Chapter 108: Remnants Part 3

Senior Jabir is strong.

No….any student who experienced last year’s Cradle and survived is strong.

Among my classmates, there was no one who couldn’t beat me anymore.

So what about the third-years?

If anything, they were even worse.

Senior Jabir used to be a gentle, peace-loving person, but time has changed him.

The soft-hearted boy who used to run around with medicine in his hands now wields a morning star, sending “Venus” flying over his opponent’s head.

Haah…

I was careless. I didn’t realize that I had just been lucky last time.

But it’s not too late yet.

“Yuna! Help me!!”

I’ve got the best bodyguard.

“Yuna! These lunatics are trying to take me away!!”

Yes, I screamed shamefully.

But wait…. was it really shameful? No, it wasn’t.

The weak asking the strong for help wasn’t disgraceful.

In fact, knowing your place that clearly should be praised.

“Yuna!!”

But something was off.

Normally, by the time I shout like this, she would’ve stepped in already…

“Yuna…?”

“So, are you done struggling?”

“Jabir, that junior’s got strong lungs. That must mean he’s got stamina. Grab him.”

“Yes, Professor.

Senior Jabir started striding toward me.

His morning star was perfectly maintained, but for some reason, I think I saw bloodstains.

“Senior.”

“Johan, this is your chance! You’ll get to witness a hidden passage of truth in this world!”

We couldn’t communicate.

His whole system of communication was broken.

“This is your warning. My sword has no eyes.”

There was no way I could afford to hold back against Senior Jabir. I had to fight with the intent to kill. Only then would I maybe, just maybe, have a chance at winning.

“Don’t worry, Johan. Luckily, my morning star has eyes.”

Zzzzt.

As Senior Jabir spoke, his morning star began to tremble…and then, it opened its eyes.

“What the hell? That’s disgusting.”

Why did it actually have real eyes…?

Had he joined a terrorist group and gained powers while I wasn’t looking?

“How is it? I synthesized a chimera into the metal using bio-alchemy! It’s a new technology that even got recognized by the academic society!”

“Those lunatics at the academic society!”

No, just looking at it, anyone could tell this was a terrible idea! How could they approve something like that?!

Now this guy had created a demon weapon that had never existed before.

“Heave-ho!”

“Whoa?!”

Crack!

Without any warning, Senior Jabir swung his morning star.

With a smiling face, he struck fiercely, smashing straight through the floor where I had just been standing.

“That’s so unfair…!”

It was cheating for a master to go all out against a weaker opponent!

“Unfair? That’s not even worth mentioning when it’s two against one.”

“Ghk!”

Then came a surprise attack from behind. It was Professor Georg.

It was more overwhelming than I had imagined.

Luckily, Professor Georg was inexperienced in actual combat, so I was able to dodge it. But if the one who had gotten behind me just now had been Senior Jabir instead, my head would’ve been crushed in an instant.

“So that’s how it’s going to be, huh?”

Don’t expect mercy from my sword.

“Hup!”

I swung my sword toward Professor Georg first.

If they were going to fight dirty, then I had no choice but to be just as underhanded.

I went for the weaker one first.

“Oh-ho!”

Clang!

But it was blocked.

Senior Jabir, who had been standing in front of me, had somehow gotten behind me in an instant and intercepted the strike.

That was the level of difference between us.

I had known he would block it anyway, but thanks to that exchange, I was able to roughly gauge the difference in our strength.

It was doable.

I wasn’t the same person I used to be. Telling myself that again, I gripped my sword tighter.

“Hup!”

Clang! Clang!

We exchanged a few blows.

I swung my sword with everything I had, but Senior Jabir blocked it all effortlessly, still wearing that smile.

Looking closely, I realized he hadn’t even moved from his spot. He blocked every one of my attacks with just a flick of his wrist.

Part of it was his own skill, but that morning star with the eyes looked suspicious.

Did it have a consciousness? It seemed to react and move on its own.

And this guy…he was letting his guard down.

Well, of course he would. I was the weakest among my classmates, and he was a senior on top of that.

I didn’t have the skill to overturn that gap.

And no one knew that better than Senior Jabir, who had spent plenty of time with me.

But what he didn’t know…

Was that I had grown too.

“Hup!”

I twisted my body on purpose, making a wide motion.

While out of his line of sight, I used a magitc engineering battery to layer aura over my blade.

“Huh?”

Mid-spin, Jabir noticed the unstable aura had solidified. And for the first time, he looked visibly flustered.

“Heave-ho.”

Clang!

But it lasted only a moment. His response didn’t change much.

Not even enough to be considered a variable.

Even against my decisive blow, his method of defense remained the same.

Still standing in place, he just flicked his wrist and that was it.

The surprise he’d shown was probably just from seeing that I had grown stronger.

“Huff…!”

But now, I was starting to tire.

Even my critical strike was blocked, and no matter how many times I swung my sword, he didn’t budge an inch.

Of course I was sweating. So it was only natural to start feeling anxious.

“Johan, why don’t you just surrender quietly and sign the paper? If it’s too hard for you, Professor Georg will take care of it.”

“He’ll inject me with something!”

“It’s a drug that makes you happy.”

“That’s a dangerous thing to say. Hup!”

I swung my sword wide once more.

This way, I was only exhausting myself, but I had no choice.

Because the one I was up against wasn’t just Senior Jabir.

Nearby, Professor Georg was lurking like a hyena, waiting to jab a syringe into my neck.

Just to keep him in check, I had to keep swinging big.

Since Professor Georg wasn’t a fighter, just threatening him like this was enough to keep him from making a move.

Though to be fair, someone like Professor Georg could probably still deal with this. But there’s no need for him to rush.

Just being there.

That alone makes him more than a handful.

“Haah…”

“You’re out of breath, Johan. Looks like we’re nearing the end, don’t you think?”

“Who knows? Isn’t it a bit early for that?”

“No, now’s the perfect time.”

“…I agree.”

Just as Senior Jabir’s guard was at its lowest,

I swung my sword wide once more.

A full-force strike. This time, I’d take him down for sure.

Of course, if things went on like this, nothing would really change.

But I had the power to flip everything in a single moment.

Advanced illusion magic: [Sensory Disruption]

“Huh?”

Just once.

I disrupted the sensation in Senior Jabir’s wrist.

His mace swung in a completely different direction than he intended.

And the opening that was created was massive. I couldn’t afford to miss this chance.

“Hup!”

Thud!

A strike aimed straight at Senior Jabir.

Of course, I couldn’t actually kill my senior. So mid-swing, I twisted my blade and struck his head with the flat side.

That was enough.

He took the hit without even reacting properly, so he wouldn’t be able to move for a while.

Now there was just one thing left.

“I told you, didn’t I?”

I spun my body wide again and locked onto Professor Georg.

As expected, it was him.

The moment Jabir went down, Georg launched an attack on me. He knew this was his only chance.

But—

“I’m not the same person I used to be.”

This time, I win.

Smack!

A perfect counter.

My first victory won in this cradle.

What an exhilarating feeling.

“Haah…”

But just as I was starting to savor the win—

“Now what?”

I could only sigh as I looked upon the mess I’d made.

Even Lobelia’s threats wouldn’t be enough to stop them now.

I had done too well.

Sure, I caught them off guard and won this time, but the same trick wouldn’t work again.

So how was I supposed to stop this madness going forward?

There was no way research could continue while that lunatic kept showing up at the alchemy laboratory waving university application papers around.

The only solution that came to mind now was Yuna’s protection.

But even if she stayed near me often, she couldn’t be around all the time. So it was only a temporary fix.

“And where is she now, anyway…? She’s always gone when I need her most.”

Especially on a day like this.

***

Faculty meeting.

Olga Hermod had summoned the professors in charge of each class.

“Then it’s about time we made a decision. We’ll need to reassign classes for the second semester.”

“Hmm…”

“With the gaps in both the student and faculty numbers, we’ve decided to temporarily dissolve Class F and Class E.”

At Olga Hermod’s statement, the teachers swallowed dryly.

They knew exactly why this meeting had been called.

And that’s why they felt a chill every time they glanced at the empty seats beside them.

Over a hundred defectors. It was impossible not to feel the weight of that absence.

“Shall we start with Class E? Which students should be moved up, and which ones should be moved down? After all, you’ve observed them for half a year. Please use your judgment accordingly.”

“Ah, let’s begin with student number one on the attendance list…”

With continued discussion based on the Class E homeroom teacher’s input, the class was smoothly disbanded.

And then, in order, it was time to divide the students from Class F.

This, too, proceeded without much issue.

“Johan can be placed in Class D.”

“I agree.”

“Same here.”

“Then it’s unanimous. Johan Damus will be placed in Class D.”

When it came to certain students, everyone’s evaluations were aligned enough to reach consensus without delay.

But there were exceptions.

“Yuna could easily be placed in Class A.”

“However, looking at her grades, she doesn’t seem particularly outstanding. I admit she has potential, but without any real motivation, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to consider Class B or C?”

“That’s a fair point, but…”

When it came to certain individuals, opinions were strangely divided.

As the debate among the faculty began to heat up—

“Place Yuna in Class D.”

“…Huh? Headmistress, with all due respect, that doesn’t seem appropriate.”

“If you’re trying to impose reverse discrimination just because she was personally brought in by the Headmistress, then, as a fellow educator, I can’t view that favorably.”

“……”

A bold act of insubordination.

However, despite the direct challenge, Olga Hermod did not get angry.

Because even though she carried the title of Archmage and Headmistress, she was more fair and just than anyone else.

In fact, it was because of that very quality that the faculty felt even more driven.

They had also spent a year living alongside the students in the cradle.

They felt a deep attachment and wished more than anyone to give a fair evaluation.

That was why Olga Hermod respected them.

However…

“No matter which class you place her in, I doubt Yuna will care.”

“If that’s the case, then all the more reason—”

“She’ll simply go and sit in Class D once classes begin.”

“……?”

“She’s… I hesitate to say this myself, but she’s exceptionally talented.”

A rare high praise from Olga Hermod.

Just that alone made the faculty members swallow dryly.

Because they knew what it meant.

It meant that Yuna’s skills surpassed theirs. Just like the other students in Class S.

Class S students weren’t really “students” in the traditional sense.

There were only a handful of teachers capable of instructing them, and they remained at the academy only out of obligation.

That’s how exceptional they were.

“Isn’t that right, Student Yuna?”

“Puhihi! I actually came to ask you for that, but as expected, you always know exactly what I’m thinking, Headmistress.”

“How could I not know when you’re protesting like that?”

Before anyone noticed, the pink-haired girl had already taken an empty seat.

Yuna looked as if she had been there all along. She was completely at ease.

“Wh-What…?”

It was only then that the faculty finally understood Olga Hermod’s words.

Yuna had a natural talent for blending in wherever she went.

Controlling her was impossible.

“Choose between Class S and Class D.”

Olga Hermod posed a question to Yuna. A question similar to one she had asked someone else at the beginning of the semester.

“Hmm, I’ve decided!”

And the answer she received was much like the one she’d heard back then.

“I’ll join Class D.”