Real-Life Fireball Dodging Takes Over the Academy
Even in the real world, no matter what the professor scribbled on the blackboard during Dodge the Fireball class, it didn't stick in my head. My attention was completely glued to the community boards. The problem was attendance. Thanks to some karma from my past life, I had to sit through the very last lecture without budging.
After an eternity, the lectures finally wrapped up. As I stepped out of the classroom, the paths to the cafeteria and dorms were unusually quiet—unlike normal. Everyone had flocked to the training grounds nearby. The crowd had jammed up the entrance completely. If you didn't know better, you'd think there was some big event going on.
I stopped dead in the middle of the campus quad.
"…You're really going?"
Yaruru nodded beside me with the most matter-of-fact expression.
"We're really going, yeah."
"Why are you so hyped? Weren't you tired just a bit ago?"
"Because it's exciting to see Dodge the Fireball happening for real!"
…Okay, fair point—I got that. But there were two problems. First, I was the one who made this game. Things were spiraling out of control, so I'd desperately slapped up an emergency notice in the bathroom: "Do not confuse games with reality." But that led to problem number two.
The community completely ignored me. And the most ridiculous comment among them…
"…"
"Move it! I can't see from back here!"
"Why blame others for being short?!"
"Mages! Over here! We gotta get ready quick!"
I pushed through the crowd with Yaruru and barely made it inside the training grounds. It wasn't even 5 PM yet, but the spectator seats were packed. In the center stood seven magic major students in their robes. Opposite them was a smug-looking guy.
That must be Body Technique GOSU Who Will Become from the community post…
"For a knight major, he looks pretty agile, yeah."
"The nickname screams martial artist."
I lost it watching Yaruru seriously analyze his speed and reaction time.
This whole mess is because of your comment…
…Aren't you way too chill about this?
"Hey, they're really starting?"
"They're shooting weak fireballs, so it'll be fine…"
"Does making it weak stop it from being a fireball?"
"If they hit lightly, it shouldn't hurt much, right?"
"As long as no one dies, it's all good."
"…"
Yeah, I could tell right away. 100% knight major vibes.
"It's starting!"
I snapped out of my daze as Yaruru shook my arm and looked at the arena. No idea who was MCing, but a student yelled from the edge.
"Alright, let's kick off the 1st Real-Life Dodge the Fireball!"
"What? '1st' means there's gonna be a 2nd?!"
Yaruru brushed off my shock like it was nothing.
"These things always get a sequel if they start like this."
"…I want no part of it."
"Why are you being such a buzzkill today?"
"…"
My reaction didn't faze the arena at all. Finally, Body Technique GOSU Who Will Become crouched low in the center. His heels lifted, leg muscles tensed—like he was primed to dodge in any direction. Someone in the stands gulped.
Gulp.
One of the mages opposite him conjured a tiny fireball at his fingertip.
"They're definitely toning down the power."
It was way smaller and slower than the fireballs you see in normal training or spars.
Whoosh—
One, two. Fireballs flew.
"Whoa!!"
"Nice!"
The body technique master twisted sideways. His movements had plenty of leeway, drawing gasps from the crowd.
"Guess he had the skills to back up that community post."
"Hey, this is actually working!"
"Easier than I thought?"
I nodded unconsciously. It looked legit. Real fireballs had clearer trajectories than on mana panels, making distance and dodging easier to gauge.
But it was too early to cheer.
"…This is just the appetizer."
As Yaruru muttered, they'd only fired two so far.
"Here comes the real barrage! Watch out!"
"Hah! No worries."
The body master grinned, and mana rippled from all seven mages.
Double casting. If that meant firing two spells at once…
"14?!"
"Whoa whoa! Straight to 10-minute difficulty from the jump?!"
Fireballs rained down relentlessly. He ducked, rolled, kicked off the ground—and dodged all 14. The crowd's energy boiled over.
"Whoa, that's badass."
"Maybe real life beats the game…?"
Hold up. Did I just overhear something wild—
"Yaaaah!! Aim better! Hit the center!"
"…"
That's when it happened. Everyone was hyped, lost in the moment. He'd read the seven mages' patterns but made a huge mistake: getting cocky from familiarity.
Dodged the first fireball.
Twisted just enough to graze past the second.
Assumed the third would follow the rhythm.
But by coincidence, two mages synced their casts perfectly.
"Fireball!"
Whoosh—whoosh—
"…Huh?"
He still dodged one—that was impressive. But…
BOOM!!!
Smoke billowed as he got blasted back, slamming into the wall. A brief silence fell over the arena.
Then.
"Kyahhh!"
"Kale!"
"He's dead…!"
Yaruru grabbed my sleeve and screamed. I replied in a shaky voice.
"N-no, he probably didn't… die?"
My mind raced with nightmares. Student dies at prestigious academy over a game… Dev takes the blame… Games are evil, must be eradicated…
"He flew!"
"Yeah, but…"
The stands were in chaos, but the mages looked unfazed. The one who hit him shrugged.
"Impact was calculated right, so he'll be fine."
"Is that what you say now?!"
His friends—probably—tried lifting him, but he was limp, eyes half-rolled back. Soon, a stretcher arrived, and he was carted off naturally.
Yaruru whipped around to me.
"He got stretchered out!"
"B-but they calculated the impact…"
"Can't trust the perp!"
Then, the guy on the stretcher shakily raised an arm, trembling.
"I… live… you bastards…"
The serious crowd burst into laughter. Tension broken, the stands erupted again.
"Me! I wanna try!"
"Outta the way! I commented first!"
I was speechless. After seeing someone get hit and carried off, more wanted in? Isekai folks were tougher than I thought. Or… maybe just that bored.
# The next morning.
I arrived at the lecture hall earlier than usual. Truth be told, yesterday's chaos kept my head spinning with worry—I barely slept. But the room buzzed strangely.
"Real fireballs don't hurt as much if they hit soft."
"Sounds like you've tanked dozens."
"Says the guy who ate two on the third pattern and acts tough."
A male student shot up, pissed.
"No way! Three double-casts at once is cheating! Lunch after, I'll show real skills."
I sighed and sat.
It's over.
No containing this. The madness had snowballed beyond anyone's control.
Spaced out, the professor entered before I knew it.
…Of course it's a knight major prof.
The injured kid was knight major—the prof had to know. And sure enough…
"Before we start… five minutes left. Shall we chat about something else?"
Murmurs.
"You lot were talking Dodge the Fireball, right?"
His already gruff face went blank, and terrified students confessed.
"Uh… yesterday at training ground 5, just a bit…"
"Hmm. Explain."
The prof narrowed his eyes at the trembling kid's story. I thought,
We're done… No GOTY, can't even spread games before I'm—
"Excellent."
"…Huh?"
Not just me—everyone gawked.
"Testing your limits, honing judgment in extreme situations…"
He nodded, arms crossed.
"Not settling in peacetime, burning with ambition! The mark of a true warrior."
Was he insulting them or praising? The room fell silent.
"Um—"
A student raised a hand cautiously.
"But… the kid got carried off. That's okay?"
The prof said flatly,
"Limbs intact, alive? Good enough."
Whoa. Now I see why knight majors are half-crazy.
"And."
His gaze drifted out the window toward the academy infirmary.
"The injured student… Kale broke through realms at dawn."
The room exploded.
"Gasp…"
"For real?"
"Realm-up from this?"
Prof smirked.
"Not 'just.' Plenty break through when pushed to the brink."
That lit the fuse. Lecture or not, kids pretended to listen while staring at mana panels. Prof droned on indifferently—and the second it ended, they bolted.
"…Duh, where to."
I ate lunch in the unusually empty cafeteria, then strolled to the grounds.
"Keep firing, no breaks!"
"Dodge that fireball! Sideways!"
Whoosh—whoosh—
"Stop stop! Whoa?! Record jumped 12 seconds!"
Endless fireballs zipped around, students darting everywhere. Hit one retires to infirmary—next in line fills the spot seamlessly.
"Mana's running low for real…"
"You knights rotate, why not us…"
Despite the drained mages' protests, knights demanded more fireballs.
I stared blankly, muttering,
"When did this isekai get so dynamic…?"
Yaruru, who'd plopped down beside me, nodded.
"Dunno what you mean, but I'm curious too."
Whoosh—boom—
"Aaaagh!"
"Next!"
"Cast up!"
Despite the wrecks stumbling off, the line didn't shrink.
"…It's growing."
"Word's spreading through the academy already."
"…"
I quietly pulled out my mana panel and checked the community.
99+
It didn't stop there. The concept posts—usually one a month—were flooded with fireball talk.
"…Didn't expect it to blow up this big."