Chapter 41

< 040. Chicks Flying: This is the paid section. >

The flow of time cannot be stopped by anyone.

That's why humans are always preparing.

Even after preparing as much as possible before a big event, it's inevitable to sometimes feel that time is too short.

However, you've done everything you can. Now, it's up to you to figure out the rest.

“Nephty. Are you sure about the results?”

“Yes. I’ve put in everything I could. Right, junior?”

“Yes, that’s right! Instructor!”

What do you mean, instructor?

“Millmayu. Did you bring snacks?”

“Yes, yes!”

“Then we’ve done everything we can and the preparations are complete. Let’s go.”

“...Yes, senior!”

Today is the day of Millmayu and Kelters’ sparring match.

And.

It’s also the day of my magic craft submission.

***

With some time left before the submission, I decided to see Millmayu off to the first-year dormitory.

Nephty smirked when I stood in front of her. When I asked why, she said,

“I painted and wallpapered it myself. Hehe. No, it was the Wolf Crew of Sabuten who did it.”

She smiled mysteriously.

Well, Nephty is always like that. Recently, she even started wearing an armband that says ‘Safety Manager’ on her right arm.

“I have something to do on the Knight Department side, so I’ll be going. Good luck, junior.”

“Yes, instructor!”

“Let’s go in.”

Nephty disappeared with a smile, and Millmayu and I walked to the front of the first-year dormitory.

During the walk, an awkward silence lingered, but Millmayu was the first to speak.

“Senior.”

“I’m listening. Go ahead.”

“Thank you. I will definitely win.”

“That’s a good attitude.”

“And if I win... I, for about a day...”

Before she could continue, a loud voice echoed from far away, drowning out Millmayu’s voice.

“Millmayu! I thought you were eaten! Oh, Donut senior. Hello. You didn’t eat Millmayu, right?”

“Millmayu. You’re safe. That’s a relief. Hello, Donut senior. Did you come to take her back?”

“Vanilla, Yogurt...!”

The yellow and green chicks came to meet the pink chick, and the three of them hugged and laughed.

It’s a colorful assembly of chicks.

“Then, good luck with the exam.”

“...Um, senior.”

“What is it?”

“I’ll do my best!”

Millmayu’s eyes showed no sign of wavering.

To be honest, I’m also hoping for this child’s victory.

At this moment, how has this child, who was originally destined to lose and disappear, changed?

As a fellow third-rate extra, I hope Millmayu succeeds.

“Millmayu.”

“Yes, yes.”

“Take this.”

“...What is this?”

This is the last item I can lend her at this moment.

I took off the glove I was wearing on one hand and handed it to Millmayu.

“It will help you.”

Millmayu blinked, then took my glove, hugged it dearly, and quickly put it on.

“...Even if we’re apart, we’re together.”

What does that mean?

It’s a glove that boosts your skills by three points when worn.

***

Wolfram von Loeningen and Millmayu von Sabre.

Vanilla and Yogurt looked at each other while listening to the strangely sweet conversation between the two.

“What do you think, Yogurt?”

“If you have any sense, don’t ask. Vanilla.”

“Right?”

“Exactly.”

They just looked at their friend with warm gazes.

***

Practical class.

About a hundred students gathered and sat in the stands of the sports field.

Except for two.

“Before we start the class, since these two haven’t yet demonstrated their practical skills, let’s start with them.”

At the professor’s words, two students stepped forward.

One was a boy with red hair and a refreshing smile. Kelters.

The other was a girl with pink hair who looked extremely delicate. Millmayu.

Each holding a wooden sword in one hand, they bowed to each other from a distance.

“The sparring will continue until one of you falls and is unable to act, or until you admit defeat. Both of you understand, right?”

“Yes, professor!”

“...”

The professor smiled at Kelters’ enthusiastic answer but gave a disapproving look at Millmayu’s mere nod.

“Certainly, there is a status difference between the two of you, but I will intervene if necessary, so don’t hold back. Got it? Then, let’s begin. Start!”

“Please take care of me!”

“...”

Millmayu simply nodded and, without a word, bit the last piece of candy between her teeth.

***

Millmayu didn’t think.

No, she shouldn’t have had the time to think. Such a luxury would have made her vulnerable to Kelters’ attacks.

So, the first move after the fight started was an absolute ambush.

That’s what she was taught.

[The Magical Pastry Chef’s buff activates when the ‘one piece of candy’ threshold is met. This means that after eating almost all the cake, you can activate it by just biting the remaining chocolate chip. Remember this.]

[Millmayu junior’s status is lower than Kelters junior’s. Even if you use Half Berserk, it will be similar or lower.]

Millmayu didn’t say anything. She just bit, activated, and charged in.

“Haaaaa!”

“...Wh, what?!”

Bang!

It wasn’t the sound of the wooden sword hitting the body, but the sound of the swords clashing.

Despite such a sudden ambush, Kelters, the top student, managed to avoid it.

[If the ambush fails, you must push in again with a flashy attack. Once you’ve launched the first offensive, you can’t fall back. The status difference is that desperate. Got it, chick?]

“Yaa! Haaaaa!”

“Oh, wh, what?!”

Two more sword strikes crossed.

Following the seniors’ advice, she continued the ambush without letting up, but Kelters didn’t allow a single hit.

“Ugh... This!”

Even so, she managed to make Kelters, the boy, take two steps back.

Two steps that an extra had taken from the protagonist.

However, it didn’t mean the extra had the upper hand.

[Millmayu junior. If the opponent steps back, they will definitely use their next skill. That’s when you respond like this.]

“[Unnamed Sword: Thrust: Break]”

“[Unnamed Sword: Thrust: Break]”

Exactly the same incantation.

Exactly the same stance.

Exactly the same charge.

Millmayu and Kelters clashed at the exact midpoint, but the result was different.

“Kyaahhhh!”

Kelters broke through, while Millmayu was pushed back and flew away.

With a thud, the flying Millmayu rolled on the ground several times.

“Are, are you okay?!”

Kelters, who had struck her unintentionally, was more flustered than anyone.

But Millmayu, using the wooden sword as a cane, stood up and looked at Kelters with eyes that refused to give up.

[Millmayu is a cookie that is folded and flattened repeatedly. And when it’s finally folded, it has 2,187 layers.]

“...One layer. Two thousand and eighty-six to go.”

Millmayu didn’t stop.

***

It was a fight that anyone could see would end in a predictable result.

No one would say that Millmayu had the upper hand.

A fight between an unnoticed child and the top student of the year. The outcome was clear.

“[Unnamed Sword: Thrust]”

“Kyaahhhh!”

Even now, Millmayu is knocked down by Kelters’ strike.

Of course. Among the shining freshmen, the top student’s presence is undeniable. How could anyone challenge that?

But the atmosphere was strange.

“...Two thousand and eighty.”

“Stop getting up. Just stop!”

This third-rate student, this underachiever, this chick with only a colorful appearance, didn’t fall.

On the contrary, it was the opposite.

“Stop getting up!”

“Two thousand and ninety-nine.”

The top student, Kelters, was glaring at the chick with eyes that seemed ready to cry.

***

Millmayu thought.

‘My whole body hurts. It’s hard to stand up. No matter what, two thousand layers is not easy.’

“Why are you getting up? You can fall, you know!”

“Because I want to win.”

“There’s no way you can beat me! My attacks are leading! You always fly away! Just give up!”

“...Yes, Kelters, you’re right.”

“Then...”

“But I promised not to lose until I fall two thousand and eighty-seven times.”

“What, what?”

“So, I also want to win.”

“...Ugh.”

“[Unnamed Sword: Thrust: Break]”

“[Unnamed Sword: Thrust: Break]”

Ah.

This time, I’m the one flying.

It’s really unfair. What is this? I even came up with a strategy based on the seniors’ advice, but I can’t see any way to win.

Millmayu, rolling on the ground, stood up again and thought.

How can I win?

[How to beat Kelters?]

“...Senior.”

She remembered the conversation with the cold and stern senior who forced her to eat a lot of cookies.

[Senior, Kelters has higher status than me. If I just compete with basic sword techniques, won’t I lose...?]

[You’ll lose. Even with Half Berserk, you’ll still lose.]

[Uh...]

[The problem is that your skills are much lower. You’ll lose in technique even if you use the same skill. That’s certain.]

[...]

She looked up at the senior with hopeful eyes.

Over the past few days, she realized that if she made a ‘please help me’ face, the senior would grumble but explain kindly.

[So, you need to provoke Kelters into using his ultimate move. Before Half Berserk wears off.]

The senior explained sternly but affectionately.

[First, you must get up. I’m explaining based on that premise. Start by making Kelters believe in a misconception.]

[What kind of misconception?]

“Stop getting up.”

“Kelters. With sword techniques, you can’t knock me down. Two thousand and eighty-three.”

[If that happens, Kelters will change his approach. Since he’s versatile, he’ll create distance and prepare another attack. That’s when you get your one chance.]

“...Tsk. Pierce all enemies before me.”

“Not a sword technique, but a magic incantation.”

Kelters, with his eyes, stood with his sword vertically and began to chant a spell.

“[Ore: Throw: Dagger]”

With all her strength, she launched herself.

Her body, trembling due to magic sensitivity, and her instinct, terrified, narrowly avoided the dagger.

[But with magic sensitivity, even the impact of a spell can be dangerous, right?]

[Half Berserk is already active.]

[Ah, right.]

[If you reduce your magic to 0, there’s no risk of being affected. The only problem is one.]

[What’s the problem?]

[You mustn’t fear magic. If you only avoid Kelters’ magic, he will definitely prepare a second attack.]

[Then what should I do?]

[Charge with all your might. Then you’re almost winning.]

[To win completely?]

[Just focus on one spot. Hit it with all your might.]

[Where?]

[The crown. The top of the head.]

[The, top of the head?]

[Yes. Gather all your anger from rolling around and shout it out. Focus on the top of the head and shout.]

[How?]

[The top of the head.]

“Yaaaaaaa! The top of the head!”

“Wh, wh, what?!”

[Bang!]

“Bang!”

***

The verdict was clear.

One person crouched, but the other lay flat.

Interestingly, the one who crouched was unconscious, while the one who lay flat was fully conscious.

“Millmayu!”

“Millmayu, are you okay?!”

“...Yeah, I’m fine. Hehe.”

She laughed like a fool, but the laughter wouldn’t stop.

Millmayu just kept laughing, over and over.

“Did I win? Did it go ‘Bang’?”

“Idiot! Is this the time to worry about that?!”

“Let’s go to the infirmary. We should see the doctor, professor. Is it okay to go?”

“Y-Yes. Go quickly.”

Vanilla and Yogurt were in a commotion.

Why are they trying to move me when I can’t even move? Millmayu just lay there, looking up at the sky naturally.

In her left hand, she felt the glove given by Senior Wolfram.

Thanks to this glove, she felt she could move a little faster.

Raising her hand with effort, she looked at the glove and smiled like the usual pink chick.

“It went ‘Bang’. Senior.”