Chapter 166: Team Competition [1]
Chapter 165
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Episode 39 - Team Competition [1]
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In front of Professor Rein stood Rinna’s body, riddled with holes.
Blood formed a large pool around her body.
The scene was both unexpected and terrifying.
One of their classmates had died.
The idea of seeing one of their classmates dead, and none other than the Saint herself.
Created absolute silence among the cadets.
However, Professor Rein, unfazed, said,
"What are you idiots doing? This is an illusion and, above all, an exam."
Wooooong!
The next second, spheres streaked through the air; they were about the size of soccer balls.
The next second, the spheres struck the bodies of several cadets.
Then their bodies turned into golden particles and disappeared.
Professor Rein raised his hand, a magic circle appeared in his palm, and he murmured,
"Void Compression Sphere."
This time, the spheres from before became larger, at least the size of an eight-year-old child.
Seeing dozens of enormous spheres appear, the cadets quickly changed their expressions and tried to escape.
However, the spheres soon streaked through the air and struck their bodies with far greater ease.
Before long, only eight cadets remained.
Professor Rein looked at them with a slight smile.
"Although I said my strength would be reduced to that of a Peak Stage Five-Star, it’s not a hard and fast rule. The longer they stay here, the more my power will grow, and eventually they will be eliminated."
However, no one said anything. Then Professor Rein looked toward Veronica.
"So, Year Representative, who is also the leader of the first years, what will you do?"
Veronica blinked, scratched the back of her head, and said,
"Me? Well, nothing really."
Professor Rein frowned, not expecting that kind of answer.
"You have no interest in exams, and now that I think about it, your grades are average at best; just enough to pass into the second semester. Is there a reason for that?"
Faced with his questioning, Veronica looked toward Adel.
"Nothing in particular, just helping my older brother."
"Older brother...?"
Professor Rein looked toward Adel; however, the fact that Adel did not show even the slightest reaction made Professor Rein let out a sigh.
"No matter, it’s none of my business."
Without saying anything else, he continued his attack on the eight remaining cadets.
Wooooong!
The spheres multiplied. They fell from the sky like rain, spinning as though they were inside a tornado.
Seeing the rain of magic descending upon them, everyone started moving.
The spheres crashed into the ground; however, they destroyed nothing in their path and did not even stir up any dust.
Meanwhile, the first person to go after Professor Rein was Clementine.
"Ah, so my niece wants to defeat me."
At Professor Rein’s words, Clementine looked at him with a confident expression.
"Didn’t you say it yourself, Uncle? If we defeat you, we’ll be able to escape the Illusion."
"It is true that I said that, but only if you’re confident you can do it."
"Well, I am."
Colorless mana covered her sword and the rest of her body.
Wooooong!
Then her figure blurred and appeared in front of Professor Rein.
However, Rein simply moved his hand, and a dozen spheres streaked through the air at high speed.
’Six Stars...’
That was the movement speed of Professor Rein’s magic. At that speed, it meant that his current power had now reached Six Stars.
Tightening her grip on her sword, Clementine bent her body and swung her blade.
Clank!
The spheres were cut in half; however, because there were too many of them and they were moving at an absurd speed.
Clementine was soon bombarded by the spheres, and her body became riddled with holes.
She could not even scratch Professor Rein, considering that he had only been using basic magic.
The next people to move were Julian and Leon; however, like Clementine, both were quickly struck by the spheres.
And because everyone present belonged to the Swordsman Specialty, without a mage on their side, it was difficult to counter Professor Rein’s magic.
Slowly and in a short amount of time, almost everyone was eliminated, leaving only three people, while Professor Rein’s power had already reached Seven Stars.
"Ehm, then I’ll try to defeat him."
Veronica stepped forward.
The katana at her waist remained sheathed as she moved toward Professor Rein; at first glance, it looked as though she had no intention of fighting.
However...
Wooooong!
The spheres moved at high speed; however, when they were only three meters away from Veronica.
Countless slashes shattered the dozens of spheres flying in her direction.
Veronica’s hand rested on the hilt of her sword, and then she drew it.
"...?"
Her figure had disappeared. Professor Rein moved his hand, and the spheres covered him, forming a shield.
However, the instant he did so, all the spheres were cut into tiny squares, and the magic vanished.
Then, a dozen wounds so thin appeared across Professor Rein’s body that blood began to drip from them.
However, that was all—superficial wounds.
"I had heard rumors, but your swordsmanship is not something a commoner like you should possess. I wonder who your master is, perhaps some noble from another continent..."
Shortly afterward, about three meters in front of Professor Rein, Veronica appeared and said,
"I can’t tell you that."
"Well, it doesn’t matter. I don’t usually involve myself in other people’s affairs. In any case..."
The spheres that appeared this time were the size of marbles, or perhaps even a little smaller.
There were perhaps thousands of them.
"Let’s see if you can cut through thousands of compressed spheres."
With a wave of his hand, the marble-sized spheres flew toward Veronica.
Even their speed had increased by at least three times.
Without showing any surprise, Veronica vanished once again.
Then, a rain of blades invisible to the human eye cut through the spheres; however, not all of them were destroyed.
Blood appeared out of nowhere, splattering everywhere. However, Veronica’s figure was still nowhere to be seen.
Seconds passed, and finally her figure appeared, with a dozen small holes covering her entire body.
Then, without any warning, she collapsed to the ground, and blood began to form a puddle.
Now only two people remained.
Professor Rein looked at both of them.
"Rank 1 and Rank 2. I suppose your ranks truly reflect your strength. So, are both of you coming, or only one?"
Without saying a word, Adel and Lumina disappeared the very next second.
"Then let it be two against one."
Professor Rein smiled.
Wooooong!
Magic once again streaked across the sky.
This time, the scale of the magic was even greater, ranging from marble-sized spheres to spheres as large as an adult.
All of them flew toward the duo.
Lumina drew her sword. A silver blade appeared, and silver mana covered it.
The mana coating came into effect not only on her sword but also on her body.
The strength in her legs increased, and she launched herself forward with tremendous force.
First Form of Fallen Moon: Dawn Eclipse.
The sword art created by White Moon, or Luna Silvermoon, one of the Five Swords.
Lumina had learned it hundreds of regressions ago, around Regression 4,234.
Wooooong!
Her sword, shining in a silver hue, suddenly turned gray; silver and black coexisted.
Then, a pillar glowing with a silver-gray light cut through all of Professor Rein’s magic.
For the first time, Professor Rein took a step back while casting more magic at a dizzying speed.
However, without stopping, Lumina continued her attack.
Then...
Second Form: Time.
Adel’s body became a blur. The next second, a dozen black blades tore through space and struck Professor Rein’s body.
Professor Rein, having protected himself with magic from the very beginning, managed to emerge unharmed.
However, the magic he had created around himself had already vanished because of Lumina and Adel.
The two moved and arrived before Professor Rein.
Professor Rein, smiling, spoke as he looked at them both.
"I wonder which of you would be the victor if you fought each other."
Those were his last words as his body was pierced by Lumina’s silver sword and Adel’s obsidian-black sword.
Professor Rein’s body was cut apart from both sides.
Then, in the next instant, the space around Lumina and Adel disappeared, and they returned to reality.
***
Just as I defeated Professor Rein with Lumina’s help,
I had returned to reality. Now seated in my chair, I noticed that everyone present looked confused.
Rinna, sitting beside me, turned toward me and said,
"W-what happened?! I thought I had died...!! I-I..."
"Relax, it was only an illusion. Our minds were dragged into Professor Rein’s magic, while our bodies remained here the entire time."
To us, it felt as though we had spent a long time inside the illusion.
But in reality, barely a second had passed.
"R-really... you’re not joking, right?"
"...?"
"If you were really dead, then why are you talking to me?"
Rinna’s mouth opened, but then she closed it again. After that, she nodded and said nothing more.
Clap! Clap!
A round of applause made everyone turn their heads toward the front.
"Very well, everyone. Now I will tell you who passed and who failed the exam."
At his words, everyone cast aside their confusion and fear.
They became completely serious and felt a deep fear of failing the exam.