11-13 minutes

◆4-02　Falling in love with Patrick and Degree 99

Eleanora and I stroll across the mansion on the lookout for Patrick, not the blue chook of happiness. 

Nobody is in his private quarters besides Damon in his workplace. Simply as I’m questioning the place he’s, I hear his voice coming from the doorway corridor. He had been out for slightly and had returned. 

“Welcome again. Do you wanna eat? Do you wanna take a shower? Or do you wan—”

“Welcome again, Patrick. Okay, I’d such as you to place your hand on this crystal.”

I used to be interrupted by Eleanora for the necessary half. 

Nicely, okay. I used to be solely attempting to say the compulsory welcome dwelling.

Eleanora has a giant smile on her face as she holds out the crystal in each palms. Cute. When confronted with the crystal, Patrick seems to be slightly uncomfortable. That’s unimaginable. 

“Tadaima. Ah, Let’s try this later. It’s not like I’ve to do it now—”

“If Patrick doesn’t do it first, I received’t get my flip.”

Figuring out from his expression that he wouldn’t prefer it, I moved quick. 

I seize Patrick’s wrist firmly with each palms and produce them near the crystal. He fights again and tries to retract his palms, however to no avail. 

Eleanora raised the crystal in her hand and pressed it in opposition to Patrick’s palm. 

It’s a mixed effort between her and me. Let’s name it “pressured stage measurement.” It’s a method to drive the extent measurement.

“Yosh! Good job, Miss Eleanora! Have a look at the numbers!”

“Let’s see… 99! It was 99! Patrick, you’re wonderful!”

Eleanora jumped up and down with pleasure when she noticed the numbers on the magic instrument. Please don’t drop it, okay? You may’t let the crystal slip and smash on the ground, okay?

However I additionally perceive Eleanora’s pleasure. I’m pleased for myself as properly. Oh, Patrick, you’ve develop into such a wonderful—

“That is what a mom feels when her son grows up.”

“I don’t bear in mind being raised by you.”

Are you rebelling? Okaa-san, if you’re going to run wild on a bike, I would like you to trip a CBX.

I considered demonstrating a sound imitation of a 6 cylinder sequence engine, however let’s not child ourselves right here and have fun truthfully. I’ll go away the motorbike impersonation for an additional time. 

“Congratulations, Patrick.”

“…Thanks.”

He doesn’t appear too pleased about it. Unsure why he seems to be reluctant to take the extent measurements. By the way in which, I don’t assume Patrick has talked a lot about his ranges these days. 

Why? He’s stage 99, proper? His stage might be the second-highest on the planet. 

Patrick and I are the strongest on the planet, hmm? We don’t must have the 2 strongest individuals on the planet. I used to be the strongest yesterday, and now we’re tied for first place. 

We should maintain a battle to find out who’s the strongest. The battle has already begun. 

Whereas assessing the space between Patrick and me, I say. 

“Time to resolve who’s the strongest between us.”

“Haa… I knew this could occur, and I wouldn’t say I preferred it. I’m simply going to cease and allow you to be the strongest.”

“Ha! You sound just like the self-proclaimed weakest protagonist! Patrick is the strongest, however he hides within the shadow! On the floor, I’m the strongest, and I look nothing like somebody with energy!”

In most tales, those that need to resolve who’s the stronger and the weaker. The sample is that the peaceable one which mentioned, “Let’s not combat,” was truly the stronger one. 

No, no, no. I’m stronger. 

Regardless of my willingness to combat, Patrick is unwilling to take action. He provides me a pitiful look. 

“Once we met, wasn’t Yumiela a bit extra cheap? Hasn’t she been getting increasingly violent these days?”

“I don’t assume I’ve modified that a lot.”

Guess I’ve all the time been like this. We’ve been collectively for thus lengthy, and he has seen so many alternative elements of me. Although I don’t assume I’ve a violent facet. I virtually bought sidetracked. We’re in the midst of a battle to find out who’s one of the best. 

As I regularly transfer nearer to Patrick and shut the hole to my benefit, I say.

“It is a cheap approach. In precept, the upper stage is stronger, and if the degrees are the identical, it’s important to combat one another instantly to seek out out who’s stronger. See, it’s cheap, proper?”

“Cheap?”

Patrick requested as if I didn’t know what ‘cheap’ means. 

There are two stage 99s, and the one strategy to discover out which one is stronger is to combat and see which one is stronger. The one with the higher fundamental potential, the so-called expertise, may win. They may win or lose in areas aside from ranges, reminiscent of swordsmanship or magical accuracy. 

With the 2 of us, we don’t want to fret in regards to the three-way impasse attributable to compatibility. 

Now let’s begin the strongest lovers’ quarrel on earth. 

Eleanora spoke up from beside me as I used to be getting enthusiastic. 

“Yumiela-san, I consider you talked about that you’ve got surpassed stage 99?”

“Ah.”

“Keep in mind your purpose for utilizing this crystal? It was not so way back, and you’ve got forgotten?”

“I did.”

Proper. I wasn’t stage 99 anymore. I didn’t even notice it till Eleanora pointed it out to me. Figuring out who was the strongest was an occasion that I had deliberate to do as soon as Patrick hit the extent restrict, so my emotions bought the higher of me. 

You keep on with a schedule regardless that circumstances have modified and also you now not want it. It occurs. 

In my earlier life, I used to be a homebody faculty lady. There was the time I purchased a cell battery that I used to be going to take with me on a visit, solely to seek out out that the journey had been canceled. I wasn’t planning to go to the electronics retailer, however I pressured myself to go, and after I bought dwelling and opened the battery field, abruptly I noticed. I don’t want this.

It was a blind spot. Am I nonetheless the strongest on the planet? Ought to we’ve got the battle to find out who’s the strongest, simply in case? 

Patrick takes this chance to attempt to discuss me out of it whereas I’m unsure whether or not to get out of my combating stance or not. How unwilling are you to combat?

“See! Yumiela has surpassed the extent cap. Because of this Yumiela is stronger than me, who’s stage 99. Proper? We don’t must combat.”

“I’m primary on the planet?”

“Yeah, you’re primary.”

“What if I’m the second finest?”

“…Is that attainable?”

The world’s second place was the world’s second place. Despite the fact that the world’s quantity two is the world’s quantity two, the world’s primary is the world’s primary, and since I’m the world’s primary and never the world’s quantity two, which means I’m the world’s primary. 

Okay, then I don’t must combat with Patrick. 

He sighed closely as I launched my combating stance. 

“I’m saved. Thanks, Miss Eleanora.”

“Did you neglect about Yumiela-san’s stage?”

“I’ve been dreading what would occur earlier for thus lengthy that I didn’t notice the preconditions had modified.”

Oh, Patrick had that form of thought. 

Was his reluctance to measure ranges as a result of he anticipated me to ask for a combat? It doesn’t make sense to me. What boy wouldn’t be all for being one of the best on the planet? 

Anyway. Now that Patrick’s stage is at its most, he now not wants the crystal. I can destroy them to my coronary heart’s content material. 

“Then, it’s my flip.”

“Why had been you ready for me to return? You may have measured your stage first.”

I knew that’s the picture I had. 

I give the identical temporary clarification I gave to Eleanora to Patrick. There’s a risk that the crystal will break as a result of it may well’t stand up to my energy. 

“That’s why the crystal break.”

“It’s a worthwhile merchandise, regardless that it’s in the marketplace for some. Don’t break it.”

“They break due to irresistible drive!”

“Don’t break it on objective, okay?”

There isn’t any approach it could try this. Solely three issues can occur: it might break bodily because of an irresistible drive, show an error message, or show greater than three digits numbers. I might by no means break a worthwhile magic instrument voluntarily. 

Patrick checked out me as if I might try this, let’s transfer on. 

“Alright, I’ll take my measurement.”

“Right here you go!”

With a smile on her face, Eleanora presents the crystal to me. 

Her palms can be coated in blood if the crystal exploded on this state. It will be a catastrophe if any flying particles hit her face. 

I transfer the vase away from the desk. 

“Put it right here, it is going to explode.”

Eleanora was slightly sad however positioned the crystal the place it was instructed. Then she takes just a few steps again, maybe afraid of the explosion.

In the meantime, Patrick is alarmed and takes a step ahead. Don’t fear. I’ll deal with all of the injury from the explosion. 

Alright, 3, 2, 1, and explode! 

“Huh?”

Touching the crystal evenly, nothing modified. 

There was no signal of an explosion, not even a touch. 

I ponder why. Was it an error?

After I appeared round in disbelief, my eyes met Patrick’s, who appeared relieved. Did he hate explosions that a lot?

It couldn’t be helped. Let’s get again on observe and see whether or not it’s an error or greater than three digits. 

As I attempted to show my consideration again to the crystal, Eleanora shortly slipped previous Patrick. 

Judging that there can be no hazard, she approached with none restraint. She stood instantly throughout from me with the crystal in between. 

And Eleanora bent down and appeared into the crystal. 

“13!”

“Huh? 13?”

How on earth is it stage 13? How can my stage be so low?

Oh, you imply ‘13!’? It’s the factorial of 13. 

13 x 12 x 11 x 10 and so forth, equals 6 billion?

I’m proud to say that I’m at stage 6 billion. I didn’t notice that I had saved a lot overflowing EXP. 

Overwhelmed with emotion, Patrick got here as much as me and peered into the crystal. 

“Oh, it’s actually 13. What on the planet is that this?”

“It’s not. It’s 13! proper?”

“Why did you elevate your voice?”

The best way Patrick put it, it sounds prefer it’s solely 13.

Huh? What does the crystal say?

It’s unlikely that the measured ranges are displayed in factorial, and if the quantity is about 6 billion, why did Eleanora hassle to rephrase it?

That jogs my memory. Eleanora is nice with fast math. When she noticed a quantity that exceeded 100 million, she would freeze and depend the digits as onerous as attainable, ten hundred and a thousand. 

I’ve a horrible feeling. Sweat runs down my again regardless that the climate isn’t scorching. 

Ignoring the discomfort in my again, I look into the crystal. I take a look at the measurement outcomes, conserving my hand on the crystal and protecting it. 

“13?”

The quantity that caught my eye was 13. The pure quantity is bigger than 12 and fewer than 14—13 in English. There have been no different notations, solely the numbers floating on the crystal. 

The outcomes had been the identical as soon as I took my hand away and re-measured it. 

Bearing in mind the potential for one thing unsuitable with my eyes, I ask Patrick.

“It’s 13, proper?”

“It’s.”

“13, huh.”

The world bent with a snarl. Amidst the spinning imaginative and prescient, I used to be calmer than anybody else.