Chapter 573
Chapter Title: The Opening Gambit
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573.
The opening match began with a suddenness no one had anticipated.
But the 400 bewildered first-years simultaneously dashed toward their class weapons, scattered across the Erek Training Grounds.
“Move!”
“Hurry, get into formation!”
Their state of panic was brief.
Though they were still inexperienced first-years, their bodies had endured countless trials at the hero academy.
Moreover, these were 100 students handpicked from among their year.
Even in this sudden, unexpected situation, the first-years responded in an instant.
Just then.
*Fwoosh-!*
“Attack Seirun!”
Several Azonia students used Aura Step and charged at the Seirun students.
For a long time, Seirun Academy had only admitted elves capable of using Star Magic.
It was, in essence, a school of mages.
Thanks to that, it was famous for producing the strongest mages, but conversely, it also meant their knight and summoner classes were weak.
As such, they were bound to have weaknesses in close-quarters combat.
Just then, an elf who had pulled a spear embedded in the ground swung it at the charging beastmen.
*Whoosh-!*
*Thwack-thwack-thwack-!*
The spear moved quickly, deflecting the beastmen students.
“Kuh?!”
“What the!”
Stunned by a counterattack that defied their expectations, the beastmen students fell back.
The female Seirun student, Angr, landed lightly on the ground from mid-air and glared at the Azonia students.
“It seems you think our knight class is weak just because our school is famous for Star Magic.”
*Thud-!*
“As long as I'm here, you'd be wise not to think about aiming for the rear guard.”
Angr’s eyes flashed as she struck the ground with the butt of her spear.
“Hah, so Seirun has someone with some spirit!”
Just then, a large tiger beastman stepped forward.
“What's your name!”
“Angr Bijan.”
“I'll remember it! You should also remember the name of the man who will defeat you! Carlos…”
“Angr! Move!”
Just then, a female Seirun student from behind shouted.
At those words, Angr leaped high into the air.
Yoinia Tela, who was behind Angr, her eyes flashing, unleashed her magic.
“A K’Rei!”
*Kzzzzzzzt!*
A K'Rei, the easiest spell to learn and apply in Star Magic.
Yoinia's A K'Rei, whose pure mana capacity rivaled that of the top student, Leah, was certainly powerful.
Countless motes of light engulfed the beastmen pursuing the Seirun students.
“Gyaaaaaaah!”
Carlos, who had boldly declared a head-on battle with Angr, collapsed.
Judged unable to battle, Carlos was warped directly out of the arena.
“Ugh!”
“What was that?”
The attention of the other Azonia students, who had been targeting Seirun students only to be stopped by Yoinia's magic, all focused on Angr and Yoinia.
“Tch! Annoying! Target her first!”
The beastmen students targeted Yoinia.
In that moment, Angr quickly intercepted the beastmen students targeting Yoinia.
But in an instant, Angr found herself overwhelmed by the number of opponents.
And so, Angr quickly hoisted Yoinia onto her shoulder and began using Aura Step at incredible speed.
Yoinia cast an enhancement spell on Angr.
Clinging tightly to Angr, Yoinia aimed her staff at the beastmen students and began firing off spells.
***
-Ah! The Seirun students! Their teamwork is incredible! Especially students Angr and Yoinia! The two of them are running guerrilla tactics, buying time for the relatively vulnerable Seirun students to form a defensive line!
Runba, a Lumerne fourth-year who had somehow made his way to the commentary booth, shouted in an excited voice.
The opening match has only just begun, but the Seirun students are putting on an amazing performance! In the midst of this chaotic battle, not a single one of them has been eliminated yet!
Even in the chaos, Seirun’s students were quickly coordinating with one another to overcome the crisis.
-Professor Sedzen! What do you make of this situation?!
-Elegant! It’s simply elegant! Seirun’s coordination is particularly impressive! And quite unexpected!
-What’s unexpected about it?
-Isn’t it surprising that the Seirun first-years are displaying such excellent teamwork!
-That's certainly true! Until the beginning of the semester, rumors were rampant that Seirun's first-years were unable to get along due to intense competition!
-Indeed! They even made one of our school's exchange students study with the first-years—I won’t say who! They supposedly gave a vivid demonstration of just how much of a mess they were!
-Ooh! A mess! That's a good way to put it! Hahaha!
Sedzen and Runba chattered on excitedly.
Trash-talking the other school during the Lumerne-Seirun Match was something of a tradition.
As such, the two were just commentating as they always had.
But unfortunately for them, this was not the Lumerne-Seirun Match.
*Screeech!*
Static came through the microphone.
-Professor Ain? Professor Ren? Are you trying to drag me off again?! What did I do wrong! Stay away! Eek? Eek! Halind ordered this again?! Why do you only listen to that bastard's orders… Let go! Let go! You dogs of Halind! Let goooo! Mmph mmph mmph!
-Professor Halind! Please give me one more chance! Who else but me can provide this kind of commentary…
-Drag them out. Professor Yura.
-Aargh!
Sedzen's screams and Runba's pleading voice.
The commotion finally settled after Halind's voice, which sent shivers down the spine of anyone listening, was heard.
The audience could see Professor Sedzen and Runba being dragged out of the commentary booth.
A moment later, the broadcast screen showed Elena sitting in the commentary booth.
-A message from Lumerne. We experienced a minor broadcasting issue. From now on, the commentary will be handled by Lumerne’s finest professor, Halind Edmon, and myself, Lumerne’s vice student council president, Elena Jer-on. Please be generous and overlook the previous incident.
Elena clasped her hands together and spoke playfully in her sweet voice, then stuck out her tongue, drawing gasps of admiration from all over.
A moment later, the screen switched back to the match.
“How annoying. Why do I have to clean up this mess?”
Elena grumbled with a frown.
“Focus on the commentary.”
“Yes.”
Elena replied primly before reactivating the amplification magic on her microphone.
“Embarrassing the whole school.”
Iliana muttered softly, and Karl spoke up.
“Don't be like that. It looks like you're going to cause plenty of embarrassment for the school this time, too.”
“What's that supposed to mean?”
As Iliana narrowed her eyes, Chelsea said,
“He's not wrong.”
“Xia! The others are picking on me!”
Iliana complained, hugging Chen Xia.
“You two are so mean. If you state the facts so bluntly, you'll hurt Miss Iliana's feelings.”
“You're the cruelest one of all!”
Iliana shrieked.
“Anyway, why is the Seirun students' teamwork so good? Weren't they on bad terms with each other?”
Chloe asked Eiran.
Eiran nodded at her words.
“Yes, it's true that the first-years were at odds with each other.”
At the start of the semester.
The Seirun first-years, who had been thoroughly stratified into a class system, saw their peers as nothing more than stepping stones and were constantly at each other's throats.
But that trend changed after a ‘Comet Magician’ descended upon Seirun.
“After the first-years who received Sir Leo's teachings achieved amazing results on the first-semester midterms, the other students did a lot of self-reflection. Yoinia, who is now fighting alongside Angr, was especially vocal about the importance of cooperation.”
Yoinia, who used to lead the top elite team in the upper class, had been thoroughly defeated by the lower-class student Angr, which made her pull herself together.
“Yoinia. Come to think of it, isn't she the second-ranked first-year at Seirun now?”
“Yes, she and Angr are particularly famous for being a fantastic duo.”
“A knight and a mage. It's a combination that can create the best synergy if they're in sync.”
Karl nodded.
“By the way, Eiran. Why are you only telling us this now?”
Iliana’s eyes narrowed.
“Huh? Because you didn't ask…”
“Ahem! You're a Lumerne student, aren't you?”
“I-I'm an exchange student, though? I have to go back to Seirun soon…”
“What? You're going to betray us!”
“Th-that's not it…”
“So you're saying our friendship until now was all meaningless? To betray us! How could you! Traitor!”
“That's not—!”
As Iliana shouted, pointing her finger accusingly, tears welled up in Eiran's large eyes.
Seeing this, Iliana sidled up to Eiran and put an arm around her shoulders.
“Hehe, there's a simple way to prove our friendship.”
“Wh-what is it?”
“Tell me the weaknesses of the Seirun second-years. Hehehe. If you just tell me that, our friendship will continue…”
“Eiran! How long are you going to be over here?”
Just then, the Seirun second-years appeared.
“Eiran! We missed you! When are you coming back?”
“Gasp! But why are you crying?”
“Did the Lumerne kids bully you?!”
The Seirun second-years made a fuss when they saw Eiran with tears welling in her eyes.
Then they turned to glare fiercely at the Lumerne students.
“You bullied our Eiran?!”
“I can't believe you!”
“E-everyone, it's a misunderstanding. The people from Lumerne took good care of me.”
Eiran frantically tried to calm her friends down.
“Then why are you crying?”
When Aris, a Seirun second-year, asked with a puzzled expression, Eiran explained the situation.
“Miss Iliana said that to prove our friendship, I had to tell her all of your weaknesses…”
At those words, the atmosphere grew even more hostile.
“I can't believe it! Lumerne is despicable!”
“Iliana Raden! You'd better be ready!”
“Let's go, Eiran! Those guys are just trying to use your innocence!”
“And take off that uniform already!”
The Seirun students, incensed, took Eiran with them back to their side.
The Lumerne second-years all looked at Iliana.
“Nice going. Embarrassing the whole school.”
“Because of you, we're all despicable now!”
“H-hey, it was a joke! Just a joke!”
As Chelsea and Karl spoke with looks of pity, Iliana protested with a tearful face.
“What are you going to do now? It looks like the Seirun kids will target you first.”
“Guys? You'll protect me, right? We're friends.”
Iliana smiled as cutely as she could.
Looking at Iliana, Karl said,
“You made this mess. You clean it up.”
“I knew you'd say that, you jerk! Chelsea? If the Seirun kids target me, you'll help, right? Huh? Big Sis Chelsea?”
“Why would I?”
“Nella? Dade?”
“I'm a healer, so I can heal you.”
“I'll be in the rear. How am I supposed to save you on the front lines?”
“Chloeeeeee!”
“I'm in the rear, too.”
As Chloe let out a small sigh, Iliana clung to Chen Xia.
“Xia! The others are being cheap and won't help me! You'll help, right? Huh?”
At that question, Chen Xia gave a gentle smile, then shook off Iliana's hand and said,
“Who are you?”
“Hey, you rotten jerks!”
***
“Stop right there! Luke Elda!”
*KRA-KOOOOM!*
“Hiiieeeeek?!”
Luke was terrified as an explosion erupted beside him.
“What did I do wrong?!”
“You! You were Senior Flove's mentee, weren't you?!”
“S-so what if I was?”
“That's your crime!”
“Th-that's a ridiculous accusation! Hieeek!”
“Don't run away! Stand and fight!”
Seeing Leah chasing him to the death with blazing eyes, Luke pushed his legs even harder.
Just then.
*KWAANG-!*
“Luke Elda! Fight me!”
Medved blocked Luke's path.
“Why you, too?”
“To feel a burning desire to fight the strong is only natural for a beastman! Come at me!”
“Luke Elda is my prey, so you stay out of it!”
“Hah! Prey belongs to whoever catches it first!”
“In that case…”
Leah grinned.
*Vwoooooom-!*
“Then both of you can die!”
“It's just a match! Why are you telling us to die?!”
“Senior Flove told us to kill each other!”
“That's because it's a survival match! He was just saying that—!”
As an extraordinary amount of mana surged from Leah's body, Luke's terrified, protesting expression hardened in an instant.
At this change in Luke's aura, Medved's eyes gleamed.
‘His aura has changed!’
Medved curled his lips into a smile and slammed his fists together.
‘First, Leah Tingel's attack…!’
The moment Medved tried to prepare for Leah's attack.
*Swish-!*
A sharp sword aura took aim at Leah.
Leah flinched, then fired her spell in the direction the sword aura had come from.
*KRA-KABOOOOOM-!*
With a massive explosion, Leah landed on the ground.
*Thud-!*
Aina landed in front of her.
“Aina Veydna! Are you trying to interfere?!”
As Leah shrieked, Aina pointed her sword at her.
“Your opponent is me.”
***
The first-years, who had been flustered by the sudden start of the survival match, regained their composure.
On the vast Erek Training Grounds, they formed their respective formations and began to eliminate their opponents.
Watching them, Leo let out a smirk.
“Well then, shall we start for real?”
*RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE-!*
The ground began to vibrate.
The first-years, who had been wary of each other, wore looks of alarm.
‘It's easy to be wary of the enemy in front of you. But on the battlefield, the enemy right in front of you isn't the only thing you have to worry about.’
