The physical reinforcement training was nearing its final stages, and the Ainsworth-style Boot Camp had progressed significantly.
During Amelia’s training over the summer, I had used a version Master adapted for students, which kept the physical burden relatively light. Even so, for someone like Amelia, who had never undergone such rigorous training before, it seemed like pure agony.
For the upcoming Magics War, I had intensified the regimen, making it much closer to military standards. In addition to basic running and weight training, the program pushed their bodies—reinforced with Inside Code—to their absolute limits.
Using Inside Code more than doubles the exhaustion, as it taxes the Magic Area just as much as the physical body. This is the very essence of the Ainsworth-style Boot Camp.
Training magic and the body simultaneously. Only by being thorough with this can a sorcerer truly utilize magic in close-quarters combat. Furthermore, mental discipline is an inescapable factor. If the mind becomes unstable, the magic follows suit.
The unity of mind, technique, and body—shin-gi-ittai. That was the core principle Master had always drilled into me.
"Both of you! You can still keep going!"
"Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"
"Desuwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"
The two of them let out voices that were more like screams than responses.
We were currently sprinting through Kafka Forest. I was shouting encouragement from behind, but there was no doubt that both Amelia and Ariane were nearing their breaking points.
Still, they squeezed out every last drop of willpower and kept running.
"I can't take any more of this training!"
"I'll definitely outrun you!"
They were running for their lives, but for this particular session, I had assigned them a game of tag.
If they managed to avoid being caught within the one-hour time limit, today’s training would end. On the other hand, if they were caught, further training awaited them.
When I first told them the rules, Amelia’s face had turned pale while Ariane’s features twitched.
I allowed Amelia and Ariane to use physical reinforcement via Inside Code, but I restricted myself from using any magic at all. I was chasing them with nothing but my natural physical ability.
This level of handicap was necessary, given that neither of them was used to navigating jungle-like terrain.
"Amelia, let's split up!!"
"Eek! What if he comes after me!?"
"We'll deal with that if it happens!"
They scattered.
Ariane veered off to the right, while Amelia changed her course to the left.
"Which one to target..." I muttered to myself.
It was a tough choice. Ariane was escaping by utilizing her overwhelming physical capabilities. Amelia was inferior to Ariane in that regard, but she was intimately familiar with these woods. It was likely the result of the frequent training sessions we had held here back in the summer.
"This way."
I decided to go after Amelia. Logically, it made more sense to secure Amelia first and then focus on Ariane.
Even taking Amelia's experience into account, Ariane had the overall advantage when it came to evading capture. I wanted to get the easier target out of the way first.
"Hieeeeeeeeeee! He's coming this waaaaaaaaay!!"
Amelia shrieked as she dashed through the trees. In terms of pure speed, Amelia—who was reinforcing herself with magic—was naturally faster. No matter how well I moved, I shouldn't have been able to catch her without magic. However, inside a forest, the rules were different.
In the woods, you can't simply move in a straight line.
One has to weave between trees and navigate the thick carpet of fallen leaves without slipping. It was in these small moments that a gap was born. Naturally, I began to close that gap bit by bit.
"Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"
Amelia went into a full sprint, running as if throwing everything to the wind. But then...
"Ah..."
Because she was running so recklessly, her foot slipped on a patch of leaves. As she tumbled, I reached out and caught her before she could hit the ground.
"Caught you, Amelia."
"Ah... u-um..."
I had caught her in a princess carry, but it was unavoidable under the circumstances. Amelia, for her part, had become curiously quiet. I assumed there was no issue.
"Go wait outside the forest. After I secure Ariane, I'll assign a different menu to you."
After leaving her with those words, I gallantly departed.
As I moved away, I heard Amelia's scream of "I hate this alreadyyyyyyyyyy!" echoing from behind me.
"Now then, time to find Ariane."
If I used my Anti-Material Field, identifying her location would be trivial, but I was bound by the condition of not using magic. This meant I had to find Ariane, who was actively hiding, through my own tracking skills.
I returned to the point where they had split up and followed the direction Ariane had taken. I could see clear tracks of someone running on the ground... until they suddenly vanished.
"Up, huh..."
I looked up and leaped into the trees.
"...I see."
Ariane had been clever, but even in the trees, she left slight traces. Furthermore, because she was using magic, residual Prima Materia lingered in the air.
I tracked the trail of her Prima Materia, leaping from branch to branch, until I spotted a flash of platinum hair peeking out from behind a rock. Having found her, I jumped down and sprinted across the earth. I hoped to catch her before she noticed me, but...
"...You're here already!!?"
The sound of my landing had given me away.
Ariane leaped up and attempted to flee once more. Unlike Amelia, Ariane's physical capabilities—when bolstered by magic—were top-class even among the student body. She already possessed the physical prowess of a professional soldier.
Securing her would be a challenge, but unlike me, she lacked experience in the forest. Just like with Amelia, that was the only weakness I could exploit.
"I'll prove I can escape you!"
She bolted.
I glanced at my wristwatch. Only fifteen minutes remained. It was a short window, but since I had already secured Amelia, I could focus all my resources on Ariane. I still had a chance.
And so, our final game of tag began.
"Haa... haa... haa... Ugh... I lost... by a hair..."
"Phew. That really was down to the wire."
The game ended in my victory.
There were only ten seconds left on the clock.
Ariane had momentarily lost her balance, and the instant she stumbled, I tackled her. I had judged that I wouldn't catch her in time just by running, and the gamble had paid off.
Currently, I was pinned on top of Ariane. My own fatigue had reached a significant level, making it difficult to steady my breathing.
"Sorry. I ended up practically hugging you."
"Eh...? Ah. W-Well, it's not like I particularly mind..."
I'm fairly certain I heard her mutter, "It would be bad if Amelia found us, though..." She likely didn't want to be seen in such a defeated state. It was very like Ariane to worry about that.
"Well then, shall we head back?"
"Yes."
Once our breathing had steadied, I stood up and offered her a hand.
I supported her weight as she stood. Although she possessed a shapely figure, she felt surprisingly light.
"Ray, you really didn't use any magic, did you?"
"I didn't."
"That is truly extraordinary..."
We walked side by side back toward the edge of the woods. Ariane seemed genuinely impressed.
"No. To be honest, I thought I could catch both of you quickly. I didn't expect it to be this close."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. You should be proud of yourself."
"I am happy to hear you say that, Ray."
Her hair was a mess and she was drenched in sweat, but Ariane’s smile was radiant nonetheless.
When we stepped out of Kafka Forest, Amelia came running toward us.
"Ah! W-What happened?"
"It is my defeat," Ariane admitted.
"Though there were only ten seconds left," I added.
"...As expected, you're amazing, Ariane."
Amelia, who had been caught quite early on, offered sincere praise. I could hear the genuine respect in her voice.
"Now then. It's time for your penalties."
"I am ready for it!" Ariane declared.
Behind her, I saw Amelia trying to sneak away.
"Amelia trainee!"
"R-Ranger!"
Triggered by the conditioned reflex, she jumped and saluted on the spot.
"Desertion is a serious crime."
"N-No, well... I just thought I'd take a little break..."
"Amelia, you've had plenty of rest while I was chasing Ariane. Meanwhile, Ariane is ready to jump into the next exercise immediately. You should follow her example."
Hearing that, Ariane puffed out her chest.
"Fufun! Amelia, you’re welcome to use me as your role model, you know?"
"Ugh... you two are just muscle-heads..."
"Moving on!"
"Ranger! Desuwa!"
"Range—r..."
"I can't hear you!"
"Ranger!!"
And so, we moved on to the next part of the regimen.
Naturally, Amelia's screams continued to echo through the forest for a long time afterward.