Chapter 42

Levi, once known as the strongest marksman with a gun, had steady hands and keen eyes, which were merely the basics of the basics. He first closed the office window to avoid being affected by the wind outside. Then, he carefully placed the second pencil on the tip of the first one. An act that would require a skilled acrobat, Levi accomplished with ease.

"Hmm, next, I need to silently recite 'the South Pole attracts the North Pole' three times while thinking of a girl. That completes the spell."

It was strange that the spell required thinking of another girl, but for Yuki Ning, Levi had long been accustomed to her unpredictable behavior and didn't pay much attention. However, there were just too many strange people in this ordinary middle school, like that emotionless alien girl...

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The curtains were open, and the bright afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass into the room.

The club room, already small, seemed even narrower with a long table placed in the center. On the left was a bookshelf filled with books, and on the right, a half-person-high cabinet stood against the wall.

Although the room was spotless, it gave the impression of being unused for a long time. But it was just an impression, as a uniformed female student sat on a steel chair in the corner by the window. The girl, like a doll placed there, blended into the room, almost making one overlook her at first glance.

But Levi had an absolute reason not to overlook the girl. He held a stack of books and stared straight at the girl, his expression conflicted.

Shifting his weight to the left, Levi freed one hand to try the doorknob behind him. It clicked a few times, confirming it was locked. Perhaps due to disrepair, the door had jammed shut after being blown by the wind. But this assumption was incorrect, as Levi, who frequently entered the club building for student council duties, clearly remembered the school having the locks on all doors and windows repaired just a few days before the start of the term. There was no reason for them to break so soon. If that were the case, he would report it to the principal and seek compensation from the repair company.

However, before doing so, Levi wanted to confirm if there were any other factors involved.

"Was it you who broke the lock?"

The girl on the chair lifted her head, turning her emotionless eyes toward Levi. The short-haired student named Nagato Yuki shook her head in response to Levi's question.

If it were anyone else, Levi wouldn't have had such doubts. But it was precisely this alien girl, whom he had only met once, that made him suspect the lock's damage was not an accident. While completing the final step of Yuki Ning's spell, Levi happened to think of this peculiar girl.

—Could Yuki Ning have gotten the spell wrong again? This situation certainly wouldn't alleviate fatigue.

Given her track record, Levi could only lament his rashness. Knowing Yuki Ning's forgetfulness, he still played the spell game with her. Fortunately, it seemed only the lock was broken, and there were several ways to get out.

"Sorry for involving you in this trouble. Want to go out? Although damaging school property isn't something a teacher should do, I doubt the principal would be too angry in this situation."

Levi placed the books donated by students on the empty spots on the bookshelf and plopped down on the long table—there was no other seating available except for the steel chair Nagato Yuki was using.

"No need."

The girl finally spoke, her voice as emotionless and mechanical as always. Despite her human-like appearance and even her breathing, the artificial quality of her voice was the only clue to her true identity.

"There's an external information source around you. It's not malicious, but it affects the surrounding environment. Should I remove it?"

"Uh, you mean the broken lock?"

Communicating with this girl wasn't too difficult; as long as he translated her strange words, Nagato Yuki's speech was straightforward.

"Exactly."

"Alright, please do."

There was no immediate danger, but Levi couldn't guarantee that Yuki Ning's spell was over. Since Yuki offered, he decided to accept her help.

The girl's lips moved unnaturally fast, as if in fast-forward, and then she nodded at Levi, indicating the removal was complete.

Throughout the process, Levi didn't feel any special energy around him. Including the previous spell that led to him being summoned by the school's intercom, the coincidences made him skeptical about the authenticity of Yuki Ning's spells. However, he still felt grateful to the girl for her help, even though he didn't know what she had done.

"Thank you."

The girl's gaze returned to her book. Levi, with nothing better to do, decided not to leave by force immediately.

Levi was recalling recent interesting news, trying to find something to break the silence. Sensing his thoughts, Yuki didn't let him suffer for long and spoke, surprising him with a single word.

"Holy Grail War."

Before Levi could react, Nagato Yuki put down her book and looked up. At that moment, Levi wasn't thinking about why she knew this secret but noticed that the literary girl wasn't wearing the glasses she had on during their first meeting.

"You will win, don't worry too much."

Hearing this, Levi calmed down. Reflecting on it, he realized he might have been overly anxious lately. He had mentally prepared to face any situation to restore Ewen's freedom. Now, he found it amusing that he had lost his composure in front of a student. The saying that peaceful days can erode one's fighting spirit seemed to have some truth to it.

Recalling his past, when he fearlessly traversed planets and effortlessly completed missions, Levi decided to approach the upcoming battle with a relaxed mindset. After all, that was the real him, the feared cosmic assassin.

"How did you know about the Holy Grail War?"

Leaning back, he sat on the long table in the center of the room. Freed from some unseen constraint, Levi asked in a relaxed tone.

"It's difficult to express in human language, I'm sorry."

It seemed the Information Integration Thought Entity wasn't omnipotent. At least in understanding humans and learning their ways, Nagato Yuki still had many shortcomings. Levi decided to help this alien girl, like himself, better integrate into human society, using it as a way to relax between battles. This thought flashed through his mind.

"Then, let me ask another question. Why do you think I will win?"