Remaining Lives
Three seconds.
In just three seconds, I had decapitated every member of Team 1.
Thud.
Thump.
The sound of the enemies' heads hitting the ground echoed behind me.
It was my first time using it in actual combat.
Strangely, perhaps because the enemies' movements were so visibly slowed down, their weaknesses had appeared far more clearly.
The blood clinging to the demon blade dripped off drop by drop, soon turning to ash and scattering into the wind.
Click.
With that, I sheathed the blade.
"Ugh."
A small amount of blood welled up in my throat, spilling past my lips.
Sierra, who had been watching me with her arms crossed, chimed in.
Cutting down even four people had been a close call.
Three seconds—no, even thirty seconds was still not enough.
Yet, even those mere three seconds had taken a massive toll on my stamina. Though I coughed up blood, I felt no pain, so I couldn't tell just how badly my body was screaming on the inside.
Wiping away the blood from my lips, I turned around and walked back to Amon.
Amon's face was painted with sheer shock.
Clang!
Right on cue, Amon wrenched his gauntlets free from the ground.
Inspecting his clanking gauntlets, Amon asked in a low voice.
"...What the hell are you? It was only for a split second, but I could barely even follow you with my eyes."
"..."
I didn't bother answering his question.
"Just like last time, and now again... you definitely warped mana, didn't you?"
"Did I do that?"
"Ha, there's a limit to how obnoxious someone can be. If you had that kind of skill, we wouldn't have needed to draw up a plan like this in the first place..."
Amon scoffed, cutting himself off to glare at Lucia, who was further away.
Lucia was slumped on the ground, making no effort to get up.
"I have my limits as well. If I push myself any further, I might... actually die," I told Amon, slowly laying the groundwork.
Naturally, I was building the steps to secure second place.
"Hmph... So it's finally time for Amon Caligus to step up."
Having caught my drift, the corners of Amon's mouth curled upward.
His smile didn't exactly inspire confidence.
Knowing Amon wouldn't bother checking on Lucia, I stepped forward myself.
I was, after all, the leader of this team.
As I made my presence known and approached Lucia, she turned her head toward me, her eyes welling with tears.
"B-Because of me, Crank... *hic*..."
"...I'm sure Crank is doing just fine."
"Sniff... Really...?"
"Yes. In fact, I'm sure he's watching over us right now."
Since Crank had been eliminated, he would have woken up from the illusion magic and would be watching us alongside Edward.
"Crank... I will definitely avenge you...!"
Steeling her resolve, Lucia finally stood up. For some reason, her eyes were blazing with determination.
Even though the one she needed to avenge him against was technically herself.
Well, as long as she pulled herself together and got back on her feet, that was all that mattered.
Looking around, Lucia's face suddenly filled with confusion.
"W-W-Where did the enemies go...?! I'll cast Tornado Calling!"
"Tornado Calling my ass... Zeto already took care of all of them. Lucia, are your eyes just for decoration? Do you want me to shove some rocks into those useless sockets of yours?"
Unable to watch Lucia raise her index finger in such a foolish pose any longer, Amon marched over and snapped at her.
"Eek..."
Lucia quickly covered her eyes with her fingers and shrank back.
Tornado Calling was a high-tier spell even among wind magic.
Summoning a blade-like whirlwind right into the center of the battlefield, its destructive power was quite formidable.
I recalled that Lucia was indeed 'capable' of casting it.
She just couldn't control the direction of the whirlwind.
"So Zeto-ssi cleared them all out by himself? Well, if it's Zeto-ssi, that makes total sense! Hehe..."
Scratching her head awkwardly, Lucia stole a glance at me and smiled brightly.
...I thought to myself that Lucia was actually quite cute, as long as she wasn't your teammate.
She was innocent, bright... she definitely gave off that kind of vibe.
She stepped a little closer to me and spoke.
"Zeto-ssi, you're a magic swordsman, right?!"
"...Pardon?"
"What kind of bullshit is this now...?"
Both Amon and I were dumbfounded by Lucia's sudden, absurd question.
"Eh...? But during our last duel, you definitely used Wind Cutter...?! I-I saw it with my own eyes...!"
Seeing our confusion, Lucia stammered, flustered.
Is she talking about the First Form?
Then again, to the innocent Lucia, who only knew wind magic, the First Form might have indeed looked like a Wind Cutter.
Unable to tolerate her nonsense any longer, Amon immediately flicked her forehead.
Thwack!
"Shut up and stop talking nonsense, please..."
"Uuu..."
Rubbing her crown after the sudden blow, Lucia whimpered.
For Amon, who was famous for his terrible temper, to let it slide with just this was a rare sight.
Was he already undergoing a change of heart?
Even though I hadn't done anything in particular to him, he felt a bit tamer than the Amon from the game.
Whether he would be able to reject the demonic temptation that would approach him in the future remained to be seen, so I would have to keep an eye on him.
"Shall we head back into the forest now?"
Now that the situation was resolved, I decided it was time to make our next move.
At my suggestion, Lucia raised her hand.
"My legs hurt, so let's ride 'Bung-bung-i' there...!"
Hearing the word 'Bung-bung-i' come out of Lucia's mouth, Amon grimaced.
"What the hell is a Bung-bung-i? Shut up and walk."
As Amon spoke and began walking toward the forest, I suddenly became curious.
"...What is a Bung-bung-i?"
At my question, Lucia's eyes sparkled, while Amon turned around and let out a deep sigh.
"How is it? How is Bung-bung-i?! I've wanted to ride this for years...!"
Sitting beside me, Lucia spoke with a bright smile.
"It's more comfortable than a carriage."
Amon, Lucia, and I were currently riding on a giant boulder.
This bizarre vehicle, dubbed 'Bung-bung-i'—created by Amon shaping a rock and propelled by Lucia's wind magic—was apparently something the two of them used to play with when they were children.
"This is so embarrassing..."
Amon looked thoroughly displeased.
When I suggested we ride it to conserve our stamina, he had reluctantly gone along with it.
This is actually pretty fun.
Experiencing things I had never seen in the game felt incredibly fresh to me.
If we weren't in the middle of a mock battle, I might have wanted to ride it even longer.
But now, it was time to get off.
Thanks to 'Bung-bung-i', we had reached the forest in no time.
We immediately dismounted and began cautiously making our way through the woods.
"The forest is too quiet."
As we walked, Amon broke the silence.
"Whoever it is, the victor has likely been decided by now. They might have anticipated our arrival and laid a trap."
"A-A trap?!"
At my warning to watch out for traps, Lucia froze in her tracks.
"Even if there is a trap, it'll be crude. The schemes of cowards aren't worth fearing."
Unlike the terrified Lucia, Amon showed no concern and marched forward without hesitation.
There's no stopping him.
It seemed Amon was growing increasingly frustrated by his lack of contribution, as he had stopped paying attention to my warnings entirely.
Eisel of Team 3.
Yuri of Team 4.
Which of them had survived?
During the placement exam, Eisel had displayed such overwhelming power that it could only be described as a massacre.
Based on pure skill, Eisel was the obvious favorite, but the expression I had seen on her face right before the mock battle suggested she didn't have much interest in this class.
No matter which of them it is, the fact that I have to lose remains unchanged.
I was still aiming for second place.
And it had to look completely natural.
In the otherwise silent forest, the only sound was the occasional snap of a twig beneath Lucia's feet.
Suddenly sensing something amiss, I halted the group and focused on the sounds around us.
Crack...
A faint sound echoed from the distance. It was unmistakably the sound of ice forming.
Immediately, a sharp, icicle-like shard of ice shot from that direction, aiming straight for Amon.
Though I could have blocked it, I chose not to.
Amon should be able to react to at least that much.
Clang!
Just before the icicle could pierce his chest, Amon reacted, shattering it with an upward swing of his gauntlet.
"Fuck... Orphel, you bastard... still as sneaky as ever, I see."
Amon spat curses toward the direction the icicle had come from.
Just as Amon suspected, the owner of this ice magic was likely Orphel.
Orphel Aisin.
He was the heir to the Aisin family, the water house among the Four Elemental Families.
Following Amon's curses, the enemies hiding in the forest revealed themselves.
Yuri Clementine, Orphel Aisin.
And the remaining unnamed cadets of their team.
So Team 4 won in the end...?
The moment he faced Team 4, Amon cracked his neck and took a stance, while Lucia began to tremble.
Shring.
I drew my sword in response.
A strange silence fell between Team 4 and us.
Aside from the shivering Lucia, no one made a move.
It was Orphel who broke the silence.
"No words needed. Die so I can test my new weapon, you mud pig."
Orphel suddenly conjured a chunk of ice in his hand and hurled it at Amon, tossing an insult along with it.
"What, you bastard?!"
The moment Amon heard the words 'mud pig', his eyes rolled back in fury, and he charged at the smug Orphel.
Amon had always gotten along particularly poorly with Orphel.
It was an obviously unnatural attack.
It was too weak to even be called a probing attack; the insult was clearly the main focus...
"Amon, the trap—"
...My warning cut off before I could finish.
Whoosh!!
A massive pillar of fire erupted from the ground Amon had just stepped on.
"A-Amon-ssi—!!"
At the same time, Lucia screamed Amon's name.
Ignored by the roaring flames, the fire completely engulfed Amon's body.
This trap was clearly Yuri's handiwork.
"Lucia-yang!"
At my call, Lucia nodded and cast a spell toward Amon.
"Wind Blast!"
This time, determined not to make a mistake, Lucia chanted properly.
But why Wind Blast...?
Whoosh!!
Soon, a fierce gust of wind erupted from Lucia's hands and struck Amon.
Engulfed in flames, Amon was blasted by the Wind Blast and slammed into a tree in the distance.
...Bizarrely, the fire wrapping around Amon's body had been extinguished.
The only problem was the physical impact he took.
"...Thanks. I'm surprised to see you actually being useful for once."
Picking himself up from the tree as if it were nothing, Amon praised Lucia.
Sierra, standing beside Amon, could only marvel.
Lucia smiled brightly, clearly thrilled to receive a compliment.
Did she use Wind Blast because she knew Amon could take it, or...
I decided to keep that question to myself.
In any case, we were still in the middle of a battle.
"Since we're outnumbered, wouldn't it be better to stick together?"
I made the suggestion to Amon, but...
"I don't give a shit about that. That ice bastard is mine."
Amon brushed my words aside, cracked his knuckles, and charged straight at Orphel.
In response, Orphel conjured a sword of ice and began trading blows with Amon.
Strictly speaking, Amon had the elemental advantage.
However, Amon's judgment was currently so clouded by rage that it completely negated his advantage.
I guess I can leave Amon to his own devices...
The moment that thought crossed my mind, a fireball flew toward me.
Boom!!!
I lightly sliced the fireball in half, sending the split embers exploding behind me.
It was Yuri Clementine.
Leaping down from a tree branch, Yuri landed on the ground and spoke to me.
"I'm sorry, Zeto. I can't give up on the armory either."
"...I see."
I replied to Yuri while casting a glance at Lucia in the distance.
If things went this way, the remaining two opponents would be left to Lucia.
Knowing her, she would likely be eliminated in an instant.
Let's make it look like I was too busy dealing with Yuri to look after Lucia.
Having finished my calculations, I lunged at Yuri and began swinging my sword.
The battle—no, the play—had officially begun.
"Fuck..."
Waking up from the illusion magic, Amon muttered a curse.
Amon had ultimately failed to defeat Orphel.
He had the elemental advantage.
But because he had charged in blindly with his eyes rolled back in rage, he was no match for Orphel Aisin, who was famous for his cool head and composure.
Looking around, he saw Edward and the already eliminated cadets staring at the projection screen.
On the screen, the mock battle was still underway.
Amon watched as Zeto fought against the three remaining members of Team 4.
I should have at least stayed alive.
With a bitter thought, Amon walked back to his seat.
"Amon!"
"Amon-ssi! Over here!"
As he headed back, Crank and Lucia, who had been eliminated before him, called out to him.
"...How can you even stuff your face with bread in a situation like this?"
Amon sat down next to them, giving a pointed look to Lucia, who was busily chewing on a piece of bread.
Lucia had been eliminated before Amon.
Terrified out of her wits until the very end, she had fired off spells blindly in all directions, even hitting Amon with a stray Wind Cutter while he was fighting Orphel.
Yet, unlike Amon, she had actually managed to take down one of Team 4's members.
It was a truly bizarre feat.
"Ugh... Crank-ssi gave it to me... It's delicious..."
"Do you want some too, Amon? Since I got eliminated early, I went outside and bought some."
Lucia whimpered mid-bite, and Crank offered a piece of bread to Amon.
"...I won't turn it down. Thanks."
Unable to resist Crank's easygoing smile, Amon took the bread.
He was, in fact, quite hungry.
Taking a bite of the bread, Amon looked back at the screen.
The screen showed a visibly exhausted Zeto.
He did say it takes a toll on his stamina.
Recalling the blindingly fast swordplay Zeto had used to wipe out Team 1, Amon pondered for a moment before speaking.
"It might sound strange coming from me now, but I guess I don't deserve to go to the armory."
Amon ran a hand through his hair, admitting his mistake.
Hearing this, Crank chimed in.
"Honestly, I didn't even expect us to get second place. But Zeto is just on another level... I actually thought we had a chance. Well, not that I have any right to complain, since I got eliminated without even putting up a fight."
"N-No, that's not true... I made sure to avenge you, Crank-ssi...!"
At Lucia's words, both Amon and Crank stared at her with blank expressions.
Unbothered—or perhaps completely oblivious—Lucia took another large bite of her bread and pointed at the screen.
"*Munch, munch*...! Zeto-ssi is doing something strange!"
At her shout, Amon and Crank focused their attention back on the screen.
"That's..."
On the screen, Zeto was running his fingers along the flat of his blade.
To Amon's eyes, it looked like a preparatory motion to activate something.
Ever since Zeto's sword changed and he switched to a reverse grip, his entire swordplay seemed to have transformed.
Zeto was about to unleash his true swordsmanship.
The ranged slash he showed in the Labyrinth? Or that stamina-draining fast swordplay?
Whichever it was, Amon found himself filled with anticipation. Perhaps, if it was Zeto, he could pull off the impossible.
"Isn't that... the thing that got us?"
"I blinked, and suddenly I was back in the classroom. It was ridiculous."
"Terrifying, absolutely terrifying."
The members of Team 1, who had been wiped out by Zeto's swift strikes, were grumbling nearby.
Boom!!
Having finished tracing his blade, Zeto vanished from the screen with a thunderous boom.
In that instant, Amon instinctively began to count the seconds.
One second.
Zeto's figure blurred past Orphel. In a flash, Zeto vanished, leaving a thin red line across Orphel's neck.
Two seconds.
Moving past Orphel, the body of the cadet who had been acting as their archer was sliced diagonally.
At this point, Zeto's figure was completely invisible.
The watching cadets began to fall into a state of utter shock.
Three seconds.
Finally, Zeto's invisible form began to materialize before Amon's eyes.
Behind him, Orphel's head slid off his shoulders as blood sprayed into the air, and the archer's body split diagonally.
Zeto stood perfectly still.
He had stopped with his blade pointed directly at the throat of Yuri, who had been in the middle of casting a spell.
Time continued to tick away.
Yuri, completely paralyzed by Zeto's absurd speed, couldn't bring herself to move.
The first to move was Zeto.
Suddenly, a torrent of blood erupted from Zeto's mouth, and he collapsed to the ground.
The cadets' shock quickly turned into confusion.
Crank and Lucia were equally bewildered.
"W-W-Why did Zeto-ssi collapse?!"
"Why is he coughing up so much blood? Even if it's just illusion magic... isn't that dangerous?"
But Amon, and Amon alone, knew the answer.
He said it took a toll on his stamina... Did he push himself to try it anyway...?
Amon couldn't help but feel a profound sense of admiration for Zeto.
With his exhausted body, left entirely alone after his teammates had fallen, his sheer tenacity to not give up... was truly magnificent.
The screen faded to black as Edward announced the end of the mock battle.
The spell Yuri had been casting had naturally struck the collapsed Zeto.
He's a guy with a lot to learn from.