Chapter 38: Class Representative Ranking Battle (2)
Chapter 38: Class Representative Ranking Battle (2)
BOOM!
A powerful explosion engulfed a student who hadn't even finished preparing their equipment.
Mana Explosion.
It was a crude technique where, instead of weaving concentrated mana into a spell, one simply let it run wild to trigger a massive blast.
Its range was short, and because it wasn't a proper spell, it offered no protection to the caster. Furthermore, it consumed a significant amount of mana, making it a technique rarely used in actual combat.
However, it was the perfect trick for ambushing another mage at close quarters.
Especially when the target was hit point-blank by a Mana Explosion fueled by Yandel’s innate mana capacity, which rivaled that of an Intermediate Magician.
A protection spell must have triggered, so the student likely wasn't physically injured, but their elimination was guaranteed.
Iona, watching the bare-handed student freeze with a dazed expression, used Telekinesis Magic to pull them out of the ring. She hopped up and down, clapping her hands.
"Wow... Excellent! Excellent! He truly understands the advantages of Mana Explosion! If you can definitely take one person down, what do petty drawbacks matter? Did you teach him that, Carla? Looking at the entrance exam records, it said Yandel’s application skills were remarkable compared to his magic level!"
"Huh? Oh... yes, I did teach him how to use Mana Explosion and its characteristics. B-but Master figured out the timing to use it just now on his own. To begin with, it hasn't even been a month since Master started learning magic..."
Carla answered reflexively to Iona’s sudden question.
She hurriedly added the last part as if worried it might reflect poorly on Yandel, looking very much like a loyal slave.
However, Iona simply smiled brightly, seemingly indifferent to the transformation of her former star pupil into a devoted slave.
"A mage must be willing to learn even from a slave if necessary. Yes! Exactly!"
Perhaps seeing Iona treat her with the same attitude as always was actually reassuring.
Carla, who had been incredibly tense, was just about to relax her shoulders after seeing Iona’s nonchalant reaction when—
Iona, whose eyes hadn't left the dueling ground, suddenly spoke in a flustered voice.
"Huh? Uh... what? Why is Yandel fighting so terrifyingly well?! Despite that pretty face, is he some kind of former mercenary?!"
Carla reflexively followed Yandel with her eyes, but she couldn't help but tilt her head in confusion as well.
"Uh... you're right. Why is he so good...?"
The results of a last-minute cram session shouldn't be this effective.
*
BOOM!
The entire body of the student caught in the explosion turned a brilliant red.
It wasn't blood. It was likely Iona’s protection magic glowing red after absorbing an impact above a certain threshold.
As if that were a signal for elimination, the student floated up and flew toward Iona.
I watched them go for a moment before scanning my surroundings.
Some were horrified by my ruthless first strike and were backing away; others were calmly chanting Shield; and some were preparing offensive magic, taking advantage of the current chaos.
Among them, I lunged toward the one gutsy enough to target me.
"...Therefore, burn. For the eternal ember lies within this hand!"
The chant was quite grand, as if they intended to take me out in one shot. It looked like it was just going to be a Fireball, though.
As I closed the distance to point-blank range, dodging the half-formed sphere of flames, the student looked like they never expected a mage to get this close.
"Fire... Gasp!"
The student let out a startled hitch of breath.
I could tell they were quite skilled since their casting didn't break even in this situation... but that was it.
The most important thing when facing a mage is not giving them time to prepare their magic.
This rule remains the same even if I am a mage myself.
Realizing their mistake, the student hurriedly tried to complete their spell, but I was one step faster.
I swung my staff with all my might at their head.
"Be quiet!"
Clang!
"Gack!"
Don't you dare recite an activation verse in front of me.
Seeing how the student caught in the Mana Explosion earlier had been charred black, Iona’s protection magic felt less like it blocked the attack itself and more like it paid the cost of the life force that would have been lost to the damage.
It was likely Blood Shift, a type of Blood Magic.
It made sense. Getting hit in the arm is different from getting hit in the head, even with the same spell, so this was more logical.
The fact that some level of pain was still felt made it even closer to a real battle.
It was exactly the kind of magic the Academy would love.
"Ah, ugh..."
As I expected, the opponent who took the hit to the head staggered back.
The fact that their casting was canceled by the impact was a bonus.
I grabbed the head of the guy who had just suffered a Dispel (Physical) with my free hand. Then—
"Tinder!"
"Aaargh!"
I repeatedly fired the basic magic that required no special chanting.
"Tinder! Tinder! Tinder! Tinder!"
Over and over. Continuously. Until they were incapacitated.
Given the nature of basic magic, which lacks firepower, it would be difficult to deal enough damage to cross the incapacitation threshold in a short time like I did with Mana Explosion.
But pain is a different story.
There’s no way it wouldn't hurt to have your face scorched with fire.
"AAAAAAARGH!!"
In the end, the guy did nothing but scream loud enough to shake the dueling ground before fainting from the pain.
Melee attack + point-blank Tinder spam.
Actually, this was a decent combo I often used in H&A, though only in the early game.
It was a method of actively utilizing the "Fear" stat—a concept that, like Aggro, doesn't appear on the status window.
Against low-level mages who have long chanting times and whose spells are canceled by the slightest impact, it’s practically a finishing move, but...
Using it in reality, it feels a bit excessive.
If it were a real enemy, that would be one thing, but it felt a bit much to use on a classmate I’d have to keep seeing.
As I watched the limp body being dragged out by Iona’s Telekinesis, I briefly thought about sealing this move away for a while.
But then I realized that everyone on the dueling ground, including Elisha, was staring at me with horrified expressions.
"Ah."
The moment I saw those looks, I knew.
A silent agreement had been reached: they were going to take me down first.
"O surging water."
"Burn."
"Sharpen your edge."
Chants rang out simultaneously from all directions. Elisha was the only one not participating in this horrific lynching.
Even she was just layering multiple Shields, seemingly deciding that she didn't need to step in and would rather focus on her own defense.
Can't be helped.
Steeling myself, I pulled the Shining Lion Dagger from my inventory and gripped it with my free hand.
Immediately, the Crude Weapon Technique trait activated, making my body feel significantly lighter.
Trusting my more agile body, I ran toward the nearest female student, who looked like the easiest target.
"Hieee! Water Cannon!"
Perhaps because she had clearly seen how my previous opponent was eliminated, she fired her prepared spell in a panic the moment she realized she was my target.
A high-pressure stream of water aimed straight for my head.
If this were H&A, I would have charged in trusting my defense and evasion stats, or responded with a special method like protection magic or a magic parry... but this time, I didn't even need to go that far.
Among the things I had crammed with Carla yesterday, there was something useful for this exact situation.
All magic is manifested based on imagination and will, supported by intuition and formulas.
Because of this, for projectile-type magic, it is crucial to see the target clearly with your eyes and point the staff or finger in the direction it will be fired.
That way, you can intuitively visualize how it will fly and what it will hit.
Of course, as one reaches higher levels, these steps can be omitted or turned into feints to deceive the opponent... but it wasn't something a freshman could do.
I leaned my center of gravity forward, tilting my body as if I were about to fall.
The Water Cannon grazed the spot where my head had been, following the direction the staff had pointed.
It was an experience that should have sent shivers down my spine, but my lips curled into a smirk of their own accord.
It was because I had succeeded in the "dodge by watching the staff" technique I had practiced to death with Carla.
"Ah...!"
The female student’s face darkened instantly as her attack missed.
She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact that was sure to follow... but I didn't bash her small head with my staff.
"......?"
By the time she peeked her eyes open in confusion—
I was already behind her, my arm holding the dagger wrapped around her neck.
"Urgh!"
Startled by the sudden chokehold, the girl flailed against my arm and struggled to speak.
"M-magic... this is a magic duel..."
"You're asking why a Magic Department student isn't using magic during a duel?"
Nod, nod.
For the sake of the student who was nodding as if she’d been wronged, I decided to explain it myself. We were going to be in the same class taking the same lessons, after all; I could at least do this much.
"Look over there."
"???"
I extended my staff and pointed to the side.
Specifically, in the direction where the spells fired at me were clearly visible.
"Hie...!"
The number of students in Class A was only about fifteen, and some, like Elisha, hadn't joined the effort to take me down...
Even so, six or seven low-grade spells were currently locked onto me.
In the case of offensive magic, a "low-grade" spell is generally defined as one powerful enough to kill an ordinary person.
In other words, six or seven spells capable of killing me were flying my way.
No matter how high my chanting speed and stability were thanks to the system correction, I could only shoot down one or two spells at most.
If I knew how to use Shield magic, it might be different, but for now, the only low-grade magic I could use was Wind Cutter.
"But ta-da! I have a perfect shield right here!"
"...What?"
Professor Iona’s magic would never break from just a few low-grade spells.
It might cause enough pain to make someone faint, but it wouldn't cause enough to kill from shock. That’s what protection magic was for.
The nameless classmate, realizing I was going to use her as a human shield, grit her teeth.
"You... you son of a—"
"Uh-uh. No naughty words!"
The spells reached us in an instant.
I curled my body as much as possible, hiding behind her narrow back.