Practical Ground Test Arc: Chapter 15.
Hojou Sathoru and Kaye Ketsk carried Lyle Cass, their fallen team leader, to another spot. Catherine Aber muttered a chant, activating an exhaustion recovery spell. Eya Herfin joined in, also casting an exhaustion recovery spell.
Lyle Cass's body was surrounded by swirling green and blue lights as the spell took hold. Slowly but surely, their team leader's face lightened as their eyes jittered. He was waking up.
"Life Essence. That's a really useful spell. Sometimes, I get envious of spellcasters."
Hojou added, conjuring a pistol crossbow and sighing at the conjuration. His spellcasting ability was practical, boringly mundane.
"Isn't that spellcasting?"
Eya added, wiping the sweat away from Lyle's face.
"Rudimentary, but yes. Conjuring both temporary weapons and ammunition isn't that flashy."
Hojou added and shrugged his envy away, conjuring a small shield and gently fanning Lyle, offering a breath of fresh air.
"He's waking up."
Kaye Ketsk added while wearing her uniform and feeling a bit uncomfortable due to it being dampened by her sweat. She sighed and glanced at the other exhausted teams, collapsed on the ground.
⟐⟐⟐
Lyle Cass opened his eyes, his vision slowly clearing, and spotted his teammates. He tried to shift his sitting position, but his legs and thighs were throbbing painfully, a sign of severe muscle strain. His shoulders throbbed, every muscle crying for respite after the effort.
Every bit of his body was screaming for rest.
"Thanks, leader. We made it because of you. We passed because of you."
Hojou happily smiled and commented as Kaye politely nodded, unable to fully express her gratitude.
Lyle glanced at his body, seeing the small streaks of light appearing and disappearing. Immediately recognizing that he was under the effects of either a restoration or recovery spell.
He glanced at the two female supporters, Catherine and Eya. He nodded gratefully, but a lingering thought persisted.
"Why didn't you two cast those spells when we were running? You could've saved me from a lot of pain." He questioned, grunting and groaning.
(I wonder if there's a setting in the
He thought, but was still outwardly impressed by the immersion. Thinking that it's the best entertainment system of the decade.
"We've considered it, but it's quite difficult. If we ever stop casting it on ourselves, we would've collapsed a long time ago. We had to keep a steady stream between us two."
Catherine Aber argued, explaining the difficulty.
"I had a feeling that was the reason. It's okay, no need to be defensive. So long as we passed, everything's all good."
Lyle Cass reasoned, smiling and chuckling softly. He rose, sensing that the restoration was already sufficient. He gestured for the two supporters to stop.
Madame Cassie Cydonia clapped once, catching the attention of the remaining teams. A small smile formed on her face, satisfied with the results. She coughed, clearing her throat before announcing the teams that have passed.
"Team three has passed."
"Team four has passed."
"Team five has passed."
"Team seven has passed."
"Team eight has passed."
"Now, the school has no time for lazy students, stand up and follow me."
She declared, walking away while checking her notes. The other instructors followed, also checking their notes while mumbling to each other.
The students followed anxiously, trying to focus on the instructor's mumblings. Everyone knows that this school had the harshest instructors and teachers. Their analysis could prove whether you're a stunning success or an utter failure.
After some time of walking deeper in the forest, the remaining teams have arrived at the next test. It was an old abandoned arena, smaller than the one mainly used for the school tournament. The old arena entrance was covered in vines and foliage.
However, despite the age and wear. It was a photographic sight, similar to an old world ruin. Birds were perched atop the vines, unbothered by the people that have recently arrived.
Madame Cassie Cydonia faced the students, adjusting her uniform. The instructors entered the arena, mumbling and disappearing inside.
"The next test is a stealth test. Your team must remain undetected for at least twenty minutes inside the old arena. There are floating eyes inside that will look for you, and you must avoid them at all costs."
Madame Cassie Cydonia announced, reading and flipping a page in her notebook.
"May we go first?"
A feminine voice suggested, raising a hand within the crowd of students. A confident expression plastered on her face, smirking smugly.
It was Freya May, the self-proclaimed rival of the Rapier Queen, Mary Anne Grace. Freya stole a glance at the nonchalant Mary Anne Grace, who was quietly wiping her silver rapier's blade,
When compared, the two were direct opposites.
Mary Anne Grace, despite the taxing marathon earlier, effortlessly displayed an unblemished and unaffected appearance. Her graceful beauty was untarnished.
In contrast.
Freya May was unquestionably sapped. A portion of her makeup faded as the rolling sweat smudged it away. Her attractive appearance was overshadowed by the drudgery.
⟐⟐⟐
Madame Cassie Cydonia hummed approvingly, accepting Freya May's eagerness. However, she couldn't help but spot a student with a gold potential behind Freya May.
A gold student following the orders of a purple student was something you don't encounter every day. Madame Cassie Cydonia squinted her eyes, momentarily curious about the shifting class hierarchy, but nevertheless accepted it.
(Kilroy Better, a talented spellcaster who rivals that twelfth-grade spellcaster when it comes to magical output. I guess, so long as he can cast his spells, he doesn't care who to follow.)
"I like your attitude. I hope you can bite more than you can bark, team leader Freya May."
Madame Cassie Cydonia remarked, observing the fifth team vanish inside. Several strobe lights began to appear above the busy teacher, forming the numbers 20:00. It was a timer.
The countdown has started, starting an audible ticking sound.
Some of the students started to sit, but Madame Cassie Cydonia shot a glare, sending a wave of hostile intent. Instantly snapping the students to stand up straight.
That was a mistake.
Madame Cassie Cydonia sighed, facepalming upon realizing that she had returned to her old habits. A sigh escaped her, already thinking of the reprimand from the head administrator.
⟐⟐⟐
⟐ Ten minutes have passed.
Lyle Cass rubbed his face, sighing after heavy deliberation. He has made a decision, an unpopular decision that would no doubt be turned down by his teammates.
He gestured for his teammates to huddle and discuss the scheme he came up with. The hesitation permeated upon looking at his teammates' anxious expressions until he finally decided to blurt it out.
"We need to lose and go back to class."
Time seemed to freeze as the words left his mouth. Lyle Cass suggested it straightforwardly as his four teammates' expressions froze upon hearing his plan. In unison, the four of them thought that they were probably hearing the words wrong.
"W-what? What do you mean, leader?"
Hojou, the first to speak, furrowed his brow and looked at Lyle with intense curiosity, breaking the tense silence.
(These kids won't ever accept defeat. Surrender is a foreign term for these ambitious lots, but if we don't quit now, then we'd lose even harder.)
Lyle Cass thought, avoiding his teammates' gazes, and gestured for them to look at the remaining teams. Explaining the power disparity.
"Look, there are five teams left, and except for our team, every other team has a gold potential. First, team seven. Mary Anne Grace and Hanna Bae are in the same team, and they're both gold!"
"In team three, they have that Loid Ferener, a combat expert and a mean one at that. In team five, the team that volunteered to be first has that emotionless magic caster. Last but not least, that tall guy dual-wielding two long swords as if it's not a hassle. Team eight."
"And us, team four, with only a purple. We can't win, no matter what we try."
He pointed at each team in turn, silence falling over them as reality sank in. The odds were indeed stacked against them.