The story of the summoning genius at the Necromancer School was shocking.
At the end of each semester, all students in the lowest squad of the duel evaluation would be expelled.
Regardless of their grades, 10% of the entire student body would be dropped each semester.
Since students could only advance to the second year after completing two semesters, this meant that nearly 20% of students could leave Kizen just based on the duel evaluations.
Jane continued her explanation.
"Squad promotions and demotions are determined solely by wins and losses. Of course, each squad has different scoring for duel evaluations. The points gained from winning in a lower squad are less than the points lost from losing to a higher squad. You must aim to challenge and advance to a higher squad."
She set down the chalk and looked around at the students.
"I have a question. Can anyone explain the difference between the monster battle we had last time and this human battle?"
At that question, a hand shot up more eagerly than anyone else's.
"Jamie Victoria."
"Yes, Professor! Jamie Victoria! In the monster battle, we strategized and attacked, but in the human battle, the opponent can also attack us!"
Jane nodded and turned her gaze to another student.
"Hector Moore."
This time, Hector, who had his hand raised, stood up.
He felt like a large hill rising up.
"Unlike the monster battle, the range of black magic that can be used in the human battle is limited."
"Can you explain that in detail?"
"Techniques that take a long time to cast, those with obvious trajectories or slow projectile speeds, and trap-type magic circles that are set on the ground are difficult to use in human battles, so their use is restricted. Similarly..."
Hector's eyes moved.
His gaze was directed at Simon, who was sitting far away.
"The summoning magic from the School of Summoning is also ineffective in human battles. The strategies are clear, and the opponent can ignore the summoned creatures and directly attack the summoner."
"Good."
As Jane gestured, Hector politely bowed his head and sat down.
"We've covered most of the important points. In fact, if you look closely, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of differences between monster battles and human battles. Now, can anyone explain why I am going through such obvious points?"
The surroundings fell silent, as if a mouse had died.
"From this week onward, we need to change our mindset."
Jane tapped her forehead with her index finger.
"If you're still lingering in the aftereffects of the Cyclops, that's a problem. Loosen up your mind, and shake off your habits and concepts. No one will think for you. You must constantly ponder how to utilize the cards you have to strategize against your classmates while attending class."
"Yes! Professor!" The students replied energetically.
"And..."
Jane smiled brightly.
Simon, who was listening to the class, felt a shiver run down his spine.
How could a person wear such a terrifying smile?
"I believe I have done my best as the vice-principal of Kizen and as the professor in charge of Class A. The simulation in Avalon and the actual battle with the Cyclops were unique to Class A among the fourteen first-year classes."
Simon nodded.
He felt grateful for such a remarkable experience.
But suddenly, why was she saying this...?
"I must make it clear that I cannot imagine any class being above Class A that I am in charge of."
A spark ignited in Jane's usually cold eyes.
"As the vice-principal who has come down to the first year, I trust that you will not embarrass me."
'...
Ah, so that's what it was.' The professors did not show it, but they were quite sensitive about the grades of the classes they were in charge of.
Especially since the duel evaluations were a competitive system involving Class A and Class N, the results would clearly show which class performed well and which did not.
"Professor Jane!!" At that moment, Dick, who was sitting next to Simon, stood up with an excited expression.
"Don't worry! I will do my best to make sure you can walk with your shoulders held high!"
Meilin, startled, pulled at his sleeve.
"Hey! Sit down! Why are you making a scene and embarrassing yourself?"
"Let's go! Class A fighting!!" Laughter erupted from all around.
Amidst this, some male students, perhaps ignited by their competitive spirit, cheered in response to Dick's words.
"Class A fighting, huh."
"Our kids are so cute."
The teaching assistants giggled among themselves.
They had always dealt with the older third-year students following Jane, but this year, handling the chick-like first-year students was a refreshing change.
Jane looked at Dick with an expressionless face.
"Dick Hayward."
"Yes! Professor!"
"You are my biggest concern."
Hahaha! This time, the entire class burst into laughter.
Dick, feeling embarrassed, scratched his head and sat back down.
"Ugh, I hate this. You're really embarrassing."
Meilin also buried her face in her palms.
"Since we're on the topic, let me give you some advice. Dick Hayward's enchantment is quite good. However, the problem is how to make the enchanted weapon reach the opponent. If the opponent is a student aiming for Martial Studies, you might have an advantage, but if you encounter a student specialized in long-range attacks like Blood Flow Studies, you won't stand a chance."
Since it was an accurate observation, Dick nodded with a serious face.
"You all should think about what your strengths and weaknesses are and consider what you need to improve for the human battles."
"Yes!" As Jane stepped down from the podium, she gestured to the teaching assistants.
They began to move busily.
"Now, let's change locations."
Class A headed to the indoor training hall in the adjacent building.
The reason Jane brought the students here was simple.
"From now on, you will train freely while checking your specialties and thinking about what black magic to use in the human battles. The teaching assistants will be walking around, so feel free to ask if you have any questions."
At the mention of free training, the students scattered as if they had been waiting for this moment.
Some students practiced black magic directly, engaging in image training, while others sat down and wrote out damage tables.
If they wanted, they could also engage in mock duels with each other.
The teaching assistants were lending out protective vests similar to those used in the Cyclops battle.
Meanwhile, Simon stood alone against the wall, deep in thought due to Hector's words. - The summoning magic from the School of Summoning is also ineffective in human battles.
The strategies are clear, and the opponent can ignore the summoned creatures and directly attack the summoner.
As he thought, the opponent would relentlessly attack Simon alone.
Moreover, it was questionable whether the slow-moving skeleton could catch up with the students charging in like shadows.
Crash! Just then, a skeleton fell over beside him.
"Ah! Sorry! Did I scare you?" A boy with a bowl haircut rushed over, starting to gather the bone fragments into a box.
Simon also crouched down to pick up the bones.
"I'll help you."
"Ah, thanks!" The boy glanced at Simon's face.
At first, he looked slightly surprised, but soon a smile of delight spread across his face.
"You're Simon Polentia, right?"
"Yeah."
His eyes sparkled.
"My name is Toto Amori! I was really impressed by the last Cyclops battle! I'm also aiming for the School of Summoning, and it really fired me up!"
Simon smiled back.
After gathering all the skeleton's bone fragments into the box, he stood up.
"Are you planning to use this skeleton in the duel evaluation?"
"Well, um..."
Toto scratched his head, giving a shy smile.
"Actually, I have no choice. I'm only good at summoning magic, and that's why I'm at Kizen. I'm terrible at other subjects."
Toto looked up at Simon.
"I'm envious of you, Simon."
"...?"
"You do well in Martial Studies. You seem quite talented in curses too..."
Simon blinked.
"But I'm also aiming for the School of Summoning like you?"
"That's why I'm envious. To survive as a summoning student, you need to do well in subjects that are advantageous in human battles, like Martial Studies or Curse Studies."
Simon crossed his arms.
"So that means summoning magic isn't very good for human battles."
"Yeah. In the beginning, there's nothing you can do. Summoning magic just takes more time."
At that moment, a girl who seemed to be part of Toto's group waved her hand.
Toto waved back and said, "Well, I’ll be going first."
"Do your best."
Watching Toto walk away, Simon fell into thought. 'Summoning magic is weak in human battles.' Of course, if he could summon a legion and sweep everything away, it would be a different story, but that was impossible.
Right now, the only summons Simon could use in the duel evaluation were three skeletons.
Even after Toto left, Simon continued to lean against the wall, deep in thought.
"Oh my, you seem to be thinking a lot~" Perhaps noticing Simon's state, a teaching assistant approached with a smile.
Startled, Simon quickly bowed his head in greeting.
"What’s the problem? I've spent nearly two years at Kizen, so feel free to ask anything."
"Ah, um..."
Simon scratched his head awkwardly, smiling.
"I'm worried about what style to fight in the human battle."
"Hehe."
She crossed her arms.
"In my experience, when you're in doubt, the best thing to do is to just dive in and try it out."
"... Huh?" She handed him a protective vest.
"Put it on. I'll be your opponent."
Before he knew it, Simon found himself in a mock duel with the teaching assistant.
They moved to a spacious area where they wouldn't disturb the other students and faced each other.
"You can check the barrier gauge on the vest with the blue markings. Can you see it?"
"Yes, I see it."
A sudden duel with a teaching assistant left Simon feeling dazed yet somewhat tense.
"You don't need to be too nervous. I'll only use black magic at the first-year level. Are you ready?"
"Yes!"
"Then, here I go!" She spread her palms, and shadows rose like a mirage, forming four magic circles in the air.
Simon's eyes lit up as he watched. 'Shadow Arrow.'
He had learned this in Shadow Mechanics class.
It was one of the most basic offensive techniques made from shadows.
Most first-year students used it as a long-range control technique. 'She really intends to only use standard first-year level magic.'
As the teaching assistant spread her arms, three shadow arrows flew toward Simon.
He quickly checked the trajectories of the projectiles and leaped into action.
Thud! The three arrows struck the ground. '......!' And the remaining arrow was flying directly toward Simon's path.
It was impossible to change direction suddenly.
Gritting his teeth, Simon reached out.
Whoosh! A short sword sprang from the space beneath him.
Grabbing it, he swung it to deflect the shadow arrow.
"Oh! Not bad~"
"This time, it's my turn!" Three skeletons sprang from the space and charged at the teaching assistant.
She cast Shadow Arrows again, and Simon's eyes widened. 'Dodge to the right!'
Thud! Thud! The skeletons moved agilely.
One took a hit, but the other two successfully dodged and closed the distance to her.
"Hmm~" She clenched her fist.
Her seemingly delicate fist was slightly tinged with darkness.
Whoosh! As a skeleton lunged with its spear, she ducked and extended her fist.
Striking the skeleton's torso with all her might, it shattered, sending bones flying in all directions.
Then, she lowered her stance and accurately elbowed the skull of the skeleton approaching from behind, breaking it.
"Ah!"
"Are you just going to stand there in a daze?" Thud! Simon's abdomen bent backward.
A black streak, like a flash, pierced through his chest.
'Oh no!' It was the Egest curse! His body suddenly felt heavy. 'I was careless.
I could have dodged!'
The teaching assistant, while dealing with the skeleton, naturally drew Simon's attention, and with her other hand hidden behind her back, she prepared the Egest.
She had perfectly timed it to strike when Simon was mentally damaged by the shattering skeleton.
'I'm only using basic techniques... but her experience is on another level!'
Gritting his teeth, Simon thought, "Alright, I've taken down the summoned creature and cast Egest. It's the perfect chance to catch the summoner!"
She rushed toward Simon while casually explaining her actions.
Simon summoned three skeletons from the space again.
'Block!' The moment the skeletons closed in on her, whoosh! Shadows erupted from her legs like a jet, instantly leaping over the skeletons.
'Even the Shadow Tread of Martial Studies!' She leaped over the skeletons and dove toward Simon, the summoner.
"Thanks to the barrier, it won't hurt too much!" Her fist descended at a terrifying speed.
Simon's eyes sparkled.
He tucked his shoulder in and, with a flowing motion, pushed her fist away.
'Hmph.' He had known from the start that this student was skilled in Martial Studies.
The teaching assistant smirked and subtly opened her left hand.
The magic circle for the Shadow Arrow was aimed at Simon's head.
'This will be the end...!' At that moment, she felt a chill run down her spine.
Simon's right shoulder folded, not just bending but excessively twisting, while his left heel lifted as his left foot approached from the opposite diagonal.
'Not a guard...!' The tip of her left foot, visible in her line of sight, transformed into an unmeasurable speed of black light, sweeping across her face.
'Counter!' Boom! Simon's leg traced a fierce trajectory, passing by her face.
The shockwave spread around, startling the nearby students who had been practicing, making them turn to look at the two.
Simon, who had delivered the kick, was equally surprised. 'I thought I landed it properly, but my leg just passed through her head?'
Both paused for a moment before quickly stepping back from each other.
"Ah, um... I'm sorry."
The teaching assistant bowed her head in apology.
"I said I would only use basic black magic, but I accidentally used my specialty, Spirit Transformation. Ahaha... let's end the mock duel here."
"Thank you, teaching assistant."
Simon bowed his head.
At that moment, the teaching assistant looked at Simon's head with an expression as if she had seen a ghost. 'What is he... so scary.' If she had taken that hit without her suit, she might have been sent straight to the afterlife.
The teaching assistant swallowed hard.