[609] The Five Great Prestigious Schools (2)
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Shirone woke like clockwork at 4:00 a.m., threw back the covers, and swung his legs off the bed.
Darkness still lay thick, but he could hear his classmates bustling in the corridor.
That sound of life seemed to break the night's silence and breathe vigor into him.
He went to the bathroom and washed in warm water, then stood before the mirror in nothing but his underwear.
'Maybe I should've trimmed my hair a bit?'
When you spend every day consumed by magic practice, nothing else seems important besides eating and sleeping.
'This is when it really starts.'
As he buttoned his dress shirt one button at a time, a renewed resolve was born with each click.
Shirone Arian (Final rank in graduating class: 27th).
Major: Photon magic — God Particle series.
Special notes: Immortal Function. Banya. Ataraxia. Elysion. Time-destruction perception via Sibulsangpokmae.
'Should I take it a notch shorter?'
Amy pulled the button at her skirt as tight as she could.
She'd slimmed down since last year, and even with her blouse tucked in, her waist pinched in like an ant's.
'Second graduation exam.'
When she'd failed last year, she'd had no idea how she'd survive the next year; everything had seemed pitch-black.
'I did my best.'
Time comes eventually.
Because she didn't want to regret it when the day arrived, the days she'd trained desperately, one after another, now washed over her in a rush of exhilaration.
'I couldn't have prepared any more perfectly.'
Even so, the odds were one in three.
Gazing up at the still-distant pyramid peak, Amy popped a hairband into her mouth and tied her hair up.
Carmis Amy (Final rank in graduating class: 4th).
Major: Flame series — Sniper.
Special notes: Jack-o'-Lantern. Fire using spirit cells. Crimson-eye self-image backup. Mana enhancement through Samadhi.
With a click, Fermi fastened the cuff button of his suit and studied his reflection.
He'd always worn suits, so it felt natural.
"Looks like I should give up peddling students this year," he muttered.
With the Golden Coin Circle disbanded, expecting big profits from the school was unrealistic.
"It's about time I left, Mother."
The large sum he'd received in exchange for extracting Valhalla Action had been transformed into many high-grade magics he planned to unveil in the graduation exam.
Fermi winked at his mirror image.
"Clean."
The big fish that had been crouching under the school's surface was finally ready to swim into open water.
Ardino Fermi (Final rank in graduating class: 1st).
Major: Nonstandard Studies.
Special notes: Ability to acquire magic through depreciation trades.
"That's it."
Arin pinned the Alpheas School badge onto Canis's suit.
As if it had seeped into the cloth, the magical creature Harvist revealed itself from the badge's shadow and rose.
"Heh heh heh, I thought I'd die waiting. Finally getting out of this damn school, huh?"
"You don't feel boredom, do you."
"That's what I'm saying. I can't believe we spent over a year here. If Archain had heard, he'd have torn the ground up and wailed."
'Master.'
Canis remembered the face of Archain, the grand mage and authority on dark magic.
It hadn't ended well, but because of him Canis had been given a chance at a new life.
Canis (Final rank in graduating class: 12th).
Major: Dark magic — Physical series.
Special notes: Disciple of Grand Mage Archain. Decipherer of the Tome of Light and Darkness. Subjugates the magical creature Harvist.
"Yeah, we'll pass for sure. Both of us."
At Canis's words, Arin gave a smiling squint.
She usually wore shabby clothes, so he hadn't noticed before, but in a neat uniform she radiated a surprisingly mature beauty.
"You look sharp, Canis."
"You too. But… what do you mean by 'sharp' exactly?"
Arin tilted her head and laughed.
"That's a secret."
Arin (Final rank in graduating class: 8th).
Major: Dark magic — Mental series.
Special notes: Disciple of Grand Mage Archain. Decipherer of the Tome of Light and Darkness. Supreme mental assimilation that grasps the essence of form through Chogyung.
"Shirone, ready?"
A knock was followed by Iruki's voice.
"Yeah. I'm coming out."
When Shirone opened the door, Iruki and Naid were waiting, dressed properly.
"Oh ho, nice."
For Shirone, Iruki, and Naid, wearing the Association-regulation uniform like this was a first.
"You too. You look like different people."
Indeed, Iruki's face might seem odd to others, but now that oddness read as individuality.
"Current time: 4:50:32. Let's go. The Association only opens the long-distance teleportation glyph for one hour."
Merkodain Iruki (Final rank in graduating class: 5th).
Major: Explosion magic — Detonation series.
Special notes: Servant Syndrome. Ultra-high-speed detonation equation calculations. Cancellation. Nuclear fusion that fuses Double Spirit Zones.
"Right."
Shirone left the room and glanced at Naid.
"But… will it be okay?"
Oscar worked at the Creas branch of the Magic Association.
Meeting him again before his emotional wounds had healed would poison Naid.
"It's fine. It's already over."
Naid smiled, but a bitter expression lingered.
West Naid (Final rank in graduating class: 21st).
Major: Electric magic — Discharge series.
Special notes: Application of alchemy to magitech. Mana assimilation controllable in certain situations.
'Still climbed to 21st.'
Among the Scramble Royal participants, five people besides Anchal had been pushed below Naid, which let him rise.
It also caused many lower-ranked students to jump up significantly.
'Everything's scrambled. Honestly, ranks might be meaningless now.'
When they arrived at the assembly point the sky was dark, but students arriving one after another had their lighting magics on, so it was easy to spot people.
"You're early."
Amy raised a hand and approached.
Shirone and his friends—about to greet her—fell silent for a moment, struck by an adult air they hadn't seen before.
"What's with the looks? You lot aren't any different."
Amy looked just as awkward.
"Formal uniform assembly, huh. This year's Association Chairman is a real eccentric."
Kaiden sauntered over.
Since the Golden Coin Circle disbanded, the only person he still spoke to was Amy.
"Hey? But you—?"
Amy glanced at Kaiden and noticed the cross sword at his waist, pointing to it.
"It's the family symbol. I always carry it."
Shirone said, "But the notice said no equipment of any kind is allowed. I even had Cubric taken away."
Kaiden lifted the cross sword and cast a spell; the blade glowed brightly and then vanished.
"Transmutation?"
Naid recognized it immediately.
"I was too lazy to use it last year, but now I have a reason to leave the school."
Kaiden re-formed the metal into the cross sword, and Amy watched in wonder.
"Not bad. When did you learn that?"
"This dawn. It was easier than I expected."
"Ugh, annoying. Want to kill him?"
Amy blurted exactly what she was thinking, but Kaiden only snorted and smiled.
Cross Kaiden (Final rank in graduating class: 26th).
Major: Spellblade.
Special notes: Law of the Red Cross Star. Through sacrifice, brings all fields' potential to 100 percent.
"Good morning, seniors!"
Mark's voice cut through the dawn silence.
"So, how do you feel?"
"Great. No nerves at all."
Mark's belligerence on the uncrossable bridge was well known, so it was no surprise he'd thrown his hat into the ring for the graduation exam.
"All right, let's work hard. And since we're the graduating class, you can drop the 'senior' title."
"Got it. Today's the last day. I'll beat the seniors in the graduation exam."
Slider Mark (Final rank in graduating class: 29th).
Major: Earth magic — Strike series.
Special notes: Disciple of Sade. Gambler. Aggressiveness without taboo.
'Of course he wouldn't decide without a plan.'
Having nothing to lose is a huge psychological weapon.
Mark also had Maria—the only one in the graduating class who majored in recovery magic.
"Maria, hang in there."
"Thanks. I'm not confident, though…."
Her gentle nature remained, but she was no longer the trembling girl who once fumbled with the bridge's mechanism in fear.
"I've grown, too."
Erlang Maria (Final rank in graduating class: 30th).
Major: Recovery magic — High-speed activation series.
Special notes: Disciple of Sade. Longest-enrolled student in the advanced class; capable of advanced magics across various series.
"Dante's coming."
At the announcement everyone turned their heads.
Though the name was Dante, it referred to the group who'd transferred from the Royal Magic School with him, including Sabina and Closer.
Closer, who'd checked the assembly point, turned his head.
"…So? How was Alpheas School of Magic?"
Dante stared at the dawn sky, recalling a year and a half of his journey.
"I looked down on it at first."
He'd lost to Shirone in their two-thousandth duel and had been waiting for a day of redemption.
"The competition was fiercer than I expected."
Their average stats were 3.8 times higher than other prestigious schools.
"Still… I don't think it was all that different. It was just as boring."
Airhein Dante (Final rank in graduating class: 2nd).
Major: Photon magic — Information series.
Special notes: Disciple of Olina. Genius at information entropy analysis (can calculate the information entropy of each individual in an ant colony). Operator of the integrated information-processing system Pascal.
When Dante arrived, Boyle scowled.
"What's with you? You, who care so much about fashion, following the rules to the letter. Even great Dante's scared of the Association, huh?"
Dante scanned Boyle from head to toe.
Boyle's hair was neatly combed with pomade, and he wore a suit that fit his plump frame.
"Clothes like this are fashion only when you don't try too hard. It's a face-to-face duel, you could say."
Boyle's face reddened from losing a real duel.
"Hmph. Let's see if you can still be so cocky after the exam. Don't assume your summons are all you've got."
Chris Boyle (Final rank in graduating class: 17th).
Major: Summoning magic — Beast series.
Special notes: Special affinity for beast species. Possesses 18 types of summons.
'Of course he would.'
As the prodigy who'd held first place in the advanced class before Shirone arrived, he probably hid a trump beast summon.
Meanwhile Mark didn't take his eyes off Closer.
'How dare he pull that stunt on me?'
He still woke up remembering how Closer's cowardly move had landed him a hit when Dante's group first transferred.
'And in front of Maria, too.'
Closer noticed the look and bared his teeth.
"Hey, how you feeling? Finally a member of the long-awaited graduating class? Though it's only three thousand."
"In any case, we're on the same line."
"Heh heh, even within the earth series our levels are different."
"Wanna hear a secret? I chose earth so I could beat you up."
Closer's eyes widened.
"Then here's a prophecy: the worst failure in the graduation exam will be you. I'll make sure of it."
Bonifar Closer (Final rank in graduating class: 15th).
Major: Earth magic — Terra Strength series.
Special notes: Disciple of Olivia. Capable of terra-alchemy, a form of alchemy.
'Ugh, what macho posturing.'
Regardless of the two hotheads' power play, Sabina went straight to Naid as soon as she arrived at the assembly point.
"Hi."
No one else seemed to notice, but she alone sensed Naid's subtle change in mood.
Victor Sabina (Final rank in graduating class: 14th).
Major: Air magic — Blow series.
Special notes: Disciple of Olivia. Can control aerodynamics using the Press series.