Aren't We Stronger Than Them? - 2
“I won't yield.”
Wiping her face with her sleeve was an action that didn't suit a 'noble lady.' Instead, using telekinesis, Michelle swiftly wiped away the blood from her nose.
She then summoned three steel spheres that she usually wielded like weapons using telekinesis.
“Are you intending to attack from there?”
“The best defense is ultimately offense, isn't it?”
Adrian responded with a slight smile.
It wasn't entirely wrong.
In battle, one must block and counterattack to win. However, if one doesn't launch a perfect attack and gives the opponent a turn, Michelle's words would be correct.
However...
“At this point, your level doesn't reach that far.”
Even with the title of genius attached to her, at this stage, Michelle was nothing more than a fledgling. It was necessary to master defense using acceleration before attacking, which was also an attack.
How to convey the importance of defense? Well, there was only one way.
“Pushing them to the brink until they are on the verge of death.”
Adrian's gaze sharpened.
It wasn't because of malice. Rather, it was because he cherished her. Truly.
“Ugh!”
At the same time as Michelle bit her lip tightly, three spheres flew toward Adrian.
Unlike the affectionate Adrian, from the flying spheres, a great deal of malice was felt.
I don't know why, but from Michelle, there was a strong aura that she would definitely give Adrian a hit or two.
“Slower.”
The professor didn't even unfold a protective magic and just twisted his body to evade the spheres. For the attacking side, it was quite humiliating.
“Hmph.”
But even that was within her expected range, as Michelle abruptly drew a spell.
The spell of acceleration. And the spell of telekinetic change.
Despite having just started using it in actual combat, Michelle's skill in activating the acceleration was quite remarkable.
How beautiful the telekinesis was spreading rapidly. The emerald green color unique to telekinesis gradually changed to blue.
The trajectories of the intertwined spheres, ignoring physical laws, once again targeted Adrian's head.
“Pretty good.”
Adrian hadn't expected that he could utilize it to this extent from the beginning.
However, the title of genius and the name value of the Maynans family were not in vain, it seemed. She showed a performance beyond expectations.
How moving this was; he even wanted to deliberately let her hit him with this attack.
Well, even so.
“I can't let you see. To turn you into a true genius.”
“Ugh!”
Again, Michelle bit her lip and activated the spell of acceleration.
Ting! Ting!
However, Adrian also accelerated his protective magic and bounced the spheres away.
Is this against a person? It felt like knocking on a solid wall.
Within this training ground, the spheres moving beautifully and quickly were Michelle's. However, Adrian just stood there quietly blocking them.
Michelle's body gradually became sweaty.
If you hit but don't break, and feint as if to hit, you never get fooled. The one who tires out the more you attack is only Michelle.
“Almost at the limit.”
Before long, the magic ran out.
Expecting the same attack as before to yield a different result was madness. Michelle had that much conscience.
Then, there was only one way.
With a sound like "clack," the three spheres merged into one large sphere.
Michelle gritted her teeth and infused telekinesis into the sphere.
“Uuuuuu!”
The blue aura that had long surpassed the green. Charlotte and Isabella sighed in admiration from behind, but it didn't reach Michelle's ears.
This one blow ends it.
This one blow... but.
“The other side is faster.”
The spell starting to be drawn from Adrian's side was much faster.
The time of the whole world seemed to stop. However, the spell drawn by Adrian was fast at a normal speed.
What is this? Compared to the other side's acceleration, this side is at a level that perfectly matches the phrase 'lagging behind.'
Michelle hurriedly moved the spheres. If she pushed in properly from the left, she could pressure one direction. So, if she only defends the right side...
No.
Swaaaa—!
With a threatening sound of slicing through the air, a mana arrow flew toward Michelle.
“Psychic Ground spell...”
Even though she knew she had to draw it, her hand didn't react.
It wasn't panic. Because even if she drew it from now on, it was definitely calculated that it would be too late.
If this continued, it would pierce her forehead.
Is this really going to kill me? The bandaged leg lost strength and staggered.
“Up to here.”
Clack!
With his one word, the top-edged mana arrow lightly touched Michelle's forehead and stopped.
The telekinetic girl with a face drained of all soul fell back helplessly.
No, she should have fallen.
But the sound of falling on her butt didn't happen. With a "boom," she was enveloped in something wide.
“Huh.”
When she came to her senses, she was now in Adrian's arms. Michelle looked up at Adrian with a dazed expression.
“Speaking of which, my leg was broken. My mistake. I overdid it.”
It was true, but half of it was wrong.
...My leg was broken, but I didn't sit because of that. I sat because I was scared of dying.
But it was a problem that the Maynans' pride didn't allow her to spit out this truth.
“This time, I'll admit my mistake. If you recover, tell me.”
Um... what should I say.
Actually, I could stand up right now. I just suddenly felt so surprised and scared that I sat down.
“If you know, do better from now on.”
Even so, the girl said that.
She herself didn't know why she answered that way. Instead, she lightly grabbed Adrian's sleeve.
“...My leg is numb. Now.”
◈
“Ugh...”
“Eek...”
Before long, Charlotte, Isabella, and Rotin also met the same outcome as Michelle.
Ah, so it wasn't that they were embraced by Adrian's arms, but that they collapsed on the floor.
“Don’t be so delicate and get up. All of you.”
This wasn't being delicate. Unlike Michelle, all three had cramps all over their bodies.
They wanted to protest to Adrian that it wasn't being delicate, but they couldn't. They needed to have the energy to protest.
But for the current students, they didn't even have the energy to speak.
Isabella tried to raise her trembling hand but gave up.
“Self-healing doesn't work...”
It was an unexpectedly harsh supplementary training.
Isabella was in charge of healing magic, yet her hand wouldn't move even for self-healing. Was this even a reasonable thing to say?
“It's reasonable.”
It was reasonable, so that's why they were lying on the floor like this. Hahaha.
“It's only six more days. If you do this for just six more days, you will surely be able to win the magic competition.”
The last one leaving should clean up and go back.
With those words, Adrian leisurely left. The students wanted to follow but couldn't because they lacked energy.
“This... is this... right...? Is it right...?”
As soon as Adrian disappeared, Isabella muttered.
“Shut up. He said that if we do this, we can win.”
Rotin's rebuke.
Yeah, if we do this, we can win. We did our best to die, but if we can't win, are we not human?
At the moment when everyone was lying down panting, suddenly three or so people entered the training ground.
“This time, I'll show you the training ground! If you see specifically how the sponsorship funds are used, your heart will surely move... Eh, eh? What, what?!”
One was Violet, the president. And the other two were unfamiliar faces. Judging by the drooling, they were rich nobles.
Violet ran over and checked the students' faces, then let out a big sigh of relief.
“Hoo... I thought you were corpses! Why do you look like that? Huh?”
No one answered. Because they still had no energy.
Anyway, Violet waved her hand and explained to the white-haired lady.
“Ahaha~ Since the kids are failing grade kids, they get tired quickly. So that's why. They are kids with a lot of lack of stamina...”
The white-haired lady just nodded her head.
She was a lady like a glass craft. What was behind those sunglasses? There were gem-like eyes.
“Adrian professor said he was guiding them well, didn't he?”
“I will definitely inspect it once!”
But at that time.
“Professor Adrian is guiding them well.”
Someone boldly interrupted the conversation. It was Charlotte Forte.
The president's and the guest's heads naturally turned toward Charlotte.
“Hey.. who is this! Be quiet! Do you know who this person is!”
The president's face became pale, but Charlotte continued to speak firmly.
“We just lack our own capabilities. Professor Adrian is providing the best guidance. So... don't doubt that person.”
Was it because the lady was interested in that? She approached Charlotte and bent her knees to match eye level.
“You seem to have a lot of loyalty to Adrian.”
“Yes. I do.”
“What is Adrian to you. As a student.”
“Everything to me.”
Charlotte stared straight at the opponent. As if she would never yield.
That crazy woman! The president's face not only paled but turned blue. If she suddenly says she won't sponsor, are you going to take responsibility, you crazy woman!
But contrary to the president's expectation, the lady smiled pleasantly.
“...He seems like a pretty good professor.”
With those words, she stood up from her seat.
Clack—
But in the process of standing up, she tripped on Isabella's leg that had fallen.
Fortunately, there was no falling, but with a "thud," the sunglasses fell to the floor.
“Ah...”
At the moment she looked into the eyes behind the sunglasses and her own eyes. Charlotte involuntarily said that.
“Hey! What are you doing! Hurry and pick it up!”
“Ah, ah... yes.”
Charlotte hurriedly picked up the sunglasses. The aide next to her quickly snatched it and put it on the lady's face.
“Well, students are fine, so if you look at the facilities on this side—”
Violet took the aide and the lady far away to the corner of the training ground.
“....What?”
Charlotte muttered with a dazed expression.
She felt a fear as if all the blood flowing in her body had frozen at the moment their eyes met.
Familiar sensation. Similar to when she lost her parents.
The eyes behind the sunglasses that only Charlotte had seen—
“Red color...?”
It was an eye that couldn't be called human at all.