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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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“I won’t lose.”
Michelle didn’t behave in an unladylike manner by wiping her face with her sleeve.
Instead, she used telekinesis to wipe away her nosebleed.
Then, she brought out three steel spheres that she usually utilized as weapons by using her telekinetic power.
“Are you going to attack?”
“The best defense is ultimately offense, isn’t it?”
Adrian responded with a slight smile.
It wasn’t entirely wrong.
To win a battle, one must defend what needs to be defended and strike what needs to be struck.
However, if one could launch a perfect attack without giving the opponent a turn, Michelle’s words would also be correct.
But…
‘Your level hasn’t reached that point yet.’
At this stage, Michelle was just a novice, despite being labeled as a genius.
She needed to master defense by using acceleration before she could focus on offense.
How could he teach her the importance of defense?
Well, there was only one way.
‘I’ll have to push her to the brink of death.’
Adrian’s eyes sharpened.
He wasn’t doing this out of malice.
On the contrary, it was because he cared.
Really.
“Ugh!”
As Michelle bit her lip tightly, the three spheres flew towards Adrian.
Unlike the affectionate Adrian, the incoming spheres were filled with malice.
For some reason, Michelle seemed determined to land at least one hit on Adrian.
“Too slow.”
The professor didn’t even bother to cast a protective spell, simply twisting his body to avoid the spheres.
That would be quite a blow to one’s pride as the attacker.
“Hmph.”
But even that seemed to be within her expectations, as Michelle quickly drew a magic formula.
The formula of acceleration.
And the formula of telekinetic transformation.
Despite having just started using it in actual combat, Michelle’s skill in accelerating the activation was quite remarkable.
How beautiful was the rapidly unfolding telekinesis…
The characteristic green color of telekinesis gradually changed to blue.
Defying the laws of physics, the intertwined trajectory of the spheres once again aimed for Adrian’s head.
‘Not bad.’
Even Adrian hadn’t expected her to be able to utilize it to this extent so soon.
But perhaps the title of genius, and the value of the Meinans family name weren’t for nothing.
She showed capabilities that were far beyond expectations.
It was so impressive, that he almost wanted to intentionally let this attack hit him.
Well, even so.
‘I can’t go easy on you. To make you a true genius.’
“Nngh!”
Michelle once again bit her lip as she activated the acceleration formula.
Ting!
Ting!
However, Adrian also accelerated his protective magic to deflect the spheres.
Was she really facing a person?
It felt like hitting an unyielding wall.
Inside this training ground, Michelle’s spheres moved brilliantly and quickly.
But Adrian simply stood still, blocking them.
Michelle’s body gradually became drenched in sweat.
No matter how hard she hit, nothing broke, and when she tried to feint, he never fell for it.
The more she attacked, the more exhausted Michelle became.
‘She’s reaching her limit.’
Soon, her magic began to run out.
If one expects different results while repeating the same attack, that’s insanity.
Michelle had enough sense to realize this.
So there was only one option left.
With a crunching sound, the three spheres merged into one large sphere.
Michelle gritted her teeth and infused the sphere with telekinesis.
“Nnnngh!”
The blue energy had long overpowered the green.
Charlotte and Isabel marveled from behind, but their admiration didn’t reach Michelle’s ears.
She intended to end it with this one shot.
With this one attack…
But then.
‘He’s faster.’
The magic formula that Adrian started drawing was much quicker.
It was as if time had stopped for the entire world.
Yet only Adrian’s formula was being drawn at normal speed, rapidly.
What was this?
Compared to his acceleration, hers seemed “painfully slow.”
Michelle desperately moved the sphere.
If she could properly strike from the left, she could at least pressure one direction.
So if she only defended the right…
No.
Swoosh—!
With a threatening sound that cut through the air, a mana arrow flew towards Michelle.
‘The formula of Psychic Ground…’
Though she knew she needed to draw it, her hands wouldn’t respond.
It wasn’t because she was flustered.
It was because she clearly calculated that even if she started drawing now, it would already be too late.
At this rate, it would pierce her forehead.
Was she really going to die?
Her bandaged leg lost strength and staggered.
“That’s enough.”
Thwack!
With his words, the saw-toothed mana arrow barely touched Michelle’s forehead and stopped.
The telekinetic girl, looking as if her soul had left her body, fell back powerlessly.
Or rather, she should have fallen.
But she didn’t end up hitting the ground.
Instead, with a soft sound, she was caught by something broad.
“Oh.”
When she came to her senses, she found herself in Adrian’s arms.
Michelle looked up at Adrian with a blank expression.
“Come to think of it, your leg was broken. I was thoughtless. I pushed you too hard.”
That was true, but also half wrong.
…Yes, her leg was broken, but that wasn’t why she collapsed.
She just sat down because she was afraid she might die.
However, the pride of the Meinens family wouldn’t allow her to voice this truth.
“I’ll acknowledge my mistake this time. Tell me when you’ve recovered.”
Hmm… what should she say?
In fact, she could stand up right now if she wanted to.
She just suddenly got too scared and frightened, so she sat down.
“If you understand, do better next time.”
Nevertheless, the girl replied that way.
Even she didn’t know why she answered like that.
Instead, she slightly grasped Adrian’s sleeve.
“…My leg cramped. Just now.”
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“Ugh…”
“Oh my…”
Not long after, Charlotte, Isabel, and Lotten met the same fate as Michelle.
Ah, that doesn’t mean they ended up in Adrian’s arms, but rather that they were sprawled on the floor.
“Stop exaggerating and get up. All of you.”
This wasn’t an exaggeration.
Unlike Michelle, these three really had cramps all over their bodies.
They wanted to protest to Adrian that it wasn’t an exaggeration, but they couldn’t even do that.
To protest, one needs to have the energy left to speak.
But now, the students didn’t even have the energy to talk.
Isabel tried to raise her trembling hand but gave up.
‘I can’t even use self-healing, damn it…’
It was a ruthless supplementary training session, to the point of being ridiculous.
Isabel was in charge of healing magic, but it didn’t make sense that her hands wouldn’t move enough to even perform self-healing.
‘Well, I guess it does make sense.’
It made sense, that’s why they were all sprawled on the floor like that.
“Only 6 days left. If you keep this up for just 6 more days, you’ll surely be able to win the magic competition.”
“The last one out should clean up and return.”
After adding those words, Adrian left leisurely.
The students wanted to follow him, but they didn’t have the energy to do so.
“Is this… is this… right? Is it…?”
As soon as Adrian disappeared, Isabel muttered.
“Shut up. He said we can win if we do this, didn’t he?”
Lotten’s rebuke.
“Yeah, we probably can win if we do this. If we can’t win after nearly dying like this, are we even human?”
As everyone was lying down and panting, suddenly three people entered the training ground.
“This time, I’ll show you the training ground! If you see specifically how the donation is being used, I’m sure your heart will be moved… Uh, huh?! W-What’s this!”
One was Principal Violet.
The other two were unfamiliar figures.
Judging by their noble air, they seemed to be wealthy aristocrats.
Violet rushed over to check the students’ faces and then let out a sigh of relief.
“Phew… I thought they were corpses! Why do you all look like this? Hm?”
No one answered.
They still had no energy.
Anyway, Violet waved her hand and continued explaining to the white-haired lady.
“Ahaha~ These kids are failing grade students, so they get tired quickly. That’s probably why they’re like this. They’re quite lacking in stamina…”
The white-haired lady just nodded.
She was like glass artwork.
What was beyond those sunglasses?
Probably jewel-like eyes.
“Didn’t you say Professor Adrian was instructing them well?”
“I’ll definitely check on that myself!”
But then.
“Professor Adrian is instructing us well.”
Someone boldly interjected into the conversation.
It was Charlotte Forte.
The principal and the guest naturally turned their heads towards Charlotte.
“Y-You! Be quiet! Do you know who this person is!”
The principal’s face turned pale, but Charlotte continued steadfastly.
“It’s just that our abilities are lacking. Professor Adrian is providing the best guidance. So… don’t say anything bad about him.”
Perhaps intrigued by those words, the lady approached Charlotte and bent her knee to meet her eye level.
“You seem to have quite a lot of loyalty to Adrian.”
“Yes, I do.”
“What is Adrian to you as a student?”
“He’s my everything.”
Charlotte stared straight at the other person.
As if she would never back down.
That crazy girl!
The principal’s face turned from pale to blue.
If they suddenly decide not to donate because of this, are you going to take responsibility, you fool?!
But contrary to the principal’s expectation, the lady smiled warmly.
“…He must be quite a good professor.”
With those words, she stood up.
Thud—
But in the process of standing up, her foot caught on Isabel’s fallen leg.
Fortunately, she didn’t fall, but with a clatter, her sunglasses fell to the floor.
“Ah…”
The moment their eyes met beyond the sunglasses Charlotte unconsciously blurted out.
“Hey! What are you doing! You should pick them up quickly!”
“Ah, ah… Yes.”
Charlotte hurriedly picked up the sunglasses.
The attendant next to her quickly snatched them and put them back on the lady’s face.
“Now, we’re done with the students, let’s look at the facilities over here—”
Violet led the attendant and the lady far away to a corner of the training ground.
“….What was that.”
Charlotte muttered with a dazed expression.
The moment their eyes met, she felt a terror as if all the blood in her body had frozen.
A familiar sensation.
Similar to when she lost her parents.
The eyes beyond the sunglasses that only Charlotte saw were—
“Red…?”
They were eyes that could hardly be called human.
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