The day of the year-end exam had arrived.
[We will finally begin the year-end exam at Grand Hertz Academy!]
“Waaaaaaah!!”
Surrounded by the roaring crowd in the arena, except for Mardol, we were waiting for the upcoming match.
“Mardol is up first.”
“Tomorrow is me, and then it’s you, Licht, right?”
“Kai..! I’m in tomorrow too!”
Mardol was up first, followed by Kainel and Ariel, with me in the last spot. A great opportunity to assess the strength of my party members.
‘In the end, I’ll have to team up with these guys to take down the Demon King.’
After graduating from the academy, if we form a party to hunt the Demon King, we might see our Saintess at some monastery.
“…”
But the creator said that taking down the Demon King was outdated, right? So wasn’t building a love line the goal?
I rested my chin on my hand, feeling conflicted. If that’s the case, there’s no need to attend the academy. The priority should be taking down Head Ake for completing the love line.
No matter how I looked at it, there seemed to be something I was missing.
The term ‘contradiction’ itself felt odd from the start. The butterfly effect must have created a lot of changes just from my possession.
To call this a contradiction was to misunderstand the very premise. I was a being who did not exist in this world. Just a foreign substance.
‘..a world where Heroes are summoned from another realm.’
So, if I passed through without too many strange occurrences, then that made sense. But I had no intention of revealing this to anyone.
There were many reasons. Someone might recognize Black Knight Licht, and it would be embarrassing to reveal that this world is just a game.
“Licht, junior! Hello!”
That’s when it happened. A familiar voice approached, breaking my thoughts.
“..Schartines?”
A vampire nun maintaining black from head to toe. It was Schartines Saint Mary. Did she come to watch because it was her close junior’s match?
“Ah.. Hello!! Second Saintess!”
“Ariel, is this the person you mentioned before?”
“Yup! Kai!”
The red-haired elf smiled brightly, beaming with affection. Truly maxed out on friendliness. I couldn’t understand how she was a tsundere towards her crush.
“Oh my, friends of Licht, junior! Nice to meet you!”
Her small fangs and red eyes sparkled, openly showcasing her vampire traits. It was always fascinating to see.
“I’ve heard a lot about the Saintess! I’ve wanted to meet you for so long!”
“Really? That makes me happy!”
But is it really okay for her to be here with all the love talk? I was worried about the stats that had dropped significantly in the status window last time, so I asked my senior.
“I know there’s a match today for Nex, but….”
“If it’s Nex, I’m sure he’ll win, so it’ll be fine. The opponent is a noble using a killer whale spirit and told me not to come.”
Ah, is that the bad guy I heard about last time? He may use this match as an excuse to crush him completely.
‘It’s an opportunity for him to make a name for himself, so he’ll probably give it his all.’
Even if it’s water element, it can be vaporized. The Phoenix that has become a Holy Relic is strong. Its flames can melt magic, swordsmanship, and even divine power.
“If you say so, I’m relieved.”
With the spear techniques I taught him from the North, he had a decent advantage. The weakness of spirit magicians relied on emotions, and in [Night Heart], the character primarily fought with a spear without summoning spirits, so I assumed Nex would likely win 2nd year.
News might reach the North, where Asha Aureus is. If that happens, they might even allow marriage with Schartines.
I nodded to show I understood. In that moment, looking ahead, I saw two figures walking to the center of the arena.
“Ah, it’s starting!”
“..I’m looking forward to it.”
Many people’s evaluations would be flipped, and the strong and weak would be determined in this exam. Would I be able to acquire Manarose here?
[The first match of the year-end exam! Mardol against Windy!]
As I gazed at the distant sparkling glass armor, I tried to shake off an inexplicable sense of unease.
*
In the center of the arena stood two women.
A sky blue-haired sorceress and a glass knight looked at each other and greeted one another.
“I am the Wind Sorceress. Windy. In this year-end exam….”
“..Mardol.”
A cold demeanor that didn’t even require full introductions.
Pina, having introduced herself shortly, drew the sword at her back and assumed a battle stance, causing her opponent to tense up.
[Match Start!!]
Not long after, the horn blared across the arena, signaling the start of the match.
“Wind Cutter..!”
With her staff raised, Windy launched a wind magic projectile towards the glass knight. The sound of slicing wind roared as it hurtled towards her.
‘Compared to Licht’s Void Slash… this is nothing.’
But Pina didn’t bat an eye and endured, needing to lower her opponent’s will to create an opening.
“Uh, huh? This technique can cut through rock, right? How sturdy is that armor…?”
Stomp, stomp. The heavily armored knight pressed forward against the tempest, taking deliberate steps. Though slow, they were closing the distance.
[The wind magic is having no effect! Oh dear! It would have been nice to strike at the gaps in the armor!]
Masterpiece-grade equipment possesses durability and features to withstand even considerable attacks.
Among them, the glass armor Pina wore had enhanced magic resistance to counter the magic of the Magic Hat as best as possible.
‘I need to rely on something other than magic.’
To be precise, it was the Demon King of Truth who used magic to conjure spells. That’s why in past battles, she could hang in longer than any hero.
“Sorry, but the opponent is tough.”
Now within close range, the Wind Sorceress was sweating bullets, contemplating her next move.
“Cyclone Impact..!! What? This isn’t working either?!”
Boom, bang! The sounds echoed, but it couldn’t inflict damage on Pina. Windy could do nothing but stamp her feet as the glass knight kept advancing.
“Are you done?”
At that moment, a shadow loomed over her face. A figure the size of a grown man. The massive knight brandished his sword, targeting her.
“Eek! Wind Shield!”
In response, the sorceress created a protective barrier using whipping winds. A swirling shield encircled her.
“You won’t break through this! With my Wind specialty, the sword won’t get through…!”
The bewildered Windy shouted triumphantly from within her shield. Was she intending to stall for time hoping for a draw?
It was a structure where she couldn’t see outside. Thus, she assumed that Pina’s sword would bounce off the wind barrier she’d created.
“Drake Style First Form.”
But Pina’s demeanor did not waver. Her golden eyes gleamed coldly from inside the helm.
“..Shadow Slash.”
Simply swinging down, she cut through as if severing someone’s shadow.
In that moment, a sharp crack resounded as the transparent magical shield shattered across the arena.
[Match End!! The Winner is! Mardol!]
“Uh..?”
The shield, split in half like a halved apple, saw Windy sit down in shock. Struggling to comprehend the situation, she gazed up at Pina with a dazed expression.
“..I lost? To a swordsman..?”
The Shadow Slash technique strikes at the essence through the shadow.
Even hiding behind a shield means nothing if a shadow is visible. Thanks to the transparent winds, Windy’s movements were even easier to see.
“I won, Windy.”
“Are you bragging?! Wearing such a cheat armor!”
Pina reached to help her up. The Wind Sorceress bit her lower lip, expressing her frustration.
“…”
In the end, watching her opponent leave on her own power, the glass knight just stood silently.
‘Is it really that armor that makes me stronger than others? But.. weaker than the Demon King..’
Her white wolf ears and tail drooped in disappointment, turning her gaze toward the audience.
There, far off in the stands, she spotted her close sister Schartines.
‘Ah, there’s Sister Schartines. And Licht is beside her too.’
She waved to express that she was okay to the two figures. After all, they were trustworthy people who understood her weakness.
*
The glass knight’s battle ended far too quickly and simply. I was breaking out in cold sweat within my black helmet.
“Hey, wasn’t that your technique, Licht?”
“..Indeed, Kainel.”
You learned Shadow Slash, right? I’m dead next time I see Master Drake. I couldn’t believe the Crown Prince was waving at me, looking so smug.
“I just got hit hard there.”
The protagonist bias is severe. Is this even realistic? Swordsmanship is a discipline of resolve. Did Mardol possess the unwavering will needed to sever shadows?
‘He must have grown from the duel with the Magic Hat.’
Thinking back, his parents were taken hostage and then rescued, so it makes sense.
“…”
Actually, this was good. To obtain Manarose, I had to deliberately lose to him. I had seen enough of the power of masterpiece-grade equipment.
‘It probably has a characteristic that nullifies magic. Spirit magic or swordsmanship, divine power might not be able to stop it.’
Even after multiple hits from Wind magic, Mardol’s movements did not change. The mana shield didn’t even break.
The efforts of humans match those of artifacts. A masterpiece. It was a shame that it was crafted by quirky dwarfs, but I smiled at the performance of a long-awaited OP item.
“Mardol!! You were amazing!!”
The oblivious senior cheered from beside me.
Seeing that bright smile made me think that even if I got scolded by Master Drake later, maybe it would all work out somehow.
