Chapter 6: VS Carnaria Liberius ①

During class, my gaze drifted vaguely to my notebook, but in reality, I was replaying the moment of my defeat at Ichinose Kaede’s hands.

In the back of my mind, her voice echoed—cold and telling me I was a disappointment.

“Is this all you’ve got?”

Those words were burned into my mind, refusing to leave.

Just because she has a pretty face, acting with such composure… It’s frustrating, far too frustrating.

I jammed the pen in my clenched fist against the paper with enough force to stab through it. On the notebook, a meaningless spiral had been unconsciously, forcefully drawn and etched into the page.

I took a deep breath, reasoning with myself to convince my own heart.

No, I did not lose when it came to sorcery. That was merely close-quarters combat. Yes, I was simply caught off guard. Indeed, that must be it.

Feeling my excuses morph into self-justification, I had no choice but to continue pretending to focus on the lecture.

But of course, in such a state, there was no way the lesson would sink in, and time simply crawled by.

By the time I made my way to the cafeteria during the lunch break, my feelings had finally started to settle amidst the bustle. The aroma of warm soup, the clamor of students steadily filling the seats—the scenery of an ordinary day slowly untangled my frayed nerves.

I was feeling a bit off this morning, anyway… Trying to aim for the top right off the bat is just uncivilized, isn’t it?

I told myself.

“—And for that reason, Carnelia, you will face me in a duel.”

I sharply extended my finger toward Carnelia, who was eating across from me. She was in the middle of lifting some salad to her mouth.

“…Huh? What are you talking about? That’s bad manners, Michelle.”

I shot a serious gaze at Carnelia, who had frozen with a dumbfounded look on her face.

“I thought you were finally feeling better, but now this all of a sudden?”

“You and I will compete for the second-place seat!”

I declared once more.

“Ah, so that’s what this is about… Yeah, okay. Let’s just finish our food first.”

Carnelia seemed to accept the challenge with a sigh and an exasperated look. And yet, there was also a hint of amusement in her expression.

Carnelia delicately tore off a piece of her last roll with her fingertips and quietly brought it to her lips. She took a sip of soup, her shoulders relaxing slightly in relief.

“I’m finished. Alright. How about some after-lunch exercise?”

◇◇◇◇◇

“This way,” I said, taking the lead.

Altmegia Academy is home to several facilities dedicated to combat training. They are places where magic and sorcery can be practiced in a real-world format, making them a second classroom for students in the combat track. Among them, we headed to a particularly wide-open outdoor training ground.

The vast space, built from white stone, glittered in the sunlight. The floor was as smooth as polished marble, so well-maintained that our footsteps echoed. I took a step forward and turned back toward Carnelia.

“Let’s keep the rules simple. The first to land a blow wins. How does that sound?”

“Roger that.”

Carnelia quietly lifted the magic rifle slung over her shoulder.

What Carnelia slowly unslung from her shoulder was her beloved long-barreled rifle, “Ormalakim,” which held a deep azure hue. Elaborate formulas were inscribed along its barrel like silver thread, shimmering faintly in the sunlight. While it had the classic shape of a musket, an intricate mana conduit ran along the muzzle, and its refined, combat-ready design exuded a quiet intimidation.

“It’s been a while since we’ve faced off like this, hasn’t it?”

Carnelia said with a nostalgic laugh. When she laughed, I made a point to scoff.

“Indeed. Back in those days, I believe I was undefeated.”

“I don’t think it’ll be so easy this time.”

Carnelia raised her rifle and completed her inspection. Finally, she pulled back the cock.

Click.

I filled my body with mana, finishing my preparations for battle. I took one step back and held my hands out in front of me.

“Ready, start!”

The moment the command echoed, I took a step back and circulated my mana. Her “magic” allows her to freely manipulate the bullets she fires. Power enhancement, acceleration, trajectory control—I’ve fought her many times. I know what she’s capable of.

But the same was true for Carnelia; we knew each other’s abilities inside and out. That’s precisely why this match would come down to who could best exploit the other’s openings.