Magical Boy ~ English version

Chapter 108

The first trial went well and calmly. The other students and the remaining teachers waited with the rest of the spectators watching the screens.

Even without using his power, Nanaya noticed that Kōtarō was still rather quick. He ran here and there in the forest and even climbed trees in one run to try to find the wooden figures. Focused on the images, he jumped when he felt a smack on his ass. He turned, startled and confused, to Ichirō.

"Why are you hitting me?" Muttered the magical boy, "what have I done?"

"Damn," the Heritage student scoffed, "you're really too cute, you know that?"

"Is that why you hit me?"

"That kind of slap is affectionate, you know?"

"That doesn't give you the right!" Monaka cut in pulling Nanaya towards him, "you're just enjoying that Shime-kun isn't here!"

"I admit."

Ichirō shrugged at the menacing look the class representative was giving him. At the same time a clamor arose from the students of Ravenwood. One of their classmates, Morgan Booth, had found one of the numbers. She didn't take long to come back since she was near the entrance. She handed the wooden number to one of the teachers and gave her name to Amaretto, who was in charge of writing down the list of participants in the duels.

He had barely finished writing when another clamor was heard. This time it was the students of Darkeas. Their comrade Sakitaki Makami had just found the eight. Nanaya had already met her during training. She never used her powers when she was alone. Her ability to change into a magnificent yet simple sword, required her to team up with someone.

The trial continued like this. Nakamara watched the screens, a walkie-talkie in hand to communicate with the teachers stationed around the area. He was thus able to immediately warn them when an American student was injured. Sandman answered first, he was close to where the student was and was therefore going to take care of it.

Concentrated in his task, Nakamara did not immediately see that someone had placed themself right next to him.

"Mr. Uchiri, good morning."

He glanced to his right. There was a well-known man there. Model and hero, it was impossible for him to hide his identity. His hair was black on one side and white on the other, his ears pointed, and his skin with vitiligo was very light in some places and much darker in others. He also had a tail and claws. His eyes, one black and the other yellow, had a cross-shaped pupil.

"You are Noni Woods," Nakamara remarked, returning his attention to the screens, "what do you want?"

"Actually, I'm here as Rune."

"Yes, of course, sorry."

"No harm done. I'm Ravenwood's nurse."

"Besides being a hero and a model. That must be a lot of work for you."

"Are you the one telling me that? Do I need to mention everything you do?"

"You can at least remove "villain" from the list now."

"Of course ! But it's not like you really were anyway."

Nakamara turned his head towards him, raising an eyebrow. Noni just smiled at him, with all his sharp teeth.

"I'm a big fan you know." he affirmed.

"Of Experion, I imagine."

"...when I was a child, my father had incurred debts with a local mafia and they ended up killing him and my mother."

"You see me sorry."

"You don't have to be. Growing up, I learned about everything illegal and joined Ravenwood with the idea that if I became a villain, I could approach them more easily."

"Indeed."

"But eight years ago, in my senior year... I learned that this mafia had been decimated overnight."

Nakamara frowned. Eight years earlier, he had actually been in America to deal with a mafia.

"I heard later," Noni added, "that they had been killed by Experion."

"...I see. Sorry you couldn't get your revenge yourself."

"Oh, I don't blame you. After that I started researching about Experion and noticed that all of your victims were in the same kind. Well, mainly."

"I would have preferred to avoid collateral damage."

"Even heroes have somes. You didn't deserve that reputation."

"Experion deserved it."

"Yes. But Experion, it wasn't you. I started to see the difference by comparing your attacks to those of your predecessors. Your father was also Experion, wasn't he?"

"It is exact."

"But he didn't really care who his targets were."

"You must have spent a lot of time researching this."

"But they allowed me to say that I was not a fan of Experion, but of you. That's why I chose to become a hero, even with the villain degree."

"Well...I'm glad."

"I dreamed of being able to talk to you one day! I learned Japanese especially for this moment."

"...I'm flattered..."

"So...um...could I ask you something...?" 

He pulled a notebook and a pen from his pocket, handing them to Nakamara with a smile.

"An autograph?" Nakamara wondered amusedly.

"Yes !!"

Nakamara rubbed his head. Even being famous and having this title of the most attractive man in the country, people were still too intimidated by him. He had never signed an autograph in his entire life. He was flattered and embarrassed, taking the notebook and the pen. But when he took the cap off the pen, black ink immediately smeared on his hands.

"Argh! I'm sorry !" Noni exclaimed, pulling out a handkerchief, "it... it must have gotten a shock in my pocket!"

"It's nothing. Just a little ink. It will go away with water."

He accepted the handkerchief to wipe himself. Only his left hand was stained, since the right was smooth metal. Any liquid just slid over it, leaving no trace. It did, however, get on his clothes, he had to reassure Noni that it was no big deal.

Instead, he retrieved a pen from his own jacket pocket to sign the notebook and return it to the young model. Noni hugged the notebook, smiling.

"THANKS !" He exclaimed, "it will be my treasure!"

Nakamara gave a playful smile and returned his attention to the screens again.

Kōtarō had just found the number four.