Chapter 197
Sigh.
Hector crouched low, like he was curling in on himself. It was a rather unusual stance, but from there, he would launch forward like a spring with no further wind-up.
Kamibarez, whose eyes had turned red, didn't back down either. She activated the Wind of Blood.
"Kami."
At that moment, Simon placed a hand on her shoulder and stood up.
"I'll take him."
"But Simon! What about the shock…!"
"I've recovered from it. And this fight, Hector picked it with me, so it's only right I end it."
"Doesn't matter who steps up."
Darkness began to overflow from Hector's body, dripping down onto the ground.
"I'm coming in."
Hector launched himself forward, kicking off the ground. His figure vanished, the earth shook, and a cloud of dust rose.
Simon immediately leapt in front of Kamibarez and crossed his arms in a defensive stance.
Thunk!
Hector's fist halted right in front of her. Simon had blocked it with his crossed arms.
"Grrgh!"
Sweat dripped from Simon's brow, and Hector twisted his lips.
"You should've done that from the start—!"
Simon's waist twisted, and his leg soared up. Hector reeled back in alarm, throwing his jaw up, just as a black flash shot upward in a straight line.
'Tch, his magical combat really lives up to the hype!'
Hector backed off for the moment. Simon lowered his leg and exhaled lightly.
"Do we really have to go this far, here of all places?"
Drawn by the sounds of a major fight, onlookers were now crowding the alley.
"You know what you're doing right now is a total mess, right?"
"We're Keyzen, Simon Follentia."
Hector extended his arm and opened a subspace.
"If you want to fight, just fight. No one can stop us."
Skeletons poured out of his subspace in a torrent.
'Behold! The fruits of my vacation!'
Hector swung his arm roughly. The skeletons' bodies broke apart into numerous bones, which began assembling into the shape of long spears.
'That's…!'
Simon kicked off the ground in a hurry to evade. The bone spear curved and embedded itself deep into the dirt where he had just been standing.
'He's using restoration techniques?'
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Bone spears rained from the sky like a storm, and Simon was forced to dodge frantically.
"Kuhahahaha!"
Hector swung his left arm this time. Several skeleton torsos spilled from the subspace and attached themselves to Hector's legs and fists.
Simon's eyes widened in shock.
'Boots and gauntlets made from Bone Armor!'
In the first semester's Introduction to Summonology class, Hector hadn't been able to use restoration techniques well. He had done advanced self-study in nearly every subject, but restoration was a matter of pure talent, and he had struggled immensely.
But now, he was wielding restoration techniques fluidly, at a level suitable for actual combat.
'I didn't sleep properly even once during vacation! I coughed up blood pushing my limits!'
The ground beneath Hector's feet cracked with a sharp snap.
'Now feel what it's like to be beaten by summoning, your own specialty!'
Hector surged toward Simon with explosive force.
Simon quickly opened his own subspace and raised his arm. Bones clung to his right arm.
A bear-like foreleg came swinging toward him, far too powerful for Simon to block with brute strength.
'In that case!'
Simon issued an Absolute Order. The bones fused to his right arm exploded with dark-blue magical energy, and the two boys' bone gauntlets collided at the center.
THWACK!
With a deafening crash, shattered tile and debris scattered in all directions. The gathered crowd screamed and shielded their faces.
Boom! Boom!
Dodging Hector's aggressive bone gauntlet swings with only upper-body movement, Simon pointed his right arm back toward his subspace.
Additional components latched onto the gauntlet—wheels made of bone, bullets snapping into place, and a launch port forming.
Hector's eyebrows twitched.
'A new technique?'
Simon deflected Hector's incoming blow to the side, aimed the muzzle at Hector's forehead, and pulled the trigger with his finger.
Bang!
A bone bullet shot out like a flash. Hector barely caught it with his left hand.
'I finally caught up, and now he's pulling weird stuff again!'
Furious, Hector retreated, while Simon began to unleash a barrage from his handgun.
Ratatatatatatatat!
Bullets rained down, shredding the shacks behind Hector. Hector kept dodging, reaching his arm toward a nearby pile of bones.
The bones floated up, formed into spears, and plunged down toward Simon from the air.
This time, Simon, who had been firing in place, dove out of the way. As he reloaded, Hector's relentless rain of bone spears kept coming.
Click!
Simon caught every bullet that had flown through the air and spun the wheel, aiming at Hector.
Projectiles from both sides flew wildly across the air.
"Wow! So this is what a fight between necromancers looks like!"
"This is amazing!"
The crowd of onlookers was now visibly excited. Some shouted with clenched fists, cheering, others clapped.
"Hey, come quick!"
"It's a Keyzen-versus-Keyzen match!"
As the excited crowd shouted and rallied, only Kamibarez stood with her hands clasped together, watching Simon with anxious eyes.
Thwack!
The two clashed in the center again, then simultaneously jumped back. Sweat poured off Hector like rain.
'Why won't he fall! Why won't he let a single blow through?! I want to win. I want to beat that bastard more than anything!'
Boom!
Hector stomped the ground, and the remains of more than twenty skeletons he had used floated up into the air.
'I'll defeat you and prove that all the blood I've shed wasn't in vain! I'll be more confident in myself, and stand even prouder in this world!'
He swung his arm, and a bombardment of spears rained down, leaving no room to escape.
'I think I get why Hector's so obsessed with fighting me.'
Boom!
Simon stomped the ground as well. All the skeleton bones he had used so far floated up and assembled before him.
Honestly, letting him win once wouldn't be the worst idea. It'd probably make school life a bit easier. But—
Thump—Thump—
Simon felt his heart pounding as he moved his hands like a conductor.
'I never want to lose in a fight!'
The bones gathered at the center stacked together seamlessly, forming a massive tower-like wall.
Clack-clack-clack-clack-clack!
The torrential Bone Spears crashed into the wall and bounced off in all directions. Only then did the crowd realize the danger and shrieked, running to avoid the ricocheting bones.
"What's with this racket?!"
Finally, the Langerstine guards rushed over. The previously excited spectators flinched and began backing off or turning to flee at the sight of the approaching guards.
The Langerstine guard was infamous for excessive force.
"Which lunatics are fighting in broad daylight—?!"
One of the guards pushed through the crowd and came forward.
But the ones fighting in the street weren't gangsters, locals, or travelers. They were two boys wearing Keyzen uniforms, their red ties fluttering as they fought fiercely.
The confident guards now all wore puzzled expressions.
"...They're from Keyzen?"
Just then, an old woman pushed through the crowd and grabbed a guard's arm, shaking it.
"Oh, please stop them! My shop is right behind there!"
"Ahem. Madam, Keyzen isn't under our jurisdiction..."
"C-come on, sir. Just try saying something, like, 'Could you please stop fighting?' or something."
"You do it, you crazy bastard!"
Even the guards were too busy arguing over who should go deal with it.
"Pardon me."
Amidst the commotion, a man walked calmly through the group. The guards tried to stop him, warning it was dangerous, but he didn't break stride.
Boom!
The two clashing boys were pushed back in a skid.
Thanks to their Keyzen uniforms, they weren't wounded, but the shock was steadily building up strain in their bodies. Their Darkness reserves were draining, and stamina was wearing thin.
"Simon Follentiaaaa!"
Hector flung both arms outward.
At first, he'd intended to exchange a few blows and leave it at that, but his mindset had changed.
From all sides, subspaces opened simultaneously, pouring out Dragon Scales that began covering his body. His legs and torso started transforming into a draconic form.
'I can't wait until the Duel Evaluation! I'm ending this now and entering the second semester triumphant!'
He opened his mouth wide and unleashed a breath of Darkness.
KRAAAAAAANG!
A crimson-black blaze exploded in front of Simon.
Only then, as fire and blasts erupted, did the spectators realize how dangerous things had become. Screaming, they scattered. Flaming debris ignited nearby buildings.
Fwooooooosh!
And in the heart of the explosion, blades of metal coiled like a serpent, shielding Simon's body without a single gap.
Hector grinned.
"So you finally summoned that thing!"
"From here on, I might not hold back either."
The blades spread, revealing Simon's glinting twin pupils.
"You still want to continue?"
"Of course I do!"
Flaap!
The wings of the Dragon—full of holes—on Hector's shoulders spread to their full span.
"Let's finish this here and now! Simon Follentia!"
The two of them charged each other simultaneously. Hector's draconic claw and Simon's bone-armored fist tore through the air toward one another.
Turup.
"!"
Their arms were suddenly caught, by someone.
A massive force twisted the trajectory of their limbs, and the two boys' bodies flipped midair as they crossed paths.
Simon's eyes widened. A red droplet rose above his body.
'That technique?!'
BOOOOOOM!
A blast of blood erupted, slamming both boys straight into the tiled ground and shattering it.
"Hmmm—"
At the center stood a man with brown hair who had subdued them in an instant. He stood with arms crossed, wearing a brown suit matching his hair, a briefcase in one hand.
"This won't do. Not here."
The man adjusted his monocle with his ring finger and thumb. His voice was calm, gentlemanly. The tension in the air began to ease.
"School hasn't even started yet. I'd appreciate it if you two could show some restraint."
"Grrrk!"
Hector raised his head, covered in tile debris.
"To interrupt a duel between Keyzen students! Who the hell are you?!"
At that moment, Kamibarez came running up, covering her mouth in shock.
"D-Doctor?"
"Been a while, Kamibarez."
He offered a gentle smile with his eyes.
Simon's eyes widened. Was this the same doctor Kamibarez had once been indebted to?
Simon was racking his brain to assess the situation, while Hector ground his teeth and rose to his feet.
"Reveal yourself!"
"On behalf of my mentor, Sillage, who is currently on a critical mission, I'll be teaching Haematology this semester."
The man smiled.
"I am Walter Hahn, and I'll be your instructor for Haematology. Pleased to meet you."
'A new Haematology professor…?'
Simon and Hector, and even Kamibarez, looked shocked.
"Doctor! I mean, no—Professor! How…?"
"Master Sillage's mission will likely take longer than expected, so upon his recommendation, I've officially been appointed to take over his class."
Not just a temporary substitute, he was the new official Haematology professor.
He had already passed the external interviews and been confirmed as part of the Keyzen faculty.
"And for now, just 'Doctor' will do. I won't be a professor until I go to Roke Mountain and receive the teaching authority."
Though he had passed the Keyzen side's interview, he was still a general necromancer for the moment. Once he traveled to Roke Mountain and faced Neftis, he would be granted formal authority as a Keyzen professor and gain considerable power.
'For now… that is.'
Just then, Hector slowly began to stand.