Regressor of Yandere Academy – Chapter 5

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Damn, she’s strong!”

Ella, fighting seriously, truly lived up to her future as the Hero.

Fast, agile, and every clash of our swords felt like an explosion against my wooden blade.

‘Time! Time!’

I screamed internally, but she couldn’t hear me.

My pathetic level 1 swordsmanship couldn’t keep up with her movements, I was lucky to even dodge. But…

‘Next is a thrust!’

I memorized her improvisations and combos.

‘I spent six whole turns just to kill you!’

Eating, sleeping, drinking tea, chatting with friends, sparring, fighting demons – I’d dedicated all that time to defeating her, learning every quirk of her swordsmanship.

‘But!’

Clang!!!

Even knowing all her moves as the Hero, I could barely block her invisible, swift attacks.

‘Why!’

Clang!!!!

My wooden sword and her longsword clashed again.

‘Why can’t I graduate?!’

I’d struggled desperately, learning alchemy, magic, swordsmanship, and even a tiny bit of that cultish-sounding divine power. It was frustrating and infuriating.

‘Why me?!’

My frustration fueled my attacks, my sword moving even more aggressively.

“Gah!”

She gasped in surprise.

My hand instinctively moved, abandoning basic swordsmanship and unleashing the Dragon Swordsmanship I’d honed to defeat her.

[Dragon Swordsmanship technique used.]

[Dragon Swordsmanship skill acquired.]

[Efficiency of other swordsmanship skills reduced to 70% or less.]

I’d meant to hide it. I’d planned to use her as a stepping stone to the Hero trait, diligently raising her affinity and stealing it before betraying her.

‘Why…only you!’

She shouldn’t have rejected me, claiming we were “different” in my last turn.

How dare she look down on me after we were in the same boat?! You think you’re so special?! Bitch!

Clang!!!

I parried her longsword at close range.

Her blade, off balance, faltered, and I lunged forward like a dragon knight, aiming for her heart.

[Dragon Swordsmanship skill level increased by 1.]

A perfect execution of Dragon Swordsmanship. Caught off guard by the high-level technique, even with her level 8 swordsmanship, she could only flinch.

‘Die!’

The thought of killing her right then and there crossed my mind.

Thud!

“Kyaa!”

Ella’s scream snapped me back to reality.

Pant…Pant…

My wooden sword was pressed against her stomach. A large bruise was already forming.

I noticed the other students had stopped sparring, watching us.

‘What am I, her mortal enemy?’

Their gazes were filled with disapproval.

‘You don’t know anything, you bastards.’

But I couldn’t let them see my true feelings.

“Are you okay?”

I dropped my wooden sword and rushed to her side, feigning concern.

“…”

“Sorry, I got carried away…”

“Dragon Swordsmanship…”

“Huh?”

“Do you know Dragon Swordsmanship?”

Dragon Swordsmanship, a high-level technique taught only to upperclassmen. Mastering it earned the title of Dragon Knight, a legendary slayer of dragons.

There was some story about a knight learning it from a legend and slaying a dragon, but who cared?

I felt a sense of dread, but my face remained impassive, hardened by eight turns of experience.

“I saw it in the library…” I lied.

There was no way for them to verify it.

As a nobody from a minor noble family, the only place I could have learned Dragon Swordsmanship before coming to the academy was the Royal Library.

“…”

She looked disbelieving.

I probably looked like those students who claimed they’d only studied textbooks after getting perfect scores on entrance exams.

Did they actually only study textbooks? Or did they plan to say that to reporters after acing the exam?

‘At least there’s no way to prove it.’

I offered her my hand.

Ella stared at it for a moment…

“Can we spar again later?”

Her competitive spirit was ignited.

‘So far so good…’

[Ella’s affinity increased by 7.]

The affinity gain was a success, but the attention from the other students was a problem.

‘Ah, an event.’

This was the issue with showing off. Especially after causing such a scene in the second class of the day.

‘Should I have held back?…No, I wouldn’t have raised Ella’s affinity enough.’

The important thing was that Ella was at her weakest right now.

‘Overpowered bitch.’

Later, as she mastered various swordsmanship styles and her technique became more fluid and unpredictable, I wouldn’t be able to beat her with swordsmanship alone.

‘How can anyone block that? As if to say, This is the Hero trait, you losers.’

Her swordsmanship was unmatched.

‘Is this the first time I’ve beaten her?’

[Ella’s affinity increased by 6.]

‘Huh?’

At the same time, I felt a burning gaze on my back.

“Are you okay?”

As Cecilia approached with concern, I felt Ella’s intense stare.

‘Sigh…’

I should have settled for a draw, but I’d gotten carried away by old memories.

From Ella’s perspective, this was the first time she’d been thoroughly defeated in swordsmanship.

And…

The unnamed mage, Ella’s future companion and the source of much of my frustration and pain, was glaring at me.

“When did you learn swordsmanship?”

“Uh… I’m self-taught.”

“You’re both clearly not beginners. Are you aiming to be a knight instead of a mage?”

In this academy, specializing in one path, whether knight or mage, made other paths incredibly inefficient. Cecilia assumed I was aiming to be a mage because of my interest in mana circuits.

“I’m still thinking about it.”

“You’re still thinking about it with that level of skill?”

Cecilia looked puzzled.

“I want to learn many things.”

There were others who pursued multiple skills despite the inefficiency, becoming jacks-of-all-trades, masters of none. Since such eccentrics existed, she didn’t question me further.

‘As long as I don’t raise her affinity too much, she’s a good friend.’

She didn’t pry.

However…

“So, what’s this new mana circuit method?”

Like a true mage, her eyes lit up at the word new.

Her gaze was as fiery as her red hair.

“Actually…”

I hadn’t promised Spenny to keep it a secret. Since it wasn’t technically her property, I explained the mana circuit method to Cecilia.

“You maintain the mana circuit by weaving together smaller circuits?”

“Yes, avoiding the pressure point, like this.”

I traced the circuit lines on my uniform with my finger.

“Like this.”

“…I see.”

[Cecilia’s affinity increased by 3.]

I was tracing lines across her uniform, from her shoulder, down her arm, to her hand.

‘An innocent face…’

I maintained an expression of pure academic curiosity, hiding any hint of lust. The physical contact was purely for educational purposes.

I had no ulterior motives.

‘That’s what you’re supposed to think.’

I’d become adept at reading Cecilia’s expressions.

[Egenir!!!]

If I so much as spoke to another girl once her affinity reached 70, I’d be met with her shouting, and the other girl would be bullied into withdrawing from the academy.

‘And then I’d be ostracized…’

A PTSD-inducing academy life where no one but Cecilia would approach me. Everyone, male and female, would avoid me to stay on her good side.

‘Cecilia…’

If I even slightly displeased her, fireballs would rain down, turning my hair into charcoal. And then, she’d kill me.

‘I think her affinity was at 90 then.’

This affinity system was garbage; the higher it went, the more their hatred seemed to increase. Up to 50 was fine, but beyond that, their behavior became increasingly erratic and violent.

‘Past 50, it increased even if I did nothing.’

Once their affinity exceeded 50, it seemed to accelerate on its own. Even if I avoided them, they’d seek me out.

“Egenir.”

“Yes?”

Cecilia’s voice brought me back to reality.

“What are you thinking about so seriously?”

“Oh, nothing. Just…thinking about how beautiful you are.”

“What?! Don’t suddenly try those cheesy pick-up lines.”

[Cecilia’s affinity increased by 2.]

The affinity system didn’t lie.

Despite her disgusted expression, her slight blush and the system notification made me smile.

‘Right. I’ll raise her affinity, steal Salamander, and then kill her.’

I decided to keep it simple. Duels to the death between nobles weren’t uncommon.

I could quickly raise her affinity, steal her trait, and then kill the obsessive Cecilia.

‘I’ll kill Ella too…Should I spare Spenny?’

Spenny never became obsessive or violent, no matter how high her affinity went.

And…

‘Heh.’

Spenny was the reason I hadn’t gone insane in this academy.

‘In the teacher’s private lounge…’

It had happened often, and I could say Spenny had given me new life. Feeling a stir in my lower body, I slowly got up for my next class.

“Hey, peasant.”

My showing off had inevitably triggered an event.

‘Sigh…’

I sighed and looked at the pig-faced noble with his greasy hair and aristocratic bob cut.

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