"Become the sword that carries out my will, and manifest in this world!"
Kwaaaaang—!
With a tremendous roar, the spray that burst forth swallowed my vision in an instant.
It was a violent wave of mana, enough to shake the ritual chamber.
Droplets splashed in every direction, stinging my skin.
"Eek, it's cold!"
Yurika screamed and backed away, clutching the duck.
Justia, too, covered her face with her arm and furrowed her brow.
Amid the thick steam, a form tinged with blue light slowly revealed its outline.
"……Ho."
I swept back my wet hair and stared at the being.
Behind Evan, an illusion shimmered as if a massive wave were surging upward.
Standing at its center was a spirit whose entire body was made of transparent water.
Within its gracefully curved body, currents of water constantly churned, glowing blue like veins.
When it swept its hand once, the moisture in the air condensed, forming sharp ice crystals.
Evan smiled through his wet hair, intoxicated with victory.
The spirit settled gently over his shoulder, its blue eyes flashing as if guarding its master.
"What do you think, Mr. Taesan? This should be enough to soak you, shouldn't it?"
"Isn't it hard for an intermediate summon to use field magic? Mana consumption aside, controlling it should be tricky in itself."
Justia tilted her head and offered a sharp observation.
To wield field magic that altered the surrounding environment to one’s advantage was something that would make even most high-level summoners click their tongues.
"That’s true. Alone."
Evan swept back his wet bangs and replied leisurely.
His eyes were filled with certainty.
"But as you know, my combat style is a little unusual."
When he snapped his fingers, the water spirit floating behind him flowed down like liquid and wrapped around his body.
Transparent streams covered Evan’s entire body like armor, emitting a blue glow.
"Possession. It’s a method where the spirit and the caster become one, maximizing mana efficiency."
Evan’s voice resonated strangely.
It carried an odd reverberation, as if he were speaking underwater.
"My body itself becomes the field. In this state, there’s no need to go out of my way to change the surrounding environment. Wherever I stand, wherever my hands reach—that is the domain of water."
"This is more impressive than I thought."
Justia narrowed her eyes and looked Evan over from head to toe.
A peculiar smile hung on her lips.
"Becoming a field all by yourself. Evan, you really came prepared, didn’t you?"
"Of course. If I want to beat Mr. Taesan, this much preparation is only natural."
Evan smiled as he swept back his wet hair.
The water armor enveloping his body melted away, and he returned once more to the appearance of an ordinary boy.
But the cool pressure I had felt moments ago still lingered in the air.
"Now, shall we head back? We’ll catch a cold if we stay wet."
As he seated himself in the wheelchair again, Yurika quickly handed him a towel.
"Here you go, Lord Evan. But are you really all right? It looked incredibly cold."
"Haha, I’m fine. A spirit’s water doesn’t steal body heat."
Evan wiped away the moisture with the towel Yurika had given him and turned his wheelchair around.
I was staring blankly at his back when a hand suddenly tapped my shoulder, bringing me back to my senses.
"What are you doing, Mr. Taesan? Did you get scared?"
Justia grinned mischievously and poked me in the side.
In her arms, she was still holding a bright yellow duck.
"Quack?"
The thing tilted its head and looked up at me.
Blank eyes and an orange beak.
Compared to Evan’s overwhelming spirit, it was an endlessly small and adorable creature that could hardly even be mentioned in the same breath.
"Who got scared?"
I gave a deliberate cough and straightened my shoulders.
***
The afternoon sunlight pouring through the window cast long shadows across the classroom floor.
The only sound breaking the silence was chalk scraping against the blackboard.
"Therefore, establishing control over a summon does not simply mean issuing commands, but spiritual synchronization between the caster and the object. Understood?"
Professor Raven’s voice was dry.
Monotonous, as if an old recorder were being played, without even a speck of emotion mixed in.
Without so much as glancing at the students, he was controlling a severed corpse hand floating in the air, drawing a complex magic circle on the blackboard.
"Haahm…."
I propped up my chin, holding back a yawn.
Looking beside me, I saw Justia taking notes diligently with sparkling eyes, and Evan, seated in his wheelchair, was also following Raven’s explanation with a focused expression.
‘A summon attending class, huh.’
Wasn’t this a little too much?
Just because I was human, I was treated like luggage and forced to squat at the back of the classroom.
Beside me, a large ogre was sleeping with a snore, and in the opposite corner, a lump of slime was wobbling.
At this point, I couldn’t tell whether this was a school or a monster den.
"You in the back."
The sudden, chilling voice jolted me awake.
Professor Raven had turned his head from the blackboard and was staring straight at me.
No, to be precise, he was looking at the ogre beside me, sleeping and drooling.
"Wake up your summon. Its snoring is louder than my lecture."
At his words, the students burst into giggles.
The male student who owned the ogre turned bright red and hurriedly shook the ogre awake.
"Kroooogh!"
The ogre sprang up with a roar, overturning the desk with a crash.
The classroom instantly descended into chaos.
"……How distracting."
Raven clicked his tongue and snapped his fingers.
Then the corpse hand floating in the air flew over in an instant and slapped the ogre on the back of the head.
"Be quiet. Next time, I’ll sew that mouth shut."
The ogre shrank back in terror, and the students held their breath once more.
As if nothing had happened, Raven turned his gaze back to the blackboard.
"Now, let us continue. The core of the spiritual synchronization I explained earlier is……."
I rested my chin on my hand and looked out the window.
After all, the blue sky was far more interesting than that disgusting hand crawling across the blackboard.
"Enough."
Professor Raven clapped his stiff hands, drawing everyone’s attention.
The corpse hand crawling over the blackboard stopped, and his numb gaze slowly swept over the students.
"As you know, today is Friday. Regular classes end in the morning, and in the afternoon, you are given autonomous battle time. In other words, it is the day when you may challenge the professor of your choice and obtain a badge."
The students’ eyes shifted subtly.
Tension, anticipation, and a strange competitive spirit mingled in their gazes.
Under the academy’s system, collecting professors’ badges was the only lifeline to proving one’s ability and advancing to the Grand Battle.
But a twisted smile appeared at the corner of Raven’s mouth.
"However, not today."
At his firm declaration, the classroom stirred.
"There will be no badges for you to take. Not from me, and not from any of the other professors either."
"What do you mean, sir? According to the rules…."
One student gathered his courage and raised his hand, but his words trailed off under Raven’s chilling gaze.
"The rules? Of course the rules remain in effect. You are free to challenge us. But keep this in mind. During the first week, not a single professor will give you some courtesy battle."
He tapped the blackboard.
"It means there will be no taking it easy on you as part of a freshman welcome. If you truly want to take a badge, you’ll have to face a professor fighting at full strength and crush them purely with your own ability. I wonder if any of you possess the nerve and skill for that."
At the mocking question, the classroom fell silent as if cold water had been poured over it.
Raven nodded as though satisfied.
"If you understand your place, quietly make the rounds of the training grounds. Don’t end up in the hospital out of pointless bravado."
Lastly, he glanced at Justia and Evan in his wheelchair, then added indifferently.
"Of course, if there happen to be any exceptional ones among you, that may be a different story. I’ll look forward to it, Rosenheart."
The moment he finished speaking, the bell rang out.
Raven left the classroom without looking back.
Among the students left behind, a heavy silence settled, along with a strange sense of impending conflict.
"That man is provoking us on purpose, isn’t he?"
Justia muttered, biting her lip.
I grinned and shrugged.
"Then we should take the bait. If you hear a provocation like that and stay still, you’re not a Rosenheart, are you?"
"Hmph, Mr. Taesan. You sure talk a good game."
Justia snorted, but her eyes were already burning with fighting spirit.
Beside her, Evan also quietly clenched and unclenched his fist, as though he had resolved something.
A professor fighting at full strength.
All the better.
It was the perfect opportunity to confirm our true abilities.
"Evan, which professor are you going to see?"
Justia asked as she pushed Evan’s wheelchair.
The corridor was crowded with students pouring out after class, but we naturally walked against the flow.
"The professor who handles the fire attribute."
Evan answered calmly.
There was no hesitation in his voice.
"I drew a water spirit, so they’re the opponent I have the highest chance against. I’ve even heard that professor mainly handles ordinary summons. With my spiritization ability, which physical attacks don’t work on, I think I have more than enough of a chance."
"That’s just like you, Evan. Thoroughly calculating."
Justia clicked her tongue in admiration and shook her head.
But there was recognition and anticipation mingled in her eyes.
Indeed, his judgment was cool and precise.
"Then what about you, my lady? Where are we going?"
Yurika asked while stroking the duck in her arms.
The thing was still quacking away with a blank expression.
Justia seemed to think for a moment, then curled the corner of her mouth into a grin.
"As for us… well. Why don’t we watch Evan first and decide afterward?"
"Huh? We’re only going to watch?"
"No. It’s reconnaissance, reconnaissance. Checking the abilities of a rival is an important strategy too."
She feigned nonchalance and tapped Evan on the shoulder.
"Now, let’s go, Evan. I’ll be sure to watch closely and see exactly how you win."