Reincarnated as a Mob in an Otome Game, but the Characters Were Worse Than I Expected, So I Crushed Them All and Destroyed the Story - Chapter 14: Mob Forms a Contract with a Spirit

Chapter 14: Mob Forms a Contract with a Spirit

Time passed, and in Class D’s classroom at Freesia Academy…

“Today, all of you will form a contract with a spirit sword. The bond you forge will last a lifetime—unless, of course, you die. It doesn’t matter how excited you get. The result won’t change. But approach this with the gravity it deserves.”

The teacher’s words rang through the room as the entire class sat in complete silence.

Finally—

The day had come.

I clenched my fist under the desk.

I had been waiting for this.

The moment when I would obtain my spirit sword—

And drive a wedge into this twisted world.

“Man, I can’t wait! …Edward!”

The seat beside me shifted as Hank leaned in, eyes shining with excitement.

He looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

I let out a sigh and replied,

“Relax. Didn’t the teacher just say getting worked up won’t change anything?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know… but still! How can I not be excited? Are you seriously telling me this isn’t a big deal to you?”

“I mean, I knew this was coming the moment I enrolled.”

Of course—

That was a lie.

I was so desperate to get my own spirit sword that I had nearly developed withdrawal symptoms.

Hell, if I could—

I would have prayed for one of the legendary swords from the game to appear before me.

That was how excited I actually was.

“Hmm, well, whatever. We’re stuck with our spirit swords for life, after all. Hope mine turns out to be a good one.”

Hank laughed, folding his hands behind his head.

As we chatted, the teacher’s speech was already wrapping up.

“Not that it matters—with how distracted all of you are, I doubt anything I say is actually sinking in. Let’s just get started.”

The moment those words left his mouth—

Cheers erupted all around the classroom.

Excitement filled the air.

Everyone, myself included, began making our way out of the room—

Each of us anticipating the moment we would form a bond with our very own spirit sword.

And with that—

I took my first step toward rewriting everything.

◇◆◇

We arrived at the indoor training hall.

While it wasn’t impossible to form a spirit sword contract in a smaller space, the academy had strict procedures in place.

Each student had to perform the contract one by one in front of a teacher—

So the academy could record and manage every spirit sword that manifested.

Honestly, it felt incredibly inefficient and like a waste of time.

But spirit swords were too powerful and too important in this world to be left unchecked.

That’s why, on contract day, all classes were canceled, and an entire day was dedicated to ensuring each student received their spirit sword properly.

“Alright—this is the Soul Crystal. When you touch it, a spirit will appear, and your contract will be complete.”

In the teacher’s hands was a radiant blue stone—

The Soul Crystal, a rare mineral that allowed one to form a contract with a spirit sword.

Even though I knew about it, this was my first time seeing one with my own eyes.

It was larger and more beautiful than I had imagined from the game.

By the way—

The reason the teacher could hold the Soul Crystal without triggering a contract was simple.

A person could only ever form one contract in their entire lifetime.

Since the teacher was a Freesia Academy graduate, he must have already bonded with a spirit sword.

Apparently, if the Soul Crystal was wrapped in a special cloth, even an uncontracted person could handle it safely.

But since the crystal was incredibly valuable, uncontracted students were never allowed to be in charge of carrying or managing them.

“Alright, let’s get started. Anyone want to go first? By the way—there’s a theory that all Soul Crystals are the same, meaning there’s no difference in the spirit sword you get—but since this is a lifetime bond, you’re free to pick one that feels right to you.”

Despite all the excitement earlier, no one in the class stepped forward.

Now that the moment was here, it seemed like no one wanted to go first.

It was almost like watching a group of Japanese people hesitate to be the first in line.

Of course, I wasn’t eager to be the first either—

So I just sat back and watched.

Then—

Hank suddenly raised his hand.

“Alright! I’ll go first!”

“Hank, huh? Alright, step forward.”

“Heheh, nice.”

“You sure about this, Hank? Going first?”

“Eh, doesn’t really matter whether I’m first or last. Anyway, I’ll be back soon.”

Hank flashed me a grin and strode forward without hesitation.

The teacher gave a nod, signaling for him to proceed.

Hank reached out—

And touched the Soul Crystal.

The moment his fingers made contact—

A blinding light burst from the crystal, illuminating the entire training hall.

“Uwaaah!!?”

Hank let out a shocked yell, but—

Just as quickly as it came, the light faded.

As my eyes adjusted, I saw someone standing before Hank—

A young man, his hair and shoulders wreathed in flames.

He looked down at Hank and grinned.

[So—you’re the one who summoned me?]

“Eh? Uh… yeah…”

[Haha! Interesting! I like your fire, kid! I’ll gladly lend you my power. Now—give me your hand.]

“Uh… okay?”

The moment Hank and the spirit bumped fists—

The flaming youth vanished.

The spirit had now merged with Hank’s soul.

The contract was a success.

After a brief conversation with the teacher, Hank grinned, flashed a V-sign, and made his way back toward me.

“Heh heh! I did it! My spirit contract is a success!”

“So, he’s really inside you now?”

[Oh yeah, I’m here. From now on, I’m sticking with Hank. Nice to meet you, Hank.]

“Huh… I can hear his voice too?”

Now that I think about it, in the game, spirits could communicate with people other than their contractor.

It made sense.

This was a world of magic, after all—

Nothing surprising about it.

“His name’s Halbert. I’m just gonna call him Hal.”

“Simple, but a solid nickname. Easy to say too.”

At that moment—

Hal suddenly materialized in front of us.

Now that I got a closer look, he was bigger than I expected.

And—

He looked strong.

[I’ll be counting on you to look after my master, Sir Edward.]

“You know my name?”

[We spirits learn a few things about our contractors when we merge with them. Basic information at best, though.]

“That’s pretty handy.”

So that meant he could skip unnecessary explanations.

In the game, this kind of stuff was glossed over—

But seeing it work in practice made it feel like a well-thought-out system.

“Can you turn into a weapon?”

[Of course. That’s what we spirits do.]

“Alright then… Hal, let’s see it. Transform into a weapon.”

[No problem!]

Hal’s body glowed, shifting and reshaping itself.

As the light faded, a magnificent spear now stood where Hal had been, its tip firmly embedded in the ground.

Hank grabbed the spear, pulling it free—

The blade sparked slightly, releasing a small burst of fire.

“This is amazing…! I can feel power surging from deep inside me…!”

“Fire-type magic is known for its offensive strength and destructive power. They say the spirit you contract reflects your own heart… But were you always this violent?”

Despite being called Spirit Swords, not all of them actually took the form of a sword.

It was widely believed that a person’s inner nature determined the kind of spirit they bonded with.

For example—

Someone with a kind and gentle heart might contract a support-type or healing spirit

Now that I thought about it—

Maybe the game’s true lore was that the target characters sought overwhelming power deep inside.

That could be why they ended up with such strong Spirit Swords—

Allowing them to trample over monsters and commoners alike.

…Not that it mattered to me anymore.

“Edward. Step forward.”

While I was still talking to Hank about Hal, I suddenly heard my name being called.

I tilted my head in confusion—

And Hank gave me a light tap on the shoulder.

“Hey, looks like the teacher’s calling you.”

“Alright, I’ll go. You focus on getting to know Hal better. A strong bond with your Spirit Sword is important.”

“Got it, will do.”

After leaving Hank behind, I walked toward the front where the teacher was waiting.

As I approached, he gave a small nod.

“You’re up next.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. You’re the last one.”

Had that much time already passed?

Looking around—

I saw my classmates chatting with their spirits or testing out their weapon transformations.

I was the only one left who hadn’t contracted yet.

“Alright, just touch the Soul Crystal and form your contract.”

“Okay.”

I stared at the Soul Crystal placed before me.

This beautiful stone—

Whether for better or worse—

Was about to determine the course of my life.

Thinking about it…

A mix of nerves, excitement, and fear all hit me at once.

I took a deep breath, then slowly reached out to touch the Soul Crystal.

(W-What is this… this strange sensation…!?)

It felt like… something inside me was being pulled into the crystal.

And at that moment—

Just like it did for Hank—

The stone burst into a dazzling light.

It was bright—

Yet not blinding.

I could still see clearly, standing firm without the urge to shut my eyes.

And from within the glow—

A small silhouette began to emerge.

[Heh… I’d pretty much given up hope, but it looks like there’s still someone out there who could actually summon me. Interesting.]

The figure’s outline slowly sharpened—

Taking the shape of a young girl.

She had long, pale blue hair cascading down her back—

And looked around the age of a grade schooler.

But despite her small, innocent appearance—

The sheer power she radiated was undeniably inhuman.

[Oh…? But now that I get a better look at you… Ahh—yeah, I see. That makes sense.]

“What? Is there something on my face? It’s kinda awkward getting stared at this hard by a total stranger.”

[Ahaha, sorry about that! The name’s Lana! From now on—I’m all yours, Master!]

That moment—

When Edward and Lana first met—

Was the spark that would set the world on a completely different path.