一Just before the vice-captain match was about to begin.
A flustered Magic Academy supervisor rushed into the special viewing box.
“Headmaster, it’s terrible…!”
“What is it…? Why such panic?”
Rudolf, the headmaster of the Magic Academy, looked slightly startled as he addressed the flustered supervising teacher, who was gasping for breath with sweat beading on his forehead.
“W-Well, you see…”
The teacher took a deep breath to steady himself before delivering the news with a grave expression.
“Carter, who was scheduled for the Captain Match… has collapsed…”
“Collapsed…!? What do you mean…!!”
Rudolf’s eyes widened, his composure visibly shaken.
“What in the world happened…!?”
“After examination in the infirmary, it appears to be [Stress-Induced Mana Flow Dysfunction]… Severe hyperventilation and fever… He’s currently bedridden in the infirmary…”
“Mana Flow Dysfunction, huh… How effective is the treatment? We can’t afford to have Carter withdraw…”
The supervising teacher grimaced and shook his head.
“Carter’s mana flow is severely disrupted, so recovery magic has little effect… And most likely, the intense stress stems from the Captain Match itself… Even if he temporarily recovers, forcing him to participate would be…”
“…Difficult, you mean?”
The teacher nodded solemnly.
“The organizing committee has stated that [a substitute is permitted]… So, we approached the students who were originally slated to participate before Yufia Queensroad claimed the spot, but they outright refused, saying, [‘We absolutely do not want to fight Reacher Diablo’]… Right now, the homeroom teachers of each year’s A-Class are scouting the audience for top-ranking students…”
“…I see.”
“At the very least, I had to inform you of the situation, Headmaster… Well then, I’ll continue searching for a substitute.”
“Ah… Right. I leave it to you…”
With that, the teacher exited the special viewing box.
…A short while later, an announcement echoed through the arena.
“–Now then, we shall proceed with the Vice-Captain Match. Competitors, enter the field!”
“…”
The headmaster pressed a hand to his forehead and exhaled deeply.
“(…We cannot afford to lose. Not this year… If we lose this Vice-Captain Match, we’ll have no chance left… Please, by any means necessary… win this one…!!)”
With that silent prayer, he turned his gaze to Bruno, who was stepping onto the field.
“–Any luck…?”
“No good… Every top-ranking third-year student refused outright…”
“Same with the second-years… They say the Captain Match is [far too heavy a burden]…”
“I see… The fourth-years are no different… [‘We refuse to be humiliated in a guaranteed loss’]… Even though representing the academy alone would be a distinguished achievement…”
Since just before the Vice-Captain Match began, the A-Class homeroom teachers had been scouting the audience for any student willing to substitute in the Captain Match. Now, they gathered in the hallway outside the competitors’ waiting room, exchanging reports on their failed attempts.
Unfortunately, it seemed they had ultimately found no one.
“Tch…!! To think the elite students of Crawford Magic Academy would be so pathetic…!”
“Can you blame them? Given the opponent… Frankly, if I were still a student, I’d have refused too…”
“More importantly…” One of the teachers cut in with a heavy tone.
“What do we do about the substitute? Should we try the B-Class students?”
The supervising teacher, who also served as the fourth-year A-Class homeroom teacher, shook his head.
“No… It’s hopeless… Even the A-Class elites rejected us. There’s no way we’ll find anyone from the lower classes… And we’re out of time. Regrettably…”
Just as he was about to say, “We should forfeit the Captain Match…”
“Sensei, what are you all doing gathered here?”
The one who appeared was Eliza Lowred, returning from her medical check-up.
“…! O-Oh, Lowred. That was an excellent match in the Middle Round. A hard-fought battle.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry I couldn’t deliver results despite being chosen… So, is there some kind of trouble?”
“W-Well, you see… actually…”
The teacher hesitated before explaining the situation to Eliza.
“–And that’s where we stand now… At this point, we may have to cancel the Captain Match… I apologize to you and the other representatives who fought so hard…”
Guilt weighed heavily on the teachers, knowing how much Eliza and the others had sacrificed.
They lowered their gazes in silence, the air thick with tension.
Then—
“Hmm. Well then, I do know one suitable candidate.”
Eliza delivered the words casually.
“……!? A… suitable candidate…!?”
“W-Wait, as we said earlier, we’ve already approached all the A-Class students!”
“There’s no one else we could possibly call ‘suitable’—”
“There is. One person. In C-Class.”
“……!!”
The teachers visibly recoiled at Eliza’s words.
“C-Class!? Eliza, this is no time for jokes!”
They had no patience for pranks right now. The teacher pressed her for confirmation.
“I lost the Middle Round. I want to avoid our academy losing this tournament as much as anyone else. I’m not joking.”
“…!”
The idea was absurd to the faculty—yet the seriousness in her tone and expression was undeniable.
As Eliza continued, the teachers listened intently.
“Yes, he’s C-Class. Normally, he’d be unfit for this competition. Honestly, I don’t want to rely on him either… But…”
—Annoying, flashy, stupid, and a disgusting pervert…
“…That guy is stronger than me.”
“(…!? H-He’s here…!? Found him…! No mistake, it’s him…!!)”
Luna, who had been peering through binoculars from the special viewing box, finally spotted the person she’d been searching for among the audience.
“(…If only I could slip away… No, impossible. Irene’s watching too closely, and it’d be problematic if I got caught.)”
Even Luna, as a royal guest, had some sense of responsibility.
“(Sigh. Well, fine… Just knowing which academy he attends is enough for now… Hm?)”
As she finally lowered the binoculars after prolonged focus, she noticed an unusual stir in the viewing box.
“–Irene, a moment.”
“Ah, yes, my lady?”
“Everyone seems… different from earlier. Did something happen?”
“Well… It appears the Magic Academy’s Captain Match representative fell ill and can’t compete… They’re currently searching for a substitute, but so far, no one has accepted… At this rate, the Captain Match may not proceed…”
“Oh… That’s unfortunate…”
Luna, who didn’t fully grasp the weight of the tournament, gave a perfunctory response.
But the next instant—
“–Ah! Irene! Then I have a wonderful idea!
She raised a hand excitedly, patting Irene’s shoulder repeatedly.
“M-My lady, your tone—Wait, what!?”
Irene tried to chide Luna for her informal speech but was more startled by her outburst.
Luna’s eyes glittered as she declared:
“There is one student who should fight in the Captain Match—!”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.GITHUB.IO
Bruno Turner and Ryan Braim, who clashed in the Vice-Captain Match, were both fourth-years.
A year ago, they had faced each other in the Middle Round of the Inter-Academy Tournament.
Back then, Bruno had won by employing a three-meter-tall earthen golem as his centerpiece, supplementing it with diverse earth-attribute spells.
Now, a year later, their rematch unfolded. Bruno had refined his tactics—this time, he deployed three golems to pressure Ryan in close combat while bombarding him from afar.
Yet Ryan, too, had grown exponentially. His power, speed, and technique were now on an entirely different level. Wielding a shield and longsword with precision, he countered Bruno’s onslaught with a rock-solid orthodox fighting style.
Their back-and-forth struggle lasted fifteen minutes before ending in the narrowest of margins.
“…You were much stronger than last year. It’s frustrating, but I’m glad we fought.”
“I grew stronger because I lost to you. This time, I just happened to win.”
Exchanging mutual respect, the two shook hands firmly.
As fourth-years, this was their final tournament before graduation. Both had already pledged to join the kingdom’s Knight Order and Mage Corps respectively—where they would fight side by side.
[WINNER: Ryan Braim]
After a fierce battle, Bruno Turner of the Magic Academy fell, and Ryan Braim of the Knight Academy claimed victory in the Vice-Captain Match.
With this, the score stood tied—two wins apiece.
The fate of the Inter-Academy Tournament now rested on the Captain Match.
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