Chapter 124

“Wow.”

“Hm, how did the situation turn out like this…”

The professors couldn’t take their eyes off the battle.

How could it unfold like this until the very end?

Even if it were staged, it couldn’t have been this dramatic.

“Three battlefields.”

The voice of Vice-Chancellor Gerhardt was heard.

Next to him was Vice-Principal Isaac.

The professors turned their gaze towards them, but Gerhardt gestured for them to continue watching and not to mind him.

“Incredible.”

Gerhardt spoke again.

His sentiment mirrored that of many professors.

The battle, which seemed like it would conclude with one final large clash, had split into three parts.

The battle between Princess Oscar, Elaine, and Riviera.

The battle between Max and Lucia.

The battle between the remaining second-year Royals and the first-year Royals.

These simultaneous, intense, and thrilling battles were already worthy of being recorded in the academy’s mock battle history.

The professors’ reactions, unable to take their eyes off the scene, were proof of that.

“Still, the decisive point will be over there.”

Isaac pointed to one of the battlefields.

The one where Princess Oscar, Elaine, and Riviera were fighting.

It was an undeniable fact.

The side that won there would retain their strongest force, while the losing side would lose theirs.

Whichever side won, the opponent would be unable to handle it.

So, in a strong sense, the other two battles were more like a delightful bonus to the mock battle rather than the decisive factor.

However.

Professor Karen spoke with a peculiar look in her eyes.

“99.9% of the time, that’s true. But isn’t war about the 0.1% possibility?”

Isaac gave her a subtle look that said, “You again?”

“What 0.1% possibility are you talking about?”

“For example…”

Professor Karen continued with a mischievous smile.

“An unexpected variable?”

“An unexpected variable? What kind of unexpected variable could there be?”

Isaac shook his head with a bemused smile.

“If the 0.1% possibility happens, you’ll naturally find out, won’t you?”

She said it was 0.1% because she couldn’t convince them, but Karen believed the possibility was more like 30%.

The battles were becoming increasingly intense.

There was no room to retreat or compromise.

The high pride that comes with being a master.

All the pieces for the possibility to explode were in place.

“This is absurd…”

“Is it? Let’s keep watching to see how it unfolds.”

Professor Karen smiled lightly and turned her gaze forward.

‘What could possibly happen?’

Isaac also turned his gaze back to the battlefield.

* * *

Elaine bit her lip hard, trying to steady her faltering mind.

She had enough mana left to continue.

But having mana didn’t mean she could use magic.

She needed mental strength.

Magic required the quick processing of complex formulas—a high-level skill.

Especially when using two opposing-element spells simultaneously, like she was now.

A normal magician couldn’t even imagine processing such complex formulas so quickly, almost simultaneously.

Naturally, it required immense mental strength.

Using such high-level magic continuously without a break was mentally exhausting.

She felt dizzy and almost staggered.

But she managed to hold on somehow.

‘I can’t show any weakness…’

The opponent in front of her was beyond strong.

Even the smallest gap would be fatal.

She had to endure no matter what.

“Ah, I’m sweating too much. I definitely need a shower.”

Princess Oscar joked.

But was it really a joke?

She hadn’t even broken a sweat before this fight.

Maybe she genuinely intended to finish the mock battle without needing a shower.

“I’ll give you an electric shower.”

Riviera also made a joke-like remark.

Zap!

Three lightning spears floated in front of her.

“Haha, that sounds thrilling, but I’ll have to decline. As royalty, I can’t afford to lose my dignity.”

Princess Oscar replied playfully.

It showed how relaxed she was.

“I don’t care. I’ll do as I please.”

Riviera responded nonchalantly.

‘Both of them are amazing.’

Elaine felt a sense of inadequacy.

She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this way towards her peers.

She could understand Princess Oscar, often called the “Flower of the Royal Family,” being praised for her god-given talent.

But experiencing the hidden genius’s skill firsthand made her realize how vast the world was and how much talent there was.

‘I wasn’t arrogant, but…’

Elaine realized she needed to work even harder to move forward.

To narrow the gap with those two.

“By the way.”

Princess Oscar spoke with a mysterious smile.

“Everyone, be careful. I don’t know how to hold back on the battlefield.”

Elaine’s heart wavered.

Her heart raced.

She felt the words were directed at her.

Did she notice…?

It wasn’t just a worry.

Zoom!

Princess Oscar charged at Elaine.

Elaine quickly unleashed the magic she had prepared.

Whoosh! Swoosh!

Screech!

Princess Oscar cut through the magic with her Spatial Slash.

So far, it was the same as before.

But.

“Ah, as expected.”

Princess Oscar smiled.

She noticed the slight delay in Elaine’s magic preparation.

Even a slight delay was like an eternity for the Princess.

More than enough time to exploit a gap.

Step.

She took a step forward and threw her wooden sword behind her without looking.

Boom!

A tremendous noise came from behind.

The three lightning spears Riviera had sent collided with the Princess’s thrown wooden sword, causing a massive clash.

‘Throwing away her weapon?’

Elaine’s eyes wavered.

Throwing away her weapon to maintain speed.

That action caught her off guard.

Before she could finish preparing her magic, the Princess was upon her.

“Excuse me.”

The Princess’s palm touched Elaine’s abdomen.

Boom!

At that moment.

“Ugh.”

Elaine’s body flew backward.

‘…Sorry, guys.’

Max and Riviera’s faces flashed before her eyes, probably because they had worked hard together for the mock battle.

Someone seemed to be missing, but she didn’t have the mental capacity to think about it.

Thud!

Elaine fell to the ground helplessly.

She felt empty, like she had burned out rather than feeling frustrated about losing.

Princess Oscar smiled slightly.

“Next is…”

Just as she was about to turn around leisurely.

Suddenly, she felt a chill down her spine.

Her body broke out in goosebumps.

Princess Oscar’s eyes widened.

It was a sensation she had never felt before.

But her instincts told her what it was.

The feeling of sensing something that could genuinely threaten her life.

‘Ah, is this it?’

As soon as she realized it, Princess Oscar unleashed her unspent power.

Her right palm glowed with a brilliant blue light.

The light clearly took the shape of a sword.

To be precise, the upper part of a sword.

Just as she was about to grab the blue sword wave with her left hand.

Beep, beep, beep, beep!

The warning sound indicating disqualification for exceeding the mana limit rang out.

The Princess stopped moving.

But it wasn’t her own warning sound that made her stop.

Beep, beep, beep, beep!

The simultaneous warning sound from behind.

Princess Oscar released the energy she had gathered and turned around.

There stood Riviera.

Riviera had also released all her energy and was standing normally.

‘What was that?’

Princess Oscar thought, hiding her intense curiosity.

It must have been a terrifyingly powerful magic.

Otherwise, her senses wouldn’t have sent such a strong warning.

But she could only be sure of that; she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, so she had no idea what kind of magic it was.

“Just now…”

Princess Oscar began to speak, but Riviera lay down.

“No burden.”

“Ah.”

The Princess finally remembered the penalty and smiled weakly.

‘I guess it can’t be helped.’

The Princess lay down quietly.

But her mind was filled with thoughts of what had just happened.

‘I’ll remember this, senior. But, I don’t even know your name?’

***

“Gasp…”

Vice-Principal Isaac’s mouth was agape as if it would tear.

Disqualification…?

And a double disqualification at that…?

What kind of absurdity is this!

“How could there be a double disqualification…”

“What on earth just happened?”

The other professors murmured in disbelief.

Elaine’s retirement.

They could follow that.

But the Princess, who thought she had gained an advantage by retiring one opponent, was suddenly disqualified—this was incomprehensible.

And then, the opponent was also simultaneously disqualified.

Even more baffling.

Did they move mana in such a way that they both got disqualified at the same time, as if it were planned?

…Was that even possible?

‘Man, that was a close call.’

Lapit internally sighed in relief multiple times.

Only he knew exactly what Riviera had been about to do.

He could tell just by her stance.

She had been about to use forbidden blood magic.

Luckily, she changed her mind at the last moment.

‘Why did she suddenly go berserk?’

It was hard to guess her emotions, given her eccentric nature.

A competitive spirit?

That made some sense.

Revenge for a fallen comrade?

No, that didn’t fit.

Responsibility?

…Responsibility, really?

It’s difficult, very difficult.

It might be more plausible that the Princess did something to upset her suddenly.

“Hmm…”

Meanwhile, Isaac, snapping out of his shock, subtly glanced at Professor Karen.

Given that her seemingly absurd prediction had come true, she was sure to say something smug.

But.

For some reason, Professor Karen remained silent.

She was deep in thought, her eyes sparkling with interest.

‘…That was definitely a mind sword.’

The Princess, who had thrown away her weapon earlier, was trying to draw a mind sword with her right hand.

A shocking level of skill.

Though as a magician , She could tell that her current level could place her among the top swordsmen on the continent.

So, the question naturally arose.

What kind of magic would force such a skilled Princess to draw a mind sword?

High-level magic?

No, that wouldn’t be enough.

It had to be at least an 8th-class ultra-high-level magic.

‘She’s already a prodigy.’

Professor Karen let out a low, inexplicable laugh.

Though it was unfortunate that she couldn’t control herself and got disqualified, it could be understood as a competitive spirit against a strong opponent.

At least she didn’t lose her mind and go berserk like Slane.

‘I’m getting more and more curious about her.’

Smiling, Professor Karen finally spoke.

“So, where is the decisive battle now?”

Her gaze was directed at Isaac.

Isaac, realizing the inevitable, cleared his throat.

“Ahem, that would be…”

“Over there, right?”

Professor Karen, smiling with her eyes, pointed to where Max and Lucia were.

* * *

‘…What the heck is that?’

I was honestly shocked by the unexpected outcome.

I thought one side would win, but a double disqualification…?

How did that happen?

“The Princess…”

Lucia, also shocked, stood still with wide eyes.

It was fortunate for me.

It gave me a moment to catch my breath.

But my mind was still racing.

‘Wait, this means…’

I blinked rapidly, realizing something.

‘The importance of this fight has just skyrocketed.’

Originally, the decisive battle of the mock battle was supposed to be the one that just ended in a double disqualification.

This side was just a bonus.

But suddenly, the situation had changed.

‘The fortress side should be in our favor.’

With Lucia, a key player, tied up here, it might take time, but the second-years should eventually win.

In that case.

‘If I can deal with Lucia, we could win this.’

Conversely, if I fall here and Lucia returns, the second-years will struggle again.

The problem was.

‘I’m in bad shape.’

Since the mock battle started, I’ve been running around fighting non-stop.

Riding the low-altitude bus helped conserve some energy.

But even that conserved energy was nearly depleted.

Facing a strong opponent like Lucia in a one-on-one fight was like a mission from hell for me right now.

I was barely holding on defensively because I knew her techniques well.

‘What should I do? There must be a way…’

As I pondered.

“You’re still lacking. Wasting time like this. But there’s no more time to waste. I’ll finish you off now.”

Lucia spoke with a determined expression.

She seemed to realize the gravity of the situation after the Princess’s disqualification.

“Wait, let me think a bit more…”

“Pathetic stalling.”

Lucia charged forward quickly.

Damn, something was about to come to me.

I jumped back, continuing to rack my brain.