I specialize in melee combat magic and close combat with this sword. What about you, Twight?

　After deciding to join forces, Elysia quickly moved into a strategy meeting.
　I'm not going to be able to do that," she said as she lifted her sword.

You can use melee and ranged. You can use melee combat, remote fire, and fixed point.

It's versatile. Are you good at single combat?

Well, sort of. That's why it can't use support systems.

　So it's not all-purpose.

　There are five main types of magic.
　There are five main types of magic: close combat, close support, remote fire, remote support, and fixed point.
　Proximity, distance, and fixed point indicate the area of effect of the spell. For example, the area of effect of a proximity spell is the area of the target that the magician can touch.

　And the fighting and shooting types indicate the use of the spell. It is literally a classification of whether the magic is useful in close combat or in long-distance combat.

　Most of the missions I've been given by the agency have been solo. Even when I did have a team, it was often small, and I was often instructed to immediately cut it down if anyone was injured. Because of this, they did not learn supportive magic that gave power to a third party. The soldiers of the agency are only learning how to fight on their own.

"I can use melee support. ...... By the way, are there any situations you're not good at?

　I'm not a big fan of head-to-head combat.

I'm not very good at head-to-head fighting. I'm not very good at head-to-head fighting.

It's fine, but ...... are you sure you're not good at head-to-head fighting?　You easily stopped my attack earlier.

I'm not bad at ...... it's more like I don't like it. By the way, I prefer surprise attacks and assassinations.

You say assassination is your favorite, as if you've done it ...... before.

　I slipped up a little. She quickly disguised it as a joke.
　Elysia replied, "Of course.

I have a short reach, so I have to be on the back foot when it comes to remote matches. I've seen that Farnese is also a melee fighter, so I don't think there's any need to worry about that. ...... I think I'll rely on your shooting in case of emergency.

I'm not sure what to do. Then I have a formation suggestion.

　The battle will probably take place in the gym where Farnese is on the rampage.
　While observing the structure of the gymnasium, I told Elysia about my plan.
　After I finished my explanation, Elysia stared at me.

...... You seem strangely calm, or at least familiar. I'm curious to know what kind of life you've led so far.

"I haven't had much of a life. If anything, I've been at the mercy of others.

Hmm. Did you have strict ...... parents?

Something like that.

　It was the agency that brought me up to this point.
　The agency is like a parent to me.

Okay, let's go.

Ah.

　Elysia touches her scabbard.
　We both stepped into the gymnasium where Farnese Sensei was.



　.



"Mmm.

　Farnese, the red-haired swordsman, let out a short cry when he saw Elysia enter the gym.
　There was no one by Elysia's side. She once again turned her will to fight Farnese single-handedly.

Alone. I thought you had teamed up with the boy from earlier, since you were talking to him.

　Farnese's words were met with a small smile from Elysia.

I'm not going to take such a soft hand.

...... You're good with a sword, but you're a little hard-headed. You're a good swordsman, but you're a little hard-headed.

"Is there a point deduction system?　This test?

Yes. But it's not me who decides the score, it's the judges outside.

I see. Then I have one question.

　Elysia says.

No matter how many points are deducted, you wouldn't fail the person who beat the teacher, would you?

　Farnese rolls his eyes for a moment at the question.
　Then he smiled and answered.

"Yes. I can assure you of that.

　A moment later. Elysia stepped through the ground.
　The magic "Rage" of the close combat style realizes the physical ability of a human being. In a single step, Elysia came close to Farnese's bosom and swung out her white blade with uncanny speed.



"Sweet!

　Farnese, too, swung his sword with as much speed as Elysia.
　The two swords collided and sparks flew.
　Elysia continued her onslaught, trying not to fall behind. Farnese, however, was able to hold his sword with precision.

　Elysia was the first to reach the limit of the sword fights that continued over and over.
　Her body refused any more anaerobic exercise. Under extreme concentration, Elysia looked for the right moment to retreat. But--

"Don't stop!

　Farnese had seen through Elysia's condition.
　As soon as Elysia took a step back, Farnese went on the offensive.
　She is not in a good position. If she is attacked now, she will be blown away. Elysia decides this, and creates a shield in her left hand.

　A loud metallic clang echoes.
　Farnese's flash was deflected by the shield that suddenly appeared in Elysia's left hand.

"You created a shield with Fixation? Good decision.

　It's a good decision." Elysia immediately adjusted her stance and swung her sword again.
　Unlike before, Elysia now has a shield in one hand. But the attack did not become quiet, but rather became more fierce. --Originally, Elysia preferred to fight with a sword and shield at the same time.

　She uses one hand for swordplay and the other for shield support.
　She used her shield to take away Farnese's vision and used the opportunity to thrust. But Farnese knew this, and even though he was blocking his vision, he evaded.

　It gave him no time to breathe.
　Elysia instantly switches her blade and unleashes a reverse kesa-zashi.
　But Farnese was able to catch it with his sword.

I'm not sure what to make of that. It's no wonder it's so powerful.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

I'm not sure what to say.

I'm not a teacher of heroes. I'm not a teacher of heroes, by the way, my sword is also a magic tool. It's also a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.

　Farnese said without disturbing his breath.
　The materialization of close combat magic does not allow for the creation of magical tools. So the creation of armor by materialization was often just a stopgap (・・・・・). Since magic tools have an unparalleled performance compared to ordinary tools, everyone prepares magic tools when they want to equip themselves in earnest.

　Elysia's sword is a magic tool.
　Her shield is a makeshift one made with materialization, but this sword cannot be replaced.

　As Farnese said, Elysia's sword has the power to double the power of a slash.
　However, Elysia had no intention of relying on that sword. She had more training in swordsmanship than anyone else. Therefore, it was astonishing (・・・・・・・・・・) that she was stopped (・・・・・・・・・・) by a boy who did not know (・・・・・・・・・・) where he came from (・・・・・・・・・・), let alone Farnese (・・・・・・・・・・). It is not.

Your skills are those of a knight.

　In the midst of a fierce sword fight, Farnese said.

You're a knight," said Farnese during a fierce sword fight, "and you belong to some order - well, you don't belong to an order at your age. So you've been under the tutelage of a ...... knight?

I'm sure you'll be able to find out soon enough.　You should have been able to tell by looking at it.

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm the only one who hasn't seen it yet. I'm the only one who hasn't seen the paperwork yet, to ensure a fair fight in this test.

　Farnese's spirits rose.
　Farnese's spirit increased. He tried to find a way out, but there was still a limit to what he could do alone.
　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

I'm not sure what to do.

　She blocked Farnese's slash with her shield.
　But she couldn't kill the impact and was lightly blown away.

The reason for his defeat was obvious. I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.

　Farnese raises his sword as he speaks.

As soon as the test is over, I will tell you whether you have passed or failed.

　Farnese's sword swung down.
　But then... Elysia laughs.

"No. --The decision will be made right here, right now.

　A moment later.
　A moment later, there's a bang and a burst of something.

"What?

　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.
　She quickly retreated with a frustrated look on her face.

　Immediately afterwards, a high-speed bullet pierced the spot where Farnese had been standing just a moment ago.
　If she had retreated even slightly later, the bullet would have penetrated Farnese's body by now.
　Farnese, who had narrowly avoided the bullet, was dripping with cold sweat and shouted.

"A snipe?



　"--Snipe?



"...... is correct.



　I chuckled when I heard Dr. Farnese's loud shout.

　Remote fire magic--"snipe". It is a spell to achieve long range and precise shooting.

　After leaving Elysia, I quickly went upstairs to the second floor of the gymnasium without Mr. Farnese noticing, and then jumped to the attic by using the "tough body". The roof of the gymnasium had holes in it, and I shot Farnese through one of them.

　Farnese must have noticed my position, because he glared at me and said something to me.

He said, "'You're a good shot, but it's a shame you didn't get him on the first shot. That's not something a schoolteacher would say.

　You sound like an instructor at an institution.
　I couldn't hear his voice, but I could tell from the way his lips moved what he was saying. It's a technique called lip reading. It is a required course at the Agency.

　If you're out of position, they can read your line of fire.
　That's why I started moving right away.

　I've told Elysia in advance where I'm moving to.
　My position changes depending on the number of shots and Farnese's current position. Next is the second shot. And Farnese's current position is near the gym wall. Then I'll approach the entrance to the gym and position myself as far out of Farnese's field of vision as possible.

　The second shot - I fire a bullet, a lump of magic power, at Mr. Farnese, who connects with Elysia.
　But it missed. Dr. Farnese flicked the bullet with his sword.

　That's an inhuman reaction speed. You can see that he is quite skilled with the "ligament".
　Plus--perhaps that sword is a magic tool. It's ...... quite sturdy that it can easily repel a bullet fired by a sniper.

　But there's also a problem with my sniping.

I'm not sure how accurate it is.

　I guess that's the extent of a cane (・・・・・・・) you can find around.

　There is a magical tool called a wand in this world.
　The correct term is 'magic wand'.

　The purpose of the wand is to assist in the casting of spells. Whether it is for firepower or for accuracy varies depending on the individual concept, but those who excel in magical combat usually carry a wand. Wands are especially good for remote magic.

　You can use your bare hands to cast a remote fire magic spell, but the nature of precision fire makes it difficult to control in the flesh, so it is generally recommended that you use a magic wand. That's why I'm currently using a wand that I procured locally at random, but it's still difficult to use a wand that I'm not familiar with.

　There are some wands that are specifically designed for sniping, called sniper wands. ...... Of course, the wand I'm using now is just a magic wand, not a sniper wand.

But I got a feel for it.

　I fired two shots.
　The first shot confirmed the angle of fire. The second shot was to check the range.
　The second shot was to check the range.

It's difficult to aim for unkillable life with sniping, but it's ...... not impossible.

　I change my position again and get into a sniping stance.
　He turned over, hiding behind the rubble, and extended his staff straight out.
　As I pointed the tip of my staff at Dr. Farnese, I thought about the past for a moment.

　--I should have brought my old sniper stick.

　It reminded me of a magic tool I used to carry around with me as a work tool.
　But that's not my property. I originally borrowed it from the agency. Now that the agency has been dismantled, my sniper stick is under the control of the state.

　--I'll use it when I'm back in the service of the state.

　Now is not the time.

　Third shot.
　The bullet is once again deflected by Farnese's sword.

　Next time don't move. The fourth shot is immediately fired.
　But it, too, is repelled by the sword.
　Move a little and prepare for the fifth shot.

"Well. I'll leave the rest to you.

　I say, looking at Elysia's face as she is engaged in a heated sword fight.
　And when I fired my fifth shot...

　--Farnese Sensei's sword shattered.



　At that moment...



　At that moment.
　Elysia's brain was filled with astonishment of "I can't believe it" and determination of "This is the perfect chance! and determination.

"Nonsense!

　Farnese was astonished.
　Elysia was just as surprised.

　Indeed, that boy - Twight had said it.
　The ideal would be to take down the sniper with a direct hit, but if that's too difficult, I'll at least try to neutralize it .......
　But...

　--This is not human work.

　Elysia thought frankly.
　Farnese's swordplay was first-rate. She had probably lived her whole life by the sword. That's why her movements were calculated even when she used her sword to repel the sniper attack. Farnese adjusted the angle of his sword so as not to put too much strain on it, and deflected the bullets (・・・・・・・) rather than preventing them (・・・・・・・・).

　However, as if to ridicule Farnese's technique, Twight did what he did...

　--What Tuite did, however, as if to ridicule Farnese's technique, was to keep hitting the sword in the exact same spot with a bullet.



　Immediately after the fourth shot, Elysia realized, "No way.
　And when the fifth shot was fired and Farnese's sword shattered, Elysia's prediction was proven correct.

　No matter how hard Farnese tried to deflect the force of the bullets, a direct hit to the same spot so many times would inevitably put a strain on the blade.

　I understand the logic. But my emotions don't agree.
　It is a precision shooting that can be called a godsend. After all, the opponent is a moving target, and it is a part of the blade that is extremely difficult to aim. You have to predict Farnese's movement and know how to shoot and how to block it.

You're telling me that you aimed for this ......?　You're not going to be able to do that if you don't know what you're doing.

　Farnese could not believe it either.
　But the results were right in front of him. It's hard to believe, but it's real.

　Elysia closed in on Farnese, who was standing there in shock.
　Farnese takes up his sword reflexively. But the blade is broken. With its halved reach, it was unstoppable.

　Elysia's flash came to rest on Farnese's neck.

It's a done deal.

　Farnese responded to Elysia's words with a deep exhalation.

I'm sorry. ...... I've lost.

　The place was completely silent.
　The other students in the gymnasium also stiffened in surprise at Farnese's defeat.
　Soon after, Tuite arrived.

That went well, didn't it?

　For a moment, Farnese looked at Toate as if he were looking at a monster. But then, perhaps remembering his pride as a teacher, he immediately smiled in admiration and turned to Tuite.

You are the one who was the sniper earlier. It was a brilliant ...... shot, really brilliant.

Thanks.

　Toate replies with a disinterested look.
　You'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.

Toate. You didn't have that wand ...... before you left me, did you?

　Toate was now carrying a black wand on his back. I know it's a magic wand, but where did you get it?

"Yeah, I got it locally. There was a student with a wand in the right place, so I caught him and asked him to lend me some. I could have done without it, but...

"Wait a minute. I caught him. ...... What?　You mean you beat one of them right after you left me?　In such a short time?

Yeah.

　Toate nodded, seemingly unconcerned.
　But Elysia broke out in a cold sweat.

　Who is this man?
　The question swirled around in her mind.

So, I'm going to return this staff.

　With that, Twight turned on his heel.
　But just before he starts to walk away, he turns around and opens his mouth.

I don't want the prize either, so do what you want.



　.



　After returning the wand to its owner, the entire old school building echoed with the sound of a whistle.
　It was a signal that the entrance exam for the Heroic Department was over.

　Those who survived and those who were eliminated were gathered in the auditorium, and soon after, the successful candidates were announced. If your name was called, you passed. If they didn't call your name, you didn't pass.

　I wanted to enter the regular course, but why am I here?
　That's what I was thinking as I waited for a while.

　Finally, the results of all the students were announced.





　I didn't pass.