The confrontation had finally begun.
First came the melee — the initial hurdle of plunging into a battlefield where no tactics could intervene. He had succeeded in setting up a stage where everything they had trained for could be put to use.
Up to this point, this was everything he could do as a commander. From here on, it all depended on how well the B-class students could deliver the results they had built up until now.
"......"
This was no joke.
Certainly, even if his Bloodline Magic reproduction was sealed, Ermes was still a powerful mage. Against most A-class opponents, he could probably handle them by making good use of Enhanced universal magic — but that was in a one-on-one situation.
If it came to that.
Even he, without Bloodline Magic, could not currently display the ability to take on multiple A-class mages who wielded powerful Bloodline Magic. Two opponents, he could barely hold even with; three would be brutally difficult.
From here on, this was truly an all-out battle. Whether the collective effort of the B-class students could close the gap that Ermes alone could not — that was what this fight came down to. But —
"......It seems they're quite unsettled over there."
Ermes's prediction was off the mark — in a good direction, for the B-class.
The A-class students had grown careless.
They had taken the bait of the enemy's provocation hook, line, and sinker, only to have their charge shattered. ...And yet, somewhere deep down, complacency still lingered.
The arrogance of believing themselves to be the chosen ones. And supporting that arrogance — the absolute foundation of their confidence — their overwhelmingly powerful Bloodline Magic.
With that, things would work out somehow. A confidence built not on their own strength but entirely on what they had been born with.
And now, the price of that misplaced trust was being collected in full.
"There — !"
A B-class student's spell, launched with a sharp battle cry, grazed the cheek of an A-class student.
The A-class student broke into a cold sweat. Their mind was now — without any room for doubt — at the absolute peak of confusion.
(What is going on — why, why am I being cornered like this?! By someone with such low-level Bloodline Magic!)
Everything was incomprehensible.
The B-class student they were facing now was someone they had fought before, during the joint magic exercise. Back then, this mage had been nothing but a plaything for their Bloodline Magic — utterly harmless, not even worth calling a threat.
And yet.
First — the performance of their spells had improved dramatically.
The spells themselves hadn't changed, but their power, speed, and rotation rate were vastly different from before. You'd be more inclined to believe they were entirely different spells.
On top of that, above all else —
"Next — that spot, right!"
There it was.
This opponent, for some reason — had an uncanny, irritatingly precise sense of timing for when to launch spells.
Right at the moment Ermes wanted to fire his Bloodline Magic, slipping into the weak points of the spell, overlaying their own magic perfectly on top.
As if their movements had been read completely.
"They tend to fire off their big moves, so I'll pepper them with rapid small strikes and 'keep them from shooting' — damn it, it's exactly what that guy said."
"W-What —"
"And moreover, your footwork is exactly the same as that guy's back then. ...Haha, it's almost frightening."
The B-class student's face twisted in terror — though Ermes could tell the terror wasn't directed at the person fighting in front of them, but at something else entirely.
And that fact only deepened the A-class student's humiliation.
"Don't get — ahead of yourself!"
They screamed in fury, but that alone changed nothing.
If anything, the anger only made the rhythm of their spells more monotonous, creating more openings to exploit.
With no recourse, their disadvantage accelerated further.
Similar situations were erupting all across the battlefield.
Some lost their composure to anger; others, mangled by confusion, repeated actions that were off the mark entirely.
If you didn't need to sugarcoat the words — the sight was nothing short of pathetic.
But it was understandable.
They were just like Aster had been. The A-class group had
almost no experience
of being
at a disadvantage.
Therefore, they didn't know how to fight once cornered. They didn't know how to turn the tables.
Their fragility when pushed into a desperate situation — a weakness that exceeded even Ermes's predictions — was exploited mercilessly, driving them into ever deeper crisis.
...And yet, the A-class still showed some spine.
No — perhaps "spine" was too generous a word. What the cornered students did was the same as before: simply flail their Bloodline Magic even more desperately.
But — in the sense of "forcing their one advantage through sheer stubbornness," it was far from a bad move. In fact, it would have been harder to deal with if they had tried to adapt their fighting style and footwork instead.
And at the same time — the sheer, overwhelming difference in Bloodline Magic made brute force effective precisely to that degree.
"Guuh!"
One of the B-class students — the very one who had been dominating an A-class opponent just moments ago — let out a groan of pain.
In contrast, the A-class student, making up for all the disadvantage they had suffered until now, burst into laughter.
"Hah! Looks like all that was just a front — take this!"
The A-class student hadn't changed their fighting style at all. They simply kept firing their big moves head-on with stubborn single-mindedness. The B-class student had been maneuvering to prevent exactly that — but they couldn't seal every attack in advance, and eventually the A-class student's strike landed, instantly reversing the tide.
"You think some clever little tricks can close the gap between us chosen ones and the likes of you!?"
The A-class student swelled with pride. Similar situations were playing out in other parts of the battlefield as well.
And — probably, if even a single person was taken down, this equilibrium would collapse immediately. If an A-class student freed up and joined forces elsewhere, the front line would crumble in an instant.
Even with Ermes and Nina as free pieces to cover the gaps, the risk of collapse existed in over twenty locations. The two of them couldn't possibly guard them all.
At this rate, before long, they would be overrun by powerful Bloodline Magic and swept aside entirely —
— but.
(......It's fine.)
Flying across the battlefield and observing, Ermes made that declaration in his heart.
Yes, this was all within the calculations. The initial, abnormal advantage had been the unexpected part — a pleasant one — and now things were merely returning to the norm.
And naturally, this was all factored in — no, rather, the entire strategy had been designed with this outcome as its premise.
Ermes recalled. After the first day's training, when he had explained the overall strategy in front of his classmates.
◆
"First, let me be clear about something from the start."
After finishing the first day's training, Ermes stood before his exhausted classmates, who were sprawled face-down on the ground.
After catching his breath from the close-combat special training with Nina, Ermes spoke calmly.
"Even if you all see this training through to the very end, you will most likely — not be able to defeat the A-class students."
His classmates clamored.
"To be precise, I cannot bring you to a high win rate. At best, it'll be an even split, and depending on the opponent, even with your best effort you might not reach thirty percent. With only two weeks to train, this is the limit."
"Th-Then what's the point!?"
The one who stood up and bit back was Albert, who had started training slightly ahead of the others.
"The whole premise was different — wasn't the idea that if we specialized in defeating a specific opponent, we could win!?"
"......I apologize for that. It was difficult to explain at the time, so I deliberately held back. I'll be fully transparent now. ...Even choosing your opponents, you'd only just barely see a chance of victory. ...I'm sorry, but the gap in Bloodline Magic really is a massive wall."
Negative words.
And yet — despair did not settle on the B-class students' faces.
Because they already knew. That he would never disclose negative information without purpose.
More specifically — that he had already worked out a path to victory with that information factored in.
Sensing this, the B-class students urged him onward with their gazes. Giving a slight nod of acknowledgment for their quick understanding, Ermes continued.
"With that said, there are two things I need you all to keep in mind. 'Don't go down easily,' and 'when you see an opening to win, make absolutely sure you win.'"
"......What do you mean?"
"The first speaks for itself. The second means this — it's fine if you only win one out of two, one out of three attempts. But in exchange,
when you draw
a winning hand,
you must
win, without fail."
The class's response was confusion. ...Because that didn't make sense, did it?
If every class member brought the win rate to an even split, then in a direct confrontation, simple math said only half — fifteen — would survive. And since they were specialized in defeating specific opponents — if the survivors then clashed among themselves, losses were inevitable.
Accepting this perfectly logical conclusion and the question behind it, Ermes answered.
"Rest assured. One out of two, one out of three — that's enough. You will be given the exceptional opportunity of 'multiple attempts' during the actual confrontation. More specifically, as long as you're not eliminated immediately, you'll get several chances to try again. Training to nail it on one of those attempts is the most efficient approach for this battle."
And then, as his conclusion —
After saying "Because," he glanced toward the girl who was the reason behind this, and spoke with a slightly teasing tone.
"We have — the Saint on our side, after all."
◆
"Bloodline Magic — 'Star corolla'... !"
From the rear of the battlefield, a beautiful voice. For the B-class, it was the sound they had been waiting for.
At the same time, blue light spread across the entire battlefield. It precisely targeted only the B-class members — specifically, those who were at a disadvantage and on the verge of being defeated.
The blue light instantly healed their injuries and fatigue. Revived in a single breath, the B-class students charged at the A-class students once more.
"What — !?"
The A-class students, caught off guard, struggled to hold the line. But the sheer momentum overwhelmed them, and the offense and defense reversed once again.
The same phenomenon was happening elsewhere on the battlefield, and in an instant, the B-class surged back.
The A-class students immediately grasped the cause and glared at the girl who had made it happen — the blonde, blue-eyed girl standing at the very back of the B-class formation — with a mixture of resentment and envy.
Yes.
She was the linchpin of this strategy. The third irregular in the B-class, following Ermes and Nina.
A genius who wielded two types of Bloodline Magic. The guardian of the crystal, and the B-class's other commander.
Sara von Hartmann raised her voice to encourage her classmates, who had been on the back foot.
"It'll be all right! You can all do it — please believe in yourselves and keep pushing!"
Her voice was far from commanding or dignified.
But what she had built — a bond with the B-class students that more than made up for it — was worth far more.
The encouragement of the girl who had stood by their side and supported them more than anyone else carried maximum effect on this battlefield.
"Even if things get dangerous, I'll save you! I won't miss a single one ... !"
And the other element that made this strategy possible.
In this chaotic melee where friend and foe were intermingled — the abnormal tactical eye that allowed her to place her magic precisely where it was needed most.
The hidden talent Ermes had discovered during his direct confrontation with Sara. Now, she was fully unleashed, reigning as the anchor of the formation.
"This is insane, how can this be ... !"
"Impossible, there's no way — !"
Once again, the A-class had lost their footing.
The initial, unexpected fierce resistance had genuinely put them on their heels — enough to make them think that if this continued, they might actually lose.
And now they had realized it. This assault would probably continue for as long as Sara's magic power lasted.
If they were weak enough to be insignificant, no amount of revival would matter. If it happened just once, they could have dealt with it however they pleased.
But now, both conditions were met simultaneously. The terror of a blade that could reach their throats being swung again and again.
That was more than enough to strip the A-class students of all composure.
And so, the battle's momentum reversed once more.
The gap in morale was wide enough to overturn the gap in individual strength. On top of having genuine win conditions through individual power alone, Ermes and Nina served as insurance to crush any emergency crisis that arose.
The perfect formation was complete. Twenty-seven who could wield their individual strength to the fullest, backed by three who could provide precise support.
Facing a level of teamwork far more refined than what the A-class — who had been championing team play — could muster, the A-class's defeat seemed all but certain —
"......Well, I'm sure they won't let us off that easily."
But the instant Ermes muttered that with a bitter expression —
— purple light struck every single B-class student simultaneously.
Its true form was translucent, humanoid soldiers.
These soldiers charged at individual B-class members with agile movements, firing magic bullets of considerable power.
The B-class students, bewildered by the unexpected reinforcements, nonetheless began to counter — but immediately noticed something.
These soldiers were
abnormally tough. Even their own Bloodline Magic couldn't scratch them with half-hearted attacks.
If they focused all their firepower on one, they might be able to take it down — but the A-class students, wielding powerful Bloodline Magic, would never allow them that kind of opening.
"What the — guh!"
"You've got to be kidding — !"
A complete numerical disadvantage. Thrown into a sudden two-on-one situation, the B-class was pushed to the brink of collapse.
Ermes and Nina scrambled to prevent catastrophic failure, but cracks were beginning to show everywhere. In addition to the two of them covering, Sara fully unleashed the Spirit veil she had been holding in reserve, barely managing to hold the front line.
In that fleeting moment where they barely succeeded — Ermes and Nina, standing back to back, looked in the same direction and exchanged brief words.
"......She's here, huh."
"Yes. ...I would have preferred her to stay defending our rear a little longer, though."
In the distance, commanding countless soldiers, a purple-haired girl strode forward with unhurried confidence.
The A-class's irregular. The strongest of her generation, bar Ermes — the mage they needed to be most wary of, one who had surpassed even the former Second Prince.
The extraordinary individual who had single-handedly reversed the battle's tide. The incarnation of the Queen of the Underworld, commanding souls —
Katia von Trackia. At last, their mistress had arrived.
Facing the girl who was both their closest ally and their fiercest enemy, bearing down upon them with a terrifying aura —
(......All right, time for the real test.)
Ermes broke into a cold-sweat smile and stoked his fighting spirit with renewed resolve.