The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy-Chapter 91: Interlude: Snow Festival (VIII)

"Hello, dear contestants!"

A loud, cheerful voice echoed across the grand examination hall, instantly grabbing everyone’s attention.

"The rules of the game ’Magic Circles’ are simple!"

"First, a magic circle will appear on the small table in front of you. It’ll stay there for exactly fifteen seconds. Your job is to identify it—write down its name, attribute, and effect!"

Alright. Sounds easy enough.

"If you figure it out before time runs out, there will be a small green button on your table. Press it, and a piece of paper will appear. That’s where you’ll write your answer!"

I glanced at the sleek little table before me. The surface was smooth, polished, almost glowing under the bright lights.

"The sixty-four fastest students who answer correctly will move on to the second phase!"

Sixty-four?

That means there’ll be a huge elimination in the first round.

"And without further ado… let’s begin!"

Glow...!

A bright red magic circle flared to life on my table.

My eyes locked onto it immediately.

『Fire-Type Magic Circle— "Flame"』

A basic one.

This was used to invoke "Flame", a 1st-Level Fire spell.

Too easy.

Tap.

I hit the green button almost instantly.

And just after me—

Tap, tap, tap!

Several other students followed, pressing their buttons in quick succession.

A small parchment appeared before me.

Without wasting a second, I wrote down:

[Name: "Flame".

Attribute: Fire

Effect: Creates a small wisp of flames.]

The moment I finished, the paper vanished—and a green checkmark glowed on my table.

Perfect.

I leaned back slightly, watching as others scrambled to finish. None of them hesitated, staring at their circles, and immediately writing down the answer.

It was going to be a question of speed for now.

Beep!

"Time’s up!" The announcer’s voice rang out.

"If a red ’X’ appears on your table… it means you failed. You’ll be teleported to the spectator’s area."

A short pause.

"And now… elimination!"

Vroop!

In an instant, over a hundred students vanished from the room.

That was brutal.

But expected.

"Now… onto the second phase!"

The announcer’s voice carried a playful tone as if he was enjoying watching students panic for a slight moment.

"For this round, you’ll have thirty seconds instead of fifteen! But here’s the twist—"

I narrowed my eyes.

"Now, the Magic Circles will be at 2nd-Level!"

A small murmur spread through the remaining students.

Still nothing too difficult.

"It should still be easy for most of you, so—"

The announcer chuckled.

"Fasten up those hands!"

Glow…!

Another magic circle flashed onto my table.

『Modified Wind-Type Magic Circle – "Gale Shot"』

This one was slightly more complex than the first round, but nothing difficult. It created a concentrated blast of wind, strong enough to push enemies back.

Tap.

I pressed the green button without hesitation.

Just like before, a parchment appeared, and I quickly jotted down the answer.

[Name: "Gale Shot"

Attribute: Wind

Effect: Creates a burst of wind, pushing enemies back. The modified version of the spell, "Wind Push".]

The parchment disappeared—

Green checkmark.

Done.

I glanced to my side, watching how others were handling it. Some students pressed their buttons quickly, while others hesitated, frowning as they analyzed the symbols.

I could understand them, since there were multiple alternatives to the "Gale Shot", just like the original version of this modified spell, "Wind Push".

Thirty seconds passed quickly.

Beep!

"Time’s up!"

The announcer let out a laugh.

"And now… elimination!"

Vroop!

Half of the remaining students vanished.

I didn’t even blink.

At this rate, by the next phase, we’d be down to sixteen people.

"Now then!" The announcer’s voice carried an excited tone.

"For the third phase, you’ll have one full minute. But! Now, the Magic Circles will be at 3rd-Level!"

A murmur ran through the remaining students.

That was where things would start getting tricky.

But still, it wasn’t that difficult yet.

Glow…!

A new Magic Circle appeared printed on my table.

『Earth-Type Magic Circle – Tremor Step』

A movement-based magic circle. If used properly, it could create small quakes beneath the user’s feet, disrupting an enemy’s balance.

Tap.

I pressed the green button again, writing down my answer.

[Name: "Tremor Step"

Attribute: Earth

Effect: Creates localized tremors beneath the user’s feet.]

Green checkmark.

Simple.

I finished early, so I leaned back, watching others. Some people struggled—their eyes darting across the glowing symbols, trying to recall what the magic did.

Others pressed their buttons with confidence, finishing quickly.

Beep!

"Time’s up!" The announcer declared.

"Now, let’s thin the herd again!"

Vroop!

Another half of the students disappeared.

Now, only sixteen people remained.

And with that—

Everything changed.

...Fwip!

"My eyes..."

A strange light filled the room.

Before I could react, my vision warped—

Then—

Vwoooosh!

I landed on solid ground.

But this wasn’t the same place.

Instead of the massive hall with countless tables, we were now in a smaller, enclosed space.

The tables were smaller, closer together.

And the air… felt different.

I blinked.

Then, I noticed something.

On my right—

Rose.

On my left—

Violet.

They noticed me at the same time.

For a second, none of us spoke.

Their eyes widened.

Rose, as quiet as ever, seemed hesitant, shifting slightly as if she didn’t know whether to greet me or not.

Meanwhile, Violet—

A smirk slowly crept onto her lips.

"Well, well, well…" she hummed, turning toward me. "If it isn’t our dear Aestrea. What a coincidence~"

I let out a small sigh.

Not this again.

"Didn’t think I’d see you two here..."

Violet leaned in slightly, resting her elbow on the table.

"You say that, but aren’t you the most surprising one here?" She tilted her head. "I mean, I knew Rose would choose this activity, but you? Aren’t you the ace of sports?"

...You were literally the one who helped me put my activities to paper.

I glanced at Rose.

Is it because of her?

She was avoiding my gaze slightly, but I could tell she was listening closely.

Nevertheless, I decided to comply with her words.

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"…This is an activity that is not that hard for me."

Violet chuckled.

"Right, right… ’not that hard’, he says," she mocked playfully.

Then, her eyes glinted mischievously.

"Say, Aestrea~ Since we have a bit of time… Mind explaining what that little display was earlier?"

I frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you know~" She waved a hand dramatically.

"During the fight against the Archdemon of Pride…"

Her smirk widened.

"I couldn’t help but notice a certain someone getting all buddy-buddy with a certain girl."

I stared at her.

She smiled wider.

"Or should I say…" she paused, her voice dripping with fake sweetness—

"…A girl who even had the audacity to hug you?"

I blinked.

Then, the realization hit me.

She was talking about herself.

I sighed, furrowing my eyebrows.

She can be really annoying.

And at my expression, Violet grinned.

"Ohh~ So you DO remember!" She giggled, resting her chin on her hands. "Come on, Aestrea, you don’t actually think I’d forget something like that, do you?"

"…It was after a battle," I muttered.

Violet gasped.

"Oh no, don’t tell me…" Her voice turned exaggerated.

"You weren’t moved by my embrace at all?"

I rubbed my temple.

Rose, on the other hand, looked…

Uncomfortable.

She wasn’t saying anything, but her posture was stiff.

Violet, noticing this, smirked slightly.

"Oh? What’s this?" She glanced between us.

"Rose, you’ve been awfully quiet~"

Rose flinched slightly.

"…It’s nothing," she mumbled.

Violet, of course, wasn’t letting go.

"Aww, don’t be shy! I mean, you saw it too, right?" She turned back to me. "Honestly, Aestrea, I never pegged you as the type to let a girl cling to you like that."

I sighed.

"Violet."

"Yes, dear?"

"Shut up."

She laughed.

But before she could tease me further—

Glow…!

The next Magic Circle appeared.

Violet straightened immediately, all jokes disappearing.

Rose did the same, focusing her gaze on the table.

I turned my attention back to my own Magic Circle.

『Water-Type Magic Circle – Aqua Bind』

And instantly, I recognized it.

Even I was surprised.

What kind of motivation did my predecessor have to study so many magic circles?

This was a spell that formed whip-like tendrils of water, wrapping around a target to restrain them.

Not particularly strong, but annoying if used correctly.

Tap.

I pressed the green button.

The parchment appeared.

[Name: "Aqua Bind"

Attribute: Water

Effect: Creates water tendrils that bind the opponent.]

The moment I finished writing, the paper vanished, and a familiar green checkmark appeared on my table.

Done.

I leaned back slightly, observing my surroundings.

Across from me, some students were struggling.

One boy was sweating bullets, his hands shaking as he scribbled his answer.

Another girl bit her lip, hesitating before pressing the green button.

And beside me—

Violet and Rose were working at their own pace.

Violet, of course, finished quickly.

Tap.

Her smirk barely wavered as she wrote her answer.

Meanwhile, Rose was slightly slower, but just as focused.

She pressed her button a second later and carefully wrote her response.

Then—

Beep!

"Time’s up!" the announcer called.

I straightened slightly, waiting for the next wave of eliminations.

"Now, let’s trim the numbers once more!"

Vroop!

Another half of the students vanished.

I exhaled quietly.

Only eight of us remained.

A glance to my sides.

Violet was still here.

Rose was still here.

The competition was getting serious now.

The air felt heavier.

But before I could fully process the situation—

Violet let out a soft chuckle.

I turned my head slightly.

She was grinning again.

"Not bad, Aestrea~" she mused, twirling a strand of her purple hair between her fingers. "I thought maybe you’d start slipping by now."

I gave her a flat look.

"…I could say the same to you."

She laughed.

"Oh? Are you admitting that you’re impressed by me?"

"That’s not what I said."

"But that’s what you meant~"

I didn’t bother responding.

Instead, I turned to Rose.

She had been quiet for a while now.

Her red eyes were focused downward like she was deep in thought.

"…Something wrong?" I asked.

She blinked, startled, before shaking her head.

"…No, I just…" She hesitated

. "I didn’t expect to see you here."

Violet hummed.

"Ohhh? So it’s not just me who’s surprised~"

Rose shot her a look but didn’t say anything.

Violet just grinned.

"Aestrea, be honest~" she leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "You didn’t expect us to be here either, did you?"

I exhaled.

"Not really," I admitted.

Violet laughed.

"Hah! See, Rose? He thought we’d fail!"

Rose sighed, rubbing her temples.

"That’s not what he said…"

Violet waved a hand dismissively.

"Details, details."

I shook my head.

Before she could say anything else—

Glow…!

The next Magic Circle started to appear.

And just like that—

The teasing stopped.

At this point, the competition was cutthroat.

We only had four people left.

And the time limit had doubled again.

Two minutes.

That meant one thing—

These Magic Circles were about to get difficult.

Glow…!

The Magic Circle on my table flashed.

『Dark-Type Magic Circle – "Shadow Lock"』

A high-tier binding spell that used shadows to immobilize the target’s movement.

I didn’t hesitate.

Tap.

Green button.

The parchment appeared.

[Name: "Shadow Lock"

Attribute: Darkness

Effect: Uses shadows to bind and immobilize a target.]

The second I finished writing—

Green checkmark.

Done.

I exhaled softly, shifting my gaze.

Violet had already finished.

Smirking, confident.

Rose was still writing.

Focused, careful.

Across from me, the last remaining student was struggling. His face was tense, fingers shaking slightly.

His hesitation was costing him time.

Beep!

"Time’s up!"

The moment we heard that—

Vroop!

The last student vanished.

Huh?

Weren’t two students supposed to disappear?

"Ha, I see that you’re all surprised! But now, the rules have changed since the spells have reached the 7th level! You only have to get the magic circle right, and you’ll pass."

"The students who get their answer wrong will be eliminated, and that will continue until only one student is remaining. But, if for example, in the final round, two students get the answer wrong, both will be considered as winners."

"So..."

The announcer’s voice rang out, excitement clear.

"For this round, you’ll have four minutes—but the Magic Circles will be at the 7th level!" He repeated his words excitedly.

A few gasps from the audience.

These were quite difficult circles since they had a lot more details, and just a different line could form another spell.

And neither of the two beside me actually had knowledge about them. Maybe Violet had some, but Rose... probably did not.

Even my predecessor only knew a few 7th-level magics in theory, and I only manifested one through the knowledge that I gained from his constant studies.

"So... good luck!"

The announced shouted.

And at the same time, a light appeared on my table.

The magic circle that appeared right before me... was quite... exquisitely designed.

From the intricate details, I could see that it was of the water attribute. However, the lines weren’t aligned, so it was probably a modified-type circle.

"Tsk..."

I clicked my tongue.

Both Violet and Rose noticed it, but their eyes continued on the paper, trying to figure out what kind of magic circle they were.

I looked at the magic circle for a whole minute...

And suddenly, I had an epiphany.

’Gosh... I love you, my dear predecessor.’

’Wait... isn’t that the same as saying, I love myself?’

’Ehh... whatever.’

Tap.

I pressed the button.

And then, started writing.

[Name: Modified—"Typhoon"

Attribute: Water

Effect: Creates giant typhoons that can cause an extraordinary amount of damage to the point of even killing multiple "Named" Demon Beasts with a single spell.]

This was quite interesting since it was a modified version of the 6th-level magic, "Water Cyclones".

It was a much stronger version, of course.

I triple-checked my answer.

Then—

The parchment disappeared.

Green checkmark.

I leaned back.

Done.

Now—

Violet and Rose were still working.

Violet had her signature smirk, but her brows were furrowed slightly.

Rose was biting her lip, her pen moving fast.

Seconds passed.

Then—

Violet finished.

And a moment later—

Rose barely finished in time.

Beep!

"That’s it! The final round is over!"

The audience erupted into cheers.

And then—

The final results appeared.

[Aestrea Moon – Passed

Violet – Failed

Rose – Failed]

I was the one who had won the competition.

I exhaled.

Then, before I could even react—

Violet leaned in, smiling.

"Well, well, well… looks like it was our dear Aestrea that won the activity, huh?"

Violet...

Honestly...

Even though I quite like you.

Just shut the fuck up.