Midterms (3): Bunny Annihilation and a Dragon's Whisper
Hayes Penrel, the chief instructor for the Combat Department, wore a look of utter bewilderment.
"Huh..."
Considering her usual composure—rarely one for dramatic expressions—there had to be a good reason for her to react this way. Hayes stood there, unable to hide her shock, all because of the staggering midterm results.
The exam for the first-year Combat Department students involved collecting tags from Angry Bunnies' ears. Catching even one was a challenge that gave even experts pause. Hayes had figured the top and bottom teams would end up with just a handful of tags between them.
She'd thought Serena Eldark, who could use Useon dragon words, might have an edge among her students. But even Hayes hadn't anticipated this.
"...Instructor Hayes."
The assistant instructor, who had been tallying the tags, reported with a awkward grimace.
"It's 50. Exactly."
"......"
The one who had left Hayes and her assistant dumbfounded was none other than Seong Hyun-jin, the department's vice-top student.
Of course, he'd beaten Serena Eldark at the sparring festival, but that event didn't affect their top and vice-top rankings. Those seats remained unchanged.
Yet now, Hayes briefly wondered if it was time to switch them.
As the exam time ended and teams turned in their tags, Seong Hyun-jin had brought in a whopping 50 Angry Bunny tags.
Not just Hayes—even the other Combat Department students who'd taken the exam were slack-jawed.
"F-Fifty?"
"They were impossible to catch. How the hell...?"
Even his own teammates, caught off guard, were over the moon.
"Hyun-jin, you legend!"
"We three barely snagged one..."
This time, unlike the class division exam, he hadn't stolen from others. These were 50 tags collected fair and square, targeting only Angry Bunnies.
How in the world...
Given the beasts' agility and camouflage, gathering even ten would be impressive. In fact, Team 1—led by Serena and leveraging her dragon words—had managed exactly 13. They could secure the bunnies on the prowl easily enough, but with most hidden, they only edged out other teams by about five tags.
"Fifty...?"
Fifty meant Seong Hyun-jin had wiped out half the Angry Bunnies released into the training grounds. Catching ten was already a feat.
Unable to comprehend it, Hayes asked, "How did you catch so many, Student Seong Hyun-jin?"
"Huh? I just chased 'em down and grabbed 'em."
"You kept up with their speed?"
"They're crazy fast. No way I could chase them on foot."
Seong Hyun-jin casually raised his sword.
"So I just slashed every one I spotted."
He'd used spirit-infused sword strikes to intercept them from afar. Even close-range cuts were tough—his first attempt had failed at short range, after all. And Angry Bunnies, being mana beasts, were sensitive to spirit power. What he'd pulled off defied common sense.
"That's... possible?"
Seong Hyun-jin nodded simply, and Hayes exclaimed in admiration.
"Incredible."
"Thanks for the praise."
Soon after Hayes praised him, the results for all teams were finalized. She looked at Seong Hyun-jin's Team 3 and announced,
"Results: Team Leader Seong Hyun-jin and Team 3, total tags: 51. Grade: A."
"Thank you."
"Damn you, Hyun-jin...!"
"Knew you could do it!!"
"Next, Team Leader Serena Eldark and Team 1, total tags: 13. Grade: B."
With Team 3 taking A and Team 1 B, the practical exam ended in Seong Hyun-jin's overwhelming victory. The remaining teams received their grades in turn, drawing the first-years' inaugural midterms to a close.
Serena, who'd gotten a B in practicals, didn't seem too disappointed despite the gap. If anything, she looked intrigued.
As the crowd dispersed after the exam, she approached Seong Hyun-jin alone.
"What was with all that? Fifty is a bit much, don't you think?"
"Eh? Just... brought back some old memories. It was fun."
"Old memories?"
"Back when I lived in the mountains with my master, we hunted a lot."
Seong Hyun-jin explained.
"That mountain was teeming with stuff. Wild animals, mana beasts now and then."
"...You lived in a place like that?"
"Pretty high up. If we wanted meat, we had to hunt it ourselves. Master did it when I was little, but once I grew, it was on me. Kinda nostalgic."
Memories of his days with Hakodate Karin in the mountain cabin flooded back vividly. Lost in them, his expression softened into a smile.
Serena asked, "You caught that many just from hunting experience?"
"Hunting teaches you one thing: mana beasts are still beasts at heart. They have habits, just like animals surviving in the wild. Figure those out, and they're easy to track."
"...I see. Experience makes all the difference."
"Yeah, nothing beats hands-on."
Serena nodded slightly in agreement. No experience was ever wasted—she believed that too.
"Still, you nearly wiped them out. No wonder they vanished midway."
"Gotta lose if you fall behind in competition, right?"
Seong Hyun-jin grinned triumphantly at her.
"I won, so I took all the tags."
"......"
Serena didn't argue. Instead, she ventured carefully,
"...Just to check."
"Yeah? What?"
"Did you go that hard because it was fun? Or..."
She fixed him with a steady gaze. Seong Hyun-jin sensed something off in her eyes—not obvious, but expectant, like she was hoping for a certain answer. As he tilted his head in confusion, she spoke.
"...Because you wanted something from me, so you had to win?"
"Something I want...? Oh."
Then it hit him—her earlier words. She'd grant any reasonable wish if he won. Nothing excessive, just within bounds. But her attitude now was... odd.
He flustered a bit.
"N-No, that wasn't it..."
"...Really?"
Her eyes held a hint of disappointment. Seong Hyun-jin's face warmed.
What does she want, anyway? She said no crazy demands, but this vibe... how do I read it?
Rushing might ruin a good thing...
He recalled his resolve before the exam, but his instincts as a man screamed otherwise.
"Still, you won, Hyun-jin..."
Serena closed her eyes briefly, then opened them with a gaze that stirred him deeper.
"If there's anything you want, just say it."
"......"
Her look was innocently pure, as if unaware of her words' implications, yet laced with hidden intent—like a subtle seduction. It poked at the desires he usually showed only his master.
His male instincts strained under the assault. Finally, he couldn't hold back.
"...You said no unreasonable demands."
"Yes."
"So... where's the line?"
Serena's shoulders trembled slightly. Startled for a moment, she soon blushed, lowering her gaze. Seong Hyun-jin swallowed hard.
Sometimes, body language spoke clearer than words. A certainty bloomed in him.
To confirm it,
"...Then answer my questions. No dodging."
"If that's what you want... I will."
Serena Eldark. The first person at Terastial Academy to catch his interest, his first real friend here.
He'd been drawn to her strength at first glance, but her beauty played a part too. Inheriting her mother's Northwood blood—hailed as the family's flower—she was stunning, her massive dragon horns adding to her allure rather than detracting.
Even to Seong Hyun-jin, whose beauty standard was set by Hakodate Karin's perfection, Serena ranked highly.
That made the impossible thought harder to entertain: that she might like him, still growing into his power. A bold fantasy.
But now, he could ask. She'd offered the wish, not him. Even a silly question wouldn't hurt.
Looking at her, he asked,
"Do you like me?"
Serena didn't answer right away. Instead, she reached out cautiously, gripping his wrist tightly.
He saw her cheeks and horns flush pink.
Face crimson, she tugged his wrist gently and whispered, barely audible to him,
"...Will you come with me?"