Chapter 186: Proof 8
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 186: Proof 8
The students, who had been charging with weapons drawn, froze. The sight of Magic Missiles filling the entire auditorium was enough to paralyze them. Some even dropped their weapons, the clatter echoing as they gave up entirely.
Not yet.
The lone third-year among the seven students faltered for a moment at the swarm, but he quickly tightened his grip on his axe. He was practically hypnotizing himself, forcing his fear into a corner.
She’s stronger than I thought.
In a one-on-one fight, he would have lost a hundred times out of a hundred. But this wasn't a duel.
"The exam isn't over yet! Don't give up! Keep moving! Follow me, and I'll lead us to victory!"
The man roared and charged forward with explosive momentum, hoping the students behind him would find their courage by watching his back.
It worked. The students who had dropped their weapons scrambled to pick them up, their spirits rekindled by his bravado.
Right, we already knew Lady Adelian was strong.
The professor is right there; it’s not like she’ll actually kill us.
I have to join the club to get close to the Crown Prince!
We have a senior with us. It’s seven against one; we can win this.
Belatedly, the group rushed toward Clara.
It’s terrifying.
Just looking at the sheer volume of Magic Missiles filling the hall brought out a cold sweat. Feeling Clara’s skill firsthand—casting such a large-scale spell instantly, a feat even a professor might struggle with—left no room for jealousy.
The only emotion left was pure terror.
Yet, perhaps because of that very dread, the students screamed even louder as they ran, trying to drown out their fear.
Even a worm will turn when trodden upon. A cornered rat will bite the cat.
"Aaaaaah!!!"
"Let's go!!!"
"Hyaaaaap!!"
Even the lowliest creature rebels if looked down upon. Even a frightened rat will bite with a death-defying resolve if there is nowhere left to run.
However.
That was all it was.
A worm’s squirming cannot avoid a human’s foot. A single bite from a rat cannot kill a cat.
They did not know.
They did not know why the third-year, who had stopped dead at the sight of the Magic Missiles, had been given the time to tighten his grip on his axe.
Why he had the time to shout words of encouragement to those who had already given up.
Why the students had the time to process his words and rethink their position.
Why they had the time to find their courage, retrieve their fallen weapons, and charge at Clara with a great war cry.
Why the Magic Missiles remained suspended in mid-air even now, as they sprinted across the floor.
They did not know that all this time existed only because Clara allowed it.
Clara was the only student capable of filling the auditorium with Magic Missiles, but if the scope were widened to include every mage on the continent, there were more than could be counted on both hands.
However, the number of people who could control thousands of Magic Missiles and keep them perfectly still could be counted on one.
"Sigh..."
They should have just given up.
What a tedious waste of time.
Letting out a deep sigh, Clara lightly swung her staff.
As if on signal, the Magic Missiles filling the auditorium began to rain down from all directions. They swirled toward the charging students like rain caught in a typhoon.
Whoosh!
The third-year student leading the charge swung his massive axe at the incoming projectiles.
Pop!
Like raindrops hitting an umbrella, the Magic Missiles dissipated the moment they touched the axe. However, the man who had easily blocked them actually furrowed his brow.
They’re heavy.
He knew the weight of a spell; he had blocked Magic Missiles made by other students many times before.
She created thousands of them, and every single one is stronger than a normal student's?
Getting hit by a few wouldn't be a big deal, but it was a different story if he took the full brunt of the swarm. The Magic Missiles weren't moving at high speed, but the sheer quantity was the problem. If he missed even one while blocking another, he was finished.
"Everyone, back to back! Protect each other!" the man shouted, swinging his axe in a wide arc to deflect five missiles at once.
The students obeyed, leaning against each other to form a tight circle. In this formation, they could ignore the missiles flying in from the rear or sides.
"Everyone, look forward! Only block the magic coming from the front! Trust the comrades beside you!"
""Yes!!""
No matter how heavy or numerous they were, a Magic Missile was still just a Magic Missile. Since they were only focusing on the front, the Academy students could manage. They slashed with swords, thrust with spears, and blocked with shields.
Hundreds of Magic Missiles were struck down, falling to the floor. Trusting their peers, the students focused entirely on the path ahead.
As a result, they were late to notice the anomaly.
One of the first-years, who had been continuously parrying the spells, felt a sense of dissonance. He thought the number of Magic Missiles should have decreased by now, but they still filled the auditorium just as they had at the start.
"Se-Senior! The Magic Missiles—"
"I know!"
There was no way the third-year hadn't noticed. Moreover, he realized something the first-year hadn't grasped yet.
They aren't just staying the same. They're increasing.
If they destroyed ten Magic Missiles per second, Clara was creating fifteen.
Realizing that the number of missiles remained unchanged despite their frantic efforts, the students' concentration began to waver. The result of a war of attrition was obvious. The moment their focus slipped and they missed even a single shot, the formation would collapse.
"If Lady Adelian is continuously making Magic Missiles, then if we just hold out until she runs out of mana..."
"Get a grip! Our opponent is a mage praised for having nearly infinite mana. If we let this turn into a war of attrition, we lose!"
"Then what should we do...?"
"Do you trust me? No, you must trust me." The man spoke with desperate conviction. "Just get me close to her. I will bring us victory."
"What do we need to do?"
The man explained his plan, and the students nodded grimly as they listened.
* * *
"Now!"
At the man’s shout, the circular formation shifted.
The third-year charged toward Clara, and the six students acted as his escorts, blocking every Magic Missile flying his way. Their goal was singular: get the senior to Clara at all costs.
Running unhindered, the distance between the man and Clara closed rapidly. Even if Clara retreated, a mage could not outrun a warrior.
In the end, Clara was left with only one choice.
I’ve been waiting for this.
Seeing Clara already chanting inside a blue barrier, the man’s lips curled into a smirk. With only one step left before reaching the barrier, he pulled a red crystal fragment from his pocket.
As long as this touches the barrier, it’s my victory!
The moment this fragment touched the mana, the barrier would shatter. Defeating a defenseless mage who was caught mid-chant was simple.
Finally, the man’s hand, holding the red crystal, reached for the barrier.
And the barrier vanished.
"We did it!"
The students who had been fending off the missiles cheered as the barrier broke exactly as planned.
However, the face of the man holding the red crystal was clouded with despair.
The barrier had indeed broken. But it had broken before his crystal could touch it.
The meaning was simple: Clara had deactivated the barrier herself.
The man did not know. He did not know how many books on artifacts Clara had read in her search for the Book of Forgotten Memories. Aside from legendary items like Loki’s cloak, there were few artifacts Clara didn't recognize.
The man didn't give up. He swung his axe at Clara with everything he had, but she was no longer there.
The spell Clara had been chanting wasn't an attack.
It was Flight Magic.
Hovering in the air, Clara prepared her next spell, her eyes still devoid of even the slightest hint of tension.
Mana Explosion.
It was a spell that caused a mage's already-activated magic to detonate. To use it, one needed more mana than was used to cast the original spell, and once triggered, the original magic would vanish. Because of the extreme mana cost, almost no one bothered to learn it.
However, Clara possessed overflowing mana.
And right now, there were thousands of Magic Missiles filling the auditorium.