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Numelin stirred up clouds of dust and ash, rising like the signal smoke of a counterattack.

“Leafa, is this spot good?”

Gathered at the center of the elevated area, we quickly began preparations for Blitzraid.

“Here I go!” Using her Arms Transmutation, Hom extended rails high into the air. The purpose was to scout the position of Class A from above, and Hom clearly understood the strategy well.

“Excuse me, Master.”
“I’m counting on you, Hom.”

Kneeling beside me, Hom wrapped her hands under my knees and around my back, lifting me up into her arms.

“I want to wrap this up in five minutes. Can you do it, Alfe?”
“Of course!”

Alfe channeled lightning magic into the rails, beginning the process of charging the magic power for the ejection.

This time, we planned to fire at maximum output, meaning it would take Alfe at least three full minutes of effort. She would undoubtedly pour all her magic into it. This gave us just one shot—failure was not an option.

“…Hold them off for us, Vannabelle.”

Cradled in Hom’s arms, I looked down from the apex of the rails at Vannabelle and the others fighting Class A.

The pages of Ars Magna turned on their own, activating both sound-collection magic and shared-vision magic simultaneously.

“What the heck!? I can’t see a thing!”
“It’s a smokescreen! Aim for that area!”
“Like I’d let you!”

The confusion of Class A was palpable. Thanks to Vannabelle and Farah’s ambush, two members had already been forced to retreat from the battle.

“One more, coming up!”

Numelin swung her battle axe, stirring up the ashes left behind by Ms. Matilda’s Explosion magic. The swirling gusts filled the air, and we could hear Class A’s panicked screams.

“Gotcha!” Though the shared vision was obscured by the smoke and dust, it was clear that Vannabelle had taken down another opponent.

“…Damn it! How can they know where we are!?”
“Don’t underestimate the ears of a Bunny!”

At Rizel’s exasperated shout, Vannabelle let out a triumphant laugh, continuing to disorient Class A by relying solely on sound.

“Nyaha! My eyes aren’t too shabby either!” Even in the ashen, dust-choked battlefield, Farah’s vision remained unhindered. It was clear that they were steadily cornering Class A.

“Take care of this sandstorm! Blow it away immediately!” Rizel’s nearly screaming command spurred the magic-focused students into action.

“Nyaha, figured it out, huh?” Farah’s amused laughter was punctuated by the sounds of a few students from Class A collapsing.

However, the wind conjured at Rizel’s orders swept through like a gale, clearing away the ash and dust that had served as their cover.

“Nume!”
“Aye~!”

At Vannabelle’s sharp instruction, Numelin raised her massive battle axe. But—

“Not so fast!”

A coordinated blast of wind magic from Class A’s students hurled Numelin through the air.

“Nume!”

Vannabelle instinctively reached out, but her hand fell short. Instead, a bubble-like construct conjured by Ms. Matilda appeared from nowhere, gently enveloping Numelin and her battle axe, cushioning their fall.

“My, my, Numelin~ Taking concentrated fire and out of the game, huh~” The bubble drifted over Class A’s heads as Ms. Matilda sang out cheerily.

“Alrighty, collection time~!”
“Numelin is out…”

Alfe’s voice trembled, her frustration evident as she listened to Ms. Matilda’s all-too-familiar tone.

“They recovered from the confusion faster than expected.”
“Yeah…”

Alfe’s reply carried a note of unease. I debated whether to call off the operation but chose to stay silent, keeping my focus on the battlefield.

“Lord Rizel!” A sharp voice from within Class A’s ranks drew attention to our position. Their gazes locked onto us, the rails of Blitzraid now exposed.

“What the heck is that?!”
“They plan to counterattack with that turret! Destroy it with a full barrage!”

At Rizel’s command, a storm of Explosion fireballs rained toward us. I quickly channeled aether into Ars Magna to intercept the attack.

“Earth arms, heed my call and crush my foes—Stone Blast!”

With the spell, a barrage of boulders materialized, smashing into the fireballs in midair and neutralizing them.

“Don’t falter! Keep firing!”

But the odds weren’t in my favor; against the sheer number of Class A’s mages, I couldn’t hold them all back alone. The second volley was already on its way, and my incantation barely had time to keep pace.

“Stone arms, heed my—”
“Master!”

Hom’s voice cut through as she noticed me continuing the chant, fully aware I was risking being hit.

“Don’t move, Hom!”

Before I could even issue a warning, Vannabelle was already acting.

“Vannabelle!”
“Tch…!”

Vannabelle leapt high into the air, spreading her arms wide to intercept the barrage of fireballs aimed at us. The impact reverberated through the air, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her as the blasts ravaged her body mid-flight.

“…Gah!”

The force threw Vannabelle to the ground, where she landed with a heavy thud.

“Vannabelle, are you okay?!” The suddenness of it all left me frozen, my chant completely forgotten as I called out to her.

“Hah! Like hell I’d go down from just this. Though… looks like I did something real outta character, huh…”

Vannabelle looked up at me, her soot-streaked face twisted in a grin. Her voice, hoarse from the burns to her throat, echoed clearly thanks to the sound amplification spell still in effect.

“Win this… Don’t… lose…”
“Leafa!”

Before Vannabelle could finish her final words, Alfe’s sharp cry pierced the air. I had no time to hesitate. The opportunity Vannabelle had bought us was perfect.

“Fire!”
“ “Blitzraid!!” ”

Alfe and Hom’s synchronized voices followed my signal. A massive surge of energy propelled Hom and me straight upward, launching us at maximum velocity.

The force carried us far into the sky, higher than I had ever been.

Hom held me tightly, ensuring I wouldn’t slip from her grasp. The wind resistance pressed hard against me, making it nearly impossible to breathe. All I could do was grit my teeth and endure.

So this is what Hom withstands every time she uses Blitzraid.

“We’re almost there, Master.”

Her calm voice was the first thing I could register as the deafening roar and suffocating pressure suddenly ceased.

“…Perfect. I can see everything.”

From the vast, open sky, I could clearly make out the positions of every Class A student below. This was the vantage point I needed. The pieces were finally in place.

“Breath of flames—”

With the incantation committed to memory, I raised Ars Magna high above my head. Its pages flipped rapidly, and a vortex of fire began to form in my hands.

“Rain down upon the earth…”

Defeating the remaining Class A students didn’t call for a grand, overwhelming spell. The magic I was about to unleash was precisely tailored to shift the tide of battle.

“Flare Rain!!”

As the final word left my lips, the vortex of flames exploded outward, scattering fiery petals into the air. The searing blossoms shimmered with mesmerizing beauty, growing larger as they rained down upon the battlefield.

The fiery petals transformed into scorching beams, descending like a radiant storm onto Class A. Each impact triggered small explosions upon contact with the ground, spreading rapidly like seeds sprouting into a fiery bloom.

Viewed from above, the battlefield had transformed into a vast, burning garden of flame.

Class A was rendered completely silent, unable to run or even scream. They were utterly overwhelmed.

In the next moment, the levitation spell enveloping us was released, and we began to fall.

“Leafa!” Alfe’s voice reached me just as something soft yet resilient, like a giant bubble, caught us mid-air. The descent slowed, and we floated gently toward the ground.

Looking down, I saw Alfe cradled by Farah, her exhaustion clear, but her face lit with a triumphant smile as she gazed up at us.

“Class A…”

I muttered as the realization struck me, but before I could finish, Hom turned to me with a serene smile.

“It is our victory, Master.”
“Class A is deemed completely defeated! Victory goes to Class F!”

No sooner had Hom spoken than Mr. Tanutanu’s voice rang out from the loudspeakers scattered across the training ground.

“That was a spectacular comeback, you lot!”
“Leafa!”

Alfe threw herself into my arms, using every ounce of strength left in her to hold me tightly. I returned her embrace just as fervently.

“We did it—we won!”

Around us, the students of Class F, led by Mr. Tanutanu, gathered, their cheers and congratulations ringing in the air.

“You’re the best comrades ever!”
“Well done, Leafa…”
“Who knew you were this amazing?!”

With everyone piling on, I was soon swallowed in a sea of jubilant classmates. My height certainly didn’t help, and I found myself jostled back and forth.

Still, it felt nice to see everyone so happy. For once, I didn’t mind being at the center of it all. But amidst the celebration, I realized I hadn’t checked on Vannabelle.

I craned my neck, looking for her. My gaze met hers as she approached, supported by Numelin.

“Heh, you really pulled it off.”
“I promised, didn’t I?”

Her words were as guarded as ever, but I could still sense her joy. There was a hesitation in her expression—a mix of pride and something deeper—that made it clear she wasn’t allowing herself to celebrate freely.

“Thanks… and, sorry.” She offered her gratitude with averted eyes, too proud to fully face me, but that was just so very Vannabelle. Even so, it felt like a big step forward for both of us.

Saying what I felt outright seemed embarrassing, but if I didn’t put it into words, someone as dense as Vannabelle might never understand. Taking a breath, I decided to be direct.

“…Vannabelle, um…”
“Hm?”

Sensing my tension, Vannabelle stiffened ever so slightly, as if bracing herself.

“Thank you for protecting me.”
“Idiot. You were the linchpin of the plan—of course I’d protect you. But, y’know…”

Her body, still marked by burns, bore evidence of the interrupted treatment she’d left behind to rush here. Even when those injuries healed, the weight of what she risked to shield me would remain etched in my memory.

“Really… thank you.”
“Guess it’s lucky you’re such a little squirt. If you were bigger, I might not’ve been able to cover you by myself.”

She reached out and gave my head a couple of light pats. Her touch, for the first time, carried a softness unlike anything I’d felt from her before.

Something I used to find annoying now felt oddly comforting. Maybe it wasn’t the gesture that had changed—it was my own feelings.

“Yeah, it’s inconvenient sometimes. But not all bad.” As I said this with a smile, Vannabelle, seemingly caught off guard, couldn’t help but smile back.

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