Episode 5: The Loser and the Irregular
The two of them get in.
“It’s just like the manual. I read it desperately. I can do this! Go, me!”
Kaguya encourages herself.
Today is her first time using the simulator.
Originally, there’s an age restriction for KOGs, and only high school students, meaning 15-year-olds, are allowed to pilot them.
If you’re too young, your feet won’t even reach the pedals, and you can’t operate it.
It’s also because KOGs are dangerous, but mainly because you can only become a soldier at 15.
In Earthgards, 15 is considered adulthood.
“Fufu, this is going to be fun. I love seeing the faces you make when you’re crying in frustration.”
“Are you both ready? Then…”
A countdown appears on the screens in front of the two of them.
3, 2, 1… Fight!
“Begin!”
(Do your best, Kaguya!)
Kenyya could only cheer her on.
Kaguya is an Ace-class pilot.
But whether that’s now or in the future, he doesn’t know.
However, the result would be clear soon enough.
“Guh!”
“Hahaha! Not bad! You’re actually standing! Good, good!”
“D-Don’t underestimate me!!”
Kaguya moves desperately.
But operating a KOG isn’t so easy that you can do it on your first try.
Kenyya knows that better than anyone.
It would take at least a full day just to get used to it.
Even Kenyya practiced operating it like crazy, but at first, he struggled just to stand.
Watching the fight, Kenyya understood.
Kaguya isn’t an Ace-class pilot yet.
She’s a complete beginner.
“Here!”
“Kuh!”
She’s being completely toyed with.
It should be easy to finish her off.
But he keeps knocking her down and waiting for her to get up.
“Hey, Good! Go easy on her! She’s pitiful!”
“You can surrender, you know! Just give up!”
“You guys lose because you have such pointless pride!”
The jeers fly freely.
(I’m getting a little used to the controls. With this!)
“What!?”
Kaguya counterattacked.
It seemed to be an unexpected attack, and Good staggered a bit.
“Yes! Go, Kaguya!”
Kenyya cheers her on.
The other Japanese people watch as if praying.
(As expected of a future Ace-class pilot, she’s quick to grasp the knack of it!)
Her movements are still unsteady.
But even so, she seemed to be improving little by little.
She’s gradually pushing back against the Asgardian named Good.
“Kuh!”
“Haa!!”
Seeing that, Alfred moved to the control panel to operate the simulator.
“Hey, isn’t this bad?”
“There’s no way Good would lose, right?”
If it continues like this, she can do it.
Kenyya and the other Japanese watched with bated breath.
But gradually, things started to look strange.
Kaguya’s HP, who should be pushing him back, was decreasing faster.
And Good seemed to be taking less damage.
(Could it be… this is…)
Kenyya, sensing something, looked at Instructor Alfred.
He could see him operating the panel.
(So that’s it… this is…)
“Why? Why can’t I push through!?”
Kaguya was confused.
Attacks that should have been an exchange of damage were unilaterally reducing her HP.
Kenyya knew.
He knew about this phenomenon from his previous world.
(This is… the Handicap System.)
The Handicap System was a function for those with skill to play with those who didn’t.
It mainly allowed for the reduction or increase of damage.
Originally, it was a system for friends with different skill levels to enjoy themselves, but here, it wasn’t being used that way.
(So they don’t want her to win that much…)
“Fufu, hahaha! You guys can’t win after all! You inferior species!”
“Why… Kyaaa!!”
With a violent shake, the winner was decided.
The KOG that Kaguya was operating exploded, emitting smoke.
Good WIN!
“That was close, Good!”
“There’s no way you’d lose!”
“Fufu, I just let my opponent have a little bit of a chance. I’m a philanthropist, you see.”
He wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief and slicked back his greasy hair in a flamboyant manner.
And Kaguya also got out of the simulator.
“That’s not right! That’s not right, that was!”
“Haa, just admit it. It’s unsightly.”
“That’s right, shut up, Kurokami. Just declare your loss already.”
Instructor Alfred stood in front of the two facing each other, silencing Kaguya’s claims.
“B-But!”
“Are you defying me? A Second-Class soldier?”
“……T-That was…!”
Alfred slapped Kaguya’s cheek hard for still talking back.
Kaguya’s lip was cut, and blood dripped down.
“It’s really unsightly, you know? Not being able to admit your loss honestly. That’s where you guys need to start. You need to acknowledge that you lost the war and understand your position. You’re so stupid.”
“……”
Kaguya was trembling.
From anger, from frustration.
But the loser loses everything, and the winner gets everything.
That’s the result of a war of aggression.
It was an unreasonable act that seemed to embody that.
“What’s wrong? Declare it already. Oh, and don’t forget the dogeza.”
Those words pierced the heart of the prideful Kaguya.
“Ugh… ugh…”
Kaguya looked down, her head lowered.
She was sobbing, shedding tears of frustration.
“Oh, come on, there’s no need to cry. It makes it look like I’m bullying the weak. I’m just teaching you the rules of this world, okay? So… hurry up! Slowpoke!”
But Kaguya still couldn’t move.
Good slowly approached her with a sigh, lifted Kaguya’s chin, and looked at her tear-stained face.
“Seriously… but you’re not bad looking.”
Good, not even allowing her to hide her tears, looked at Kaguya with a lewd expression.
“That’s right, I’ll make you my exclusive slave. If you serve me well, I might even give you the right to bear children. That way, your children will be First-Class. You should beg while doing dogeza. That’s all you guys can do… Now! Hurry up! Trash!”
He whispered, then suddenly shouted loudly, threatening Kaguya.
Kaguya trembled at that, flinching, her face turning pale.
Slowly, tears streaming down her face, she tried to kneel.
“Ugh… ugh… my…”
“Your voice is too quiet!”
“M-M-My!”
Kaguya lowered her waist to kneel.
Seeing that, Good wore a vulgar smile.
(Ah, this feels so good.)
Good, with an ecstatic expression, was excited.
He was the worst kind of man, finding pleasure in oppressing and looking down on others.
However.
“Huh?”
However, things didn’t go as he planned.
At the last moment, Kaguya’s body was supported, and she didn’t kneel.
A young boy was supporting Kaguya.
“Who are you? I was just getting to the good part?”
It was Kenyya who supported Kaguya with his arm, preventing her from kneeling.
“You don’t have to admit it, that was your win just now.”
Kenyya was trembling.
With uncontrollable anger.
He was enraged by the sight of Kaguya being humiliated.
He had been enduring, thinking he should remain silent.
He knew he should avoid standing out now, not knowing much about this world.
He understood it in his head.
But he couldn’t stop himself.
His heart, his very core, was screaming at him to save her.
He just couldn’t bear to watch her cry.
That’s why his body moved on its own.
“Good… was it?”
Kenyya spoke quietly.
Like a volcano on the verge of eruption, he suppressed his anger.
“I don’t remember being called by my first name? Who are you?”
“Will you fight me?”
“What’s in it for me?”
“If I lose, I’ll do a dogeza naked.”
“Fufu, hahaha! So you think you’ve protected her with that! No! You both have to do a dogeza naked!”
“Fine.”
“W-Wait! You don’t have to get involved…”
“Kaguya, trust me. I won’t lose.”
Kenyya looked straight at Kaguya.
Kaguya couldn’t say anything to those eyes.
There was no basis for it, he shouldn’t be able to win.
But for some reason, she believed him, she was made to feel that way.
His eyes were burning so brightly, looking straight ahead.
Full of confidence, she almost felt like she could rely on him.
“Is that okay? Instructor Alfred?”
“Hmm…”
(He seems confident, but as long as the Handicap System is in place, there shouldn’t be a problem… right?)
“Fine, go ahead. You should know your place. This is also part of your education.”
“……Then, Kaguya, I’ll be going.”
“Eh? U-Um…”
Kenyya left the trembling Kaguya sitting there and walked forward.
Kaguya could only see his back, but that back, the back of the boy she had always thought was a weirdo.
It overlapped with the back of her older brother who had tried to protect her when she was young.
“Fufu, this is going to be fun. Well, I’m not interested in a man’s naked body.”
The two faced each other in front of the simulator.
“If I win, you swear not to lay a hand on her again.”
“Ha! You think a Second-Class like you can beat me? Fine. I’ll swear it. But if I win, you swear to be my slave for life.”
The two faced each other.
Kenyya glaring straight ahead, Good looking down on him.
The contrasting ruler and slave, black hair and blonde hair.
Japanese and Asgardian.
However, this slave, or rather, Japanese man.
“Then, begin.”
Was an irregular in this world.