"So, we plan to take on a strong guy and grab his points in one go?"

"Exactly. And it's no big deal if we lose."

Since we weren't in charge, a loss wouldn't risk too much.

Locke appeared to agree, nodding in understanding.

"Can we win this fight?"

I shot Locke a sly grin.

"Doubting yourself? We aren't picking a fight with Astina."

At this, Locke stared at me, his eyes like daggers.

"I'm not doubting. It's just that you're not strong."

"Who are you calling weak? You only earned one point in the individual assessment."

Locke clenched his teeth at my words.

"So, who's our opponent?"

"I won't spill. You might betray me if I do."

Locke's desire to win flared, just as planned.

I figured he only agreed because he thought he'd gain something from it.

After making up his mind, Locke broke the silence.

"How will we split the points?"

"Fifty-fifty."

I replied with a smile.

"You'll get half."

"Luna...."

Rie leaned over as Luna attempted to slip away.

"Oh... Hi, Rie."

Luna got up and acknowledged Rie.

She looked shocked.

Rie's expression mirrored her surprise.

She thought she might encounter a familiar face, but seeing one in person was still a shock.

Rie stared at Luna.

"That robe...."

She mumbled, quietly enough for no one else to hear.

It was the robe that Rudy had bought from the Persia region.

"Hmm...."

Rie sighed and shook her head.

Just then, Luna cautiously began to speak.

"Rie... I don't want to fight you...."

Luna's voice trembled.

Her hesitation didn't stem from Rie's strength or the fear of defeat.

She simply didn't want to fight with a friend.

She preferred to compete for ranks without resorting to a fight here.

Rie was a cherished friend to Luna.

"Luna."

Rie's voice was firm.

"I'm sorry. This is a test. To rank high, this is the right choice."

A Sylph materialized behind Rie.

Suddenly, Riku yelled from Luna's back.

"Luna!!! Get ready to fight!!!"

"Ah!!"

Startled, Luna hastily grabbed a scroll from her bag.

Rie didn't waste a second.

"Sylph."

A powerful gust of wind emerged.

The wind morphed into a blade and hurtled towards Luna.

The blade was fast, reaching Luna before she could tear the scroll.

"Eek!"

She quickly bent over and shielded herself with the robe.

The wind blade struck Luna's robe.

The force pushed Luna back, but fortunately, she wasn't severely hurt.

While she had no injuries, she noticed...

"My... my robes...."

Luna saw the scratches on her robe from the blade.

Although her robe had shielded her, it hadn't fully deflected the direct hit.

She glanced back at Riku and Ena.

Thankfully, they didn't seem to be injured.

But, if the fight went on, they would definitely get hurt.

They'd be injured because she couldn't fight effectively.

This wasn't right.

"Rie, if you keep attacking like this, I can't stand by."

Despite her words, she still looked hesitant.

"Then let's fight."

Rie said, channeling mana into her hand.

"Fire Sphere."

A small sphere of fire appeared in Rie's hand.

This was the magic she used during her individual assessment.

It was the magic that triggered a powerful explosion.

Seeing this, Luna tore the scroll in her hand.

Instantly, multiple small fireballs appeared before Luna.

All these fireballs zoomed toward Rie.

Upon seeing this, Rie moved diagonally.

When the attack aimed for her, she tried to dodge.

But, the fireballs didn't fly straight as normal ones would.

As soon as Rie started running diagonally, all the fireballs began to trail her.

'I expected this.'

Rie didn't believe it would be simple, given that it was from a scroll.

When the fireballs trailed Rie, the Sylph behind her dispatched wind blades toward them.

Seeing this, Luna fetched a cube from her pocket.

"Gravity Cube.... Activate."

Like in the assessment, the cube unfolded.

However, it looked slightly different.

Noticing the unfolding cube, Rie bit her lower lip.

'She can't hit me, can she?'

The cube from the assessment.

It was a magical device that accurately aimed and attacked a specific point.

The downside of this device was as definite as its power.

Since it targets a narrow point, it's tough to hit a moving target.

However, the fact that Luna unfolded it meant something had changed.

"When this happens...."

Rie stopped and stood still.

"Hey! Toss me the potion."

At Rie's shout, the student from the Petro family behind her threw a glass bottle her way.

Rie caught it and immediately downed its contents.

"Hmm...."

Inside was a mana amplifier.

It was a potion that accelerated mana movement for a brief period.

Then, the small fireball she'd created earlier started to grow.

Even as it grew, the flame, initially the size of a finger joint, only expanded to a size smaller than a fist.

But, this magic technique was to detonate the compressed flames.

Even a slight increase in size multiplied its power.

"Go."

Then, the magic bolted towards Luna.

Since Sylph was intercepting Luna's fireballs, she couldn't use the move she'd used during the assessment.

Luna frowned upon seeing Rie's magic.

Hitting Rie with the cube was tricky, and if Rie's magic exploded, they would sustain significant damage.

Luna swiftly made a decision and redirected her magic.

"Gravity....!"

Luna triggered the cube.

To prevent herself from being targeted, Rie moved.

Despite such maneuvers, the cube activated in an entirely different spot.

-Kwaah...Kagak!

Intense gravity crushed the Fire Sphere that Rie had thrown.

Since the Fire Sphere wasn't moving at a high speed, its trajectory was somewhat predictable.

Gravity was applied to the spot where it was flying and the moment it entered the gravity effect, it exploded.

The explosion tried to expand, but due to the gravity, all the flames were pushed to the ground.

"Uh....!"

While wielding the cube, Luna let out a small groan.

Rie didn't overlook this instant.

"Sylph!"

Sylph had already neutralized the fireballs Luna had launched and was ready to attack.

"Ah...."

Luna gasped upon seeing Sylph.

If she stops operating the cube now and evades the attack, the flame will scatter.

Its force would be somewhat reduced since the explosion was partially suppressed.

Luna, with her robe, could minimize the damage, but not Ena and Riku behind her.

They would get hurt.

The best decision here would've been to fold the cube and dodge Sylph's attack, but Luna couldn't make that choice.

"Uh...."

Instead, she was prepared to get slightly injured rather than hurt Riku and Ena.

Luna tightly shut her eyes.

Then, a sound arose beside Luna.

"Luna! Don't close your eyes!"

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Riku was rushing towards her.

"Stone Wall!"

As Riku yelled, a wall of stone sprung up from the ground.

It appeared much sturdier than Riku's usual magic.

-Kagak! Kagak!

The wind blades Sylph had unleashed at Luna were stopped by it.

The scratching sound of stone could be heard, but it couldn't penetrate the wall.

"Luna, take this!"

Riku tossed a potion to Luna.

Luna caught the potion.

"Drink it!"

Riku shouted and aimed her hand at Rie.

"Waterball!!"

"Sylph."

The magic flying towards Rie was effortlessly blocked by Sylph.

However, because she had used Sylph to block it, she missed another opportunity to attack Luna.

"Uh....!!!"

Within that fleeting moment, Luna had already downed the potion and discarded the empty bottle onto the ground.

And she exerted more force onto Rie's Fire Sphere.

-Fsss...

Eventually, the flames almost disappeared completely.

"Darn...."

Rie grimaced when she noticed her magic wasn't producing much power.

Seizing this moment, Riku used her magic once more.

"Waterball!"

Visibly irritated, Rie signaled Sylph.

Sylph launched wind blades and shattered the Waterball magic Riku had cast.

"Huh?"

However, it differed from the previous magic.

When the water droplet burst, some liquid spurted out, dousing Rie.

"Uh...."

Rie grimaced at the sudden splash of liquid on her face and wiped it off with her hand.

'Is it a mana-disrupting potion?'

But, no student could have concocted such a potion yet.

Feeling an odd sensation, Rie squirmed.

"What's this... huh? Uh... huh?"

After getting doused with the liquid, Rie sensed something peculiar.

Her body was growing warmer and something felt off.

It was a sensation she hadn't experienced before... something...

Then, Ena, who was standing behind Luna, grinning, appeared.

Ena smiled and began speaking.

"I'm not knowledgeable about making potions that harm people. I'm a good person who only knows how to help others."

"That... what's this? Uh... huh...."

Rie writhed, her body increasingly feeling peculiar and warmer.

"That potion is a love potion~."

"What is..."

Rie's cheeks slowly flushed.

It was a strange sensation.

"Hehe...."

The potion that Ena had told Riku to throw.

It was a potion that amplified desire.

It makes the body burn and induces various desires...

It was a potion she had made, thinking she might use it someday for Luna and Rudy, who were always so frustrating.

"I didn't expect it to be used like this."

Seeing Rie squirming, Ena let out a sly laugh.

Sorry I've been busy preparing for a friend's wedding.. after party? I dunno what they're called. 2am crocheting flowers was fun.