The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 7



6 – Picking Fights Like Breathing

Greatsword Ironman.

Aisha Bizbel.

A top-notch fighter among the first-year students.

Such a person is now kneeling in front of me, bowing her head.

“I’m, I’m sorry. I didn’t know there was someone here.”

The greatsword that almost split me in half in one go.

It was a greatsword that Aisha had thrown by mistake.

I was flustered too, but now that time has passed, I’ve calmed down.

On the other hand, Aisha still seemed flustered by the fact that she almost hit someone with a greatsword.

“It’s okay. You can get up. I’m not hurt.”

First, let’s calm her down.

I don’t know what the others would say if they saw this.

But Aisha still didn’t get up from her bowed position.

“I’m sorry. If there’s any problem, please come to me and I’ll cover all the costs. I’m really sorry.”

Was Aisha always this excessively apologetic?

Well, in the game, everything revolved around Lucas.

I didn’t know much about the personalities of the lower grades.

“Really, it’s okay. I’m fine. More importantly, how did you end up throwing the greatsword?”

At that moment, Aisha flinched.

Seeing her flinch, I raised an eyebrow.

Is there some reason she can’t talk about?

But Aisha, thinking it wasn’t right to hide from the person she had troubled,

spoke with her head still bowed.

“I-I lost control while spinning the windmill.”

And upon hearing the next words, I blinked.

Windmill.

So, Aisha had been spinning around with a greatsword.

True to her image as the iron lady of the greatsword, Aisha always had a heavy, solid presence.

Thinking of her doing something like a ‘spinning whirlwind!’ was honestly a bit absurd and funny.

‘It must be fun.’

There’s a primal joy in spinning around holding something.

But that’s usually a game one graduates from in childhood.

Aisha, knowing this, blushed with embarrassment, her ears turning red.

Her head burrowed deeper like a rabbit into its hole.

“I-I’m really sorry, but could you keep this a secret?”

“That’s not too hard.”

Come to think of it, Aisha was only 17 years old.

A high school student, an age where one might do silly things out of the blue.

And also an age where one would feel embarrassed about it afterward.

Considering her age, I understood everything.

“Oh, by the way.”

A good idea came to mind.

And I almost said her name out loud, but stopped.

It’s not right to know someone’s name when you’re not acquainted.

I should be careful.

“Your name is.”

“Aisha Bizbel. I’m a first-year student.”

It’s hard to pretend not to know something you do.

“I’m Hanon Airei. I transferred here yesterday as a second-year student.”

“So you’re my senior!”

“The one who has been at the academy longer is you, Aisha. It feels like you’re the senior.”

“Me, a senior?”

Aisha’s eyes darted around, seemingly not displeased with the word ‘senior.’

A bit cute.

If it weren’t for the huge sword stuck beside her.

“Aisha, do you train every morning?”

“Ah, yes, it’s my routine.”

How diligent.

Rain or shine, Aisha trains here every morning.

Knowing that well, I smiled.

“Could you possibly let me join your training?”

“Join the training?”

“Yes, I want to do some training too.”

In the world of Flame Butterfly, there is a concept called stats.

These stats naturally increase with repeated actions or mastery of certain skills.

However, sadly, no window appears before my eyes.

One day, I tried shouting at every possible window starting with the stats window.

Nothing appeared.

‘Because it has become reality.’

I just thought there was no stats window.

Instead, I concluded that the concept of stats itself exists the same way.

This was confirmed by several incidents I experienced before transferring to the academy.

‘Stats definitely increase with repeated actions and mastery of certain skills.’

Even if I can’t see it with my eyes, my body directly felt this sensation.

‘Well, this is actually the same in reality.’

For example, there is a more specific sense of breaking through a wall.

Moreover, I became certain of one more thing here.

‘In this world, talent is the speed at which stats increase.’

The stronger the innate tendency in a particular field, the faster the related stats increase.

So training is important.

My strength is stamina.

In order to continue as a member of the martial arts school, I must somehow improve my combat abilities.

‘There’s a mock battle test in a few days.’

Combat ability is essential to take over Lucas’s role.

Aisha, known as the Iron Sword, is among the top students in the first year.

And I know what her main stat is.

‘The same stamina as mine.’

Aisha’s unique trait, ‘Iron Man.’

Training with her will definitely be helpful.

“Training mate.”

Despite it being a bothersome suggestion, Aisha noticeably welcomed it.

I felt Aisha’s eyes swiftly scan my body.

It was like the look of a gym enthusiast assessing the level of a new friend at the gym.

“…Is it really okay to train with me?”

Aisha asked with a slightly worried face.

Yet, the corners of her mouth were raised, which made me feel uneasy.

Her eyes were intimidating.

Her breath seemed intense.

Her eyes were like those of a seasoned veteran about to devour a newbie.

Did I make a mistake?

But now, it’s too good an opportunity to miss.

“Yes, please.”

Let’s just go for it.

Aisha clenched her fists tightly.

“Great. If I can help you with that, I’m obviously happy!”

“That’s a relief.”

Her gaze was quite intimidating, though.

From noble mtl dot com

Still, I gained a reliable training partner.

“What, what are you doing?”

At that moment, I heard a familiar voice and paused.

As I turned my head, there stood a woman in light clothing, as if she had come out for a brief walk.

Her hair was honey blonde, reminiscent of the sun.

Underneath it, there should have been a bright face like a sunflower.

But what I saw were dark circles under empty eyes and disheveled hair.

Isabel Luna.

The protagonist, Lucas’s childhood friend and one of the main heroines.

‘Looks like she didn’t sleep well again today.’

Since Lucas’s death, Isabel had developed insomnia and couldn’t sleep properly.

As a result, her once bright appearance was now filled with gloom.

It seemed she couldn’t bear the insomnia and came out for a walk.

And just then, she happened to run into me.

For some reason, she was staring at me with wide eyes.

And I belatedly realized my situation.

Aisha was still kneeling in front of me with her head bowed.

Even though I told her to get up, she didn’t, so I left her there.

To others, it looked like a second-year boy was making a first-year girl kneel.

Of course, it wasn’t a good situation in the eyes of others.

Normally, I would clear up the misunderstanding first.

The problem was that the other person was Isabel.

“Ah, w-wait a minute. This is…”

Just as Aisha, who had realized the situation late, was about to explain the misunderstanding,

I stepped in front of her.

Instead, I glared at Isabel with insolent eyes.

This was my chance.

A chance to greatly lower Isabel’s favorability.

“I made her apologize for causing me trouble. Is there a problem?”

“What?”

Isabel looked at me with a blank face.

She must have been expecting an explanation about the situation.

But instead, I shamelessly asked if there was a problem, leaving her clearly flustered.

“I was harmed, so I received an apology. I don’t think this is something you should be involved in, Isabel Luna.”

In the Firefly faction, calling someone by their full name is a kind of warning.

A warning not to meddle in unnecessary matters.

Isabel’s lips quivered.

Then, soon, she glared at me with eyes full of rage and clenched her fist tightly.

“You, you’re really a piece of trash.”

“On the contrary, I’m puzzled. I just received an apology for something worth apologizing for. Even yesterday, you were so meddlesome.”

“How is getting angry about Lucas being humiliated meddlesome!”

Isabel shouted.

Normally as bright as a sunflower, no one had ever seen her this angry.

Even I had only seen Isabel this angry when Lucas came back from a dangerous mission.

But now, this anger was more necessary than ever.

I had to draw out her emotions somehow.

“Then what is your relationship with Lucas?”

Isabel hesitated.

“Are you siblings? Or lovers?”

“…Friends.”

Isabel glared at me as if to say, “What’s the problem with that?”

I said nothing.

I just looked at her with a face that showed I was fed up.

“Birds of a feather, huh.”

Whoosh!

At that moment.

I saw Isabel’s fist aimed right at my nose.

My hair fluttered quietly in the wake of her punch.

She’s incredibly fast.

I’ve been training in martial arts for quite a while too.

It was just barely fast enough for my eyes to follow.

She is also among the top ranks in the second-year martial arts class.

Her movements were naturally far beyond human limits.

“I told you.”

Isabel’s low, menacing voice came through.

“Don’t disgrace Lucas.”

I quietly stared at Isabel’s fist.

If that had hit me, I would be rolling on the floor by now.

This was Isabel’s final warning.

“Then prove it.”

I lightly tapped Isabel’s fist with my hand and glared at her.

“Whether your friend’s skills and death were in vain or not.”

Isabel slowly lowered her fist.

In her eyes, a determination that wasn’t there before was quietly burning.

“The upcoming mock battle exam.”

She mentioned the soon-to-be-held mock battle exam.

“I’ll crush you there. Let’s see if you say the same thing then.”

That’s so like Isabel.

Overcome with anger, she could have fought already.

Yet she declared she would fight in the mock battle.

Even in her rage, she was kind enough not to swing her fists recklessly outside.

“Just so you know, Lucas was much stronger than someone like me.”

I stared blankly at Isabel’s departing figure.

And soon let out a breath.

Ah, I thought I was going to die from holding my breath.

My face feels stiff from keeping such a sharp expression.

‘But the mock exam, huh.’

The mock exam is just around the corner.

I can only laugh bitterly.

‘I’ll have to execute my plan sooner than I thought.’

Otherwise, I’ll be in big trouble with Isabel.

“Uh, um, excuse me.”

Then I suddenly realized that Aisha was still there.

“Ah, sorry, I got you involved for no reason.”

Unlike the serious look I had earlier, I apologized too easily, perhaps.

Aisha looked bewildered, feeling a sense of dissonance from before.

“…Are you not on good terms with senior Isabel?”

Aisha asked cautiously.

Maybe because Isabel was quite famous among the second-year martial arts students.

Aisha knew her name well too.

“As you see.”

The situation is complicated.

“Hmm, it seems like there are some complex circumstances.”

“If you think you’ll get caught up in it, you don’t have to help with the training.”

I have no intention of causing trouble while training.

So when I said that, Aisha shook her head.

“No. We promised! I’m a woman who always keeps her promises!”

What a wonderful woman.

Aisha wiggled her fingers with her tall stature.

“And I don’t think senior Hanon would do that without a reason.”

“Since when did you know me?”

“It’s a woman’s intuition.”

I like eating persimmons.

“Alright, I look forward to training with you, Aisha.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Then, could you get up now?”

“Oh.”

Aisha stood up abruptly with a face flushed red.

With her tall stature, she lowered her posture and patted her knees.

For a moment, her collar slipped down, drawing my gaze to a heavy place, but I boldly lowered my gaze further.

Then I saw her knees, flushed red.

Had she been kneeling until her knees turned like that?

“Um, and, ahem, senior, when should we start the training?”

Aisha’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Her breath was quite heavy.

…Did I make the wrong choice?