Chapter 108

this is a fictional story by realTensai

Let’s rewind time a bit.

MAYA’S POV shortly after Alvis and the others left to do the quests

“All right, this is enough. Let’s move on to the next section,” I said, coordinating my team members.

“This building already looks like a real fortress,” Erema said in awe as she stared at the building we had spent so much time in. “Lia’s plant magic is a gift from god.”

Everyone, including me, just nodded. Massive roots and trees had turned the modern building into an ancient castle seemingly protected by the Mana Forest itself. The roots circled around the ground, sealing every entry that the enemy might have wanted to use. On top of the building were rows we could stand on and fire attacks at the invaders without them being able to harm us. Like planned, we would turn this battle into a siege.

“Come on, hurry up. We still aren’t finished with our preparations.”

Erema, Rina, Mei, and Kumi followed behind me as we all spared one last glance at Lia, who erupted another gigantic trunk. However, right before we went into the building, a horde of people entered my peripheral vision. When I turned my head, something even worse than what I had expected greeted me.

“W-What’s going on?” Mei mumbled as she too noticed the flood of people approaching us. “These aren’t the fourth years.”

Mei was right. The unexpected visitors were comparable in number to the fourth-years, yet they couldn’t have been more different. Meek and limping, with faces haunted by despair, a mix of first to third years, most of them human, but also some dwarves and elves, came closer. The only thing they all seemed to have in common was the fear deeply engraved in their hearts.

“What do you want?” I asked, forcing them to stop. Even if they might appear weak, they might be a bait by the enemy to let our guards down.

They winced, my harsh voice and stern stare terrifying them. But I’ve long accepted to play this role. However, none of them answered as if their mouths were sealed by a power beyond their control, but this made them even more suspicious.

“Answer my question,” I commanded, this time even more forcefully. Yet it had the opposite effect and made them take a few steps back. “What’s wrong?”

“They are scared, Maya.”

Lia’s soft voice entered my ears and as I turned around, I saw her standing right next to me. Her emerald eyes filled with compassion gazed upon the group before she spoke up once more.

“What is the matter?”

It was as if Lia’s words carried a spell that released them from the shackles of fear that didn’t let them speak.

“U-hm, we need help,” a human girl, probably a first-year said. “As you can see we are all weak. We have nothing going for us and that’s why no one wanted to let us into their team. They said we would just be a burden and… they are right. But because of the new rule the priest introduced today, everyone became way more aggressive. They are all fighting, searching for people to kill so that they can save their own lives. Students like us without a team and too weak to fight on our own have become the number one target. Please, you are our last hope. We heard that the student council formed a team and that everyone who wanted to join could do so. Please, let us in. If we stay outside any longer they will surely find us and kill us.”

Her desperate plea touched my heart and everything she said made perfect sense, but that was all the more reason my brain rebelled.

This could be a trap.

Their number, their weakness, their timing, their perfect reasoning, it all seemed off.

“Of course, we will help you,--”

“Wait, Lia. This might be a trap.”

Lia’s eyes widened as she stared at me in confusion, yet this wouldn’t make me change my mind.

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“Think about it. How come they all suddenly appear right before our battle against the fourth years? If we take them in, they will only become more people we will have to protect, which no matter how you see it is a disadvantage. And because they are all weak, they won’t even be able to help us in the fight.”

I tried to keep my arguments as short and logical as possible, even though this might have made me seem even colder. There were even more things that made my gut twist. How come most of them were human? The human fraction had all the food supplies, so taking care of some weaker human students wouldn’t even be a problem for them. Still, they abandoned them. What if Charles did it on purpose, his goal being to give the dead weight to us so we lose the battle against the fourth years? Someone like Charles would definitively do something like that. Yet I still didn’t mention it as an argument, as this might have been just my paranoia speaking.

Lia didn’t answer right away. She stared at the students whilst being deeply in thought, yet after a few seconds, her eyes lit up. I didn’t even have to hear her answer to know what she would say.

“I will still take them in,” she said, her emerald eyes as bright as shooting stars. “That’s the sole reason we created the student council team. To protect those who didn’t want to participate in this insane game. No matter their race, no matter if they were strong or weak, if they wanted to put an end to this madness, we would let them join our side. What use does my strength have if I can’t protect people who need help?”

I couldn’t help but smile upon hearing her words, even my rational brain refusing to retort.

This is just the way she is.

It was because of her over-caring nature, her unyielding desire to live up to her ideals, that she pulled people into her ban. It was because of her character that I just had to support her.

It was also the reason we became friends.

I still remember it vividly.

Back when school had just started, and we were all first years, I had no friends. Not that it surprised me. Someone like me, serious by the book, and uninterested in the usual teenage nonsense, didn’t exactly fit in. My childhood friend Sekki always teased me about my lack of social skills, but I never cared. Gossip, drama, pointless chatter, I wanted no part of it.

So, I built a wall. And that wall left me alone.

But everything changed when I joined the student council.

I had been part of the council in middle school, so naturally, I joined it again. Back then, Fiona’s older sister, Leona, was the president, and William was her vice. Out of all the first years, only two of us made it in.

Me. And Lia.

At first, I thought she was just another popular girl. The kind who had the world at her feet, effortlessly collecting friends wherever she went. She was the last person I wanted to be around. And yet, because we were the only first years, Leona paired us together constantly.

Avoiding her became impossible.

I tried to keep my distance, responding to her with short, clipped answers. But as time passed, I started to understand why people gravitated toward her. Lia wasn’t just friendly, she was kind in a way that felt real. She never talked down to people, never faked her smiles. When she listened, she truly listened.

It was infuriating.

And yet, before I knew it, I found myself waiting for our next student council task, secretly looking forward to seeing her.

Not everyone was happy about that.

Lia had a close-knit group of friends, and to them, I was an outsider. A cold, boring girl who had nothing in common with her. They couldn’t understand why Lia spent so much time with me. Maybe they felt threatened. Maybe they just didn’t like me. Either way, they made their opinions clear.

I overheard them talking once. Whispered words behind my back.

“She’s so dull. Why does Lia waste her time with her?”

“She probably forced her way in. She’s always with her now. What a leech.”

I wasn’t surprised. It was childish. Predictable, even. Just befitting their age. So I ignored it.

But Lia didn’t.

I’ll never forget the way she stormed into the room that day, her emerald eyes blazing with anger.

“How dare you?” she had snapped at them. “You don’t even know Maya. How can you talk about her like that?”

They stammered, caught off guard. I just stared.

And then I laughed.

It was ridiculous. So cliché. Who actually stood up for someone like that? Who got angry for someone else’s sake? Good-hearted people like that shouldn’t exist.

And yet Lia did.

At that moment, I decided.

I would stay by her side. No matter what.

I wanted to protect her so that a good-hearted person like her would never change, even when faced with the cruelty of this world.

“I just wanted to point out the risks. I never thought that you would abandon them, Lia,” I said, still smiling. However, my brain now had to adapt to the new situation. It had to make Lia’s ideals come true. “Follow me. I will show you what you’ll do.”

Albeit hesitantly, the group of students followed my lead. Before that, they all thanked Lia for her kindness.

We entered the building and immediately headed for the top.

“Oh, Maya and--- wait, why are there so many people with you?”

Upon reaching the top, Kris and his teammates, who were responsible for preparing our fortress from within, greeted us. I quickly explained our new situation and even though some of Kris’ team members hesitated, they all accepted. It didn’t take long to finish the rest of our preparations and assign everyone to a job.

And then the time came.

As we all stood on top of our fortress and gazed into the distance, a group of students approached us. They numbered about fifty, yet the one who made cold sweat form on my palm was the one leading them.

Even before I saw her, I felt her presence, an unnatural stillness in the air, like the world itself was holding its breath. Her long onyx-like black hair swayed in the air and, with every graceful step she took, it felt as if she radiated celestial powers. Her scarlet eyes shone like the glimmers of fire and her aura alone was enough for everyone to know that they were outmatched.

Approaching them was no other than this school’s strongest student.

It was Jasmine.