Chapter 69: Turning Point

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“Alright, everyone, let’s give it our all on the final day!”

After finishing the class meeting, we were finally ready to take on the last day of the competition. As everyone confidently left the classroom, Mill and I decided to follow them, but just before we could…

“Sachi-san, Mil-san.”

“Hmm…? Maron-san?”

We were unexpectedly called out by Maron-san from the side.

“There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

Upon hearing that, after our classmates had left the classroom, Mill and I stayed behind while Maron-san joined us. The three of us faced each other in the quiet classroom.

“Since the competition is about to ttart soon, let me keep it brief.”

As Maron-san began speaking, I tensed up slightly.

“Last night, I had a brief conversation with my mother, who came to visit the Starryy Blossom Festival.”

“Y-your mother?”

I recalled the sight of Maron-san’s mother that I had seen in the special building. She looked young enough to be mistaken for Maron-san’s older sister. However, her personality was strict, and the scene where she scolded Maron-san was still fresh in my memory. I wondered what kind of conversation took place between them, anxiously waiting for the continuation of Maron-san’s words. Surprisingly, it turned out to be a positive report.

“Yesterday, I talked to my mother and expressed my feelings once again. That I’m against transferring to the Specialized Class and that I want to continue my school life in the current class.”

“…”

“My mother didn’t seem very pleased, as expected. However, depending on the results of the Starry Blossom Festival, she agreed to reconsider the transfer to the Special Class and changing rooms in the student dormitory.”

“Huh? So, that means…”

Did Maron-san’s mother acknowledge it to some extent? That she can become a stronger magician even in the current class. That the General Class is not completely futile. If we can go all the way and win, the possibility of changing her mind becomes very high. Maron-san, who conveyed this to me again, had a delighted smile on her face.

“This is surely thanks to everyone’s hard work and both of you. Thank you so much.”

“N-no, we didn’t really do anything. If we’ve come this far and are getting closer to winning the Starry Blossom Festival, it’s all thanks to you, Maron-san.”

Of course, we were giving our all in the competition, but Maron-san’s achievements as the representative were undoubtedly the greatest. No matter how you look at it, it was her own ability that moved her mother’s heart. By leading Class 1-A as the representative and earning her recognition, she accomplished this.

“Well, now that we’ve heard this, we can’t afford to lose today, right?”

Maron-san furrowed her eyebrows slightly, seeming a bit apologetic.

“I didn’t mean to surprise you, but I thought I should let you know.”

“Well, it actually makes me more motivated. Let’s seize the victory in Class 1-A!”

As Mill whispered next to me, she clenched her fist with a reserved enthusiasm. While the tension certainly increased, our determination grew even stronger. We were determined to win on the final day.

However, as if to crush my enthusiasm…

Today, once again, the event I was participating in took place quietly in the training grounds.

“Well, I already knew since yesterday, so it doesn’t really surprise me.”

Since I knew that the event would take place in the training grounds, it didn’t affect me much. Moreover, there was one clear difference between the first and second days.

“Hey, Sachi…san?”

“Hmm…?”

The person who called out to me before the competition was my classmate, Nave Rediction. She had vibrant, reddish long hair tied up high, giving her a rather flashy impression. Behind her was Epinal Farine, who often accompanied Nave and had intense blue wavy hair, also styled in a striking manner. Both of them stood out in the class, and many people found them difficult to approach. I was one of those people, and I was genuinely nervous about partnering with them in this competition.

Both of them didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about the Starry Blossom Festival either.

And then…

“Sachi-san, you’re pretty strong, right? Would you consider being the ‘Invader’ for this event, ‘Territory Invasion: Personal Space’?” (T/N: These event names keep getting funnier)

“Huh? Me…?”

The event we were participating in this time was called ‘Territory Invasion: Personal Space.’ It was a three-member competition where each class defended their assigned ‘Territory’ while invading another class’s territory to earn points. Therefore, the participants were divided into ‘Defenders’ who protected their class’s territory and ‘Invaders’ who infiltrated other class territories.

As a strategy, we could have all three members become ‘Invaders’ by having zero ‘Defenders,’ but the competition was designed to heavily favor the ‘Defenders.’ Outside the territory, powerful gravity generated by the teachers’ magic hindered the movement of the ‘Invaders’ attempting to infiltrate other class territories. When outside the territory, the ‘Invaders’ would be subjected to an all-out attack from members of other classes, making it easy to immobilize them.

Hence, the norm was to leave one or two ‘Defenders,’ preferably selecting the most capable ones, and many classes adopted this strategy. I assumed Nave and Epinal knew this, so I was genuinely bewildered when they asked if I could be the ‘Invader.’

“Is it okay for me?”

“We didn’t really have any interest in the Starry Blossom Festival…”

“Seeing everyone in our class putting in so much effort, we just… want to win.”

“…”

It was an unexpected line from the usually apathetic duo who would often seem disinterested during classes and exercises.

“So, Sachi-san, you’re considered the strongest. How about you take on the role of the ‘Invader’ and score some points for us?”

“Well, if you don’t want to, it’s fine.”

“N-no, if you’re okay with me, I’d be happy to do it.”

It seemed that it wasn’t just Mill, Maron-san, and I who were getting motivated. Everyone was caught up in the atmosphere of the Starry Blossom Festival, burning with determination.

And…

“Sachi-san, you’re pretty strong.”

Little by little, it seemed that my abilities were being recognized by my classmates, and it made me happy in a way.

With a secretly relaxed smile, I made up my mind to challenge the Territory Invasion: Personal Space as an ‘Invader.’

“Now, we will begin the Territory Invasion: Personal Space in the training grounds!”

Following the commands of the organizers, the event began.

“Take your positions… Ready… Start!”

And thirty minutes later…

“With a record-breaking score of ‘110 points,’ the victors are… Class 1-A!”

The result was a resounding victory. Without any issues, I earned points according to the plan, and the event came to an end.

“What the hell was that commoner?!”

“Why don’t our spells work on her?!”

“Is it true that she can nullify any magic?!”

After the competition, I received resentful glares from students of other classes.

The effects of [Momentary Peace Aegis Fride] and [Foolish Valor Gran Deal] shone brightly in this competition.

Thanks to [Momentary Peace Aegis Fride], all the magic attacks from other students were nullified. Not only that, it also nullified the gravity magic placed outside the territories, allowing me to move freely within the competition area.

And with [Foolish Valor Gran Deal], my physical abilities were heightened to the limit, enabling me to step into various territories and earn points one by one.

Once an invading class’s territory was breached, it couldn’t be invaded again for three minutes, so I needed to target another class’s territory immediately. But with the enhanced physical abilities granted by [Foolish Valor Gran Deal], I effortlessly ran around the competition area.

Due to the gravity magic, teleportation magic didn’t work well in the competition area, causing other students to struggle.

With everything that happened, it was only Class 1-A that raked in points and achieved a resounding victory.

“S-Sachi-san, you were amazing!”

“Thanks for earning points in our place. Really, thank you!”

“N-No, it’s because you two were defending the territory that I could move freely.”

As Nave and Epinal praised me, my face grew hot. It’s embarrassing to be praised so directly.

In any case, all of my participating events in the Starry Blossom Festival had come to an end. I gave it my all, and I think the results were quite good. Now, all that’s left is to cheer for everyone and pray for a good outcome.

With that thought in mind, the exhaustion of the past three days suddenly hit me, and I let out a deep breath. My body relaxed, and I was considering sitting down on the ground when…

Thud!

As if shaking the entire academy, a heavy impact reverberated through the training grounds.

“…?”

Everyone inside the venue tilted their heads in confusion, and I did the same, looking around.

What was that impact just now? An earthquake, perhaps?

I then noticed that the noise was coming from the grounds, where Maron-san and Mill should be competing together. Considering the timing, they should still be in the middle of the event.

“What was that sound just now?”

“Who knows? Maybe they’re using some flashy magic on the grounds?”

While listening to Nave and Epinal’s conversation out of the corner of my eye, I furrowed my brows.

The impact and noise seemed much larger than what could be caused by magic. Powerful magic that can cause such an impact is prohibited in the Starry Blossom Festival due to being seen as excessive aggression.

“Hmm…”

The noise from the grounds grew louder. It was an unusual commotion.

No, it wasn’t exactly a commotion. It felt more like a slight disturbance.

Feeling an indescribable uneasiness, I thought about going to check out the grounds for myself when…

“Sachi Malmurard!”

“――?!”

Suddenly, the voice of a young girl resounded in my head.

This voice… is it… the headmistress?

Caught off guard by the suddenness of it, my heart raced, and then I heard something even more surprising.

“That ‘Berserker’ has appeared! Should I teleport you to the scene immediately? Is that okay?”

“Eh?! R-Right now?!”

I inadvertently blurted out, earning puzzled looks from Nave and Epinal. At the same time, the entrance to the training grounds closed with a door, and the voice of the announcer echoed inside.

“To all those gathered in the training grounds, we regret to inform you that an accident has occurred in the main competition area. In order to minimize the damage, we will temporarily close the training grounds. We apologize for the inconvenience and ask for your patience.”

An accident.

Perhaps to avoid causing unnecessary commotion, the announcer deliberately chose those words to address the spectators.

It seems that the “Berserker,” the perpetrator of the previous Mage Rampage incident, has actually appeared.

“I don’t have time to explain in detail. The teachers are already stretched thin with the management of the Starry Blossom Festival. While they are trying to subdue the Berserker, they are facing considerable delays. That’s why I want to borrow your power, the one who has actually stopped the Berserker!”

“…”

Even in the Personal Territory Invasion event, They were constantly deploying large-scale gravity magic. As a result, the teachers’ magical energy was significantly depleted, making it difficult for them to restrain the Berserker.

However, considering the teachers’ abilities, I think they should be able to apprehend the Berserker without any issues. But is the Berserker really that formidable?

In any case, I listened to the headmistress’s proposal and looked down at my own body. The effects of “Momentary Peace Aegis Friede” and “Blind Valor Gran Deal,” the magic I used in the competition, were still active. They only nullify harmful magic, so it shouldn’t interfere with the headmistress’s teleportation magic.

“I’m fine. I can move immediately.”

“Apologies for the sudden request. It’s likely that you’ll engage in combat immediately after the teleportation. Please cooperate with the teachers to subdue the Berserker!”

After swiftly saying so, I heard the headmistress’s incantation through the telepathic connection. Soon after, my body was enveloped in a bright light, and I felt a sensation of floating.

My field of vision shimmered like a heat haze, gradually transitioning to a different scene.

Eventually, the teleportation successfully completed, and I arrived at the scene where the Berserker was.

“…Huh?”

There, I witnessed something unbelievable, as if doubting my own eyes.

The place I was teleported to was the center of the main competition grounds.

Damaged facilities were scattered around, and frightened students could be seen huddled on the edges.

In front of me stood the teachers, who were on guard, and there was a single “student” who was injured and lying on the ground.

It was someone I had just talked to in the classroom this morning, an acquaintance, or rather, one of my precious few “friends.”

Maron Melange, with her soft brown hair and calm face, was lying on the ground, bleeding.

“…”

And the Berserker, who seemed to have caused the commotion, was being surrounded by the teachers.

It was my brother, Maiss Glacier, with bloodshot eyes and breathing heavily.