The Day of the Sea
The people who lived around the Washburn Mountain Range loved to gossip about the mysterious 'ancient castle' that crowned the peak.
That no one who entered ever came back out.
That it was crammed with horrific monsters capable of turning the world upside down.
That its master was a beautiful woman who had hidden herself away in the mountains.
Of those three rumors, the first two were true. The last one was not.
Steam curled hazily through the sulfur bath, where a man who looked to be in his late twenties lay soaking. With his pale skin, slender frame, and long, flowing hair, one might mistake him for a woman at a glance—but he was unquestionably a man.
He tilted his head back, staring blankly up at the castle's ceiling, when the sound of footsteps echoed through the hall—crisp, measured, and deliberate.
"Every preparation is complete, Lord Magnus."
The speaker was a zombie dressed in a butler's uniform, a powerful jet-black aura unique to Ancient Undead shimmering across its body.
Magnus turned around, speaking in a languid voice.
"And access to Roc Island?"
"Every route has been sealed—the visiting-lecturer appointment, the reports to headquarters, even observation of the BMAT exams. At this point—"
"The Witch of Death has intervened."
Magnus smiled with satisfaction, running a hand along his cleanly shaven jaw.
"She must adore her daughter very much."
"Given that we lost Thalaze, what would you say to filing a formal protest with Kizen headquarters?"
The Zombie Butler adjusted his monocle. "We will of course face censure ourselves for sending forces onto Roc Island without authorization, but—"
"A protest? You want me to come crawling with petty grievances?"
A sharp laugh escaped Magnus's lips.
"That's not how I do things! Besides, they're all birds of a feather over there. One day that little brat Lorraine may well control the entire headquarters herself—why would I go out of my way to earn her resentment?"
"I... I see. A lapse in judgment on my part."
"The goods?"
The Zombie Butler glanced back and nodded. His subordinates dragged in four monsters bound tight with iron chains.
"So these are them?"
"Yes."
Fourth-grade danger-class monsters, 'Harddiles'. Their appearance brought saltwater crocodiles to mind, and though their jaws had been wrapped in layer upon layer of chains, they had thrashed so violently that the bindings were already fraying apart again.
"One of the BMAT testing grounds soon to open at Kizen overlaps with a Harddile habitat. I've infused them with a curse that leaves no trace, so nothing suspicious will be found."
Ssssshhh.
Magnus rose from the sulfur spring, white steam billowing off his body.
"Good. A servant died, so the debt must be repaid in full."
He draped a robe over his drenched body and looked back.
"Alaze. Are you there?"
Before the words had even finished leaving his mouth, the ground writhed, and a mass of flesh-like undead burst up from below.
[Alaze. Avenger of Thalaze. Must take revenge.]
"I know, I know. Thalaze will be avenged. I'm going to peel off a bit of your flesh and feed it to those monsters."
[I obey the Legion Commander's orders.]
Robed, Magnus settled onto the throne of the ancient castle and raised a wine glass.
"Then let us quietly wait for the news."
* * *
The day of the decisive battle had finally arrived. Dawn broke on the morning of the 3rd BMAT.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for your patience!"
On the massive stage laid out across the Kizen campus, a flamboyantly dressed man was shouting himself hoarse into an amplification crystal. Beneath the stage stretched an endless sea of spectators.
"Thank you so very much for joining us to observe this 3rd BMAT! I am Conrad Hayaborn, honored to serve as your host for this third exam as well!"
The crowd erupted in fervent cheers, and the host answered with a deep, bowing greeting.
"Aha, hahaha! Wonderful to see you! Why, I recognize some familiar faces out there. Ooh—madam, you've come again! They say a seat in the observation stands is harder for parents to win than a star from the sky, but my, my—fortune truly smiles upon you! Hahaha!"
Working the crowd with practiced ease, the host whipped the atmosphere into a frenzy before drawing a cue card from his pocket.
"Now then! Joining me to provide commentary for this 3rd BMAT, please welcome yet another distinguished professor of Kizen!"
He said it casually enough—but his own heart was hammering in his chest.
*Not Professor Byeolya. Anyone but Professor Byeolya. Please, not that woman...!*
He prayed desperately as he stared down at the card.
"!"
His face broke into a radiant grin. Part of him wanted to shriek with joy, but true professional that he was, he restrained the emotion and announced:
"We have a truly monumental figure joining us for commentary! Allow me to introduce—the second-in-command of the Kizen campus, and head professor of the current first-year Class A, Vice Principal Jane Olivia!"
At the words 'Vice Principal', the crowd went into an uproar.
The click-click of heels rang out across the stage. A woman with a severely restrained bob, her cold presence seeming to radiate frost, was ascending to the platform.
*I've finally escaped Professor Byeolya!*
The host practically bounded toward her.
"Vice Principal! Right this way, please! Ha-ha-ha!"
Like a gentleman escorting a lady, he bowed low and gestured graciously—but Jane walked straight past him. Left hanging, the host straightened up quickly, forcing an embarrassed smile.
She stepped to the center of the stage and raised a communication crystal. The spectators looked up in anticipation—surely the Vice Principal of Kizen herself had something inspiring to say.
"Lighting crew."
That was her opening line.
"The mana screens on the flanks are tilted fifteen degrees to the right. The sunlight is discomforting the audience seated on the left."
At those words, a henchman on the lighting crew broke into a mad sprint.
"Sound crew. Do I truly need to point out that buffering the amplification crystals is the most basic of basics?"
"We'll be redoing the entire seating arrangement."
"The defective Tongue Pads number far more than one or two. This is a matter of student safety. Senior planning staff—to me."
When the seniors climbed the stage wearing the expressions of men who had committed mortal sins, Jane switched off the crystal and began dressing them down in a raw, ringing voice. Her logic was so airtight that not a single one dared open his mouth.
'What on earth is happening?'
'No idea.'
The audience was thrown into confusion by this sudden turn of events.
"V-Vice Principal! My apologies for the delay!"
The lighting chief she had summoned stood trembling at the lips. Jane's reprimand was glacial.
"Are you a professional or not? What were you thinking, setting the mana lighting up like this?"
"F-Forgive us! But it was set up this same way for the first and second exams—"
Fire ignited in her eyes.
"Then explain to me, in exhaustive detail, what reason there is to repeat yesterday's identical mistake today—other than your own inconvenience."
"I'm— I'm so sorry!"
"When the event ends, all of you report to headquarters. I'd advise writing your incident reports in advance."
Jane personally took command and, by sheer force of will, saw every arrangement and setting corrected.
And the host standing behind her had, without realizing it, folded his hands respectfully in front of him, shrunk into silence, and made himself small.
'...So this one's a perfectionist, too.'
There didn't seem to be a single sane person at Kizen.
"We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the organizers' shortcomings."
Jane bowed her head in apology to the crowd. Truthfully, none of the spectators had any idea what had been inconvenient, but her aura was so ferociously menacing that they decided to take her word for it.
Naturally, thawing the frozen atmosphere fell to the host.
"Ahem! Hahaha! It seems we had a few minor issues, but let's begin anew! Welcoming Vice Principal Jane—!"
"I will be commentating in my capacity as a first-year professor. Professor title, if you would."
"Ah! Of course! Welcoming Professor Jane!"
Applause, applause, applause!
The crowd clapped along, still looking somewhat dumbstruck. Raising the communication crystal, she spoke in an immensely dignified, solemn voice.
"To the parents and distinguished guests attending our academy's event—thank you deeply. As an institution dedicated to cultivating elite necromancers, Kizen strives to bring our students' capabilities to their utmost—"
And now a speech, on top of everything.
Jane let nothing slip past her.
The moment her address finally concluded, the host, sweat pouring down his face, cried out:
"Th-Thank you, Professor Jane! Now, let's get you to your seat!"
The broadcast henchmen had been shooting him desperate looks this whole time, gesturing frantically for him to cut things short.
'This, from the man who couldn't move a muscle in front of her himself.'
Having finally succeeded in seating Jane in the commentary box, the host rushed the event forward. She seemed displeased with the table arrangement and moved to summon a staff member, but he beat her to the punch.
"Now then, Professor! Might I ask you to explain the 3rd BMAT for us?"
"Yes. Please bring up the main screen."
At her instruction, the main screen displayed a vast, open sea.
"The theme of this 3rd exam is the ocean."
Murmur, murmur, murmur.
Unlike the students, the audience was hearing this for the first time, and confused reactions rippled through the stands.
"As you are aware, the ocean is the worst possible natural condition for a necromancer."
Jane's crisp voice rang across the campus.
"A human cannot choose his battlefield or his environment. One never knows when disaster will strike, and one must be able to fight under whatever adverse conditions arise. That is precisely why we have chosen the sea as the stage for this exam."
"Ahh—! Simply astonishing! An exam at sea! Then the evaluation criterion this time must be the students' swimming ability, correct?"
It was his best attempt at a tension-breaking joke. Jane glared at him as though he were an insect.
"...My apologies, Professor."
He could scarcely believe it himself, but he had never imagined a day would come when he'd actually miss Professor Byeolya.
Jane spoke again.
"This exam evaluates the students' adaptability, resilience, and creativity under unfamiliar and punishing conditions. Time is short, so I will explain the rules to our guests directly."
Before her words had even faded, the main screen flashed and changed. A single scolding from her, it seemed, had whipped the henchmen into impeccable discipline.
"Please observe the screen."
The main screen showed the ocean floor.
"Does anything strike you as odd?"
At her question, the audience widened their eyes and stared hard at the screen.
To the casual observer, it was nothing more than a hazy, moss-covered, perfectly ordinary seabed. Some people claimed they'd spotted something; others admitted they couldn't find anything at all. A few even rose from their seats, straining their eyes in fierce concentration.
"Zoom in further, please."
At her word, the screen snapped to a specific spot.
A single coin, embedded in the seafloor. So similar in color to the surrounding sediment that it was far from easy to distinguish.
"This is the 'coin' used in the exam. The passing threshold of this BMAT is simple: collect ten of the coins scattered across the ocean floor."
"Th-The ocean floor?!"
At this moment, every person present except Jane was thinking: *that is not simple at all.*
"So it's something like a treasure hunt!"
"...I don't care for the analogy, but let's go with that. Furthermore, student-on-student combat is permitted in this exam."
Every participating student would wear a protective vest over their swimwear. Lose consciousness, or let the Barrier Gauge hit zero, and you were out on the spot—all your coins forfeited, teleported straight to the safe zone.
An eliminated student could re-enter the sea with a full 100% Barrier Gauge after thirty minutes.
"Unbelievable! Then this exam will be fiercely competitive indeed, Professor!"
In contrast to Jane's calm, the passionate host raised his voice again, stoking the atmosphere.
"We'll see students combing the seafloor! And students hunting those very students! So once a student collects all ten coins, are they done?"
"Certainly not."
She smiled.
"That's where it begins."
At her direction, the main screen split into dozens of feeds.
"What are all those?!"
"M-Monsters?"
A giant octopus monster brandishing dozens of limbs; a colossal manta-like creature crackling with electricity; even deep-sea fish monsters gaping their jaws along the seafloor.
"Collecting ten coins is merely the minimum condition to pass. Any student who fails to gather ten within the exam's four-hour window is eliminated. Those who complete the set must then venture out into the wider sea to accumulate 'points'."
On the opposite side of the screen, monster illustrations appeared alongside point values.
"When a monster is slain, the Tongue Pad on its arm records the points. The student with the highest score when the exam ends takes first place."
"Ahh! Perfectly clear now! Coin collection is the basic requirement to pass, and overall ranking is decided by hunting sea monsters! That's Kizen for you! Not a single easy exam in the place!"
Having said that much, the host suddenly paused, his face freezing in horror.
"Hold on! What if a student who's already collected all ten coins gets attacked by other students and knocked out while hunting monsters—"
"Then every coin and every point they've accumulated evaporates. They start over from square one, picking up coins from the beginning."
"Hooh! What a staggering high-risk setup!"
While the two of them discussed the rules, a colossal roar of cheers—*WHAAAAA!*—suddenly burst from the stands.
Without anyone noticing, every screen had begun showing all 847 students of the entire school standing at the starting line above the sea.
They looked ready to launch at any moment.
"Go, Elisa! Hope of Dresden!!"
"Get 'em, Yansen! We can't lose to Dresden!"
"First place goes to Chatel Maer again this time!"
"Ivory Tower sisters, fighting!"
The cheers centered mostly on the star-tier students. Everyone seemed finally ready to enjoy themselves. The host shot to his feet.
"Enough with the dry rules—let's talk people! It's people that matter! So, Professor! Which students should we be watching in this ocean-themed 3rd BMAT?"
She answered without a moment's hesitation.
"There are many variables, but students gifted in underwater combat hold the clear advantage. Elisa, who commands Ghost Ships. Raheim of Snowfield Castle. And lastly—"
"Lastly?"
Her head turned.
At the center of the screen stood a boy, stretching languidly as he checked over his bone armor.