Demon-Hunting Genius Mage

Chapter 68

Right after getting the dean\'s agreement,

We immediately left the academy and searched for Kayla, finding her at an inn near Dmitri Square and explaining the situation.

"What? The academy?"

Kayla was startled after hearing the story.

It was a sudden story, so it was understandable for her to be surprised.

"Yeah, he said if we go and pass the evaluation, he\'ll let us enroll right away. He also said he wouldn\'t charge us anything."

"So, you\'re saying the dean of Asion Academy said that?"

"Yeah, he\'s not the type to lie, so you can believe it. So, what do you think?"

"...Of course, I\'d love to. It\'s a chance to enroll in a prestigious academy for free."

"Okay, then I\'ll tell him you\'ll take the evaluation too."

After getting her consent, as we were about to head back to the academy,

Kayla stopped me.

"...Wait a minute."

For some reason, she hesitated to speak.

"Is something bothering you?"

When I asked, Kayla said in a small voice,

"But do you think I can beat the students there...? All I can do now is handle a bit of fire magic... And didn\'t he say the cost would only be waived if we clearly pass?"

Unlike Thompson, who was strong in actual combat, Kayla seemed a bit worried.

But, well.

Was there a need to worry?

"Kayla, [Minotaur]. Remember?"

"Ah, that bull bastard... Of course I remember. How could I forget it?"

"Do you remember how many effective hits you landed on it?"

"I don\'t know about the beginning, but I did land more and more hits as time went on."

During the two weeks of hunting, we encountered the [Minotaur] a total of five times.

And as she said, Kayla\'s magic hit it more and more frequently.

That meant she had gained experience in actual combat and become more proficient in handling magic.

Then, what about the academy students?

No matter how much they were students attending a prestigious academy, I thought this:

"Just once. If you can land just one effective hit, the evaluation will be no problem."

That Kayla would overwhelm the students of Asion Academy.

"...Are you serious?"

"I\'m serious."

I was 100% serious.

How could mere academy students defend against magic that even worked on a high-ranking demon?

\'Of course, if it was a student on the level of Roan, she might have a hard time...\'

But that possibility was slim.

Roan was the top student at the academy and known as a magic genius.

If there were many students like that, Roan wouldn\'t have stood out in the first place.

Anyway.

"So don\'t worry too much. It\'s not us who should be nervous, but those students."

"...Okay."

Victory was already ours.

***

A day passed quickly.

The next day.

After moving once more in the evening and getting a good night\'s sleep in the academy dormitory, we headed straight to the auditorium as soon as we woke up.

Although there were still 3 hours left before the evaluation...

"Are you ready?"

It wouldn\'t hurt to get used to it in advance.

Of course, the opponent wasn\'t an academy student, but me.

"Uh, uhm... Mr First Place."

"Sigh, I wanted to avoid sparring with that guy."

"Don\'t be scared. I\'ll go easy on you."

My companions seemed reluctant, but considering the results, it was better to face me than the academy students.

I roughly knew their skills, so I could push them to their limits.

And this level of tension was necessary for the practice to be meaningful.

"Then let\'s begin."

At my words, Kayla and Thompson immediately took a fighting stance.

Due to the difference in strength, we decided to spar in a 2:1 situation.

Because of this.

\'I\'m not exactly relaxed either.\'

I had to be tense as well.

No matter how much of a difference in magical level there was, fighting one-on-one and fighting 2:1 were worlds apart.

If I let my guard down even a little, I could be the one defeated.

Perhaps knowing this fact.

"Hup!"

Thompson charged out before I could even make a move.

Rumble!

With his arms clasped together, he was clad in a large rock magic.

It felt like a huge rock shield was pushing forward.

I also responded with the same earth magic.

Rumble-!

With the feeling of my body floating, my vision gradually widened.

I had used earth magic to create a pillar at my feet and rise high up.

When I was almost within reach of the ceiling.

\'Now.\'

I threw myself down without hesitation.

Crack-!

Thompson\'s rock shield forcefully smashed into the pillar I had erected.

Crash!

The stone pillar shattered into pieces.

Just from the sound, I could tell that it had received tremendous damage.

Of course, I had already escaped from that spot.

I immediately withdrew my mana and imbued it with a different attribute.

This time, it was the water attribute.

A wave that suddenly surged from the ground caught my falling body and simultaneously engulfed Thompson.

Splash!

"Gah!"

Perhaps flustered by the attribute he had never seen from me before, Thompson was swept away by the wave.

"Cough...! Cough...!"

Thompson was drenched.

The real beginning was now.

"Let\'s go again."

"...What?"

Crackle!

I sent electricity along the water trail connected to Thompson.

It was the same method I used when fighting those troublemakers at the request office.

But this time, the electricity was much stronger.

Of course, Thompson was a mage who knew how to use his head.

He realized that he would be electrocuted if he stayed still, so he crouched down.

Then, Thompson\'s entire body transformed into a huge boulder.

Crackle...

The electricity that hit the rock failed to inflict any significant damage and quickly died out.

\'As expected, the elemental matchup is unfavorable.\'

It seemed like the rules from the game applied here as well.

I stored this newly acquired information in my mind and assumed my stance again.

It didn\'t matter if electricity didn\'t work on him.

I had plenty of attributes to utilize.

Woong!

A dazzling halo of light bloomed over my gloved hand.

It soon took the form of a sword with a sharp blade.

Thompson, who had finally released his rock magic, spoke.

"Mr. First Place. That… it\'s okay for me to get hit by that, right...?"

"You won\'t die."

I summoned it with just enough power to hurt him badly, but not enough to kill him.

And at that moment.

"...!"

Whoosh!

Suddenly, I felt an intense heat from behind.

I turned around to see a giant fireball flying towards me.

\'Damn it, he did that on purpose...!\'

I realized then that Thompson\'s question was a tactic.

It was already too close to dodge.

In that split second, a past event flashed through my mind.

- ...Why is this happening?

It was when the red-haired guy was shocked to see his fire magic being dismantled.

That situation was the same as now.

There was only one way to overcome this moment.

\'Dismantle the magic.\'

- Magic calculation ability is maximized.

The invoked attribute, the flow of mana, even the techniques contained within.

Everything came into view at once.

And my brain... no, the mana I had already released traced back the process at an unbelievable speed.

Fizzle...!

"Huh...?"

The flying fireball dissipated right in front of my nose, and I saw Kayla behind it.

Her face was dumbfounded, as if she didn\'t know what had happened.

It was a natural reaction for someone experiencing this for the first time.

Having your magic erased by someone else would be quite shocking.

"Wait, what just happened...?"

However, what she overlooked was that the spar wasn\'t over yet.

- 300% proficiency boost for all bladed weapons.

Shing-!

Shing-!

The light daggers I threw in an instant surged towards Kayla.

It was the dagger throwing technique mainly used by assassins.

However, with the proficiency correction effect, it was a technique comparable to that of an assassin.

Could she avoid it?

\'No.\'

It was impossible.

Perhaps Thompson, who had trained his body with me, might have been able to, but not Kayla.

Just then.

"Hup!"

With a shout, the ground in front of Kayla rose up.

Thompson, sensing the danger, had cast earth magic to protect Kayla.

Clang!

The light daggers vanished powerlessly as they hit the rising stone pillar.

However,

"Too late."

It was meaningless.

Because I had thrown two daggers.

"What?"

Rumble.

At my words, Thompson retracted the pillar.

"..."

Kayla\'s expression, even more dumbfounded than before, caught my eye.

Right in front of her face, a dagger emitting pure white light stood still.

Seeing that, I said quietly,

"Kayla, out."

"...Damn it."

The 2:1 had just become a one-on-one.

I immediately turned around.

"Heh heh... Now it\'s just the two of us, huh? Mr First Place."

Thompson was grinning at me mischievously.

What was he thinking again?

It was Thompson who attacked first.

Boom!

An explosive jump.

Thompson, leaping high into the air, once again encased his body in rock.

The technique I had named, and now Thompson\'s signature move.

"Ham-burger."

It was the Hamburger.

Surely dozens of demons had been killed by that technique.

Seeing it in person, it was understandable.

Unlike when I watched from behind, it was falling much faster and was much more threatening.

Moreover.

Thompson\'s Hamburger was different from before.

It had evolved considerably with the know-how he\'d gained.

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

Thorns erupting from the surrounding floor targeted my entire body.

They were meant to keep me in place, unable to avoid the Hamburger.

\'...This is dangerous.\'

If I cut down the growing thorns, I would be crushed by Thompson, and if I countered Thompson\'s Hamburger, I would be pierced by the thorns.

Even dismantling the magic wouldn\'t help.

I didn\'t have the capacity to dismantle both attacks simultaneously.

In short, it was a dilemma.

I had to choose.

Be crushed or be pierced.

Naturally, I chose the latter.

\'If I avoid the vital points, I won\'t die.\'

Making that judgement, I summoned the Sword of Light.

Woong!

The brilliant Sword of Light.

If I had to pay the price, so should he.

I raised the Sword of Light high.

\'I will cut.\'

I intended to pierce right through Thompson, who had turned into a boulder.

Of course, only to the extent that it wouldn\'t become life-threatening.

However.

Rumble!

"W-wait! I surrender! I surrender!"

Thompson canceled his magic before he even landed.

I lowered the sword and moved slightly to the side, and Thompson landed there.

"Whew..."

Thompson caught his breath, hands on the ground.

Then he suddenly turned his head.

"Mr First Place, are you crazy...? Are you trying to kill me?"

"Haha, of course not. Just a little prick?"

"...A prick with that sword? That\'s not reassuring at all!"

"It\'ll heal quickly. I saw that the medical facilities here are incredibly good. Besides."

Chuck.

I showed him the item I was carrying on my waist.

"I have this."

It was an item I borrowed after asking the dean for permission before the spar. Its name was [Chronos\' Wind-Up Clock].

It was a legendary artifact that could turn back time three times.

\'Well, only for 1 second...\'

Anyway, it could prevent any serious injuries.

Therefore.

"Alright, everyone get ready."

I took my stance again and gestured to my companions.

I hadn\'t pushed them to their limits yet.

"Huh? What?"

"What do you mean? Round 2, of course."

We still had stamina left.

"Ready, go!"

"Eek...!"

And plenty of time.