If Seniors Are Harsh, Then What About This Side?
Wiyu Witchcraft is strong. Not empty words— if she released her limiter and went all out with her "true" power, there might be only a handful of people in this world who could beat her.
But that same power had no "restraints," so she could just as easily self-destruct with it. Of course, there was also the fact that manifesting images through "imagination" was tricky. And adapting to suddenly gaining new abilities after a lifetime swinging a sword wasn't easy. Plus, Wiyu herself had no real obsession or greed for her witch powers. She could use them, sure, but she figured they'd vanish once she turned back into a boy, so she never dove deep into them.
On top of that, Wiyu was a pacifist who hated hurting people or fighting—unless they were monsters. To others, she seemed like a total pushover, frustratingly naive, but who would senselessly hate a kind-hearted person with a warm soul in this world?
That's why most of the first-years liked her. Sure, she caused all sorts of incidents, but where else could you experience that? And she was a beauty, too. Pretty girls get forgiven for anything—harsh truth of the world.
──Tangent aside, Wiyu had never once thought of using her full power. When accidents happened, the scale was always too massive, and she feared her ability to crush people like bugs. Still, since it was her power, she got used to it over time and handled what she could with skill. Back when she was a boy, no one taught her the sword. All she had was imagining opponents in her head while swinging. Her mom occasionally introduced her to sword experts she knew, but those connections were always too brief.
A body that couldn't even use mana—what more could you say to a boy who'd accepted he couldn't win against distant sword beams?
──That's why Wiyu couldn't summon her "male self." She knew her clear limits, and she had no idea how her swordplay looked from others' perspectives or how strong she really was. It was impossible. The one thing she was confident in was the sword, honed over a lifetime of swinging it. So instead, the witch called forth a friend from her memories to fight in her place. That being— the imaginary friend who'd spent a lifetime by the boy's side—was always on his team. No matter the opponent, it could fight with courage.
[Imaginary Friend]—that's what they are, by definition.
'To brush off all this so casually...' The rapier looked like it would snap any second, yet with one hand behind its back, it smiled and deflected, slicing through effortlessly. Normally, she'd lose in raw strength as a girl, but with racial traits, body enhancement, and hero qualifications, her power and speed overwhelmingly outclassed the senior's. This meant she was being utterly dominated in pure "swordsmanship." What an ego-shattering tale.
She'd learned from a hero, positioned as their successor—confident no one could beat her with the sword. That's why no fellow sword-users, seniors or juniors, ever challenged her. But what was this fresh, cute newbie's [Imaginary Friend]?
'As a witch, imagining and manifesting an unbeatable swordsman—would be tough.' Creating life was a realm beyond realms, god-level stuff. And it wasn't overwhelmingly dominant—just leaving no openings to exploit. Virtus Vivi thought maybe it was holding back, but she was undeniably enjoying it. The rapier swung, but the opponent's style suggested a long sword like hers as the main weapon.
"What a ridiculously lonely sword you have, junior!"
──If this senior's like that, she'll have to teach some love! How lonely must you have lived to spar with an imaginary friend? Virtus grinned pityingly at the wasted, heartbreaking talent and kicked into high gear. Power and speed incomparable to before. Body warmed up—she'd ramp up the difficulty now and pressed the attack.
"Arrogant."
"Huh?"
In that razor-edge moment where death loomed, it played along with the accelerated Virtus—then a thrust came at unimaginable speed, no time to blink. Before she could even see it, her body reflexively moved, barely deflecting at the last instant. Her sword snapped, severed by aura. Eyes wide at the reality— it wasn't clashing auras or a named blade. Their sword enlightenment was on different levels.
Talent is easy to praise, but delve in, and it's an endless abyss. Virtus countered vengefully, aura-slicing the rapier blade as she lunged.
"Is that arm just for show?!"
The guarded flank from the tucked arm was wide open. She swung for the neck—but the opponent slid across the ground with uncanny footwork, vanishing from sight. A swordsman... a hero... missing? Eyes see, ears hear, skin feels. Total sensory mobilization—the "swordsman's domain." Chad lacked this talent sorely.
"Too fast...! Can't track a thing!"
"Are they both fighting seriously, top student?"
"Nah, I've seen her fight before— Chocolate's childhood friend is going easy."
The first-years, ejected for flunking against the sudden hero disaster, watched from outside. The [Training Camp] taught freshmen about unfairness through hunts. But it was also a lesson hall to freely view seniors' fight records. Seniors vs. seniors stayed unerasable, viewable anytime. So this grueling clash, hard to follow even for heroes and swordsmen, was treasure for aspiring sword-bearers.
"...."
This was the talent her admired senior spoke of. Shown not in words, but steel—Virtus Vivi. Her body moved unconsciously ahead of her eyes. The brain's lag in that split-second— even mana-accelerated—was too slow for endlessly subdivided instants. So flesh reacted on reflex, fighting without thought. Analyze every nerve, calculate mentally, observe foes, predict moves. Textbook swordplay, sure. But for top-tiers, it was breathing—unconscious basics.
"Can she parry all that with a rapier?"
Virtus slashed while unleashing invisible strikes nonstop. Her signature [Flying Sword Style] swarmed from all sides. Without looking, she deflected everything with her one-handed rapier, smiling. If unblockable, she dodged lightly, baiting self-stabs. Now, Virtus parried her own [Flying Sword Style] most. Amid launches and swings, she flowed deflections targeting vitals. Perfect multi-sword control impossible—cracks formed, flow tangled, noise rose, blades turned on master.
They spun endlessly on the beach like waltzing, probing, maintaining distance. Seamless offense-defense like rehearsed theater. But tossed in, even top-seat Ephemera Flash wouldn't last three exchanges before shredding.
Clang—! Accelerating once more, she hooked the rapier's flat with her blade-tip, halting it mid-air. A full spin, sword whipping—Virtus's sharp, fairy-on-lake elegance left first-years gaping in awe. Chad, sensing instant death if swapped in, grimly clutched his neck.
"Chahat!"
First back-to-back clash, mutual blocks. Virtus stopped the thrusting rapier not with sword, but slapping hand. Pushing backs like ice-skaters, they spun beautifully. Hair blinded Chad's view; feints with erratic flying swords targeted back. In the barrage, the sole empty trajectory slashed for neck.
Perfect calculation met Chad's unused arm. Psychological bait wasn't her monopoly.
World slowed, incoming sword froze mid-time-stop. In dilated time, Virtus gaped— a "sword" in the hidden hand? Magic-tricked till end. Opponent was dual-wielding rapier and dagger from start—ambidextrous swordsman!! She'd thought perfect exploit; actually lured into revealing her read. Inexperience? Or how harshly does an imaginary friend spar?
Blind-blocked rear sword with snapped rapier, flowing deftly. No fatigue, rested arm overpowered, slicing through. But Virtus ignored the trajectory. Hero before swordsman—heroes breakthrough any trial. In despair, she clutched hope with instinctual move unimaginable for elegant elf.
First-years screamed in shock.
She caught the blade with teeth. Dropped snapped sword, snatched flying shard, smashed down. Back-arm defense meant neck-slice anyway—Chad reached same conclusion.
"Impressive hero. Solid skill."
As fellow swordsman, Chad praised unsparingly.
"Well, if my friend picked up a sword, we'd both lose charging together."
To Wiyu, he was just an "untouchable swordsman." Forever the reliable imaginary buddy easing loneliness, offering bro-advice.
"Woo... Chad!"
Can't imagine Chad losing! Easy if casual, but impossible for Wiyu. Ironically, "going easy till eventual loss" image was fixed for him.
As vanishing Chad and smiling scarred senior turned—
Boom!
"Kwehk!"
Something crushed Wiyu hard. Soft and squishy, but the force brutal—bones cracking?
"Man~ [Training Camp] in ages. Joined every time before prison... Professor perks rock?"
Academy's [Worst Inmate]—too violent for most events. But she ignored weaklings. Content with "teaching juniors" spars...
"Eh, good effort, Wiyu."
Quietly watching fight-hating junior's best touched her senior instincts? Cigarette lit, she grinned at rare hero sight outside [Hero Academy].
"Swordsmen all look down on non-sword users."
Even now, staring like "bare hands?" Casual-stretching third-year mushroom mold. In tattered gym clothes, inmate Kaoru Ortokanna approached the hero.
"...Kaoru Ortokanna senior!"
"That infamous problem child tutoring two from [Grad Class]?!"
"Strong? Locked up for violence, right?"
"That mushroom cap hat... comes off?!"
""""That's what you focus on?!?!"""
Plenty else, friends?! Chad thought part of body since never removed in spars—sad he'd share a bite if removable.
"...Hah... The rumored [Unchained]... one of Academy's 6—no, 7 problem kids..."
No one expected meeting her at [Training Camp]—Virtus shocked too. Special pardon for unprecedented [Grad Class] privilege; heard she'd behave for real graduation.
Monster. Existence screamed pure fight-will. Smiling amid suffocating pressure... strong foe craving battle?
"Grinning? Same thought, junior?"
"Academy's notorious top violence—expectations high?"
Aris Witchcraft was natural disaster/walking apocalypse—exception. Among third-years, top "fighter" pick. Monster-tough plus plant-suin regen. Rain squared physicals, rumor. Professors said entry bullying/repeat blackening tiny mushroom.
So bullying junior unilaterally wouldn't sit right.
"Strong or weak, bares fangs indiscriminately... Underestimate this world, you're done."
"──Huh?!"
Kraka-ka-ka-ka—!!!
"Time for senior lesson!!!!!!!!"
Ferocious red aura exploded. Hard-won [Fighting Spirit] from endless battles. Aura-blast's killing intent forced Virtus's hasty guard-raise.
"Come! Holy Sword [Chandrahas]──"
"Stuck-up types like you... always hold back strong moves."
Breath grazed cheek. No blink, no lax—Kaoru senior right there.
"The unfair violence of crushing the strong────!!!!!!!!"
Bottomless rage in eyes. Fight-will fueled [Fighting Spirit], burning life in split-instant blaze. Beating weak for fun isn't always bad.
"I'll teach you spe~c~i~al~ly too────!!"
Roar burst elf ears, blood spraying. Aura-pressure paralyzed, fingers frozen. Holy sword manifesting slowly—too slow. Fight-loving junior lesson-fist was fast. Death okay here—full-kill intent punch.
Space-shattering destruction. True [Fighting Spirit] punch demolished dimension, leaking wildly outside. Faint-hearted foamed unconscious, some soiled. Pure intent to kill. Outside Wiyu grasped Kaoru's "struggle"—and why she taught study kindly, no fights. Non-fighter kids ignored by violence-seeker.
Kaoru Ortokanna's punch pulped Virtus bloody. Shockwave ripped inside-out, exploding her away. Fist-art Yamucha froze at first "fighting spirit" fist-master.
"Ughk."
Virtus flopped unconscious beside first-years, eyes rolled back. Kaoru strolled out grinning, punching exit.
"Prime time~ When seniors pick fights... that's youth."
Patted Chad's head "don't get down," relit cig, vanished cool as arrival.
"...Didn't Virtus senior slice all third-years?"
"...Rewind footage?"
Curious origin: damp rock underside, head-out nap, woken by Chad's slash. Unscathed rise while Chad wounded—minor tearjerker.
"Why's friend crying minor?!"
"...But Virtus points all to Kaoru senior now?"
Second-year repeat hero incoming. No more crazy spar-fiends... Extra worry for first-years' [Training Camp].
And Wiyu, stomped out by Kaoru senior, lost all points—negative.
"Waaah, I hate seniors!"