Surrounded by Heroines

The moment we stepped into the central zone, a blind magic spell grazed us. Boom! Stone shards flew everywhere with the explosion. I ducked reflexively, while Darvin let out a short scream as he got pelted with dust.

"Some welcome that was."

"Tch, annoying. Let's hide behind that wall first." Skala calmly grabbed my hand and pulled me along. We ducked behind a half-destroyed low wall.

"Cough, cough." Finally catching our breath, I let out a light cough to steady myself.

"Harné, are you alright? "

"Hmph, I did tell you to rest a bit right before. Self-inflicted wound."

"Heh heh. Well, just staying in this wide zone gives you 1 point every 30 seconds."

I pointed to a wall in the central zone. Etched there like an announcement board were the scoring rules for this area.

Phrases carved by the headmaster herself, radiating a vibe totally at odds with the current atmosphere. I skimmed them, stroked my chin, then peeked cautiously over the wall.

The central zone was several times wider than the elimination areas. An open rectangular plain, dotted with irregularly placed cover and low walls, leading to the cluster of cover at the center. The edges had little cover, so the chaotic mess from here to the center was in plain view.

"Um, what's that? Multiple water pillars shooting up?!"

And as Darvin pointed out, amid the chaos, one spot stood out unmistakably. Massive water pillars erupted, smashing surrounding cover, then splintered into streams scattering everywhere. Naturally, that spot was the center.

But it wasn't the work of several people tangled together. Skala spotted it first and grimaced in dismay.

"Runes Barnen and… Elise Aljen."

The Mercenary King's daughter, Runes Barnen. The next Water Magic Tower heir, Elise Aljen.

Among these 99, no—among all examinees—these two were vying for top spots. One moved ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with flashing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠afterimages, swinging sword auras. The other unleashed water magic barrages to grind her opponent down. No one else dared approach; the center had become their private duel arena.

…Now that I looked, their teammates were visible too, but they were mostly dodging to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

"Even so, wouldn't someone try to butt in? To fish in troubled waters?"

"They already did—guys thinking like you—and got cleaned up. No one's daring to now."

"Ahaha…"

I pointed to the weapons scattered on the ground around the center, and Darvin nodded in understanding.

"So, Skala, what's the plan now?"

"Ahem… the plan, huh." Skala, who had confidently declared she'd conquer the central zone on the way here, cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Jumping in there right now would be idiotic. Let's farm kills around the edges until those two tire themselves out."

"Wait, Skala. Don't tell me you're not confident jumping in there…"

"Of course it's a strategic choice! You two couldn't handle it unscathed anyway—I'm being considerate!"

Skala flailed her arms, bristling after I hit the nail on the head. Her essence was jack-of-all-trades. Against peers like her, she fell short in raw firepower. And those two were a cut above Skala. Even she probably wouldn't fare well caught between them.

"Hmph, joking around means you're feeling better. Up you go, Harné."

Skala unslung the bow from her back and nocked an arrow without hesitation, aiming at a nearby student.

"Hunting time."

Thwack— A mana-charged arrow smacked a student's occiput. Before he could turn, a second arrow embedded in his teammate's forehead nearby.

The protective suits prevented penetration, but the pinpoint impacts on vitals triggered sharp rips from their vests.

"Whoa? The eliminated ones are glowing and vanishing? Teleporting?"

"This is a space directly supervised by the headmaster. Probably sending dropouts straight outside."

"You two, don't just watch—help out!"

The skirmish on the outskirts began tilting noticeably. Whether too focused on their own fights to spot the arrows or reacting too late, blue flashes sent them packing without discrimination.

"Hey! This isn't the time to fight each other… gah!"

Survivors scrambled for cover, but it was mostly futile. The moment they entered Skala's sight, it wasn't a battlefield—it was a hunting ground.

"Harné, block that bird over there."

"Leave it to me."

Occasional students veering our way were stopped at our line, only for arrows to finish them. And Skala wasn't just an archer.

As her quiver lightened, she kicked up a nearby spear.

"Hngh, think you can handle me if you close in?"

"No way… why a spear…"

A student ambushing during Darvin's arrow retrieval. The spear plunged deep into his vest, ripping with a burst of light as he vanished.

Skala snatched the vanished foe's sword mid-air and slashed a student hiding behind nearby cover. Darvin handed her an arrow, and it nailed an incoming student's forehead from afar.

Weapons were no constraint for Skala. To her, this battlefield was a giant arsenal.

About three minutes later, the noise in our corner died down noticeably.

"This area's mostly cleared. As expected of you, Skala."

"Heh, this is basic. That narrow maze was suffocating."

Then—

Kwaaaaah! A roar incomparable to before erupted from the center. Turning, I saw a massive blue wave—Elise's ultimate surging forward, devouring central cover.

But it didn't engulf the center. A red flash followed, cleaving the wave perfectly in two. The split mana wave shattered in mid-air.

Simultaneously, a blue orb bounced wildly, smashing a corner wall and rolling away.

"…That's Elise Aljen, right?"

"Yeah. Her barrier saved her from elimination."

Elise staggered to her feet. No teammates remained around her.

"Looks like there's a winner."

The half-ruined center held just two figures. One placed a hand on the small central core orb, which pulsed strongly.

With the announcement like a victory fanfare, the girl guarding her last teammate raised her greatsword.

Runes Barnen. Unfortunately for Elise, the mage-slayer.

Her mere presence there seemed to weigh down the central zone's air even more.

…And then her gaze suddenly turned our way.

A brief silence fell. Then Runes shattered the tension with a bright wave, like a girl spotting a friend outside a dessert shop.

A greeting in this situation? A bit absurd, but I returned a small wave with my own modest friendliness.

Skala whipped around, eyes wide.

"You know Runes Barnen?!"

"Of course. We crossed the line of death together on the hill road to the academy."

"What kinda talk is that…"

"Anyway, let's keep doing what we were. It's chaotic now—let's wait for the optimal moment."

People were swarming the central core. Whether judging Runes tired, drawn by her reputation, or blinded by core points—who knew. To me, they were all moths to a flame.

Thud! A heavy impact sent someone flying into a wall. Protective suit and cover shattered in a spray of debris.

The bold challengers hit the dirt in seconds.

"Uwaaah… does that girl even get tired?" No freshman outlasted Runes in stamina. Her mana reserves were no joke either. With no external injuries thanks to her suit, this crowd had no way to stop her.

Skala watched, then clicked her tongue in exasperation.

"Fine, back to it. She won't stand there forever."

"Yeah, in 5 minutes she'll hit the 100-point core limit and come out on her own."

You don't challenge a natural disaster head-on.

"Crazy… is that really a student?"

"Retreat! Retreat!"

The moths that dove into the typhoon barely survived, finally realizing it was better to let the monster take first place uncontested.

After that not-too-long, not-too-short time, the central core's light faded. Score limit reached.

Runes and her teammate stepped off.

And at that instant, her gaze swung back our way. A light smile still played on her lips.

But I couldn't brush it off lightly this time. That subtle vibe from the waiting room was now sharply mingled in.

This gaze wasn't a greeting. It was a predator memorizing prey—with leisure.

Runes separated work and personal ruthlessly. If I let this slide, she'd charge me without malice.

'This is bad. Does she think I'm strong just because I made it to the central zone? Unfair.'

[But it kinda isn't a mistake, is it?]

I let Noktia's odd remark go in one ear and out the other. Second Hierarchy or not—with my piddling mana and frail body, minus Noktia from my forces, I could barely pull my weight anywhere.

[You're scaring me believing that for real! Hanging with those girls has warped your standards…]

Fortunately, Runes turned away, shifting focus from me.

Disastrous for those in her path. The game wasn't over just because she'd maxed core points.

"U, uwaaak! She's coming this way!"

"We have enough points! Spare us!"

Screams as people got swept away in seconds. Clearly, moves to lock in first place.

And on the opposite side—outside her hunting path—the scavengers' eyes changed.

"Now's our chance! Runes is gone!"

"We can take the core. Let's go!"

The few remaining teams charged the center.

But they overlooked it. The lion had merely stepped aside; the wolf still prowled this zone.

We had Skala.

"This is our shot. Let's go for the central core like the initial plan."

"Got it. You two watch the sides and rear! I'll clear the path!"

Skala surged forward, swinging a scavenged longsword. Each flash sent exhausted students flying helplessly. A mage's vest shredded from a sneaky axe toss; a shield-bearer flew with his shield after a hammer blow.

Her advance didn't slow, swapping weapons wildly.

'How does that tiny body produce such power?'

[Harné's tiny too! Similar height to Skala.]

'Ouch. And you're smaller than me normally, Noktia?'

[Hehe, I fight adult-sized, so no issue.]

I ignored Noktia's last bit. I swung my taedo wide at foes slipping behind Skala.

Inky mana waves bound the enemies' movements. Meanwhile, heaps of rubble pummeled their unguarded heads via telekinesis.

"Nice!"

Darvin, grinning ear-to-ear, swept his hands. The center, piled with debris from Runes and Elise's clash, was his telekinesis playground.

"Hey! Don't hit me by mistake!"

"Eek! Sorry!"

He could only pull, so misses endangered allies.

Skala cleared ahead, I covered her back, Darvin checked incoming foes. Once our combo clicked, resistance faded.

Soon, the noise cut off entirely. Blockers and infighters—all cleared.

The central core lay before us.

Skala nodded at Darvin; he got it instantly and rushed to place hands on both sides of the pointed-top orb. It glowed brilliantly.

"Great, now we just hold… ah."

Three seconds after the triumph—Skala's flushed face hardened instantly.

"Sorry, but you'll have to step away from the stronghold."

A chilling voice pierced the air. Its owner—a blue-haired girl—approached slowly.

Her steps were languid, but the mana pressing the air was anything but lax.

"Elise Aljen…!"

Broken weapons littered her path cleanly. She'd taken a big hit from Runes but had reserves left. Though far from peak condition.

"What if we don't? Think a tired mage is easy pickings?"

Skala pushed back mockingly. She'd gauged Elise wasn't at full strength. A winnable fight—no reason to back down.

Elise's brow twitched faintly. With a gesture, water mana coalesced into spears in mid-air. Seven of them.

"Eek, c-can we win?"

"If you stay sharp, yeah. Dodge well."

Skala gripped her longsword; Elise her staff. They faced off directly. Elise's water spears angled toward us like targeting locks.

A twitch, and battle erupts. Tension hung like a blade.

[But everyone's in weird outfits—kinda breaks immersion!]

'Quiet, Noktia. I was ignoring it as best I could!'

No need to point it out. Why make me confront harsh reality?

My exposed legs suddenly itched, nearly breaking focus.

And then—whether fortunate or not, a mood-breaker unfolded.

"!"

"Dodge!"

Two fireballs hurtled toward the core. Skala's warning scattered us. Elise flicked without retreating, intercepting with one water spear.

Beyond the steam from the clash, three figures emerged.

The lead girl stared straight at me alone.

"What an entertaining scene. Mind if we join?"

…Correction. Mood ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lightened, but not fortunate.

'Damn, why's she here.'

"This is troubling. Why is she here?"

"That's Kane Swara?!"

Skala faltered at the unexpected variable. I barely resisted clutching my head.

She'd been absent so long I'd relaxed. But of course she'd appear on this stage.

Late entry to central zone, straight to the core. But now of all times. Rotten luck.

"I've been waiting for this moment, Harné Astel."

Her soft, arrogant tone accompanied drawing her rapier. The slender, sharp tip aimed dead at my heart.

Skala's gaze bored into me. Explain.

But I was innocent.

"I told you, I don't know you."

"Heh heh… very well. Then."

Kane's lip curled slowly.

"I'll make you remember with your body."