Reversal (5)
"That boy... is taking his sweet time."
A man waiting at the testing ground muttered under his breath. It wasn't that everyone had finished exiting, but the remaining students had dwindled to a number one could easily count on one hand. While manifesting Magic Armament for the first time usually didn't take long, there was no hard-and-fast rule. There was always a reason for someone running late.
"Professor Jake? What brings you out here?"
"If you came to observe, we've already wrapped up most of the testing..."
"Ah, no, it's nothing like that. Carry on, everyone."
Though he brushed it off with an easy wave, Jake was quietly wracked with worry over how to handle this assignment.
—Bring him in as quietly as possible. Understood?
He couldn't help but sigh at the Grand Duke's finicky instructions. Junon had already pulled off two stunts that drew far too much public attention lately; if Jake stepped in carelessly, rumors of blatant favoritism were bound to fly. He could always exchange a few quiet words once the exam ended, but with this thick crowd gathered around, even that seemed out of the question. He would stick out like a sore thumb.
It's best to bring him away discreetly... but how on earth am I supposed to pull that off? At this rate, I might just have to give up for today.
Although he had no formal role here as an exam proctor or instructor, he couldn't exactly announce that he was acting on direct orders from the Grand Duke.
"Did all four of you return together? Which squad?"
"Squad U, sir."
"Hold out the arms with your bracelets and wait until recording is complete."
With the departure of that last group, Junon was now the sole student remaining inside the testing grounds.
Well, that's that, Professor Jake thought, swallowing a quiet sigh before turning back toward the academy main building. With things as they stood, he saw no viable way to spirit Junon away in secret.
Step, step.
Footsteps echoed as the final examinee emerged from the testing grounds. Even if the students waiting before dismissal had already guessed, the figure walking out was indeed Junon.
"Junon, Squad J. Reporting back."
"It was clearly announced beforehand that acting independently would result in point deductions. Was there a reason you separated from your squad?"
"I didn't want to rely on my teammates."
"Rely on them, you say... Understood. However, a reason like that won't spare you from the penalty. Hold out your arm with the bracelet and wait while we record your data."
As the proctor extracted the data from Junon's bracelet, a crease formed between his brows.
"Something's strange here..."
"Is there a problem, sir?"
"...No. It's nothing. Return to your place."
The recording instructor flinched for a fleeting second, but said no more. With Junon's data logged, every entry on the examinees' record sheet was filled without a single blank remaining.
Now, only the results remained. Yet instead of announcing the scores, the proctor began to explain.
"I will now clarify why you were subjected to this examination."
To those who had triggered their Magic Armament, and to those who had failed to do so—the true purpose of this exam lay in an entirely different dimension.
"Ugh... I still don't get what they mean by 'feeling that sensation.' Do you guys understand it?"
"How would I know? I had no clue what was happening while bashing those monsters."
"Same here. When I fought the magical beasts, I just assumed the mana was being drawn from the magic stone. I have no idea when the shift even happened."
Upon learning the truth during the hunt, the students had all fallen into bewilderment. Every examinee who learned the reality showed the exact same reaction. Naturally, they had assumed they were fighting the beasts with Magic Armament manifested purely through the magic stone, and that the bracelet chimed only after that external mana ran completely dry.
Yet what was the reality?
Every evaluator and proctor confirmed the same thing in unison: the mana drawn from the external magic stone had been exhausted long ago, and the mana from within their own bodies had already stepped in to sustain the Magic Armament. If that weren't the case, the bracelets could never have recorded such data when the signal triggered. In other words, their bodies had unconsciously funneled their own mana into the armament without their minds realizing it.
This revelation threw the examinees into utter confusion, and the proctors urged them to reflect upon and engrave that elusive sensation into their muscle memory.
"Ugh... Still, I guess we should head to Dubhe Hall for now. What are you going to do?"
"We can't let our bodies go cold while waiting for the next Magic Armament Manifestation lecture. I need to practice something over there."
"Me too. If they say we have to feel it with our bodies in the end, I'm just going to keep crafting artificial magic stones and manifesting armaments over and over."
Whatever was said, finding that elusive tactile grasp for the next stage took top priority. Armed with this subtle hint, the students had only to foster their own growth.
...I need to do the same.
Junon had successfully manifested the Magic Armament that had eluded him before his regression. He had just obtained the very weapon needed to defy a bleak and horrific future. Slacking off was a concept that simply didn't exist in his vocabulary. And right now, he possessed a path that was far more direct than anyone else's.
"S-Sunbae? Are you finally finished? You were taking so long, and I got so hungry that... hehe."
A girl was sheepishly nibbling on a sandwich, unable to endure the hunger while waiting for her senior to finish his exam. Her very presence was his shortcut. There was good reason people flocked to battle-hardened veterans after every victory banquet. Manifesting Magic Armament was surely no different; to be able to seek advice from someone who had already crossed battlefields was an invaluable privilege.
"No, don't worry. It's only natural to get hungry. I wouldn't scold you for that."
"Really...? But I still feel a little guilty..."
"If you feel that bad, come have a meal with me. That sandwich isn't going to fill you up anyway."
Of course, eating wouldn't be the only thing on the agenda. Docile as a little rabbit, Renias happily followed Junon once again.
Junon. It was that bastard once again.
Being assigned to the same squad had been infuriating enough, but after Erika smoothly cut off any room for him to interfere, Senia had started acting bizarrely. What could possibly be wrong with keeping Junon from taking the field for Senia to say such things? Erika could not fathom why Senia had suddenly unleashed her fury upon her.
'You... are such a feeble, foolish person that you're not even worthy of being compared to Junon Sunbae.'
'Does it make your stomach churn with jealousy and envy whenever he takes part in battle? Ah, I wish it were just that, but maybe it isn't. Looking at his speed with magic stones and manifesting Magic Armament... are you terrified that Junon might grow faster than you? Right. That's why you're holding him down, isn't it?'
First Renias, and now even Senia. Whenever those mocking voices echoed in Erika's mind, she unwittingly bit her lip until it stung.
To think Senia would turn out the same.
When Erika had argued against letting Junon into the team, Senia had seemed cool and distant toward him too. Yet taking such an overt stance today was an unambiguous defense of him. Erika couldn't help wondering if Senia had already been completely hoodwinked by his deceit. If only there were one more person. If only there were just one other soul who knew the truth.
Erika replayed today's events over and over in her head as she trudged silently toward the team's clubroom.
"Ow. Ugh..."
Preoccupied with her swirling thoughts, Erika bumped headfirst into an obstacle. As she stumbled and nearly lost her footing, Goden caught her firmly by the shoulder.
"Erika, aren't you daydreaming a bit too hard? You didn't even notice what was right in front of you."
"...Something happened, that's all. Anyway, thanks."
"Sounds like you had some friction with your teammates. Tsk."
Goden shrugged it off as an inevitable part of group work, opened the door to Team Tembris's clubroom, and stepped inside with Erika. The other members had either gone to attend lectures or excused themselves for personal matters, leaving only Goden, who had been organizing team paperwork.
"Hm? Come to think of it, where's Senia?"
"...She took off the second it ended. I don't know the details."
"Uh... right..."
Why so icy? Goden stood bewildered by Erika's unexpectedly sharp edge. Having prepared a few pointers on the next stages of Magic Armament manifestation assuming they'd return together, he was left rubbing his chin in clueless confusion.
At that exact moment, Junon was having a meal with Renias.
"Hehehe... I can't eat another bite..."
Having already devoured a sandwich as an appetizer, Renias had stuffed herself to the brim as if she possessed a separate stomach entirely. Seeing her rub her swollen belly with such a blissful, drowsy expression was enough to make anyone watching feel full just by looking at her. Still, some habits never changed.
"Ah...?"
"No matter how delicious it was, you should check your face."
"T-Thank you... Ahem."
Whenever Renias ate, getting crumbs or sauce on her face was practically a given, so Junon pulling out a tissue to gently wipe her cheek had become second nature. And right on cue, Renias quickly glanced into a compact mirror, using another tissue to dab at the spot he had already cleaned. In a way, this was her own habit.
"Renias. Now that we're done eating, there's something I really need to ask you."
"M-Me...? Not someone else...?"
"Yeah. It has to be you. It can't be anyone else but you, Renias."
"Wha-wha-wha-whaaat?!"
At those words, Renias's heart gave a violent, thumping jolt!
Was it because he said it had to be her? Was it because of how gently he had wiped her face just moments before? Or was it simply because of who was saying it...? For an innocent young girl utterly inexperienced in matters of romance, the situation sent her heart careening out of control. And the very next sentence sent her runaway heart leaping straight into her throat.
"It's something extremely important."
Important? What could he possibly mean by important? Something crucial that her senior had to tell her—and while they were completely alone together. The possibilities were tantalizingly narrow... She found herself suspended between breathless anticipation and sheer panic.
"S-S-Sunbae?! I-I'm not ready yet...! And besides, there are people around...! No, what am I even saying...?! In any case, I'm still...!"
Torn between wild hope and paralyzing nerves, Renias's words tripped over themselves as heat flushed across her cheeks. Yet Junon, wearing an expression of grave solemnity, gave her no time to catch her breath. When his voice finally resonated in the air, Renias squeezed her eyes shut on instinct.
A-All right! If Sunbae really wants to, I don't mind, but things like that are still...!
She wanted to open her mouth and say it, but the tender sensibilities of a young maiden were nowhere near sturdy enough to voice such thoughts aloud. However, that wasn't the issue at all. Her conversational partner...
"I'd like you to teach me about manifesting Magic Armament."
...simply wanted to ask a question completely removed from romantic daydreams. In fact, it had nothing to do with them whatsoever.
"Huh...? Magic Armament...?"
The heat that flushed the young girl's cheeks took on an entirely different nature from moments before, radiating pure, volcanic embarrassment.
"No matter how you look at it, this doesn't feel right..."
"Then what do you suggest? It's better to force it out than to just sit around waiting for it to fade."
"Fine. Let's do as you said and try pushing through it."
Inside Dubhe Hall, students were gathered in small clusters as expected, sharing insights and information. Yet those seeking to learn were not the only ones congregating within the hall. Lying in wait were those whose seething inferiority had driven them to strike at this exact moment.
Look at them enjoying themselves. Filthy vermin.
The mere sight made Kayden's blood boil to dangerous levels. Things were different now. Driven to the edge of sanity with plans to commit something far worse, there was no one present who could stop him.
"Hey, Kayden. Let's press it already!"
"Yeah. We're itching to see this go down."
The other nobles in Kayden's faction were practically buzzing with impatience, thrilled by the prospect of reducing the commoners' hard work to ash.
"Whoa, easy now. Cool your heads. Shouldn't we savor the sight of their hopes collapsing before their eyes? Let's go in first."
At Kayden's urging, the nobles sauntered into the laboratory, making no effort to hide their sneering smirks as they openly provoked everyone present.
"Lowborn trash. If you get on your knees before us right this instant, I might just overlook your insolence. Consider this a clear warning."
"What?"
"It's that guy again."
"Guess that beating didn't teach him a lesson. Let's just kick him out before he pulls anything."
"I'll help."
The students began warily advancing toward Kayden's clique. No longer caught off guard, they fully intended to throw him out on his ear.
"Is that so...? So that's how you want to play it..."
Kayden remained brazenly confident, despite facing the very real possibility of suffering the same humiliation as before.
What on earth is giving him that kind of confidence?
Having come straight to Dubhe Hall to focus on her Magic Armament after the fallout with Erika, Senia was the only one in the room who sensed something deeply wrong with Kayden's unwavering arrogance.
"Wait, everyone hold on! Something's off about this gu—"
"It's already too late, you bottom-feeding scoundrels!"
BOOOOOM────!!!!
The instant Kayden shrieked, an ear-splitting barrage of thunderous detonations erupted across the hall like detonated munitions, tearing through the air.