It was two days after the selection game that all the members of the tournament came together.
　At this time, classes have not started for the second semester. It was a trial period, so to speak.
　That's why most of the students finish the day's work in the morning.
　The place is the building where the cafeteria is located, and on the third floor is the multi-purpose hall that the selection committee members used as a selection site. Like an auditorium, the desks were spread out horizontally, curved in a fan shape from the pews.
　A total of 30 people could fit in there, but it was not too small. There, various explanations were given by Mr. Ferinella. It was almost decided when she became the chairman of the selection committee that Felinella would be the representative for this tournament. Since she is the highest ranked person at the school, she naturally did not raise any objections.

''For the purpose of the competition, there are no restrictions on bringing in AWRs. This is because fighting with demons is expected, so........it's just a place to show individual skills, and weapons other than AWR are prohibited. Other prohibitions are listed in the handout at hand, so please check them with your own eyes.

　Ferinella explained in a torrential fashion

Our school has not performed well in recent years. Let's brace ourselves so that we can all report to the Second Academy of Magic for the championship.

　All at once, "Hi! The voice said. That doesn't include Ars and Loki. Sometimes it's simply because they don't know the benefits of winning and sometimes it's because they don't know the timing.
　But that doesn't mean they don't have to win. In talking with the Governor rather than Ars himself, winning the championship is within the expectation.
　In this case, the closest way to describe it would be that Ars and Loki, who were out in the outside world, couldn't keep up with the temperature difference.
　Felinella then raised her cheeks. It wasn't a fun or funny kind of smile from anyone's point of view.

''You have been chosen to represent our school, so please try not to behave in an embarrassing manner. Of course, the use of chemical boosts, which is a topic of discussion every year, will result in immediate arrest and the revocation of your license. And of course, it is an act of disgrace to the school.

　Even Ars knows the name Chemical Boost. It's a magic accelerator in pill form.
　It is a drug that forces the generation of magic power. The reason why this is banned by law is because it triggers magic power runaway as a side effect.

　The sound of someone swallowing spit resounded loudly in the hall.
　It's a good idea to start over and open your mouth.

The first thing you need to do is to make sure that you have the right information. But it's not enough to just train, it's business as usual, so we recommend that you train under an instructor. Of course, you can ask your teachers to do this, or you can ask a senior student to do it for you. However, since many of our students and teachers have little practical experience, we call on teachers who are already capable of teaching on our selection committee. There is a problem of the number of students and teachers, so one-to-one is not possible. For this reason, we always have four teachers at the training site. Every year we see that some players are unable to find a mentor and train ineffectively, so we encourage players to help each other out in such cases. Let's remember that each one of us carries the sign of the Second Wizarding Academy on our shoulders.

　Those words naturally made Felinella conscious. In terms of students, she was the academy's admired figure, so many of them would want to receive her guidance, even if they were senior students.
　Thinking that, he was filled with envious anticipation.

''Also, the Chancellor has found the time to accept her guidance, so I'm sure she'll show up from time to time.

　It was the most delightful thing I've ever seen. 'Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!' The hall was filled with a chaotic noise.
　It might be even hotter than when the competition was decided.

The training grounds will be opened up from today, but please start by looking for someone to teach you exclusively. Under the supervision of the instructors, let's clarify the tasks and clear them one by one.

　This would be a statement to the first year students.
　The communication will be over soon, and this multi-purpose hall will be set up as the headquarters for the tournament. Whenever there is any news, it will be announced over the school's public address system.
　There is no problem because the schedule and so on are written in the documents that Ars has, but there is one item that is of concern.

It's a good idea to have a list of instructors on the last page of the materials so that you don't have to look for a leader in the dark. You can find a list of leaders in your lineage on the last page. However, there can be no more than two candidates for each mentor.

　This is the list that Als is concerned about.
　A quick glance at the list shows that he didn't select them based on rank alone. It's one thing not to have freshman Tesfia or Alice's name on the list.
　It's understandable that Loki's name is there, but why is Ars's name there?
　Felinella must know that Ars doesn't like this kind of nuisance, then we should see that someone's invisible hand was at work.
　Well, just because Ars's name was on the list, there was no way she would be approached by a first year, much less an ordinary person who was a mystery to others.
　And while the other leadership lists have a few requirements for traits such as aptitude strains, Ars's section was blank.

''The list here has been pre-approved by the selection committee, so it should not be rejected.

　Ars inwardly said, "Hey!　I'm not listening to that kind of talk," he swears. I met eyes with an apologetic-looking Felinella out of the corner of my eye.

''This includes the contestants, so in that case we'll need to discuss it, and you'll have to come to me once.　

　In other words, an honors student like Felinella who couldn't be taught even by a teacher would have to train on his own, but if he's that good, he'll be able to finish before the competition, even if it's a voluntary practice.

If there are no more questions, then we'll dismiss the class," a voice from the back said.

　The players immediately left the classroom. They seem to be in a hurry, but they probably went to find their instructors.
　Then the students who are still in the hall are, as expected, to make an offer to Ferinella for guidance.
　Ars stood up as if it was someone else's business, "Oh, that's a big deal," when he was about to leave, with Loki behind him.

'Ars-kun!

　So a pretty, soprano-toned voice was thrown in.
　Turning around, Ars twisted his head. Inwardly, of course.

''Well it was Ciel-san, wasn't it? What is it?''

　As expected, I don't forget names from two days ago. It's just a pause to the fact that I didn't know why I was being held back.
　Without hesitation, Ciel responds to the question with a smile.

''Could you give me some guidance?''
Why?　I'm sure there are plenty of people better than me.

　I hadn't had any contact with her until the day before yesterday and had never spoken to her before.

'I don't think she would normally want to be taught by me in the same grade.
'No, it's not!　And....

　And Ciel looked at Loki, then turned around a bit and took a glance at Tesfia and Alice.

'Both Fia and Alice are going to have Ars-kun look at them.

　Ars threw a look at them, those guys, but it was passed off with a cool look. If they were to train, it would be impossible for Tesfia and Alice to go unnoticed, since they were also together. Still, if the two of them were able to take the care to keep their mouths shut, they would have been able to disguise themselves as Ars being in a position to teach.
　In other words, Ciel would have asked first what Tesfia and Alice would do.

'At first I thought I'd like to be taught by Loki...'
No, I'll let Al take a look at it.

　Loki stuck his hands out in front of him with a bang, as if he were putting up a wall.
　Ciel must have been expecting it. A face that says "I knew it".
　Ars let out a sigh as if the two of them had been talking back and forth, but it was no good after all.
　As I recall, only two people could be instructed, which means that Ars can only see two people, but since Loki, who is on the list, is also here, the maximum number of people is four.

'I'm sorry, Ciel-san, but I can't do much when I say I'm going to watch. I have to train myself too...''
Don't be stingy, there's at least one more person you can watch at your leisure.

　Tesfia breaks in longingly.
　I don't want to believe that these are the words of someone who has been taught.
　I couldn't help but think that this girl was really shallow. I wondered if it hadn't crossed her mind for a moment that she was going to be found out about a lot of things after all.

'If you're going to go that far, I don't mind watching the convention, but of course you should go straight to the chancellor.
...!
Why, Chancellor?

　Ciel had a question mark above her head, and Tesfia's brain went blank for a moment as she was bleached out.
　The ability to speak to the former single chancellor of the board before being allowed or refused stood in Tesfia's mind as a detriment.
　Ars was wavering in his conviction as he said it. On the one hand, he didn't think the Chancellor would allow it, but on the other hand, he wondered why his name was on the leadership list if that was the case.
　However, it was Alice, who should have been watching from the sidelines with a wry smile on her face as the events unfolded behind her, who provided an unexpected loophole - mainly to Tesfia - but she was not.

'Well, shall we help you with that?'
"....!　Nice Alice!

　Tesfia looks like she's about to give the thumbs up. Stay tuned, no complaints, right?　I turned to Ars with a smug look on my face.
　Of course I had a complaint. It's not that I'm not a fan of this, but I feel like I'm adding fuel to the fire for the people who are on a roll.
　However, this will not be the case, will not this be seen by Ars in an endless stream?

'Are you sure?　You two have training.
'No, it's fine. There are two of you, but can we be more than that?
Of course it is. I'd like to ask for that.

　They didn't have their names on the list of instructors, but they crossed over to Ciel, who usually taught them.

'As I recall, it's Al and Loki, and you'll be able to see four of them on the form, so that's not a problem.

　There was no room for discussion after Alice's decisive words.

　Ars, who was watching the whole thing, couldn't help but anticipate concerns like ex post facto consent.
　
　Ars ruffled the back of his head and paced towards the pews.
　Ahead was a dense strip of dumplings, and in the center of it all was Felinella, holding her hands up in front of her chest and busily waving her face from side to side as if in trouble.
　Mostly women, with men propped up at a slight distance to be distracted.
　It wouldn't help that they were popular with their own gender. It's unavoidable to be far from being a man.
　Still, isn't it shameful?　And Ars looked at the boys who couldn't break in.　

'Can I have a minute?'

　Ars raises his hand in a voice that seems to be drowning out now - though it is by a high-pitched female student's voice - and Ars raises his hand.
　Even in the midst of all this, Felinella didn't miss Ars's voice.

''Yes!　...........

　It's a bit of an afterthought, but I guess it's more like this than my relationship with Ars, given my position with freshmen.

I'm going to have to take on two of your mentors.

　But Ars wasn't able to switch between the two. Because of this, the gazes of the female students who were surrounding them all turned to Ars at once. Eyes that resemble hostility are poured all over her body as if stamping out prices.
　Although not spoken, "What's that attitude?　Who are you? I'm going to say.

'Oh, yes. All right ... don't take it easy.

　He answered immediately.
　The last word was directed at Ars personally rather than at the contestants.
　It's a good idea to have a good time with them.
　The stabbing gaze on the back immediately stops and the eyes of admiration are focused on Felinella again.

(It's really hard, considering that, am I still better off with just one more person?)

　And so on, Ars concluded, "No, it must be an extra effort.

　Well, it's fine if you know what you're doing. As long as you understand.........


　♢ ♢ ♢


I knew you didn't get it.

　As it was, they gathered in the training area that I had held down, as usual.
　It's one of the compartments within the division into ten equal parts. The reason why the blackout curtain is drawn as a matter of course is because there is an unspoken agreement not to pry into magic, even if it is training for a tournament. However, it would be inevitable that Felinella would occasionally patrol the area as a monitor and advisor to make sure that they weren't training in an unserious or poorly executed manner, at the very least.
　It was decided that she couldn't watch the players gathered under her care alone, so she would be the fifth person to join the faculty and instruct them extensively.

　Inside the pitch-black wall, the usual members were joined by one more.
　The training grounds are reserved for a minimum of two people, but since there is a limited number of them, if two or more people can use them, that's better.
　So even though it's two people, it can cause displeasure if two underclassmen are using it, and one person can do it in an empty space instead of in a compartment.
　In this case, it's not a problem in terms of space. The problem would be that if you train in the same place, you're going to get a lot of unwanted scrutiny.
　That's what I said Ars didn't understand, that's what I was talking about.

'Am I bothering you, Mr. Ars?'

　Ars seriously worries (what should I really do?) when Ciel apologizes with an apologetic, upward glance.

'No, not really, but...'

　Ars looks back hatefully as the red-haired girl glares at him behind Ciel.

(You got me involved in the affairs of the house and you're going to avenge me or this guy... or maybe you've already forgotten.)

　I don't think it will make things any better if I say so. Loki, standing aside, thinks coolly.
(If something goes wrong with this, Arus-sama will abandon the two of them.
　If it's important, it's tasteless, but Loki is silent, saying that even if it's a bit of a burden on Arus, it's surely a trivial matter considering the time he spends with the two of them.

　Ars held up one finger, hanging down a paragraph as if he had no choice.　

'Just one thing I promise. Can we please do this without prying into each other?
Yes. Of course.

　Ciel assumed it was magical prying. Even though she was a magician's chick, she was still a magician. So it's no surprise that prying into other people's magic is legal.

　Alice softly ears Tesfia, who shakes her head at the fact that she's been approved safely.

'Al's ranking is confidential, so we have to be careful.
Ah!
Didn't you have a plan, Fia?
Uh-huh.
Well, as long as you're careful you'll be fine... maybe.

　Ciel spoke to the two of them in a whisper.

'A month to the competition, let's do our best.
Uh-huh.
That's true.


　The first training session is for each of them to do their own tasks.
　Ars begins by throwing a ball to Loki to meditate on, to review.
　He manages to clear it, followed by the knife.

　Ciel looks at the scene with interest.
　She said she wasn't going to pry, but if she's trained in something she's never seen before, you can't blame her for being so studious that she stops moving.

'See, Ciel. You're going to train!

　Tesfia snorts in a teacherly manner.

'That said, what shall we start with?'
..........
........uh, practice?

　This was the answer Ciel had twisted out of her mind. The only training she could think of was a mock match or repetitive magic practice.

'Speaking of which, you two said you're being taught by Ars-kun, what exactly do you do?'
I think I'm a multiple and sustained magician.
'For my part, I'm trying to incorporate new magic into my practice, and the other thing Al says is to improve the accuracy of my coordinate recognition.

　He pointed to a round machine at a distance.
　A quizzical Ciel raised his voice with a startled face.

''--!　What's the point of being like that?
Do you have one?　Al says so.
''........Hmmm. You trust them a lot, don't you? Well, you were definitely strong, but I don't think you two are inferior. Are they good at teaching or something?

　The giggles were almost simultaneous for both of us.

'Uh-huh. You're good at this. You see, I don't pry.
'What!　Wasn't that magical?

　Alice hurriedly put a stop to prevent her from crossing the line, and when she realized that Ciel had misunderstood, she affirmed, remembering the contents of the secrecy.

'Yeah, maybe even other than magic,'

　What's Ciel's problem?　I thought to myself, but if I asked the two of them about it, they wouldn't tell me. I felt a bit of alienation, but I quickly came up with a theory.

(You have a painful past that you can't tell others about, right? Yeah, I understand, Ars-kun.)

　Ciel, who was complete on her own, pretended to roll up her sleeves and regained her spirits.

'Ciel, with our usual training, we'll be doing practice later in the day, so I think we should practice our magic until then.
Okay.


　Over the next few hours, occasionally Ars would give advice to Tesfia and Alice, and he would think. I think that perhaps the composition of the composition is made with Ars leaving out Ciel.
　I feel that way because it really isn't much of a difference between teaching two people or three people.
　And what a waste of training when you look at it, not to say that repetition is a waste of practice, but Ars doesn't recommend it.
　But since he said it himself, he has no right to take care of it.

　However, since there's a lot to be gained from match-style training on its own, we switch to a mock match with Ciel mixed in.
　Before I knew it, the presence of a large number of students filled the training grounds.


　It was going to be an all-out competition format, but in Loki's case, one on one didn't make much sense, so he was taking the form of one on three.
　Tesfia and Alice would be in close quarters and Ciel would attack from a distance. This was training for Loki.
　Tesfia and Alice are coordinating reasonably well, perhaps because of the results so far. Ciel was also able to support the attackers by interrupting it well and not getting in the way.
　As expected, Loki is not unharmed either - although it is only a scratch. That's because he'll be bounced back by Alice's reflection in time for the attack. This is also now.
　Alice's reflections can't be reflected if the difference in their strength is large. In other words, she must consume more magic than the target she is reflecting from.

　Loki, who is overwhelmed by speed, instantly leaves their sight and stands behind them.
　Ciel, who was looking down from a distance, immediately raised his voice.

''Both of you behind!''
...

　Loki muttered the name of the magic as if it had taken.

''【Flash】''

　A ball of lightning light bounces in front of them. The scene around them was painted over by the bright white light, and in an instant, the light filled the air, dazzling their eyes.
　Even though they prevented it with their hands, it took a few seconds for their vision to recover, almost at the same time as they turned around.
　They turned away through their hazy vision, barely catching Loki's back as he walked to Ciel.
　Ciel, too, saw a flicker in her eyes, if not as much as the two of them.
　It's difficult to exercise magic with this kind of vision. This is because the coordinates and direction cannot be specified. Even if you do release it, it's only linear and unfinished magic.

　Ars, of course, covered his eyes, and then slowly stood up. That was simply because the decision was near.

　Tesfia and Alice follow Loki's back with their wakeful steps. Gradually, as their vision returned, their legs increased in speed as if they were driving, and in front of them, Ciel managed to intercept them with his clod arm, but was easily dodged by Loki.
　Just before Ciel's pause, Loki's eyes came up to the edge. It is a sign that he noticed the two people closing in behind him.

　At the same time, a sword and a naginata were swung at Loki's back. A messy attack with an uncertain view.
　Loki, who dodged it by leaping directly above it, took out a single knife from his waist and danced high.

''Oh no!''
"I'm not going to let you go...　Oh, this pattern....

　The two men realized they had been lured in by knives stabbing around them immediately after they wielded the AWR. A total of seven knives were released to blind people, and an electric field gushed out through the holes in the hilt, gushing out over their heads.

　You'll be able to find a lot of people who will be able to help you.
　And then--.

【Lightning]

　--a thunderous roar.
　It fell between the three of them, discharging and lashing the ground with an electric current that drove the three of them to the point where they were unable to fight at the same time.
　If the battle is to be repeated after this, even though it is psychological damage, the less the better.
　The three men who held their foreheads and buttocks are frowning slightly from the dull pain.

''As expected, three figures is a different dimension. I don't feel like we can win even if it takes three people.

　As a side note, the current Loki's training has improved his fighting ability from before he turned into a detecting magician, so Ars estimates that he's in the double digits.

　Ciel stood up and glanced at Tesfia and Alice as he brushed his butt off with a wry smile.
　Ciel was getting impatient with the fact that the two of them had gained so much strength over the summer break that they looked different. She was usually the one who only taught them, but she had worked harder than anyone else over the summer, and she wanted to get closer, if not a little closer, to being able to stand on their shoulders. I thought I was getting close. That's how hard I worked from morning to night in training.
　However, the gap in ability was even wider.
　In fact, Ciel's grades in the department were faster than the bottom of the list, but even though he was inferior to the two of them when it came to practical skills, he didn't feel like he could lose to the other students of his age. That's why he thought he was close enough to reach out and snatch his fingertips.
　I wonder if they are now.
　Their backs were so far apart that their backs were hazy. So I couldn't help but let the word "talent" slip through my mind. Even though it was despicable, giving up was not an option for Ciel.
　I know it's not in my nature to be strangely extraneous, then let me absorb it from the two of you.
　The same can be said for Ars, who has outdone himself. All the faces here will help me.

'I'm used to it, but it's frustrating,'
Yeah.

　Ars interjects, dumbfounded.

'If you're used to it, don't take the invitation too soon. It's not a good idea to attack while your vision isn't fixed in the first place.'

　There are not a few demons who use dazzle when they go out into the outside world. I've been told that many newcomers break the leadership at such times and shoot magic in the midst of chaos. Even though they don't know how to deal with it, those who are used to fighting wouldn't do the foolish thing of launching an attack. Of course, Ars and Loki, the detection magician, are exceptions to this rule. It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them.
　It's a good idea to close the distance between you and your friends if you're a demon, but if you're an opponent, it's inevitable that you'll be attacked during that time. In that case, we should concentrate on keeping our distance and returning our vision.

''There are three of us now, but if it's one-on-one, I'd prefer to opt for time-buying magic.
Huh, Ars, you're quite the tactical expert, aren't you?
I think that's pretty common sense, don't you?
... hahaha...

　Cielle made a bitter face as she pointed out her lack of study and leaned back against the wall to let out her ragged breaths all at once.

''Arus-kun, you're not going to join us?''
No, I'm not...
You really can't train yourself all by yourself, can you? I'm resting, so don't bother me.

　Ciel pushed Ars back forcefully.
　There was no way around this, the amount of magic power was not something that could be increased immediately, Ciel was really tired. The amount of magic power is small enough to repeat the battle in succession. It's also the idea of being able to take a break just in time.

''Go get treated by Loki!
'Ah!　Wait Ciel, you see, Al looks at us more than he does...

　Alice would be unnatural if she said it herself. I couldn't find the exact words while hiding it.
　Then Tesfia supplemented?　No, would it be correct to say that he hung on to reinforce it in a bad way?

'Oh yeah, don't worry about that guy. "Yeah, don't worry about that guy, he's just trying to teach us what we want to know.
'What!'

　Would it be Alice or Ciel who raised her voice? It goes without saying that it was the same reaction even without raising his voice.
　But Alice's face turned to Tesfia with a bitter expression, as expected, and Ciel was a pervert!　And turned a guffawed eye to Ars.
　However--''

But since Ars-kun is also a contestant, it's not good not to train, is it?　Even Felinella-senpai is coming to watch.
I think he's gonna be okay.
That's not a problem.
'Aren't you two too focused on your individual results already?　We're all going to work hard to get a good grade.

　Tesfia and Alice couldn't argue with that. It was even beginning to seem like something they couldn't hide from. A reason not to train the contestants. That was just laziness.
　He said, "I'm trying to wrap my head around it.

'Well, all right. I wasn't going to change the training menu anyway.
Really? 'I don't know,' he overflows, 'but Ars hasn't forgotten that it was this red-haired girl who caused it in the first place.

'But I didn't bring my AWR with me...'
Oh, just take mine.

　Ciel offered, but Ars's gaze remained on Tesfia.

'All right,'

　Buzzy cheeks puffed out, Tesfia let go of the sword that she had never lent to anyone.

'Yes. This one will last as long as you don't perform any big moves. As expected, Loki's is a lightning system, and if you're training, another system would be better.
You really don't want to break this, it's a family heirloom.
I'm not going to mess that up!

　Huffing and puffing, Ars turned on his heel and walked out to the center alone.

''What!　Who are they?　It was three to one and we were trounced.

　The dubious looks were unconvincing. Or when he was about to give them both a disdainful look, wondering if it was a harassment against Ars.

Come on, Ciel. Come here.

　So beckoned Tesfia, who had moved to a corner of the compartment with Alice.

'You should have looked closer,'
Well, you'll see.

　There is no lewdness on their faces. On the contrary, they are staring at the center of the room, trying not to miss a shred of space.
　Then a thin film is spread out to cover the three of them.

''What is this?''
Al's barricade. You can't see it without it.

　When Alice touched the inside of the membrane with her pecker, something like a ripple spread.
　Ciel follows suit and tries to touch it too, but she can't understand what it is. I'm sure you'll be able to see that it's similar to the walls of a training ground, only that it's strangely protected.


''Please, Ars-sama,''
'Well, it's the usual drill. We'll do what we always do, but this time it's the ice system.

　And Ars peeked his sword out of its scabbard a bit.