Vol 2 Chapter 1.1 (2/2)

『It is a very harsh examination. Do it half-a.s.sedly and you’ll die. That’s why, for the remaining ones left here, please do steel your resolve.』

—You might possibly die. A very harsh examination.

He just smiled. Even if it was to mock them, he did not underestimate it. He’s just that happy. That’s just it.

『Those who are afraid from what I’ve just said, please back down now. Renounce that you’re abstaining right now.』

For such a very interesting thing, like who would d.a.m.n quit it?

『Is there someone who would quit? Seems like a no. Wonderful everyone. Well then, I’ll explain the details of the zeroth preliminary examination.』

The surrounding students held their breaths.

The department head quietly watched. The place had the atmosphere of not missing a single word said.

Whatever kind of examination might come, the air has been filled with the mixture of expectation and fear.

『Everyone, please listen.』

The words they longed for finally comes out.

However, the department head said nothing. Only to incline his neck.

『Oh my. Do you still not get it? Ermm… You, the one standing there. Just stand there. Good. If you manage to stay stand still for five minutes, your examination in the zeroth preliminary is a success.』

Takeru have frowned.

—I’m just to stand here? For five f.u.c.king minutes?

He thought it was going to be a harsh examination. Of course, everyone’s gonna pa.s.s it if it’s only to stand for five minutes.

Then, one student alone shouted.

“Are you f.u.c.king with us?!”

After that, many complaints came one after another.

“That’s right! What’s with that?! Everyone else can pa.s.s this!”

“And you say this is a harsh examination. Are you just making a fool out of us?”

“Sigh. You’re really weak for a department head. This harsh examination isn’t harsh at all.”

Were those students misunderstood his words? The department head smiled as he answered.

『Is it that long for you? How about we reduce that to a minute then? Yeah, Let’s do this for a minute.』

There were more booing coming from the students since then.

The senior students who managed to see through had their faces paled.

“Oi. Can you stop with that one minute already?”

While they were looking impatient, the senior students halted their complaints.

The department head pulled out the saber from his waist. It was a beautiful sword that had a light blue hue on the blade. As it was basked in the sun’s light, it s.h.i.+nes blinking.

『Well then, please stand there okay? The Zeroth Preliminary Examination now starts. Ah, Department Sub-Head sensei, can you please man the timer? For a minute only. Only a minute.』 (TLN: Oh my f***ing G.o.d. He’s one of those RL acquaintance of mine that I hate mingling with… O_O)

The department head turns the blue tip of his 《Replica》 to the students.

The sunlight from some time ago was hot, now it becomes unpleasantly cold.

The student next to Takeru, was gritting his teeth. He then embraced himself with his arms. (TLN: And Takeru’s completely unfazed about this bulls*** xD)

It was as if he were thrown into the midst of midwinter.

No, he was not the only one. The students around him had also caught the attention of his eyes.

The department head announced to everyone with a smile.

『Please cover yourself in Ether. If you lost consciousness, you’ll never get it back. Now that’s a no-no. If you don’t do so now, you might not be able to withstand this with small amount of Ether.』

I see. The examination was this.

The surrounding temperature has dropped dramatically. They must endure the coldness.

There’s approximately thirty seconds left huh?

There’s only lesser than ninety percent left standing.

『Now then. Is it going to come into a conclusion now? Well, let’s go everyone.』

The department head pointed his blue bladed saber 《Replica》 towards the sky.

And then, bakin!!! Something of a clump cracked in the blue sky. Crack, crackle. Crack, crackle. No, this is wrong. The crack was not from the sky. It was an ice covering the sky itself.

『Now then, everyone do your best to endure this okay?』

The department head swung his saber 《Replica》 downwards while saying those words.

And at the same time,

The sky cracked.

The ice that covered the sky broke.

The gravels of the freezing ice, shot down like bullets in a lightning manner.

It made holes down in the ground.

One student got hit and was down in one hit.

The students who endured that one hit, was once again hit for the second and third time. Their bodies bended staggeringly.

—Fifteen seconds left.

Whether it was a girl or a boy, they toppled to the ground one after another. The pinned down students staggeringly moved their arms and legs. Their strength is leaving them, they cannot muster any.

Those students who got hit on the forehead was toppled down looking up to the sky.

The gravels of ice continued to rain down not letting the students take a break or so.

Majority of them are now in a ghostly state.

The students who can still stand are of few numbers.

And then, the gravels of ice rained down upon Takeru.

However, they never hit Takeru. (TLN: Haxx!!! F***ing cheat!!! REPORT TO GARY!!!)

Perhaps, like what the department head said, Ether might protect them.

Takeru stood there while placing his hands on his pockets.

Not even one gravel of ice touched his body.

『Let’s rain more down for the finale.』

After the department head said that, there was a loud thunder. Thunders of eraser size started to rain vigorously.

The students who endured it till now was finally brought down to their knees.

A student defended themselves with a Great Sword. It was fling away by a huge lightning.

—Three seconds left.

It was time to end it. The amount of falling ice gradually decreased.

After that rain, the sky once again lightens.

—It’s over.

Takeru, who can finally see the sky clearing up had a weak mutter.

“Is this it?”

Then, the department head stared at Takeru.

He shouldn’t be able to hear his muttering because of the distance but, as if the department head heard Takeru just smiled.

『Such unpreparedness, you people might have gotten injured. It was supplementary lesson from letting your guard down.』

The next moment he said that, his heart gotten cold. He was emitting an unpleasant feeling.

He made a baseball sized lump of ice on his hand. Of course, it was on a course to strike Takeru.

The next moment before he realized, before Takeru was the lump of ice approaching him.

It would be bad if he got hit by it. It has an overwhelming power on it too. You can be injured if it’s just taken lightly.

“Tsk”

Takeru clicked his tongue. Takeru immediately punched the ice.

The ice glistened into pieces then disappeared.

『That’s the end of the Zeroth Preliminary Examination. Only those who kept standing on two feet have pa.s.sed』

In front of the smiling department head was heaps of lying corpses.

The remaining standing students are roughly in the twenties. Even among those twenty, they only barely stood up. The examination was over. All students crumbled down.

However, there were completely none of the students that were calm and composed. There was a boy who take out chewing gum from his pocket. There was a girl who’s on a crazy spree on her handheld console. (TLN: 余裕綽々 means Calm and Composed/Collected but had the furigana “Nandemonai(Nothing at all)” so double meaning kind of sense. They were fine and all and at the same time, panicking inside… xD)

『For those who have stood still, please come forward. We have to list the names of the successful applicants.』

And there, the Zeroth Preliminary Examination ended.

It only lasted a minute.

However, eighty percent of the examinee failed.

Oh yeah, what about that second year senpai that talked to me? Did he pa.s.sed?

That’s what he thought as he looked around. However, amongst the ones that pa.s.sed the examination, he can’t be seen.

What the actual h.e.l.l was that? Really…

Takeru faces the teacher while thinking. He then catches the figure of Nakkun-senpai lying on the ground.

Nakkun-senpai had his face buried down to the ground as if he was prostrating.

“Oh… My condolences to you” is what Takeru’s gaze meant. He then arrives at the front of the training area.

The grown-ups earlier that was watching was now listing the names of the ones that pa.s.sed. It’s been going for some time now.

A personnel made an eye contact with Takeru then smiled. It was a person he just met for  the first time.

“Ahh.. So you’re that rumoured Yamato kid huh.”

“That might be so, Is there something you need?”

“No, sorry. I don’t really have any particular business with but, If you ran to some troubles, you can ask me for help. Can you please tell me your name and your cla.s.s?”

“Year One, surely it was… yeah, Cla.s.s 9. Kisaragi Takeru.”

And then, the staff slid the pen softly to the paper while nodding.

“I see. Entry complete. Your application is a success. Now please take this bracelet.”

While saying that, he handed a blue colored metal bangle.

“Hee, it looks beautiful.”

Takeru put it to his arm while saying so.

And then, the staff waved his hand in panic.

“Wait! Wait a moment! You don’t need to wear it right now! Haven’t you heard anything from your homeroom teacher?! That’s a special apparatus for the next examination so don’t just use it out of nowhere.”

“This?”

“Yeah. That’s right. These are tools excavated from the same ancient ruins as the 《Regunare》. They are used with different techniques. Until you’ve been told to do so, never use it okay? Whatever happens to it, I’m not gonna take responsibility you hear?”

Said so by the staff with a serious face.

“And then, the examination starts next week so don’t you dare lose it. Take care of yourself now.”

“I understand.”

Takeru nodded and cursed his homeroom teacher in his heart.

He almost failed a harsh examination.

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