The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 95

Drip, Drip.

In a cabin up in the Lamelin Mountain Range, the sound of burning firewood could always be heard.

Covered in a soft blanket up to the bridge of her nose, Lucy could always be found lying around somewhere nearby, sleeping. It wasn’t unusual to see her covering herself up in bedding like that.

However, she was tightly wrapped up in a blanket because she had caught a cold.

She was destined to become a master of magic in the future. But right at that moment, she was nothing more than a regular girl that had just entered puberty.

All girls at that age acted the same.

It was fine to just stay cooped up in a corner of the hut when it was raining outside. But choosing to walk around the mountains unnecessarily, only to end up catching a cold was all too common for her.

Her skill in magic was growing at an unbelievable speed, but it was still in a transitional period. She wasn’t at a level where she could completely protect her body from the environment.

There was an old man that was poking the burning campfire with a poker.

From her point of view, she could only see his backside.

However, just looking at his bent back and curled shoulders, you could tell he was a small old man in the twilight years of his life.

You could clearly tell that the prime of his life had passed. Of course, that was before Lucy was even born.

Walking around the continent, he studied all kinds of advanced magic, gained numerous disciples, met the love of his life and raised a family, made a name for himself in the academic world, acted as the first leader in the subjugation of high-ranking monster tribes, and acted under the command of the Imperial house multiple times.

He lived a productive life, taking every opportunity he had with vigor.

He thought of his life as one where he had never looked back, and continued to run forward, achieving more than anyone else could.

However, in that Archmage’s final years of his life, he went to the edge of the mountains where no one visited.

Just what happened, and what did he go through?

His numerous disciples and loving family were no longer by his side… All alone in the cabin, he poked at the campfire.

The only relationship he had left… A single girl that could somewhat be called a disciple.

“It’s normal for one to get sick after playing around in the rain.”

“You’re bound to be an unrivaled magician in the near future.”

“That feeling of pain you feel now will only become a distant memory that you felt in the past. That day will surely come.”

“Getting sick like this and having to lay down, or even getting any injuries to your body, they will all start to become more and more rare for you.”

It’s unknown just how much that young Lucy understood the meaning behind his words.

Still, Glockt had great significance behind the words he told her.

“Because of the ability you were born with, your life may become boring, and everything may appear meaningless.”

“Those who are less skilled… You may meet lots of people that, where it might be a simple and easy task for you, might be facing a challenge that they devote their entire lives to.”

“That’s why you have to remember what you are feeling right now.”

The day where that feeling of pain would only become a distant memory in her distant past… It would surely come.

It would be impossible to know what that meant to Lucy at the time, but… At the very least, she knew that Glockt was trying to tell her something.

Because even those memories alone had all become a part of her distant past.

Shwaaaaa.

The spring rain fell on her skin.

Walking across Ophelis Hall’s rose garden, the maids and students that had been completely frozen due to theTime Prisonwere lined up like statues.

Lucy walked through them, weaving between all of them and looked up at the sky while clutching her hat. The pouring rain continued to fall on her.

There weren’t many people that knew it, but even though Lucy was born with a lazy personality, she greatly respected and recognized those that lived a life of passion. She would never belittle them, nor would she help them. Even if they were criminals, she would never look down on them nor would she treat them as meaningless beings.

Needless to say, that was all because of Glockt’s influence.

Spending her life walking through the Lamelin Mountain Range half asleep, she couldn’t help but watch that old man, brimming with passion, with her own two eyes.

He was a person that put aside all of the success that he achieved throughout his long lifetime. And even though he became a small, scruffy old man living alone in the mountains, he still tried his hardest to make every day worthwhile.

Coming back to her senses, those feelings towards Ed that were more than just goodwill, deep down she knew they might have been because he was a person that tried his hardest to live despite being backed into a corner.

At the very least, he wasn’t a man that deserved to die in vain.

“…That lying old man.”

Didn’t he say that one day, after becoming a powerful magician, the feeling of pain and difficulty would only become a forgotten memory in the distant past?

But the feeling rising inside her chest was the ‘pain’ that had been forgotten.

Something that became even more precious after you lost it…

Lucy already knew that from experience.

And she didn’t want to have to experience it twice.

Spending time laying around the campfire, chewing on grilled fish as Ed read his book, laying on his lap while looking up blankly at the sky. None of those moments seemed all that special.

However, she probably just didn’t realize… just how valuable those moments were.

How fragile was a human?

She was someone that was gifted with such talent, she could use all sorts of high-level magic as if it were nothing. A level where even history’s greatest geniuses could only nod their heads at her talent…

For such a person, it was almost ironic how the death of a single person could bring her such torment and pain.

Boom!

At that moment, a huge explosion erupted at Lucy’s feet as she trudged towards the main entrance of Ophelis Hall.

A huge amount of smoke rose in the air as heat covered the vicinity. But with a single wave of her hand, Lucy blew it all away.

“I guess, in its own way, this is a way for me to look back on the past.”

Who did Lucy defeat as she walked to the front gate of Ophelis Hall?

The head maid of Ophelis Hall, Bell Maya. The fourth year’s top magic student, Traycana Bloomriver. The fourth year’s top alchemy student, Dorothy Whitefeld. The third year’s top combat student, Drake Laygus. Even fourteen senior maids.

Having the power to defeat all of them on her own, without receiving even a single scratch, at the very least inside Ophelis Hall there was no one that could stop Lucy.

And the girl that was now blocking Lucy’s path, she should know the fact that there was no chance of victory all too well.

The second year’s top alchemy student, Nosy Elvira.

The girl armed with all sorts of magically engineered items, alchemy reagents, and beginner magic… Her combat abilities weren’t even all that great compared to the other top students.

“I thought you were a bit more rational, Lucy.”

“……”

Lucy’s cold eyes looked at Elvira, who was guarding the entrance.

“Wait, even right now you still have some sense of reason, right?”

The magic sphere that was filling the sky above Ophelis Hall, the maids that had been imprisoned due to herTime Prison, and the rose garden that was full of other magic spells Lucy had cast.

It might seem like she had created a nonsensical wreck, but there was clearly a ‘line’ that Lucy had kept in her outburst.

Unnecessary destruction had been avoided to an extent. And of course, there was not a single casualty. If she really had lost all her sense of reason, even though it looked like she was willing to destroy Ophelis Hall in its entirety, it still seemed like that would be her last resort.

The students of Ophelis Hall were still in the process of escaping. The maids that were leading the escape were running out the back door.

Elvira… if she could bind Lucy’s feet for even a moment, it would be enough.

“Get out of the way.”

But wasn’t that, in itself, arrogant to think?

As if she was simply moving aside a leaf in the forest that was blocking her view, Lucy waved her hand once.

With that alone, a ridiculous amount of magic power, which Elvira couldn’t handle, hit her body.

It wasn’t even a spell. Magic power in itself acted as a physical force that pushed her.

Even then, Elvira’s body flew all the way into the flower beds off to the side.

“Ughk!”

She knew well the difference in their power.

Elvira’s real goal was to just set up a magically engineered item around the front entrance.

With a click, magic power began to surge from a spot behind a pillar near the entrance.

With strength alone, it wouldn’t be possible to win against Lucy. With that being the case, the only choice left was to rely on the laws of nature.

Even Lucy, who was born with immense powers, wasn’t free from the provinces of the world.

When it rained, she got wet. When the wind blew, her collar flew. When the temperature dropped, she got cold. And when something like water boiled, it would eventually evaporate.

Only God could be free from the provinces that formed the foundation of the world. Even if Celestial Magic could twist and break those provinces, magic power itself wasn’t free from its grasps.

That was why Elvira had decided to ‘evaporate’ all of her magic power.

As soon as Lucy was able to see what was behind the pillar, all the magically engineered equipment that Elvira had brought came into view. Everything that arrived in that large bag full of items she had brought from her secret lab.

It looked like there were dozens of items. It was impossible to name each and every one, one by one. The number of items was that massive.

“Hmph!”

Elvira, who had fallen down, wiped her mouth as she stood up. She then gathered a small amount of magic power to cast a new spell.

Raising her hand towards Lucy, she squeezed her fist shut. The various magically engineered items she had set up began to run rampant at once.

Krex Magic Separator, Noise Generator, Elemental Return Stimulator, Claw Fingers, Wave Balls, Apparition Disks, Katlan Magic Power Purifier…

Those were all the magically engineered items that Elvira had spent her time researching after entering Silvenia Academy. That was the result of Elvira’s school life.

All different kinds of magically engineered items had their own different uses. But many of the magically engineered items that she had set up didn’t suit the present situation. More than anything, they weren’t meant for combat.

However, Elvira’s goal wasn’t to use those magically engineered items for their intended ‘use.’

All of them were items that she had spent her life on, that were like her own blood… But without hesitation, Elvira started to run the ‘Krex Magic Separator’, which was placed in front of all the other items.

Alchemy, one of the branches in magic, was a field that specialized in the scientific analysis of the properties of magic.

The ‘understanding of magic power’ differed from magicians, who only wielded magic power through their innate resonance levels. It could also be considered the specialty of Elvira, the top student of the alchemy department.

“Where… Try stopping this, too…!”

Elvira took the ‘Scarlet Crystal Reagent’ from her pocket and threw it.

Lucy quickly reacted as she grabbed the reagent bottle in the air, clenching it in her hand. The bottle then burst open. In the first place, the goal of it was only to spray the reagent in the air.

Elvira, who had achieved her real goal, quickly ran back towards the flower beds.

Clunk, Clunk!

The Scarlet Crystal Reagent was a type of lubricating oil that increased the fluidity of magic power.

For a magically engineered item to activate, magic power was naturally needed. However, it was not an easy task to pour one’s own magic power into certain objects.

While a magically engineered item with a simple structure wouldn’t consume much magic power, the more complex and difficult the structure became, the more the amount of magic power needed significantly increased.

Thus, the main use behind the Scarlet Crystal Reagent was to alter the flow of magic power, making it more sensitive. That way, magically engineered items could be utilized.

Even if the amount of magic power were the same, if it had been affected by the Scarlet Crystal Reagent, it could be much more easily and conveniently used in magically engineered items.

Although it was only a type of auxiliary reagent, to an Alchemist it had its own personal uses.

Naturally, Elvira’s reason behind throwing the Scarlet Crystal Reagent was completely different.

Clunk, Clink, Clank!

The ‘Krex Magic Separator’, which was running wild, began to absorb all of the magic power nearby.

It was an item that acted as a ‘circuit’ of sorts, absorbing the nearby magic power and efficiently supplying it to the connected magically engineered items.

However, when it began to overload and run rampant, it became a monster that devoured all of the magic power nearby nonstop.

If the connected magically engineered items were all working normally, then it would have stopped overloading. However, the issue was with the magically engineered items that were connected to it. They were all works that Elvira devoted her life to.

Time was tight, so she couldn’t manage to connect them together while properly calculating the magic power’s efficiency. She had just quickly connected them all to the circuit without a thought.

However, that was all she needed. In the first place, Elvira’s goal wasn’t to have the items ‘running normally’.

The real purpose was to absorb all of the magic power.

Lucy’s magic, which had been affected by the Scarlet Crystal Reagent, began to be absorbed by the magically engineered item at an uncontrollable speed.

All sorts of magically engineered items that were connected to the Separator also began to run rampant.

There were explosions, apparitions were made, loud noises ran throughout the now chaotic rose garden.

All sorts of bright lights were flashing, smoke began to form, and the magic power it consumed was continuing to rise… it was as if it was a massive magic factory of sorts.

They were magically engineered items that had all been connected together in a circuit at random.

The magic power efficiency was near zero.

No matter how much of a genius wizard she was, that level of magic power usage wasn’t something she could overcome by herself.

That was it. If you couldn’t compete in terms of magic strength, then the alchemist way was to fight back with the laws of nature.

However, unfortunately for her, her opponent’s strength surpassed even the laws of nature.

Phwoosh!

In the moment where Lucy’s magic power was being sucked away at an uncontrollable speed, rather than trying to absorb it all back… she chose to release her magic power even more.

The magically engineered items that were going wild were no longer able to deal with the influx of magic power… and one by one, they started to explode.

Ba-Boom!

Crash, Poooom!

In the background, a girl stood still in the back holding onto her hat as Elvria’s magically engineered items, which she had dedicated her life to, began to explode one after another.

“F-Freaking Crazy…”

Elvira took a deep breath as she wiped her wound.

Even if it wasn’t an exact calculation, she was still able to roughly calculate just how much magic power had to have gone into all of those items for them to explode.

And the amount needed was astronomical. It wasn’t a level that could even be scientifically predicted.

Lucy’s eyes, which were staring at her through the explosions, were sharp.

Even though it looked like she wasn’t showing any emotions, Elvira realized that all of those feelings she had were instead swirling around in those eyes of hers.

It was impossible to stop her. That’s what it was. That was in the ‘realm of impossibility’.

It was stupid to even try and wrap your head around attempting the impossible.

Afraid that she might be attacked, she unconsciously took a step back. Still, she clenched her teeth and stood up straight once more.

“Since things became like this… If I can just destroy the entrance…!”

She quickly tried to cast beginner fire magic, but with a single gesture from Lucy’s hand Elvira was sent flying down to the ground, completely subdued.

It all happened in less than a second.

“Ughk…!”

Elvira rolled down on the marble, rain-covered floor. As she had fallen to the ground, she had bitten her tongue. The bitter taste of iron filled her mouth.

Rolling on the floor right in front of her, Lucy looked straight down at Elvira.

A primal fear enveloped her entire body.

There was no murderous intent in Lucy’s eyes. Naturally, it was because she had no intention to cause harm to anyone. Never kill if there wasn’t a reason to.

However, the certainty that if there were a reason Lucy could easily do it… lingered in Elvira’s mind.

It was stupid to stand in the way of that girl right then.

Her brain was screaming that at her.

Yet… Elvira still stretched her hand out through the rain, grabbing onto Lucy’s ankle.

Lucy didn’t say a word.

Rather, it was Elvira who spoke.

“If you go through with it… You’ll regret it…”

Was she just saying nonsense? That wasn’t it.

“I get that you’re sad, but even if you do this, the dead won’t come back… Please just think about Ed…”

“……”

“Ed… He wouldn’t have wanted something like this…”

The rain had continued to pour for a while.

The spring rain that came pouring onto the ground fell across the world equally.

“That’s…. Something I have to decide after I see Tanya.”

Then, at the moment Lucy was about to cast the Celestial MagicTime Prisonon Elvira, who she was looking down at.

Clash!

A sword attack came flying in, too fast to see with one’s eyes. But it couldn’t cut down Lucy.

However, it was enough to separate Lucy from Elvira.

In an instant, a shadow came through, slashing another attack towards Lucy. She quickly jumped away towards the rose garden, widening the distance.

Elvira had been completely defeated, as it was difficult for her to move her body in the slightest.

She was lying on the floor, trying to forcefully grab onto Lucy.

Now, the man that stood in front of Elvira, holding his sword in hand… began to spit out swear words.

“I’m seriously… A fucking idiot. I must be out of my fucking mind…!”

His long hair, which had gotten wet from the rain, made him look even more gloomy than usual. The dark circles around his eyes trembled.

The second year’s top combat student, Clevius Nortondale.

A gloomy boy that couldn’t control the blood of the Blade Demon within him, only to end up killing his own brother and being abandoned by his family.

“That… monster… Just how… Fuck… Look at me… Shit…!”

The gap in their power was massive.

None of the students within Silveria Academy could win against Lucy Mayreel.

A hurdle that a hundred out of a hundred people would deem impossible. Running away was obviously the correct choice.

And there were many opportunities for him to escape. In the first place, Lucy wasn’t even hostile towards him. Clevius’ temperament wasn’t at a level that Lucy would regard him as an enemy.

Clevius lived the life of a runaway.

Running away from the fate that came with his name, the obstacles that stood in his path, and the curse of his own blood. He had become accustomed to constantly being called a coward.

And would have been the same that time, too. Anyone could tell that, in that situation, running away was the right choice. Anyone that would run away couldn’t be blamed or criticized.

Nevertheless, Clevius still drew his sword.

All of the students in Ophelis Hall hadn’t evacuated yet. The maids had also yet to finish what they needed to do.

That was right. It would be completely foolish to challenge the impossible.

That thought, which would constantly fill Clevius’ heart, had started to rise up again.

Through the eyes of a pathetic failure that had lived a life running away, the view of the entire rose garden stuck in his mind.

The many statues that filled the rose garden were the traces of defeat. They had also lost.

In the face of the huge calamity known as Lucy Mayreel, they were all fools that jumped in the way, already knowing of their defeat.

Those people, they were all idiots. Those were the idiots that felt an obligation to protect others and lived a romantic life by following a path of righteousness. And because of that, they were the losers that lost without bringing honor to their name.

The young alchemist girl lying behind him was no different.

Despite the fact that she was the top student among the second years in the alchemy department, going up against such a monster and trying to stop her alone was impossible… She must have known that fact all too well herself.

Still, his legs didn’t budge. It wasn’t like they were someone else’s. They were his own. Yet they wouldn’t listen to him.

“Y-You… Fucking bastard… You won’t… pass me…!!”

In the first place, it wasn’t a battle he could win. However, he might have been able to buy some time.

Clevius clenched his teeth as he held his sword, charging straight towards Lucy.

Clevius’ body flew through the air like a hawk as it aimed straight towards Lucy.

Whoosh.

Then, with a single gesture from Lucy’s hand, he was sent flying to the ground.

Clevius’ body, unable to withstand the magic power bullet, received a huge hit as he was sent flying towards the flower bed.

That time as well, it took less than a second for the battle to end.

“Y-You… stupid idiot… Clevius….!!”

The fallen Elvira clenched her teeth as she looked towards the smoke rising from the flower bed.

Lucy let out a small sigh as she calmly looked back towards Elvira… After a bit, she started to walk towards Ophelis Hall’s front entrance once more.

It would be insane to continue to try and block her path.

***

Clang! Clang!

Fwooosh!

Ziggs Eiffelstein could wield almost any type of weapon. In the first place, he was a boy whose abilities were at a level where it wouldn’t have been strange had he entered the combat department.

He was wielding a ceremonial rapier that was just hanging above the fireplace as a decoration. With the ceremonial rapier swordsmanship that he had learned from the Islam family, he had come to his own interpretation of it, adding in his own movements.

Wade was taken back by the sword attack that came flying his way, as he quickly took a defensive stance.

Expecting a sword attack that would be focused on stabbing, he was surprised to see Ziggs’ movements were much freer than he had thought.

“No… This…!”

In the first place, since Ziggs didn’t have any constraints when it came to wielding weapons, it was difficult to find any openings.

The life of a wild beast that roamed the northern grasslands and the life of one that learned about civilization and manners in the Islam household, following the example of the aristocrats that surrounded him.

The swordsmanship that had been completed by combining the two lifestyles had become extremely practical. It had reached a level that even surprised one’s common sense.

For Wade, who only mastered the swordsmanship of a noble… it was beyond a level that was just difficult to deal with. It was at a level that couldn’t be dealt with at all.

Wade was also at a level where he could be praised for his strength wherever he went. But to go against Ziggs in terms of swordsmanship, he would have to completely flip over his beliefs and the knowledge of swordsmanship that he had learned previously.

But… There aren’t any gaps…!

In the moment he thought that, suddenly an opening was shown on Ziggs’ side.

Fwoosh!

Clang!

He had tried to attack his side, taking advantage of the fact that Ziggs’ center of gravity was completely leaning towards the left, but Wade’s sword had completely bounced off. But Ziggs was in a position where he shouldn’t have even been able to deflect such an attack.

However, he soon started to realize what happened.

It wasn’t Ziggs’ sword which had deflected the attack, it was magic. He had used the magic Wind Blade to stop Wade’s attack.

In the first place, that gap was left open on purpose. By the time he realized that fact, he had gotten hit in the neck by the handle of Ziggs’ rapier.

“Keughk!”

Ziggs then kicked Wade in the stomach. Wade was now all the way in the corner, rolling on the floor… After coughing heavily a few times, he barely managed to stand back up.

“Are you going to keep fighting?”

“Of course I will.”

Wade shut his mouth as he stood up, glaring at Ziggs. Only then did he realize the difference in their strength.

It was such an obvious fact that it was strange he had forgotten it in the first place.

Ziggs… he was a magician. Swordsmanship was only secondary to him.

Remembering that fact, he had a realization of the difference in strength between Ziggs and himself. Still, Wade only laughed.

“Do you think I’m going to give up after only that much, Ziggs?”

“……”

“C-Cough… I’m someone who enjoys fighting against the strong. How could I give up after being lucky enough to have the opportunity to fight such a strong individual like yourself, in the magic department.”

“Just for a bit more… Can you let me have my fun?”

Ziggs folded his arms, looking quietly at Wade. He then slowly closed his eyes for a moment… before slowly responding.

“You’re a disgrace, Wade. You don’t enjoy the fight, you only enjoy winning. If it isn’t an opponent that you have at least some chance of winning against, you don’t have the slightest desire to go against them.”

“What did you say?”

“In the first place… That’s all your worth. Answer me. If all you really wanted to do was fight against someone who was strong, there was no reason to choose me, a mere second year student in the magic department. Am I wrong?”

He then raised the rapier so that its long tip was pointed towards Wade.

“The top student in the second-year magic department isn’t me, It’s Lucy Mayreel.”

Those words hit the target.

Ziggs had already made his way into Wade’s innermost thoughts.

“Labeling her as impossible. Completely out of the realm of possibility. That’s just all so convenient for you, isn’t it? After all, there’s no chance of you being able to win against someone like her. For someone like you, that isn’t possible.”

“That’s… obvious…”

“That’s right. And that’s all you’re made of.”

Ziggs then attacked Wade, clashing swords.

“Keughk…!”

Wade was now in a position where all he could do was defend. As their swords continued to clash, Ziggs looked Wade straight in the eyes as he spoke.

“Grab your sword tight, you fucking coward.”

It was the first time that he had heard Ziggs, who always looked so dignified, swear. Was that also part of his strategy to catch Wade off guard?

Despite Ziggs’ warning in advance, the sword Wade was holding in his hand dropped. That was because while he was careless, Ziggs managed to kick the sword’s blade.

C-Clang!

Wade’s sword flew in the air before rolling onto the floor.

Ziggs’ rapier was now pointed straight at Wade’s neck.

“Th-This…”

“Are you looking for an excuse? Or are you looking for a reason to admit your defeat?”

Wade’s eyes began to tremble.

There was nothing he could do except express his will to surrender. That was because it would be completely insane to try and fight back anymore after being completely overwhelmed and put in such a situation.

There was no way for him to fight back anymore.

If he acted as if he was crazy, grabbing onto the blade of the rapier and moving his body out of the way, or grabbing his sword and being willing to get somewhat injured in the process, or if he was even willing to risk a fatal injury… The options he still had available to him were endless.

However, the more he pushed himself, the more injuries he would receive… Wade knew that fact from experience all too well.

Wade, who was overcome by fear… slowly raised both of his hands.

“Yeah… That’s your limit.”

Boooom!

Suddenly, the sound of something collapsing was heard towards the entrance of Ophelis Hall.

***

It was more like a massive bullet that struck than an attack from a sword.

It was impossible to believe it all happened with just a single strike from a sword.

The pillar supporting the entrance of Ophelis Hall had completely collapsed.

Boooom!

Smoke rose through the pouring rain.

At some point, the boy had run out of the flower bed. And now, his entire head was dripping with blood.

Once again, he put himself in front of Lucy, blocking her path… It felt strange to even call him a human anymore.

His hair, which was drenched from the rain, covered his eyes. His expression couldn’t be read at all.

But his leg was hurt… One of his knees was bent and he barely stood up, holding the sword that was still in its sheath.

In the first place, he couldn’t win.

If that was how it would have to be, the best thing to do was buy time.

But still, there was no guarantee that everything would be resolved by buying just a little bit of time.

He hoped that some prince on a white horse would come out with immense power, taking care of the entire situation. However, it felt like it would all just be in vain.

The rain continued to fall. The entrance of Ophelis Hall had collapsed.

The Sword Demon that was covered in blood, holding onto his sword handle… he quietly sat down with his head lowered.

He no longer swore like he usually did, and he wasn’t shivering in fear like he normally would. Instead, he was eerily quiet.

Time seemed to have completely stopped around the Sword Demon, who sat there in silence…

Elvira, who had fallen to the floor, watched as she forgot to breathe for a moment.