And the chaos begins…
Translated by: TaffyGirl13
Chapter 3: Your body, hair, and skin are all taken from your parents; you can’t change them
Samukawa’s training regime was extremely strict. Aside from holidays, they had group training practically every night. In addition, there was also individual coaching from the instructors with more specialised drills. It was as though Samukawa was trying to extract out every bit of the representatives’ strengths, digging out every drop of potential.
In comparison, the southern campus representatives were much more idle.
After morning classes ended, Fu Xing and Zhu Yue headed over to the dining hall. When they passed through the east path, they distantly heard a shout.
“Zhu Yue-jiějie!”
Fu Xing glanced back to see the twins happily running towards Zhu Yue. Their clothing was quite eye-catching.
The two were wearing swimwear. They had sunglasses on their faces and fancy inflatable rings around their waists. As they passed by the students around them, they received quite a few odd looks.
“Zhu Yu, Hai Yue.” Zhu Yue smiled at the two. Like children vying for attention, they forcefully hugged her and cuddled against her.
“Long time no see! I really missed you…”
“It’s already been ten years since we saw each other, right?”
“So long…”
The twins muttered sulkily as they seemed to recall heart-breaking matters.
Zhu Yue smiled and gently rubbed both of their heads. “I also missed you two…”
Seeing this, Fu Xing was nearly moved to tears.
“Really?”
“Did Zhu Yue-jiějie really miss us?”
“Mhm. Of course!”
“Then,” the twins raised their heads, their dark blue-green eyes peeking out from behind their sunglasses to peer at Zhu Yue. “Why didn’t you come find us?”
“Why didn’t you come visit us?”
“We’ve already been here for four days, Hai Yue.” The sad tone instantly faded, the innocent voice turning into an interrogating one.
“That’s right, Zhu Yu.”
“Not even a greeting. Right?”
“Ah.” Zhu Yue was somewhat taken aback. “That’s because…”
“Yes, yes.”
“Is Zhu Yue-jiějie lying to us?”
“How could you do that?” The twins stared at Zhu Yue, chorusing together, “That’s going overboard, Jiějie.”
“Sorry…”
Fu Xing watched the three’s interactions. Although it seemed like a peaceful scene, he feel like there was something off.
“Eh, it’s because we’ve been training rigorously these days. Zhu Yue has to go to class and training both, plus she has to handle some matters in class. So she’s very busy…” Fu Xing couldn’t help but chime in for support.
The twins turned their heads, looking as though they had only just noticed Fu Xing.
“Is he talking to us? Hai Yue.”
“Seems so, Zhu Yu.”
“Is he your friend, Zhu Yue-jiějie?”
“Looks so lame.”
The twins giggled, completely ignoring Fu Xing’s existence. Zhu Yue did not say a word, only quietly listening to the responses.
Ah…what a familiar feeling…
“Zhu Yue-jiějie, your school is so troublesome. There’s too much homework and the professors are super long-winded.”
“Yeah, the southern campus gives much more freedom. There aren’t so many rules.”
“Ah, I’m very sorry…”
“Ooooh, it’s about time.” Zhu Yu checked his watch. “We’re heading to East Lake to swim. The weather’s so warm. Does Zhu Yue-jiějie want to join?”
“You can’t play in the water there…”
“That’s a northern campus rule.” The twins confidently declared, “The members of the southern campus don’t need to follow it. Besides, we’re the school representatives.”
“Yep, we’re the school representatives chosen by Heaven’s Will.”
“But, I have class in the afternoon,” Zhu Yue smiled bitterly.
“What a mood killer.”
“Ah, so annoying!”
“Sorry…”
The twins continued to noisily bother Zhu Yue for a while before reluctantly leaving.
“Sorry for making you wait so long,” Zhu Yue smiled apologetically at Fu Xing.
“It’s nothing.” Fu Xing could only be described as flabbergasted after witnessing the interactions between the three.
He had never seen children like that before. They had such lovable appearances, but…but…he really wanted to slap them!
“Your little brothers…”
“Are adorable, aren’t they?” Zhu Yue said with a smile, though there was a sense of powerlessness in her eyes.
“Ah, yeah.”
“They’ve always been like this.” Zhu Yue continued to talk about the past, “It’s been ten years, but they haven’t changed at all. Aquatic races have many children, so as the older daughter, I have to help take care of my younger siblings. That’s why they are so attached to me.”
Fu Xing stared at Zhu Yue and couldn’t help but shudder when he imagined the scene of having to deal with those brats every day.
“Er, Zhu Yue, don’t you find it…” Find it tiring, Zhu Yue? Don’t you find it annoying?
He wanted to ask this, but he felt too awkward to voice it.
There was a constant stream of students flowing in and out of the central dining hall to eat. The central dining hall was equipped with UV-blocking equipment. In addition, there was an underground passage connecting it to various dorms, allowing the nocturnal races to travel there to eat.
“Fu Xing, Grod thinks I should ask someone to help me handle the class representative tasks,” Zhu Yue mentioned as she ate.
“Do you want me to help?”
“You’ve already been the class representative before, so I don’t think it’s appropriate to trouble you again. Besides, you’re also busy with Aquarius work.”
“That’s true too…” Fu Xing tilted his head in thought. “Then why not ask Rachel?”
Rachel was quite astute. Moreover, she had a good status and reputation in class, so she seemed like a suitable choice. Plus, she counted as someone from their group, so asking her for help would not be a problem.
Zhu Yue paused, a somewhat troubled smile on her face. “Rachel’s observation skills and judgment ability are very outstanding. Both her academic performance and popularity are great too. She has a lot of prestige.”
“Yep.”
“But, but…”
“What’s wrong?”
“It might become a burden for her. If I end up troubling her, then it will be quite shameful—”
“Didn’t you just talk about outstanding capabilities? How could it become a burden then?” A slightly mocking tone rang out behind them.
Zhu Yue whipped her head around. “Ra-Rachel.”
Without any prompting, Rachel pulled aside a chair to sit down across from Fu Xing. “Hi Fu Xing. How have you been these days?”
“I’ve been doing pretty well.”
“I heard that you hooked together with the dream spirit from the southern campus. Nice going.”
“Not at all! Margaret just—”
“Oh, already close to the point of directly calling her by name?”
“Rachel!”
“Playing around is fine, but don’t get serious. Dream spirits are a crafty race. They breathe lies like oxygen.”
“I already said we’re not like that.” Fu Xing huffed in exasperation, “Besides, there isn’t any benefit to me getting close to her.”
“Not necessarily. Even excrement can be converted into pure methane. Who’s to say that you don’t have any schemes to benefit?”
“Oi!”
“As for you,” Rachel changed targets to Zhu Yue with an unrestrained smirk. “If you dislike me and don’t want to ask me for help, you can just say it directly. There’s no need to make up so many excuses.”
“That wasn’t what I meant.” Zhu Yue lowered her head, her tone humble and timid. “Plus, I do not dislike you. If my words or actions unintentionally offended you and made you unhappy—”
“Oho, that is indeed the case.” Rachel’s smirk widened.
“Eh?” Zhu Yue raised her hand.
“Extremely unhappy.” Rachel nonchalantly picked up a piece of meat and calmly chewed on it.
“Sorry!”
“Um…Rachel…”
“Joking.” Rachel smiled, then lowered her head to swiftly finish eating. “Bye-bye, Fu Xing.”
Then, just like the wind, she quickly left the scene.
Fu Xing awkwardly glanced at Zhu Yue. “Er, Rachel was just joking. Don’t pay it any mind.”
“Sorry…”
“You don’t need to apologise to me.”
Zhu Yue smiled. “That’s true.”
9PM, special abilities classroom. The northern campus representatives were covered in sweat as per usual under Samukawa’s shouts and bitter training.
Their daily progress throughout the past five consecutive days of training had been virtually the same. Fu Xing, who was cheering for them from the sidelines, gradually began to grow bored as well.
“Ah…” Fu Xing yawned and leaned against Rocort’s shoulder.
“Sleepy, Fu Xing?”
“Eh, I’m ok.” Just a bit bored.
His gaze focused on the classroom, the same scene as usual reflecting in his eyes.
Zhu Yue and Momiji were pouring energy into an enormous crystal to train their special ability control and raise their limits. Taeharu was near Momiji, waving around a small banner in encouragement—
—So cute.
Brad, Leon, Emerald, and Flora all had competition subjects related to fighting. As a result, Samukawa had summoned shikigami for them to battle. Zi Ye’s competition subject had ultimately been decided as beast summoning, and he was currently practicing with Shiran.
The two stood in the middle of a ward, manipulating spells that connected with other realms.
Aside from Zi Ye’s lapses in concentration and daydreaming causing Samukawa to shout at him, nothing special occurred in the classroom.
So boring…
Was there anything he could do? He really wanted to help, really wanted to take part…but he clearly could not be of any use here.
“Interim break.”
Samukawa announced this with a raised hand, and the representatives left the training area. Fu Xing immediately passed them towels and cold drinks with practiced movements. This was his sole function.
The representatives all stood or sat in scattered places around the classroom to rest. Without the noise from training, the room was even more dull and quiet.
“Hey, hey, Fu Xing.” Rocort tugged at Fu Xing’s clothes.
“What’s up?”
“This has such little filling. I want to swap it for another one.” Rocort handed Fu Xing the bean paste bun that he had taken a bite out of.
“This is the only one. Plus, you’ve already taken a bite of it, so you have to finish it!”
“If only the filling to bun ratio was reversed.”
“Go to the kitchen and tell the cook there yourself.”
Rocort stared at the bean paste bun for a moment. Then, his eyes suddenly lit up. “Hey, hey, Fu Xing. Can you use a spell?”
“What?”
“An original spell. The thing that was taught today.” Rocort happily said, “Using the law of inversion to switch the filling to bun ratio!”
“Ooooh!” That does sound quite original. “But, I’m not sure if I’d succeed. You’re better off trying it yourself.”
“I fell asleep during the second half of class,” Rocort matter-of-factly stated. “Help me, Fu Xing.” He continued tugging at Fu Xing’s clothes like a child begging for candy.
Fu Xing could not resist Rocort’s pleas. Plus, he was also feeling very bored, so he took the bean paste bun.
“Don’t blame me if it fails.”
“Mhm!”
Fu Xing took out a piece of white paper and drew the array and symbols based on his memory. Then he placed the bitten bean paste bun in the middle.
I think I need to recite the spell first.
Fu Xing closed his eyes and tried his best to recite the terms that were not part of a real language. The modulations in his pitch shifted somewhat stiffly as he repeated the resounding and rhythmic phrase.
Next is…imagery. To pre-emptively build the image of the result in one’s mind and mentally describe it, as though simulating it.
Then, touch the medium; connect to it so that the mind becomes one with the object…
Fu Xing reached out a hand and gathered energy in his palm.
He focused on the critical words, worried that a lapse in concentration would result in failure.
Inversion, inverting inside and outside. Proportional inversion. Switch around, transfer—
OK!
With a slight ripple, something like a drop of water slowly fell from his palm into the array.
Whoosh!
An intense blast burst out from the crooked array on the paper. A giant pillar of white foam surged upwards, like the reaction formed from dropping a Mento into Coke. When the foam struck the ceiling, it transformed into individual transparent bubbles.
Bubbles of various sizes floated down through the air.
The powerful shockwave had caused everyone in the room to turn and look at the bizarre scene. For a moment, no one knew how to react.
At the same time, in a different corner of campus, a tall figure was currently dozing in the shade of a tree. When he sensed the resonance from the spiritual wave, his eyes snapped open.
Oho, causing trouble again, Fu Xing?
The corners of his lips curled upwards. He leapt through the air and instantly flew towards the special ability classroom like an arrow.
The inside of the large special ability classroom was filled by the different-sized transparent bubbles.
The entire space clearly outlined by the edges of the shiny marble floor and the reinforced black stone walls was now packed with bubbles that glittered with rainbow light.
The multi-coloured, clear spheres lithely moved around with the faint flow of air, reflecting a dreamlike glow. The bubbles vanished the moment they hit the ground.
Fu Xing dumbly stared at the scene, watching the bubbles that he had summoned. Although he had caused a distubance, it seemed quite beautiful.
“Don’t touch those bubbles!” Samukawa shouted, simultaneously opening a defensive ward around them.
However, it was too late. The large number of bubbles fell, dissipating upon contact with the students’ bodies.
Fu Xing looked at Samukawa in confusion. They’re just bubbles, isn’t that an overreaction—
Eh? What’s that?
Samukawa’s body began to shrink down bit by bit. As he grew shorter, his fierce, older face slowly transformed too.
Finally, what appeared before them was a twelve-year old boy. The excessively large clothes hung off his body, and there was an utterly discomfited expression on the pretty face. Fu Xing recognised this look; it was Samukawa, the Samukawa with his disguise removed. It was his true, cursed appearance.
Is this…a dream? But no one else seems to have changed.
Ah, no! Something’s not right.
“What are you trying to pull, Fu Xing?!” A snarl full of manly spirit and the air of a wild beast rang out. It was 100% Brad’s tone.
However, it was in a female pitch that came from the gentlest girl present, Zhu Yue.
“Zhu-Zhu Yue?” Fu Xing stared in shock at Zhu Yue, who had an annoyed expression and her arms crossed in front of her chest. He had never seen her look this way before. Was he imagining things?
Right as Fu Xing thought this, he discovered that his vision had become a bit blurred—but not from nearsightedness. Rather, it was as though he could see some hazy, faintly discernible objects in the air.
Eh? My eyes seem to be…weird…
“That-that’s me—” A shocked, low male voice rose from the weapons training area. “But…I’m here…”
Everyone turned to see the typically cool-faced Leon standing with his knees turned in, his hands helplessly held out in front of his chest. Then his finger lightly touched his lips like someone with beauty sickness.
“Were you hit in the head by a hammer, darkblood boy?” ｢Zhu Yue｣ raised a brow, glaring in disgust at Leon. “Don’t pull such a dumb pose.”
“Why are you talking to me?” ｢Leon｣ asked in confusion.
“Momiji, look! There are so many bubbles. It’s so pretty!”
A familiar voice rang out from another side of the room. Fu Xing turned his head to see someone looking exactly like him bounding towards Momiji.
“I’m not Momiji!” ｢Momiji｣ coldly pushed the youth away. “I thought that intelligence was your only defect. I hadn’t imagined that even your recognition ability had issues, Fu Xing.”
“Ah?”
“Oh, I more or less understand what happened.” Brad stared down at his own hands, then sized up the front and back of his own body. After letting out a sigh, a strange smile appeared on his face as his arms tightly hugged his own chest as he swung left and right. “This feeling is amazing…hehehe….”
That eerie smile had only seen it appear before on a certain friend thinking of infiltrating the male baths to take photos—Flora.
“What is…going on…” Fu Xing muttered quietly to himself. Then he glanced over at Flora walking towards him. “Flora, do you know what happened—”
“You seem to be Fu Xing.”
“Eh? ‘Seem to be’?”
“Have you not noticed the abnormality?” Flora bitterly chuckled and shook her head. “Take a look at your own body.”
Fu Xing lowered his head and discovered that he was wearing a large, ill-fitting uniform. Moreover, the clothing seemed a bit dirty. On the other hand, his hands were snow-white with no traces of his original tan.
He felt that there was some weight behind his head. When he reached out to touch it, he found a ponytail, the hair so long that it stretched past his back. He grabbed a strand to pull it in front of his face. The colour of the hair was just like his skin, as pale as snow.
This…this is—Zi Ye’s body.
Next to him, the noisy clamour had not stopped.
“Taeharu, Taeharu, are you alright? Why aren’t you speaking?”
“Emerald?”
“I’m Momiji,” ｢Emerald｣ said in a perplexed tone.
“If you’re Emerald, then who am I?”
“Aren’t you…Rocort…”
“I’m Rocort.”
The room fell silent.
Everyone stared at each other, instantly understanding what had happened.
“This isn’t good…”
Outside the window.
After the spell had exploded, the observer that had immediately rushed to the scene by flying at high speeds had collapsed on the treetop in laughter.
Too brilliant.
He just knew that the days wouldn’t be boring for long…
Are you satisfied, Fu Xing?
The curtains have already lifted on the stage prepared for you.
The bell signalling the end of the last evening class rang. A few students and instructors tried to enter the special ability classroom.
Samukawa immediately recited a spell to quickly seal the locks of the doors around them. The windows all around the hall snapped shut with a series of clatters, like falling dominoes.
“No one is to enter from outside!” Samukawa activated a broadcasting spell to carry his voice out through the normal buildings. “Everyone is forbidden from entering. This space has been sealed with a ward. Those who trespass will pay the consequences.”
Then, Samukawa snapped his fingers. Like a magic trick, a long and slender black feather appeared between his fingers.
“Go!”
The feather cut through the space like an arrow pushed by the wind. It passed through the cracks between the walls and windows, flying out into the distance.
Hundreds of metres away, in the guest quarters.
“What’s the matter?”
“I don’t know. The signal was cut ten minutes ago.” The witch swirled the strand of hair placed in the middle of the silver basin. “The source wasn’t cut, but it’s lost effect.”
“They discovered the wiretap?”
“Perhaps.” Margaret shrugged. “Do I need to reactivate the spell?”
“No.” Kyle smiled thinly in disdain. “We’ve already retrieved the necessary information.” They would just be losing a source of their daily amusement.
In contrast to the others’ relaxed manners, the glasses-wearing xuanniao spirit, Yu Tai, was solemnly staring at the water’s surface.
“Is something wrong?” Shiroizumi walked towards Yu Tai, his gaze landing on the water as well.
“The ripple just now bothers me a bit.”
“Hm?”
“It seemed to have chaotic energy.”
“It probably came from Zi Ye.”
“But it also carried a hint of something that did not belong to this world. Like an ancient spirit…” Yu Tai muttered as he strove to search through the knowledge in his mind. “Like ‘that one’ sealed here.”
“That’s impossible.” Shiroizumi patted Yu Tai’s shoulder. “You’re overthinking it.”
Yu Tai furrowed his brows as he likewise felt that his words just now were preposterous. “I probably just said such a stupid thing because I’m tired.”
“After all, your opponent is Zi Ye, the one called the ‘devil’. Feeling under pressure is normal—”
“The one under pressure is you, isn’t it?” Yu Tai let out a light snort. “Can you bear to act against your beloved fiancée? I saw her constantly staring at you throughout the joint class. Seems like old affections are hard to forget.”
Shiroizumi’s face stiffened as he let out a sigh. “I no longer have anything to do with her.”
~Taffy Translations~ 
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