Chapter 711
-Class A student Simon Follentia. Class H, student Jessica Kananor, please come to the arena.
A blurry image was projected onto the Memorial Crystal Sphere.
It didn’t look like it was for official school records, but rather shot from the audience seats, because the quality was poor. It showed Simon and Jessica, looking younger in their first year, walking into the arena.
“Wow, this brings back memories.”
“Wahaha!”
The Newspaper Club’s president, Tae, and vice-president, Zilverberg, had already settled in like spectators. The first-year Newspaper Club students behind them craned their necks with curious expressions at the sight of their seniors’ old selves.
On the other hand, Jessica’s expression as she watched the Crystal Sphere was darkening in real time.
The duel began.
Simon’s actions at that moment were eccentric. He opened his midterm mistake notebook, covered his face with it, and while memorizing the contents of the notebook, he took the duel evaluation.
-Memorization points of Darkness Arrow, fast casting, easy multi-chanting, excellent penetration, and beware of damage to the left-side binding formula.
-Memorization points of Poison Whip, fixed-type magic circle, if the coordinates of the magic circle are off, collapse.
He even used the black magic Jessica was employing in the match as his own study material, and at the same time, utilized what he had learned from midterm studies to attack her.
“Wow, this must’ve been humiliating.”
Tae said.
“Shouldn’t there have been controversy over Student Council President Simon Follentia’s character? No matter how skilled he is, to toy with an opponent while studying for exams! That’s a bit disrespectful.”
“I think slightly differently.”
Zilverberg spoke.
“Now he’s undeniably the second-year strongman of Keyzen, but at that time, the Student Council President was a beginner with no prior study. Look, this was a high-level psychological warfare as a necromancer! He waited for Jessica to get provoked and charge in. Watch!”
-I am! Not your midterm teacher!
As Simon dodged all her attacks, Jessica, growing anxious, finally rushed at him first.
Whack!
As if waiting, Simon lowered the notebook from his face, kicked Jessica with a dazzling Magical Combat move, launching her into the air, and finished her off with Bone Nail.
Ah~
Tae and Zilverberg let out a disappointed sound. The video ended with her collapsing to the floor.
“That was a good watch!”
Tae grinned as he looked toward Jessica.
Her face was hidden under lowered bangs, but it was clear she was furious. Darkness was billowing out from her body.
But Tae, the Newspaper Club president, wasn’t one to back down at such a thing.
“Even though Jessica won first place in the World Toxicology Contest! People still remember her from those days! ‘Midterm girl’, ‘Private tutor girl’, ‘I am not your teacher’, all kinds of mocking memes.”
Pfft!
Kuk!
At Tae’s shamelessly deadpan rhetoric, the first-years desperately clamped their mouths shut.
“I think the time for a rematch has come, how do you feel about that….”
Sss.
At that moment, Jessica raised her fist.
Kwah-ahhhng–!
Her punch smashed the Memorial Crystal Sphere and its shelf to pieces.
The first-years shut their mouths with terrified expressions. Even Zilverberg glanced reproachfully at Tae, as if to say he had gone too far.
“Ah, that was expensive.”
But Tae, without so much as blinking, calmly picked up the shards of the sphere.
“I’d like to correct something from the interview.”
Sss.
She lifted her head.
“The truth is, I knew my match opponent was Simon Follentia. From the moment I saw it, my heart started racing wildly, and I couldn’t sleep properly for days, I was so excited.”
This time, everyone knew, but let it slide.
Dropping her act, she revealed her true feelings with a lifted lip.
“Excited at the thought of getting revenge on him.”
Clap! Clap!
Perfect.
Tae, having found gold, stood and clapped with an excited expression.
“But I don’t think it’ll be easy.”
Zilverberg suddenly cut in.
“The Student Council President’s Magical Combat is top tier among second-years. Better than most combat majors. Especially recently, he’s shown many tactics where he launches Bone Nails into the air and charges together to overwhelm opponents early. A Toxicology major, who needs prep time, will struggle against that early rush. What do you think?”
“Will you be launched into the air again and finished off with Bone Nail?”
As Tae smirked, Jessica shot him a glare.
“!”
Tae clutched at his throat with both hands.
‘Po, poison? When did she…?’
Thud! Collapse!
The first-years giggling at the back also dropped to the floor, sneezing and grimacing in pain. Only second-years Tae and Zilverberg remained standing.
Sitting demurely again, Jessica put on a sweet smile.
“My countermeasures against Magical Combat are perfect. I’ll show you in the match.”
“G-good!”
Even while poisoned, Tae’s obsession with scoops was savage. With a pale face, he forced a laugh.
“Then lastly, would you say a word to Simon Follentia?”
She raised her chin, glaring at the recorder fiercely.
“Others aren’t just sitting around. I’ll show you how hard I’ve gritted my teeth all this time, Simon Follentia.”
* * *
Two days later, the day of the duel evaluation.
Arena No. 3.
Flap!
“Hm.”
Dick sat in the audience, flipping through the school newspaper. On the front page was a large photo of Jessica.
<Jessica, overcoming humiliation, vows to win her revenge match against the Student Council President. Someone like you isn’t even my opponent.>
Dick clicked his tongue with a laugh.
“So that’s what all the noise was about? Those Newspaper Club lunatics.”
Because of Simon’s student council policy reforms on club budgets, the Newspaper Club had received less budget than last year.
Since then, the Newspaper Club had been constantly biting at the student council. It was so blatant, it was clear they were trying to stir bad public opinion and support Aizel’s regime.
“A mad dog keeps failing to recognize its master and biting at his pants. I ought to catch them and give them a proper….”
“Dick! Look over there!”
Beside him, Kamibarez flapped her wings and spoke. Dick quickly changed his expression and smiled.
“What is it?”
“Maelyn!”
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa–!
In the middle of the indoor arena, a giant tower of ice rose. The world froze over like a winter kingdom, and atop the ice tower, arms crossed proudly, stood a girl.
-Crushing victory! It’s a crushing victory!
The announcer shouted.
[Maelyn Villene : 100%]
[Gleck Crow : 0%]
-She has crushed former Special Admission No. 9, the Metamorphosis user Gleck Crow, in just 5 minutes! Maelyn Villene! The dignity of the Keyzen vice-president on display!
Waaaaaa–!
Maelyn, as if it were only natural, snorted in disdain and leapt down from the ice hill. Below, the werewolf opponent’s head stuck out as he whimpered pitifully.
“As expected of Maelyn.”
Dick let out a dry laugh.
“Instead of taking it out on Simon, she vented her anger on poor Gleck.”
“Well done! Maelyn! You’re amazing!”
At that moment, footsteps sounded behind them.
“How did Maelyn’s match go? Is it over?”
Simon, dressed in gym clothes, came running, panting.
“Simon~ welcome!”
“It ended in five minutes, nothing to see. That werewolf kid was a Special Admission, but he’s been in a slump for too long.”
“Maelyn is just too strong!”
Dick rummaged through his clothes and handed Simon the newspaper.
“More importantly, look at this, Simon.”
“?”
“Looks like Jessica is properly fired up.”
As Simon read through the school newspaper, he gave a wry smile. Kamibarez asked with concern.
“It seems like she’s made a lot of preparations too. Are you really going with the Dullahan strategy, Simon?”
“Yeah. I’ve already planned everything around using the Chaos Dullahan. If I suddenly change now, I can’t guarantee a better outcome.”
Simon turned his head.
“And if I can’t overcome it here, then it’ll be impossible to overcome what comes after.”
Murmur, murmur, murmur!
The audience suddenly grew restless. Not only the students watching, but even the external scouts’ eyes were drawn to the scene.
Step—
Step—
A man in glasses, his gray cardigan fluttering, entered the audience with his group.
“It, it’s Senior Aizel!”
“Senior Aizel came to watch Simon’s match!”
“Senior Sota and senior Leonard are here too!”
Just their appearance drew every gaze in the arena.
Aizel walked in with an icy expression and sat down. Students sat beside him, filling the rows before and behind with third-years, leaving no gaps.
“Wow, your popularity is insane, Aizel.”
Sota dragged a classmate away by the scruff of the neck to sit next to Aizel himself, grinning.
“But was it really necessary to come see a second-year match? I told you, beating Simon Follentia is obvious, and it’s better if people take it for granted. If you show up like this, it makes it seem like an equal fight and damages your image….”
“Just because.”
Aizel quietly said, pushing his glasses up.
“I came because I wanted to see.”
Sota’s face stiffened for a moment, then he forced a laugh again.
“Haha, well, of course your personal wishes matter too! But as a sovereign, you should act like….”
“Sota.”
At that moment, Leonard, the representative of Summonology, shook his head.
“Since we’re already here, why not just watch quietly?”
“…Leonard.”
Sota growled, his face stiff.
Ever since Leonard blocked Sota’s plan to ruin the Dark Emperor, relations between the two—though both part of Aizel’s faction—had grown extremely hostile. With their leaders like this, tensions between Summonology and Spiritology also worsened.
“Ah, the match is starting!”
Other classmates hurried to calm them down.
-Student Simon Follentia of Summonology. Student Jessica Kananor of Toxicology. Please come to the arena.
Hearing the announcement, the two stepped into the arena. Simon tugged at the combat suit he wore.
‘Still can’t get used to the feel.’
The ‘protective suit’ used in second-year dueling evaluations was different from the first-year version with barriers. To better mimic real combat, this dummy suit allowed wearers to feel every blow and pain. Wounds and injuries were fully applied.
Of course, medical staff were always on standby, and thanks to the curse placed on the dummy suit, severe injuries would be taken by a prepared dummy instead. It worked on principles similar to a Blood Golem.
Additionally, the dummy suit calculated the damage the wearer would have received and displayed it numerically at the center of the arena.
[Simon Follentia : 100%]
[Jessica Kananor : 100%]
Now, the damage gauge varied depending on each person’s capabilities. Even if struck with the same impact, the reduction rate differed between half-giant like Shatel and someone like Maelyn.
In effect, aside from not being gravely injured, the conditions were nearly identical to real battle.
“Both competitors, shake hands.”
At the referee’s order, the two approached and shook hands.
“A year later, and here we are fighting again.”
Simon said with a forced smile.
Jessica also smiled, but her boiling rage was nearly visible.
“This time, I won’t go down so easily. You’d better give it your all.”
The handshake ended, and the two stepped apart.
“Do your best, Simon!”
Kamibarez shouted. Other students followed with loud cheers.
“Jessica! Win it!”
“Show us how much you’ve grown!”
The Toxicology students raised their voices in support.
On duel evaluation day, exams were held simultaneously in three arenas, but this one had the biggest crowd. Partly because it was the Student Council President Simon’s match, but mostly because the Newspaper Club’s articles had stirred up huge buzz.
“Then, we now begin the duel evaluation match between Simon Follentia and Jessica Kananor.”
The referee’s arm dropped.
“Begin!”
Simon immediately moved his arms to prepare a magic circle.
Meanwhile Jessica—
Woooong! Woooong!
She was pulling something massive out of subspace.
“I’ll show youuuuuu!”
Clank!
Kiiiiiiiiing—!
Jessica raised a massive piece of heavy equipment, pulled from subspace, strapping it to both arms. A roaring engine howled.
‘What the hell is that?’
Simon lowered his stance, his face dumbstruck.
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