160: Carta & Olynn

"Olynn-san, are you okay?"

"I-I think so!? B-but we’re so high up!"

Carta-san and I were currently hovering in the sky, looking down at the forest below.

We were much higher than usual; the sheer technical skill and mana consumption required were on a whole different level. To my surprise, Carta-san had applied a magic formula to a massive tree branch, turning it into a makeshift staff.

She really is amazing. I can't believe she pulled that off.

More importantly, being able to witness that recent battle was a massive harvest for us.

"As I thought, Weiss-kun and Shari-san make an incredible team."

"They do. But... I think we can take them."

Just moments ago, Cecil-san and Tura-san had been eliminated. Now, the targets for Carta-san and me were Weiss Fancent and Shari Elias.

Honestly, most people would just give up.

It would certainly be easier to target other students and scrape together single points here and there. But—

"We’re going to win. No matter what."

Carta-san felt exactly the same way I did. We had trained relentlessly since becoming partners. If we could just show the results of that effort, we shouldn't lose. Still, I wouldn't let my guard down for a second. We would find a window of opportunity, and then we would strike.

"Should we head down?"

"Yeah. Let's approach from a bit further away."

Carta-san and I shared one major advantage: we were more accustomed to the forest than anyone else. The sky wasn't our only battlefield.

We touched down on the forest floor and erased our presence.

"Night is falling. It looks like those two are going to sleep in that house. Why don't we take turns napping?"

"I’m fine. You should sleep, Carta-san."

"Fufufu, I can't do that. I want to win too much to sleep."

"—Then I guess we’re pulling an all-nighter."

The interesting thing about this exam was that you could die once. That was the most important rule of all—.

---

"Phew... this exam is even more brutal than I imagined."

While Shari napped beside me, I ran the numbers. After the previous fight, I’d managed to hunt down a mob and snatch one more point. We were sitting at ten.

The ones who had taken out Allen and Cynthia were Duke and Lilith. If we could find them, we could rake in points all at once. However, I had plenty of concerns. This exam relied heavily on luck. Furthermore, Duke and Lilith didn't rely on weapons; their physical stats were overwhelming, and they possessed individual combat skills that kept everyone else at arm's length. Unlike teams that relied on complex magical combinations, those two had reached the peak through raw power faster than anyone else.

Could Shari and I actually win against them?

It wasn't that I was being timid. Cecil had taught me that calculating your current win rate was essential. I had to read the war situation without delusion and always make the optimal move. Sometimes, that meant keeping a retreat in mind. This wasn't just a brawl; it was an exam.

Then there were Olynn and Carta. An attack from the sky would be a massive pain to deal with.

Right then, Shari’s trap tripped. It was a spell specialized purely for [Mana Sense]—it dealt no damage. Because of that, it wouldn't give the enemy any unnecessary information about our defenses.

I quietly began to circulate my mana. To my surprise, I felt one, two, three presences stepping into range.

Wait. This is...

"Shari, get up!"

The next instant, the world outside the window turned white.

The moment I realized a [Mana Cannon] had been fired, the wall vanished. The room was engulfed in a brilliant flash as if we’d been caught in the heart of an explosion. The wall shattered, turning into a storm of stone fragments. I reflexively deployed a [Defense Formula] to shield Shari.

When the dust cleared, the house was practically gutted—there was a hole so large I could see the night sky. Immediately, monsters began pouring in from all directions. Goblins and Orcs. And their mana signatures were far stronger than normal specimens.

"—I'm okay."

Shari reacted instantly. Her [Magic Thread] lashed out, ensnaring the goblins. To my shock, there were nearly twenty monsters out there.

There’s only one person who could pull this off.

But then, a second magical blast rained down from the sky.

"We’re taking this to the air!"

I conjured an [Unnatural Wall] beneath Shari’s feet to act as a platform, and the two of us soared into the sky. Even from this height, I couldn't spot them. Then, another [Mana Cannon] shot down from above.

Did they fly even higher to mask their position?

"—Interesting."

It seemed their coordination had been polished quite a bit. Just before Shari entered a free fall, she tapped me on the back.

"I'll leave the air to you, Weiss. I'm going after Olynn-san."

"Got it."

Borrowing the power of the spirits, I activated [Flight Magic]. There was a time limit, but it felt far easier to maintain than usual. I activated [Time Lapse], though I held off on the [Magic Eye] for now.

In my hand, I gripped a dagger. I wasn't particularly used to short blades, but it was a lucky find. Its durability was leagues above a wooden stick.

"—Too bad for you!"

I slashed directly into Carta’s massive mana beam, splitting the spell apart and neutralizing it. Looking up, I finally spotted her. She must have repositioned into the clouds immediately after the ground-level distraction. She likely figured that if the ambush worked, she’d win—and if it failed, she’d at least separate Shari and me.

Heh. Working exactly as you planned, huh? Except for one thing...

I closed the distance to Carta at high speed, but a swarm of bat-like monsters appeared, flanking me. Olynn was likely micromanaging them from a distance. They were a nuisance, but they weren't enough to stop me. I cut through them without hesitation, climbing higher and higher.

At that moment, Carta leveled her hand at me. A spell shot out, branching into a dozen projectiles that circled around to hem me in from every direction. Homing magic. Even if I tried to swat them down, the remaining monsters would close in. If I messed up the evasion and my mana flow was disrupted, I’d lose my flight and plummet.

The old me would have given up, slowed down, and fallen. But I wasn't that guy anymore. I had the [Magic Eye].

"[Magic Eye: One Second into the Future]."

Everything became clear. The attacks, the monsters—it was as if I were reading a script of their movements. I ducked and wove through the homing spells by a hair’s breadth. I predicted the monsters' flight paths and simply held my dagger where they were about to be. Carta unleashed wave after wave of attacks, but I saw every single one coming.

"H-how—!?"

"Sorry, Carta. I’m just on a different level."

[Carta Wiore has been eliminated (1/2). Nameplate transferred to Weiss Fancent.]

I let myself enter a free fall. Switching to [Dark Eye], I scanned the forest below. Shari was currently engaged with Olynn. There were still ten subjugated monsters left. To think Olynn was managing all that while still trying to hinder me...

"Heh. He's got more depth than I thought."

Olynn was getting stronger with every fight. Even Carta had barely been able to use homing magic before today.

Man, this is fun.

"But Olynn... I can see your every move."

---

[Olin Pastel has been eliminated (1/2). Nameplate transferred to Shari Elias.]

Shari was the one who delivered the finishing blow. I had pinned his movements, but her trap was what actually brought him down. Her traps used to be mere nuisances meant for stalling, but now they packed enough punch to deal fatal damage. Eventually, she’d probably be able to wipe out an army without moving a single inch.

"Good work, Weiss."

The [Magic Eye], the flight that took down Carta, the traps... none of it would have been possible without her. The old me would have been stuck on the ground, fruitlessly staring up at the sky.

But things were different now.

"It's thanks to you, Shari."

"Eh? ...Fufufu. You’re actually being quite cute, Weiss."

"Hah?"

"Nothing. You take the next nap. Thank you."

"Good grief. Just make sure you keep a proper watch."

"Yes, yes. Do you want a lullaby?"

"Shut up."

Seriously... she’s the only person who dares to talk to me like that.

But, strangely enough, I didn't hate it.