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The Earth Blade tore through the student ranks without a shred of mercy.

The moment mana leaked from their training uniforms, the forced teleportation kicked in, whisking them away before they even knew what hit them. It was the same story for those who had tried to hunker down and defend on the ground instead of taking flight.

Idiots. That wasn’t the kind of attack you could block with half-baked effort.

I touched down on the soil and braced myself for a follow-up, but I couldn't sense any mana in the air. That massive strike had just been an opening move—a little "hello" from the faculty, I supposed.

Cecil’s face was a mask of grief as she watched her peers vanish.

Look, it couldn't be helped, I thought, trying to justify the carnage. If anything, she’d noticed the incoming threat at the exact same time I did. Anyone who had been training properly should have had plenty of time to evade.

And indeed, looking around, Belk, Meryl, and Allen were all still in the game. Most of the intermediate-year students were still standing, too. Above us, a Magic Bird began chanting the names of the eliminated students, its voice echoing across the battlefield.

Cecil seemed to snap out of it. She shifted gears instantly, barking out a flurry of orders.

Carta straddled her staff and took to the sky, followed quickly by Olynn. Seriously, Olynn was a total natural. It wasn't enough for him to have a terrifyingly good Tame Technique; he’d gone and mastered Flight Magic, too. Leave some talent for the rest of us, would you?

"Let’s move," I said. "Duke, Shari."

"Yeah. See ya, Weiss. Try not to die out there," Duke replied with a grin.

"He's right," Shari added. "If things get too scary, just scream for help and we'll come running."

"……Shut up."

They were as noisy and annoying as ever.

Our first objective was to locate the four shrines. We divided ourselves into teams, each with a designated leader.

Team One was spearheaded by Allen, with Duke and Shari backing him up. Team Two was led by Carta, accompanied by Olynn and Tura.

Tura and the rest of the second team were "earth-runners," sticking to the ground at high speeds. Cecil, of course, was the outlier.

Then there was Team Three. My team.

The people following me were—well, exactly who you’d expect.

"Lord Weiss, I am ready whenever you are!" Cynthia chirped.

"Shall we head out, Weiss?" Lilith asked, before glancing aside. "—And you too, Lady Luna."

"Yes," Luna replied, her voice soft but firm. "I’ll do my absolute best not to be a hindrance."

"There’s no way you’ll be a hindrance," I told her, my tone sincere. "You’re strong."

"……Thank you very much."

With Cynthia, Lilith, and Luna at my side, we prepared to strike from the north. It didn't matter who the teachers threw at us; I was going to blow them away. No questions asked.

To our flanks, the lowerclassmen dashed out, led by Belk and Meryl.

I found myself staring at the back of Allen’s head as he moved. He’d actually defeated Neil. Looking back at the Original Story, that kind of strength should have been impossible for him at this stage. If he actually managed to take down a teacher today, it would be the single greatest alteration to the plot yet.

But I wasn't about to let him have all the glory. I couldn't afford to lose this time, either.

"—Let's go."

Dust swirled around us, but we were ready, pulling up the hoods we’d prepared for the occasion. Then, with a collective burst of speed, we charged into the fray.