300: Let’s Win

After we relocated to the Underground Arena, we headed to the locker rooms to change into our training uniforms. I was halfway through pulling mine on when I noticed Carta writhing in a struggle with her top.

"Mgh... my chest is so... ti-tight..."

"Carta, have they gotten even bigger again?" Tura asked.

"Hyaaaan! Tu-Tura! Stop, you can't!"

"Why not? It’s not like they’re going to wear out from a little touching. Oh, wow! They’re so soft!"

"Nn-aah... ah... s-stop it..."

Incidentally, Tura was just as supple and well-endowed as Carta, not falling behind her in the slightest.

...I’m so jealous.

Lady Cynthia is the same way... I wonder if Fansent likes that sort of thing too?

...Wait, what on earth am I thinking?!

I shook those intrusive thoughts out of my head and stepped outside. My mindset shifted the moment I saw him.

The best thing about Darius was how he gave his absolute all to everything. He always responded with total sincerity. Right then, he was sitting quietly in the center of the arena in a Zen meditation pose. He was likely kneading his mana.

They said Teacher Coco had the largest mana capacity in all of Noblesse, but Darius was certainly her equal. No, in terms of sheer, raw power, he far surpassed even Teacher Coco.

I had a habit of classifying and quantifying combat abilities. I would build patterns based on a person’s hobbies, tastes, habits, and their Gift, then select the optimal solution to defeat them. However, Darius possessed the kind of power that seemed to mock such petty calculations.

I’d heard that when Fansent and Allen faced a dragon a while back, Darius had unleashed a single blow powerful enough to shatter the creature's Barrier. To a man like him, ordinary defenses probably didn't even exist.

Once we were ready, we stood before him, and Darius rose to his feet. He felt even larger than usual. I had seen him fight several times during class, but I had never faced him personally like this.

"I feel bad for Carta, but you won't be able to use much Flight Magic in here," Darius said. "Take the mana you’d usually spend on that and put it into your attacks instead."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

It was a shame Carta couldn't use her Flight, but there was no helping it. Still, I figured it was a good thing; since we didn't have our usual advantage, it was a chance to learn how to fight a head-on battle.

I took a deep breath and activated my Gift.

『Tura, can I ask you to take point? It’s the most demanding role, but I need you as the vanguard.』

『Of course. Let’s go all out from the very first move.』

『Carta, I want you to maintain a constant barrage of long-range attacks. I’ll follow right behind Tura and look for an opening.』

『Understood.』

The fact that we had been laughing together only moments ago felt like a lie; both of them now wore expressions of deadly seriousness. Fufufu, they really are students of Noblesse Magic Academy.

I loved serious battles. I enjoyed the tension before a Battle Universe, of course, but what I loved most was that crystalline moment when victory or defeat was finally decided.

"Alright, come at me whenever you're ready," Darius said. "I’ll hold back, but be warned—if you pass out, you might not wake up for half a day."

My heart gave a violent thud against my ribs.

I was weak. I knew that better than anyone. But there was one thing I possessed that I wouldn't lose to anyone else. It was something I could say with pride, even to Fansent.

The truth was, I hated losing—to a goddamn deadly degree.

『—Carta, Tura. Let's win this.』