Chapter 58: Combat Lesson

Walking through the corridors of the mage academy with a small smile on her face, the silver-haired girl was almost humming.

“Sometimes I imagined what it would be like to attend a school, but I never thought I’d get into a fight on my first day.” Giggling softly, Lily raised a hand to her mouth to keep the two women following her at a distance from noticing.

(Did I do something wrong, Lily?) Nia’s hesitant voice echoed in her mind, but before it could turn into concern, the tentacle wrapped around her waist was gently caressed.

“Of course not. You have no idea how hard I had to fight the urge to scream from excitement when you agreed to that practice lesson. You were so cool answering all those questions! My wife is such an amazing person~” Even though she was whispering, Lily’s cheerful voice seemed to sparkle in the night.

(I-It was nothing. I-I just answered what I knew. It’s not that amazing...) Nia spoke in a shy tone, stuttering as she struggled to contain the joy blooming from Lily’s praise.

“Did you see how everyone was speechless? How could Nia be anything but amazing?!”

(A-As long as Lily thinks so, I’m happy. I don’t care about anyone else’s opinion.)

As she kept praising Nia more and more, Lily could feel her whole body warming up. Her wife’s tentacles tightened around her, clearly flustered from the compliments. If they had been alone, the silver-haired girl was sure Nia would have been clinging to her with all her strength by now.

Leaving the main building, Lily gazed at the rectangular structure standing out from the rest of the academy. The garden paths, illuminated by bluish lights, created clear routes toward her destination—or they would have, if not for the large crowd of students also heading in the same direction.

Cheerful and excited faces filled the area, with several teenagers quickly entering what Lily now understood to be an arena. As she stepped inside, she finally caught a glimpse of its interior.

The space, already large from the outside, felt even more expansive within. Its design was simple, with four reinforced brick walls, some bearing scorch marks or faint cracks, evidence of the many battles fought there. The lack of a ceiling allowed the dark mist from outside to seep into the arena. Though it made visibility difficult, it served to simulate real battle conditions for the students. The light-colored dirt floor was illuminated by the bluish glow of four towers positioned at each corner of the arena. Opposite the entrance, a grandstand with more than five rows was packed with enthusiastic students who, despite being about to witness a battle, refused to part with their notebooks.

“Nia, are you sure you’re ready to fight?” Regaining control of her voice for a moment, Lily asked with concern.

Since the battle in the mines, Nia worked continuously for two days on a spell to destroy the stigma on her body. Not even able to imagine how exhausting that must have been, Lily feared her wife might still not be fully recovered for such an intense task as combat.

(Even though it was exhausting and painful, I barely used any dark mana during the last few fights. Honestly... I want to get some exercise now...)

Nia’s timid words reminded Lily of how much her wife loved testing spells. Even if she was still a little tired, the chance to test magic and learn something new filled her with pure excitement.

"Very well, handle it however you like~," Lily said with a smile before speaking again, this time with a more worried voice. "If you need me, just let me know. And remember, Nia, this is just a friendly match. We can't attack with lethal intent."

It seemed like a simple and obvious fact, but Lily reminded herself that neither of them had ever fought in a battle where their lives weren't on the line.

(Hihi~ I'll be careful not to go overboard. Honestly, I could face an entire army if it meant protecting you, Lily!)

Hearing Nia's confident response, Lily smiled, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks.

Now fully in control of the body, Nia stepped away from the stands, walking toward the center of the arena. There, Selene was doing some light stretches, cracking her fingers a few times before gripping her stardust brush.

"Hm? What's with the cape? Are you the type who hides weapons under your clothes?" Noticing the silver-haired girl approaching, Selene stopped stretching and raised an eyebrow.

"I believe the appropriate response is that not everyone shares the desire to draw attention."

Nia's gaze wandered over Selene's scarlet dress, its vivid color making her stand out even against the thick mist.

"Ha! That's where you're wrong." Placing one hand on her waist and wagging her index finger, Selene spoke with a confident laugh. "You see, red symbolizes my passion and energy. As long as I wear it, nothing can shake me. It's the flame of life that keeps my desires burning bright!"

Her words radiated an almost tangible fiery intensity, her twin tails swaying as if mirroring her enthusiasm.

"..."

Nia remained silent, her expression blank, showing no intention of even trying to understand the logic of the woman laughing before her.

"Speechless, aren't you?" Selene hid her almost childish laughter behind her hand, oblivious to the fact that she was actually being ignored.

Selene then noticed the professors she had asked to clear the training equipment leaving the arena. Before beginning the battle, her ears perked up, pointing toward the stands. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the back rows, where two adult women stood out among the students. When her pink gaze met Abelia's obsidian eyes, Selene waved a few times in her direction before turning back to Nia.

"I founded this school to nurture young talents in the world of magic, giving them the chance to escape this cursed land." Selene's voice rang out firmly, her posture straightening as her intense eyes locked onto Nia's. "I have no idea how much gold they paid you, but I will prove to her that my vision is the better path."

Selene's words made Nia raise an eyebrow in confusion. The metamorph had no idea what she was talking about, but before she could summon the will to ask, the time for words seemed to have ended.

"Well, this is still a class, so I won't strike first." Even amidst the excited cheers of the students, Selene's voice carried effortlessly.

"Then I'll begin."

In the center of the arena, where both women stood ten paces apart, a black ice crystal sliced through the air with a sharp, high-pitched hum.

"!?” A gasp of surprise escaped Selene's lips, and she felt her blood run cold.

With a sharp crack, like glass shattering, the shards of the black crystal fell to the ground. Over her small chest, she noticed the hardened pink ink that had formed from her wand at the very last moment, shielding her from the attack.

She's fast.

That was the only thought in Selene's mind as her pink eyes returned to the woman standing before her. The icy blue gaze stared back with the same indifference as before, yet the intoxicating sensation making the hairs on her body stand on end was new.

That attack hadn't been meant to kill her—Selene knew that much. Avoiding vital areas and leaving just enough time for the opponent to assess the situation after being caught off guard was the same as saying that a swift victory held no meaning here.

"So you're more than just a pretty face, after all."

The innocent smile on her face twisted into something far more voracious, and without a second's hesitation, the brush in her fingers glowed a brilliant blue.

As if returning the provocation, ten streams of crimson ink shot toward the silver-haired girl all at once. Though no thicker than a fist, the sheer pressure behind each attack was visible to every observer.

Not showing the slightest intention of stepping aside, it seemed to everyone that the girl wasn't planning to dodge at all. That was... until a black sphere materialized mid-air.

The deafening clash of high-pressure ink colliding with the dark sphere forced the audience to cover their ears.

Even under the relentless assault, Nia raised her right hand. In the air, ten black ice crystals took form, each spinning rapidly on its axis, building energy.

In the back row of the stands, the two women watching the duel with worried expressions knew exactly what was coming next. This was the same piercing spell Lily had previously used to break through the tough hides of the horned bears.

"Go." A single word escaped Nia's lips, and all ten ice crystals shot forward.

In a confined space like the arena, Selene knew running from such a fast attack was pointless. Twirling her brush, the rabbit-eared girl refused to be caught off guard a second time. Ceasing the crimson ink barrage, she raised several walls of hardened green ink in front of her.

"Clever of you to face me with such unique spells," Selene muttered, narrowing her eyes.

All ten crystals struck the barriers, spinning like drills to pierce through. The walls were rigid but not indestructible, and Selene knew this better than anyone. Despite being gradually pushed back by the unrelenting storm of Nia's attacks, she did not waver.

"Devour."

Using the battlefield itself as her canvas, Selene took advantage of her blind spot behind the walls to cast her next spell. From both sides of the barrier, two enormous red wolves, each over two meters tall, leaped forth.

Though made of ink, every movement mirrored that of a wild predator stalking its prey. Without a sound beyond the tremors of their approach, the wolves charged, claws and fangs bared.

"...Huh? This has to be a joke, right?" Yet, the one speaking in disbelief was none other than Selene herself.

The moment the black sphere shattered from the wolves' combined attack, she was certain of her victory.

That was—until four unfamiliar violet threads shot out from the girl's back, wrapping around the ink beasts.

Each wolf struggled as hard as it could. Their bodies, made of hardened ink as tough as steel, were being squeezed with such force that cracks began to spread across their surfaces.

If that wasn't enough, Selene had believed that to even start dealing with the wolves, the girl in front of her would be forced to stop her attack with the ice crystals. But against all her expectations, the ten black, piercing ice shards had just reached the final green wall and were on the verge of breaking through.

With no choice but to leap aside, Selene rolled across the ground and landed on one knee, keeping one eye fixed on the girl before her and the other on the arena walls, now covered in a thick layer of black ice.

Letting out a faint sigh of satisfaction as the two wolves were shattered by the violet tentacles, Nia gazed at the battlefield with a hint of excitement.

When Lily handled the body's movements during fights, she would move as much as possible, taking full advantage of her agility to strike opponents. All Nia had to do was ensure the spells were cast. That was normally the best strategy for the pair, as each could cover the other's weaknesses perfectly.

However, since she was facing a single opponent, one specialized in long-range spellcasting just like herself, Nia hadn't needed to move much from her initial position. Even so, she was still managing to hold her ground against Selene without relying entirely on Lily's skills.

This was her chance to impress her wife, and the shapeshifter was fully enjoying it.

Without even needing to turn toward her opponent, Nia conjured another black sphere to block any incoming attacks.

From what the metamorph had observed so far, Selene's attacks revolved around the creation and manipulation of ink. This type of magic seemed effective for both offense and defense. If she could summon large quantities of creatures to surround her opponent, she would indeed be a troublesome foe for most mages.

However, attacks focused on forcing an opponent to stay on the defensive while keeping herself protected were nothing less than Nia's specialty.

When Selene's barrage finally ceased and Nia prepared to counter with her tentacles, a sudden and far stronger sense of danger flared in her mind.

"This isn't good! Selene's bad habit is showing up!" Abelia's voice echoed from the stands, clearly filled with worry.

"Bad habit!?" Cleomel asked, cold sweat dripping down her face.

Cleomel didn't need much more to identify the threat, and even Abelia, despite her lack of magical expertise, could feel the immense pressure from the high mana concentration around Selene's brush.

"When she gets too excited, she forgets everything around her and only focuses on having fun! Besides fighting Lady Lily, she's not thinking about anything else!"

Both Abelia's and Cleomel's eyes shifted back toward the woman in the crimson dress.

Selene's rose-colored eyes shimmered with a near-feral fervor, dilated and hungry, reflecting nothing but her opponent before her. A wide grin, unlike any she had shown before, bared her teeth in a mixture of ecstasy and ferocity. It was as if every fiber of her being had synchronized with the thrill of battle, with everything else fading into nothingness.

The air around her vibrated as a massive surge of mana condensed into her stardust brush. Seven orbs of ink, each glowing a different color, materialized around her and began to grow larger.

"That's an advanced spell! Lady Lily, it's too dangerous to take head-on, dodge!" Realizing the gravity of the situation, the dark-skinned knight raised her voice above all the students. The genuine desperation on her face was evident as she watched the attack taking shape before her eyes.

Nia, however, faced a dilemma. She could dodge—it wouldn’t be difficult.

"How troublesome..." Yet, when she looked back, she could see the stands filled with students.

Selene was so caught up in the excitement of the battle that she had forgotten where they were.

If Selene’s attack passed through Nia, even in the best-case scenario, the students in the stands would suffer permanent injuries.

Her beloved wife wouldn’t be happy if innocent people got hurt. Knowing this, Nia wouldn't allow it to happen.

As the spell neared completion, Nia rapidly assessed her options.

If she wanted to try canceling the spell by force, she could create several short-range portals around Selene to strike her with point-blank attacks. However, she had never done that without intending to kill her opponent, and the metamorph couldn't be sure she could control her strength.

With time running out, Nia saw only one solution.

Two glowing pink eyes met hers, and from Selene's curved lips, a phrase echoed into existence:

"[Polychrome Overflow]"

It was vibrant and chaotic.

All at once, an enormous wave of multicolored ink exploded forward. Like a furious tsunami swirling with chaotic, vivid hues, the surge swept across the arena in a storm of uncontrolled fury, as if the world itself were being repainted.

At this point, there was no way for the students and teachers in the auditorium to miss the danger the spell posed. Several screams erupted the instant the wave surged toward the silver-haired girl.

Cleomel wrapped her arms tightly around Abelia, channeling mana to shield her.

There was nothing they could do to avoid being hit. That was the collective thought of everyone watching, bracing for the inevitable impact.

However, when their frightened eyes opened, their minds were consumed with confusion.

The colorful tsunami had never passed the silver-haired girl.

With a glow resembling a starry sky that vanished as quickly as it appeared, the same tsunami—now reduced to a fraction of its original size—had changed direction and was rushing back toward Selene.

"What...?"

Selene blinked a few times as reality finally seemed to return to her. Her rabbit-like ears perked straight up as the deafening sound of the multicolored wave forced her body to leap with all its strength for survival.

Landing on the ink-stained ground, Selene watched the wall behind her crumble into debris as the wave surged past her.

Luckily, since it had been reduced to nearly a tenth of its original size, the attack dissipated after spreading only a few meters beyond the arena, sparing the surrounding buildings from the same fate as the wall.

Her wide eyes then shifted back to Nia, who remained in the same spot with a completely blank expression, and the audience, now frozen in fear.

"Alright, everyone! The extra combat practice session is over! Please return to your dormitories!"

Her face flushing red, Selene clapped her hands repeatedly, forcing a strained smile as she ushered the students out of the arena.