Chapter 147: Joint Practical Evaluation (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 147: Joint Practical Evaluation (4)
Abel was stunned. He hadn't expected the enemy wizard to close the distance first.
It was common knowledge that wizards held the advantage in long-range combat. Since their training focused on mana manipulation rather than physical conditioning, engaging a physical specialist like Abel in close quarters was nothing short of suicidal.
Moreover, Isaac hadn’t even used magic yet.
If he had drawn a magic circle, Abel would have sensed the mana and reacted instantly. Isaac seemed to have anticipated that; by suppressing his mana, he had successfully caught Abel off guard.
Isaac held a dagger in his right hand and Zanya’s Staff in his left. His dagger carved a silver arc through the frigid air.
Whoosh—!
Abel instinctively jerked his head back. Several strands of his blue-gray hair fluttered into the cold wind as the blade narrowly missed him. He quickly raised his sword to parry Isaac’s follow-up attack.
Clang—!
The two figures collided, sending sparks flying. The sharp ring of metal on metal echoed through the frost.
Abel was reeling with disbelief.
‘Isn’t he from the Magic Department? Where did this speed and strength come from?’
The senior’s physical prowess was so immense that Abel began to doubt he was even a magic student. He could have easily passed for a top-tier student in the Knight Department.
But there was no time for idle thoughts. A pale blue magic circle suddenly manifested around Isaac.
Feeling that mana from such a close distance served as a chilling reminder: Isaac was indeed a wizard. The sheer pressure of his power sent a shiver down Abel’s spine.
“Tch!”
Abel leaped back to create distance, frantically manifesting an orange magic circle. Flames began to flicker into existence.
Simultaneously, White, having regained her composure, launched a 3-star spell, [Wind Sword], from the passageway. The blade of light-green gale stormed toward Isaac.
However, Isaac was faster.
「Frostfire (Ice Element, ★4)」
Fwooooosh—!
Abel and White’s spells were swallowed whole by the pale blue glacial flames.
Reflexively, Abel slashed his fire-imbued sword to cleave through the [Frostfire].
Baaaang—!
“Argh!”
The collision of high-temperature flames and sub-zero cold triggered a violent steam explosion. The force of the blast sent Abel flying like a ragdoll.
He hoped the explosion had bought him enough space to recover, but he had already fallen into Isaac’s trap the moment their blades first crossed.
Thud—!
“…?!”
Abel’s back slammed into a cold, unyielding surface.
It was the 4-star defensive spell, [Ice Wall]. The barrier had risen behind him without him even noticing.
When Isaac had manifested the circle for [Frostfire], he had used the flare of ice mana as a distraction to stealthily summon the [Ice Wall] behind his target.
A flurry of freezing wind whipped through the room. The rapid-fire thud-thud-thud of [Ice Pellets] rained down mercilessly on the frozen battlefield.
In the heart of the storm, Abel trembled. Through the hazy frost, he saw his opponent standing tall.
It was overwhelming strength.
Faced with such power, the only thing he could do was cower.
Vwoosh—!
Phuack—!
“Khuack!”
Crash—!
An explosive impact echoed. Ignoring Abel’s sword entirely, a powerful kick lunged through the fog and buried itself in his stomach. It felt like being struck by a solid steel beam.
The [Ice Wall] shattered under the force, and Abel was sent tumbling across the icy floor before crashing into the wall near the passageway.
D-d-d-d-dk—!
Immediately, shards of ice infused with light-brown earth mana—[Fossilized Ice]—rose from the ground and encased his body.
Bound like a prisoner, Abel coughed up blood, unable to move a muscle. He was floored by his opponent’s mastery; even the [Fossilized Ice] restraining him was controlled with surgical precision.
“Grrgh… Hahah… You’re so damn strong…”
Abel let out a pained, dismal laugh. He was fairly certain he had a broken rib.
It hurt like hell, but it had only been one hit. He could still move. There was still a chance to strike back. As a student of Marchen Academy’s Knight Department—and with his friend Roanna already out of the fight—he couldn’t afford to lose like this.
He vowed to land at least one blow on this silver-blue-haired senior.
It was a matter of pride.
He forced an orange magic circle into existence, summoning flames. Though his output was lower than a Magic Department student of the same grade, he intended to melt his way out.
But a bone-deep chill radiated from the [Fossilized Ice], instantly snuffing out his sparks. Abel’s flames lacked both the heat and the intensity to overcome the frost.
“Uugh…”
In his desperation, Abel failed to find the strength for a miracle.
Ultimately, the severe cold took its toll. Abel’s body froze over, his head fell limp, and he slipped into unconsciousness.
“S-s-s-senior I-I-I-Isaac…! Eek!”
Walking through the swirling frost, Isaac slowly approached White.
「Wind Sword (Wind Element, ★3)」
Whish!
Terrified, White scrambled back and fired the light-green blade of wind from her magic circle.
The gale sliced through the air, but Isaac simply twisted his body with fluid grace, letting the [Wind Sword] pass harmlessly by.
“Huh?”
White gasped in shock.
Isaac had been wearing Rivela’s Glasses for some time now, allowing him to track the flow of mana with ease. Combined with his enhanced physical reflexes, it was virtually impossible for White to land a hit.
“Huaah!”
White tripped over her own feet and landed hard on her bottom. A small cry escaped her.
Tears of pure terror began to well in her eyes.
Roanna was unconscious, half-buried in a block of ice. Abel was out cold, restrained by [Fossilized Ice].
Isaac, their silver-blue-haired senior, had achieved absolute dominion over the battlefield.
White felt as if her very heart were freezing. Isaac’s eyes were so cold they were unrecognizable. It was hard to believe this was the same person who had mentored her with such a kind smile.
“White.”
Isaac leaned on Zanya’s Staff and crouched down to meet her gaze. Even his voice sounded like falling frost.
He reached out toward her.
“Hic…!”
White squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the end.
“…?”
Instead of a blow, she felt a gentle pat on her head. Confused, White slowly opened her eyes.
Isaac was patting her hair.
The raging ice storm settled. The room, which had looked like a frozen wasteland, began to clear as the frost dissipated into pale blue dust.
Isaac’s usual kind smile—the one White was familiar with—returned to his face.
He looked so innocent and warm that it was hard to believe he was the same monster who had just dismantled her entire team.
“You’ve certainly improved. It was a good plan, trying to push through the cold as a team.”
“…?”
White was a mess of conflicting emotions. The lingering fear made her heart race, but a faint sense of pride began to swell within her.
“And you were the one boosting your teammate’s firepower, right? That’s no easy feat. Good job. I was impressed that you kept resisting until the very end.”
“Senior Isaac…?”
As Isaac continued to pat her head, White’s tension began to melt away.
The emotional whiplash was staggering. Because of the sudden relief, Isaac’s tender touch and praise felt incredibly intoxicating.
Her eyes grew watery again, but this time for a different reason.
“Senior Isaac… I like it much better when you smile…”
White cried out, spreading her arms wide as if asking for a hug.
Isaac grinned at her antics and gave a quiet, “Alright.”
“But first, stay still for a second.”
“Okaaaaay? W-wait, Senior Isaac?!”
Isaac leaned in close and gently took hold of her wrists.
He didn't just stop at one. Standing just a breath away from her, Isaac pinned both of her wrists together.
White could feel his warm breath—the same man who had been surrounded by a blizzard moments ago. Gazing at his sharp jawline and the movement of his throat as he shifted his head, White swallowed hard, overwhelmed by a strange, new sensation.
She had always known Isaac was handsome, and for a girl going through puberty, the current proximity was highly provocative.
To White, the only member of the Imperial family who didn't care about social status, it didn't matter at all that he was a commoner.
“S-s-s-s-senior Isaac…? W-w-what is this…? Huahh…”
White trembled like a malfunctioning machine.
Isaac raised her wrists above her head. As her posture shifted into something far more suggestive, the atmosphere turned thick and sensual.
Flustered, White’s entire face turned bright red.
Between her inability to fight back and the sudden shift in mood, she found herself unable to think straight.
“White.”
“Y-y-yes…?”
She looked up at him, her breath hitching.
“You can rest now.”
Rumble—.
With a bright smile, Isaac cast [Rock Generation], manifesting stone handcuffs around her wrists.
“…Ah.”
White’s heart sank.
When he proceeded to cuff her ankles as well, her face went pale with realization.
“You don’t plan on resisting, right?”
“Yes…”
“With this, you’re officially incapacitated… What’s wrong, White?”
“It’s nothing…”
White turned her teary eyes away, letting out a frustrated, self-deprecating laugh. She felt deeply ashamed for the "sinful" thoughts she’d just had about her admirable senior, even if only for a moment.
Just then, an object slipped out of White’s jacket pocket and hit the floor. Both Isaac and White looked down.
“Ah…!”
It was her small, platinum pocket watch. The impact had caused the lid to pop open, revealing a beautiful astral clock face with unmoving hands.
White flinched, but she couldn't pick it up with her limbs restrained. She hurriedly looked to Isaac for help.
“S-Senior Isaac. C-can you put that back in my pocket? It’s very precious to—”
Isaac didn't answer. He was staring at the pocket watch, frozen.
His eyes widened in genuine shock, as if he had seen something impossible.
“Senior Isaac?”
White could tell he was lost in deep thought.
But since he didn't say a word, she had no way of knowing what was going through his mind.
The silence didn't last long. He picked up the watch and carefully tucked it back into her pocket.
“Make sure you don’t lose it if it’s that important.”
“Ah… Okay…”
After that, Isaac didn't say another word to her.
The sudden change in his demeanor puzzled her.
A minute later, a female proctor arrived.
Seated on a chair he had fashioned out of ice, Isaac greeted the proctor with a smile.
With a casual, “Good work,” the proctor used wind magic to carry away White and her teammates.
“…”
Isaac rubbed his lower lip with his thumb, sinking back into his thoughts.
An impossible speculation was beginning to take root in his mind.