Fury — Interlude (2)

"Argh!! Bring that bastard here now!! That insolent insect!! Argh!!"

"Calm down! Student Miya!!"

Academy Hospital. Treatment Room.

Covered in blood, Miya screamed and caused a disturbance. She had received healing magic, but her wounds hadn't fully healed yet.

The floor was strewn with all kinds of broken items, shattered due to her forcefully pushing everything off the shelves with her arm.

Though it was better than it was at first, Miya still felt the pain of her insides twisting.

That pain continuously fueled the fire of her ceaseless rage.

The healers tried to calm her with their arms extended. They felt a trembling tension in the presence of her formidable mana that made every hair on their body stand on end.

"Y-you need to heal first…!"

"Student Miya, calm down! Your wounds will open!!"

Miya, who regarded the healers as nothing more than insects, glared at them with her eyes that had turned bright red and bloodshot.

Her forehead was flushed red with veins bulging as if they would burst, baring her teeth and threatening like a beast.

"Bug bastard. I told you to bring him, and you keep ordering someone else…!"

Just then.

The door creaked open.

Everyone's gaze turned towards the entrance.

As a beautiful third-year female student with light-gold hair entered, Miya's eyes widened in surprise.

The girl, smiling gently, was someone Miya hadn't even imagined would appear here.

It was the Student Council President, Alice Carroll.

"Student Council President? Why are you here…?"

"I stopped by because it was noisy on my way."

Alice Carroll was also one of the targets Miya had intended to win over. Even amidst twitching pain, Miya's voice naturally calmed down.

A powerhouse second only to Dorothy. A true force to be reckoned with, commanding the Phantom Cat Cheshire as her familiar.

Her face was adorned with a relaxed smile.

Alice walked steadily and stopped in front of Miya, who wanted to make her a subordinate someday,

Their gazes silently intertwined.

"Hey."

A kind voice.

Alice leaned forward slightly and brought her head close to Miya's ear.

As Alice's warm breath caressed her nape, Miya's ears reflexively turned red.

Without realizing it, Miya swallowed and tensed up. Alice exuded an enchanting charm simply by existing.

The healers watched them in silence. The Student Council, which also took on the role of handling incidents and accidents, decided to leave the situation for Alice to handle.

Alice's enchanting voice whispered softly.

"I heard you were hurt by Isaac. It must be… very upsetting, right?"

Her voice had a magical charm that could captivate one's heart.

Without realizing it, Miya gently nodded her head.

Was it an intention to soothe and comfort her anger?

With that thought, Miya swallowed dryly.

Alice continued to speak, still with a kind smile on her face.

The words that followed completely overturned Miya's expectations.

"Stop bitching and stay mad, you brat."

"…What?"

Could she have heard wrong?

Miya felt puzzled.

A look of dismay spread across her face.

No matter how much she thought about it, it was clear. Alice's lips had uttered aggressive words that did not match her gentle voice.

The healers did not hear Alice's whisper, so they just stood still, on guard.

Miya looked at Alice with a surprised face. Their eyes met.

Alice's smile, her cherry blossom eyes. All of it suddenly began to provoke Miya's anger.

Miya's expression became fiercely distorted.

A heavy force of mana weighed heavily on the air, and flames of mana began to smolderingly rise from Miya's body.

Miya glared at Alice as if she wanted to kill her.

"You, what did you just say…?"

Boom!

A mysterious force exploded in Miya's limbs.

Miya experienced such a sensation for a moment.

"Huh?!"

Miya quickly extinguished the fire mana and examined her limbs in a panic. They were all intact.

Cold sweat poured down like rain. Her pupils shook violently. What had just happened to her?

Groooooo──.

"…!"

Miya felt it. Alice's mana had filled the treatment room, swallowing up her own.

Mana so dense and far superior to her own. Any rational human would not be able to maintain their composure in the face of such terrifying power.

Fear was an emotion created for survival. A bodily warning to choose flight over fight. That was the instinctive feeling Miya had felt at that moment.

Miya turned her gaze towards Alice, her head shaking uncontrollably.

Miya, who possessed considerable mana in her own right, could distinctly recognize the threat directed towards her because of it.

Behind Alice, a massive and bizarre purple monster, formed from mana, seemed to roar. It was the power of the Phantom Cat Cheshire.

Buried among the Nameless Hero, there were still monsters in this academy.

And now, Miya deeply realized that Alice was one of those monsters.

"Ah…"

And then, Miya realized.

If she had lashed out with flames at Alice here, she would have faced a devastating outcome incomparable to what had happened with Isaac.

Alice, displaying her noble dignity, distanced herself from Miya.

"It's not that I don't understand you, but I'm saying this for your own good, so remember. 'Revenge is to be taken within the boundaries of the academy'. For now, I want you to let go of that anger and focus on your recovery."

Alice smiled sweetly, spread her index finger, and admonished with ease. Her gentle demeanor made it feel as if her earlier swearing had been a lie.

"You'll do that, right?"

"…"

Miya nodded with difficulty when Alice kindly asked, almost as if she was being coerced.

"Good."

Alice nodded in satisfaction, then waved her hand gently to the healers, saying, "I'll be off then. Everyone, take care~," and left the treatment room.

A heavy atmosphere lingered throughout.

Soon after, Miya's legs gave way, and she flopped down on the bed.

Her expression was one of utter despair.

Meanwhile, in the academy hospital corridor.

Alice hurried along, greeting the passing healers with a smile.

[Meow. Alice, that was fun.]

Suddenly, the voice of the Phantom Cat Cheshire rang in Alice's head.

Since the Phantom Cat Cheshire was nearby, a conversation between master and familiar that no one else could hear was possible.

[Does the Priestess seem useful?]

'Yes.'

Alice wanted to make use of Miya.

She was arrogant and foolish, yet the master of a powerful magic beast, the Nine-tailed Fox, and possessed quite decent skills.

Moreover.

'And there's a demon hiding in her shadows.'

In Miya's shadow,

A demon was hiding, biding its time in silence.

In the labyrinth where she could summon the minds of her subordinates, Alice received interesting information from Clover Paladin.

It was information that Isaac had defeated Priestess Miya in a duel.

Not just a simple duel, but one filled with emotion. This was a satisfying situation for Alice.

A Priestess with a demon attached to her, and one who was always ready to cross any line.

She resented Isaac, who might be the Black Monster.

How could someone be so useful?

'She's too valuable to waste.'

To put it metaphorically…

In the chess game against the Black Monster, with Märchen Academy as the chessboard, Miya was a pawn on the cusp of promotion.

Alice did not want such a valuable piece to cause trouble and receive severe punishment because it could not control its emotions.

So, Alice had restrained Miya threateningly, as one would restrain a rampaging dog.

Due to the damned Leafa the Illusive, the academy was rife with rumors of an informant.

If it were discovered that she was the informant, not only would she be expelled, but the academy and the Empire would turn against her.

Thus, in a position where she could not act rashly, a being as useful as Miya was invaluable to Alice.

'She is not fully ripe yet. If she continues to harbor anger and finally becomes ripe…'

Alice wanted Miya to gradually develop resentment towards Isaac.

As time passed…

'When the perfect opportunity comes, I should make her explode.'

It would be beneficial to sacrifice Miya to find out whether Isaac truly was the Black Monster or not.

Alice walked out calmly.

Her destination was White's private hospital room.

* * *

Right before my eyes, a scene unfolded that was beyond my wildest imagination.

In White's private hospital room. While training with mana and taking care of White alongside Merlin.

Knock, knock.

A sound came from the door, and Merlin opened it, allowing a beautiful female student to enter.

White looked at the beautiful senior with disbelief, admiration pouring from her eyes.

'What's this?'

It was bewildering. Why had she come here?

She walked towards White and me, her light-gold hair swaying.

She smiled at me before greeting White politely.

She seemed to be pretending not to know me openly in front of the princess. The atmosphere suggested a casual passing off as White's mentor.

That was a relief.

I watched Alice with suspicion.

"In my unworthy state, I am humbled to meet Your Highness, the Princess. I am Alice Carroll, the Student Council President."

"S-student Council President?! How did you come here…?"

"I heard you had a rough time during your duel… I was informed. So, I've come on behalf of the Student Council to visit you."

"Ah…!"

"You, you didn't have to do that?!"

White was just as flustered as I was, but her eyes shone like stars. It seemed she was inwardly happy to meet the respected Student Council President up close.

Alice was adored by many students. White was no exception.

Alice placed a basket filled with fruits and a get-well gift, on the cabinet next to the bed.

White was relieved that there were no red apples.

'So it's on behalf of the Student Council.'

I think I understood the meaning behind those words. She probably didn't want to make a big deal out of it.

"How is your health?"

"I'm, I'm okay…! More importantly, um…"

From her reaction, it seemed White too quickly understood why Alice had come all this way in person.

"I'm not sure if this is what you're worried about, but… please don't worry! Nothing will happen on a national level. What happens at the academy should stay within the academy."

That's something I taught her before. She's making good use of it.

"It's just because I was weak that this happened… I don't think badly of it. Anyway, thank you for coming, Student Council President."

"Heh. Thank you. I am deeply moved by Your Highness's generous understanding."

"Ah, ehehe. It's not like my understanding is anything special…"

Merlin and I just watched them blankly. A boring yet heartwarming conversation followed.

Then, at the right moment, Alice checked the clock tower in the distance through the window. It seemed like she was timing her departure.

"…Ah, look at the time. I should be going now. It was an honor to have a conversation with Your Highness in my unworthy state."

"Uh?! Oh, no!!"

White shook her head and arms so vigorously it could have left afterimages.

Unworthy state? White vehemently denied it, but Alice just smirked as if she found it amusing.

Alice bowed slightly and said, "Then," as a goodbye, and White expressed her thanks, "Thank you for coming."

And so, Alice walked towards the exit.

So she's just leaving like that. It's a relief that nothing serious happened.

That's what I thought, when…

"Ah."

Alice stopped in her tracks in front of the door, as if she had just remembered something.

She turned her head back and our eyes met.

"It was nice to meet you, Baby. You're as adorable as always."

Alice smiled brightly.

This bastard. Of course, she wouldn't let this opportunity pass by quietly.

As if to say it was up to me to deal with the aftermath, she dropped that bomb and left the hospital room with ease.

Suddenly, an unexpected and uncomfortable atmosphere began to swirl around.

I couldn't turn my head in either direction. A bead of cold sweat rolled down my cheek.

Because White and Merlin were staring at me with faces filled with shock.