ANIMT - Episodes 39-42

ANIMT - Chapter 39. The Last Time in High School

I Got An Extra Six Months of Life Expectancy, And Now It’s My Time

I was walking down the corridor, deep in thought, when I heard chatter and laughter emanating from the classrooms, something atypical for this time of day.

Ordinarily, every student would be sitting in their last class of the day, but all lessons had been suspended for cultural festival preparation. This was the cusp of October, and the school air was brimming with electricity as the festival gets closer and closer to starting in earnest.

Of course, my class was also hard at work. We had to make the most of the limited time we had remaining… but we could only use the stage outside of school hours. With nothing else to busy ourselves with, we could only spend our energies on producing props and decorations. I had already finished what I could, leaving me with an unexpected block of free time until school hours finished.

With a target in mind, I headed for the chemistry room, Kusaka-sensei’s lair.

Glancing through a slightly ajar window, I saw that yesterday’s rain had been replaced by a beautiful, clear, autumn sky.

The day before yesterday, I had identified the two girls from the student council as potential culprits of my murder and was now left puzzled over how best to proceed.

Unable to come up with anything useful, I was headed for Kusaka-sensei. Hopefully, he’ll have more information to share about the magic drug. Earlier today, amid festival preparations, I subtly let him know that I wanted to talk to him in the chemistry room when I had some free time in the afternoon. However, I didn’t set a definite time, so it was entirely possible that he would not be there. It was worth checking though, and if he wasn’t in, it’d put me not too far away from the student council room.

While I held slim hopes of finding anything useful in the student council room, taking a quick look at the enemy couldn’t hurt.

With my plan of action now decided, a leaf fluttered through the open window and fell at my feet. I picked up the red-colored leaf and casually looked at it. A sudden realization hit me and I began running at full tilt.

“Kitora. You’re here, aren’t you? Let’s talk for a minute.”

I ran to the front door, hurriedly swapping shoes, and headed for the place Yamadori-kun confessed to me.

As expected, on days like these when the breeze was pleasant, Kitora liked to nap in the trees. His long legs and vibrant hair which burned redder than the leaves peeked out from between the foliage.

I shouted loudly at him from below.

There was no reply. I raised my leg but stopped mid-motion. Kicking the tree would probably antagonize him too much. I knew him well enough to tell that he was pretending to be asleep.

“Very well, I’ll talk to myself then!”

I leaned my back against the rough tree trunk and decided to talk aloud, knowing he would surely hear me.

The sight of the leaf I picked up inside the school building reminded me of Kitora’s face, someone I hadn’t seen much of recently. Recalling the vow that I made with Uminari-san, I had promised to get Kitora to participate in the cultural festival preparations. With some time to spare before heading to the student council room and chemistry room, I wanted to try my best to resolve this issue.

As I admired the leaves dancing in the breeze, I spun the words that came to mind.

“I know, Kitora, you may not be interested in cultural festivals, but I want you to participate as much as you can. I don’t know if you’re thinking, ‘It’s too much trouble, I’m too busy, why are you working so hard on this?’ But even so, I think it’s better to participate in something like this with all of your might, so you can think back on these times and say they were fun.”

As I spoke, I nodded my head in agreement with my own words.

That’s right. There’s nothing better than having many happy memories. In the moments before death, as your life flashes before your eyes, the more vivid your memories, the more dazzling they will be. Closing your eyes to a life filled with regret is the saddest thing I can imagine.

I’m sure I wouldn’t have thought like this before I was given an extra six months to live. I probably would have had thoughts like ‘hurry up and get it over with.’

“My classmates are also very concerned about you. You know what? Our class is going to put on a play. It’s a fantasy play that uses magic. And if we could incorporate your wind magic, it could be really great! This is your chance to be the class’s hero.”

The thought of Kitora being a hero made me laugh. Such a role did not suit him at all. The branch swayed slightly in response to my laugh.

“More than anything, well… I want to enjoy the cultural festival with you. So, even if it’s just a little, would you be willing to help us prepare for the festival?”

Halfway through, I started to become incoherent. My words began to slur and get mixed up, but I had had enough of saying embarrassing things on my own, so I abruptly ended my speech.

Pulling away from the tree, I looked up at him, and added, “After school today, I’ll be at the stage in the training building with the rest of the class.” Turning back to the building, I walked away.

----Hopefully, he’ll join me for my last cultural festival.

* * * *

Returning to the school proper, I didn’t waste any more time, heading straight for the special-use building. I stopped by the chemistry room on the first floor to see if Kusaka-sensei was there. He was not, so I headed to the third floor where the student council room was located to finish my journey.

On arrival, I noticed signs of someone being inside, so I hid behind the corner to see if I could find a legitimate reason to enter.

Luckily enough for me, the door opened and someone came out.

“There… we… go!”

Huh? That’s a person who came out, right?

I couldn’t see their face behind the tower of documents they held. The being before me looked like a bundle of paper with legs, staggering around like that. No matter how you looked at it, this was an impossible task to do alone.

Just as I had feared, they soon lost their balance and the documents exploded all over the floor.

“Ugh! I really screwed up this time!”

The mysterious person shouted impatiently.

I couldn’t leave it any longer as I saw the papers spreading far and wide along the hallway.

“Are you okay!?”

We crouched down on the floor together and picked up the papers one by one.

During this moment, I finally snuck a peek at their exposed face, realizing that it was Matsuri Natsuki, the treasurer, who was carrying these documents.

This was an unexpected chance to interact with a murder suspect I was chasing!

Seeing her up close, I could tell that she was really tiny and cute. Her face was so young that it made me feel uncomfortable wearing the same high school uniform. With short-cut yellow hair tied up in a little bun on the right side, she gave off a unique charm.

“Ah! It’s you! Nobana-san! Nobana Mitsuba-san!”

“Eh, ah, yes!?”

She pointed at me and called out my name in a loud voice. As she did so, the papers she had just collected were scattered again, but she didn’t seem to have the mind to pay them any attention.

“I’ve been wanting to apologize to you for a long time! I’m really sorry that our idiot president and my idiot brother were so rude to you, and that they laughed!”

“Eh, no, um… ”

For a moment, I didn’t know what she was talking about, but I soon came to a realization.

Matsuri-senpai was referring to the time I ran into the student president after the first magic mock battle match, where he saw the record of my matches and laughed out loud with Matsuri Akito, this girl’s brother.

That had been so humiliating I thought I was going to die of pure anger.

I’m pretty sure that this Matsuri-senpai (the sister) stopped me then and apologized to me, even though she had nothing to do with it. It seems she still cared about it. Contrary to her young appearance, she was apparently a very responsible and very disciplined person.

“I gave those guys a hard time later, but they’re way too insensitive! That must have hurt your feelings, didn’t it? I know it’s been a while since it happened, but I’ll make them apologize to you!”

“No, no! No, no, no, you didn’t do anything wrong! I don’t care about it anymore, and more importantly, let’s gather these and go to… ”

In order to stop my senpai from lowering her head repeatedly like a pendulum, I tried to return her attention to the scattered documents. However, my gaze was drawn by something.

“Here… ”

I reached out and lifted the page that caught my eye. I wondered if it was a manuscript for a speech or something. Unlike the other documents that were typed on the computer, this one was handwritten.

“Hmm? Oh, that handwriting is terrible, isn’t it? It was written while our computer was acting up. The handwriting is so messy.”

The senior, who had stopped apologizing, scooted over to me on her knees and peered at the document in my hand.

It took my all to try composing myself and figuring out what to do. Suppressing my trembling voice, I tried my best to act as if nothing was wrong, and forced out a question.

“Who wrote this?”

“Hmm. You might be surprised if I tell you. This is not the work of that idiot Akito, who acts like a three-year-old at all times, nor the student president, whose every move seems to serve a comedic purpose. Oh, and of course, it’s not mine. In fact, this messy handwriting is Yuki-chan’s.”

“Yuki-chan… ?”

“Yukino-chan. The vice president, Hiiragi Yukino-chan.”

“Surprising, right?”

I smiled back at her and said, “Yeah, I guess so.”

I’ve seen handwriting exactly like this before. Though definitely not a compliment, that handwriting style was very distinctive, so quirky that it was impossible to mistake it for anyone else’s.

This was an exact match against the one I saw in the diary that Pochitaro brought me. As well as on the documents I saw in that room.

“… Senpai, you said earlier that you wanted to apologize to me, right?”

“Yes, to the extent I can, I’ll apologize on behalf of those guys as well!”

“I don’t need an apology on their behalf, not one bit… I’ll take your word that they are sorry. Instead, can I ask you for a favor?”

There was no way I could not take advantage of this opportunity. Opening my mouth softly, staring at the senior who looked up at me with round eyes, like a puppy.

“If you have time after this, can you tell me a little bit about the vice president… ?”

----

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ANIMT - Chapter 40. The Looming Truth

I Got An Extra Six Months of Life Expectancy, And Now It’s My Time

“You know, Yuki-chan and I are from the same junior high school.”

“Eh, is that so?”

Carrying half a dozen papers each, Matsuri-san and I walked side by side down the quiet corridor.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m weak, but this looked like a mammoth task; far too much for a single person to carry. Since the other members of the student council were out, she had to struggle with her small body.

I decided to help her with her work while fishing for information about the vice president. This way, we could talk while we walked, and I could also help her out too. Matsuri-senpai had not done anything wrong, so seeking out an apology or a favor any greater than this felt wrong. This was my way of paying her back (though it would be strange to call this a return for an apology).

The senior attempted to refuse my help, but the result was the two of us carrying the documents while having a conversation about the vice president.

“Yeah. Toride Shiritsu Fujishiro. Have you heard of it?”

“I know about Fujishiro… It’s a junior high school in my hometown, one city over. I’m from Momogaokachu.”

“Oh, I see! That’s so close!”

“Then we may have met somewhere,” said the senior, shaking her yellow hair while smiling.

“There, you see, Yuki-chan and I were also in the same class.”

“Huh? But you’re in the third grade now, aren’t you, vice president? You’re in a different grade than Matsuri-senpai… ”

“In our school, everyone with magical aptitude was put into the same class, regardless of their grade. In the summer of my first year of middle school, my magical ability awakened and I was moved to the magic class. That’s where I met Yuki-chan.”

Come to think of it, my junior high school might have had such a system. It didn’t matter to me at the time, and I wasn’t that interested in it, so I hadn’t paid much attention.

“From that time on, did you both have excellent magical abilities?”

“I didn’t. Not really. But Yuki-chan was amazing, even then. She was already able to use A-Rank magic at such a young age.”

“Heh… that’s great. By the way, I can’t believe that you joined the same student council in junior high and high school together. You must have a deep relationship and Matsuri-senpai and the vice president must be good friends.”

“Good friends, huh… ”

Rather than probing, I just threw out whatever crossed my mind. I suddenly remembered Kae-chan and felt a bit envious that she could remain with her good friend for so long.

But this appeared to be a tricky subject for her. The small murmur she offered had troubled undertones.

“The truth is, Yuki-chan and I aren’t really close friends or anything. Yuki-chan doesn’t seem to be interested in anyone around her, including me. She’s been sickly since junior high school, and even now she tends to miss school frequently. Even when she comes to school every once in a while, she just takes care of the student council work by herself. Even though we’re members of the same student council, it’s rare for us to work together.”

“Weird, what’s with that?”

“Yeah. Since junior high school, Yuki-chan has always been alone. She doesn’t seem to need friends or anything like that. Now and then, when I try to talk to her, all she does is give me a curt reply.”

The senior said teasingly, “She’ll be in serious trouble if she doesn’t work on her communication skills,” but her profile reflected in the window looked a little sad. I immediately felt sorry for asking an unnecessary question.

I had to make some kind of witty comment, so I did my best to make a cheerful voice.

“The vice president must be a very cool person, right? She is called the ‘Ice Princess’, and always wears a cold and expressionless mask. If she had such a personality, to begin with, it’s no wonder she has such an attitude to people close to her too… ”

“… Always expressionless, huh? Actually, when I first met her, she wasn’t that bad.”

“Huh?”

“She rejected people from the start, and she still had the same lack of facial expression. But, it wasn’t like she was completely expressionless, you know? I’ve seen her secretly laughing when Akito said something stupid in class. And one time, during a calligraphy lesson, I saw her get a bit frustrated.”

“Something like that… makes her sound more like a normal girl, a complete contrast to my image of her.”

“It was only after an incident in junior high school that she became so thoroughly expressionless. The incident was, well… ”

Her words cut off abruptly, she scurried around furtively, seemingly checking if anyone else was around. Confirming that the coast was clear, she continued. During the preparation time for the cultural festival, there were many people in the regular and training buildings, so almost no one would be in the special-use building.

Even so, she was careful to keep her voice low as she leaned in and asked me, “Can you keep a secret, Mitsuba?”

I nodded my head in agreement, but an uneasy feeling began to bubble up within me.

“… I’ll tell you about it then. The magic class I was in was ruled by a group of girls. They were like the bosses of a small world. They looked for Yuki-chan to teach her a lesson for being too cocky. They planned to harass her a bit.”

“That kind of thing happens everywhere, doesn’t it… ?”

Although I was targeted for a different reason, it reminded me of the bullying I received from the three dumpling sisters. It left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Well, Yuki-chan didn’t interact with anyone. The boss’s friends seemed to be more and more uncomfortable with that. One day during class, while the teacher wasn’t present, the girls deliberately fired an offensive spell at Yuki-chan, causing her to get hurt.”

“Was she severely… ”

“No, the injury was minor. The incident was afterward. Yuki-chan, who had been unresponsive to anything that was done to her, suddenly used her magic and fought back as hard as she could.”

“Wow, did they respond… ?”

“Yes, without any mercy at all. She even had a smile on her face as she calmly and accurately continued to overwhelm her opponents with magic. It was scary. She seemed to have no hesitation in harming people. I’m not sure how to describe it, but it’s as if all she could see was her goal in crushing all of the enemies that stood in her sight, and she shed all excess reason and emotion.”

The senior seemed to be at a loss for words. “It was scary beyond words,” she said as her voice wavered and the stack of paper she held swayed.

“There was no one who could stop Yuki-chan while she was in that state of mind. When the other party stopped moving, Yuki-chan finally quieted down like a doll with a broken spring. By the time the teachers rushed in, the classroom was in a terrible state. All of the girls who attacked her were taken to the hospital immediately. While the teacher was interviewing Yuki-chan, she was still acting strange and everything she uttered was gibberish, as if her… as if her mind was not all there.”

“What did she say?”

“I think she said something about a voice telling her to return the favor and something about crushing them all. Also something about losing consciousness after hearing the voice.”

“Wow… ”

Hearing this, the lid on my memories popped open, and the contents of the diary that Pochitaro had found unfolded before my eyes.

[I heard the voice again.]

[I was so scared it was unbearable.]

[It only lasted for a moment, but I’m certain I must have lost consciousness again.]

[I’m not myself anymore.]

It was something like that. Frankly, I could only roughly recall the words. With this additional context, that diary was probably the product of the vice president’s inner fears. For some reason, the vice president had a duality that she could not control.

At this point, whether or not the vice president was in her right mind when she pushed me down the stairs was of secondary importance. In any case, it did not change the fact that this woman tried to kill me… or should I say that she actually did kill me?

The reason for my death. I don’t want to close the curtain on my second life without knowing the entire truth behind this mystery. If I can just put a few more pieces together, I’m sure I can get to the bottom of it all.

“… What happened to the vice president after that?”

“The whole situation was Atch’s fault, so Yuki-chan wasn’t harshly punished. The incident was blown out of proportion in the rumors that circulated, while the school moved to sweep it under the rug up as a minor magic problem in the class. Fortunately, the girls weren’t too hurt, and were able to return to class after a while, but everyone, including the girls, stopped going near Yuki-chan. Well, I was scared too, and I thought this was normal behavior.”

“Was that the only time you saw her like that?”

“Yes. At least, as far as I know, yes. I used to talk to her occasionally, but after that my friends stopped me and I couldn’t have any contact with her, so I don’t know if it happened again… And after that incident, Yuki-chan became thoroughly expressionless, as she is now. It’s as if she’s suppressing her emotions.”

“I see… By the way, are there any other classmates from middle school who know about that incident in this school?”

“No, there aren’t. The only ones from the same school are Yuki-chan and me. That’s why I really want to be friends with her, but… Yuki-chan didn’t even remember me! At the first meeting of the student council, I said, ‘Long time no see,’ and she said, ‘Who are you?’ Probably because she wasn’t at school much, to begin with, and I hadn’t had any contact with her since the incident, but that doesn’t mean she can just forget about my existence!”

Her cheeks puffed up like a hamster’s, and I smiled bitterly at the indignant senior.

The reason why Matsuri-senpai actively shared what she knew about the vice president might have been because she wanted to complain about this in the end.

Anyway, I guess I’ll have to go see the vice president myself. After today, I planned to go to Kusaka-sensei’s office to get some information about that drug. Sooner or later, I’ll find enough courage to go meet her.

“Ah! We’re finally at the staff room!”

As I continued to move forward without stopping my steps or thoughts, I seemed to have reached my destination before I knew it.

Senpai and I quickly headed inside, placed the documents on the teachers’ desks, and finished our business quickly. After we both bowed, we left the staff room.

“I’m really grateful to you for helping me out! If I don’t find a way to thank you properly, then I’ll have something else to apologize for!”

“Then we’ll be stuck in a cycle. There’s no need. Thank you for sharing your story with me, that was more than enough.”

As I was idly chatting and massaging my wrists, turned numb from the weight of the papers, I suddenly felt a strong gaze on me. I noticed that my senpai was intently staring at my face, or to be more precise, at the pin that was fastened in my hair.

“Is there something wrong, senpai?”

“No, it’s just, with all the questions you’ve been asking, I was starting to wonder why you wanted to know so much about Yuki-chan… ”

‘Oh, now you’re asking me!’ I rambled inwardly.

Normally, I would have had my reason ready at the very beginning, but the timing of this question threw me off guard. I had prepared a few excuses to work with, like ‘I’m actually a fan of the vice president,’ or something along those lines, but before I could answer she suddenly gasped and clapped her hands together.

“Now I finally understand why! You were that girl, weren’t you!”

“That girl… ?”

“You don’t have to hide it. You and Yuki-chan knew each other from junior high school, didn’t you? I happened to catch you two meeting at the park, one time. I was surprised that Yuki-chan knew someone from another school. I remember it well because I was so surprised to see two people having such a secret-looking meeting. I didn’t recognize you because your hair and eye color changed, but I remember you were wearing a Momogaokachu uniform. It was definitely you, Mitsuba!”

“Wait a minute, senpai, I’m not sure what you’re talking about… ”

This sudden outburst left me reeling. The words all registered, but put together, it felt like an alien speaking.

Something was not right though. I don’t remember ever meeting the vice president!

I first learned of her existence at this school, and I’m sure I’ve never had any contact with her before.

“I’m sorry, but I think you have the wrong person. Are you certain it was me?”

“Yeah, I was so sure just now. I remember the face perfectly! It was around the spring when I was in the second grade and Yuki-chan had just entered the third grade. You must have just started junior high school. Didn’t you have long black hair back then?”

“Wah, my hairstyle was definitely like that, but… ”

“And didn’t you have that clover pinned in your hair at that time? It was a very beautiful piece of workmanship, and I was very impressed with it. I finally remembered it when I looked at it properly from head-on.”

I unconsciously and gently touched the clover pin that I always wore. It was given to me by Kae-chan, my best friend since elementary school, for my fifth birthday. It was one of the items in the accessory store run by Kae-chan’s mother. It was a little expensive for an elementary school student, but it’s one of those things that Kae bought off her mother cheaply so she could present it to me as a gift.

I’m sure I’m the only girl with long black hair who wore a Momogaokaichu uniform at that time, especially if you include a clover hairpin.

“Um, senpai. I’m sorry, but do you have a little more time to talk to me?”

“Yes? I’m fine.”

“If you don’t mind, can you tell me a little bit more about the time you saw me and the vice president meeting?”

I tried to suppress my heart palpitations and asked her. In a casual fashion, she agreed.

----

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ANIMT - Chapter 41. The Truth about the Medicine

I Got An Extra Six Months of Life Expectancy, And Now It’s My Time

After leaving the staff room, Matsuri-senpai and I had a light conversation. From the outside, we probably looked like a typical pair of girls just chatting and laughing, but that could not be further from the truth. I struggled to keep a natural smile on my face while trying to keep up with the conversation.

I had managed to gather the following so far:

In a park in a neighboring city, Matsuri-senpai happened to see the student vice president, who was absent that day, supposedly due to sickness. She was sitting on a bench talking to a girl from another school. The rare sight made Matsuri-senpai curious, so she snuck closer to eavesdrop from the shadows.

Matsuri-senpai couldn’t hear what they were saying, but for some reason, the pair on the bench held hands throughout their conversation. After a while, their hands took on a pale red glow, which blinked for a few seconds before disappearing. After that, the vice president let go and gave a big smile to the other person, who appeared to be a middle schooler.

The light that appeared briefly was known as magical luminescence, a tell-tale sign that a spell had been activated.

This aligned with the phenomena I had witnessed, the most recent being Pochitaro teleporting. I’m not sure if this holds true of all spells, but the more advanced the magic, the more likely it is that it will be accompanied by light emission when activated.

I didn’t know this before arriving at this school, since I didn’t have anything to do with magic while I was in junior high school, but it seems that most people only have their magic sealed after entering high school. This type of seal is known as a demon seal. The sealing is left so late because unless the child has a very strong magical power, the demon sealing is often a burden on the immature bodies of junior high school students who have just begun to develop their magical power. In addition, in junior high school, their magic power is not fully awakened, and ordinary people can only use elementary level magic at best, so the need to seal such power is considered low.

For the vice president to be capable of advanced magic at such an age… she is just too scary. Well, let’s put Kokomi to the side.

The vice-president had a high level of magic ability at such a young age, but her magic power was on par with others. Also factoring into the equation against sealing her power was that she was so sickly.

This was the second time the treasurer, Matsuri-senpai, saw the vice president use magic. And that’s all she had to say about the time she saw me with the vice president.

* * * *

“I’m going to get the things I need, so please sit there and wait.”

“Oh, yes.”

The setting had changed. I was now in the chemistry room.

After thanking Matsuri-senpai and parting ways, my feet neatly made their way towards this room while I was in deep thought. After knocking on the door, I was invited into the room.

I stared at his fluttering lab coat as he disappeared into the chemistry prep room, and while I was nervous about the talk that was about to begin, part of my consciousness was still focused on what Matsuri-senpai had said.

It’s not that I forgot about that meeting with the vice president, I just instinctively knew that such a memory did not exist in this person called Nobana Mitsuba. Almost as if the whole memory was missing… or had been completely erased.

At this point, I came up with a hypothesis. In a cascade of linked thoughts, I recalled the manuscript I borrowed from Umetaro, and the contents of the section called ‘Forbidden Magic relating to Memory’. This was one of the two sections ripped out of the original copy I had read.

The Oblivion Magic described in that manuscript had a high degree of difficulty and the danger level was marked as three skulls.

Each forbidden spell had its own special activation clauses and procedures. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe that the procedure for activating that magic involved showing an orange light of oblivion to the person whose memory you wanted to erase. Moreover, this solidified my theory that the lab uses memory magic to create their drugs. The vice-chairman is definitely related to the research institute, and I am probably involved in this drug business somehow.

As these pieces fit together, I am now certain that the vice president cast a memory-altering spell on me to erase that memory of meeting her.

For what purpose? Puzzling over this question, the only answer I can think of is that she had to.

Anyway, the chilly assumption that crossed my mind while reading that manuscript, that some of my memories may have been obliviated, turned out to be correct, though I am not happy about it.

I’m not happy about it, but finding out is better than remaining ignorant. I’ll have to continue chasing this lead and see where it takes me. The remaining point of concern is the magic that was invoked while we held hands in that park.

Another spell came to mind from the manuscript of Forbidden Magic. This spell also was removed from the original copy, recorded in the Forbidden Magic relating to Magic Power section. Its activation criteria mentioned something like holding the hand of the subject, and the magic succeeding if a red light appears.

This was not amplification magic, and it was probably not the same as an attribute awakening magic. I once again cursed my lacking ability to memorize spells. I still have the manuscript I borrowed from Umetaro, so as soon as I’m done talking to Kusaka-sensei, I’ll head back to the dorm and check it out.

For now, the definite facts are: I have had two kinds of forbidden magic cast on me by the vice president. I’m not sure if she can cast two forbidden spells at once or in quick succession with the amount of magic she has. And what is the cost of such magic? I can’t think of any other way to explain it.

I’ve had my memory of this encounter with the vice president erased by the oblivion spell she must have cast on me. And I was likely the subject of some kind of forbidden magic related to magic power.

“I’m sorry, I made you wait, Nobana.”

“What? No, no, it’s fine!”

Kusaka-sensei’s voice interrupted my thoughts and caused me to almost leap from my chair. This had become a habit of late, getting lost in my thoughts. I will have to be more careful.

Turning my attention to Kusaka-sensei, who was sitting in a nearby chair, I finally realized that Pochitaro was also at my feet. He had brought me something again, judging by the weird “wafu” sound he’s making. Although he makes weird sounds in normal situations, too.

“Sir, Pochitaro has something in his… ”

“Oh, I was just going to fetch that. Porchitaro, pass it here.”

“Wahhhh!”

With a single squeal, Pochitaro dropped a small box into Kusaka-sensei’s outstretched hand. Based on its size and appearance, it looked like a wedding ring case or something.

He opened it and removed a small bottle. The vial, which was exposed to me, contained a suspicious, light pink liquid, with shimmering amber particles glittering in a peach-like color. Looking at it made me feel strange. Something tingled deep inside.

“Sensei, what is this?”

“This is a sample of a magic power awakening potion.”

“Huh?”

The liquid suddenly shaking in front of me felt extremely dangerous, and I hurriedly pulled myself away.

It’s that thing!

“As I told you before, I have colleagues from the research institute with whom I maintain a secret connection. One of them is my former boss, who is still working as a researcher. I met with him in secret and got a lot of information, and he also lent me this sample.”

“He’s still working as a researcher, is he really okay with that? If he gets found out, he’ll look like a traitor to the institute… ”

“I’m aware of that. He’s still there because he’s going to betray the institute someday.”

I couldn’t understand the meaning of the phrase, and a metaphorical question mark floated above my head. Pochitaro, who lay on the floor, tilted his head to match me.

“He has been a researcher much longer than I have and has been involved in drug research for quite some time. When he was still young, he was euphoric and thought he was doing great research. After throwing his all into it for so long, one thing led to another, and eventually he ‘woke up’.”

“He woke up… ?”

“Ah. It seems that a long time ago, he broke into a certain mansion on orders from his superiors to steal materials necessary for the development of a drug. Strictly speaking, he didn’t inflict the injury himself, and he heard later that the innocent bystander managed to escape unharmed, but he deeply regretted his actions. At the same time, he realized the many mistakes he had made.”

What? I remember hearing something like this recently but from a different perspective.

The teacher’s blue eyes narrowed as he continued to speak in a clear voice, but I had a strong sense of déjà vu.

The mansion that was broken into was the Sakuranomiya family, and the person who was injured was the chancellor, right?

“He has been secretly working as a researcher for a long time, hoping to one day destroy the institute from within. He has several collaborators. This is his way of atoning for his crimes.”

When I was surprised by the strange circle of connection, the teacher suddenly smiled self-mockingly.

“Atoning for sins is not as easy as it sounds. You have to face your mistakes, regrets, and remorse without running away. I, too, regret that I have been so horrible to you.”

“Sir… ”

“… I’m sorry, we’re getting off track. Let’s get back to the point.”

With a thump, the teacher moved his long fingers and placed the vial on the desk. Then he turned to me and tightened his expression. The more serious he became, the more powerful his good looks shone.

Yes, the doctor took a risk to get the information because he wanted to make amends to me.

“When I told him that one of the students here might be involved in this drug research, he immediately said he would give me all the information he could. He was also the one who helped me escape that place with Pochitaro. I trust him, and I don’t think the information he gave me was false. I can vouch for that. I’ll tell you everything I found. Firstly, it was only a couple of years ago that this magic awakening potion became nearly as complete as it is today.”

“That’s relatively recent isn’t it?”

“The experiment started much earlier than that, but it seems there were many twists and turns. In particular, even after the manufacturing method was figured out, the essential materials needed to complete the project were unavailable for many years, and the process was delayed as a result.”

“You mean those materials finally became available a couple of years ago?”

Come to think of it, when he first explained the medicine to me, he said, ‘This medicine is not yet widely available.’ If it was only recently completed, it’s not surprising that it hasn’t spread that widely.

“I was at the institute for a short period of time, just after this was completed. I became a teacher here soon after development was stopped, so I’m actually the newest teacher at this school.”

The teacher dropped this line while stroking his silver thread-like hair.

It’s easy to forget because of the breadth of the school, but come to think of it, he’s a new teacher, isn’t he? I once overheard my current teacher, Chikusa-sensei, complaining, “Why is he more trusted by the vice principal and principal and more popular with the students than me, who’s been at this school for five years?”

“… I explained to you before that a magic awakening potion is a potion that forcibly awakens magic in people that lack magical aptitude. Though that was not a lie, it wasn’t the whole truth either. In the first place, it is impossible for a person without a source of magic power to sprout magic power from scratch. But those who take this potion will definitely grow stronger and can use magic. That’s where the real mechanism of this medicine lies.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nobana, take this potion in your hand and look at it carefully. See the light particles in it?”

I did as I was told and lifted the vial. Pochitaro jumped into my lap with a “woof” and looked into the liquid with me.

As I had felt earlier, looking at the small rippling peach color and the twinkling amber light made my heart ache. I wonder if it’s because it’s the same color as Pochitaro, who is just below my line of sight, and my hair and eyes.

“Those grains of light are crystals of magic power. Normally, magic power is not something that is visible to the human eye, but the laboratory figured out how to make magic power take shape in such a form. The potion also contains a variety of other ingredients that work within the body of the person who drinks it to create and implant that crystallized magic power.”

“Huh?”

I shouted in astonishment as the true workings of this magic power awakening medicine finally registered. I could see Pochitaro’s tail twitching, but I couldn’t afford to pay attention to him.

The magic power awakening potion is not really a potion that makes magic power sprout from scratch, but a potion that implants magic power?

And this grain is the magic power that will be planted.

----So whose magic power is the source of this magic power crystal?

“The truth is, I’m not going to lie to you. I have to admit, I’ve been wondering if I should tell you the truth… but I have decided that you need to hear it. Do you want me to continue?”

“Yes, I want to hear it… No, I must hear it.”

My lips quivered. Sweat beaded on my hands as I clutched the vial. Pochitaro stared at my pale face with concern.

Somewhere deep down, I already knew what Kusaka-sensei would say next. This was the meaning behind the magic power donor list that I saw in that room. A list that included my name.

I’m not sure what to make of it. The reason why my awakening of magic power was delayed and the reason why the users of the potion, including Pochitaro, turned the same color as my hair and eyes.

“Look, in order to make that potion, they… ”

The teacher then placed the single, nauseatingly desperate truth on his thin lips.

“The main ingredient used to make this potion is your magical power.”

----

Chapter brought to you by The Patrons.

RW: askinkov90

ED: Purplemen101

QC: Message us on Discord if you want to join us

ANIMT - Chapter 42. Unreasonable, Cruel

I Got An Extra Six Months of Life Expectancy, And Now It’s My Time

“The suspicion I put on you should have been reversed. It’s not because you’ve taken the drug that your hair and eyes have become the same color as those of Pochitaro and other drug users. They all became like you because they drank your magic.”

Kusaka-sensei’s voice, which should have come from somewhere quite close, felt like it was reaching my ears after traveling for miles.

My vision distorted as I stood in the middle of a sandstorm, and my stomach had dropped straight from my body and fallen through the floor.

Pochitaro tried to rouse me with a “wafu wafu” as if to say, “pull yourself together.” He tapped my hand with his paw. The soft touch brought me back to my senses somehow; I almost fell backward off the backless chair.

I shook my head and put all my strength into the arm that was holding Pochitaro, trying to claw back my sanity.

The other hand still held the vial, the potion containing my magic power.

“Is it safe to continue talking?”

Kusaka-sensei’s expression was firm as he asked this question. I’m sure I look far worse than I felt in the eyes of this teacher.

I have not yet heard the whole story. I could not afford to abandon reality and plunge into my own thoughts just yet.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Please, continue.”

The voice that came out of my throat was choppy and scratchy. Even so, the teacher seemed to have received my intentions and continued moving his lips.

“… The magic power needed for this medicine is beyond what any single person can provide. To make sure buyers get the most out of their purchase, the magical institute needed to use the magic of several people. They made a list, a list of magic power donors.”

“It’s the one you saw in that dorm room,” the teacher added.

“That’s not really a donor list. It’s a list of people whose magic has been stolen.”

“Then when the magic is taken from them… ”

“There’s a certain forbidden magic that was used to take it away. To ensure no problems arise from this act, there is also a forbidden magic they use to erase memories. The reason for the stagnation of the laboratory and the production of medicine is that there was no one who could use these forbidden spells. And even if someone who could use them finally appeared, there was no one with magic power that would be suitable for the medicine and materials. In addition, the name of the forbidden magic is… ”

“The one that takes away magic power is called extraction magic, and the one that erases memory is called oblivion magic, right?”

As I listened to him, I naturally remembered the other item, the spell called extraction magic.

Kusaka-sensei was certainly surprised to hear that I knew of it.

“Then you might know more about forbidden magic than I do. My ex-boss only had a faint idea of what he needed to know, just enough to steal it… Extraction magic, or more accurately, magic that doesn’t take away magic power, but takes away the entire source of magic power.”

“Yes. I have a memory of such a spell existing.”

As the teacher said, if you use the correct method, extraction magic was a type of spell that takes away another person’s magic power, or rather, the source of another person’s magic power itself.

It’s just that the difficulty level of this magic changes depending on the opponent and the state of their magical development.

If it is done before they awaken, then…

This must have been why the vice president contacted me while I was still in my first year of middle school, long before my awakening.

I’m sure there’s another magic spell that takes away not the source of magic power, but only the magic power gained after awakening. No matter how much magic power is taken away, if that collected power is exhausted during the manufacturing of the medicine, the process will definitely fail again. Extracting the source gives them a bottomless well, rather than a single bucket worth of mana to work with.

If that’s the case, then it is no wonder that I haven’t been able to improve my magic power as much as others. I must still be in the process of regenerating the source of magic power stolen from me, if such a thing is even possible.

“Wafu, wafu… ”

I was dizzy from the truth and the weight that was slowly threatening to overwhelm me. For now, the small warmth on my lap was enough to save my heart. However, Pochitaro licked the back of my hand. As I saw the countdown of life expectancy appear on it, a big question came to mind that I had not yet found an answer for.

I was deprived of my source of magic power, so they could use it to make their potion.

“Oh… ”

Everything suddenly faded away and in a state of clarity, the scene of myself flipping through the pages of Umetaro’s manuscript appeared before my eyes. Every single word in the extraction magic section danced through my mind.

[The subject’s body will be drained of all magic power, which will be stored in the body of the person who took it. However, if the former owner has a high aptitude for magic and regenerates their magic power, the stolen magic power will gradually return to the former owner’s body.]

----This was it.

This was the reason why I could now use magic, and how my power had managed to grow, even if ever so slightly. And this was exactly what the laboratory feared.

They had finally found the materials needed to make the potion, yet as long as I was alive and possessed magic power, it would gradually disappear from their hands. They could not take it away for a second time, especially since I had already awakened fully. Me taking my power back would force them to have to search for new materials once again.

“… ”

“I’ve told you most of what I’ve heard, and I’m at my mental limit. You should go back to your dormitory for today!”

“I’ll head back… ”

“You’re going to skip class practice and head back to your dorm today. I’ll tell the class that you’re not feeling well. I will contact you again to discuss this matter and see if we can work something out! I’ll get you and all of your magical power back! So take a break for now!”

He spoke with vigor, but a certain determination lay within his eyes. He was resolved to get involved with the institute once again. The place he hated so much, for my sake.

But I’m not going to let you and Pochitaro go down that dangerous path any longer.

Besides, I don’t really care about the source of the magic power that was stolen from me. Of course, Kusaka-sensei doesn’t know that I’m dead, and from the way he’s talking, he doesn’t know that I’m in danger of being killed by the institute once again.

Before that, the teacher said that he hadn’t heard about the intricate details of the extraction magic. It is possible that not only Kusaka-sensei, but even his former boss are unaware of what is involved in making this medicine; that my being alive is certainly affecting their production.

It’s not only the source of magic power that was taken from me. They took something far more important, something that no-one else would be able to get back for me.

“I’m not going to ask you to do anything more than this. I don’t want to put you or Pochitaro at any more risk. I just wanted to know the truth, and now that I know, I’m done.”

“Nobana… ”

“You said you told me most of what you heard, right? Most? If there is anything left, please tell me now. I’m going back to the dormitory today after I hear that. I want to know everything.”

From this point on, I myself have to settle this cruel truth in my own way. I’m not going to leave any regrets in my life, something due to expire in a few months from now.

In order to do so, I have to meet and talk to the vice president, the culprit, once more. Even if it’s scary or painful, it’s something that I have to do.

“You won’t stop here, will you?”

“I’m a little worried about my strength right now,” the teacher muttered to himself.

“… There is one more piece of information that I have obtained from my former boss. I heard who created this potion.”

“The developer… ”

“Hiiragi Setsuka. The mother of the school’s vice president, Hiiragi Yukino.”

“!”

I widened my eyes at the name that appeared so unexpectedly.

This was the final connection between the vice president and the drug. The developer was her mother.

“The dormitory room you mentioned was probably a woman’s room. I think she might be involved with the lab in some small way, perhaps as a helper to her mother.”

Kusaka-sensei evidently didn’t know that the vice president could wield forbidden magic.

If this had been an initiative conducted fully by the institute, it would have to be better planned and thought out. In addition, if the institute was the culprit, I would not be surprised if they had found a crazy way to use me while I was still alive.

Either way, in order to get a clearer picture of the truth, I must meet the vice president.

As I was pondering this, I noticed that the teacher was hesitating, as if he was having a hard time figuring out how to say one last thing. It seemed that there was still something he hadn’t told me yet.

When I prompted him, he seemed to have made up his mind.

“It’s just that, this girl’s mother is… ”

----

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RW: askinkov90

ED: Purplemen101

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