Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Things Money Can't Buy (1)
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The Black Magicians.
A society formed by six problem students, with Jake at its center.
Excluding Jake, it was a gathering of students with no dreams or future, who repeatedly failed to advance.
There was a time when they, too, had been in the spotlight as brilliant talents. If only they had the courage to try again, they might one day have seized victory.
But they had given up on the competition themselves. In a way, they were the sole dropouts in a ruthless competition.
“This can't be happening. Something's wrong.”
Jake shook his head. He could understand losing to Amy, but there was no way the Black Magicians could be defeated by a freshman who had just enrolled.
“Right. I didn't lose. It was just bad luck.”
The students Jake had forced to drop out until now had far better grades than Shirone. In the end, it was just bad luck. Don’t such days happen from time to time in life?
‘It’s not over yet. I’m a Class Four. I'm fundamentally different from guys who just pull off cheap shots with Anti-Magic.’
Sensing Jake’s killing intent, Shirone tensed up. He could feel Jake's star-shaped Spirit Zone through his synesthesia. It felt as if hundreds of archers were aiming their bows at him.
‘What do I do? I haven't learned any magic yet.’
He could handle Anti-Magic, since it was a battle of Spirit Zones, but a magical duel was a different story.
There was no way Shirone, who had yet to learn not only offensive magic but even the basic defensive spell Air Shield, could face Jake.
Jake generated wind between his palms and pressed them together as if compressing it. The air began to rotate in the form of a disc. It was a Wind Cutter, capable of slicing through a log with ease.
“I'll take your arm first. Then your leg.”
The moment Jake was about to cast the Wind Cutter, someone grabbed his shoulder from behind and spun him around. He sensed the approach with his synesthesia at the same instant he was touched. It wasn't human speed.
He saw Amy’s face, her red eyes glaring. As her fist struck his jaw, the world before him wavered.
“Agh!”
For a mage, whose weakness was physical attacks, there was no way his Spirit Zone could withstand a blow imbued with the power of Schema.
Amy climbed on top of Jake and relentlessly threw punches. Each blow landed with the force of a stone.
“What were you going to do to me? Say it again, you bastard! I said, say it again!”
Jake's head snapped left and right as if it were about to be torn from his neck. Thinking something terrible would happen if this continued, Shirone rushed toward Amy.
“Senior, stop! You’re going to kill him!”
“Let go, you bastard! You think you can look down on me?!”
“He’s going to die!”
Jake heard their conversation through his fading consciousness. He felt no pain, only a series of dull impacts.
‘Die? I’m going to die?’
The fear of death jolted Jake’s mind awake. He covered his face with his arms and screamed at the top of his lungs.
“H-Help me! Just spare my life! Please!”
Tears welled up in Amy’s eyes. She had nearly lost an eye. The thought that she had been humiliated by this piece of trash all this time made her blood boil.
“I’ll never forgive you! You bastard!”
“Senior, please stop!”
Shirone pulled Amy with all his might. Her Schema-enhanced balance was so incredible, it felt like trying to uproot a stake driven deep into the ground. When he pulled with all his strength, Amy finally fell backward, landing on top of Shirone.
“That’s enough, Senior. Please stop.”
Shirone gasped for breath. As he came to his senses, a soft and supple sensation registered against his arm. He realized he was pressing against Amy's chest and hastily pulled his hand away.
“S-Sorry!”
Amy didn't respond. She was just breathing heavily, her body trembling intermittently. Her emotions transferred to him, and Shirone felt a pang of sympathy. He gently wrapped an arm around her waist and spoke softly.
“Senior, because of me…”
“Ah! That felt good!”
“Oof!”
Amy shot up as if spring-loaded, striking Shirone’s lower abdomen with her rear.
Shirone clutched his stomach and rolled over. A little lower, and it would have been a truly horrific situation.
“What’s wrong? You hurt?”
Though his vitals were spared, the impact had shot downwards, causing a cold sweat to break out on his forehead. But he couldn’t let it show.
“It’s nothing.”
“Heehee! Of course, it is. I’m super light.”
There was no way she, who had been insatiably curious since childhood, wouldn't know what state Shirone was in. It was her own clumsy way of showing intimacy. It was also her way of letting Shirone's unintentionally sly contact slide.
“Anyway, what do we do now?”
Shirone changed the subject, turning his gaze to the Black Magicians. He hadn't realized it while they were fighting frantically, but now that the dust had settled, he saw they were in a serious state.
Every one of them was unconscious, bleeding from the nose, and Jake was half out of his mind, crawling on the ground.
After assessing their condition, Amy decided to let it go for now. As much as she wanted to get them expelled, if the incident blew up, Shirone's identity could be revealed.
“Let’s go. Those guys have their own skeletons, so they’ll probably keep quiet from now on.”
“But Senior Seriel is on her way here.”
“What? Don’t tell me you told a teacher.”
“Of course, I did. You were in danger. How could I come alone?”
Amy sighed and touched her forehead. She could deal with the humiliation, but she had thought she could at least claim the spoils of victory. But hearing that a report had already been made took the wind out of her sails.
Shirone was deeply moved. The reason Amy was disappointed was to protect his secret.
“Thank you, Senior.”
“Huh?”
“You came alone because of me. But please don’t worry about it. I don’t care about secrets anymore. I’m just glad you’re safe.”
“No, that’s not what I…”
Amy scratched her cheek and avoided his gaze. Growing up in the free-spirited atmosphere of the Carmis family, she had sometimes felt neglected. She had roamed the back alleys, yearning for human connection. To her, Shirone's kind words were pleasant, but also something she couldn't fully digest.
“Hmph! Who said it was because of you? I could’ve handled guys like this on my own. To be honest, I’ve been waiting for a chance to get them for a while. They just walked right into it.”
Amy’s cheeks were completely flushed. That was enough for Shirone. He felt like he understood what kind of person she was.
“Hehehe, this is so childish I can’t even watch. You things call yourselves geniuses? Don’t make me laugh. You’re just a couple of kids who don’t know how the world works.”
Jake pushed himself up, leaning against a tree. His face was a wreck, but his eyes were full of venom.
Amy placed her hands on her hips.
“You’re seriously pathetic. If you can’t even stand, just stay down. Are you a masochist or something? Do you like getting hit by me that much?”
“Puhahaha!”
The thought of defeat never once crossed Jake’s mind. In the end, money ruled the world. He may have lost the fight, but he still had immense financial power.
“You think it’s over? No, it’s just beginning. Be honest. You can’t actually kill me, can you? If you have the guts, then try it. As long as I’m at this academy, you will never graduate. I’ll use any means necessary to ruin you!”
Shirone felt a chill. But Amy, who had ruled the back alleys since she was a child, knew people like Jake all too well.
“Kill you? Why would I kill you? My life is too bright to waste on trash like you. But know this. I may not be able to kill you, but I can sure as hell beat you to a pulp.”
Jake flinched as Amy cracked her knuckles and approached. No matter how determined one’s mind was, the body remembers fear.
“…You think I’m scared?”
“Who said you were? You’re up, so you’ve gotta take another beating. I’m still not satisfied.”
Jake seethed at the sight of Amy ostentatiously rolling her shoulders, but his face was contorted in fear.
*Screeeeeee!*
A sharp, grating sound echoed from the sky. Shirone looked up, but the other two knew what it was without looking.
It was the distinctive sound of Spatial Transfer, a higher form of teleportation magic.
Just as they thought they saw a star twinkle in the sky, a flash of light curved rapidly and descended to where Shirone's group was.
Seriel landed, accompanied by two teachers.
Amy scanned the teachers' faces, feeling like she was scratching off a lottery ticket. Then she let out a small sigh.
It was Shina of Ice Magic and Thadd of Fire Magic.
‘Ugh, of all people.’
Along with Etella, they were the youngest teachers at the magic academy, and it was unlikely they would handle this incident lightly.
“Amy! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Seriel ran to Amy, her face on the verge of tears.
“Yeah, I’m fine. You think I’d go down that easily?”
With her delicate nature, Seriel didn't miss the small details. Amy's bangs, which fell to slightly cover her right eye, were singed.
She had always thought Amy’s hairstyle was a bit too retro for her pretty face, but seeing her friend’s hair, which she had maintained for six years, ruined like this made her heart ache.
“What happened to your hair? What went on here?”
“Oh, come on! It’s nothing. Anyway, is it past seven already?”
“What are you talking about? Do you have any idea how long we were looking for you? If it weren’t for the teachers, we wouldn’t have even made it in time.”
The sun had set, and darkness was creeping in.
As the surroundings grew dim, Thadd cast a fire spell. A ball of fire shot up with a *whoosh*, burning in the air like a small sun.
‘So this is the Fire Sun spell.’
Shirone marveled at the glowing sphere in the sky. The area was as bright as day, yet he felt no heat.
It was a phenomenon impossible without converting thermal energy into light energy. According to what he had read, the Fire Sun, despite its appearance, was an advanced technique mostly seen on battlefields.
Thadd approached Amy with a mournful expression.
“What is all this, Amy! Why would a brilliant student like you do something so foolish…”
Thadd, who had a soft spot only for women, seemed to not even notice Shirone. Especially for Amy, who was number one in grades, came from a First-Class family, and was number one in looks, he couldn't help but cherish her.
Disgusted by Thadd’s attitude, Shina turned to Shirone.
“Shirone, can you explain what happened?”
“Uh, well, that is…”
“I can explain.”
The teachers turned their heads at Jake’s words. The perpetrator of the incident wanted to give an explanation. They wondered if he had been hit so hard that he’d lost his mind.
But this, too, was part of Jake’s calculation.
He could take the punishment. The academy, which needed the Ardius family's funds, would never expel him anyway.
On the other hand, what about Shirone? He had clearly heard them talking about a secret just a moment ago. Plus, Amy’s attempt to cover up the incident. It meant they had something to hide.
“I called Amy out. Her skills are so superior that I had no choice but to use Anti-Magic. But it was a fair duel. Bad blood had been building between us for a while, and it finally erupted into a battle of pride. As you can see, our side is the one that was seriously beaten.”
Shina spoke with a displeased expression.
“And you expect us to believe that? You broke the academy rules.”
“I’m not saying what we did was right. But think about it. If Amy was the victim, why didn’t she report it? They have something to hide, too, which is why they tried to cover up the incident.”
Amy shouted.
“What nonsense is this! What are we hiding? You threatened to kidnap Shirone!”
“Haha! So did we kidnap him? No. Furthermore, Shirone read the note we sent and still didn’t inform a teacher. What do you suppose that means?”
“You… you bastard…”
Amy couldn't refute it. The fact that Shirone, who hadn't been kidnapped, had rushed over without reporting to a teacher was incomprehensible to anyone who didn't know the full story. But if she told the truth, Shirone’s secret would be revealed.