Silence fell over the once-rowdy stands. Students, professors, even the visitors from outside stared at me in stunned silence.

I was a bit thrown off myself. I didn’t expect a single Magic Missile to end it. Wasn’t this guy supposed to be the best mage among the second-years?

Whatever. Quick finish, good for me.

“*Yawn*… It’s over, right?”

As I turned, letting out a long yawn, a loud crash echoed from the stands. Whipping my head around, I saw white-haired wizards scrambling down in a frenzy.

“Wait, hold on a second!”

“Student, that spell just now… did you really use natural mana directly?”

“No way! To actually pull off that theory!”

“This… this is a historic discovery!”

The Magic Tower wizards were practically shouting over each other. Their intense gazes looked like they’d devour me.

Then, Dean Raymond appeared behind me, clearing his throat with a smug ahem.

“Didn’t I tell you? This year’s freshmen are something special.”

A sly grin spread across his face. His hmph and self-satisfied demeanor were a bit annoying.

“This isn’t just ‘special’!”

The Magic Tower wizards couldn’t contain their excitement, raising their voices.

“It’s like all the mana in nature is hers to command!”

“This… this could establish an entirely new school of magic…”

“What’s with the fuss? It’s just using high-tier telekinesis to cast a basic spell. The epitome of inefficiency, really.”

Calling it highly inefficient and saying I still have much to learn, Dean Raymond let out an exaggerated “Ohohoho!” laugh.

Listening to him parrot my own words back at me, I couldn’t help but let out a dry chuckle. This guy’s really milking my lines.

“What are you talking about?! The fact that she used natural mana at all is the key!”

Another Magic Tower wizard jumped in.

“Don’t you realize how monumental it is to cast magic with the purest mana?”

“Didn’t you see the power? Knocking out an opponent with a basic spell in one hit!”

As if Dean Raymond doesn’t know that. Can’t they see his lips twitching, trying to hold back a smirk? They’re getting played, and hard.

As the Magic Tower wizards rambled in excitement, the students in the stands started buzzing too, a beat late.

“Those are Magic Tower wizards, right?”

“If even those picky folks are impressed, it must be a big deal.”

“No wonder she blew up a building…”

The growing murmurs were starting to make my ears ring. My head throbbed. All I wanted was to escape this noisy place and roll around in my bed.

“Can I go now? I was the last one, so class should be over.”

As I started to step off the platform—

“Wait, student!”

The Magic Tower wizards’ voices stopped me in my tracks.

“We haven’t seen enough! Can’t you show us a bit more?”

“The Magic Exchange is about showcasing magical achievements to outsiders, right? Please, one more duel!”

Their desperate gazes were intense. It felt like if I left now, they’d leap over the stands to grab me.

Scratching my head, visibly exhausted, Dean Raymond spoke with a pleased expression.

“Lunaris, could you do one more duel for these heavy-bottomed folks who came all this way?”

“Too much hassle…”

“I’ll exempt you from my classes for the entire next month.”

“…!”

Now that’s tempting. A single Heavenly TS Beam—I mean, Magic Missile—for two weeks off, and two shots for a whole month? That’s time creation at its finest. Hell yeah.

I rolled my eyes slyly and asked, “Alright, fine. But who am I supposed to fight?”

“Dean, if you’ll allow it, I’d like to face her.”

Out of nowhere, a black-haired male student climbed onto the platform.

“I’m confident I can last longer.”

“Edwin Belka… not a bad opponent,” Dean Raymond said, glancing at me for confirmation.

I yawned widely and nodded. “Whatever.”

He looks like the strongest among the first-year magic students. Probably about the same level as that second-year top student who got dragged off by the staff, though.

Standing at the center of the platform, Edwin smirked and spoke. “I’ve been wanting to face you for a while. Perfect timing.”

He immediately began channeling mana. An earthy aura shimmered around him. He’s clearly come prepared.

“Let’s see who the real top student is, huh?”

“…You talk too much.”

I swung my right arm back. The space behind me warped and twisted under telekinesis.

“Instead of talking, maybe cast a spell?”

Dozens of glowing white magic circles materialized above my head, all drawn with mana squeezed from distorted space.

Edwin’s eyes wavered. He hurriedly thrust both hands forward. As layers of translucent magic circles stacked up, I flicked my fingers downward.

The dozens of magic circles overhead blazed simultaneously.

-*Boom! Crash! BOOM!!*

White beams rained down like a storm, hammering his barrier relentlessly.

“What… what kind of insane power is this…!”

As his mana shield shattered and reformed repeatedly, Edwin was steadily pushed back. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his trembling arms visible.

Still, he was holding out. Longer than I expected, honestly. I’m not here for overtime.

“Hey, wha—?!”

This time, I targeted Edwin with telekinesis. With a flick of my finger, his body was yanked toward me.

Pulled right in front of me, he looked utterly panicked. He instinctively tried to draw a magic circle at his feet, but it was too late.

I lightly thrust my left hand forward. A black dot formed at the center of my clenched fist. A single point of compressed space—a ticking time bomb, trembling.

A smirk crept onto my face. His terrified eyes faintly reflected before me.

The beauty of using natural mana? No need to worry about spells going haywire. I can use mid-tier magic as it’s meant to be used. Meaning—I don’t have to hold back out of fear of hurting him.

-*BOOM!!*

A shockwave roared through the air. Amid the thick smoke, Edwin’s body shot skyward, arcing through the air before tumbling across the platform.

I tilted my chin up slightly, glancing around.

Silence.

Students, professors, even the loudest Magic Tower wizards were speechless. The only sound in the empty quiet was the audible gulp of someone swallowing.

“*Yawn*.”

Well, it took a bit, but this should do…

“*Ugh*… Not yet!”

As I turned to leave, Edwin staggered to his feet.

“It’s… not over.”

Covered in dirt and mud, it looked like he’d coated himself in it for protection.

“Now… now it begins.”

Spitting blood-tinged saliva, Edwin bared his teeth. Wow, this guy’s tenacious.

“Just stop, alright?”

If this goes on, he’s going to get seriously hurt.

Ignoring my warning, Edwin let out a dry laugh. “A real combat opportunity like this doesn’t come often. You think I’d quit?”

His swollen eyes still burned with determination, staring straight at me.

“What, are you tired or something? Haha…!”

His subtle taunt drew a wry chuckle from me. Tired? No. Sleepy as hell? Absolutely.

“…Whatever, I’m done.”

I tried pulling him with telekinesis again, but this time he didn’t budge. He’d wrapped himself in mana, blocking my interference.

“Not falling for the same trick twice!”

With that, he launched an earthen spear at me.

I stared at the spear, then took a big step forward.

For a moment, my vision flipped, then snapped back.

“What… what the?!”

Instead of the spear, a shocked Edwin stood before me.

“Blink…? No, I didn’t sense any mana movement…”

Before he could finish muttering, I grabbed his collar. His startled eyes met mine as he looked up.

“Cool your head.”

A chilling frost shot from my fingertips. Ice crystals enveloped his body in an instant.

Edwin froze solid, his momentum finally broken.

As I let go, his frost-covered body wobbled and collapsed to the floor.

A silence colder than the frost settled over the platform and stands.

Hands behind my back, I stretched with a crack. Sleeping and then jumping straight into intense exercise—every part of me aches.

“That’s enough, right?”

I swung my arms and started down from the platform.

“Lunaris!!”

Of course, some people had vaulted over the stands.

The Magic Tower wizards.

“Just a moment! Give us a little time!”

“How did you extract natural mana?!”

“That movement spell! It’s completely different from Blink—what was it?!”

Their gleaming eyes were downright terrifying.

Without looking back, I leaped away. If those magic-obsessed freaks caught me, I’d be stuck debating spells for days.

*

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