Chapter 185: The Little Tail That Followed

  For Alex, the battle with the girl wasn’t entirely without gains.

  At the very least, it confirmed that the power used in this world could also be resisted and nullified by magic.

  And that sword…

  "A weapon with inherent anti-magic properties? No wonder she’s so fond of hacking away with it."

  During the fight, Alex had considered using magic against her multiple times.

  However, every time he was about to cast a spell, his future vision warned him that his magic would be sliced apart in a single stroke.

  With a weapon like that, it was no surprise that the girl’s combat style was always to charge straight in.

  Unfortunately for her, brute force was never the best way to fight.

  But that was her problem, not his.

  Shaking his head, Alex brushed the matter aside.

  He wasn’t some wise old mentor who would hand out a legendary sword technique just because a young girl showed potential.

  That said, finding one of the three key elements needed to unseal the soul stone on only his second day here was undoubtedly a good thing.

  Still…

  "Hmm… someone’s missing."

  Looking at the student roster before him, Alex frowned slightly.

  Previously, he hadn’t paid much attention to what the girl had said.

  But now, he was starting to understand.

  The name "Sakai Yuji" had vanished from his css roster.

  Yet, no one seemed to notice anything wrong.

  In fact, if he hadn’t memorized every student’s name beforehand, he wouldn’t have noticed the anomaly either.

  Not just his cssmates—his entire existence had been erased.

  Even Sakai Yuji’s own family no longer remembered him.

  It was as if he had never existed in the first pce.

  "What a miserable fate."

  With a soft sigh, Alex stepped into the cssroom.

  The moment he entered, the previously noisy room fell into complete silence.

  "Good."

  Satisfied with the students' reaction, he nodded before walking up to the podium.

  His eyes casually swept across the room—Sakai Yuji’s seat was still empty, yet no one reacted to it.

  As if, in their memories, that seat had always been vacant.

  Apart from that, everything seemed unchanged…

  Wait.

  There, in the corner of the room, stood a girl.

  She wore the Misaki High School sailor uniform, her face expressionless as she stared directly at him.

  Judging from her height and frame, she looked more like a middle schooler than a high school student…

  What was she doing here?

  "Alright, time for roll call."

  Alex flipped open the attendance book.

  "Sato."

  "Here."

  "Kusu."

  "Here."

  The morning roll call was routine, but Alex never got tired of it.

  Back when he was a student, he had often wondered how he would treat his students if he ever became a teacher.

  In a way, this was him fulfilling an old dream.

  "Hirai."

  Silence.

  The petite, bck-haired girl shot him a cold gre but said nothing.

  Of course, Alex wasn’t about to let that slide.

  Raising an eyebrow, he lightly tapped the attendance book with his finger.

  "Hirai? Hirai Yukari?"

  "…Here."

  Under his watchful gaze, the bck-haired girl reluctantly muttered a response.

  Alex didn’t seem to mind and simply nodded before continuing the roll call.

  He wasn’t sure how the girl had managed to enter school under Hirai Yukari’s identity, but…

  Then again, it wasn’t that surprising.

  After all, enchantment magic and illusion magic could accomplish simir things.

  Perhaps she had access to something like that?

  His questions were soon answered.

  "I simply inserted myself into the remnants of that torch called Hirai Yukari. That’s why I’m here."

  Standing on the rooftop, the girl gazed at the scenery before her while answering without turning her head.

  "During yesterday’s battle, that girl named Hirai Yukari was also devoured by a Denizen, her existence erased, leaving behind only a Torch. So, I temporarily borrowed her identity… This is something quite common for Fme Haze."

  "I see. What a shame, that kid was quite adorable…"

  Hearing the girl's response, Alex sighed.

  He had some impression of the girl named Hirai Yukari—though her grades were average, she was a cheerful and lively student.

  But the past was the past.

  From what the girl had told him, many people had been consumed by Rinne yesterday.

  He just hadn’t expected one of the victims to be his own student.

  "I see… Then, what’s your name?"

  "Hirai Yukari. That is my name now."

  "That’s not what I meant. I’m asking for your real name."

  Alex waved his hand as he stepped closer to the girl.

  "Hirai Yukari is the name of my student. And unlike you, she was a good, obedient child. So, I think you should have a name that suits your aloof personality."

  "………"

  The girl twitched her lips slightly, as if about to say something, but in the end, she only let out a cold snort.

  "I have no name."

  "…No name?"

  "That’s right. I am a Fme Haze, a weapon forged to hunt down Denizens. A weapon does not need a name."

  "Who said weapons don’t need names?"

  Alex scoffed at her reasoning.

  "Even weapons have the right to be named. For example, my sword is called the Void Severing Bde. Your sword must have a name too, right?"

  "Shana. That is the name of my sword."

  What an awful-sounding name…

  Though Alex really thought so, he decided it was best not to voice his opinion.

  Otherwise, he might end up in another fight.

  "Then I’ll take a homophone from it and call you Shana. Since you don’t have a name, you don’t mind if I give you one, do you?"

  "……"

  Hearing Alex’s words, the girl frowned slightly but remained silent.

  "Alright then, it’s decided."

  Since she didn’t object, Alex took it as silent approval.

  He turned and walked toward the stairway.

  "I don’t know why you came to school, but behave yourself. This isn’t a battlefield, after all."

  Though he said that, it was obvious that the girl had no intention of following his advice.

  And the reason soon became apparent.

  "Mr. Alex! What is going on with Hirai Yukari in your css?!"

  Sigh… Here we go again.

  Looking at the pale-faced English teacher before him, Alex could only sigh in exasperation.

  From the first period until now, nearly every teacher who had come to teach in Css 1-2 had come to compin to him.

  And the compint was always the same.

  Hirai Yukari— or rather, Shana— had absolutely no respect for teachers.

  Not only did she refuse to open her textbook in css, but she also had no qualms about talking back to the teachers when scolded.

  What made it worse was that her arguments were so logical that the teachers had no way to refute her.

  Some even felt so ashamed of their inadequacy that they had tried to jump out of the window.

  …Thankfully, it was the first floor.

  "I understand."

  Looking at the gathered, visibly agitated teachers, Alex smiled and spoke reassuringly.

  "I’ll take care of it. Please don’t worry."

  It seemed it was time to let that little brat know who was in charge here.

  ?? Unlock the World of Stories with Early Access on Patreon! ??

  Hello, beloved readers and supporters!

  I am thrilled to offer you an exclusive opportunity to dive deeper into our captivating stories before anyone else. By joining the Patreon community, you'll unlock a treasure trove of benefits, including:

  ?? Early Access to 20 Chapters: Be the first to explore new chapters, experiencing the twists and turns of our tales well ahead of regur readers. Your journey through our stories doesn't have to wait!

  ?? Connect with the Community: Join a vibrant, like-minded group of readers who share your passion. Engage in exciting discussions, share theories, and make new friends who love the stories as much as you do.

  ?? Support the Creator: Your patronage directly contributes to the ongoing creation and improvement of the content you love. Be a vital part of the creative journey!

  Patreon.com/anish_44

  https://ko-fi.com/anish_44