Explosion
Me, Amon, Lucia, and finally, the cadet named Crank who had joined us last. The four of us sat around the map in the strategy room. Crank carried a massive shield on his back. He looks like a tanker... If so, counting Amon, our team had two tankers. This was by no means an ideal composition. Perhaps we would have to use Amon as a damage dealer instead of a tanker.
"Ahem." Crank, who was sitting in his chair, suddenly cleared his throat. He had been tasked with drawing up our strategy. Since I was supposedly blind and couldn't see the map, I was naturally excluded, and Amon had frankly admitted he had no confidence in such things. As for Lucia, when she timidly asked, "C-Could someone like me really help make a plan...?" everyone had simply remained silent and moved on. Thus, Crank was the only one left.
"Maybe aiming for second place wouldn't be so bad?" Crank said in a quiet voice as he studied the map, seemingly just as lacking in confidence as the rest of us.
"A Mandragora is utterly useless to me," Amon replied to Crank's question, and Lucia quickly chimed in. "I-I think it's the same for me... And they taste awful, too..." Both Amon and Lucia belonged to the prestigious Four Element Families. Having been raised on all kinds of rare elixirs since childhood, a mere Mandragora would hardly have any effect on them.
"If we do end up in second place, I don't need it. Considering what happened in the Labyrinth... Zeto, you can have mine," Amon said, casting a sideways glance at me.
"I-In that case, I think whoever wants mine can have it too. I probably won't be of much help anyway..." Lucia trailed off, hanging her head low.
Since everyone seemed so motivated at first, I was thinking of aiming for first place and then trading rewards with the second-place team... But this changed things. If Amon and Lucia didn't want their Mandragoras, even if I split them evenly with Crank, I would still end up with two. Then I have no choice but to aim for second place as planned. I just had to make sure it didn't look intentional. It was unfortunate for my teammates, but to begin with, this was a composition that would struggle to even reach third place, let alone second, without me. Even if we aimed for first, there was no guarantee we could actually pull it off.
"So unless we get first place, the reward is useless to you guys. But is there any way to sell the weapons we get from the armory? I'm in desperate need of some quick cash..." Crank muttered just as our team's goal was inevitably being set to first place. Amon glared at him before speaking.
"I believe selling weapons from the armory is strictly forbidden, as it goes against the academy's founding spirit. It's a tradition that has lasted for centuries, so breaking it won't be easy. I, too, hope to donate my own weapon to the academy before I die." "Hmm... I'm in a tight spot, but I guess it can't be helped then..." Crank groaned at Amon's response. Unlike Amon or Lucia, it made sense for a commoner like Crank to be in need of money.
Right, those weapons couldn't even be sold at the auction house. In the game, the weapons selected from the armory were classified as untradeable items. It might be a different story if we used the 'black market' where even untradeable items could be fenced, but entering the black market at my current level carried too much risk. Powerful villains frequented those places quite often, and I needed to avoid encountering such individuals as much as possible. More importantly, it seemed Crank was facing financial difficulties. In that case, it might actually be better for him to take second place and resell the Mandragora instead.
"More importantly, the real question is whether we can even make it to the armory..." Amon brought up a realistic concern, staring at a sheet of paper placed on top of the map. It was the document Crank had received from Edward when he entered last. Written on it was the roster of the other teams.
"Setting Team 1 aside, Teams 3 and 4 look incredibly strong..." Crank said, scratching his head. Team 3 didn't have many notable members, but they had Eisel. Team 4, on the other hand, had Yuri and the heir of the Isin family. Unlike our team, Team 4 had two members truly worthy of the Four Element Families' reputation. Crank seemed to have absolutely no talent for strategy. It appeared he had only taken on the role because he had no other choice. Deciding it would be best to assist him, I spoke up.
"Did you mention earlier that only Team 1 is positioned far away on the map?" "Yeah, only Team 1... Looking at their roster, I think the instructor might have placed them there to balance things out." According to the map, Teams 2, 3, and 4 were clustered together inside a massive forest, while Team 1 was positioned far away from the rest.
"Then... how about we take the initiative and go strike Team 1 first?" At my suggestion, Crank immediately studied the map. Soon, his voice rose as if he had discovered something. "...That actually sounds doable. Our team is the closest to Team 1 anyway."
"I expect Team 1 will also head toward the forest where the other teams are. Even if they start far away, they'll want to assess the battlefield. Is there any high ground on the path Team 1 would take to get here?" "High ground... Yes, there is. But why high ground? The other teams are inside the forest, so even if we climb up there, it'll be hard to get a clear view of the situation." Crank pointed to a section of the map and spoke to me in a hesitant voice.
"Not for Team 1... but for us. What if we occupy the high ground?" I suggested, tapping the map. "Are you saying we should climb up and ambush Team 1 from above...?" "Even if Team 1 doesn't pass directly beneath us, we'll be able to see where they're moving... which means we can strike them from behind, right?" Amon and Crank nodded, piecing my suggestion together.
"Then our course of action is set. We slip out of the forest while avoiding the eyes of Teams 3 and 4. Then, we head straight for the high ground and wait for Team 1." I explained to the three sitting around the map. We would let Teams 3 and 4 fight each other in the forest, eliminate Team 1 beforehand, and then face whichever team emerged victorious between 3 and 4. Our opponents were still inexperienced, green first-year cadets. They wouldn't come up with any mind-boggling strategies. That was how it usually went in the game, after all.
Sierra's worried voice echoed in my head as she watched me. Seeing me draw up a plan so diligently, she must have assumed I was genuinely aiming for first place. But as she said, I had no need for more weapons. Why bother obtaining a weapon I could neither sell nor use? I merely offered a faint smile.
Once the preparation time ended, the small-scale mock battle commenced immediately. We entered the illusion magic, spawning exactly where the map had indicated. We were able to quietly slip out of the forest right away. As we made our escape, I didn't sense anyone tailing us. We safely arrived at the cliff that served as our high ground. The other team members, excluding myself, lay flat on their stomachs at the edge of the cliff, peering down to locate Team 1. From the forest in the distance, occasional roars of impact echoed, suggesting Teams 3 and 4 were already engaged in combat. Seeing a few trees catching fire every now and then, it seemed Yuri was running wild. Since I had no need to peer over the cliff, I sat leisurely on the ground, enjoying the cool breeze.
"What if... Team 1 is too scared to move and is just staying put?" Crank muttered anxiously, still scanning the ground below.
"I wouldn't move if I were them... T-That's why I didn't really understand this plan when I first heard it..." "Sigh... Lucia, do you think all cadets are as cowardly as you? It's a miracle someone as faint-hearted as you is even attending the academy." "Ugh..." Lucia whimpered as Amon scolded her for her foolish remark. She began to sniffle once more.
Amidst their bickering, Crank, who had been quietly watching the ground, let out a low exclamation. "There...! They're here...!" At the news of Team 1's arrival, everyone's attention snapped back to the cliffside.
"Why are they even coming...? Aren't you people scared?!" Lucia, spotting Team 1, stopped crying and instead directed her anger at them. Of course, she spoke in such a quiet whisper that Team 1 down below couldn't possibly hear her. Amon, watching her with a sigh, turned around to look at me. "If we're going to attack, now seems like the perfect time. Fortunately, they're passing directly beneath the cliff."
"That's good news. Shall we get going then?" I smiled faintly and stood up, brushing off my clothes. "Miss Lucia? If you please." At my call, Lucia stood up. Even with the advantage of high ground, our numbers were small, and the three of us—excluding Lucia—were close-range combatants. Although Amon possessed a long-range harassment skill, its reach was short and it was strictly for keeping enemies at bay. Furthermore, my own Reverse Heaven style had not yet reached a level where it could strike from such a height. Since we couldn't leave everything to Lucia in such a crucial moment, it seemed far better to descend directly and launch a surprise attack on Team 1.
Standing up, Lucia immediately cast her magic on Amon, Crank, and me in turn. The spell she cast was a wind magic called Wind's Touch. With this spell active, a gentle cushion of wind would lift us right before we hit the ground, completely negating any fall damage.
"Whoa... I can feel a gentle breeze swirling around me. Chantless casting? That's amazing, Lucia!" Crank grinned broadly and gave her a thumbs-up after receiving the buff.
"Hehe... I am a proud member of the Windless family, after all! T-This much is nothing...!" Basked in praise, Lucia flipped her short hair and puffed out her chest. "Making such a fuss over a simple buff spell..." Amon muttered, clicking his tongue. Chantless casting wasn't particularly extraordinary in this world. Anyone could cast a spell without a chant as long as they were sufficiently proficient in it. Since it only slightly reduced casting time, preferences varied from mage to mage.
"I'll leave the signal to you," I said, standing at the edge of the cliff and turning my head toward Amon. Amon stepped up beside me, peered down, and... "Now!" ...gave the signal. At his shout, Amon, Crank, and I leapt off the cliff together.
The cliff was higher than expected, so the fall took some time. I watched Crank, with his shield strapped to his back, plummeting below. Although we had jumped at the exact same time, I had no idea why he was falling so much faster. Because his shield is heavy? Common sense dictated that gravity didn't work that way. Crank was falling freely, as if completely surrendering his body to the wind. At this rate, he would be the first to reach the ground. It was just as Crank was about to hit the earth.
"Huh?" Thanks to my level 7 Acute Senses, I could clearly perceive Crank's sudden panic. Thud!!! Immediately after, Crank slammed directly into the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust with a deafening crash. Did the buff not work...? Lucia was the one who cast it. I figured that even if she struggled in direct combat, she would at least be able to apply a buff properly... but I had sorely miscalculated. Lucia was a walking landmine. Because Amon had been following orders so well, I had completely overlooked Lucia's sheer incompetence.
The moment I saw Crank crash, I drew Sierra and drove her blade into the cliffside. Screeech!!! The cliff face ground away, offering some resistance... but because Sierra was far too sharp, I had to give up on stopping my descent completely. Crash!! Right after, Amon, who had been falling faster than me, also slammed into the ground. He seemed to have materialized his stone gauntlets just before impact, so he likely wasn't dead. I decided to aim my fall toward a nearby cluster of trees. Kicking off the cliffside, I plummeted straight into the branches. Rustle! Crackle! My body rolled and tumbled as I collided with and was poked by countless branches. Thud! Finally, I hit the forest floor. "Ugh..." As I pushed myself up, a dull ache throbbed through my body.
Leaving Sierra's bewilderment aside, I stood up and dashed out of the thicket toward where Amon had landed.
Soon, I spotted Amon in a headstand, his gauntlets firmly wedged deep into the earth. At the sound of my approaching footsteps, Amon snapped out of his daze. The moment he regained his senses, he tried to pull his gauntlets out of the ground. Planting his feet and pulling with all his might, his mounting frustration finally boiled over. He glared up at the cliff and roared at the top of his lungs, "LUCIA, YOU WRETCH!!! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!! I'M GOING TO BLAST THAT DISGUSTING FACE OF YOURS WITH A STONE SHOWER!!!" Amon was absolutely furious.
Hearing Amon's shouting, the members of Team 1, who were a short distance away, came rushing over. "What are they doing over there...?" "Wait, aren't Zeto and Amon from Team 2?" "I think they were trying to ambush us!" They seemed utterly bewildered by the sudden turn of events. Since they hadn't launched an attack yet, we had a brief moment to catch our breath.
Just then, Lucia's voice drifted down from the top of the cliff. "I-I'm coming down now...!!" With that, the culprit behind this entire disaster threw herself off the cliff. "......" Team 1 stared blankly at the falling Lucia, who was desperately clutching her skirt to cover her underwear, making the situation even harder for them to comprehend.
Just before Lucia hit the ground, a gentle breeze swirled around her, cushioning her fall and allowing her feet to touch down softly and lightly. "So you can cast it properly when it's for yourself...? You really are... Sigh..." Dumbfounded, Amon started to yell but stopped himself with a heavy sigh, refocusing his efforts on pulling his gauntlets out of the ground.
"I-I'm so sorry... I was supposed to cast Wind's Touch... but I think I cast Wind's Blessing instead... Where is Mr. Crank...?" Hanging her head and sobbing, Lucia looked around frantically for Crank. Spotting him, she let out a cry and ran over. "...Mr. Crank!!"
Looking at Crank from a distance, he was coughing up blood. He looked like he was on the verge of death. It seemed he hadn't managed to land on his back where his shield was. Even if he had, would he have survived? I wasn't entirely sure. Fortunately, since this was an illusion magic simulation with pain settings turned off, he didn't seem to be in actual agony.
"Lucia... It was brief, but I was happy... Whether it was Wind's Blessing or Wind's Touch... cough..." "Mr. Crank! Y-Y-You can't die! What about the armory?!" As Crank and Lucia exchanged these dramatic words, Crank's body soon began to dissolve into scattering ash. "Please... win it for my sake too..." With those tragic parting words, Crank turned completely into ash. Watching this spectacle unfold, I was so utterly dumbfounded that I couldn't even find the words to speak. One of our four team members had died before the battle had even begun.
"They've already lost one! We have the numerical advantage!" "Form up!" Team 1 was no longer just standing by. They had already completed their battle preparations.
"Fuck... Why won't this damn thing come loose?" Amon cursed irritably, still struggling with his stuck gauntlets. Watching him, I offered a suggestion. "Couldn't you just dispel the gauntlets?" "If I dispel the magic, it'll take some time before I can manifest them again. I'm not sure if we can afford that." He was referring to the cooldown. Indeed, without his gauntlets, the close-quarters combat Amon excelled at would become significantly more difficult.
Over on the other side, Lucia remained slumped on the ground where Crank had vanished. She seemed to be in shock from having accidentally killed her own teammate. Even though this was just a mock battle and not a real death, she couldn't bring herself to stand up. A landmine is a landmine after all... The thought crossed my mind that it might have been a better strategy to just hurl Lucia directly into the midst of the enemy.
"They're completely disorganized for some reason! Now's our chance!" "Attack!" "This is our shot to wipe out those arrogant Four Element bastards!" "Ice Arrow!" Naturally, Team 1 had no intention of waiting for us to regroup. The four members of Team 1 began charging at us, each unleashing their own attacks. I hadn't anticipated Lucia's mind-boggling blunder. If things continued like this, Lucia would be killed first, and Amon, lacking his gauntlets, wouldn't escape without serious injury. However, it wouldn't look natural if I, of all people, was completely helpless against Team 1. A good idea came to mind. Besides, didn't using the second form of Reverse Heaven for too long make me cough up blood? I stepped in front of Amon, who was still desperately trying to wrench his gauntlets free. *Clang!* Drawing the sword at my waist, I deflected an incoming arrow. Then, I spoke in a low voice to Amon behind me. "...Give me three seconds."