In the classroom of Class 1-D, Suzune Horikita stared at the screen, her gaze then shifting sharply toward the boy beside her.
In her eyes, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had always been a shiftless, unmotivated student. Yet the "Ayanokoji" on the screen—while maintaining that same lethargic exterior—was processing a staggering amount of information in seconds. He clearly had the capability to handle the three thugs himself, yet he had chosen to play the victim to minimize risk.
"Ayanokoji..." she started.
"It's just a video," he cut her off, knowing exactly what she was going to ask.
However, Ayanokoji knew that the version of himself on the screen was making the exact choices he would make. It was as if he were watching a recording of a future he hadn't lived yet.
Quietly, he reached down and performed a small experiment: he skillfully popped the battery out of his Student Terminal. The screen didn't flicker. Even without a power source, the broadcast continued to play.
This defies scientific logic, he noted, placing the battery on his desk. He decided to stop analyzing the "how" for now. Without more data, theorizing was a waste of time. He turned his attention back to the screen.
On the screen, the large thug looked at his empty fist in confusion. He had a firm grip on the boy's collar—how had he missed? Was it just luck?
"I'm truly sorry, but I really have no local currency. This is the only thing of any possible value I have," Ayanokoji said tonelessly. He reached into his pocket and produced a handful of small change from his original world.
To Ayanokoji, these coins were the least valuable items he possessed. He couldn't give up his food or water, as his survival wasn't yet guaranteed. He also suspected his phone might be a unique "artifact" in this world that could be traded for high-value intelligence later. Thus, the only things he could spare were these pieces of metal that were now effectively scrap paper.
The three thugs stared at the strange coins for a few seconds before erupting in rage. "You brat! Are you playing us?!"
Ayanokoji remained impassive. "My apologies. This is truly all I have." Internally, he was counting down. 'A fifth person should be arriving shortly. It would be best if I didn't have to resolve this myself.'
He drew a breath and shouted: "Help! Someone help me!"
The sudden outburst startled the trio. They hadn't expected the calm boy to suddenly start screaming for assistance. "Hey, shut up!" "You want to die?!" "Plug his mouth, quick!"
Just as they reached for him, the sound of rapid, light footsteps echoed from the alley entrance.
"That's enough!" a clear, melodic voice rang out.
'Finally,' Ayanokoji thought, tilting his head toward the source. A girl stood there. Her silver hair fell like a cascade of starlight, and her snow-white skin and delicate features were enough to stop any heart—if not for her lineage.
"Is that... a Half-Elf?"
"Dammit! It's someone with the same face as that Witch!"
"What a curse to have to look at her!"
In the squares of the capital and among the crowds watching the sky, whispers turned into venomous curses. The common folk spat at the image of the girl, hating her simply for her resemblance to the Witch who had nearly destroyed the world centuries ago.
"Why... why am I being shown?"
Emilia, currently standing in a real alleyway in the capital, looked up at the sky. She could hear the muffled insults from the main street, but she was used to them. Her amethyst eyes were wide with a mix of embarrassment and confusion. She had no memory of meeting this boy, yet the "her" on the screen was undeniably herself.
Is this... the future? Am I going to meet this boy?
Ayanokoji observed the newcomer. As a transmigrator, he had no context for the local prejudice against her appearance. Instead, he analyzed her tactical value: 'Appears to be my age. No visible muscle definition. Clothing is high-quality, unlike the locals. Not a guard... a sheltered noble girl, perhaps? No, she isn't useless.'
"Whose side are you on?" the thugs demanded, looking confused.
"Stop this now and I might let you go. Return what you stole from me!" the girl declared. Her voice was firm, showing no trace of fear.
Ayanokoji noted her urgency. It was clear the "stray cat" girl from earlier had stolen something vital from her. What interested him was her tone—she spoke with the authority of the strong. She wasn't bluffing.
"How dare he look at Lia like she's a specimen! What a rude brat," Puck grumbled from Emilia's shoulder.
Emilia bit her lip. She noticed that when the boy on the screen looked at her, his eyes didn't contain the usual disgust or fear she saw in everyone else. Of course, he was an outsider, but still... it was a strange comfort.
"Puck, it's just a vision," Emilia whispered, defending the boy she hadn't met. "And it's natural for someone in trouble to hope their rescuer is strong. Let's just keep watching."
"Stolen?" The thugs looked at each other. They had no idea what she was talking about, but her resemblance to the Witch made them uneasy.
"Everything else is fine, but that is too important to lose. You all look like good people, so please, just return it!" Even as she spoke, she kept a worried eye on Ayanokoji, who was still being held by his collar.
"You're not here to save him?" the large thug asked.
The girl shook her head. "I don't know him. What happens to him isn't my concern."
"Then it's got nothing to do with us. The thief was a girl; she ran that way," another thug pointed. The silver-haired girl nodded, then began to walk right past the four of them as if they didn't exist.
"Typical. Half-Elves are so selfish," a man in the royal capital sneered.
"She's just going to leave him there?"
"Cold-blooded."
The onlookers felt perfectly comfortable judging her from their moral high ground, ignoring the fact that they likely would have done the same.
In the classroom, Kikyo Kushida let out a soft sigh of disapproval. "She's just going to walk away?" Her tone carried a hint of reproach, glancing at Ayanokoji as if to suggest she would have helped him instantly.
Ayanokoji ignored her. He saw nothing wrong with the girl's choice. If he were in her position, he would have done the same—interference was only logical if there was a clear benefit. However, he noticed that even as she walked away, her eyes kept drifting back to his on-screen self.
As the girl walked away, her white boots clicking on the stone, the thugs let out a sigh of relief. Even criminals wanted nothing to do with someone who looked like the Witch.
But she stopped. She turned back, her skirt fluttering. "Actually... regardless of whether you have my things, I cannot overlook what is happening in front of me!"
Her gaze turned sharp. She raised her hand toward the trio. In an instant, three jagged shards of ice manifested out of thin air, launching like bullets. They struck the thugs with unerring precision.
The three were knocked to the ground. Ayanokoji used the opening to step away, smoothing his clothes. 'Creating ice from nothing... magic. There truly are unique power systems in this world,' he noted.
The thugs scrambled up, one drawing a pair of short blades from his back. "A magic user?! You think you have the advantage two-on-one?!"
Ayanokoji took another step back, distancing himself from the combatants. He had no intention of intervening. He wanted to observe her capabilities and keep his own cards hidden. Besides, based on her composure, these thugs were no match for her.
"Lia is saving him, and he just backs away like it's a show!" Puck huffed.
Emilia was more intrigued by the boy's internal process. His rationality was so extreme it was almost mechanical.
"You're right, two-on-one is unfair," the girl said, holding out her hand. Suddenly, a small cat with a satchel appeared in a burst of light.
"A Spirit Arts User?!" The thugs' bravado vanished instantly. Realizing they were outclassed, they scooped up their unconscious comrade and fled into the darkness of the slums.