A brilliant flash of crimson light erupted, and Yugo emerged from within, clad in his Blaster armor.
The Arachlaws flinched at the sight, but rather than rushing them immediately, the transformed Yugo turned to Neries.
"Alright, Neries. How do you want to handle these guys?"
"Let’s see..."
Knowing the exam was designed to test Neries's decision-making and tactical awareness, Yugo left the lead entirely to her.
Neries noted the Arachlaws' hesitation. Realizing she had a moment to breathe, she quickly assessed the situation.
Before anything else, she needed to confirm one vital piece of information. She looked at Yugo.
"Yugo-san, do you feel any different? Any sluggishness or loss of strength?"
"I don't really feel anything. Everything seems... normal."
"Then your attack power and speed haven't been touched yet. Either the magic hasn't triggered, or it's a defensive debuff."
Checking her ally's status was her top priority. To formulate an effective plan, she had to know exactly what kind of handicaps Yugo was facing.
Missing an abnormality in her partner because she was too focused on the enemy was out of the question. Her training had taught her to maintain her composure even in the heat of battle, and she wasn't about to fail that lesson now.
Once Yugo confirmed his condition, Neries formulated a strategy. She spoke her thoughts aloud, ensuring clear communication to make their coordination seamless. She leveled her staff and called out to him.
"I'm casting Attack Power Enhancement Magic! These things are no match for you, Yugo-san!"
"Attack is the best defense, then! Got it!"
Neries knew Yugo's true strength better than anyone after their training together.
Arachlaws were nothing to him. Instructor Uno likely knew that as well and had only summoned them as a warm-up.
If that was the case, she needed to conserve her magic power and stick to minimal buffs to clear this wave. Two more battles awaited them after this, and going all out now would be a mistake.
Neries decided on a strategy focused on finishing the enemies in a single blow to avoid any chance of a counterattack. Yugo agreed and, with her support magic surging through him, lunged into the swarm.
"Blaster Punch!"
"Gogyah!?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Yugo drove a magic-infused fist into the lead monster.
The Arachlaw took the full force of the blow and was sent flying backward, shattering into particles of magic power before it even hit the ground.
While the remaining Magic Armor Beasts stood frozen in shock, Yugo followed up with a lightning-fast knifehand strike and a roundhouse kick, annihilating the group in the blink of an eye.
"Yes! Everything's going perfectly!"
"Hmph... Arachlaws are hardly a warm-up for Yugo. They should have sent out a few more if they wanted to test him."
Their friends cheered from the stands, watching the pair secure an effortless first victory.
In the supervisor's room, Uno watched the monitor and gave a small nod.
"As I thought, they’re no match for that level. Then how about this?"
Uno sent a command to the control room to summon the next wave.
Light erupted in the center of the practice ground, swirling together to form the shape of a new Magic Armor Beast.
Only one creature appeared this time, but its presence was on an entirely different scale than the Arachlaws. When the light faded, a massive, bull-like beast clad in rugged stone plating emerged.
"Bumoooooooooooo!!"
"A Bull Golem...! The difficulty just spiked!"
"It looks incredibly powerful. And it’s huge...!"
"But Niisan won't lose! He can take down a monster like that no problem!"
The second opponent was a Bull Golem—a Magic Armor Beast born from the fusion of a Minotaur and a Golem.
They had encountered one before, and its physical power and defense were terrifying.
The observers believed Yugo would still prevail, but it was at that exact moment that the bracelet's handicap triggered.
"Urgh! Whoa...!?"
"Yugo-san, what’s wrong!?"
"My strength... it's draining away! Is this the bracelet's debuff?"
Yugo tried to squeeze his hands into fists, but his arms felt heavy and weak.
Neries looked back and forth between the weakened Yugo and the towering Bull Golem. A cold sweat broke out across her back.
"We have to fight a Bull Golem—a monster known for its overwhelming power and defense—while Yugo-san’s strength is sapped... The school is really playing dirty."
Facing a stone-armored juggernaut while her partner was enfeebled was a nightmare scenario. A direct clash of strength was out of the question. Even if Yugo landed a clean hit, she doubted he had enough power left to pierce that thick rock armor.
The situation was dire, and the matchup was intentionally poor, but Neries refused to give up.
An idea sparked in her mind. She immediately shouted the plan to Yugo.