"You've been out cold for three days straight," Miss Veronica said, her voice edged with concern as she studied me closely. "Is there something wrong with your body?"
"No," I replied, though I found it odd that my body felt unusually fine despite the prolonged rest. "Anyway, why did you save me, Miss Veronica?"
"There are a few reasons, but the main one is that you're an incredibly valuable asset. I can't let someone with your skills just be killed," she said, her voice steady and assertive. "I need someone with your abilities to carry out some crucial tasks for me."
"Why...?"
Miss Veronica glanced over at Miss Laurel, her eyes flickering with an unreadable expression before she turned back to me. "Miss Shredica, would you be interested in joining the Magic Knights? Specifically, in the same unit as mine?"
My eyes widened in shock. The offer was so unexpected, it felt almost too easy. No, there had to be a catch. The real question wasn't how the opportunity landed in my lap but why.
"Why?" I asked, my voice tinged with suspicion.
Miss Laurel took over, her tone low and serious. "You probably don't know this because the royal knights and the Magic Knights are keeping it a secret, but there's a lot of turmoil at Milham Castle. The Commander is rapidly losing her standing among the Magic Knights and the nobles. Her influence is waning. Some even suspect she's been using her skills to manipulate the royal family."
Miss Veronica continued. "And because of that, we need more capable allies."
"Allies?" I echoed.
"There's a looming war between humans and demons," she explained, her eyes sharp with intensity. "The Demonic Kingdom is making strategic plans, and the Empire is already positioning itself. We're seeing signs of unrest worldwide. Rumor has it that the Elven Kingdom and the Beast people are preparing for conflict as well. Even the criminal networks in the underworld are buzzing with activity.
The world is inching towards another massive war. That's why we need to gather as many allies as possible."
Both of them had used the term "allies" repeatedly, and it was clear from their tone that they weren't referring to me as the ally they needed.
"By 'allies,' you don't mean me, right?" I asked, a note of suspicion in my voice.
They exchanged a look, then turned back to me and nodded.
"You're just a piece of the larger equation. We do need you as an ally," Miss Veronica said.
"What do you need from me then?" I asked, seeking clarity.
"It's quite simple, Miss Shredica," Miss Veronica said, her voice calm and measured. "You just need to do something for us."
***
Earth - 2012, Gregorian Calendar
Akane's POV (Shredica from Earth)
The school bell rang, its shrill sound slicing through the air and pulling me from my daze. I hastily grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder, ready to escape the confines of the classroom. Just as I reached the door, a firm grip seized my arm, yanking me back.
"...What?" I snapped, twisting around to see who had stopped me. It was Asada-san, her eyes blazing with fury. She was the childhood friend of Ichinose-kun, who had died just a week ago.
"How dare you show your face at school after what you've done?" she hissed. "Don't you feel any guilt? Shame? You're the reason he's dead!"
I shrugged her off, a mix of annoyance and cold indifference in my eyes.
"I don't want to talk to you."
Her eyes flared with fury. "You're truly shameless..."
"Shameless, huh? Who's really the shameless one here? Who's truly responsible for your childhood friend's death?"
"What do you mean? You're the reason he died!"
"Oh, is that so? Well, if you insist on placing the blame solely on me, then so be it. But do not forget, you too carry a burden of guilt in this matter."
With that, I walked out of the room, my footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.
That's right, I wasn't the only one to blame here. She was just as guilty. Kaori had abandoned him too. It wasn't solely my fault. It wasn't... entirely my fault.
No. It wasn't.
But as much as I tried to convince myself otherwise, the brutal truth was that Ichinose-kun's death was my fault. If I hadn't been so distracted, if I had noticed the approaching truck, he'd still be alive.
It's not fair, Ichinose-kun... I know I'll never be able to forget you, no matter how hard I try. You're going to haunt my thoughts for the rest of my life.
After stumbling a short distance from the classroom, I collapsed to the floor, the weight of my guilt too heavy to bear.