[378] Vol. 16 - Entering the Competitive System (2)
The students' reactions were varied. Class Three, in particular, didn't even understand what had happened.
"Shirone wins. Shirone gains 3 points. Dorothy, 0 points."
Despite the evaluator's flat tone, Dorothy simply nodded as if she accepted it and returned to her seat.
She knew there weren't many people in the graduating class who could truly match Shirone one-on-one. That had been Dorothy's conclusion after watching his match with Dante at Training Ground No. 2000 six months earlier.
Maybe she could hold out for ten minutes at full strength, but it would be foolish to give up something far more important for a single point.
She was a manipulation-type mage.
Especially for someone like Dorothy, whose magic manipulated physical constructs—if her puppet was broken, she'd effectively lose eighty percent of her power.
"I can't spend a week repairing a puppet."
Against Shirone, who unleashed photon blasts that carried mass, a ten-minute fight would shred her puppet into scrap.
Since there was another one-on-one next week anyway, the conclusion she reached now was the best choice.
Shirone came down from the training ground in a daze. He'd earned three points, but he still looked stunned.
Iruki and Nade approached with curious expressions.
"What happened? What was that?"
"Well, you see…"
Shirone told them about Dorothy's proposition she had mentioned before the match.
His friends were dumbfounded. None of them had imagined points could be won in that way.
Nade scanned the schedule quickly.
"When do I face Dorothy?"
Iruki slapped the back of Nade's head.
"Ow! Why'd you hit me? I was just joking…"
"I read about ten percent sincerity in that. Anyway, Dorothy won't use the same trick twice. She made that choice based on Shirone's personality and the fact he's dating Amy."
Shirone glanced back at Dorothy. She sat alone with the same unreadable expression.
"It felt like she wanted to use the info she got from Courage of Truth. That's why I turned it down too. She must've guessed my tendencies."
"I thought she was clueless, but she's pretty calculating. Same with other students. You see who they really are once it's for real."
Nade rubbed the back of his head and made a sour face.
"Isn't she just weird? I can't figure her out at all. You're not going to defend her just because she confessed to you, are you?"
Iruki lifted an eyebrow.
Dorothy had told him she loved him under Courage of Truth. It was a frivolous line not worth caring about, yet it was also the first confession he'd ever received from a girl.
"Cut the nonsense. Just know that from Class Two up they're high-level. We need to be on guard."
Nade kept a suspicious eye on Dorothy.
"You're sounding like you're defending her…"
Iruki steered the conversation.
"Anyway, your turn next. Your opponent's Fermi. Got a strategy?"
Nade tensed as his match approached.
"I'll start with my usual. If something unexpected shows up, I'll ratchet it up."
"No need to overdo it. It's only week one. Besides, Fermi will push to the top this year anyway. In short, today's points aren't that crucial for you."
If Fermi became the top of the graduating class, the relative loss wouldn't be so big whether Nade won or lost.
But Nade thought differently.
He had no intention of half-heartedly dealing with someone who could become Shirone and Iruki's greatest rival.
"I know. But if I can draw out Fermi's skill, it'll make it easier for you two to plan when you fight him. I'll aim to win, and even if it's a draw, at least I'll gauge his real capability."
Another match at Training Ground No. 2000 ended, and the evaluator called out Nade and Fermi's names.
Nade gave a thumbs-up and headed for the ground.
When he reached the center, Fermi strolled in leisurely, taking in the surroundings as if on a post-lunch walk.
Feeling disrespected, Nade shot him a cold glare.
Fermi, however, smiled as ever.
"Whoa, fierce look. It's the first day—take it easy, junior."
Nade didn't scoff.
Leaving aside any collusion concerns about the graduation exam, he had a debt to settle.
Last year, Shirone had been trapped in Miro's time-space and put into a near-death state.
The one who'd led the student council to declare Shirone dead and push for funeral proceedings was Fermi.
'Do you know how much you pissed me off? You only get to be smug for so long.'
They exchanged looks and stepped back. Fermi turned first; Nade followed and strode away.
As they shook out their limbs, the scoreboard cycled green, yellow, red.
As soon as the No. 2000 system activated, Nade leapt forward with lightning crackling from both hands.
"For ten minutes, I'll tear everything about you apart!"
Three minutes later.
"Fermi wins! Gains 3 points. Nade, 0."
Fermi fanned his face with his hand.
"Phew, that was close."
Despite his words, not a drop of sweat marred his face as he left Training Ground No. 2000.
Nade knelt in the center like a puppet with its strings cut.
Thanks to an eighty percent sync rate, he hadn't been knocked unconscious, but the psychological shock was significant.
His eyes fixed on the ground, blank.
When it seemed he'd stay that way, Shirone and Iruki hurried over.
"Hey, Nade, you okay? Snap out of it."
"He's completely spaced. Let's just take him away."
They grabbed his arms and dragged him out like a sack.
Students burst into laughter while Amy sighed and shook her head.
"Ugh, those idiots…"
Though it was laughable, Amy could understand Nade's feelings to an extent.
The fight had looked fierce, but Fermi's mental gauge never fell below ninety percent. He'd allowed almost no effective hits.
In fact, Fermi had driven Nade to a groggy state using only the thirty-six regulated spells—no specialty spells at all.
Like being soaked by a steady drizzle, Nade couldn't even pinpoint what had gotten to him.
Shirone shook Nade anxiously.
"Nade, wake up. Are you okay?"
As if nothing had happened, Nade stood up normally.
"Of course I'm fine. You thought I'd collapse over this?"
Iruki asked.
"What happened? You said you'd hold out for ten minutes."
Shirone couldn't hide his disappointment.
"Weren't you too sloppy? If you'd pushed a bit more he might've taken meaningful hits."
Nade turned away without answering and fixed his gaze on Fermi's retreating back across the training ground.
"Shirone, be careful."
"Huh?"
"That guy… he's really strong."
Shirone sighed softly.
If Nade had pushed just a bit harder, he would have had a real chance at victory.
It looked like nothing but carelessness.
"Of course he is. He beat you."
Nade flared with indignation.
"Seriously! You think I just lost like that?"
"All right. Don't obsess over one loss. You won't face the same opponent twice. Forget it and do it right in tomorrow's evaluation."
Iruki understood Shirone's feelings.
From what he saw, he too regretted that Nade hadn't applied more pressure.
But Nade—hadn't.
'Strange. He's calling someone strong?'
In six years of knowing him, Shirone had never heard Nade say that.
If Nade said it, it was worth watching. When it came to combat, he had the nose of a beast.
'I didn't sense it. So it's outside my cognitive range?'
If someone could completely hide their skill in front of the whole graduating class, that would explain it.
In any case, Shirone, who knew nothing of Nade's past, only felt pain at his friend's defeat.
Not wanting Nade's loss to affect Iruki, he quickly tried to change the mood.
"Iruki, don't be careless either. Binder hasn't stood out before, but unexpected ambushers often come from that side."
Iruki, as always, was laid-back.
"My dictionary doesn't have carelessness. I'll finish him in three minutes."
'That's carelessness…'
Shirone's thought didn't reach the already-departed Iruki.
Iruki met Binder at the center of No. 2000.
True to his dislike of pretense, he caught Binder's eye for a moment, then turned his back and started to leave.
"Iruki, it's an honor to meet you."
Binder spoke to Iruki's back.
It wasn't just words—his eyes glittered and the corners of his mouth curled in a mocking smile.
"An honor?"
"You're Mercodain Albino's son, right? The head family of Yongroe."
Iruki turned fully with his hands behind his back.
"That guy sometimes visits our house. So what?"
Binder pointed to himself.
"Do you know my top-class theory score? One hundred. It's one of the records in Alpheas School of Magic history. No one can beat it. Why? Because it's a hundred."
Iruki scratched his head.
"So what do you want to say?"
"I'm going into Yongroe. No—someday I'll be the head of Yongroe."
The headship of Yongroe had been monopolized by the Mercodain family for three hundred years.
The family had already named Iruki as the next head.
Binder was, in effect, formally throwing down a gauntlet at the Mercodain house.
"Listen, Iruki. The kingdom's greatest intellect won't be you—it's going to be me, Binder."
Iruki, lost in thought, took a few brisk steps forward.
Confidence brimming, Binder visibly flinched when Iruki closed the distance without warning.
"W-what? Duels are supposed to start after the No. 2000 system activates—"
Iruki quickly reached out and grabbed Binder's arms tightly.
"Please."
"...What?"
"Do it for me. I've been hearing that since I was born and I'm sick of it. Pull my father down and become head of Yongroe. I'll cheer for you. Fight on."
Binder stared dumbfounded at Iruki's retreating back.
Then his eyes ignited with anger.
"What? You're sick of hearing that since you were born? Do you even know how many scholars bled and sweated just to step across Yongroe's threshold?"
Binder's fist trembled.
He hated showing his strength in week one, but with Iruki it was different. He meant to utterly crush a future rival.
As soon as No. 2000 lit up, Binder closed the gap with a teleport.
His perfect theoretical mastery let him execute basic spells with almost surgical precision.
Fireball, Wind Cutter, Ice Spear—the three alternated and struck at Iruki.
Under the relentless assault, Iruki put distance between them and activated his Bombullet Barrier.
Hundreds of small bombs formed a spherical shell. The spells slammed into the bombs in succession, producing a series of explosions.
"Heh! I've already analyzed that!"
Binder thrust out a finger and unleashed a flurry of Air Guns—a basic Press-line technique.
To Shirone it was a chilling spell, but compared to Gaold's it was far weaker; still, its accuracy was decent.
As magic squeezed between the carefully placed bombs and cut through, Iruki teleported up and switched to Fly magic to hover. Binder's eyes gleamed as he spread both hands.
"I knew you'd do that!"
A blazing orb coalesced between his palms.
'You think my perfection is only theoretical? Don't underestimate me!'
Flame Strike ignited in Binder's hands.
It was a level difficult to achieve without a fire specialty, but Binder's perfect theory mastery surpassed novice fusion spells.
"This ends it!"
Confident, Binder thrust his hands forward, performing an ostentatious magical action as he poured everything into the spell.
"Huh?"
But the fireball that should have shot out like an arrow simply winked out right before his eyes.
'No way… Cancellation?'
A cold chill ran down the back of his neck.