Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 120: Episode

"Stop getting so cocky!"

Clad in the Black Knight’s armor, Malcolm charged, trailing black smoke as his armored fist swung viciously.

Simon easily twisted his shoulder to evade, sliding to the side before throwing a sharp left hook.

Malcolm’s head snapped back, but he absorbed the impact and threw his other arm. Not to be outdone, Simon unleashed his right fist.

Their fists crossed, each landing squarely on the other’s face. The Black Knight’s helmet and Simon’s skull helmet creaked under the strain, their heads twisting from the force of the blows.

"WOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The sudden, brutal brawl sent the crowd’s excitement to a fever pitch. Simon stepped back, wiping the corner of his mouth. Malcolm was unharmed, but a small portion of Simon’s barrier gauge had depleted. Realizing this, Malcolm sneered. ’A pure brawl won’t work.’

Simon’s Bone Armor was still in its infancy. It increased the defense of the areas it covered and could use an undead’s core to enhance his strength like an exoskeleton. He had used this function to its full potential back in Blue Harbor, arming the residents to drive off the pirates. However, for Simon, who already operated his own powerful core, the strength boost was negligible.

Wearing a regular skeleton instead of Pier only made his movements stiff; he was better off just enhancing himself with his own Jet-Black.

So, Simon had prepared a slightly different application for his Bone Armor.

"Hyaaaaaah!"

He ducked under Malcolm’s swinging fist, closing the distance and slipping inside his opponent’s guard. He hooked an arm under Malcolm’s armpit to lock it, then fluidly moved behind him. Grabbing the other arm joint, he tilted his body slightly, throwing Malcolm off balance.

"Wh-What? You bastard! Let go!"

Even the strongest armor was useless against a well-executed joint lock. Simon immediately activated his black magic. ’Bone Armor!’

Pieces of the armor covering Simon’s body detached and latched onto Malcolm’s Black Knight armor like ticks.

"You son of a bitch! What do you think you’re doing?!"

Simon grinned. "I didn’t think you could beat me with just one suit, so I’m letting you wear mine, too."

"You little shiitttttt!"

Malcolm’s body tensed with rage. Simon, focused on manipulating the Bone Armor, momentarily lost his grip on Malcolm’s right arm. He quickly retreated, dodging a wild elbow strike.

"I’ll kill you!"

Freed from Simon’s grasp, Malcolm charged, throwing a flurry of punches. Simon bent backward until his head nearly touched the floor, evading the attack with impossible flexibility.

’He’s so agile!’

Gasps of awe rippled through the crowd. After dodging, Simon grabbed Malcolm’s right arm and kicked his leg hard, forcing him to his knees.

’Click! Clack!’

Simultaneously, the Bone Armor on Simon’s arm began transferring to Malcolm’s.

’What the hell is he doing?!’

Losing his cool, Malcolm swung his fists wildly. From Simon’s perspective, his opponent’s fighting style was simplistic, relying solely on brute-force strikes. Simon continued to stick close, methodically attaching more pieces of bone armor to Malcolm’s body.

"Simon! What are you doing?" Meirin shouted from the stands, her voice laced with frustration. "Your opponent is a Special Admission Student too! If you don’t fight seriously, you’ll regret it!"

Beside her, Kamibarez turned with a worried expression. "Dick! Did Simon tell you anything about his plan?"

"Not really," Dick replied, a knowing smirk on his face, "but I can guess what he’s up to."

"You can?"

"Think about it. What is Simon especially good at in Summoning?" Dick grinned and held up two fingers. "Restoration and control."

Panting, Simon stepped back. A noticeable number of bone fragments now dotted Malcolm’s Black Knight armor, concentrated on the arms and legs where they had repeatedly clashed.

"Hey, you think you can win with these stupid tricks?" Malcolm snarled, grabbing a piece of bone on his waist. He then tore it off and threw it to the ground. The moment he reached for the next piece...

Simon exploded forward. Malcolm tensed at the sudden offensive, drawing back his fist.

’Stop!’

Simon’s absolute command echoed in the air. A powerful, magnetic force pulsed from the skeleton bones on Malcolm’s arm, causing it to freeze mid-swing.

"What, my arm...!"

Simon’s straight punch landed cleanly on Malcolm’s face. As he staggered back, Malcolm tried to swing with his other arm.

’Stop!’

Again, the skeleton fragments hindered him. Simon twisted at the waist, slamming a heavy side kick into Malcolm’s head. The helmet flickered, momentarily dissolving into pure Jet-Black before reforming.

"Ugh!"

Armor or not, the impact still got through. Malcolm swayed, his brain rattling in his skull. This time, his barrier gauge took a hit.

"This crap! I’ll just tear it off—!"

Of course, Simon was not about to let him. After landing three more punches on Malcolm’s head, he dodged a counterattack and delivered a perfectly angled roundhouse kick.

As Malcolm crashed to the ground with a thump, Simon was on him in an instant, grabbing his helmet and driving his knee into it repeatedly.

Malcolm’s helmet flickered violently between its solid form and raw Jet-Black. His barrier gauge plummeted to less than half.

"Graaaaaah!"

With a roar, Malcolm lunged, tackling Simon around the waist. He managed to get Simon on the ground in a mounted position, a triumphant grin spreading across his face as he raised his fist.

’Backward.’

Simon’s next command was instantaneous. All the Bone Armor pieces on Malcolm’s body yanked his upper body backward. He could not land the punch. Instead, a series of Simon’s fists met his face, breaking the mount.

’Spin.’

Simon sprang to his feet, rotated his body, and kicked Malcolm square in the abdomen. His body flew several yards.

"Ugh! Aaaargh!" He coughed.

Malcolm was in agony, but his rage was even greater. Pushing himself up, he gritted his teeth and opened his Subspace.

’I’m done thinking about the consequences!’

Another liquid bomb materialized. This time, there were five.

With a battle cry, Malcolm charged at Simon, igniting the potions in his arms with Jet-Black.

’There’s no way he can dodge at this distance!’

He was wearing the Black Knight’s armor; Simon was unprotected. If the bombs went off now, they would both be hit, but he was confident he would be the one left standing.

’It was a mistake to attach your Bone Armor to me, Simon!’

But Simon just stood his ground, a bitter smile on his face.

"How can you be so predictable?"

There was no easier opponent than one consumed by rage.

Simon raised his index finger.

Blades erupted from the Subspace at his feet, launching Malcolm’s body into the air.

"Ugh!" Just as he was about to reach Simon, his vision blurred and shot upward. His body soared dozens of yards high as the potions in his arms flared with a blinding light.

"SIMOOOOOOOOOOOON!"

Malcolm’s roaring face was engulfed in the explosion.

’KABOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!’

A series of ashen clouds and thunderous booms followed. The spectators ducked, covering their heads. The explosion blew a hole clean through the arena’s roof, revealing the sky and letting a fierce wind rush in.

A moment later, Malcolm’s body, stripped of its Black Knight armor, fell from the smoke cloud.

Simon raised his right arm.

Four blades shot out, catching the falling Malcolm and slamming him into the wall.

With the fight decisively finished, Simon finally let out a sigh of relief.

[Malcolm Randolph: 0%]

[Simon Polentia: 79%]

The referee raised his arm. "The winner! Simon Polentia of Class A!"

YAAAAAAAYYYYYY!

An explosive cheer erupted from all sides.

"That was enthralling! This year’s Special Admission No. 1 is the real deal!"

"Is Kizen some kind of bottomless well? It’s amazing how monsters like that pop up every year."

"He’s only seventeen? I feel so inadequate."

The adults laughed, animatedly recounting the match, while scouts frantically scribbled with their quills or activated communication crystals to contact their headquarters.

"You need to change the recruitment priority right now!"

"Are you even doing your jobs? You said he had no prior training! He used Bone Armor, you idiots!"

A once-in-a-generation prospect—no, a new star had been born.

"Hah, that bastard Malcolm... hmph!"

"Number 1 really taught him a lesson."

"Betting is all about luck. Hahahah!"

The second-years accepted the results with bittersweet laughter.

"I’ll treat you when I get my winnings, Simon!"

"Simon! You were so cool!"

The members of Team 7 waved and shouted boisterously. Simon smiled and waved back.

"We will now prepare for the next match."

As the staff began to clean the arena floor, Simon returned to the waiting room. He received a quick check-up from the medical team and returned the barrier equipment. He had only taken a few steps down the corridor after leaving when...

"Ah." He came face-to-face with someone in a Kizen uniform. Simon bowed his head. "Hello."

It was Andre, the president of Noble and the third prince of the Dresden Kingdom. He was trembling with rage, his face flushed red to his earlobes.

"Hey. Do you have any idea what you have just done?"

"Yes, I just finished my Duel Evaluation."

’BAM!’

Andre slammed his fist against the wall. Cracks spiderwebbed across the pristine surface.

"You beat up the Black Knight, the symbol of the Dresden royal family, in such a vulgar manner?"

Simon was silent.

"I do not care if you are stronger than Malcolm! The moment he put on that armor, you should have read the room! Did you not see that I—that the Dresden royal family—was backing him? You should have lost or forfeited, but you actually won? You crazy bastard! Is swallowing your pride for once so difficult? Do you have no sense of decorum? Are you even a real noble?!"

Andre’s eyes were bloodshot as he roared, "You have insulted the royal family!"

"Uh, well. My apologies." Simon scratched his head, then shrugged. "But by my logic, I cannot quite understand."

"What?"

"Because that is the most illogical thing I have ever heard." Simon placed a hand on his uniform and spoke softly. "This is Kizen. You should act accordingly."

Andre stared, dumbfounded. ’What is this guy saying? Is he really talking to me?’

"Giving Malcolm the Black Knight’s armor was your prerogative, Senior. But defeating it was my duty as a Kizen student to give my all in a match. Do you not think accusing me of insulting the royal family is going a bit too far?"

"You lowly—!!" 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Andre raised his hand to strike, but Simon stood his ground.

"That is enough." A hand shot out from behind, catching Andre’s wrist. It was a small, slender hand, but Andre’s pupils trembled as if caught in a vice.

"How much more pathetic are you going to get, Brother?"

It was Princess Molly of the Dresden Kingdom. Andre flinched and stumbled back, forcing a laugh.

"M-Molly! When did you get to Kizen? Hahaha! You should have told me you were here—!"

"I had a feeling," she said, placing a hand on her hip and glaring at him. "Smuggling out the Black Knight’s armor, the symbol of our Royal Knights, and handing it to the son of a crime lord, then parading it around as your own power... It seems to me that you are the one who has insulted the royal family, dear Brother."

Simon blinked at the unexpected scene. The third prince was utterly speechless before the youngest princess.

"Do you even know what kind of disciplinary action the knight who lost his armor because of you had to face? And to pull such a disgraceful stunt in front of elders from other nations... I shall be reporting this to Father!"

Andre panicked, grabbing Molly’s sleeve. "Molly! Have you forgotten who I am? It is me, Andre! Your brother! You know what will happen to me if you report this to Father! Please...!"

"Then you should not have acted this way." She signaled behind her, and someone quietly approached.

"Ah...!"

Andre’s face twitched as if he were having a seizure.

"Well done, Brother," Molly said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

The person who appeared was none other than the female student in the maid uniform whom Andre had treated like a housekeeper.

"How dare you do this to a Kizen student. I heard you threatened her by revealing that his father works in the royal garden?"

"N-No! That is...!"

"I will personally apologize to Lady Nephthys for this incident. And I will tell her the entire truth." Her eyes grew cold. "You know how much she cherishes her students, do you not? I will not, for the life of me, see our kingdom end up like the Talhern Empire."

"Yes, yes! Exactly!" Andre said excitedly. "Why make a big deal out of it? Nothing good will come from Lady Nephthys or Father finding out! It is not too late! We can just cover it up—!"

’SLAP!’

Andre’s head snapped to the side. This time, even Simon and the maid were stunned.

"Still have not come to your senses, have you?" Molly lowered her hand, her face a mask of disgust. "It is too late to cover it up. The stench of the mess you have made is stinking up all of Kizen."

Andre was speechless.

"I suppose I have no choice but to clean up after you. I have prepared a carriage outside. Get out of my sight. Now."

Andre may have been a formidable Kizen second-year, but he could not utter a peep to Molly, an ordinary woman with no core. Watching Andre’s dejected figure trudge away, Simon felt a wave of satisfaction.

"You are Simon Polentia, a first-year at Kizen, correct?"

Princess Molly’s gaze now turned to him.