Chapter 8 Roommate
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”All right, everyone take your seats—I’m going to say something important now—haah, what a pain,” the teacher muttered quietly.
The teacher sounded like he was our homeroom teacher, but I heard that quiet ‘what a pain’ and could not help myself from listening.
”Then, the three of you, see you later,” the teacher said.
’Get going, hurry up.’
”Heh, okay, we’ll talk again later,” Gerard said with easy cheer.
I stayed silent and did not answer, ignoring Gerard’s friendly voice.
”Is anyone missing? I won’t say this more than once because I am tired, so listen up,” the teacher said.
I thought, this lazy teacher who sounds like he has no energy is one of the targets in the story routes, and depending on the route, he’s a garbage character who will make a move on the main girl—my student.
”…Huh?” I turned without meaning to when the voice spoke, and looked toward Lucia, who sat next to me.
”?” Lucia tilted her head when she noticed my look, then made a small, lovely smile and gave a tiny wave.
She quickly looked away, like she wanted to avoid making the moment awkward. I reminded myself not to get involved, because the voice said I should not get close to anyone. I should not act without care.
”This is Benno, who will share the next few years with you,” the teacher said.
If I sorted out what the voice said, Lucia was one of the “targets” people called—she would be noticed and courted by several talented and amazing people, including Cliff. She was the kind of person the voice said was the world’s heroine, and her relationships with men and women were said to be quite active.
”…”
When I even thought that Cliff might like Lucia too, I suddenly realized I felt something unpleasant toward her. The voice moved me and made me hurt many people besides my parents over the years without me even wanting to, and now I felt a small, proper jealousy that matched my place.
”The welcome ceremony and party for you three will happen in three days, so be on time. If you are late, the teacher will get in trouble, so you must come. It’s a pain,” the teacher added.
I felt the teacher was a model of that kind of person, said with a tone that made it sarcastic.
”There are pamphlets in each dorm room with the textbooks and a simple map, a basic list of the events for the year, and school information, so read them carefully—now, that’s all. Dismissed!”
’Dismissed! All right, let’s go home!’
By the time I could sort out my dark and thick feelings, the teacher’s talk had ended.
I thought that if I stayed near Lucia any longer I would only feel worse, so I left for my dorm room fast before she could speak to me.
”Um, can we—” Lucia started.
”Just go home!” the voice in my head ordered.
I could not hear her. I could not hear her—I would not hear her.
Then, while I was reading the pamphlet the school had given us, a knock came from behind the door and a woman’s voice called out.
”—Oh, are you my roommate?” she said.
When I turned, I saw the door open and a long-haired woman leaning in the doorway and looking at me with interest.
She wore clothes that showed her stomach and made her curves stand out, a look that would need a lot of confidence to wear.
”I’m Riza,” she said in a brisk voice. “We’ll live together from now on, so nice to meet you.”
Even after that straightforward self-introduction, I ignored her and did not reply, and I dropped my eyes back to the pamphlet.
I would not become friends with her or get involved, so it was better she knew early I was someone she wouldn’t like. It was better she knew I was unpleasant from the start.
I felt sorry for the woman who would live with me a long time and have to deal with someone like me, but—
’I don’t want a roommate! I’m a professional loner! I’ll start the RTA to make this blunt woman unable to recover!’ the voice crowed.
—Huh?
’First, use the Darkness Sorcery you trained earlier to hide this scene,’ the voice said.
When my body went under the voice’s control, I smoothly used Darkness Sorcery to make the room impossible for others to notice—more exactly, I used a perception block so no one would take any interest at all.
”Hey, don’t ignore me, look here and talk—” Riza said, and then she cut off in surprise.
I struck Riza hard in the face while she was off guard. I had no time to feel sick at the sound of nosebones or teeth breaking or the way her flesh folded, because I grabbed her clothes and dragged her into the room.
I shut the door behind us and, once I made sure no one could see us, I stomped down on her stomach with everything I had.
’Roommates have morning, night, and special conversation events—just by existing, they cause loss. Make her leave now,’ the voice said coldly.
Riza sank down, holding her bruised belly that was already dark with color, opening her mouth without shame to breathe in air with a missing front tooth.
She had lost any sign of the neat, upright posture she had a moment before, and as she crouched I looked down at her without feeling anything, then lifted my fist again.
”Hi—?!” Riza gasped.
’I also want to grow (Evolution) soon, so it’s harder when people are watching… but as you know, this school gathers blessed children from all over the world to fight the demonic beasts that are the enemies of humanity,’ the voice said.
I grabbed Riza’s collar as she stared at me with a terrified, hostile look that did not understand, and I threw a punch.
”Y-ya—, stah—, sto—p…!!” Riza choked out, half-sob, half-plea.
’So, unless there is a very strong reason, you cannot be expelled or refused entry—so we will make it physically impossible for you to continue school life,’ the voice said in that flat, cruel way.
This is the worst. How ugly and terrible. Hadn’t I chosen loneliness to stop the voice from hurting anyone? Hadn’t I held back and taken being alone so that the voice would not harm others? Why was it still not enough? Why was I using my trained fist to beat a woman I had only just met?
”…s-sorry,” I said aloud, my mouth working without my whole consent.
”—Aah, it hurts—” she gasped, “o-ouch— it hurts, it hurts—”
’Sorry to Riza-neki’s fans, but women aren’t needed on screen… (proof of being gay),’ the voice taunted.
Because this was not a real fight, maybe, or because the voice followed rules when it possessed me, my mouth still barely had freedom to speak. I made that forced apology, and the way she stared at me with eyes that did not understand cut like a hot knife. From the outside, hitting someone and then apologizing at once looked insane.
I had no right to apologize to her. I did not deserve to say sorry. Still, I could not bear the weight of what I had done, and my one-sided apology only made her more afraid. It felt shameful.
’Ah—! Homo-chan charges forward!
Homo-chan hits Riza-neki’s face, and keeps hitting!
Homo-chan rushes like a demon and Riza-neki cannot catch up!
Riza-neki tries as a small move to use her favorite fire sorcery, but Homo-chan mercilessly kicks her solar plexus!
Power and speed—Homo-chan is far above!
If they wrestle properly, Riza-neki has no chance!
But power is not the only thing that decides a fight!
There is sorcery and blessings in this world!
Luckily, this is a small room! This is not a field where speed can be used fully! There is no chance for big sorcery!
Still, Riza-neki can do nothing! She cannot land a good hit! She is many steps behind!
Homo-chan drives a knee into Riza-neki’s chest—again and again!
Riza-neki can only empty the air from her lungs!
Aah—! Here comes Homo-chan’s fierce uppercut!
Riza-neki reels! Homo-chan presses the attack!
What will Riza-neki do? Give up? Or hold on?
But Homo-chan does not care about such things!
Homo-chan grabs Riza-neki’s hair and jabs! Jabs! Pushing jabs!
Riza-neki cannot take it!
Homo-chan is not a sweet boxer!
Don’t be fooled because she is weaker, she won’t suffer a surprised counter and lose time! (Two losses)
Riza-neki hides her head with both hands! Her eyes are full of terror! Homo-chan crushes the fingers she points with! A demon! Ryona fans will be overjoyed!’
Why, why did the voice sound so happy about this… Her beautiful hair was partly torn away by my hands until she had bald spots, and one eye swelled red and bled where it had burst. Her nose bent to the side, and the bruises and internal bleeding were terrible. The clean, white skin she had was gone.
I had driven my knees into her chest again and again until it caved in, and the thin, wind-like sound of her breath made me think a broken rib might be stabbing into her lung.
Her fingers were mangled and soft, her mouth swollen and too big to close, and there was no way anyone would look at this meat and call it the woman named Riza.
’Now that she’s weak and broken, it’ll be simple. Use Darkness Sorcery to poison her mind and drive her mad,’ the voice suggested.
No. Stop. Please stop. Was all this really needed? If I had begged, would she not have moved rooms? Did she deserve this just because she ended up sharing a room with me?
Her proud beauty was lost, and now I would break her mind too—by my hand?
”Uh, hic… guuh…” she choked and whined.
’Oh no, Homo-chan is going crazy again… this weakling with fragile feelings. Got any drive? You have no worth to live,’ the voice jeered.
Why, why— I, I— I hate this— I can’t do this anymore—
’Snap out of it! You have a job left: take the former Riza-neki and leave her near the boys’ dorm with three days of perception-block sorcery on her! It’s not for time saving, don’t get the wrong idea!’ the voice ordered sharply.
The voice forced me to use the Darkness Sorcery for mental contamination on myself, and it dragged me back to a clear head. When I came back, I moved in a calm, flat way and left the person who had been Riza near the boys’ dorm.
’The reason I chose darkness as your attribute is this: even if you fall into madness, you can just erase the mind yourself—problem solved… am I a genius?’ the voice crowed with cruel pride.
That day I told a teacher that my roommate had not come yet. The teacher pointed out my terrible face, and I covered it up and crawled under the covers. I could not sleep at all.
I lay awake with a cold sweat on my skin and the heavy taste of iron at the back of my mouth. My hands still hurt where I had used them; my shoulder ached from the motion of striking. Guilt pressed on my chest like a stone, and my breath came shallow and loud.
Outside, the dorm was calm, people moving like small shadows, but the dark film I had wrapped the room in clung to my mind. I stared at the ceiling and felt the memory of her scream like a physical thing in my bones.
I did not know if what I had done would be forgiven by me, or if the voice would be satisfied. The last thing I felt before the night swallowed me was the quiet tapping of my pulse in my ear, a fragile sound that kept time with the shaking in my hands.
Notes:
• –
• Gerard – A male classmate with the (Absolute Zero) blessing, a cheat-like ability that sets him apart from others, drawing awe and envy from his peers.
• Lucia – A female classmate of Reina with the (Regeneration) blessing, a power of immense value, unaware of the world government’s interest in her abilities.
• Benno – A male teacher with a blunt demeanor, overseeing physical tests and blessing checks, seemingly unaware of the darker forces at play in his students’ lives.
• Cliff – Son of First-Class Knight Lilia. Practices Flame God Style. Obsessed with defeating strong opponents, especially Reina Alcott after a humiliating loss.
• Riza – A female student and Reina’s assigned roommate, initially confident and outgoing, but brutally assaulted and mentally broken by Reina under the voice’s control.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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