Volume 1 Chapter 5: "Final Exam Completion"

All the students in our group successfully passed the test, and Tasu emerged as the top scorer among us.

"Look, it’s Tadoki-sama," whispered some of the students around us.

"Is he going to take the test too?"

"Yes, all the students of the academy must take it, even those entering the second year, to assess their summer progress."

"I see," I replied.

"120,000."

"W-what?" Tasu stammered in surprise.

Tadoki was clearly on a whole different level—ten times stronger than me... It was astonishing. After Tadoki, another boy, a second-year student, stepped up.

"98,000."

"What?! It seems there are many students this strong among the second-years."

"Alright, kids, we’re heading to the written exam now," announced the teacher.

We left the room and went up to the second floor. There were many classrooms, a long corridor with a staircase leading to the third floor in the middle. The walls were light brown, and large crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. We entered the classroom. The desks were arranged in a tiered fashion, with the blackboard and teacher’s desk at the bottom. Tasu and I took seats at the back, while Kimi and Shiari sat at the front.

We were handed papers with mathematical and magical problems.

"I’ll collect your papers in an hour," said the teacher.

One hour later

"Phew, finally done," sighed Tasu.

"You probably did excellently."

"Doubt it. I’m not Akusa..."

"Alright, hand in your papers," the teacher instructed.

Everyone placed their papers on her desk.

"You can take a short break. I’ll announce the results in thirty minutes."

"How many points can we score in total?"

"Two hundred." This should be interesting.

The students began discussing their answers. Tasu started chatting about something with Shiari.

"Tasu, already becoming a busy man?" I teased.

"What? No, of course not."

Shiari smiled shyly.

"Akusa?" Kimi addressed me softly.

"Can I speak with you for a moment?"

"Ah… sure."

We stepped away from the class.

"Akusa, could you help me after the exams?"

"Help? With what?"

"There’s something I need to sort out," she said, slightly embarrassed.

What? I haven’t even officially enrolled, and I’m already being asked for help by such a lovely lady?!

"I don’t mind. What do you need?"

"Maybe… let’s meet tomorrow?"

"Sure. Will the café near the academy work?"

"Yes!" she replied happily.

After some time, the teacher gathered us.

"Let’s start with Shiari. Your score is 167. Congratulations."

"Next, Kimi. Your score is 175. Congratulations."

"Tasume, you scored 150."

"Aaaaah!"
I smiled slightly.

"Akusa, you’ve surprised me. Your score is 200. Congratulations."

He even solved the final problems in such a short time... These questions usually take professors hours, Rin thought.

"What?! How?!" Tasu turned to me, his face filled with disbelief.

"Oh, I thought it would be lower."

"Akusa, you’re going to teach me now!" Tasu exclaimed.

"What? No, handle it yourself."

"Come on, Akusa, Akusa, Akusa..."

Everyone was stunned, while Kimi and Shiari laughed. The teacher continued announcing the other students’ scores. Most didn’t exceed 150 points. With the passing score set at 125, we did pretty well. A few students failed, but from what I understood, they wouldn’t be expelled.

"Now, let’s head outside to the practical exam area."

We all went outside. Surrounding the exam field was a tall barrier, and a large crowd of spectators stood around it. Our temporary classmates entered the field one by one to take the exam—though some seemed to struggle more than others.

"Remember, you need to use one of your strongest spells to hit the target," Rin reminded us.

"Of course."

"Kimi, you’re up."

"Got it."

Kimi calmly stepped forward, her face serene, yet her eyes reflected unwavering focus.

She reached out and touched the surface of the magical barrier.

The barrier recognized her instantly and allowed her to pass.

Kimi walked ahead, composed and unhurried.

She took her position in front of the target and extended her hand. For a brief moment, everything fell silent. Then, a brilliant white light burst forth. It glowed like pure divine magic, engulfing the target and bathing the area in a cold, radiant shine. The temperature dropped sharply, and everything froze. The target became completely encased in ice that shimmered like diamond.

"Wow, that’s beautiful!" Tasu exclaimed.

Kimi gently turned her palm to the right — and in the next instant, the entire frozen structure, along with the target, shattered into crystalline fragments, scattering like snow under the sun. Everyone around was frozen in awe. Kimi exited the trial zone just as calmly as she had entered, as if what she had done was nothing out of the ordinary.

Kimi turned her hand to the right, and the ice, along with the target, shattered into tiny pieces. Everyone looked on in awe. Kimi stepped out of the barrier.

"Well done, that was impressive," the teacher praised her.

"Thank you."

"Next, Shiari."

"Alright."

Shiari stepped into the barrier, her movements graceful but firm.

Сonfidence shimmered in her eyes as she walked up to her mark and took a steady stance.

Let’s try using the spell ‘Water Cutter’, she thought, raising her hand with fluid precision. In the next moment, a sharp stream of water burst forth, so thin and focused it looked like a blade forged from a liquid mirror. The spell sliced cleanly through the target, and a split second later, the cut ignited a concussive blast — water pressure detonating with stunning force. The shockwave scattered droplets into the air, sparkling as they caught the light, like shards of glass suspended in time. As the mist cleared, the target was gone, utterly destroyed. Shiari turned and calmly exited the barrier.

"That looked cool," Tasu said.

"Thank you."

"My turn," Tasu said, stretching his hands.

"This should be fun," I added.

"What do you mean?" the teacher asked.

"You’ll see soon enough."

Tasu slowly rose into the air, his body glowing with concentrated mana. The air around him began to distort as pressure built up, and in the next moment — a colossal vortex burst to life within the confines of the barrier. The wind howled like a beast, tearing across the arena and lifting massive clouds of dust and debris. The sheer force of it shook the ground, and the onlookers shielded their eyes from the blinding storm. With a calm, almost casual motion, Tasu snapped his fingers — and that small gesture became the trigger for destruction. The entire whirlwind collapsed inward, condensing for a split second before crashing downward in a violent explosion of air and force. The roar that followed echoed like thunder. The target didn’t just break — it disintegrated, leaving behind only scorched ground and swirling remnants of mana.

"... I thought it would be more dramatic," I said.

"I should’ve used more power," Tasu replied.

"Akusa, it’s your turn now."

I entered the barrier and calmly took my position.

Without a hint of hesitation, I extended my hand toward the target. "Bang," I muttered with a smirk, shaping my fingers into the form of a gun. A flicker of flame sparked at my fingertip, quickly forming into a small but dense fireball. It shot forward like a bullet, cutting through the air with incredible speed. The instant it struck the target, a fiery explosion erupted—sending a powerful shockwave rippling through the barrier. The ground trembled beneath my feet, as if reacting to the sheer force. When the smoke cleared, nothing remained of the target—it had been completely obliterated. I lowered my hand and stepped out of the barrier without a word, as if it had been nothing more than a warm-up.

"That was quite powerful. Well done," Rin praised me.