’I’ve definitely got the hang of it now!’
After a few more attempts, Simon slapped his knee in understanding. He decided to try just one more time. The skeleton that had just performed the Dash was already returning to the starting line.
The solution, when it came, wasn’t some grand revelation. Through sheer repetition, the skeleton had become accustomed to the skill, and the concept of the Skeleton Dash had finally cemented itself in Simon’s mind.
’An opponent that far away can’t be reached by running. You have to fly to slash.’
With that principle fixed in his thoughts, Simon issued a single, decisive Absolute Command.
"Slash!"
The dash became the means to an end. The skeleton soared ten meters through the air, sliced through the straw dummy, and landed perfectly. Not only had the leap improved, but the sword’s accuracy had also increased dramatically.
Finally, a result Simon could be satisfied with. Dick and his friends, who had been watching from the sidelines, cheered wildly.
’Well, I’ll be.’
Observing from a short distance away, the corners of Professor Aaron’s mouth twitched upward.
’I was worried he might have gotten rusty over the break, but his concentration and learning pace have actually improved. And...’
His gaze shifted toward Hector, who was glaring daggers at Simon from across the field.
’Making a genius like that your rival is a recipe for misery, Hector. You still have the upper hand in other subjects. Why are you so obsessed with him?’
Gritting his teeth, Hector sent his own skeleton leaping forward when his turn came. After countless attempts, he, too, finally succeeded. Although the dash was only three meters—making it less practical for real combat—he had managed to cleanly slash the dummy without damaging the skeleton’s body.
Aaron stroked his stubbled chin.
’While Hector’s overall skill is high, his learning speed is nothing remarkable. It’s unusual for his abilities to improve so drastically in such a short time. Is it because Simon is pushing him?’
Aaron’s eyes darted between the two boys. They could push each other, driving one another to greater heights. As long as they didn’t come to direct blows, such a rivalry was a positive development from an educator’s perspective.
"Professor."
A teaching assistant called to Aaron, tapping her wrist.
"Alright, that’s enough!" Aaron’s voice boomed across the field. "That’s all for today’s practice."
The teaching assistants rounded up the students and brought them before Aaron. Many complained of headaches and dizziness, their minds likely overworked from controlling the undead for the first time in a while.
"Have a seat."
Aaron ordered the students to sit and checked the time again. There were about ten minutes left in the class. He scanned the checklists prepared by the assistants, then spoke.
"The following students, please come forward: Simon Polentia and Hector Moore."
As the students began to murmur, Simon and Hector rose and walked to the front.
"These two showed the most improvement today," Aaron announced. "We will conclude the class with one final, simple duel. This is a friendly match and won’t affect your grades, so don’t feel any pressure."
The students clapped and whistled as if on cue. A good fight was always welcome.
Simon offered Aaron a weary smile. ‘Professor, must you really pit me against Hector again?’
Hector’s lips curled into a smirk. ‘Professor Aaron. It’s been a while since you’ve done something I approve of.’
Aaron began to explain the rules. Simon had assumed it would be a simple contest to see whose dash was longer, but it was something else entirely.
"A summon duel," Aaron declared. "The type of summon is restricted to a single ‘Island Ratman Skeleton.’ The summoner is forbidden from using any black magic other than skeleton control. The first to make their opponent’s skeleton’s skull hit the ground wins. Understood?"
Both boys nodded. Following the assistants’ instructions, they created some distance between them and summoned their skeletons from their Subspaces.
The teaching assistant raised her arm.
"Ready."
The two bent their knees, their focus sharpening. In front of them, their skeletons mirrored the motion, dropping into combat stances.
"There’s no way Simon can lose this," Meirin muttered from the crowd, craning her neck to get a better view. "The rules clearly favor someone who can use the Skeleton Dash. Is Professor Aaron just trying to boost Simon’s confidence?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Dick wagged his finger with an air of superiority. "So typical of you, Meirin. Your thinking is far too simple."
She let out a low growl, and Dick, genuinely startled, quickly hid his finger behind his back. Kamibarez, sitting beside them with her knees neatly together, asked, "Then what do you think, Dick?"
As if he had been waiting for that exact question, Dick eagerly turned to her. "Actually, blocking a dash is easy. This is just a matter of who has the better gear."
"Gear?"
Before a curious Kamibarez could ask for clarification, the teaching assistant shouted, "Begin!"
Simon immediately gathered Jet-Black energy at the tips of his skeleton’s feet. ‘I’ll end this with a single dash to the skull!’
In response, Hector opened his Subspace. He pulled out a massive spear and tossed it to his skeleton.
"That’s it!"
"Just as I thought!"
Cheers erupted from Hector’s faction. Simon immediately canceled the dash he was preparing.
’Right. There were no restrictions on weapons.’
A long spear was the perfect counter to a charging attack. The moment Simon ordered his skeleton to charge, Hector’s could simply extend the spear. The combination of the skeleton’s forward momentum and the spear’s reach meant Simon’s would be struck first. Hector’s control over his summons was superb; there was no doubt he could react in time. Besides, Simon didn’t own any weapon with a longer reach than that spear.
"If you won’t come to me, I’ll come to you!" Hector’s grin widened as he ordered his skeleton to attack.
His skeleton lunged forward, thrusting its spear. Simon commanded his own to raise its sword and block.
Sparks flew as the two weapons collided. Hector’s skeleton unleashed a flurry of attacks. The one controlling it, Hector himself, seemed to have considerable skill with a spear, as each thrust was precise and left no openings. Simon’s skeleton was barely managing to fend off the onslaught.
"Nice, nice!"
"Keep the pressure on!"
The students, now completely engrossed in the duel, began to shout with excitement.
After parrying a few more thrusts, Simon’s skeleton turned and fled.
"Hahahaha! What are you doing?"
Hector’s skeleton kicked hard off the ground and shot forward. Simon’s eyes widened in alarm.
’Hector’s three-meter dash!’
He hastily issued a defensive command. The skeleton, which had been fleeing with its back turned, spun around and swung its sword.
’Screeeech!’
The spear and sword clashed, letting out a piercing shriek of metal on metal. By a hair’s breadth, the spear’s trajectory was deflected, grazing past the skeleton’s skull.
"So close!"
"Hector’s definitely setting the pace here!"
The momentum had completely shifted in Hector’s favor. Simon’s skeleton staggered as it tried to regain its footing.
"What’s wrong, Simon Polentia!" Hector shouted, seizing the advantage. "You worked so hard to learn that new skill. Aren’t you going to use it?"
Just then, a faint smile touched Simon’s lips.
His skeleton dropped the sword it was holding. The spectators assumed he was about to summon a spear or some other weapon, but Simon didn’t even open his Subspace.
’Bare-handed?’
’Is he serious?’Island Ratman
While the students murmured in confusion, Simon’s skeleton squatted down and placed both hands on the ground.
’Swoosh.’
A glint of intense concentration flashed in Simon’s eyes.
’I just need to recreate that feeling from before.’
’Click! Clack!’
Bone fragments detached from various parts of the skeleton, then began to shift and reassemble. The condition for defeat was for the skull to hit the ground. Simon, however, kept the skull connected to the torso and simply rearranged the other bones at high speed.
Source Reassembly.
As he watched Simon’s skeleton gradually transform, Hector’s face flushed, a vein throbbing on his forehead.
’That bastard!’
He hurriedly ordered his skeleton to attack, but Simon’s creation leisurely dodged the spear thrusts, continuing its reassembly as it fled.
The other students, watching the skeleton’s slow transformation, finally realized what was happening and burst into cheers. It was the same technique he had displayed in front of everyone during their very first Summoning class.
Even Aaron’s palms grew slick with sweat.
’It’s a thrilling sight, even the second time around.’
Simon was regressing the bipedal ‘Island Ratman’ into its pre-evolutionary form, the ‘Gray Rat.’ It was an act of insight that seemed to transcend the natural order of the world. Now a quadrupedal beast, Simon’s skeleton easily dodged the spear thrusts.
’Whoosh!’
The Gray Rat skeleton took a great leap, creating a wide gap between it and its opponent. It landed in a hunting stance, front paws on the ground, hind legs set back, its haunches raised.
A knot of dread tightened in Hector’s gut. He swallowed hard, commanding his own skeleton to halt and assume a defensive posture, its spear pointed forward.
"You bastard...!"
"I’m sorry, Hector, but this is over."
The Gray Rat skeleton was gathering Jet-Black energy in all four of its feet, preparing for a Dash.
"What are you talking about? Nothing has changed!"
"The difference in leaping power between a humanoid monster and a beast..." Simon’s lips moved. "Do you really understand it?"
The Gray Rat powerfully kicked off the ground with all four feet and launched itself into the air. Hector’s skeleton reacted, thrusting its spear in a simple upward motion.
But the Gray Rat was faster.
’Smack!’
Soaring through the air, the Gray Rat’s front paw struck the skull before the spear could even come close. The tip of the spear, a fraction of a second too slow, only managed to graze one of its legs.
’Thud!’
Severed from its neck, the skull of Hector’s skeleton rolled across the ground. Behind it, the Gray Rat skeleton landed lightly on all fours.
’Clank! Clank!’
As if transforming, the skeleton’s upper body rose, and it stood on two feet. Once more, its bones reassembled from head to toe, shifting from a beast back into a humanoid form.
The skeleton walked over, picked up the skull rolling on the ground, and, mimicking Simon’s gesture, raised it high above its head.
The teaching assistant’s voice rang out, her face flushed with excitement.
"Simon Polentia is the winner!"
A heavy silence fell, then, as if waking from a dream, the students who had been watching with rapt attention erupted one by one.
’WOOHOO!!!!’
The entire track was engulfed in a massive roar of cheers.

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