Chapter 16 – Genius vs. Rising Star

The characteristic of Radiance-type abilities is their capacity to spread their power over a wide area.

Such an aspect is particularly helpful when entering Gates shrouded in darkness.

But precisely for that reason, Radiance-types are ill-suited for one-on-one combat.

Since they can’t focus on a single opponent, their offensive power remains lackluster.

At best, they can only blind or inflict minor burns. That’s all.

The fact that almost all Radiance ability users are concentrated on support roles stems from this.

‘…Or so, many would think!’

However, the student Luciel, standing in the middle of the training ground, is different.

“Hehehe!”

With a playful smile. Tiamat looked forward with excitement.

Some, looking at me, even ask if I’m Radiance-type instead of Martial Arts.

The way golden flashes seem to explode every time I move makes it understandable.

But that’s merely an optical illusion caused by my hair color; it’s not real.

Above all, if they were to witness a true Radiance ability user, they wouldn’t say such a thing.

— *Shwaaak!!*

Light scattered in all directions, slamming against the barrier that had been erected in advance.

If this were a marketplace instead of a training ground, all the spectators would have been harmed.

Or, they might have temporarily lost their sight.

Luciel’s ability, emitting a light so intense it seemed to scorch the entire training ground.

Then, it gathered again into a single point, taking the form of a sword, and hammered at Deus.

Whenever the opponent seemed to be retreating, it would spread out again, cutting off all senses.

‘That’s the terrifying thing about student Luciel! Covering the entire range with her Radiance ability, and simultaneously concentrating that light into a single point, sublimating it into swordsmanship—such unbelievable combat sense.’

That is no mere sword. Nor is it a swordsmanship confined to set intervals.

Why else would Luciel have become Shabel’s only disciple?

She has the qualifications. She possesses that talent!

Each time the light exploded, a roar and flash enveloped the surroundings.

Most of the students had long since lost sight of the scene within the training ground.

Only the instructors, and a select few exceptional students, could truly grasp it.

‘At this point, other students would have long since admitted defeat. Even we instructors are finding it taxing, and would likely opt for a battle of attrition.’

Tiamat shifted her gaze from Luciel to her opponent across the arena, Deus.

‘Though, of course. Our Deus student is different!!’

Just look at that face. Can that truly belong to someone facing the Sword of Light?

Far from showing tension, he wore a faint smile. As if his heart were pounding with exhilaration.

Like he was offering a greeting of joy for finally meeting a worthy adversary!

— *Ka-ang!*

— *Kang!*

“…”

Wielding the sword forged of light, Luciel narrowed her eyes.

Certainly, she was pushing him harder than she had when solely relying on swordsmanship.

For every step she advanced, Deus retreated one step back.

When she attacked, he defended, offering no further action.

Yes. That was the problem. He was giving his all, but that was it.

He parried when pressed, defended when attacked. Nothing more.

No opening arose, nor the slightest hint of discomposure.

He simply busied his gaze, tracking her trajectory with his eyes.

He seemed to yield, but would invariably return to his original stance.

‘What *is* this?’

With each sweep of her light-sword, chunks of the training ground wall were cleaved away.

The barrier trembled, and the students beyond grew gradually fearful.

Having failed to fully cover the sky, the clouds above had all evaporated.

She unleashed the finest swordsmanship and ability she could muster.

Against this, even an instructor would be pushed to the brink.

While she couldn’t guarantee victory, she would certainly have had a fighting chance.

‘I’m not physically strained. My ability is functioning perfectly well. We’re evenly matched, but that’s all. Defeat isn’t imminent. Yet… why…’

Why did her certainty of victory keep getting chipped away.

She was the one wielding the sword. Her opponent had no weapon to speak of.

Yet, it felt like Luciel herself was the one being slashed and pierced, bleeding!

— *Cha-aeng!*

In the end, it was Luciel who broke the distance, not Deus.

“….”

After composing herself for a moment, Luciel spoke.

“Junior. May I ask you something?”

“Yes. Senior.”

“Are you *really* a student?”

Because, wasn’t it a possibility? A senior, long since graduated from the cradle.

Infiltrating under the guise of verifying the academy’s internal curriculum.

Luciel herself had experienced it once, albeit only in her second year.

I was thoroughly taken for a fool, and when I asked what on earth was going on, the answer I received was, shall we say, quite something.

He’d been bored, and thought he’d come to assess the level of the junior students, or something like that.

‘One cannot discount the possibility.’

Indeed. I’d say it was rather high, actually. That formidable skill, that solid physique.

No matter how I looked at it, it was difficult to see him as just a regular student!

“Could he be… a graduate from the Cradle, perhaps, that I’m not aware of?”

“Absolutely not. Really, he’s just a fresh-faced freshman who just enrolled.”

“…On your honor as my junior?”

“Of course.”

If that’s truly the case, my junior is becoming even more terrifying.

Unable to utter those words, Luciel could only offer a troubled smile.

“Someone of this caliber, the teachers should be writing him recommendations to send him to the Dispatch Team.”

“They did. That is, Teacher Tiamat did, anyway.”

“Teacher Tiamat, you say.”

“Yes. Senior.”

So? What happened? Deus simply shrugged.

“I declined.”

“Why is that.”

The covenant bound to my left arm absolutely forbade it.

And frankly, I can handle that much without the assistance.

Deus distilled all those answers into a single, dazzling smile.

“I’ll enter it eventually regardless.”

An answer so confident, it bordered on arrogance.

But Luciel didn’t perceive it as arrogance.

Instead, she seemed delighted by the response, and mirrored Deus’s smile.

“Splendid. My junior.”

A pity. According to the school regulations, this student can’t enter the Dispatch Team until next year.

And by then, she herself will no longer be at this school.

‘Such a shame. So, so unfortunate.’

She wanted to witness that junior’s exploits in the Dispatch Team firsthand.

He’s already a monster as it is, but how much stronger will he become? She wanted to witness that as well.

“At this rate, it seems a decisive blow won’t come. What do you say, junior? Shall we conclude things with one final strike?”

“That was precisely what I was about to request.”

Openhearted, and gallant. Such a masculine figure is a rare sight these days.

This time, not as a senior admiring a reliable junior, but with the smile of a woman looking at a man.

“Then. Shall we bring this to an end, my junior?”

Luciel grasped the sword of light in both hands.

―Ssshhh!!

The sword grew ever brighter. Conversely, the surroundings grew steadily darker.

Absorbing the light of the area. It was like the coming of night.

So, that’s the prodigy of the fourth-year top student, huh? That’s their ultimate move?

Deus, having warmed up lightly, began to stroll forward.

“Unlike my esteemed senior, I don’t possess such an amazing secret technique, you see.”

Just pouring every ounce of strength into it. Landing one proper, solid hit.

It was something he’d seen somewhere…yes. You could almost call it a sincerity punch.

—SHaaa!!

Finally, darkness blanketed the entire area, the only thing shining was Luciel’s sword.

Luciel, raising his sword like a hero cleaving through the gloom, gazed straight ahead.

And beyond, a War God was charging to extinguish that light.

Genius and promising talent. Sword and fist. War God and light.

When they finally collided at a single point, unleashing a deafening roar and a blinding flash…

[ Warning. Warning. The barrier has reached its maximum capacity. ]

[ Evacuate immediately. I repeat. Evacuate immediately. ]

The barrier encompassing the training grounds could no longer endure and emitted a warning shriek.

It was telling them to grit their teeth and run because it had reached its breaking point!

“Wh-what?!”

“Uwaaa?!”

“E-evacuate! Everyone, evacuate!”

The instructors evacuated the students. As soon as everyone gathered dispersed in perfect formation.

A tremendous explosion, unlike anything ever experienced before, engulfed the training grounds.

*

The next day.

—Nyaaang!!

“Oh. Jojo! You seem a little faster than before?”

Deus, with a satisfied smile, was playing with the cat as usual.

Yurisia, who had been watching him for a while, cautiously opened her mouth.

“A-are you sure this is okay?”

“What do you mean.”

“The academy… it’s a mess, you know.”

A mess. Yes. That one word felt exactly appropriate.

The training grounds and the barrier, built so sturdily, were simply blown away completely.

The highest ranked student among the enrolled students. No, even before that. The imperial princess was unconscious.

More than anything, ‘that problem’, which was currently giving the instructors the biggest headache, had exploded.

“The mess for me isn’t that.”

However, Deus opened his mouth, saying he didn’t know anything else and that was the real problem.

“Why is there fried sweet potato with blood sausage on the lunch menu today? Isn’t that crossing the line too much?”

“….”

“Why put in all the national pride elements and then mix in the military food? I just don’t understand.”

Yurisia chose silence instead of answering those incomprehensible words.

Even in the meantime, Deus was muttering that ‘fried sweet potato with blood sausage must be the devil’s vomit’.

He was ranting about the lunch menu in the cafeteria today.

“JoJo. What do you think about deep-fried goblin skewers?”

—*Gasp!*

“Then, grilled goblin balls?”

—*Gaaasp!*

As I thought. JoJo. You deserve this Churu treat.

JoJo devoured the Churu that Deus offered in a whirlwind.