༺ Thunderbird Subjugation (1) ༻
Isaac was a bit of a celebrity within the Magic Department. In a bad way, of course.
He was in Class D with Grade E mana. In the class placement evaluation, he took last place with a score that would have been difficult to achieve even if he deliberately tried, and he was ranked at the bottom of the bottom among the first-years of the Magic Department.
He was, without a doubt, the weakest student of the Magic Department.
But now, things were different. If you stopped any student and asked them if Isaac was the weakest first-year, they would shake their heads.
During the duel evaluation, he used 5-star magic, albeit at a low level. Among the first-year students of the Magic Department, there were only a handful of students who could use 5-star magic. Isaac, who was thought to be the weakest, had done it.
It was an incredible growth rate.
Even so, it didn’t prove that Isaac was special. If anything, Ian Fairytale, who was also evaluated as having Grade E mana during the mana evaluation, was special. His growth rate was much faster, and he even had a constitution that allowed him to use the light element.
In addition, some students were already at a level where they could use 5-star magic at a high level.
This naturally overshadowed the fruits of Isaac’s hard work, as people’s attention was drawn to those who were more impressive.
However…
‘That man… Not only was he involved with the top seat and senior Dorothy, but also the second and third seats…?’
Eva Heilov couldn’t believe her eyes.
She was watching a large-scale battle while she secretly hid behind a tree in [Stealth] mode. From the looks of it, it seemed that Luce Eltania was very upset over Isaac’s injury.
During the battle, even Kaya Astrea, the second seat, joined in and took Isaac’s side.
And to Eva’s surprise, even Ciel Cardenas, who had helped Isaac find his Fell Cards, was on Isaac’s side.
‘Isaac, who the hell are you…?’
Eva wondered in fear. The thought that all the strongest students of the Magic Department were favoring Isaac was terrifying. What kind of fearsome man was he?
“Kyaaak!”
Suddenly, Luce’s water magic sliced through the trees around Eva. It was something that had been misfired in the middle of the large battle.
Eva trembled, covering her head with both hands, like when someone was caught in a crossfire between two sides.
* * *
“Isaac. Pass.”
The submission location was a small passageway whose entrance was adjacent to the barrier for the exam. I was greeted by a young female professor in charge of Class C who was on standby there.
I handed the 5 Fell Cards to the female professor as I caught my breath. She checked them all, nodded, and unlocked my bracelet.
When she inserted something that looked like a key into it, it clicked and unlocked.
“I didn’t expect you to beat out all those Class A students and get first place. Hoho, you must have had some tricks up your sleeve. You seem like a guy who’s good at taking the easy way out.”
I had already anticipated that there would be doubts over how someone like me could come in first place, and I had already thought about it a lot. But the female professor’s meek attitude still made me discouraged.
“If you walk out of here and go straight ahead, you’ll see a carriage. If you ride it, you can go back to your dormitory. Great job.”
“Thank you.”
I lowered my head and bowed, then walked out of the passage.
My suffering doesn’t end here.
I was barely at the starting line.
The sun was still shining in the sky. As soon as the setting sun disappeared over the horizon, the Thunderbird1The Thunderbird is a legendary creature, in particular, North American indigenous peoples’ history and culture. It is considered a supernatural being of power and strength. would be summoned.
Until then, I have to go around the outskirts, just outside the boundary of the end-of-semester evaluation. I headed towards the building called Carly Hall, which sat high on a hill.
I took off at full speed, using the calf muscles I had worked so hard on.
❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱「Act 3, Chapter 4, Thunderbird Subjugation」
Just as the sun was setting, Vera the Summoner rode on her familiar and flew towards the exam location like a speeding bullet.
As soon as the demon appeared, she immediately stole Thunderbird Galia from Luce, which caused her to lose all of her mana and faint.
Afterwards, Vera stormed into the exam location to kill the main character, Ian Fairytale. Because of this, the academy was forced to declare a state of emergency.
Subsequently, the old Märchen Academy was surrounded by the barrier of the mighty Thunderbird. As a result, the academy’s administration was unable to help. Anyone who approached would be electrocuted by the high-voltage current, and it would be difficult to break through the barrier.
Meanwhile, Vera the Summoner decided to go to ‘Carly Hall’ with Thunderbird Galia and Luce in order to observe the situation.
The inside of the Thunderbird’s barrier was infested with the Thunderbird’s minions called ‘Lightning Harpies’. These mobs would give exp when you defeated them.
Luce’s unconscious body was protected by the Thunderbird’s lightning shield, which made her the safest person in the Thunderbird Subjugation.
Confused by the unexpected disaster, the exam proctors, professors, and the students with strength remaining tried to locate the rest of the students, and carry out a rescue operation.
This process was carried out quickly and without any casualties. The bracelets worn on the students’ wrists made it easy to locate them, and the Lightning Harpies were no match for the exam proctors and professors.
By the way, those who passed the test before the appearance of the Thunderbird were safe, since the Thunderbird’s barrier was only set up to the entrance of the exam site. Even if you had stayed at the entrance, you wouldn’t have to worry, since the professors would evacuate you to a safe place immediately.
Ultimately.
The story of Act 3 Scene 4 was about the remaining students, professors, and exam proctors joining forces to defeat Vera and the Thunderbird. The leaders would inevitably be Ian and Dorothy, who are the only ones who could deliver an effective blow to the Thunderbird.
‘So, what I need to do is…’
Go to Carly Hall in advance and hide, and wait for the optimal time to kill Vera the Summoner.
There were two important points in this mission.
First. That I shouldn’t kill Vera the Summoner in advance.
The Thunderbird was consumed by destructive instincts due to the curse of the 8-star magic beast, Evil Dragon Orchis. Because of that, they couldn’t control themselves, and Luce had to pour out her lightning mana every second to suppress the Thunderbird.
Vera’s domination magic, on the other hand, could even consume the curse of the Evil Dragon to gain complete control. As a result, if Vera was defeated, the Thunderbird would return to normal. It was also important to note that Luce regained her original powers, which was crucial for future scenarios.
Second, Vera must be alone. Just as the Thunderbird Subjugation party was slaying the Lightning Harpies and about to reach Carly Hall, the Thunderbird stops them. This meant Vera would be by herself.
‘That’s when I come into play.’
This was Plan A, the most likely way for our SSS-Class Master Fainter Protagonist to not die.
There was no need to worry about anyone dying in the process of defeating the Lightning Harpies as long as Dorothy was there. The problem was Thunderbird Galia.
As the subjugation party dealt with the Thunderbird, it would unleash the 7-star lightning spell [Thunderstorm Annihilation] when its HP dropped to 20%. It was a spell that poured out massive amounts of lightning, insta-killing anyone who wasn’t Dorothy.
In order to stop [Thunderstorm Annihilation], all the purple magic stones on the Thunderbird’s body must be struck by a single light elemental sword, which was easier said than done. That was why I have repeatedly stated that the Thunderbird Subjugation was extremely difficult.
In other words, there was no way the protagonist would be able to stop [Thunderstorm Annihilation].
Therefore, it would be safer for me to participate in the Thunderbird Subjugation battle, even at the risk of my identity being revealed.
Plan A, which was to quickly take down Vera the Summoner before Galia’s HP dropped to 20% was the safest way. Both for preventing bad endings and for the future.
As a secondary note, defeating familiars wouldn’t give experience points.
However, if I killed Vera, the subjugation party that fought against Thunderbird Galia would be treated as if they had fought Vera and would receive cooperative experience points.
Ian, in particular, must be as powerful as he needs to be to progress the story. Let’s hope he gains good party exp.
“Gasp, gasp, gasp, gasp…!”
My breathing became heavy, but I couldn’t stop. Because the sky was slowly darkening.
* * *
The outcome of the End-of-Semester Evaluation battle was obvious from the start. With the top, second, and third seats of the Magic Department on the same team, no one at the exam site stood a chance against them.
When the dust settled, only Luce, Kaya, and Ciel were left standing amidst the fierce battlefield. Their enemies had all been knocked out, left sprawled on the ground as the exam proctors gradually gathered them with stretchers.
“Sir Isaac…”
The wand in Kaya’s hand was the one Isaac had given her earlier. Its body, made of beautiful grayish-brown wood, was studded with magic stones that gave off a brilliant rust color.
The wand’s mana sensitivity was far different from her usual wand. It felt as if clogged mana circuits had been unblocked, which allowed her to channel even more mana.
“Your share.”
Luce quietly approached Kaya and handed her two Fell Cards. Given that they had taken all the students’ Fell Cards in the large-scale battle, they must have some leftovers.
As she received the cards, Kaya’s mind was filled with a slew of emotions. The anguish and humiliation she’d felt earlier when she realized she was nothing to Luce, as well as the thrill and relief she’d felt when she heard Isaac’s whispers, were all entangled in a complex web of thoughts.
But Kaya shook her head and pushed aside all these musings.
She had lost, and Luce had won, it was as simple as that. Whether the winner remembered the loser or not was up to her own discretion.
Moreover, she was someone who was acknowledged by Sir Isaac. There was no reason for her to feel down.
“Thank you, Luce Eltania.”
Kaya flashed a gentle smile and took the cards from Luce.
Luce narrowed her eyes.
She claimed she was the second seat. Even when she ran into the spell in the blue rose garden, and when she first appeared here, she had an expression full of anger, but now she looked strangely relaxed.
What did she and Isaac talk about in that brief moment inside of the [Ice Wall] that caused her attitude to change so suddenly?
Luce’s eyes turned to Kaya’s hand.
Kaya’s wand had changed, she had noticed it a while ago. It had to be a gift from Isaac.
‘Was she also Isaac’s friend…?’
At that moment, Luce realized something she had overlooked.
For her, Isaac was her first friend. But she couldn’t have been Isaac’s first friend. He must have built up countless human relationships.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the girl with the light green twin tails in front of her was one of them.
“…”
She felt her heart ache. It was a fact that subtly irritated her.
She was already dissatisfied with the amount of time she spent with Isaac, and if he had many friends as well…. wouldn’t the already insufficient amount of time become even more scarce?
As Luce came to such a conclusion, she began to feel a deep repulsion towards Kaya.
She knew it was her own selfishness and childish thinking, but she wanted to monopolize Isaac’s time. He was her only friend. And being with him was really enjoyable.
“Tsk.”
Luce clicked her tongue as she handed Kaya the cards, then quickly turned around and left the scene.
As Luce walked away, Kaya stared blankly at her back.
‘Did she just get annoyed? Why?’
She honestly couldn’t figure out what the top seat was thinking.
──It was then that the demon appeared with her back to the setting sun.
[Good morning, everyone!!!]
The gazes of the students and the test proctors immediately turned to the three-meter tall woman.
The gray-skinned demon, Vera the Summoner. A creepy smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
* * *
My whole body was drenched in sweat. The school uniform I was wearing felt heavy.
However, I was able to run at full speed for quite a long time, perhaps thanks to the development of my stamina.
Throughout the run, I kept an eye on the scoreboard in the sky. It was difficult to make an accurate judgment, but it seemed that about thirteen people had passed the exam. This was all while the first, second, and third seats were in the midst of a fierce battle.
My destination, Carly Hall, was located at the top of a high hill.
The red palace-like exterior still exuded a beautiful grandeur, along with the traces of the passage of time. Along with Bartos Hall, it was a building that symbolized Märchen Academy.
A hill covered with colorful flowers appeared before my eyes. Without resting, I ran up the hill.
But as I reached the middle of the hill while running.
Kuooooohhh────!!
Kuwaaaaaa────!!
“…!”
A deafening screech rang out. I stopped in my tracks and immediately turned my head back.
The setting sun was disappearing beyond the horizon as twilight slowly crept down.
───────── [Kiaaaaaaahhhh───!!!!!]
Krrrrr──────!!
Clang-clang-clang─────!!!
The loud cry of a bird of prey. The screech of the Thunderbird rang throughout heaven and earth, and thunder rose from all directions.
Dozens of purple lightning bolts streaked across the sky, each carving its own shape into the ultramarine blue sky.
In an instant, dark clouds covered the sky.
From a location where you could capture the panoramic view of the old Märchen Academy with a single glance, a black Thunderbird entwined with purple lightning and darkness mana soared into the sky.
A massive creature appeared, and despite the distance between us, it felt as if it was right in front of me.
It was the 8-star magic beast that could destroy a country, ‘Thunderbird – Galia’.
Race: (Demon)
Elements: Lightning
Danger: Highest
Psychology: [Hoping someone will stop him.]
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