Though cheers loud enough to shake the air were echoing, to Shion they sounded as if he were underwater.
His vision was hazy, and his thoughts were vague.
“(Did I win…? I…)”
When he straightened his upper body and looked up toward the opposite side of the stands, he could see letters indicating his victory floating on the large black board.
“(I see… I won…)”
Confirming his victory in his dim consciousness, he simply showed a quietly relieved expression.
Shortly after the announcement of the conclusion, Reacher turned around and walked toward the Knight Academy’s exit gate.
Along the way…
“…If that had been a real fight to the death instead of a match—” Such words seemed to reach Shion’s ears.
Eventually, Shion’s consciousness gradually became clearer.
When he came to, Shion seemed to be walking almost unconsciously toward the Magic Academy’s exit gate.
Listening to the still-unceasing cheers and loud commotion, Shion continued walking.
…Shion had fallen into a state of magical power depletion, was suffering from headaches and dizziness so severe it was mysterious he could maintain consciousness, and his body was complaining of fatigue and intense pain at the highest level he’d ever experienced.
Even so, he continued walking straight ahead without showing any sign of his condition.
“(Heh heh heh… A mere C-rank defeats the strongest knight student and coolly exits as if nothing happened… Too cool…)”
Shion’s vision was blurred in multiple layers, his sense of balance was shot, and his legs had so little strength that his knees threatened to give out at any moment.
However, the steel desire to “look cool” carved into his soul made him walk straight and composedly.
“(Good grief, I’d prefer to avoid standing out… Good grief…)”
Shion walked to the exit gate while suppressing the almost overwhelming pleasure.
…But his body had already reached its limit. After advancing into the passage beyond the gate, at the moment he became invisible from the audience seats, he lost his grip strength in the hand holding his sword, and it fell to the ground with a clang.
Simultaneously, he lost the strength in his legs and his sense of balance, and his body swayed.
“(—Ah, this is bad. This is really…)”
In the blurry scenery, Shion felt as if he were watching his body fall toward the ground as if it were someone else’s business.
—Then, at that moment.
Thud… someone caught Shion’s shoulders with their hands and supported his body from the front.
In the dim passage scenery that appeared blurry in his vision, he saw familiar silver hair at the edge of his sight.
The person who caught Shion’s body pressed their face against his chest and spoke.
“…Good work, Shion.”
“…Yeah.”
“To win against such a strong-looking person… Shion, you’re amazing.”
“Yeah, well.”
“Could it be that thing called ‘hidden power’?”
“…Well, something like that.”
“Giggle… I see. …You worked hard, Shion.”
“……Since you won, I can’t waste it, can I?”
“Huh… . …You did your best, Shion.”
“…I couldn’t waste what you won for us.”
“……! You were really, really amazing… You worked so hard…, sniff… …Shion…”
“…What’s with you, don’t cry.”
“But… I know how hard Shion has been working all this time… When I see Shion now, I can tell how hard you fought today with everything you had…”
“…”
“Even if Shion hides it so others won’t know, I can tell…”
“…Yeah. …Thanks, Yufia.”
When Shion said that, Yufia shook her head left and right. Since her face was still pressed against Shion’s chest, the movement caused her forehead to rub against his chest.
“…Ah, sorry, but could you lend me your shoulder… I can’t walk to the infirmary on my own.”
“Mm.”
Nodding, Yufia turned around and pressed her back against Shion’s right side. Shion then put his right arm around from behind her neck to rest his hand on her right shoulder.
Yufia wrapped her left arm around toward Shion’s back to support him, and their sides pressed closely together.
“…!!”
“…? Yufia, aren’t your ears kind of red?”
“…!? I-it’s your imagination…”
“Is it…? …My vision is still hazy… If it’s just my imagination, that’s good.”
Shion smiled thinly, looking relieved.
“(…~~~)”
In contrast, Yufia’s face had turned as red as if she’d been boiled…
Supported by such a Yufia, Shion headed down the passage toward the infirmary.
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When Shion received a medical check at the infirmary, they confirmed injuries including cracks or complete fractures in the bones of his feet, shins, forearms, and palm bases, muscle fiber tears throughout his body, internal bleeding in multiple locations, and a severe magical power deficiency state that threatened his vital functions.
“(With injuries like this, how was he able to keep such a composed expression…?)”
The doctor who examined Shion, who had visited the infirmary with a nonchalant expression while being supported by Yufia, looked at him with eyes that seemed to see something unbelievable…
After treating his physical injuries, Shion was instructed by the doctor to rest on the bed and consume magic recovery potions until his magic deficiency returned to normal levels.
Yufia sat on a chair near the bed for a while to keep him company, but after some time, she was called by a knight academy instructor who came to the infirmary. Very reluctantly, Yufia headed to the closing ceremony being held in the auditorium.
Awards and trophy presentations would be given to the representative students of the academy that won the competition.
Therefore, all representative students were supposed to participate in the closing ceremony, but Shion remained in the infirmary under the doctor’s instructions until his magic returned to normal levels.
…And so, Shion spent his time relaxing alone on the bed even after Yufia left.
“(Come to think of it… I understand about Eliza, but the other person… who was that royal family member who recommended me for the general match?)”
Shion had no way of knowing as he pondered such things absentmindedly.
That because he didn’t come to the award ceremony, there was a beautiful princess who was internally furious while presenting awards to the students…
…Thus, this year’s inter-academy competition came to a close—.
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