I'm bored.
That was the impression left on Mercedes Meltzelia.
Although she had tried to light a fire under her classmates, there was still no sign of anyone overtaking her—or even catching up, for that matter.
The blatantly planted magical beasts, presumably arranged by Magias, were all small fry that offered neither thrill nor pleasure. Things that vanished with a mere brush of her blade could hardly be called enemies.
Tedious.
Dull.
Uninteresting.
Swinging her sword in her family dojo would have been far more meaningful than this, drawing yet another sigh from Mercedes.
Nobody could keep up after she showed only a fraction of her true strength.
That fact was now being proven.
Or was the majority simply made up of spineless cowards who lacked the will to compete even after being provoked? At the very least, about three of them should have been giving chase...
She had thought that coming to this place, where the pinnacle of her generation gathered, would yield somewhat decent rivals, but perhaps she had expected too much.
Could it be that the scores they displayed on the exam truly represented their absolute best? If they had laid all their cards on the table back then, it was deeply disappointing.
If events like today's were to continue, she would have no choice but to deem her classmates failures, at least as rivals in practical magic.
Striving for the title of Archmage alongside them held no benefit for Mercedes.
Fawning over one another to suit the teacher's wishes would merely result in a parent-and-chick dynamic where Mercedes unilaterally gave everything away. Mercedes had no interest in calling such an arrangement friendship.
If this place was no good, should she establish her own guild and shift her competitive arena to society...? No, but she still wanted the preferential treatment regarding the qualifications for the Archmage exam.
Just then, she distinctly felt the pulse of magical power within the quiet forest.
One person was right behind her. Two more were situated not far from there. And three were airborne.
Had the pursuit sped up somewhat thanks to Mercedes carving through the magical beasts along the way? Even so, seeing their admirable efforts to cling to her trail slightly improved her mood. Back in her homeland, they had all been small fry incapable of even that much.
At this rate, if she trained a few of them, they might serve as decent playmates.
"Fufu..."
There was still room for enjoyment.
Her emotion manifested as a daring smile for only a brief moment before a colossal shadow loomed into Mercedes's view.
"My?"
She rested one hand on the long sword hanging at her side.
A quarry that finally looked worth slicing had appeared.
This size—perhaps it was a big one originally meant to be handled by everyone together.
The destination was close at hand.
She would claim first place on her own with its head in hand and tell Miss Blanchard:
Make me the faculty representative.
◇
Since the stench of dead magical beasts had drifted all the way to the highway, I had a pretty good idea of what was happening inside the forest.
Garry drew his spear without saying a word, keeping up his sprint.
Apparently, that was his weapon of choice.
I drew the single short sword I had brought along from its scabbard as well.
This was a masterpiece among the magic swords I had forged so far.
It wasn't flashy, but it was compact and easy to handle, and even the old man had called it "somewhat decent."
The two who had gone ahead on the woodland path had clearly run wild; the area was wrecked as if a typhoon had torn through. A considerable number of magical beasts had been struck down.
Perhaps the beasts had lost their will to fight, as only a few scattered individuals came attacking.
These were ferocious creatures, but they were the type to display their true value in packs.
Now that their numbers were thinned, they were no great threat.
"...You're pretty fast on your feet," Garry said, keeping his eyes forward as he swung his weapon, cleaving through a quadrupedal beast lunging in from the side. The beast's body—by no means small—popped like a balloon.
"What's your magical coefficient?"
"I haven't measured the exact number yet."
"Don't lie to me."
"No, I'm serious."
This sort of thing was kind of hard to explain.
I hated the idea of being treated like a bumpkin if I explained the circumstances.
Was this the kind of information people asked for casually, like asking what your hundred-meter sprint time was?
"Like I said at the start, I grew up out in the boonies, so—"
A monkey-type magical beast leaping down from a tree branch caught my eye, and I pointed the tip of my short sword toward it. The blade smoothly extended, and the flat of the sword slapped the airborne beast out of the sky.
"—I don't really know much about how things work here."
"Well, yeah, it's only been about five years since people started using that test..."
Apparently, the concept of a magical coefficient had existed for a long time, but measurements used to be far more complicated. The result of Magias's research to make it more accurate and simplified was that exam, or so I'd heard.
"Wait, is that a magic sword?"
I gave a quiet nod to Garry's question.
Whether my sword could strictly be classified as a magic sword was honestly borderline, but calling it a pseudo-magic sword was too troublesome to explain.
At the very least, Allongé: The Extending Vine Sword could barely be classified as a magic sword in terms of performance.
All it did was extend, but it was sturdy and cut exceptionally well.
"Is that what your family business is?"
"Yeah."
"Hold on. Don't tell me... you can make magic swords yourself?"
"Pretty much."
"T-That's incredible..."
It didn't feel bad to have my family's secret craft praised, but given the circumstances, I was hesitant to blab about it recklessly to others. Still, it meant I had grown enough for someone else to evaluate me as "incredible." Though compared to the old man's magic swords, well, it was what it was.
"What are you best at, Garry?"
"Ah, well, me..."
Garry hesitated for just a moment, then held his palm out toward a beast that happened to be lunging at him.
Instantly, a blue flash of lightning pierced right through the beast's body.
I had no idea how much energy had been produced, but the beast lying on the ground was charred black.
So that's what happens when you take an electric shock—terrifying.
"This."
"Electricity, huh?"
"I shoot lightning, or stimulate my nerves to boost my reflexes and physical performance. Don't go blabbing to people, though."
"Got it."
"So if I got serious, I'd be a hundred times faster than this. Right now, I'm just matching your pace."
He was that fast at full power?
The reason he hadn't gone all out until now was probably out of consideration for the surrounding area. If he went too fast, his clothes might burn right off, leaving him totally exposed.
While I was having such stupid thoughts, a particularly massive tremor enveloped the entire forest.
Tree branches thrashed wildly, and the beasts that had likely been waiting in the shadows scattered all at once. I could tell immediately that something huge was approaching.
Garry dropped into a sharp combat stance, sensing a presence on a completely different level from the small fry so far. I also took an overhand grip on my short sword.
"GYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!!"
Ripping through the woodland path, a gigantic black bird larger than a house made its appearance. Magical beasts of this size were rarely encountered unless you traveled to unexplored territories.
The giant bird was covered in slash wounds all over its body and breathed heavily, as though it had been fighting someone.
Its counterpart, a lone small shadow, appeared immediately.
Her supple movements, her chestnut hair, and above all, the long sword exceeding her own height made her easily recognizable even from a distance.
"Well, good day to you."
And that tone of voice. It was Mercedes.
A lot had happened, but it seemed we had finally caught up.
Running steadily had been worth it.
Wait, hold on. If she was here, where was Gerald?
"Let's see, if I recall correctly... Locke-san and Walker-san, was it? This is my prey, so watch from over there for a bit."
"The hell's her problem...?"
Garry knitted his brows in exasperation as Mercedes referred to the giant magical beast as her prey. Since she had no intention of cooperating from her side, it would be better for us to step in and help on our own accord.
Honestly, we wouldn't get anything even if we defeated it, and running away seemed like it would be faster, but it would be bad if this thing headed toward the classmates who weren't here right now. Above all, nobody other than me seemed to have the slightest intention of running.
"Brendan. Can you do this?"
Garry, who had been relatively cooperative, was now in a complete battle stance as well.
Guess we had no choice.
I adjusted the length of Allongé to about two meters.
First, take away its mobility.
The moment Garry leapt from the spot, I aimed for the giant bird's wing while its attention was drawn to Mercedes.
No matter how big it was, it was still an extension of a living creature.
If I destroyed its ligaments, it wouldn't be able to move freely.
The blade's tip, accelerated by its extension, grazed the base of the wing.
It shaved through bone and all.
The moment I felt the solid impact, the giant bird's pitch-black eyes locked onto me.
Mercedes and Garry did not miss the split second its target shifted to me.
Mercedes, who had been as calm as a dead sea until then, accelerated unnaturally the instant an opening appeared, slicing horizontally straight through the giant bird's belly along with its wing.
A roar of thunder sounded a fraction of a second later.
Garry, having leapt so high he disappeared from sight, now descended like a lightning bolt accompanied by an electrical blast, skewering the giant bird's back from directly above.
The tension in the air eased for a brief moment.
It was only natural for the two who had struck in near-perfect synchrony to assume they had pierced its vital points accurately.
The giant bird, having suffered a blow that should have been fatal, responded instead with a sky-splitting screech.
"Hah?"
By the time Garry retreated with a furrowed brow, the giant bird's external wounds were already steadily healing. It was a specimen possessing magical regenerative abilities.
"What a pain. Should we just keep hacking until its mana runs out?"
"No, if we do that, we won't make it to the meeting time."
This was purely speculation, but Miss Blanchard was probably telling us to deal with this thing and still make it on time.
A powerful enemy appeared.
So we couldn't make it in time. That wouldn't count as completing our objective.
Of course, the teachers hadn't openly stated that an enemy like this would attack. They were likely testing our judgment in situations like this, including whether to fight or not.
Just then, the giant bird shifted its stance and showed signs of taking flight.
Did it plan to fly away and escape?
From its perspective, it was already having its hands full with Mercedes alone, and then we had joined the fray. Wild instinct wasn't so stupid as to refuse to flee a disadvantageous battle.
Amae-san and the others were probably nearby as well.
I had no idea where Gerald was, either.
Now that we knew it could regenerate, letting it escape after driving it off was a bad idea.
Nothing else for it.
Let's kill it.
"Brendan! Match my timing!"
I froze mid-motion.
Glancing over, I saw Garry cloaking his spear in lightning, adopting a throwing stance. A tremendous torrent of magical power. He was serious.
Right after, the giant bird forcefully launched its massive body into the air.
The trees screamed as they shook under wind pressure resembling a jet stream.
Its regeneration was faster than expected.
In hindsight, I should have severed the wing completely from its base.
The magic sword's maximum extension limit was thirty meters.
It could still reach.
I would guide it into Garry's attack with a thrust, and finish it off this time.
"I believe I told you it was my prey."
Just then, I physically felt Mercedes's bloodlust swell more than twofold.
Before I realized it, her long sword was sheathed, and Mercedes herself was crouched low like a crouching tiger. I could see her dead zone expanding in a shape clearly wider than the reach of her blade.
At the sheer sword spirit practically declaring she would cut down anyone who interfered, Garry and I instantly halted our moves.
However, the giant bird had already cleared the forest canopy and soared into the sky above.
Even so, Mercedes showed not the slightest sign of giving up. Did she plan to leap up and finish it, or—
Just as I hesitated over whether to back her up, the loudest explosion yet echoed from the sky.
"—?!"
Unable to withstand the wind pressure that had struck several times today, several trees snapped. It was a roar so massive that even Mercedes, who should have been poised for a lethal strike, reflexively took a defensive posture.
A moment later, the giant bird was slammed into the ground like a meteorite.
I instantly understood that it hadn't fallen—it had been struck down.
Something was in the sky.
The answer descended immediately.
"Ohohoho! We have finally caught up with you all~!"
Appearing alongside a cheerful laugh were three girls seated on a broom.
Luluck, Amae-san, and Filiestra.
All three of them were seemingly unharmed.
"It came attacking us, so I swatted it down~!"
"Lulu-yan's punch power is crazy... It's basically a cannon."
"Amae-sama, please praise me more! Moooore!"
Apparently, Luluck had been the one to shoot down the giant bird.
True to their status as students of the Imperial Faculty, the other two showed no signs of being shaken by the gigantic magical beast.
"Hey, it's still alive!"
The one who reacted fastest to Garry's callout was the most quiet-looking girl, Filiestra.
"I'll halt its movement."
Saying only that, Filiestra pointed her fingertip at the crawling giant bird. Her light-blond bobbed hair swayed gently.
"Delirium: Anesthetic Depth II."
A needle-like ray of light shot from Filiestra's slender fingertip, piercing the giant bird.
She had likely injected some kind of poison.
The giant bird's movements, including its regeneration, were visibly slowing down.
Now was our chance.
"Cinnamon: Incense Cordite."
The next to act was Amae-san.
Something resembling scales or fine powder extended in a straight line from her small frame, enveloping the giant bird.
Snap. Her fingers clicked quietly.
That served as the signal for the attack.
"Alright, kaboom."
Heat and shock that could only be described as a deflagration erupted.
Instantly engulfed in flames, the giant bird's final reaction was a violent, convulsive rampage.
Even after taking the spells from Filiestra and Amae-san, the giant bird wildly thrashed its entire body while scattering sparks everywhere.
The moment everyone on the scene moved to pull back, Mercedes alone entered an attacking stance. She intended to intercept it head-on.
But with it thrashing like that, someone was bound to get injured before she could finish it.
Without delay, I extended Allongé at maximum speed, wrapping the blade around the bird's leg where the most weight was placed.
No matter how huge it was, it was still an extension of a bird.
It wasn't a weight I couldn't unbalance.
Gritting my teeth, I retracted the blade while pulling hard on the hilt.
With a heavy wobble...
The giant bird's entire mass tilted drastically.
"————Seven Heavens, Unsheathe."
Light streaked.
Seven flashes of sword light unleashed in an instant grazed the giant bird.
The very next moment, the massive body fell to pieces.
It wasn't a reckless hack driven by brute force.
Every single strike accurately targeted joints and vital points—a refined carving, so to speak.
I watched as the remains of the giant bird, finally dead for good, were cast onto the ground. Mercedes watched me from the corner of her eye, staring intently at my figure.