The Colosseum

Two weeks had passed since the classroom brawl. At just after eight PM,

with the day's classes over, Oliver and his friends stayed in the academy

building, knowing that the encroachment had already begun.

"Oh, you came."

"Let me show you the way. Got your swords ready?"

Two unfamiliar second-years awaited them in the third-floor classroom

as designated by the letter from Andrews.

Oliver shook his head. "No, please give us a little time. Everyone, draw

your athames," he instructed his friends upon turning to face them. They all

nodded, drawing their constant companions from their sheaths.

"Now, just like I taught you: Acutus."

"""""Acutus."""""

Following his lead, the five of them chanted the spell. Instantly, their

swords shone with a blue light. The steel pulsed and tightened—their

swords, as if remembering their origins as weapons, transformed from blunt

metal into six sharp blades.

"Listen, everyone. If you ever feel in danger, don't hesitate to defend

yourself," Oliver warned, a stern look on his face. The five nodded.

Normally, students were only allowed blunt athames, except for when they

entered the labyrinth. Exploring its depths was far more dangerous than

wandering the academy grounds, and they needed to defend themselves

from any possible threats.

Oliver indicated to the two second-years that they were ready. They

turned to the giant oil painting on the wall and quickly jumped in. The

painting's surface rippled as it swallowed them up.

Nanao exhaled in wonder. This was just one of many entrances to the

labyrinth from the academy.

"I'll lead the way. Chela, can you take the rear?" Oliver asked.

"Leave it to me. Let's go," Chela agreed and moved to the back of their

group. Oliver then leaped through the painting. After a disconcerting

moment that felt like passing through a sticky liquid, he saw a view before

him exactly like the one he'd left. The seemingly endless hall was shrouded

in a veil of darkness.

"Keep up, first-years."

"If you get lost, you're on your own."

The second-years gave their nasty warnings and began walking.

Once the last person, Chela, was through, Oliver's group hurried to

catch up. Their footsteps echoed in the vast space.

"…I wonder where we're headed. Do you know, Oliver?"

"It's hard to say. If all he wanted was a duel, we could've had it

anywhere outside the labyrinth."

Oliver couldn't say for sure. Andrews's letter had only said their duel

would take place on the first layer of the labyrinth, with no specific spot

mentioned.

"…You don't think this duel is a trap, do you?"

"I doubt it. Especially when things have gotten this intense," Oliver said,

assuaging Pete's fears. It was no joke when a mage of a noble house

proposed a duel and prepared the arena himself. Ambushes and surprise

attacks were meaningless. Andrews was after victory and honor, which he

couldn't get if he used underhanded methods. Compared with being stuck

between Salvadori and Rivermoore, Oliver was much less likely to lose his

life in this duel.

"..."

They walked for about twenty minutes, making a number of twists and

turns before arriving at the end of the hall. There stood a giant double door,

and the second-years stopped in front of it.

"We're here. The two duelists can go straight. The rest of you, take the

side paths to the audience seating."

"Huh? Audience seating?" Guy cocked his head.

The second-years chanted a spell. It must have been the key to opening

the door; soon, the heavy doors began to swing open. The six of them

swallowed when they saw what lay behind them.

"…The Colosseum, huh?" Oliver muttered. And indeed, before them

was a large arena covered in white sand encircled by numerous seats

situated high above the stage. The Colosseum could seat a total of three

hundred people, and it currently looked to be at around 80 percent capacity.

Compared with similar arenas, it was on the smaller side. But if you

considered that it was only one of many such establishments inside the

labyrinth, its scale was impressive enough.

Katie's jaw dropped. "What on earth…? So many people…"

"Over one hundred first- and second-years all told, though I don't see

any upperclassmen… Mr. Andrews is totally serious," Chela said after

quickly scanning the area. From behind, the second-years urged them to get

inside already. Chela nodded and turned to Oliver and Nanao. "The four of

us will be in the audience. But if you ever need it—"

If there's any trouble, I'll be right there to help, she signaled, but Oliver

shook his head.

"No. Chela, I want you to keep the three of them safe. We'll handle

ourselves."

"Oliver? But—"

"That's three people to be responsible for. It would be more dangerous

to have you distracted."

Aware of the many risks, Oliver still insisted they keep to their roles.

Chela thought for a few seconds, then nodded. "…Very well. Good luck,

you two."

And pulling an anxious Katie by the hand, she led her, Guy, and Pete to

the stands. Oliver watched them go, then turned his gaze to Nanao. They

nodded to each other and made to step into the arena when the second-years

called out to them from behind.

"Stay back. The exhibition comes first."

"Exhibition?" Oliver furrowed his brow, puzzled.

Just then, the giant doors on the opposite end opened, revealing a

familiar long-haired boy—the organizer of this event, Mr. Andrews. The

audience erupted in cheers, and he raised a fist in response as he walked

into the arena. Once he'd reached the center, the boy lifted his athame with

his right hand as if to signal something. The next moment, iron bars in the

walls of the arena, directly under the audience, rose up. A figure leaped

from the darkness within.

"GRRRRRRRRR!"

Its limbs were humanlike, but its fingers were tipped with sharp claws,

and its body was covered in tough fur. But most of all, its head was

incredibly doglike. This was a kobold, a type of demi-human. More bars

raised, revealing two other kobolds. The three of them snarled and attacked

Andrews from three directions.

"Impetus!"

He responded by calmly chanting a spell. A blade of wind shot forth

from Andrews's athame, cutting the lead kobold's legs clean off. That same

moment, he turned and cast again, easily disabling the second kobold.

"GAAAAAH!"

The third kobold, however, was already in his face. It was too late to cast

a spell. The kobold brought down its claws to rend its prey—but Andrews

struck back with the athame in his right hand, not worried in the least.

"Hah!"

He ducked, dodging the kobold's snapping jaw, then sliced at its torso as

it rushed past him. Blood splattered from the wound, and the kobold

collapsed. The audience cheered. Nanao turned to Oliver as a strange fervor

overtook the Colosseum.

"…Oliver, what is this?" she asked, expression taut.

"…A kobold hunt. It's a traditional sport among mages. After the civil

rights movement picked up steam, however, it's been mostly abandoned in

recent years," Oliver explained as a bad feeling crept across his heart.

His exhibition over, Andrews quickly strode over to them.

"So you came, Mr. Horn, Ms. Hibiya. Do I need to explain this match?"

"First explain your intentions. What's going on here? I thought you

summoned us for a duel," Oliver asked immediately, refusing to follow the

boy's lead.

Andrews snorted. "Don't get full of yourself. There would be no honor

for me in defeating you two in a normal duel. Obviously, I must face my

inferiors with a proper handicap."

He gestured toward the arena. Oliver grimaced—so that really was his

plan.

"Thus, this will be two versus one. Whichever team kills the most

during the kobold hunt shall be the victor. A simple duel would be too

childish. I have to at least give you some chance of winning," Andrews

boasted, lording his superiority over them.

Oliver doubted this was the whole story, though. Two versus one

sounded like an advantage, but it was clear Andrews was an expert in this

sport. Oliver, on the other hand, knew only the general rules, and Nanao had

never even seen a kobold before.

The difference in experience wasn't the only problem, however. In a

kobold hunt, the elegance of the kill was the greatest attraction. Because of

this, hunters had to remain unhurt. The moment they were injured, they

were disqualified. This put Nanao at a disadvantage. Since she hadn't yet

learned any offensive spells, she would have to fight within melee range.

There was no way she'd be able to fend off a horde of kobolds attacking

from all directions without sustaining damage.

"…So that's why, huh?"

Oliver realized this was exactly Andrews's plan. While appearing to be

fair and giving them a two-on-one advantage, the truth was that Andrews's

odds of losing were overwhelmingly low. Oliver knew coming in that the

odds would be against them, since their opponent got to pick the arena, but

this was even shrewder than he'd expected.

"..."

Still, Oliver thought, perhaps going along with it anyway is the best

plan. The situation wasn't so simple that winning would solve everything,

so maybe if Andrews came out on top, Oliver could use that to improve

their relationship. Unlike before, when he'd accidentally let slip his

reluctance to fight, he could make a loss look quite natural in this situation.

Once he was close to reaching a decision, he glanced over at Nanao

standing next to him. One of the second-years was performing another

exhibition to warm up the crowd until the duel started; Nanao was staring at

them silently, not even blinking.

"Hey, ref! The prey's running off into the corner!"

"Ah, my apologies. This happens with the more cowardly ones."

The competing student complained, and the second-year acting as

referee stepped into the arena, headed for a kobold that was clinging to the

closed bars and crying. It had completely lost its nerve after seeing its

brethren killed up close.

"Hey, pooch, quit whining and get back into the fight! Dolor!"

The student casually cast the pain curse, causing the kobold to roll on

the ground howling. He raised the wand again, and the kobold jumped up

before the boy could administer a second dose. With no means of escape, it

shakily ran back into the arena.

"There, all done. Still, you should be killing them before they get the

chance to run."

"Shut up. At least train the damn dogs," the other responded irritably,

then turned his athame on the kobold heading his way. Before the charging

creature could reach him, he cut one of its legs off with a spell, causing it to

stumble. However—

"Whoa!"

—the kobold used its momentum to spring forward, teeth gnashing. The

student barely managed to dodge, and the kobold snapped its jaws where

his feet had been. It was hardly a graceful look, and the audience burst into

laughter.

"Ha-ha-ha! Close one, eh?"

"Hey, you've got two legs—have a heart and let the dog have one!"

Brutal jeers flew from the crowd. This wasn't unexpected, as they

weren't here to simply watch a stunning work of art. Everyone wanted to

see horrible mishaps and unexpected trouble, among other things—in

essence, the more blood was spilled, the more excited they got.

"..."

"? What is it, Nanao?"

She was growing increasingly on edge. Ignoring his concern, Nanao

silently took a few steps forward, inhaled deeply, and…

"Enough!!"

…like a crack of lightning, she roared. The explosive sound waves left

every human ear in the Colosseum ringing.

"All of you! What's so fun about this?"

In the sudden silence, Nanao addressed the audience. Her voice wasn't

particularly loud, but her words mysteriously reached the audience's ears

without trouble. Just like on that battlefield long ago, her voice made its

way through all extraneous sounds with authority.

"Let me ask again: What's so fun about this? These creatures have no

will to fight, yet you force them into an arena, competing to see who can

torment and kill the most of them. Not only that, but the overwhelming

majority of you don't even risk your own safety, content to watch from on

high. Have you no idea how vulgar you all seem?"

Her glare swept across the stands as she spoke. Even if they were from

different countries, as fellow wielders of the sword, they should have the

same code of honor.

"N-Nanao's angry…," Katie stammered from a corner of the hushed stands.

Ever since Andrews's "exhibition" began, she had been vehemently

opposed to the kobold hunt. Now, however, she paused and gaped at the

spectacle before her. Guy, Pete, and Chela joined her in gawking.

"…I've never seen her like that."

"Yes, and in such an extremely hostile environment…" Chela looked

about her.

The crowd, stunned by the sudden scolding, was slowly coming back to

its senses. They began to frown, upset and growing hostile.

"Wh-who does she think she is?"

"Ha-ha, look at the first-year thinking she's important."

"Shut up! If you're not gonna fight, go home!"

"Yeah, yeah! We came here to see blood!"

They shouted back fiercely, as if trying to cover up any sense of guilt,

and the temporary silence was broken.

"..."

Nanao stood resolute among the rain of insults. No matter how long she

waited, it seemed as if all they had to fight her with was words. The crowd

in their high seats hurled every insult in the dictionary at the girl, but no one

dared come down into the arena to shut up the impertinent contender. Even

after questioning their honor, they remained but onlookers. More than

enough time passed for her to confirm this, and eventually, Nanao turned on

her heel.

"We're leaving, Oliver."

"Nanao…"

"There is no battle worth drawing our swords for here."

And with that, she began to leave the Colosseum. In Oliver's eyes, she

seemed lonelier than ever before. He couldn't say a thing. From behind

him, a flustered voice shouted:

"W-wait, Ms. Hibiya! Where do you think you're going?!"

Andrews hurriedly came running as she made to depart. Oliver pressed a

hand to his head. If he were in Andrews's shoes, he might have done the

same thing. But after seeing her speech, he knew no amount of coaxing in

the world would get her to participate in the kobold hunt. He needed to find

a compromise before things got complicated.

"…Mr. Andrews, I know you must have gone through a lot to prepare

this, but honestly, I have no interest in kobold hunts myself. Can't we just

have a normal duel? Nanao would be more than willing to participate then."

"Don't you insult me! Do you have any idea how many strings I had to

pull to set this up?!"

Spittle flew from the edges of Andrews's lips as he raged. In Oliver's

mind, it was Andrews's own fault for not consulting them beforehand, but

he could somewhat sympathize with someone who had left himself few

options. The crowd was too large, too excited to accept anything but what

they had been promised. Disappointing them would be social suicide.

At the same time, Andrews wasn't alone in wanting to avoid that. A

horde of familiar first-years marched in front of the girl trying to exit the

way she'd come.

"Get back in there, samurai."

"Who do you think you are? Just shut up and do what you're told."

"No way we're letting you leave."

"Or would you rather we beat you up first?"

The gang of students glowered menacingly at Nanao. Most of them were

the same ones who had bullied Katie weeks ago; they'd likely pushed

Andrews to action, as well.

Nanao smiled at the threat of force.

"…Yes, that's exactly what I'd prefer," she said under her breath, a bit of

ironic relief mixed into her voice. She placed her hand on her sword's hilt,

and a nervous energy ran through the gang. Unlike during class, both sides'

athames were now sharpened. If they fought here, blood would be spilled.

"Y-you're gonna fight?"

"…Bring it on!"

"Huh? Wait, we're really doing this?"

"Maybe you aren't ready, but she is!"

They'd foolishly assumed she'd back down if they came at her in a

group. The students visibly recoiled at her insistence on fighting.

Oliver sighed. The naive fools. If she'd wanted to, Nanao could have cut

through the majority of them by now.

"…They're really at each other's throats, huh?"

"Makes no difference to me. But how long do we have to keep this up?"

The second-years tasked with keeping the crowd occupied were starting

to become suspicious. The audience would only be satisfied for so long

before they started demanding the main attraction.

"…? Hey, the next ones ain't comin' out of their cages!"

"Again? God, fine."

One contestant complained, summoning the referee again. Managing the

kobolds was the most time-consuming part of the job, so it wasn't rare for

them to be called over and over. Still, if it happened too much, then the

crowd's excitement would die down.

Wielding his athame in his right hand, the student peered into the cage.

In a dark corner, he could see five kobolds huddled together and shivering.

He shook his head. They'd mixed stimulants into the kobolds' food earlier

to prevent this, but today's group seemed to be especially meek.

"Hey, get out here already! You wanna get hurt—?"

The moment he threatened them with his sword, a pair of glowing eyes

appeared in the darkness opposite the cowering kobolds.

"Huh?"

Surprised, he swung his sword toward them. There were only supposed

to be five left in the cage, he absentmindedly thought. By the time he felt

the rush of wind and the oncoming presence, it was too late. The next

moment, his body was sailing through the air over the arena.

"…Huh?"

The referee skidded across the ground, blood trickling from his lips, then

didn't move again. The other student in the arena blanched when he saw

what came next.

"KRRRRRR…"

A single magical beast growled and appeared from the darkness of the

cage. This was no kobold—in the light, he could see it was over seven feet

tall. Supple muscles covered its humanoid body and long limbs; it wasn't

hard to imagine how strong this thing was. Its talons were sharp, and the

beak on its head was undeniably raptor-like. The feathers that must have

once covered its body were now mostly fallen off, with patches of skin

peeking through.

"Wait, what the hell is this? Hey, ref—"

Facing an unexpected threat, he looked to the referee to deal with it—a

fatal mistake. Focusing on its next prey, the beast rushed forward. Its speed

far outstripped anything the student had imagined, and as a result, he was

caught almost completely unawares.

"Guh!"

The boy tried to attack with his sword, but the creature's talons swept

under his panicked thrust and sank deep into his stomach. Before he could

even feel any pain, the beast reared back its leg, four talons still tightly

clenched.

"Gaaaaaaaahhhh!"

A scream surged from the boy's throat. A few seconds before he fainted

from the pain, he witnessed his own guts being wrenched out of his torso.

"…?!"

"Hey, this is bad!"

"Control that thing!"

Realizing things weren't right, the rest of the refereeing second-years

jumped into the arena with their athames at the ready. They unleashed a

bevy of spells, all aimed at the beast in the center of the arena where the

boy had once stood.

"KIYAAAAAAAAAH!"

Its cry was deafening. The ferocious gale the beast produced surged

through the arena, knocking away any incoming spells. The second-years

froze in fear. The beast glared at them all, eyes glinting.

"D-dammit—!"

"Here it comes! Ready yourselves!"

The mages switched to defense, realizing the beast's abnormal power.

Spells flew chaotically through the air, but the beast didn't stop even for a

second. With every flash of its talons, blood spurted up in a massive red

flower. A true battle had begun, signaling the end of the rule-abiding

competition.

"Oliver, what is that?" Nanao turned and asked.

"A garuda…," Oliver muttered distractedly. He didn't even try to hide

the quiver in his voice. Every passing second, another second-year fell to

the beast's claws. "It's a humanoid magical beast with the head of a bird

that lives in the highest elevations of Indus. They possess tough bodies and

high magic resistance, and it's said their wings are attended by the elements

of wind and fire… I've never seen one before."

Oliver looked around the arena as he explained. He glared sharply at the

boy standing dumbfounded nearby.

"Is this your handiwork, too, Mr. Andrews?"

"H-how should I know? No one told me about that monster…!"

He vigorously shook his head.

Oliver gritted his teeth. This was much worse than if it had all been

some sort of trap. "So no one's controlling this thing? …You've got to be

kidding me."

Meanwhile, the demonic Indus bird rampaged, looking for its next kill.

Over half of the twenty second-years in charge were now drowning in a sea

of blood. In its frenzy, the garuda had kicked out some of the arena's iron

bars, unleashing frightened kobolds that frantically climbed into the stands

to escape imminent death.

"Dammit! Stay away, curs! Get back!"

"Want me to burn you with magic?!"

"GAAAAAHHH!"

The kobolds didn't stop, even with wands pointed at them. They charged

into the audience, preferring to face the wands rather than stay down below.

Panic broke out among the front row. As magical beasts went, kobolds were

weak, but a pack fleeing for their lives was too much for most first-year

students.

But even that chaotic scene was idyllic compared with the tragedy

unfolding in the center of the arena.

Oliver whipped out his sword in fear. "Kobolds and trolls have nothing

on this creature!" he shouted. "That's a divine beast familiar! First- and

second-years can't handle a monster of its level!"

Suddenly, he sensed a presence above his head and looked up—his

breath caught in his throat. On the roof of the Colosseum rose a message in

blood-red Yelglish writing.

How do you like being hunted?

That message hit him like a bolt of lightning, and Oliver realized exactly

what was going on. On the other hand, the students who had tried to stop

Nanao earlier had completely succumbed to the terror and were flinging

themselves against the doors.

"Th-the doors! They won't open!"

"You're kidding! Someone! Someone, open it!"

Some second-years came running over and quickly chanted the

password. But the doors wouldn't budge. The students ran their hands

across the entrance, their faces twisted in despair.

"It's no use. It's been locked with a different spell!"

"I can't even begin to comprehend this formula. Our unlocking spells

won't do a thing…"

They stood dazed by magic out of their league, while the first-years tried

even harder to open the doors. Suddenly, the sound of something dripping

wet came from behind them. Fearfully, they turned—and what appeared to

be the guts of a freshly defeated second-year were flung at their feet.

"Wa-waaaaahhhh!"

"Do something! Hurry! Hurry! Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

"Can we break the door down with magic?!"

"This is the labyrinth! The doors aren't that weak!"

"Then what do we do?"

"We're gonna die! If we don't hurry, that thing's gonna kill us all!"

A chorus of screams and wails erupted. As the students panicked, the

bird's talons slashed through another second-year, who crumpled to the

ground. The only time the garuda stopped was to finish off its victims. Its

gaze swept across the area, eventually focusing on the group gathered

before the doors. It had spotted its next target.

"FOOOOO…"

In stark contrast to its previous behavior, the garuda slowly approached.

Whether this was to preserve its energy or because it didn't need to rush

against such weaklings, it was impossible to tell. The sand crunched under

its feet like a clock ticking down to the first-years' doom.

"Ah… Urgh…"

Andrews stood stock-still as it closed in. He couldn't even take a basic

stance, and the tip of his blade in his right hand shook violently. Oliver

noticed this.

"Pull yourself together, Mr. Andrews!" he shouted. "It hunts the most

fearful first!"

"Uh-uuuhhh…!"

Realizing a fight couldn't be avoided, Oliver raised his sword to a half

stance and faced off against the demonic bird. Sensing his will to fight, the

garuda stopped. Its raptor-like eyes swiveled between the two boys,

appraising them—until one of them succumbed to the pressure.

"Yeek! U-uwaaaah!"

"Andrews!"

The boy turned his back on the demonic bird and ran. At almost the

same time, the garuda launched itself forward. Its talons, capable of

crushing spines and gouging out guts, rushed straight toward Andrews's

back. Oliver would never make it in time.

"Halt!"

But the moment a new fountain of blood was about to spew forth, one

girl's blade intervened. The bone-crunching impact reverberated through

her wrists, shoulders, and hips down to her legs planted against the ground

like the deep roots of a giant tree.

"It is dishonorable to attack a fleeing opponent," the girl whispered as

her blade wrestled against the garuda's talons, barely pushing it back. In her

eyes was not fear, or even malice. She welcomed her strong opponent with

a warrior's joy. "I will be the one to fight you. Over here, garuda, you

monstrous birdman!"

"KUUUUUUU…"

Translucent mana flowed through her hair, turning it white. After a long

struggle, the demonic bird withdrew its leg and hopped back. Nanao raised

her sword into a high stance again, and they faced each other silence for a

few seconds. Not a word was spoken, yet there appeared to be a sort of

mutual understanding between them.

"Have at thee!"

"KEEYAAAAAAAH!"

In almost perfect sync, they launched at each other.

"Haaaaaaaaaah!"

"KEEYAAAAAAAH!"

A steely leg shot out instantly, its talons capable of ending a life in a

single strike. The garuda's full-power attack would easily rip a frail human

body to shreds, yet Nanao fought back with just her sword. The garuda

unleashed a crescent kick, which she instantly knocked back. It then

brought its talons down in an ax kick, which she caught and let slide off the

edge of her blade—and in that instant, an opening appeared, into which she

slipped a sharp counterattack.

"Hiyah!"

"KEEYAAH!"

Even to the mages witnessing it themselves, it seemed like a scene from

a fairy tale. It was so different from the battles they knew. The kobold hunts

were known for their elegance, but none of that was found here. Before

them existed an unfathomably pure and simple avatar of the sword, like

some kind of miracle.

"KEEYAAAAAAH!"

But the garuda was a magical familiar. It defied all logic, relying on

more than just physical attacks. In response to its summons, the wind

around it began to roar. The garuda leaped off the ground and spread its

wings, lifted by the powerful undercurrent.

"KEEYAAH!"

"Mm?!"

Riding the tailwind, it unleashed a midair kick. But unlike on the ground

where it needed to anchor itself with one leg, in the air it could attack with

both sets of talons at once, an avian move that wasn't possible with a

human body. Even Nanao, who had fended off its fierce attacks with just

her sword, couldn't judge the full extent of this new attack.

"Extol deitor!"

Right before impact, a horizontal force pushed her body out of the way

of the talons' trajectory. Oliver, by reversing the pull spell he'd used in his

magical comedy skit, had saved her life. The garuda was completely

unaffected, but the spell had served its purpose.

"KEEYAAH!"

"Here it comes!"

Realizing who had interfered, the garuda landed and changed targets to

Oliver. It rushed forth with incredible speed, and he had to forcibly repress

his instinct to cast a spell. He already knew by now that most spell-based

attacks were useless against its wind barrier.

"Hah!"

Knowing this, Oliver dashed toward the oncoming garuda himself. Just

before impact, he activated a spatial spell—the ground beneath his feet

tilted to eighty degrees, and he dropped into a crouching start position while

running. This was the Lanoff style's earth stance: Grave Step. By

manipulating the ground, he was able to instantly alter his positioning. The

garuda made to kick Oliver in the abdomen, but its talons swiped above his

head instead. Suddenly, he and the garuda were extremely close. Oliver

planted his left hand on the ground to keep from pitching totally forward,

then swiped at the demonic bird's anchor leg.

"KEEYAH?!"

"Haah!"

He aimed for what would be a thigh on a human, avoiding the sections

covered by tough talons and scales. The moment his sword made contact

with its flesh, the garuda made a one-legged hop away while still in

midkick.

"Guh…?!"

Oliver was caught off guard by the sensation of his blade slicing through

air. Having escaped, the garuda did a flip, supported by a rush of air, and

gracefully landed a good distance away. A tiny amount of blood dripped

from the scratch on its leg. The boy's surprise attack had unfortunately

stopped just short of cleaving flesh.

"Too shallow…!"

"Oliver!"

Back on her feet, Nanao ran over to Oliver and stood next to him, her

sword at midstance. Oliver took a midstance as well, and they faced the

demonic bird together.

"Don't charge in without a plan! I told you, wind and fire elementals

serve the garuda!" he said sternly. They couldn't just judge its abilities

based on what they could see—this was the iron rule of fighting against a

high-level magical beast. In the case of the garuda, even though it appeared

similar to them with two arms and two legs, with the wind's aid, its

movements easily defied common sense. His warning substantiated the

reality before their eyes, and Nanao nodded.

"Mm, I felt it myself… That is a true youma."

Meanwhile, Chela and the others watched the death match from the chaotic

stands.

"…She even engaged that garuda head-on… Nanao, you are full of

surprises…!" Chela muttered, her expression a mix of awe and fear.

Guy desperately stood his ground so as to not get swept up by the

panicking students, his eyes on the arena.

"Hey, we should help!" he shouted. "All the second-years are down!"

"Right! Just wait, you two! I'm coming—"

Guy and Katie made to jump in, but Chela sharply stuck out her arm.

Her back still to them, she shouted at them with a harshness that was

unthinkable for her.

"Help? You think you can help with this fight? Don't be ridiculous."

"Wha—? We can at least assist them with magic!"

"That won't work. You saw how it slaughtered the second-years, didn't

you?" Chela said, staring at the sea of blood spreading throughout the

arena. In her mind, she could see her friends running to their deaths plain as

day. "If you get closer, you'll only end up like them. No, actually, Oliver

and Nanao will try to protect you… I needn't explain what happens next, do

I?"

Their breath caught in their throats. She was saying they'd be more of a

hindrance than a help. Katie couldn't deny it, but she still didn't want to

give up. "But… But what about you, Chela?! Even if we can't do anything,

maybe you—"

"Tonitrus!"

A spell cut her off. Electricity shot from Chela's athame and hit a kobold

that was about to lunge at Katie. The demi-human collapsed in convulsions.

Her friends gaped, and Chela chewed her lip.

"If only I could. But please try to calm down. If I leave you here, who

will protect you from these beasts?" she asked, gesturing around her. More

than ten frenzied kobolds were slinking closer, looking for the best

opportunity to sink their teeth into the students. There was even a warg

among them. It must have escaped from another cage, or been unleashed on

them by whoever devised this chaos. Either way, it was yet another enemy

they had to drive back.

"Now, draw your athames. Focus on protecting yourselves and believe

in our friends. That's all we can do now!" she said resolutely, the first to

ready her sword. She'd promised Oliver she would protect Katie, Guy, and

Pete at all costs. She glared at the kobolds, keeping them at bay, while in

the corner of her eye she kept tabs on the death match at the edge of the

arena.

"I'm trusting you, Oliver…!" she whispered.

The demonic bird's talons kicked up dust as they sank into the ground.

Somehow, Oliver had managed to dodge, and as he prepared for the next

attack, he desperately looked for a way out.

"Huff… Huff…!"

While he fought with magic and sword, he was analyzing the enemy's

movements. The difference in their physical abilities was clear—as long as

they fought within range of its kicks, there wasn't a single attack they could

fully defend against. What's more, any spell he cast was blocked by the

beast's divine wind barrier. Even his surprise attack involving the use of

sword arts just barely failed to land a lethal blow.

The only blessing in this dire situation was that the garuda had been

weakened in order to obey to the mage it served. The cruelly plucked

patches of feathers were proof of this. Consequently, the garuda couldn't

use the other element it was known for: fire. If it weren't for that, he and

Nanao would have been slain long ago.

"Haaaaah!"

"KEEYAAAAAH!"

Nanao swung at the garuda, taking Oliver's place on the front line. Her

only choices were to either avoid its attacks with technique or somehow

parry, so the fact that she was charging in headfirst was the stupidest thing

he'd ever seen. He assumed the unconscious flow of magic within her was

what enabled her, but when he considered the terrible cost it placed on her

small body, he wondered just how long she could keep it up.

"...!"

There was no hope for help from any of the other students. Even the

undoubtedly skilled second-years had been cut down at the beginning of the

battle. The first-years who were currently wetting their pants in fear weren't

worth considering. What could he possibly hope for from the people

running along the stands and shivering in front of the entrance?

His one reliable ally, Chela, had her hands full defending their friends

from the kobolds. He agreed with her decision. Whether she left Katie, Guy,

and Pete behind or brought them down here, he couldn't see a future where

one of them didn't end up dead. For the first-years who lacked combat

experience, the arena was a true bloodbath. The only ones here who could

drive the garuda back were him and Nanao. And from this analysis, a

specific plan formed in his mind. However, he couldn't deny that it had, at

best, a less than fifty-fifty chance of succeeding.

"Guh…!"

He failed to properly dodge a kick, and the garuda's talons slashed his

side. A searing-hot pain shot through his body. Nanao quickly rushed to his

aid and somehow kept its second attack from killing him.

Oliver clicked his tongue as he retreated. The wound was too deep to

overlook. He could ignore the pain, but then his insides would spill out. He

had no time to heal it fully, but maybe he could at least repair the surface

skin. His decision made, he pointed his athame at the wound—and from the

corner of his eye spotted a familiar boy on the ground. Oliver's eyes went

wide.

"Mr. Andrews?! You're still here?! Quick, take cover!"

"…Ah… Ugh…"

The boy could hardly even form words. Oliver reluctantly pressed his

hand against his wound and ran over to him. He was concerned less for his

safety and more that he might disrupt Nanao's focus. Keeping one eye on

her as she continued to fight, he pulled Andrews by the hand and leaped

into the empty Colosseum cages.

"Guh…!"

Once they were in, he sank to his knees and quickly resumed casting the

healing spell. Andrews stared at him blankly as he clenched his jaw in pain.

"A-aren't you two scared…?" he asked, voice quivering.

"What?!"

The question was so stupid it made him forget the pain for a second.

What first-year wouldn't be afraid of that demonic bird? Oliver wanted to

lash out at Andrews but stopped himself. His eyes focused on the girl

continuing to fight far away from them.

"No… I doubt she's scared."

Nanao traded blow for blow with the garuda, never cowering and never

taking a step back. It reminded him of that night she'd tried to get in the

middle of a fight between two older students, yet this was a bit different.

Nanao was no longer looking to die. She was the perfect warrior, with a

tough foe to defeat before her and people to protect behind her. And this

brought her joy.

"Nanao would rather fight a rampaging magical beast one-on-one than

kill dozens of cowering kobolds. That's her way of the sword, Mr.

Andrews."

"...!"

"Stupid, right? I think so, too… Even now, I'm scared out of my mind.

When I think about returning to that arena, I start to wish my wounds

wouldn't close. If her actions are heroic, then I'm no better than ordinary."

Oliver couldn't stop the words from coming as he waited for his wound

to heal just enough. He wasn't exactly thinking deeply. The words just

spilled from his mouth.

"But that's why I can't abandon her. This is Kimberly, not the outside

world. I have to teach her something of how to be ordinary, or she and her

heroics will kick the bucket sooner rather than later. And that's why I can't

stay scared forever." He chuckled at himself. Out of the corner of his eye,

he saw Andrews hang his head silently. Suddenly, Oliver remembered

something.

"She wanted to see your swordsmanship, too," he added.

"…!"

"Nanao was the one most excited for today's duel. You should've seen

her last night, hopping around like a little kid on Christmas Eve—she

certainly didn't care how I felt… That's why the kobold hunt wasn't a good

idea. It was never about winning or losing. She came here specifically to

feel the impact of your sword against hers."

If the duel had happened as Nanao wished it to, maybe they could have

come to a bit of an understanding. Realizing how naive he still was, Oliver

smiled bitterly. He was beyond help. Just how much had that girl influenced

him?

"You and me, you and her—we all just keep missing each other

somehow…even though we all want to get to know each other more," he

muttered sadly. The wound on his side now closed up, Oliver took a deep

breath and got to his feet. Only the surface was healed, so the pain was still

intense, but it wouldn't keep him from doing what he needed to.

"But not everything goes the way we want it to, does it, Mr. Andrews?"

he asked, then turned and ran out of the cage. If Andrews's expression

changed at all, Oliver didn't see it.

"Over here, demonic Indus bird!"

"KEEYAAAAAAAH!"

Oliver ran back into the arena and jumped straight between Nanao and

the garuda. He was met with a surging wave of kicks; Oliver feinted,

looking one way but moving the other, just barely managing to dodge them

one after the other. He wasn't about to be ripped to shreds so easily. Even if

he couldn't take the monster head-on like Nanao, he did have a trick or two

up his sleeve.

"Fragor!"

Immediately after leaping to the side to dodge a kick, he shot an

explosion spell at his enemy's face. Just before it could be batted away by

the garuda's protective winds, he ignited it.

"KEEYAAH?!"

The flash exploded before its face with a terrible noise. The bright light

burned the garuda's eyes, halting the creature momentarily. Oliver used the

opportunity to retreat and line back up with Nanao for what seemed like the

millionth time.

"We don't have enough stamina to keep this up. Let's finish it with the

next strike, Nanao."

"Understood. What's your plan?"

"You dodge its next kick and get in close to deliver the final blow. I'll

keep the wind from pushing you back."

It was far too slapdash to call a plan. There was no time to explain in

detail, but Oliver was still prepared for her to object. And yet, Nanao

nodded without hesitation.

"Very simple indeed. Cut with all my might, you say?"

"I'm glad you agree, but normally, this is where you tell me I'm crazy."

"Is it? Your Yelglish can be quite difficult sometimes, Oliver."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. Oliver couldn't help but smile

awkwardly—this must be one of her talents as well. He couldn't believe he

was feeling relaxed right now, of all times.

"I'll just say that you're not so bad at Yelglish yourself. Ready? Let's

go!"

"Right!"

They signaled to each other their willingness to end this. With their eyes

fixed on the demonic bird standing in their way, they rushed forward.

"Haaaaah!"

Nanao gave a warrior's cry as she ran. The garuda unleashed a kick,

which she blocked with her blade for the sixth time. With all her might and

soul behind it, she finally triumphed over the beast's legs.

The garuda pulled its leg back and retreated. When Nanao moved into

her next attack, it sprang up and out of the way with both legs, leaping into

the air.

"KEEYAAH!"

It spread its wings, and the wind howled. Riding the gust, it repeated the

twin-talon midair strike that had caught her unawares at the start of the

battle—just as Oliver had calculated.

"Impetus!"

He unleashed a wind spell, aiming for the moment the fierce gales began

to swirl at the demonic bird's back. In his mind, he imagined mysterious

giant mountains far to the east and the dry, freezing winds that blew through

the rocky, lifeless highlands. His vision gave him insight—the garuda did

not control the winds that protected it. It was merely an automatic response

by elementals upon sensing the beast was in danger.

Nothing was known for sure about elementals, those beings that existed

somewhere between the margins of magic particles and life. Magical

biology treated cases where elementals inhabited a living thing for many

years as examples of a symbiotic relationship. In exchange for granting the

garuda protection, these elementals thrived off its host's mana, essentially

creating an ecology of mutual aid. However, despite being closely

intertwined, they were most certainly not the same being.

As a general rule, elementals tended to flock together with similar

elementals. You could say it was their instinct to become bigger and

stronger to stabilize their existence. Thus, a question arises: What if the

elementals protecting the garuda just so happened to run into their fellow

elementals?

"KEEYAAH?!"

There was only one answer: They would converge. Oliver's fine control

allowed him to magically adjust the wind to seem like another elemental,

causing the garuda's elementals to swerve and try to merge with it. This was

a high-level technique known commonly as disruption magic. A wind

capable of tricking elementals could only be conjured at the very last

possible moment, after Oliver had analyzed their entire battle so far.

"Ohhhh!"

The garuda, without the wind support it was expecting, stumbled in the

air and started falling. Oliver had anticipated as much. But the very next

moment, that terrible feeling in his stomach proved accurate.

"KEEYAAAAAH!"

Two fierce winds erupted from the demonic bird's back. As long as the

elementals Oliver had tricked were merely one part of a whole, it was only

natural that they'd quickly seek cover among another group. The horrifying

part was how fast it happened. He quickly realized the garuda would regain

its footing before Nanao could strike.

"Not on my watch!"

There was no time to think. He thrust himself at the spot the garuda was

aiming to attack. He'd probably take the hit, but with their limited stamina,

this was their final chance. If he wasn't immediately killed, he'd gladly give

up part of his body—even one of his limbs or part of his guts—as long as

Nanao could strike the killing blow.

Oliver charged forward, prepared to die. But the next moment, a mass of

air rushed past his eyes. The demonic bird toppled, caught completely

unawares by the sidelong blast of wind.

"…?!"

This wasn't some petty trickery like disruption magic. The sheer force of

this magical wind scattered the elementals and swept the garuda's feet out

from under it just before it could land. Its destructive power was so beyond

anything he was capable of, Oliver was convinced he was hallucinating. But

just then, in the corner of his eye, the individual responsible appeared from

behind the garuda, a slight distance away from their deadly battle.

There stood a boy, screwing up his courage with his athame in hand,

doing his damnedest not to break down shivering. Oliver, shocked and

amazed, shouted a familiar name:

"Mr. Andrews!"

"Haaaaaaaah!"

The garuda fell to the ground, and this time, Nanao was able to rush in.

It desperately lashed out with its talons, but she didn't so much as blink. It

hadn't even crossed her mind to think of trying her luck and dodging by a

hairbreadth. The talons shredded her flesh like a mandoline; cloaked in a

gale of blood, the girl closed in on the garuda. Her blood would be her final

offering.

Steel flashed as she sliced through the monster's flesh and bone. Her

rising strike from midstance eternally separated its head from its body

before it could even register the pain. The demonic bird's head fell and

rolled across the ground. In the few seconds before the life left it and the

light faded from its eyes, the last sight burned into its retinas was the aweinspiring figure of the girl who had slain it.

Moments later, the garuda's body followed suit and toppled forward into

the sand. The wind elementals, having lost their host, began to settle. Both

the audience, who were trying to escape, and the kobolds, who were

attacking them, gawked equally at the scene. The quiet of victory filled the

vast Colosseum.

"Did… Did she…do it?" Andrews asked shakily, too stiff to even lower

his sword. Oliver turned to their completely unexpected ally and nodded.

"Yeah, she did… With your help, Mr. Andrews," he replied without

reluctance. After that experience fighting the garuda, Oliver knew just how

much guts and focus it took to cast such a precise spell at that exact

moment.

"I see. That final gale was your doing, then? The pressure nearly blew

me off my feet," Nanao said, sheathing her sword and walking over. Her

steps were firm, but her uniform was torn to pieces and stained with blood.

The two boys swallowed in sync. There were worse results she could have

endured after going toe-to-toe with that demonic bird.

"B-but of course. I am an Andrews. I'm not about to be outdone when it

comes to control of the wind…"

He tried to act tough but couldn't stop the shivers that came after

jumping into life-and-death combat. He grabbed his shoulder desperately to

try to keep his arm still, but Oliver shook his head. There was no need for

that. Neither he nor Nanao was about to laugh at him.

"Because of you, I kept all my insides on the inside. Allow me to give

you my thanks."

"…Y-you said you wanted to see my swordsmanship, so…," the boy

haltingly replied.

Oliver kept his tone light in an effort to soothe Andrews's unstable

mental state. At the same time, he scanned the Colosseum. The secondyears, seeing that the garuda was dead, leaped one after the other into the

arena to tend to the victims. He breathed a sigh of relief as they cast healing

magic on the mass of critically wounded students.

"It wasn't…death I was afraid of."

"?"

As Oliver stepped closer to Nanao to treat her wounds, a whisper

escaped Andrews's lips. His hands shaking, he struggled to sheathe his

sword as he continued.

"Well…no, I was afraid of that, too. But I could accept it. Death is

always close at hand for a mage who wants to make something of himself,

after all. I've accepted that—I'm ready to face that. But…"

He gritted his teeth. What he truly feared, what was darker and colder

than death itself, shimmered violently in the depths of his eyes.

"…But I couldn't bear the disappointment and pity I'd get if I lost.

People would call me a failure of a son, the shame of the Andrews family,

and that's the one thing I couldn't…"

He could barely stand to confess this. Born to a noble mage family on

par with the McFarlanes and forcibly compared with their daughter his

whole life, he bore emotional scars that still pained him.

"How can you two ignore all that…? How can you stand up in the face

of superiority? How can you throw yourselves without a second thought

into a battle when you have no idea what the odds of winning are?

How…?" Andrews earnestly wondered after opening up to the two of them.

Perhaps, to him, this took more courage than joining the fight against the

garuda.

Nanao thought for a bit, then fixed her gaze on him as she answered.

"One should not know the outcome of a fight before their swords clash.

This, I believe with my whole heart," she said without faltering, as a true

warrior would. She proudly shared these feelings she'd forged in the heat of

battle. "Books on the art of war will say the exact opposite, yet those are but

the writings of a military commander. A warrior on the field of battle

cannot choose their opponent. We can only accept our fate and cross swords

with those who stand before us. Whether the opponent is stronger, weaker,

or even totally inhuman, we don't have the luxury of choice."

Accepting her fate with bravery and composure, she spoke like an Azian

monk who had endured years of training. Her will was unshaking, leaving

Andrews at a loss for words.

"If I might add: My first battle ended in complete and utter defeat. I

have no experience with going into battle assured I will emerge victorious.

Victory and defeat are like dishes of food spread out on a table—once you

pick up your chopsticks, you must not be picky and take from both fairly.

My father, who died in that battle, often said this to me."

As Nanao spoke of memories past, her eyes momentarily wavered with

homesickness. Andrews stood stock-still, overcome with emotion.

Oliver stepped forward—on one side, he had a warrior who didn't fear

even death; on the other, a mage afraid of shame. Their lives could not be

more different, yet he still endeavored to bridge the gap. "Personally, I don't

agree with Nanao. There's no shame in running from an enemy you can't

beat. To protect your friends, or even to save your own life—there are many

situations where retreating is the right decision."

"Oliver…"

"And things are different for you now, Nanao… You can't say you won't

have a choice in every fight in the future. Charging into a fight without

considering the details of each situation isn't courage; it's just violence. You

need to learn to withdraw, if the situation calls for it. That is, if your plan is

to stay with us," he admonished, patting her on the shoulder.

Nanao happily nodded.

Fate is going to keep us together for a long time… Oliver could

practically feel it in his bones. He turned his gaze back to Andrews.

"However, eventually a fight will come along that you can't avoid. As

long as you aim for the highest highs of sorcery, it's basically destiny. And

when that time comes, I hope you don't get cold feet just because the

outcome isn't preordained," Oliver said with conviction. He knew better

than most that despite how blessed with talent one might be, the path of the

mage was an abyss, and it was not so kind as to hand out only easy fights.

"We're still only first-years. No matter how much we try to avoid them,

we're surrounded by things that are bigger and better than us. We can

squabble among ourselves all we like, but that sense of superiority won't

last long. Eventually, we'll face monsters from different dimensions,

mysteries that defy human understanding, and immutable truths. That's

when our real worth as mages will be tested. Next to that, the criticism of

society is a footnote."

As he spoke, Oliver thought, There's no telling what magical path he'll

take. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't encourage him.

"All that aside, let me say one thing: At the very end of that battle we

just survived, you stood up against a garuda. While almost everyone else

was losing their minds and trying to escape, you held your head high and

fought. I'll never forget that. I'll never forget the valor and dignity you

displayed here today, Richard Andrews."

"..."

Andrews accepted the earnest compliment, forgetting to be haughty for

once. As if in response to Oliver's words, Nanao drew her sword and held it

before her eyes with both hands. She pointed the blade's edge away from

her, and its rippled steel facade reflected Andrews's face like a mirror.

"…May your path be blessed with light, and may the gods revel in the

destiny you carve out. And fates willing, may the future of my comrade in

arms be as proud as the swing of a sword."

Her prayer was unpolished and unsophisticated, but it was also

straightforward and pure. It seemed like some sort of ritual from her home

country.

"Ah…"

A wordless breath slipped from Andrews's throat. His vision quickly

blurred as he felt a certain conviction rise within himself—No matter what

happens to me in the future, no matter what cruel fate lies ahead of me as I

leave humanity behind to study magic, I will never forget the words these

two just said to me. I will never forget the burst of pride I felt to be called

their comrade. I will never forget, until the day I die.

"I saw the garuda's head go flying! Oliver, Nanao, are you unharmed?!"

"We killed the warg, and the kobolds seem to have calmed down. Are

you two okay?!"

Their friends came running up to them. Finally, Oliver felt the tension

leave his body, and he exhaled deeply.

"Yeah, we're fine… Just a bit low on blood and mana. Sorry, but would

you mind healing us?"

"Whoa, you're totally not fine!" Guy exclaimed. "Don't talk—just sit

down! C'mon!"

"Wh-what should we do?! I don't know any healing spells yet…," Pete

said in a panic.

"I do! Come on, Nanao, sit down next to him now!"

Katie pulled Nanao and sat her down next to Oliver on the ground.

While Katie cast her healing magic on them, Chela turned an eye to her old

acquaintance standing off to the side.

"…I saw you came to their aid."

Andrews didn't know what to say. I just made a lucky shot at the end, he

wanted to tell her, but before he could, the ringlet girl smiled and cut him

off.

"Thank you, Rick. It's been some time since I've seen how wonderful

you are."

The words brought back so many memories.

Chela smiled, practically shining, as if to show just how long she'd

waited to call her childhood friend by that name again. As his bashfulness

grew, all he could do was look away