C 47
With the practical evaluation one day away, Shirone meditated in his dorm room.
'I did everything I could.'
He didn't have the time to devise a new special method for doing so would only hamper his ability to perform.
So instead, he explored the essence of the Sequence method.
'What is the Sequence method?'
Starting with the question that marked the beginning of everything…
'Why is it the Sequence method…?'
'How is the Sequence method…?'
He pondered nonstop.
Shirone, who thought of so many questions it could fill up a field, closed his eyes.
'Don't think… Feel.'
Just like that, Shirone embarked on a journey in which he built up his knowledge of the Sequence method from the base while increasing his knowledge one step at a time.
He has no set goal or limit in regards to how long and how far he should count.
'I feel unrestrained. There is no incorrect path.'
How long had he been at it?
When he reached a point most humans never set foot in, Shirone had a sudden thought.
“Ah…”
When he reopened his eyes, the sun was there.
24 hours had gone by, and yet Shirone didn't even feel an ounce of fatigue.
However, a holy light that could not be described by any human emotions or words was fluttering in his eyes.
With a sorrowful expression, he asked in the direction of the ceiling.
“Is that so?”
No one replied back, but Shirone felt like he had already received a response.
There was still an hour left before the practical evaluation, but the training ground was swarming with participants.
The academy also paid great attention to this exam's preparation.
The safety device was strengthened, and scoreboards to keep track of the scores were placed all over the place.
Although today was for the Speed Gun exam, Class 7 and 6 attended without exception. They were hoping to impress their upperclassmen.
On the other hand, most of Class 4 were not present.
Only a few who took interest in Shirone and Yiruki's contest bothered to take the time to watch.
Of course, if someone had to name a person most recognized among them, it would be Sharelle, a prospective Advanced Class student.
Mark being Mark, ran up to her and said his hellos.
“Senior! Hello!”
“Hey. All the lowerclassmen seem to be present. Well, I used to be like that, too.”
“That hurts my feelings, senior. I'm only here to cheer and celebrate senior Shirone's victory today!”
“Oh! Good! Very good! Then let us fire up and cheer like crazy!”
The two were able to take the best seats available.
Needless to say, wherever Sharelle passed by, the path always opened up by itself.
As predicted, the students' interest was towards Shirone and Yiruki's Speed Gun competition.
“Up until now, Yiruki has always had the upper hand, but there's a variable nobody can control. The practical exam is done by two people at the same time.”
The reason why the academy chose to go for a competition layout was to push the students to achieve higher scores.
“It's similar to a race. If you have a competitor, you get a score higher than when you take it by yourself. But can that variable alone bridge the gap? Yiruki hasn't even tried his best yet.”
“That's why I find it dangerous. For me, the level of tension I feel during actual combat is different. If you set the difficulty of training too low, you may not reach your maximum potential in actual combat.”
“Each of you, check your assigned group and wait for your turn. The exam will begin in 10 minutes.”
As Ethella started talking, everyone went quiet.
In order to maximize their potential, students were partnered with opponents of similar records.
In addition, those with high records were placed on the second half of the exam. This was to ensure that those who were not as talented would not suffer any psychological blow before their turn to perform.
As such, both Shirone and Yiruki were allocated under group 20.
'As expected.'
The 10 minutes came to an end, and two people from group 1 walked towards the Image Zone.
“It's finally starting. I'm nervous.”
The Speed Gun was popular with the spectators due to its competitive nature.
Perhaps the participants were aware of that as well, as even if they attained a new high score, they would return to their seats with an unsatisfied expression if they lost to their opponent.
“Good job. Next group, get ready.”
It took about an hour to get through 10 groups and the highest score so far was 533.
Nade earned a score of 491, which was considered to be slightly above class average.
As the second half neared, the hearts of the spectators thumped faster, and their cheers got louder.
They knew as well.
'Soon.'
The main event of the day was coming soon.
“Nice job, group 19. Alright, the next group is the last—”
“WOOOOOO!”
Ethella's voice got buried under the loud shouts.
Contrary to the excited students, Shirone and Yiruki didn't even bother glancing at each other.
Tags:
Infinite Mage (Novel)
