From the second period to lunch, the training is in a mock battle format. It's a good idea to have a good time with your friends and family.

It's a good idea to stop being an unmotivated person.

　They talked about such things with their big mouths open, but Ars didn't even feel uncomfortable. It was an everyday occurrence for him, having served in the military since he was a child, the fastest and most successful of anyone in the war. Of course, as he accumulated achievements - as he moved up the ranks - the ridicule died down. It was best not to do anything about it then, but now I don't even care about them. On the contrary, I even feel nostalgic for them.

　After quickly finishing dressing, he left the changing room, this time with a small book in hand.

　It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with your friends and family. All magic within this designated compartment is covered.

　There were similar training facilities when I was in the military.

　A simulated battle is a battle that includes the use of physical arts, weapons, and magic. Opponents are projected on a panel in the center of the dome.
　There are teachers, but in a magic academy where there are basically only serious students, teachers only have to serve as observers in a mock battle class.

　When the teacher presses the shuffle button, the names are displayed one after another.
　Forty students per class will be paired up in ten mock battles at a time.
　A magical barrier divided the training grounds to avoid collisions.

　Weapons could be used in the training grounds. Of course, it is limited to weapons with magic, but these weapons are commonly known as AWR (assist weapon recovery) or "aura" as a supplementary weapon to increase the efficiency of a wizard's magic conduction and regain the original performance of magic.
　It's not uncommon for mages to love swords and axes made of mere iron to be useless against monsters with hard outer shells. It's a good idea to be able to use them for a variety of reasons.

　The school has prepared a variety of weapons of various shapes and sizes for the training grounds as well. There should be few students who still have their own AWR (AURA) at the freshman stage. If there are any, it's only those who have trained to become wizards from before they entered the school.
　Of course, Ars is one of them. However, the only book in his hands right now is one that is not related to practical skills.

''As expected of a nobleman,''

　Someone let out such an exclamation.
　In the center of the students' surroundings was Tesfia, her sword slung at her waist.

(Also old-fashioned....)

　Even Ars, who has seen a variety of weapons in the military, remembers that not many mages used their swords as AWR (aura). The double-edged sword is more mainstream than the single-edged sword, as it is somehow more convenient to use.

It's an artifact that has been handed down in my family for generations. We've been using it for a long time, so it's the one I'm most comfortable with.

　Tesfia is the only one who possesses her own AWR. She is the only one in her class, maybe even the only one in her grade. From now on, would-be mages will discover their own magical properties and search for the best weapon to use. Then, by the time they graduate, they will all have their favorite AWR. That's how significant it is to increase the conductivity of magic power.

　Even if you're creating fire or water, there's less leakage of magic power through the weapon, and there's no need to cast every single trigger spell.
　In fact, the AWR was started before the systematization of magic. Not at all, firearms and blades were powerless against demons. They only hurt the hard outer skin, but they were far from fatal. This AWR was developed based on the idea of how to cut and pierce the demons.

　In the early days, AWR was limited to increasing the killing power of the blade by imparting magical power to it, making it hard and unbreakable. This has allowed him to destroy chanting and, by extension, to elevate it to the point where he can rival demons in combat.
　That's why it's unlikely that anyone would hold a staff just because they are a magician. This is because it lacks practicality, and if the shape is difficult to accurately carve the magic formula of the point that should be considered important as an AWR (aura), it is basically rejected.
　If you face a demon with such a thing, the first thing you'll regret is that you're going to regret it.

　With admiration leaking out, Tesfia took one look at Ars and chuckled, flicking the sword blade from its scabbard.
　It was probably meant to be a provocation, but Ars wanted to get through this mock battle class peacefully as well. What's more, he didn't want to let go of the book, even for the practical skills.

　The blade of the sword that Tesfia had slightly pulled out was inscribed with magical formulae (lost spells).


　The shuffling of the panels ended, and one after another, the names of their classmates were displayed, unfamiliar to them.

　Ars's name came up on the first training ground, the second and third training grounds.
　The eighth training ground also has Tesfia's name.
　It wasn't that they were opponents, but since the training grounds were close to the other side, they were sure to be exposed to annoying looks.

　Ars didn't have a weapon, and he walked to the third training ground, rolling up the pages.
　His opponent was a man he didn't know. They were classmates, but he wasn't interested. He had brown hair and short hair, and he was fishing-eyed and looked at Ars with the same contempt as he looked. In his hand, he holds a sword for loan.

　The remaining twenty or so students will be watching the game, but a bad feeling is a good thing.
　While half of them made watching the Tesfia a part of their studies, the other half surrounded Ars's training grounds. This one uniformly came to watch Ars lick the ground in a haphazard manner.
　In a case like this, they would be buzzing about who would win and so on, but the mocking glances were like a freak show.

(What's up with that?)

　The reason why Ars thinks so is because he felt a distinctly sharp gaze in the gazes of the students watching the game. It's not that I'm not a fan of this, it's that I'm not a fan of this. It's not that I have any resistance to losing. He wanted to end it quickly, assuming he was going to lose in the first place.

　I had no intention of getting damaged by losing. It would be easy to deceive the people here, including the teachers. Of course, whether it's Alice or Tesfia, it's still a piece of cake.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of your time in the future. Even if it is a sharp gaze, it's probably three figures with approximate ability. There's no way you'll be able to notice whatever Ars does.
　It would be the worst feeling to be beaten, Ars let out a sigh.

'You're lucky. 'You're as good as a sandbag, this one.'

　He used a sword on one side and only had a book on the other. From the side, it was as if the winner had been decided.

　As soon as the alarm to start sounded, a man ran in. It was an amateurish move that was unbearable to watch.

　(How could he be shy in front of a spectator?) he thought. He must have been imparting magic power to the sword, but the magic power that was supposed to cover the blade was severely stagnant. The auxiliary weapon was also formless.
　Ars deliberately pretended to be dodging just in time to match his too slow sword speed.
　In between, he shifted his gaze to the page and let his reading progress while he did so. It's not enough to actually follow him with his eyes.
　Once at a distance, the man let more magic flow through his sword. When the magic formula carved into the blade by it emitted red light.

''【Burn Edge】''　

　The sword blade was engulfed in flames.
　Normally it should be possible to chant without chanting, but the fact that he chanted on purpose means that he is either a five-digit strength or just a fool. Of course, even if you can simplify the chanting itself, it's not a waste of time because it has the effect of establishing the phenomenon as magic by announcing the name of the magic.
　But you can tell by that satisfied look on her face that she doesn't understand that. It's still only with the assistance of AWR that you can use it with just the name of the magic. If you can do this without assistance, it's something like three digits in terms of skill.

　He probably doesn't know that [Burn Edge] is an inferior magic in the first place. It is a simplified version of the high-level magic called the flame blade, and its power is also several levels inferior. It's embarrassing for me to see you use it with such satisfaction.

　The spectators were not surprised, but they held their breath when they saw that the resolution was near.

　Even on the other side, cheers went up on the training ground where Tesfia was fighting. Every time Ars side dodged just in time, the temperature difference between the two sides was a temperature difference that caused the spectators to say "oshiri" and other things, but all of that was not projected onto Ars.

　Alice was the only one of them who seemed to be softened up, and her palms were together. Her fingers were tightly pressed and her tightly aligned palms showed a glimpse of the tenderness she had at first.

　He closed the book with a slam to end it, as it didn't seem to do any good to prolong it.
　He wasted no time in taking a kesa slash that swung down from the front of Ars. Instead, he put the book between him and his body.
　The blast sent up a cloud of dust and by the time it cleared, there was Ars lying on his back and a man breathing on his shoulder as he released his stance.

　After the decisive alarm.

''--!　Mr. Ars.....

　It was Alice who raised her voice. The students who had been watching the game at the sound of her worried voice couldn't raise their hands in joy, but instead turned into expressions of contempt.
　However, despite Alice's concern--

"...and so on...

　Ars stood up as if nothing had happened. Then he left the training compartment as he opened the book again and read. If he only looked at the situation now, he wouldn't know which side had won.
　The stunned spectators were stunned, and Ars realized his blunder, wondering if he had settled the matter too soon. To be precise, the students were astonished at how unperturbed they were, but he didn't get it.

　How was he supposed to take damage from that level of magic? Even if he was going to take it on purpose, it was probably the best choice in the end if he thought about reflexively doing it back.

　Surprisingly, it was a high challenge to adjust to this level. And the quicker resolution was probably because the urge to read was irresistible. It wasn't a conscious decision. I was sure I felt like I was wasting my time unnecessarily.

　As soon as it was settled, the suspicious glances died down.

'Are you alright, Ars-kun?　Are you hurt?

　Alice quickly whirled around and rushed up to him, bringing every inch of Ars's body into view.

'There's no physical damage in this training ground, you know.
"...Oh!　That's right.

　Alice, who had a suspicious frown on her face, still felt something uncomfortable.

　With a glance at his body, Ars noticed a minor blunder. Of course, it was Ars who caused the blast. It was a measure to prevent people from realizing what they had done, but Ars, who didn't want to stain his clothes with such a thing, had unconsciously coated his entire body with magic power. It wasn't too uncommon. This is because magic power is always released to the extent that it covers the body, even when on a mission.

　Since magic power has the property of being compatible with organic matter, it is taken into the body. It has to be constantly released. But (...) just because it's stretched over the body doesn't mean it can't take the place of a protective barrier to prevent attacks. At best, it would be enough to keep dust and liquids from sticking to it.
　On the other hand, because it has no affinity for inorganic substances, it is able to strengthen substances and retain magic power. In short, it's also a matter of concoction.

　The current Ars should have been in the midst of a terrific dust, but there is not a single stain on it.
　Quickly--''

''Don't you have to worry about your friends over that?
Fear will be fine. She's very strong.

　Fear?　I was convinced that it was because of the Thesphere, but I wasn't interested, so Ars's gaze went to the book against the Eighth Training Ground during the battle. He looked at the cover to see if there were any wounds in the book because he had received a sword in the book during the mock battle earlier. No matter how much it was covered with magic, paper is paper. However, there is not a single cut or stain on it.
　After finishing the check, Ars switched to relief.

'Was it Alice?　It's about time you did too.
Yes.

　Wanting to get into his own world as quickly as possible, Ars went off topic.

'I lost, but good luck with that.
Of course.

　It was mindless, but it wouldn't last any longer.
　Alice broke her face and rolled up her sleeves.

　Ars continued to part and slowly sat down against the wall near the door. He seemed to be feeling a little tired of talking more than usual.

　Mock battles are one of the most exciting lessons for a mage. Since the use of magic is forbidden outside of the training grounds without permission, it is the perfect place to test their daily achievements.
　So it would look very depressing to see the new student, Ars, not joining the spectator's circle as he has already cooled off.

　Tesfia also left the training ground with great enthusiasm after the game was over. She immediately started talking to Alice and took one look at Ars, who was leaning back with the edge of her mouth up, and smiled at her.
　Alice was the next to swap into the eighth training ground where she had fought, and Alice was the next to swap in. Her opponent was a man, but there was no separation between the s*xes in a mage's battle. In other words, the skill of magic is a bigger factor than the place where arm strength is active.


　Unlike those who were watching Ars's mock battle for the sake of mockery, Alice was serious itself. It was strange to say thank you for watching the fight, but Ars decided to devote some precious time to her battle for a little while.

　Alice had a naginata.

(This one too, old-fashioned.)

　However, Alice's naginata handling was blinding. It's not about fast or skillful spearmanship, but rather the fluidity of their movements. It's still noticeably poor and messy, but the switch from offensive to defensive and from offensive to defensive is brilliant. It was like a juggling act, but it was refined to reduce the gaps as much as possible. The naginata that Alice handles is a loaner sword, but if you're not used to using it on a regular basis, you shouldn't be able to move like that.
　She is probably more skilled at handling a spear than a naginata.

　I'm sure these martial arts are worth a look, but that alone will not determine the winner of a magical battle.

　The key to victory or defeat is still magic. Although the technique of enchantment is effective against demons, it is still basically no better than magic alone. This is because many of the demons have the ability to regenerate damage such as cuts.
　In the battle with demons, it is necessary to accurately catch the core of the demon or destroy it. In that respect, the use of magic is one of the effective means in terms of power and range.
　It's difficult to accurately capture a demon's nucleus, as its position varies depending on the individual.

　Alice's opponent's equipment is a knuckle duster. It's a major tool used by wizards who love to fight.
　An 【Ice Arrow】 is produced from the tip of that 【Ice Arrow】, striking the stagnant arrowhead and sending it flying.
　It is a primary level magic often used by new wizards who have only primary education. These are offensive magic common to the basic attributes of fire, water, ice, wind, lightning and earth, and they are also the first magic you learn in your primary education.

　Alice spun her naginata in all directions at high speed and the sword blade gradually began to glow faintly.

''..........!

　When the Ice Arrow touches the Cleave, it breaks down into pieces. But that wasn't all. The shattered ice conglomerate bounced back and attacked the man who released it, gaining momentum.

　In an instant, the man fell to the ground as if he were flipped over, and it was all over in a flash. The crowd cheered as did Tesfia, making it known that he was one of only two people in his class with four digits.

　After exiting the training field lightly, Alice dodges a high-five with Tesfia as indicated.

(Was that 【Reflection 《Reflection》.......no, 【Random Reflection 《Rediction》?

　【Reflection】, also commonly called counter, is a medium-grade magic. Furthermore, the [Random Reflection [Redaction], which is one more level up, is not something that can be used by a student. They are both light in nature. But there are few people who can use light magic. It's not a good idea to be able to use it, but it's not a good idea to be able to use it. There is also darkness, also known as the elemental.
　And there are properties that do not belong to it. Like Ars.........