I Became the Academy’s Pink Airhead

In a moment stretched like eternity.

Just as something was slowly starting to organize in my mind.

There was a hand that grabbed my leg with trembling fingers.

Grasp―!

I looked at that desperate gesture.

“…Alvit?”

“Se-Senior…!”

Alvit said with a face completely pale from the black mist.

“Run away―!!”

“…!”

“We…! We can’t run… we’ll die…! So…!”

A girl with tear-filled brown eyes.

She was sincerely trying to save me right now.

What came to mind were scenes from daily life I had seen before.

“Run away―!!!”

Rejoicing.

Getting angry.

Feeling sad.

Cheering.

Your daily life that I watched… was always sincere.

The girls living in this world were always sincere.

“…”

I looked at my juniors trembling in fear.

‘Alvit, Rota, Kara…’

Was I sincere to you?

Was I, wearing the mask of ‘Clara’…

‘What I wanted to give you was…’

I wanted to show you love, hope and friendship.

I wanted to show you the beauty and shining hearts that exist in this world.

Embracing those most radiant teachings, I wanted to see the ending of the story.

I wasn’t a player raising you…

‘…I was your senior.’

The moment I realized that, all the masks I had been wearing until now fell off.

Only one thing remained there – the sincerity named ‘senior’.

“…I see.”

I carefully put Rota down on the ground.

“…!”

Rota made a face as if she had resolved herself to something. She nodded while shedding tears and bit her lip.

But whatever she had resolved herself to wasn’t going to happen.

The cries of Alvit and Kara faintly struck my ears.

“Hurry!! Run away―!!”

“Run away…! Please…!”

These children who were always confident and energetic were now trembling in fear like this.

But even in the swamp of fear, they were trying to save me.

‘Even if I’m [Faded Spiral] or [Foolish Senior Clara]… you’re trying to protect me.’

As Senior Frida said.

The flower that bloomed from our meeting…

Was truly indescribably beautiful.

‘Then I should show you my sincerity too.’

I wiped away Rota’s tears.

She twitched her cat ears in surprise. Her eyes reproached me, asking why I wasn’t running away.

I stroked Rota’s cheek and said:

“Don’t worry.”

“…Senior?”

“Senior…!”

“Senior… comrade…!”

“…I’ll show you.”

My juniors sitting on the ground looking at me.

Their eyes were filled only with questions: Why aren’t you running away? Aren’t you the powerless [Faded Spiral]?

Their sincerity was misaligned, deceived by the mask I had worn.

“I’m sorry… until now.”

I decided to show the answer to that question only through actions.

“From now on, watch how [Spiral] advances.”

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

My [Spiral] is still shining.

‘But I can’t win with 100%.’

Following an instinctive pull, I walked towards the black crystals scattered around. And I picked up the largest one among them.

Swish―

A heavily shaped crystal, about the size of a human head.

Inside it, I could feel the ether that ’s followers had gathered by kidnapping countless students.

‘I can feel it. Where this ether originated from.’

Strangely enough.

The moment I made up my mind, I could feel what I hadn’t felt until now. I could feel beyond the ether, the power that constitutes this world.

‘Then I…’

I put [Basic Ether] into the crystal containing that massive amount of ether.

Not chasing after the correct answer.

Following the path of the heart.

Just putting in ether.

Surprisingly… it reacted with my ether without any problems.

Two years after arriving in this world… for the first time, I put [Basic Ether] into an object. It was a path that had come around after a very long detour.

I smiled proudly at Alvit and said:

“[Basic Ether]… I finally succeeded!”

“…!”

Alvit’s brown eyes widened as much as possible.

Pssssst―

The crystal decomposing instantly, reacting with my ether.

I can feel the ether of over hundreds of students inside it.

I can feel their memories, hearts, and love that constitute the world.

“…”

The kidnapping incident where I saved Rota.

The countless students who were caught up in it.

The kidnapping incident was resolved safely, and they were freed, but… Their ether remained in the clutches of .

‘I’m glad this ether didn’t become your relics.’

I was grateful for that fact.

The path I followed according to my sincerity was a brighter path than the correct answer of the original work.

‘I’m glad I could protect your shining school life.’

I had been following sincerity rather than the correct answer from the beginning.

‘I’m grateful to the heavens… for making me realize all this.’

So…

To the ether left behind by the kidnapped girls, I dared to ask them to accompany me.

If 100% is not enough, let’s charge in with 200% power received from everyone. If 200% is not enough, let’s advance with 300% heart containing everyone’s feelings.

‘A story of mere guts…!’

But.

Though this world originated from a game, it is not a game.

Let’s forget about probabilities and correct answers.

Everything.

Forget.

Follow.

The heart.

Pssssst―

As the crystal decomposes.

Ether spreading like dust.

Then they stick to my body.

Slowly they start to dance, shining pink.

Numerous pink ethers appearing, driving away the black mist.

Reacting to that, hundreds of black crystals around decompose.

What fills this place is pink.

All ether within a radius of dozens of meters reacts to my heart.

The true power of the world, different from the realm of wuji.

“The power of… the heart…!”

Like the spiral flower born from you and me meeting. Like the school uniform a girl had protected alone. Like cherry blossoms blessing girls’ beginnings on a late spring day. Like peach blossoms at the moment when stories of heroes began long ago.

Past and future.

Past life and present life.

The color of all things I have loved until now was pink.

“The name of my soul is… [Spiral].”

Everyone watching my actions is shocked. Even [Priest of Erosion] loosens his grip and stares blankly.

They just gape with their mouths open, surprised by the sudden action.

“…!”

“…?!”

Ether is the power of [Fate] that constitutes the world.

Putting others’ ether into one’s body is foolish.

Ether not built up by oneself, but from outside, was no different from impurities.

Unless one is who changed their existence by praying to dragons.

Putting hundreds of others’ ether into one’s body… is no different from suicide.

Knowing that fact well, everyone shouts.

“Senior―!!”

“What are you doing!! Stop it right now―!!”

“Pinky…?! What are you doing?!”

“Spi…ral?!”

Indeed.

There is a price for foolish actions.

Drip―

Hot nosebleed pours out instantly.

I taste the bitter blood in my mouth after a long time. My heart pounds like I’ve chugged boxes of coffee.

But without showing it, I advance and declare.

Because it’s still not enough to exceed 100%… I accept all the ether around me and declare.

“The name of my soul is [Spiral]…! The color of my soul is… [Pink]…!”

Woooooong―!!

Pink ether spreading dozens of meters around.

They approach without hesitation, as if supporting that my choice is right.

Now I could exert 200% power.

But just from receiving 200% power, my whole body screams and shouts to stop immediately. My heart races, and my whole body feels like it will burst any moment.

Then I should brace my heart.

‘Still not enough…!’

Woooooong―!

I will take one more step forward.

Woooooong―!!

At the one step I took, all the black crystals around float up scattering. The hearts and ether of the girls sleeping inside react and add to it.

[Priest of Erosion] surprised at that one step.

“Kuk―!!”

Befitting the most cautious executive, he reacts quickly to the abnormal situation.

He was hurriedly throwing Eir away and trying to return to his main body.

“Kuuk?!”

Eir quickly regains her posture, but looks this way surprised.

“[Pink Spiral]…!!”

[Priest of Erosion] quickly writhes his whole body preparing for transformation.

“What is this ether?! It’s a color that didn’t appear in the prophecy?!”

Ah.

He’s flustered for the first time.

‘You didn’t know about my existence.’

It seems that me and Clara weren’t in that great prophecy.

How could they predict a spiral going around in a mess?

Then I’ll let you know now.

My existence.

My name.

My soul.

My form.

The way I advance.

It is [Spiral].

For the first time in this world, I spilled out my true feelings. I pulled out all the love and realization welling up deep in my chest and cried out:

“I am―!! The strongest in the academy city―!! [Pink Spiral]―!!”

“…!”

“Senior!!”

“Spiral..!!”

Actually, I wanted to fight together with everyone.

Actually, I wanted to have a bit of an honest talk.

Actually, I still wanted to beat Hilde.

‘I want to… become the true strongest!!!’

100% more sincere than myself until now.

200% stronger than my power until now.

300% more perfect than my path until now.

The fist advancing on the most perfect orbit than any fist I’ve thrown until now. And one step taken containing the most honest heart. They all react and start to shine.

At this moment, all space was dyed pink. Everything within a radius of hundreds of meters was dyed pink.

Pink.

The most honest color.

Lemon.

The most refreshing finish.

Sherbet.

That is…

-Clara! Let’s go to a cafe later and eat delicious sherbet together!

…a memory.

I put all of that into my fist and threw it.

Thousands, tens of thousands, millions of hearts are born receiving 300% heart. It amplifies dozens of times receiving power close to infinite from everyone.

‘An attack I couldn’t do alone!’

Like that.

Containing the hearts left by countless girls, I threw a huge spiral hundreds of meters long made of infinite hearts.

“Ultimate technique!!! Pink!! Lemon!! Sherbet―!!!”

Booooooom―!!!

Let there be light.

This is a greeting and farewell from the past strongest in the academy city.

The huge pink flash is the crystallization of countless hearts and memories.

The spiral pouring from the fist is a universe with infinite girl’s love engraved.

Kugugung―!!!

The ominous aura and earth around shatter and are sucked into the pink universe. Those nearby hurriedly flee to hide from the storm of destruction.

Was it a mistake to control the range so the kids wouldn’t get caught up?

Or was it a huge price for arbitrarily borrowing the world’s secrets?

I felt terrible pain for a moment.

“Kuhuk…?!”

Ulk―!!

Blood pours from my nose and mouth. The blood vessels in my arms and legs burst and bruise.

But even in the pain that feels like it’s gnawing at my soul, I clearly look at the enemy.

Look at me here.

I am now a spiral.

A destructive flash shining pink.

Kwagwagwagwagwa―!!

A pink storm sweeps in blocking my view, and the earth rises.

Everything within a radius of hundreds of meters in front of my fist is destroyed and disappears.

The pink pillar erases everything threatening the girls.

A spiral where everything disappears into the moment.

But he was still alive even in the pink storm. He was enduring while scraping away ether close to infinite.

Kuooooo―!!

[Priest of Erosion] was still alive even after taking my final technique amplified dozens of times… that I threw by heavenly luck.

Grrrrrr―!!

The roar of a dragon.

He was returning to his main body. He gradually reveals his form even inside the huge spiral pillar.

4 wings block the moonlight, covering the dimness of dawn. An ominous dragon like hundreds of horns stuck into a centipede body.

I confirmed that form.

“…!”

Taat―!!

I jumped up as is to prepare a second attack.

Kuooooooo―!!

[Priest of Erosion], even in incomplete transformation, was fully bracing himself and raising his tens of meters large body in the air. He was opening his mouth fully, about to spew out ominous black ether towards this side.

‘If he flies like this, the attack range…!’

At that moment.

Eir leapt out from under the dragon’s shadow. Her bizarre sword was holding magenta flames.

Tatat―!!

Eir who instantly rose up charging towards the dragon.

What that sword draws is a wheel of fire like the chariot wheels of ancient gods. It was a pruning flame that could purify even the distortion of the World Tree.

Chwaaak―!!

Eir drew a huge wheel of fire like sword path towards the dragon’s belly.

“[Pruning Fire Wheel]―!!!”

That name is [Trajectory].

The way a girl advances.

The wheel of fire rotates.

Chwaaaak―!!

The rotation of the girl in a black leather coat.

It became a huge flame hundreds of meters in size, the huge wheel of fire rotated countless times, scraping off the dragon’s scales.

Karddddddduk!!

Kuooooo―!!

“Uwaaaaaaaaah!!!!”

With bloodshot eyes, using all her strength, Eir also swung her sword containing resolve beyond her limits.

I extended my fist towards the point where the dragon and wheel of fire intersected.

A pink spiral formed again, becoming a storm.

I approached the dragon wrapped in that huge flash.

And launched an attack.

“Ultimate technique―!!! Pink!! Lemon!! Sherbeeeet―!!!”

The spiral stretching out.

Booooooom―!!!

Kuoooo―!!!

A huge wheel of fire dances, and a pink flash sings.

The black dragon howls under the light of dawn.

‘Even after a surprise attack in incomplete transformation state, he’s still not dead…’

The evil dragon who prepared the most vicious trap. It was slowly trying to escape in front of the most unreasonable miracle.

If it escapes like this, it was obvious it would come back preparing an even more vicious trap.

‘If not at this moment…! When all miracles overlap!! I absolutely can’t catch it!!’

The dragon was slowly rising into the air, spreading its huge wings.

Eir couldn’t approach the dragon any further and fell to the ground.

“Damn it―!!!”

“…”

Even if I die here. So that those left behind don’t struggle with unreasonableness.

I steeled myself to burn everything.

300% is not enough.

With pink spiral wrapped around my right hand, I made a huge turn in the sky. What I draw with my fist wrapped in pink spiral is a huge pink spiral.

Paaaaaaat!!!

The path of the huge rotating spiral.

Chasing after the evil dragon drawing a pink spiral beyond the faint dawn sky.

I can no longer see ahead.

My mind is dazed and feels like it will drift away any moment.

Though it may look precarious, like being swept away by power… My heart was aiming for that evil dragon’s heart.

Eventually the determined spiral covers the huge sky.

I hear the sound of its wings flapping nearby. I hear the breath of the fleeing one under the light of dawn. In my blurred vision, I shouted with my last resolve.

“Ultimate technique―!!!”

The curve of the sky.

The light of dawn.

The evil dragon’s heart.

The pink spiral.

Everything gathers.

[Pink Lemon Sherbet]

Kwaaaang―!!

Kuooooo―!!

In my hazy consciousness, I pierced through the heart of the fleeing evil dragon.

Consciousness slowly fading away.

I smiled refreshingly in the midst of pain that felt like I could die at any moment.

‘What’s this, the last executive… died like the first boss.’

Ah…

I’m worried about my juniors.

I miss Hilde after such a long time.

The wind striking my ears. My body was falling, swaying powerlessly.

“…”

I closed my eyes and prepared myself.

Thud―

“…?”

It’s warm.

But for some reason, an uneasy gesture.

I painfully opened my eyes to look ahead.

What I see before me are the tears of a silver-haired girl. Those droplets glisten, reflecting the dawn light.

“…Hil…de…?”

“…Lara.”

Is this a dream?

Or is it a vision seen just before death?

In my faint mind, I uttered words I had kept inside for years.

“I’m… sorry.”

“…”

Cough―

Perhaps I spoke too much for someone who used a forbidden power.

My consciousness slowly faded to black with those words, and I felt the blood flowing from my mouth soaking my front.

And so, I lost consciousness.