Dick's match wasn't flashy, but it had an engrossing kind of fun that drew you in.Simon and Kamibarez were also applauding from the stands, but Mei-rin rested her chin on her hand with a sour expression."......Ah, it's embarrassing, even though a squad member won.""Hahahaha!"-Class A student Mei-rin Billenne. Class C student Ivan Barshani, please report to the waiting room.Mei-rin stood up upon hearing the announcement."Well, I'll win easily.""Go, Mei-rin!""Good luck."As Mei-rin headed to the waiting room, she ran into Dick, who was coming up to the stands.Dick, looking pleased, spread his palm for a high-five, saying, "Yay~," but Mei-rin just snorted dismissively and walked past him."Tsk! She has absolutely no sociability."Dick grumbled as he approached Simon and Kamibarez and high-fived them.As the three chatted amicably about the duel evaluation, Mei-rin was seen walking out to the center of the arena.Mei-rin's opponent was Ivan Barshani from Class C, a Martial Arts major with a solid physique."This match will be interesting too," Dick said, stuffing his hands into his pockets."Will Ivan close the distance, or will Mei-rin push him back before he can?""Go, Mei-rin!"Following the referee's instructions, Mei-rin and Ivan approached each other and shook hands."I didn't expect to face such a big shot in the first match," Ivan said with a wide smile."You'd do well to remember this moment as your family's glory, commoner."Mei-rin pulled her hand away and haughtily crossed her arms."Because soon, you won't even be able to look me in the eye.""Hmm, perhaps. But I believe being trampled by a commoner now will be a good experience for you.""Funny."The two exchanged light jabs before turning their backs and walking away.Ivan, a former boxer, whose entire body was composed of practical muscles forged through countless training and discipline.And Mei-rin, delicate and slender, looking as if she'd never gotten her hands wet.The two finally stood facing each other at a distance. The referee, checking both students' conditions, lowered his arm and shouted,"Match start!"As soon as the word 'start' was heard, Ivan pushed off the ground and charged at Mei-rin.'I'll overwhelm him! Push him back until he can't do anything...!'Suddenly, his pupils widened. A black flame had abruptly erupted directly in front of him as he charged.Whoosh!Ivan slammed on the brakes and sharply changed direction.It was dangerous. Although he was wearing a protective suit, sweat dripped from the intense heat."Oh, how simple-minded," Mei-rin said, conjuring a black flame at the tip of her index finger."Did you think this was a stage where you could win with a brute-force first strike?"Fwoosh!Mei-rin continuously poured out flames, and Ivan dodged them, looking for an opening, as the battle unfolded.Simon, watching from the stands, let out an exclamation of admiration."That's amazing. Did she complete Dark Flare that quickly?""No."Dick shook his head."That's Jet Black Elemental Magic, a lower stage than Dark Flare. Dark Flare takes more time to cast."Jet Black Elemental Magic.This magic was a modern reinterpretation of the elemental magic of pure mages, which was now obsolete, using Jet Black. Its characteristic was a slight black tinge, whether it was fire or ice.Even if a pure mage and a Necromancer started casting at the same time, Jet Black Elemental Magic would be completed much faster. Its power was also stronger, and it was advantageous for controlling variables.It was, in every sense, a complete upgrade."As expected of the Ivory Tower."The Ivory Tower was once a sacred place for mages. It was also called the 'Magic Tower'.However, with the changing times, the Ivory Tower also transformed, and in modern times, Necromancers have become the mainstream.Nevertheless, its unique old character seems to remain, as most Necromancers from the Ivory Tower specialize in Jet Black Elemental Magic based on Jet Black Mechanics."Haaah!"Mei-rin swung her arm, and flames stretched out like a wall, blocking Ivan's advance. Ivan, who retreated by a hair's breadth, gasped for breath.[Mei-rin Billenne: 100%][Ivan Barshani: 71%]'Definitely tricky. I only dodged, but my gauge is already this low...!'Ivan wiped his mouth with his hand and doubled the Jet Black circulation in his body. He could feel his body heating up more and more.'No need to be anxious. Just keep her distracted like this so she can't use big dark magic. Just one chance. If I can just get one chance...!'"Didn't I tell you earlier? Commoner."Mei-rin smiled and unfurled her left hand, which she had hidden behind her back.Fwoosh!"You're simple-minded."A black flame, incomparably larger than before, surged from her left hand.Ivan's mouth dropped open.'W-when did she cast Dark Flare?!'In fact, Mei-rin had only recently completed 'multi-casting' Dark Flare.She had been continuously firing light Jet Black flames with her right hand while slowly preparing Dark Flare with her left.With this growth, she, the top student in Class A, had ascended one step further to a state of absolute perfection.Now that she possessed Dark Flare, there was no need for petty distractions.Mei-rin lowered her right hand and intensified the flame in her left."The match is decided. Will you continue?""I think it's a bit too early to say that!"Ivan's mouth twisted. His heart pounded wildly, and the blood in his body boiled.'No matter how powerful the dark magic, it's useless if it doesn't hit!'Ivan pushed off the ground and launched himself. He moved at considerable speed, appearing almost like an afterimage.Just as Mei-rin was about to swing her left hand forward, Ivan's body twisted in the opposite direction.She flinched and pulled back her left hand. If she had cast it as planned, she would have wasted the Dark Flare she had painstakingly prepared.'Heh heh, you won't be able to throw it even if you die!'Among the various Martial Arts majors, Ivan was a speed type, relying on Jet Black circulation in his body. For these 1-2 minutes, when he pushed his tempo to the maximum, he was confident he was faster than anyone at Kizen.Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!Ivan circled Mei-rin, toying with her.Mei-rin, with Dark Flare ready, diligently moved her head and body but seemed unable to pinpoint Ivan. 'Do you understand, noble? The level of dark magic and victory in a real fight are completely different matters!'Ivan momentarily stopped his acceleration, got behind Mei-rin, and then lunged forward like a flash.His Jet Black-enhanced fist aimed for the back of Mei-rin's head. Ivan's lips curled up, anticipating victory.'......!'However.Mei-rin's shoulder naturally twisted, and her head tilted to the side.'She reacted to that?!'His fist cut through the air as her eyes met Ivan's.She smiled, as if to show off."Did you think my martial arts were weak?"The bubbling black flame from her left hand instantly engulfed Ivan's body.Whoosh!The two passed each other.A massive explosion and heat caused nearby spectators to raise their arms to shield their faces.[Mei-rin Billenne: 94%][Ivan Barshani: 0%]The referee raised his arm."Match end! Student Mei-rin Billenne is the winner!"Fwoosh!Ivan, engulfed in black flames, knelt on the ground with an expression of disbelief. Mei-rin tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled sweetly."Try harder, commoner. In the lower squad."Applause and cheers erupted from various parts of the stands for her almost perfect match execution."Ah- seriously."Dick chuckled."She's annoying, but she's so good I can't even badmouth her."Simon smiled and nodded."Kizen is a meritocracy, after all."As Simon watched Mei-rin from the stands, many thoughts came to him.If he kept winning match after match, wouldn't there come a time when he would fight Mei-rin too? If so, how would he counter her Dark Flare?But at some point, the right side became unusually quiet. Simon turned his head.Tremble, tremble, tremble.Kamibarez was trembling, her face pale."......Kami?""It's my turn now."She fidgeted with her hands."......Simon, Dick, and Mei-rin all won. If only I... if only I do well...""You don't have to put too much pressure on yourself."Mei-rin also returned to the stands.She was very excited after winning her match, but seeing the trembling Kamibarez, she didn't show it too much.As Mei-rin returned to the stands, two more matches passed. As time went on, Kamibarez's face grew paler and paler."Guys! Look over there!"Dick stretched out his arm."It's Professor Syllage! He came to watch the match...!"Simon quickly covered Dick's mouth, but it was already too late. Mei-rin glared at Dick with a look of exasperation."Honestly, he's so tactless."It was natural for Syllage, a Hemomancy professor, to be interested in Kamibarez, who was from the Ursula family and a vampire.Kamibarez's trembling intensified upon seeing Syllage, and Dick scratched his head awkwardly.-Class A student Kamibarez Ursula. Class C student Egil Atelier, please report to the waiting room."I-I'll be back!"She jumped up from her seat, and the three of them comforted and cheered her on more earnestly than ever. "What kind of style is Egil?"Simon asked after Kamibarez left. Simon was gradually finding the duel evaluation fun and interesting."The epitome of orthodox," Dick summarized cleanly."He doesn't have any outstanding specializations, so he'll probably fight by combining various basic skills. I'm looking forward to seeing how Kami, an extreme offensive Hemomancer, will break through.""Our Kami's specs are overwhelmingly superior. She's an Ursula, after all."Mei-rin said, crossing her arms."The problem is how much she can relax...""Yeah."A moment later, Kamibarez and Egil were seen walking out to the center of the arena.Egil was a tall male student with a neat impression. The two shook hands at the referee's instruction."Nice to meet you.""N-nice to meet you too..."Her face was tense, and her voice lacked any confidence.Egil, who had been imagining the image of a ferocious Ursula vampire, was flustered by the completely different appearance of his opponent.'Is she really an Ursula?'Seeing the slumped figure of the girl, he felt a little pity, but he absolutely couldn't go easy on her.Soon, the two distanced themselves and activated their cores, preparing for battle."Are both students ready?""Yes!""Yes..."The referee nodded."Then, the duel evaluation between student Kamibarez Ursula and student Egil Atelier will now begin."Amidst the tense atmosphere, the referee dropped his arm and shouted,"Match start!"
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