Chapter 573

The abrupt commencement of the inaugural bout caught everyone off guard. Yet, the four hundred bewildered first-year students broke into a simultaneous sprint, rushing toward the equipment of their respective classes scattered throughout the vast Erek training ground.

“Get out of the way!”

“Get into formation quickly!”

Their initial panic lasted only a moment. Though they were still inexperienced first-years, they had endured all manner of trials at the Hero Academy. Furthermore, these individuals were part of the select group of one hundred students chosen from the freshman tier. Even when confronted with this sudden, unforeseen circumstance, the first-years adjusted in the blink of an eye.

Right at that second.

Thud—!

“Strike down Seirun!”

A group of Azonia students advanced upon the Seirun contingent, executing Aura Steps as they closed the distance.

For generations, Seirun had maintained strict admission criteria, accepting only those elves capable of wielding Star Magic. It was, in the most literal sense, an institution dedicated entirely to the arcane arts. Because of this focus, they were renowned for producing unmatched sorcerers, but the flip side of that reputation was a notably fragile knight and summoner division. Consequently, they were bound to display vulnerabilities when forced into hand-to-hand combat.

In that critical moment, an elf yanked a spear from the earth and swung it toward the oncoming beast-folk.

Swish—!

Bam-bam-bam-bam-bam—!

The polearm blurred through the air, parrying the beast-folk students away.

“Gah?!”

“What in the world?!”

Shaken by the sudden defense, the beast-folk students fell back in utter bewilderment.

An-R, a female student representing Seirun, touched down gracefully after leaping through the air, her gaze fixed sharply on the Azonia aggressors.

“You appear to assume that because our academy is celebrated for Star Magic, our vanguard of knights is toothless.”

Thump—!

“While I am standing here, you should abandon any thoughts of breaking through our rear guard.”

An-R slammed the butt of her spear into the dirt and lifted her chin.

“Hmph, it seems Seirun has someone with a bit of spine!”

Just then, a massive tiger beast-folk emerged from the ranks.

“Give me your name!”

“An-R Vizann.”

“I will bear it in mind! And you should likewise remember the identity of the person who will bring you down! Keep the name Carlos in your thoughts…”

“An-R! Get out of the way!”

A female Seirun student cried out from behind her.

Obeying the warning immediately, An-R leaped high into the air.

Yoinia Tella stood right behind An-R’s previous position, her gaze gleaming as she unleashed her spellcraft.

“Ah C Ray!”

Screeeeech!

Ah C Ray was widely recognized as the most accessible and adaptable spell within the school of Star Magic. Yoinia’s version of the spell was exceptionally potent, as she was someone who rivaled Lia, the top pupil, in terms of sheer raw mana capacity among the Seirun freshmen. An absolute deluge of luminescent particles rained down upon the beast-folk students who had been pursuing the Seirun group.

“Aaagh!”

Carlos, who had just confidently initiated a direct challenge against An-R, crashed to the dirt. Deemed unfit to continue fighting, Carlos was instantly transported out of the battleground via warp magic.

“Ugh!”

“What just happened?”

The remaining Azonia students, who had been hunting the Seirun contingent before being intercepted by Yoinia’s sorcery, pivoted their focus entirely toward An-R and Yoinia.

“Ugh! How irritating! Take down that one first!”

The beast-folk students directed their assault toward Yoinia.

Reacting instantly, An-R moved to intercept the rush of beast-folk targeting her companion. However, the sheer volume of opponents quickly grew too overwhelming for An-R to repel on her feet.

Assessing the situation rapidly, An-R scooped Yoinia up onto her shoulder and began executing Aura Steps at a dizzying pace to retreat. Yoinia immediately cast a buffing spell on An-R to assist her. Gripping An-R tightly to stay balanced, Yoinia aimed her staff at the pursuing beast-folk and began firing a continuous stream of magical projectiles.

—Ah! Look at the Seirun students! Their coordination is truly remarkable! Particularly An-R and Yoinia! The pair is employing classic hit-and-run tactics, successfully buying precious time for the rest of Seirun—who are notoriously weak in close-quarters skirmishes—to establish their battle lines!

Runba, a fourth-year student hailing from Lumern who had somehow managed to sneak his way into the broadcasting area, bellowed into the microphone with immense enthusiasm.

—The opening bout has only just commenced, yet the Seirun representatives are making a massive impact! Amidst this utter pandemonium, they haven’t suffered a single elimination yet!

Even surrounded by absolute chaos, the Seirun students were rapidly organizing their efforts and navigating the danger.

—Professor Sedgen! What are your thoughts on how this is unfolding?!

—Splendid! Absolutely splendid! The synchronization displayed by Seirun is highly commendable! And quite a revelation, honestly!

—A revelation? In what way?

—Is it not remarkable to see Seirun’s freshman class exhibiting such flawless cooperation?!

—It truly is! Ever since the term began, there have been countless rumors suggesting that the Seirun first-years were completely incapable of working together due to fierce internal rivalries!

—Precisely! Without naming specific individuals, we even had a representative from our own institution sent over as an exchange student to study alongside those freshmen! The reports they brought back described a thoroughly fractured family dynamic!

—Oh! A fractured family! What an apt description! Hahaha!

Sedgen and Runba carried on their lively banter. Taking playful jabs at both participating academies during the Luse War was practically a time-honored custom, and the two commentators were simply delivering their analysis in their usual fashion.

Unfortunately for them, this event was not the Luse War.

Beep!

A sharp screech of static cut through the audio feed.

—Professor Ain? Professor Ren? Are you attempting to oust me from the booth once again?! What offense have I committed?! Stay away from me! Huh? Wait! Did Harlind command you to do this again?! Why do you only obey his directives… Unhand me! Unhand me! You lackeys of Harlind! Let me goooo! Mmph mmph mmph!

—Professor Harlind! I beg of you, give me one more shot! If not me, who else could possibly provide commentary for…

—Remove them. Professor Yura.

—Aaaah!

Sedgen’s frantic yells and Runba’s desperate begging echoed briefly before cutting out. Following the sound of Harlind’s voice—which sent a collective shiver through everyone listening—the disturbance finally came to an end.

The spectators watched as Professor Sedgen and Runba were forcefully marched away from the commentary desk.

A brief moment later, Elena materialized on the broadcast monitors, taking her seat at the microphone.

—This is Lumern broadcasting. We apologize for the minor technical disruption. Moving forward, the analysis will be provided by Professor Harlind Edmon, Lumern’s premier faculty member, alongside myself, Elena Zerion, Lumern’s vice student council president. We kindly ask for your indulgence regarding the previous interruption.

Elena delivered her lines playfully in a melodious tone with her fingers intertwined, before cutely sticking her tongue out, a gesture that prompted collective gasps of adoration from various sections of the crowd.

Shortly after, the monitors reverted back to the live coverage of the competition.

“How tedious. Why must I always be the one to untangle these messes?” Elena muttered, a slight scowl marring her features.

“Concentrate on the analysis.”

“Understood.”

Elena answered smoothly and re-engaged the audio amplification spell.

“They are bringing dishonor upon our academy,” Illiana whispered under her breath.

Hearing this, Karl remarked, “You are likely going to bring plenty of dishonor upon the school yourself during this event, so perhaps you shouldn’t judge them so harshly.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

As Illiana narrowed her gaze in displeasure, Chelsea interjected, “His assessment is accurate.”

“Shia! The students from the other residential halls are ganging up on me!” Illiana wailed, throwing herself onto Chen Shia.

“The two of you are being excessively harsh. Presenting the reality so bluntly will only wound Miss Illiana’s feelings.”

“You are actually the most cold-hearted one here!” Illiana yelled.

“Setting that aside, how is Seirun’s internal chemistry so flawless? I thought they were completely at odds with one another?” Chloe inquired, turning her attention toward Eiran.

Eiran gave a nod of confirmation. “Yes, it is entirely accurate that the freshman class used to be deeply divided.”

At the start of the term, due to the rigid social ranking implemented among the freshmen, the Seirun first-years viewed their peers merely as obstacles to surpass in order to elevate their own standing. This created an atmosphere of deep suspicion and hostility.

However, that dynamic underwent a radical shift following the arrival of Seirun’s Comet Mage.

“Once the freshmen who trained under Sir Leo achieved mind-boggling outcomes during the mid-term evaluations of the first term, the rest of the student body engaged in a great deal of introspection. Yoinia, who is currently performing so well alongside An-R, was particularly vocal about advocating for unity.”

Yoinia, who had previously commanded the premier squad within the elite tier, had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of An-R from the lower tier, which served as a massive wake-up call for her.

“Yoinia. Now that I think about it, she holds the number two spot among Seirun’s first-years at the moment, correct?”

“Yes, and she and An-R are widely celebrated as an incredible partnership.”

“A knight paired with a mage is a setup that yields the ultimate synergy when their actions are properly aligned,” Karl observed, nodding in agreement.

“On another note, Eiran. Why did you wait until this exact moment to share this piece of information with us?” Illiana asked, her eyes turning into slits.

“Huh? Well, simply because no one had inquired about it…”

“Ah! You truly belong to Lumern, don’t you?”

“I am merely an exchange student, you know? My return to Seirun is coming up soon…”

“What? You intend to turn your back on us!”

“That is not what I meant at all…”

“Are you suggesting that the bond we shared over this past term means absolutely nothing to you? To sell us out like this! How could you bring yourself to do it! You turncoat!”

“How can you say that!”

As Illiana accused her dramatically with a pointing finger, large teardrops began to pool in Eiran’s wide eyes.

Observing Eiran’s emotional state, Illiana slinked closer and casually draped an arm over her shoulder.

“Hehe, there is a very uncomplicated method for you to validate our bond.”

“What kind of method?”

“Disclose the weak points of Seirun’s second-year students to me. Hehehe. The moment you share that, our bond will remain perfectly intact…”

“Eiran! How much longer do you intend to loiter over here?”

Right at that moment, a group of Seirun second-years arrived on the scene.

“Eiran! We’ve truly missed you! When are you finally making your return to our side?”

“Wait, why are there tears in your eyes?”

“Did the Lumern crowd do something to upset you?!”

The Seirun second-years began fussing over the tearful Eiran in a flurry of concern. Immediately after, they directed scathing glares toward the Lumern contingent.

“Harassing our Eiran?!”

“I held them in higher regard than this!”

“No, everyone, you have it all wrong. The Lumern students have been incredibly kind to me,” Eiran stammered, attempting to soothe her aggravated peers.

“Then what is the reason for your tears?”

When Aris, a second-year from Seirun, questioned her with a look of confusion, Eiran laid out the details of the conversation.

“Miss Illiana informed me that if I wished to validate our bond, I needed to reveal all of your weak points to her…”

Hearing those words, the tension in the air spiked dramatically.

“I expected better from them! Lumern employs such underhanded tactics!”

“Illiana Raden! You had better brace yourself!”

“Let us depart, Eiran! Those individuals are merely attempting to exploit your naive nature!”

“Make sure to shed that foreign uniform as quickly as possible, too!”

Fueled by indignation, the Seirun contingent escorted Eiran away, heading back toward their own section.

The remaining Lumern second-years turned their collective gaze toward Illiana.

“A truly stellar performance. Way to bring dishonor upon our academy.”

“Thanks to your antics, we’ve all been branded as underhanded!”

“It was merely a jest! A harmless jest!” Illiana pleaded, her face twisting into an expression of mock despair as Chelsea and Karl voiced their disapproval.

“What is your plan now? The Seirun group is almost certainly going to lock onto you as their primary target.”

“Guys? You intend to shield me, correct? We are companions, after all.” Illiana flashed her most endearing smile.

Staring back at her, Karl countered flatly, “You lit this fire. You put it out.”

“I anticipated that exact response from you! You absolute scoundrel! Chelsea? Surely if the Seirun students swarm me, you will provide backup, right? Huh? Big sister Chelsea?”

“For what reason would I do that?”

“Nella? Taid?”

“My role is that of a medic, so I will tend to your injuries after the fact.”

“My position is in the rear guard, so how could I possibly extract you from the thick of the front lines?”

“Chloeeee!”

“I am stationed in the rear guard as well,” Chloe remarked with a gentle sigh, prompting Illiana to anchor herself to Chen Shia once more.

“Shia! The others are being incredibly cruel and refusing to back me up! You will stand by me, won’t you? Please?”

In response to the plea, Chen Shia offered a soft, pleasant grin, before calmly removing Illiana’s fingers from her arm and asking, “Who exactly are you?”

“You are all completely heartless!”

“Halt right there! Luke Elda!”

Rumble—!

“Eeeek?!”

Luke let out a terrified shriek as a violent detonation rocked the ground right beside him.

“What did I even do to deserve this?!”

“You! You were under the tutelage of Senior Plov, correct?!”

“Yes, that’s true, but what of it?!”

“That identity alone comprises your offense!”

“That is an utterly absurd rationale! Waah!”

“Cease your flight! Turn and face me!”

Luke poured every ounce of power into his stride as he noticed Lia pursuing him relentlessly, her eyes practically burning with intensity.

Right around then.

Crash—!

“Luke Elda! Engage me in combat!”

Medvedev stepped out, completely cutting off Luke’s escape route.

“Why are you getting involved too?!”

“As a member of the beast-folk, it is only natural to possess an intense urge to test myself against formidable opponents! Face me!”

“Luke Elda is my designated target, so remove yourself from this confrontation!”

“Hmph! The individual who secures the target claims ownership!”

“If that is the rule you wish to play by…”

Lia’s lips stretched into a smirk.

Wuuuush—!

“Then both of you shall perish here!”

“This is merely an academic exercise, why must you bring up ‘perishing’!”

“Senior Plov explicitly instructed us to eliminate one another!”

“That was strictly within the context of endurance! He merely phrased it that way to highlight…!”

As an extraordinary amount of raw magical pressure began radiating from Lia’s form, Luke, who had been shouting his objections in panic, suddenly grew rigid.

Medvedev’s gaze sharpened as he registered the sudden shift in Luke’s presence.

‘His internal energy has transformed!’

A grin tugged at the corners of Medvedev’s mouth as he smashed his knuckles together.

‘First, I must endure Lia Tingel’s incoming strike…!’

Just as Medvedev prepared himself to absorb the impact of Lia’s assault.

Slice—!

A razor-sharp crescent of blade energy flew directly toward Lia.

Lia reacted instantly, deflecting her spell toward the origin of the sudden slashing attack.

Boom-boom-boom—!

Following a massive shockwave, Lia dropped down to touch the ground.

Thud—!

Aina landed smoothly directly across from Lia.

“Aina Beidna! Do you mean to intrude upon my battle?!”

As Lia demanded an answer with a sharp edge to her voice, Aina raised her blade, leveling it forward.

“The one you will be facing is me.”

The first-years, who had initially been thrown into disarray by the sudden onset of the endurance exercise, finally collected their wits. They began establishing their respective defensive perimeters across the sprawling expanse of the Erek training ground, systematically taking out their rivals.

Leo watched the scene unfold, a faint grin appearing on his face.

“Very well, shall we set the real challenge in motion?”

Ruuuuumble—!

The terrain underneath their feet began to shudder violently. The first-year students, who had been completely absorbed in watching their immediate rivals, all displayed expressions of deep concern.

‘Keeping tabs on the antagonist directly across from you is a straightforward task. However, on an actual field of battle, the threat aimed at your life isn’t exclusively the one standing right before your eyes.’