Duel of Speed and Precision

On the quiet streets, where most of the shops had closed, Seriel made her way toward the fountain.

'Did I come too early?'

Just the other day, she had submitted her application for the senior class, which meant she was excluded from the advanced class evaluation.

When she arrived at the fountain, a red-haired girl sat on a bench, engrossed in a book.

A bright smile spread across Seriel's face.

"Amy!"

Hearing her name, Amy, looking weary, closed her book and stood up.

"Wow, you've lost so much weight. The senior class must be tough."

It wasn't just a casual remark.

In the short time they hadn't seen each other, Amy had become even thinner. Her pale face was shadowed with deep dark circles.

"You'll end up like this soon enough. Anyway, welcome to hell. Here, the documents you asked for."

Amy handed over the files related to the promotion exam.

It wasn't cheating, as the information was available to all senior students.

"Thanks. Let's sit down first. Do you want something to drink?"

"Coffee. I practically live on it these days."

After grabbing their coffees from an empty café, they returned to the park and sat on a bench.

As she skimmed through the documents, Seriel asked, "How is it? Is the promotion exam really difficult?"

"Hmm, should I say it's difficult? The level is high, yes. But it's not about passing or failing based on scores. It's more like confirming what you're capable of. Cramming won't help. What really matters is how much you've achieved consistently."

"Really? Now I'm even more nervous."

"You'll be fine. If you're in the upper ranks of Class Four, you're already at the senior level. The real problem comes after that."

"After that, huh..."

Lost in thought, Seriel glanced at Amy, who was staring at the sky.

'Her aura has changed.'

Though she still looked unwell, Seriel could sense the unique presence of a senior student radiating from her.

'I can feel it. Her mind, body, and spirit have grown so much stronger. I need to advance quickly too.'

Amy, sipping the last drops of her iced coffee through a straw, suddenly asked, "How's Shirone doing lately?"

"Haha! I was wondering when you'd ask. Have you seriously not met him even once? You haven't even heard the rumors?"

"I don't know. I haven't had the time. The senior class is completely cut off from the advanced class. I did hear that Samuel became an assistant instructor, though. What's this rumor?"

"Something interesting is happening in Class Five."

"Interesting?"

Amy looked at Seriel with curiosity, still holding her straw between her lips. Seriel, excited, launched into a lively explanation.

She described the upcoming Speed Gun exam and how Shirone and Iruki's face-off had become the talk of the class.

"Using logarithms to reduce units—that's a clever idea. Well, it's very like Iruki."

Seriel was surprised. "Huh? You know Iruki?"

"Of course. We were classmates before I advanced. Though I didn't stay in the class for long. He has Savant Syndrome."

"Oh? You really do know him. Have you spoken to him? He doesn't seem very sociable."

"Yeah, I have. When I first joined Class Five, he was the one who spoke to me."

"Wait, what? Maybe he liked you! Oh no, does this mean it's a duel between rivals?"

"Don't be ridiculous. He's a little odd, don't you think? He speaks in such a detached way, devoid of emotion. I think he was trying to do to me what he did to Shirone. He was confrontational from the start. I just ignored him, and he lost interest."

"So he's a so-called genius hunter? What do we do? Looks like Shirone's drawn the short straw."

"I wouldn't say that. It's an obstacle he has to overcome sooner or later. But it will be tough. If Iruki uses logarithms in Speed Gun, his score will be quite high."

Seriel scowled. "What's with that attitude? Your friend is in trouble, and you're just sitting there? What if Shirone loses?"

"It's a test, not a fight. Competitions have winners and losers."

Amy didn't seem particularly concerned.

Maybe it was because, in the senior class, everyone was a star, and winning or losing was just part of the process.

Seriel, however, felt disappointed.

"You've never lost before! That's why you need to tell Shirone to keep going strong! I'll pass on the message myself."

"No thanks. You'll just exaggerate everything. Besides, this isn't even the promotion exam—it's just a practical test. Shirone is aiming for the senior class. This will be a good experience for him."

"Then at least give him some Speed Gun tips! You still hold the highest record—987 points!"

Amy sighed. "Any advice I could give, Shirone probably already knows. It's not that I don't care—I really think Shirone is amazing. He's already scored over 700 points, hasn't he? I specialized in targeting, so I had an advantage."

Seriel, who wanted nothing more than for Shirone to succeed, felt disheartened.

"So what do we do? He still has a chance of winning, right? He has to win."

Amy tapped her straw against her cup.

'Iruki of Mercodain.'

He had left a bad first impression, but he was no easy opponent.

"In terms of targeting alone, he's extremely difficult to deal with. A Savant's abilities are incredibly powerful. Using logarithms as well? Facing him will feel like hitting a wall. And if he's serious this time…"

"If he's serious, what?"

After a moment of thought, Amy murmured, "I might have lost."

"What?"

Seriel was stunned.

Amy had never lost first place in the advanced class. It was possible she was being generous since she had already moved on to the senior class, but even so, it was an extraordinary statement.

Seriel's face fell. "Then what about Shirone?"

The final round of the Speed Gun test was fast approaching, and everyone's attention was on Shirone and Iruki's face-off.

As Shirone stepped onto the training field, the excitement in the air was palpable.

"Here we go."

The competition would now determine who was truly worthy of advancing.