Twenty minutes ago...

Instructor Reinhardt had agreed to assist Ric. Capitalizing on this opportunity, Ric made his request with a determined expression.

"Sir, I only require three things from you," he said.

"What are those?" Reinhardt inquired, his voice firm.

"First, I would like to have a watch," Ric replied.

Reinhardt signaled to the council member to fulfill this request.

"Secondly, I would need a launcher that can propel me at least 200 meters forward."

"What–what? A launcher? Who do you think–" another council member began, but Reinhardt silenced them with a gesture and asked, "What's the third?"

Ric pondered for a moment and then answered, "Can I pose the last request after I return?"

"Do as you wish," Reinhardt responded, displaying little concern.

Expressing his gratitude to the instructor, Ric proceeded toward the trees, entering the forest. Venturing deeper into the woods, he let out a sigh of relief and thought to himself, "Phew, that was a gamble. Now that I have the time, let's put my theory to the test. During my training, I formulated an idea involving two moves. The first one was 'Barrier Shot,' which I experimented with while sparring on our way to the academy. However, due to time constraints, I couldn't test the second move, 'Barrier Stride.' Essentially, it's the opposite of Barrier Shot. In this technique, instead of launching the barrier, I propel myself! But, Barrier Shot was relatively straightforward – I just had to gather mana at the tip of my finger before it connected with the barrier, then release it in a burst. For Barrier Stride to work, though, I need to concentrate the mana at the sole of my feet. Instead of releasing it, I transfer the mana into the barrier from one end. The mana then traverses the barrier, reflects back toward my feet, and is discharged in a burst, propelling me forward at full speed. But it's effective only while I'm airborne. The mana gets bounced within the barrier as there's no ground to disrupt it from below. If there's solid ground, the mana diffuses into it and doesn't rebound. Well, it's a sound theory, but now it's time to put it into practice."

Ric put his theory to the test, encountering failures as he struggled to pinpoint the exact moment when the mana would reflect back. After numerous attempts, he finally managed to succeed, though not without colliding into the trees due to his lack of control over the direction. Checking the watch, he muttered to himself, "Oh, 15 minutes have elapsed. Time is running short; I mustn't delay any further."

Emerging from the forest, Ric was met with a surprising sight: a massive slingshot capable of launching a human into the air. Confused, he inquired with a hint of concern, "But sir, I had asked for a launcher. Why is this here?"

"Student, a launcher might provide too much of an advantage in this exam, appearing unfair to others who work hard. With this slingshot, however, you can propel yourself forward as far as you wish, but it requires effort," explained Reinhardt, a knowing smile playing on his lips. The council members seemed pleased that Ric hadn't received exactly what he had requested. Frustration clenched at Ric's fists, his inner monologue reflecting, "Tch! I anticipated they wouldn't provide a 200-meter launcher, but this… this is entirely unexpected! There's no other option; I'll have to adapt."

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"Now, what is your third request?" Reinhardt inquired.

Ric hesitated before responding, "Uh… can you tell me the whereabouts of my friend Yota? He's the one who appears a bit clueless, with yellow hair and eyes, dressed similarly to me." Ric walked toward the enormous slingshot, positioning himself on the launch pad. Clasping the giant elastic bands on either side, he braced himself for the launch.

"Based on your description, the student you seek is roughly 270 meters ahead at 3 o'clock," Reinhardt replied, his gaze ablaze as he scanned for Yota.

"Thank you, sir," Ric expressed his gratitude before activating his "Speed" spell. Barriers materialized beneath his feet, enhancing his maneuverability. With a powerful push, he stretched the rubber bands as far as they would go, propelling himself backward and extending his trajectory into the tree line.

"Considering the elasticity of these bands, this should suffice," Ric calculated internally, releasing his grip on the bands to initiate his launch. He soared through the skies initially, maintaining an impressive velocity. Yet, his speed gradually diminished as he covered more than 200 meters. Amid the deceleration, Ric's gaze scanned the distant participants, appearing minuscule from his vantage point. Eventually, his forward motion ceased, initiating his descent. He stretched his arms and legs, resembling a flying squirrel, slowing his fall.

Despite his attempts to locate Yota, Ric found himself struggling to spot his friend. As his gaze darted around frantically, his heart raced with urgency.

"Come on Yota, where are you?!" He mumbled to himself in desperation.

And then, amid his descent, he finally caught sight of Yota, clinging perilously to a pillar. The sight of his friend clinging desperately for his life, ignited a fire of anger within Ric. Activating his technique, "Barrier Stride," he launched himself toward Tarha with a resounding whoosh, his fist landed squarely on Tarha's face. Tarha's foothold was lost, plummeting him from the pillar.

[Back to the present,]

Jimmy and Vivi found themselves paralyzed with fear. The sight before them was far from human; Ric's once familiar eyes now glowed a sinister red, seeming to pierce through their very souls. A chill ran down their spines, their hearts racing in dread.

"M-Monster!" Vivi's voice quivered with terror, her face a mask of pure fright.

"D-don't falter! Ready your magic while I distract him!" Jimmy's voice wavered as he struggled to muster his courage.

Despite her fear, Vivi managed to stand, her trembling hands beginning to trace arcane symbols in the air as she started to chant. Meanwhile, Jimmy, fighting back his own fear, let out a fierce scream and lunged at Ric with a dagger, which he took out from his pocket, and gripped tightly in his hand.

"Die!" Jimmy's voice cracked with frustration, his desperation evident on his face.

In an instant, Ric's hand shot out and firmly caught Jimmy's wrist, halting his attack. Ric's face bore an enigmatic smile, his glowing eyes fixated on Jimmy as went near his ear.

"Don't imagine for a moment that you can escape," Ric whispered with a chilling smirk.

Ric pivoted swiftly, his focus shifting to Vivi. Without a moment's hesitation, he closed the gap between them in a heartbeat. His fist connected with Vivi's stomach, a sharp "Ugh!" escaping her lips as she crumpled to the ground, clutching her abdomen in pain.

Seizing the moment, Jimmy attempted to strike Ric from behind with his dagger. However, his efforts were in vain as Ric, without even turning to face him, delivered a powerful backkick that found its mark in Jimmy's stomach. The force of the blow expelled the air from Jimmy's lungs, his grip on the dagger slipping as he crumpled to the ground, moaning in agony. With a stern expression, Ric declared, "The time has come to face the consequences of your actions!"