Apocalypse Dark Elf Style -Magical Tribes Reincarnated in the Modern World

Translator: Xean

Editor: SevenTails

TN: We’ve also fixed the synopsis. Sorry for me being lazy. Hahaha.
———–

Asakura Rensuke is living his life as an honour student, wearing a mask of deception.

This is just a typical story.

First period. Modern literature. I was asked to give an example of a Naoki Prize-winning¹Japanese literary award presented biannually for the best work of popular literature in any format by a new, rising, or (reasonably young) established author. author from the textbook, which I did perfectly.

I actually liked the author’s unsuccessful debut novel, a story about incest, but I knew it would sound creepy, so I lied and kept quiet.

Second period. Japanese history. I was asked by the teacher about which warlord I liked the most, and I mentioned the name of a famous warlord who became the main character in a Taiga drama.

In fact, I liked his relative, a warrior who had countless crazy episodes, but I also lied and kept quiet.

Third and fourth period. Driving practice. We were divided into groups and learned how to operate the RV-type drive steel cavalry. One of my friends in the same group made a joke about something on TV last night, and I let him have the spotlight.

I was able to talk back and made everyone in the group laugh without getting angry with the instructor.

The truth was that I was more interested in the horror story I was reading while watching that mind-numbingly stupid program, but I lied and kept quiet.

Fifth period. Math. There was no need to lie about the equations. I finally had my first break of the day, which was different from the hard to get times between classes.

Sixth period. Chemistry. I got a perfect score in response to the sudden unannounced quiz. I was praised for answering a particularly difficult question about chemical reactions correctly, to which I replied that it was just a coincidence.

The truth was that I had seen it in a foreign crime drama and had only remembered it because I was curious about its use in disposing of dead bodies, but I lied and kept quiet.

So today, too, I was at my limit.

The day was over.

* * * * * *

The 31st Knight School, West Japan District, Shinjin City

2nd year, 3rd class.

The chime that heralded the arrival of after-school had an unchanging, empty feel to it.

In contrast with the classroom walls, which were white and gave the impression of being inorganic, the room was filled with a youthful bustle of life. The curtains on the windows, which had not even twitched until now, finally felt the breeze stirring the early summer sun and began to sway.

One of my classmates called out to me as he was getting ready to leave.

“Rensuke, I’m going to karaoke with the guys from Class 4 today. Would you like to join us?”

He’s a friend with a stylishly shaved head and has a lot of friends thanks to his playful appearance. The fact that he’s playing with his phone with one hand suggests that he’s currently contacting someone.

Hmm. I thought for a moment.

I, in fact, just pretended to think about it and smiled apologetically back.

“Aah, I’d love to go to… but I have some business to attend to today.”

“Eh. It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to sing with you.”

“Didn’t you buy that new album last week? Let’s go compete to see who can get the highest score!”

Perhaps it’s time for some karaoke. The other members of the karaoke group somehow gather around. I lightly curved my lips and said.

“You really are fearless. I’ve heard how good you were, so I don’t think I can beat you.”

Of course, it’s a pain to sing songs by artists you have no interest in, but if I think of it as a test, maybe I can pass it. Also, the foreign metal band songs that I really like are not part of karaoke.

“I’m not running away from it, but I have to do something. I’m sorry, but I’ll pass.”

“Then it can’t be helped. Let’s go next time.”

The shaved head chuckled and turned to the girl in the nearby seat.

“Hey class president, if Rensuke, who’s an honour student, doesn’t show up, does it mean that the girls in Class 4 who are after him won’t show up either? Wouldn’t it be more exciting if girls from our class would come once in a while? I think if the class president takes the initiative, everyone will come. What do you think?”

The person who was called out was the class president, Biwatani Yuika, who was sitting next to me. Her slim body, which seemed too thin compared to other girls her age, was wrapped in the school’s regulated uniform, which was tighter than most.

She maintained her usual, serious gaze on her hand.

She turned down our frivolous classmate without even batting an eye.

“I don’t care about that. If you want to invite them, you can do it yourself. By the way, I don’t want to participate either. I’m too busy with all kinds of things.”

“But isn’t it boring always playing games… ? And you’re always playing Tetris…”

Yuika was operating an electronic plaything that was several generations old. In this modern day and age of Shinjing City, the mere mention of batteries was enough to make you feel outdated, but electronic devices run on lithium batteries that can’t even be recharged. It was a toy-like relic that was meant to be a key chain nowadays.

“It’s okay. It’s not against school rules. It will also train your concentration and judgment much better than playing games on your phone.”

“No, I’m not complaining about Tetris.”

“Also, I don’t have time for anything else… I’m just waiting for a friend who’s doing something. I’m sorry.”

Our frivolous classmate’s mouth turned into an ‘∧’, and he slumped his shoulders.

“Ugh, can’t you cut me some slack and help me, class president… ? You’re my last hope because the girls look up to you…”

“I’m flattered, but if you’re willing to go that far, aren’t Asakura-kun’s excellent grades more effective as bait? Don’t you think so, Asakura?”

For the first time, Yuika’s gaze left the retro game in her hand. She glanced for a moment. Her gaze wasn’t out of goodwill, but one that was well enveloped in the exact opposite kind of stinginess.

She is excellent in RV operation skills and academics, but other students have been ahead of her since she entered the school. In her eyes, they are a thorn in her side and finds them to be a nuisance.

I don’t want to make unnecessary waves in a world where it doesn’t matter.

As I stood up from my seat with my bag, I waved as to signal.

“I’ve got things to do, so I’ll go home first but… since the class president won’t go, I also won’t. Though next time you have plans to go somewhere, invite me.”

“Don’t say that, Rensuke! You knew this from the beginning, didn’t you? Well, okay then, the next one will be with the 2nd and 3rd year groups. We’ll prioritize where the chairperson wants to go.”

“Tsk. Can you not decide suddenly on your own?” She said in a cold tone of voice that sounded like a tongue lashing.

Then, I left the classroom.

I don’t really hate the energetic mood of the classroom.

*****

Shinjing is one of the most beautiful cities in Japan.

The streets are notably new compared to other cities in Japan, and with the establishment of the 31st Knight School, an educational institution for training RV operators at a national qualification, subsidies have flowed in abundantly. The entire city has been reborn.

Beautiful streetlights are neatly arranged. Utility poles are rarely seen. Streets plastered with asphalt and other modern paving materials. Litter on the roads is rare, as remotely controlled sweepers run regularly by public authorities. The places for the new generation of cars to refill their batteries are simple spaces the size of coin-operated parking lots, making it hard to believe that any other city has places to store and distribute such a dangerous substance as gasoline in such large quantities.

Brand new and futuristic.

In other words, clean, inorganic, and methodical. A suffocating white city, just like that classroom.

I’m beginning to get a headache.

“…”

After a fifteen-minute mindless walk, I reached an apartment building in a residential area. That’s where I live.

When I checked the delivery box, I found that there were two packages. Carrying them, I boarded the elevator.

While staring at the floor numbers, I imagined what my classmates were doing now. I wondered if they were laughing, singing, and sharing their joys with others. It was a wrong thought.

Feeling a bit stuffed, I got off the elevator and opened the door to my room. It was a one-room apartment for a single person, but it was decent and had a separate bathroom and toilet. I have never felt any inconvenience living here.

Without taking off my uniform or turning on the lights in the living room, I ran into the bathroom and threw up.

After vomiting out all the discomfort in my stomach down the drain, I finally looked up.

I saw my face in the mirror. It was the face of a plain seventeen-year-old man. The only special feature was that I was good at acting at school and wore a harmless mask in front of other people.

But now, I have these rotten fish eyes.

“… C-can I still do this?”

I continued to whisper in a low, sullen voice to the drainpipe. It’s like something out of a fairy tale.

It’s not that today was special in any way. It’s just a gradual accumulation, filling it up little by little. It has been overflowing for a while now, but I have to cleverly hide it. It’s just that the same sequence of events happened again today.

I washed my mouth roughly with water and left the bathroom, feeling a headache and nausea.

In a way, what torments me is the atmosphere, the atmosphere resembling a curse.

The ‘difference’ was that I usually do my best to avoid others noticing. The world that surrounds the existence that is me, Asakura Rensuke. The temperature, or rather, the temperature difference. It’s that divergence I’ve realized when I’m trying to fit in with everyone else’s… world.

It just so happens that the atmosphere was quite strong today. It’s not the fault of any of my classmates.

I don’t know if it will work, but I’ll try a symptomatic treatment.²A therapy that eases the symptoms without addressing the basic cause of the disease.

I opened a package from the delivery box. There were two items that I had ordered by mail. To be precise, these were hobby items that can only be bought by mail order. These were the most important things I needed to do today.

One was a comic book, and the other was a movie disc.

Bluntly speaking, it’s nothing new for the real Rensuke, who can best be described as a geek. I reach for all kinds of creative works that can be touched fictionally. Manga, anime, movies, novels, games… I’m sure there are a few people like me in school. They may exist in the shadows, but certainly not in exclusion.

The problem was the preference that went beyond that. It was the direction in which my heart would thrill through it.

The first thing I did was roll up the pages of my favourite author’s new manga. It’s a manga published by a relatively unknown publisher that wasn’t selling well because of its extreme cruelty and bizarre style. You can’t get it at a bookstore in town. If you didn’t check the author’s SNS and get the information, you wouldn’t have even known that a new book was coming out.

It is a one-volume dark fantasy work. The episodes of various outlaws are told in the style of an ensemble drama. The story of the dark-skinned forest elf was the most memorable for me. It took a surprising turn, and the character designs were great. Her breasts jutting out in a sensuous manner, her healthy thighs, and eyes that never shy away from anything.

I’ve always been attracted to dark elf characters, but this was still one of the best I’ve ever seen.

The next step was to put the movie disc on the player. It was a horror movie that had been banned in most countries, including Japan, and could only be purchased by mail order. The only certain thing was that blood and guts would be splattered all over the place.

An average person would definitely raise an eyebrow (EN: Similar to ‘ to question’) at the poor taste in movies and the extreme depravity of the images, so, without turning on the lights in the room, I pressed the play button and began to watch intently.

“…”

The internal structure of the human body that was normally hidden. The dismemberment of limbs without restraint. The vulgar, malicious dialogues and death. The actress’s breasts were covered in blood. There was even a scene where they humiliated a corpse.

I was able to enjoy it without getting bored until the end.

“… Un.”

I was satisfied with both the comic and the movie I got today.

Compared to the collection I have carefully hidden in the back of my bookshelf, in case I have unexpected guests, this was pretty good. There were things in there that I had never seen before.

That’s why I was impressed.

Yet, these were on the verge of things that should not be seen by ordinary people and were only allowed to be seen within this room.