Challenge: The Fool with the Surname Okayamine

Chapter 80: The Fragrance Chapter, 'Named Fragrance'

Thursday, April 20th, 5 PM, inside Raizen High School~

As dusk fell, a space quake alarm sounded outside, and at the same time, part of the sky above Laizen High School began to distort at a visible speed.

The deep purple energy distortion triggered a collapsing shockwave and chaotic spatial fluctuations, sweeping across the entire campus like a surging tide.

When the smoke and dust cleared, all the school buildings were covered with cracks, the windows were all shattered, and the closest ones had completely disappeared, leaving only steel bars standing alone. A terrifying giant crater appeared where the playground should have been.

"She's here. [Princess] or in the future, she should be called Tohka."

Ming, dressed in the [Divine Might Spirit Armor - Fifth Edition - Reverse], squatted on a distant rooftop, watching all of this, along with the ASTs hiding in the back mountain of the school.

"1, 2, 3, 4... 19? If I cover them all, there shouldn't be any problem."

Twenty minutes later, Shido also arrived at the entrance of the school building, which was in ruins due to the spacequake.

"Shido, you are really lucky. The [CR-Unit] is not suitable for indoor operations. Fortunately, the [Princess] entered the school building, so the AST did not dare to break in rashly."

"I understand, but..."

Looking at the campus that resembled a wasteland, Shido couldn't help but sigh.

"...This is something only Shido can do. You've been complaining all week, but you haven't skipped training. You want to help the Pokémon, right?"

That face, that expression, didn't fade with time over the course of a week; instead, it became even more profound, so profound that…

“Yes, I must never let her show that expression again, I must never let it happen... Kotori, I should be able to do it!”

“Yes, you must have confidence. This is completely different from annihilation; it's another way of dealing with elves, namely…”

"To speak with them, to invite them to an appointment, to foster their love... this is the path we have walked, the path we uphold, [Ratatosk]."

"However, faced with that kind of existence, does that possibility truly exist...?"

"I think you already have the answer to this question."

'Snap~ Snap~ Snap~ Snap~'

A series of rhythmic clapping sounds came from behind him. Shido turned around and saw a man wearing a goat's head mask standing behind him.

Upon seeing the person approaching, Shido's right hand suddenly throbbed with pain, and he instinctively took a few steps back.

Kotori's expression froze in her seat on the ship, while Reine's hand holding the coffee trembled almost imperceptibly, a fleeting change in her usually calm face.

"You are..."

"The world's only registered male Pokémon, the most evil Pokémon, [Flame Beast], what could he be here? Oh no, Shido, run!"

Kotori, anxious, shouted through her earpiece, but Mei had already put his arm around Shido's shoulder.

"A vile spirit? Wait... no!"

Shido closed his eyes.

"So, are you the knight who saved that princess?"

Upon hearing this, Shido opened his eyes, a hint of doubt and wariness in them. "What do you mean?"

Ming laughed, his voice sounding somewhat eerie through the goat's head mask. "I'm just curious, what makes you, such a weak human, think you can save the elves?"

Shido mustered his courage and said, "No matter what, I'm going to give it a try."

"Hmph, interesting." Ming released Shido's shoulder. "Then I'll wait and see. I'm very interested. Please, I'll witness it for you."

Ming bowed slightly and pointed to the stairwell entrance at the back of the campus, indicating that Shido should go up.

Shido took a deep breath and walked towards the stairwell. Ming, who was behind him, put away the auxiliary spirit armor that was affecting his walking and followed behind in his thin military uniform.

"Hey, Shido! Do you know who's following you? It's that spirit, [Flame Beast], who, according to statistics, was active in Britain and slaughtered tens of thousands of people (a scapegoat accusing him of this)!"

"I know, but for some reason, although I feel scared, he doesn't seem like he'd hurt me," Shido whispered to Kotori as he went upstairs.

Shortly after, Shido climbed the stairs and entered the classroom.

Sword energy soared into the sky. The mere sliding of the arm, imbued with spiritual power, produced such a terrifying effect. Ming flashed in front of Shido, and a spiritual power shield rose up to block the attack.

"who!"

The purple-haired girl standing in the classroom shouted. Ming took a few steps back to the side. Shido hesitated for a moment, then thanked Ming and stepped forward.

"Wait, I...I'm not your enemy!" Shido shouted at the purple-haired girl in a slightly flustered manner, then stepped forward and added:

"Calm down first!"

"Stop right there, who are you?"

A purple sword light flashed across Shido's right side, cleaving the wall in two. Mei simply watched, and Tohka didn't pay much attention either, probably already considering herself a follower or something.

"I am..."

"Calm down, Shido, the spirit's mental state has changed."

The analysis of the Ratatosk system has ended, and the automatic AI has now displayed options:

1. I am Itsuka Shido, and I've come to save you.

2. I'm just a passerby, please stop me and don't kill me.

3. Shouldn't you state your own name before asking someone else's name?

"It's here! Crew members, please make your decisions quickly!" Kotori gently bit the jewel in her mouth and gave the order to the Ratatos crew.

As the relationship advisors pressed the options on the screen, the third option's colored block occupied half of the entire pie chart.

"1. Although it may seem like the right path at first glance, this choice is quite suspicious and even disgusting."

A Mediterranean-looking man who identified himself as the 'president' offered a calm analysis.

"2 Needless to say, even if you manage to escape for a while, the game will end here."

Kannazuki is a very serious and earnest analyst.

"Yes, yes, not only is number 3 reasonable, but it also allows you to easily take control of the conversation, Shido! Did you hear me? Answer as I said."

Kotori raised her arm and gave Penny Way the reply.

"...I'll ask you one more time, who exactly are you!"

The purple-haired girl asked impatiently again, her footsteps slowly approaching.

"When...when asking someone's name...ah! Waaah..." Before Shido could finish speaking, Ming immediately rushed over at a speed imperceptible to ordinary people and covered Shido's mouth.

"Ugh... What are you going to do!"

"I know what you're going to say, but I advise you not to say it if you want to live. I suggest you say something like, 'I'm here to save you.'"

Ming brought his masked face close to Shido's ear, offering his advice in a friendly manner. The girl stood there, looking at Ming who had suddenly stepped forward, and didn't react for a moment.

Shido pulled his hand away from Ming's, considered his sister's answer and Ming's suggestion, and then answered loudly:

"My name is Itsuka Shido! I'm a student here, and I've come to save you!"

Upon hearing this, the girl's greatsword trembled slightly, her eyes filled with doubt. After glancing at Shido in front of her, she seemed to suddenly understand.

"I think I've seen you once before..."

"Yes, that's right, on the street on the 10th of this month."

"Oh, I remember now! I remember him as a guy who talked nonsense."

The girl's tone was slightly naive. Shido wanted to laugh, but she immediately walked up to him and first glanced at Ming next to him.

"Are you one of my kind? Your aura feels very similar, but why are you helping this human? Are you planning to conspire with him to deceive me?"

After listening, Ming nodded and then shook his head. "Yes, we are both elves, but I did not assist this human. I just happened to hear him say that he wanted to save you and found it interesting, so I followed him to see. However, this boy did not lie; every word he said was extremely sincere."

While Ming was talking to the girl, Shido stared at her lonely and bewildered face and inadvertently spoke:

"Why? Why would you make that face..." The tone was filled with pity.

"Huh?" The girl finished her conversation with Ming, turned around, and frowned when she heard what Shido had just said.

"You're lying! Everyone I've met says I'm doomed!"

"How could that be!" Shido resolutely denied.

"In that case, I must ask you: if you have no intention of taking my life, then why are you here?"

Another option popped up, and Shido, without even thinking, blurted out:

"Because I wanted to see you!" Shido's eyes were serious. "Um... I came here to love you!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than the purple-haired girl waved her small hand, and the wall behind Shido was sliced ​​open.

"Don't be kidding!"

The girl's eyes were filled with weariness.

"So why did you give me that look?!" Shido shouted. "I came here to talk to you, to stop you from making that face. Anything is fine with me, even if it doesn't please you. Just ignore me if you don't like it... please understand! I..."

Shido became increasingly agitated, and Kotori Itsuka tried to stop him, but to no avail.

So, I won't deny you!!!

The thought of not wanting the girl to show that expression had been repeated countless times in his mind during training. Coupled with Ming's question a few days ago, he was already absolutely convinced of it, and for a moment he forgot the fear of death!

"Your name is... Shido, right?"

The girl took the initiative to ask the question, perhaps because Shido's sincere words moved her and made her open her heart.

"You really...won't reject me?"

The girl asked softly, repeatedly confirming the question with disbelief, like a child who had just received a gift.

"it is true!"

Is it really true?

"It really is true!"

After hearing this, the girl's delicate body trembled slightly, and then she slowly turned around, shyly scratching her head.

Finally, she turned around, crossed her arms haughtily,

"Hmph, who would be fooled by such clumsy words! Baka! Baka!"

"However... then again... well... how should I put it, although I don't know what kind of ulterior motives you're harboring, you're the first person I've met who genuinely wants to talk to me properly. In order to obtain information about this world, I'll use you for a bit. Hmm, important, information, very important."

'She really is silly. No wonder she's called Silly Fragrance.' Ming thought to himself as he quietly watched all this.

Shido breathed a long sigh of relief; the heart that had been pounding in his chest finally settled back down. He composed himself.

Can you tell me your name?

"A name? Is that what you humans use to address each other? I don't have one, but if I have someone to talk to, then I probably would..."

The girl stared at Shido, then spoke as if giving a command:

"This is really troublesome. How about this, Shido, you help me think of a name."

"…………"

After a long silence, Shido looked at the girl as if he had received some kind of command.

"Um... how about Tomi or..."

Upon hearing this, the girl flew into a rage, and a round energy object slowly gathered in her hand.

"Wait, wait... that..."

"How about we call her Tohka?" Ming, who was practically stuffed from watching the drama unfold, finally came to Shido's rescue.

Upon hearing the name "Tohka," the girl tilted her head slightly in thought for a moment, then a smile appeared on her face. "Tohka, that's a pretty good name."

Shido breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward to echo:

"It suits you very well, Tohka."