Volume 1 - Chapter 1.5

From what Persia explained, Imperial Knights Academy is a school that has implemented unique, first-in-the-world educational systems. It is a school that is outfitted with the newest and most exuberant facilities. Of course, it is a very harsh school. If one wants to have a decent learning environment, then one must get good grades. This is the fate of the students who attend the academy.

Their fate was decided by two main systems.

Firstly, the class division system. Their class division is determined based upon the results of the enrolment test, which we have the paper test and practical fight test. According to their scores, the students are assigned to one of the sixteen classes, from Class S, the best, to Class C-6, the worst.

For the paper test, the students with an overall mark between 0 and 39 are ranked C, 40 to 59 are ranked B, 60 to 79 are ranked A, 80 to 100 are ranked S. Though, there’s an interview session included, and most of the marks were given by the principal (which he was the only interviewer, he interviewed more than 4000 students), and he’s the one who decides who leaves and stays. That’s why we had a mark of zero as the lowest, that’s actually the minimum score he gives for passing.

By the way, I was told by Persia that my paper test was placed at Rank S by the principal. Though I hate him, but he’d at least approve me that much.

As for the practical fight test, I will know later.

Now, the ranking system.

The ranking system is separated into two subsystems, academic results and duels.

The first subsystem, academic results. In every semester, every student must attend every tests and quiz, those who failed in either one of the quiz or test will be expelled from the academy without a doubt. Though, the maximum marks for the normal test are 100 marks, but it seems the final exam on each semester works entirely different.

Within a time limit of one hour, the students are allowed to answer as many questions as they want, and there’s no limit to their maximum marks. In the final results, the total marks in every subject are all added together, obviously, the higher the marks, the higher your rank.

The second subsystem, duels. To encourage students to be physically fit, a duel system is created. No matter how great you are in a fight, you’d get expelled whenever you failed your exam. So the duel system is more like an extra system to let you raise your ranking, and it’s not really necessary to participate in it. You can choose whether you want or not, but surely, there’s a benefit in raising your rankings.

The class you were placed could be changed afterwards, depending on your school ranking in the Imperial Knights Academy. As for how to change, just defeat an opponent who’s in a higher class rank but with a lower or same academic result. The system will record every data during the duel and judge your performance, then the principal will decide whether you were allowed to transfer or not.

Generally, if you win, he’d approve without hesitation. The opponent’s rank will undoubtedly be lowered, but as for how much it drops it all depends on his performance during the duel. If it was a close call for him, then he might’ve been dropped to just one rank below you. If it was an instant win for you, then his rank will be lowered drastically and even get demoted to a lower-ranked class.

If you lose, then he’d check on your performance through the system’s recorded data. If your performance is better than your latest results, then he might transfer you to the upper class and just a rank below your opponent. If you were defeated instantly, your ranking remains unchanged. Nevertheless, once you lose, there will be a cooling period for 3 months, and you can only challenge again after 3 months.

The ranking system is updated each day.

“That’s practically the gist of it,” Persia concluded.

By the way, we are now riding the lift to the lowest floor, the basement.

“Such a long way down.”

We’d been going down for quite some time already.

“Because it’s 260 feet below the ground,” Persia replied.

That’s pretty deep. Is that really necessary?

“Come to think of it, you said the fourth floor is your personal floor— then what about the others?”

“The fifth and sixth floor are the second and third-year president’s floor. The seventh is meeting rooms. The eighth, ninth and tenth floor are all the principal’s working place, not everyone is able to access those floors.”

Well, I can.

“What about the second and third floors?”

“They are for the club presidents. But they rarely use their offices.”

“I see…”

Perhaps I understood why there are so many seats at the lobby. It’s for the club members and the executives of the Imperial Knights Academy.

“You don’t seem to be interested in clubs.” She said.

“I just don’t feel like joining it.”

“Aren’t you just lazy?”

“If I had anything shortcoming, then being lazy will be the last thing on that list.”

“I don’t know if it’s the last one or not, but I’m sure being perverted is the first on your list.”

“Nonsense! You are the pervert! You even squeezed your body in front of me— who just transferred here today!”

“But don’t boys like this kind of stuff?”

“I already said I’m not into weird stuff! And those only apply to boys! I’m a man!”

“Eh… Only idiots say that to themselves. When the time comes, will you actually able to resist? Don’t look too highly upon yourself.”

“…You are wrong. I don’t think highly of myself— I’m referring to experience.”

“So this is the reason why you are a virgin for the rest of your life…” She said it on purpose just to tease me.

“…………” But I did not answer— nor fling any retorts.

If there’s an answer, then…

Perhaps, maybe, probably, perchance, possibly— I will die as a virgin. Because— a few months is all the time I have left— or even less… But I’m quite sure I still have time left till next month. Not even Restia and Ruby, who are the closest to me, knew the fact about this.

I don’t look like the type who’s waiting to die, right? Indeed, I’m not. I need to be strong-willed. I had all the more reason to be, though my job to be so had already finished its original objective. Now I’m merely spending the rest of what’s left of the time, risking my chance to come all the way here to find a solution.

Finally. We reached the basement.

The lift opens, revealing a large and long hallway that seems to have no end to it. But as we exit the lift, the conveyer belt below us activates and brings us forward, that is, towards what Persia said earlier— the training room, where I will be taking one of the enrolment exam, the practical fight test.

We are moving quite fast on the belt. It will reach by no time, I guess.

“The training room is just in front~” Persia said.

“Hmm… so what will I do there? You told me it’s a practical fight, so what will I be fighting? Robots? Or maybe automata?”

“To be exact, those things you will be fighting are holograms.”

Holograms?

“It seems a question’s bothering on your mind right now. There’s no need to worry, you will know later when you enter the room.” She added.

Is she trying to be mysterious or just thinking it was a bother to explain?

“Who, me? Do you really see me in such a philistine light, a girl whose motto is ‘honesty, openness and sincerity?’ I can’t believe you’d think that about me, Lucifer.”

Her motto is basically the synonym to the straight and narrow. Personally, I think her openness is shooting over the charts.

“Stop reading my body language, don’t change my words and don’t talk like me!”

“Eh… that’s too much to demand. It’s quite the hassle, don’t you think? I think you should just pick one and try again, and I recommend you to pick me~”

“Huh?” I don’t really get it. “And what if I pick you?”

“Then you’d get a girlfriend.”

Persia made a show of waiting for a measured pause, of getting her timing right before continuing.

“I will become yours if you demanded. Personally, I think I’m cute. So don’t you think this is quite a cheap deal?”

‘Become yours’ she said.

“I will do anything you wanted as your girlfriend. E-Even giving my first time to you…” She added.

She gazed away from me with her face reddens. I guess this is the limit for her to continue on the sexual stuff.

“I hate to break it to you, but— seriously, who taught you all this censored stuff!?”

“Eh…? Uwaa….! I meant my first kiss! What were you thinking? Your brain’s the dirty one!”

“Huh?! You are fine with touching your important parts but not kissing!? What sort of common-sense is that!? You can’t blame me! Your words are extremely confusing from the start!”

“Touching my chest, butt or thig— never mind. All of this is merely an act of sexual desire, an act of lust…! But a kiss… a kiss is a sign of love!” She’s serious about it.

Did she avoid to mention thigh just now? So she’s okay with her chest and butt but not her thigh. Quite mixed up.

“M-My thigh is sensitive.” She added— with a bashful look.

I decide to ignore that remark by staying silent.

…For some reason, she pouted afterwards.

“So what you mean is… it’s something like love at first sight?” I asked.

“It’s not something as cheap as that.”

A pair of black metallic coloured gloves appeared on the centre of the room, floating around my chest height.

What?! Gloves?

I took it.

There are some silicon wires and circuits attached in the inside and the outside of it, but how the heck do I use these?

Whatever, let’s wear it first.

It doesn’t fit my size either.

“So…?” I asked as I faced the glass window, pointing at the glove with my right forefinger.

“Ah…! Erm… these gloves are linked to your nervous system inside your brain. Just imagine a weapon that you wanted, and it will be installed on the glove. It is only limited to 10 weapons at most. But just in case, if the image of your weapon is not clear enough, weird things will come out. So… do your best~!”

The gloves adjusted to my size afterwards.

“Okay then…” I murmured.

Let’s start with something simple— a pistol.

Pixels slowly appeared from the gloves, installing the weapon that I imagined in my mind.

Wow. It really came out!

I grabbed the pistol. That appeared in front of my glove.

It has weight, how realistic!

To test it out, I pulled the trigger— but it won’t butch at all. I can’t disassemble it either.

It seems my image isn’t clear enough. How about this then…?

A barrel, slide with forward sight, rear sight and ejection port, grip with a magazine well, take down level, magazine release button, trigger guard, tang, the magazine with a magazine spring, and bullets…

…constructing complete!

Once more, I pulled the trigger— BANG!

With a slight recoil, a bullet fired from the gun barrel. As it hits the wall, it disappeared.

“D-Did you just imagined a pistol…?” Persia asks from the intercom.

“Eh? Aren’t I supposed to fight with guns…?” I asked.

“Ah, no. That’s not it. Now, are you ready?” Persia brushed it off somehow.

“Wait…!” I shouted.

“Eh?”

“Erm… you know, can you put a specific person’s head on the hologram? I think I’m able to go all out if it’s his face.”

“Sorry… it can only project a rough image of a humanoid.”

Too bad. If I put the principal’s head on the hologram, then I will be shooting him and laughing at the same time!

“It’s fine then… let’s start!”