Excuse me.


　It was a woman who knocked on the door and entered the room. She wore glasses and wore her long black hair in a single bun. I got the impression that she was a very intelligent person.

　Then she sat down in front of us and immediately asked us what we wanted to talk about.


'You must be Yulia Curtis and Yves Ailey.
Yes, sir.
Yes.
It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Forrester and I am a teacher at the Counter Demon Academy in the First Ward City. Now let me be blunt, I want you two to break the hearts of my students.
Well, I'm afraid I don't have a clear picture of it.
Let me explain. Today you two will be working with a group of sixth graders who are already approaching graduation.


　Graduation, huh?

　Come to think of it, it's already completely into winter, and once it opens up and it's spring, it's graduation....... When I think about it, I was also enrolled in the seventh ward city's anti-magic academy as a fourth-year student when I came back to the ward city, but soon after the incident happened, I became a special-grade anti-magic and then a military officer.

　As it was a skipped grade, so to speak, I had no connection to the graduation ceremony. It's the same with Eve. It's also because she also skipped a grade and became a soldier before graduating from the anti-magic academy at maturity.

　But wanting to break the hearts of the sixth graders who are about to graduate is not unusual. Is there a reason for this?


''I think it's fresh in my mind that we were able to regain the twilight land thanks to the Special Class Counter-Magician, and the other higher level counter-magicians. At the same time, there is a rumor spreading in the Counter Demon Academy.
Rumors?
'Yes. That's because the twilight land is actually not a big deal........ The current sixth graders are very good, and can normally fight at about level 1 of the danger zone. And the success of this mission. Many of them are buoyant or have developed a strange confidence. This is especially true of noble students........
Okay. So you want me to break my heart.
'Yes, sir. I want those children to learn how harsh the land of twilight is. I used to fight in the frontline, but I was forced to retire due to the erosion of the Twilight Syndrome, and although I can pass on my experience, I don't have the actual battle skills to show them. That's why I wanted to ask the two special class anti-magicians to help me. It will be different from the usual form, but will you accept it?
'Of course. We should teach them the ruthlessness of twilight so as not to add unnecessary sacrifices.
Okay.
'Thank you!　It really, really helped....


　Don't underestimate the twilight. That's a fact that every special class anti-magician knows. The death of Belle-san, who was the former first in the rankings in this operation, was a good example.


　Even a swordsman as great as she was, his life was to be scattered in the land of the twilight.


　Even if that opponent was a demon, that was no reason to underestimate another demon race or the Dusk Land.


　Every time they advanced to the Dusk Dangerous Area Level 2 and 3, the danger level would increase dramatically. Even if they were as powerful as a special level demon, there was no such thing as a good reason to be proud of them.


　That was probably why he begged the students to tell him. The danger of that twilight.


　So Eve and I immediately went to the training grounds in the grounds.



　◇



"Hey Ayn. Do you know who's going to be teaching today?
'Oh?　What the hell, Karen. From the bushes to the sticks.
'Actually, rumor has it that Julia Curtis and Eve Ailey are already here. They've had some sightings.
Haha, Ranks Zero and a magical genius arrived. This is another great story.
Yeah. This is all very exciting, but I think I'm getting an arm.
'Karen, I hate to be the one to agree with you, but yes, I do. I'm curious to see how well I hold up now.


　Inside one of the classrooms at the Counter Demon Academy. There were two men and women talking there.

　The male one is named Ein and the female one is named Karen.

　Both of them are from noble families, and their abilities are the best in the current anti-magic academy. Originally, they were going to jump through the ranks to become military officers, but due to a series of incidents, that was put off.

　In such a situation, the current sixth graders, led by these two, were thinking about it. Our own abilities are not low. In fact, they thought that they were already good enough to do well as soldiers. That was by no means based on any kind of evidence. It doesn't mean that they actually went to the danger zone level 2 or 3 and hunted demons.


　He's just purely conceited.

　Julia and the others led the way, and the operation was a success. Knowing the fact that they had regained the land of dusk, they thought. In fact, they thought that the land of the twilight was nothing much........


　He or she did not know. They don't know how cruel and heartless the twilight world is. I've heard stories of Bertina Light, the most powerful swordsman in humanity, who died in that twilight, but that it was because she met a demon.

　He was so optimistic that twilight was never the problem.

　Just then, Yulia and Eve arrived. The two are young and talented among the special class antimagicians. I'm sure you'll find that you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about it.

　How well am I able to compete with those two? Maybe it's a pretty good match....maybe even a chance to win? That was what Ein and Karen, and the other students, were thinking about.


　But he, they didn't know yet.

　They have yet to meet an existence that overwhelmingly surpasses them. They had only been fortunate enough to have met someone as good or better than themselves.


　This is how Yulia and Eve would meet them.


　◇


Miss Eve.
...what?
What do you want to do?
Why can't we just get two people to handle the whole thing?
'Hmm. But you have to break your heart, or rather, you have to show them the reality of the situation.
Well, yeah, but...
Do you use the Sphere or something, Eve?
I could use it but it would be a bit tiring.
I'm confused.
Well, we'll just have to play it by ear...
Yes.


　Me and Eve-san head to the exercise area while talking to each other, and I can see the students already lined up in my field of vision.

　At a rough estimate, there are probably about 30 of them. But their gazes were clearly more hostile than testing, or perhaps a bit hostile.


　And so me and Eve stood in front of the students. In fact, I'm probably the youngest of them all. It's a well-known fact that these students are older than me. But that doesn't mean I can't be arrogant. I'm a zero rank in the rankings of special class opponents.


It's nice to meet you, everyone. I'm Julia Curtis, ranking zero in the ranking of special class antagonist.
"...sixth in the order of special class antagonists, Eve Ely.
''Well, the two of us will be in charge of your field exercises this time, but yes.......for now, let's all try to fight the two of us.


　When I tell them that, the boy in the front of the group raises his voice.


It's not too much to ask, isn't it?
And you?
'Ain't no problem with that. And you're sure you want it?
''That's enough for this one. Rather than that, I think thirty is a little less than thirty people for me and Yves-san.......do you want to handicap me, Yves-san?
Hmm?　Well, it doesn't matter but what are you going to do?
'For now, Eve, no Sphere. For me, yes. I'll go bare-handed.
But Julia-kun, even with your bare hands, it doesn't change much...
"...sure. Then I'll just use one index finger on my right hand.
That might be just fine.


　As me and Eve-san are talking like that, I can feel the magic element of the students in front of me leaking out.


　--It's a good thing that you're not the only one who's been in a position to do this. But to be honest, I think that even this is not enough of a handicap.


'Hahahahahaha!　You are indeed a master class demon!　Well, let's see what you got!　Hey, guys!


　So Ayn led the students further, and the mock battle between me and Eve versus 30 students began.