The Limits of Summoning
It was a shocking revelation.
At the end of each semester, every student still stuck in the lowest squad of the Duel Evaluation would be expelled outright. Regardless of academic performance, a full ten percent of the student body was guaranteed to fall away each semester.
Since it took two semesters to advance to the second year, this meant that the Duel Evaluations alone could send nearly twenty percent of all students packing from Kizen.
Jane continued her explanation without pause.
"Squad promotion and demotion are decided by victory and defeat and nothing else. Of course, each squad carries a different point weighting for the Duel Evaluations. Defeating an opponent in a lower squad earns you fewer points than losing to one in a higher squad. I expect all of you to aim unreservedly for the top squads."
She set down the chalk she'd been holding and turned to face the students.
"A question. Can anyone tell me the difference between the monster battle we fought not long ago and this coming human combat assessment?"
At that question, one hand shot up faster than anyone else's.
"Jamie Victoria."
"Yes, Professor! Jamie Victoria here! In a monster battle, we're the ones who formulate a strategy and take the enemy down, but in human combat, the enemy can be strategizing against us — that's the difference!"
Jane nodded and shifted her gaze to another student.
"Hector Moore."
This time Hector rose from his seat, hand still raised. It was like watching a great mountain loom suddenly into the air.
"Unlike monster battles, human combat restricts the range of dark magic you can effectively employ."
"Can you be more specific?"
"Techniques with long casting times, spells with obvious trajectories or slow launch speeds, trap-style magic circles laid on the ground — those are hard to land on a person, so their use is effectively limited. Likewise," Hector's eyes moved.
His gaze was fixed on Simon, seated far across the room.
"The summoning magic of the Summoning department is also ineffective in human combat. The countermeasure is obvious, and an opponent can simply ignore your minions and attack the caster directly."
"Good."
At Jane's gesture, Hector bowed politely and took his seat.
"That covers most of the important points. Truthfully, if you dig into it, there are dozens — hundreds — of differences between monster battles and human combat. Now then. Can anyone explain why I've gone to the trouble of telling you all something this obvious?"
"……"
The room went quiet as a mouse.
"Starting this week, you will need to change the way you think."
Jane tapped her own forehead lightly with her index finger.
"If you're still basking in the afterglow of the Cyclops, we have a problem. Loosen the screws in your heads and beat your habits and preconceptions into shape. No one is going to worry for you. While you sit in these classes, keep asking yourselves how you'll turn the cards you hold against a classmate of your own level."
"Yes, Professor!"
The students answered with vigor.
"And one more thing."
Jane smiled faintly.
Simon, listening to the lecture, felt an involuntary shiver run through him.
How could a human being make such a terrifying smile?
"I am the Vice Principal of Kizen, but as the homeroom professor of Class A, I believe I have done my utmost. The Avalon simulation, the live battle against the Cyclops — Class A is the only one of the fourteen first-year classes to experience both."
Simon nodded along. He was genuinely grateful for such extraordinary opportunities.
But why bring that up all of a sudden……?
"Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I cannot even imagine a class existing above the Class A that I oversee."
Sparks flew in the eyes of Jane, whose expression was always cold.
"The Vice Principal herself has come down to teach the first years. I trust none of you will embarrass me."
……Ahaha, so that's what this is about.
The professors never showed it, but in truth they were fiercely sensitive to their own class's results.
The Duel Evaluations in particular pitted every class from A all the way down to N against one another, and which class had done well and which had floundered showed up immediately in stark, undeniable numbers.
"Professor Jane!!"
That was when it happened. Rick, seated beside Simon, shot to his feet with his face flushed with excitement.
"Don't you worry, Professor! We'll do our darndest so you can walk around with your head held high!"
Meilin jolted in alarm and yanked at his sleeve.
"Hey! Hey! Sit down! Why are you showing off, you're embarrassing us!"
"Let's go! Go Class A!!"
Laughter burst out all over the room.
Amid the commotion, a few of the boys seemed to catch fire from Rick's bravado, shouting their own cheers in response.
"They say 'go Class A,' apparently."
"Our little ones are just too cute."
The TAs exchanged whispers among themselves, giggling.
Until now they'd always been stuck handling the old-beyond-their-years third-years who trailed after Jane, but wrangling chick-like first years this year had a fresh charm to it.
Jane looked at Rick with a perfectly blank face.
"Rick Hayward."
"Yes, Professor!"
"You are my greatest worry."
WAHAHAHAHA!
This time the entire class erupted in loud laughter. The embarrassment caught up with Rick a beat late; he scratched his head and slunk back into his seat.
"Aw, damn it. I hate this. You are so embarrassing."
Meilin beside him buried her face in her palms.
"Since the topic's come up, some advice: Rick Hayward's enchantment work is actually quite excellent. The problem is how he gets an enchanted weapon to actually reach his opponent. Against a Magic Combat student he'd be competitive, but if he runs into a Hemomancy student specialized in ranged attacks, he'll crumble without landing a single blow."
It was a pinpoint-accurate critique, and Rick nodded with a stiff face.
"All of you — think about your own strengths and weaknesses, and consider what you'll need to shore up for human combat."
"Yes, Professor!"
Stepping down from the podium, Jane gave the TAs a signal. They sprang into brisk motion.
"Now, we're changing locations."
Class A's destination was the indoor training hall in the building right next door.
The reason Jane had brought them here was simple.
"From this point on, you'll train freely at your own pace, take stock of your specialties, and think through which dark magic you intend to use in human combat. The TAs will be walking around, so ask them anything you're curious about."
At the words free training, the students scattered as if they'd been waiting for exactly that.
Some cast dark magic with their own hands to run through mental simulations, while others stayed seated, scribbling out long damage tables.
Mock duels between students were allowed as well — the TAs were handing out protective vests much like the ones used in the Cyclops battle.
Simon, meanwhile, stood alone leaning against a wall, wrestling with the question Hector had thrown out.
The summoning magic of the Summoning department is also ineffective in human combat. The countermeasure is obvious, and an opponent can simply ignore your minions and attack the caster directly.
Just as he'd said, an opponent would hunt Simon himself with dogged persistence. And beyond that, it was doubtful whether slow-moving skeletons could even catch students sprinting around on Jet-Black-enhanced legs.
CRASH!
Just as Simon's worries were deepening, a skeleton suddenly collapsed right beside him.
"Aaah! Sorry! Did I startle you?"
A boy with a bowl-cut head came hurrying over, breathless, and began gathering the bone fragments into a box. Simon crouched down and started picking up bones too.
"I'll help."
"Oh, thanks!"
The boy stole a glance at Simon's face. His expression flickered with brief surprise, then broke into a smile full of delight.
"Simon Polentia. Right?"
"Yeah."
His eyes lit up.
"I'm Toto Amori! I watched the Cyclops battle — it really, really left an impression on me! I'm aiming for Summoning too, and watching you made my chest all hot, you know?"
Simon smiled warmly. Once every bone fragment was in the box, he straightened up.
"Planning to use this skeleton in the Duel Evaluation?"
"W-well……"
Toto scratched the side of his head and gave a sheepish, unconfident smile.
"Honestly, I don't have a choice. Summoning is the only thing I'm good at — it's the only reason I got into Kizen at all. Every other subject is a total bust for me."
Having said that, Toto looked up at Simon.
"I'm jealous of you, Simon."
"……?"
"You're good at Magic Combat. And you seem to have real talent for Curses too……"
Simon blinked.
"But I'm aiming for Summoning, same as you?"
"That's exactly why I'm jealous. To survive as a Summoning-track student, you have to be good at subjects that work in human combat too — Magic Combat, Curse magic, that kind of thing."
Simon crossed his arms.
"So what you're saying is, Summoning doesn't do so well in human combat."
"Yeah. There's no way around it early on. Summoning just needs more time."
Just then, a girl who appeared to be one of Toto's group members waved at him. Toto waved back and said,
"Well, I'd better get going."
"Work hard."
Watching Toto's retreating back, Simon sank into thought.
Summoning is weak in human combat, huh.
Of course, things would be different if he could unleash the Legion and sweep the field — but that was impossible. All Simon could bring to the Duel Evaluation was three summon-type skeletons.
Even after Toto left, Simon stood with his back against the wall, worrying the problem over and over.
"My, my. Someone looks deep in thought~"
Perhaps Simon's brooding had caught her attention — this time it was one of the TAs who approached, all smiles.
Startled, Simon quickly bowed his head in greeting.
"What's troubling you? I've spent almost two years at Kizen myself, so feel free to ask me anything."
"Ah, it's……"
Simon scratched his head with an awkward laugh.
"I've been trying to figure out what style to fight with in human combat."
"Heheh."
She crossed her arms.
"In my experience, when you're stuck like that, nothing beats throwing yourself into an actual fight."
"……Sorry?"
She held out a protective vest.
"Put it on. I'll be your opponent myself."
And just like that, Simon found himself in a mock duel with a TA. The two of them moved to a roomy corner where they wouldn't disturb the other students, and stood facing each other.
"You can check your Barrier Gauge on the blue markings across the vest. See them?"
"Yes. Confirmed."
An out-of-nowhere match against a TA.
Simon felt dazed, and yet at the same time, tense.
"No need to be too nervous. I'll only use dark magic at exactly first-year level. Ready?"
"Yes!"
"Then — here I come!"
She spread her palm. Jet-Black rose like heat haze, forming four magic circles in the empty air.
Simon's eyes gleamed as he watched.
Jet-Black Arrows.
He'd learned about them in Jet-Black Mechanics class.
One of the most fundamental offensive tools made from Jet-Black — the common technique most first years used for long-range harassment.
So she really does intend to fight me at plain first-year level.
When the TA swept her arm forward, three Jet-Black Arrows came flying. Simon set his stance, quickly checked the projectiles' trajectories, and threw himself aside.
THUD-THUD-THUD!
All three arrows buried themselves in the floor.
……!
And the fourth arrow was already streaking precisely along Simon's line of movement.
Changing direction mid-dash was impossible. Simon gritted his teeth and thrust out his hand.
WHOOM!
A short sword sprang from the subspace at his feet. He caught it and swung, knocking the Jet-Black Arrow out of the air.
"Oh! Not bad at all~"
"My turn now!"
Three skeletons burst from subspace and charged the TA. She cast Jet-Black Arrows again and loosed them, and Simon's eyes went wide.
Dodge right!
THWACK! THWACK!
The skeletons moved with nimble agility. One took a hit, but the other two evaded cleanly and began closing the distance to her.
"Hmm~"
She clenched her fist. The delicate-looking fist took on a faint black sheen.
WHOOSH!
Tilting her head aside to dodge a skeleton's thrusting spear, she lashed out her fist.
She struck the skeleton square in the center of its torso with all her strength — with a BANG, bones scattered in every direction. Flowing into the motion, she dropped low and hammered her elbow precisely into the skull of the skeleton closing in from behind, smashing it apart.
Ah!
"Do you really have time to stand there gawking?"
CLUNK!
Simon's midsection folded backward. Before he knew it, a black flash had bored through and past his chest.
Oh no —
The Exhaust Curse!
In an instant, his body turned leaden.
I let my guard down. I could have dodged that!
The TA had naturally drawn Simon's gaze with the skeletons while hiding her other hand behind her back, Exhaust already primed.
And she'd timed it perfectly for the moment the skeleton exploded — the instant Simon took psychological damage.
She's only using fundamentals…… but her experience is on another level!
Simon clenched his jaw.
"Now then~ minions dispatched, Exhaust applied — what a golden opportunity to take down the summoner, wouldn't you say?"
She even provided commentary as she leisurely charged at him. Simon pulled three more skeletons from subspace and sent them out.
Block her!
The moment the skeletons and her closing distance collapsed to nothing —
VUUUUUUM!
Jet-Black erupted from both her legs like jet exhaust, and in a blink she had vaulted clean over the skeletons.
Even Dark Step from Magic Combat?!
Having cleared the skeletons, she hammered off the empty air once more, descending straight toward the caster — toward Simon.
"Thanks to the barrier it won't hurt much—!"
Her fist came plunging down at ferocious speed.
Simon's eyes flashed. Folding his shoulder inward, he deflected her descending fist with the smooth fluidity of flowing water.
Heh.
He'd known from the start that this TA was skilled in Magic Combat.
The corner of her mouth curled up as she quietly spread her left hand. The Jet-Black Arrow circle drawn on her palm trained itself on Simon's head.
This ends it—!
That instant.
A prickling wave of goosebumps raced across her entire body.
Simon's right shoulder wasn't folding inward — it was bending far past normal, rotating, while his right heel lifted off the ground and his left foot came sweeping in along the opposite diagonal.
That's not a guard—!
The tip of the left foot in her field of vision became a black flash moving at a speed she couldn't even measure — and swept toward her face.
A spinning kick!
BOOOOOOOM!
Simon's leg carved a savage arc through the air past her face.
The shockwave rippled outward, and the students practicing nearby jolted and spun to stare at the two of them.
Simon himself was every bit as startled as she was.
I was sure it had landed clean — my leg just… passed straight through her head?
The two froze for a moment, then hurriedly put distance between themselves.
"Ah, um…… sorry about that."
The TA bowed her head in apology.
"I said I'd stick to basic dark magic, but I went and used my specialty, Spirit Transformation, without thinking. Ahaha…… let's call the mock duel here, shall we?"
"Thank you, TA-ssi."
Simon bowed deeply.
And at that moment, the TA was staring at the crown of Simon's head with the expression of someone who'd just seen a ghost.
What is this kid…… he scares me.
If that kick had connected properly without the suit, wouldn't he have been on a one-way express to the afterlife?
The TA swallowed hard.