Mock Up Battle

“It’s the principal himself…” several students mutter around me, their voices low with surprise. “Maybe the rumor is true?” Then he looks in my direction.

I can only sigh upon hearing the comments directed at me.

Amelle tries to stay focused, preparing her notebook and charcoal pen to jot down what the principal is about to say.

The combined classes of 1-A, 1-D, and 1-F gather at the center of the school grounds. Principal Orphus stands before us, flanked by Ms. Kilia and two other instructors who observe the crowd of students as they let Principal Orphus take the stage.

“Good day, my beloved students. Firstly, I wish to explain why this class is so vital for us. I believe almost all of you have already formed a pact with at least one spirit, isn’t that true?”

“Yes!” the students answer almost in unison, their voices echoing across the training grounds.

“Even to this day, humanity’s understanding of spirits remains incomplete. Every spirit possesses its own distinct nature. While we are able to classify spirits, it is you who know your spirit better than your inspectors do. If you experience difficulties regarding what you can achieve with your spirit power, I could not be more delighted to assist you after class concludes.”

The students begin whispering excitedly among themselves as the headmaster pauses.

“That is precisely why this class exists—to help each of you discover your spirit’s true strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, what we will be doing today is having each of you participate in a mock battle against an opponent whose spirit you deem particularly difficult to beat.”

Suddenly, I feel a dozen intense gazes locking onto me. It seems nearly everyone turns to stare in my direction…

“You're kidding me, right?” I sigh under my breath, feeling a headache coming on as I realize what a giant target my reputation has painted on my back. I raise my hand awkwardly toward Principal Orphus. “Um, Principal… I don’t actually use a spirit, though…”

“It is for their education, Lady Luminera, so please try your best. Besides, I imagine you would like to test the limits of your own abilities as well,” Principal Orphus replies with an all-too-innocent smile, his twinkling eyes betraying his amusement.

I knew it! This is totally his scheme, too! I want to shout, “How dare you do this to your own princess?!” right at his face, but I can only let out another heavy sigh and accept my fate…

“Can I just make this fast?” I ask while stretching my body, doing a quick warm-up before the mock battle. “I’m fine with taking on five of you all at once.”

“Oh? Look at her, she’s so overconfident…”

“Does beating the principal make her full of herself?” Murmurs of disbelief break out through the crowd.

It isn't overconfidence… If I can’t handle five spirit users at once, then I seriously need to rethink my training regimen. Especially if I ever hope to stand a chance against Chaos.

I unbuckle my tachi and hand it to Amelle.

“Amelle, please take care of my sword. Thank you.”

“Lumi? You’re going to fight them barehanded? Without a spirit?” Amelle and the crowd look at me in disbelief.

“No way… She’s way too disrespectful to spirits…”

“We’ll laugh if she loses this battle.”

Five challengers walk toward the center of the school grounds, and I step out to meet them. It turns out to be Lucius, Nicolai, Rio, Ashton, and someone I've met before—Glenn, a marquis's son. His father is my grandfather's second-in-command for the entire Lenningham Duchy.

All of them simultaneously summon their spirits:

Lucius, with the high-ranking Metal Spirit, Vulcan.

Nicolai, with the high-ranking Ice Spirit, Boreas.

Rio, with the high-ranking Water Spirit, Undine.

Ashton, with the high-ranking Dream Spirit, Morpheus.

Glenn, with the high-ranking Destruction Spirit, Perses.

Every single one of them holds a high-ranking spirit contract—even Ashton and Glenn… Well, I suppose this won’t be easy after all. Even if they are freshmen, they are nobles. Nobles have usually had spirit training drilled into them since childhood.

I suppose this will be good training for me after all. I truly need this, especially since Master Long Kai has left the country, and I was chased by ten people before I fell into the waterfall.

“You may begin!” Principal Orphus announces, flicking his finger.

‘Feather Step!’

My first target is the most complicated spirit to deal with if left alone. Morpheus's dream illusions are fatal if I ever get hit by them. Before anyone can even process the signal, I burst forward toward Ashton in a split second, reappearing right beside him.

‘Unarmed Style: Open Palm Strike!’

Gathering my mana into the palm of my hand, I strike Ashton in the center of his chest, careful to soften the blow so I don't break his ribs. The kinetic force lifts him off his feet, sending him flying toward Principal Orphus and effectively taking him out of the fight in the first three seconds.

Principal Orphus gracefully catches Ashton, dissipating his backward momentum with a fluid wave of his sleeve before setting the dizzy student down safely.

A heavy, stunned silence settles over the arena as the remaining four challengers freeze, realizing just how absurdly fast and dangerous I am even without a weapon.

“Oh, cra—!” Rio yelps as his eyes widen in panic.

Taking full advantage of their momentary distraction while they watch Ashton fly, I am already standing right beside Rio. Before Undine can conjure a protective barrier, I execute the same technique, driving a precise, mana-infused palm strike that launches him backward directly toward the principal as well.

That makes two. However, it seems the remaining three have learned from my strategy. Rather than being caught off guard while watching their classmates fly, Glenn, Lucius, and Nicolai instantly tighten their stances, locking their absolute focus onto me to prevent me from picking them off one by one.

My next target is Nicolai as I dash toward his back. I intentionally position myself at this precise angle, strategically lining him up as a human shield so that Lucius and Glenn cannot use their long-range attacks against me without harming him.

The moment I close in, he reacts instantly, invoking Boreas to erect a thick wall of ice that intercepts my fist.

“Not bad…” I can't help but remark, realizing that my grandfather truly raises good men.

It seems my high-speed movement makes him panic, as he manifests a dozen ice lances out of thin air and hurls them at me from both sides while keeping the ice wall between us.

Expecting that kind of assault, I leap sideways with a fluid step. As he continues his relentless barrage, I alter my trajectory, darting directly toward Lucius. Because Nicolai is hyper-focused on hitting me, his ice lances fly straight past my former position, heading directly for Lucius.

“Your Highness!” Nicolai yells out in horror, but that single second of panicked distraction is his undoing.

Lucius uses his spirit to forge a massive sword, cleaving the ice lances in a single slash. “Idiot! Look beside you!”

“Where are you looking?” I whisper softly from his side.

Before he can turn around, I strike with an open palm, sending him sailing back toward the principal's catching zone as the third contestant eliminated. Now, only Lucius and Glenn remain.

I let out an exasperated sigh as Principal Orphus safely intercepts Nicolai.

“…Your teamwork sucks,” I say plainly, shaking my head at the remaining duo. “Having high-ranking spirits means nothing if you panic and get in each other's way.”

“Don’t you dare mock royalty!” Lucius snaps, drawing himself up straight.

As your big sister, I should make you see reality… I can only smile as he shouts at me…

But it seems that shout was just a diversion to distract me… Lucius was quietly channeling his mana the entire time.

Not bad, using my own trick against me, huh?

“Vulcan, three blades!”

Three massive steel blades capable of sweeping through half the arena materialize from his right side. They slice through the air in wide horizontal arcs straight toward me—aiming to overwhelm my defenses in a broad, unavoidable strike.

Behind me, Glenn has been preparing his spirit for an attack, so my best option is to evade this and strike Lucius directly; after an attack like this, Vulcan will be vulnerable for a few seconds.

Without a second thought, I spring off the ground, vaulting straight up into the trajectory of the high-flying blades. Channeling mana into the palm of my right hand, I press lightly against the flat surface of the highest spinning sword, using its momentum as a midair foothold to launch myself higher, rapidly closing the distance to Lucius.

“Come forth! Spirit Queen of Wisdom! Athena!” Lucius roars, his mana flaring as a blinding golden radiance bursts from behind him.

Wait… Lucius has a second spirit pact? And a Spirit Queen-tier at that!

A majestic, red-armored figure holding a gleaming shield and spear materializes beside Vulcan, radiating a pressure that makes the air itself feel heavy.

As Athena manifests, Lucius tears a page from his expensive-looking book and raises his hand. The paper vanishes from his grasp as Athena absorbs it, causing dozens of golden chains to shoot straight toward me from her chest.

Don't tell me... can that spirit materialize anything drawn in his notebook into reality?!

At the exact same time, Glenn reacts. Rather than letting Lucius's stray metal blades interfere with his own assault, Glenn coats his fists in Perses's volatile destruction energy and shatters the broadswords midair with a brutal pulse. Clearing his path, Glenn bursts forward with explosive speed, sprinting directly toward where I am about to land midair…

A faint smirk touches my lips as the spectral chains entangle me midair. Shifting my weight just a fraction of an inch, I deliberately angle my body so that Glenn's oncoming destruction strike collides head-on with Athena's bindings instead.

The explosive impact shatters the golden chains that were about to bind me completely, freeing me instantly. However, the force of Glenn's destruction punch grazes my left arm, sending a sharp wave of pain radiating up to my shoulder.

“That was close…” I land on the ground. The destruction attack from Perses has rendered my left hand unusable.

I let out a soft, breathy laugh and raise my right hand high into the air, signaling the end of the match.

“I give up,” I announce calmly, my voice carrying across the quieted training grounds.