Ch.15- Bear with me.

Amy looked at Tallen and tried to come up with something she could actually do against him.
He’d clearly been training for years. She’d seen enough during the exercises to know that, and now he looked as though he’d been preparing for this match specifically. Why was he so tense? It was an assessment…
[You’re screwed.]
I’m so screwed…
[You could surrender. It would save you being thrown across the platform. You barely survived the push-ups, Amy.]
She wanted to tell Libris to shut up, but it had a point. Her muscles were still shaking, and breathing hadn’t become particularly enjoyable yet. Tallen had some sweat on his forehead. That seemed to be the extent of his problems.
She watched him. Giving up would be sensible. He was stronger, faster, and actually knew how to fight. Unfortunately, surrendering before they’d done anything would also be really embarrassing.
[What are you waiting for? Oh. You’d rather lose on the floor than give up standing. Alright, but remember it was your idea.]
Amy concentrated on breathing instead of answering. There had been that self-defense workshop when she was little. Someone in the neighborhood had been mugged, and her father had made her spend a weekend learning what to do. Surely she remembered something.
I’m so screwed…
“You may begin,” Drayke said, his voice reaching them through the barrier.
Amy immediately activated her ability, and the response was basically something akin to a scream in her mind: No.
She could see there were paths where she won, but it felt as if she even tried to use her ability to reach them, she would immediately pass out. It was a completely different feeling from last time, during the nightmare. Maybe it was because her mastery had reached level four, but now she knew her limits somewhat.
How was this thing harder than breaking a damn satanic ritual!
Luckily for Amy, neither of them moved immediately, each sizing the other up. The gathered students fell silent, their collective anticipation filling the dome. This gave her a few precious seconds to think about what to do.
In the end, she decided to just use her ability so she could at least dodge a few strikes, which put a strain on her body that was barely manageable. That was better than just straight up losing.
“I’ve been hearing about you, Stake.” Tallen started moving around her. “Many monsters defeated, and many more students rescued. You haven’t wasted any time.” It didn’t quite sound like a compliment.
He really seemed nervous, which honestly was almost funny. If only he knew that he had nothing to worry about… Truly, after all these events that had happened these last few days, Amy had forgotten just how much of a fraud she was. This was a nice reminder of how weak she actually was.
She needed to become strong, this wouldn’t work forever. If she kept being this weak, it would eventually lead to another—
Right now wasn’t the time to think about that, she reminded herself.
Instead of wasting more time in her thoughts, she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and began to psyche herself up.
I can do this. I’m Amy Stake. I got out of a nightmare dimension. Fought monsters. There was an eldritch being involved, and yes, I ran away from it, but I survived. That has to count as combat experience.
So he’s had fancy lessons. Good for him. They can’t have taught him everything. He could still trip over a shoelace, couldn’t he? Get a cramp at an inconvenient moment? A meteor could hit him. That’s technically possible, isn’t it?
Anything. I’ll take anything. Please…! Anyone? Help…
[So, are you guys going to fight or what…?]
Shut up, Libris. I’m manifesting.
[Seriously, just surrender. Even though nothing wrong is going to happen with the teacher here, it won’t change the fact that you might sully your character.]
You know what, Libris got a point… I think I’ll just surrender—
[Wait, wait, wait. I saw the subtle change in your facial expression. You really are surrendering, aren’t you? I was just trying to act like the archetypal wise voice in your head while you irresponsibly throw yourself into an unwinnable fight. But if you surrender now, I’d be disappointed. Even I didn’t think you were that pathetic. I mean, giving up before you’ve even tried? That’s a special kind of weak. At least try to get your ass kicked with some dignity.]
“…” She really wished she could burn this book right now.
You know what, watch me. I’m going to win somehow…for sure…
Tallen, growing tired of their staring contest, shifted his stance, his movements fluid and practiced as he began circling her with predatory focus. Amy moved too, hoping she looked less awkward than she felt.
Everyone was watching. She could hear people making bets, and apparently saving students in Building B meant she was going to win this. If only they knew.
Okay, my power is telling me he is going to attack from the left. I’ll dodge right, sweep his legs, then… do something impressive. Yeah. That’ll work.
She caught a flicker of movement as Tallen’s expression shifted. His brown eyes began turning gold. Then his muscles swelled under the uniform, and Amy realized he wasn’t just getting ready to attack.
What the—. She stepped back.
Dark fur started growing out of him. His face got wider, his hands became paws, and then Amy saw the claws. He hunched over as the transformation continued. Not all the way into a bear, apparently, but enough that she was now expected to fight one.
[Oh. You didn’t know? How interesting, did you also skip this chapter…?]
Interesting? INTERESTING? He’s a freaking BEAR! With CLAWS! And FANGS! And BIG!
[C’mon. You got no balls.]
“…”
At this point I’m in too deep…
Amy made a mental note to never try gambling before taking a hesitant step forward, readying for the inevitable attack. Compared to the nightmare creatures of that day this wasn’t that scary…just a little bit…
After a few seconds of more silence, Tallen moved, putting all his strength into his charge, not hesitating one bit.
He charged forward with startling speed, his right arm—just like she had predicted—morphing midstrike as fingers elongated into even bigger, deadly claws.
Amy barely dodged, throwing herself sideways as his claws sliced through the air where her head had been a split second earlier. She stumbled, barely keeping her footing as she retreated to the edge of the platform.
“Grrrr!” His claws hit the stone hard enough for Amy to feel the platform shake. They left gouges in it. She backed away again, staring at the marks. That had nearly been her.
Holy fuck!!
“GrrRrRr!!” Tallen growled even more furiously.
Amy’s instincts kicked in after seeing the predator in front of her, her core going into overdrive. Every time he moved, her ability told her to get out of the way. Knowing where to go was one thing; getting her tired body there was another. She kept managing it, but with less time to spare.
[You’re doing surprisingly well for someone with the physical capabilities of a particularly unfit sloth. That ability truly is overpowered. Though, at this rate you won’t last long…]
Amy would have retorted if she’d had the breath to spare. As it was, she could only gasp as she twisted away from another swipe of Tallen’s claws, the wind of his attack ruffling her hair.
“Storrr runNningr and fightrrr!” Tallen snarled, frustration evident in his voice. His golden eyes blazed as he circled her, muscles bunching as he prepared for another lunge.
Amy tried desperately to find a path to victory, pushing her ability harder than before. Pain struck behind her eyes, making her dizzy. Yes, there were ways to win. Apparently reaching any of them was far beyond what she could manage right now.
Fuck this, this is not worth the trouble!
“I surrender,” Amy said while looking towards Drayke, straightening up and letting her arms fall to her sides.
For a brief moment, the platform was utterly silent. Then Tallen launched forward with a roar, his massive clawed hand aimed directly at her chest, seemingly not caring at all about her words.
Amy didn’t flinch, didn’t raise her arms to defend herself. She knew the claws wouldn’t hit her. Though, it sure felt scary seeing a seven-foot-tall monster charging towards her. Still, she had trust that no harm would arrive…probably…surely…right…?
The claws were inches from her chest when everything… stopped. The air looked warped. Tallen stayed exactly where he was, snarling at her with his claws held out.
“She surrendered,” Drayke said as he stepped onto the platform. His eyes glowed. “The match is over.”
Drayke looked at her for a moment, his ear twitching. Amy got out of the way before he let Tallen move again. The boy finished his lunge with nobody there to hit and nearly fell, stumbling before he managed to stop himself.
“Winner, Tallen Blackwood.”
With the barrier gone, she could hear everyone whispering. They kept looking between her and Tallen, apparently confused by the result. Amy was ready to leave them to it, but Tallen called out before she could get off the platform.
“Wharrr the hellt warrss tharrt?” He was still changing back, the fur disappearing and his body shrinking to its usual size. His voice hadn’t recovered yet. “You didn’t even try!”
What…?
[What…?]
“I did try.” Amy turned back to face him, barely concealed confusion all round her face.
“Bullshit!” Tallen’s eyes widened with shock as soon as the curse left his mouth.
He shut his mouth and glanced at the nobles watching from the side. His face reddened.
He pulled himself upright and made an effort to look calm. Amy wasn’t convinced, especially when he walked back to the seats without another word, looking stiff enough to hurt.
She stared after him. Hadn’t he won?
[Did he just… get upset because you lost?] Libris sounded genuinely confused. [And what is with that “you didn’t even try”?]
“I… the fuck…?” Amy muttered under her breath, still bewildered by Tallen’s reaction. The logic escaped her complet— Actually…
“He didn’t misunderstand, did he…?”
[…]
Amy trudged back to her seat, her legs still wobbling from the exertion of dodging Tallen’s attacks. Several students shifted subtly away as she approached, while others leaned in to whisper among themselves.
She slumped down, letting out a long sigh as the next pair of students was called to the platform.
[So… are we going to discuss what just happened?]
“That a seven-foot-tall bear almost ripped me apart?” She whispered.
[No, the important part. The part where, just like with Kaelen, bear-boy misunderstood your abilities. I’m genuinely curious, how do you do it?]
“I wish I knew…”
[Liar. Once is a coincidence, but twice… I’m trying to understand humans better, and you’re providing excellent case studies in how to deceive them while showing them the truth. With Kaelen, you demonstrated your real capabilities during the test, yet he misunderstood somehow and instead believed that you hid your real powers. Now with Tallen, you surrendered instead of fighting, and he equally misunderstood. It’s fascinatingly consistent. Please explain this phenomenon to me, I beg you.]
Amy ran a hand through her sweaty hair. “You think I know? I’m just as confused as you are…”
[Perhaps it’s a special talent. Your real ability isn’t fate navigation, nor the readers, but the ability for people to believe whatever stupid bullshit you come out with—it’s the supernatural capacity to confuse and trick people regardless of your intentions.]
“…” Amy said eloquently.
[But seriously, I want to understand. Please tell me, please.]
If I had that kind of ability, then I’m sure it’s working on this guy right now…
After a long sigh, Amy glanced across the room, where Tallen sat rigidly, anger clearly visible on his face.
She also noticed Stella, who looked awfully happy. A grin was plastered all over her visage as she stared at Tallen’s annoyed frown. Meanwhile, Alba was nudging her friend to stop her from smiling.
Not wanting to be caught staring, Amy quickly averted her gaze to the students fighting, second years both. Letting her mind drift in the brief respite.
“…I should have just surrendered at the beginning…”
[With your talent, I bet it would have made things worse.]
“…”
 
-————-　■　-————-
 
The fights continued, Amy watching with a mixture of fascination and envy as her classmates displayed abilities that ranged from impressive to downright terrifying. One second-year made weapons from shadows. His opponent answered with flashes of light bright enough that Amy and several others had to shield their eyes. Alba got a thin third-year whose skin could turn as hard as stone. It didn’t help him much against her illusions. He kept trying to hit things that weren’t there until he stumbled right off the platform, surprising just about everyone.
It also showed just how much stronger the protagonist group (not Lyra) was compared to others of their year. Crow straight up did not even use any of his abilities and just swung Bloodedge, winning quite easily. Maybe Amy should have done the same with Libris; wasn’t the book indestructible…?
[Is it really cold in here, or is it just me?]
Then Stella’s opponent threw fire at her, and it turned around halfway across the platform. Drayke intervened before the caster could burn himself with his own attack. So that was what she’d meant by unique. Judging by everyone else’s faces, reflecting magic like that wasn’t something they saw often. Amy wondered how she did not remember her from the manga, but then again, she had skipped many chapters and only read when the main story progressed or something important happened.
As the class progressed, Amy became increasingly aware of her own inadequacies. Watching them didn’t make Amy feel any better about her own fighting. She’d barely kept up with Tallen while her ability told her where to move. What was she going to do when dodging wasn’t enough? She needed to train her body as well as her power, much as she hated admitting it.
She was very glad when Drayke finally let them go. She collected Libris and the rest of her things from the locker, then made for the exit. Even walking hurt.
“Amy!”
She turned at Ash’s voice. He was coming toward her with Crow, Lyra, and Lain. The protagonist squad, all together. She was slowly getting used to seeing them in person, though it still felt strange sometimes.
“Wasssup, good to see you healed and all,” Ash said with a grin. “You know, Lain over here has been talking a lot about how brave you were. I wish I could have seen it.”
Amy stared at the inexpressive Lain, unable to tell whatever was going on inside her brain.
“Ash. We came to ask her something.”
“See what I have to put up with?” Ash rolled his eyes. “Don’t mind him, Amy. He’s in a particularly bad mood today.”
Crow didn’t bother answering him. “We’re opening the box tonight. You helped Lain bring it back, so you should be there.”
Right. The golden box. Between Kaelen, Libris, and nearly being mauled during a class assessment, she’d almost forgotten they had it.
Amy took a breath. She’d meant to keep away from these people, but that plan wasn’t going particularly well. And staying out of everything wouldn’t make her stronger or help her change what was coming.
Besides, she knew what was inside. Watching them find out might be worth it.
“Could we do it now?” she asked. “I’m supposed to be somewhere later.”
“Where?” Crow asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Tea.” She hesitated. If she left it there and he found out afterward, would that turn into another misunderstanding? She’d had enough of those for one day.
“With Zayd Gaspard.”
Nobody answered immediately. Lyra’s eyes widened, Ash looked puzzled, and Lain gave her nothing to work with. Crow looked considerably less pleased.
“Zayd.”
“His uncle invited me. He was rather insistent.”
She’d thought about refusing, but Kaelen hadn’t left her much room for that. Meeting Zayd and finding out what he wanted seemed less likely to cause trouble than ignoring the Gaspards altogether. For now, at least.
“I see.” Crow glanced at the others. Apparently he understood enough from that. “We can do it now.”
People watched them on the way to the Class S dormitories. This time most of the attention seemed to be for Crow and Ash, though Amy still had to walk through it with them.
I’m really never going to get used to this…
Crow had a corner room on the top floor. It was large, with tall windows overlooking the grounds, but Amy had expected more decoration from someone like him. The furniture was plain, the books and scrolls were neatly put away, and he had weapons on the wall. There was a worn photograph on the desk. She couldn’t see who was in it from where she’d stopped.
“Wow, I thought your room would be a mess since you wouldn’t let me in, but it’s actually kind of cool,” Ash commented, flopping down onto Crow’s perfectly made bed without invitation, messing up the covers. “Very… you.”
Crow left Ash to it and took the box out of a desk drawer. He put it on the central table, then removed the golden key from the chain around his neck.
Everyone watched him set it down.
“Are we sure we should do this?” Lyra asked, shifting her weight. “It could be trapped.”
“I checked. I couldn’t detect any magical traps.”
“Couldn’t detect doesn’t mean there aren’t any.” She looked at Amy. “Could you check? With your ability?”
Amy raised an eyebrow. “There’s no need. What’s inside isn’t dangerous.”
“How do you know that?” Lyra sounded less reassured than Amy had intended.
“Open it,” Lain said before Amy could answer. “We should do it now.”
Since when does she speak while there are strangers around…?
The others turned toward Lain too, though none of them commented.
Crow nodded and picked up the key, holding it tightly.
“Should someone do a drum roll?” Ash asked.
Amy almost snorted. Lyra gave him a look.
Crow waited another second before fitting the key into the lock. It clicked. With everyone being so quiet, Amy heard it quite clearly.
His hand rested on the lid. Even Ash sat up on the bed to see better, no longer smiling.
Crow still hadn’t opened it. His fingers moved over the patterns on the box.
“Wait.” Lyra folded her arms around herself. “Maybe we ought to ask someone first—”
“We’ve come this far,” Lain said. “Open it.”
Amy caught herself holding her breath along with everyone else. She knew what was in there. Why was she getting nervous?
Crow set his jaw and lifted the lid.
Amy had almost expected a flash, but the light inside was a gentle gold. It lit their faces from below and threw shadows onto the ceiling as they leaned closer. Nobody said anything. They were all looking into the box.
And inside was…
Rat-a-tat-tat-a-tat-tat-a-tat-tat-a-tat-tat-a-tat-tat-a-tat-tat….
Another key!
Ba-dum-tss.