162 Conviction and Resolve

The enemies were Olynn and Carta, plus Tura and Cecil.

Both pairs had already been thrashed by Weiss and the others once before. However, since then, I’d heard the announcements—they’d been out hunting, and they had the points to prove it.

Even if we beat them, they wouldn't be expelled from the academy. They probably had a decent idea of what our score was, too. That was exactly why all four of them were ganging up on us at once.

Well, they aren't exactly short on talent! But I... I have to win. I’m definitely going to win!

"Lilith! We’re splitting up!" I shouted.

"Yes!"

The one thing Lilith and I had over the other pairs was our ability to function solo. We were partners, sure, but we both excelled in individual combat. I was going to make the most of that.

"I won't let you get away," a voice called out.

Tura was the one who came after me. But I could feel a presence looming above. Carta was probably circling in the sky, looking for a clean shot. I also doubted Cecil would try to take Lilith on by herself. That meant she had to be hiding nearby, waiting to pounce.

One-Hit Kill.

I deliberately baited Tura’s attack. An invisible blade came stretching toward me, closing the distance in an instant. I didn't have fancy "cheat" eyes like Weiss or Allen, but I did have one thing I was confident in: my ears.

"Ha! You missed!" I barked.

Even if I couldn't see the blade, it couldn't hide the sound of slicing wind. I managed to dodge at the very last second, though a thin line of red blood still sprayed across my cheek. Ouch. Okay, that stung, but it’s just a scratch. Don't panic!

Right on cue, Carta fired another Mana Cannon from the sky.

I’ve been waiting for that.

"Sorry about this," I muttered.

I sprinted right up to Tura, grabbed him, and used every ounce of strength I had to hurl him toward the clouds. Tura instantly activated a Defense Formula. But he wasn't the only one; Cecil had reacted, too. She was holding her hand out from the cover of the forest.

Found you!

Carta’s Mana Cannon wasn't weak enough for Tura to tank on his own—I knew that much, even if he was missing his wand. I charged toward Cecil’s position. Suddenly, my balance gave way. The ground beneath my feet turned into a muddy slush, making me stumble.

"Ha! Now that's interesting!"

But a little mud wasn't going to stop me. I thrust my right fist forward and unleashed a Shockwave. Since I didn't have my usual magic tools, the power was lacking, but Cecil was busy pouring all her Mana into her defense. If she took this head-on, it was going to hurt.

"I’m not going to let that hit me!" Cecil cried, barely managing to scramble out of the way.

But that was just the diversion. The second arrow was already in flight.

"Cecil-san, you remember this is a Partner Exam, right?"

"Wha—?"

[Cecil Antwerp: Second elimination. The plate will be transferred to Duke Billian.]

Unlike the other pairs, Lilith and I weren't exactly powerhouses when it came to long-range magic. However, we both had high physical stats and the ability to snatch up even the smallest openings. Plus, because we were both acting independently, our opponents couldn't read our movements.

"How dare you... Cecil!"

Tura used an Unnatural as a stepping stone to close the gap from the air. I had to give him credit—he had guts, challenging me to close-quarters combat instead of sticking to range. He was swinging a longsword. It probably wasn't his primary weapon, but its sharp edge made it easy to channel Mana through.

At that exact moment, I heard a Demon Wolf howl from behind me.

Olynn. Of course. He never misses a chance to kick a man while he’s down.

I knew Lilith wouldn't be coming to help me. She was busy taking advantage of the chaos to target Carta while he was distracted.

"I will not lose a second time!" Tura roared.

"Ha! Too bad for you!"

Tura’s melee pressure was incredible. There was no way I could dodge everything. Fine, let’s go with "flesh for bone."

I twisted just enough to avoid a fatal wound, then intentionally thrust my left arm out as a sacrifice to catch his blade. Tura’s eyes widened in shock. While he was stunned, I threw my head back and slammed it into the Demon Wolf pouncing from behind.

Ha! You think a little puppy like you can take me down? You're a hundred years too early!

I drove my fist into Tura’s stomach. I put everything into it, feeling the impact sink deep.

"Ha... what... what kind of power is this...?" he gasped.

"Great, isn't it?"

My punch shattered his Defense Formula and knocked him out cold in a single hit. If Tura had been using his favorite sword, I might have actually been in trouble. But that tiny difference in gear was what decided the fight.

I strained my ears again. I caught the sound of Olynn’s breathing high up in the forest canopy and took off. Over ten Subjugations lunged at me from the brush, but I managed to dance past all of them.

"Hyaaa!?"

"Yeah, yeah. I know you're there."

The moment I spotted him, Pippin tried to headbutt me from below. Look, I know I’m an idiot, but I wasn't falling for the same trick twice. To my surprise, Olynn went soaring into the air without even using a wand. I guess his partnership with Carta wasn't just for show.

But he’s still a work in progress. He just picked the wrong opponent today.

"Sorry, Olynn. You're in my range now."

I unleashed a Shockwave and sent him crashing down. Almost simultaneously, I felt a massive collision of Mana up in the sky. An announcement rang out a moment later—Lilith had taken down Carta.

When I made it back to our meeting spot, Lilith rushed over to me immediately. She started healing the mess Tura had made of my left arm.

"That was amazing, Duke-san!"

"You too. How'd you manage to knock Carta out of the sky?"

"Oh, I just threw a rock into the air and hopped on it to climb up! It was my first time trying it, but it worked out somehow! It was a bit of a gamble, though!"

She said it so casually, like it wasn't the most insane thing I'd ever heard. Good grief. I guess spending so much time around Weiss has finally rubbed off on her.

"Duke-san. I really want you to win this time. Let’s do our best."

"Yeah."

She's right. I’m going to win this time. I have to win.

I have to do it... if only to overcome the man I used to be.