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"There are a few reasons, but the main one is that you\'re an incredibly valuable asset. I can\'t let someone with your skills just be killed," she said, her voice steady and assertive. "I need someone with your abilities to carry out some crucial tasks for me."

"Why...?"

Miss Veronica glanced over at Miss Laurel, her eyes flickering with an unreadable expression before she turned back to me. "Miss Shredica, would you be interested in joining the Magic Knights? Specifically, in the same unit as mine?"

My eyes widened in shock. The offer was so unexpected, it felt almost too easy. No, there had to be a catch. The real question wasn\'t how the opportunity landed in my lap but why.

"Why?" I asked, my voice tinged with suspicion.

Miss Laurel took over, her tone low and serious. "You probably don\'t know this because the royal knights and the Magic Knights are keeping it a secret, but there\'s a lot of turmoil at Milham Castle. The Commander is rapidly losing her standing among the Magic Knights and the nobles. Her influence is waning. Some even suspect she\'s been using her skills to manipulate the royal family."

Miss Veronica continued. "And because of that, we need more capable allies."

"Allies?" I echoed.

"There\'s a looming war between humans and demons," she explained, her eyes sharp with intensity. "The Demonic Kingdom is making strategic plans, and the Empire is already positioning itself. We\'re seeing signs of unrest worldwide. Rumor has it that the Elven Kingdom and the Beast people are preparing for conflict as well. Even the criminal networks in the underworld are buzzing with activity.

The world is inching towards another massive war. That\'s why we need to gather as many allies as possible."

Both of them had used the term "allies" repeatedly, and it was clear from their tone that they weren\'t referring to me as the ally they needed.

"By \'allies,\' you don\'t mean me, right?" I asked, a note of suspicion in my voice.

They exchanged a look, then turned back to me and nodded.

"You\'re just a piece of the larger equation. We do need you as an ally," Miss Veronica said.

"What do you need from me then?" I asked, seeking clarity.

"It\'s quite simple, Miss Shredica," Miss Veronica said, her voice calm and measured. "You just need to do something for us."

"What is it?" I asked, trying to remain composed.

"We need you to retrieve an item that\'s crucial for summoning heroes from other worlds. This summoning is supposed to happen when the kingdom is in grave danger, and the current situation is the perfect time for it. If you agree to help us with this, I\'ll speak to my sister and see about getting you promoted to the Magic Knights and assigned to my unit."

The other-worlder heroes—those summoned from another realm to this world. That was exactly why I had my sights set on becoming a Magic Knight. If there was a spell powerful enough to bring others from another world here, then surely there was something that could send me back to Earth.

Becoming a Magic Knight would give me access to that kind of knowledge, and this opportunity felt like a golden ticket.

It was almost too good to be true. As much as I wanted to seize it, I couldn\'t ignore the nagging suspicion that there was something more behind this offer. Why me? Surely, there must be a reason I was singled out for this task. It felt like there was a hidden agenda or some deeper purpose that went beyond mere coincidence.

"Don\'t worry, Miss Shredica. Right now, you\'re one of the Silver Blades, but if I assign you as a Magic Knight, you\'d become my secret agent embedded within their ranks. Agree to this, and we\'ll stop hunting you. I can\'t promise the same for the others, though. This offer stands only if you accept."

Truth be told, I couldn\'t care less about the Silver Blades. My stint with them had been brief, and my concern was limited to just a handful of members. The rest of them? I had zero interest. Still, a part of me hoped that Miss Arianne, Miss Claire, and the Leader were safe. It was odd to feel any attachment to people I barely knew, but maybe some fragment of my humanity was starting to resurface.

Starting to... resurface? Why do I feel like I was just a regular human from the start? Could it be those dreams that keep invading my mind? Is that the cause?

Miss Veronica\'s voice cut through my daze, pulling me back to reality. "So, do you agree or not?"

I blinked, trying to shake off the confusion. "Why do you need me in particular?"

Miss Veronica leaned forward, her gaze sharp and calculating. "It\'s straightforward. The relic you\'re tasked with retrieving can only be obtained by someone like you—someone skillless. Of all the skillless individuals, you\'re the standout. You have the necessary ability and the tenacity to go to any lengths when properly incentivized. That\'s why I\'ve chosen you as the best candidate for this mission."

"I still don\'t trust this, honestly. I don\'t even think you\'re someone to be relied on," Miss Laurel said, her voice sharp with skepticism. Her eyes bore into me, as if trying to gauge my sincerity. "But you\'re definitely better than that guy named Leon. There\'s something about him that feels like it\'s beyond our control."

"Mr. Leon? No way. He\'s just another skillless and nowhere near as ambitious as I am," I shot back, trying to dismiss her concern with a wave of my hand.

"Maybe you think so, but there\'s definitely something fucking eerie about him," Miss Laurel pressed, her tone a mix of frustration and unease.

I had to admit, she had a point. There was an unsettling vibe about Mr. Leon, but he couldn\'t possibly be someone out of control. After all, I had managed to manipulate him before—though it was with some dirty blackmail.

"Well, all that aside, welcome to our ranks, Miss Shredica. It\'s not official yet, but you\'re a magic knight now," Miss Veronica said.

I couldn\'t quite muster up the enthusiasm I was supposed to feel. Part of me should have been thrilled—after all, I was climbing the ranks faster than I\'d ever imagined.

It felt like I\'d been handed a top position without the sweat and struggle I\'d imagined would come with it. This wasn\'t the climb I\'d envisioned, where every step was earned. Yet, as I considered it, I had to admit that, despite my reservations, this wasn\'t a terrible outcome.

With that, I officially became a magic knight.

***

Earth - 2012, Gregorian Calendar

Akane\'s POV (Shredica from Earth)

The school bell rang, its shrill sound slicing through the air and pulling me from my daze. I hastily grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder, ready to escape the confines of the classroom. Just as I reached the door, a firm grip seized my arm, yanking me back.

"…What?" I snapped, twisting around to see who had stopped me. It was Asada-san, her eyes blazing with fury. She was the childhood friend of Ichinose-kun, who had died just a week ago.

"How dare you show your face at school after what you\'ve done?" she hissed. "Don\'t you feel any guilt? Shame? You\'re the reason he\'s dead!"

I shrugged her off, a mix of annoyance and cold indifference in my eyes.

"I don\'t want to talk to you."

Her eyes flared with fury. "You\'re truly shameless..."

"Shameless, huh? Who\'s really the shameless one here? Who\'s truly responsible for your childhood friend\'s death?"

"What do you mean? You\'re the reason he died!"

"Oh, is that so? Well, if you insist on placing the blame solely on me, then so be it. But do not forget, you too carry a burden of guilt in this matter."

With that, I walked out of the room, my footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.

That\'s right, I wasn\'t the only one to blame here. She was just as guilty. Kaori had abandoned him too. It wasn\'t solely my fault. It wasn\'t… entirely my fault.

No. It wasn\'t.

But as much as I tried to convince myself otherwise, the brutal truth was that Ichinose-kun\'s death was my fault. If I hadn\'t been so distracted, if I had noticed the approaching truck, he\'d still be alive.

It\'s not fair, Ichinose-kun… I know I\'ll never be able to forget you, no matter how hard I try. You\'re going to haunt my thoughts for the rest of my life.

After stumbling a short distance from the classroom, I collapsed to the floor, the weight of my guilt too heavy to bear.