Chapter 5
THE EMCEE GAVE a quick summary of the rules, more for the sake of the audience than the contestants. There were two key points: One, each representative would be given ample time to perform their chosen technique. Two, offensive techniques were to target the dummy, and the dummy only. Its armor had been enchanted to provide additional defense. Hinata helpfully supplied Mira with additional information as the emcee addressed the crowd.
The judges for this event would be a mix of board members, wealthy donors, professors, and the headmaster. The rest of the audience was made up of students, members of the PTA, and alumni. Contestants would be scored based on their techniques’ difficulty, potency, and speed. Style and panache were also important, even if they weren’t directly scored. As more wealthy donors joined the judges, the panel’s overall understanding of the magical arts suffered. Nowadays, no matter how advanced or difficult a technique might be, if it looked boring, its score would suffer. As an aside, the ethereal arts were exempt from the event. All mages could make use of such techniques, and as such, a certain level of funding was always granted to the discipline.
This symposium served as an inspirational showcase as well as a benchmark for budget allocation. Prospective patrons were known to attend the exhibitions and make private donations to a particular school of magic if they found themselves duly impressed. If a discipline consistently performed well, then they would even be rewarded with an additional allocation of facilities on campus. That was more of an implicit arrangement, however.
Guests of these symposiums often included influential nobles, merchants, and adventurers. The more power a school could display, the more lucrative patrons they would attract and the more powerful their backers.
Most of the representatives had been selected from among the student body based on recommendations from their peers and professors. If multiple students were nominated within the same discipline, a selection test would be held before the event to determine the contestant. If there were no students available, a teacher would fill in—Hinata’s plight in a nutshell.
But having outsiders attend wasn’t unheard of. If a discipline didn’t have a candidate, they could nominate one from outside the academy. On one such occasion, a researcher from the Linked Silver Towers came to participate. Naturally, that person dominated the competition. At the following year’s symposium—as a direct result, no doubt—every school of magic was represented by a researcher. The contest soon devolved into little more than testing grounds for the group of researchers, and after that, fellows of the Silver Towers were barred from entry.
Mira, however, was participating as an adventurer on referral.
“Now, then, we shall begin with the Department of Sorcery, as they achieved the highest scores at the previous symposium,” said the emcee, beckoning to Caerus. “Back then, the Department of Sorcery received near-perfect marks for a delightful display of water magic. What technique will they wow us with today? Will the representative please step forward?”
Caerus walked toward the center of the ring, waving affectionately to the audience. Applause echoed all around him, and he knew he had a reputation to uphold.
The emcee began to move off to the side of the arena, but Caerus snagged him before he could depart, hissing into the officiant’s ear, “Not last time. Every time.”
“Ah… Right. Of course, My apologies.”
“Watch yourself.”
The whispered exchange didn’t reach the other representatives, much less the audience. But Mira could tell that an act of bullying had just taken place.
“Stupid commoners,” Caerus muttered as he turned to the mannequin. Almost all sorcery techniques focused on overwhelming attacks. In terms of raw magical damage, one could be forgiven for assuming they were the strongest mage class. There was little surprise that the armored dummy was going to be his target this afternoon.
“Thank you all for taking the time to be here with us at the symposium! I am Caerus Verlan, and it is our privilege to dazzle you today!” He bowed gracefully toward the audience. No one bothered asking why he seemed to be speaking on behalf of all the gathered disciplines. The other representatives had long since given up on trying to correct his grandstanding.
Mira had other concerns, namely deciding which of her summons had the right personality, flair, and safety margin. What about Alfina? No. She would hate being treated as a sideshow attraction. And the roof might cave in…
“Hrmm…”
“Feast your eyes on the miracles of sorcery!” Caerus took a half step back and held his right hand out toward the mannequin. As his mana coalesced on his hand, a magic circle appeared before it. “Burning all it touches, Sorcery: Flames of the Heavens!”
The magic circle glowed red, and then a small flame gathered in his palm before swelling up. It grew as large as a human head before it launched at the armor, leaving a shining tail in its wake. Mid-flight, it split into countless smaller fireballs before they all reconverged and crashed into the target. A deafening roar resounded, with sparks flying and leaving scorch marks on the armor.
The crowd went wild.
Distracted from her own musings, Mira frowned at the cacophony and looked at the center of the ring. Caerus was whipping up the audience, saying that this was only the beginning as he moved to cast his next spell. This time, he gathered magic in both hands, feeding off the audience’s fervor and raising both arms over his head in truly dramatic fashion.
“I hope you all enjoyed that little demonstration. Now, let me invite you all to the Banquet of Fire!” he shouted. “Host of flames soaring through the sky, obey your master and destroy thy foe!”
A magic circle appeared with Caerus at the center, and then fireballs fanned out around him. As they reached an appropriate size, they shot forth one by one to slam into the ground, the walls, and the mannequin. An unceasing burst of explosions filled the arena with a cloud of sparks and smoke.
Hrmm. How crude, Mira mentally critiqued. No precision, no timing. Just awful. If it’s an area of effect he’s after, Sorcery: Scorching Blast would be much better.
His spell might work against low-level monsters, but it had no place in actual combat. It was far too telegraphed and inaccurate. But it wowed the judges. They were left speechless as they watched the countless fireballs twinkle through the air like a meteor shower. It was a veritable banquet of fire, as promised—but that was all it was.
To Mira, it was like watching nobles who’d grown tired of their riches tossing a handful of gold coins in the air. A vulgar display of excess in a vain attempt to impress the commoners. Caerus’s sorcery was pleasing to the eye, but it was wasteful with no functional purpose. Not even ten years since the signing of the non-aggression pact, this was the level magic had sunk to.
His performance completed, the judges each marked down their scores. They wouldn’t be announced until all the representatives had performed, but no doubt he’d come close to perfection. As Caerus returned to his position along the wall, he shot a disgusting smirk at Mira and Hinata. Hinata’s cat ears lay flat and her gaze dropped, and Caerus’s expression became even smugger.
Contestants followed in descending order of the previous symposium’s standings.
A cleric took center stage next, casting Holy Arts: Shield Skin, a technique that nullified a designated source of damage. They had their attendant blast away with offensive spells to show that they remained completely unharmed. This was followed by Holy Arts: Arc Gate, which pelted the dummy with an intense beam of light. This seemed to make a good impression on the judges, and the crowd applauded enthusiastically.
The third contestant was a medium. They opened with Celestial Arts: Wood–Giant Forest, causing a grove of trees to fill the area. This was followed by Celestial Arts: Fire–Crimson Fox, which created a fox kit made of flames. The tiny creature danced between the trees for a few moments before charging headlong at the armored mannequin and exploding dramatically.
A sage stepped to the center. Their presentation started with a martial arts display with both hands wreathed in fire by way of their Immortal Arts Earth: Enveloping Blaze technique. The flames were less compressed than they should be, Mira noted disapprovingly—but the traces lingering behind the thrown punches painted a crimson lotus in the air. As a finish, they thrust their hands toward the dummy while executing the Immortal Arts, Heaven: Pulse at close range, sending fire scattering wildly.
An exorcist first took out a bottle of holy water, opened it, and threw it straight up into the air. As they activated their Veiled Arts: Spirit Banishment technique, the bottle shattered, raining shards of glass and holy water over the surrounding area. The arena floor began to glow, and a thin film of light appeared. The exorcist grabbed several more bottles of holy water and threw them at the mannequin, activating their Banished Commandment: Flames of Atonement. Blue fire enveloped the mannequin and the ground around it, quietly flickering.
A demonologist was up next. Using Demonic Arts: Crawly Arachnea, they gained the abilities of a spider. Taking aim at the mannequin, they bound it in silken threads before casting Demonic Arts Demon: Blaze Hound which caused them to sprout flaming claws from both hands. As they touched the spider thread, the flame raced along like a fuse before engulfing the mannequin in crimson flames.
Next came a representative from the necromancers. With the Necromantic Arts: Rock Golem technique, they created a man-sized golem, which charged the dummy. Then they cast Internment Arts: Molten Rebirth just a moment before their golem smashed into the armor, scorching the entire area with a pillar of fire.
Thus, all the entries had been completed but one. The charred mannequin sat forlornly, awaiting the final performance.
“Will the representative for the Department of Evocation please step forward?” called the emcee. With no time left, Mira finally decided on her summon.
Okay, let’s do this. I’m a little worried…but she’s my best option.
“Mira…” Hinata watched Mira with concern as the girl took her first step forward into the ring.
Mira paused and flashed her a smile. “Don’t worry. This is child’s play.”
Hinata gasped at Mira’s brazen confidence, then felt a surge of hope. It wasn’t right for a teacher to be so downhearted. “All right! You can do it, Mira!”
The emcee moved off to the side, and all eyes were focused on the tiny girl in the middle of the arena. Hating to be the center of attention, Mira smiled weakly before tossing her right hand to the side, calling forth the Bound Arcana. As it appeared in midair, the audience stirred in surprise. Even Hinata marveled at the sight.
The Bound Arcana was an advanced summoning technique used to enhance summons, and it could only be cast by the most skilled practitioners. Hinata knew of the technique, but it was far beyond what anyone at the academy could handle. And yet, Mira did it with ease. The headmaster and some of the professors and alumni watched in admiration, excited for what might come next.
Mira drew her right hand back in and converted the Bound Arcana into a summoning circle, causing a few in the audience to cry out at the immense power contained within the array.
The impossibility of the act drew the headmaster from his seat, and he looked at the girl with astonishment. “It can’t be… The Mark of the Rosary?!”
“Hey… What’s going on?” asked someone nearby. “Isn’t she supposed to be summoning something?”
“Yes, she is. I’m not certain, but that might be some high-level summoning circle,” said a flustered staffer, trying to maintain order and watch the demonstration at the same time.
Long ago, the headmaster had seen such summons on battlefields with his own eyes. Hazy memories snapped back into vivid color as he watched the scene unfold before him. The summoning circle in the arena bore a striking resemblance to one he’d seen before.
More and more voices began to fill the coliseum as the audience watched with confusion and awe. But Mira faced the circle without care, and a chant began to weave its way from her lips.
If you can hear my voice, feel my thoughts,
Perhaps, will they wake you?
How I long to hear your words, to listen to you sing.
Echoing like a bell, right here in this moment.
[Evocation: Diva]
As her chant concluded, the summoning circle shone like the sun before shattering an instant later. As the glittering shards rained down like stars, a woman appeared in the center of the arena. She looked almost vulnerable. Her alabaster skin was wrapped in a sky-blue robe. Her light blonde hair fluttered about and shone like fine silk. But the look in her eyes was anything but demure—her gaze was sharp and burned with the conviction behind her pretty face. An ethereal melody tickled the edge of everyone’s hearing as she took in her surroundings.
“Ah, at last we meet again, Master.” She dipped into a curtsy, tears of joy springing to her eyes.
“Hrmm. It’s been a while, Leticia.”
Leticia was the Diva’s name and, as her title implied, she was a high-level spirit who governed over song and all related melodies.
“A long while. I missed you so much, I—Master, have you shrunk?!”
“No! Well…there have been some changes.”
“R-really?” Her head tilted slightly to the side, then she seemed to lose interest as another thought took precedence. “Oh, right! I’ve composed a song for you, Master.”
She began to hum a cheery tune; it was almost childish.
I…should have expected this.
Leticia was striking and strong-willed. She was also an airhead. No train of thought would stay on the tracks, and no concern for consequences would prevent her from blurting out whatever came to her mind. Back when Danblf used to summon her in the game world, Leticia would sing and prattle on regardless of the situation. Mira smiled as she remembered when they had forged their contract.
Oblivious to Mira’s worries, the audience was completely entranced. Not just because of Leticia’s power and beautiful appearance, but because her little song resonated deep within their hearts as though it were the first they’d ever heard.
Before things got out of hand, Mira cut in. “Ah, perhaps next time. I was hoping to hear ‘Melodia of Forest Green.’”
Leticia drew her humming to a halt and nodded. “A request?! I love requests!”
The audience came back to their senses as though waking from a dream and turned a reproachful eye on Mira. Why had she interrupted such a blissful experience?
They were about to find out.
Leticia’s wings spread like a shimmering rainbow born of magic, and the sound of a symphony swelled through the arena. Unlike her humming, this song had layers of melody woven together in deep harmony to form a single song as the Diva sang along. Her voice was gentle, yet it reverberated with the power of a goddess. The Dark Knights and the Valkyries were instruments of battle, but her powers could heal, inspire, or grant any number of other supporting effects.
“Melodia of Forest Green” restored mana and soothed the soul. In this world, it had the added benefit of bringing comfort to all those who heard it, whether they were magically inclined or not. Nearly four minutes after Leticia began singing, the song reached its finale. As it died away, the entirety of the audience rose to a standing ovation.
Well, that should get me a top score. Oh, wait, speaking of…
While the applause echoed throughout the coliseum, Mira thought back to the earlier presentations. Each had performed a first technique and then finished with an attack against the armored mannequin. Deciding that must be how things were done, she waved and thanked the crowd before turning back to Leticia, who was still basking in the praise.
“Leticia, a ‘Requiem of Fury’ for the training dummy, if you would.”
“Another request? Certainly!” she responded before turning to the mannequin and expelling a short sharp burst of sound.
The applause stopped as the people wondered what was about to happen. They watched in dead silence for a moment, and then a popping noise came from the arena floor—the mannequin had burst into pieces.
“What…what just happened?” Someone managed to squeeze out a question, triggering those who had regained their composure—or at least some base level of thought—to ask the headmaster.
The armored mannequin had withstood attacks from all the representatives at every symposium thus far. Now it was blown away, leaving naught behind. They’d never seen such power. The “Requiem of Fury” that Mira had called for was Leticia’s only offensive song, causing resonant feedback in her target. Though it was her sole attack, it was immensely powerful and limited to three uses per day because it was hard on her throat.
This spectacle of summoning was beyond the headmaster’s wildest dreams. Despite the fearful murmurings of the crowd, he couldn’t contain the emotions welling up within.
“Splendid!” he cried, his voice rising above the clamor of the crowd.
With that, the applause started up once more. Figuring that was the end of it, Mira moved to send Leticia home. “Well done.”
Leticia pouted. “I still haven’t sung you your song yet, Master.”
“Next time, somewhere quieter.”
Leticia smiled and nodded, then vanished entirely.
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