The starting bell rang.
It was the final exam of the Elementary School Division—the Group Mock Battle. It followed a tournament format, and the first round was about to begin.
"Begin!"
Our opponents were a trio specializing in the Fire Attribute. Since sharing an attribute prevents magical repulsion, they likely had excellent synergy. Thinking about it that way, our group was quite the eccentric team.
"Serena, from the right. Elicia, take the opposite side."
"Understood."
"Got it."
The opponents began their incantations simultaneously.
"Ignis!"
"Flare Shot!"
Two small fireballs streaked toward us. Flare Shot, huh? They were moving at a respectable speed. My command had been decided on a whim right before the match, but wasn't I actually starting to look like a proper leader?
"Ice Lance."
Spears of ice manifested in Elicia’s hands and shot forward. They struck the fireballs directly, knocking them off course.
"Air Slash."
Serena’s wind blades flew in a straight line. The opponents managed to dodge somehow, but the vanguard's stance was broken.
"Now, go."
"Lightning Shot."
Thin streaks of lightning flashed. A pendant shattered, emitting a bright light, and one opponent was eliminated. Oh, so they really don't die.
I believe—
Seeing their coordination crumble, I gave the next order.
"Wind Push."
A sudden gust swept them back all at once.
"Ice Lance."
Once again, Elicia loosed her accurate ice spears—two at once this time. The match hadn't even lasted a few minutes.
"Winners, Luka Noctear Team!"
Bathed in cheers, we headed back toward the waiting room. I let out a small sigh.
"...Aren't you two a bit too strong?"
"It was only the first round," Elicia replied coolly.
That probably had nothing to do with it. Serena nodded in agreement with Elicia's assessment.
"The next one is that group over there," Serena said.
She was looking at a trio standing with disciplined, refined postures. They looked strong—to put it simply. The boy in the center fixed his gaze on us. Judging by his magical pressure, was he an Earth Attribute user? His mana radiated the distinct characteristics of his element. He had been staring at me the whole time during the break. Honestly, it was a bit creepy, so if you have something to say, could you just come over and say it?
He didn't speak to me then, but just before the match started, he finally opened his mouth.
"Luka Noctear-sama."
He called my name.
"I watched your previous exercise."
He spoke with an incredibly polite tone.
"It was a stupendous display of magic. I only saw it from a distance, but that scene is still burned into my mind."
...Wait, is someone who witnessed my embarrassing dark history actually here?
"That is why, this time, I intend to give you everything I have."
His hostility was faint, but I felt a definite sense of rivalry. This was the place for it; I wasn't about to back down from a challenge. Well, technically, the two behind me wouldn't!
"...Yeah, do your best."
We took our starting positions. The terrain was the same as before—a simple, open plain. I couldn't help but think it again: this academy was way too spacious.
The bell rang.
"Begin!"
The opponents moved instantly.
"Earth Wall!"
A massive wall of earth rose in front of them, completely obscuring the three of them. It was huge. It was a total "on that day, humanity remembered" moment.
"Gravel Shot!"
Pebbles sprayed from the wall like buckshot. It was a clever move that combined offense and defense. However, since they couldn't see us, their aim was scattered.
"Wind Push!"
Serena used her wind to deflect the trajectory of the stones.
"Freeze Patch."
Elicia froze the ground at our feet. We were creating our own specialized field, just as we had planned.
But—
"I figured you would do that."
The boy peeked out, and just as he spoke, I heard a quiet incantation.
"Earth Bind."
The frozen ground cracked as the earth surged upward. Ice and soil clashed, neutralizing our restraint. It looked like our field manipulation had been reset.
"Don't scatter. Serena, can you knock them all down?" I shouted my instructions.
The opponents maintained a formation that kept them hidden behind the wall. Unlike the first round, this was a group with solid coordination.
"Serena, don't chip the front. Aim for the right rear guard."
"Air Slash!"
The wind blade shaved off the edge of the wall, forcing a girl to duck back.
"Gravel Shot!"
Cover fire came in immediately. This was tough... they were leaving no openings.
"Ice Lance."
Elicia aimed for those peeking out from the sides, but the moment they pulled back, the wall protected them.
"Earth Wall."
The wall itself wasn't particularly durable, but they reinforced it immediately, making a frontal breakthrough difficult. It was a near-perfect tactic that utilized the Earth Attribute to its fullest. With only beginner-level magic available, our options were limited.
The boy's eyes glinted through a gap in the crumbling wall.
"As I thought, your instructions are precise."
Pebbles grazed my feet.
"Whoa—!"
"But you won't beat us with just that."
Was he provoking me? He seemed to have room to spare. I calmly surveyed the battlefield. The massive earth wall, the patches of ice, the ground gouged by the wind... the terrain was getting messy. A frontal assault was hopeless.
"Serena, save your lightning."
"Understood."
"Elicia, freeze the entire left side."
"...Yes. Freeze Patch."
This time, the ice didn't spread wide; it shot out in a thin, focused line. The boy narrowed his eyes.
"Restricting our footing again?"
"Wind Push!"
Serena applied pressure to the right rear guard. The trio’s formation shifted ever so slightly. The boy noticed the lapse instantly.
"—This is bad."
I whispered softly.
"Now, Serena."
Serena’s gaze sharpened.
"Lightning Shot."
Lightning surged across the ice. Even if it conducted through the moisture-laden ground, Serena still held control over the magic. Electricity flared in an instant.
With that, we owned the left side. The wall didn't disappear, but we could now attack from an angle they couldn't block.
"Ice Lance."
The ice spear struck the rear guard, who was already flinching from the lightning conducting through the ice. The spear gouged through the wall and hit its mark. One person eliminated.
The earth wall collapsed. As I suspected, a wall of that scale required all three of them to maintain. However, the boy didn't look like he had given up.
"You really are amazing..."
I saw a hint of frustration in his eyes. Honestly, I thought his indomitable spirit was the impressive part. Besides...
"It's still three-on-two, isn't it?"
The real fight starts now—or so there was a time when I thought that.
Contrary to my expectations, the match ended in a heartbeat. Once the left side of their defense crumbled, Serena took down the one on the right with a Spark, and Elicia shot the leader-like boy in the center with an Ice Lance.
...Once the wall stopped regenerating, it was over in a flash.
"Winners, Luka Noctear Team!"
Our second victory. It felt a bit too easy, and I didn't get much of a sense of accomplishment. Though, a win is a win!
"The second round was no problem either," Elicia noted.
"Yeah, it was easy."
"Y-Yeah, I guess."
I thought it had been a close match, but neither Elicia nor Serena had a single speck of dust on their clothes. I’m so glad I teamed up with these two. I’m so glad I ditched Alan! (Garbage ethics and all.)
If we can keep this up until the finals, I should be able to secure a decent grade. This wasn't just a boat I happened to board; it was a luxury liner, and I intended to ride it to the very end.