"No?"

"What do you mean, no?"

"You said you’d give me an answer after we both awakened. Well, we have now, but you’re still not willing to give me one. An answer."

She simply shook her head.

"I’m an A-rank. You’re an S-rank. There, I’ve laid it bare. Now your turn. You answer."

His voice was loud. He was clearly pissed. It felt like he was being played.

"It’s not like I don’t want to answer you, it’s just..."

"Just what? Just, huh? Just come out and say it." He blasted at her.

"Just come out and say it."

"I don’t want to hurt your feelings. Please understand."

He calmed down.

"Come out and say it already. I can barely take this as it is."

"The condition for dating you was simple. I would only date a mage of the same rank or a rank higher."

Modred was shocked.

"Is this some kind of joke?"

"So you’re saying your answer is no?" he shouted.

"I’m sorry, it’s just—"

He cut her off again.

"No, you’re not sorry. It’s not ’just’ anything. Come out and talk plainly. You don’t have to sugarcoat your words."

"It’s just what?" he shouted again.

"No. Okay, no!" she shouted back.

He walked away angry.

Their conversation went nowhere but the depths. There was no return, it seemed.

---

Days later.

"Ursula, cut the bull. Let’s work together."

She turned and said, "No."

So she’s still going to be like that, he thought.

I’m running really low right now. I’m guessing Sigman is as well.

If she’s not willing to cooperate, then we’ll just have to make her.

"Hey, Sigman. Don’t engage directly. We’ll act as support. Let’s have Ursula do the heavy lifting," he shouted.

"Got it," Sigman responded.

Ursula didn’t comment. They could do pretty much whatever they wanted to. They just shouldn’t get in her way, as far as she was concerned.

Modred began firing mana beams, sending them Roe’s way.

He was able to dodge them with ease.

The difference between an A-rank and an S-rank mage.

Well, that’s what was put on display next.

"Space Talent.

No. 73.

Mass Destructor."

She chanted.

This again. Don’t they ever get tired and want to quit it with this already? Roe thought.

This spell might be my own nemesis.

The scale was unlike the other two before it.

"That thing’s big. Like, really, really big," Modred noted.

Counter, counter. How did I counter it?

I barely have spells that could contain it at regular output.

This isn’t going to be easy.

It’s definitely going to be problematic for the other two as well. No, not just Sigman and Modred, but even the unconscious bunch.

Fundamentals.

I don’t have any spell.

But I can still rely on my fundamentals.

His staff wouldn’t respond to his call. He needed it to perform the spell he had in mind.

If this is a swap, then as I’m in Max’s body, he should be in mine.

It’s a gamble.

It’s already heading for land.

If I miss, if I’m wrong, then I probably fail this evaluation.

He rushed toward his own body, the body currently being inhabited by Max.

He punched it, then slapped it while screaming.

"Wake up!

Get up, damnit!"

It’s not working.

It’s not responding.

Mana.

Mana.

Mages respond to mana.

He released a bit of his own into Max’s body.

There was still no response.

No, it’s not Max.

I made the wrong move.

The orb was mere meters from full collision.

"Erm... Modred, what do we do?" Sigman asked fearfully.

"What do we do? Ursula?" he asked back.

She just smiled.

That’s when he knew she was committed to taking Roe down, even if it meant they all got sacrificed in the process.

It wasn’t anything grave.

They knew they could be returned to their original states.

It was well within Merlin’s power.

It’s almost here, Roe counted.

It’s him.

He lunged.

Took a gamble.

Seconds later, the collision and its impact were felt.

"Ha! I made it!" Roe shouted.

He didn’t remain on the ground.

His earlier plan required him to be returned to his original body.

The fundamental skill he so desperately needed was flight.

He lunged at Edward.

It was risky, but it paid off.

Edward’s mana reading wasn’t natural.

He knew this because he had scanned everyone during the evaluation prior.

This was how he landed on his first pairing with Modred.

He noticed irregularities in Edward’s mana.

He deduced it was probably the result of some transference technique.

Namely Randolph’s Spirit Talent.

Immediately, he disrupted the flow of mana.

He was placed back into his own body.

He was back.

Thanks to his staff now being autonomous, it took the initiative and flew them out of harm’s way.

He was panting, but finally he had won.

"Huff... Huff..."

"Breathe. Just breathe, Roe."

That was pretty intense.

The adrenaline was getting to his head.

It was a near-death experience.

No.

Most of these clashes have been near-death experiences, he corrected himself.

"Ha. You’re one tough bastard."

A voice spoke.

"What?"

That can’t be.

"No one could’ve survived that."

Roe turned to see who had made it out.

"No one could have.

But you did.

I just followed you closely. Summoning my staff."

"Granted, yours seemed more effortless. I’ll give you that.

Please don’t be surprised.

You haven’t forgotten I’m the one who first displayed remote activation of a fundamental spell a while ago."

Modred.

He made it out.

It was just him.

He made it thanks to fast, on-the-go thinking.

It was lucky, really.

A second later and he would’ve been vaporized.

"I know you can end me in a single go.

But do you really want to?

I mean, do you really?"

"I’m down to nothing. Reserves depleted.

You’re back to that explosive tank of yours.

I’m sure you’ve barely cracked half your reserves."

Modred teased.

"I’m actually down by about a quarter," Roe responded.

"Wow. You’re that insane."

He grinned.

"Then humor me.

You and me.

Right now.

No spells.

Just our staffs.

Let’s go down there and settle things not as mages, but like real men."

Roe looked toward the ground.

They spotted a safe place to land.

"Sure."

Both drew their staffs, not as tools of magic but as violent weapons of war akin to swords.

Modred charged in.

A left hook.

Roe blocked.

A kick followed.

A turn.

Another kick.

Roe was clearly on the defensive.

He was less adept at fighting this way than Modred.

Roe finally struck back.

They went at it evenly.

Right.

Left.

Block.

Parry.

Jump.

Jump kick.

A punch.

Roe’s staff fell.

"The thing is...

we are mages."

Modred shouted.

He recalled his conversation with Ursula.

She had said no.

"I’ve still got enough for one final mana beam."

He didn’t charge it.

It was all he had.

He released it directly from the tip.

It connected.

Striking Roe cleanly.

There was no retaliation.

Roe got up.

He simply turned around.

Modred was no longer conscious.

That blast had taken just about everything he had.

"Let’s fight as men.

Yeah, right.

You had me fooled."

Roe remarked.

He was the victor.

Roe won.