"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! They transformed?! All three of them?! That’s incredible! So cool!"
"Hahaha. Well, I can understand the excitement. It’s quite the spectacle, isn’t it?"
"No, Ryuga-kun. Yugo’s excited for a completely different reason than most people. I don’t fully understand it myself, but his reaction isn't the same as the other guys' here..."
Watching the transformation sequence of the Warrior Shrine Maidens—which felt like it was pulled straight from the heroine segments of his favorite Nichiasa shows for girls—Yugo’s otaku heart was thoroughly captivated.
While most of the male students were enthralled by the sight of the girls appearing nearly naked for a split second, clad only in light, Yugo watched the sequence with sparkling eyes, mesmerized by every detail of the process.
Melt didn't quite grasp his specific brand of logic, but she understood that as a hero fanatic, he was seeing something the others weren't. As she explained Yugo’s eccentricities to Ryuga, the Warrior Shrine Maidens began their full-scale assault on the monsters.
"Strike first, strike hard! Here I come!"
Moving faster than the other two, Sakura brandished the naginata that had materialized in her hands, cleaving through the monsters’ ranks.
Yugo was impressed by her reach, striking down a crowd of enemies at once, and the sheer lethality of the blows that slaughtered them. As he watched, Ryuga began to provide commentary on the girl and her Magic Item.
"Sakura Amamiya... She is an elite from the House of Amamiya, a prestigious family in Yamato that worships the Water Dragon. Her mother was also a Warrior Shrine Maiden, and her father is a general of great renown. Raised by such parents, she was trained not just as a priestess, but as a warrior. She wields the Rain Dragon Naginata, crafted from the tail of a dragon that governs the rain. It is a weapon that perfectly balances power and grace, ideal for her Naginata Techniques that blend fluid, dance-like movements with bold, heavy strikes."
Following the explanation, Yugo narrowed his eyes to observe Sakura more closely. He noticed that every time she swung her weapon, fine droplets of water danced through the air.
He surmised she was likely coating the blade with a layer of water thinned to the absolute limit, using the force of a high-pressure stream to amplify the power of her slashes. Ryuga then moved on to the second maiden.
"The white-haired Warrior Shrine Maiden, Setsuna Kogarashi, is an archer. Her Dragon String Bow was made using the whiskers of a Wind Dragon; by releasing its power, she can manipulate the wind in various ways. Since her arrows are generated from her own magic power, she never has to worry about running out of ammunition. However, the true strength of that Magic Item lies in her calm judgment and her mastery of the bow."
"Whoa...! She’s using a Magic Item similar to my Sword Ring...!" Melt exclaimed.
Setsuna provided flawless support for Sakura on the front lines. At times, she pierced monsters with rapid-fire shots; at others, she fired arrows wrapped in miniature tornadoes to blow away groups of enemies. She even demonstrated curved shots, manipulating the wind to strike from unexpected angles.
Fighting without a hint of emotion as she systematically eliminated the monsters, she was the picture of composure. Her ability to read the battlefield from the rear was clearly exceptional.
"And the third... Raiha Utusemi. At first glance, she appears unarmed, but do you see that glove-like piece on her right hand? That is a specialized Magic Item made from a Thunder Dragon Claw. By 'writing' characters in the air with the claw extending from her index finger, she can manifest various effects. She draws characters on slips of paper to create Talismans imbued with lightning, using them to provide support or to deliver the finishing blow. Though she’s small, she’s a formidable Warrior Shrine Maiden."
"I’m ready! Sakura-chan, get back!"
Raiha was equipped with a peculiar Magic Item that looked like a fingerless glove covering only her index finger. She gave the signal to Sakura and closed her eyes, focusing her mind.
In an instant, lightning struck from above—despite the practice ground being indoors—channeling through the numerous Talismans she had scattered to incinerate the monsters one after another.
"Wow, that’s amazing...! They aren't letting the monsters get anywhere near them!"
"So this is the prowess of the Warrior Shrine Maidens from Yamato... Hmm? Ryuga, is something wrong? You look a little stiff."
"Huh? Oh, uh, no, sorry... I was just a bit startled. I'm... not very fond of lightning."
The monsters weren't particularly high-level, but their numbers were significant. Yugo, impressed by the seamless coordination the maidens used to slaughter them all, noticed that Ryuga’s expression had turned grim.
When Yugo pointed it out, Ryuga let out a strained laugh and bashfully confessed his weakness.
Even the man called the Strongest Swordsman had something he feared, Yugo thought. As he processed this, Sakura and the others returned from the combat zone to address the students again.
"That is the extent of our prowess. We are still but novices, which is why we hope to refine ourselves through our interaction with you all. During the upcoming audition, I shall be looking for those who can help us grow by standing at our side. Setsuna, Raiha, and the professors... each will observe your performance according to their own standards. I hope that you, the elite of Luminous Academy, will show us the full extent of your strength."
"Right... I think I've got the gist of it," Yugo muttered.
"Are you sure, Yugo? Do you really understand?" Melt asked, looking at him with concern.
The situation was straightforward, but for some reason, whenever Yugo said he understood, Melt couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of anxiety. While she worried, Lamy took over from Sakura and began to explain the technical details of the examination to the gathered students.