Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Their Circumstances: A Certain Student Council President (2)'s Story
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# 96
10. I Came, I Saw, I Won (12)
#21 Their Circumstances: A Certain Student Council President (2)'s Story
"No way..."
"How can this be...?"
"This can't be real!"
Unbelievable voices of despair began spilling from the mouths of the students collapsed across the field.
It was the fifth day of the Imperial Tournament. Each key point was worth ten points per academy, and three of them involved massive group battles.
Among those, this flatland key-point elimination match—where Arsia Academy held the clear advantage—was one they believed they could win even against Yuglasia.
After drawing the lucky matchup against Mercaria in the first round, their odds had seemed even better.
Sure, it was a shame Lady Nermia—who they'd hoped would wear down the enemy—was absent from Marsis's side. But even so, Yuglasia had burned through a significant amount of mana blocking Marsis's large-scale bombardment magic.
They didn't need to take on everyone.
They just had to eliminate the five representatives out of the hundred to secure victory.
Confident in that plan, they'd advanced boldly—only for the unimaginable to happen.
It started when a single figure approached from Yuglasia's side.
"Who's that?"
"What's that?"
"It's Yuglasia's Student Council President! Nerkia of the Spirit Legion!"
The approaching figure was my archrival—or rather, the era's greatest Casanova, Nerkia.
Even among the academies with the fewest women, he'd claimed two of Arsia's five famed beauties.
"What's this? He barely showed up during this Imperial Tournament, unlike usual."
I stepped forward to confront him, since we were somewhat acquainted. Nerkia smirked and pulled something from his pocket.
"Yeah, I was going to join in yesterday too, but our... er, Professor Niserwin told me not to fight unless Lady Nermia was there. So, what should I call it? Blue balls?"
He pulled out an item with a grin—the tournament's most crucial proof that he was a key target.
"You want a 1-on-1?"
That, I could handle.
Nerkia was tough, but we'd clashed every year.
It came down to whether I fell first or if he let me get close first.
"Huh? Nah, not that."
"Planning to run?"
He'd blocked Marsis's bombardment squad. If he turned that firepower on us, we'd take heavy losses before even closing in.
Yuglasia's students had been showing scary melee prowess lately too, making them a nightmare injured.
That's why we needed to take out Nerkia—the heart of Yuglasia—to seize the initiative.
"Nope, not that either."
"Then what's your goal?"
I hadn't seen him much this year, but up until last year, he'd frequented after school or during breaks to flirt with Arieta.
His smile back then looked the same, but the vibe was totally different.
"My goal? This."
Everyone from Arsia— all hundred of us—heard it clear as day.
"Not 1-on-1. Make it 1-on-100."
"What?"
For a split second, I couldn't process it.
Even Swordmasters who boasted one-against-many wouldn't actually take on a hundred solo.
"Are you insane?"
"Yeah. Our academy's insane."
Nerkia chuckled to himself, and even the other students—who'd feared Yuglasia—grew furious.
"No matter how hot Yuglasia's been lately, isn't this too arrogant?"
"You'll take on our entire force alone? No one from Mercaria would even say that!"
"Are you crazy? Or has Lady Aris been stealing all the spotlight, and now you want attention?"
The Imperial Tournament recorded most matches via imaging magic tools, so no one swore outright, but their tones were vicious.
"You serious, Nerkia?"
"Yeah. I know it sounds cocky, but dead serious."
He nodded at my words, scanning each student carefully with a cautious expression.
"Good. No Ari or Lena here."
"Arieta's in the individual matches, and Lady Lena's in another group event."
"Right, phew. Honestly, fighting those two would've been awkward."
Seeing his genuine relief, it hit me.
He was for real. He meant to fight all of us.
Which meant...
"What's the trick?"
This had to be a trap.
Snipe the presumed key targets while we focused on him?
Or rile us up, pretend to fight, retreat, and lure us into an ambush?
But Nerkia shot down every theory.
"Nah, no tricks. I just wanna know."
Know what?
"Know what?"
His self-deprecating expression didn't match the usual Nerkia.
"Honestly? I thought I was a genius. From a young age, the elves in the forest said I had exceptional spiritist talent."
Blue orbs began floating around him.
"Lowest-grade spirits..."
Ones without any self-will, freshly born.
The absolute bottom tier below low-grade—harder to encounter than low-grade spirits.
Unlike low-grade ones with their own will, these moved on pure instinct.
"That didn't change at Yuglasia. End of first-year break, scouted for Student Council. Second year, mid-level role. By third year, naturally president. Talent-wise, I've never seen a student or professor outdo me in spirits."
Red orbs joined the blue ones.
Then green, then brown.
"President, what do you think he's planning?"
"No... Lowest-grade spirits can't attack."
Lowest-grade spirits were barely spirits at all.
Mere clumps of nature aspiring to become spirits.
They simply existed—no attack, no defense.
"But that means they're hypersensitive to nature."
A low-grade spirit might rush to contract with Nerkia for his talent—to grow stronger through a summoner.
Lowest-grade ones didn't think that way.
In other words, pure nature itself had clung to Nerkia purely for his talent.
"But this year, after Professor Niserwin arrived, I realized—I was just a frog in a well. No, a tadpole. Swimming in a tiny puddle with a glimpse of sky, deluding myself I could fly."
"Everyone, prepare to attack!"
The air's mana shifted instantly.
Something dominated the space itself.
"What are you up to, Nerkia!"
"Huh? Told you. You all versus me. Oh, where was I? Right—everything I've taught so far wasn't real class. Or that this world has pain that teaches death is peace?"
"Damn it, Squad 1, take him down! Before he pulls more weird shit!"
His creepy grin made me order the attack.
This mana was no joke.
Mana crushing the air—Nerkia couldn't emit that purely on his own.
"Hmm... Talking too much. TL;DR: I got stronger. But our academy's so crazy, I can't tell if I'm strong or not."
"Shut up!"
"Cut the crap and fall, Nerkia!"
"Hya!"
Squad 1—the best of our hundred—closed in instantly, unleashing sword auras.
"So, test me. Help me gauge my level."
Sword auras streaked toward his limbs and torso, but Nerkia didn't blink.
"King,"
Just as they were about to hit...
"Sweep them away."
"Graaagh!"
"Gah!"
"Gaaaah!"
Golden light flashed with crackling electricity and agonized screams.
"What! Graaagh!"
"Da-damage!"
"Uwaaagh!"
"Spa-spare me..."
The three who'd struck first vanished in magic circles, and the rest of Squad 1 screamed behind them.
"What the..."
In an instant, Arsia's ten elite swordsmen were gone.
I stared blankly as murmurs rose around me.
"Beautiful..."
"So pretty."
Behind Nerkia loomed a golden pillar-like figure, surrounded by multicolored lowest-grade spirits in a fantastical display.
Some girls watched enraptured, but I could only stare at that massive golden pillar.
"Spirit King?"
He'd said "King."
What a spiritist like Nerkia called "King," golden-hued...
Even I, no summoning expert, knew it.
"Lightning Spirit King..."
"Told you, Kir. I wanted to try against a hundred. Oh, ninety now?"
The other students snapped out of their daze, realizing.
He was serious. Dead set on fighting us all alone.
And... he could actually do it!
"Damn, now we can't retreat."
"That's what he wants."
Fleeing en masse from one guy would spell Arsia's doom.
Our only way to save honor was to take him down.
"No regrets!"
"Don't worry."
We drew swords, spears, axes, and charged.
"Power of earth."
"Graaagh!"
"Sword of water."
"Damn!"
"Blade of wind."
"Grah!"
"Spear of fire."
"Kyaa!"
"King."
"Nerkiaaaa!"
But not one reached him.
Eight spirits of fire, water, wind, and earth summoned at his words.
And in the center, the massive Lightning Spirit King.
"What? That all?"
Below them—in a scene straight out of myth—stood Nerkia, looking bored. Just last year, he'd been a fair fight.
"How... exactly...?"
Struck by the Lightning Spirit King's third attack, I collapsed, body numb from electrocution, staring up at him.
He shrugged like it was nothing.
"Simple. Study fourteen hours a day at the academy."
"What?"
My brain stalled.
What nonsense was that?
"Come at 8 a.m., study till 6 p.m. Then short break, self-study till 10 p.m. But that's not enough. The key? Run away."
Long study sessions made sense.
But running away from studying?
"Run enough, and you'll meet it. The Silver Devil."
"Silver Devil?"
His nostalgic look seemed genuine—no lie.
Still didn't make sense.
"Yeah, survive death like that, and you get stronger. Or rather, you just do."
"What the hell are you even sayingggg!"
I couldn't comprehend this drivel. Gripping my sword, I charged again.
"Other academies just don't get it, huh."
Nerkia sighed at me, then waved his hand, ordering the spirits.
"Sweep them all."
That day, not one of us got near Nerkia.
Defeated by a single person's hand.