"Huff... huff... huff!"
Ariane Olgren exhaled sharply.
Her beautiful, platinum-blonde curls were currently pulled back into a single ponytail. As was her custom, she was pushing herself through a grueling training session. It wasn't magical practice, however, but pure physical conditioning.
While she certainly valued her magical studies, her current priority was tempering her own body.
The Cultural Festival at Diom Magic Academy had concluded without incident, and the second semester was already halfway over. Usually, the only major event left in the calendar would be the Carol Festival on December 25th.
Ariane had assumed as much, but this year was different. She had recently received word of a new development from her father, Volkhard.
"Ariane."
"What is it, Father?"
The man stood before her, bare-chested and imposing. Even as he spoke, he continued to exert pressure on his overwhelming muscles.
"This December. The day before the Carol Festival. A new event will be introduced."
"...Is this something within noble society?"
"No, this concerns the academies."
"The academies...?"
Ariane couldn't quite place it. She folded her arms and searched her memory until a certain rumor surfaced.
"Could it be... the team competition?"
"As expected of my daughter! Gahaha!"
Volkhard let out a boisterous laugh.
Until now, the main highlight for the Kingdom’s academy students was the Magics Chevalier. However, a recent consensus reached by the Noble Council and the Magic Association had changed things.
"The name is the Magics War."
"The Magics War... is it?"
"Umu. It will be a battle between teams of three. The specific details should be announced soon."
"I see... how interesting. But that leaves only about two months to prepare."
"We wanted to announce it sooner, but the world of sorcerers is riddled with complications and red tape..."
"I can only imagine."
She wasn't the eldest daughter of one of the Three Great Noble Families for nothing. Ariane possessed a keen understanding of the sorcerous world, particularly the intricacies of noble society. She knew that whenever someone tried to introduce something new, they were met with stubborn resistance from those who cried about a "lack of precedent."
She surmised that there had been a great deal of political maneuvering behind the scenes to make this happen.
"There is one more point, and it is the most important one."
"The most important...?"
Ariane wondered what could possibly be more significant than the event itself. Her father turned to her with a look of intent.
"For this tournament—though I cannot speak for future years—teams of three are not restricted by academy. For this year only, students from different schools may form a team together. This was a proposal from the Headmaster of Arnold Magic Academy, Abby Garnet. It has been officially ratified."
"The Sorcerer of Scorching Heat made such a proposal?"
"Indeed."
Ariane was left momentarily speechless.
Historically, the various academies had maintained a healthy, if intense, rivalry. They took pride in their distinct identities and the sense of unity within their respective student bodies. Ariane quickly pieced together the implications.
Conservative sorcerers would surely despise this rule. They would likely argue that, much like the Magics Chevalier, teams should represent their own academy. Yet, the final decision stood: the walls between academies were gone. Students from all three major schools were free to mix and match as they pleased.
"H-How did such a thing come to pass?"
"It wasn't just her. We’ve felt the same way for a long time."
Volkhard’s expression grew uncharacteristically solemn. He paused his training and stared into the distance as he spoke.
"For too long, each academy has remained static, for better or for worse. That is how their specific traits were born: Arnold for balance, Diom for physical strength, and Mercrose for magic. But we believed a new wind was needed. There are sights you can only see when you team up with sorcerers who possess what you lack."
"...Yes. I certainly agree with that sentiment."
"What do you say, Ariane? Does the prospect not excite you?"
Ariane took a breath. She was anything but conservative; her free-spirited nature made her a natural advocate for innovation. Above all else, she loved new and exciting things.
"Of course! My heart is absolutely dancing with excitement!" she declared proudly.
When she first heard of the Magics War, she had been considering which of her classmates to recruit. Now, her mind raced with new possibilities. She already knew exactly who she wanted to team up with from the other schools.
"Heh... as expected of my daughter. I have high hopes for you."
"Yes, Father!"
With renewed vigor, Ariane resumed her training, eager to surpass her current self.
"Huff... huff... hah...!"
In a quiet room elsewhere, Albert Alium was likewise pushing himself.
Sweat poured down his face, but he didn't stop to wipe it away, focused entirely on his routine. As a member of the upper nobility, he had a private room in the dormitory, allowing him to train in solitude without fear of interruption.
Though the Cultural Festival was over and the horizon seemed clear of major events, Albert never missed a session. He had been training every single day since the moment he lost to Ray and decided to move forward.
"...Good."
Finishing his workout, he sat down and reached for his water.
Initially, Albert had been plagued by doubt. He wondered if this kind of training would truly lead to growth or if he needed to be doing something more drastic. He had sought advice from anyone he could find—Ray, the Club President, Evi, and various other sorcerers.
The answer he received was always the same.
Dramatic, instantaneous growth was a fantasy. Only small, daily refinements could carry a person to great heights. It was only by refusing to waste a single day that, looking back, one would realize how far they had come.
Albert had taken those lessons to heart. There was no need to rush. He only needed to keep moving forward with honest determination. He still felt anxiety and impatience, but he channeled those feelings into the foundation of his daily work.
However, today his emotions were particularly stirred.
"...The Magics War, huh."
He, too, had received word of the upcoming event before the official announcement. A team-based battle involving groups of three. It followed the same format as the Magics Chevalier, with preliminary rounds leading into a main tournament.
Most importantly, the barriers between Arnold Magic Academy, Diom Magic Academy, and Mercrose Magic Academy had been torn down.
It was a shocking decision, one he hadn't seen coming. His first thought had been to enter alongside Ray and Evi. He was fairly certain they would have accepted him.
But then, he paused.
"...Is that really what's best?"
He turned his thoughts inward, reflecting on his own goals.
Entering with his friends would certainly be comfortable. He understood their magic and knew they could coordinate well. But wasn't that comfort just a form of complacency?
He felt a premonition that staying in such a safe environment would stunt his growth. And more than anything, one specific thought dominated his mind.
"I might actually get the chance to fight Ray again."
Not a duel born of petty spite or personal grudges, but a true competition. He had heard from Ray that he was in top form lately, making his participation a real possibility.
"...Haha. I’m truly pathetic."
His hands trembled at the mere thought of facing Ray. The memory of their last encounter served as a constant reminder that Ray White was on an entirely different level. To be one of the Seven Grand Sorcerers at that age—and the strongest Ice Sword Sorcerer at that—was proof of a talent that stood at the absolute peak of the world.
Ray was gifted, yes, but Albert also knew how hard the boy worked. He had seen the discipline firsthand.
And that was exactly why Albert felt the way he did.
"I want to fight him. I want to face Ray once more."
The fear was there, but he accepted it. He wanted to know exactly how far he could reach as he was now.
Thus, the stage for the Magics War was set, a place where various intentions and resolve would soon collide.