Episode 12
The unexpected turn of events with the final boss, Shaitan, transferring to the military academy was not part of the original scenario. Has my transformation affected the world’s storyline? In the original plot, I met my end in a fiery explosion by Shaitan. So, was this an attempt by the world to bring Shaitan here to ensure that I meet the same fate?
Lost in these thoughts, I found myself at the end of the class without absorbing a single word from the lecture.
During the break, Shaitan started moving toward the next lecture room.
When it was break time, Shaitan began moving towards the next lecture room.
“Ariniki, please go ahead,”
“Understood,”
No need for clumsy excuses. I just stated the request and followed Shaitan.
Shaitan kept looking around nervously. When she turned to check behind her, our eyes met briefly, and she let out a high-pitched yelp “Ginya!” before darting into an empty classroom. Clearly, there was something going on.
With a growing conviction that something was amiss, I followed her into the empty classroom.
“Sigh… Viper-kun is seriously so precious… He’s such a good-looking guy… I thought he was in S class with Goose, but I’m glad he pretended he couldn’t use magic and ended up in F class. I saw him. !? Oh my god. I can’t stand it. I can’t do it, I’m going to die, fugo. Fuhi…” Shaitan mumbled to herself in a rapid, monotonous stream of consciousness.
Could it be that she’s also the type who talks to spirits like Elsha?
“Um… excuse me…”
“Y-yes!?”
She shuddered and slowly turned around.
“Um… ah… V-Viper-kun!?”
Still facing away from me, Shaitan walked over to the wall and pressed herself against it.
“Yes, but…”
Why did she know my name when I hadn’t even introduced myself?
“W-why… Ah… cough. I-I mean… I’m not… I’m Shaitan. The Demon King. Bow before me!”
What’s up with this over-the-top role-playing as a demon? Shaitan was a much more cold and composed character. This excessive, tan, loli, hardcore otaku persona was nothing like her.
“Sure, sure…”
“W-what!? I’m Shaitan! The last boss!”
“L-Last boss?”
Shaitan froze and then stammered, “Ah…”
The Shaitan is the final boss. That’s right. But only those who know that this is the world of ‘Goose Chronicle’ can recognize that the Shaitan is the final boss… In other words… a hypothesis began to form within me.
“Let’s play the Yamanote Line game, where you name a station from the Yamanote Line, and I’ll start with Shinjuku!”
(Tl note: The Yamanote line is the major train line that runs through the city circle. Sitting in a circle, like the train line, everyone claps in rhythm, and each player has to name a station in line on the beat. If you repeat a station, hesitate or cannot think of a station to name, you lose and you drink. This is Yamanote line game.)
Clap clap, I clap my hands twice.
“Huh… Ah… Ta… Tabata!”
No, not Tabata. It’s another plain one.
Nevertheless, I needed to keep that thought aside for now. Shaitan was undoubtedly aware of modern knowledge. So…
“Oh… R-Reincarnation?! Viper-kun too!?”
Shaitan, who noticed my true identity, was astonished, and then collapsed to her knees.
“It’s a lie, it’s a lie, it’s a lie, it’s a lie… I came here after swiftly completing my mission to become the Demon King for Viper-kun… and moved here.”
“Wait, you mean you’re also someone who got reincarnated…”
I had suspected it, but seeing it with my own eyes was still shocking.
Shaitan raises both hands in a gesture of surrender, seemingly resigned.
“Sigh… See, I’m a fan of Viper-kun. But then I got reincarnated as the final boss… So, I decided to come here. I can’t bring myself to kill Viper-kun, so I’m ignoring the story and my mission.”
In essence, it seemed like, “I got reincarnated as the character who’s supposed to kill my favorite character, Viper-kun (me), but I want to spend time with him, so I’m breaking the entire plot.”
“Well… I’m surprised too. It’s not every day you see Shaitan suddenly appear at the military academy. Story breaking is fine by me, though.”
I had never intended to follow the story in the first place, so I had no reason to object to her actions.
“Ugh… Well, you know, I’m a big fan of yours, so I couldn’t resist,” Shaitan admitted.
“That’s… something,” I mumbled, still processing this unusual situation.
Shaitan changed the subject. “By the way, do you get along well with Goose-kun?”
“Impossible. I can’t get along with a scumbag like him,” I answered.
“Oh, so that’s how it is. Well then, are you ‘Vaigoo’ or ‘Goovai’? There was quite a debate in the fandom, you know?” Shaitan asked.
(TL Note: “Vaigoo” and “Goovai” are BL (Boys’ Love) terms. “Vaigoo” means Viper as the boyfriend and Goose as the girlfriend, indicating Viper on the top and Goose in the bottom, while “Goovai” means the same with Goose taking the lead.)
Hmm, this person seems to be from a rather rotten community.’ I thought.
(Tl Note: Rotten fandom here refers to a community or fandom with a strong interest in yaoi or boys’ love content.)
“I have no idea…” I admitted.
“Well, I see… If you won’t even interact with Goose-kun, it might be pointless for me to be here… So, what are you planning to do now? Are you seriously going to betray someone soon? The class competition is coming up, right?” Shaitan inquired.
“No, I’ve decided to live honestly. I want to be with Ariniki, and I don’t want to die,” I replied, rejecting the idea of betrayal.
“I-I won’t do anything! Even if you betray Goose-kun in the last dungeon, I won’t kill you! I’ll secretly heal you and keep you captive… Gufufu…” The hardcore otaku was back. Shaitan’s eyes were crescent-shaped as she grinned, drooling.
“You’re drooling…”
“Heh… R-Right! But it’s kind of complicated, isn’t it? I have to see Viper-kun being all lovey-dovey with Ariniki-chan, right?” Shaitan asked.
“You’re my fan, right? So, you should wish for my happiness,” I replied.
Shaitan’s face suddenly changed, and he straightened up, saluting on the spot. “Exactly! Viper-kun is my favorite! I can’t stand a life without him, so maybe I’ll stay here. I’ll just be a regular final boss, so don’t worry about me.”
The phrase “I’ll just be a regular final boss” was something I never expected to hear.
“Don’t go causing havoc… You’re still the final boss, right? You can destroy the world. Seriously, be careful,” I cautioned.
“Haha… Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Well, I should head to the next class then,” Shaitan said with a smile before leaving the empty classroom.
Things seem to have taken quite a turn. While I remained in the empty classroom to create a time gap from Shaitan, I gazed out of the window lost in thought. Suddenly, someone else entered the empty classroom.
“What’s up, Shaitan? Hurry up and go.”
“Shaitan? Is that the transfer student from earlier?” A voice asked.
My heart skipped a beat. I turned around to see Ariniki standing there. Although she had an intense look, she’s picture-perfect beauty.
“Ariniki… What happened?” I asked.
“I wanted to have an honest conversation with my fiancé. No lies. Let’s talk about the truth,” she said.
“The truth?”
“Yes. I’m probably the most jealous person in this world right now. I’m a healer, but I might be able to use fire magic,” she confessed.
I saw flames burning behind Ariniki. It seemed like her jealousy manifested as dark flames.
No, this had to be an illusion.
Ariniki controlled her strong emotions that could induce illusions and moved closer, until our breaths mingled in the small gap between us.
“Let’s have a heart-to-heart talk, shall we?” Her smile honestly terrified me.
