''Then--''

　Instructor Josef looked down at the pocket watch in his hand and raised his hand.

'--First!

　The other person is a female instructor with glasses.
　.............
　Hmmm.
　It may look a little awkward, but I'll just have to give it my all.
　I don't have any knowledge of swordsmanship.
　Besides, if I try to dress up badly, the worst thing that could happen is that I could end up with something much worse.

　Anyway, let's just be sure to keep our spirits up.
　Let's do it.
　Let's focus.
　That's right, let the wild part of me rise up....
　Unleash the wildness within me........

　The wildness within me.........
　The wildness in me...
　Yasei.

　--Don't you see?

　Are...?
　Suddenly, my vision turned red....
　Eh?

　Boom.

　What is this--?
　..........
　Huh?
　This feeling.........somewhere.....
　Oh, I see.
　As I recall, this is what I felt when I used the forbidden curse--

　Boom.

　Ugh......
　It's like my whole body is being held in chains...
　Is my body hot?
　Ugh, what is this?
　

Ggh.....

　With both hands, I squeezed the handle tightly.
　And--

　Again, I raise my sword, again.

Ugh......

　I want to unleash it.
　This power.
　Release me from these chains, and I'll eat everything.

　Boom.

"Boom.

　Lower your stance.
　Well that's the way a beast catches its prey.
　And.

　Running.

'Gahhhhhh!

　Facing the female instructor, I swung my sword down in one fluid motion.

"Hmmm...

　There was a high-pitched, creaking sound.

　A little later, a rattling sound followed.

　.............

....................

　With a gasp, I looked at my hand and saw that the sword that should have fit in my hand was not there.
　In front of me, the female instructor with the sword in her hand was falling on her buttocks.
　.........hmm?
　Hmm?
　What the hell happened?
　As I recall, I delivered a tremendous spirited blow....
　I turn around.
　The sword in my hand was lying on the floor.
　...............................
　Or rather, what?
　The air.

　Everyone was gloomy.

　And the first person to break the vibe was...

"...pfft, what the hell, duh!

　It was Maro.

'What?　You put so much effort into it, and the first blow is the end...?　And the sword just got flattened and... what's that?　You know what I'm really wondering? How can there be someone like you in here?　So the supernatural wild child Samma was admitted to the school just because of her spirit!　Seriously, that's hilarious!　Don't make me laugh!　Geehahahahahaha!

　As if they thought this was the place to laugh, the other students began to gradually let out a laugh, as if they were following along.

''.........''

　Wow, really?
　I only took one hit and it was over?
　Huh, well, that's about it...
　And you're a laughingstock.

　When I looked at them, I saw that some of them weren't laughing.
　Zeke-san, Hyrgis-san, Cecily-san, and the instructors.......and Currier-san.
　What they all had on their faces was an expression of surprise, albeit to varying degrees.
　Incidentally, Ira-san, the talented man in question, seemed uncomfortable with the way I was behaving, and made a scared face and gritted his teeth.
　Wow, you don't have to be so angry!
　.........................
　This means that I'm too weak and you're all lost for words, okay?

　And then Instructor Josef walked up to the dumbfounded-looking female instructor.

'Instructor Isabella, what in the world is wrong with you?'
...What?
It's a mock match and you can't just end it with a single blow...
Uh, I mean...
'It's hard for me to evaluate you unless you have to cross swords with a student at least ten times.
Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry... but...

　Instructor Isabella looks at me.

'Well, I was just... how do you say, I really went to defend myself, or rather... oh?　What am I saying?　To seriously go and defend yourself in a mock match against a Holy Jewish Candidate, and in a mock match........er......

　Instructor Josef chuckles.

'Get a grip, Instructor Isabella. You're the best of the five instructors.'

　Then Josef looked at me.

"Kurohiko.
Oh, yes.
Before your swordsmanship, have you ever held a sword in the first place?
Well, actually, it's my first time...
Well it's your first time.

　Instructor Josef put his hand to the back of his head and was silent for a moment with a difficult look on his face.

I'm not going to be the only one. I think you need a slightly different lesson than the others.
Yes, sir.

　...That means it's a very beginner course, right?
　Yeah, that's better for me too.........
　

"...........

　d*mn!
　I'm still going to do my best. I am!
　I've decided not to be a wimp anymore!
　Solo training?
　Oh, that's great!

　And then.

'Oh!　Special group?

　Asaro, who seemed to have been listening to the conversation by ear, raised his voice in a deliberate manner.

''Hey, hey, did you hear that?　It's a special group.　It seems that the super-natural wild man has no common sense and doesn't know how to use a weapon like a human being!　You're Blackbeard!　Shit, he's really making me laugh!　Geehahahaha!

　Some of the other students laugh as well, as well as some of the others.
　...........
　d*mn you, Asaro.
　I'm going to make you guffaw one day.

"Instructor Josef.

　Then a dignified voice sounded.
　Everyone's eyes were drawn to the owner of the voice at once.

''If there are only the last three students left in this mock match, would you mind if I begin my mock match immediately?　Honestly - because it's uncomfortable to watch them laugh at their fellow members of the same group,

　The moment those words were released, the laughter stopped with a snap.
　All of the students who had been laughing turned into the faces of children who had been chided for their pranks and hung their heads.

　It was Cecily-san who stepped out.

　That expression on her face was that frozen expression I saw last night.......

''To begin with, the most important qualification for entering this academy is the ability to handle the Holy Elements. It's no wonder there are those who aren't proficient in swordsmanship.
Well, Miss Cecily...

　Cecily comes up to us.
　Then she came up beside me and whispered to me.

'Never mind they don't understand.
What?

　Ms. Cecily steps back from me.
　And.

That was a great blow, Kurohiko.

　I smiled.

''Well..........''

　Oh no, I think I'm going to cry...

'Oh, thank you Miss Cecily.

　Hmph, Cecily smiled and pecked me on the chest with her fingertips.

''I knew you had it, trump card.

　Oh, Cecily can I fall in love with you?

　And then Asaro's mouth came into view, as if he wasn't amused, "Keh.
　...........
　Yah, I'm sorry, that guy.
　I wonder what kind of education Asaro's father was giving him!
　That's what I'm talking about, I'm pissed too!

Now, Instructor Joseph.

　Mr. Cecily turned to Instructor Josef.

'My mock game--'
No, wait.

　Thrusting his hand out towards Miss Cecily, Instructor Joseph looks at Currier.

'Currier Versteen, you haven't played a mock game yet, have you?

　Currier-san took a breath and gave a small nod.

''... yes.''

　Currier-san walks to the center of the training ground.
　With a long sword in hand.

　Cecily-san glanced at Currier-san and then went straight back to where Zeke-san and the others were.
　And I went to the bocce space I was in originally.

　It would apparently take a little while for the female instructor to adjust her crumbling demeanor.

　I sat down with my back against the wall.
　Then I look at my palms.

'............'

　What was that feeling I had just now?
　But I don't know why.
　It was so liberating, and it felt so good.......hmm?

　Someone's shadow came into my view.
　I look up.

''Uh ... Ira-san, was it?''

　Why do you look so scared?
　Ira-san, who was looking down at her with an unpleasant face, opened her mouth.

''That........that's not swordsmanship.......''
...What?

　Ira-san looked down at me in silence for a while, with eyes that even seemed hostile.
　And now, when I thought she had a face that seemed to blame herself, she pulled her mouth tightly shut and looked down.

''I'm sorry, that was a weird thing to say, me. Forget about that one.

　After saying that much, Ira-san turned away and left.

''........Heh?''

　What?
　What was that?
　What did I do?
　I mean, swordsmanship and all that, it was just a blow to begin with.......
　.........Seriously, what was that about?

　While I had a large number of question marks in my head, Currier-san's mock match began.
　My opponent was a female instructor, just like me.

''Then--begin!

　With a shout from Josef, the match began... or so it seemed, but the next moment, something unbelievable happened.

　Rang.

''What are you doing, Currier Versteen........''

　What a surprise, Currier-san threw the sword on the floor himself.
　Curie-san said curiously, "I'm here.

'I'm here,'
What are you...
I'm not very confident with my sword either. So please let me join the special exception group.
"Take the sword, Currier Versteen!

　The female instructor urged her to take the sword.
　But Currier-san twisted the edges of her mouth slightly and said.

''.........I must have heard wrong, instructor. In the first rule I heard, I think I heard that the match was called off as soon as you said 'let go of the sword' or 'I've got it'.
It's true, that's true, but...

　With a troubled look on her face, Instructor Isabella silently asked Instructor Josef for help.
　Instructor Josef shook his head, with a look of relief on his face.
　And when Instructor Josef was about to open his mouth.

What the f*ck are you doing? Huh?

　It was Asaro who interrupted him.
　Currier-san looks at Asaro with a flat face.

''What is it?''
"If you don't have confidence, then why don't you go ahead and let that wild and comical maniac beat you at your own game. Huh?　I just don't like the way you dressed up. I just don't like the way you're acting. If you're weak, act like a weak person, be a smart ass.
..........
Well, it's a good way to get a look at a guy's face and you'll have three years of fun if you just flirt with him.

　Maro.
　Why does he have to put someone to shame like that, one after another?
　You want me to punch him in the face?
　Worst-case scenario, I'll call a curse on you.

　And.

What the f*ck are you laughing at?

　


What--what?
I gave up my sword because I was too tired to engage in this stupid travesty.
Oh?　You're bluffing!
All of you here.

　Time in the training grounds stops for a moment.

'........Huh?

　Everyone sensed something ominous from Currier-san, and there was a tense air in the air.
　With a gulp, I swallowed a gulp of raw saliva.
　What's this?
　This feeling of being grabbed by the heart........
　Currier-san said coldly.

''All of us here, with the sword lying there--I can kill them all.
W--

　Even As expected, even Asaro seemed to be taken aback by that statement.
　The inside of the training ground was also enveloped in an even more alien tension.
　The current statement would normally be a statement that would not be surprising if it were to be laughed at.
　However, the killing atmosphere that Currier-san radiates - shall we call it that?
　That's what made her statement strangely persuasive.
　--not bravado.
　Everyone must have felt that way.

''........uh, okay?''

　The one who came in, scratching his head, was instructor Josef.

You are in the special exception group, Curie Versteen. I'm sure you'll find it difficult to get into a group of any rank with that kind of sharpness, and neither you nor the other students will be able to do so. Is that all right?

　At the words of Instructor Josef, Kurier-san nodded, saying, "Kokiri.
　At the same time, the odd tension of the place dissolved.



　Instructor Josef takes the sword that Currier-san let go of.

I'm sure you're starting to get hungry. It's time to go with the three of you to finish up.

　　　　　　　　　　*

　Thus, the mock match between Instructor Josef and the three remaining members - Asaro, Ira Horne and Cecily Arkwright - began.