Back to my room. I'm really tired today. I fought Gil-san, a special class anti-magician, and met Silas-san, who is first in the pecking order. There is no doubt that he is recognized by the person who is the strongest anti-magician of mankind. That's why the pressure is so heavy. And the looming student selection battle.

　Many of the students in the academy were confident in themselves, for better or worse. Moreover, when it came to the student selection competition, there was no doubt that there would be people who were capable and confident in their abilities and confidence.


　I was anxious. I don't mean in a competence sense. I mean in a mental sense. Looking back, I was struck by a sensation I didn't quite understand when I came back from the twilight. The peace of that twilight life is a lie. There is nothing to fear. Just go to the academy, study, and go home. Even though that was enough for me, I felt a definite sense of frustration.


''........tadaimaa.''


　I know no one else is here. But since I've been living in a dormitory in the Third Warded City, this is a habit. Even if I know they aren't there, I want to say it.


　But this time it was different. There is someone in the room.


''Eh........''
'Oh....'


　So there it was, Shelly. And ... naked. No, technically, she was wearing a towel in front of her, so I couldn't see everything. Still, the glossy skin and the drops dripping from her hair seemed very sensational.


''Eh, what........ha!


　I look puzzled, but I quickly check the room. Yeah. It's a room in the corner, and there's no doubt that this is my room. The modest furniture in the room is also definitely familiar to me. Then why.........is there a naked Shelly in this room.......


''It's not.........!
"Well, what?
Well actually I forgot something here...
"Oh, you're next door and you left your stuff here?
So.....
'Yeah...'
So I was just sweating to carry some stuff around and...
'Yeah...'
You can shower while you're at it...
No, you can bathe in your room.
'Cause...　I wanted to get in right away!
'All right. All right but for now, I need you to get dressed. Please.....
'Oh....'


　With that voice, the towel falls off with a crunch. I quickly looked away and waited at the front of the room as it was.


''No, no!


　I never saw those ample breasts and supple limbs. Yeah, it wasn't there at all. No ... really?



　◇



Sorry for the disturbance...
'No, that's okay. I'm buying you dinner.


　I'm in Sherry's room, and she's treated me to a home-cooked meal. Apparently, Sherry is a self-catering person and cooks every day.


"Is it good?
Muguugu...............................it's too good to be true!
Yeah. Good, then.


　The menu consisted of hamburgers, corn soup and bread to accompany it. However, I was quite surprised to learn that the bread was also homemade. I just have a lot of respect for Shelly's culinary skills. I think it's purely amazing, because I can only do survivalist things in my case. When I was in the twilight, my only choice was to bake or boil, so it's very helpful.


'Is Yulia going to be in the selection round the day after tomorrow?
I'll get it...
I thought I'd be surprised.
Well, it's a lot of things.


　I didn't really want to attend. There are a certain number of students who don't participate in the selection round, but they still seem to come to watch, and it seems to be a kind of festival. It seems to be an annual event since two years ago, but I didn't know that since I was just in the twilight since then.

　Every year, only a few people from each city can go to the First Boundary City. And it seems that while moving through the twilight, they train for real battles and finally get an audience with the royalty.

　Royalty. It's someone with a special bloodline, but the details are not revealed. They, too, are said to be the hope for humanity, but we don't know the details of that. The only people who know are probably those in their entourage and the special anti-magicians.

　That's why the selection process is so exciting. Because being selected is like being told that you are worthy to carry this humanity on your back.


''Come to think of it, has Shelly ever been selected for selection?''
Not yet.
'That's exactly what I'm surprised to hear. I knew that if Shelly was good enough, she would definitely be picked.
It's only been a year since I've been strong.
You weren't always strong, were you?
Yeah. I didn't have any outstanding skills. That's why I worked so hard to become a first-class anti-magician. In that sense, you're a lot like Julia.
We have more in common than you might think.
Yeah....


　And after chatting for a while, we went back to talking about the selection game.


'Is Yulia going to show you that one?'
You mean the Invisible Blade?
Yeah. You'll be in a position to use it, I'm sure of it.
''I'm not sure. I'm thinking of bringing in a normal broadsword the day after tomorrow, but........
'Julia doesn't want to show off, does she?　Because I could have told you on my first day of transferring in that you had beaten me. And I wasn't going to deny it either. But you're quietly living your college life. Even though you've been bullied, you've accepted it.
Did you notice that?
Everybody knows. Do you know what they say about you?　What's with all the groping and cross-dressing?
'Oh that's another great assessment. But it's not wrong though, so........not exactly cross-dressing.
Don't you ever think about paying him back?　I'm not telling you because you're accepting, but honestly it's disgusting. What's the point of attacking the same people. We're here to fight in the twilight and yet...
'I know that, but I still don't have a real sense of reality, or perhaps that twilight world was too intense. For me, that world of wandering life and death was everything. So now I'm in a quandary again. And like the whole bullying thing, I'm afraid of people being afraid of me. That's the kind of power I have I guess.
Not all of them!
What...?


　Shelly rises from her chair with a clatter. Her eyes were filled with rage.


'Your power is not an object of fear!　Respectable stuff!　I've lived in the twilight world for two years, and I've learned to live through those hellish days, and it's more awesome than words can describe!　So ... so don't be so afraid of people ... at least I respect you.
Sherry....


　He squeezes my hand tightly. It conveys the warmth of a certain person and makes me realize that I am alive.


　I was just scared. I became a twilight person, and I became a far cry from a human being, having acquired the power of a different form. For normal humans, twilight becomes a poison. The demon race, on the other hand, twilight becomes power. But I........got my power through twilight. That's why I think that I am no longer human. That's why I think I'm no longer a human, but a being close to the demon race. Until now, I've pretended not to see it. I've been pretending not to know. Every time I looked at this right arm, I didn't know who I was.


　But Sherry says. You have to respect my powers. I was happy. I felt like someone had finally recognized me. I was glad to be back... for the first time ever....


'Shelly, I want you to look at my right arm.
That means...
Twilight Syndrome, level 5, or maybe even beyond that. I've been in this state for more than a year now. That's why I thought I was no longer a human, but a foreign body. Sherry, am I still a human?
Humanity is not something to be judged on the outside. A human being is a state of mind. If you have the will to stand up to the demon race, if you have the will to fight for humanity, if you have the heart of a human being, then you are definitely human.
'Well no, I guess I wanted someone to say that to me. But I think it's time to move on.
Are you sure you're ready for this?
Yeah. I'm human. I'm fighting for humanity.
I know it sounds a little funny, but if you could be a light to us... a light to cut through the twilight... how a little poetic.
I like it. The poem.
What?　You're instantly embarrassed when you say "poem"!　Stop it!
'Haha you're a poemer. Do you actually keep a notebook or something?
How did you know that?　Did you see it!
What ... really?
You got a sicko!


　It was a trivial exchange. But it was somehow comforting.


　I'm ready to go. Let's go, let's go, beyond that.