The Former Swordmaster Who Pretends to Be the Worst, and the School’s Top-Ranked Chairman’s Daughter Who’s Way Too Sweet in Public, It’s a Real Problem
“So Rika’s in the old building now, huh…!”
I ran through the school at full speed, watching the signal displayed on the cell phone Edward had given me. This signal came from the transmitter Takanashi had mentioned earlier—one we’d recovered and repurposed beforehand.
Thanks to this, I could track my childhood friend’s location no matter how far away I was.
But whether she was safe was a different matter entirely.
[Saito-kun will definitely come.]
Rika said that, placing her trust in me.
That’s why she agreed to “help” me this time, without telling Ryotaro-san. It’s a plan where the three of us—including Edward—work together, using her as a “decoy.”
“Wait for me, Rika…! I’m—”
My childhood friend believes in me.
If that’s the case, I have no choice but to live up to that trust. So,
“—I’ll definitely protect you!”
As I ran, I swore that to myself once again.
◆
—But let’s go back a little further.
The chemistry prep room was located in the old building, a short distance from the school’s main building.
The wooden structure seemed to predate the advent of magic and was generally worn down. Due to its advanced state of disrepair, it was now used little more than a storage room. Rika, having made her way to that place, took a moment to catch her breath before entering the room.
Then, she knocked on the poorly fitting door.
“Um, excuse me…!”
She timidly stepped inside, and in the vast, empty space stood—
“What exactly are we going to do for the meeting about tomorrow’s class?”
A teacher in a lab coat, his hair tousled.
Rika looked him straight in the eye and quietly, in a tense voice, spoke his name.
“…Professor Nishimiya.”
Nishimiya, who had been gazing out the window, slowly turned around and smiled.
Then, as usual, he spoke in his gentle tone.
“Ah, you don’t need to be so nervous, Agatsuma-san. It’s just a slightly complicated experiment, so I’d like to borrow your help.”
“My help…?”
“That’s right. For example—”
Then, he slowly walked over to Rika—click.
He used the key in his hand to lock the entrance door from the inside. Hearing that sound, the girl sensed danger and backed away from Nishimiya. She raised her magical power so she could cast a spell at a moment’s notice, watching to see how he would react.
Then, Nishimiya’s smile took on an eerie hue, and he said,
“—Oh my. What’s the matter, Agatsuma-san? With your magic power so high, it looks like you’re about to attack me.”
He spoke with an air of utter composure.
But in response, Rika’s wariness only grew. As the tension in the air thickened, she asked him,
“What exactly is your purpose…?”
“My purpose? Hmm. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, though—”
Nishimiya stood still, resting his hand on his chin as he pondered.
And then, in the next instant—
“Agatsuma Rika, what I’m after… is your body.”
“Wh—?!”
—Snap!
The moment he snapped his fingers, all strength drained from Rika’s body. It wasn’t just her magical power. She couldn’t even put any strength into her legs, which supported her entire body.
Before she even knew why, she dropped to her knees, and Nishimiya slowly stepped forward.
“What… did you… do…!?”
“I had a little poison released into the air. The higher one’s aptitude, the more effective it is.”
“…Ugh!”
Then, standing before Rika, who could do nothing but lie sprawled on the floor.
He knelt on one knee, lifted her chin with his hand, peered into her agonized face, and said.
“But this is the first time it’s been this effective. If that’s the case, it’s all the more likely that you are my ideal. Yes—”
He curled the corners of his mouth upward, flashing a smile that was pure evil.
“As an excellent ‘host,’ you see.”
After saying that, he traced his fingertips—which had been touching her chin—along Rika’s neck and shoulders. When he reached her waist, Nishimiya licked his lips.
Then, widening his eyes intensely—
“You’d give birth to an excellent child, wouldn’t you…?”
“…………!”
—He made a move to place his finger just below her navel.
It was precisely at that moment.
“Tch…!”
The moment Nishimiya realized something and clicked his tongue, the door to the room was smashed open with a loud crash. Dust mixed with sand swirled up, churning the air.
Amidst the poor visibility, Nishimiya slowly stood up and looked ahead.
Then, what appeared there was—
“Sorry, Rika. …I’m a little late again.”
—Saito, holding a small knife and wearing a serious expression.
Recognizing him, Nishimiya twisted the corners of his mouth once more.
In response, Rika, who had finally managed to sit up, smiled weakly and gently said,
“Even so, Saito-kun still came…!”
A ray of hope piercing through the tense atmosphere.
Saito quietly raised the knife in his hand.
Maiban