episode_0065
by fnovelpiaTo conclude, the fight between Nils and Laura was a fight whose outcome was already decided.
Niels was barely able to move his head and look up, as he writhed and convulsed.
“Gasp… ! Huh… !”
Due to being repeatedly hit by elemental cold magic, Nils’ limbs were frostbitten and turned blue. Naturally, he felt no sensation in his fingertips, and his frozen breath flowed out from between his blue lips.
“Ugh, ugh… !”
Niels shut his eyes tightly. Even he thought it was a series of sleepless nights. No, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was being fooled.
Armor-piercing shells, high-explosive shells, cluster bombs, and even the magic bombs I’ve been saving up for so long.
Niels certainly did his best against Laura von Adelheid, who was standing right in front of him. He used every means of attack he could muster, and the rapid fire power he was particularly proud of was definitely a firepower worth noting.
However, that was the end of it. Nils’ attack failed to penetrate Laura’s magical defense, and instead, the magical defense’s reflected attacks only increased the number of minor wounds.
‘What the heck, this monster…!’
Nils Chambers, a member of the combat department of Class 1-A, attacked Laura without regard for means and methods, but Laura’s magical defenses were never broken.
That was the conclusion.
Nils, who had a hard time accepting that fact, glared at the girl in front of him, struggling to breathe as his lungs were frozen by magic.
Usually, magicians use a technique called magic defense. This has the disadvantage of being able to defend only in one direction, but since the magic shield is not spread out in all directions but concentrated in one place, its defensive power is outstanding.
On the other hand, since magic defense spreads magic power evenly in all directions rather than concentrating it in one place, it is weak to concentrated attacks.
After all, Magic Protection is a spell that is only useful in melee combat. Yes, generally speaking. But… .
“Magic power, protection… . How thick is it… !”
It’s unreasonable. No, it goes beyond that and makes no sense.
Nils clearly focused his attacks on one spot. The bullet trajectories were precise, and whenever Laura moved her body, Nils’ gun moved with her.
But, it ended with just a split in the middle? And as if that wasn’t enough, she deflected about half of the attacks directed at her?
How on earth?
“Are you very embarrassed?”
As the thick layer of dust settled, Nils saw Laura approaching him, holding a flag.
“Embarrassed, are you embarrassed…?”
“Yes. That would be true. The attack didn’t work at all, right? Poor thing. You were the one who made the first move, right? ”
“… !”
That arsenic. Laura von Adelheid, her characteristically arrogant and condescending arsenic. Niels was so angry about that.
An arrogant mockery that flaunts one’s noble lineage while making everyone else out to be a criminal!
“You, you…!”
Niels Chambers clenched his teeth so hard that Laura could hear the cracking sound.
Laura looked at Nils like that, the corners of her lips slightly rising, and showed a truly pitiful expression.
“Still, you did a good job. My magic defense is cracked… . As expected, you’re a student from Class A.”
“Shut up… !”
“Your words and actions are also cheap. Am I praising you right now? Don’t misunderstand.”
“That’s a compliment…!”
“Yes. That’s it.”
What stopped Nils’s tantrum was Laura’s gentle words. Laura raised her wand and began to draw a magic circle in the air with an elegant gesture.
“Aspiration, compression, shape retention, simplification.”
The magic circle shrank in size and spread out over Laura’s right hand. Nils stared blankly at the sight.
“Unfortunately, we have limited time. If you don’t want to leave any regrets, I’d better hurry up and get you out of here.”
Laura raised her hand with her index finger, middle finger, and thumb spread out and her ring finger and little finger folded. Laura’s middle finger and index finger, with the magic circle spinning around, touched the center of Nils’ forehead.
It was a hand shape that looked like a pistol. Niels couldn’t hold back his anger that was welling up at the sight of her hand shape that seemed to be mocking him.
“… This, fucking—!”
“trigger(κρούση).”
– Boom!
The last thing Nils saw as his vision darkened was this:
“Good… ! Good… !”
It was the back of Laura running down the path that opened up toward the center of the training ground, holding the flag tightly to her chest.
* * * * *
– Laura von Adelheid! With an overwhelming victory in the duel with Niels Chambers, she takes the final flag! Ah!! As expected, the skills of the Class A students are formidable!
Professor Andres shouted loudly. Seeing her eyes widen, Professor Andres seemed to be surprised by Laura’s skills as well.
-Wowaaaah—!!
The cheers from the audience were also overwhelming. It was on a whole other level compared to the previous duels.
It was an overwhelming and splendid duel, and the level was so high that the majority of people said they were students from Class A of Chaldea Imperial Academy.
– As the last flag reached the center of the arena, the first-year students’ flag-capture contest ended! A total of 64 students passed this contest!
Professor Andres shouted loudly. It was so loud that it hurt my ears.
“Wow, as expected, Adelheid is the overwhelming student… .”
Professor Esther, who was watching the scene with me, just blankly exclaimed in admiration. I just silently watched Laura running away with the flag.
I have mixed feelings. I knew Laura would win the fight, but still… .
“… Laura von Adelheid.”
Adelheid. The value of those five letters doesn’t go away. It was a match where you could clearly feel that the title of the magic powerhouse is still solid.
I feel strange. Even though my students are showing off their skills with confidence, I can’t help but smile.
The students I have been entrusted with. The students I must lead in place of Helena.
So, I have to laugh at their performance. I have to praise them. I have to smile. Yes, I have to do that… .
“… … .”
What on earth is this creepy feeling?
My heart was now divided into two. One was a heart that was genuinely happy for the students of Class A’s performance, and the other was an ugly hostility that was creeping up on Laura’s performance.
That’s why I’m confused. I don’t know what kind of expression I should make.
My tightly shut lips trembled. I closed my mouth with even more force.
Laura von Adelheid. I didn’t like it at first, but as I continued taking the class, I was able to let go of my narrow-minded view.
That’s why I thought, I won’t be stuck in the past anymore. Just as I vowed not to hate the child of my enemy, I won’t treat Laura von Adelheid as the same person as her father.
‘That’s funny.’
Yes, it was funny. It was purely because I had never seen Laura use magic with my own eyes, and it wasn’t because I was narrow-minded.
Look at me now. Look at me projecting my father’s magic onto Laura’s magic.
The students I teach are just showing off their skills with confidence, but I can’t congratulate them or be happy for them. How pathetic is that?
Adelheid. Because of those five letters in my name, am I unable to be happy even when I should be? Is that all?
It was hard to accept, but it was true. I can’t see any other way to explain how I felt.
– Ah! The first-year students are just coming out! Everyone, please give them a round of applause!
And then, the first-year students who had finished their training began to leave the training grounds. All of their injuries had completely disappeared, and they looked completely fine.
“I mixed the welcome magic properly. I helped a little. Hehe… .”
Professor Esther scratched her head and smiled, but I couldn’t help but smile.
The procession of first-year students leaving the training grounds. At the front of the procession were students from Class A walking in a line.
And where I was standing, unfortunately, was in a passageway that led to the exit of the training ground. That was because the waiting room and infirmary were there.
Laura’s face, as she confidently walked out from the front, was filled with the joy of victory and her usual haughtiness.
Laura continued to look around as she left the training ground, as if looking for someone. Her expression filled with anticipation proved it.
Who on earth are they looking for? Has the Duke of Adelheid come to see them?
And then, Laura’s eyes found me.
“Ah… !”
She let out a short exclamation, then quickly regained her composure and began walking towards me. I silently watched her.
Laura came up to me without me noticing, placed both hands on her hips, and opened her mouth with a confident expression.
“Professor Antonelli. How was I?”
“… … .”
– Father Antonelli. Don’t blame me too much. I just chose the best path for the future of the empire.
The shameless expression, the actions and speech that showed off an unreasonable amount of dignity, and the look in his eyes that treated me like I was completely inferior.
– Sacrifice is, in the end, the foundation that lays the foundation for victory in war. Thanks to them, the empire will be firmly established, so rather than saying that their deaths were in vain… . If possible, say that they were noble sacrifices.
All of that seemed completely identical to what Laura was showing now.
“… That was a really great fight.”
I had no choice but to deceive myself.
…what a truly spineless person.
That’s right, it was me.
* * * * *
Inside the dormitory bathroom.
Laura, soaking in a bathtub filled with hot water, had a relaxed expression on her face.
“Whoa… .”
Water droplets formed on her pure white hair and soon fell into the bathtub. As she soaked in the warm water, she felt all the fatigue in her body melt away at once.
After the first day’s training was over, Laura had dinner and quickly returned to the dorm.
It was because I was more tired than usual. It was also because I had wandered around the maze, but the last student I had a fight with, Nils Chambers, was definitely strong.
Laura’s magical protection was cracked. It was an unprecedented event, and Laura had gone a little too far in order to finish Nils off for sure. She looked back on the battle she had seen and experienced today.
“Hmm… .”
The sparring between the second and third year seniors was impressive. Their sparring after the first year students’ sparring was definitely worth watching.
But those things weren’t important to Laura now.
– That was a really great fight.
“Huh, heh… !”
She let out a breathy laugh and splashed around in the hot water, rejoicing.
Praise and recognition from Professor Antonelli. It was one of the few thrills Laura had ever experienced.
“With this, twice… .”
Once when the assignment was evaluated, and this is the second time.
As Laura pondered those memories, she imagined a third future.
And so, the first night of the grade-by-grade competition deepened.
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