Arnold Habsburg had thought that his acceptance into the Imperial Magic Academy was proof that he was special. Even back in primary school, he'd been ahead of his peers — not just academically but also in his command over Mana. It quickly became clear that he had the potential to become a Spellcaster.
So he'd trained. His family invested in his education, even hiring a personal tutor. He progressed quickly, and his abilities were recognized, which led him to his first year at the Imperial Academy.
But just as fast as his rise had been, he realized that things were different here. He was surrounded by talent, some with even better training and family backgrounds than his own.
Surrounded by princesses and heirs to powerful families, Arnold quickly learned whom to avoid if he wanted to survive and advance at the Academy.
But this competition, fueled by Professor Tass' unique opinion, was the perfect opportunity to secure his place among the students.
He only had to steer clear of the true threats, like the Imperial twins or the young Lord Jradan, and he'd surely come out on top and earn a high rank.
With that in mind, he and his teammates, Jenny and Han, had set their sights on the weaker teams. By doing so, they'd be able to capture terminals and eliminate the competition.
The contest had been going on for half an hour already. Arnold and his team had waited patiently — and now their chance had arrived. A message on their Smartwatches informed them that a terminal had been activated in a building a few blocks away.
"Let's go!" Arnold ordered.
Jenny and Han followed as he led them through the streets of the city district. The other team would need ten minutes to claim the terminal fully. During that time, his team could wrest control from them.
Arnold wasn't stupid. As they'd entered the city district, he'd kept an eye on which directions the teams were heading. None of the truly dangerous ones should be nearby. The only one he'd even known was that poor kid that got beat up by Lord Jradan.
"Hey, look ahead of us," Jenny said, pointing.
Three other students in uniform were also hurrying toward the activated terminal.
Arnold clicked his tongue.
He was aware that they probably weren't the only ones nearby, but he'd hoped he wouldn't have to fight multiple teams for control.
With more Spellcasters, things got chaotic fast. It was easy to get hit by a spell from a blind spot, especially considering the wide range of spells and Spellcasters here.
A moment later, another team came rushing out of an alley.
"Maybe we should look for another terminal," Han said uncertainly.
Arnold clenched his teeth.
He didn't know Han well, but he had no desire to work with cowards.
"Oh, yeah? Do you happen to know of one?" he snapped, and as if fate had a sense of irony, his Smartwatch received a new message.
Han glanced at his own watch and grinned.
"Apparently, I do. Three blocks behind us — and it looks like the other teams aren't turning back."
Arnold narrowed his eyes at the mocking tone in his teammate's voice. He almost wanted to insist on going after the first terminal out of sheer defiance.
But that would be stupid. And Arnold was no fool.
"Fine, we'll go for the new one. Move it, before the others change their minds."
Arnold's team turned around, and after only two minutes, they arrived at the building from which the signal had come.
Even though Arnold knew it belonged to the Academy, he'd never have guessed from the outside. It looked like an office building, with the only difference being that all the curtains were drawn.
Arnold glanced around one last time. He couldn't see any other teams on the street. It looked like they'd be able to capture the terminal without interference. Defending it might be harder, but Arnold was confident in his abilities.
He would come out on top in this competition. And the opposing team inside this building was merely the first obstacle to be eliminated.
"Once we're inside, we split up and search for the terminal. No one acts on their own unless I give permission. Han, the communication spell," Arnold said more sharply than he needed to.
Han grimaced but cast the spell without protest.
"Spider Thread."
Spider Thread was a moderately difficult communication spell. Like all communication spells, it was a mix between sensory and creation magic.
A visible strand of light green Mana extended from Han's fingertips, connecting to Jenny and Arnold before attaching itself to the backs of their heads and becoming invisible to the naked eye.
"Be careful. If someone notices the thread, they can sever our communication," Han added.
Arnold nodded and checked his watch. Seven minutes left until the other team would claim the terminal. More than enough time.
"I'll go in first," Jenny said suddenly, opening the door to the building.
Arnold frowned.
"Why? My body spells make me the most durable."
Jenny glanced doubtfully at Han and then at Arnold.
"I'm stronger than you."
Jenny opened the door and stepped inside. A flicker of anger flashed in Arnold's eyes.
Then, in the next instant, a rune lit up in bright orange Mana.
Arnold's eyes widened as the ground beneath Jenny exploded.
A hot shockwave hit Arnold, and he closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, Jenny was lying on the ground in front of him, and he could just make out the automatic barrier from her Smartwatch dissolving.
His mouth hung open in shock. Inside the building, the last remnants of a rune spell etched on the floor faded before the lights in the hallway flicked on.
At the end of the hallway stood a lone student, a boy with close-cropped black hair and an ugly scar on his cheek.
The boy grinned, raised his hand, and waved at them.
Arnold's thoughts hadn't yet fully formed as he looked first at the boy and then at his teammate lying on the ground.
Jenny's barrier had been triggered. She was out. In a single moment, his team was down to just two members.
A wave of anger swept over Arnold. He glared at the enemy student.
"You coward! Fight like a man."
He heard only a short laugh before the boy disappeared around a corner. Arnold clenched his fists. He ran into the building and down the hall, but not before quickly casting a Water Drop spell to check the corridor for other traps.
It appeared the other team had only had time to set up a single rune spell. But even that didn't make sense — no one could create a rune spell in just a few minutes, let alone one powerful enough to take down a Spellcaster.
Jenny had been careless, but a half-heartedly scrawled rune spell shouldn't have taken her out. This meant the enemy had started preparing much earlier — long before they'd activated the terminal.
Arnold wasn't sure what to make of this. On one hand, it showed that at least one student on the opposing team was thinking ahead.
On the other hand, it also meant they weren't confident in their abilities. Otherwise, they wouldn't have wasted so much time before even activating the terminal. A strong team wouldn't need to prepare like this. They were wasting their precious time in the competition.
By that logic, Arnold was confident he could beat them in direct combat.
"Han! Go right and find the terminal. I'll chase down that bastard. He wants to lure us away from the terminal. Once you've located it, inform me. I'll have taken him out by then," Arnold practically shouted at his teammate.
Han nodded grimly. It seemed Jenny's early elimination had finally jolted him awake. At least he wasn't acting like a coward anymore.
Arnold and Han split up.
The hallway led Arnold into a large storage room. Several tall shelves filled with boxes were lined up like dominoes. The lights were on, but he couldn't see anyone yet.
"Water Drop."
There. He sensed another Mana source somewhere in the room. That coward was hiding.
"Come out and fight!" Arnold called into the storage room.
But there was no response. Arnold clenched his teeth, but then he grinned. He now knew for sure that he was stronger than his opponent.
"Blood Gate, open!"
Now that he knew the enemy was in the room, Arnold no longer needed sensory spells. Instead, he cast his most powerful body spell, Blood Gate.
Immediately, he felt his entire body grow stronger. His muscles became more powerful and explosive, yet everything felt light as a feather. With this spell, he'd once even defeated his personal teacher, a trained Spellcaster.
In this state, no one but a few monsters could beat him in direct combat.
And since the professor hadn't said anything about restraint within the buildings, Arnold was free to unleash his full strength.
He grabbed the shelf in front of him and yanked it to the side, toppling it onto the next one. If the enemy wanted to hide, Arnold would simply bring his cover down on his head.
With several loud crashes, one shelf after another fell over. But he heard no screams or footsteps. Then it was quiet again.
Arnold's alertness rose. He hadn't seen or heard a thing from that arrogant student, but he knew he was here. Somewhere.
[Arnold]
A voice — Han's voice — sounded in his head. That was the effect of the Spider Thread spell.
[I've found the terminal. I think it's unguarded.]
Arnold narrowed his eyes. Unguarded? That was hardly possible.
[Wait for me. I'm almost done here,] Arnold replied.
But there was no answer. No, it wasn't that Han didn't want to respond.
Arnold turned around just in time to see the grinning student standing a few meters behind him, a Spellsword in hand, before suddenly the lights in the building went out.
It took Arnold only a millisecond to regain his bearings, and he leaped into the darkness, unleashing a powerful kick aimed directly at the enemy.
But his foot didn't hit the target, only the floor, shattering it.
'He severed the threads!'
And not just that. With Blood Gate active, Arnold's physical abilities were far beyond anything a human could achieve. In this state, he didn't even need a barrier spell to stop a bullet. He could run faster than a car. Yet even then, the student had dodged in that short time.
And now Arnold had lost him. His eyes hadn't yet adjusted to the sudden darkness.
Without hesitation, Arnold swung his fist around. His punch connected with a wall, punching a hole into the next room. But the enemy wasn't there.
"Where are you? Can you only hide?!" Arnold shouted angrily.
Again, there was no response. He didn't even hear a sound.
Arnold realized what was happening here. The enemy had severed their connection and was now trying to buy time. The student might not even be alone. Otherwise, he would never have been able to turn off the lights at the perfect moment and then disappear as silently as a ghost.
The unguarded terminal was a double bluff. Arnold had fallen for it.
'They know they can't beat me, so they're trying to deceive me. Not on my watch!'
If these cowards wanted to play this game, he'd give them what they wanted. Arnold tensed his muscles, ready to charge down the hall to join Han when he suddenly noticed two faintly glowing points beside him.
Eyes. Catlike eyes.
In the next instant, something sharp struck his unprotected side. Arnold staggered from the blow, but the barrier spell didn't activate, as the hit wasn't strong enough to potentially pierce his enhanced skin.
Arnold regained his balance and tried to strike at the enemy in the darkness, but he missed again.
Veins on his forehead began to bulge with rage.
Once more, he looked for those faintly glowing eyes, but he couldn't see them. He strained his vision, searching and searching.
The lights suddenly flicked on, and he was momentarily blinded.
"Mana Bullet," he heard a voice say, just before a sharp pain shot through him as though someone had punched a hole in his side.