—A magic circle was a circular formula drawn by a mage’s mana, which, when infused with magical energy, transformed into a spell.
A spell’s power wasn’t strictly tied to the circle’s size, but larger circles required exponentially more mana.
Even among A-rank mages, the maximum size varied widely—but for most top-tier A-ranks, their circles rarely exceeded their own height.
In fact, very few students in the audience had ever seen a magic circle larger than the caster.
And yet… The circle Yufia Queensroad had deployed was not just taller than her—it was nearly three times her height, over five meters wide.
That alone was unfathomable.
But what truly stunned the crowd was that…
She had summoned seven of them.
Arranged in two rows, the massive circles covered most of the 50-meter-wide arena.
“(……!? M-My body… is trembling!?”)
Even the students seated in the distant stands, protected by the barrier, felt an urge to flee the scene.
Facing that sight, Tyson’s body trembled slightly.
[Strongest maiden of the Magic Academy!! I shall not evade your attacks!! Come—strike me with all your might!!]
In response to Tyson’s earlier words, Yufia murmured in a small voice without changing her expression.
“ –Well then, without further ado…”
With those words, Yufia began her incantation.
“Seven Devouring Water Dragons—Leaquid-Gluttonix!”
From seven massive magic circles—each over five meters in diameter—seven water dragons surged forth with terrifying force.
An enormous volume of water erupted from the magic circles with a deafening roar, akin to an explosion, and struck Tyson thirty meters away in an instant.
The sheer impact of Yufia’s attack shook the entire coliseum, producing tremors and shockwaves that threatened to destroy the arena itself. Water flooded the bounded field, nearly submerging it entirely.
And after that brutal strike—one so horrifying that spectators reflexively covered their eyes—what remained was… Yufia, standing in waist-deep water… And Tyson, slumped against the far wall on the opposite side.
“Magnificent…”
As Tyson murmured this, the crystal embedded in the left chest of his armor shifted from green to red.
…… Silence engulfed the arena before the announcer, finally snapping back to reality, spoke.
“T-The winner is… Magic Academy!!”
[WINNER: Yufia Queensroad]
As the announcement shattered the stillness, glowing letters formed on a large black board through magical means.
With the match decided, the vast amount of water flooding the field scattered into dazzling motes of light before vanishing completely.
A single strike had shattered Tyson Estrada—the man famed for his impregnable defense.
While the knight students reeled from their representative’s defeat, the magic students should have erupted in cheers.
Yet… Neither side could speak.
Then, from the stands, someone muttered in a daze:
“…M-Monster…”
Every spectator who witnessed that brutal match thought the same thing:
(That power… Should it even be used against people?)
Thus, Yufia found herself the target of fearful gazes from across the coliseum.
Even after the match, her expression remained eerily emotionless, leaving the audience with an impression of chilling detachment.
……But then—
Still wearing that same cold expression, Yufia clenched both hands in front of her chest and… Pyon! Pyon! She began hopping up and down on the spot.
“””(…………!?)”””
With every bounce, her long silver hair and combat skirt swayed adorably.
The spectators could only stare in stunned disbelief.
Her face was as expressionless as ever—yet her actions were utterly mismatched, making it impossible to comprehend.
Amid the confusion…
(I did it…!! I did it!! Now—!!)
Silent and expressionless, Yufia continued hopping as she recalled the promise she had made two weeks prior.
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—The day before Yufia Queensroad expressed her intent to participate in the inter-academy tournament.
After school, Yufia and Shion were in their usual training grounds to practice magic.
There, Shion broached a certain topic.
“Yufia… There’s something I really need to ask of you.”
“……? Okay. Sure.”
“I haven’t even said what it is yet…”
“I’d never refuse Shion’s request.”
“I see… That’s a relief. Then, I’m counting on you.”
“Mm. So, what is it?”
“Yufia… I want you to compete in the upcoming inter-academy tournament.”
“……!”
“Alphonse told me. The five representatives are already decided, but if you volunteer now, you can still join. So… please.”
“Th-That’s…”
Just moments ago, Yufia had acted as if she would accept any request from Shion without question—but now, she visibly hesitated.
“…I… might not want to.”
“You little—!! …No, well… I get it. I know you don’t like fighting in front of people like that… But still, I’m begging you.”
“……!”
Shion’s face was deadly serious as he bowed his head to her.
“…Why…?” Yufia asked hesitantly. “Why do you want me to compete…?”
“That’s…”
A brief pause followed as Shion gathered his thoughts before he finally spoke.
“…If the Magic Academy loses this tournament… Professor Restia—my homeroom teacher—will be fired.”
“……!”
The information Shion had received from Restia was supposed to remain confidential.
He knew he shouldn’t divulge it carelessly, but to convince Yufia, he laid everything bare.
If they lost, the academy’s funding would be cut—and with it, the botany magic curriculum and Lina Restia’s employment. To prevent that, Shion needed Yufia, the academy’s strongest, to compete.
“…I see…”
“So… Please.”
Shion bowed again.
“……”
—Yufia had another reason for not wanting to participate, beyond her aversion to public combat.
She would lose her chance to spend time with Shion.
During the tournament, students could sit wherever they pleased, regardless of grade or class.
Last year, Yufia had sat next to Shion, enjoying the matches together.
She had been looking forward to the same this year—which was why she had stubbornly refused to compete.
“…Grr…”
Her internal struggle was painfully obvious.
“Is it really impossible?”
“……!!”
Hearing the faint sadness in Shion’s voice, Yufia relented.
“…Okay. I’ll do it.”
“Really…!?”
Yufia gave a small nod—but then…
“…? What’s wrong, Yufia?”
Puff. Her cheeks puffed out.
“…Professor Restia is beautiful, isn’t she?”
“…Huh? Uh, yeah…?”
As Shion answered in confusion, Yufia turned her face away with a hmph!
“…Wait, are you sulking?”
“Sulking.”
“Huh…?”
“I wanted… to watch the tournament with Shion.”
“…Oh. Right, we did that last year. It was fun.”
“…If I win…”
“Hm?”
“If I win the match… Next time… I get Shion for a whole day.”
“…! Oh! Yeah, of course! That’s fine! Honestly, just competing is already more than enough—”
But Yufia shook her head vigorously.
“Shion wants me to win, right?”
“Well… Yeah, but…”
“Then winning is the condition. That way… I’ll try harder.”
“…Got it. Then it’s a deal. …I’m counting on you, Yufia.”
“Mm. Leave it to me.”
With that, Yufia flexed her arm in a determined pose—
……The next day, after Yufia informed her homeroom teacher of her decision, she was immediately selected as a representative, replacing the originally chosen sixth-ranked student.
For the next two weeks, Yufia trained relentlessly, pushing herself late into the night.
Her focus and determination were beyond ordinary—she poured every ounce of her being into victory.
Before this, her ultimate technique, Seven Devouring Water Dragons—Leaquid-Gluttonix, had been impractical. Yet in just ten days, she refined it to combat-ready perfection.
And now—she had crushed Tyson Estrada, the knight academy’s sturdiest shield, in a single blow, securing victory in the opening match.
(—Now… Now…!!)
Amid the awestruck gazes of the crowd, Yufia hopped with unrestrained joy.
(A day date with Shion…!!)
Yufia Queensroad—Magic Academy’s strongest, who had mercilessly obliterated Tyson with a spell far beyond conventional limits.
Not a single one of the 1,500 spectators could have guessed the true feelings behind her expressionless face…
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