I'll Smash Everything with Passive Skills-Chapter 60: 0. Midterm Evaluation (2)

The midterm evaluation, ironically named "assessment," has a rather simple testing method.

First, the students to be evaluated are selected, and then they are randomly matched in a tournament according to their classes.

For example, if a student is in the lowest class, Class D, they must start from Class D and ultimately defeat the top students in A-Class to win.

Some have claimed that this testing method is unfair. However, what truly matters is not winning the tournament, but whether one can prove their abilities in combat against their opponent.

Surprisingly, the evaluation takes place publicly. The numerous spectators surrounding Veris were a testament to that.

[ The next student, please come up to the arena. B-Class, Maria Theresa von Winsburg de Vera. C-Class, John Tains. ]

A loud voice echoed from the magical loudspeaker at the evaluation site. The audience members sitting in the stands looked ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) at the arena with bewildered expressions.

"What? Maria Theresa? Is there really someone by that name in B-Class?"

"Wait a minute. That name belongs to the royal family..."

"The princess, I can't believe she's in B-Class."

Maria, whose existence had been shrouded in mystery, with rumors swirling around her but few having seen her in person, suddenly had her name called, causing the spectators to gasp in surprise.

Clack, clack.

As clear footsteps began to echo from the student waiting area, silence fell over the arena as if cold water had been poured over it.

Light footsteps. With each step she took, the sound of her heels resonated throughout the circular arena.

"Oooh...!"

"Waaaaah!"

"Oh my, it's my first time seeing the princess in person!"

"Such beauty. It makes sense why she had been hiding her appearance while attending the academy."

As Maria stepped into the arena and took out a short wand, thunderous cheers erupted from all corners of the circular arena.

Maria Theresa.

A member of the imperial family that rules the empire, she finally revealed herself, breaking free from her false identity, known for her innate talent in mana.

[ The duel will begin. Both students, please prepare for battle. ]

As soon as Maria's opponent stepped into the arena, the loudspeaker announced once more.

Bowing slightly, the student distanced himself. Maria, wand in hand, fixed her gaze firmly on her opponent.

'Let's start lightly.'

As she gradually drew up her mana, Maria contemplated the direction of the battle.

The young student standing before her, with a tense expression, was a swordsman. In a fight between a swordsman and a mage, the key was to maintain a certain distance and use that distance to land meaningful hits.

'Alright.'

Maria soon recalled the spell she would use right away.

Compared to Beatrice from the Magic Tower, her magic might seem lacking, but Maria's magic also boasts powerful strength.

Her specialty was ice magic. This meant she had an innate talent for maintaining distance and immobilizing her opponent's feet.

[ Let's begin...! ]

Swish!

As the loudspeaker announced the start of the duel, Maria's opponent began to move at a very fast pace.

Quick and decisive.

For a swordsman who had learned even a little about fighting a archmage, this was the expected course of action.

"Please forgive my rudeness!"

The student, perhaps feeling guilty for swinging his sword at Princess Maria, leaped into the air with an apology.

This was an action conscious of the movement restriction magic that would spread across the arena floor, but it soon led to an unexpected outcome.

"Become a vine that stops movement, Bind!"

Maria's short incantation burst forth in a clear voice, and the magic manifested beside the swordsman.

─Crack!

"Ugh!"

A powerful mana vine immediately ensnared the student, effortlessly throwing him to the ground.

[ Winner... Maria Theresa! ]

The duel ended in an instant. She had incapacitated her opponent without injuring him, making it a duel that would serve as a model for the other students.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry."

As the student, with a dazed expression, looked up at Maria, bound by the vines, she smiled gently.

Her gaze was not on him. Thus, she had no time to linger here.

Veris, watching the duel, was clapping his hands.

"Maria's power is more impressive than I expected."

"Indeed. Her swift incantation and manifestation would leave even S-Class students in awe."

Arwen, who had been listening to Veris's mutterings from the audience, added her thoughts.

In truth, Maria had seemed infinitely weaker compared to the other students. However, after witnessing the recent duel, it felt as if that perception was not entirely accurate.

Smirk.

As Maria, amidst the wave of spectators, found him and smiled brightly, Veris responded with a grin.

How did she know he was here?

[ The next duel is B-Class, Veris von Vitelbach. B-Class, Tor Tiya. Please prepare for the duel in the waiting area. ]

As soon as his name was called through the magical loudspeaker, Veris smoothly rose from his seat. He had been placed in a relatively later order.

And this meant he could provide quite a bit of entertainment for the audience, who were already heated up.

*

[ The duel will begin! ]

The voice of the host, student council president Valten, echoed through the loudspeaker.

The opposing student looked at Veris with a face full of fear.

"I'm sorry. I'm going to fight seriously."

Veris intended to face him without using mana. He would hold back his strength as much as possible. After all, it wouldn't do to kill a fellow student during an evaluation held at the academy.

"Of all people, it had to be you..."

The student held a large blunt weapon with a desperate expression. It resembled a hammer, much like his own appearance.

In fact, Veris held a higher position in B-Class than one might expect. This was thanks to the S-Class guests who visited him daily.

People like Saintess Cecilia, Spirit Swordmaster Arwen, and swordsmanship genius Gunther. Thus, the student was understandably nervous facing someone as prominent as Veris.

"Here I go."

Veris was already a being with transcendent strength compared to ordinary humans... no, even compared to those who had trained in mana. It was unnecessary for him to use mana to incapacitate a B-Class student.

─Bang!

"Huh?"

"What just happened?"

"...I couldn't even follow it with my eyes."

"Insane!"

He moved, and then he swung his sword.

It was an incredibly simple action. Yet the result made everyone rub their eyes and look back at the arena.

"W-How did the hammer...?"

The blunt weapon held by Veris's opponent was a large hammer. But astonishingly, Veris had sliced it in half.

Moreover... it wasn't a relatively thin stick that was cut, but the head of the massive hammer.

The large, heavy piece of metal had been neatly split into four pieces and lay on the ground.

"Damn it, why is it just me..."

The student's sorrowful mutter, having been unable to perceive either the movement or the attack, echoed mournfully in the now silent arena.

He had lost without even showing anything. No one knew how his evaluation would turn out.

*

"Oh?"

Contrary to the purpose of the achievement evaluation, the midterm evaluation, held publicly, attracted quite a crowd.

A person watching the duel from the VIP seats in the circular arena let out an exclamation of admiration.

In truth, the students in B-Class were of a rather low level. Of course, there were a few exceptional ones among them.

First was the imperial princess, Maria Theresa, who had just revealed herself for the first time. Next was Veris, the student who had just split a large hammer into four pieces with two swift strikes.

"Remarkable."

"I think so too, Your Grace."

A voice filled with admiration came from a subordinate who immediately bowed in response to the Grand Duchess's words as he fiddled with his silver hair.

The midterm evaluation was said to not include S-Class students. Therefore, it was certainly encouraging that there were a few who piqued interest, contrary to the Grand Duchess's expectation of boredom.

"The attack just performed by that student, Veris, was unusual. For a moment, even I couldn't sense the flow of mana."

"Foolish talk."

"...?"

The subordinate, who had been sharing his thoughts, was puzzled upon hearing the Grand Duchess's sudden sigh. Was there something wrong with what he had just said?

Having devoted his life to serving the Grand Duchess, he was completely at a loss this time.

"You're mistaken."

"...Yes?"

The Grand Duchess kindly began to explain to her subordinate.

"That person just now did not use mana."

"How is that possible...?"

The subordinate stopped mid-sentence, quickly closing his mouth.

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Having served the Grand Duchess for a long time, he knew the Grand Duchess's character very well.

Thus, he realized that such observations would only bring discomfort to the

Grand Duchess, who disliked judging everything within the bounds of 'common sense.'

"So... you're saying that he just cut through a thick piece of metal without even using mana."

Only then did the subordinate, realizing what the Grand Duchess was trying to convey, stare blankly at Veris's retreating figure.

He was just a student. A student in B-Class, who had relatively mediocre talent.

But what had he just shown?

"Just now, I clearly..."

"Insane. I knew that student was somewhat famous, but this is an absurd level of skill, isn't it?"

The subordinate nodded at the comments of others seated in the VIP section.

"Interesting!"

"...."

While the subordinate was lost in thought, the Grand Duchess wore a satisfied smile.

And the subordinate, who understood very well what that meant, could only tremble.