Self-Harming Heroine - Chapter 3

I think I understood why Lucia tried to keep her distance from others.

I looked at the dripping blood with a bitter smile.

This is why Lucia was afraid of forming connections with anyone. 

She knew there was something strange about her tendency to self-harm whenever she got the chance. She must have been scared of being discovered.

Her tastes were different from others, but maybe her emotions were the same. Though thinking about the crazy things she did, like naked leash walks, I’m not so sure about that.

But I’m different from Lucia. I’m a much more sensible person than she is. It’s not self-harm; it’s training. I was doing masturbat— training from early morning. Right, that’s exactly it. I only did what was expected as an Academy student. And I even gained results.

By pressing on my wounds, I figured out how to control my abilities.

After all, super regeneration was Lucia’s power. She could control the healing speed at will, either intentionally slowing it down or, conversely, accelerating it. I was disappointed by how quickly it used to heal, but now I don’t have to worry about that.

Taking a lesson from yesterday’s big cleanup, I did the masturbat— no, training in the bathroom.

It was hard to clean up dried blood, so I made sure not to make a mess.

As a result, the cleanup ended quickly, and I quickly changed into my uniform; getting ready for the academy classes.

Growl.

Oops, now that I think about it, I haven’t eaten.

Since I was starving yesterday, I should eat something, but… When I checked the time, it was certain that I’d be late if I didn’t leave for the academy immediately.

Haha, can’t be helped.

I’ll just have to endure the hunger.

Let’s call it a diet.

Growl.

My stomach hurt as if it was shrinking.

Hehe, this oddly feels good…

“Well, I’m off.”

Although the room was empty, I said my goodbyes and opened the dormitory door.

◈

“The Dawn of the Sword” revolves around a simple, basic premise.

Monsters from another world attacking indiscriminately, known as the “Otherworldly Monsters.”

Since neither communication nor negotiation was proven to be possible with these monsters, humanity established the Academy as an effort to resist these beings.

Only individuals with supernatural abilities could fight these monsters.

Thus, all individuals with supernatural abilities were required to enroll in the Academy.

Since the Academy is still a school, it also taught regular subjects that you’d learn in any normal school.

Basic language, mathematics, science, social studies, history… But the real focus wasn’t on those things.

The main focus of the curriculum was “Combat”.

Ultimately, what the Academy values most is “improving combat skills.”

That’s why most morning classes are combat training oriented.

“Hey, no chatting. Can’t you focus?”

Just like now.

The woman in a red tracksuit spoke firmly, pointing her wooden sword at the chatting students.

She was Angelica, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A, to which I belonged.

The day before my possession was the entrance ceremony, so we only had simple introductions before class ended. We only had theoretical classes when “I” possessed Lucia, but today was different.

Today marked the official start of Academy life.

“Today is just a simple ability assessment, so don’t be too nervous.”

Angelica spoke as she chewed her cigarette like a piece of gum.

Since it was class time, it wasn’t lit.

Though she didn’t actually light it, she held it in her mouth because, as a chronic smoker, Angelica couldn’t focus without a cigarette in her mouth.

She pressed the wooden sword to the ground.

Teaching students at the Academy also meant she had a supernatural ability.

Her power was activated with just a simple, insignificant movement.

From the dirt, something emerged.

A large wolf sculpture made of soil and stone.

Angelica’s ability was “Earth.”

More precisely, she had “Dominion over the Earth.”

For someone like her, creating a wolf statue, or rather a wolf golem, was easier than drinking cold porridge.

“What you have to do is simple. Destroy my golem. Since I’m assessing your basic combat skills, if you do it half-heartedly, I’ll crack your heads open. Though I doubt anyone would have the leisure to go easy. Number one, step forward.”

She was a teacher who cared deeply for her students despite her rough language, so there was no need to be scared.

But only I knew that here.

The other students were visibly tense.

Hmm, I wonder who’s going to go first in this stiff atmosphere?

“Number one, Eugene.”

It was the protagonist.

Eugene walked out confidently and stood before the wolf golem.

He held a sword in his right hand.

“I’ll repeat, there’s no need to be nervous. I don’t expect much from you at this stage. Just show what you’re capable of. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Angelica spoke while making eye contact with Eugene.

Eugene nodded slightly in response.

“Begin.”

At her command, the golem, which had been still like a statue— well, it actually was a statue— began to move.

With a voiceless howl toward the sky, the wolf golem charged at Eugene.

Its speed wasn’t very fast.

To ordinary people, it would’ve been a sufficient threat, but it was only that much.

Supernaturals, regardless of their unique abilities, inherently had physical abilities beyond that of ordinary humans.

For someone like Eugene, who was exceptional in his age group, it might have even seemed like it hadn’t moved at all.

Swish.

There was no need for any flashy moves.

With a single precise slash, Eugene decapitated the wolf golem, his sword dyed red. 

“You’re fast.”

Angelica’s eyes sparkled with interest.

She seemed genuinely impressed by the strike.

I, myself, could hardly even see it.

The golem’s head was already rolling on the ground before I realized.

The ability assessment didn’t end with just one wolf golem.

If Eugene had struggled against a single wolf golem, it might have, but since he defeated it so easily, the test continued.

The next monster that appeared had the head of a lion, a serpent’s tail, and wings on its back.

Oh, could it be a chimera?

From a wolf to a chimera?

Isn’t that a big jump in difficulty, Miss Angelica?

Was it like this in the original?

I don’t remember the unimportant details well.

Even then, I still remember that Angelica had a sharp eye for assessing students’ abilities.

She likely roughly gauged Eugene’s skills with that single strike and created a suitable opponent accordingly.

But it seemed that Eugene’s abilities surpassed Angelica’s expectations.

Without hesitation, Eugene rushed toward the chimera as it spread its wings to fly, cutting down the wings with a flash of his sword.

Without stopping, he ignited his blade midair, shifted direction, and severed its waist in one stroke.

Eugene broke the chimera golem in just two strikes, then calmly looked at Angelica.

Perhaps because it looked like he was asking what the next one was, Angelica summoned the next golem.

Three more chimeras.

After defeating those, there were five, including two gargoyles.

As the number gradually increased, Eugene eventually faced 13 golems.

But he didn’t show any signs of struggle.

With controlled and disciplined movements, he conjured flames.

He infused his blade with heat, enhancing its cutting power, and created bursts of fire on parts of his body to freely change directions.

Eugene’s ability was “Flame Manipulation.”

In other words, pyrokinesis.

With firepower that ranks among the top in the Academy, coupled with excellent swordsmanship, Angelica’s golems, which she intentionally weakened for the test, were no match. Eventually, the last golem shattered and returned to the soil.

“Good. That’s enough. Well done.”

At Angelica’s announcement, Eugene bowed his head and stepped back. He was slightly sweaty but didn’t look particularly exhausted.

I looked at Eugene’s sword, still tinged with red. A fire-infused sword, one that not only cuts but also burns from within due to the heat.

It wasn’t the sword’s innate ability, but a technique Eugene developed after much research.

If I were to be cut by that, it would hurt, wouldn’t it?

Scary. A dreadful technique like that. It’s already painful enough to get cut by a sword, but it even burns the wound from inside.

Burns… Burns, huh…

The sensation of a sword cut is hot and stinging, like burning, but what would it feel like to truly burn?

I remember hearing somewhere that burns are the most excruciating pain a person can experience. When the skin burns and nerves are damaged, the pain is so intense it’s hard to even speak. That must mean it’s extremely painful. It can’t even compare to the likes of just cutting skin with a knife.

While Eugene shook off his sword and sheathed it, I found myself staring at it, mesmerized. It’s unlikely, but I’d better be careful just in case. I don’t want to get cut by Eugene’s sword. Although it’s unlikely that Eugene would swing his sword at me, you never know…

Gulp.

Ah, maybe going without food since yesterday was too much after all?

I should’ve had breakfast before coming.

Now I’m salivating.

I couldn’t take my eyes off Eugene’s sword until he returned to his seat.