Chapter 2 – ２ – Naru, Suzu, and the Red-Haired Girl

Entrance Ceremony Arc

“O humanity. I shall bestow power upon you. In exchange, henceforth, matters upon which you cannot reach a compromise—where both sides are equally right—shall be decided through duels.”

That happened a little over sixty years ago.

At that time, while humanity was in a state of tension known as the Cold War, a non-human entity claiming to be a Goddess suddenly appeared.

The Goddess bestowed a power called “Masquerade” upon mankind.

It was a power akin to magic, which in the era of the Cold War had already been dismissed as mere trickery or sleight of hand. It was a technology dependent on magical power—a force that, while unstable, was far too immense for a single individual to possess.

The Goddess urged that conflicts between nations, or between individuals, be settled through duels using the Masquerade. By doing so, she sought to prevent the destruction of the world and reduce the number of senseless deaths.

Naturally, there was backlash and confusion.

One of the great powers of the time denounced the Goddess as a fraud masquerading as a deity and launched a unilateral attack… only for the heads of its entire leadership to end up lined up in execution.

Countries that refused to acknowledge other gods rejected the technology entirely, only to be overrun by nations that had embraced it.

In the land of a certain dictator, a subordinate slew the dictator under the guise of a duel, and that subordinate was in turn slain in another duel, leading to a cycle of endless chaos.

Nations that failed to abide by the rules of dueling were reduced to ruined states by the Goddess and her subordinates.

Those who sought loopholes in the dueling system eventually found themselves isolated, with no choice but to bow in submission.

Leaders who took hardline measures in search of superior Duelists were ousted by those very Duelists.

Numerous tribes vanished, caught in the crossfire of fools who misjudged the scales of a duel.

It is an undeniable fact that the technology brought by the Goddess caused countless misfortunes.

However, there were also many things that could clearly be called improvements.

The possibility of the world perishing in a ridiculous conflict like a nuclear war became infinitely low.

With the Goddess acting as an overseer, villains were forced to diminish their influence.

New technologies were born, stemming from the foundations of Masquerade techniques.

Stagnant disputes, where both parties were “good” but lacked clarity, were cut away.

The world had clearly begun to walk toward the light.

And now.

People have come to call those who engage in duels using the Masquerade “Duelists.”

A superior Duelist is seen as a direct reflection of a nation’s power and status; thus, securing and training Duelists became an urgent priority for every country.

Consequently, nations established academies for Duelists to raise the youth who would carry the future of their respective countries.

✧

“So, we’re expected to become those ‘superior Duelists,’ which is why we’ve been plucked from a middle school in the middle of nowhere to enter a giant academy that’s basically its own city.”

Today is April 1, 2024.

The location is in front of the gates of the National Duel Academy.

In my field of vision, I can see the massive school buildings in the distance, the wide road leading straight toward them, and various clusters of buildings, including the dormitories.

This is the place where I will spend the next three years… or rather, where I will be living.

“I think it’s more like ‘Naru’ than ‘we.’ I only got a B-Rank Evaluation, so I don’t think expectations for me are that high.”

“Nah, just look at the other New Students passing through the gates. Every single person here is way smarter than I am. I have a feeling Suzu will end up being a far more excellent Duelist than a moron like me, who got in solely based on an A-Rank Evaluation.”

My name is Midorikawa Naruki, and those close to me call me Naru.

I am someone whose attendance at the National Duel Academy was forcibly decided for the sole reason that my Magic Capacity—an essential element for handling the Masquerade—was high enough to earn an A-Rank Evaluation in the national synchronized exam during my third year of middle school.

To be honest, I’m well aware that aside from my Magic Capacity, the only things I have to be proud of are my face and my physique, so I feel incredibly out of place.

“That’s why expectations are high for Suzu too. In fact, back home, people are definitely expecting more from Suzu.”

“I wonder… Hmm, I don’t really care about anyone’s expectations but yours, Naru. But if you’re expecting things from me, maybe I’ll give it my best shot.”

Standing beside me is my childhood friend.

Her name is Minasono Suzumi, and her nickname is Suzu.

With snow-white hair reaching down to her chest and purple eyes that look as if they were colored with vivid paint, her color palette would have been called otherworldly in the past, but for our generation, it isn’t that rare.

According to the Goddess, it’s simply a result of the body adapting to magical power.

More noteworthy, however, is her intelligence.

I got in on Magic Capacity alone, but Suzu didn’t have that much. Therefore, she studied relentlessly and survived a war-like entrance exam process that selected students from among thousands of people who had received a B-Rank Magic Capacity.

The sheer scale of her effort… internally, it’s almost frightening.

“Well, there’s no point in just staring at the view forever. Let’s head in.”

“Right.”

We walk down the tree-lined path where cherry blossoms are dancing in the air. Enjoying the scent and the scenery, we head toward our destination, careful not to slip on the fallen petals.

“Let’s see… New Students first go to the auditorium for the entrance ceremony. After that, we move to the Great Hall. It looks like we’ll receive our Devices there and perform our first Masquerade. Since Naru got an A-Rank Evaluation, you’re up first in front of everyone.”

“By ‘first,’ do you mean along with the other A-Rank Evaluated students?”

“Nope. Doesn’t look like it. The documents say you’re truly the very first. I mean, Naru, this was addressed to you, so you should really read it yourself.”

“Too many words… I just can’t. I’ve learned that it’s better to leave this stuff to Suzu since she can break it down and explain it to me.”

Naturally, Suzu is the one leading the way, not me. From our long history together, I know that things go more smoothly when I leave this sort of thing to her.

So, I continue walking, following behind Suzu…

“Kya!?”

“Whoops.”

Startled by a woman’s sudden cry, I spin around and reflexively reach out to support her.

“You okay?”

“Eh, ah, yes. I’m sorry. Ah, thank you very much.”

Standing there was a girl with flame-red hair tied in a ponytail, and eyes of the same fiery red directed toward me.

Judging by her clothes, she is also a New Student, just like us.

It seems a combination of unfamiliar shoes, cherry blossom petals, and the fact that she was running in a hurry caused her to nearly trip. And since I happened to be right there, I was able to catch her.

“I’m sorry. I’m in a rush, so I’ll thank you properly later.”

“No, it’s fine. No need for thanks. I just happened to be there and did what needed to be done.”

“No, I can’t just… sorry. I really don’t have time, so I’ll see you later!”

With that, the red-haired girl dashed away.

I worried she might trip again, but there was almost no wobble in her form as she ran; it really had just been a fluke that she nearly fell. She’ll be fine.

“That girl was pretty, wasn’t she?”

“Yeah. Not as much as me, but definitely above the general average.”

“I love how you have absolute confidence in your own looks, Naru.”

Suzu spoke up as the red-haired girl disappeared.

For the record, my view of my own appearance isn’t arrogance. While preferences vary, I’m polished enough that if you asked a hundred people, about ninety-five of them would call me handsome.

“Still, I wonder why she was in such a hurry. At our pace, we should have no problem reaching the auditorium before the ceremony starts.”

“That’s just ‘circumstances,’ right? Like maybe her family already arrived or something.”

“I guess so? Maybe.”

“Either way, it’s not something we need to worry about.”

We continued walking at our own pace and eventually arrived at the auditorium—the venue for the entrance ceremony—which was as large as the gymnasium at my old middle school.

Suzu and I completed the registration and took seats as far toward the back as possible among the rows designated for New Students.

I did this because I know my large frame can be a catalyst for trouble if I sit too far forward. Besides, compared to the other New Students, I’m on the side that lacks motivation. Staying quiet in the back suits me best.

Naturally, Suzu sat next to me.

“Is the seat next to you okay?”

“Go ahead, I don’t mind.”

“Then I’ll excuse myself into the seat next to that.”

“Sure thing! Nice to meet you~”

First, a blonde girl with a strange accent in her speech sat next to Suzu. Then, a petite girl with black hair and crimson eyes took the seat next to her.

Shortly after, the scheduled time arrived, and the entrance ceremony began.