Student A: "Yes! I won. Hey, kneel down quickly."
Student B: "Damn it! Let's go again! If I hadn't made that mistake…"
At some point, a catchphrase had become popular in the advanced class: "Kneel down," spread by Dante.
Even in Class Seven, similar scenes were becoming common. Though it was all in good fun, the atmosphere of obsession with winning was no joke.
If A and B fight, who wins? Can the winner defeat C?
Everything was turning into a system where every student in the school was being ranked, a hallmark of the Royal Magic Academy.
Mark: "Tch! I don't like this. Anyway, that weird headmaster came and ruined the school."
Mark, lying on the grass, grumbled as he watched the juniors sparring in the thousand-battle training ground.
Currently, his match point was the top rank in Class Six. He had crushed every challenger. If it were the old him, he would have strutted around proudly, but after coming to respect Shirone, the rankings of the lower classes no longer held any meaning.
Maria: "Mark, he's still the headmaster. What do you mean by 'weird headmaster'? What if you get caught?"
Mark: "What am I supposed to do if I'm annoyed! I don't like Dante or whatever his name is either. Especially that Closer guy. He used a passive skill when he fought me. If it had been a straight-up fistfight, he wouldn't have stood a chance."
Maria also vividly remembers the scene of Mark getting beaten up. Especially since Closer, who's younger, even mocked him.
Maria: "Shirone will handle it. After all, they're in the same class. If they go too far, I'll even talk to Teacher Sade. What do you think?"
Mark felt his pride hurt just by giving his opinion. He wanted to get back at the guy who had bullied Maria, but their skills were real. Of course, as a self-proclaimed member of the Shirone line, he also had many monstrous seniors like Shirone, Amy, and Iruki.
It was because of their support that he could ignore Dante's group, but on the other hand, it was frustrating to the point of madness that he couldn't resolve the situation himself.
Mark: "I don't like this… Really…"
Loving to fight has no age limit, so even the students of Class Four were interested in the combat rankings.
However, since Dante had already taken care of Class Four's rankings, their gaze was fixed on higher places.
Student C: "Who would win if Teacher Ethela and Teacher Siana fought?"
Student D: "Duh, obviously Teacher Ethela. She's renowned even in the kingdom."
Student E: "But it's not about reputation, is it? Teacher Ethela may have achieved a triple, but Teacher Siana is the authority on ice magic. In real combat, someone who specializes in one thing is the best."
Student F: "If we're going by that logic, then it's Teacher Sade. At the same level, fire is more advantageous than ice."
Shirone stepped forward, trying to block out the noise.
Shirone: "Where did you hear such things? All the teachers are excellent. There's no way they'd fight each other just to prove who's stronger."
The students gave him indifferent looks. After Boyle knelt down, the center of gravity in the advanced class shifted from Shirone to Dante.
At first, the students thought Shirone would step up and restore the school's lost honor. But that didn't happen, and instead, he seemed to be avoiding it. Recently, there were even rumors that he was using tricks to avoid fighting Dante.
Student G: "What's the big deal? We're just talking. Honestly, you're the same. You're too scared to fight Dante, so you don't even participate in sparring."
Shirone: "I'm not scared. I just don't want to fight meaninglessly. If it's tactical training, that's one thing, but sparring has nothing to do with grades."
Student H: "Tch, grades, grades. In the end, you're just good at school. A real mage should be strong in actual combat."
Realizing that further words would be useless, Shirone shrugged his shoulders.
The classmates who had held a glimmer of hope for him turned away with disappointed expressions when even their provocations didn't work.
Student I: "Tch, Shirone's useless."
Student J: "What can we do? In front of the kingdom's star, Shirone's just a country bumpkin star."
Shirone couldn't understand what meaning there was in the students ranking each other. The strength he pursued was on a different level from simply fighting and overpowering others.
On the other hand, there were students for whom that was the only meaning. The most representative was Pandora, the second-ranked student in the advanced class.
After Dante defeated Boyle, she actively followed Dante's group and had now almost become one of their lackeys.
Sabina: "Hey, Pandora! Hurry up! I'm dying of thirst!"
At Sabina's sharp voice, Pandora hurriedly brought a cup of water.
Pandora: "Sorry. The line was too long."
Sabina: "You should've just said it was for me and cut in line. Geez, no flexibility."
Pandora: "Hehe, are you tired? Should I give you a shoulder massage?"
Sabina: "Sure. I've been running around too much with Haste, so my shoulders are stiff."
Pandora diligently massaged Sabina's shoulders. Though it hurt her pride, she believed that soon they would recognize her true worth.
Becoming close with Dante's group would instantly place her in the kingdom's top group of promising talents. A rise from being the second-ranked student in a rural school to the fourth in the entire kingdom. Wasn't that a gamble worth taking?
Closer: "Hey, Pandora. I'm a bit thirsty too."
Pandora: "Huh? Sure! I'll get you some water."
Pandora immediately ran to the water dispenser. The sun was particularly hot today, so many students were lined up.
It would be easier to cut in line using Dante's influence, but that would be undignified. Her specialty was annoying the person in front of her until they choked on their water.
Pandora: "Hey, are you an elephant? Drink moderately and move aside! Think about the people behind you."
Boyle: "Here, have my water."
Boyle offered his own cup. Pandora looked at him with displeasure, but considering Closer was waiting, she couldn't refuse.
Pandora: "Hmph, thanks."
As Pandora returned to Closer, Boyle called out.
Boyle: "Wait a second. You're not seriously going to give that to him, are you?"
Pandora: "What's it to you? Are you holding a grudge just because you lost to Dante?"
Boyle: "I've admitted my defeat. But why are you acting like this lately? There's nothing wrong with getting close to Dante, but you don't have to be so obsequious."
Pandora: "So what's it to you? Are you already feeling insecure? Afraid I'll surpass you?"
Boyle: "That's not it! You've been my rival since we were kids! It just feels wrong to see you bending over backwards like this!"
Pandora: "But not anymore. I'm going to join Dante's group. Soon, I'll be published in academic journals, and after graduation, there'll be a frenzy to scout me. If you're jealous, just say so. It's not convincing at all to say that after you've already lost."
Boyle shut his mouth. He had a lot he wanted to say, but none of it would reach Pandora's ears. It was the inevitable fate of a loser.
Boyle: "Damn it! Do whatever you want!"
From afar, Shirone's group understood Boyle's feelings.
All the relationships in the advanced class revolved around Dante. No one dared to challenge the absolute top-ranked student, and the more that happened, the more Shirone wanted to escape the current situation.
He believed that success would come naturally if he continued to refine his own path without unnecessary fights.
Currently, his mind was filled with thoughts of how to master Ataraxia even a little faster. For him, sparring held no interest.
He devoted himself to lifting training every day without rest and finally managed to hold the target for 20 seconds.
At this point, it was almost a feat. Maintaining a mental state that others couldn't endure for even a second for a full 20 seconds.
Student K: "Wow, Shirone's amazing. His Spirit Zone is growing too. No matter how you look at it, he's incredibly talented."
Student L: "But he's still just an Unlocker. He can't even look Dante in the eye."
Student M: "Honestly, Dante's just too strong. I can understand Shirone's position."
Student N: "Why do you assume Shirone ran away? Shirone can be terrifying when he actually competes. Besides, there's still Canis and Iruki."
Student O: "Hmph! If you're so confident, why are you avoiding it? If I had that kind of skill, I'd challenge him immediately out of sheer frustration. It's because he's running away like a coward that even the girls are going to Dante."
Student P: "Do you think Shirone is like you, fighting just to gain popularity?"
Student Q: "What? Are you done talking?"
Whenever the students gathered, they would weigh Shirone's group against Dante's. Most placed Dante as the top, with countless speculations swirling beneath him. This was the situation two months after Olivia became the new headmaster.
Neid was bothered by the noise coming from all directions. Before the thousand-battle system was introduced, they hadn't been so blatantly divided into factions. Still, since academic achievements were improving, the faculty had no intention of revoking Olivia's policy.
Neid: "Ugh, seriously! Maybe we should just transfer to another school."
Neid blurted out in frustration. The girls who had been whispering while looking their way burst into laughter and ran off to Dante.
Shirone: "Forget it. Don't pay attention to them. We just need to do things our way."
Shirone calmly dismissed it and returned to his lifting training.
Neid bit his lip. It wasn't normal for a student to act like a king, but Shirone's nerves were thick enough to not even blink at the rumors of him being a coward.
A week later, there was a midterm evaluation.
Dante's group took the top three spots, pushing down the rankings of everyone in Class Four. Of course, the hierarchy remained the same.
After the midterm evaluation, the students stopped talking about Shirone. Without any feedback, spreading gossip became meaningless.
Pandora made continuous efforts to blend in with Dante's group, but there was still an invisible barrier between them.
Realizing this wasn't working, Pandora subtly brought up the topic while massaging Sabina's shoulders.
Pandora: "Hey, Sabina. I want to do well in real battles too. What should I do?"
Sabina: "Real battles? Well, you use magic by the book. Stop doing that and learn passives. It's much easier. It's not like learning it first will hurt you. Anyway, this school is weird."
Though she gave advice, it was clear she didn't want to put in any more effort.
Feeling the heat, Pandora decided to be more direct.
Pandora: "How about teaching me in the Icheon system?"
Sabina: "Oh? Are you challenging me now?"
Pandora: "No, no! It's not like that at all. I just think it would be good to learn passive skills or tactics that can be used in real battles."
Closer's gaze drifted to Pandora's chest. He had been looking for an opportunity, and this made things easier.
Closer: "Well, Pandora is part of our group now. It wouldn't hurt for her to get stronger. How about we give her some special tutoring?"
Pandora was overjoyed. Most of all, she was happy that they saw her as part of their group.
Pandora: "Oh, really? I'd be so grateful!"
Closer's friends knew exactly what he was thinking.
Dante wanted power, Closer wanted girls, and Sabina wanted popularity.
Having been childhood friends who helped each other get what they wanted, Dante went along with Closer's suggestion this time.
Dante: "Alright. Let's loosen up for a bit. Let's head into the Icheon system."
Dante's group set up in a corner of the training ground and gave Pandora advice one by one.
As is often the case with advice from others, it was just common knowledge dressed up in fancy words.
Closer: "Alright, the three of us will surround you. Try to counter with fragrance magic. We'll take it slow, so don't worry."
Pandora: "Huh? Oh. Okay."
Dante's group pressured Pandora with basic magic.
While it was somewhat beneficial for her, to the other students, it looked like they were training a dog.
Sabina: "Hoho! Not bad? Don't just run away, try to counterattack. We're getting bored."
Pandora followed her words and cast the disorienting fragrance of Oliph's flowers. Though not immediately effective, it was often used in real battles because it made the opponent let their guard down.
And Sabina fell right into the trap. Thinking she had her, Pandora released her trump card, the Fire Flower (manufactured by Alones).
Sabina, whose senses were dulled by Oliph's fragrance, couldn't help but inhale a small amount.
Heat spread through her lungs as if she had inhaled fire. If her synchronization rate hadn't been 50%, it could have been dangerous.
Sabina: "Cough! Cough!"
Pandora: "Sabina! Are you okay?"
Pandora, who had been worriedly rushing over, suddenly stopped in her tracks. Sabina, who had been bowing her head, looked up with icy eyes.
Pandora: "S-sorry."
Sabina: "It's fine. You did great. This is how you improve."
As if nothing had happened, Sabina's face turned into a fake smile. She couldn't show that she had been beaten, especially in front of the other students, particularly the juniors.
Terrified, Pandora stammered, "Um… I think we can stop now. This has been really helpful."
Scene 1: Pandora's Humiliation
Dante: "What nonsense? You've grown this much already? Well, now the real training begins!"
Before he could finish, Dante and Closer lunged. Enraged by Pandora's arrogant strike, they showed no mercy.
Closer: "Here, Pandora! Take this!"
Sabina: "Hohoho! And this!"
The three attacked in unison, leaving Pandora no room to defend. A near-fatal Anti-Magic blast shook her Spirit Zone, sending her crashing to the ground.
Dante's group didn't stop. They ruthlessly bombarded her with spells, carefully controlling their output to prolong her suffering.
Classmate 1 (whispering): "Hey… isn't this too much?"
Classmate 2: "This isn't teaching—it's just abuse."
Pandora bowed her head, silently enduring. Too broken to even plead, she accepted the barrage.
Boyle (clenching fists): "Damn it…"
(Note: Though rivals, Boyle respected Pandora's efforts to rise from Class Ten. She didn't deserve this.)
When Pandora's mental energy depleted, her bracelet flared—a signal she could take no more. Sabina finally stopped, smirking.
Sabina: "Well? Did that 'help' you?"
Pandora lifted her tear-streaked face but forced a smile.
Pandora: "Yes… I learned a lot. Thank you."
Closer (doubling over): "Pfft—HAHAHA!"
(He'd always thought she is naive, but this was absurd.)
Sabina, still bitter, leaned in.
Sabina: "You'll only grow stronger by enduring this. Understood?"
Pandora (voice trembling): "Y-Yes… I was too weak. I'll… rely on you again."
Sabina: "Good. Then kneel."
Pandora froze. Sabina's eyes were icy.
Sabina: "What? You lost. Kneel and apologize. Or did you forget the rules?"
Pandora's shoulders shook as sobs burst forth.
Closer (mocking): "Kekeke! Want to cry? How pathetic! Hey, everyone—look at your 'senior'!"
Juniors turned away, horrified at the thought of being in her place.
Scene 2: Shirone's Intervention
Teachers finally noticed the severity. Sade moved to intervene, but Sabina spotted him and paled.
Sabina (hissing): "Kneel. Now. Or disappear forever."
As Pandora bent her knee—
Shirone (grabbing her arm): "Stop."
The crowd gasped. Even Boyle stared.
Pandora (stunned): "Shirone? Why…?"
Shirone stepped past her, facing Dante.
Shirone: "Why do you want to do this?"
Dante (scoffing): "Do what? We were just sparring."
Shirone: "Three against one? Attacking someone who'd already surrendered?"
Sabina cut in, feigning amusement.
Sabina: "Oh? Do you like Pandora? How sweet—"
Shirone (coldly): "I wasn't talking to you."
Pandora flushed, but Dante ignored her.
Dante: "Fine. I went too far. But Pandora asked for training. Ask her yourself."
(He turned to leave, shifting blame.)
Shirone: "Don't lie. You're in no position to 'teach.'"
Dante froze.
Dante: "What did you say?"
Shirone: "You think you're the strongest because you've beaten a few classmates? True strength isn't measured by rankings."
The students erupted. Shirone, the silent pillar, had challenged Dante?
Dante (smirking): "Fine. I'll give you one last chance. Defeat Sabina and Closer first. If you win, I'll fight you."
Shirone: "No. That's unnecessary."
Dante (mockingly): "Oh? Scared?"
Shirone: "All three of you. Attack me at once. Let's end this quickly."
The crowd gasped.
Closer (enraged): "You bastard—! Who the hell do you think you are?!"
Neid (watching, amused): "Damn. I'm never arguing with Shirone again."
Iruki (grinning, stepped forward): "Mind if I join? This sounds fun."
Dante's eyes narrowed.
Dante: "This isn't your fight, Iruki."
Iruki: "Oh? Team battles are my specialty. I'll take all three of you down in one second."
Closer (scoffing): "Idiot! Three opponents would take three sec—"
(He paused, realizing the insult.)
Sabina (livid): "You're both insane!"
Dante exhaled sharply, then turned to the teachers.
Dante: "We request the Icheon Arena for an unofficial match this weekend."
After a tense discussion, Siana announced the decision.
Siana: "Approved. But final authorization depends on higher approval."
The students erupted in cheers, drowning out Sade's protests.