A Perfectly Ordinary Group Assignment (11)
Chrome quickly scanned the opposing team. First, three martial arts students including Alphons. They wore thick armor covering their entire bodies, carried kite shields, and wielded one-handed swords. At a glance they appeared heavy and defense-oriented, but in reality they could move boldly without fixating on protection, meaning their attacks would be just as formidable.
The rest consisted of one magic student and one support student, both in relatively light attire. Considering the numbers, it was a textbook party composition, yet Chrome's expression darkened.
Where's the last one?
The hulking, muscular giant who had been near Alphons during the first exam was nowhere to be seen. Before he could resolve that question, however, Alphons's team made their move.
The two knights guarding Alphons charged forward. One headed straight for Ligret, the other for Loto.
Clang! The strike, delivered with full momentum and weight, was effortlessly blocked. The opponent's sword casually pushed his own blade aside and aimed for his throat. The student who had rushed Ligret recoiled in shock. Even though one wielded a two-handed sword and the other a one-handed blade, the sheer power coming from the girl—who was a full head shorter than him—was nothing short of monstrous.
Realizing he was at a disadvantage in a contest of strength, the young man tried to swing his left-hand shield forward to strike Ligret, but she was faster. Stepping to her right, she thrust her sword straight at his face.
Scrape. An utterly alien sensation—nothing like cutting cloth—washed over Ligret. The moment she realized it was a Low-tier Mana Shield that had appeared in front of the young man's face, she tried to adjust her blade path, but this time the young man reacted quicker. His desperately swung shield knocked her backward. She herself took no damage, yet those few seconds spent in the exchange were more than enough to threaten her allies.
"H-Huh?!"
Loto was the first to fall into danger. Their two shields collided with a shrill metallic screech, and Loto's stance crumbled badly. Even though both wore heavy armor and carried shields, there was a world of difference between Loto—a commoner youth until recently—and Nicolaus, who had trained as a knight since childhood. Most decisive of all was the presence or absence of mana-enhanced physical reinforcement.
After forcibly batting Loto's shield aside, Nicolaus thrust his sword into the now-exposed torso. A Low-tier Mana Shield cast by Fiore blocked the otherwise simple attack, but unlike the young man facing Ligret, Loto lacked the skill to exploit the opening. Before Fiore could generate another shield, Nicolaus's blade sliced across Loto's neck.
The bracelet registered the lethal wound, absorbed the damage, and teleported Loto to safety in the rear. A new mark appeared on Nicolaus's bracelet.
Meanwhile, Chrome had begun firing at the enemy rear the instant combat started, but things did not go as planned. The arrows aimed at the magic and support students were intercepted by Alphons; they detonated and successfully bound his feet, yet the muscular giant who burst from the bushes charged straight at Pino and Rabaul, who should have followed up.
"Hup!"
"Kyaa!"
Rabaul was sent flying as though struck by a massive boar, while Pino rolled across the ground without even releasing her nocked arrow. The giant reached out to grab Fiore as well, but a Low-tier Mana Arrow fired by Chrome slammed into the side of his head. Under normal circumstances that would have been the same as an arrow lodged in the skull, yet the giant only staggered slightly. Faint red mana rose from his entire body, proving he was reinforcing himself with mana from head to toe.
Realizing that dodging or counterattacking was meaningless with her own physical abilities, Fiore chose to cast a healing spell toward the two fallen allies. Light of recovery enveloped them, but the moment the giant—who had regained his senses—snapped Fiore's neck, her bracelet flashed and she was teleported away.
Four against six. An outsider would have judged Alphons's team to hold the advantage, yet anyone with tactical insight would have reached a different conclusion. Despite their overwhelming numerical superiority in martial artists and a successful ambush, they had only managed to eliminate two opponents—an obvious blunder.
As if to prove the point, Ligret's slash severed both arms of the young knight blocking her path. Having reduced her immediate threat from a dangerous foe to a helpless mannequin, Ligret used the young man's body as a shield to block the Low-tier Mana Arrow the magic student fired at her. While Chrome's arrow bearing Flame Fragment kept Alphons at bay, Ligret drew a short spear with Feldous's Summoning Gloves and drove it straight through the chest of the support student who had been trying to cast a healing spell.
Without so much as glancing at the new mark appearing on her own bracelet, Ligret kicked the armless young man toward Nicolaus, who was approaching her. Instead of cutting down or discarding his longtime comrade, Nicolaus chose to support him—only for Pino's arrow to pierce his back. Both men were then caught in the ensuing explosion.
The muscular giant tried to target Chrome, who had his back turned while facing Alphons, but Rabaul—who had closed in unnoticed—grabbed the giant's waist and clung to him, forcing him to halt. A bewildered, flustered expression crossed the giant's rugged, scar-covered face.
Alphons's expression hardened at the worsening situation and he tried to step forward, but Chrome persistently rained ordinary arrows and Flame Fragment arrows at both Alphons himself and the magic student behind him, pinning them in place. In that opening, Ligret closed in on Alphons.
Alphons's textbook, fundamentals-focused swordsmanship clashed against Ligret's free yet merciless strikes—born from innate talent and real combat experience—creating an ironclad defense reminiscent of a solid boulder. Yet no matter how sturdy the defense, he could not simultaneously fend off Ligret and protect his allies in the rear.
Deprived of Alphons's protection, the magic student was pierced by Chrome's arrow and teleported away, leaving only his mark behind. After the giant finally shook off Rabaul, the situation had already turned dire. Chrome, having switched from crossbow to sword at some point, blocked the giant's path while Ligret was left to handle Alphons. From the rear, Pino aimed her bow at the giant with blazing eyes, clearly intent on payback. Even Rabaul—who had been repeatedly slammed into the ground—began creeping forward again. Just as the giant gritted his teeth—
"Oh my, it seems everyone gathered here without inviting us."
Along with a gentle voice utterly unsuited to the battlefield, Lyla Everblaze Barhart and her entourage appeared.
Her dress was beautiful, balancing splendor and practicality. Though it revealed almost no skin, her outstanding figure was still evident. Her skin glowed as though she had not spent several nights in the forest, and her fiery red hair burned like living flame. Her beauty and presence evoked the image of a legendary castle and the princess sealed within it. Even those who had been locked in fierce combat moments earlier unconsciously turned their gazes toward her and swallowed.
Of course, not everyone was distracted.
Three martial artists, three mages including the princess—six people, all still in fighting shape! Damn it, Crow should have taken down at least one or two of them!
Cursing inwardly, Chrome shouted.
"Ligret! Don't cut him! Everyone else, cease combat!"
The Ancient Guardian's Greatsword, which had reached right in front of Alphons's throat, stopped dead. The bloodthirsty aura from moments ago vanished as Ligret smoothly withdrew her blade. Alphons's eyes trembled violently, but he soon shouted as well.
"Grendel! Do not fight!"
Once the muscular giant called Grendel also dropped his combat stance, an awkward silence fell over the field. Countless glances were exchanged between Chrome, Alphons, and their respective groups. Immediately afterward, both teams fled in opposite directions.
One of the princess's female knights spoke with clear displeasure.
"……Even if this is during class, it is unbelievable that they offered not a single word of greeting after Her Highness addressed them."
The other attendants spoke over one another.
"I shall correct their manners at once. Please give the order!"
"Give the order!"
"Leave it to me, Your Highness!"
With a single gesture, Lyla quelled the heated atmosphere that seemed more fitting for confronting enemies than fellow students, then spoke.
"They appear to wish for a game of tag. Let us oblige them, everyone."
The second half of the match had begun.