The ogre’s club swung in from the side. It swooped right past the tall student and crashed into the sides of the dwarf.

Even though mana had hardened the dwarf’s body, it couldn’t stay on the ground and flew off into the distance. As soon as the dwarf went away, dozens of other students streamed right in.

“I am alright!” The dwarf screamed as he crashed into the trees—

“CHARGE IN!”

—And the golden-haired commander led us ahead

This was the true beginning of the battle. And standing at the back, I had a vantage point to see everything.

A bright light flashed out of the saintess candidate and shot to the skies. At the same time, the ones at the forefront glowed a white glow as the blessings of the sun god boosted their strengths.

As if stars had come down and were lighting the way, the students were filled with renewed vigor against the ogre.

They had the scions of the entire Freedom Alliance on their side, how would anyone expect them to lose?

“MAGES!” The commander raised her spear. “Stop that thing!”

In the blink of an eye. Dozens of magic circles formed above the groups of mages. Another magic circle formed right beneath the feet of the twin-headed ogre as mana in the air crescendoed.

Another flashing of light followed.

Sprouts turned to leaves, leaves turned to vines, vines turned to enormous branches as a rope of nature wrapped around one leg of the ogre.

On the other, a sharp decline in temperature sent the air waving outward. From a single shard to an entire berg, ice captured the ogre in its chill.

Confused, the ogre barely managed to keep itself upright. Its two heads flapped around before twisting into a tight frown.

It bent down and started smashing its reins with the club.

This was the chance for them to attack.

“Weaken it!” The commander screamed at the students.

I could only watch in awe as all of them, even with their makeshift weapons, targeted the ogre at the right moments.

“Popcorn?” A voice next to me asked and tapped a bucket to my hands.

“Please. Thank you.”

I took a handful of popcorn and chowed down.

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Clangs and screams merged into a symphony. All of them hit the ogre at just the right moments.

Its blue blood spurted out and the ogre groaned in pain, but the wounds were mere scratches on its enormous body.

They all alternated their attacks. When the ogre fended one off, another injured it, when it switched to the next, the first one hit it again. They didn’t have to kill it, only bring it down.

“The heart is on the right!” The commander screamed once more, perhaps to motivate the rest.

I bit into another chunk of popcorn—

What?

My head snapped to the side. Sitting right there with a whole bowl of popcorn in hand, the professor who was introduced as our in-charge was watching the fight.

He had a giddy smile as he offered popcorn to the others as well, the saintess, and the three students that had run to get help.

“W-w-what in the world!?” I jumped in surprise.

The saintess candidate next to me seemed just as shocked.

“Oh my! Are you not our professor?”

He was! It was the professor!

The handsome man who wore a coat looked pretty friendly even in this situation, perhaps that was why no one had run away yet.

“I am!” He smiled at us brightly. “Name’s Ethan!”

“T-t-that! Ogre! There!”

“I know, it’s a test. Just do your thing. More popcorn?”

“Yes, please. Wait, that's not important!”

The professor didn’t seem like someone who marched to the beat of his drum, he was conducting the entire orchestra on his whims.

“Give up getting him to help. It’s a test.” The lady of the Scential Family spoke to us. She covered her face with her fan and stared straight ahead at the battle. “It will end soon.”

The fight was raging on.

Though the wounds were small, their effects were sizeable.

The mages held the ogre in place, and the incessant attacks wore it down. The swings of its club became slow and languid.

And slowly, a chance opened up.

The frustrated ogre buckled its knees and raised its club high up.

That was the moment they were waiting for.

A yelp resounded as the golden-haired commander rushed straight ahead.

The first step, she hopped on the coiling trees at the ogre’s feet. She shot off and landed on its left leg.

In the next leap, she jumped up to the right side of its chest. The spear dragged the very wind with it as she pulled it back—

—And that’s where she went wrong.

Judging the distance in the heat of battle became difficult, and she forgot a very important part.

The right side was longer than the left. Which meant that the ogre could move its left closer to its chest faster than its size would make it seem.

Before she could stab the heart of the ogre, its left arm was already next to her.

It was over.

But even then, the professor did not as much as twitch, let alone go save her.

“THE HEART IS IN THE RIGHT!” The commander’s scream resounded again as she twisted her body mid-air.

She turned around and clung to the fist of the ogre.

Instead of driving ahead, the spear shot back toward the students.

My eyes widened. Prince Ier had traced the same path as the commander and was now nearing the spear.

[https://i.imgur.com/YYsyFqq.jpg]

As the commander got carried off by the ogre’s arm, Prince Ier grabbed the spear and drove it ahead.

The spear tore through the muscles on the ogre’s chest, driving straight into its heart with a strong spin. The prince left his entire weight on the spear.

As soon as his feet landed on the ogre’s body, he drove it in again with all his might.

“GRARR!”

A cough of blood spilled from the ogre’s mouth. Its eyes bled, so did its nose, its trembling feet lost all strength.

A thwack resounded as the club fell from its hand.

And finally, the ogre dropped on its back as well.

A cloud of dust rose. Everyone around was completely silent.

No one had expected we would beat a twin-headed blue ogre, but we did so without any major injuries.

—Clap.

That broke the lingering silence.

Long, slow claps. The professor who was next to me moments ago was now heading toward the other students while clapping.

“Well done!” he said. “You all pass with flying colors.”