Encore 2 — Humanoid Imperi (I)

Ichino Amakusa. She's the girl that fought with Yuichi in first-year.

In my first year here, Yuichi was like the main star. There was a period when Yuichi was suspected of various things based on rumours made by other students. Ichino Amakusa confronted him and fought with him, eventually finding out that the rumours were false.

Since then, she's been his friend and is very close to him.

I haven't even done anything wrong here. It was self-defence. This is what I mean when I say that my luck with girls is bad.

She marched toward me with her two thin-bladed swords.

They aren't rapiers... The swords look like a mix of a rapier and a scimitar.

"Should you be absent-minded?"

I heard Amakusa's voice from behind.

I drew Dawn and aimed it at the ground.

"Earth Pillar."

There was a slight rumble and a pillar of concrete lifted Amakusa upwards into the air.

"Oh, that's an interesting weapon. Why don't I make this quick?"

I don't have enough mana to be pulling off more spells with Dawn. That Hollow Void took a lot out of me.

"Hm?"

I don't see her on the pillar. She moved already. She's in the air, meaning that...

I turned, putting Dawn in front of me.

There was the sound of metal clashing and then her sword shattered.

"Your gun is made of good materials."

"Obsidian."

I told her.

I then pulled out Dusk, aiming it at her chest.

She backed away.

Judging from the worried look on her face, she thinks I can still do Hollow Void.

Little does she know...

I fired Dusk.

Flames came rushing out from Dusk. Amakusa sliced them.

Those weren't my spell. It was from the one Smith used before. Dusk can absorb and release whatever spells it absorbs.

"You... Why are you resisting arrest?!"

"Wouldn't anyone resist if someone attacks them out of nowhere? You haven't even tried to arrest me! The first thing you did was attack me with your thin-ass swords!"

Amakusa's face became slightly red.

"Shut up! You don't get to insult me!"

Good, she's riled up. It'll be easier to escape when she next attacks.

"Why are you having so much trouble capturing this one guy, Ichino?"

Another voice?!

I turned around, only to see no one there.

There was a sharp pain to my neck and then... nothing.

---

I always have the same dream.

It's always me, standing on the edge of a cliff, staring down at a white abyss.

Whenever I'm in that dream, I can't help but describe it as a hollow void.

Ever since the Ethereal Impact, I've been having the same dream.

---

"Hey! Hey! You up, now?"

A cheerful voice pestered me.

I slowly rose, holding my head due to the residual pain I felt.

"You're up now! That's good news."

The voice said.

What was I doing again?

"Ichino! Ichino! He's awake!"

Ah, right, I was in the middle of a fight with that girl, Ichino Amakusa.

I reached for Dawn.

"Huh?"

There was nothing under my armpits.

I dialled my head, right and left, looking for Dawn and Dusk. I saw them on a coat rack, for some reason.

As I attempted to get up, the boy held my shoulder.

"There's no need for those. Your charges have been cleared."

He said.

The boy was a second-year who had brown hair and brown eyes. He had multiple piercings on his right ear and a mole under his right eye.

First time seeing him. I'm sure I would've seen him at least once if he was in my year. Even more so if he's in the Student Council.

I'm guessing he's the one who knocked me out cold.

I got knocked out at lunchtime. What time is it now?

I reached into my pocket and took out a pocket watch. I looked at the time.

"Woah, what's up with that old-fashioned watch? Don't you have a digital watch or a phone?"

"I do but I'll always use this pocket watch to look for the time."

It's 1:52 pm. I would be having Runic Arts right now.

I closed it and put it into my blazer breast pocket.

The door opened. Amakusa came through, she was looking at the ground, while scratching her head, grimacing.

"I-I'm sorry..."

She bowed, reluctantly.

"Oh, uh, it's fine. It was a misunderstanding."

Amakusa looked up and her eyes widened slightly. She pointed at the pocket watch in my breast pocket.

"That pocket watch... I can feel mana emanating from it."

"Oh, this."

I opened it. On the inside was a clock and on the other side was a photo of a woman.

"It's a keepsake from my mother. My silver piercing is also from my mother."

"Your mother is..."

The boy broke off his sentence. They both looked at me with eyes of pity.

"I'm sorry for mentioning the watch."

Amakusa said.

If only she was as half as considerate when facing me.

"It's fine. I've gotten over it."

I said.

I got up from the sofa, that I was sleeping on, and took off my blazer. I put Dawn and Dusk on and put my blazer on to hide them. I pulled the bottom of my blazer to make my blazer look natural.

"I'll be going now."

I told them.

"Sure."

---

I went to Runic Arts and it finished in a flash. We were doing a revision lesson, going over the general things we studied in first-year.

When the final period was over, I went over to my dorm.

"Oi, oi, oi, Senpai!"

Once again, when I return to my dorm, it was in a mess of clothes.

"Ah, Kazuya, you're back so early?"

"We finish school at the same time, Maden-senpai."

Maden-senpai appeared in his bedroom. He was already in casual wear.

Maden-senpai had long hair, but it was often styled in a ponytail, like today. It was coloured blue, like the sky. His eyes were grassy green.

Since I call him 'senpai,' you should be able to tell that Maden-senpai is a third-year.

"Really? I must've forgotten."

"That retort is getting old now."