Why?
Why do I feel this way?
Why?
My fist tightened against the katana's grip, and with a deep breath, I burst forward in a desperate dash. I needed to get close enough to deliver considerable damage—I couldn't let them corner me. That would be the end of everything.
I can't lose. I don't know why, but I feel this immense... pride? Something bordering on arrogance. I've never felt this superior to anything in my life, this strange sensation like I'm looking down at an ant. Damn it, whatever those DNA samples are, they're messing with my head.
Swoosh!
She slashed at nothing in particular, but I knew what that gesture meant. In that split second, I turned my attention to the sylph—it was hovering in the air, trying to get behind me. That wasn't good. If it slipped into my blind spot like before, I was finished. I'd been pretty lucky the previous attack wasn't lethal, but luck doesn't strike twice.
"Fine, then... let's play," I said, and for the first time in my entire second year at this academy, I smiled. No—I grinned. Strange feelings flooded through me, and I couldn't help myself. Suddenly, sinister plans began forming.
I hurriedly placed my katana between my teeth as I quickly manifested two potions from my storage ring.
I dashed forward as the world slowed around me. I didn't need to look to understand why this instinctive ability had kicked in—at this point, it was like a sixth sense. I could vaguely read the reasons for its activation. My instincts were screaming danger ahead, likely from that slash she'd made—a wind blade attack, if I had to guess.
So I repeated my earlier maneuver: dropped to my knees, sliding forward with momentum, then stomped the ground hard. I spun around, and just as I'd suspected, the wind sylph was attempting to attack from my blind spot.
Now that I was becoming more accustomed to this ability, I realized time wasn't actually slowing to a complete pause. Perhaps it had the first time it activated in battle, but now it was different—more like the immediate danger would slow down considerably, giving me a chance to evade if I was fast enough. But she could react as well, which meant... did this mean time was only slowing down for attacks aimed directly at me?
Tsk. It seemed I still hadn't completely understood this power. Well, it doesn't matter for now—I'll figure it out in due time.
I threw both potions at the creature, which noticed my action too late. It tried to evade, but given its size and the fact that I'd caught it off guard, the potions collided with its body and detonated.
BOOM!
"Huh." I looked forward to find Natasha gazing at me in shock. Then she looked up, and from the cloud of smoke, something burst out—shooting forward at tremendous speed, rushing straight for me.
"Crap." Damn it, I should have known that wouldn't do any real damage.
I rushed toward her in one desperate sprint. For some reason, that damn ability wasn't activating now when I needed it most. She muttered something under her breath, and suddenly her hair began to defy gravity. The glow in her eyes intensified, and a terrifying aura escaped her. I could feel the air becoming denser—it was becoming difficult to breathe.
At this point, the outcome was quite obvious.
I was fucked.
It was over.
Did I regret not jumping out when I'd had the chance?
...No.
I don't.
"Hehehe," I chuckled in the face of my death.
Might as well die an idiot than a coward. My death at this institution was inevitable anyway.
If I die now... I die.
With that resolve, I gripped the katana even more firmly, then lunged forward with all my might.
It all comes down to this.
"Die," was all she said, pointing her trembling sword at me—the blade glowing with an ominous green light.
I slashed.
Then something hit me from behind.
Like a freight train.
Before I could understand anything, the world spun violently.
"Heh?" I managed to blurt out.
And then...
Darkness.
But not before I heard a certain scream echoing through the chaos:
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"