Entrance Exam (4)

Hector's fingertip pointed at Ian.

"Get him!"

At Hector's command, his gang rushed forward all at once.

"Yee-hap!"

"Get him! Get him!"

― Paat!

― Tadatdat!

"Encircle him!"

"I'll go to the back!"

"Then I'll take the front!"

They swarmed toward Ian like a pack of wolves.

"Hup!"

The one who swung his sword at the very front.

It was Jacob, the second-in-command of Hector's gang.

'I'll just disarm you first!'

His target was Ian's wrist.

Jacob planned to render Ian empty-handed and then leisurely toy with him.

However.

― Kaaang!

There was no way Ian would fall for the cheap trick of a third-rate who hadn't even become an Expert.

"Kehek!?"

Jacob was struck on the chin by Ian's Vladiark and was sent flying into the air.

― Kudangtang!

He crashed hard onto the ground and tumbled unceremoniously past the deadline.

"Next."

"U-ugh!?"

"Kugh...!"

Those who had boldly rushed in came to a sudden halt at Ian's overwhelming presence.

"C-crazy...!"

Hector too was startled, his lips twitching in disbelief.

'What's with that reaction speed...!?'

Jacob was the second-in-command of Hector's gang.

And at least in terms of speed, he was even faster than Hector—a prodigy.

'I thought with that massive greatsword, he'd never be able to react to Jacob's speed...'

He thought that if Jacob made the first strike with his superior speed, Ian wouldn't even be able to react and would stumble or quickly surrender.

But.

'That bastard...! He swung his sword as if he predicted exactly where Jacob would come from!'

Like smacking a flying ball with a bat.

Ian, with a smooth and fluid motion, sent Jacob's chin flying.

As a result, Jacob traced a splendid arc and crashed outside the deadline.

"U-uurgh!"

"H-hector?"

"W-what now?!"

Their ambush crumbled right from the outset, and Hector's gang floundered, caught between the glances of Hector and Ian.

"Damn... Looks like we underestimated our opponent too much."

Hector gritted his teeth hard.

He had guessed Ian had some ability, especially after watching that guy topple the muscly Kuga with a single blow, but hadn't thought he was someone he couldn't handle.

He believed Kuga only lost because he was careless, and that Hector himself, as a swordsman of higher rank than Kuga, along with his loyal gang, would be different.

But he never imagined Jacob would fall to a single blow without even a chance to respond.

Ian's true skill far exceeded expectations.

"Hey! Gray hair. What's your name?"

"My name?"

Hector didn't know Ian.

He had, of course, heard rumors about the Greysel family's dim-witted eldest son, and they had attended the Sword Spirit ceremony together, but he'd never paid attention to Ian's face.

In a sense, this was the first time Hector consciously registered Ian's existence.

However, Ian had no intention of introducing himself here and now.

― Chuk!

Ian rested Vladiark on his shoulder and smirked.

"What, exchanging names now? Just hurry up and come over here."

"Tch. How annoying."

Hector scowled and gave a sinister smile.

He thought about suggesting a temporary alliance, considering Ian's skill.

But that gray-haired boy clearly had no intention of being friendly.

'Well, I guess he's skilled enough to be arrogant.'

Ian had taken down the monster-sized Kuga in a single blow, and sent Hector's own number-two Jacob flying with ease.

He must be at least 'User Intermediate' in skill.

'But—'

But arrogance is arrogance.

'I am a late-stage User. I'm in a different class from those two you've defeated so far.'

― Srrrng!

Hector drew the greatsword slung on his back.

― Chwarururuk!

"Hoo...."

At first glance it seemed an ordinary greatsword, but now revealed to be a segmented sword that could be wielded like a whip.

― Chwiiik!

Hector swung the segmented sword to the side, and the blade, connected by chains, curved like a whip and struck the ground with force.

― Kwaaang!

Where the sword tip struck, the ground erupted as if hit by a catapult.

Indeed.

Based on the principle of a whip, its destructive power was tremendous.

If wielded skillfully, a segmented sword could display power several times beyond its user's raw strength.

'Interesting.'

Ian looked at Hector with amusement.

'Throwing daggers at long range, using a segmented sword at mid-range...'

It felt like watching a circus.

"Hey. Gray hair."

Hector made his proposal to Ian once more.

"You seem to be pretty skilled. How about a temporary alliance? Let's take down Kargon and Yuria over there first, then fight each other. Sound good?"

― Chwaruruk!

Hector's segmented sword squirmed like a snake.

"Not sure if you realize, but you're within my striking distance. I could whip you down right now."

Hector's threat.

"If you don't answer within three seconds, I'll attack. Three. Two—"

Ian was so amused by Hector that he almost burst out laughing, but he kept it under wraps.

"Hector."

"Hm? You know my name? Then you should tell me—"

"Let me tell you one thing."

"Huh?"

― Paang!

"Huh!"

In a flash, Ian closed the gap to stand right in front of Hector.

He used a footwork technique based on the principle of Frenzied Insight Style Extreme Point.

"When you make threats like that—"

― Kwajik!

"K-kuhek!"

Ian used the momentum of his charge to seize Hector's thick neck in a firm grip.

"— you should only start when you're sure you've established your dominance."

"Ke... kek! Kurk!?"

― Tatatat!

With Hector's neck in his grasp, Ian ran up the slope.

"Kuh... Ke! Kurk!"

Hector tried to resist, grabbing at Ian's wrist, but Ian's grip was tougher than an old tree root.

Hector naturally dropped his segmented sword, but even as he used both hands to resist, it was useless.

Hector's segmented sword slid down the slope and disappeared past the deadline.

"D-damn it!"

"Hector!"

Hector's goons anxiously chased after Ian.

But no one dared to actually try and rescue Hector.

Overwhelmed by Ian, who had already crushed both the second-in-command and the boss, their courage was simply not enough.

"Your leader's been caught. Are you just going to watch?"

So Ian provoked them.

He also wanted to test out the skills of Hector's goons.

"Y-you bastard! Don't underestimate us!"

A rather large one fell for it nicely.

"Fine."

― Kaang! Chaeng! Chaeng!

Ian grasped Hector with one hand, and with the other, wielded Vladiark to block the goon's sword.

― Chaeng! Chaeng! Kaang!

"Hup! Hruup! Huaaap!"

'He's strong, but too agitated. He's full of openings.'

Ian calmly evaluated the goon's skills, parrying his attacks.

Yet, to a third-party observer, it appeared Ian was almost evenly matched with the goon.

"O-oh! Thomas is pushing him back!"

"Maybe he's getting tired?!"

"L-let's go in too!"

"Oooh! We can do it!"

"He's only using one hand! Press in!"

This emboldened the other goons, who also rushed in swinging their swords.

― Chaeng! Chaeng! Whiik! Chaeng!

― Kang! Whiik! Whik! Chaeng!

However, it took less than three minutes for their courage to turn back into fear.

"W-what the—!"

"What kind of monster is he...!"

A total of eight goons clashed swords with Ian.

But in three minutes, not a single clean hit could land.

"He's making us look like children..."

"W-what the hell!! That bastard!!"

Whenever they swung their swords, Ian dodged like a gentle breeze.

When they tried to surround him to prevent escape, he just smashed the encirclement using Hector as a shield.

When they went for a frantic barrage, he parried every last strike as if amused by their efforts.

"D-don't get cocky! Uaaaa!"

Goon Thomas, yelling almost like screaming, charged at Ian.

― Kaaang!

"Kehk!"

Like Jacob, he was struck on the chin and rolled straight out beyond the deadline—eliminated.

"K-Kugh...!"

"You monster!"

The rest of the goons' footwork faltered again.

― Chuk!

Ian rested Vladiark on his shoulder, scanning the goons with a gleeful gaze.

'How cute, these guys.'

He could tell they'd spent a lot of time training together.

They were young, of course, so being intimidated by a strong enemy was to be expected.

But seeing them grit their teeth and refuse to give up was rather endearing.

There seemed to be a sense of camaraderie, too.

"Hahaha."

Meanwhile,

"Heheheh. Cute little guy."

The Heavenly Sword Lord, Darkan, watched Ian's performance from the stands, wearing a similar smile.

"Kelbian, isn't he amazing? Even Hector of the Goldhound family is a promising talent. But look at Ian—a whole gang attacks at once and he still overwhelms them! He's a real genius! An undeniable genius!"

"... Lord. Miss Yuria is also overwhelming Young Master Kargon..."

"Hmm? Oh, well. I've seen that so many times it's lost its impact."

"......"

"Heheheh. Ian. Yes, that's it! Be the top scorer, become my blood-related child!"

"Haaa..."

It seemed like ages since anyone had seen the Heavenly Sword Lord as giddy as a child.

'Good thing I put up a sound barrier as soon as I sat.'

Otherwise, all the Heavenly Sword Lord's childlike excitement would've echoed through the arena.

To maintain the prestige and dignity of the lord of the house, Kelbian would have to keep a close eye on him for a while.

'Well, honestly, I understand how the lord feels.'

Kelbian, too, looked at Ian with satisfaction.

'If that boy became my junior, I'd feel totally secure.'

Remarkable talent, humility, and good manners as well.

Kelbian was just as fond of Ian as the Heavenly Sword Lord was.

'I wish he'd hurry up and join us. There's so much I'd like to teach him.'

― Kugugugugugu!

Then, the terrain of the exam hall shifted once more.

The third stage of the magical obstacle course marathon.

The Infinite Cliff.

"What? Whoa—!!"

"Aaaaah!!"

With the slope suddenly rising, countless new cadets lost their balance and slipped.

They rolled a while, reached the deadline, and were eliminated.

― Kwajik!

― Kwak!

"Whew, whew!"

"I almost died!"

The sharper cadets barely survived by stabbing their swords into the cliff, but the peril was not over.

― Kugugugugugu!

The cliff began to sink down, drawing the cadets relentlessly toward the deadline.

To survive, they had to keep climbing upward along the cliff.

― Kwaang!

― Kwaang!

Yuria and Kargon's battle had just reached its conclusion, too.

"K-kyahhh! Yuriaaa!!!"

"Let's play again next time, Kargon."

Kargon and his gang plummeted down the cliff with screams.

'Looks like things are settled over there.'

Dangling from Vladiark, which he'd driven into the cliff, Ian looked down after glancing at Yuria.

'Those poor bastards.'

Hector's gang, too, floundered and then fell down below the cliff.

"Ke, ke-kehk! Kurk!"

Hector was still in Ian's grasp by the neck.

'Sturdy guy, this one.'

Truly a fitting 'late-stage User' prospect.

If he'd been an ordinary guy, his neck would've snapped long ago.

Hector merely looked a little pale but was still conscious.

"Good work, Hector. Reflect on today's battle with your gang."

At that, Ian tried to release Hector—

― Hwarururuk!

― Kuaaa!

A magical obstacle appeared.

'A fireball!'

From above Ian's head, a fireball the size of an elephant was falling.

'You've got to be kidding me!'

Ian reflexively used Hector as a human shield against the fireball.

― Kwaaaaaang!

"Kehek! Gyaaaaaaah!!!"

Hector took the brunt of the fireball and screamed.

"......"

― Sizzle sizzle sizzle...

Finally, Hector lost consciousness.

"I'll let go now. Sorry about that."

Ian let Hector fall below the cliff.

― Wheeeeee....

― Phlump!

Hector tumbled down, smoke rising from his body.

There was a healer below, so he'd be treated soon.

'That was dangerous just now.'

The fireball flew straight at Ian as if he were being targeted.

'The power was no joke either.'

Even the tough Hector would have died with a second hit—such was its force.

'Looks like the exam mage is targeting me. Charlotte must have put him up to it.'

He knew this from his past life, thanks to Yuria.

The exam proctor mage was aligned with Charlotte's faction.

Charlotte was trying to take revenge after being disciplined because of Ian by manipulating the mage.

'Well. Let them try.'

All the riffraff had already been eliminated by the rising cliff.

Now, the only things to worry about were the magical obstacles and Yuria.

'Ah, right, what about Sophia...'

"Huff! Huff! Argh! I'm dying here!"

Sophia was tenaciously climbing up the cliff, persisting.

"Wow."

How had she survived until now?

She'd even managed to keep her sword strapped to her back.

"Impressive."

Sophia clearly knew how to handle things by herself.

That made Ian's heart swell with satisfaction.

'Kugh! Why isn't the magic activating!?'

Meanwhile, the 4th-circle mage Alberto, furiously manipulating the test obstacles, was silently grinding his teeth.

'It's the perfect moment! Why is the magic device unresponsive!?'

Alberto was trying to send a shockwave through the cliff and cause Ian to fall.

But the magic device producing the shockwaves was as unresponsive as if it had died.

'D-damn it! I have to force it to work before I miss my chance!'

When a magic device is dead, five out of ten times it's a power issue.

Insufficient mana supply makes the machine inoperable.

With direct infusing, it should work again.

'I don't know why the power supply's cut, but I'd better hurry!'

If he lost this timing, there might not be another opportunity.

'No! Actually, I'm already way too late!'

He'd spent so long waiting for a chance to drop Ian that he'd let Ian's performance go unchecked.

The entire point of eliminating Ian was to suppress his success in the test.

Even if he dropped Ian now, Charlotte would still scold him.

'So I have to hurry! Drop him now—!'

― Tuk!

Alberto placed his hand on the magic control panel and channeled his mana.

His mana flowed through the intricate mana circuits toward the device in front of Ian.

And then...

Alberto's mana reached the magic device where Vladiark was embedded.

'Wh-what the...!?'

A handful of his mana was instantly sucked away.

Vladiark began to ravenously devour Alberto's mana.

"Ku... Kuuuaaahhhh!!!"

As if every vein in his body was being ripped out, excruciating pain and dizziness overtook Alberto.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Serves that mage right...

Get wrecked noob...

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】