The third After-School BMAT was set to begin. Before the exam, the necromancer of cards, Endolas Bordeville, had invited all first-year students to the Grand Auditorium. Perhaps in consideration of the impending test, the hall was filled with simple, vegetable-focused meals that were easy to digest, alongside other energizing foods.
Simon and the rest of Group 7 were gathered around a circular table, enjoying the brief respite, when an uninvited guest appeared.
"Hello, everyone."
Her silky, ivory-colored hair fluttered as she approached, confidently taking an empty seat as if she owned the place.
’Serne Aindark!’
"Hehe."
With her back to Meirin, Serne cupped her face in her hands and stared intently at Simon as he ate.
’I’m going to get indigestion.’
Simon felt a wave of nausea coming on. Her unwavering attention was suffocating.
"What do you want?" Meirin demanded, her eyes like daggers. "Get lo—!"
"Meiriiiin!"
Serne immediately spun around and latched onto Meirin.
"Seri missed you ’so’ much!"
"Ugh, I told you to get lost!" Meirin scowled, pushing her away.
Serne pouted and feigned hurt, but with Meirin as her audience, it only fueled her rage.
"Hmph."
She turned back to Simon, a saccharine smile gracing her lips.
"You’ve been well, right, Simon?"
"Don’t ruin the mood! Go back to your own table!" Meirin shot up from her seat and yelled.
"No, no! The students in my class are boring! Seri is staying right here!"
Meirin fell silent, her fists clenched.
Just as Meirin’s anger reached its boiling point, Serne grinned.
"Then let’s you and I have a little chat."
"Ha! Why should I? Get lost!"
That was the third time she’d been told to leave. Serne’s expression soured for a moment before she turned to the other three, a meaningful smile creeping onto her face.
"Everyone! Should I tell you an interesting story?"
"What is it?!" Dick, who had been as quiet as a mouse, instantly perked up.
"Aren’t you curious about Meirin’s childhood? Her personality was completely different back then!"
"Hey!!"
Meirin’s face turned beet red, but Serne paid her no mind.
"When I first entered the Ivory Tower, little Meirin saw me and came running right over..."
Meirin lunged from behind, clamping a hand over Serne’s mouth while grabbing the back of her uniform collar with the other. She began dragging her away.
"Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!"
Even as she was being hauled off, Serne didn’t forget to wave elegantly at Simon. He could only manage a forced nod in return.
Once outside the Grand Auditorium, Meirin and Serne stood facing each other.
"What was that about?" Meirin snapped. "If it’s something useless, you’ll regret it!"
"Oh! It’s nothing much." Serne’s voice returned to its cloying, cutesy tone. "I was just thinking how wonderful it would be if Simon joined our Ivory Tower."
Meirin’s eyes narrowed.
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting now?"
"I’m asking for your cooperation! You and Simon are in the same class and group, so you’re close. I heard you’re even doing the siege battle together, right?"
"Aha." Meirin sneered. "Looks like the elders are getting desperate. Besides, that’s for Simon to decide after he graduates."
"That’s why we should make that choice a little easier for him!"
Meirin’s eyebrows shot up.
"Cut the bullshit. Why would I ever do something to help you?"
"On the contrary," Serne’s voice suddenly turned serious, the corners of her lips lifting into a smirk. "You know how important the Ivory Tower considers Special Admission No. 1, right? If you could bring Simon to us, don’t you think the way the elders see you would change?"
Meirin said nothing.
"You, Meirin, would have accomplished something even I couldn’t. Isn’t that right?"
Meirin’s expression turned murderous.
"You really want to d—!"
Just then, a massive roar of cheers erupted from the Grand Auditorium. Both of them turned their heads. Endolas Bordeville was walking onto the stage.
"You’re lucky," Meirin spat before turning her back and walking away.
Serne called out after her.
"Think carefully about Seri’s proposal!"
"Get lost!!"
As Meirin hurried back to her seat, Endolas, dressed in a mismatched clown costume, was speaking into an amplifying crystal sphere.
"First-year students! Are you enjoying the game?"
"Yes!!"
"It’s the best!"
"It doesn’t feel like an exam!"
At the flood of compliments, Endolas waved with a deeply satisfied expression.
"You see, Professor Aaron! The reaction is wonderful!" he said, nudging the elbow of the professor who had come to maintain order. He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "My game isn’t an exam, it’s art! That being the case, how about we extend it by just one more day...."
"I’m sorry, but that’s impossible," Aaron stated flatly. "The schedule is already tight. It would place too much of a burden on the students."
"Tsk, tsk!" Endolas clicked his tongue, displeased. "You truly have no sense of entertainment! It’s not like I’ve only cooperated with Kizen for a day or two. Must you be so rigid?"
"I don’t have the authority. It would be better to ask Professor Jane when she returns."
"That lady is impossible to reason with."
Even the great Endolas shook his head at the mention of Jane. Aaron checked the watch on his wrist.
"You should start wrapping up. The students need to be in place before the BMAT begins."
"Ahem! I’m aware!" Endolas raised the amplifying crystal sphere to his lips. "Now! Kizen students! Your attention, please!"
The chatter in the hall quickly died down.
"I have an announcement! A new element will be added to this game!"
At those words, the students’ expressions universally hardened.
"Ugh, what is it now?"
"This makes me nervous."
From their experience at Kizen, this kind of announcement was rarely good news. Worse, everyone had already laid out their plans and strategies; a new variable was hardly welcome.
"And that is!"
Endolas threw his arms up. A cascade of cards flew from his sleeves, fluttering into the air with a soft ’rustle’. As they transformed into countless gift boxes that began to stack up like a tower, he declared, "That there are even more prizes on the line in this game than before!"
"WHOAAAA-!!"
A wave of cheers erupted in the Grand Auditorium.
"Endolas! He’s a god!" Dick shouted from atop their table, practically foaming at the mouth.
"Hahaha! Thank you! Please, calm down a little." Endolas placed a hand on his chest. "I am always on the side of children who love adventure! I’m different from those ordinary adults who force you to study so hard!"
As he spoke, he shot a pointed glance at Aaron, who maintained a blank expression, staring straight ahead.
"Ahem! Anyway, among all these generous prizes, I will now reveal the best of the best! The two greatest prizes up for grabs in today’s exam!"
The pile of gift boxes was in two stacks. The box at the very top of the left stack creaked open.
"The first great prize is!"
The lid flew open, unleashing a torrent of black flames.
’Death Phoenix—Keeeeeeeee!’
From within emerged a phoenix wreathed in black flame. As the bird flew freely around the Grand Auditorium, ashes rained down, causing students to yelp and shield their plates.
"The first prize is the rare undead that needs no introduction! The ’Death Phoenix’!"
The black bird landed on Endolas’s left arm and let out a piercing cry.
’Death Phoenix—Keeeeeeeeeee!’
The students’ eyes lit up. A single thought flashed through every mind in the room.
’I want it!’
"They’re giving such a precious undead to a student?"
"That’s insane."
The hall was already buzzing with excitement.
"And now, to build on that excitement, let’s reveal the second prize right away!"
This time, a silver gift box at the top of the right-hand pile opened. Pitch-black darkness poured out, and a staff shot from within. It was forged from a purplish metal, its tip adorned with a triangular eye and teeth. It let out a cackle that sounded unnervingly human.
The staff broke free from the box and began to fly through the air.
"Aaaaaah!"
Startled, students ducked for cover. The staff roamed the auditorium as it pleased, indiscriminately firing curses. Students hit by the hexes went bald, grew tails, or fell madly in love, hugging whoever was nearest.
"What is that thing!"
Watching the chaos, the staff cackled with delight before circling in the air and flying into Endolas’s right hand.
"The second prize is the ’Autonomous Staff’, Arel’delru! It seems two students will become the proud owners of today’s prizes!"
At those words, the students’ expressions turned deadly serious.
"Good timing," Meirin commented.
Simon turned his head.
"What is?"
"Well, think about it," she explained. "Prizes that amazing would be attached to a large-scale or difficult game. Don’t you think one of them will be for the siege battle?"
Hearing that, Dick slammed the table.
"That’s right! At least one of them has to be for a game with thirty people!"
Kamibarez fidgeted with her hands, looking disappointed.
"I... I wanted to go with you all, too... I’m sorry."
"It’s okay, Kami!" Dick reassured her. "It’s more important to match everyone’s individual card combinations."
On the stage, Endolas spoke again.
"The after-school BMAT will begin in twenty minutes! You are dismissed!"
Twenty minutes before the exam, the excited students rushed out of the Grand Auditorium. Simon, Dick, and Meirin parted ways with Kamibarez and sprinted across the Kizen campus.
"This is an emergency!" Dick said, leading them down a shortcut. "With Endolas’s announcement, the competition for the siege battle is going to be fierce!"
Simon nodded in agreement. It was obvious that students would flock to the event to get their hands on those prizes.
"Do you have a plan?" Simon asked.
"Not exactly a plan, but the siege battle card appears in a random location on the castle wall," Dick explained. "So, let’s split into three and search for it."
He took a firework out of his subspace. The plan was for whoever found the card first to use the firework as a signal.
"But then other students will come too," Simon countered.
"That’s right, you dummy!" Meirin chimed in. "If a firework suddenly goes off on the castle wall, they’ll figure it out!"
"Hehehe, don’t you worry!" Dick held out a blue firework to Simon and Meirin, who took them. "We just need to set off a bunch of dummies."
With that, he pulled a bundle of green fireworks from his subspace. Realizing Dick’s intention, Simon grinned.
"Dick, you’re a genius!"
No one could match this guy when it came to cunning. The two high-fived with a sharp ’slap’. Moments later, the towering Kizen castle walls came into view.
"I’ll take this area!" Dick shouted, hugging the fireworks as he ran toward a menial. "Simon, you go east! Meirin, you go west!"
"Got it!"
"Okay!"
There wasn’t much time. The two immediately split off.
"Brother Kan! I have a once-in-a-lifetime favor to ask!"
"...Dick? The BMAT is about to start. What’s up?"
Dick was already putting his network of menials to use, handing out fireworks and asking them to set them off once the game started. Meanwhile, Simon ran with a few of the green ’dummy’ fireworks tucked under his arm, his gaze falling on the Endolas card pinned to his chest.
[The exam will now begin!]
[You will receive 1 additional point for winning the next engagement with the following student.]
[Denban Arina.]
’It’s starting!’
Simon ran along the castle wall, tapping the skull-shaped badge that was Pier’s clone.
’Pier! Pier!’
After a moment of no response, light filled the clone’s eyes.
[Hm? What is it, boy?]
’Please help me out! Help me watch the wall and find the card!’
[Mwahaha! To think you’d awaken me for such a trivial exam!]
Simon quickly added, ’It’s an exam with a rare undead called the Death Phoenix on the line.’
[Boy! I can’t get a clear view of the wall from here! Hurry!]
Simon inwardly burst out laughing at Pier’s immediate change in attitude. He detached the clone and placed it on his shoulder.
[Hmm,] Pier’s clone spoke. [I think you should probably dodge what’s flying at you from behind first.]
’What?’
No sooner had Simon turned around than a pitch-black spear of lightning crackled down from the sky.
He threw himself out of the way in fright. The ground where the spear struck was scorched black. Simon belatedly looked around.
’Ugh, there are so many people!’
Students were swarming the base of the wall, firing black magic at each other. The competition for a spot in the siege battle had already begun.
[Boy! There’s no time to deal with small fry like them!]
’I know!’
Simon immediately broke into a sprint, dodging the incoming spells like an eel. Explosions erupted all around, and Dick’s fireworks were popping in the sky.
’This is so chaotic from the very start... Huh?’
Simon’s head tilted up. The sound of that last firework was different. A blue firework had just exploded in the sky with a soft ’whoosh’.
’That’s Meirin’s direction. She found it fast!’
With a ’screech’ of his boots on the stone, Simon slammed on the brakes, skidding to a halt before spinning around and sprinting in the opposite direction. Two students who had been running up behind him were startled and took battle stances.
"Hup!"
"You want a piece of this?!"
Bone fragments from a Skeleton flew from behind, assembling into Bone Armor around Simon’s body. He leaped onto the castle wall.
’Hold on with the Skeleton’s power!’
With a tap, Simon began to run straight up the side of the wall. The two students below could only watch with wide eyes as he passed.
’Good. Just like this!’
Simon ran with all his might toward the blue firework’s location. All the while, green fireworks set off by the menials dyed the sky. However...
’This... this is tough.’
It was good that he didn’t have to fight, but running along the wall was incredibly strenuous. Just then, an image of a certain monster surfaced in his mind: the four-armed, four-legged chimera he had seen in the basement of Professor Walter’s firing range, the one that moved freely on walls and ceilings.
’If I do it like that monster...’
Simon summoned more Skeletons from his subspace.
With a ’click’ and a ’clack’, the bone fragments of his armor floated into the air and began to reassemble. He used eight Skeletons to form four legs, their bodies gathering to create a single central core.
’Something like this?’
The result was a grotesque, four-legged arachnid forged from bone. Of course, since it was a completely different configuration from a Skeleton’s original form, it rattled and looked as if it would fall apart at any moment.
[Hold each other!]
Simon’s Absolute Command prevented it from collapsing. He then replaced the most crucial leg joints with his Cloud.
’Done!’
Simon leaped on top of it. The Skeleton spider moved its limbs rapidly, racing along the castle wall at an astonishing speed. The students running below looked up, dumbfounded.
"A... a skeleton spider?"
"What kind of undead is that?"
Moving faster than anyone else, the card attached to the wall finally came into Simon’s view. A few students were already heading inside. The fifteen-person limit would be reached any second.
’Run!’
The other students, seeing Simon, scrambled faster, but the Skeleton spider was quicker. It leaped up, carrying Simon with it as it passed through the card.
[Entering a new game.]
[1 member of the defending team has entered.]
[Defending Team (15/15) all members have entered.]
He’d made it just in the nick of time.

Comments

Loading...