The First Team Mock Battle
The spear technique I used was, to be perfectly honest, so crude it was almost embarrassing to call it spear technique at all.
I had been nothing more than an ordinary office worker who liked games. There was no reason for someone like me to possess any real skill with a cold weapon like a spear.
After entering Taylor’s body I had practiced diligently, but everything I could do still amounted to little more than beginner’s forms. The only reason I saw a little farther, felt a little sharper, and moved a little cleaner than most was the constant assistance of my S-Rank skill, Dragon’s Sense.
In the end, every fight I fought was pure skill-powered combat.
And the difference between combat arts like “swordsmanship” and “spearmanship” always showed itself far more clearly in human-versus-human battles than in human-versus-monster ones.
And starting today, it’s team combat training.
Team combat training.
A newly established class in which teams fought mock battles against one another. The imperial family had revised the academy’s educational policy, and this lecture had been created as a result. Every student was required to take it, so we had no choice but to leave the classroom and walk across the academy grounds.
The students of Class A followed Professor Rox, who was in charge of the mock-battle lectures, until we arrived at a broad open lot inside the academy grounds.
Only a short while ago the place had been nothing but empty dirt. Now a wide arena suitable for team mock battles had been constructed there.
Beatrix let out a soft sound of admiration as she looked over the field that had appeared before us.
Hoh~ That arena. I don’t know who laid the magic, but they did a rather fine job of it.
In all the time I had spent with Beatrix, this was the first time I had ever heard her praise anyone.
That impressive?
Indeed. In my prime it would have been nothing, but as I am now I could not weave magic of this caliber.
I see.
I tried to examine it myself at her words, but all I could make out were the traces of an enormous quantity of mana that had been driven into the arena. I could tell enchantments had been laid, yet my own skill was nowhere near enough to identify the high-grade magic sealed within.
Even so, that alone made it obvious who had cast the spells.
Well, it has to be the Headmaster.
Erse Bathory.
Aside from that loli granny who served as principal of the academy, there was no one else within these walls who could handle mana on that scale.
“Very well, we will begin training with two teams at a time. First, Carlyle’s team, please step forward.”
At Professor Rox’s call, a male student named Carlyle and his teammates climbed onto the arena floor.
“Haha, no need to be so tense just because you’re first.”
“Yes, Professor.”
The surrounding students laughed at the professor’s remark, and Carlyle answered with an embarrassed look.
“Now then, which team should face them…?”
Professor Rox swept his gaze across the students gathered before him. Everyone seemed to find the first match burdensome; they all carefully avoided his eyes. In the end his gaze locked squarely with mine, the one person who had not looked away.
“Then Winchester’s team, would you come up?”
“Gladly.”
At that answer Carlyle’s expression seemed to stiffen again, though it was probably just my imagination.
I led my teammates up onto the arena.
And the moment I stepped onto the floor, I understood with perfect clarity.
They poured money into this place like absolute madmen.
Because the arena had been built specifically for team combat, every single tile had been coated with mana so that skills could be used freely.
“We will now begin the team combat training between Carlyle’s team and Winchester’s team.”
The professor stood below the arena and held up a box filled with several glass orbs.
“Every movement you make will be recorded by these image-storage devices and will also be reflected in your grades. I therefore urge you to give your full effort and take this seriously.”
At the professor’s mana signal, bat-like wings sprouted from the glass orbs and they rose into the air. They began to circle overhead like drone cameras, recording our battle from every angle.
Before the match began, Professor Rox gave a brief explanation of the rules.
“The use of all magical tools and magic is forbidden. Only skills are permitted. If you fall into a combat-incapable state, if you can no longer maintain the Shield magic cast by the arena, or if you leave the arena, you will be considered defeated.”
The professor raised his index finger toward the sky and drew out mana. A sound like an air gun announced the start of the match.
Bang!
“Begin!”
The moment the starting signal rang out, I felt the Shield magic automatically activate on every student standing on the arena.
…So that’s how it works.
Feeling the magic directly, I could read its mana structure as clearly as if I were looking at a manual.
Shield
Arena-cast protective barrier
Hmph. Incomplete though you are, you are still a dragon. That much is only natural.
Dragons really are something else. Incredible.
Truly, they deserved the title of masters of mana.
While I was still marveling at a magic I was experiencing for the first time, my body was already moving steadily according to the plan we had decided beforehand.
Honestly, I didn’t think tactics were even necessary. No matter what the enemy tried, my abilities were more than enough to handle all four of them alone.
Still, since this was training, it was better to show we were giving it our all—if only for a few extra attitude points.
“We go with the plan.”
“Yes!!”
“Understood.”
Elizabeth, Enri, and I immediately formed a defensive formation around Angela as if protecting her. Under our cover, Angela began reciting skill activation phrases one after another.
“Life can never escape death.From the witch’s swamp none shall ever emerge.”
Death’s Curse
Slow Curse
The opposing team members who had been charging straight at us the moment the match began were caught by Slow Curse; their movement speed plummeted and they suddenly became sluggish. Death’s Curse also did its work, steadily chipping away at the enemy team’s shields.
In the dungeon she had only been able to support us with about two curses, but humans were creatures that grew.
“Time is not equal for all.”
Aging Curse
With the new skill Aging Curse, she clearly weakened the enemy team’s strength and movements as well.
“Charge.”
Back when this had been a game, debuffs and curses could be used freely in the middle of PvP team fights. Now that it was reality and friendly fire was no longer disabled, the only option was to apply them first and then attack—so that was the tactic I had devised.
We had already coordinated once in the dungeon, so our combination flowed as naturally as water.
“O wind that opens the traveler’s path.”
Tailwind
Riding Elizabeth’s Tailwind, Enri and I sprinted toward the enemy.
Using an attack skill like Ruinous Charge was out of the question under the circumstances.
A shame, but I can’t exactly kill the opposing students in a training match.
Having completely dismantled and analyzed the shield magic, I was certain that using a dragon skill would inflict fatal wounds. With the cameras recording every second, my combat skills had been forcibly sealed.
Carlyle’s team began to panic as they grew slower while our side grew faster.
Unable to use skills, I simply gripped my spear. Enri, as the vanguard, used a taunt skill to draw the enemy’s attention.
“I protect with unshakable will.”
Guardian’s Shield
The shield Enri held blazed with golden light and pulled every enemy gaze toward her. Even a taunt skill had limited effect on humans rather than monsters, but a momentary diversion of attention was more than enough.
I charged straight at the enemy team’s leader.
“I’m still clumsy at controlling my strength, so be careful.”
At those words Carlyle turned his head toward me and blinked.
“W-what the—?!”
The instant I thrust my spear at the flustered boy, my vision was dyed blue. A wall of water had risen between my spear and his body.
“So they have a sorcerer.”
Hmm. Using a defensive skill timed perfectly to my attack.
Every member of the enemy team was an extra whose name I couldn’t even remember, yet some of them clearly weren’t bad.
Still, something this weak is nowhere near enough to stop me.
An obstacle had appeared right in front of me—yet I did not stop the spear. I simply drove it forward.
The mana-laden spear shot out, punched a clean hole through the wall of water, and bored straight through.
Clang!
“Guaaah!”
“Team leader!”
“Carlyle-nim!”
Even though the sharp spearhead pierced Carlyle’s shoulder, the shield magic drastically reduced the force and sent him flying clean out of the arena.
The moment their leader was retired, the sorcerer beside him panicked.
“How in the world did you break through my defensive skill?!”
“Oh no—watch out!”
What a racket.
“Your reaction speed was decent, but your defense is far too weak. You need more skill training.”
Oops.
Without meaning to, I had started giving advice to a promising-looking newbie.
“Ali, careful! Use your skill already!”
The shout from his teammates snapped the sorcerer back to his senses, but he was already far too late.
“Gueh!”
I spun the spear and smashed the butt into the jaw of the sorcerer called Ali. Midway through trying to speak an activation phrase, he coughed up blood and collapsed unconscious.
I kicked the standing, unconscious body aside, raised the spear high overhead, and brought it down.
“Kugh! Y-you monster…!”
Thud.
The boy who had been hiding behind the sorcerer for a surprise attack never even got to swing once; the spear struck him square on the head and he dropped like a stone.
Being unable to use combat skills made me feel the need more keenly than ever.
I desperately need spear-related skills.
Because of the nature of the Dragon Knight talent, absolute mana reserves were enormous—but so was the mana cost of every skill. There was no guarantee I wouldn’t have my skills sealed again someday.
“Hehe, Young Master, we’re finished over here too!”
While I was still wondering which spear skill I should obtain, Enri came bouncing over with a bright smile.
“……”
Behind her lay a girl sprawled unconscious on the ground. Apparently Enri had ignored the perfectly good sword and simply beaten her senseless with the shield; the girl’s face was swollen to three times its normal size. It looked a little pitiful.
“Winchester team wins!”
“Whoa, it really ended in an instant.”
“We should definitely avoid fighting that team.”
“If our team runs into Winchester’s, I feel like we’ll end up just like them. Scary.”
With the professor’s declaration, our first team battle came to an end.
Naturally, the result was overwhelming.
A thoroughly satisfying victory.