[Academy Competition 2nd Grade Elementary Division Selection List: Yoon Si-hoo, Seo Yu-na, Kim Han-gyeol, Ma Ji-hye, Lee Ha-ru]
“Congratulations, Yoon Si-hoo. Looks like you came in first.”
“But your name isn’t on the selection list. Seriously, Na-me, are you sure you’re supposed to go?”
With overwhelming skill, Si-hoo, the ace of the 2nd Grade Elementary Division, asked me.
“I have to go take the candidate selection test for the Middle School Division later.”
“How?”
“Very easy.”
I actually prefer groups that enforce strict regulations.
As long as you don’t break the rules, they tend to be relatively lenient.
I contacted Emily Mayakovsky at the Sephiron Foundation Headquarters to ask her about the application of the regulations.
First, there’s no height restriction for the Middle School Division.
Second, only students in the same or lower grade can be on the candidate list.
Understanding the loopholes in these two regulations, I pointed out that “lower grades” could include elementary students according to Article 3, Section 4, ‘Continuity of Primary and Secondary Education.’
There had been precedents where a 6th grader from the elementary division replaced an injured 1st grader in the middle division, so it wasn’t hard to convince her.
“But the selection test has probably already finished.”
“They say we can conduct a separate informal selection through the head of grade at the recommendation of the principal.”
“Wow…”
Of course, the foundation only issued a ‘permit’ statement.
However, I exaggerated this opinion to Principal Gu On-yu, making it sound as if the foundation was ‘encouraging’ my participation.
“I’m sure the foundation thought I’d already been chosen for the middle division without prior consultation, and conversely, the academy probably thinks the foundation ordered it.”
“Isn’t that a lie? What if you get caught later?”
“I think it wouldn’t matter even if they knew. But the important thing is, don’t you want to be with me guys for a long time? So is it that you don’t want me to go?”
“…”
“Why aren’t you answering me, Yoon Si-hoo?”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and shook his head around playfully.
So cute.
Anyway, it doesn’t matter if the foundation and academy know this or not.
As long as I can prove my skills, the academy in the past didn’t differentiate between competitions or wars in sending people off.
It probably won’t change that much now either.
*
[Huff Huff. Ahh. The selected participants for the 2051 Academy Competition, please gather in the 1st floor auditorium for safety and ethics training.]
“Anyway, make sure you have fun. Si-hoo, take good care of our Yuna, okay?”
“Got it. I’ll look after her, so don’t worry.”
“Oh? Look after? Ooooh…”
“Why…?”
“Nothing, heh.”
Normally, Si-hoo would have been glaring fiercely in denial, but this time he calmly nodded.
Could it be that he’s changed his mindset since the day to fight is near?
Unfortunately, I had a busy schedule and lacked time for further questioning.
I’ll have to tease everyone later when I meet them.
*
The Academy Competition is about winning, but from a broader perspective, there are many more considerations.
First of all, the competition event itself needs to be a hit.
The competition of 8 academies broadcasted through three major networks is a national event.
However, since all academy competitions across the nation are held in the same week of October, proper cooperation with rival academies is essential.
Originally, the competition between Sephiron and Altair Academy located in Seoul was chosen as the most promising event, but due to Altair’s continuous victories, that popularity has drastically faded.
Additionally, over the past few years, following Ban So-wool’s myth, the viewership for the competition between the Aspen Academy in Busan and the Maha Academy in Daegu has been rapidly catching up.
Yet, thinking that Altair would go easy on themselves would be a grave mistake.
“There’s no way they’d let up, those rotten mackerel punks.”
The head of the Middle School Division frowned as he looked at the glaring sunlight from the sky in the middle of the sports field.
The broadcast revenue is up to the foundations’ circumstances, and even if the popularity of the competition wanes, the professors of the academies can never tolerate losing.
However, the head of the division received an outrageous request last night from an elementary school principal to let one of their students participate as a candidate.
The protagonist of the rumor just now put down the red backpack he had been carrying and jumped right onto the sandy ground.
“Was it you who was supposed to come today, you smoke addict?”
“Excuse me? Smoking in front of a student? I truly regret the previous incident.”
“Seems like you don’t show any signs of remorse, huh? Sigh, it’s elementary school; those teachers over there must’ve educated him well enough. What difference would it make if I get involved?”
“None at all.”
Na-me calmly responded to the subtly pressuring words of the head of the division.
His unusual attitude narrowed the head of the division’s eyes.
“… Fine, let’s start. Name NoName. 2nd Grade Elementary Division. Grades? 1st in the first semester? Why aren’t you participating in the elementary competition and have come to the middle division?”
“Because I don’t meet the height requirement.”
“Height?”
The teacher’s gaze fell downwards.
Na-me slightly rose on his tiptoes and pretended to look down.
“There’s a height restriction, you know?”
“Really? Well, if you went out, you’d probably get crushed by the weight. But without fear, you applied for the middle division selection?”
“Actually, it worked out well. I felt a bit unsatisfactory with the elementary kids anyway.”
“Ahhahahaha! Seriously, this little guy speaks like an old man. Na-me, you’re really a funny one.”
“Thank you.”
“Haha, very well. It’s hot today, so let’s finish early, alright?”
Na-me shrugged his shoulders.
The head of the division smiled with satisfaction and took out the stick he showed previously.
“That’s a wand, huh?”
“You noticed right away? I modified it. Pretty cool, don’t you think?”
“Not particularly…”
“The kids sure are the embodiment of honesty. Good, I like that attitude. So let’s check your skills a bit, shall we?”
*
“It’s not just a barrier that makes mana stable.”
As I stepped forward toward the head of the division, suddenly, the distance between us increased.
This is a kind of physical illusion-type magic.
It deceives the caster’s senses to make them think I took a step, while I was just standing still.
But ranged attacks were relatively much easier.
Since the mana was stable, the time to construct the magic circle was reduced significantly.
“Let’s just go along for now.”
[Cast: Rapid Cooling]
[Cast: Polar Coordinate Assignment]
I froze the moist dirt of the ground entirely into a rigid icicle.
At the same time, with double casting, I assigned coordinates to the magic circle, freely setting the initial casting space.
This took just 1 second.
That should give the opponent enough time to react.
But the head of the division maintained his posture from before, unmoving.
Crash!
Clang-Clang-Clang!
Twelve taut chains soon formed into a cube around us.
Six faces with transparent, sparkling walls rippled calm waves every time the wind blew.
Na-me carefully poked his index finger against the cube’s wall while trying to read the changes in mana flow.
‘The mana’s flowing steadily.’
Mana was flowing in one direction.
The head of the division threw the wand outside the cube barrier, lowered his posture, placed both hands on his knees, and shouted.
“Let the test begin! Try to knock me down, little brat. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your knees or arms, just as long as you touch the ground. Got it?”
*
‘This isn’t just a barrier that stabilizes mana.’
As I took a step forward toward the head of the division, the distance between us still kept growing.
This was a type of physical illusion magic.
It tricks the caster’s senses, making them feel like they’ve moved when they really haven’t.
But ranged attacks were relatively much easier.
Since the mana flow was stable, building the magic circle took significantly less time.
‘Let’s just play along for now.’
[Cast: Rapid Cooling]
[Cast: Polar Coordinate Assignment]
I turned the damp earth into a solid icicle.
At that moment, I also assigned coordinates to the magic circle through double casting, allowing me to set the initial casting space freely.
This all took just 1 second.
That should give the opponent enough time to react.
But the head of the division maintained his posture from before, showing no signs of movement.
Boom!
Sharp thorns began showering from the sky, obliterating the center of the barrier.
The moment I contemplated whether to boost the power with the same aura response, I realized that the direction of the icicle had slightly strayed.
None of my spells had hit.
Was my magic dispelled midway?
No, the mana in the cube space had shifted momentarily.
“How can you double cast so quickly—”
“You know an interesting type of magic, huh?”
A magic that combines illusions and environmental control; truly, human imagination is limitless.
What kind of runes did he put in? I couldn’t guess at all.
I felt a wave of enjoyment wash over me, and a smile crept onto my lips.
[Cast: Polarization Array]
Most barrier magic of this type usually employs light to disrupt sight.
Thus, just like when I faced Ballum Benavons, if I entirely cut off interactions with the outside, I could simply dispel it.
[Cast: Light]
I illuminated the darkened space, revealing the inside of the barrier.
Now, it was time for close combat.
Focusing my aura on both legs, I leaped towards the head of the division in an instant.
A straightforward attack is easily blocked.
However, if that attack fills a narrow space instead of just being a point, that changes everything.
The moment my foot touched the ground, I shifted all the aura I was controlling into my fist and released it at once.
Woosh.
“Oh no…!”
Swish!
My attack just barely brushed past the side of the head of the division as he finally moved his feet.
Behind him, a fierce shockwave erupted, filling the barrier with a sandstorm.
“You’re more than impressive. I’ve never seen this before in my life.”
Even weighing over 100 kg, the head of the division quelled the sandstorm with a simple swift kick.
But the carefree expression he had before was now gone from his face.
“Why aren’t you using basic spells like friction coefficient adjustment?”
“Come on, it doesn’t seem like it would work.”
Despite his plump appearance, the stability of his physique was surprisingly well-balanced.
His center of gravity was stable, and expecting basic magic to work against someone who knows how to handle their aura on the soles of their feet was pure folly.
And if it were that easy to pass, he wouldn’t have crafted such annoying complex barrier magic.
“You’re quite insightful for a kid… The more I look at you, the more fascinating you become.”
“Well, it’s about time for you to fall, isn’t it?”
“Could you show me just a little more? I’m curious how far you can go.”
This guy is really a nuisance.
While I do have more mana than others my age, it’s not at a level where I can waste it freely, so I began to strategize.
[Cast: Circuit Reconstruction]
With the circuit reconstruction magic, I interfered with the ‘Sisyphus’s Barrier’ and turned the mana 90 degrees.
The barrier had no significant security spells, making it easy to approach.
Had they anticipated a student interfering with the barrier? This must be the right answer.
Running towards him, I continued drawing the magic circle with my right hand.
[Cast: Elevation]
Whoosh!
By elevating the earth, I restricted his movements.
A giant wall rose a few steps behind where the head of the division stood.
[Cast: Rapid Cooling]
I pulled a sword made of ice straight from the ground and pointed it at him.
Clang!
The head of the division certainly wouldn’t just take it lying down.
He reinforced his arm with aura and swatted my attacks away one by one.
I can’t expect to land effective hits on that armor with my weak body.
The goal was to gradually force him to retreat toward the wall.
Clang!
[Cast: Rapid Cooling]
I quickly created another ice sword to pressure him further.
The two swords danced with a swirl of sand and raindrops.
With the continuing flurry of strikes, his arms and my hands became slick with moisture.
Occasionally, sharp counterattacks came flying my way.
Thud!
Finally, the back of the head of the division hit the cold sandy wall.
“Cornering me like this… Where did you learn such finesse?”
“Playing games teaches you naturally.”
“If our parents heard that, they’d grab their necks! But what’s your next move? With your back against the wall, it’d be tougher to knock me down.”
Soon, I tossed both swords to the ground.
“…?”
The teacher scratched the back of his head, looking confused.
Of course, he wouldn’t understand the situation.
“I’ve won. You touched the ground, didn’t you?”
“Huh? This isn’t the ground; it’s the wall.”
“Are you completely sure?”
This is why losing control over barriers can lead to a big problem.
The head of the division might have deliberately weakened his defenses to test me, but in real life, those who preach barrier supremacy usually face revenge through this method.
The forging magic I had hidden behind the elevation spell activated.
[Creation: Cyanoacrylate]
His clothes clung tightly to the wall, gradually digging inward.
“What’s going on? Why the earth?”
As the duration of the Light spell dwindled, and the Polarization Array spell vanished along with the barrier, the blue autumn sky emerged.
Unlike me, standing tall,
“Since the ground is turned 90 degrees, now it’s the floor, right?”
The head of the division was lying flat on his back.
“Wow… You even know barrier magic? You’ve really made it your own?”
Once I realized I had the authority to interfere with this entire space, I understood the power I wielded when I rotated the cube just 90 degrees.
And just like that, where he stood became a wall, while the wall he was against became the ground.
“Is that right?”
“200 out of 100. You’re the first person to knock me down inside a barrier like this.”
What a relief. Understanding the intention of the examiner has always been the toughest part.
*
Typically, barrier studies are learned in high school courses.
Because of one damn subject secretly prepared by Altair, last year’s Sephiron Academy middle division was obliterated.
All participants would get trapped inside barriers, floundering until failing miserably.
Of course, Sephiron grumbled about Altair’s professors teaching complex material recklessly, but ultimately, all that was left after is the result of defeat.
To prevent them from getting caught in the same trick twice, they taught all middle division students how to respond when trapped in a barrier, and the selection process was also evaluated with a focus on barrier studies.
“Hah, what a kid…”
The head of the 1st year middle division chuckled softly as he recalled the brief selection conducted just moments ago.
[Escape Time: 1:36.492]
This result was fit to make him a member of the select team rather than just a candidate.
“What’s this?”
He discovered a faint sketch on the stone plate that formed the basis of Sisyphus’s barrier magic circle.
[NoName has been here.]
That sketch was engraved before the barrier was even dispelled.
Na-me had held control over the barrier since he first entered.
“This is fun… This competition is going to be really entertaining…”
The head of the division, for the first time in a long while, felt more anticipation than worry about the stage where the budding talents would perform.
