Chapter 6: Sierra Takes the Exam.

One of the instructors at 《Lowsta Magus Academy》, House Magnis, was waiting in the examination arena.
The venue was the training field normally used for students’ magical combat practice.
Most of the academy’s instructors were accomplished magi with proven records.
House was no exception; he was a battlefield veteran known to those in the know as 《Crimson-Haired House》.
His muscular build made him look anything but a typical mage.
Yawning, House called out to the female examiner standing nearby.

“Hey, do you really think we need to go through with this exam?”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“What do you think I mean? Exactly what I said. That girl who’s coming… what was her name again?”

“Um… Sierra Alcnys, I believe?”

The name written on the documents was Sierra, but the family name was listed as Alcnys.
It was a pre-arranged alias, though the two people in the arena had no way of knowing that.

“Yeah, that Sierra girl. Ever since I heard she got caught as an intruder yesterday, the whole thing has felt off. And apparently on the written exam she didn’t even manage half the total score.”

The written portion was already over.
The results had been conveyed to the examiners present.
Sierra’s score was failing-level even on paper alone.
The academy’s baseline passing mark for the written exam was eighty percent.
Sierra had barely scraped forty, if that.

“True, she did show exceptional knowledge in 《Magical Theory》 and 《Monster Studies》…”

“We’re not looking for someone who’s only good at a couple of weird subjects. What do you think the exam is even for?”

“But the headmaster said…”

“Yeah, that’s the thing.”

Despite being failing on the written portion alone, Headmaster Awenda had suddenly declared she wanted to see Sierra’s mock battle.
This examinee had essentially been brought in by the headmaster herself.
No one openly objected, but plenty of people found it questionable.

“Maybe she feels responsible for bringing the girl here and wants to pass her anyway. I don’t like that kind of thing.”

“I don’t think the exam itself is being rigged, at least…”

Failing on the written exam was an unchangeable fact.
House and most of the other instructors believed that.
In fact, the audience seats in the training field were nearly empty save for the headmaster and a handful of others.
Watching Awenda sit there with her carefree smile, House let out a sigh.
At that moment, Sierra entered the arena.
Her long silver hair was tied back, and she wore light clothing as she walked up to House.
For safety, examinees were provided with lightweight gear that still offered high magical protection.
Sierra was no exception.
The female examiner approached her.

“Sierra Alcnys-san, correct?”

“Yep.”

“First, good work on the written exam. Next will be the mock battle—”

“We can skip the explanations, right?” House cut in.

“H-House-san!?”

Hearing that, Sierra tilted her head curiously.
She seemed completely oblivious to her own situation.

(You’ve already failed, kid.)

House found it nothing but a hassle to test someone who was already out.
He had no intention of evaluating her seriously; he just planned to brush her off and be done with it.

(Let’s get this over with quickly.)

“Let’s start already, Sierra.”

“I heard there were rules, though.”

“…You don’t even know how to speak properly, huh. There are no rules, are there?”

He spoke with deliberate menace, but Sierra didn’t seem to care at all.
Just some country bumpkin, House sneered inwardly.

“No rules. You beat me and you pass. You don’t beat me and you fail. That simple enough?”

“H-House-san! That’s too—”

“Shut it. I’m the assigned examiner.”

“So I just have to beat you?”

“That’s right. Do whatever you want. Come at me seriously.”

“! …Seriously?”

For the first time, a faint ripple of unease crossed Sierra’s otherwise flat expression.
For some reason, the word “seriously” had struck a nerve.

(The Normie Notebook said not to go all-out…)

“What are you mumbling about?”

“Um… does ‘a little bit seriously’ work?”

“…Are you mocking me?”

House’s irritation spiked.
No matter how the world turned upside down, there was no universe in which Sierra could beat him; that was how confident he was.
He waved his hand dismissively.

“Whatever, I don’t care anymore. Oi, start the match.”

“E-eh…”

The female examiner glanced toward the headmaster.
Awenda, still smiling pleasantly, gave a small nod.
It was permission to begin.

“V-very well! The mock battle will now commence!”

The woman raised her hand.
House didn’t even bother taking a stance; he just stared at Sierra.
Sierra didn’t take a stance either.

(…Hah, she thinks I won’t move first or something.)

“Match start!”

“《Hell Blaze》!”

“Eh!?”

It was the female examiner, not Sierra, who cried out in shock.
The instant the signal was given, nine segmented 《magic squares》 materialized in front of House.
Magic was invoked by drawing sigils inside those squares and channeling mana through them.
Flame sigils, manipulation sigils, dispersion, rotation; combining multiple effects raised the spell’s power.
Even though he appeared relaxed, House had pre-cast the spell so it would fire the moment the match began.
《Hell Blaze》 was an advanced fire spell, far beyond anything appropriate for an exam.
It was the kind of move that screamed he had no intention of letting her pass.
Roaring flames erupted from the magic squares and surged straight toward Sierra.

“!?”

The next instant, House’s eyes shot wide open.
He had unleashed the spell the very second the match started.
That should have ended it.
And yet, right in front of him stood Sierra, fist already raised.

“I’m gonna go a little bit seriously, okay?”

With those words, her fist slammed into House’s stomach.
It wasn’t magic; just a single blow loaded with raw mana.
House’s body lifted off the ground and was blasted backward with terrifying force.