Bonus chapter thanks to ''@Genki Azuma'' for subscription to ''Iron Will'' tier  on Ko-fi.Ranking Match

    Bubble, bubble…

    Tiny air bubbles escaped from between my lips.

    My blurry vision revealed a pitch-ck abyss of an ocean.

    I was standing on the seabed, in the depths of the deep sea.

    ‘Where…?’

    I silently turned my head, surveying my surroundings.

    An unfamiliar yet strangely familiar scenery unfolded before me, evoking a sense of déjà vu.

    It was the same space I had dreamt of before, back when I had lost consciousness during the field trip.

    —It’s been a while.

    Familiar voices called out from behind.

    As I turned towards the source of the sound, two figures came into view, as expected.

    Raiden and Kim Naru.

    The two boys, bearing an uncanny resemnce to each other, stood side by side, their gazes fixed on me.

    Their jet-ck hair flowed gently along with the rippling currents.

    They stared at me in silence for a moment, then suddenly furrowed their brows in unison and spoke.

    —We told you.

    —Don’t forget.

    —Why can’t you remember?

    Their using tone made me frown.

    ‘Don’t forget? What are they talking about?’

    —We’re not different beings. That’s what we told you.

    —You must not forget this.

    As they spoke, fragments of a dream I’d had before shed through my mind.

    ‘Right, I had a conversation with them in this exact setting before.’

    I gathered my scattered thoughts and approached the two.

    Questions swirled within me.

    ‘What do they mean we’re not different beings? What is this bizarre phenomenon that keeps appearing before me?’

    Unable to speak underwater, I desperately mouthed my questions, my lips forming silent words.

    Bubble, bubble… air bubbles escaped from my open mouth.

    —It seems you still haven’t epted anything…

    —It’s understandable. That person wouldn’t have exined anything to ‘me.’

    —He’s always been a strange one.

    —I think so too.

    The two boys continued their conversation amongst themselves, seemingly oblivious to my struggles beneath the water.

    For some reason, I felt an overwhelming urge to hear what they were saying.

    ‘Wait, what are you talking about…! Tell me too…!’

    I cried out silently in my heart.

    As if sensing my desperation, Naru and Raiden exchanged troubled nces.

    They remained silent for a moment, then whispered into my ear.

    —We can’t tell you… No, we can’t tell ‘me’ anything yet.

    —Right now, we’re separated by a wall.

    ‘Separated by a wall…? What’s that supposed to mean?’

    —We wish we could exin everything…

    —I’m sorry, but this is our limit for now.

    The illusion that had taken Raiden’s form mumbled softly.

    Then, the boy who had assumed Naru’s appearance spoke.

    —This is as far as we can interfere.

    —Anything more is impossible… unless the wall disappears.

    The two of them gazed at me, their eyes filled with a deep, lingering sorrow.

    A strange sense of longing emanated from their depths.

    —If you truly wish to know everything… then break down the wall.

    —We will find you again.

    ‘Wait…! You’re just going to disappear like that?’

    ‘You haven’t even answered my questions. At least tell me what this ‘wall’ is…’

    —If you don’t know, you must learn.

    —That is how you will reach the new truth and the old.

    With those final words, Raiden and Kim Naru vanished.

    Panicked, I looked around frantically, but they were nowhere to be found.

    It was as if they had never existed in the first ce.

    My vision began to blur.

    As my consciousness slowly resurfaced, a faint whisper brushed against my ears.

    —Don’t forget this time.

    —That we are not so different…

    .

    .

    .

    “…Ah.”

    When I woke up.

    I found myself sprawled on the bed in an awkward position.

    The nket was a tangled mess, a testament to my restless sleep.

    I sat up, rubbing my throbbing forehead.

    My mind felt hazy, still struggling to shake off the remnants of sleep.

    The events of the dream lingered, fragmented, and jumbled.

    “What kind of a crazy dream was that…?”

    Not only was I breathing perfectly fine underwater, but I was also having a conversation with two boys who looked exactly like Raiden and me.

    I let out a groan and rubbed my face in exasperation.

    “Damn… I must be really exhausted.”

    It wasn’t a nightmare, so I supposed it wasn’t that bad.

    But it still wasn’t a particrly pleasant dream.

    I pushed the lingering images from my mind and got out of bed.

    ‘I can’t afford to be dwelling on such trivial matters.’

    Today was the first day of the rankingpetition.

    And it was only two days until the Academy invasion.

    I had a packed schedule ahead of me, with no time to waste on deciphering strange dreams.

    After washing up and changing, I left the dorm and headed towards the nearby carriage station.

    I had a lot to take care of.

    But my top priority was to participate in the rankingpetition.

    Even if there was a high chance of the exams being canceled, I couldn’t just ignore the tournament bracket that had already been set.

    —Whoooosh…

    A gust of wind brushed past my cheeks.

    The winter air had a way of jolting you awake, even on the sleepiest of mornings.

    With each tired yawn, a long, white puff of breath escaped my lips.

    As I rubbed my dry eyes, a faint scent of peaches drifted into my nostrils.

    “…...”

    ‘Don’t tell me… that’s from Rachel’s pillow.’

    The sweet fragrance clinging to my clothes for some reason made me feel strangely flustered.

    “What am I doing… I’m not some lovesick teenager…”

    I fanned my flushed cheeks, trying to cool down.

    I had arrived at my destination before I knew it.

    I boarded a passing carriage and set off for the training grounds, where the rankingpetition would be held.

    The scenery outside the window flew by in a blur.

    I leaned back in my seat, my thoughts drifting towards the tournament that was only a few hours away.

    ‘Come to think of it… my first opponent is Margaret, isn’t it?’

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