Chapter 74: Fear, Seven Wonders and Anime song

Translator: Soafp

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On a night where an eerie atmosphere hung over the school building, it was natural for fear to arise when entering such a place. The warm summer breeze only added to the sense of dread. However, this group of five people seemed different…

They entered the school building, playing anime songs at a moderate volume…

“I still love the opening theme ‘Traditional Sanctuary’ from ‘The Failure of Magic Academy.'”

“Yes, especially how it starts calmly and then bursts into a feeling of liberation.”

“Exactly! And when the opening theme ends, all the main characters come together! That’s so great!”

“Karen-senpai, can you name all the main characters that appear in that part?”

“Of course! There’s Teru-kun and Mari-chan…”

Among the five, a man with a fritter-like appearance and a beautiful red-haired woman were discussing the illustrations in the anime’s opening. The red-haired woman smoothly listed the names of the characters.

“Come on, you two, don’t talk about things I don’t understand! It’s not fun at all!”

“Alright, alright, let’s calm down… I’m glad, though. With this atmosphere, it doesn’t feel scary at all…”

A silver-haired beauty puffed her cheeks and scolded the other two. Meanwhile, a yellow-haired beauty stopped her, seemingly finding this atmosphere convenient for something.

“What is this… There’s not a trace of tension in this night exploration…”

The green-haired beauty murmured as she observed the scene. Indeed, it was evident that this atmosphere was far from what one would expect from a night exploration or a test of courage.

Nevertheless, the girls continued to explore the school building.

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[Izayoi Pov]

Fufufufu, there probably aren’t many people in the world who would play anime songs and do a test of courage inside the school building at night like I do. Thanks to that, I’m not scared at all… I bet Kikawa Moegi is feeling light-hearted too.

“The first of the seven wonders is to ask, ‘Hanako-san, are you there?’ in the second stall of the girls’ bathroom on the second floor, right?”

“That’s right… Oh, now it’s the second opening of ‘The Failure of Magic Academy!'”

As they were talking, the first season’s opening song, ‘Traditional Sanctuary,’ ended, and the next song began to play. Just at the faint sound of the new song, Hihara Karen reacted.

“That’s correct. It’s ‘Traditional Sign.'”

“The first opening of the second season is ‘Traditional Perfect,’ and personally, I think ‘Traditional Perfect’ is the best… Ah, but maybe ‘Traditional Elegant’ from the second season’s second opening is the best after all.”

“Enough! Please, you two, stop talking! It’s not fun at all!”

“Do you have a strong attachment to something traditional in that work?”

Gindou Kohaku made a wall between me and Hihara Karen, seeming uninterested in the conversation, and Kikawa Moegi chimed in with a retort about the ‘Traditional’ topic. However, I’m glad she doesn’t seem scared. This should maintain her dignity.

During this first event, they hadn’t spoken this much before.

“Why do I have to go along with something like this?”

“I also wanted to catch up on the anime I missed, so don’t complain!”

“Now, now, both of you, calm down… Hiii, the window shook!”

Gindou Kohaku wasn’t too fond of interacting with people at the time. Hihara Karen came reluctantly, and Kikawa Moegi was simply scared.

Back then, there was no sense of ‘bonds’ or anything like that, so they didn’t feel any harmony… But now, I can feel something among them. ‘Bonds’ are of the utmost importance to them. It’s delightful to see that their relationships have become much better than originally.

“Let’s talk about things together.”

“Like?”

“Yes, let’s talk about various things that happened in our first year Class A.”

“But only you and Kohaku can talk about that. It’s not fun.”

“And it seems like the purpose is for just the two of you to talk…”

“We need more tension too.”

It’s evident that their relationships have improved. Maybe saving the world will be much easier than I thought…

While thinking about that, I walk through the school building where anime songs continue to play.

As expected, there are no supernatural occurrences, and Kikawa Moegi goes back home in high spirits.

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“What? Nothing interesting is happening, and it’s so boring.”

“Well, it’s such a shame! Really, it’s such a shame!”

“Why do you look so happy?”

“No! Absolutely not! It’s not like that at all!”

“You seem to be in great spirits.”

Kikawa Moegi tries to encourage Mel, who seems disappointed, but she doesn’t seem very encouraging at all. In fact, she appears quite pleased.

“Izayoi-kun, please stop playing the anime songs for a moment! The atmosphere between Karen-senpai and you breaks when it’s playing!”

“I won’t stop! I absolutely won’t stop! Izayoi! Next, I want you to play that classic anime song!”

The two of them are grappling with each other, while the fried horse mackerel, who is surrounded by beautiful girls, continues to play anime songs. It’s quite a chaotic situation…

And so, the summer vacation comes to an end, and the second term begins. The story starts to unfold.

Now, their battle is about to begin.

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[The author side]

In a room somewhere, a woman is writing on manuscript paper with a fountain pen. There are many stacked sheets of paper, and although she is probably a novelist, her expression does not show any joy. Instead, she looks like she’s tasting bitter medicine.

Then, a knock is heard on the door. The woman stops writing and invites the visitor into the room.

“Please come in.”

“Sensei, is it done?”

“Not quite yet… But writing this story is not enjoyable at all.”

“I’m truly sorry. However, our company’s major success depends solely on you. ‘if Volume 2’ is selling exceptionally well… It’s even surpassing its prime…”

“I see…”

Even though her books are selling well, the woman’s appearance doesn’t give off the impression of a successful author. The person who entered the room is probably her humble editor.

“I only plan to write up to Volume 4 of ‘if’… I accepted this job because you asked me, and I appreciate your support even before it became a major work… But, going beyond this… I can’t do it.”

“I know it’s difficult for you to accept, but it’s a request from the higher-ups. Since ‘Bad Ends before gaining magic’ is selling well, they want to promote ‘Bad Ends after gaining magic’ as well… They’re asking you to write it.”

“Even if you say that…”

“Please, our company is just starting to make waves! Please consider writing a new ‘Bad End work’! My job is also on the line!”

The man bows deeply. The woman sighs, looking down…

“Alright… I’ll think about ‘Bad Ends after the girls gain magic’… Just thinking about it… I can’t agree right away… And, please remember that I can’t draw ‘Gindou Kuroko,’ the fifth character, no matter how much you want it. Even if it comes out, it will only be up to Volume 4.”

“Thank you so much!”

The man thanks her profusely, his forehead touching the ground. Though the woman didn’t fully commit to it, she seemed to have almost accepted it. The man showed his gratitude.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

Afterward, the man leaves the workspace, leaving the woman alone. Then, she murmurs to herself.

“I’m sorry… For thinking about drawing something like this… I’m a failure as your creator…”

She looks in the direction of the posters on the wall, depicting five girls in silver, red, yellow, blue, and black.

“But that person is my benefactor… I can’t refuse when he bows to me like that…”

And with that, she holds her fountain pen again and starts writing on the manuscript paper. Even though it seems difficult for her, she continues to write.

Her hunched back looks tragic…

At that moment, the scene abruptly cuts off.

“What… was that dream…”

A certain fortune teller wakes up covered in sweat.

The end of the “Advent of Magic Outfits” arc.