Twisted
Hogner Magic Academy special class’ classroom. Amidst the ringing of the chime that signifies the beginning of the class, there’s no sight of anybody on the teaching platform.
“……he’s late”
There’s an anger mark on Lily, who has come to school at six in the morning and taken her position right in the middle of the very front row. Cis, who’s beside her, also nods with a worried-looking face.
“He really is. I wonder if something happened?”
“Nothing. Definitely nothing. That fellow pushed all the odd jobs to Mira-san and should be extre――mely free after all. Even if there are troublesome errands, he pushes them al――――l to Mira-san after all”
“Ye……yeah”
It’s useless to say anything now. Cis, who has a grasp on the state of her anger from their long-standing relationship, she is.
At that moment, Mira entered the classroom.
“My apologies. Asch-sama has still not come today. Therefore, although unworthy as a substitute, I will be conducting the lesson”
She says and starts writing words on the whiteboard at high speed. Writing at about 30 words per second, the whiteboard was cramped with text 2 minutes later.
“Er, erm, Mira-san. What is that, that you wrote?”
Lily asks timidly.
“Eh? They are the text that talks about today’s lesson. My apologies if I missed anything. Please open page 237 of the textbook”
Indifferently, Mira starts the lesson.
“The foremost person of Sacred Faith Magic, Sales＝Rigre, on year 38 of the True Light calendar……”
“……”
Reciting the jam-packed and incessant paragraphs smoothly. Because she doesn’t breathe either, she speaks word after word without rest for about 45 minutes.
“That is all, is there any question thus far?”
“……”
“I see, I am glad. Well then, shall we move on to the next chapter?”
Saying that, she cleans up the whiteboard at a godly speed and goes back to cramping it with words. She was actually trying to finish three days worth of lesson in these 45 minutes. And then, as for the thoughts of the students receiving this lesson.
S……so boring.
At that time, the door opened once again. Over there, Asch was standing with a dauntless expression as always.
“Ah―――――! Why are you coming at this time!?”
The one who snapped at him was, as always, Lily. Asch placed his hands on his ears to avoid that large voice of hers and approached her.
“Lily-kun……”
“Wha, what is――funyu!?”
Asch squeezed Lily’s cheeks with both hands. After that, he pinched those soft cheeks and pulled sideways.
“Hmm……quite soft and bouncy. Looks like you’re healthy huh”
“Auuuu, hwa har hue haying(Owwww, what are you saying)……hese het ho(please let go)”
Cis, who was watching that, peeks at Asch worriedly.
“Sensei. You seem different from usual; did something happen?”
“……no”
Asch releases Lily’s cheeks and gently pats Cis’ head.
“Owwww. Sensei! I am opposed to violence! I am opposed to violence from a teacher!”
Lily complains while holding onto her cheek.
“It’s a punishment to you who’s overly lacking in the makings of a student. If I were to put in another way, you lack kindness and thoughtfulness”
“Wha……what did you say?”
“Normally, it’s a natural thoughtfulness as a human to worry about someone who’s late to a class that they don’t usually come to, is it not? You were nagging on and on because I was late. You didn’t ask the reason I was late at all. Isn’t that, what you call the kindness as a human?”
“Gu……gugigigigi”
She furiously grinds her teeth and tries to refute, but this too is Lily’s loss. She frustratedly sits down and starts writing down the text on the whiteboard in her notebook.
“Now then, let’s start the lesson, shall we……is what I would like to say, but Mira and I have some business to attend to. Go ahead and self-study. Now then, let’s go, shall we”
Asch pulled Mira’s hand and left this special classroom dashingly.
The students who were left behind were astonished. Everybody was lost for words at this blatant truancy.
“……what’s wrong with him……what exactly is wrong with him―――――――!”
The loud bellow of Lily, who shouted in the special classroom, echoed all the way to the other school building.
On the other hand, Asch. He pulls Mira’s hand and starts walking. He peeks through the classroom’s door, confirms that there are people, and starts walking again.
“Erm……Asch-sama. What is the matter?”
“……”
Asch peeps through the classroom’s door and confirms whether or not there are people without answering anything.
Asch, who found an empty classroom before long, went in there and locked the classroom’s door. And then, he immediately hugged Mira tightly with all his strength.
“Asch-sama……”
“u’ u’ u’ u’ u’ u’ u’ uu……u’ u’ u’ u’ u’ u’ u’……”
He was crying. Asch, who places his forehead on Mira’s neck, wails in tears.
“……”
“Again……again……it was no good……I thought that this time for sure. Her hatred was genuine. Her feelings were……but……it was no good……”
“……is that so”
“Hey, tell me! How do you kill me? Until when do I have to live? Until when……I don’t want……to be by myself……anymore……u’ u’ u’ u’ u’ u’ u’ uu……”
Asch is extremely afraid of himself getting wounded. As for why, it is because it ends up poking at the fact that he is unable to die. It’s not knowing his death, but knowing that he can’t die, that Asch is afraid of more than anything.
“……Asch-sama……you have me. I, will always be by your side”
Mira tenderly embraces Asch’s shoulders and gently leans her head.
The second woman Asch loved was called Leia. He met her when he was 30 years old and fell in love with her, and she too loved Asch. After that, the two of them got married. She aged, and Asch remained young, but their relationship didn’t change, and the two of them remained in love.
Before long, when Asch turned 70 years old, she passed on, and he became alone. Ever since then, this Dark Magician, he stopped having deep relationships with people. The sorrow of having lost her was way too deep, and he didn’t have the courage to go as far as to suffer that injury again to love someone.
After that, 50 years passed, and Asch created a single doll. A doll that can accompany him beyond eternity. A toy so that Asch won’t be lonely even if he’s left by himself. Asch poured his heart and soul and created it.
“Aah……aah……that’s right. I, have you……Mira……let’s quickly, give you human emotions. When that time comes, you can become human”
Asch said, and he changed completely, smiling from ear to ear and stroking Mira’s cheek.
It……was way too beautiful to call a smile, and it looked horribly twisted.
