Jared clicked his tongue at the appearance of the Kingdom Knights.
He appreciated the support, of course. However, he couldn’t agree with them taking over.
Twenty knights, clad in white armor and armed with swords and spears, surrounded Drew. Drew bared his fangs and growled menacingly, but the brave knights showed no fear.
“Lord Murphy, we are sincerely grateful that you held off the threat until we arrived. From here on out, we shall take over.”
The old knight, who introduced himself as Edmund, was a tall man with a salt-and-pepper beard. His imposing presence and well-trained physique, though covered by armor, were evident.
“You want me to step aside?”
“It is good that you understand so quickly. We know you are a Court Mage Candidate, but as you have not yet been officially announced, you are still, technically, just a magician. Furthermore, it is problematic for us, the Knights, to stand by while an underage student is fighting.”
“Is it because I’m a magician?”
“No, that’s not it. Would you not be satisfied if the reason were simply that you are a minor and we are adults?”
Jared felt no ill will from Edmund, who was known to dislike magicians, despite being a troop commander. It was precisely because he was an adult that he told Jared, still a child, to stand down. Though he didn’t want to accept it, he understood. However, he hesitated to back down now.
“Captain! Stop wasting time with magicians and let’s just defeat this monster already!”
“Silence, Meltein! Do you not understand that we must show sincerity to Lord Murphy, who fought so desperately before we arrived! My subordinate apologizes. He dislikes magicians. However, the animosity between knights and magicians is not a recent development, so you must be aware of it. We would appreciate it if you would leave this to us.”
“Hey! Wait!”
“Begin the attack!”
Ignoring Jared’s words, Edmund turned on his heel and gave orders to his subordinates.
“That’s not it! It’s not about whether you leave it to us or not, but that he’s not a monster. He’s a student at this academy!”
“We are aware of that! We have already spoken with the Student Council President, but we have determined him to be a threat. While we regret it, having used a Magic Amplification Potion, he is a grave offender. Furthermore, with his appearance altered like this, he must be dealt with as an enemy to be defeated!”
“He was given an antidote! So please, wait until it takes effect!”
The knights had already attacked Drew. Perhaps due to the antidote, Drew’s movements were sluggish. He was cut by swords, bled, and cried out when pierced by spears. However, they were not fatal wounds. Drew retaliated, and one by one, the knights were thrown aside by his brute strength and immobilized. Slashed by sharp claws, gouged, and impaled, they fell one after another.
“Seeing this situation, you still wish us to wait? Then tell me, Lord Jared, how long until the antidote takes effect?”
“…I don’t know.”
“You are kind—but too soft.”
With that, Edmund also joined the attack on Drew. Jared bit his lip in frustration. He had once tried to kill Drew. However, he realized he had become soft by clinging to the slight hope of the antidote. Knowing Drew’s incredible regenerative ability, the power that had injured Jared’s body, and his monstrous transformation, he understood that Drew had to be eliminated as a threat.
The old Jared would have fought mechanically without hesitation, even sacrificing himself, until Drew was dead. However, Jared had changed, and he knew it. Meeting Olivier had made him a little kinder. He was aware that this kindness had become leniency, and he understood the contradiction in his actions due to his change from his former self. At this moment, Jared himself was the most bewildered by his own change.
Time had passed since the antidote was administered, but there was no visible change. More than half the knights had already fallen. He considered discarding his leniency, but he couldn’t be completely heartless when there was a possibility of survival for someone he had almost killed.
While Jared hesitated and froze, more knights fell. The knights, who had been on the offensive at first, were now being outmatched and overtaken by Drew’s speed. Despite having only one arm, he possessed immense strength, and his fur-covered skin had become increasingly hardened. Blades could no longer easily wound him. He couldn’t even predict what Drew, who was evolving further with each exchange, would eventually become. A sense of urgency screamed within Jared: defeat Drew.
Earth Magic was too flashy and risked involving the knights, so he couldn’t use it now. His magic power was also dwindling, so he had his limits. Thus, Jared had no choice but to join the free-for-all. He drew his knife and was about to join the fight. However, Meltein, the man who had scolded him earlier, noticed and yelled in anger.
“Magicians, stay out of it and watch!”
Meltein, noticing Jared’s movement, turned his head and glared at him with loathing. Jared was about to retort, but Drew roared, silencing him. A shockwave imbued with magic erupted from Drew’s throat, blowing back the knights. Only Edmund, Meltein, and Jared remained.
“To think you would falter so when you told Lord Murphy to stand down… how pathetic.”
“Captain! Stop lamenting and do something about this monster! He’s getting stronger the more he fights!”
The swords held by the two men were chipped, and their white armor was cracked. Their skill, fighting Drew with only their trained bodies and swordsmanship without magic, was worthy of their knightly title. However, their disadvantage was clearly evident. Jared began to gather his magic power and moved to stand beside them.
“What do you think you’re doing, magician?”
“I can’t just leave you two to it.”
“Borrow a magician’s help? No! We’ll kill that monster ourselves!”
“Don’t make me say it again, he’s not a monster! He’s a student at this academy!”
“We can argue later! Whether we save him or defeat him, if he escapes from here, it will be a disaster.”
Edmund’s angry shout silenced Meltein. Jared seized the opportunity and turned to Edmund.
“I’m sorry, but I won’t back down now. If you don’t want me involved, try and force me.”
“We will not back down now. Shamefully, we are at a disadvantage—in that case, we would appreciate your help.”
“Then, together—! What!?”
Just as they seemed to have established a cooperative relationship, Jared’s eyes widened. Before him, Drew was writhing in pain, just as he had when he transformed. He clutched his chest, his claws scratching at his own flesh, yet he couldn’t stop due to the agony.
“What in the world is happening?”
Edmund’s face was also etched with surprise. The magic emanating from Drew pulsed irregularly. It would shrink, then suddenly surge, then shrink again. Like a heart after a full sprint, it continued an erratic rhythm.
“…The limit has been reached.”
Kirsi’s voice reached them from the spectator stands.
“We don’t know if he actually used a Magic Amplification Potion, but since it caused such a dramatic change to his body, there must be some strain somewhere. And then, he was given an antidote, so it wouldn’t be strange for something to happen inside his body.”
“Will he be cured?”
“I don’t know. The answer should be—revealed soon.”
As Kirsi said, the answer came quickly. Drew’s body shrunk by about a third. The fur remained but thinned, and his blade-like claws shortened. The agonizing cries gradually weakened and then ceased. Unable to make a sound, Drew fell to his knees, still in pain. As he regained his human form, his appearance became more pathetic. Then, his body movements stopped.
“Drew Zimmer?”
Jared called out, but there was no reply, and his gaze did not turn towards him. As Jared took a step closer, intending to call out again, Drew’s body collapsed to the ground with a thud.
“Wh-hey!”
As Jared moved to rush over, Edmund grabbed his shoulder and shook his head.
“Meltein—confirm it.”
“Yes, sir!”
Meltein cautiously approached the fallen Drew, gently placed a hand on his neck, and after a moment, shook his head. He then placed his hand on Drew’s mouth and chest.
“He is deceased.”
“Is that so… Lord Murphy, do you feel any magic from him?”
“No, I feel nothing.”
The magic that had been so powerful and distinctly palpable was now gone. Even though he was dead, there wasn’t a trace of residual magic. As Kirsi had said, perhaps his limit had been reached, but to Jared, it felt too sudden and inexplicable.
