Victorious Cats and the Number One Seat
The winning team is the Clever Cats squad.
The students emerged from the virtual gate amid the guiding voice. Despite the significant ranking gap, Zien's strategy had led the Cat team to victory over their opponents.
Buoyed by the sense of accomplishment from everyone pulling their weight and the thrill of triumph, the team members shouted in unison.
"We won! We beat the number one rank!"
"I told you, just follow Zien's orders!"
"Krr! Straight up to thirtieth—no doubt about it!"
Wahaha—Lake laughed heartily.
Aria, who had benefited from Zien's guidance in this exam too, was hopping around in some bizarre victory dance.
"Yah-hoo! I believed it! Conqueror of group exams!"
Meanwhile, the Rabbit team emerging from the portal wore grim expressions. It wasn't just the defeat stinging them.
"Holding out against ten people like that..."
"They must've read our strategy too, right?"
"...One thing's for sure—they had countermeasures ready."
Rita let out a long sigh, her face twisted in irritation. She was pissed about her own ranking drop, but seeing Aria thrive grated even more.
"Hoo, that girl didn't do jack again and just rode the coattails."
The Everline Lake exam from before had been a nightmare for Rita. She'd been eliminated alongside Chris, whom she'd underestimated, and the witch she'd trusted had fallen to Zien.
'Is even number one no match for that guy? Well, considering we struggled ten-on-one, one-on-one's out of the question.'
Leon Sigma, the current first-year rank one, had lost to Zien as well.
'Hmph, once this exam's over, number one won't—'
Rita shot Leon a glare.
Leon stood lost in thought, watching Zien walk away.
'Zien Russel's mana should be lower than mine... So how does he pull off combat like that?'
The moment he'd clashed swords with Zien.
Leon had felt a chill run down his spine. There was no waste in even Zien's slightest movements.
'Perfect swordsmanship...'
Yes. It was the kind of swordplay any swordsman would covet. Leon felt a twinge of envy wondering what training Zien must have undergone.
'And something I can't put into words.'
Zien possessed something that set him apart from the other students. Leon hadn't quite grasped it, but it was the sharpened senses and judgment honed only in real combat.
Zien's previous life had been that of a hero who'd conquered even an 8th-rank gate. He had experience that transcended mere physical specs.
'Defeated in combat, strategy—everything.'
Leon gazed sadly at his stigma.
'I got arrogant.'
Leon tossed his rank-one nameplate to the ground. A new goal had taken shape.
Isabel Blitz's reputation at school had always been strong to begin with. But after her explosive performance with that ridiculous mana output at the tournament, her evaluation had climbed another notch.
"So you went all-in, leaving just the king and sacrificing the rest?"
Leaning back on her throne, Isabel flashed a grin at the nine enemies before her. The trembling king specialized in buffs—his entire ability revolved around supporting Isabel.
"Yeah. As you can see, we're quick on our feet. Think you can hold the king solo against all nine of us?"
As the enemy team assumed positions, flames coiled around Isabel's hands, forming gloves.
"Hold out? That'd be tough."
Isabel conjured a massive curtain of fire between herself and the foes.
"I suck at holding back."
Explosive mana surged from her body.
Isabel's words weren't bravado. At the tournament of only top numbers, her bestowed trait had been 'Child of the Stars'.
It was granted to the participant with the highest mana capacity. For Isabel, with her wide-area firepower, numbers meant little.
A mocking yet alluring smile.
Isabel wagged her finger, taunting them.
"Hey, you in a hurry? Come at me already."
Stealthily.
Chris was slipping into the castle, evading the enemy team's tight security. It was a feat near impossible for other students, but for Chris, it was a breeze.
'I see 'em.'
Left eye: [X-Ray Vision]
Right eye: [Clairvoyance]
Chris's magic tool let him instantly grasp enemy positions and the castle's layout.
On top of that, he had the Highwind artifact equipped to mask his presence.
'Two ahead... Circle back, slip in from the window ledge?'
Once more, soft footsteps—stealthily.
Chris ducked behind a pillar, spotting the enemies beyond the wall.
"This feels off, doesn't it?"
"Yeah. The attack squad should've hit by now."
"No way they're all on defense—ten of 'em?"
"We'll know when the scouts return."
For the enemy team's safety, their main force waited in the throne room. A headache for Chris.
'No—third, fifth, eighth place! They're all on defense?'
Chris swallowed hard.
The instant he was spotted, those monsters would tear him apart.
Still, his slender frame let him hide perfectly behind the pillar.
The enemies passed oblivious, and Chris circled the perimeter, infiltrating the throne room via the second-floor terrace.
But.
Thud!
Chris misstepped and tumbled.
'But still—success!'
His heart pounded wildly.
Swallowing, mana swirled in Chris's eyes once more.
As expected, three top numbers guarded the king in the throne room. To catch their conversation, Chris slowly lip-read.
'I... checked the second floor? No way they climbed up!?'
Bad hunches usually panned out.
The noise from his fall had drawn one top number upstairs.
But instead of fleeing, Chris concealed himself at the entrance.
His rolling and tumbling in Battle Survival had honed his combat instincts razor-sharp. He might lose a duel, but in real fights, it was different.
"...Nobody—gah!"
Chris's twin daggers plunged into the foe's weak spot. He clamped the mouth shut before a scream could escape, whispering.
"Got careless, huh? Wait for me outside the portal~"
The winning team is...
The day after the exam ended.
Romina was buried in paperwork in the faculty office.
"This one's a pass..."
The documents were year-rankings for Selphis's report. Including the first-years'. Midway through her overtime yawns, Romina's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Whoa! From ninety-sixth to ninth!?"
It was Chris's ranking.
"What do you gotta do in the exam to jump from ninety-sixth to top numbers?"
Curiosity piqued, Romina checked Chris's opposing team.
The death squad with third, fifth, and eighth.
'After special training from Zien...'
Having grown through the off-campus tournament too, Chris had finally seized a top number spot.
Growth this rapid was absurd.
'Well, with Zien as party leader.'
Romina immediately acknowledged it thinking of Zien. Hadn't he gone from 162nd to top numbers himself?
'Speaking of, Zien's...'
Flipping through stacks, Romina finally found the one she wanted after a while.
[Zien Russel]
Her heart thumped.
About to flip to the ranking, Romina paused.
'Can't enjoy this fun alone!'
Suddenly grabbing her phone.
Romina called Karsen, her voice dripping with excitement.
"Hey, whatcha up to~?"
-Resting.
"Busy?"
-Busy.
His curt replies made a vein bulge on Romina's forehead, but she held it in.
"I'm sorting the year-rankings. Oh, and... first-years' too. You get it?"
Karsen's reply halted.
About ten seconds of silence, then a sigh.
-Haa, what should I grab?
"Coffee!"
-Check first.
"Duh."
Romina pulled Zien's file and tucked it into a separate drawer.
In Arcana Academy's principal's office.
Selphis's cheerful humming filled the air.
"Het het het! Lately, everything I touch turns to gold!"
It started with the funding.
He'd planned to ask Yubel, the mage tower chairman and board head, for an increase—then the tower terror hit.
The issue? Yubel's only daughter Isabel was an Arcana student. Saved by Zien, specifically.
Next, Battle Survival.
A historic collab broadcast between Saber cadets and the game.
Arcana had claimed victory in that massive event.
'Zien again!'
Het het het—Selphis laughed happily.
Now, just thinking of Zien sparked expectations.
'Het het het, a 5th-rank virtual gate... What if Zien clears that too!'
Not only the academy's name.
Selphis, principal that year, would etch his name in history.
The ultimate honor for a Saber.
Beaming with pride, Selphis reviewed the documents.
"Oh! Perfect timing—sorted already."
Arcana Party.
Romina had neatly compiled all Zien's party members' year-rankings for easy viewing.
"Romina-sensei has real talent for this! Het het het!"
Selphis smiled warmly, checking the papers. First up: Chris.
[Chris Arun: 9th]
Chris: 96th to 9th.
A whopping eighty-seven spots up.
"Oho, top numbers at last. Het het het! Impressive! To grow ninety-sixth like this!"
[Amy Rose: 4th]
Amy held steady at 4th.
[Isabel Blitz: 3rd]
Isabel at a stunning 3rd.
The tense moment.
Selphis swallowed, last member Zien remaining.
Gulp.
"And Zien...!"
Flip.
Selphis slowly turned the page.
The number beside Zien's name.
[Zien Russel: 1st]
It was 1.