Chapter 333
Today was the day the third "After School BMAT" would begin.
Before the test started, the Necromancer of the Cards, Endolas Vaudeville, invited all first-year students to the grand auditorium.
Perhaps mindful of the fact that BMAT was just ahead, the tables were laid with light meals focused on easily digestible vegetables, as well as foods that boosted energy.
While Simon and the members of Group 7 were sitting around a round table enjoying themselves,
"Hello, everyone?"
An uninvited guest appeared.
With silk-like ivory hair fluttering behind her, she strode in as if it were her own living room, confidently taking an empty seat.
'Serne Eindark!'
"Hehe."
Turning her back to Maelyn, Serne propped her chin on her hands, making a flower-petal shape, and stared fixedly at Simon as he ate.
'...I'm going to choke.'
Of course, Simon felt uncomfortable.
"What the? You."
Maelyn glared sharply.
"Get lost...!"
"Maelyn~!"
Serne immediately turned and clung tightly to Maelyn.
"Seri missed Maelyn sooo much!"
"Ugh, get the hell off me!"
Maelyn grimaced and shoved her away.
Serne pouted, pretending to sulk, but since her opponent was Maelyn, it only fueled her irritation.
"Hmph."
Serne turned her head back toward Simon and smiled prettily.
"Simon, you've been doing well, right?"
"Don't ruin the mood, go back to your seat!"
Maelyn suddenly stood up and shouted.
"No no~ my classmates are boring! Seri's staying right here!"
"....…"
Just as Maelyn's rage level was about to peak, Serne smiled faintly.
"Then let's talk for a bit."
"Ha, why would I? Get lost!"
It was already her third eviction notice.
Serne's expression went blank for a moment, then she turned her back and looked at the three of them, curling her lips into a meaningful smile.
"Everyone! Want to hear a fun story?"
"What is it?!"
At the mention of something fun, Dick, who had been silent as a mouse, immediately reacted.
"Aren't you curious about Maelyn's childhood story? She used to have a totally different personality than now!"
"Hey!!"
Maelyn's face turned crimson, but Serne went on without a care.
"When I first entered the Ivory Tower, little Maelyn ran right up to me and...."
Grab!
From behind, Maelyn clamped a hand over Serne's mouth and, with the other hand, seized the back of her collar, dragging her away.
"Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!"
Even as she was dragged, Serne didn't forget to wave elegantly at Simon. Simon, forcing himself, gave a small nod in return.
Thus, Maelyn and Serne left the grand auditorium and stood facing each other.
"What! What! What kind of story? If it's nonsense, I won't let you off!"
"Oh~ it's nothing like that."
Serne's voice returned to its cutesy tone.
"I was just wondering how it'd be if Simon came to our Ivory Tower."
Maelyn frowned.
"What kind of nonsense is this all of a sudden?"
"I'm asking for your cooperation! You and Simon are in the same class and the same group, so you're close, right? I heard you're going to the siege together this time?"
"Aha."
Maelyn sneered.
"The elders must be desperate these days? That's something for Simon to decide after he graduates."
"That's exactly why we should make that decision easier for him!"
Maelyn's eyebrows shot up.
"Stop talking crap. Why would I do you any favors...."
"It's the other way around."
Suddenly, Serne's voice turned serious. The corners of her lips lifted slightly.
"You know how important the Ivory Tower considers Special Admission Number 1, right? If you could bring Simon into the Ivory Tower, wouldn't the elders see you differently?"
"....…"
"You'd be doing something even I couldn't do. Don't you think?"
Maelyn's expression turned murderous.
"You're really going to di—...!"
At that moment, a great cheer erupted from the grand auditorium.
Both turned their heads. On the stage of the grand auditorium, "Endolas Vaudeville" was walking up.
"Count yourself lucky."
Maelyn turned her back and walked away. Serne called after her.
"Seri's proposal! Think about it!"
"Piss off!!"
By the time Maelyn hurried back to her seat, Endolas, dressed in an unbalanced jester costume, was speaking into an amplifying crystal.
"First-year students! Are you enjoying the game?"
"Yeees!!"
"It's the best!"
"Doesn't even feel like a test!"
At the flood of compliments from the students, Endolas beamed and waved.
"See, Professor Aron? Look how much they're enjoying it!"
He nudged Aron's elbow and spoke in a conspiratorial tone.
"My game isn't a test, it's art! Now, what if we extended the test by just one more day...."
"Sorry, but that's impossible."
Aron replied coldly.
"The schedule afterward is tight. Any more would be too much for the students."
"Eh, tsk tsk!"
Endolas clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"You really don't understand entertainment! It's not like I haven't helped Keyzen once or twice, yet you're this stiff?"
"I don't have the authority. Ask Professor Jane when she returns."
"That lady's impossible to talk to."
Even the great Endolas shook his head when Jane's name was mentioned.
Aron checked the watch on his wrist and said,
"Let's wrap this up. The students need to be in position before BMAT starts."
"Hrmm! I know that!"
Endolas lifted the amplifying crystal and spoke.
"Now, Keyzen students! Please give me your attention for a moment!"
The noisy chatter quickly died down.
"There's an announcement! In this game, we'll be adding a new element!"
At those words, every student's expression stiffened.
"Ugh, now what?"
"This feels ominous."
From their time at Keyzen, they'd learned that announcements like this were rarely good news.
Most importantly, everyone already had plans and strategies for the test, so no one welcomed new variables.
"And that is!"
Endolas threw both arms into the air. From his sleeves, a shower of cards burst forth, fluttering into the air.
Bang!
Boom!
The cards transformed into countless gift boxes, piling up into towers.
"What I meant is, this game has even more prizes than before!"
Waaah—!!
A wave of cheers rolled through the grand auditorium.
"Endolas! He's a god!"
Dick leapt onto the table, foaming at the mouth as he screamed.
"Hahaha! Thank you! Now, calm down a bit."
Endolas placed a hand over his chest.
"I am always on the side of children who love adventure! Not like the usual adults who force rigid studying!"
As he said this, he shot a glance at Aron. Aron maintained a blank expression, staring straight ahead.
"Ahem! Anyway, among these plentiful prizes, I will now reveal the best of the best! The two greatest rewards in today's test!"
The mass of gift boxes Endolas had created split into two piles.
From the top of the pile on the left, a box opened.
"The first great prize is!"
Fwoooosh!
The lid flew open, black flames bursting out.
—Kiiiiiii!
From within emerged a bird wreathed in black fire.
As it flew freely around the grand auditorium, ash rained down in its wake. Students quickly shielded their plates.
"The first prize is a rare undead beyond words! The 'Death Phoenix'!"
The black bird landed on Endolas's left arm and cried out.
—Kiiiiiiii!
The students' eyes shone. Everyone in the hall had the same thought.
I want it!
"You're giving such a rare undead to a student?"
"That's insane."
The auditorium was already abuzz.
"Let's reveal the second prize right away!"
This time, the silver gift box atop the pile on the right opened. A torrent of pure Darkness poured out, and from it emerged a staff.
The staff was made of violet metal, its tip adorned with a triangular eye and teeth, chuckling with a cackling sound like a person.
It floated up out of the box on its own and began flying around the room.
"Kyaaaah!"
The students ducked in surprise.
The staff roamed the grand auditorium at will, firing curses indiscriminately. Students struck by the curses either went bald, grew tails, or fell in love and began hugging the person next to them.
"What the hell is this!"
Watching the chaos unfold, the staff chuckled gleefully, then banked in the air and flew straight into Endolas' right hand.
"The second prize is the 'Autonomous Staff', Areldellu! Two students will be born today as the owners of these prizes!"
At those words, the students' expressions turned deadly serious.
"Perfect timing."
Maelyn said.
Simon turned to her.
"What is?"
"Think about it, something that amazing would be set as the prize for a large-scale or difficult game. Don't you think one of them will be tied to the siege battle?"
Hearing this, Dick slapped the table.
"That's right, that's right! At least one of them should be in a game with thirty players!"
Kamibarez fidgeted her fingers in disappointment.
"I, I really wanted to go with you guys... I'm sorry."
"No, Kami! Matching each person's card combination is more important."
On stage, Endolas spoke again.
"Then, in twenty minutes, we will begin the After School BMAT! You may disperse!"
* * *
Twenty minutes before the test began.
Excited students poured out of the grand auditorium in a rush.
Simon, Dick, and Maelyn parted ways with Kamibarez and were now sprinting across the Keyzen school grounds.
"This is an emergency!"
Dick, leading the two along a shortcut, spoke quickly.
"Because of Endolas' announcement today, competition for the siege might get even fiercer!"
Simon nodded. It was obvious that people would flock to the siege battle to get their hands on those grand prizes.
"Got a plan?"
"Not exactly a plan, but siege cards spawn at random spots along the wall, right? So let's split up into three and search."
Dick pulled out fireworks from subspace.
The plan was, whoever found the card first would use the fireworks as a flare to signal their location.
Simon objected after hearing this.
"Then other people besides us will come too."
"Exactly, you dummy! If fireworks go off on the wall out of nowhere, people will notice!"
"Heh heh heh, don't worry!"
Dick handed Simon and Maelyn blue fireworks. The two accepted them for now.
"We'll set off a bunch of decoys."
With that, Dick pulled a bundle of green fireworks from subspace.
Realizing his intent, Simon grinned.
"As expected of you, Dick!"
No one could match this guy's scheming. The two high-fived with a loud smack.
Before long, the towering Keyzen wall came into view.
"I'll take this side!"
Clutching the fireworks to his chest, Dick shouted as he ran off toward his minions.
"Simon, head east! Maelyn, go west!"
"Got it!"
"Mm!"
Time was short. The two split immediately.
"Con! I've got a once-in-a-lifetime favor to ask!"
"...Dick? BMAT's about to start, what is it?"
Dick tapped into his network of minion acquaintances. He handed out fireworks to passing minions, asking them to set them off at suitable moments once the game started.
Meanwhile, Simon was running with several green fireworks in his arms. His gaze shifted to Endolas' card pinned to his chest.
[The test begins!]
[If you win against the next student in combat, you will be awarded 1 extra point.]
[Denban Arena.]
'Here we go!'
As Simon ran along the wall, he tapped the skull-shaped badge that seemed to be Feer's clone.
'Feer! Feer!'
After a moment of silence, light returned to the clone's eyes.
[Hm? What is it, boy?]
'Please help me! Search along the wall with me and look for the card!'
[Keh heh heh! To wake me for some petty test like this!]
Simon quickly added,
'It's a test with a rare undead, the Death Phoenix, on the line.'
[Boy! From here, the wall's in full view! Hurry!]
Simon chuckled inwardly at Feer's instant change in tone. He detached the clone and stuck it to his shoulder.
[Hmph.]
The clone spoke.
[For now, it looks like you should avoid whatever's coming from behind.]
"Huh?"
No sooner had Simon glanced back than a pitch-black lightning spear came crashing down from the sky.
KWA-RA-RA-RANG!
He flung himself aside in shock. The area struck by the spear blackened instantly.
Only then did Simon take in his surroundings.
'Ugh, there's a ton of people!'
Students were running along the wall, hurling black magic at each other. Competition for entry into the siege had already begun.
[Boy! You've no time to deal with every small fry!]
"Got it!"
Simon ran forward, weaving like a slippery fish to dodge incoming black magic.
Explosions erupted all around, and Dick's fireworks were popping overhead.
'It's pure chaos from the start... huh?'
Simon's head tilted upward.
That firework just now sounded different.
PAAANG!
A blue firework exploded in the sky.
'That's Maelyn's side. She found it fast!'
SHHHHHK!
Simon skidded to a stop, spun around, and sprinted the other way. Two students coming toward him were startled and assumed fighting stances.
"Hup!"
"You wanna go?!"
Bone fragments from a skeleton flew in from behind, forming Bone Armor over Simon's body. He leapt onto the wall in one motion.
'Using the skeleton's pull to hold on!'
TAT!
Simon raced along the wall. The two students stared wide-eyed as he passed.
'Good, keep going like this!'
He ran full tilt toward the direction of the blue flare.
Meanwhile, green decoy fireworks were painting the sky emerald as minions set them off.
However—
'Ugh, running like this is exhausting.'
Not having to fight others was nice, but sprinting along the wall was tiring.
Then an image of a certain monster popped into his head—
The four-legged, four-armed chimera he'd seen beneath Professor Walter's magic bullet range, moving freely along walls and ceilings.
'If it's like that monster...'
Simon pulled out more skeletons from subspace.
Click, click.
The bone pieces of Bone Armor floated up and began reassembling.
Using eight skeletons, he made four legs, with their bodies clustering together as a central core.
'Like this?'
It became something like a four-legged spider made of bone. It was, of course, a completely different assembly from a normal skeleton, rattling and threatening to come apart at any moment.
[Hold on to each other!]
With Simon's Absolute Order, it held together. For the most critical leg joints, he replaced them with his Cloud.
'Done!'
He leapt onto it. The skeleton spider's limbs scuttled rapidly, carrying him at remarkable speed along the wall.
Students running below looked up.
"A s-skeleton spider?"
"What kind of undead is that?"
From his vantage point, Simon finally spotted a card attached to the wall.
Several students were already going inside. The 15-player limit would be full soon.
'Jump!'
Students, seeing Simon, scrambled to climb faster, but the skeleton spider was quicker.
With a bound, it leapt, and Simon entered along with it.
[Entering a new game.]
[1 defender has entered.]
[Defenders (15/15) all entered.]
It was by the narrowest margin.