ANIMT - Chapters 19-21

ANIMT - Chapter 19. In the Training Building at Dusk

The outline of a figure loomed through the open door. It was…

*Woof*

“Eh… ?”

----Potchitaro made a sudden appearance.

“What? Why is Pochitaro here?”

I panicked and rushed over to the pink furball that had invaded my training room with an expression of pure innocence. As I crouched down, Pochitaro wagged his tail and jumped into my embrace.

My head continued to throb from the magical exhaustion. As I caught him, I could not help but direct a question at him. I knew that I would not receive a response.

“Could it be that you’ve slipped out again… ?”

It seemed that he had escaped from the chemistry lab again. That devil-glasses was just too sloppy, allowing Pochitaro to escape two days in a row.

“You can’t do that. If they find you it’s going to bring us all big trouble.”

*Woof ?*

“No, not woof… Huh?”

I finally noticed that he had something in his mouth. It looked familiar, so I told Pochitaro to let it go, and he promptly dropped it in my hand.

In my palm was a shiny silver lump.

I recognized this. It was…

“Hey, you dumb dog! Get your ass back here and give it back.”

The door swung open violently as the agitated male forced his way in. Futaki-kun made an appearance on the stage.

I could clearly see a blue-vein pulsing on his forehead, but his usual earrings were missing. I looked at his ears, then the shiny pieces of metal in the palm of my hand. They were definitely Futaki-kun’s.

*Woof* *Woof*

“Huh! Wait up!”

Pochitaro floated out of my arms, and in the blink of an eye disappeared with a swoosh.

He had probably used teleportation magic to return to the chemistry prep room.

From the brief time I knew Pochitaro, I could tell that he was smart enough to figure out when the teacher was not around and when he needed to be back by. With something as useful as teleportation magic, he could easily escape for a walk whenever he pleased. He must also be able to take off his collar and put it back on at will.

He may look silly, but he is surprisingly a super dog (when he uses magic), so I think my guess is not too far off the mark.

Well, now is not the time to be thinking about Pochitaro’s unusualness, but rather…

“Where the hell did that guy go with my stuff?”

The first thing I needed to do was deal with Futaki-kun, who was currently losing it.

“Calm down, Futaki-kun. I have your earrings here.”

“…Ah?”

Since entering the room, he finally seemed to notice my presence. He looked at me as his eyes widened slightly.

“They have a little bit of drool, but these are Futaki-kun’s, right? Pochitaro just gave them to me.”

I wrapped them in the handkerchief that I always keep on hand and presented them to Futaki-kun, who for some reason accepted them silently, looking slightly disconcerted.

An uncomfortable silence descended on us.

I felt awkward. I had so many things I wanted to say to him when I next caught him but when presented with the opportunity, I struggled to find the right words. In the end, I couldn’t open my mouth.

“… Hey!”

“Whaaa!”

Unexpectedly, it was Futaki-kun who called out first. I was caught completely off guard and let out a strange voice from the back of my throat, causing him to give me a suspicious look.

----Stop, don’t look at me like that.

“Is that little… girl not here today?”

“Little? You mean Kokomi, right? She has student council work, so I’m all alone.”

“… I see.”

His reply was bland and disinterested, even though he was the one who asked the question. I tried my best to keep the ball rolling, bringing up any topic I could think of.

“Well, more importantly, Futaki-kun, you had a tough time! Pochitaro played the same prank on me before. He took my pin, but I got it back thanks to you, Futaki-kun! He’s a good runner, so it must have been hard to catch him. You must have had to run a lot.”

“What? I was just wandering around the area when he suddenly appeared.”

“Huh?”

Right there? Right in front of this room’s door?

He swallowed his words as if just realizing something. Maybe, he had come but couldn’t get in, and was instead forced to loiter around the door… Nah, I don’t think Futaki-kun would ever do that.

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He changed the subject abruptly as if saying that he would not permit me to pursue the subject any further.

“You know what? I saw you make that bet with that teacher, but do you even have any chance of winning?”

“What-What do you think the odds are?”

“I’m asking if you have a plan to get ranked.”

I couldn’t help but don a vague smile for Futaki-kun, who was hitting me where it hurt the most. I basically operate on gut feelings. I’m not the kind that could devise elaborate plans to obtain victory from guaranteed defeat. I have no plan at all.

“I don’t have anything like that, but… I thought that if I’m going to demonstrate my power to the teacher anyway, I might as well aim for a result that leaves no room for interpretation. Of course, there’s also the fact that I have something I want… so I brought it up as a bargaining chip.”

“And?”

“I’ve never really practiced magic or anything like that before, you know?”

----I’ve never been a fan of magic, quite frankly.

I’ve been separated from my best friends and family and sent to a school in the mountains far away from here because of the magic that I acquired. Because my magic is so weak, my classmates disliked me and my teacher even suspected me of nefarious, wrong-doings.

To be honest, I still don’t like magic.

But recently, by training with Kokomi, my magic power has improved, albeit only slightly. I’m not very good at material manipulation magic, and there’s only a small chance of me properly mastering it.

It’s not funny, because the result of my current strength only spurred the teacher’s suspicion.

“So it’s a good opportunity, you know. For once in my life, I can seriously try to face magic with the aim of getting ranked.”

“You live life so… exaggerated.”

“Really?”

Well, I’m not really trying to exaggerate it. If you’ve only got a limited amount of time remaining, it’s surely not a bad idea to pour all of your efforts into something that you’re not good at.

“It’s not a bad idea to really work on something you’re not good at for once if you have limited time anyway… That’s why I’d like to ask you, Futaki-kun, to help me train. We’re partners, right?”

I can’t articulate my reasoning any clearer. I’m sure he’s going to ask me to, but I will cut right to the heart of the matter.

I stared at Futaki-kun’s face, trying to gauge his reaction.

I took a deep breath.

I had no clue if my earnest request would work. At face value, it seemed like a bad idea. But I had no other choice.

He stopped in front of the mop and called out to me, while I was absorbed in my thoughts.

“Hey.”

“Let’s see how much magic you can do.”

“Huh?”

“I said: I’ll watch and see what you can do.”

Eh? What?

“Are you really going to help me!?”

“… Just get on with it. If you don’t start, I’m leaving.”

“Oh, wait! I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”

I hurriedly ran over to Futaki-kun.

As usual, his face was contorted into a scowl, but I let out a small laugh as I scurried over.

Was this a major step forward in our relationship as partners?

“It’s nice to meet you again, Futaki-kun! Please take care of me.”

“Hey, don’t get carried away! I’m just going to see what your terrible magic skills amount to first.”

“You’ll watch and give me advice, right? That means you’re already helping with my training, right? Oh, and of course, you’ll be paired up with me in the mock battle.”

“Just do it!”

His temper had already flared up. But I kind of felt like I had begun to understand his true personality just a little bit more. I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

With a little more hope for the looming mock-battle, I started training in high spirits with Futaki-kun. However, the distance between us still seemed great after all.

“I’m sure you’re not the only one. You goof!”

“Hey! I told you not to call me goofy! It’s your fault for not giving clearer advice! You should also get over your habit of getting angry so easily!”

“Ah! You can’t even use proper magic, so don’t complain to people, you goof!”

“You said it again! You fucking punk!”

But at least we’ve progressed to the point where we can fight. At last, he and I will be able to start working as a pair.

----

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ANIMT - Chapter 20. Umetaro's Gift

“Hey, Futaki-kun. I’d like to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Are you familiar with all of the evaluation systems in magic mock-battles? Specifically, collaboration points?”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“Oh, you know about them. Good. You know, that they are an evaluation of not only teamwork during a match but also the bond between teammates? They say that by demonstrating to the referee how close a team is, it’s possible to get a certain number of points.”

“… What’s your point?”

“Yeah, so you do know. We need to show that we’re good friends in a way that’s easy to understand. I don’t know how we can do that, however, I’m certain that it’s necessary. So, let’s see… As a sign of our easy-to-understand friendship, I’d like to call Futaki-kun… Ki… Can I call you Kitora?”

“Shut up.”

That conversation happened three days ago. By that time, I no longer held any reservations towards him, and regardless of whether he liked it or not, I changed the way I addressed him from Futaki-kun to Kitora.

Ever since then, Kitora has been coming to the training building every day, and although his language is rough, he has accompanied me in my training. Gradually, the two of us are getting better at working together, and I think we’re getting to the point where we can even compete.

I got carried away and said, “You can call me Mitsuba, too!” to which he replied, “Don’t be silly.” Building a bond with my partner remains difficult.

By the way, around the time we had this conversation, for some reason Kokomi started to look at Kitora as an enemy and told him, “I’m not going to lose! I’m not giving up my sister!”

I honestly don’t understand what her deal is. But they’re both smart, and surprisingly, Kitora and Kokomi don’t seem to have bad rapport. I’ve seen the two speak to each other using overly complex terms.

And so, together with Kokomi and Kotora, I spent my busy days preparing for the magic mock-battle.

Today is Saturday, the day before the mock-battle.

“Wow, it’s already 11:00… ”

I looked at the clock in surprise. As someone who had recently learned to go to bed early and wake up early, I didn’t expect to wake up so late. I think it was partly because I was a bit distracted after finishing that mountain of work.

In fact, my final exam was yesterday, and all I had left to do was wait for the test results, which would be handed back to me along with my performance in the magic mock-battle.

Looking back, I think I did alright on the exam. I had to focus on the mock-battle, so I put in just enough work to get an average score. Well, I did try my best in science, though. If he grades it fairly, I think I should have a solid eighty-percent.

Normally, I spend my entire weekends in the training building practicing magic, but today, the day before the mock-battle, Kokomi advised me to take a break.

So, with nothing to do, I lay in my bed. As I rolled over, I noticed the back of my hand that lay in contrast to the white sheet.

On it was the tattoo “153 days left”.

----As of today, I had five months to live.

I’ve been so busy with training and studying that I hadn’t taken notice of the countdown, but when suddenly faced with free time like this, I couldn’t help but think about my impending demise.

Unanswerable existential questions came and went, and I felt my mood gradually sink.

I clasped the tattoo with my other hand and closed my eyes quietly.

“… Alright, that’s enough of that.”

I opened my eyes and jumped up with vigor. This melancholy only descended on me because I was bored. Quickly changing out of my pajamas and into casual wear, I resolved myself to find something, anything, to keep me busy. I chose my favorite shirt, a solid-color t-shirt with a clover on it, and light blue shorts. Washing my face, brushing my teeth, combing my hair before pinning it up; I was ready to go.

It’s not like I would go anywhere far.

For the first time in a while, I decided to visit my favorite companion.

* * * *

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“It’s soooooo good! These shiratama dumplings with kuromitsukake! This is what I’m talking about, Umetaro!”

“Well, if you say so, it’s worth making. I have plenty more, so please eat as much as you want.”

“Yes!”

I replied as I stuffed a white egg of goodness into my mouth, and Umetaro-san, sitting opposite me, smiled gently.

I hadn’t been able to visit the Dorm Supervisor’s office lately since I’d been so busy training and studying. Even though it was a sudden visit, Umetaro-san, the owner of the room, didn’t show any displeasure and even made an impromptu dessert for me… though it was rather simple.

I sat down on the tatami mat, poked at the white balls in the bowl with a bamboo skewer, and soaked in the soothing atmosphere.

“Mitsuba-chan, you’ve been so busy lately, how’s your training going?”

“Ugh, um… so-so? I’m doing well. I’ve been practicing using matter manipulation magic to move the mop, and I’ve gotten it to move a little, but it’s still not quite there yet.”

For example, when Kokomi does it, the mop will say, “I’m not going to leave a single speck of dust.” The same goes for Kitora.

But when I do it, the mop moves awkwardly, and the floor doesn’t get much cleaner. Even with beginner-level magic, there was a marked difference between two people casting the same spell. The result depended on the proficiency of the caster.

“I got the match list yesterday, and tomorrow is the day of the mock-battle, so I guess I’m just going to have to do what I can… To make matters worse, I haven’t even decided on which items to bring yet.”

“Oh no!”

I sagged in defeat as I made my report.

For the mock-battle, each person is allowed to bring in two items. Bringing in an item that complements one’s magic, and using it well in the battle, can allow students to reach a better rank than they otherwise would be able to. Depending on the student’s strengths, even mundane items can become powerful weapons.

Naturally, knives and other dangerous items are not allowed. Items would be checked according to the detailed regulations communicated to us before the match, so it was best to prepare several items before the day of the match.

Kitora apparently did not prepare anything, saying “it’s not necessary”, but due to how little magic I can use, it was essential for me to prepare items that would work well for me, even if only a little. I’m not sure what I should take, but I’m going to do my best. I’m starting to think this is not the time for me to be resting after all.

“I’m sure you’ll be happy with the results. Yes, I have a gift for you today, Mitsuba-chan, for always working so hard.”

“A gift, huh?”

As I tilted my head, wondering what it was, Umetaro-san left the room and came back with something in hand.

“Here you go.”

It was a stuffed, pure white cat. It was about the size of a real cat, and made of a high-quality fabric that felt wonderful to the touch. The eyes were embedded with shiny green stones, and it even had short whiskers, showing exquisite attention to detail.

I mean, this is…

“Shiratama, isn’t it?”

“Yes. The cat that Mitsuba-chan loved so much hasn’t come to visit lately, so I thought she might be feeling lonely. Mitsuba-chan seems to be working very hard, so I made this as a good luck charm.”

“Umetaro-san… ”

I hugged the Shiratama doll tightly to my chest and felt my depressed mood clearing up. I thanked Umetaro-san for his kindness.

It felt like the real Shiratama was in my arms. I couldn’t help recalling the days I had endured alone. Even back then, Shiratama was always there to cheer me up. I internally reaffirmed that the anchors in this tumultuous world will always be Umetaro-san and Shiratama.

“Thank you very much, Umetaro-san! I’ll take good care of it!”

“From my point of view, it’s more like a good luck charm. So rather than just cherishing it, I’d be happy if it was there for Mitsuba-chan whenever she has a hard time. I’m sure that would make Shiratama happy.”

“Yes. I’ll carry it with me forever!”

“Haha. I’m just trying to keep Mitsuba-chan healthy. All I want to do is help Mitsuba-chan succeed, that’s all.”

I almost fell in love with Umetaro-san’s smile as he stroked his beard. Even he had better housewife skills than me, but to be fair, I don’t know anyone as amazing as Umetaro-san. If only I had been born sooner…

It was a thought that had struck me before, but weren’t there quite a few people around me with excellent housewife skills? I’m not sure what to make of this, but I will place it aside for now.

“… By the way, Mitsuba-chan, on a different note, what do you think is the most important thing when using magic?”

“Eh, the most important thing, huh?”

As I was enjoying the feel of the Shiratama doll and ruminating on my strange thoughts, I couldn’t quite understand the intention of Umetaro-san’s sudden question.

However, it sounded like something I had heard in class, so I just answered.

“Let’s see, image, wasn’t it? They say the most important thing is to vividly imagine yourself activating the magic you want to cast.”

“Yes, image is important. But I think that in addition to the image, you also need to have some kind of will or desire for that magic.”

“Intentions and thoughts?”

“For example, the story about the mop earlier. If Mitsuba-chan activates the magic with the intention or desire of ‘I want to move the mop to clean this place,’ instead of just thinking ‘I want the mop to clean this place,’ then the mop will work better.”

It was just the ramblings of an old man, he added, and Umetaro-san giggled, looking a little embarrassed.

“If Mitsuba-chan can put some strong will or thought into it, and activate the magic, I’m sure you’ll be as good as anyone.”

His infinitely gentle gaze poured warmly over me.

I felt embarrassed by it, and when I looked down slightly, my eyes met with the Shiratama doll.

----An electric current suddenly streaked through my brain.

“I’m sorry, Umetaro. I got a sudden burst of inspiration. I need to think a bit more about what you said.”

“Oh, I thought you were taking today off?”

“No, I’m just going to practice for an hour! And, um, I have a favor to ask you, Umetaro-san.”

I shared my stroke of inspiration with Umetaro-san, despite feeling slightly reserved at bothering him with this, and asked if I could try it out. He smiled and agreed, and I bowed deeply. In addition, I asked him for one more favor, something that was definitely an inconvenience to him, and received a ‘certain item’ from Umetaro-san.

----I have five months to live. There is no time for me to stand still.

----

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ANIMT - Chapter 21. Opening Ceremony and Chills

On the first floor of the training building, there was a space similar to a normal school gymnasium. This area, the largest room on campus, was quite often used as a venue for assemblies and games. At this moment, the entire school’s students and faculty were gathered here for the magic mock-battle opening ceremony.

“Er, so that’s all there is to it. Please follow the rules and good luck to all of you.”

It was a universal promise across all schools that the principal would talk for a long time and no one would listen.

I stood in a neat row, depressed and sleepy.

After all, I had spent all day yesterday practicing magic, so I was a little sleep-deprived, even though I planned on getting some more. When one had a lot of free time, they inevitably ended up staying up later than they should. I was no exception.

While I still felt a little tired from my efforts, apart from being sleepy, my condition wasn’t that bad. I think I’ll make a full recovery by the time my match starts.

At any rate, I’ll try to rest while I can. So I stood still and meditated, but my sinking consciousness was soon awakened by a high-pitched scream.

What’s going on? I looked up to see that the principal was already gone, replaced by a tall man with blond hair.

“Good morning, everyone. It’s the perfect day for a battle, isn’t it?”

The man on the stage smiled gracefully and spoke in a clear voice, and the screams, mostly from the girls, rose again.

The man who perfectly controlled the atmosphere and stood like a king was the president of the student council.

This school did not have an election system. Positions such as the president of the student council were decided purely on grades. The student council of Sakuranomiya Magical High School was a group of people with superior magical abilities who worked hard to organize school events, manage club activities, and promote healthy student life. And for some reason, this year’s student council was very popular because, aside from excellent grades, they had a lot of people with beautiful eyes.

Student Council President: Harukaze Ibuki.

He was the picture-perfect prince with golden hair and blue eyes, a tall, slender but well-balanced physique, and a sparkling disposition that somehow encompassed everyone when he smiled. There was a rumor that he jumped over the school gate on a white horse when he was almost late, and it’s hard to tell whether it was true or not. His nickname was “Oji-chairman” (Prince Chairman).

Vice-President: Hiiragi Yukino.

Although she was sickly and often absent from school, she had a delicate snow-like beauty that served to accentuate her fragility. She was also enthusiastically supported by the students; mainly the males. She had silvery-white hair that flowed down to her waist, and her face was always expressionless. Her fans seemed to call her Ice Princess.

Treasurer: Matsuri Natsuki, and Secretary: Matsuri Akito, were twins.

They are fraternal twins, so they don’t look alike, but they both have the same golden hair and light orangey-brown eyes. Both of them are short of stature and look like they belong in elementary school. The combination of the older sister, Natsuki, a strong person, and Akito, who is mischievous, is so lively when they are together that they are called the Festival Twins, a play on their surname, but are beloved by all students.

The President and Vice-President are third-year students, and the twins are second-year students. At the moment, only the Student Council President stood on the stage, while the other members were likely sitting in the anteroom.

The students, who had been listening in a daze until a moment ago, were all staring at either the stage or the anteroom. A large portion of the student body was part of the various fan clubs, so the student council members were treated like idols in this school. Even though the principal will cry, this is the reality of the situation.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how you all improved yourselves since last time and truly unleash your magical powers. But please, try not to get hurt. I want my precious students to learn the joys of magic safely. You’ll keep your promise, won’t you?”

His question received a response filled with either mockery or adoration from the students.

“Yes! Of course, I will!” or “How nice! Prince Chairman!” And so on.

I was so annoyed that I covered my ears and clucked my tongue, a habit I must have picked up from Kitora.

Most people would look favorably on the charismatic student council members who were good at their jobs. But I have to admit, I don’t like them at all… or rather, I have a personal grudge against them.

I’ll never forget the magic mock-battle last year.

* * * *

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I was walking down the hallway with a dark cloud hanging over me, holding my terrible mock-battle results in my hand. I didn’t even have the energy to look up, so I trudged forward while staring blankly at my heavy feet, and sure enough, I bumped head-first into someone.

As I was about to fall down, the person wrapped his arms around my waist and successfully prevented me from falling over. He was the president of the student council.

“Easy does it.”

I remember my heart skipped a beat when I heard his beautiful voice whispering that and his beautiful face peeking at me from such a close distance. He gently helped me collect myself and even picked up my fallen battle record with grace and poise.

“Is this yours?”

The act itself was not wrong. I’m sure the student council president’s favorability rating was already quite high at this point.

I braced myself in-case he saw my results and said something like, “Oh no!” or “This is shocking!” or even “This is beyond words.” But as soon as I hurriedly thanked him and tried to get the mock-battle record back from him…

He started laughing after he stole a glance at it. The result of my hard work was apparently too funny for him to handle. He treated it like a gag!

“Hey, give it back! Hey!”

“Oh, wait, I want to share this laugh with someone. Oh, Akito! Look at this, Akito!”

He even called the secretary, who was apparently passing by, to show him my results and make him laugh. The secretary, too, seemed to be infected by the laughter and ended up making a raucous in the hallway.

I was told later that it was a famous story among some fans. The student council president is said to be a comedy buff with a shallow sense of humor. From what I heard, he refrains from laughing in public, but when he does start laughing, he can’t stop himself. The illusion of a prince he wore no longer existed in my mind.

After that, until the treasurer came to look for his brother and rebuke him, the laughing president and secretary, who acted like schoolboys to the tee, continued to laugh about the mock-battle record without any regard for me. I’m sure you’ll be able to understand why I would hold a grudge against the student council. All of them except the treasurer who stopped them and apologized on their behalf.

* * * *

----That’s why I’m anti-student council.

Especially the president, you are someone I will never forgive. I didn’t even want to look at him anymore, so I turned away from the stage with a huff. If I ever get the chance, I’d like to get ranked, and I’d like to force the president and secretary to respect me.

‘Hurry up and finish your speech.’

I thought as I passed the time with my head down.

As the chairman’s talk came to an end, it assaulted me without warning.

*Zook*

“Huh?”

I felt a chill crawl through my entire body and a strong gaze focused on me. It was a kind of feeling I had never felt before, and I raised my head vigorously to search for the source.

“What’s going on all of a sudden, Nobana-san?”

Hayashi-kun called out from behind me, concerned about my sudden reaction. But I didn’t have time to answer him.

The cold sweat running down my spine and the goosebumps on my arms still hadn’t subsided. I hugged my arms close to my chest and let out a few slow breaths, trying to stifle the palpitations that ravaged me.

----What the hell was that gaze on me?

I don’t know where it came from, but it was definitely directed at me. There was an expression, “I can feel your gaze,” but this was not sweet at all. It was a strong and painful gaze that pierced me like a needle. I have never felt anything like that in my entire life.

It was only for a moment, so I didn’t understand the meaning or emotion behind the gaze. I didn’t even know who the owner of the gaze was out of all these people. Nevertheless, the chill showed no signs of abating, and I clutched my trembling body until the opening ceremony ended.

I had a feeling that someone, somewhere, had looked at me and suspiciously lifted the edge of their mouth into a smirk.

----

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