Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 137: Episode

Perfect silence. All sight and sound, save for what was absolutely necessary, had been stripped away. In this world, he was the sole actor. ’I never thought I’d experience this state of mind again.’

In the heat of battle, Simon could summon enough focus to crudely replicate this state, but this... this cradle of concentration, woven from Serne’s feathers, was on an entirely different plane. All he could perceive was his own body, the chillingly distinct flow of his Jet-Black, and the faint, warm presence of Serne pressed against his back. "Shall we begin?"

Her pleasant voice echoed with perfect clarity. Simon sharpened his focus to a razor’s edge and ignited his Core. He pushed it to three times its normal output. Like a swollen river bursting its banks, the sheer volume of Jet-Black began to inflict damage on his body. "You need to heighten your control," she instructed. He guided the torrent, forcing it to flow straight and true. His Core churned relentlessly, the volume of Jet-Black swelling until it became nearly impossible to manage. "I’ll create an outlet for you."

As he heard her voice, he felt the pressure ease as Jet-Black began to drain from his body, restoring a fragile balance. Relieved, Simon pushed his Core even further. His body burned, his blood boiling as every cell screamed for power. He felt a vitality that dwarfed anything he’d ever achieved with simple Internal Jet-Black Circulation. "Slowly now—"

Circulation and emission now occurred in perfect sync. He was overflowing with so much power he could barely contain it. Just then, Serne released her embrace, and Simon’s world snapped back to reality. "Serne?"

The other students were murmuring, their eyes fixed on him. Simon shot her a bewildered look. She simply smiled, hands clasped behind her back, and gestured with her chin. Simon gasped in shock. Droplets of pure Jet-Black were dripping from his body. He hadn’t just managed Internal Jet-Black Eruption; he had somehow mastered its controlled release as well. The envious stares of his classmates drilled into him. "Whoa! Did he actually do it?"

"He can already do that? What is he, some kind of monster?"

"That’s Special Admission No. 1 for you."

’No, I didn’t do it alone.’ Simon looked up, dazed, to see Serne beaming at him like a flower in spring. "And with that, you owe me one more. Okay?"

Simon was speechless for a moment. A small laugh escaped his lips. "Yeah. Thanks."

She elegantly swept back a lock of platinum-blonde hair. "If I collect ten of these, will you grant me a big wish?"

"What is this, a campus café stamp card?"

She giggled. As the two of them shared a lighthearted laugh, a volcano of fury was erupting nearby. Meirin glared at the cheerful pair, her eyes burning with rage. ’Ugh, this is so frustrating! I warned him! I told him to stay away from her! She’s just using you, manipulating you!’

Meirin felt like she was going to lose her mind. Why couldn’t he see Serne’s true colors? The sight of him, acting like any other boy, giggling and completely bewitched by a pretty face, made her blood boil. She wanted nothing more than to storm over there, grab both their heads, and smash them together.

Beside her, Hector had taken a step forward, his entire body radiating a palpable, murderous rage. ’Simon Polentiaaaaaa!’

Hector ground his teeth, a low growl rumbling in his chest. ’You bastard! How much longer will you mock me?!’

Having begun his study of black magic years before Simon, Hector was, of course, capable of Internal Jet-Black Eruption. But this was a technique he had bled for, a skill he had mastered through countless hours and near-death experiences. And Simon had just picked it up in a single class, as if it were nothing. Sparks practically flew from the eyes of the two students as they glared at Simon. A few others nearby studiously ignored the rising tension and resumed their training. Just then, the two simmering volcanoes of anger locked eyes. "The hell are you looking at?" Meirin snarled. "Have you lost your mind?" Hector retorted, a murderous glint in his eyes. "Look away."

They were about to lunge at each other when a figure intervened. "Meirin, no!" Kamibarez cried, rushing over to wrap her arms around Meirin. At the same time, Hector’s friends hurried to his side, grabbing his waist to hold him back. The two rivals shot each other one last venomous glare before turning away as the TAs approached. ’What was that about?’

The murmuring drew Simon’s attention. He glanced back, but Meirin and Hector were already heading in opposite directions as the TAs restored order.

---

Training resumed. Simon could now trigger an Internal Jet-Black Eruption at will. However...

’The risk is too high.’

The burst of power was incredible, but the strain on his body and the massive consumption of Jet-Black were severe. If he couldn’t finish an opponent with it, defeat would be all but guaranteed. Furthermore, spewing his energy outward like that was incredibly inefficient. It was a finishing move, and nothing more. "That’s why not many professional necromancers use Jet-Black Eruption as a primary skill," Serne explained, wagging a finger. "Professor Hongfeng is probably teaching this as a prerequisite for more advanced techniques. There are a lot of applied skills that build on eruption."

"I see," Simon said with a nod. "Can you use it, too?"

"Using it isn’t the hard part." She pointed her index finger at him, and a wisp of dark smoke curled from the tip. "It’s just so barbaric and crude, don’t you think? I have no desire to rely on combat magic."

He had to admit she was right. Even without it, Serne’s offensive options were limitless. She could launch her feathers, imbue them with Jet-Black to form magic circles from afar, or even conjure twenty circles at once. He’d even seen her transform the feathers into other objects. Her casual attitude during combat magic class was a testament to her overwhelming confidence. "Still," Simon said, voicing his personal philosophy, "I believe there’s nothing in this world that’s useless to learn. Meirin used to be a glass cannon with combat magic as her weakness, but she’s improved dramatically since she started working on it."

"That’s true," Serne conceded with a smile, crossing her arms. Reading her expression, Simon added, "And if you genuinely want to be friends with Meirin, you should probably fix that habit of looking down on everyone."

"Whatever do you mean?" she purred. "It’s a simple fact that Meirin is beneath me. What is there to fix?"

Simon let out a hollow laugh. "You’re one of the strangest people I’ve ever met."

Serne’s smile widened. "Ah, we’re in agreement, then. I’ve never met anyone quite as strange as you, either."

As they spoke, Professor Hongfeng clapped her hands, calling for everyone to gather. The students of Class A and Class C flocked to her. "Pleaze, zit comfortably."

Once the students were seated on the grass, Hongfeng began to speak. "It’z perfectly normal not to mazter thiz right away! With Jet-Black zirculation techniquez, conziztent practize iz key. You’ve all worked hard, zo take a twenty-minute break. After that, I’ve prepared a fun event for you!"

At the words "fun event," a collective dread fell over the students, their faces faltering. ’Is she going to make us ride hippos on one leg or something?’

’It’s definitely going to be climbing a hill with sandbags.’

Just then, Brad, the TA standing a short distance away, tossed a ball to her. She caught it effortlessly with one hand. "An inter-clazz ball game," she announced with a brilliant smile. "How doez that zound?"

A wave of cheers, half in joy and half in disbelief, erupted from the crowd. "For real?!"

A genuinely normal event! A ball was something they had rarely seen since arriving at Kizen. The students’ eyes lit up at the prospect of a proper sport. Even those who weren’t particularly interested were just relieved it wasn’t hippo-riding or hill-climbing. "Now, allow me to explain the rulez."

Hongfeng tucked the ball under her arm and launched into the details. In essence, it was dodgeball. Players would enter the court and try to hit their opponents. If you were hit but managed to catch the ball securely, you would gain possession. However, there was a twist: eliminated players couldn’t help their team from the sidelines. Once you were out, you were out for good. "Of courze, it wouldn’t be any fun if we played it normally, would it?"

A sudden, familiar anxiety washed over the students. She held up the ball and threw it toward Brad. Her aim seemed off, sending it veering toward the forest instead. But then, the ball’s trajectory abruptly corrected itself, curving sharply to fly straight into Brad’s hands. He lowered his stance to receive it, his feet sliding back several meters from the impact before he came to a stop. "Thiz ball iz enchanted with black magic," she revealed. Horrified murmurs spread through the students. "No matter where you throw it, it will alwayz home in on zomeone who pozzezzez a Core. In other wordz, you can’t mizz."

Brad threw the ball back. It soared high into the air before diving like a hawk, changing direction mid-flight to zero in on Hongfeng. She caught it again, just as easily as before. "Dodging iz impozzible. Thiz iz a zport of pure offenze and defenze. If you can’t block it properly, you’re out!"

’What kind of dodgeball is this?!’ The protest was on the tip of every student’s tongue. A few simply nodded in resignation. ’Of course, it had to be something like this.’

"Still, it does sound fun."

"Yeah! We can’t lose to Class C!" 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Professor!"

As always, it was Jamie Victoria of Class A, the master of questions, who raised her hand. "Are we allowed to use black magic?"

"Yez. You may uze black magic to enhanze yourzelf, your alliez, or the ball, but you are forbidden from affecting the oppozing team in any way. Break that rule, and you’ll be eliminated immediately. Alzo, the ’Zpirit Form’ technique iz banned. The game would never end if you could juzt phaze through the ball."

At that, Cindy Vivace could be seen pouting in disappointment. "Twenty playerz per court. Bezt two out of three. The winning clazz will be treated to a deliziouz meal. Az for the lozing team..." She grinned. "...you’ll have to fill up on ztamina drinkz while you watch the winnerz eat."

Instantly, a fire lit in every student’s eyes. Competition! The atmosphere crackled as Kizen’s signature competitive spirit ignited. "Class A, huddle up!"

"There’s no way we’re losing this!"

"Class C, over here!"

"We finally get to put those Vice-Principal’s pets in their place!"

As the competitive fervor swept through the crowd, Simon rose to his feet. "Hey, Simon."

Meirin had appeared from nowhere and seized his wrist. Startled, Simon looked at her.

"M-Meirin?"

"The class president needs you. We’re planning our strategy."

She began to stride away, pulling him along. Simon glanced back to see Serne waving with a leisurely smile. A moment later, the Class C students swarmed around her. "Where’s Kamibarez?"

She didn’t answer. "Meirin?"

She just snorted and turned her head away with a pout. Simon sighed. ’Why is she angry again?’

"Alright, Simon! Good to have you!"

In the center of the Class A huddle sat Jamie Victoria, with Dick standing beside her. At a nod from Jamie, Dick cleared his throat, commanding everyone’s attention. "Ahem! Dick Hayward here, the brains of Class A."

’Booooo.’ Playful jeers rose from the crowd, but Dick took them in stride, bowing like a game show host. "Thank you for the warm welcome."

"I’ll be explaining the plan on the president’s behalf. First off, the TAs have already assigned the teams."

Dick pulled a folding table from his Subspace, making everyone wonder why he even carried one, and spread a few sheets of paper across it. The students crowded around to see the lists. Simon moved closer to check the roster. ’I’m on Team 2.’

He scanned for the names he recognized.

Team 1: Meirin, Dick, Toto. Team 2: Simon, Hector. Team 3: Cindy, Jamie, Kamibarez.

’The balance isn’t bad,’ he thought, glancing to his side. Hector stood with his arms crossed, a thunderous scowl on his face. He was clearly not happy with the arrangement. "Alright, listen up, everyone," Dick said, recapturing their attention. "Our strategic options are a bit limited, but we still get to decide which team plays in which round. That makes this a mind game. The ideal play is to pit our weakest team against Class C’s ace team to wear them down. Then, we use our own ace team to crush their mid-tier team."

Everyone nodded in agreement. A student raised his hand. "It’s best two out of three. Wouldn’t it be better to just send out our two strongest teams back-to-back and secure the win quickly?"

"Of course," Dick said with a grin. "But Class C will almost certainly play their ace team, the one with Serne, in either the first or second round. That is, unless they’re planning some completely bizarre strategy."

A collective groan went through the group. At the mention of Serne’s name, a collective weariness fell over the group. The reputation of Serne, one of Kizen’s top two students alongside Lorraine from Class L, was certainly intimidating. This time, Jamie spoke. "Then we need to decide on our strongest and weakest teams quickly."

"Right. Our teams are pretty balanced, but if I had to choose..." Dick’s gaze swept over the group. "Team 2, with Simon and Hector, is our strongest. Any objections?"