Childhood Friend

The sun was setting when we arrived at GRID 25, and I could tell Liz was exhausted after having such a great time at the theme park.

After escorting her back home, I realized that Akasha must have really informed her parents about the test.

Their faces lit up when they saw her, and I caught a glimpse of them nodding before they closed the door.

As I walked back home, I slowly processed everything that had happened.

A test that only seven people passed seemed a bit suspicious, almost like a risk calculation, I thought.

But there was no point in dwelling on things I didn’t fully understand.

I’d just ask Akasha later.

"I’m home," I said as I opened the door.

"Welcome home!" both my parents replied.

"I’ll rest for a bit in my room," I said as I headed upstairs.

"Make sure you come down for dinner," Mom called.

"I will, Mom," I replied, closing my room door behind me.

I quickly changed clothes and lay down on my bed.

Self Accel really made me sleepy, and after setting the alarm on my personal device for dinner time, my consciousness drifted into the dream world.

I woke up early to jog several kilometers before breakfast to work up an appetite.

Thankfully, I had set the alarm last night, or I would have missed dinner, and Mom would’ve been upset.

She’d gone to the trouble of preparing such a tasty meal, and just by looking at it, I could tell she had spent quite some time preparing it.

I also wondered when Akasha would inform me about the perks and how to access the forbidden library.

I felt bad for cutting the conversation short yesterday, but it was a bit awkward to bring it up at that moment. No point in dwelling on it, though.

Akasha would let me know when the time was right.

After a quick shower and a hearty breakfast, I headed to school for a Physical Education subject.

I was looking forward to it, as most of the time we played sports like basketball, volleyball, or baseball.

On other occasions, we tested our physical limits with running drills.

I changed into my P.E. uniform and made my way to the gymnasium.

Liz waved at me as soon as she saw me walk in. She was sitting on one of the benches in her school-issued P.E. uniform: black shorts, a white shirt, and sports shoes.

"Morning, Liz," I greeted as I sat next to her.

"Good morning, Rin," she replied.

"Having a bad day?" she asked.

"How could I have a bad day when I'm with such a pretty girl?" I responded.

She blushed slightly, then turned her attention back to the students warming up.

“Do I look upset?” I asked.

“More like a little worried,” she replied.

“I can’t blame you after what happened yesterday,” she added, giving me a concerned look.

“I had a ton of fun yesterday, and I’m really looking forward to the next time we go,” she continued.

“Maybe next month,” I said, remembering that Akasha had given me two tickets yesterday.

“Promise?” she asked.

“Promise,” I replied.

“Everyone, gather round! The professor is here!” one of my classmates called out.

“Good morning, everyone! I'm Gregory Tertius Rex,” he said proudly.

“I’ll be your special instructor today,” he added.

“As you all know, the Autumn Festival will be held at GRID 25 in a week,” he continued.

“We know, but the Flower Families are the ones assigned to that event,” Perc replied.

“That’s true, and this year, it will be the Rosa Familia,” Professor Gregory said.

“The youngest daughter of that Familia will be the one to perform a sacred dance,” he added.

“What’s your point, Professor?” Leonard Deci Pluvia suddenly asked.

“Did you know that the person who escorts the Flower Family’s princess will be her fiancé?” he asked.

“Isn’t Rin supposed to escort Liz, since they’ve been dating for over a year now?” Lia asked.

“But are you okay with that, Leonard Deci Pluvia?”

“You’ve been working hard as a protector for a year, even though none of your predecessors have a record of doing so,” Professor Gregory remarked.

“Aren’t you going to confront your feelings for your childhood friend?” he continued.

I could see the sadness in Liz's eyes.

It’s been a year since Leo and Liz last spent time together.

I know I’m partly to blame, I thought to myself.

“Aren’t you going to find out how she feels about you?” Professor Gregory asked.

“Are you giving up?” he pressed.

“I’m not, but what can I do?” Leo responded.

“Tell her how you feel,” the professor suggested.

“Why not show her your progress after a year of being a protector?” he added.

“Are you suggesting a virtual duel with Rinares Nonus Prospera?” Leo asked.

“Why not? Are you afraid of fighting the youngest protector of Prospera Familia?” Professor Gregory challenged.

“I’m not, but what’s in it for him?” Leo replied.

“I’m okay with it,” I said.

“If I win, you’ll give me a chance to be your friend,” I added.

Leo’s face lit up a bit upon hearing my condition.

“I’ll ask Liz to be her escort if I win,” Leo declared.

“Since both of you agreed, a virtual match will be held,” Professor Gregory said.

It seems we won’t have a proper P.E. class today, I thought.

“Rin!... Thanks,” Liz said with a worried tone.

“Let’s sit before Professor Gregory drags our thoughts into the virtual arena,” I replied.

“Akasha, permission to initiate Virtual Arena?” Professor Gregory asked.

“Permission granted. Calculating participants… Projecting Area Barrier… Initiating Virtual Arena,” Akasha’s voice echoed.

“Randomizing map… Map chosen: Open Area, Topography: Tundra,” Akasha announced.
I noticed Leo smile slightly as I approached.
“Maybe I’m a bit lucky today,” Leo said.

No surprise he’s happy—he specializes in mid-range combat, and this open area is ideal for him.
He had already materialized two anti-material handguns.

“Just to make myself clear, Leo, I’m giving you a chance, but I never intended to let you have Liz,” I said.

“Requesting removal of restraints and use of conceptual weapons: Dual Photon Edge,” I added.

“Removing all limitations… Materializing conceptual weapon: Dual Photon Edge,” Akasha confirmed.

“Are you sure you want to use a melee weapon? Just a reminder, you can’t get any support from Akasha in this duel,” Leo warned.

“Don’t mind me, Leo,” I replied with a smile.
“Since both of you are ready, the duel starts now,” Professor Gregory announced.

Theoretically, there shouldn’t be any conflict in a good environment, but just like our predecessors, neomans are unpredictable, especially when it comes to relationships.

While you can’t force someone to do something, you can ask for a chance or a favor in a duel if both parties agree.

You can’t kill anyone in reality, but it’s different in the virtual world.

There will always be disagreements or dissatisfaction when multiple entities are involved.

That’s why things that can’t be resolved through conversation are settled in a duel.

People can’t move on unless they’re able to do something about the things they want, and only then can the opportunity to move forward open.

Duels are meant to remove the “what ifs” in life:

What if I tried?

What if I did this?

Winning or losing allows the other person to move forward from their helplessness.

Remember, you can’t harm or kill anyone in reality, and that includes yourself.

Neomans live for over a century, so the quicker someone moves on, the sooner they can find happiness in life.