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For the mock battle, blunted training weapons were provided. From the array of weapons, Hom chose a pair of gloves, Farah picked up two sabers, Vannabelle opted for a rapier, and Numelin selected a battle axe.

Given that Vannabelle was from the bunny race, it was likely she’d leverage her speed in combat, but I was honestly surprised to see Numelin pick up a battle axe.

“Now that I think about it, Numelin is pretty strong, isn’t she?” Alfe remarked, watching as Numelin easily lifted the massive axe, nearly as tall as herself, with just one hand. Come to think of it, she had managed to handle quite a bit of weight effortlessly during past military training. It was something you wouldn’t guess from her gentle, quiet demeanor.

“The field will cover the flat area and part of the forest here in the training grounds,” Mr. Tanutanu explained, outlining the area where the four participants would be allowed to move. “You’re free to make use of the space, but since there’s a time limit, running away the whole time won’t be a wise strategy.”

It was clear that the field he marked out was the same size as the one used by Ms. Matilda for her magic classes.

In Ms. Matilda’s magic lessons, a barrier was set up to prevent anyone from escaping too far, reacting to any movement beyond a certain speed. Within those bounds, the field was established.

“So, how do we fight?”
“First, we assess the enemy’s capabilities.”
“Agreed, sounds like a plan.”

Thanks to Alfe casting an amplification spell on Hom, I could hear their conversation clearly.

While Mr. Tanutanu’s training had given them a good grasp of each other’s physical capabilities, and even though they’d practiced similarly rigorous magic classes, this was their first time engaging in a mock battle using weapons. Neither team knew the other’s combat patterns, and considering this was a two-on-two pairing, Hom’s cautious approach made perfect sense.

“Begin!”

At Mr. Tanutanu’s signal, Hom and Farah dashed into the forest, leaving Vannabelle, who had been ready to attack, momentarily stunned.

“What!? Why aren’t they coming at us?” she shouted, bewildered.

Despite her complaints, Vannabelle wasted no time, quickly activating her impressive speed to chase them into the woods. Hom didn’t just run along the ground; she scaled tree trunks, leaped between branches, and even dangled from limbs to skillfully keep her distance, deftly dodging Vannabelle’s thrusts with the rapier.

“Quit darting around like that!”
“Don’t forget about me!”

With Vannabelle focused solely on Hom, Farah emerged from the underbrush, bringing down her dual sabers in a surprise attack.

“Belle!”
“Migyaa!”

It was Numelin, who had been running alongside Vannabelle, that reacted just in time. Her battle axe swung out, intercepting and knocking Farah’s blade away.

Though Farah let out a short cry, she quickly regained her footing, leaping back to reclaim her fallen saber.

“Turning your back on the enemy, huh? You’ve got guts!” Vannabelle seized the opportunity, closing the distance between her and Farah in a flash.

“Farah!” Alfe screamed, almost in a panic, but Farah evaded the thrusting rapier by leaping upwards, escaping to a higher vantage point among the trees.

“Damn! It’s stuck…”

Vannabelle’s rapier had embedded itself in the trunk, having missed its target. Even though it was a blunted training weapon, taking a direct hit from Vannabelle’s strikes would have been dangerous.

“Haaaah!” Hom, who had maneuvered behind Vannabelle while she was distracted by her stuck rapier, swung down from a tree branch and launched a kick.

“Wha—!?” Vannabelle managed to evade it with her quick reflexes, pulling her rapier free and retreating a few steps back.

“Damn it! Attacking from above and below like that… This is getting us nowhere!”

It seemed the series of attacks had drained a good amount of her stamina. Vannabelle was panting, visibly irritated. Meanwhile, Hom and Farah perched atop the trees, waiting for the next opportunity to strike.

“Yelling at them to come down won’t work, so it’s time for some brute force. Nume!”
“Aye aye!”

With a quick nod from Vannabelle, Numelin smiled sweetly before hoisting her battle axe overhead and beginning to swing it in wide, powerful arcs.

“Lady Farah, it’s dangerous here.”
“Yeah, no kidding.”

Seeing what Numelin was attempting, Hom and Farah leaped off the branches, landing back on the ground just in time.

“Heave-ho~!” With a drawn-out, almost playful shout that belied her strength, Numelin’s battle axe cleaved through the air, aiming to fell the trees.

“Huh~?” The axe struck the trunks, causing the trees to sway violently, and a cascade of leaves rained down with a loud rustle. “Hmm… Since there’s no blade, it doesn’t look like it’ll work, Belle~.”

Though their plan hadn’t panned out as intended, the trunks had deep gouges in them. If the axe had been sharpened, the trees in its path would likely have been completely cut down.

“Nyaha! What power! Now this is getting interesting!”

Farah, with her ears and tail perked up, bounced on her feet, clearly thrilled by the excitement.

“So, what’s the plan, Hom?”
“We’ve gauged their strength. It’s time for a direct confrontation.”

Upon declaring this, Hom clenched her fists, adjusting her gloves, and began to close the distance between herself and Vannabelle, ready for a head-on clash.

“Finally got some fight in you, huh?!”

Vannabelle swung her rapier, keeping Hom at bay to avoid letting her close in. The blade moved fluidly, matching Vannabelle’s lithe movements, and Hom was visibly struggling against the precise, nimble thrusts.

“Heh! Looks like you’re better off dodging around like before!”

Vannabelle, having gauged Hom’s reach, began to make quick, probing jabs. Though the strikes were meant to keep Hom at a distance, they were clearly designed to lure her into making a mistake, leaving her hesitant to advance.

“They’re doing great, too!”
“Go, goooo!”

Their classmates, caught up in the intensity of the battle, cheered from the sidelines. Meanwhile, Farah and Numelin were locked in a fierce, almost even contest.

“Her attacks are powerful, but that makes her swings telegraphed!”

Farah skillfully countered Numelin’s raw strength with her speed. She dodged a heavy swing and retaliated with her dual sabers, but Numelin gracefully shifted, using her battle axe to shield herself and then raising it once more to sweep the area around her.

“Whoa!” Farah narrowly avoided the sweeping strike, leaping up to evade before launching another quick attack. Numelin blocked it with her axe and called out to Vannabelle, who was still fending off Hom.

“Hmm… Can’t seem to land a hit, Belle~.”
“It’s not about just trying, Nume! You gotta make it hit! Remember, we promised to win this thing for Class F!”

The momentary distraction gave Hom an opening. She launched a series of rapid strikes, forcing Vannabelle to retreat, sidestepping the blows with small, nimble steps. Even as she backed away, Vannabelle glanced over at Numelin, her focus unwavering despite the pressure.

“That may be true, but Farah and Hom aren’t enemies—they’re allies~”
“They’re enemies in this mock battle right now!”
“Oh, right~.”

Ironically, the two of them seemed sharper when exchanging glances and chatting than when they were focused solely on their individual fights. I thought their conversation might create an opening, but their strong connection made sure none appeared.

“Hehe, they’re not making it easy for me to land a hit either,” Farah laughed, clearly enjoying herself despite the intensity of the mock battle. Even though it was a training exercise, she still had the composure to relish the fight.

“Let’s focus on Vannabelle, Lady Farah,” suggested Hom.
“Funny, I was thinking the same thing.”

They might have a better chance if they turned it into a two-on-one scenario against Vannabelle.

“Ha! Like I’m gonna let you do that!” Vannabelle, her rabbit ears twitching, caught their exchange and stomped her foot in frustration.

“Nume!”
“Got iiiit!”

At Vannabelle’s signal, Numelin raised her battle axe high.

“Lady Farah! Get back!” Hom shouted, sensing the impending danger.
“Heeeeere we go!”

With unprecedented force, Numelin brought the axe crashing down onto the ground. The impact sent a tremor through the area, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.

“She’s not holding back at all, huh!” Farah’s voice could still be heard thanks to the sound-enhancing magic, but the thick dust obscured everything from sight.
“What’s going on…?”
“Not sure… But neither Hom nor Farah seem to be moving,” Alfe said, using her Pure Eye to check on them.
“Well then, what will you do now?”

Vannabelle’s voice rang out triumphantly from within the dust cloud. It seemed that Hom and Farah had chosen to stay hidden, opting to keep still rather than risk making a move. Without the ability to see through the dust like Alfe could, it was probably the safest choice for them at the moment.

“Waiting is pointless!”

The wind stirred the dust, but it was clear that the thick cloud wouldn’t dissipate easily.

“Nume, one more time!”
“Yesss!”

Within the dust, the shadow of Numelin’s massive axe moved again, sending another tremor through the ground and kicking up more debris.

A small scream echoed among the classmates, but thankfully, it seemed that neither Hom nor Farah had been hit.

“…Was that on purpose…?”
“Looks like Numelin doesn’t intend to hit them. But—”

Alfe focused, using her Pure Eye to gauge the flow of aether. While Numelin seemed to hold back, Vannabelle was a different story.

“What are you acting all cool for?!”

With a roar, Vannabelle’s voice cut through the dust, and the cloud parted like a curtain.

As Vannabelle charged forward with a powerful step, a whirlwind erupted. For just a moment, her figure flickered into view before she unleashed a devastating thrust toward Hom, like a bullet shot from a gun.

“Take this, Vorpal Pierce!”
“Hom!!” Alfe cried, her voice mingling with Vannabelle’s thunderous shout.
“That is so unfair!”

Just as Isaac’s voice rang out in protest, a loud clang reverberated through the air, the sound of metal striking metal.

“Ah…”

As the dust began to settle, Farah emerged before Hom, her dual blades crossed in a perfect defensive stance, having expertly intercepted Vannabelle’s lethal thrust.

“What the hell?! Where did you come from?!” Vannabelle shouted, shock evident in her voice as she realized she had completely missed Hom.

“…What?! Why?! How?!”
“Too naïve.”

As Vannabelle attempted to regain her footing after delivering a fierce thrust, Farah’s knee struck her with explosive force.

“Gah!” In an instant, the tables had turned. Vannabelle was slammed to the ground, her back hitting the earth with a thud.

“Belle!” Numelin let out a sharp cry, rushing toward Farah. Just as Hom leaped behind her, ready to assist, a voice cut through the chaos.

“Stop!” The signal from Mr. Tanutanu rang out, signaling the end of the match. “Both sides are evenly matched; it will be declared a draw¹.”

Mr. Tanutanu surveyed the scene with a keen gaze. Numelin held her axe aloft, poised and tense, while Farah kept her stance, ready for any counter. Hom, standing within Numelin’s range, pointed her hand in a defensive gesture but was quickly aware of Vannabelle aiming her rapier at her.

“Nya-ha!” Farah’s serious expression softened as she returned to her usual cheerful demeanor, lowering her weapon and bowing her head toward their classmates.

With that, the classmates interpreted the end of the mock battle, erupting into thunderous applause.

“That was amazing!”
“If this is what our allies can do, we actually stand a chance, right?!”

Amidst the cheers and excitement of her classmates, Vannabelle looked rather dissatisfied.

“What the hell? I’m not satisfied at all!”
“Now, now. Besides, it’s already time~”

Numelin’s soothing voice caught her attention just as the bell rang, signaling the end of class amidst the applause².

1. Robinxen: I’d hesitate to call it that… even including the no-magic penalty…
2. Silva: Ehhhh? What the fork? One class is only enough for one mock battle? Also, where’s the alchemy or engineering class?

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