“Opportunities are only three.”
I quickly devised a way to defeat Sergey in my mind.
As a result, just one possible scenario came to mind.
I would be given exactly three chances to take down Sergey.
The moment I miss those three, the odds vanish.
There was no need to worry about Sergey dying.
He’d be lucky if I could even scratch him.
*Huff…*
I took a deep breath and activated my internal circuits.
In an instant, Mana Energy began to build up in my body, gathering in my right hand.
I converted all the produced Mana into Mana Energy and sent it to my right hand.
Before long, Mana Energy overflowed from my body and even started to seep out.
At that moment, a pain surged in my arm as if it would melt away.
*Huff…*
It was now.
I swung my concealed right arm forward and drew Vafe.
A radiant flash erupted, shooting straight up to the barrier’s ceiling before coming crashing down in an arc.
If I clenched my fist, I could create a sharper and straighter sword shape, but I didn’t on purpose to strike a wider area.
I had to do it like this; otherwise, I wouldn’t hit the quick Sergey.
*Boom!*
“Ugh?!”
The blue flash surged like a wave, descending rapidly upon Sergey.
But Sergey simply sidestepped casually, evading it.
Even when I swung horizontally, Sergey flattened himself against the ground to dodge.
The first opportunity to finish off Sergey was already slipping away.
“You’re swinging something dangerous!”
At that moment, Sergey’s expression changed completely, and he charged at me.
Was he realizing it could be dangerous if he got hit?
I dashed at Sergey, reducing Vafe’s length dramatically.
The giant wave of light that was swirling around was sucked back into my hand in an instant, taking the shape of a longsword.
*Selection and Concentration. Using 3 seconds on Agility.*
I saw Sergey’s eyes widen.
And I could see every one of Sergey’s footsteps, each movement of his arms.
In terms of speed, I surpassed Sergey.
For exactly three seconds.
“Crap!”
I had no time to waste.
As I plunged inward, I unleashed a rapid strike, forcing Sergey to back off, barely evading the tip of my sword.
“Damn it!”
He even managed to exploit the gaps between my moves.
Even though I was faster and wielded a sword, I was being overwhelmed by Sergey.
I missed the second opportunity as well.
Now I had to defend against Sergey’s counterattack.
Sergey’s hand quickly grabbed my right wrist, rendering Vafe useless, bringing his fist crashing towards my face.
“Ugh!”
*Bam!*
As I tilted my head, his fist broke the sound barrier, tearing at my eardrum.
At that moment, three seconds had passed.
By now, Sergey’s retracted fist was aimed directly at my abdomen.
“This is the end, Schlus.”
With my right hand held, I couldn’t attack with Vafe, and even if I used ‘Selection and Concentration’ on Agility, I couldn’t escape.
I really had no choice but to wait for the final opportunity.
*Selection and Concentration. Using 1 second on Strength.*
In that moment, a blow that I couldn’t even see came barreling towards my solar plexus at unbelievable speed.
*Boom!*
“…?!”
I couldn’t breathe.
A painful sensation rocked my entire body as if all my organs had decided to breakdance at the same time.
But I held on.
I didn’t get pushed back, my ribs didn’t break, and my insides didn’t burst, causing a shock.
Now it was my turn.
This was the last chance to take down Sergey.
“Huh?”
Sergey’s face twisted in confusion as he looked down.
He had just noticed the tip of my finger pointed at his solar plexus.
It was time to return what I received.
*Selection and Concentration. Using 1 second on Mana.*
As Mana surged through my body, the spell for releasing Mana was deployed.
Without hesitation, I fired off the blast.
*Boom…!*
With a loud explosion, the wind gusted outwards.
In an instant, Mana Exhaustion hit, and my sight dimmed.
When my vision cleared again, I saw a massive hole in the lecture room wall.
“Oh dear! Sorry! Did I interrupt the exam?”
“……”
A cheerful voice.
Looking to the side, Alexia was holding Sergey by the scruff of his neck, laughing from a distance.
It seemed she had confused this for an actual fight rather than an exam.
“Chairwoman. Of all times…”
I lost my balance and stumbled forward.
Even if Sergey had blocked it somehow, I realized the readings on the meter were at 0.
To think I created such a ruckus and didn’t even graze him…
Laughter bubbled up from the feeling of helplessness.
…
“Is the exam over?”
“Yes, it is. But just in case—”
“Can I leave?”
“You can, but you might have experienced a fatal injury, so you should see the medics—”
“I’m leaving now.”
“……”
Schlus brushed off his knees, staggering as he left the exam hall.
Sergey looked at his retreating figure, examining his right fist.
*It felt like hitting a chunk of iron.*
He hadn’t meant to throw punches with full strength at a student.
He had considered stopping short of killing him and telling him he was already dead.
But facing Schlus, he immediately changed his mind.
That guy was a threat to be dealt with seriously.
With overwhelming speed, he was swinging a sword, assaulting him in long-range wide attacks.
I could catch him if I merely grabbed him.
If I could neutralize that beam sword, I’d win.
With that thought, he grabbed Schlus’s right arm.
Right after, he intended to deliver the final blow but could never have imagined that Schlus would be able to withstand it.
As a reward, he thought to take a hit back.
“Chairwoman.”
“Oh hehe! Sorry! I was just checking the campus after returning! I saw someone really going at it, and I had to—”
“……”
“Professor. If you hadn’t dodged that just now, you would’ve died.”
Alexia whispered quietly as she sneaked closer.
Sergey felt chills run down his spine, his body trembling.
Sergey shared the same thought.
Even with a body said to be as tough as steel, had he taken that attack with full power, he would have surely suffered at least a fatal injury.
Turning around once more, facing the gaping hole in the wall, he felt a chill creep down his spine.
He thought he had exhausted all his Mana fighting with that sword and activating his internal circuits, but he had kept this much hidden.
“Hehehe! Well, I’ll be off now!”
“……”
Alexia, sensing the atmosphere, vanished in a flash.
Grateful for being spared but realizing a serious problem had arisen.
Due to the external interference, Schlus received a score of 0, and figuring out how to handle that was crucial…
Segey sighed heavily, rubbing his head.
And he ingrained this thought in his mind:
*When dealing with Schlus, one must deliver a single fatal blow.*
If a battle with Schlus arose again, he must never allow him a chance to retaliate.
He should aim for the head, not the body.
He felt that deeply during this encounter.
*
*Gah…*
Acting as if nothing was wrong, I stepped out, but my condition was terrible.
It felt as if my insides were tangled up, dancing together maybe.
Even if my insides hadn’t burst, the situation was at least suspicious of an abdominal tear.
[Purchased 1 Low-Level Recovery Potion.]
Ultimately, I couldn’t hold back and bought a recovery potion, slamming it into my stomach.
I watched as the huge bruise on my abdomen gradually faded away.
*I thought I was really going to die.*
Even with ‘Selection and Concentration’ applied to Strength, the pain was enough to momentarily paralyze me.
Had I taken that hit without using my abilities, my body would have shattered.
Still, it made me realize that the Strength stat isn’t invincible.
The foes I fought so far were so weak that I could treat the Strength stat like an invincible technique.
But against someone like Sergey or a Majin, I had to be cautious of this.
*But a score of 0…*
Looking back on the exam, regret suddenly flooded over me.
I shouldn’t have gone all out.
If I hadn’t, Sergey might have taken a hit or two.
Alexia wouldn’t have assumed it was a real fight and wouldn’t have interfered.
In an effort to end things in five seconds, I ended up hitting Sergey not even once.
I wondered if I could still be top of the class if Aintz scored a 0 too.
And if a few other aristocrats in the top ranks also ended up with a 0…
*Damn it. I messed up.*
There’s no way so many could score 0.
I had effectively lost my chance to be top of the class in Combat Magic Studies.
What’s done was done; it couldn’t be changed.
Erwin was in a hurry, so I needed to check on him first.
I decided to lend my eyes and ears for that purpose.
-Why not be honest for a change? You were selling information to Schlus Hainkel.
-No, I wasn’t! I was trying to become Schlus’s… um, his girlfriend and act as a spy…
-What a joke! You really think Schlus, looking like a guy, would pick you as his girlfriend? Tell me straight. You were planning to escape the academy using Schlus’s influence. If you say it like that, I might spare your siblings.
Are they out of their minds?
Saying Erwin looks like a guy?
As if the extra characters in this fantasy world are all walking around with peak looks, what nonsense they’re spinning.
I managed to find out where Erwin was.
Not far at all.
Erwin had a sword to his throat, so I needed to hurry.
I could see him now.
“Erwin! What’s going on?”
“Ah, um! I was showing these guys the way!”
“Tch…”
As I waved my hand from a distance, they clicked their tongues and shoved their hands into their pockets, turning their backs.
Should I just kill them all?
No. If they weren’t Majin-influenced believers, I would be slaughtering innocent students and staff.
But I couldn’t simply let them go either.
They had already strongly suspected Erwin’s betrayal, putting his siblings at risk.
As I looked at Erwin’s face, he seemed close to tears, as if he didn’t know what to do.
There was only one way to turn the tide.
I had to make Erwin’s claim a reality.
“I-isn’t it time for the exam?”
“I finished early. Kiss me.”
“W-what?”
“I said kiss me.”
“Hmph…?!”
I grabbed the back of Erwin’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss.
It wasn’t a light kiss.
It was a sticky kiss between lovers.
The bewildered faces of the guys watching gradually turned to shock before they ultimately walked away.
This would serve as proof that Erwin was my girlfriend, allowing me to gather intel.
But I couldn’t let my guard down; I held on to Erwin until those guys turned the corner and disappeared.
I felt the metallic taste in my mouth from biting my tongue, but I didn’t care, forcing my lips on him.
*Hmph…!*
“They’re gone.”
*Slurp!*
As I released my lips, his head turned abruptly.
My cheeks felt hot.
Turning my head, I saw Erwin glaring at me, panting with anger.
*I really messed up.*
Not only had I forcibly inscribed a spell into him and turned him into my assistant, but now I had also committed an act of harassment…
Erwin and I were destined to be at odds for life.
