Chapter 03

"Is this a dream… ah… this is maybe?"

It was something that I always felt. It seemed like fleeting dreams.

I could feel it was just a dream. No, rather than a dream—these were my previous memories. Until now, I still often have memories that still like to come and go like this.

I wondered how far I would get— I was already seventeen years old. However, I still get random encounters with my previous memories like this.

I just sat on the bench. I was feeling lost, and my heartbeat and holding back his tears.

It was my first tournament and maybe the last…

After entering high school, I did something that I never was in the past by joining the Softball club. It wasn't that popular a sport in my country, but It rained quite diligently every week, and once a month, the club had physical workouts that were quite intense.

It was a sport that I had never participated in before. So, of course, I didn't make it into a team even with my effort. At the end of my sophomore year, I finally successfully joined the team and participated in the national tournament.

Since it wasn't that popular a sport in my country, the high school team was just around eight teams, and in the end, my school ended up in third place.

There was a feeling that I never felt. Anguish. The feeling that I could do it better if I worked more while gnashing my teeth, I glared and looked up at the distant field. But at that moment…

I realised that this would be the first and last sports competition I ever had. And with that, maybe I never ever would experience this again…

I woke up from my daydreaming.

I looked out the window and saw a training field where my mock battle was. It was simple with a spectacle seat. Seeing this field made me see those precious memories.

Since in this world where magic exists, the sport really changed. There was no football, basketball, or softball. Most sports in this world were more likely about magic, martial arts, and combat-oriented sports.

"I wonder what these memories want to tell me." Those memories sometimes just come in absurd times and not in a particular order. It's a random encounter or a reminiscence of something that happened to me.

"I wonder what those memories are trying to tell me?" I couldn't help murmuring my own thoughts.

"Are you nervous? Kisaragi-san." Chifuyu asked me since I had been talking to myself for a while. I couldn't help doing that after seeing my previous memories.

"Nervous? Maybe, a little… I have participated in some minor matches before, but I never thought this mock battle would gain a lot of spectators."

I could see a lot of people in the spectate seat.

"Ahahaha, yes. Many people had gathered and were interested in the sudden mock battle. Especially the mock battle about two special students that this school was buzzing about." Chifuyu said while there was someone behind her back.

There was a person I saw many times through the display. Stella Vermillion was standing behind Chifuyu. She had tender white porcelain-like skin, long eyelashes with ruby eyes, and her hair was akin to fiery crimson hair tied into twin tails using her yellow ribbon.

I couldn't help but look at her unique and beautiful appearance. Unlike my previous memories, she wore Ichi Academy's uniform, just a simple navy blue sailor uniform. Still show her alluring body, with both large breasts and a voluptuous figure.

"Good day, Kisaragi Ryuu-sama. My name is Stella Vermillion. As you may already tell, I'm your opponent in this mock battle. Nice to meet you." Stella introduced herself while giving me an elegant noble gesture, just like those noble acts in the movie.

"How polite of you? My name is Kisaragi Ryuu. It's a pleasure to meet you." I answered her back. She was different than I thought, but I think about it deeply. Her meeting with the protagonist was messy in the novel and anime. No wonder, at that moment, she looked very emotional. Well, my meeting with her was very different from the original, and I didn't forget how different this world was from her original world too.

I could feel Stella staring at me in amazement. Maybe because she never expected my behaviour since my behaviour may be different from any guy in this world. It made her curious enough to stare at me for a while.

"Ehem—" Which made Chifuyu-sensei warn her by coughing.

"Ah, sorry. I stared at you for too long. I'm not trying to intimidate you. It's just you had such a good-looking face." Stella felt embarrassed and tried to gloss over it by praising me. No, she acted like a guy that stared too long at a girl and got caught, so he praised her, hoping not to look like a creep. Which also happens to me from time to time. In this world, usually, women flirt and woo men since the number between men and women is unbalanced.

Also, it was understandable that Stella said she wasn't trying to intimidate me since Stella would be the same as a small dragon in this world. She could rip people like paper with her magic.

"I hope we have a nice fight," Stella said with a relaxed tone, without any anxiety at all. I didn't think she thought of me as an equal opponent. I don't know if it is because of her pride as a strong magician from a small empire, the Vermillion Empire or because she didn't feel threatened by me at all.

No, things like this kind of perception were very common in this world. Especially if one was strong and sensitive enough with mana, Stella might easily be able to judge my magic power.

"The mock battle will be starting soon. Both of you, be sure to be ready in the field." Chifuyu told the two of us.

"Ah, yes. We will do our best, right? Stella-san. I hope the best magician will win." I smiled at her confidently while I extended my hand and tried to shake hands with her.

"Huh!?" Stella was bewildered as her eyes stared at my hand. I thought that it was a common thing to shake hands before the match. She looked confused for a moment before realizing my action and words.

"Oh. Yes. May the best one win." Stella grabbed my hand, and we exchanged a handshake.

"Yeah, I hope you'll fight me seriously," I murmured in a small voice to her.

"Oh, aha—" Stella laughed when she heard my words. "You are really interesting. I've never heard of a man who is so confident like this. I don't know what kind of opponent you've fought, but let me tell you that I won't hold back even if you're a man. You know..." Stella made a bold declaration before the two of us entered the arena.

"Hah, that's something I hope for— fighting with the best," I responded with a fearless smile.

And so my mock battle started.

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I wonder if you like this fanfic became smut like Stealing Heroine: Honestly, I never thought this far.

[Yes]

[No]

[Do not care]