18 Let's Wrap It Up!
Mendou: [What is a Nightmare doing here?]
I looked at it through the windows. An ominous feeling would just swell right up as I stared more.
Those things are called Nightmares.
Those are creatures that had long died with lingering regret, spawning back as Vengeful Spirits.
Yet, despite being able to harm the physical world, they can't be normally harmed by any physical means.
They aren't also ghosts so exorcism wouldn't work.
Trust me, I already tried.
Mendou: [How the hell did you get in here? You're not even remotely related to the ones that died in the club, or maybe...]
Its figure was different.
It's hard to distinguish a Nightmare when they are standing still since all you can see is a pitch-black silhouette of them, and without an outline to see the details, they were as visible as shadows.
Mendou: [...You caused that murder to happen.]
Not only Nightmares can just physically harm you, but they can also choose to create accidents that can lead to murder, such as tripping another who was holding a box cutter, leading to another having their throat slit in the most convenient way possible.
They cannot kill the living directly, but they can cause harm using the environment.
After all, all they want is to kill the living.
Enough of this though, I still have to look after Miss Shiraishi and go back to the two!
Mendou: [Agh. He's not moving, how am I supposed to even——]
Just as I thought it wouldn't move, it dashed through the chairs and the wall, holding a silhouette of a long sword that swung right at me.
I was able to dodge by a width of the hair but, I was just fine. At least I don't have to go and bother getting close to this bastard!
Mendou: [Hoho?! You're approaching me? Instead of running away, you're coming right to me?]
I made a stern smile, putting my hand at my sides right at the abdominal level with open palms.
I've always wanted to say that line.
But jokes aside, this guy died while holding a sword. It's not a katana, but a long sword.
Mendou: [I'm sorry, but you need to graduate and see God. Once your time is up, your time is up!]
Have you wondered why I was so confident to face a Nightmare when there's no physical or spiritual way to defeat it?
It was easy. I'm sure by the time you've read this, you saw the tag that said Magic.
I might not consider myself to be the protagonist, but in this world, everything can happen, and this is happening now.
Because, out of all 7 million and counting people in the world, I am the only one who can see Nightmares...
Mendou: [Goodbye, soldier.]
..and use Magic.
Mendou: [Purify.]
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Najimi: [Hmm... Kotaro seems to be taking an awful lot of time. Maybe I should go and check up on him.]
It's been almost twenty minutes since Kotaro and Miss Shiraishi went to the faculty.
The distance between this club and the faculty shouldn't be too far as it's only a minute away.
Me and Miss Shiraishi had trouble walking through the abandoned building since earlier she said she saw something and tripped.
The documents we were carrying were unusually spread out so it did take us more than a minute to get back.
I have a feeling that something is going on, yet I can't describe it.
Hoshoijo: [N-No. Just stay. You don't leave your girlfriend all alone!]
Najimi: [Huh? Is that how it works?]
She's trembling. She looks angry, but I don't understand why. Maybe I did something, but I also don't know what could have offended her.
Najimi: [Why are you angry?]
Hoshoujo: [I-I'm not angry.]
Huh? I might have to consult Kotaro on this one. I'm not quite sure how to read the mood still.
I still don't understand most of these things.
Hoshoujo: [D-Don't tell anyone else... but, I'm a bit scared.]
Najimi: [But you're trembling.]
Hoshoujo: [Don't point that out, idiot! Just stay here... don't leave my side.]
Somehow, this began to feel nostalgic and warm for me.
I remember something like this happening before, when we were little, she would be immediately scared with horror stories that she would hide behind my back and hold into my shirt tightly.
I can't remember what face I made back then, but right now, it felt really warm in my chest.
I stood up and moved to the sofa, tapping the area beside me as I sat.
Najimi: [Don't worry. I won't leave you. So, come and sit beside me.]
I looked at her, but her eyes widened as if in shock, but it slowly turned into a smile again as she accepted
Hoshoujo: [Geez. You say you're deprived of emotions but... I can't believe you can still smile like that.]
Maybe it was because I remembered something that, I was able to express something.
Be it may be for that only a short moment, but feeling emotions and expressing them made me feel alive, at least even for a moment.
I wanted that moment to last, that we sat there for as long as we wanted, ignoring the bell that would ring for the next class.
Why would I take notice of that, when my life is already happening here?
Najimi: [What rebellious kids we are...]
I gently said while caressing her hair as we leaned back, cuddling like the kids we were once before.
Najimi: [This isn't so bad, right?]
Maybe it was just good to be selfish sometimes.
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Nightmare: [——WRAAAAAAAGH!]
Mendou: [Okay, damn. Keep screaming, I'm the only one who can hear you!]
I've already cast three Purify on this bastard but to no avail. It's still intact and its lingering regret is much stronger than I thought!
I can't drag out this battle any longer because once Miss Shiraishi wakes up, I'll have to explain everything to her and I can't have that!
Mendou: [——Whoa?!]
Suddenly, the ground would shake as cracks appeared on the ground.
It's using the environment! It's trying to tear the ground as we are on the second floor!
This is bad! I underestimated it!
Mendou: [Damn it! I'll have to bail out of this fragile field!]
With my quick decision thinking and rapid speed, I jumped in to swoop Miss Shiraishi out of the corridor as the ground broke apart, falling as it got demolished.
I jumped out of the window, carrying Miss Shiraishi while stepping on some magic circle footholds.
By the way, footholds are by no easy feat to do.
If you don't trust yourself completely, the footholds won't even work and you'll fall to your death.
That goes with every magic that I have, that's why I have to maintain this personality. Although it's actually who I am, it fits right in my line of work.
Mendou: [Hey, you bastard! That building is not yet due until the next month!]
I pointed at him, but as I did it just came right after me.
If you're wondering about the contradiction of Nightmares not being able to directly hurt people when it's attacking me, it is because I am constantly aware that they exist, that we become existing on a pseudo-realm that makes us level to each other, thus enabling them to hurt anyone who manages to see them.
That is exactly why I musn't let Miss Shiraishi see them after she wakes up!
Mendou: [Ah, freak! I was trying to save this!]
Purify didn't seem to work effectively against this Nightmare, and so I had to come up and use another trick up my sleeve.
Mendou: [Teleport!]
In such a short blink, Miss Shiraishi vanished right out of my hands.
She was transported to the clinic bed where there shouldn't be a nurse looking.
This way, I can fight without holding back.
Nightmare: [——WRRRREEEEEAAAAAAGH]
Its distorted scream never ceases to be annoying.
Mendou: [——We should wrap this up!]
So, clapping my hands together, a long rod would materialize as I slowly put my hand away from each other.
It was a wand the length of my arm, and with that in my hand, I turned the once difficult battle into an easy one.
Mendou: [Now, eat this.]
I aimed at it, and right after I locked on, all I had to do was say it.
Mendou: [Holy Purification.]
A massive blast of lightning falls on the Nightmare, purifying it and burning the corruption that enveloped it.
From that day on, the abandoned corridor was wrecked and closed after it was said to be caused by the lighting that struck it.
The rumors about the curse of the Literature Club only grew stronger and lingered more, but for me who knew the origin of such a problem, It was all as clear as day.
Today was the day that I knew, that my life will never be normal as I promised and wished to be.
