A Death Row Convict Teaches at a School of Magic

“Hey, we would like to participate in the selection round, too.”

See, I knew it.

Shortly after the last class of the morning, Rivalz’s Combat Practice Exercise I was underway, the transfer student, Shiryu, showed up with a swift attack.

“…Oh, looks like we really have quite the spirited students from the first-year this year.”

Shiryu’s demeanor and demand raised a streak of blue on Rivalz’s forehead. His face has turned like Asura’s.

Had the student who had provoked Rivalz had no connection with me, I would have turned on my heel here and evacuated somewhere until the storm passed, but alas, Shiryu was a member of my class. Despite this being only the first day of their arrival, there was no denying that Rivalz’s indignation could be targeted at me.

“E-Excuse me, Instructor Rivalz! Shiryu, we discussed earlier in homeroom that it’s regrettable for you to be excluded from the selection round, right!?”

“I heard that, but I am not convinced.”

“I wish you had said as much in homeroom then! I mean, are you in agreement with this, Shizuku?”

“No, I am not so much… It’s simply that my big brother isn’t willing to listen…”

“I mean, Shizuku. Out of all the students in this school, I am probably the strongest, you know?”

Ah, that was the end.

The air, no, the world has shifted.

It was unmatched in Karen’s time. The tension among the students in my immediate vicinity reached a level that went beyond uncomfortability and even bordered on bloodlust.

And as forecasted, if it was my class that was daring the others, it was likewise my class that was taking the bait.

“―Hahaha, Shizuku’s brother tells some very humorous jokes, isn’t he?”

It was our Princess who stood in front of Shiryu, holding back Fina, who was about to snap at him. Well, when you enrolled in the school even you yourself said such a thingー

I wondered if I could change classes soon.

“? ‘You’[i] are, as I recall―”

“! You insolent―”

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“―That’s enough, each of you!!”

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[!?]

At Rivalz’s roar, the students who had been emitting bloodlust stiffened up all over the place.

This must be what a lion’s bellow sounded like. Fina, who was about to leap at him, and even Shiryu and Karen were pinned to the spot.

This phenomenon was one I had experienced before. Matthias’ toate had also compelled a total absence of movement in my body as if I were drowned in ice.

“…For god’s sake, you guys are too hot-blooded. Well, being powerful is another vital skill, but… Rain!”

All attention was immediately drawn to the students who were outside the circle as a result. Even the rigidity of their bodies seemed to have dissolved.

“What is it?”

“It’s your responsibility to deal with the underclassmen, isn’t it?”

“…I don’t wish to have additional work thrown at me.”

Even so, Aldar seemed to have already made his preparations.

He was about to step forward immediately, but then an unexpected person intervened.

“Wait a minute. Senior Aldar.”

“What is it, Ortesia?”

“Could you please pass that responsibility on to me?”

“…Oh.”

Aldar redirected his gaze to Rivalz at Karen’s unexpected suggestion.

“…”

“I understand. But do get the job done.”

“Of course.”

Rain seemingly took Rivalz’s silence as an affirmation. Evidently, the players of today’s irregular mock battle had been settled on the transfer student and the prodigy Princess.

“All right, then, the mock battle will commence in five minutes. Both parties should be thoroughly prepared by then!”

The surroundings suddenly erupted into activity under Rivalz’s direction. The other students seemed to be in a stir at Karen’s match, which had been set up unannounced.

Not surprisingly, the only one among them who was aware of Shiryu’s abilities was his sister, Shizuku. But at the very least, I was the only one who had any knowledge that he was a second-class magician. Moreover, I grasped that this was the perfect opportunity for me to learn more about his abilities.

Nevertheless, let me say this.

“Please don’t add any extra weight to my workload…”

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“―It’s time. Let’s get started then.”

After standing in the central hall of the maneuvering ground, the two nodded in silence. Whereas Karen retained her standard impassive expression, Shiryu wore a fearless smile.

Karen’s weapon of choice was a familiar magic dual-sword, in contrast to Shiryu’s massive two-handed sword, which was approximately his own height. If the two-handed sword that Fina regularly wielded was a katana, the one held by Shiryu was more like a claymore. Its destructive power may be impressive, yet it was not very maneuverable, which made it difficult to handle.

“Well, I guess Her Highness will prevail.”

“The only person who can overcome Her Highness, who is a semi-first-class magician, is possibly Senior Aldar here, even if the transfer student’s strength is unknown.”

The onlookers’ preliminary opinions were that Karen was the dominant victor. It was a logical assessment.

“Now then, the match―begin!”

“!”

Right at the start, Karen launched into a rush. It was a surprise move to strike promptly without generating any magical power.

From what I had learned from Fina earlier, Karen has been carrying out her fundamental training in the early mornings since then, and her physical abilities have made remarkable strides.

“Oraa!”

“―What!?”

But then, early on, a noteworthy upheaval unfolded.

Karen, who sought to initiate a preemptive strike, was blown away by Shiryu at the very next instant. As a result, Karen fell back against the wall of the maneuver hall.

A cacophony ensued from the students. Rather than being stunned by Karen’s preemptive strike, they were more taken aback by Shiryu’s physical ability. He wielded the claymore, a weapon of expertise, with “one hand” and devoid of any magical power.

Even with the super-heavy sword in his grasp, he was able to outrun Karen at a speed that exceeded hers. When I peered around, it was apparent that even Aldar’s mouth was half-open.

Amidst all this, only the younger sister, Shizuku, was staring at the match with a concerned expression, in other words, at Karen, who was a semi-first-class magician.

“Wow, even though I didn’t mean to go overboard, you did a good job of holding off that one.”

“…Don’t bother to worry about me.”

“Yes, that’s the first line that comes out of your mouth after seeing what happened.”

While Shiryu was slightly withdrawn, Karen regarded her opponent with a stern expression. She must have been appalled by Shiryu’s uncanny physical abilities, yet her expression never betrayed her incredulity. Her poker face speaks for itself.

“Are you really human?”

“Isn’t there a better way to put it? But, well, I can understand your skepticism, but I am indeed a human being. From the moment I was born, I have lived in a somewhat harsher environment than here. My training is different.”

“…The way you say it is a little obnoxious.”

A variety of lights enveloped Karen’s body. Within a blink of an eye, she may have simultaneously applied a number of strengthening magic to herself. Her control of magical power was so flawless, as one would expect from a semi-first-class magician, that it astounded people.

Seeing this, Shiryu’s expression tightened as well. When he was about to cast sorcery on himself, Karen made a move.

“‘Thunderbreak’!”

Karen’s choice of intermediate-class magic was a higher-level version of Thunder. Three bolts of lightning were shot out at the same time, extending at speeds surpassing the velocity of sound. She may be using an only-type magical tool, but even so, the speed was too rapid. As always, the speed and accuracy of the magic were of different dimensions.

However, as fate turned out, none of these endeavors were fruitful. For they were all powerless to seize Shiryu, which was dashing forward at an extraordinary speed. Even I was left with my mouth half-open at this. His speed has reached a level that an average magician, even if enhanced with sorcery, would not be able to keep up with. It was out of this world, no matter how you thought about it.

Shiryu continued his evasive maneuvering as he pressed closer to Karen. Thunderbreak failed to land on him at every turn, causing Karen’s face to scrunch up and she made her next move.

“‘Freedom’.”

“!?”

The first time Shiryu laid eyes on it, his expression broke into disbelief.

Karen had applied Psychokinesis to herself, using her magical power to control others without touching them, sending herself floating into the air.

“Instructor Rivalz…”

“Ah, there aren’t many people in the royal court who can pull off a move like this.”

Even advanced-class magic, requiring further intricate manipulation of magical power, was adjusted even more finely in order to self-levitate. A person would plummet to the ground if the adjustment were even slightly off, and in the worst event, their own body may be crushed by the magical power.

“That’s the superlative-class magic that Ortesia created… a veritable prodigy.”

At the same moment that Rivalz spoke in a vacant tone, Karen moved.

Three, four, five… magic circles were deployed in the sky above us one after another.

“Hey, hey… this must be a lie.”

An inadvertent murmur crept out of me. This wasn’t the same as “Flameblade”.

What she was now deploying in profusion in the sky above was unquestionably advanced-class magic.

It was once the specialty of the commander of the Garrisoned Corps in this city, lightning-calling magic in the shape of a bird.

“I’ll make an effort not to overwhelm you, but at the very least you should scramble to escape―’Li Thunderbird’.”

“Heh, bring it on!”

Within the same instant, nine Li Thunderbird swooped down from the sky and pounced on their prey all at once at high speed.

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T/N:

[i] The “You” here is an extremely rude way of saying in Japanese, not the casual one