Chapter 54

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 54

Chapter Title: Midterm Evaluation (5)

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"Match end! The winner is Aden!"

The referee's declaration signaled the end of the duel.

However, even after those words,

the cheers that had previously filled the arena didn't erupt right away.

'I did end it too quickly...'

The duel had concluded in an instant, right after starting with {Defying Heaven},

so considering it was expected to be today's highlight,

it had ended too anticlimactically for the cheers to follow immediately.

But the confusion spreading through the arena was only momentary.

Soon, belated cheers echoed out behind me as I extended a hand to Isabel, who had fallen.

"You okay, Isabel?"

"Aden... that's too much..."

She grabbed my outstretched hand, glaring at me with a hint of resentment in her voice.

Feeling guilty at the sight, I offered an apology.

"Sorry... I thought if I dragged it out, it'd be hard for me to get close."

The part about it being hard to approach wasn't exactly a lie.

The reason I'd used {Defying Heaven} right at the start?

Clearly, if time passed, Isabel's magic would make closing the distance impossible,

and since I had no other use for it today, I'd gone for a quick finish.

"It's fine. It was just a duel."

Hearing my apology, Isabel brushed off her faint resentment,

said it was okay, and left the arena with me.

At the same time, a translucent window popped up before my eyes, announcing the achievement clear.

'Not bad...'

The stats I'd gained from the midterm evaluation so far totaled 40.

Far from "not bad,"

it was an outstanding result.

So, feeling a brief swell of pride in that achievement,

I returned to the spectator seats and watched Libia's duel alongside Isabel, who was praying for an upset.

'Going smoothly...'

But contrary to Isabel's hopes,

Libia also won her final duel just as expected, without issue,

and exited the arena.

Looking dejected alongside Isabel at that sight,

we headed down to meet Libia, who had finished all her duels.

"Libia, great duel."

"Oh...! Aden, Isabel! You both done with your duels?"

"Yeah. Want to see any more?"

After a brief chat,

I asked Libia if she wanted to watch more duels,

but she shook her head no.

"Then let's head back. What about you, Isabel?"

"I want to go back too..."

With Isabel also saying she'd return to the dorms,

we three walked back together, chatting along the way.

From casual daily topics

to academy matters.

Just the kind of ordinary conversation friends share,

and before we knew it, we were at the dorms.

"We're here. See you tomorrow, Isabel, Libia."

"Yeah, see you."

"Aden, see you tomorrow!"

After ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that,

a quick goodbye with Isabel and Libia,

we parted ways in opposite directions,

each heading to our dorms.

"Tomorrow's the last day..."

Tomorrow was already the final day of the midterm evaluation...

As always,

I took a quick wash, changed out of my academy uniform,

and lay in bed to sleep for tomorrow.

The next morning arrived just like that,

my eyes opening to sunlight filtering through the window cracks.

Shaking off the lingering drowsiness after getting up,

I quickly washed and changed for the final day of the midterm evaluation.

After that,

I stepped out of the dorms and headed toward the arena.

Arriving at the arena and climbing to the spectator seats,

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠spotted Libia and Isabel already checking the brackets.

"Good morning, Libia, Isabel."

"Good morning..."

"Yeah, good morning, Aden."

Approaching them with a simple greeting,

I got a downcast response from Libia and a somewhat tense one from Isabel.

Seeing their reactions,

along with questions about the extended brackets,

I went over to check them myself.

'Whoa...'

My matchups were

Cecilia, Libia, and Arbel.

Just as I'd predicted at the start of the student duels: facing all five leads,

but the main ones were elsewhere...

'Now that I think about it...'

In duels made up of similar-level students,

I'd forgotten the odds were higher for second- and third-place matchups.

And so the brackets were set:

Libia vs. Arbel, me, Isabel.

Isabel vs. Aren, Arbel, Libia—

both sides boasting serious difficulty.

After confirming the brackets,

I left the two and moved to the spectator seats.

'Interesting matchups...'

Fitting the final day of the midterm evaluation,

some truly entertaining brackets had formed...

Today looked like it'd be a fun day.

Feeling that anticipation as I waited my turn in the seats—

The announcement calling me and the Saintess prompted me to stand and head to the waiting room.

Entering the waiting room,

I saw the Saintess, Cecilia.

"Hello, brother?"

"Hey."

She'd just entered too and greeted me with a faint smile.

Truly beautiful,

radiating an air of divinity, but...

Cecilia was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a bit uncomfortable for me.

"Brother, if I win this duel, how about praying with me at the church?"

Because of her endless cult-like prayer invitations whenever she saw me...

"Sure... if you win."

"You have to keep your word?"

Even this time, she proposed it as a bet upon seeing me,

but since I had no intention of losing, I accepted lightly.

Cecilia smiled at me, insisting I keep my word.

'She's annoyingly pretty...'

Honestly, aside from her persistent cult-like suggestions,

Cecilia's looks were gorgeously beautiful, as befitting one of the five leads...

Avoiding her smile, I waited for entry,

until the staff finally spoke.

"You two, you may enter now."

At those words,

Cecilia and I stood and entered the arena,

where massive cheers assaulted my ears.

-!!

'Because she's top rank, huh.'

Academy's top freshman admittee.

That title alone,

regardless of popularity among first-years,

meant enormous cheers every time she entered the arena during the evaluation.

"Please go easy on me."

"Me too, brother."

We exchanged formal greetings amid the cheers.

And soon,

the duel began with the referee's signal.

Immediately after,

divinity enveloped the Saintess,

and in the blink of an eye, she put distance between us.

Then—

{Sanctuary}

Holy energy began filling the arena, centered on the Saintess.

This was why the Saintess countered all melee types.

The most basic one,

rooted in faith: {Sanctuary}.

"Brother, do you believe in God?"

"No."

The brilliantly shining {Sanctuary}.

At its very center, the Saintess opened her mouth with a benevolent smile.

A question about belief in God.

As the question implied,

the Saintess's {Sanctuary} was tied to faith...

The less faith one had,

the harder it became to approach her—a basic but powerful effect.

'A mental attack that makes the body feel heavy...?'

In the game, described as non-physical,

a mental attack making the body feel heavy.

In simple terms, akin to a mental assault.

The translucent window confirming the skill's activation proved it once more.

Thanks to {Ode to Humanity}'s effect,

even after {Sanctuary} was declared, I suffered no mental attack

and approached the Saintess in perfect condition.

In response, the Saintess began wrapping her overflowing divinity around her body.

Then, in the air, her holy magic arrays began deploying.

{Sanctuary}'s second effect:

Anywhere within {Sanctuary}, infused with Cecilia's divinity, she could cast magic.

Finally, the completed spells poured down on me from midair, but...

Boom-!

Regrettably, unlike Cecilia's expectations, unaffected by {Sanctuary}, I closed the distance

before she could react,

kicked off the ground, and charged at her in an instant.

"Eh...?"

Cecilia uttered a bewildered sound at the sight,

trying desperately to retreat with holy magic, but

Crackle-!

Her immature {Sanctuary} shattered the moment its center tried to leave,

and as the holy energy filling the arena dispersed—

"I... I surrender."

The Saintess, unable to move from the backlash and fallen to the arena floor, declared her surrender.