Chapter 37

　　After another full round of simulations, Group 7’s final turn arrived. If they failed now, their chances of defeating the real Cyclops next week would be slim to none. Their resolve was absolute.

　　Meirin, the group’s designated combatant, was warming up with an almost unnerving intensity.

　　"It’s coming!" Dick’s shout sliced through the air.

　　With a deafening roar, the Cyclops burst through the dense trees, its single eye blazing with fury. As before, Simon’s skeleton was the first to charge.

　　I have to hold on, no matter what, he resolved, his focus narrowing.

　　While Simon’s undead drew the monster’s attention, Meirin began charging her Dark Flare as Dick and Kamibarez chanted the incantation for Exhaust. So far, the plan was unchanged.

　　One of the skeletons buckled under the Cyclops’s relentless barrage, shattering into a pile of bones. Without missing a beat, Simon took command of the next skeleton in line and sent it to attack.

　　A gash opened on the Cyclops’s back. It flew into a rage, turning its fury on the offending skeleton.

　　"Dark Flare is eighty percent complete!" Meirin yelled, her voice tight with concentration.

　　"First Exhaust is ready!" Dick announced.

　　"Me too!" Kamibarez added, her tone urgent. "I’ll start on the next one right away!"

　　The two of them held the shimmering curses aloft in their right hands while their left hands began weaving the complex patterns for a second set. This was the core of their new strategy. The only window Simon had to pin down the Cyclops was at the very beginning, before Meirin and the others launched their assault—a brief moment when the monster believed the skeletons were its only threat. Their goal was to stretch that moment for as long as possible, squeezing every last advantage from it.

　　Even with her Dark Flare complete, Meirin held her position, waiting, while the other two worked on their second round of curses. It was their first time attempting to cast multiple spells simultaneously, and they struggled to synchronize. But Simon’s preternaturally sharp control over the undead allowed him to cover their every mistake, keeping the line from breaking.

　　Deploying the seventh. Go!

　　Of course, the entire strategy hinged on Simon’s ability to hold out. If his concentration wavered for even an instant, the Cyclops would abandon the skeletons and charge straight for Meirin.

　　"Simon! We’re ready!" Dick finally called out.

　　At his signal, Simon unhesitatingly severed his connection to the skeletons. They clattered to the ground in a heap of inert bone. The Cyclops, having lost its target, scanned the clearing, and its eye landed on Meirin.

　　Thud! Thud! Thud!

　　The monster charged, shaking the very earth with each step. As it barreled forward, it crossed into the range of their curses.

　　"Exhaust!" Dick roared.

　　"Exhaust!" Kamibarez echoed.

　　Their magic circles flared to life, and four curses latched onto the Cyclops’s massive form. It visibly slowed. Seizing the opening, Meirin unleashed her Dark Flare. The black flames erupted across its skin, and the sickening stench of scorched flesh filled the air.

　　The Cyclops flailed, raising its club high. Simon, who had been tracking its every twitch, shouted a warning.

　　"Downward strike! Front!"

　　Meirin used Jet-Black Stepping, launching herself sideways just as the club slammed into the ground where she’d been standing, gouging a deep crater.

　　"Back up! It’s going to twist into a horizontal upswing!" he commanded.

　　FWOOOSH!

　　The Cyclops pivoted with surprising agility, swinging its club upward in a wide arc, but Meirin was already clear, ducking beneath the blow.

　　"Dash forward!"

　　With Simon calling out its movements, Meirin danced around the monster’s attacks. Weakened by four layers of Exhaust, the creature’s movements were just slow enough for even Meirin’s less-than-stellar reflexes to handle. The curse was devastatingly effective against a high-stamina monster like the Cyclops.

　　"Here comes another one!" Dick yelled.

　　He and Kamibarez unleashed another pair of curses. A total of six now afflicted the beast. For the first time, the rampaging Cyclops, which had been swinging its club with reckless abandon, showed clear signs of fatigue.

　　"I’m using Hemomancy!" Kamibarez announced, drawing a drop of blood from her fingertip and weaving it into a crimson magic circle.

　　She cast the spell ‘Blood Silk’. A carpet woven from blood shot forward at terrifying speed, sweeping past the Cyclops’s face. Though non-lethal, the thick, coppery scent of it made the monster flinch and stumble to a halt.

　　"Now, Simon!" she cried.

　　Two skeletons, which had somehow scaled the Cyclops’s back unnoticed, threw a heavy chain around its neck—an item borrowed from Dick’s Subspace. The monster roared and tried to charge Meirin, but the chain pulled taut, yanking it to a dead stop. The skeletons had already anchored both ends to a pair of thick trees.

　　The Cyclops writhed, still smoldering from the embers of Dark Flare. The brief respite gave Meirin the chance to prepare her next attack.

　　Did… Did he actually pull that off? she wondered in disbelief.

　　Using the terrain as part of their tactics—when she’d first heard Simon’s plan, she’d thought it was a reckless gamble. Yet he had executed it flawlessly. Meirin clicked her tongue, a sound of grudging admiration, as she launched her second Dark Flare.

　　Fwoooooosh!

　　The dying embers roared back to life, engulfing the monster in a fresh wave of black fire. Blood vessels burst in the Cyclops’s eye as it screamed, a raw, maddened sound. It looked like a sinner from the depths of hell, writhing in a lake of fire and brimstone.

　　"Alright, number seven!" Dick crowed, adding another layer of Exhaust. Now, Simon joined in, his own curse magic adding to the onslaught.

　　The Cyclops thrashed violently, and with a final, desperate heave, it uprooted the two trees the chain was tied to. It began to shamble forward, dragging the massive trunks and chains behind it.

　　"Leave it to me!" Dick shouted, cleverly enchanting the chains with Jet-Black. His specialty was Enchantment, and with it, he converted the infused energy into pure, crushing weight. The Cyclops was now crawling forward as if dragging impossibly heavy anchors.

　　And then.

　　"Just fall down already!" Meirin screamed, a raw battle cry unlike her usual self, as her third Dark Flare exploded against the Cyclops’s body.

　　Thud!

　　At last, the beast fell to its knees. It was completely swallowed by the blazing inferno, and a nauseating, burnt smell permeated the entire forest. A moment later, what was left of the monster collapsed into a towering pile of ash.

　　[Simulation Successful]

　　Time Elapsed: 6 minutes, 48 seconds.

　　Damage Dealt: 100%.

　　Barrier Gauge: 97%.

　　Overall Evaluation: B.

　　"We did it!" Meirin shouted, clenching her fists in triumph. "Wow, wow! We really beat it! Ahahaha!"

　　"You were all amazing!" Kamibarez cried as the others ran over.

　　It had gone perfectly according to plan, and every single one of them had performed their role flawlessly. Group 7 erupted into a joyous huddle, jumping up and down and hugging each other.

　　—"Congratulations on your success, Group 7."

　　Professor Jane’s commentary followed. She noted their over-reliance on a single summoner and their lengthy completion time, but her overall review was positive. Their assignment for the rest of the week was to improve their proficiency with Dark Flare and their curses as much as possible.

　　"Thank you, Professor!" they chorused.

　　As they left the training room, a few students applauded. Many others shot them envious looks. It may have taken them a long time, but they had defeated the Cyclops, and that was what mattered.

　　"Hey, Simon! That’s my rival for you! You were great!" Cindy Vivace strode over, her hand raised for a high-five.

　　Simon smiled and met her palm with his own.

　　Smack!

　　Ouch. He shook his stinging hand. "Did your group succeed?"

　　"Of course! It was a piece of cake once I got the hang of Spirit Form!"

　　If Group 7 was centered around Meirin, then Group 5 was entirely built around Cindy. She would phase into her intangible Spirit Form to evade the Cyclops’s attacks, then solidify to slash it with a Jet-Black scythe her teammates had created. They had taken it down with little trouble.

　　"By the way, Simon," she said, tilting her head. "Weren’t you a Necrology major?"

　　"…I told you, I’m not."

　　While the others chatted amiably, Hector Moore, who had finished his own simulation, sat alone, a menacing light burning in his eyes.

　　***

　　Contrary to Kizen’s notorious reputation, Simon was having the time of his life. The classes were tough, but they were undeniably fun. He loved chatting with his friends about evaluations during breaks, rushing to get the limited-edition lunch menu with Dick, and spending his spare moments in the library or learning undead management from Pier. It was all a joy.

　　In Cursology, Professor Bahil began paying him more and more attention. Even Meirin was starting to reconsider what Dick had said.

　　Is Professor Bahil really showing favoritism toward Simon? she wondered.

　　Simon, of course, would have shaken his head. His grades in the subject were low, and since he hadn’t studied ahead, he was constantly falling behind in the practical exercises. He couldn’t imagine why a pure meritocrat like Bahil would ever favor him.

　　"That’s all for today’s class," Professor Eric announced. "Have a great weekend."

　　"Thank you, Professor!" the class replied.

　　With Jet-Black Dynamics over, another week had passed safely. Tomorrow was finally the weekend, and the students were buzzing with excitement, making plans to visit the nearby city of Rochest.

　　"Pathetic. So pathetic," Meirin grumbled as she packed her bag, watching the cheerful crowd. "The Cyclops evaluation is next week. How can they even think about going to Rochest? They’re a bunch of hopeless idiots."

　　"Oh, really?" Dick chuckled, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head. "You’re not just sulking, are you? Kami got asked out on a date, but nobody asked our own ivory-tower ace to hang out?"

　　"Hey!"

　　As always, the two of them immediately started bickering. And, just as Dick had said, a male student had called Kamibarez out of the classroom. Even Simon had to admit she was bound to be popular. She was cute, had a gentle personality, and was kind and quick to smile at everyone. It was only natural that the boys wouldn’t leave her alone.

　　Just then, Kamibarez rushed back into the room.

　　"Kami! What happened?" Dick asked instantly.

　　"Well…" she began, her face flushing a deep red as her voice dropped to a whisper. "I feel bad for him, but… I turned him down."

　　"I knew it!" Meirin’s anxious expression melted into a radiant smile. "See, Kami has her priorities straight! You’re going to stay and practice with us this weekend, right?"

　　"Oh, yes! I realized how much I was lacking during the simulation… I want to practice with everyone." After answering, Kamibarez’s eyes flickered toward Simon. When their gazes met, she flinched and quickly looked down.

　　"Sorry, but I’m passing," Dick said with a shrug. "I’m caught up with some business."

　　Meirin shot him a glare, but she didn’t press the issue. For Dick, who aimed to be a merchant, his weekend schedule was as important as his classes. She crossed her arms and turned to Simon.

　　"Don’t tell me you have weekend plans too, Simon, like this idiot?"

　　Simon winced. He had, in fact, been planning to visit the ruins to meet Pier.

　　"Tomorrow might be difficult, but I’ll join the training the day after."

　　"Oh, come on! You too?" she protested. "Don’t you know your role is the most important one for this evaluation?"

　　Simon quickly held up his hands. "I’m not just going out to have fun. It’s for personal training."

　　"Personal training?"

　　"Yeah. There’s someone in Rochest who helps me with my Summoning studies."

　　Meirin blinked in surprise. "Oh, so you got a weekend tutor? I suppose you realized you were behind."

　　"W-Well, yeah."

　　Kamibarez, who had been staring at the floor dejectedly, suddenly lifted her head. "S-So that means we can still see you at Kizen the day after tomorrow, right?"

　　"Yeah. I need to practice coordinating with you guys."

　　"That’s a relief!" she beamed.

　　"Hey, Dick! You be here tomorrow night, too," Meirin ordered.

　　"I’ll try, but no promises."

　　"You sure love to act all busy."

　　"Says the one who’s just upset she’s free this weekend."

　　"Go to hell!"

　　Simon laughed as he watched them argue, his mind already running through his weekend schedule.

　　There aren’t many days left until the real thing.

　　He planned to train like a madman with Pier. He hadn’t told his teammates, but his goal for the evaluation wasn’t just to stall for time with his undead.

　　I will defeat the Cyclops with skeletons.

　　Simon was planning to do something no other aspiring Summoner in Class A would even dare to attempt.