Chapter 110 Chihiro Yuki ⑯
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The forest pressed in, dark and suffocating. Before me stood a pack of wolves, led by a beast the size of a carriage.
I knew this place. I knew this nightmare. It was the moment I had abandoned him.
A low, guttural howl tore through the air. The sound was a physical weight, crushing the spirit. We were paralyzed, dyed in a terror so thick it felt like bile. Some of my classmates collapsed, their legs turning to water; others simply soiled themselves where they stood.
”Run! Just run!” someone screamed.
The group splintered into a panicked frenzy. Every man for himself. I forgot my oath. I forgot my pride. Driven by the raw, heart-stopping fear of a predator’s teeth, I turned and fled.
I ran until my lungs burned, until my feet tripped over a root. As I scrambled to get up, a cold, vice-like grip clamped around my ankle.
I looked back, my breath hitching in a sob. It was a human hand.
It was him. The boy I was supposed to protect. His left arm and both legs were gone – chewed down to the bone. He was dragging his own entrails behind him, painting the forest floor in a slick, dark trail of red.
”How could you…” he wheezed, his voice a wet rattle. “How could you leave me to rot…?”
It was Natsumi. He glared at me with eyes reflecting a bottomless, soul-searing loath. A gruesome, jagged smile split his mangled face.
I fell onto my backside, pinned by his death-grip. My muscles were leaden. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe.
”I-I’m sorry – no, please -“
My voice was a pathetic string of excuses, dying in my throat.
”Die… die… die…”
Natsumi began to chant, the words dissolving into a cacophony of hatred. Die… die… die… He spat the curse over and over, an endless loop of “Die!” that filled the world.
”End up like me,” he hissed. “Be torn apart. Rot in the dark.”
The wolves lunged, their jaws snapping toward my face –
”NO!”
I sat up with a jolt, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.
Morning light filtered through the window, but the sun’s warmth felt hollow. I was drenched in a cold, sickly sweat that wouldn’t dry.
Ever since the Varity defense battle, this nightmare had claimed my nights. It followed me across the border to Foxia, and I knew from the hollow looks on their faces that Kodama and Kijima were haunted by the same ghost.
Every time I woke up, the weight of my cowardice came rushing back, a crushing tide of self-loathing.
I had sworn to protect him. I had told myself I’d lay down my life. And yet, one wolf’s howl was all it took for me to break.
I wrapped my arms around my shaking shoulders, finally letting the mask slip.
”I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” I whispered to the empty room. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry… h-hic… uuuuugh…”
I curled into a ball beneath the sheets, my apologies lost in the sound of muffled, broken sobbing.
* * *
”Chihiro? Are you with me?”
”Hmm? Oh. Yeah. I’m fine, Nakim. Just tired.”
”I wasn’t asking about your sleep schedule.”
Nakim leaned in, his eyes narrowed with concern. We were sitting in the cafeteria of the Academy of Sorcery Greedia¹. Unlike the elitist fortress of the Envyos Magic Academy, Greedia was open to anyone who could clear the gate and fill out a few forms.
Nakim had settled in here surprisingly well. If anything, he looked more alive than he ever had at Envyos. We planned to stay on as Monster Hunters until his exchange ended, acting as his muscle for the trip back home.
”Just some bad dreams,” I said, draining my water glass.
”Is it… that dream? About your friend?”
”Yeah.”
”You’re running on fumes,” Nakim said, placing a hand over mine. “You need to rest, for real.”
His hand was smaller than mine, soft and warm – almost like a girl’s. It felt grounded. Real. I looked at him, and for a second, the world seemed to stop. Nakim’s face suddenly flushed a deep crimson, and I felt a heat rising in my own cheeks.
The moment was shattered by a chorus of high-pitched squeals from a nearby table.
”Oh my god, look! The bishounen and the hunk! It’s happening!”
”So wholesome… I think I’m gonna die…”
”I bet the tall one is the top. Look at that brooding energy!”
”No way, the little one is definitely a power bottom. It’s always the cute ones.”
Apparently, Fujoshi² were a universal constant, no matter the world.
Nakim’s face went from red to a frantic purple as he ducked his head. The shippers only squealed louder, practically vibrating in their seats. Feeling for the poor guy, I pulled my hand back and cleared my throat.
”So, uh… how are the classes? Still easier than Envyos?”
”Huh? Oh! Right… yeah, it’s way more relaxed.”
According to Nakim, the two schools were worlds apart. Envyos was for the elites – the social climbers. Greedia was for students learning magic to actually make a living. The atmosphere was casual, though the few students who did go to Envyos on exchange were the “Witch” types – the ones obsessed with power. Apparently, the student originally slated for this exchange had dropped out after some complications.
”What are you doing today?” I asked.
”Self-defense. The school hired a Monster Hunter as a guest instructor to teach us how to fight when the mana runs out. He comes in once a week. You’ve actually met him, Chihiro.”
”I have?”
If he was a regular in Foxia, it was possible.
”Wait… is it one of the Seven?”
”Yep. Professor Sieben. He teaches us everything from blade forms to combat magic. He even runs these tactical games. It’s actually fun.”
Nakim’s smile was the most honest thing I’d seen all day. He described a tactical capture-the-flag game where teams were split into assault and recon units.
”But man… Professor Sieben is on another level,” Nakim said, his eyes gleaming. “He shattered a Stone Wall³ spell with a single punch.”
He looked like a kid talking about a legend. It was jarring. The “Professor Sieben” his classmates loved seemed like a stranger compared to the cold woman who had sent Nishiyama into a meat grinder. I wondered which version of him was the lie.
As we talked, the morning’s gloom finally began to lift. By the time we stood up to leave, the sun was dipping low, casting long, orange shadows across the empty cafeteria. We’d been talking for hours.
”Is it already that late?” I asked.
”Time flies when I’m with you, Chihiro,” Nakim said softly.
”I should get back to the inn. I don’t want to get locked out.”
”Right. See you later, Chihiro.”
”See ya, Nakim.”
I waved and walked toward the gates, my mind already drifting toward a dreamless sleep.
I had no idea that would be the last time I’d ever speak to him.
—
Summary:
Chihiro suffers through a visceral nightmare of his best friend Natsumi’s death, highlighting his deep-seated survivor’s guilt. Later, he meets Nakim at the Greedia cafeteria, where they discuss the school’s relaxed atmosphere compared to Envyos and the heroic reputation of Professor Sieben. The chapter ends with a tragic omen, revealing this was their final conversation.
—
Trivia:
- Chihiro’s nightmare is a literal memory of abandoning Natsumi to wolves.
- Other classmates (Kodama, Kijima) are suffering from the same recurring nightmares.
- The Greedia Academy of Sorcery is significantly more accessible than Envyos.
- Sieben is acting as a beloved guest instructor despite her previous ruthless actions.
- Reese is the student who originally dropped out of the exchange program.
- The final line marks a major turning point/death flag for Nakim
—
Character Insight:
Chihiro is struggling with a fragmented identity; he attempts to play the ‘cool’ Monster Hunter for Nakim but breaks down in private. His perception of Sieben is conflicted, as he cannot reconcile her popularity with her cruelty toward Nishiyama.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The opening quote is an homage to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The closing author note references Gendou Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Natsumi – The protagonist. Height 168 to 171 cm, weight 57 to 59 kg. He has a baby face, but he hides his eyes with his bangs. He was bullied by the Sugita gang just because his name sounded like a girl’s name.
• Kodama – Kodama Satomi. A self-proclaimed fan of Chihiro. A bronzed girl with bleached hair. She uses Lightning Bolt sorcery. Her stats are noted to be higher than a Gargoyle’s, though she is not built for melee.
• Chihiro – Height 178 cm, weight 70 kg (Male). Natsumi’s childhood friend. A handsome, athletic top student in the soccer club.
• Nakim – A thirteen-year-old boy with soft, androgynous features; the creator of the Dispel spell.
• Sieben – Young man with black hair and a mask covering his eyes. He purchased Honoka and Ria.
• Reese – Jessica’s sister, currently asleep. Identified as a ‘beautiful blonde lady’ by Alice.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply