After swapping my shoes at the lockers, I headed toward Class E with Liesha-san. Since we were in the same class, it only made sense to walk together. Her strength as a Sword Saint¹ was one thing, but Liesha-san's beauty was on a whole other level. Just walking down the hallway, she drew stares from everyone, regardless of gender. I suppose she was used to it; she didn't seem to notice at all.
The problem was me. I, a man who prided himself on being the ultimate background character, was walking side-by-side with Liesha-san. People's eyes would land on her first, then drift over to me, followed by whispers of, "Who's that guy?"
I couldn't even blame them. If I saw this, I'd say the same thing. In fact, I'd much rather be the one doing the whispering! But wait, I was the one who decided to become her friend. I just had to suck it up and deal with the fallout.
"I'm sorry," Liesha-san whispered.
Her voice was so soft it was meant only for me. I knew exactly why she was apologizing. Pathetic. You're pathetic, Sakaki Reo! Am I really such a loser that I make my own friend feel guilty just for being seen with me? I straightened my back and made a conscious effort to walk with my chest out.
"I should be the one saying sorry," I replied. "It's my own spinelessness that's making you worry, Liesha-san. At the very least, I'm going to walk with my head held high!"
"Pff, what is that even supposed to mean?" Liesha-san said, letting out a soft giggle.
My favorite character was so cute my heart felt like it would burst. I was just glad the main character group isn't in this class. I was already at my limit; any more and I would've short-circuited. Or so I thought. As soon as we reached the classroom, Liesha-san headed to her seat, and the moment I set my bag down, a chorus of voices erupted.
"Reo-san!!"
The main character group stormed into Class E. Why? Just why?
"G-Good morning, everyone," I stammered. "Today is Ability Measurement² day, so shouldn't you all be in your own classrooms?"
"It's fine!" Rekka shouted. "They're just going to start with some boring explanation anyway, right? More importantly, I've got a mountain of things to talk to you about, Reo!"
"Exactly! What Rekka said!" Misuzu added.
"Hold on, Rekka, Doumeki," Hyouga interjected. "I'm first today."
"Oh, Hyouga-kun, I won't let you steal a march on us," Momiji said. "I have plenty of questions for Reo-san myself."
For some reason, an argument between the Big Four³ started right there. Seeing my favorite characters bickering over me didn't make me happy. It was just awkward. Honestly, it was incredibly awkward. If I were to actually shout, "Don't fight over me!" the whole room would probably go dead silent. I definitely wanted to avoid that. Besides, that's a line only girls in shoujo manga are allowed to use. It was 100% not something a background character should ever say.
Just as I was spiraling, a savior appeared.
"You lot again?" Todo-sensei asked, stepping into the room. "I told you, today is Ability Measurement day. We're starting homeroom early."
"Ah..." the four of them muttered in unison.
"Good grief," the instructor sighed. "Sakaki, make sure you keep these guys under control."
"M-Me?!" I asked, pointing at myself.
"Well, obviously," Todo replied. "No matter how you look at it, you're clearly the center of that group."
I felt like I'd been struck by lightning. Me? The background character? I look like the center to them? No way. That was too much pressure-my heart was pounding so hard I forgot how to breathe. Okay, hearts don't breathe, but you get the point. I was so shocked my brain was actually malfunctioning.
"Anyway! You lot, get back to your own rooms," Todo-sensei commanded. "I'm handing out measurement cards in the order you arrived."
"Guess we have to," Rekka said. "See ya later, Reo!"
"We shall meet again at the testing grounds," Hyouga added.
"The girls are doing it at the same time, right? See you in a bit, Reo!" Misuzu waved.
"I believe I heard the same," Momiji said. "Well then, Reo-san, we shall see you shortly."
With that, they all rushed off. I did everything in my power to stop my heart from beating out of my chest. I took the card for recording my ability stats from Todo-sensei and listened to the briefing. Everything was exactly like the game, but one unfamiliar element had been added: Physical Strength. Maybe you'd call it endurance? In terms of status effects, it probably corresponded to something like HP.
This school was ridiculously massive. The main building wasn't that big, but being a military academy, it was packed with training facilities. Even the gymnasium where we had the Entrance Ceremony was rarely used. The grounds were so vast you could fit an entire amusement park and still have room to spare. There were even several artificial dungeons⁴ inside.
Today's Ability Measurement was held in one massive hall. It was huge enough that the entire freshman class could fit without it feeling crowded. Which meant... all of my favorites were right here! This was where a background character truly shines.
"Oooooooh!" I shouted, putting on my best announcer voice. "As expected of the Prodigy of the East⁵! That overwhelming power is in a league of its own! That's our Todoroki Rekka!"
"So that's the guy from East Junior High...!" someone in the crowd whispered. "Man, what a monster..."
"H-Hey, Reo. Cut it out, you're embarrassing me," Rekka said, his face turning red.
I tilted my head in confusion. Why was he acting like that? In the game, other background characters said the exact same things, and he never seemed to mind.
"I'm just calling it like I see it," I said.
"No, it's just... when a buddy says it like that, of course it's gonna be awkward!" Rekka stammered.
I-I see. That was a total blind spot. I guess there's a massive difference between being hyped up by some random NPC and being hyped up by a friend. Not that I was going to stop my hype-man routine!
"Her beauty outshines even her massive mana pool!" I continued, turning toward Momiji. "Look at that elegant torrent of magical energy! As expected of Saionji Momiji, the Princess of the West⁶!"
"So that's the one from the rumors...!" the students murmured. "She's so pretty..."
"Um, Reo-san, this is embarrassing, but..." Momiji said.
Just like Rekka, Saionji-san called me out too. But I wasn't stopping. I literally could not stop being a fan.
"What speed! What refined mana control!" I yelled as Hyouga moved. "It's a sight to behold, but all you're seeing are afterimages! The Frost King of the North⁷, Hyouga Mikiya, has arrived!"
"No way, is he seriously too fast to see...?"
"Heh... don't praise me so much, Reo," Mikiya said, looking quite pleased with himself. "It's enough for only those of true caliber-like yourself-to know my worth."
Mikiya didn't seem to hate the attention, but did I just hear a word I definitely shouldn't ignore? Those of true caliber like me? What did that even mean? I'm barely a step above a total amateur. I was still half-convinced my acceptance into this school was some kind of clerical error. If anything, I assumed I only got in because I was such a background character.
Despite my confusion, I made my way over to Misuzu.
"Do you see it?!" I pointed dramatically. "That dense shroud of mana radiating from her whole body! That is the very essence of buff magic⁸! Normally, a single-target buff is only the size of a grain of rice, but look at her! Just how many people can she empower with a mass that size?! As expected of Doumeki Misuzu! The childhood friend of the Prodigy of the East, Todoroki Rekka!"
"Whoa," a student noted. "I heard the control required for that is insane."
"Wait, what even is a 'shroud of mana'?" another asked. "Are there different types of mana masses?"
Huh? For some reason, the reactions from the crowd started to feel a bit... off.
"You're amazing, Reo," Misuzu said, looking impressed. "You can actually tell the characteristics of my magic just by looking at my mana. As expected."
Wait... now Misuzu-san was actually impressed with me? What was going on? I mean, mana changes color and feel depending on how it's used, right? Pretty sure that's exactly how the game described it. Well, maybe not word-for-word, but still...
"Hey, Sakaki. What the hell are you doing running around?"
"Oof...!" I let out a yelp as a hand caught me. "Todo-sensei, I'm not a stray cat, you know..."
"Pipe down," the instructor said. "I've been getting complaints that your own measurements haven't moved an inch. I'm dragging you over there myself."
"Yes, sir..." I muttered.
As Todo-sensei grabbed me by the scruff of my neck, leaving my feet dangling in the air, I could see Liesha-san off in the distance, giggling at the sight.
Summary:
Reo walks to class with Liesha and faces the intense attention her beauty brings. The 'Big Four' protagonists visit him in Class E, leading to the school's Ability Measurement. Reo spends the session enthusiastically acting as a 'hype-man' for his favorite characters, inadvertently impressing them with his deep understanding of their magical abilities.
Trivia:
- The 'Physical Strength' stat is a new element not present in the original game.
- Reo's accepting of the 'center' role in the group is a major shift in how others perceive him.
- Misuzu notices Reo can distinguish magic types by sight, a skill not common among regular students.
- The school is a military academy with artificial dungeons for leveling up.
- Reo's Acceptance is suspected by him to be a 'clerical error'
Character Insight:
Reo struggles with his 'Mob' identity vs. the reality that the strongest students in school view him as their social center. Misuzu shows her sharp analytical side by being the first to genuinely praise Reo's insight.
Behind the Scenes:
The 'Big Four' titles (Ice King, etc.) follow a typical Japanese trope of regional high school legends commonly seen in battle manga and light novels.
TL Notes:
1 ↩ Sword Saint (剣聖): A title given to the most elite masters of the blade in this world's lore.
2 ↩ Ability Measurement (能力測定): A standardized test in fantasy school settings to determine a student's stats and mana capacity.
3 ↩ Big Four (四天王): A trope referring to the four strongest or most influential individuals in a specific group.
4 ↩ Artificial Dungeon (人工ダンジョン): Man-made environments designed for students to safely gain experience and level up.
5 ↩ Prodigy of the East (東中の麒麟児): A title using 'Kirin-ji,' referring to a brilliant child who is a once-in-a-generation talent.
6 ↩ Princess of the West (西中の姫): A regional title highlighting Momiji's high status and refined magical aura.
7 ↩ Frost King of the North (北中の氷王): Mikiya's title, reflecting his cold personality and high-speed elemental prowess.
8 ↩ Buff Magic (支援魔法): Support magic used to temporarily enhance the physical or magical attributes of others.
Notes:
• Reo - Reincarnated HS dude who grinded 'Brave Fantasy' 100+ times, now a bland mob in the game world—black hair, Class E #6 by the back door, F-rank stats but plot meta-knowledge + magic flow reading to sideline-support heroes. Lil' bro to Saki & Taku, survives as background bro.
• Todoroki Rekka - Red-haired 'Brave Fantasy' true protag—hot-blooded, friendly Class A golden boy with sky-high phys/magic stats, 'Child Prodigy of East Middle.' Big Four member, body reinforcement magic ace, calls Reo 'buddy,' zero chill on personal space, popular frank dude with bottomless optimism.
• Saionji Momiji - Refined polite 'little lady' with long green hair and model figure—'Brave Fantasy' main heroine, Saionji Group heir, 'Princess of West Middle' in Class A. Big Four member at Valhalla academy, EX-rank magic capacity, Demon King soul tether, rich enough for a private doc on speed dial.
• Hyouga Mikiya - The protagonist's rival known as the 'Ice King of Kitachu.' He has the ability to manipulate ice with extreme precision. Member of the 'Big Four'. A student in Class B. He can use 'Light Ice' magic. He has a prickly exterior but acknowledges the strength of others.
• Doumeki Misuzu - Blonde twin-tail main heroine and childhood friend of the game's protag, reppin' the 'Big Four' crew in Class B—classic LN childhood bestie with that iconic twintail bounce, ready for some feel-good romcom hijinks.