Chapter 51.

PART 1.

It is the time for the final exams, and everyone is stressed out. Though Hatori is not worried. He has learned with magic, if you know the practical application, then you certainly know the theory. Since he himself is not worried, his friends are using him as a rock to anchor themselves, as the entire school is floating in the wave of stress.

As a result, though they do want to score well, his friends are taking it easy. The whole group is getting envious looks from everyone for their relaxed demeaner.

Walking from his training ground, Hatori overhears Daphne talking to Ravina. “But I’m not sure about the portion in the math and potions. I really don’t get some of the topics.” She sounds really worried.

“Look, worrying won’t solve the problem. Just study for them, and handle them as best as you can.” Said Ravina. She wanted to help her friend more than this, but she didn’t know what she could do to stop her worrying.

“Hey girls,” said Hatori.

“High.” Said both of them together.

“I heard what you were talking about.” He spoke. “It seems everyone is worried, even the older students.”

“You were doing your own thing again, weren’t you?” asked Ravina. “Aren’t you worried?”

“Nah.” Hatori waved the thought away. “With magic, if you know the practical side, then you know enough theory to pass any exam.”

“How can you say that so confidently?” asked Daphne.

“Easy. Because I’ve got experience with it.” He spoke. “But Ravina is right. You shouldn’t worry about your exams. Just go with a clear mind. I’m sure everything will turn out well.”

“Thanks.” Said Daphne. Ravina gives Hatori a grateful look. She sounds calm.

Then she realizes he doesn’t know about that. She wanted to give her thanks verbally, but someone interrupted them.

“That way lies the failure.” Said Mira, who appears to have overheard their conversation.

“What do you mean?” asked Ravina, unable to hide the hostility in her tone.

“If you don’t study diligently, you will fail.” She turns to Hatori. “A slacker like you should be the last person to give any advice to anyone.”

“And I suppose everyone should flock to you instead?” asked Hatori, not bothered by her words.

That seems to infuriate her more. “Yes! How many classes have you missed? How many lectures you haven’t attended—”

“Those are the same things.” Pointed out Hatori.

“—and how many projects have you missed as a result of your slacking? You’re heading to a failure, and you don’t even know it. And the worst part is, you are dragging everyone else with you. your friends, and now these poor girls.”

“Are you done now?” asked Hatori. “Looks like your memory is short. Who beat Praduman in front of the class? I remember most of you were hiding in the corner like mice while we fought. If you really know so much, then why didn’t Professor Bali choose you to punish me?”

Mira doesn’t have an answer. “Let’s just leave.” Said Daphne. Mira is not worth enough to waste her time.

They left her behind, vibrating from her fury. No one has ever bested her in the war of the words, and left her speechless like this before.

PART 2.

Swaraj waits outside of the classroom, bunking his own exams. For revenge, this is a small sacrifice he is willing to make. He has stopped thinking of Hatori as a child, and thinks of him as his mortal enemy. Currently, his enemy is giving his exam in combat magic. He chose this specific exam to strike, because students are very tired after the practical portion of this exam, which involves demonstrating the spells which they have learned in different conditions, and a free-form duel with multiple yantras.

When the exam is over, the students make their way outside, chattering to each other, telling how they performed. This is in contrast to older students, who shamble out of classes in a zombie like state. Heedless of the other students, Swaraj charges a blasting spell, which explodes right in the middle of the firsties.

They all run in a panic. Swaraj targets Hatori, who is calmly trying to escape. Using a speed-enhancing spell, he appears in front of him and grabs his throat. “Not so great now, are you?”

“…” Hatori tried to escape his grip.

“What? Can’t hear you. speak louder!” He grips him tighter.

In his panic, Hatori fires the modified Stinger spell, causing Swaraj to release him in surprise. Once more, this Cretan has damaged his face. “How dare you!”

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He attacked like a mad man (teen?) while Hatori tries to fend him off. He thinks, why isn’t the professor coming out of the class, but then realizes expecting any help from teachers is foolish in this Academy.

“Oy.” Said Shin, casting some sound related spells on Swaraj. “Leave our friend alone.”

Much to their surprise, Swaraj breaks through that illusion easily. “It’ll take more than that to confuse me, you low-life, orphan boy!” snarled Swaraj.

James brings out several Yantras, while preparing to cast his disabling spells. He has already learned some new ones. Josh readies himself, ready to attack him physically, while transmuting the rubble from Swaraj’s blasting spell in to animals with Raven. And Hatori is ready with his own offensive spells.

Despite this five-on-one situation, Swaraj beats the kids. The animals are not strong like Nandan and Toofan’s duel. James’s Yantras is broken into pieces, while Shin is knocked out, clutching his broken foci. After Swaraj knocks out all of his friends, he focuses on Hatori once more.

Hatori tries to overpower Swaraj through his holds, but he is thrown to the ground, remembering sergeant books lesson of how one should not grapple with someone older and stronger than them as a young mage. At this point, he has only one remaining option. If that doesn’t work, he is dead today.

“Not so high and mighty, are you?” Swaraj stomps on his face. “You cost me everything. My girl, my position, my self-respect. And now, it is time to pay up!”

He then notices something clenched within Hatori’s fist. “What’s that in your fist, boy?”

“My luck is in my fist.” Replies Hatori, giving Swaraj a cheeky smile.

“You!” He rears his leg back to kick his head like a football, but Hatori throws the vial contained in his fist, once more, landing it accurately on Swaraj’s face.

By this time, Swaraj is familiar with the pain, and paralyzed by the memory of the previous acidic potion. He couldn’t believe that he forgot to protect himself against this potion in his madness.

He opens his mouth to scream. Exactly at that moment, Hatori casts the Slicer spell on his mouth, separating his head from his body. Whipping the blood from his face, he gets up shakily, and goes to rouse his friends, while ignoring various aches and pains within his body.

This incident causes an uproar in the school, for a first-year student managed to kill the fifth-year student. It doesn’t matter how he did it. The fact that he did that at all, outside of a classroom no less, and without help, is a big thing for everyone. Of course, this isn’t the first time Hatori has killed an older student. but since that one happened in isolation, and since no one knows the killer, that incident is forgotten.

Aside from seeing Hatori getting dragged to their room by his ear by Raven, no one has seen Hatori outside of the exams since that day. He has thrown himself into the runes and enchantments to distract himself, playing with them like building blocks, carving runes relentlessly in the night.

When he realizes that his friends are unable to sleep because of this, Hatori decides to sleep outside once more on his training ground. Only for Raven to drag him by his ear to their room. “You can carve all day long, or for the entire night. But don’t sleep outside, not for now at least.” He said to him.

PART 3.

Surbha and Krishna Menon meet in Surbha’s office. She called to meet him after the latest incident. “Do you think Corvus will do anything?” she asked, getting to the point directly.

“I doubt it.” He replied with a surly expression. “He didn’t do anything last time; we have no reason to think he will be any different this time.”

“I was afraid of that.” She spoke. “We’ll have to wait for the next year.”

“Don’t worry about it too much.” He waved her concerns away. “I’m sure the students would have this thing in hand without our direct involvement. Remember, we haven’t involved with the student council in this matter yet.”

PART 4. JAMES’S ANSWER OF THE QUESTION WHAT IS BATTLE MAGIC?

The battle magic refers to the use of magic in single combat, or during the war. Spells in battle magic are concerned with either damaging the opponent, or defending the user. However, battle magic during a war, or even a high-level duel can be more than these two basic things.

Transmutation and conjuration can be used to take advantage of materials available in the area, or just create them yourself. Animation can be used to make non-living things move, adding a whole new variable to combat.

As a general rule, it is difficult to categorize what is, and isn’t battle magic, because wide varieties of magical disciplines can be used for fighting other mages.

(End.)