Second Seat—Liana Astralin

Wait, what?

Liana Astralin, who was hiding at the time, couldn't contain her surprise.

As she was about to enter the academy hall where the enrollment ceremony was taking place, she suddenly sensed a surge of evil mana energy coming from the direction of Sirius Forest. She quickly flew there using her wind magic.

When she arrived, she saw a confrontation between a strange-faced demon and a man.

First of all, the sudden appearance of a demon could be considered a natural disaster. There was nothing unusual about a demon appearing suddenly in a remote place like Sirius Forest.

Judging by the amount of mana and the intensity of its evil aura, it was clear that this demon was quite dangerous. But what about that man?

The man was clad in iron armor and wielded a golden sword.

He appeared to be a young male student with black hair and matching eyes. His height was slightly above average, and his overall impression seemed ordinary, like any other young man.

However, when he fought, his gaze turned cold. The atmosphere around him changed drastically, as if he were a completely different person. The air pressure around him felt heavy.

Indeed, his swordsmanship was a bit clumsy, as if he had long abandoned the art of the sword and had only recently picked it up again. Yet, his reflexes were extraordinary. With skills like that, he seemed like someone accustomed to life-and-death battles. Instead of feeling envious, Liana felt admiration, as his abilities were at an exceptionally high level for his age.

Then, Liana watched as the man exchanged blows with the demon, whose arm had transformed into a blade, for quite some time.

And after waiting—

Slaashh—!!

The man successfully cut off the demon's right arm, causing it to stagger back. Liana, who was watching, thought the man would quickly finish the fight.

But her assumption was wrong. Instead, the man raised his sword with both hands and closed his eyes.

W-what is he trying to do!?

It's dangerous to close your eyes when there's an enemy in front of you!!

Liana couldn't hold back her panic and was about to step forward to protect the man.

But...

Fwuuuuu—!!

Liana suddenly stopped. She felt the air pressure rise abruptly, making her feel suffocated. Then, she looked toward the man.

To her astonishment, the sword the man was holding began to emit light, and she could clearly see golden mana particles gathering around the sword from the surrounding environment.

....W-what is that? What kind of terrifying mana is that!?

Isn't he a student from the knight department!? He's clearly wielding a sword, but this power is beyond reason! Even for a magic swordsman!

Liana could feel it. Fear and despair—those were the two emotions that described anyone who opposed that sword.

Liana was fully aware of it. The man's mana far exceeded hers, and his power was utterly terrifying. Liana herself was confident in her abilities and the amount of mana she possessed. She was so talented that she was accepted into the prestigious Magic Department of Sirius Academy as the second-ranked student in her class. That meant she was the second best.

However, in the face of this terrifying power, her pride shattered instantly. She struggled to keep her trembling body from collapsing.

W-who is that person?

Judging by his uniform, he's a first-year student like me, right?

Liana clearly recognized the uniform. Although most of it was covered by armor, she could see that the man was wearing the same academy uniform as hers. He wore a blue tie with a single red stripe, symbolizing his first-year status.

Just by his appearance alone, anyone could tell he was a first-year student like her.

...But what he displayed didn't reflect that at all...

Could he be the "top seat"?

Seeing such a stark difference, Liana once again realized how vast the world was. She fully understood that she had been like a frog in a well all this time.

The days when people around her praised her as a genius born with talent in swordsmanship and magic flashed through her mind.

—A strong doubt now overshadowed those claims.

"Hah!"

Liana finally smiled. No matter what titles she held, the man she was witnessing far surpassed her. She had to admit it.

Then, the man finally opened his eyes, and his sword was fully glowing. The space around him seemed distorted by the immense power gathered within the sword.

Finally, he swung the sword with both hands. His eyes radiated extraordinary determination and brilliant glory.

"Ex....caliburrr!!"

Baaangggg——!!

The energy within the sword exploded in a straight line.

"Argh!"

Liana reflexively crouched down, covering her ears and closing her eyes. The explosion could have destroyed her eardrums if she hadn't covered them tightly.

The energy blast continued for a while, and finally, there was a sound like a mountain erupting.

After the explosion subsided, Liana uncovered her ears and opened her eyes. She looked toward the man in a daze.

Sure enough, as she had guessed, everything in the path of the sword had been obliterated. She could even see a mountain split in two in the distance.

Gulp—

She swallowed hard, struggling to process the horrifying sight. Her legs trembled again, but she forced herself to keep looking at the man.

The man was gasping for breath after swinging his sword. His appearance returned to normal.

The armor and sword disappeared. He struggled to walk toward another man who was unconscious under a tree and crouched down in front of him.

Whatever he was doing, Liana was sure she saw him smile slightly, perhaps relieved that the unconscious man was safe.

Afterward, when the man finished checking the condition and took something out to put in his pocket, he suddenly froze.

Liana didn't understand what was happening. But then, she was shocked.

"Aaarghh!!"

The man screamed and collapsed to the ground. He passed out.

Left alone, Liana blinked several times, trying to make sense of the situation.

But she still didn't understand.

...Wait, what?

What just happened?

Seeing the man unconscious, Liana tried to approach him to help.

But before she could reach him, someone appeared.

...Who is that?

The figure wore a mask and a black hooded robe. The mysterious person then picked up the man who had screamed and walked away.

Liana, who saw this, tried to chase after them, but before she could catch up—

Whooosshh

A strong wind suddenly blew, and before Liana realized it, the mysterious person had disappeared, taking the man who had screamed and passed out with them.

Liana didn't understand what was happening, but she tried to think positively and chose to save the other man who was unconscious under the tree. She then took him to the academy's medical room.