The Three-Colored Rings (2)
"Wow, there are way more talented kids here than I expected. At this level, they'd probably dominate even the upperclassmen at the Imperial Military Academy, wouldn't they?"
Istal clapped her hands in admiration as she watched the various scenes unfolding across the testing grounds through the surveillance magic tool. The examiner sitting beside her—a man who had once served as her adjutant—let out a heavy sigh.
"Their specialties are fundamentally different, aren't they? Unlike officers who must command troops and grasp the overall flow of a battlefield, these candidates are essentially prospects for elite special forces units. If you're going to compare them, it would be more appropriate to measure them against the empire's premier knight orders or the magic corps of the former Morian Kingdom."
"Isn't it a bit much to bring in active-duty personnel just to evaluate kids who haven't even received proper training yet? Aren't you being a little too biased toward your juniors?"
"I merely stated an objective fact."
The examiner continued, "More importantly, are you certain this is acceptable? According to the original rules, they should have demonstrated their ability to adapt their tactics based on compatibility against opponents with different colored rings. At this rate, it will simply devolve into a chaotic brawl."
"It doesn't matter. It's not exactly a rule violation, so they can do whatever they want. Of course—" Leaning against the desk with her chin propped on one hand, a sadistic gleam flashing in her eyes, Istal smiled seductively. "—whatever happens to them as a result is entirely their own responsibility."
While moving to regroup with Ligret and Fiore, Loto asked with a bewildered expression, "By the way, why did those people attack us earlier? Even if they had rings of the same color, they couldn't pass anyway!"
I answered, "Because even if I have no use for them, other participants might."
"Huh?"
The green-haired girl—who had somehow ended up traveling with us instead of going her own way—exclaimed, "There are tons of uses! You could trade them with someone who has a different colored ring, use them to avoid fights, or even treat them as extra lives in a pinch!"
"I-I see." Loto nodded repeatedly, looking convinced. Convenient to have someone explain it for me.
"But why are you two sticking with us? Shouldn't you be out looking for rings?"
She replied to my question, "In an environment where blades could come flying from any direction, it's better to stick with people you can at least communicate with, right?"
"Being near me won't exactly be great for your reputation, you know."
"I'd rather live as a victorious bastard who gets cursed out for passing than die as some clean loser who failed while worrying about reputation."
Her resolute tone was so impressive I nearly fell for her on the spot. What a talent. If my damn father saw her, he'd be flashing his eyes and trying to scout her immediately.
"And you?"
"Call me Rabaul. I simply wish to repay the kindness of the sage who granted me enlightenment. I have no other intentions."
These are some interesting characters.
As we continued moving, we spotted other groups of four candidates traveling just like us. I called out to them, "Wait a moment! What color are your rings?! If they're the same as ours, there's no need to fight! Ours are red!"
"Huh? Our color is—"
I ignored Loto's reaction. They exchanged a few quick words among themselves, then immediately drew their swords and charged without hesitation.
In a voice low enough that they couldn't hear, I told my group, "Good. The fact that they're rushing in without fear of red means they're at least not blue. Hide your rings as much as possible. Counterattack once they get close!"
"Wow, this guy lies as naturally as he breathes. Dragging people into fights without even asking for consent, too."
"Hmph. Can't be helped, I suppose."
Even as she grumbled, the green-haired girl quietly gripped the bow on her back. Rabaul made a slightly troubled face before silently lifting a stone from the ground nearby. Loto fumbled around for a moment before picking up his wooden club, only to realize he was the only one stepping forward, at which point his face filled with despair.
I fired my crossbow repeatedly at the approaching enemies. Since they were still at a considerable distance, most of the bolts simply cut through empty air. But one of them flew straight toward the head of an advancing foe. The young man blocked it with the shield on his arm.
Crunch!
"Aaaargh!"
The bolt effortlessly pierced the thick wooden shield reinforced with leather, which should have offered considerable defense. The youth, struck in his left arm as well, screamed in agony before the poison coating the arrowhead rendered him completely immobile.
The remaining three attackers and my companions all seemed stunned by the power of that shot. In truth, I was just as shocked.
There's no way that bolt should have this much power— Wait, is this the ring compatibility effect?!
The moment I realized it, I fired the crossbow again in a barrage. I wasn't aiming for vital points or the center of mass. Even the smallest scratch would do. For someone like me who frequently used poison through open wounds, this was a familiar tactic.
Another bolt struck one of the attackers who couldn't easily approach Loto as he wildly swung his wooden club. The man, grazed on the shoulder, was sent flying as if he'd been hit by something massive. He soared into the air before crashing to the ground.
The remaining two met similar fates from the green-haired girl's arrows and Rabaul's thrown stones. They seemed to have grasped the mechanics as well.
"So attacks against an unfavorable matchup have their damage multiplied several times over, even if it's just a minor hit. To think simply wearing a ring on your arm could produce this kind of effect—what's the underlying principle?"
"The mysteries of magic run deep indeed…."
I told my companions, "Save the appreciation for later. First, let's collect the rings. These guys seem to have white rings, so if we just gather red ones now—"
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
At that moment, the ground trembled. In the distance, something massive was approaching with heavy noise yet surprising agility for its size. I muttered without thinking, "…Yeah, I knew it was too easy for a crazy academy."
"Damn it, what the hell are these things!?"
Meanwhile, at roughly the same time, Crow Vein spat out a curse as he fended off an attack from one of 'those things.' As if answering his question, the creature launched a spinning kick. Crow crossed his dual blades to block it, but the impact sent his body flying backward.
Even though he'd dispersed most of the force, the stinging pain in his wrists made him grit his teeth. Crow glared at the intruder that had interrupted his enjoyable fight.
Its body looked like several logs of varying thickness lashed together. It had spherical joints that seemed to mimic human anatomy. Where a person's facial features should have been, a white ring was blatantly attached.
These were the entities Istal had announced before the test began—creatures carrying rings that weren't candidates, waiting within the testing grounds. The summoned beast, a Battle Puppet, tilted its head from side to side as if taunting Crow.
"Fine! Let's do this!"
Unlike Crow, who growled and charged the Battle Puppet once more, Ligret—who was facing another one on the opposite side—remained utterly calm. Her thrust shot forward like a flash of light, striking the puppet's neck with perfect precision.
"—!"
But that was all. Despite a strike powerful enough to pierce straight through an ordinary human—or even a decent-sized log—the Battle Puppet only flinched slightly before grabbing the spear embedded in its neck and slamming it down toward Ligret in retaliation.
Judging from the sensation traveling through the shaft that a contest of strength would be disadvantageous, Ligret released the weapon without hesitation and leaped backward. The spear slammed into the ground with a loud crack and was instantly shattered by the puppet's knee strike, which sounded like it was snapping wooden joints.
My attacks aren't dealing proper damage. And even their light checks come with several times the force. It's probably the effect of that ring compatibility thing.
Ligret thought. A direct confrontation was unfavorable. If it were Chrome, he would probably find some way to shake the opponent off or pass it to another candidate, then retry after setting up a more advantageous situation. In Chrome's terms, it would be something like Route A.
But even if that wasn't the case, Ligret had already come up with a way to deal with this thing.
I just need to discard the ring I'm wearing and fight.
That examiner named Istal had said it. Collect three different colored rings to pass. If you want to forfeit, throw away your rings and lie down. She had never mentioned that losing your own ring even once would result in disqualification.
The examiner's face, smiling as if saying 'Wow, you noticed that quickly! Good job!', floated before her eyes as clearly as if she were standing right there.
Yes. This was Route B. And from Ligret's perspective, it was the best possible choice.
Even so—why did it feel so damn irritating?
"Hah."
That condescending gaze was unpleasant. The arrogance that seemed to say 'Your movements are all in the palm of my hand' was infuriating.
At one point, the boy named Chrome Midas had evaluated the girl named Ligret as the incarnation of competitive spirit. Put more simply, it meant that—at least in areas that interested her—she had a personality that absolutely refused to lose.
Ligret crouched low. Lower. Even lower. Almost crawling along the ground. Then came the charge.
Transcendent flexibility, physical strength far beyond what her small frame should allow, and an abnormal sense of balance all combined to make the contradictory act of 'running while crawling' possible. The Battle Puppet's algorithm momentarily errored at the inhuman movement. Right after its makeshift sweeping kick, a dagger slipped into the gap between its joints.
First the raised right leg, then immediately after, the left leg serving as the pivot. With foreign objects jammed into both joints, the puppet's legs bent at grotesque angles. Unable to support its own weight, it collapsed face-first onto the ground.
Even then, the Battle Puppet tried to push itself up with both arms, but Ligret's stomp—carrying her full body weight—directly onto its back crushed that attempt as well.
Throwing spears summoned through the Feldous's Summoning Gloves stabbed into the ground on either side, pinning down the puppet's right shoulder joint. No matter how much it reduced incoming damage or amplified its own impacts, there were limits to a construct modeled after the human form.
With both legs and its right shoulder immobilized and its back pinned down, no amount of struggling could generate proper force. As the spherical puppet writhed futilely on the ground, Ligret brought down the Ancient Guardian's Greatsword toward its neck.
Thud. — First strike. A small scratch appeared.
Thud! — Third strike. Faint cracks spread across the puppet's entire neck.
Craaaack! Crunch!
Finally, on the tenth slash, the puppet's head was severed and its body ceased all movement.
Ligret tore the white ring from the puppet's raised head and claimed it for herself before asking, "—Want to keep going?"
The young man who received the question, Crow Vein, hesitated for a moment but eventually sighed and shook his head.
"Forget it. I'll count this as my loss. Damn it, if I'd known, I should've just smashed it in a straight-up fight."
Turning away from Crow, who was clearly frustrated by the fact that he could only win after removing the ring to nullify the compatibility effect, Ligret began walking toward Chrome, who was now approaching with a group in tow.
Several of her favorite weapons—including her spear and daggers—had been rendered unusable, but her mood wasn't bad at all.