"Oh, ooooh!" Darell’s voice bood with excitent. "A blockbuster right from the first pick! This is huge! A big match between Special Admission No. 1 and No. 3!"
Simon looked at Chatel, slightly bewildered. The giant, nearly twice his height, was pointing at him with a heavy, thick finger. The dark shadow he cast felt like a physical weight pressing down on Simon’s shoulders.
’Chatel nominated .’
A lineage of ancient giant-hybrids and the best defense in Kizen. Chatel was a threatening opponent even for Simon. He was in a realm so untouchable that Simon had resolved to avoid Serne, Chatel, and Lorraine at all costs during the Dueling Evaluation.
A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd, punctuated by a loud ’thud!’ from across the hall. Hector, his face crimson with rage, had slamd his fist on the table. Thick veins stood out on his neck, and muscles bulged across his body.
"CHATEL!!!" he roared.
So students scread and covered their ears. It was Dragon Fear.
"H-Hector!"
"Hey, hey, calm down!"
His horrified faction mbers grabbed his arms and legs to hold him back, but Hector dragged them along as he lurched forward.
"He’s lost it again!"
"Ah, what are the girls doing! Cast ‘Exhaust’ or sothing!" one of them scread, clinging desperately to Hector’s leg.
Just as the hesitant students behind them were about to prepare a curse, a voice cut through the chaos.
"Whoa, whoa."
Hector’s body stopped dead.
"I know you’re upset that soone snatched your chosen opponent, but on a day like today, let’s keep it civil, Junior."
The air creaked as puppets suddenly surrounded Hector, aiming their blades at him. The one controlling them was the emcee, Darell, who had appeared in front of Hector as if by teleportation.
’Wh-When did he get here from the stage?’ the faction mbers wondered, flinching away.
"Hehehe," Darell chuckled. "An area-of-effect curse at an official event? Friend, you must have really looked down on . Right?"
He was glancing at Jane, who was half-risen from her seat on the stage.
"Hey, hey! It’s fine, Professor! I’ve got it all handled! Hahaha!" Darell forced a bright smile and waved his hand before patting Hector’s shoulder. "Let’s stop, ‘kay?"
The puppet strings holding Hector back stretched taut, groaning under the strain as he tried to move again.
"Ah, seriously. I said stop. Hey. Hey. Ah, fuck." Darell’s smiling face montarily twisted into a demonic snarl. "Do I not look like a third-year to you?"
Just as the puppets’ mouths opened wide, about to transform into monsters, several feathers shot through the air with a series of soft ’thwips’, embedding themselves in Hector’s back. Hector, who had been seething with rage, finally cald, his movents ceasing.
"Oh my," a soft voice purred.
In the silence, everyone’s gaze turned. A girl in a dress, sitting with her legs crossed arrogantly, was holding a wine glass between her fingers.
The heir to the Ivory Tower. It was Serne Aindark.
"To think he’d act like that in front of a third-year senior. He must have lost his mind in a fit of anger." She tilted her wine glass and shot a foxy wink at Darell. "You’re not mad, are you, Senior?"
At her coquettish, lilting voice, Darell’s facial muscles relaxed into a dazed expression. Then he cleared his throat.
"Of course! Of course! I’m a generous guy."
"Hehe, then you’ll just let it slide, right?"
"If the heir to the Ivory Tower says so, I can’t refuse. Just this once, okay?"
Darell, pleased with Serne’s deferential treatnt, returned to the stage. As Serne smiled sweetly and set down her wine glass, a student at her table whispered, "What’s with the sudden whim?"
"I just thought there’s no harm in putting him in my debt," she said, smiling at her reflection in the wine glass. "A man who burns with a desire to compete with Simon... he might be useful soday."
Just then, Jane’s voice ca through the amplification crystal sphere.
"Hector Moore. Please exit the Grand Auditorium."
Her voice was incredibly cold.
"The use of curses outside of class is forbidden. Student Hector Moore will be moved to the very last turn among all first-years."
Hector ground his teeth, then bowed his head once toward Jane before trudging toward the exit.
"I knew he’d cause trouble soday," Dick said from his chair, laughing as if he found the whole thing refreshing. "That guy really needs to tone down his personality."
"Hey, commoner," irin hissed, imdiately giving him a look and placing a finger on her lips. "Can’t you read the room? Be quiet."
"Yes, ma’am. My lips are sealed."
Just then, Simon returned to where the Group 7 mbers were seated. Kamibarez and irin quickly craned their necks.
"S-Simon! Are you okay?" Kamibarez asked.
"Yeah. I’m fine. What about Hector?"
"He was kicked out," Dick replied, frowning. "But it’s really strange. Why did Chatel pick you? He’s the type who’s surprisingly concerned about his grades, so I thought he’d just pick the lowest-ranked student from the upper squads to maintain a 100% win rate."
Simon shook his head, his expression complicated.
"I don’t know either."
"Simon," irin said, approaching him with a serious look. "Forfeit."
Simon blinked.
"F-Forfeit?"
"That Chatel Maer guy, he’s definitely not normal. In his Dueling Evaluations, all his opponents were beaten to a pulp, bleeding profusely even with protective suits on. So kids were out for one to two weeks with injuries, and so are still suffering from the aftereffects."
"Ah..." Kamibarez covered her mouth with both hands as she listened.
irin pressed on.
"You know the most important second-year promotion exam is coming up, right? The loss would be too great if you get injured in an event like this. You absolutely, absolutely, ’absolutely’ cannot get injured!"
She was right. The first-year schedule was almost over. At most, there would be one or two more Dueling Evaluations. Even if he lost twice in a row, he’d just be in a lower squad. As long as he didn’t fall to the lowest squad, he wouldn’t be expelled. Rationally, avoiding Chatel and going all-in on the promotion exam was the logical choice.
Of course, that was only if he couldn’t face Chatel.
"I’m confident," Simon stated. Before, he would have thought it was beyond his capabilities, but now that he had Herseva, the thought of defeat didn’t enter his mind. "I’ll fight, and if I really think I can’t win, I’ll forfeit then."
"Honestly," irin sighed, smiling as if he were hopeless and crossing her arms.
---
The event resud. Besides Simon and Chatel, many other interesting matchups erged.
Most notably...
"Serne Aindark! Co at !" irin declared from the stage, nominating Serne.
Simon, Dick, and Kamibarez all gaped. Even Serne, who had been distracted throughout the event, flashed a deep, intrigued smile.
"Hmph, sotis our irin does the cutest things."
The emcee, Darell, also smiled with satisfaction.
"What’s this, a civil war within the Ivory Tower? This is a big match too! The first-years really know how to have fun!"
Having boldly nominated Serne, irin returned to her table.
Simon smiled wryly.
"You urged to forfeit against Chatel, and yet you chose Serne."
irin, adjusting her dress as she sat down, smoothly tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"That’s that, and this is this. I have fights I can’t back down from, too."
"...irin," Kamibarez whispered, her expression worried.
Dick seed to feel the sa, scratching his head vigorously.
"Out of Serne, Chatel, and Lorraine—the three we were supposed to avoid at all costs—two of them are facing our group mbers. This is going to be a bloodbath."
As he said that, Dick was nominated by the werewolf girl he had fought in the siege battle. He just chuckled and reacted casually, saying, "She must have been pretty pissed." Kamibarez was also nominated by a Hemomancy aspirant from another class.
And so, the event ca to an end. The students left the Grand Auditorium and headed for the dormitories.
"Dick, I’ll be a bit late today," Simon said as he took Herseva out of his subspace. "If the dormitory manager asks, please cover for ."
"Yeah, yeah. Just don’t overdo it again." Dick, knowing it was useless to try and stop him now, coolly sent him off.
As Simon ran, he spoke to the staff in his hand.
"We’re pulling an all-nighter to practice. You okay with that?"
[The little one’s all fired up. What’s going on?] Herseva’s voice echoed in his mind.
Simon grinned.
"Tomorrow, I think I’ll be fighting an opponent stronger than ."
[Oh my! That’s a problem.] A golden wind swirled from the staff, which soon transford into a long-haired woman who sat perched on top of it like a witch. [How are you going to win?]
"There’s only one way," Simon said seriously. "I will complete that third authority by tonight."
---
The next morning. Indoor Arena 1.
The Dueling Evaluations were held simultaneously in three arenas, but today, Indoor Arena 1 was packed with more spectators than any other. Not just first-years, but even second and third-year seniors had skipped class after hearing news of the big match between Special Admission No. 1 and No. 3.
"Yeeeah! Go Simon! Win!" Dick shouted from the very front row, holding up a picket. The na of his own business, ‘Talaria’, was written in large letters, with ‘Go Simon’ scribbled in small letters below it. It was clearly more for advertising than for cheering.
Next to him, Kamibarez held a slightly smaller picket, timidly shouting, "G-G-Go for it! Simon!"
"Ahem! Is Simon going to hear that from the waiting room? Louder!"
Her face flushed with embarrassnt, she squeezed her eyes shut and shouted, "P-Please do your best! Simon!! You can win!"
Dick gave her a thumbs-up. The students around them clutched their shoulders and squird, their reactions making it clear they found her unbearably cute.
"Hi, can I sit here?" a female student with cream-colored hair asked as she approached.
Dick’s eyes widened.
"Senior Benya Vanilla!"
Dick and Kamibarez shot up from their seats and bowed their heads.
"Ahaha! You don’t have to be so formal," she said, sitting down in the empty seat next to Kamibarez.
Dick quickly offered her a business card.
"My na is Dick Hayward, Senior!"
"You have a business card already? That’s impressive."
"I’m not as great as you, Senior, but I’m running a few small businesses myself!"
"Oh, really?" She looked Dick’s business card up and down. "Talaria? A delivery business. That’s a good idea."
"Thank you!"
While Dick eagerly promoted his business, Kamibarez sat with her hands neatly on her lap, stealing glances at Benya. Benya noticed and smiled.
"Do you have sothing to say to ?"
"Ah! Th-That!" Kamibarez looked up at her, trembling. "That... Simon..."
"Hm? Ah, my boy?"
’My boy?!’ Kamibarez was shocked. They already had a pet na for him!
’...Simon.’ She had never seen such a perfect person. Benya was beautiful, capable, on the student council, and set to inherit the massive Vanilla corporation. Her hobbies and major matched Simon’s love for Summoning, and she had the perfect foundation to support him. Kamibarez was deeply envious.
Benya blinked, a smile on her face, and waited patiently.
"F-For helping with Simon’s Herseva...!" Kamibarez suddenly shot up from her seat. "Thank you for your help!" Then she bowed deeply.
Benya looked at the top of Kamibarez’s head, slightly surprised. Dick, who had been trying to find an excuse to bring up his business, craned his neck, wondering what was going on.
"Hmm." A deep smile finally spread across Benya’s face. "Please raise your head."
Kamibarez quickly lifted her head. Her face was bright red, and she was breathing heavily, her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap.
Benya stood, bent her knees to et Kamibarez’s eye level, and gently pulled her into a hug, whispering so softly only she could hear, "Are you trying to win over Simon?"
Kamibarez’s face turned an impossible shade of red.
"W-W-W-W-W-Win over! What do you an by...!"
Benya made light fists and smiled with her eyes.
"I’ll be cheering for you, my little vampire."
"Ah."
While Kamibarez was standing there with a dazed expression, the referee’s shout echoed through the arena.
"Student Simon Polentia of Class A! Student Chatel Maer of Class I! Please co to the arena imdiately!"
At the shout, Simon and Chatel erged from the waiting rooms and walked to the center of the arena.
Dick clapped his hands together.
"It’s finally starting!"
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