Chapter 8: Seji-sensei's Great Training (Parts 3-4)

Chapter 8, Part 3

Miru-chan, Neko-chan, and Chisato-chan start talking among themselves while Hiroki, Chikara, Kibō, and I think about what to do.

— Listen, no matter what happens, we mustn't hurt them. — I tell them.

— What, are you serious?!

Hiroki and Chikara don't seem very on board with this idea.

— We can win without fighting. We had intense training with Seji-sensei while they've just been stretching. Or do you want to hurt them?

— Well... you have a point. How are we going to win, then? — Hiroki asks me.

— Are you really going to listen to him?! — Chikara asks, annoyed.

— There's a big hole nearby. We can make the three of them fall into it, and by surrounding them, they'll have no choice but to surrender. Got it?

Kibō smiles with excitement about the plan.

— Crystal clear! You're so smart, Rasec!

Chikara still doesn't seem very convinced by the plan.

— I don't know... it might be better if we just beat them up.

— No way. Come on, Chikara, we need to practice. And if you don't mind, I'll do it alone, Uraseku. — Hiroki tells me.

— Whatever, I wasn't going to practice with you anyway. — I reply indifferently.

He goes his way, and I go mine under Seji-sensei's cherry tree.

— Do you think they'll be alright? — Chie asks Seji-sensei.

— Yes, but they're being foolish. They just made the mistake of underestimating their opponent. Let them be and help me with the corn, Chie.

While Hiroki is punching the air, I decide to sit under the tree's shade to rest and stop paying attention to my surroundings.

— Hey, shouldn't you be warming up? — Kibō asks me.

— I'll be fine, I trust my abilities.

Kibō sits next to me to rest as well.

— Alright, whatever...

I rest a bit, letting my mind go blank for about half an hour until Seji-sensei asks us to stop so we can start.

— Everyone gather around. This was supposed to be a simple friendly match, but now I think some of you might actually get hurt.

— Don't say that, Seji-sensei! Hiroki and I will be very careful.

— Yeah!

The girls seem confused by what we said while Seji-sensei lets out a big sigh.

Chie cheerfully comes over with a corn cob in her hand to give us instructions.

— Alright! These are the rules: You can use your respective weapons as long as you don't seriously injure your opponent. You'll be fine and no other objects are allowed.

— That's all. If there are no questions, then... — Seji-sensei dramatically stabs a corn cob, or at least that's how I saw it... — Begin!

— Here I go!

Kibō flies towards my diamond as do the respective spirits of each diamond. Miru-chan transforms, bringing out her wings and bow, Neko-chan brings out her staff, puts on a cute witch hat, and starts giving energy to Chisato-chan and her cat.

Hiroki and I start running around the place. Miru-chan begins to rise while, thanks to the received energy, Chisato-chan manages to pull out what seems to be a spell book and the cat turns into a panther. Wait, are we fighting that too?!

— You know what to do! — Miru-chan tells Neko-chan and Chisato-chan.

— Yes...

Chisato uses her magic to make a gray cloud appear above me that starts shooting lightning at me. I easily dodge the first ones, but while dodging one, an arrow from Miru-chan lands right next to me.

— Damn, I need to be more careful... I guess it's time to really use my third eye ability...

After a long time without doing it, I strike a new Jojo pose, standing firm and covering my face with one hand while stretching out my right hand with the diamond. I can see everything practically in slow motion. I can't concentrate on what I was going to do because I see Nyakoshi in panther mode approaching Hiroki, who's distracted by Miru-chan.

— Hiroki, watch out!

Hiroki quickly steps back, causing Nyakoshi to scratch his shirt. Without realizing it, one of the arrows passes by me, grazing my hair. Hiroki and I start moving around and talking to each other.

— Was this your plan?! They have a pretty aggressive fighting style! — Hiroki yells at me, very annoyed.

— We just need to be more aware of their attacks and lead them to the trap all at once!

Distracted by talking to Hiroki, Chisato-chan hits me with a water spell, leaving me soaked.

— Huh?

Neko-chan blushes when she sees me.

— Whoa, he looks more handsome when he's wet!

— Ha, I know... — I reply proudly to Neko-chan, striking my second Jojo pose of the day! But by doing that, I get distracted. The black cloud that's been following me shoots a huge lightning bolt at me. While I'm being electrocuted, Seji-sensei and Chie seem to be mocking me. Seji-sensei pulls out a corn cob and says:

— He's pretty toasted!

— And so is the corn! — Chie responds, obviously referring to how I ended up toasted too...

After that, the two of them keep mocking me...

— Uraseku, you idiot, don't get distracted! — Hiroki tells me, quite angry.

— Hiroki, this has gone on long enough. It's now or never!

— Uh... fine!

We start running and try to lead them to the hole. In the process, Hiroki throws a small rock at one of Miru-chan's wings.

— Ah!

Miru-chan loses her balance and accidentally releases the arrow she had prepared with her bow.

— Well done, Hiroki, we took down Miru-chan...! Ah!

There's a loud crack.

That was my leg!

— Uraseku! Ah!

Neko-chan just pushes a distracted Hiroki into the hole we were leading them to...

— My leg!

With the third eye, I can only watch as the arrow Miru-chan accidentally released slowly approaches me... Finally, the arrow hits my abdomen, the force is so strong that it pushes me back against the tree. Upon impact, the arrow pins me to the tree. I see the wound it left, start bleeding, and lose focus...

— Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggh! Damn it, it hurts so much!

— Ah! I'm sorry!

Miru-chan quickly comes over to where I am. While she's worried about me, Seji-sensei and Chie are just laughing at what happened.

— Mi-Miru-chan... I can't move... — I tell her with a trembling voice.

— Wait, I'll take the arrow out!

Miru-chan touches the arrow, and it shatters like glass and disappears. I think that wasn't the best idea...

Once the arrow is gone, it's like I've turned into... into a fountain of blood!

— GHAAAAGH!

I start bleeding uncontrollably from my abdomen. I stain Miru-chan's clothes with blood while Seji-sensei finally seems concerned.

— This can't be happening, now the kid's really gonna die on me!

I turn really pale while everyone rushes over, worried about me. My soul starts to slip out again as Kibō tries to put it back in...

— Someone, bandage him up!

I didn't expect Miru-chan to shoot me, at least not like this...

As I take my last breath, I can only think about something I forgot to do before dying. Damn it, I forgot to clear my browser history! No need to mention what's hidden there...

Chapter 8, Part 4

I'm not going to die with my browser history exposing me from miles away.

As if nothing happened, I get up from the ground while everyone looks at me, very worried.

— Huh? It seems I'm fine now! — I tell them while touching my head.

Everyone stares at me as if they didn't find it funny at all.

I still hadn't been bandaged, so I was still bleeding and fell unconscious to the ground. After they bandaged me, I regained consciousness and had some iced tea.

— Here, have a crazy corn to make you feel better. — Seji-sensei says, handing it to me.

— Th-thanks. — I reply shyly and take a bite of my corn.

— It's delicious...

Miru-chan, very worried and embarrassed, comes over to me.

— Senpai... I'm really sorry, I truly apologize. — she says while bowing in regret.

— No, no, don't apologize! It was obviously my fault, I underestimated you three.

Seji-sensei, very angry, approaches.

— Fool, you should never underestimate the enemy, or this will happen. If the diamond chose them, it's because they are worthy of controlling its great power. No one else could use it properly. Underestimating someone like that can be deadly...

Chie adds to Seji-sensei's conversation:

— And this was just a friendly match. Imagine how it would have ended with someone who really wanted to kill you.

Chie and Seji-sensei are right, I guess it was a big mistake to underestimate them...

— Senpai, to make up for what happened, I'll cook something special for you.

— Ngh! It's really not necessary, don't worry...

After what happened with the cake, I don't really trust her cooking. Is it wrong to think that about her?

— Anyway, there's no need to worry, let's leave it at that.

— I-I suppose...

With that said, Ai cheerfully approaches Miru-chan and says:

— Miru-chan, are you going to show them what you made?

— That's right, please take a look!

Miru-chan takes out a very large bag and from it pulls out what looks like a kind of curious battle uniform.

— Woah! It's amazing, but I feel like it reminds me of something...

I really feel like it reminds me of something...

Miru-chan, a bit embarrassed, turns to Chisato-chan.

— I'm sorry, Chisato-chan. When I made these uniforms, you weren't part of our team yet, so I didn't make one for you...

— It's okay, I'm wearing my own outfit...

Miru-chan gives us each a uniform, the outfit turns out to be dark gray and long-sleeved with stripes on the collar and sleeves in the color of our diamond.

— I'm afraid the fabric isn't strong enough to withstand battles, but I thought it would be a good idea to show you this concept.

Seji-sensei, seeing the team's uniform made by Miru-chan, seems really surprised by something.

— I knew this looked familiar... it looks like a pupusera outfit!

— Eh?!

Oh, it's true, it's similar to the outfit Reina-dono-sensei wears! It even has those pockets where they keep the money and give the exact change without looking.

After what Seji-sensei said, for some reason, Miru-chan was quite embarrassed. Is saying her outfit looks like a pupusera's bad? I don't think that's a compliment in El Salvador...

— B-but... — says Miru-chan, very embarrassed. — it's just a prototype. We would need to raise money if you want to improve the uniform.

— Heh...

We all turn to look at Seji-sensei, who seems to have a good idea.

— You can work here at the pupusería. The outfits shouldn't go to waste, so we could use them as work uniforms.

— What?!

For some reason, Miru-chan and Neko-chan seem to like the idea. Chisato-chan, hearing this, starts to slowly back away, but before she can leave, Neko-chan grabs her arm.

— Hey! Where do you think you're going?

— I don't need the uniform or the money... — Chisato-chan responds.

— But it's a great opportunity for us all to be closer together!

— I see...

Hiroki, hearing this plan, is strongly opposed.

— I don't want to work at a pupusería to pay for a uniform I didn't ask for!

— But it's a great opportunity for us to be together, and we'll all match in battle! — Miru-chan tells him.

— I-I see...

Seji-sensei raises his spatula to the sky and exclaims:

— Well, you start tomorrow!

— Yes!

For some reason, everyone seems pretty excited, but they're really forgetting what's most important right now...

I have so many problems on my plate, the diamonds, school, exams, the... Agh! Midterms!

Aquí está la traducción al inglés:

---

Chapter 8, Final Part

— Hey!

I manage to calm the situation a bit and everyone turns to look at me with my worried face…

— Aren't you forgetting something even more important?

The wind blows so strongly that it moves my bangs, making my beautiful and delicate face with a worried expression more visible to the girls in the group.

And to the girls reading this, I hope you're reading this.

— The midterms... they start the day after tomorrow...

— Ah!

Miru-chan and Hiroki, in particular, looked very worried...

— With what happened today, I forgot that I had to study. — Hiroki says, very anxious.

— And we haven't studied anything yet.

— Use the pupusería if you want. — Seji-sensei tells us.

— Personally, I think it would be better to study here at home; it's a place away from all the noise.

Neko-chan, still holding Chisato-chan's arm very excitedly, says to us:

— We'll come tomorrow to keep you company!

Why are they coming?

Anyway, tomorrow we'll start studying. The midterms are really close.

I'm really worried about how these exams will turn out.

I guess if I want to pass them, I'll need more than just hope...

Epilogue

After saying goodbye to everyone and still feeling pain in my abdomen from the arrow, I decide to go to bed early tonight.

As soon as I close my eyes, I'm once again summoned in my dreams by the strange silhouette in the mist.

— Tch, here again...

My voice finally manages to be heard beyond my mind, but right now it's something I really don't care about.

— You've only delayed your death; somehow the diamond is starting to accept you... — the deep voice in my head says.

— Do you know why that might be?

A sweet voice begins to sound; it turns out to be Kibō's voice.

— I don't know why that is...

— I see...

I've only delayed my death; for now, the only thing clear is that I'm going to die.

What a life...

— Umh...

Even though it makes me think a bit, I have other concerns.

— Hey Boki, did you at least put internet in here?

— I see you don't care about these things at all...

— If I'm going to die soon, I want to do what I like. If I have to spend time here every time I dream, at least put something in here so I don't get bored.

— Don't blame me for that; I don't know why you're summoned in these dreams either!

Kibō doesn't know either? At this point, nothing surprises me...

Since I've known him, he hasn't known anything.

I sit on the floor and take out my phone to wait for the dream to end.

— I'll watch this video about fifty things you didn't know five minutes ago.

— You're hopeless...

After saying that, Kibō doesn't appear for a while, and I manage to finish the video.

— Very interesting...

— Did you finish?

— Yes, they were really things I didn't know five minutes ago...

— But if this is a dream, those things you saw you already knew because they are a projection of what's in your mind.

— Ah!

...

It's true...

Slowly, I get up while trembling and reflect a bit...

— Damn it...

— Eh?

— If they were things I already knew, then it means I wasted fifteen minutes of my dream for nothing...

— You're at it again...

— Tch!

I really hate these dreams; I always end up deceiving myself...

Why am I summoned in dreams?! Who the heck is that guy in the silhouette?! What does he want from me?!

If this is a moment of reflection, why does it feel like a mere waste of time?!

— Do all people have these kinds of dreams? I should ask them...

— It's useless.

— Eh?

— When the dream ends, you'll forget everything you've done in here.

Is that true?

— Well, whatever.

I sit on the floor again and take out my phone.

— I've always wondered what Boku no Pico is, and what I've been told about this anime is that it's traumatic. If I forget everything after the dream ends, I have nothing to lose.

I try to play the video, but nothing shows up.

— It's true; if it doesn't exist in my mind, it's impossible to see it in my dreams.

I guess for those who know what it's about, it must have been very traumatic. Whatever...

I decide to fall asleep in my dream to move on to the morning more quickly.

It's really hard to sleep in such an uncomfortable and gloomy environment, but I manage to close my eyes after a long while.

There's a huge burst of light, and when I open my eyes again, I find myself in my bed very early in the morning.

As expected, I quickly forget everything that happened in there.

With my last faint memory of this, I just think about how I'll manage to keep this information.

— Damn it, I have to study.

After saying that, I head to make myself a coffee to fully wake up.

I wish these exams didn't exist...