Chapter 8: VS Prefa Reroriu

“This is distasteful… Next time. Next time, for sure.”

I muttered under my breath, unable to hide my irritation. I stormed out of the classroom and hurried down the empty corridor. The sound of my footsteps echoed in the dry air, a feeling of anxious impatience swirling in my chest.

At this rate… I’ll be nothing but a complete loser…!

I need to calm down… First, a deep breath.

I exhaled slowly, steadying myself.

I shifted my focus toward defeating Prefa Reroriu.

I would concentrate on taking down the third-ranked Prefa Reroriu. That was the first step to changing this situation.

I was now heading for the library.

Askii had told me that Prefa was often there reading, so I went without a moment’s hesitation.

Opening the heavy wooden doors revealed a different world, one shrouded in silence. Towering bookshelves stretched on endlessly, and the scent of old books tickled my nose.

The librarian glanced over at me, but their eyes quickly returned to their work.

As I ventured deeper inside, I saw her—a girl sitting by a window where the sunlight streamed in.

The warm light caught her dark, reddish-brown hair, giving it a soft glow.

And atop her head, characteristic of the beastfolk, sat a pair of fluffy ears.

Her charming, round eyes were focused on the page.

Her rounded cheeks, her darling nose, a profile that still held a trace of childish innocence—the word “adorable” was made for her.

A faint smile played on her lips; she looked like she was enjoying the peaceful moment.

She was reading a book titled The Sword of Light and the Maiden and was meticulously transcribing it onto a sheet of paper in a neat hand.

“Hm… You’re reading something rather childish, aren’t you?”

The words escaped my lips in a sigh of exasperation.

That book was split into two volumes, and if I recalled correctly, the first volume’s plot was some common children’s tale about an angel with a sword of light and her four retainers rescuing a maiden from a demon.

To think that an honors student at this academy would be reading such a book was, frankly, a letdown. I took a step closer and spoke.

“You’re Prefa Reroriu-san, correct?”

At the sound of my voice, Prefa’s shoulders jolted. She looked up in surprise, her large, round eyes darting about nervously.

“Y-Yes, I am… but… who might you be?”

She answered in a voice that was barely a whisper. Her timid demeanor was slightly irritating.

“My name is Michelle Starium.”

The moment I said my name, the color drained from Prefa Reroriu’s face.

Her eyes flew wide as if in shock, and her entire body tensed in reaction to the name.

“Y-You’re Michelle… Starium…”

She uttered my surname in a trembling voice. I gave a small sigh at her reaction.

“That’s a mouthful. Michelle will do.”

“…! N-No, I couldn’t possibly. Um, what do you want with me?”

Prefa seemed to shrink even smaller as she asked. Her terrified state only fueled my irritation.

“Have you heard of this rumored ‘Trismagia’?”

“N-No, I haven’t.”

Prefa’s shoulders slumped.

“It’s apparently the name for the three strongest students in our grade. And it seems you’re one of them.”

“I am?”

Prefa’s eyes went wide in disbelief.

“Yes. Which is why I’d like to test that strength for myself. Will you have a match with me?”

At my words, Prefa’s eyes widened even further.

“…I refuse. A member of House Starium, one of the Four Great Noble Houses, dueling a commoner like me…”

With a cold expression, she stood to leave, starting toward the shelves to return the book she had finished reading.

“Hey! Wait!”

I hurried after Prefa. She stood before a bookshelf, reaching for the second volume of the book she had just been reading, but her hand froze when she realized the volume she wanted wasn’t there.

Seeing this gave me an idea.

“It seems the second volume is missing.”

Prefa spun around in surprise at my words. Her gaze followed mine to the empty space on the shelf.

“If you defeat me, I’ll lend you the second volume.”

I smiled gracefully. I was certain my younger sister, Elena, had it. I had a faint memory of reading it to her long ago.

“You have the second volume?!”

An expression of mixed shock and hope washed over Prefa’s face. Her eyes began to shine, all traces of her earlier fear gone.

“Alright, I’ll do it!”

As if her earlier fear had been a lie, a powerful light now shone in Prefa’s eyes.

She was instantly motivated, like a different person. I was slightly taken aback by how quickly she had changed.

Still, this was for the best—otherwise, it wouldn’t be a match at all. This duel would be the stepping stone for my ascent to the top of the Trismagia.

I turned and started for the training grounds.

As I stepped onto the grounds, the cool air brushed against my skin.

Illuminated by the setting sun, the training grounds were empty save for the two of us. We faced each other in the silence. Prefa still seemed bewildered, but I could see a clear resolve deep within her eyes.

“Let’s begin.”

I gave an elegant bow and fixed my gaze on Prefa.

“…Right. I’m ready.”

Prefa nodded slightly, her face tense. The old, worn-out staff she gripped in her small hand swayed unsteadily.

“Three, two, one… Start!”

With my words as the signal, the battle began.