Time flowed mercilessly onward.
The civil war among my students, a matchup rivaling the finals—if not more so.
Though my grand goal of filling the top four spots entirely with my disciples ended in failure…
Still, I couldn’t help but be curious as to who would emerge victorious.
“Professor Allen, who do you plan to root for?”
Cain asked curiously.
I shrugged nonchalantly.
“How can I possibly root for just one when they’re both my students?”
My casual deflection left Cain looking rather deflated.
Clearly, if I had chosen sides, he’d have rushed off to tattle immediately.
In a calm voice, I tossed the same question back at him.
“So Professor Cain, who are you rooting for?”
“I… being a sword specialist, naturally my heart leans toward Ariana.”
Cain answered confidently, completely unaware of the trap.
I smirked knowingly.
“I see. I’ll be sure to pass that along to Lux after the match.”
“… Huh?”
“That’s quite an outspoken comment considering her royal background. I heard it loud and clear. I trust you’ll handle the consequences yourself.”
“T-That’s absurd! What exactly are you implying?!”
Come to think of it, Minerva Academy is a national institution run by the Royal Palace.
Does that mean our salaries come from the palace too?
If word got out, there might be a pay cut involved.
At this subtle suggestion, Cain’s face went pale.
“Eh… Surely they wouldn’t dock pay over something like this… right?”
“Hmm? Since I’m not part of the royal administration, how would I know? I’m just a soldier, though technically on loan as a professor now.”
“… Perhaps we could keep this between us…”
“We’ll see based on your future behavior.”
“Khh…!”
Watching our banter, Angelica shook her head and asked.
“So who do you think will win, Professor Allen? Surely you must have some idea.”
“And what about you, Professor Angelica?”
“I’m not as reckless as Professor Cain. Just give me an objective analysis.”
Angelica gave me a pointed look.
Tch, guess mages really are immune to such tactics.
“Hard to compare directly since we’re dealing with a swordsman versus a mage. But roughly speaking…”
I shrugged while organizing my thoughts.
Who truly has the upper hand here…
“Lux’s strength lies in overwhelming magical bombardment thanks to her vast mana reserves. Especially with light magic’s ability to obscure vision, effectively neutralizing the opponent’s sight – quite troublesome indeed.”
The dazzling array of lights would be difficult for anyone to handle.
For a swordsman relying on close combat, losing the ability to gauge distance is a significant disadvantage.
But does that mean Ariana is at a complete disadvantage?
Not quite.
“Ariana’s specialty is the Moonlight Sword Technique. Her unique style creates faint sword qi that’s nearly invisible unless focused upon. The attacks often come from unexpected angles, creating the illusion of multiple simultaneous strikes – another very tricky style to counter.”
In reality, both fighters shared a similar approach.
Their main strategies revolved around disorienting their opponent’s vision with unconventional attacks.
So which side holds the advantage?
After deep contemplation, I smiled faintly.
“…Honestly, no idea. Isn’t it always better to see who comes out on top through actual combat?”
“Rather anticlimactic given your detailed analysis… Still, I understand where you’re coming from, Professor Allen. Either way, it’s a great matchup.”
Exactly.
Through countless duels, they’ve become intimately familiar with each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
The key will likely come down to who can reveal something new they’ve been holding back until now.
No matter who wins, I have no doubt it’ll be an impressive display.
“Ah…! Is that…?!”
Seneca exclaimed in surprise.
Startled by the sudden shout, Angelica tilted her head in confusion.
“What’s wrong?”
“Look over there…!”
Following Seneca’s finger, our gaze landed on the VIP box across the arena.
“!”
“Goodness gracious…!”
Even the other professors couldn’t hide their shock.
Two striking young nobles stood there, exuding regal presence.
Radiant golden hair.
Mystical blue eyes.
An aura so commanding it made one want to kneel instantly.
Impeccable physiques despite their formal attire.
Most importantly – faces bearing a striking resemblance to the empire’s supreme ruler.
Their names: Theron Stella Sirius and Felix Stella Sirius.
Scions of the illustrious imperial bloodline.
We had heard they had returned from suppressing a rebellion that took advantage of the chaos caused by prolonged warfare.
Perhaps the triumph ceremony was canceled due to the Olympia festival?
“Your Highness, Crown Prince…?!”
“The Second Prince is there too…!”
Watching the professors’ excited chatter, I simply shook my head.
This reaction would be normal for most people.
However, having nearly died once because of Theron’s poor command decisions on the battlefield, I couldn’t view them with favor.
All my comrades perished while I survived…
“Didn’t he used to be just a prince? Now he’s the Crown Prince…”
Theron was undoubtedly an excellent commander.
Apart from that one mistake, he led the war effort competently.
Compared to certain genuinely incompetent noble commanders, he was far superior.
Wasn’t his error attributed to underestimating the barbarians’ threat?
No one expected them to be such formidable adversaries during the early stages of the war.
I could understand the reasoning.
But whenever I recalled the agonizing last breaths of those fallen comrades…
A cold anger simmered within me.
“…”
While observing Theron’s slightly matured face with detached eyes, our gazes met.
Despite my reluctance, I offered a brief bow since our eyes had connected.
When I looked up again, Theron was regarding me with surprise.
What’s gotten into him now?
As I blinked in confusion, his finger began moving.
[Will visit later.]
Golden letters shimmering like his hair floated in the air – a magic only royalty could wield called “Starlight Magic.”
“Did he just return?”
“Not sure. There was no triumph ceremony, so perhaps there’s some hidden reason…”
Judging from the conversation, the professors couldn’t see these glowing letters.
Quite convenient magic indeed.
Acknowledging with a nod, I watched as Theron wrote another message.
[Thank you for saving Lux.]
Ah, that’s why.
Though unseen, I raised my wrist to show the mark signifying I had received an imperial order.
“!”
Fortunately, he seemed to confirm it correctly before turning to Felix and conversing briefly, then writing another message.
[Then please visit Akacia Palace.]
Probably where Theron resides.
Hopefully better than meeting out here.
I offered another polite bow.
By the time I looked up, the announcer was stepping onto the field to declare the start of the match.
“We’ve finally reached the last match of the quarterfinals! Who will secure the final spot in the semifinals?!?!”
The moment had arrived for Lux and Ariana’s battle.
***
“The moment has finally come.”
Lux calmly regarded Ariana, who held an unexpectedly obtained pure white staff.
A masterpiece crafted from refined white wood through meticulous magical processing.
Seeing Lux with a staff for the first time, Ariana sneered.
“Hmph. So you prepared a staff too? Thinking you can take me lightly like that?”
“Never thought of you as easy. Never underestimated or dismissed you. I just don’t want to lose.”
Ariana absently touched the sword at her waist.
Internally, she was quite tense.
With a staff, how much stronger had Lux become compared to when she displayed such powerful magic bare-handed?
Her determination remained unshaken.
“You won’t defeat me with some half-hearted intention to merely interfere.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Ariana slowly drew her sword – the finest blade Allen had procured for her.
Crafted primarily from dragon fangs (with some admixture), the Blue Dragon calmed her nerves considerably.
She lacked confidence.
Confidence in winning.
“Enough talk. Let’s begin.”
As Ariana curled her lips into a smirk, Lux’s staff glowed brilliantly.
“Alright, I’ll go first.”
[Light Magic: Radiant Spear]
Lux’s signature spell, Spears of Radiance, launched forth.
Instead of the usual few, dozens of radiant spears converged from multicolored lights.
The unprecedented barrage left Ariana momentarily dumbfounded.
“This cheeky brat. Does wielding a staff justify this?”
Muttering complaints, Ariana lowered her stance and charged forward.
[Moonlight Swordplay: Crescent Dance]
Gentle moonlight-infused sword qi surged like a storm.
The clash of brilliant and soft lights exploded spectacularly.
Like fireworks illuminating the night sky.
Breaking through the explosive lights, Ariana swung her sword at Lux.
“Take this too!”
Witnessing her threatening advance, Lux smiled faintly.
“Gotcha.”
“!”
Realizing the trap the moment she saw that smile, Ariana knew it was too late.
Lux’s spell was already complete.
[Star Magic: Stella Lumen]
Radiant starlight erupted violently.
