Chapter 64: A Bit Too Intense for a Rebellious Phase

《Good grief. Charging in with a speech like that without even telling me first…》

And then—right before the match. After that flashy showdown with my father, my head had cooled off a little, and I was now quietly showing remorse to Reicia-chan as she gave me a gentle scolding. …Well, not that I think I said anything wrong. Even now, I believe that if I hadn’t spoken up then, everything I’ve done up to now would’ve been a lie… But still… I guess I should’ve at least given Reicia-chan a heads-up before doing it. Acting on my own like that… yeah, not exactly a good habit.

《Good grief… …Good grief. Really now…》

Luckily, Reicia-chan didn’t seem all that angry, which was a relief. I’ll have to be more careful from now on. But… after saying all that, I have no choice but to follow through. I’ll show that idiot old man exactly what I mean—show him that Reicia-chan’s efforts are not “meaningless,” and just how cruel it is to trample on them without even realizing it.

“…Um, Reicia—no, Shiren-san. Did something happen to you?”

“No problem. I’ve just… worked myself up a little, that’s all.”

After lightly answering Yumetsuki-san, I continued walking toward the athlete entrance gate. Yeah… I was fired up now, no doubt about it.

I’ll show you, old man. I’ll show you that Reicia-chan’s efforts were never meaningless!

Chapter 1 — The Cooper Doesn’t Catch the Wind — Psicopics.
Episode 53: A Bit Too Intense for a Rebellious Phase — Daughter’s_Anger.

“…Where did I go wrong, I wonder…”

── Parents’ spectator seating.

It should have been a place filled with the joy of watching their children grow. Yet, in one corner, there was a seat radiating a suffocating heaviness that was almost comical. It was the seat of the blond-haired, blue-eyed Blackguard couple.

Ever since taking his seat, Gilbert Blackguard had been like this—slumped forward as if something was crushing him, muttering the same words over and over in a groaning voice. Well, that just goes to show how much of a shock it was. The daughter he’d cherished as the apple of his eye had suddenly grabbed him by the collar and practically spat her rebellion in his face. For the already timid Gilbert, it was an experience that went far, far beyond what he could handle in one sitting.

“…I wouldn’t know either.”

“I thought so… Uuugh, how am I even supposed to apologize…”

Gilbert buried his head in his hands again. Loretta looked like a mother who’d just been blindsided by an unexpected punch from her rebellious daughter, but for the doting Gilbert, this was a blow on the level of being handed divorce papers from his own child.

“…Sigh. Look, dear, Reicia and the others are coming in now.”

Still filming with a handheld camera, Loretta called to Gilbert. Since it was the athlete entrance, the students of Tokiwadai were lined up at the arch-shaped entry gate, with Reicia at the very front, standing tall and proud. Behind her were Shika, Kiryu, and Amiya—members of their faction, GMDW. Of course, strictly speaking, they were participating as Tokiwadai Middle School, so there were a few students who weren’t part of GMDW, and some GMDW members were competing at other venues, so it wasn’t their full roster.

“Reicia’s gotten pretty close to her friends, hasn’t she…”

Gilbert murmured quietly as he watched. In his memory, Reicia had always been solitary. As the Blackguard conglomerate’s heiress, she’d been given all the knowledge necessary for running the organization.

Perhaps because he’d spoiled her a little, she’d grown up with a proud, lofty attitude, and in the years before she came to Academy City, she hadn’t had any real friends. Even after arriving in Academy City, from what he’d seen directly at the Daihaseisai and indirectly through letters, Reicia had always been alone. And yet now, before he realized it, she had companions who could draw a smile from her like that. He used to think she didn’t need such things, but…

“Great! Touma, looks like we made it in time!”

“Hff, hff… I thought we were done for when that car almost hit us on the way here…”

“Shiren and Reicia haven’t gone out yet, right!? …Ah, there they are! Reiciaaa! You can do it!”

“Yeah! Reicia, Shiren, we’re cheering for you too!”

…And apparently, she had ordinary friends from humble backgrounds, like them, as well.

“…That boy… he looks kind of like Touya… Hmph. So she’s got a male friend now? …Absolutely unacceptable. I’ll have a word with that brat—”

“Dear…! Dear…!”

Gilbert, looking ready to pounce, was restrained by his wife. But even that hopeless father, when he saw his daughter waving with a smile at the spiky-haired boy who had come to cheer for her, lost the will to charge over. The fact that she didn’t wave at him—even though she’d glanced his way—seemed to leave him quietly wounded, though. Loretta couldn’t help thinking that dealing with fathers of rebellious daughters was a real hassle.

Alright, it’s about time for the competition to start.

That said, the obstacle race isn’t just one group running and then it’s over. It’s not a relay, but a total of five groups will run, and the combined results determine the points for the obstacle race.

What I—well, more accurately, what Reicia-chan—strictly ordered the members of GMDW was:

『Listen closely, everyone. In the obstacle race, GMDW accounts for four of the five participants. The one outside our faction is irrelevant, but—we aim for nothing less than first place in every run.』

That’s the gist of it.

Yumetsuki-san, the second-year powerhouse Tsunemi-san, the second-year Kiryu Kiryu-san, and the first-year Amiya-san—all of them were, needless to say, more than motivated for this.

"Amiya-san. Don’t overthink your ability—just think of it as adding interference the moment an obstacle comes your way."

"Adding interference… I understand, indeed!"

"S-s-s-s, Konagi-san, try not to get too nervous."

"Kiryu-san, aren’t you the one looking nervous~?"

"N-n-no, this is just how I naturally am!"

"Alright, alright. It’s good that you’re all fired up, but don’t let your guard down either."

Right before the match, we were the only ones chatting away like this. Not that we had to stay quiet—the crowd was buzzing anyway—but most people get tense and clam up before a race.

We, on the other hand, had plenty of drive but weren’t really nervous. Since I was running in the first heat, the others seemed relatively relaxed.

"S-so this is the GMDW led by Reicia Blackguard…!"

…The one student who accidentally got mixed in with us, Kongo-san, I did feel a bit sorry for.

Yes—surprisingly enough, the Tokiwadai team had Kongo-san this time. This was almost our first time meeting her (we’d only exchanged greetings during the event briefing), so I wasn’t quite sure about the distance between us yet…

Still, it seemed she had already taken notice of me. Well, good or bad, Reicia-chan’s face is pretty well-known.

『Alrighty! The play-by-play commentary will be brought to you by yours truly—the gal ninja! And—』

『Color commentary will be by me! Thanks to an unexpected day off, “Written as life, read as imouto” is here to bring you the action, nya!』

…Tsuchimikado-san. Just what are you doing here…? And what about your events? Well, I suppose you’re fine or you wouldn’t be here…

『First heat will be Tokiwadai Middle School, Ryouran Home Economics Girls’ School, Shidarezakura Academy, and Sakegawa Middle School, nya~! Judging from this lineup, the completely ordinary Sakegawa might be at a disadvantage—?』

"You sure talk big… My race isn’t going to be easy for anyone, you know."

I couldn’t blame Reicia-chan for sounding a little displeased.

For Tokiwadai Middle’s first runner—me—our opponents were: Ryouran Home Economics Girls’ School’s first runner, Kumokawa Maria; Shidarezakura Academy’s first runner, Yumiya Rakko; and Sakegawa Middle School’s first runner, Saten Ruiko.

I didn’t know this Yumiya person, but the others were all people who had made names for themselves even in the “official history” we knew. Especially Kumokawa Maria—she was a real veteran who fought her way through battlefields swarming with Gremlin. Underestimating her would get me utterly crushed.

And that Yumiya person… Our faction’s pre-race investigation didn’t turn up anything on her. Normally, even if a student is careful about their online presence, at least one of their friends is bound to be careless enough to leak some info. Yet, for her, nothing. She must either have ridiculously high net literacy—or be a complete loner…

Whoops, no time for idle speculation.

The match is about to start, and I need to focus.

"On your marks! Reeeady—…"

The teacher holding the starter pistol raised it high into the air.

And then—

Bang!

With the sharp crack of gunpowder echoing through the autumn sky, the four of us, including myself, launched forward.

"!"

The first to make a move was Maria-san. Spinning her body around, she lunged toward me with the fluidity of a soft-bodied creature. …I see. She’s trying to tackle me here and throw off my form, forcing me into an early retirement.

I could try to use Fissure defensively, but if I misjudged it, I might end up injuring Maria-san. She was probably counting on me hesitating over that and delaying my response…

"Too naive!"

Unfortunately for her, while I am the kind of person who might hesitate for a moment over things like that… I’ve got a villainous noblewoman—an actual villaines—who can completely ignore such concerns.

And so—

Whooosh!! The violent gust of wind lifted our bodies nearly a meter into the air.

In the spot we’d been just a second earlier, Maria-san shot past at the speed of a wild beast. Yikes… If that had hit, I’d have been done for.

"Hee… I wonder what kind of esper she is. Poor Reicia-san, being targeted by someone like that… knock on wood."

While Maria-san and I were locked in that exchange, Saten-san, who had taken the lead early, was muttering something…

"You seem pretty relaxed, Saten. That woman’s planning to take out everyone—so you’ll be in her sights soon enough."

"Eh!? Wait, Reicia-san, you’re already that close!? You’re fast!"

Using the wind from Fissure to boost her speed, Reicia-chan called out her warning to Saten-san.

Maria-san… lost a little time at the start, but her raw physical ability was still incredible—she was quickly closing the gap again.

The fastest, however, was Shidarezakura’s Yumiya. …She also seemed to have excellent natural athletic ability.

About five seconds after Yumiya reached it, I arrived at the first obstacle: a net. We had to crawl under the net laid out over the ground to get through…

"Mmph… As I suspected, crawling forward like this makes my chest get in the way…"

Even with a supportive garment to reduce movement, crawling meant my chest rubbed against the ground. It didn’t hurt, but it definitely slowed me down.

It was kind of like trying to do a crawl while balancing a ball under your chest. If I moved too aggressively, I risked either snapping the support or hurting Reicia-chan’s chest, so I couldn’t push my speed.

Apparently Yumiya was dealing with the same issue—her pace had clearly slowed as well.

"Tch… It’s humiliating to gain position in such a way… but fine. I’ll just take this as a way to build my own endurance."

Ah, Maria-san was closing in fast. Not good… and—there!

By the time I finally scrambled out from under the net and started running again, all four of us were nearly neck-and-neck.

This isn’t good… I have to open some distance here, or if I get held up unexpectedly at a later obstacle, my position could be sealed.

The next obstacle was… a vaulting box.

And not just any vaulting box—a huge one. The kind that, for most people, even if they tried to jump it, they’d end up just straddling the top. Maria-san could probably clear it with her bizarre martial arts, but doing it the straightforward way would be stupid.

"This is where I’ll pull ahead!"

With a zonn!!, a transparent Fissure spread out from my feet.

It unfolded as a platform only we could perceive, stretching up and over the vaulting box. For safety, I made sure the edges curled inward—no risk of anyone accidentally getting sliced if they ran into it.

And that shortcut… produced some dramatic results.

As expected, Maria-san used her strange martial skills to vault over, and Yumiya, surprisingly nimble, cleared it smoothly as well—but neither could match pure running speed.

Taking advantage of that, I sprinted at full speed over the Fissure, bursting straight into the lead.

『Ooh! A rule-breaking move that completely nullifies the obstacle! Why not just do the whole race like that!?』

『Nnya, just so you know, each obstacle actually has its own rules for clearing it, nya~. The vaulting box was “just get over it and you’re good,” but for example, the net crawl is “you have to actually crawl under the net or it’s NG,” y’see.』

『Which means… depending on the obstacle coming up, there’s no guarantee “Fissure” can always be used. That adds some depth to this competition.』

『Well, nya~. That’s where it gets interesting—whether it’s an esper who stumbles on obstacles where their ability gives no advantage, or a Level 0 who can handle every obstacle equally. This event might be just as much about that, y’know.』

With Tsuchimikado-san and the kunoichi’s commentary behind me, I kept sprinting at full speed. Alright, next obstacle is…

"Lucky! Now I’m suddenly in second place!!"

…Saten-san had somehow just cleared the vaulting box zone right after me.

『And now, and now—! Sakegawa Middle School cleverly uses Tokiwadai Middle School’s tactic to jump into second place!』

『That’s the thing with ability-based strategies—these kinds of developments can happen, nya~. Especially with setup-type abilities like Reicia Blackguard’s, if you can perceive them, anyone can make use of them. That said… I think it takes a lot of guts to willingly use some stranger’s mysterious power, y’know…』

No kidding!! Saten-san, you know “Fissure” can be dangerous, so why…!?

"Eh? Well—ahaha—I just figured, with Reicia-san, she’s not the type to use her power in a way that would hurt someone, you know?"

…Right on the mark, damn it!!

Damn… now everyone knows Jagged Edge can be used equally by anyone.

If I try to deactivate it carelessly, they might fall and get hurt, so… this is bad. If I’m not careful about how I use it, this could actually end up strangling me instead…!?

And so, the competition reached a fever pitch.

Some obstacles seemed almost suspiciously tailored to the organizer’s… personal tastes—like a sack race using the latest artificial muscle fabric that clung tight to the body’s curves up to the chest, or a Gekota-marked toddler tricycle—but at last, we arrived at the final obstacle.

『And now, the competition is at its climax! In the lead is Blackguard, with none other than Saten in second place! Following them are Unkawa and Yumino! Who could have predicted this outcome!? A completely ordinary Level 0 middle school girl clinging to the heels of an invincible Level 4 esper!』

『I mean, she’s basically been riding on Tokiwadai’s abilities the whole way, nya~. Still, having no hesitation at all like that—that’s its own kind of talent, y’know.』

"Rather, is this not the moment to praise my peerless competence that allowed her to cling to second place in the first place!? In this situation!!"

Reicia-chan complained at the commentary praising Saten-san, but saying that wasn’t going to change the rankings.

And more importantly, the next obstacle was—

『The final obstacle! The balance beam! This is one where interference plays a huge role, but can Saten stand up to Blackguard’s windstorm!?』

From the kunoichi’s excited narration, I could tell the audience was holding their breath in anticipation.

As the saying goes, everyone loves an underdog—the crowd was clearly rooting for the Level 0’s upset victory.

Well…

『Ahhh—! No good! She’s been blown right off the balance beam by the wind!!』

Of course, no such upset was going to happen—that’s what it means to have unshakable skill.

『Meanwhile, Blackguard herself isn’t moving all that fast. That’s allowing the incredibly agile Unkawa and the perfectly balanced Yumino to close the gap! Is this turning into a three-way fight for first place!?』

『The balance beam’s clear condition is “cross it all the way to the end,” so they can’t use the windstorm as a shortcut either. And Tokiwadai’s raw physical ability… well, it’s decent, but not outstanding, nya~…』

Tch… not good—they’re closing the distance fast! At this rate, they’ll pass me before I reach the end of the beam…! And even if I use the windstorm, those two aren’t losing their footing at all! What kind of balance do they have!?

《This is bad…! In that case, shall I use “Fissure” to make walls on the other beams?》

《No. Even if we did that, it probably wouldn’t mean much to them. Both Maria-san and Yumiya-san would likely find some way to leap over the “Fissure.” And if I made the fissure too high, it’d make the event dangerous, so that’s a no-go…》

Besides, if we went to all the trouble of using our ability to interfere and it ended up having no effect, then all we’d have done is distract ourselves. In that case, it would be better to focus on accelerating ourselves in some way rather than wasting energy on interference.

In other words—

"Dash, my dear!!"

I shouted, and began sprinting at full speed along the balance beam.

Of course, on such a narrow beam, that would normally result in an inevitable fall.

However—

『Wha… what is this!? Mister “Jinsei” — spelled like “life” but read as “younger sister”! This should be suicidal, and yet…!』

『He’s deploying “Fissure” alongside the balance beam, like a safety net, nya~. That way, the “cross the entire beam” rule is still met, but they can run without worrying about footing. And on top of that—』

"I can run without worry too—ah!?"

『…By deactivating the ability bit by bit, there’s no chance for those behind to use it, nya~. That young lady’s ability usage is actually evolving in the middle of the competition!』

『And just like that…!』

With the announcer’s victory cry of "Goal!!" in my ears,

we broke through the finish tape without incident.

The final results were: first place, our Tokiwadai Middle School. Second place, Yumiya-san from Shidarezakura Academy. Third place, Maria-san from Ryōran Home Economics Girls’ School. And in fourth place, Saten-san from Sakugawa Middle School.

Saten-san came in last, but since another Level 0, Yumino-san, had managed to take second place, the crowd was still thrilled with the results. Well… Yumino-san wasn’t just an “ordinary” Level 0—she was an amazing Level 0.

Honestly, she gave off the same kind of “skilled specialist” vibe as Tsuchimikado-san.

"Good work, Reicia."

Returning to the athletes’ waiting zone, I suddenly heard Father’s voice.

Looking toward the sound, I saw that he and Mother had apparently gotten seats nearby in the stands. They were both watching in our direction.

…Glancing toward one of the Daihaseisai staff acting as guides, I saw them give me a wry smile and a nod, granting permission to go over and talk. Grateful for the gesture,

"…Thank you, Father."

I decided to stay back to avoid complicating things and let Reicia-chan respond instead.

When she bowed politely, Father’s face fell in an unmistakably dejected way.

"Uh… about earlier—sorry. I didn’t think you’d get that angry, Reicia…"

"Do you understand why I was angry?"

At that calm question from Reicia-chan, Father faltered, unable to answer. And of course—there’s no way he could understand why I was angry. If he had, Reicia-chan wouldn’t have had to endure that pain in the first place.

"…I see. Well, I didn’t fully understand it myself either. But… I will admit, I was happy you got angry for me."

"…?"

"I’ll tell you the details another time. Just know that I don’t harbor nearly as much anger toward you as you might think."

Reicia-chan gave a faint smile as she said this.

I had a rough idea what she was thinking—she was probably remembering the past.

"In the end, it was a form of compensation. I wanted your approval, but couldn’t get it. So instead, I sought recognition from everyone in my own little world, just to feel my own worth. …A childish tantrum, really. And because of it, I caused trouble for a lot of people."

"Reicia…"

"I cannot say that only you, my parents, bear the guilt here… Though, well… I do hold some resentment."

Her sharp, piercing gaze made Father avert his eyes uncomfortably.

Seeing that, Reicia-chan gave a small smile and continued.

"But it was precisely because you raised me that way… that I was able to encounter the people I have met."

With those words, Reicia-chan gently took her father’s hand.

"For that, I am grateful. However… you saw it for yourself, didn’t you? The cheers from so many in the audience. The support of my friends. This is what I have built. Not as the 'heiress of the Blackguard Conglomerate,' but as nothing more than 'Reicia Blackguard.' This is the treasure I have woven for myself."

Grip—

Her hand tightened firmly around his.

"It was because you dismissed that value as meaningless… that I became angry. For that is an insult to the path I have walked."

"... … I… I’m sorry…"

Father lowered his head, looking dejected.

…Does he really think a simple sorry is enough? Does he have any idea how much Reicia-chan has suffered because of him…?

"It’s fine, Father. As I said earlier, I am not all that angry with you."

"R-Reicia…!"

Whether she’s angry or not is probably a concept Father barely understands.

But still, hearing those unexpected words of forgiveness from his beloved daughter, his face brightened at once.

…As for me, I still feel there’s plenty left unresolved. But if Reicia-chan says she forgives him, then… well… he is her real father. Differences in values can be bridged with time, after all.

"Therefore, in exchange… I have a request."

And with that—

The atmosphere in the room shifted.

Just when things had been settling into a somewhat heartwarming conclusion, a sudden current of something… darker, scheming… began swirling instead.

Ah, that’s right.

Reicia-chan may have grown into a more straightforward person now, but deep down, she’s still very much a villainess. The sort of girl who, in a racing game, would devote herself entirely to using sabotage items on her opponents.

And a girl like that… once she’s gotten her hands on such a perfect weakness, there’s no way she wouldn’t use it.

"Father."

Her face reflected clearly in his eyes.

Smiling sweetly—yet coldly—she spoke.

"I would like to annul my engagement with Mr. Nurikae☆"

At that moment, she was the very picture of a true villainess lady.