6 Chapter 1.5

From what Persia explained, Imperial Knights Academy is a school that has implemented unique, first-in-the world educational systems. It is a school that is outfitted with the newest and most exuberant facilities. Of course, it is a very harsh school. If one wants to have a decent learning environment, then one must get good grades. This is the fate of the students who attend the academy.

Their fate was decided by two main systems.

Firstly, the class division system. Their class division is determined based upon the results of the enrolment test, which we have the paper test and practical fight test. According to their scores, the students are assigned to one of the sixteen classes, from Class S, the best, to Class C-6, the worst.

For the paper test, the students with an overall mark between 0 and 39 are ranked C, 40 to 59 are ranked B, 60 to 79 are ranked A, 80 to 100 are ranked S. Though, there`s an interview session included, and most of the marks were given by the principal (which he was the only interviewer, he interviewed more than 4000 students), and he's the one who decides who leaves and stays. That's why we had a mark of zero as the lowest, that's actually the minimum score he gives for passing.

By the way, I was told by Persia that my paper test was placed at Rank S by the principal. Though I hate him, he`d at least approve of me that much.

As for the practical fight test, I will know later.

Now, the ranking system.

The ranking system is separated into two subsystems, academic results and duels.

The first sub system, academic results. In every semester, every student must attend every test and quiz, those who failed in either one of the quizzes or tests will be expelled from the academy without a doubt. Though, the maximum marks for normal tests are 100 marks, but it seems the final exam on each semester works entirely differently.

Within the time limit of one hour, the students are allowed to answer as many questions as they want, and there's no limit to their maximum marks. In the final results, the total marks in every subject are all added together, obviously, the higher the marks, the higher your rank.

The second sub system, duels. In order to encourage students to be physically fit, a duel system is created. No matter how great you are in a fight, you`d get expelled whenever you failed your exam. So the dual system is more like an extra system to let you raise your ranking, and it's not really necessary to participate in it. You can choose whether you want or not, but surely, there's a benefit in raising your rankings.

The class you were placed in could be changed afterwards, depending on your school ranking in the Imperial Knights Academy. As for how to change, just defeat an opponent who`s in a higher class rank but with a lower or same academic result. The system will record every data during the duel and judge your performance, then the principal will decide whether you were allowed to transfer or not.

Normally if you win, he`d approve without hesitation. The opponent`s rank will surely be lowered, but as for how much it drops it all depends on his performance during the duel. If it was a close call for him, then he might've been dropped to just one rank below you. If it was an instant win for you, then his rank will be lowered drastically and even get demoted to a lower ranked class.

If you lose, then he`d check on your performance through the system`s recorded data. If your performance is better than your latest results, then he might transfer you to the upper class and just a rank below your opponent. If you were defeated instantly, your ranking remains unchanged. Nevertheless, once you lose, there will be a cooling period for 3 months, and you can only challenge again after 3 months.

The ranking system is updated each day.

“That's practically the gist of it.” Persia concluded.

By the way, we are now riding the lift to the lowest floor, the basement.

“Such a long way down.”

We'd been going down for quite some time already.

“Because it`s 260 feet below the ground.” Persia replied.

That's pretty deep. Is that really necessary?

“Come to think of it, you said the fourth floor is your personal floor— then what about the others?”

“The fifth and sixth floors are the second and third year president`s floor. The seventh are meeting rooms. The eighth, ninth and tenth floors are all the principal's working place, not everyone is able to access those floors.”

Well, I can.

“What about the second and third floors?”

“They are for the club presidents. But they rarely use their offices.”

“I see…”

Perhaps I understood why there are so many seats in the lobby. It's for the club members and the executives of the Imperial Knights Academy.

“You don't seem to be interested in clubs.” She said.

“I just don't feel like joining it.”

“Aren't you just lazy?”

“If I had anything shortcoming, then being lazy will be the last thing on that list.”

“I don't know if it's the last one or not, but I'm sure being perverted is the first on your list.”

“Nonsense! You are the pervert! You even squeezed your body in front of me— who just transferred here today!”

“But don't boys like this kind of stuff?”

“I already said I`m not into weird stuff! And those only apply to boys! I`m a man!”

“Eh… Only idiots say that to themselves. When the time comes, will you actually be able to resist? Don`t look too highly upon yourself.”

“…You are wrong. I don't think highly of myself— I`m referring to experience.”

“So this is the reason why you are a virgin for the rest of your life…” She said it on purpose just to tease me.

“…………” But I did not answer— nor fling any retorts.

If there's an answer, then…

Perhaps, maybe, probably, perchance, possibly— I will die as a virgin. Because— a few months is all the time I have left— or even less… But I'm quite sure I still have time left till next month. Not even Restia and Ruby, who are the closest to me, knew the fact about this.

I don`t look like the type who`s waiting to die, right? Indeed, I`m not. I need to be strong-willed. I had all the more reason to be, though my job to be so had already finished its original objective. Now I`m merely spending the rest of what's left of the time, risking my chance to come all the way here to find a solution.

Oh. We reached the basement.

The lift opens, revealing a large and long hallway that seems to have no end to it. But as we exit the lift, the conveyor belt below us activates and brings us forward, that is, towards what Persia said earlier— the training room, where I will be taking one of the enrolment exams, the practical fight test.

We are moving quite fast on the belt. It will reach by no time, I guess.

“The training room is just in front~” Persia said.

“Hmm… So what will I do there? You told me it`s a practical fight, so what will I be fighting? Robots? Or maybe automata?”

“To be exact, those things you will be fighting are holograms.”

Holograms?

“It seems a question`s bothering your mind right now. There's no need to worry, you will know later when you enter the room.” She added.

Is she trying to be mysterious or just thinking it was a bother to explain?

“Who, me? Do you really see me in such a philistine light, a girl whose motto is 'honesty, openness and sincerity?’ I can't believe you'd think that about me, Lucifer.”

Her motto is basically the synonym to the straight and narrow. Personally, I think her openness is shooting over the charts.

“Stop reading my body language, don`t change my words and don`t talk like me!”

“Eh… that's too much to demand. It's quite the hassle, don`t you think? I think you should just pick one and try again, and I recommend you to pick me~”

“Huh?” I don't really get it. “And what if I pick you?”

“Then you'd get a girlfriend.”

Persia made a show of waiting a measured pause, of getting her timing right before continuing.

“I will become yours if you demand. Personally, I think I'm cute. So don't you think this is quite a cheap deal?”

‘Become yours’ she said.

“I will do anything you wanted as your girlfriend. E-Even giving my first time to you…” She added.

She gazed away from me with her face reddens. I guess this is the limit for her to continue on the sexual stuff.

“I hate to break it to you, but— seriously, who taught you all this censored stuff!?”

“Eh…? Uwaa….! I meant my first kiss! What were you thinking? Your brain`s the dirty one!”

“Huh?! You are fine with touching your important parts but not kissing!? What sort of common-sense is that!? You can't blame me! Your words are extremely confusing from the start!”

“Touching my chest, butt or thigh— never mind. All of this is merely an act of sexual desire, an act of lust…! But a kiss… a kiss is a sign of love!” She's serious about it.

Did she avoid mentioning thighs just now? So she's fine with her chest and butt but not her thigh. Quite mixed up.

“M-My thigh is sensitive.” She added— with a bashful look.

I decide to ignore that remark by staying silent.

…For some reason, she pouted afterwards.

“So what you mean is… it`s something like love at first sight?” I asked.

“It's not something as cheap as that.”

…She's dead serious.

“But we literally met for the first time. It's hard to imagine it's something other than ‘love at first sight’.”

“I told you before, I`m slightly better on reading body languages compared to most people.”

“No, you are practically seeing through it.”

“Now you understand, right?”

That means… She saw through me— she saw through my personality and liked me for who I am.

“I appreciate Persia, but…”

But—

What she saw was only a ‘part’ of me. No matter how skillful she's able to see-through, there's no way for her to be able to see through the other part of me.

“…I can't accept your feelings.”

“Meh. I knew you would say that.” She said with a calm and collected expression.

She's not feeling the least bit sad at all. Why am I not surprised?

From the beginning, it seems she already expected the answer—no, it was more like she knew the answer. So why did she do so? Why had she asked? There might be something else. Something hidden within those lines she told me.

But by the time I wanted to get more info out from her, we'd already reached the end of the road.

There's A metallic door. A large one, locked. It`s size is more like those meant to let several hundreds of people enter at the same time.

“Please wait for a moment.” Persia murmured.

Persia walks forward to a square target, and authenticates herself afterwards.

‘WELCOME, PRESIDENT. PLEASE ENTER.’ The system informs.

The large door then slides upwards.

“That's the waiting room.” Persia told me.

Now, there are two glass doors ahead.

“Now then, please step inside this room~ I will be watching from up there~” She said.

“Okay…?” I replied.

I walked to the room on the right as the glass door opened by sliding to the left.

The glass door then closes after I went in.

“Oh…”

The training room.

The ceiling was vaulted, the room itself is as spacious as having two football fields together. The walls and floor are made with innumerable hexagonal patterns placed side-by-side. The door`s opposing ends are made of glass— and it seems behind it, there's a bunch of workers operating the system.

“H-Hello? Lucifer, can you hear me~?”

From the intercom where Persia is standing, her voice can be heard behind the glass.

Yeah, right— from the intercom.

…How should I respond? Are you expecting me to react? Should I talk like normal, shout, or wave my hand? Damnit, this feels weird. I refuse to react.

…………

“…Erm. You can just talk like normal, I can hear you.”

Good. It seems she realized.

“Ah.” I then replied.

“Now then, I will now explain about the practical fight test.” She said.

From what she vaguely explained, this exam is just like inside a virtual reality game. Though they say virtual-reality, this is more like reality-virtual.

The requirements to pass this exam is simple. It's just to defeat the incoming hologram opponents projected by the system and get as many kills as you can, and avoid from being hit for more than 10 times. If the hologram`s weapons touches you, the pain stimulus will be triggered— inflicting pain on that very part it touches you. The pain is enough to make you kneel down, if it's too much, you can surrender as you wish. Though, it seems no one is able to bear the pain for more than 3 times.

BEEP.

Someone from the behind the glass seems to press a button.

A pair of black metallic coloured gloves appeared in the centre of the room, floating around my chest height.

What?! Gloves?

I took it.

There are some silicon wires and circuits attached in the inside and the outside of it, but how the heck do I use these?

Whatever, let's wear it first.

It doesn't fit my size either.

“So…?” I asked as I faced the glass window, pointing at the glove with my right forefinger.

“Ah…! Erm… these gloves are linked to your nervous system inside your brain. Just imagine a weapon that you wanted, and it will be installed on the glove. It is only limited to 10 weapons at most. But just in case, if the image of your weapon is not clear enough, weird things will come out. So… do your best~!”

The gloves adjusted to my size afterwards.

“Okay then…” I murmured.

Let's start with something simple— a pistol.

Pixels slowly appeared from the gloves, installing the weapon that I imagined in my mind.

Wow. It really came out!

I grabbed the pistol. That appeared in front of my glove.

It has weight, how realistic!

To test it out, I pulled the trigger— but it won`t butch at all. I can`t dissemble it either.

It seems my image isn't clear enough. How about this then…?

A barrel, slide with forward sight, rear sight and ejection port, grip with a magazine well, take down level, magazine release button, trigger guard, tang, magazine with a magazine spring, and bullets…

…constructing complete!

Once more, I pulled the trigger— BANG!

With a slight recoil, a bullet fired from the gun barrel. As it hit the wall, it disappeared.

“D-Did you just imagined a pistol…?” Persia asks from the intercom.

“Eh? Aren't I supposed to fight with guns…?” I asked.

“Ah no. That's not it. Now are you ready?” Persia brushed it off somehow.

“Wait…!” I shouted.

“Eh?”

“Erm… you know, can you put a specific person's head on the hologram? I think I'm able to go all out if it's his face.”

“Sorry… it can only project a rough image of a humanoid.”

Too bad. If I put the principal`s head on the hologram, then I will be shooting him and laughing at the same time!

“It's fine then… let's start!”

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