Seniors vs. Juniors (4)
The first-years were in hell.
Some found themselves standing before a frivolous-looking dual-wielder as he swung two demonic swords, frantically debating whether they’d end up as charred meat or frozen flesh. Others were sent flying into the distance by a smiling, long-haired woman’s greatsword, their shields utterly useless. A few desperately fled from arrows that punched clean through entire trees, fired by a monster who could backtrack their position with nothing but raw instinct. More still were getting thoroughly beaten by orthodox swordsmanship from a handsome youth so good-looking it was almost irritating. And then there were those skewered by sharp magic arrows that somehow didn’t match the sympathetic look in their shooter’s eyes.
“Sorry. I’m so sorry. I’ll go as easy as I can. Really, I’m sorry.”
Even the madman who kept apologizing while using people like improvised weapons was overwhelming them. Rather than hunting the targets—these raid-boss-level second-years—the first-years were the ones being hunted.
That was when the broadcast reached their ears.
Target Eagle Pendevig has been eliminated. The victors are the '1st Year' Kian Danach team. Kian’s team star points have increased to 8. There are currently 134 surviving first-years. 19 targets remain.
They had taken one down. Just one out of twenty. Nearly half their number had been wiped out before they managed even that, but they had succeeded.
And then came the second piece of news that poured fuel on that fragile spark of hope.
Target Jin Sirius has been eliminated. The victors are the '1st Year' Eisen Hartmann team. Eisen’s team star points have increased to 5. There are currently 128 surviving first-years. 18 targets remain.
Once could be luck. Twice was fate. The back-to-back victory announcements set the first-years’ fighting spirit ablaze.
“We can do this! Those guys aren’t invincible!”
“This assignment’s main characters are us! We can’t just collapse like this!”
“We can fight each other later! For now, we have to work together!”
The first-years tried once more to pool their strength. On the surface it looked like a repeat of their earlier attempt, but the result was completely different. It wasn’t that they had suddenly awakened to friendship or unity. It was simply that if they suffered a miserable defeat here, the entire first-year class would be humiliated. Survival came first.
“Huh? These kids are suddenly fighting properly?”
“Damn it, did we push them too hard?”
The second-years, who had been keeping each other in check and watching their backs when the first-years still had decent numbers, now found themselves in trouble. Once the underclassmen decided to clump together and charge with sheer numbers, the pressure became overwhelming. Fighting two at once was one thing. Fighting three, five, ten, or even twenty was another matter entirely. No matter how skilled the second-years were, it was no longer easy.
If the second-years had been allowed to form teams, things might have been different. Unfortunately the rules forbade it, forcing them to fight their lonely battles alone.
“Damn it, if I just had one supporter…!”
The combat majors realized how exhausting it was to have no rear support for area attacks or recovery. The magic majors keenly felt the absence of a vanguard to keep enemies off them while they cast. The support majors simply suffered, with no one to support. What were they supposed to do without anyone to help?
“Good! Another one down! Let’s keep pushing like this!”
The early slaughter that had seemed so one-sided was now reversing. The second-years were gradually being pushed back by the first-years. A few perceptive students watching the scene realized the truth.
When they only thought about their own teams or factions and gathered in small groups, they kept getting crushed. But once they set personal feelings aside and united, they started winning.
So this was all orchestrated to teach us the importance of cooperation.
The professors’ message is clear: stop bickering over factions and work together.
Maybe the seniors are even deliberately playing the villains for our sake.
Of course, a single event like this wasn’t going to magically reform the entire first-year class. If that actually happened, one would have to seriously suspect mental manipulation magic. Still, even without a dramatic transformation, the experience of uniting their power once would ensure they wouldn’t fall into complete chaos like before.
Having realized the professors’ true intention, the first-years charged forward without hesitation. The second-years, refusing to lose so easily, fought back with equal ferocity.
And within that massive current, one merchant made his move.
The forest was filled with the clang of steel, the roar of spells, and screams and shouts. It was impossible to tell whether this was a real battlefield or a mock battle. In the middle of that pandemonium, a blond youth was surrounded by roughly ten first-years.
“Now, now. Everyone calm down. My dear juniors, you all seem to be working so hard.”
Chrome Midas raised both hands above his head and shook them in a clear display of non-resistance. The first-years’ expressions twisted strangely at the sight of this ‘target’ wearing a monocle and showing zero intention of fighting.
They had pounced the moment they saw the red cloth marking him as prey. But now that their target had immediately surrendered without even pretending to resist, they were simply… troubled.
“What do we do?”
“It might be a trap. Just cut him down.”
“But attacking someone who surrendered feels kind of…”
“Who’s actually going to do it then?”
“Your team already has a lot of points. We should take this one.”
“What kind of logic is that? We’re the ones who found him.”
“Hey, hey, everyone stop. Are we really going to repeat what happened earlier?”
While the first-years whispered among themselves, the blond target began to speak.
“To be honest, my skills aren’t nearly good enough to fight all of you head-on. Besides, I have quite a few complaints about this assignment. People like Her Highness the Princess can still shine brilliantly in a situation like this, but someone ordinary like me will simply be crushed by sheer numbers without achieving anything noteworthy.”
“So what are you saying? If you’re asking us to take pity on you, we can’t do that. We have an assignment to complete too.”
“Of course, of course. I’m not asking for a free favor. With that in mind, everyone… would any of you happen to need potions?”
While the first-years were still blinking in confusion at the sudden offer, Chrome had already pulled various glass bottles from his backpack and neatly lined them up on the ground. Technically, the moment he reached into his bag should have been the perfect chance to attack, but his movements were so natural that even the wary first-years failed to feel any sense of danger.
“These are for wounds, these are antidotes, and these restore fatigue. The last ones put a heavy burden on your body if you drink too many, so please limit yourself to one bottle per day. Go ahead and take what you need.”
“Wait, how do we know these are real?”
“A perfectly reasonable doubt. But think about it. It’s not as if we don’t see each other often at the academy, and you all know my name and face. If I tried to scam you here, how could I possibly handle the consequences afterward?”
When he put it that way, it made sense. If this were a real battlefield they might silence witnesses, but here, anyone who fell would still be able to move freely outside. Information would spread regardless. After one injured student poured a bit of potion on his fingertip and confirmed its effect, the first-years’ eyes changed.
“I won’t ask for any payment. I won’t even demand that you leave me alone until the assignment ends. Just do me one small favor. Until Alphons Betuart is taken down, please overlook me.”
The serious expression with which he spoke allowed the more informed students to understand the true meaning behind the deal.
Within Her Highness’s faction, Alphons Betuart and Chrome Midas are indeed rivals. Is this some kind of pride battle?
I don’t see what’s so great about surviving this way, but…
Well, from our perspective there’s no downside.
Even if people cursed them for using such a cowardly method, the criticism would fall on Chrome, not them. Besides, Chrome only had three star points. It wasn’t an overwhelming score they desperately needed to steal. And they wouldn’t be letting him go completely—just keeping him with them and defeating him later. When viewed coldly, there was absolutely no loss in accepting the proposal.
Had the second-years received a similar offer, they would have coldly replied with something like ‘To hell with being cold, just shut his mouth first!’ But unfortunately, the first-years were still pure.