Surviving in the Wild (2)
Surviving in the wild might not have much to do with beastmen, but in an academy where force was constantly at play, incidents and accidents were inevitable. Even magic schools had all sorts of trouble, so why would this place be any different? It wasn't like there was some dark demon king trying to rule the elementary school or humans shouting 'Make Humans Great Again.' But like any group, this place was obsessed with hierarchy and power struggles.
Even with bird-type beastmen flying through the sky, could they truly control everything that happened across this entire savanna? Not a chance.
"Hey."
Just like right now, situations beyond anyone's control could break out.
"You damn sheep, I've got you now."
Someone nursing a grudge from the past, looking for revenge, while the faculty member hovering up there simply watched with bored eyes.
"What the hell?"
"What the hell? Ha, that's hilarious. How could you forget me!"
A shark with its maw stretched wide, spewing fury. Beside it stood a turtle-headed beastman who looked like he'd been dragged along against his will, glancing around nervously. He reminded me of one of those pizza-loving ninja turtles.
"Who are you again?"
"You don't know me? Ha, after what you did to me, don't you dare say you've forgotten!!"
"Anyone listening would think I treated you like a female."
"W-what!!"
If someone was watching—and they definitely were—I needed to make one thing clear for the sake of my honor.
"I'm not in heat all year round, but that doesn't mean I'm the kind of guy who'd force a male who's not even female onto the ground, rip his clothes off, or do anything like that."
"W-what...? Did you just say... human...?"
"It's a figure of speech. A figure of speech."
It wasn't a mistake.
"You... you...!"
Because when you insulted and looked down on your opponent like this, naming a specific race could be called discrimination, but throwing in "human" turned it into a universal taunt.
"How dare you call me—Sharknis, Monarch of the Shark Clan—a human!!!"
Calling someone human. For a beastman, that was a tremendous insult.
There were worse insults, but what could you do? Just say it.
"Ah, let me correct that."
I pointed at the shark beastman's throat.
"You're exactly like the sharks humans keep in aquariums for show."
"You bastard!!"
The shark charged at me with its mouth wide open. Its speed was faster than expected, closing the distance in a single burst, but I quickly dropped my stance and dodged.
CRAAAAASH!
It slammed into a tree. Its weight was so monstrous that after snapping the trunk in half with a body ram, it nearly tumbled forward.
"You're seriously trying to kill me."
"H-how could you...!"
"Huh?"
"How can you say something so horrible...!"
The turtle beastman stared at me in horror, as if I were some irredeemable human trash with eighteen criminal records.
That gaze was quite insolent, but before I could call him out on it—
"How dare you dodge!!"
The shark charged again, trying to chew me up and swallow me whole.
"I'll turn you into lamb steak!!"
"Says the guy trying to eat me raw."
"Rare, then!!"
Crunch. Crunch. CRUNCH!!
Every time I leaped backward to evade, the shark snapped viciously at empty air. Each time its teeth slammed shut, it sounded like metal colliding, spitting sparks.
"Hey! Tie him up!!"
After I dodged its attacks several times, the shark must have lost its temper. It barked an order at the turtle, who immediately pulled something from his pocket.
"Oh."
A magic wand. It was twisted like carved coral, but that also meant it could discharge power faster.
"Binding!!"
The instant the turtle cast the spell, gray vines erupted from the ground and coiled around my ankles. The coral stalks formed from magic power were far too sturdy to break with leg strength alone.
"Got him!"
The shark leaped at me again. It spread its jaws wide, clearly intending to seize my shoulder and rip my head off.
'From below to above.'
Lower body heavy. Twist the waist, power in the shoulders. And magic power in the fist.
'Now!'
I swung my fist upward like a launching spring, aiming for its open maw—
BOOOOM!!
I thought I would connect, but my fist cut through empty air. The shark that should have been sent reeling backward from the blow was instead flying sideways, slamming into a tree and sizzling as it burned.
'I was trying to get caviar, not turtle soup.'
I hadn't planned to eat it, but after smashing the jaw I was going to crush the lower half—until an interloper showed up and roasted the shark with a fireball.
"What are you doing?"
"I helped my partner, didn't I?"
Click, click. The sound of heels announced her arrival. My partner had appeared.
"It looked like you were in danger."
"I could have handled it."
"Then let's just call it excessive meddling."
It was Vermilion. A vivid crimson flame blazed in her left hand.
"Ah, that's dangerous—"
"This?"
Thud. I casually swung my fist sideways. At the end of it was one turtle's head. Struck precisely on the temple, the turtle dropped its coral wand and collapsed sideways.
"...You knew?"
"This much is obvious."
"But you know those two aren't the sparring targets we're supposed to be 'hunting,' right?"
"I know."
Vermilion took out her student notebook, but I nudged the unconscious turtle with my now-freed foot—the coral vines having dissipated when their caster fainted.
"But he started the fight."
This was the wild.
"Was there a rule that said we must only defeat the targets listed in the notebook and not touch anyone else?"
"There wasn't."
"Exactly."
"I see."
Vermilion glanced up at the sky for a moment.
"So that's how it is."
I had joined up with Vermilion. Maybe it was the heat radiating from her crimson flames, but the other students we occasionally ran into from different classes would sneak glances before immediately changing direction and vanishing elsewhere.
"Have you confirmed who the target is?"
"Of course."
"What if it had been someone from Class 13? Were you planning to wait until I arrived?"
"Class 13, huh."
I pulled out my student notebook and double-checked the names of our sparring opponents.
"If that had been the case, I'd probably be running for my life right now. Unlike these idiots who let their prey link up with allies."
"Huh?"
"The Class 13 kids are sharper and smarter than you think. At the same time, they're cold-blooded."
Unlike beasts, they were cunning in a very human way.
"If they'd known you and I were paired against each other, at least three of them would have challenged me on the spot."
"...Even without joining up?"
"What an innocent young lady."
"What did you say?"
Ah. So she didn't like being called young lady?
"In my twenty years of life, that's the first time anyone's called me innocent. I'm a beastman who knows what she needs to know, you know?"
Ah. The opposite reaction. Good.
"You are innocent. My name was swapped with one of the beastmen here, right? If so, they would have immediately told their partner and attacked you."
"......."
"I'm not joking. I'm serious. At the very least, if you want to obtain the King's Symbol, you need to show that level of resolve."
"...It's not just intellectual. It's full of schemes. Just like the humans from the legends."
"Have you never seen a human before?"
"No."
"That's... unfortunate."
Truly.
"If you'd ever dealt with humans even once, you wouldn't trust people so easily."
I could see it clearly now. The difference between Class 1 and Class 13.
"Let me ask you one thing. After the sparring started, how did the Class 1 students move?"
"Class 1?"
"Yes."
"...If you tell me about Class 13, I'll answer then."
That earned a point. Answering a question with another question was a very human move. Selfish information trading, trying not to lose out even slightly.
"I asked first."
"......."
Vermilion even crossed her arms to show her displeasure, but I knew exactly how to handle her.
"And this has a logical sequence, so I need to ask first."
"Logical... sequence?"
"Yes. This isn't a battle of egos. It's a logical thought process with an answer and a solution."
"Uh, well, if that's the case, then fine."
Vermilion cleared her throat.
"Everyone scattered. With their partners. Those without partners went alone to find their sparring opponents... their prey."
"That's exactly the difference between Class 1 and Class 13."
"Why?"
It wasn't an irritated retort. Her voice was filled with curiosity and doubt.
"Class 13 is moving together."
"...What?"
"All four teams are moving as one group. Originally, I would have been part of that."
"......Why?"
Why? I had started it, sure, but the Class 13 students operated on the logic that if the rule said 1, then 1-1, 2, or ABC wasn't explicitly forbidden.
-H-hey, let's cooperate!
-Cooperate?
-Yes! While we hunt our sparring targets, you keep watch around us! Make sure nothing interferes...!
The sparring would only proceed between designated teams. But what about the ambushes waiting in the wings? The chance that someone like that shark beastman would attack a non-target? Snipers flying in from afar pretending it was an "accident" because they didn't like you?
Response to crises and safety. Even if it took longer for all four teams to finish their hunts, the sparring was scheduled for a full three hours.
"How about you analyze the reason yourself?"
"...It's homework, then? Fine. I'll accept that challenge. Then let me ask one in return."
"Go ahead."
"When do you think we should fight?"
"Is there a reward if I answer correctly?"
"Yes. Next time I'll take you somewhere else. Or we could have dinner on the weekend."
"In that case, I'll tell you."
I stepped close to Vermilion and reached behind her.
"Right now."
Then I pulled her shoulder.
Swish!
A magic arrow shot toward Vermilion. It grazed the tip of her hair, but her expression didn't change at all.
"How did you know?"
"When I was talking about Class 13 and comparing it to Class 1, I saw that grinning face of yours."
"......."
"Class 1 didn't earn its rank for nothing. For example..."
I turned Vermilion's body and pointed in the direction the arrow had come from.
"That bat bastard who thought following you would lead him to me is still Class 1, after all."
From the bushes, the prey revealed itself.
"I'll kill you."
A beast that mistakenly thought it was the hunter.