine. And in a tournament, they'd naturally expect him to win, wouldn't they?
He didn't see the need to argue with the Author here, so he didn't press the issue.
He also agreed with the Author's opinion.
Well, it would be good for the protagonist to shine. Maybe he should fight just enough and then lose?
[I'm so excited! I wonder what kind of battle awaits us! It's been a long time since I've directly fought the protagonist!]
The Author spoke with a voice full of anticipation.
Their encounter with Yoo Si-woo didn't take as long as he expected.
He thought they'd only meet in the finals.
He certainly didn't expect to face him in the Round of 32. Either he or Yoo Si-woo would have to compete in the loser's bracket tomorrow during class.
"It's about to start. Shall we get going?"
"Yeah. Since it's come to this, let's win. I'll humble them."
That was the problem. He wanted to lose appropriately, but Amelia was far too enthusiastic.
How could he lose without her suspecting anything?
"Arte Isis, Yoo Si-woo, Dorothy Gale, Amelia Lindbergh! Come forward! It's your turn!"
"Ah, it's starting."
"Let's go, Arte! Our goal is first place!"
...Hmm, I'm not sure.
Wouldn't a way to lose appear as they fought?
Maybe Yoo Si-woo might suddenly awaken his power.
He hoped so.
***
"...Ready, start!"
Bang!
Teacher Claire fired her pistol, signaling the start of the battle.
"Amelia, aren't you going to move?"
"There's no need for me to move. It's more convenient if you come to me, isn't it?"
"...Right, I guess so."
He sighed softly.
He had waited, thinking it would become clear if he saw it directly, but he'd forgotten that they also knew his ability.
Their abilities were easy to counter, so it seemed they were reluctant to engage first.
Alright, then there was no other choice. He had to confirm it himself.
He subtly glanced at Arte.
Two fingerless gloves, her school uniform, a subtly visible leotard, and stockings. Even her pristine white coat.
It was the exact same outfit she always wore.
"Dorothy, with Wisdom, please."
"Alright. Be careful not to throw up again, okay?"
"I won't. That was only the first time!"
"It totally caught me off guard, you know? You said you were dizzy and all that. People get hurt, but you were the first one to throw up!"
He wondered how it would turn out.
Si-woo hoped his guess was wrong.
"The Scarecrow said, 'I want a brain.' The wizard granted his wish."
The moment Dorothy finished speaking, an intense headache and a gut-wrenching stomachache hit him simultaneously.
A sensation as if the world itself was twisting.
This surreal feeling, as if this world didn't actually exist.
Dorothy's ability, Wizard. An ability to enhance others.
That ability was applied to him.
His eyes and ears ached from the forcibly maximized ability.
Practice with Dorothy was always like this. His intuition was so amplified that his other senses dulled, making it difficult.
It wasn't an ability that strengthened his body along with his powers, but one that only amplified specifically designated aspects.
Therefore, his body couldn't handle the amplified ability.
He'd heard she could enhance other things too, but this was the only one he'd gotten used to in such a short time.
If it were a fire-breathing ability user, their firepower would be maximized, but they'd get hurt so badly they'd suffer burns from their own fire.
In his case, it was the maximization of his senses. His intuition became nauseatingly strong.
"...xtr...me? Th...en, we... sh...ort...ly...!"
He closed his eyes and covered his ears.
Normal people couldn't fight in that state. They wouldn't be able to see or hear anything.
But he wasn't normal.
He had covered his ears, but he could still feel it: Amelia's annoyed grumbling, as if she found it absurd.
He had closed his eyes, but he could still feel it: Arte's gaze, filled with curiosity.
He couldn't feel it with his skin, but he could sense it: the rush of wind as Amelia thrust her spear towards him.
"?!"
"...Got you."
He had no sensation in his hands, but he could feel it: he had snatched Amelia's spear.
He felt the faint sound of thin threads creeping along the floor. He swung his sword and cut them.
Just as he was about to snatch the spear he'd seized, he felt something.
What was it?
Around Arte, there was something.
It wasn't Amelia. She was right in front of him.
It wasn't the teacher either. Teacher Claire was watching from afar. He could feel it.
Then, what was that presence he felt next to Arte?
While he was flustered by the peculiar presence he felt with his heightened intuition, the world returned to normal.
"Ugh, ugh...! Cough...! Gasp...!"
"A-Are you okay?! You're not throwing up, are you?!"
"I-I told you that was only the first day...! Are you going to keep bringing that up?!"
"S-Sorry. It was just so memorable."
Haa... haaa...
He clutched his throbbing head.
My, my head hurts...
No matter how he thought about it, Dorothy's ability just didn't mesh well with his.
While enhancing others was good, his own ability was almost constantly active, meaning he was effectively continuously using the enhanced version of his power.
Even if it was fine for others, the burden on him was too severe. Ugh, it hurts...
That's why he had intended to quickly deal with Amelia, but while he hesitated, startled by the peculiar presence he felt next to Arte, she managed to escape.
"W-Whoa, you scared me...! Wh-What are you?! You grabbed me with your eyes closed?! Not even my dad has ever caught me like that!"
"That's cliché, Amelia... What era is that line from...?"
"Oh, r-really? It sometimes appears in old movies. I wanted to try it."
While he exchanged banter with the babbling Amelia, he briefly glanced around Arte.
...There was nothing there?
Then what exactly was that presence he had felt?
Was it a delusion?
"I was caught off guard just now, but not anymore! I'll deal with you properly!"
"U-Ugh! Don't follow me!"
"You come here! You did it, didn't you?!"
He didn't have time to think more about the peculiar presence he had felt.
For some reason, Amelia, thinking Dorothy was the reason he grabbed her, was now chasing Dorothy.
Going 1-on-2 would put him at a disadvantage.
He had to save Dorothy.