At the Breaking Point
When Professor Raen lightly clenched his hand, the binding loosened and my left hand was freed in an instant. I was clearly at my limit now, breathing hard, and continuing any further would have been a meaningless exchange.
I managed to block it twice with barriers, but my movements were slowing down dramatically. Raen skillfully formed a mana bullet in his right hand and flicked it forward like snapping his fingers. It thudded squarely into my chest.
With a loud crash, I sprawled across the grass.
"What a sore loser," Raen said with a faint smile as he checked his watch. "Three minutes and thirty-one seconds. Well done, Lutes."
It was short, but the straightforward praise drew murmurs of admiration from the students.
"Th-thank... you..." I gasped, offering my gratitude while struggling to even stand. I rolled my body across the ground until I reached the edge of the training area.
The sight drew laughter at first, then looks of genuine surprise.
"...What's up with him? Was he always like that?"
"No, even back in second year... he wasn't this intense."
Not intense—just average. The Lutes that existed in Raen's memory matched their assessment perfectly.
"I heard he's dating Eline. Maybe he's getting special training from her."
Eline.
Raen, who had been drinking a potion, turned his gaze back to me.
So it was him.
The news that Eline Payless—one of the most promising talents in the academy's history—now had a lover had spread from the students to the professors. Even Raen, who rarely paid attention to such things, had heard the rumors. He simply hadn't realized it was me.
"I'm jealous. Is that what happens when Eline gives you special training?"
"She's the top student. Of course her teaching is on another level."
After finishing the bitter potion, Raen tucked it into his bag and looked at me lying there in exhaustion.
Well now.
A meaningful smile crossed his face.
Whether or not I had received special training from Eline, magic was not something that grew in a short period of time.
There were rare cases where those with exceptional talent awakened their mana sensitivity late and grew explosively, but they were the extreme minority.
I had already proven exactly what kind of student I was during my two years at the academy. So, based on Raen's experience, it had to be one of two possibilities.
Either I had been thoroughly concealing my power for some reason and was only now revealing it.
Or.
I had possessed the talent to rise all along.
Either option would make for interesting data. But it was time to focus on his own duties. With the potion finished, Raen turned away.
"Next!"
The two binding spells I had experienced—once from Serean and once from Eline—were completely different in nature. Serean's turned the entire body to stone in a single instant. Eline's wrapped specific parts like threads tightening around them.
The night training with Eline ended, I had looked it up.
I see.
Serean's magic was Rigidification. It momentarily halted the mana flowing through the body, dulling it and creating the illusion of being bound. The difficulty was extremely high, but once cast, it could trap an opponent helplessly.
The magic Eline used was Partial Binding. It created threads of mana to restrict specific areas.
...
That Sunday night, I spent the entire day analyzing both spells. And today, the perfect opportunity to test them had arrived during the spar with Professor Raen.
The gap in skill between Professor Raen and me was obvious, so I had planned to focus entirely on endurance. I intended to pour everything I had into lasting as long as possible.
It was difficult, of course.
Left hand.
Professor Raen's left hand had twitched ever so slightly. A few seconds later, a bullet came flying from my blind spot. I cast the binding on his left hand. The result was successful, but it came undone far too easily.
This is tough.
I lay there staring at the sky. With all the mana drained from my body, I felt utterly exhausted, as if every muscle had gone limp.
"Lutes, you're incredible."
The sudden voice belonged to Moltz. Could you at least announce yourself before appearing?
"I was so surprised! Three minutes and thirty-one seconds—that's the best record so far!"
Moltz sounded as excited as if the achievement were his own, chattering away beside me. "And that binding magic at the end? Amazing. Even the professor's expression completely changed for a second."
"...Did it?"
I had been too focused to notice his face.
"Yeah! I've never seen Professor Raen make that expression before."
I had always tried to stay quiet and avoid him during his lectures. But facing him seriously, I realized just how strong he was... and how impressive.
I had made plenty of mistakes and lost focus, yet he had still looked at me favorably.
...
When I watched from a distance, I never noticed. But now that I approached with the determination to rise, I finally understood how much I lacked. There were so many areas that needed fixing.
The sounds of fierce exchanges filled the air, followed by Raen's rough shout. I closed my eyes tightly and began reviewing everything that had just happened.
When the lecture ended, the students staggered out of the training ground. After saying goodbye to Moltz and loosening my stiff muscles, a shadow fell over me.
"Lutes Liperto."
It was Raen.
"Yes, sir."
"Today's spar was quite interesting."
"Thank you."
I bowed my head, and he looked me up and down with even greater satisfaction. The corner of his mouth lifted as he lightly tapped his cane.
"Lutes."
"Yes, sir."
"Are you planning to rise to Alpha?"
"I am."
"...Interesting."
"Is it?"
Raen shrugged. "I always find students like you intriguing—in a good way."
"..."
"It's never too late to learn. A wonderful saying. There's no more beautiful sight than someone who was once lost finding a goal and climbing toward it."
"You're evaluating me rather generously."
Raen chuckled softly and pointed his cane at me. "Have you kept up with your grades?"
"Not well, sir."
"Then this exam will be crucial."
I nodded. He was right. Third year was fiercely competitive. It was the final year of academy learning, and those fighting to rise and those desperate not to fall would clash with everything they had.
Graduation records noted the time spent in Alpha and Beta classes, but the diploma bore the emblem of the final class. That alone carried immense value, so this would undoubtedly be the most intense period.
"Do your best, Lutes. Among all the students I saw today, you have my highest expectations."
"I'll work hard, sir."
"Good."
Raen stood, stretched lightly, picked up his cane, and turned to leave.
"Professor."
"Hm?"
"I have a personal question, if I may."
"A question? I'll hear it and decide."
He smiled with deeper interest, bag in hand, and looked at me.
"Did Eline Payless also spar with you, Professor?"
"Of course."
He nodded as if it were obvious.
"I'm curious how long she lasted."
The somewhat abrupt question left Raen momentarily speechless. He scratched his chin, then turned.
"Ask her yourself."
"Pardon?"
"I've heard the rumors too. See you in the next class."
So the rumors had already reached the professors.
Raen waved lightly and limped out of the training ground. I stared at his retreating figure for a long time before looking down at my own hand.
I'm still lacking.
I had a long way to go. That was exactly why I had to keep moving forward.
My body still struggled to adapt to the sudden loss of mana, but that wasn't important right now.
In a quiet corner of the library, I clenched and opened my hand. Mana flickered, then vanished. It was basic, yet the most important training—condensing and controlling mana. I couldn't afford to slack on constantly focusing on the invisible flow. It was the foundation of everything.
...
I repeated the process. No matter how tired, how strenuous, or how much I sweated, I had to continue. I had wasted two years.
Maintaining average grades was one thing, but jumping straight into the upper ranks would require fixing many shortcomings. Time was running out.
While reading, I kept condensing and releasing mana with one hand. I took notes on difficult sections while maintaining focus with the other. Even as sweat beaded on my skin and my head grew hot, I continued.
Again.
Swoosh—
Pop—
A little scattered.
Again.
Swoooosh—
Pop—
Too loose.
Once more—
A hand suddenly grabbed mine.
The touch was familiar now, yet it still made my heart race. I froze mid-motion and turned my head. There were her eyes, calm yet completely focused on me.
It was Eline.
"...You're here?"
"Yeah."
She had come straight from the lecture. She set her things down casually and sat beside me. Her gaze swept over my appearance for a moment.
"Lutes."
"What?"
"Was the practical with Professor Raen today?"
"...Was it that obvious?"
"It was."
She pulled a small handkerchief from her front pocket and naturally wiped the sweat from my forehead. She must have known that only Professor Raen would engage in such intense magical sparring.
"How was it?"
"A good experience."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I lasted three minutes and thirty seconds. They said it was the highest record so far."
I bragged a little, and she nodded, listening quietly.
"Well done."
Her praise made my shoulders lift with pride.
"I also saw a lot of areas where I was lacking. There are parts I really need to work on."
Yes. I had to keep pushing.
Once she finished wiping the sweat from my hair, she quietly put the handkerchief away.
"Lutes."
"Yeah?"
She looked at me and squeezed my hand tightly.
"Let's rest for a bit."
"Rest...?"
I had expected her to suggest studying the moment she arrived. The idea of resting was unexpected. But as always, I couldn't refuse anything Eline suggested. Besides, I was a little tired.
"...Alright. Let's rest."
When I nodded, she turned my chair to face her directly, then took my other hand as well.
Both hands.
Her movements left us sitting face-to-face, holding each other's hands. In the silence, she spoke.
"Lutes."
"What?"
"Don't be so anxious."
...
Had it shown? Her gentle voice made the tension I had carried all day begin to melt away. Maybe I really had been anxious.
"Did it show that much?"
"...It did."
Her short answer left me with nothing to say. Instead of replying, I squeezed her hand. She squeezed back. We closed our eyes together.
Suuu—
It was quiet. Only the sound of our breathing filled the space, but it was incredibly comforting. Several minutes passed that felt like hours.
When I cracked my eyes open slightly, Eline was still holding both my hands with her eyes closed.
...
My heart beat steadily as my thoughts organized themselves. One question rose to the surface.
Eline.
If it weren't for you, what would I be doing right now?
I probably would have been lying around happily after lectures ended, without a single thought in my head. I would have wasted time wondering how to kill the next day. With a predetermined future ahead, I would have simply let everything go.
Just like the past two years, I would have spent the remaining one the same way—lazily. If someone asked whether that time was comfortable, I would have honestly said yes. But I would have been slowly rusting away, wasting every moment.
Now...
Now it was hard. Just as she said, I felt anxious. I got into conflicts and struggled to keep up with the pace. But for the first time, I felt like my life had meaning.
Feeling anxious meant there were things I needed to do. And having things I needed to do gave me the strength to move forward.
Today, when I clumsily succeeded with the binding magic on the professor, I felt a thrill I hadn't experienced in a long time. It was the same pure joy I had felt as a child when I first succeeded at magic.
How long had it been?
It was busy, but having a clear goal to work toward was truly wonderful. There was only one reason I had gained that goal.
Eline.
It's all because of you. So I'll work even harder. Thank you. Truly.
Those few words weren't enough, but still—
Thank you...
She slowly opened her eyes. Had she noticed me staring? Even though we were close, my heart didn't race quite as wildly as before. The fluttering feeling remained strong, however, and I could feel my face growing hot.
I focused hard so my tongue wouldn't trip over itself and waited for her next words.
Eline gently pulled both my hands and whispered.
"...It feels like it's been a while since I last did this."
"Ah."
Her eyes and gesture made her meaning clear. I slowly closed my eyes. She tugged on our joined hands, drawing my body slightly toward hers. Warmth approached. As our breaths mingled, I felt the soft touch against my cheek once more.
This time it wasn't brief. It was deeper. More intense. Maybe two full seconds.
My face felt like it would burst from the heat, but when I slowly opened my eyes, Eline was right there in front of me.
"Thank you, Eli—"
"Lutes."
"Yeah?"
Still holding my hands, she looked at me quietly.
"Should I do it one more time?"
...
As I keep saying, I could never refuse Eline.
"...Please."
I nodded, and she kissed my cheek again.
...
It was warm and comforting. My body trembled, but I tried my best to appear calm. It wasn't easy.
When the kiss ended and she slowly pulled away, I finally let out a shaky breath. Even as my voice trembled, I tried to change the subject.
"Eline."
"Yeah."
"I have one question."
She tilted her head slightly. "What is it?"
"...You sparred with Professor Raen before, right?"
"I did."
"How many minutes did you last?"
I was genuinely curious. If Eline had gone all out, how long would she have endured?
She stared at me for a moment, then released my hands.
Was that a sensitive question?
I watched her nervously, but she didn't seem upset.
"Are you curious?"
"...Yeah. But if it's uncomfortable, you don't have to say."
She shook her head. "It's not that. But there is a condition."
"A condition?"
Maybe something like reading a hundred pages?
She slowly lifted the hand she had released and brought it to her own face.
She tapped her cheek lightly twice.
"Do it."
The noise around us seemed to stop.
"...Huh?"
"You do it too."
I knew exactly what she was asking. I understood perfectly.
"Then I'll tell you."
Eline's way of speaking still sent my heart soaring and crashing in equal measure.