Chapter 5

Suddenly, four red-black holes appeared.

From those holes, something emerged in a torrent, as if propelled by bullets. If iron masses were to rub against each other while moving at an incredible speed, they might produce such a sound. The black, slender objects that appeared one after another, as if being spat out, attacked the principal.

"Kyaa!?"

Without giving her a chance to dodge, the principal was restrained by those "things."

"…Is that… a chain?"

Dozens of black chains seemed to have emerged from the holes. Moreover, the chains had vein-like structures running through them, and they appeared to be pulsating slightly.

What the heck?

What just happened?

Are those holes and chains… some kind of spell the principal used?

No way.

Why would she bind herself?

But if that's the case, then—

—thump.

Huh?

(No.

Those chains… they aren't from the girl in front of me.)

A voice.

No, is this… my voice?

(Yes,

those are,

those are,

mine—)

"Ugh… What kind of spell… did you use on me…?"

The principal, sweating and writhing, asked with a pained expression. However, I was bewildered by the strange sensation that suddenly welled up inside me, and I was at a loss for words.

"……"

What is this feeling?

It's like… if I were to compare myself to a computer, it's as if a new application has been installed… something like that—

"——"

—Huh?

What did she say?

Ninth, forbidden spell?

A word from the chuuni disease poem I recited earlier suddenly popped into my head. More than that, it felt like the process (or spell) to summon those chains had been stored in a drawer, ready to be pulled out at any time. In other words, is that spell now a part of me?

Did I learn the spell…?

No way.

My head is getting all jumbled up.

But one thing is certain—

I saw the chains that bound the principal.

"So… you did this?"

The principal, with a twisted expression, glared at me and then smirked.

"Although I've never seen this spell before… this clearly shows that you are a dangerous individual. I intended to use the spell to provoke a reaction, but it seems that your previous clumsy behavior was all an act to put us at ease. I don't know your purpose for infiltrating this academy… but this spell is more than enough to determine that you are a dangerous person!"

The principal opened her mouth wide and stuck out her tongue toward me.

What…?

There were some characters on the principal's tongue…

At that moment, the brown-haired girl, who had been standing there with a stunned look, suddenly exclaimed—

"Ah… eh? Principal!? Using that spell here is… really, really bad!"

She cried out in a flustered manner.

Wait… what was that spell again?

Hmm?

So, it's like she has the activation formula etched on her tongue… something like that?

A hidden technique?

Does that mean I'm about to be attacked by some kind of magic?

And from the way the brown-haired girl is acting… it seems like it's going to be a super ultimate move.

"Wait! I didn't do it out of malice… ugh…"

The principal's expression clearly said, "No questions asked."

……

Another pinch.

Is my luck really fluctuating this much?

At that moment, the principal's lips smoothly formed words.

"Mistletoe—"

"Ugh, aaaaaah!"

I closed my eyes.

Is this it…?

"……"

"……"

Huh?

What?

Nothing is happening?

I cautiously opened my eyes.

What I saw was the principal, with a look of surprise on her face, frozen with her tongue still out.

"…What?"

The principal let out a voice that sounded like she couldn't believe it.

"The spell… didn't activate…? No, that's not it… I couldn't even channel the 'Holy Element' into the spell…? This has never happened before…"

The principal's gaze slowly shifted to the chains that bound her.

"Could it be… the effect of these chains…? What is this spell…? Wait… the man didn't use a spell… it was, rather, a spell incantation… but even so, I've never heard of such a spell…"

"Principal, I have something to tell you."

The brown-haired girl, named Claris, spoke up. The principal, with a look of urgency on her pale face, turned to her.

"What is it, Claris?"

Claris, who seemed to be a bit scared, approached the principal and poked the chains with her finger. Then she turned to me.

"Um, is this… okay?"

"What do you mean, 'okay'?"

"If my guess is correct, you should have the authority to 'control' this… can you make it not attack me?"

"Um, well…"

I hesitated.

The principal looked at Claris with a puzzled expression.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you see—"

I haven't said it's "okay" yet, but Claris didn't seem to care and leaned in close to the principal's ear, whispering something.

Gradually, the principal's expression changed.

Then,

"So, what he used just now is—"

"Yes, probably."

The principal looked at me, seemingly shocked.

"What…? How could this be…?"

"Yes, so I think this is a very, very amazing thing."

"It's more than amazing… if that's the case, then—"

The principal seemed to be deep in thought.

At that moment,

"Y-You! You're the one controlling those creepy chains, aren't you!? Let the principal go!"

I turned around.

A guard, with his sword drawn, was pointing it at me.

"Release the principal, or I'll cut you down!"

"……"

Hmm.

Judging from the way his legs were shaking, he must have been too scared to move until now.

So,

it's just bravado, and he won't really attack.

……

He won't, right?

No, he won't.

Probably.

Meanwhile, Reisa, as usual, was calmly observing the tense situation (though I couldn't tell what she was thinking).

However,

I turned back to the principal.

She was still bound by the chains.

Yeah.

Clearly, this can't go on.

Hmm.

I need to find a way to release (or "undo") the chains…

I closed my eyes and focused my mind.

A database-like image appeared in my mind.

Using the computer analogy again… is this how it should feel?

Okay, if the spell is like an application, there should be a help section…

Imagining calling up the help section… help section…

How's that?

"……"

Hmm.

I think I can imagine it.

Next, the search image.

Search, search…

Release… release… huh?

Wow.

What's this?

This spell has more to it?

So the chains were… just the first stage?

Amazing.

I didn't expect there to be more forms.

But given their ominous nature, I don't think I should use them recklessly.

And I certainly shouldn't try the second stage on the principal.

But first, I need to find a way to remove the chains.

Okay, release, release…

Hmm?

Is this it?

Ah, this is it.

What?

Oh, it seems that undoing the spell's effect is surprisingly simple.

Okay,

"‘—Ninth Forbidden Spell, Close the Realm’"

As soon as I said it, the black chains loosened and released the principal. Then, like a mass of snakes slithering back into the grass, the chains made a metallic sound and retreated into the dimensional rift from which they emerged. Once the chains were completely gone, the hole closed—

And there was nothing left.

As if it had all been a dream, everything was gone.

"Phew… What a terrible experience."

The principal patted her skirt and chest.

Claris, standing beside her, let out a deep breath of relief.

Then,

"Principal!"

The guard, who had regained some of his bravado now that the chains were gone, called out.

"Let's call the Holy Tree Knights to immediately restrain this man! We could even call the Student Council—"

"No, that's not necessary."

The principal interrupted the guard.

"What!? Why, Principal!?"

The principal placed a finger on her white cheek and gave a cute, yet mysterious, "ufu" smile.

"The situation has changed a bit."

Then, the principal turned to me.

"Well… what's your name?"

The look in her eyes was clearly different from the indifferent one she had when we first met.

"Sagara, Kurohiko."

"Ah, Kurohiko."

"Yes."

The principal walked over to me and picked up a piece of paper from the floor. I was still sitting on the floor with my hands bound. The paper she held was the one with the text I had read aloud. The text on the paper, which I had read as a death poem, was now a faded color, as if it had been bleached.

"You just learned ‘that spell’ a moment ago, right?"

The "spell" the principal referred to was the one that summoned the chains.

"Um, yes…"

"So you were able to read this. Right?"

"Um, yeah."

I put a hand to my mouth, and the principal only moved her eyes to look at me.

"Is it possible to read the incantation of that spell without activating it? For example, if you stop at 90% of the incantation, it won't activate?"

"I think I can do that."

I scanned the text again and read it aloud, deliberately skipping the last part, "Ninth Forbidden Spell, Release." The principal, with a sudden movement, flipped the paper over and scanned it with her eyes.

"You were able to read this…?"

"Um?"

In a voice just loud enough for me to hear, the principal muttered to herself.

"I not only saw the ‘forbidden spell’ activate with my own eyes, but I also experienced it… it would be unreasonable not to believe it. Moreover, the text on the forbidden spell's scroll has shown changes I've never seen before…"

Forbidden spell?

What's a forbidden spell?

And is it really that special to be able to read what was written on that paper?

I don't understand.

"You seem to be from the Eastern Kingdom… where did you learn that language?"

"Um? Because what's written there is…"

That's right.

It's just—

What's written there is just normal Japanese, isn't it?