An outcast dropout, surviving on the frontier and rising to become an S-ranked counter-magician.

It's cold.

Water fell from above my head. Seeing the water dripping, I thought to myself, "Here we go again.... It's been a week since I was admitted to this school. Apparently, I'm being bullied. I'm not sure if water-slinging is the rage these days, but water is sprayed on me everywhere and I can hear the giggles and laughter.

I'm not going to be able to duck it, but I'm going to use my abilities to do so, and I'm going to stand out in the school, so I'm going to take a cold shower every day.

Probably the cause is Sherry.

I've been living here for a while now, and it seems that Sherry is treated as a bit of a princess. She's the daughter of the dean of the school, and also a first class counter-magician at that age. She's also outstanding in appearance. But now there's no real harm that seems to be coming out of it, and it's not like the world of the twilight where people are suddenly going to kill each other.

Let's just let it go. Time will tell. I thought so, but this cold water shower was going to make it even worse.

Afternoon. I'm mainly choosing to sit in on my elective classes. Partly because I want to pursue my own strength, but also because now I need to make up for the knowledge I've been missing for two years. It's because of those combat skills that I was able to transfer in from four years instead of two. In other words, in terms of knowledge, I'm completely lacking. I carry a book with me day and night, and I study a lot. I study during my breaks and lunch breaks. Shelly and I train together on occasion and then part ways. I've been living like this for a while now, and apparently I've gained a reputation for being a skinny dude who's never been able to fight.

When I was taking a cold shower, he said to me, "Don't get carried away, skinny boy! I think this perception is certain because I was told

The only thing more frightening than demons and more frightening than demons are humans. I'm going to the hospital where I have an appointment today, thinking again that the human creature is really helpless.

◇

Hi. I'm Sheila. It's a pleasure to meet you, Julia.

Yes. Good day to you.

I know it's supposed to be a top secret patient, but if this is true, you have a tremendous history.

Well, it's a long story.

The Central Hospital in the Seventh Citadel. I had come here. The reason is this right arm. It completely covers the entire right arm now, with a reddish-black pattern tangled around it, wrapping around it from shoulder to wrist.

''So, the arm... it was the arm... right?''

Yes, sir.

Can I see it?

I understand.

Then I took off my jacket and stripped down to my top. Then I found Sheila-san gulping for breath.

'You're that........Twilight Syndrome [Twilight Syndrome]. And it's not level 5. No, it might be more than that.......

"Twilight Syndrome, Level Five?　What's that?

It's the name of a new disease that was presented at a conference a year ago. Twilight is harmful to humans. That's the hypothesis. It's been proven and graded. Level 5, by the way, means you're already on the verge of death.

'What?　Am I going to die?

'No ... at level 5, a person can't already maintain consciousness. They're dying slowly and peacefully, like they're sleeping. How long have you been in this state?

'At first it was just shoulder to elbow, but a year ago it came to this.

'Well actually I went to the Ogre's village a year ago, and that's where I learned that there was

'I'm curious about the ogre village but what have you heard?'

I hear people like me are called twilight people.

The Twilight Man...

''For everything, twilight is poisonous to people, but there are rare individuals who are enhanced in the same way as the demon race. That was the definition of a twilight person. In fact, in this book....

Then I show Edgar the book he gave me that time.

"Actually, this book has detailed descriptions in it. It's a bit too technical for me to understand, but...

Can I borrow this?

'No problem. But don't lose it, please don't lose it as it's very important.

Okay.

After that, I had to go back to my house after having a medical examination. I had no idea that the Twilight Syndrome had been solved while I was away...and that I, too, was an infected person.

The question of who I have become never ceases to haunt me until I fall asleep.

◇

Early morning. I wake up with a snap. There is no such thing as the morning sun, but the light of dusk wakes me up. This has become a habit over the past two years. I go to sleep at night and wake up when the light of dusk comes out. There is no way I can change this habit any longer.

Then I took a shower, got ready and hurriedly went to the school.

'Eurya-kun!'

Hmm?　Oh, this is Sophia. Good morning.

You're here early.

You too, Sophia.

I just woke up by accident today.

I see.

So, are you still studying?

'Well I guess so. I'm an idiot.

...I've always thought that Yulia-kun is not really just a grinder, right?

How do you know that?

It's just that he's a bit different from us. He's just like his father, I guess.

Dad?

My dad's a genius demon.

'What?　That's another ... amazing story.

A special class of anti-magician. It is said to be the hope of mankind. In order to reach this status, it is said that one must be strong enough to defend a fortified city by himself.... In fact, there are only twelve special class anti-magicians in the current human race. They were literally different in rank from first-class counter-magicians and other counter-magicians. It was even said that a single Special Class Counter-Mage was worthy of being a strategic weapon.

'Yulia-kun's vibe..............................looks like your father.

What?

'It's like he's tense all the time, or something. Julia is carefree and has a very cute face, but she also has that sharp look in her eyes that comes out of nowhere. She looks like her father. Hey, you're hiding something, right?

No... no... nothing?　I'm just the edge of an antagonist....

Really?　I doubt it....

....

I'm in a sloppy, cold sweat. Sofia-san, it seems your intuition is quite good. I have to hide this one somehow. And in a moment, I feel a pressure on my face.

'..........

See, I knew it. I was right.

I tilted my head slightly and ducked the flash from the sword that Sophia-san unleashed. As I recall, she's a second class anti-magician, a pretty good human being.

''What are you trying to do?''

I knew it. Aren't you strong, Julia-kun?

It's a coincidence.

'Lies. You were already in an evasive motion the moment you drew your sword.

....

It's seen through. I felt the slightest hint of killing air the moment her hand touched my waist. It was everyday in the twilight world, that killing air. I could have faked it by dropping a pencil or putting on a play at that moment. She could have done that too, before she made the motion. But on the spur of the moment, the movement was so ingrained in my body.

'If you want to hide it, Yulia-kun, I won't tell you, but one day you'll be exposed in the light of day. Your ability can be the hope for humanity, you can become the thirteenth special class anti-magician.

....

That's when our conversation was cut short because the other students began to arrive in droves. This is because other students are lurking in the classroom.

I've been spotted by someone I didn't like for some reason or another... and I shrug my shoulders a little. But from the next day, I would be involved in more turbulent days, but I never dreamed of that now.