༺ End-of-Semester Evaluation (6)༻
To Luce Eltania, others were like a hedgehog whose entire body was covered with sharp quills. If she got too close, the quills would prick and sting.
The Candy House Witch1The ‘Witch in the Candy House’ from ‘Hansel and Gretel’. Some may also refer to Candy House as Gingerbread House. was dead.
The one who had taken in Luce – who had been abandoned by her parents and had nowhere else to go. Someone who meant so much to Luce had died right in front of her in a futile manner.
Candy House Witch, you sacrificed your life for the people you wanted to protect, and were recorded in history as the infamous Great Witch of Heaven’s Wrath, a name still cursed by people to this very day.
History wasn’t just a relic of the past. It was also a work of art that was molded by the hands of the people who lived in the present.
As such, the ending was too grueling for Luce to endure, and a deep sense of distrust washed over her. A deep-seated disgust and hatred for humans had taken root and sprouted.
It happened when she was only 10 years old.
Luce had forgotten everything she had seen that day, but she vividly remembered the pain of that time whenever someone spoke to her.
So, she lived like a mute, and avoided others.
Eventually, she developed a knack for hiding memories she didn’t want to recall deep inside her mind.
However, the painful memories lingered like an echo, and anyone’s approach still felt like a needle was piercing her heart.
And then, for the first time, she made a friend.
It was very unusual for Luce, who normally felt disgusted and hateful whenever someone spoke to her.
They ate alone together, they exchanged small talk and silly jokes, and even studied together. She taught him things he struggled with, helped him train, encouraged him, and…
They hadn’t even been friends for a month, yet the time she spent with him gave Luce a sense of fulfillment that couldn’t be compared to any she had experienced prior.
He was the only person she didn’t hate.
After she had witnessed the Candy House Witch’s death at the age of ten, Luce had closed herself off from others. But to her, this friend felt like an incredibly precious existence, he felt like the sunrise that illuminated the darkness of dawn. And unlike everyone else, this friend made her feel neither disgust nor hatred.
“…”
Under the sky tinged with the color of sunset, Luce’s eyes caught a glimpse of Isaac. A scorched school uniform that held traces of fire magic. In addition, he was covered with dust and dirt, it was as if he had rolled around somewhere.
Through the tears in his uniform, blood stains were visible. She wondered who was responsible for such injuries.
His rolled-up sleeve revealed the large bruises on his forearm. She was curious as to who had beaten him so severely.
Even a single droplet on the surface of a calm body of water could create circular ripples that spread out several times over; the appearance of Isaac, on the other hand, was like dropping a boulder into calm waters. This caused a turbulent flow within Luce’s heart.
“…Luce?”
It’s a pleasant sound. That’s why it hurts me so much when you call my name.
Right now, she knew that this situation was part of an exam. It was only natural to get hurt. Luce understood that in her head.
However, no matter how much she believed that, if Isaac was being targeted by dozens of enemies, and they were all trying to hurt him…
Luce felt overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness as her anger soared and became unbearable.
Puahhhhh───!!
In an instant, her water mana converted into the water element and scattered a clear blue light that swirled overhead. It was grand enough to encompass the whole area.
Her mana control was so excellent that not even a single droplet of water splashed around her. This meant that she could use even a single droplet of water to attack.
At the same time, five blue magic circles about 2m in diameter materialized around her – each with a 5-star rating or higher. They were all ready to activate, so she could unleash their spells all at once.
The enemies that had targeted Isaac and Ciel all swallowed their saliva and became wary of Luce.
They were in no position to act hastily. Everyone here was within the range of Luce’s magic. She was in a position where she could eliminate anyone at any time.
“R-run away…! We will never win against the top seat…!”
“If you run away, I will kill you.”
Tristan hurriedly ordered his men to flee, but Lisetta’s murderous voice cut him off.
“I can’t stand it when a coward tries to flee before even fighting. Shouldn’t you at least cut something if you’ve drawn your sword?”
Tristan and his men stared at Lisetta with terrified faces.
“Besides, if I steal the Fell Cards, you’ll all be my enemies! Wouldn’t it be more fun for me if there were more of you to fight against, huh?!”
Something was off about Lisetta. At least Tristan thought so.
Lisetta glared at the top seat with a smirk. From the start, she had no intention of passing this test quickly. She was just excited about the prospect of how many enemies she could fight if she got the Fell Cards in such a chaotic situation.
In such a chaotic situation… for someone who loved intense battles like her, there was no way she could not be excited.
Her entire body shuddered. The always stoic top seat was enraged. She couldn’t believe she was getting nervous!
Lisetta giggled and gripped the bat tightly with both hands. Soon, a light brown magic circle materialized in front of her.
“…”
The person who sat on the roof, Keridna Whiteclark, also had no intention of running away. She was simply annoyed with the top seat.
Ever since she joined Class A, Keridna had been kind to her Class A classmates. It was clear that they were different from the rest of the students, and she intended to use them as potential connections to solidify her social foundation.
However, Luce had never even acknowledged Keridna’s greetings.
Luce Eltania always had her brow furrowed and looked at Keridna as if she were looking at garbage. Luce never said anything to her, she only expressed her displeasure.
She couldn’t argue with the top seat, but now she had the opportunity to unleash her rage on that arrogant face.
Although her mind was confused for a moment by the top seat’s sudden appearance, she was composed now.
Keridna broke out into a cold sweat and with a forced smile, she unleashed her light red magic circle.
“…Isaac.”
Luce turned her gaze towards Isaac. A gentle smile hung over her face, it was a gentle smile that didn’t match the eerie swirls and magic circles that formed overhead in the slightest.
“Go quickly.”
So that Isaac could pass the exam and be safe…
…Luce was going to help him escape.
“Thank you, Luce.”
After he judged the situation, Isaac simply nodded his head and began running in the direction of Lisetta.
“That Grade E commoner!”
Soon after Tristan had shouted, a light green whirlwind was sent towards Isaac.
The moment Luce tried to protect Isaac with a water barrier [Water Wall].
「Firestorm (Fire Element, ★5)」 + 「Whirlwind (Wind Element, ★4)」
= 「Fire Dragon (Fire+Wind Element)」
Roarrrrrrrrrrrrrrr──────!
The raging whirlwind turned away from Isaac and began to soar through the air like an oriental dragon while wrapped in flames. Keridna’s [Firestorm] was directed at Tristan’s [Whirlwind], which resulted in a synergized attack.
It wasn’t a predetermined plan, but Keridna had anticipated what Tristan would do and used her fire magic to synergize with it. Obviously, it was not an easy feat to accomplish.
Keridna waved the wand she held like a baton. The whirlwind that was spiraled in flames roamed the skies at her command. At each passing moment, the flames became even more magnificent as it ate away at Keridna’s mana.
Then, Lisetta shouted.
“Gahhhhhh!!!”
「Rock Avalanche (Rock Element, ★4)」
Ddddddddddddd───!!
Kuuuuuuuuuu───!!
Lisetta swung her bat sideways at the magic circle, triggering the magic and causing boulders of topaz to ferociously blaze through the air.
The magical blunt weapon, ‘Rock Bat’. The bat, which increased the power of rock magic, increased the power of [Rock Avalanche] dramatically. It was a weapon that made the use of mana more difficult, but that wasn’t a problem for Lisetta, who had practiced with Rock Bat for many years.
The magic boulder, densely packed with rock mana, headed straight towards Isaac.
Isaac already held the dagger and the Sheath of Disaster with his index and middle fingers, while his remaining fingers were interlocked to condense ice mana. He was willing to use the Sheath of Disaster to unleash two consecutive [Frost Explosion]’s in order to counter Lisetta’s magic.
Roarrrrrrrrrrrrrrr──────!
At that moment, Keridna swung her wand downwards, and as a result, the [Fire Dragon] that had grown to an impossibly large size plummeted towards Isaac, Luce, and Ciel. A long whirlwind with torrents of spiraled flames threatened to engulf them.
Tristan’s men and the Class B top students also launched counterattacks with various elemental spells.
「Water Flow Barrier (Water Element, ★6)」
Then, a clear blue shield of water formed around Issac like the blue sky. It was a shield that nullified Luce’s water magic.
At the same time, a magnificent blue magic circle instantly materialized on the ground.
Afterwards, a humpback whale leaped out from the magic circle.
「Flying Whale (Water Element, ★6)」
Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ──────!!!!!
Kuwa-aaaaaaaaaa ──────!!!
The giant whale devoured all of the enemy’s magic. More accurately, It was a terrifyingly fierce spectacle of condensed tidal current that took the form of a whale. It surged with overwhelming force.
If they were swept into the whale’s body, they would be crushed by the intense water pressure and hurled around inside the whale’s body at breakneck speed.
[Flying Whale] was triggered under Isaac’s feet.
Thanks to [Water Flow Barrier], he was shielded from Luce’s attack. It was a magic that negated the caster’s own magic.
The water-made whale destroyed half of the building that came into contact with its body.
The wreckage of the building was swept away by the whale’s torrent.
The building Tristan and his men took shelter in collapsed. The water-made whale seemed to have swallowed them whole and even drowned out their screams.
Soon after, [Flying Whale] and [Fire Dragon] clashed. However, the [Fire Dragon] was uselessly devoured by the whale’s body, only to explode into a burst of hot steam.
Lisetta’s [Rock Avalanche] was swept away by the torrent and swirled around inside the whale’s body. It was not much different from the fate of the half-destroyed buildings.
Truly overwhelming. In front of Luce, the first-year students’ magic was meaningless.
“It’s scary, really…”
Isaac unleashed the spell for [Frost Explosion] in admiration and continued to run.
The moment [Flying Whale] turned into blue powder and dispersed, Isaac caught sight of Lisetta, who had deployed a magic circle aimed right at him.
“I won’t miss!!”
With her bat raised, Lisetta smashed the magic circle.
「Rockfall (Rock Element, ★4)」
Isaac noticed that a shadow had been cast all around him. When he lifted his head, he saw a large topaz-coloured rock menacingly fall from the sky. It appeared to be from a light brown magic circle that was carved into the sky above.
Ciel and Luce tried to block the attack by deploying a [Water Wall]…
…When suddenly, an unexpected gust of wind came crashing down onto the [Rockfall].
「Whirlwind (Wind Element, ★4)」
A light green whirlwind of great power, incomparable to that of Tristan’s magic, sliced through the air.
It swallowed the [Rockfall] that was headed towards Isaac in an instant.
That [Whirlwind] boasted a high enough mana density to blow Lisetta’s [Rockfall] away.
「Wind Generation (Wind Element, ★1)」
An unnatural wind began to flow around the area. The wind gained momentum in a matter of seconds as it ferociously ruffled the hair and uniforms of the nearby students.
And then, a girl descended from the sky, her light green pigtails fluttering around.
Whoooooooooooo──
She landed lightly on the ground, with wind at her feet.
Kaya Astrean stepped in between Isaac and Lisetta.
“Kaya…?”
* * *
[Kaya Astrean] Lv: 96
Race: Human
Elements: Wind, Ice
Danger: X
Psychology: [Wants to help you.]
The moment I saw Kaya’s back, I couldn’t help but stop in my tracks. It was because I could see her clutch her rib cage in pain.
“Hahahaha, even the second seat is participating! Who the hell is this extra that you bitches are making such a fuss over, ang?!!”
Lisetta excitedly shouted as she looked from the top seat to the second, and third.
Her voice, however, did not seem to have reached Kaya.
“Go ahead, Sir Isaac. I don’t know what you have in mind this time, but… I will always be on your side no matter what.”
Kaya’s low voice had a faint tremor, as if she had just been crying.
It bothered me, but now wasn’t the time to think about it. Time was running out. I thanked her and started to run towards the submission location once again.
And then.
“You…?”
“Luce Eltania!”
Kaya furiously shouted at the top of her lungs. It was the rose-gold-haired top seat who reacted to her.
Kaya’s gaze snapped towards Luce. An angry side profile caught my eye.
Luce had an apathetic expression on her face as she looked at Kaya. She appeared to have judged that because Kaya protected me, she was not an enemy.
[Kaya Astrean] Psychology: [Feels a strong inferiority complex to Luce Eltania.]
If there was someone who could put Kaya in such a state, the only person who came to mind was Luce. She appeared to have narrowly avoided elimination, but her battle with Luce seemed to have stimulated something deep inside of her.
Lisetta and Keridna were stunned, as this was the first time they had ever seen the diligent Kaya raise her voice.
“Kaya Astrean! My name is Kaya Astrean!! I am the one who has been chasing you to the brink of death, I’ve always been right behind you!! But you!! You don’t even remember me…!”
Kaya’s sincerity echoed throughout her tearful voice.
“I hate you!”
The hand holding her wand started to tremble.
The inferiority complex she’d been harboring towards the top seat had been building up and finally erupted. Kaya was clearly shaken by her fight with Luce.
That inferiority complex of hers wouldn’t get any better in the future. The gap between Luce and Kaya would widen over time. The only thing that awaited Kaya was a deep sense of self-doubt.
“I… I can’t help but think that I can only receive this kind of treatment from you, and it makes me feel pathetic…! That I’m… I’m… so… weak… in your eyes!”
「Ice Wall (Ice Element, ★4)」
I created a wall of ice around Kaya, so that the other students wouldn’t see her cry.
By the time I regained my senses, my feet had already moved towards Kaya.
I pulled Kaya into a hug from behind and took out a wand from the magic pouch in my arms, softly placing it in her hand. A wand made of ‘Armana’, an 8-star colossal tree that guarded the Great Forest.
It was the only wand that synergized with plant mana, and it was Kaya’s final weapon that would boost her abilities to new heights.
This is my gift, from me to you.
“I thought I told you before.”
Besides her tears, Kaya’s tremors had ceased, as if time had stood still.
Over the course of my countless playthroughs of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, I had grown attached to the characters.
Kaya Astrean, in particular, was one of the official heroines. It goes without saying that I had a lot of affection for her.
Maybe that was why… the sight of Kaya’s tears made me feel sick to my stomach. I couldn’t help but reach out to her.
“Your true worth will be shown in the future.”
“Sir… Isaac…?”
Kaya had previously mistaken me for a super strong person. She even admired me.
In reality, I was just a weak man, but my current false self held tremendous influence over Kaya.
I wanted to use that to give her the best comfort I could offer. I hoped she would be able to draw strength from it.
So I whispered in her ear in a calm voice.
“Don’t forget. You’re someone I recognize.”
With those words, I pulled away from Kaya, released the [Ice Wall], and started to run again.
The students looked back and forth between Kaya and I with confused expressions. They seemed to be curious about what kind of short conversation had taken place inside the [Ice Wall].
It was Kaya who was the most flustered. Her tears had long since dried up, and her eyes were fixed on the Armana Wand I had given her.
Soon, Kaya’s face was flushed red, and steam began to rise from her head.
…I had momentarily forgotten that Kaya was weak to men.
“Running away again, you coward!!”
Lisetta’s boulder tried to fly towards me once more.
「Wind Sword (Wind Element, ★3)」
Kaya’s wind, now stronger than ever, shot out dozens of meters like a sharp sword, easily slicing through Lisetta’s boulder.
Lisetta’s pupils dilated.
It was a boulder that had been imbued with the power of Rock Bat. The sight of such magic being easily destroyed by wind magic shocked Lisetta to her core.
“…?”
Kaya herself appeared to be surprised, and rightfully so. The mere act of holding the Wand of Armana had greatly boosted her elemental magic and combat power.
With this, my debt to you is settled, Kaya.
I turned my back on the battlefield, where all kinds of elemental magic and screams rang out, and ran towards the submission location.
The time for the Thunderbird Subjugation was nearly upon us.
Footnotes:
1The ‘Witch in the Candy House’ from ‘Hansel and Gretel’. Some may also refer to Candy House as Gingerbread House.
