Chapter 39

　　As interest in Simon’s ‘tutor’ suddenly surged, he wore an awkward smile. Pier’s clone, hanging from his uniform like an ornament, grinned, clearly enjoying the situation.

　　[Bwahahaha! It seems this great one is quite popular with the brats!]

　　My head is ringing, so please be quiet, Pier.

　　[Tell them I’m willing to teach them! That is, if they die and become members of the Legion!]

　　Turning living people into undead is forbidden at Kizen, Simon thought back dryly.

　　He forced a smile and said aloud, "Sorry. This person prefers to remain anonymous. And they’re so busy that teaching just me is already a huge imposition."

　　Meirin pouted. "So you’re not going to tell us? How petty."

　　Dick chuckled, leaning back with his hands behind his head. "It’s not petty; it’s common sense. He’s found an edge that helps him survive here. Why would he give it away? If you were in his shoes, would you tell her?"

　　"W-Well, that’s true, but…"

　　"It’s not about that," Simon insisted. "They’re just really busy."

　　"Now, now!" As always, Kamibarez played the mediator. She shot to her feet and clenched her fists. "We’ve rested for ten minutes! Let’s resume practice!"

　　"Oh, has it been that long already?" Dick groaned.

　　"Let’s go for another round!" Meirin urged.

　　Their practice for the evaluation continued late into the night.

　　***

　　The weekend passed, and a new week dawned—the week of the Cyclops performance evaluation. With it came a major change to life at Kizen.

　　"Scott Snyder. That’s a ten-point deduction."

　　The student protection period was officially over. Professors could now formally evaluate and grade students, as well as dole out punishments and disciplinary actions.

　　"Did you bring this garbage in and call it an assignment?"

　　"Slow! You’re all too slow! Assistants! Deduct twenty points from every student who can’t keep up!"

　　"Get out of my class. Right now."

　　The Kizen faculty showed their true colors as if they had been waiting for this moment. They were so different from the kind professors of the first few weeks that it was hard to believe they were the same people. Classes became harder, and students who couldn’t keep up had their points mercilessly deducted. Those deemed subpar were kicked out of class on the spot.

　　The students were dismayed, but they finally understood what it truly meant to be at Kizen. The weak were not needed here. As if to prove that point, twenty students were forced to pack their bags and leave just two days after the protection period ended—a staggering dropout rate before a single midterm or duel had even taken place.

　　Even Simon struggled to adapt to the oppressive new atmosphere. If there was one professor who treated the students the same as before, it was Hongfeng.

　　"Alright, run!" she’d bellow.

　　"Yes!" the students would reply.

　　From the very beginning, the Combat Magic professor had made them cling to running hippos, climb hills under a curse, and charge recklessly into herds of beasts, paying no mind to the protection period whatsoever. So, while other classes had suddenly spiked in difficulty, hers remained just as brutal as ever. It had reached a point where the students found her class a relative comfort. It also helped that she wasn’t the type to nitpick for points or apply mental pressure.

　　"Still, it’s better to just run without thinking like this!" Dick panted and gasped, running beside Simon. "I can still see the look in Professor Bahil’s eyes when he gave me a ten-point deduction two times in a row! Long live Combat Magic, damn it! I’m taking it again next semester!"

　　Simon chuckled.

　　"Hah, Hah, You two sure are relaxed!"

　　They turned their heads. "Huh, Meirin?"

　　Meirin, who always lagged behind during their runs, was keeping pace with them today. She was gasping for air, looking utterly spent, but she ran with a fierce tenacity.

　　"Whoo! What’s with you?" Dick asked, panting. "Is it okay to push your pace like that?"

　　Instead of answering, Meirin bit her lip and surged past them.

　　Dick’s eyes widened. "She’s really possessed. But what’s gotten into her?"

　　"The Cyclops evaluation is tomorrow," Simon said simply.

　　As the leader and combatant of Group 7, she felt a greater sense of responsibility than anyone. Her biggest weaknesses were her lack of stamina and her slow reflexes, which kept her from properly dodging the Cyclops’s attacks. That was why she had poured every spare moment into physical training rather than practicing Dark Flare.

　　She really is amazing, Simon thought.

　　First in the entrance exam, first in Class A, the only one to average in the nineties on Jane’s test. Simon had assumed Meirin was simply a genius, but the truth was she was a ridiculously hard worker. According to Kamibarez, she barely slept. They would study together late into the night in the girls’ dormitory lounge; if Kamibarez took a nap and came back in the morning, Meirin would be in the exact same spot, still studying, with tissues stuffed up her nose to stop a nosebleed. She apparently used potions to fight off the fatigue so it wouldn’t affect her classes. From morning until the moment she fell asleep, it was study, study, study. Simon couldn’t fathom what drove her to be so relentless.

　　"Alright, take a break!" Hongfeng ordered.

　　The students collapsed onto the grass as if on cue. The assistants moved through the crowd, handing out stamina recovery drinks.

　　"Ughhh," Dick groaned, downing his drink in one go and stretching out like a starfish. "I don’t know about anything else, but if you take Combat Magic for all three years, you’ll be ripped by the time you graduate. That much is certain."

　　Kamibarez, hearing his joke, self-consciously rubbed her own legs.

　　Simon chuckled softly. "Just running a bit in Combat Magic won’t make your legs all muscular, Kami."

　　"Y-Yes? No! That’s not what I meant!"

　　"You’re so slender, you wouldn’t have to worry even if they did."

　　"I-I said that’s not it!"

　　Just as cheerful laughter filled the air between them, Meirin approached with quick steps. "Simon! Watch me for a second."

　　"Huh?"

　　"That Jet-Black Stepping thing." She bent her knees and leaped into the air. She jumped surprisingly high, the dark energy forming properly beneath her feet.

　　She landed, scraping the grass, and turned to Simon with sparkling eyes. "How was it? How was it?"

　　"Uh, um." Simon scratched his head. "You’re so good at it. Really."

　　"Really? Hehe! I’ve been practicing consistently for tomorrow!"

　　"That’s amazing, Meirin!" Kamibarez exclaimed.

　　To overcome her weakness in such a short time was a remarkable achievement. Of course, she must have put in an unimaginable amount of grueling effort behind the scenes. Judging by the way she landed, it was clear she had been overworking her feet; they didn’t look to be in good condition.

　　"Don’t push yourself too hard, Meirin," Simon said with concern. "We already beat the Cyclops in the simulation. Success is well within our reach."

　　"…Yeah. But I won’t be satisfied with just succeeding." A fire lit up in Meirin’s eyes. "First place. I’m aiming for first place, no matter what."

　　Just as Simon was about to reply, the assistants clapped their hands. "Alright, everyone up! We’re running to the next destination without stopping!"

　　"Yes!"

　　The students, now accustomed to Hongfeng’s class, quickly got up and formed lines.

　　"Go!"

　　At her shout, they ran down a magnificent slope, the cool breeze whipping past them. The hillside was covered in a sea of blooming yellow canola flowers, making it look as if the entire mountain were draped in gold. Simon couldn’t help but admire Hongfeng’s eye for picking such beautiful, scenic spots for her classes.

　　"Zimon!"

　　Just then, Hongfeng popped up beside him.

　　"Ah, yes! Professor!" Simon said, startled.

　　"Are you practizing the Jet-Black manipulation I taught you?"

　　"Of course!" Hongfeng had taught him a technique to temporarily boost his physical capabilities by activating the Jet-Black in his body.

　　"Oh, you’re a fazt learner! No matter how I think about it, Zimon, you’re a perfect fit for the Combat Magic major."

　　"Ahaha…"

　　"Professor!"

　　Brad, the Combat Magic assistant, came running over, out of breath. He shot a glance at Simon before turning to report to Hongfeng.

　　"There’s an injured student in the rear. It seems she sprained her leg."

　　"Oh, I’ll go check on her." Hongfeng patted Simon on the shoulder and ran off after Brad. Another assistant then led the students down the hill and announced a break.

　　Everyone sat on the grass, sipping their drinks.

　　"Kami, where did Meirin go?" Dick asked.

　　Kamibarez shrugged. "I don’t know. I was lagging behind the whole time, so I thought she was with you and Simon."

　　Just then, a concerned murmur rippled through the students behind them. Simon turned around and shot to his feet. Kamibarez covered her mouth with both hands.

　　"No way…" The color drained from Dick’s face.

　　Through the crowd of students, they could see a girl being carried on an assistant’s back. Her ankle was wrapped in a thick bandage.

　　"Meirin!"

　　***

　　At the Kizen Central Infirmary, Meirin lay on the bed, staring blankly into space as if the life had been drained from her. Simon, Dick, and Kamibarez stood around her, their faces grim.

　　"Student Name: Meirin Villenne." A doctor in a white coat spoke while flipping through a file. "You’ve severely sprained your leg. You’ll be on crutches for a while. Attending lectures should be fine, but for one week, you are to skip all practical classes that require physical movement."

　　The words struck them like a physical blow. Meirin shot up, her eyes turning red.

　　"N-No! I can definitely walk with an injury like this!"

　　"Meirin." The doctor smiled pleasantly and tapped the chart. "This isn’t a recommendation. It’s an order."

　　Meirin bit her lip so hard it was on the verge of bleeding.

　　"I know you’re passionate about your classes, but some things simply aren’t possible. I’ll be excusing you from all classes that require walking."

　　This was precisely why Kizen students avoided the infirmary, even when they were groaning in pain. For doctors, a patient’s recovery was the top priority. For students, surviving at Kizen was the top priority. These two values were always in conflict. While a doctor might naturally prescribe a few weeks of rest for a serious injury, for a Kizen student, that gap in time was a noose tightening around their neck.

　　Getting hurt was your own fault.

　　***

　　After delivering his one-sided verdict, the doctor departed, leaving a heavy silence to settle over the four students in the infirmary. They had all prepared so diligently for the performance evaluation, yet here they were, the day before the real battle, and their designated combatant had ruined her leg. But no one blamed Meirin. It was a freak accident, and they all knew she had poured more effort into this project than anyone.

　　"Meirin."

　　"I’m so sorry," Meirin whispered, her head hung so low her hair curtained her face. "Please, just go. I want to be alone."

　　Her expression was one of utter devastation. It was clear no words of comfort could reach her now. Dick and Kamibarez exchanged a look and nodded in silent agreement.

　　"S-Simon," Kamibarez murmured, tugging at his sleeve.

　　But Simon didn’t move.

　　"Wallowing here isn’t going to change a thing."

　　Kamibarez and Dick flinched. The words were incredibly cold, so unlike the Simon they knew.

　　Meirin bit her lip hard enough to draw blood and lifted her head, her eyes flashing. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

　　"We find another way."

　　"A way?" She let out a sharp, hysterical laugh that was utterly devoid of humor. "You know as well as I do that we spent a whole week perfecting those tactics! We drilled that formation until we could do it in our sleep, and the real battle with a live Cyclops is tomorrow! What ‘way’ is there? Oh, I get it! You’re mocking me, aren’t you? Fine. It’s all my fault! It’ll be my fault when you all get the lowest score! And it’ll be my fault when that score gets us expelled from Kizen! All of it! Because I got cocky and hurt my leg—!"

　　"Enough."

　　A dangerous glint shone in Simon’s eyes. The other three felt a sudden, inexplicable chill race down their spines.

　　Was it really Simon? He felt like a complete stranger.

　　As the room fell silent, Simon let out a soft sigh.

　　"If you’re all okay with it," he announced, his voice steady, "I’ll be the combat member tomorrow."

　　***