Lunch break arrived, but I didn’t head to the school cafeteria as I usually did.
I had received a certain invitation.
While I was getting ready for the day back at the dorms, Evi had spoken to me. He wanted me to meet him on the rooftop during lunch.
It was surely about the upcoming Magics War.
I climbed the stairs to the roof. Reaching the top floor, I slowly turned the knob.
The door opened with a heavy creak, letting in a sudden gust of wind. I stepped out into the breeze and found Albert and Evi waiting for me.
"Ray. You're here."
I faced the two of them. We weren't enemies, but I could feel a certain fighting spirit radiating from them.
"So, what's the business at hand?" I asked, initiating the conversation.
I already had a good idea of what they wanted to say, but this was a necessary ritual. By prompting them, I ensured the conversation would proceed smoothly.
"We're entering the Magics War," Albert said. His expression was more serious than I had ever seen it.
"I see."
"The members are Evi, myself... and..."
I already knew the last name. I wasn't surprised by the news, but I wasn't so dense that I failed to understand the significance of them telling me this in person.
"Senior Lucas Forst."
"...The winner of the Magics Chevalier main tournament. His swordsmanship was overwhelming. I see. So you’ve teamed up with him."
"Yeah. At first, we thought about asking you, Ray. However..."
Evi stepped forward. He was usually the group's cheerful mood-maker, but now he looked just as solemn as Albert.
"We realized we wanted to fight you, Ray. That’s what we really want."
"Is that so?"
"You’re definitely at the peak of all sorcerers, Ray. But that’s exactly why we want to chase after you. We can’t just stay in your shadow forever."
Evi grinned, his white teeth flashing. His smile was a clear manifestation of his desire to clash with me head-on. I had sensed that determination from Albert before, but I hadn't realized Evi felt the same way.
"I’m aiming to be a Hunter, so I didn't really care about tournaments. But Ray, Albert... you guys inspired me. Hehe..."
Evi rubbed his nose, looking a bit bashful. It was a side of him I hadn't seen before.
"And that’s the long and short of it, Ray," Albert added.
His aura was different now. In the beginning, he had viewed me as an enemy. But after our duel and his total defeat, he had looked inward and rebuilt himself to reach this point.
The rate of growth varies from person to person. However, the most important thing is acceptance. You must know where you currently stand. Otherwise, you can never move forward.
In that sense, Albert was fully aware of the gap between us, yet he had piled effort upon effort and shown his will to fight me once more. Seeing him like that reminded me of my past self.
I had always wanted to be like my Master. I grew up watching her back, constantly striving to reach her. But before I knew it, I was no longer chasing her.
That didn't mean I had surpassed her. Rather, I had found a meaning in my life that went beyond simply following in her footsteps.
And now, Albert and Evi were continuing to grow because they were inspired by me. And they were teaming up with the Absolute Blade Sorcerer to do it.
The thought made my heart race.
During the Magics Chevalier, I could only stand by and watch. But the reason I wanted to fight in the Magics War now was because of them. Because I had these people in my life, I had begun to feel a desire to compete and improve alongside them.
"Ray. Next time, I won't lose."
"I can't afford to lose, either."
Albert reached out his hand. We shared a firm, heavy handshake. His hand was thick and calloused—a clear testament to his hard work.
"Ray."
"...Evi."
The large youth stepped up. Evi had narrowly lost to the Club President during the Cultural Festival, but he hadn't stopped training since then. He was even more muscular now than when we had first enrolled. Even though his physique was already near-perfect, he never neglected his discipline. That attitude was truly worthy of respect.
"I don't think I would’ve worked this hard if I hadn't met you, Ray."
"I’m sure you would have."
"No, I mean it. On the day we became roommates, you started your muscle training immediately, didn't you?"
"I did."
It was a nostalgic memory. I recall I was just trying to get through my daily routine as usual.
"I thought then that you were someone special. Obviously, I could see your body was well-trained, but your dedication moved me. I'd never seen anyone like you. After training with you and spending my school life with you, I started thinking the same thing."
Our eyes met, and his voice was thick with passion.
"I want to fight you, Ray. In so many ways, you're the goal I'm aiming for."
"I see... Then I shall accept your challenge head-on."
"Yeah!"
I shook Evi's hand as well. His hand was enormous. I gripped it with all my strength. After a handshake so firm it was almost painful, the two of them turned and walked away.
"Ray! Don't you dare lose before we face you!"
"Yeah! If you do, I'm gonna laugh in your face!"
"Hmph. Those are my lines."
I really was blessed. I had found irreplaceable friends at this academy. But I wouldn't hold back just because they were my friends. We were friends, but we were also rivals.
"And that's what happened."
After school. Before starting our session, I explained the afternoon's events while we were doing our flexibility exercises.
Ariane's eyes lit up with excitement.
"...How hot-blooded!"
"It's actually a bit chilly out, isn't it?"
"That is not what I mean! I am talking about the interaction! Truly a battle between men! My blood is boiling! And then there is me, the maiden who shall gallantly intervene! I am getting fired up now!"
Ariane made her declaration in her usual loud, boastful voice. Amelia, on the other hand, looked like she was about to keel over.
Since we were focusing on building their base physical strength, I was subjecting them to grueling workouts. Of course, I was carefully monitoring them to ensure they stayed right at their limits. Amelia always looked like she was dying both before and after training, but Ariane did a good job of supporting her.
"Amelia! You feel the same way, do you not!?"
"...I mean, I guess. But the thought of more running is just... depressing."
"What are you saying!? We shall overcome this together!"
"Y-yeah, I suppose..."
I blew the whistle hanging from my neck. Peep!
"Roll call!"
"O—ne!"
"T—wo! Desu wa!"
"Good. Everyone is present."
I laid out the day's training menu for the two girls waiting before me.
"Today, just like usual, we will run through Kafka Forest without Physical Reinforcement. If you encounter monsters, you are to engage them. Understood?"
Ranger!!
"Umu. Excellent. Let’s go!"
Range—r!!
And so, we threw ourselves into our training as we did every day.
A few hours later.
"Haa... haa... haa... gag... I'm dying... seriously, this is bad..."
"Ugh... guh... haa... haa... this is truly extraordinary... haa... haa... I never imagined... haa... haa... it would be this intense... So this is the Ainsworth-style Boot Camp... haa... haa..."
"Phew... Alright. You both did well to keep up."
Amelia was sprawled out on the ground, while Ariane was hunched over with her hands on her knees, her legs trembling.
"Now you see how much you've been relying on magic, don't you?"
"I suppose so... haa... haa... I never dreamed I could be pushed this far... haa... haa... This boot camp is something else..."
"Still, Ariane, you're impressive. I'm surprised you could keep up with that."
"Of course! For a maiden, this much is only natural!"
As Ariane spoke, the prone Amelia muttered a faint retort. "There's no way... that's natural..."
After the session, even the usually resilient Amelia had no energy left. That said, the fact that she wasn't trying to run away showed how much she had grown. She likely didn't want to lose to Ariane. Even though they were on the same team, they were also rivals.
"Alright! Moving on to the next menu!"
"Ranger! Desu wa!"
"Ra... nger..."
"Amelia trainee! Your voice is too small!"
"Waaaaaaaah! It hurts so much after all!!"
I scolded the complaining Amelia as we moved on to even more training. Everything was for the sake of winning the Magics War.