Chapter 253
Having woken up on time and finished getting ready, Machenia moved toward the arena for the second interview.
The arena was bustling with people from the entrance.
– “Both the top student and the runner-up are doing special interviews, right?”
– “Yeah, I heard that. If you can overpower Vargan-senpai’s familiar… what was its name? Kry? Anyway, if you can take that familiar down, you can get into Arbol Frutal and be accepted as a disciple!”
– “Whoa, seriously? Learning from Vargan-senpai? Maybe I’d go for it too.”
– “Easy for you to say, Mr. Last-Minute Admission. This is a whole different thing… Oh! Look, he’s here. He’s arrived.”
All eyes turned to Machenia.
The news about him had already spread throughout the Academia.
New students, as well as many second to fourth-year students, were gathered.
The match hosted by Arbol Frutal, showcasing the figure of Vargan and visible achievements, certainly drew people’s attention.
Machinia swallowed hard and continued walking.
Expected as it was, seeing so many people made him nervous.
“Keep it together. This interview isn’t just any interview. It’s a ‘privileged’ and ‘public interview’ that everyone is watching. Just one mistake, and it’s straight over the edge.”
Machinia’s and Adalhyde’s interviews were conducted differently than usual and were the very first public interviews to be held.
Vargan, who was infamous for being the first student in the history of Academia to murder an archbishop.
They had gained the privilege of learning directly from Vargan, but with that privilege came a significant risk.
Walking with his back straight, Machenia found that the crowd parted for him.
He entered the interior of the arena.
Inside was serene, as outsiders weren’t allowed.
Squeak.
As he stepped into the waiting room, a familiar and detestable woman was there.
“Adalhyde…”
“…….”
Adalhyde didn’t even glance at Machenia as he entered.
She remained calm, controlling the mana within her, preparing to be in her best condition.
It looked as if she had a steel plate on her face.
Machinia looked at her sideways, then sat at a distance, similarly moving his mana.
‘She hasn’t slept for two weeks, yet she looks so fine. What’s up with that?’
Adalhyde was acknowledged to have a “tiny bit” more talent than him, but the assignment given by Vargan was no joke.
There was no doubt she had barely slept.
Yet, beneath her eyes, there weren’t any shadows—all clear and clean. That alone was annoying.
I don’t like this running thing either.
“What is he, a steel man?”
Machenia, who had been grumbling, sneaked another glance at Adalhyde.
Her sharp nose and calm, deep-set eyes looked beautiful… No, he was torn between discussing strategies before facing Kry.
‘It would definitely be better to at least practice our coordination… but ugh, I really don’t want to be the one to initiate conversation.’
Logically, it made sense for him to consult with Adalhyde.
But his pride simply wouldn’t allow it.
Instead, he recalled Adalhyde’s chilly reaction from earlier, letting out a huff of annoyance.
‘Well, it’s a stage where I need to shine anyway. And I’ve definitely gotten stronger through my homework, so it’ll be fine.’
Machenia steadfastly held his ground, convincing himself.
Eventually, the announcement signaling the start of the event came on.
– Participants, please ascend to the arena.
Without even a word to each other, the two stood up.
As they walked down the hallway together from the waiting room, they didn’t exchange a single word.
The cheers of the crowd and the lights of the arena drew nearer.
The wide stage, prepared for an uninterrupted duel, slowly came into view.
Machenia and Adalhyde ascended to the arena.
– Grrruung…
Kry, with a mane like a lion’s golden fur, stood tall.
Each threatening roar revealed teeth so white they seemed capable of shredding flesh.
The snake that formed his tail flicked its long tongue, its eyes sparkling like small gems, sufficient to send chills down the spine of anyone watching.
‘What the hell, how high is his Mana capacity going to get?’
Machenia was noticeably flustered.
As Kry stirred in anticipation of the fight, he sensed a deep abyss of mana.
It was a completely different sensation from the last time he saw him.
He couldn’t help but think, ‘If I were seeing one of the Twelve Divine Beasts right in front of me, this is what it would feel like.’
‘He must have been hiding his strength before. Can Vargan really handle a familiar like that?’
Machenia glanced at Vargan, who was seated in the front row of the audience.
He sat there with his arms crossed, looking quite bored while waiting for the match to begin.
It was the first time he felt, without a doubt, that the claim of Vargan’s mana reaching a transcendental level and having killed an archbishop was not just a rumor.
‘If I learn from Vargan, my familiar magic could skyrocket. Someday, I could have several familiars like that…!’
Realizing the strength of Vargan and Kry became the spark that lit Machenia’s ambition.
Even as the announcer explained the rules and the benefits to be gained, it barely registered in Machenia’s ears.
He already knew all this stuff; it wasn’t the time to waste.
In this very moment, the beneficial information he could gather was paramount.
However, when Vargan grabbed the microphone, Machenia’s ears perked up.
He definitely heard the voice.
– I will be adding additional rules. If you refuse, you will be considered unwilling to participate in the special interview and will be dismissed.
What the heck does that even mean?
Machenia turned to look at Vargan. As soon as Vargan noticed their gazes, he continued.
– Nod your head to accept, and stay silent to refuse. Understood?
“……”
Machenia was a bit bewildered, but seeing Adalhyde nodding next to him, he nodded along.
Then, Vargan spoke into the megaphone, announcing new rules.
– After the interview starts, regardless of what happens, neither I nor Arbol Frutal will take responsibility. You acknowledge and accept that you voluntarily participated in this interview, and all outcomes will stem from your choices. Do you still wish to proceed with the interview?
‘What? What is he saying right now?’
That was Machenia’s honest impression after hearing Vargan’s additional rules.
Was he trying to instill unnecessary anxiety to see how they would react, or was he genuinely worried that something might happen? Vargan’s expression was completely unreadable.
Machenia slowly turned his eyes to look around.
The vast audience seats were packed with people.
Everyone was waiting for him and Adalhyde’s responses.
Adalhyde nodded again, leaving only Machenia.
– Machenia, what will you do? Can you accept the rules I mentioned?
“I, I…”
In a moment, he opened his mouth to answer, but then the thought to just nod popped into his mind, and he closed his mouth again.
– Grrr!
Kry, scowling as if urging the hesitant Machenia, made a sound like a furious beast.
His thick mana and solid muscles quickened Machenia’s heartbeat, but… if he ran away now, it would all be over anyway. What would it matter, he thought.
With that in mind, he moved his head up and down.
Then Vargan smiled, looking satisfied.
– Both of you have acknowledged and agreed to the rules. The host should ring the bell and start the match.
Soon, with a loud beep! announcing the start, the crowd cheered.
Both of them moved their mana.
*
Machenia and Adalhyde did not mesh well.
Well, they hadn’t practiced beforehand, and neither wanted to play the role of an assistant, so it was only natural.
In fact, it often happened that they got in each other’s way.
Whenever Machenia made an attack, Adalhyde was there blocking him.
And whenever Adalhyde aimed a decisive blow, Machenia or his familiars would obstruct the path.
‘If it’s going to be like this, I’d rather be alone!’
They saw each other not as allies, but as obstacles.
As the match progressed into its middle stage.
It had already been over 15 minutes since they started fighting Kry.
Both desperately countered Kry’s fierce assault.
But as time passed, the situation tilted in Kry’s favor.
For now, they were focused more on surviving.
“Haah…! Haah…!”
Machenia’s body expanded and contracted repeatedly.
Kry moved at high speed, busy tearing apart familiars.
Machenia recalled his familiars just before they died, and each time, his mana substantially decreased.
– Crunch. GRAAWK!
Kry, who had aimed to chew up a familiar completely, couldn’t contain his excitement as the target disappeared and charged at Adalhyde.
– Koooom!
In response, Adalhyde conjured a shield seemingly three times his size.
He braced himself, putting all his strength into his back legs to withstand the impact.
By any means, this was a high-level shield that Adalhyde could never have created so far with his magic.
‘Adalhyde… just how much have you grown in these two weeks!’
“Adalhyde… just how much have you grown in these two weeks?!”
Looking as if she wasn’t tired at all due to her usual iron mask, Adalhyde had sharpened her skills quite well.
While she had advanced a level, Adalhyde had jumped two levels… no, even a bit higher than that.
“Ugh!”
Yet, perhaps lacking strength, the leg pushing against the hand of Adalhyde supplying mana was trembling violently.
“Get out of the way, Adalhyde!”
Machenia, who didn’t want to admit his significantly lower level, unleashed a torrent of crimson flames alongside his massive lizard familiar.
The fierce flames rushed toward Kry as if they would swallow him whole.
It was an attack wide enough to engulf Adalhyde, who was facing Kry.
Whoosh–!
The inside of the arena suddenly heated up intensely.
It was a threatening spell that left black scorch marks on the magically enhanced arena floor.
The problem was, it had little effect on Kry, who had tough leather tougher than most armor.
“Damn it!”
Machenia summoned two additional familiars to bombard Adalhyde with magic.
While Adalhyde was also caught in the aftermath of the bombardment, she couldn’t do anything.
If she moved, her shield, barely holding up, would shatter.
But if she stayed, it would be hard to withstand the combined force of Kry’s power and Machenia’s magic.
“Stop…!”
Adalhyde spoke through gritted teeth.
To hold on, or rather to survive, Adalhyde’s body trembled violently as if shivering from the cold.
The dwindling mana inside her triggered hyperventilation.
It made her head spin.
“Stop it… you ×goddamn bastard!”
Adalhyde continued to speak toward Machenia.
However, amidst the explosions, her whispers were inaudible.
Kry, who was directly hit by Machenia and his familiars’ magic, could have moved out of the way but was focused on breaking the shield.
Kry instinctively knew he reached his threshold.
Crack, crack.
As expected, cracks formed in the shield protecting Adalhyde.
Even though the mana was densely concentrated and thick, without mana to maintain it, it was as fragile as a glass plate.
Meanwhile, Machenia, unaware of this situation, was busy bombing Adalhyde, believing she had somehow grown strong enough to endure.
No, to be honest, he had to admit there was some spite mixed in regarding her.
That ugly feeling stemmed from fierce rivalry.
Consumed by emotions, pouring out mana like a monster, he shouted,
“Stop it—! You ×bastard!”
Only after hearing Adalhyde’s cry for the first time was he able to halt his actions.
“…Huh?”
But it was already too late.
With a crash, the mana shield shattered.
The magic she believed would never break, the one she wanted to believe wouldn’t break, was brutally destroyed by sharp teeth.
Adalhyde’s right shoulder got bitten off.
Kry, with wild emotions in his eyes, turned sharply while keeping a tight grip.
Blood gushed forth as Adalhyde’s right arm was torn away.
Watching the scene, Machenia felt something had gone terribly wrong.
“Adal…hyde…?”
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