Editor : Amethyst00



"That's impossible! How are we supposed to beat the 5th-year?"

"Professor Sedgen! Even if ‘Surpass your limits!’ is our school motto, this is too much!"

The 1st-years grabbed their heads and screamed.

In truth, most 1st-years couldn’t even make eye contact with 2nd-years.

And now they were supposed to fight the almost godlike 5th-years in an exam?

From the 1st-years’ perspective, panic was inevitable.

Even usually confident students like Celia, Duran, and Eliza looked visibly shaken.

Seeing the 1st-years’ reactions, Sedgen spoke.

"I never said you had to win."

"Eh?"

"As I said before, the midterm practical is graded by relative evaluation."

Sedgen smiled gently.

"The 5th-years might be intimidating, but just showing your best performance will be enough to earn you good marks."

At his words, the 1st-years began regaining their composure.

Hearing “5th-year” had startled them, but what he said was true.

"R-right. There’s no need to be scared."

"We just need to do our best against the 5th-years."

"Somehow… Professor Sedgen really does care about us students."

"Yeah. I feel much more relaxed now."

As the 1st-years returned to a friendly, relieved atmosphere, Sedgen smiled softly and walked toward the 5th-years.

Then, to the forty-seven 5th-years gathered, he said mercilessly,

"Crush them."

"Yes."

"Been a while since I got to stretch a bit."

The 5th-years laughed as they began to warm up.

Returning to the 1st-years, Sedgen continued,

"As I said earlier, the 2nd-semester midterm practical is based on relative evaluation. In addition, I’ll attach a special condition."

The 1st-years looked puzzled.

"The number of 5th-years per match will be limited to one."

Bastera was a sport traditionally played with a team of eight.

It was a sport with immense physical toll on players.

But even with eight versus one, none of 1st-years felt reassured.

Instead, cold sweat trickled down their backs.

‘That means they’re really going all out, huh?’

‘Hmm! A 5th-year…!’

Lumene started with 500 freshmen.

Out of those, only 47 remained by the 5th year.

That meant about roughly 90% of students had already dropped out.

These remaining few were true hero candidates.

Each one was someone who could easily become a hero.

To a 5th-year, fighting eight 1st-years wasn’t even much of a handicap.

"And if you’re dissatisfied with the result, you may reorganize teams and challenge again until you’re satisfied with your performance."

At that, the 1st-years began murmuring.

Then, one student from the magic department carefully raised their hand.

"Um… Professor. Wouldn’t we be taking too much of the 5th-years’ time if we keep challenging them? The 5th-years are all busy, aren’t they?"

During the first semester, the 1st-years had occasionally seen 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-years, but hardly ever the 5th-years.

The 5th-years were constantly busy with classes and outside missions.

For them to take time out for this…

The 1st-years were both flattered and uneasy.

"You don’t need to worry about that. The graduating class is free right now anyway. Any other questions?"

No one raised their hand.

"Good. Then form your teams."

The 1st-years hurriedly began finding their best teammates.

bl

"First-years are so refreshing, aren’t they?"

Torua murmured while standing on tiptoe with her palms shading her eyebrows as she watched the 1st-years.

"Indeed. They’ve got that freshness you can’t find in come people anymore."

"Yeah. Like that some muscle-brained knight from our Knight department, who’s built like a brick wall and practically an old man now, it actually unbelievable that he make an observation like that."

"I'm talking about you, you old hag."

Torua and Jamua looked at each other and smiled brightly.

Watching them bickered, Ulta spoke.

"You two, stop fighting already. Your graduation isn’t far off. Shouldn’t you cherish what’s left of your school days?"

Ulta spread his arms wide.

"We should spend these precious days affirming our love for each other."

"Ugh. Just hearing that makes me nauseous."

"Agreed."

Torua and Jamua both frowned at once.

Meanwhile, Rhys stood deep in thought.

‘Is announcing Leo as a student council president candidate really the right move?’

Rhys was struggling to decide how to handle Leo’s nomination.

Personally, he wanted Leo to become student council president.

‘But can he handle that responsibility?’

Even just being nominated as a 1st-year would bring intense pressure.

‘If he actually became president, it’d be even worse. But even if he doesn’t, his school life won’t be easy afterward.’

No underclassman who got on the seniors’ bad side ever had a smooth time.

Even with the backing of the Zerdinger family, things could still turn sour.

Bringing student affairs into family matters was never good.

‘If I were staying at the academy, I could mediate somehow… but I’m graduating this year.’

He couldn’t help but worry about his cousin after leaving.

As Rhys pondered, Ulta approached him.

"Rhys, what’s troubling you?"

"Ulta."

Seeing him, Rhys gave a faint smile.

"It’s nothing serious."

Ulta sighed.

"Rhys. You haven’t changed since our 1st year."

"Really?"

"Yes. Especially how you bottle things up when you’re troubled."

Ulta crossed his arms.

"Rhys, I think we're more than rivals who competed for five years. We’re friends who can confide in each other, aren’t we?"

"Friends, huh. I suppose you’re right."

Rhys nodded.

Then, he confided the issue to his friend who had competed with him for five years.

After listening, Ulta stroked his chin.

"Hmm. It is complicated indeed."

"Right?"

"Then there’s only one answer, isn’t there?"

Ulta smiled.

"All Leo has to do is prove he’s worthy of being student council president."

"That’s true, but… Leo’s still a 1st-year."

Rhys sighed.

"He’s not ready to take that position yet."

"Who decided that?"

"What?"

Ulta spoke as he looking at Rhys's puzzled expression.

"Who decided a 1st-year isn’t ready to be student council president, Rhys?"

Ulta smiled again.

"Rhys, you seem to have forgotten the lesson we’ve heard endlessly for five years."

Ulta spread his arms wide.

"‘Surpass your limits.’ We’ve done that countless times, turning the impossible into the possible."

He usually said strange things about love, but this time, he was completely serious.

"Rhys. Your cousin is already more than worthy of being president."

Rhys’s eyes widened at Ulta’s words.

‘To think Ulta would rate Leo that highly…’

Ulta Rygdician.

One of Lumene’s undisputed strongest summoners.

Though people called him eccentric, he was never known to exaggerate.

Rhys knew his character well.

"Besides, the timing’s not good either. Inside and outside, Lumene is being shaken little by little. No… cracks are appearing in the peace of the entire world."

Ulta looked toward Leo.

"At a time like this, we need a firm leader to guide the academy."

"And that leader is Leo?"

"Yes."

Ulta’s lips curved into a confident smile.

"So, Rhys. You’d better watch closely today."

Ulta elegantly folded his arms.

"Today, you’ll see Leo’s true worth."

bl

The practical exam began.

The 1st-years, in their newly formed teams, boldly challenged the 5th-years.

"Hoi!"

Thud!

"Keugh!"

Carl was struck in the stomach by a ball thrown by a 5th-year knight-department girl and sent flying.

"We’re ahead in points! Hold out! If we just endure—!"

Eliana shouted urgently.

"Well, of course you’re ahead on points. I haven’t been interested in offense or defense anyway."

The girl smiled kindly.

"But remember this, 1st-years. Bastera is also a game where you win by annihilating the other team. Your strategy to confuse my vision wasn’t bad, but you lack preparation for more fundamental problems."

Within three minutes of the match starting, the 5th class’s ace team—without Leo and Chelsea—had lost completely.

The watching students were stunned.

With Nella, Eliana, and Tade leading, and the support-focused Carl and others backing them, their team was well-balanced and flawless.

And yet, they had been annihilated so easily.

While everyone broke into a cold sweat, screams erupted from other fields as well.

Because there were many simultaneous matches between 5th-years and 1st-years.

Hovering above the training ground, Sedgen calmly graded the 1st-years’ scores.

‘Their teamwork isn’t bad, but the detail planning are lacking.’

Click—

He pressed his pen and swiftly wrote down notes.

At a glance, it looked like he was grading casually, but there was a reason Sedgen was called Lumene’s top professor.

He didn’t miss a single detail of the simultaneous matches below him.

He perfectly marked each student’s strengths and weaknesses.

At his order, the 5th-years weren’t holding back.

The 1st-years, who had felt relaxed thinking they could challenge multiple times, now stiffened as they realized the gap in ability.

‘Rhys and Ulta haven’t stepped in yet.’

Sedgen nodded as he saw the two still observing.

Aside from them, the ones standing out the most were Torua and Jamua.

Torua rested her chin on her hand and lazily waved.

Crack—!

"Keugh?"

"Gr-gravity magic?"

"Yes. But if you get hit and react after, it’s too late."

Within five seconds of the match starting, Torua had rendered all opponents incapacitated and shook her head.

"Hahaha. Let’s see how tough you are, shall we?"

"Eh? Toughness—kugh!"

A student was sent flying by a ball thrown by Jamua.

"Tch. Not training your body enough. Getting blown away by a ball without any aura in it."

"I-I’m a mage though! And I even put up a shield…!"

"Heh. Overwhelming physical strength can surpass magic. Remember that."

"Th-that’s absurd…"

Jamua, using pure strength without aura, overpowered them completely.

After annihilating the 1st-years, he clicked his tongue.

"Tch tch. I expected more, but this is disappointing. Weren’t you supposed to be the best of your year?"

He taunted them, but none of the 1st-years could respond.

Losing so easily to someone not even using aura left them speechless.

‘Oops. Maybe I overdid it?’

Jamua scratched his cheek—

Then someone stepped forward.

"From here on, you can start expecting something."

Thud—!

Holding a ball at her side, Celia smiled at Jamua.

"Because it’ll be a little different now."

"Oh, Celia."

Jamua glanced at the students beside her and grinned.

‘Chen Xia, Duran, Haowl.’

The knight-department juniors he’d been keeping an eye on were all there.

The only disappointing part was that Leo wasn’t among them.

‘Where’s that guy?’

Turning his head, Jamua spotted Leo on the next field.

There, Leo stood with Chloe, Chelsea, and Abad.

"Tch. That Leo Plov… joined the magic department?"

"Traitor."

Duran clicked his tongue, and Chen Xia pouted.

"Yeah. Traitor."

Jamua clicked his tongue as well.

Meanwhile, Torua looked at Leo with satisfaction.

"Hmm! Hmm! Leo, my boy. You’ve finally found your path. Yes, magic truly is supreme."

"…I’m still an All-Class, though."

"Oh dear, Leo. It seems all that knight and summoner classes has dulled your logic."

Despite saying something that made no logical sense herself, Torua spoke cheerfully. Leo, used to her antics, reacted calmly.

"Anyway, I came today to show you 1st-years just how wide the world really is."

With a graceful snap—

Snap—!

"Hhup!"

The 1st-years in front of her suddenly staggered under an overwhelming pull of gravity and fell to their knees.

"Now, lie down quietly."

As she finished chanting her spell and opened her eyes, Torua blinked in surprise.

While all the other 1st-years were kneeling or collapsed on the ground, Leo stood firm, unmoving.

‘Dispel? No… Then how…?’

Sensing her magic still active, Torua’s eyes sparkled.

"What spell did you use? Did you dispel my formula?"

"No."

Leo shrugged.

"I’m just enduring the gravity with strength alone."

"With strength?"

"Yes."

Leo smiled lightly.

"Sometimes overwhelming physical strength surpass magic, doesn’t it?"