Vibrant magic of various elements streaked across the air in unison, landing precisely on the training dummy.
In an instant, the roaring sound was deafening.
Alas.
Despite the ferocious display, as the smoke and dust dispersed, the training dummy stood there, completely unharmed.
‘Hmm, pathetic.’
Aya Tone commented indifferently.
Without paying it much mind, he instead pulled a roster from his backpack.
He casually flipped through it.
Li Huaiming had given it to him before leaving, claiming it listed students from the magic department.
After a few cursory flips, Aya Tone was surprised to spot a familiar name.
Huo Wushuang.
‘The Guild Master’s younger sister also attended this academy?’
‘It wasn’t entirely unfathomable, after all. Being the Guild Master’s younger sister, how could her potential be anything but strong?’
Yet, the memory of believing Old Master Huo wanted him to pull strings for someone made Aya Tone chuckle inwardly.
‘He had nearly given himself away then.’
He only lingered on the name for a moment, before continuing to scan further down.
‘Concentric Circles?’
‘Teacher, did you call me?’
A tall boy suddenly darted out from behind Aya Tone.
‘Damn! You scared me!’ Aya Tone instinctively blurted out.
‘You’re Concentric Circles?’
Aya Tone pointed at the name on the roster, gazing at the boy with a look of suspicion.
‘Reporting, Teacher, I am Tong Xinyuan!’
Tong Xinyuan straightened his back and saluted Aya Tone.
By the looks of it, it was quite standard.
‘Relax, I just called your name, it’s nothing.’
Some names on the roster were quite interesting, making him curious to meet their bearers.
Take, for instance, the student Tong Xinyuan standing before him. He wondered if his father had named him so, hoping he would become a scholar.
After all, parents often imbue their children’s names with their hopes and expectations.
‘Teacher, may I ask you a question?’ Tong Xinyuan asked, his expression firm.
‘Go on, then.’
Aya Tone set down the roster, now somewhat curious about this ‘Concentric Circles’ student’s question.
Hearing Aya Tone agree, Tong Xinyuan’s heart swelled with joy.
‘I’ve been thinking, when we cast spells, we’re always so easily interrupted.’
‘So you want to ask how to avoid being interrupted?’ Aya Tone preemptively voiced his question.
‘Ah, a fine question indeed,’ he understood this all too well.
‘No! What I want to ask is, after a spell is interrupted, why can’t the magic that was previously invoked still be released to inflict damage on the enemy?’
‘…’ What in the world?
Aya Tone tilted his head, momentarily stunned. ‘No! Buddy!’
‘Why isn’t this guy playing by the rules!?’
‘That’s beyond the curriculum!’
‘I only have a high school diploma, and you’re asking me?’
Nevertheless, Aya Tone steeled himself, and, drawing upon a certain memory, declared, ‘Of course, it’s because you’re too weak!’
‘Watch this.’
Aya Tone opened his palm, extending it towards Tong Xinyuan.
Within his fair palm, several currents of magic swiftly converged, gradually coalescing into a magic missile.
But before the spell could fully form, Aya Tone suddenly raised his other hand, struck his own arm, and forcibly interrupted the magic.
‘This is—!’ Tong Xinyuan’s brows furrowed, and he couldn’t help but exclaim in astonishment.
He intently watched the magic missile, which still remained in an unfinished state, wondering why the teacher would cast a spell in such a manner.
However, just as he expected the magic to slowly dissipate, an unexpected scene unfolded.
The magic missile rapidly drew power from its surroundings, completing its formation autonomously.
Then, guided by Aya Tone’s will, it violently collided with the training dummy, kicking up a cloud of dark mist.
Once the dark mist cleared, only a pathetic, shattered dummy remained, hanging forlornly.
‘What powerful magic!’
Tong Xinyuan murmured softly.
Aya Tone was immensely pleased with his maneuver.
However, this was a teaching moment, and he couldn’t get carried away!
So, he forcefully suppressed the smile threatening to bloom on his lips, and feigned a profound demeanor, asking, ‘Did you understand?’
‘I understand!’
‘Hmm?’ What did you understand!?’
Now it was Aya Tone’s turn to be utterly bewildered.
In truth, even he himself, hadn’t fully understood what he was saying.
He had merely intended to say, ‘If you’re weak, practice more, and don’t bother him for trivial matters.’
‘Ahem, do tell.’
Tong Xinyuan, his face alight with excitement, glanced at the ruined training dummy, then turned to Aya Tone and said, ‘Teacher means that our own magic is merely the ‘lead,’ the ‘soul.’
‘While the magic of heaven and earth is the true ‘body.’ We shouldn’t limit ourselves to within our bodies but should look towards the vastness of heaven and earth.’
‘Moreover, by drawing upon external magic, we can conserve our own magic and extend our endurance!’
‘Teacher, you are truly amazing!’
‘Ah—yes!’
‘Is that so?’
‘Exactly! That’s precisely it!’
Aya Tone shamelessly admitted it.
‘Teacher, Teacher! I have a question too!’
‘Me too!’
‘…’
Other students had already turned their attention to them the moment Aya Tone’s magic missile struck the training dummy.
Upon hearing Aya Tone actually answer a classmate’s question, they all flocked towards them.
‘No! Everyone, get away!!!’
His disadvantage in height, at this moment, was perfectly demonstrated.
Encircled by students, all Aya Tone could see were heads, and more heads.
Most of them were a head taller than him, with some towering over him by more than two heads.
‘What the hell!’
‘Take this! Shinra Tensei!’
A powerful repulsive force erupted from within Aya Tone, instantly blowing away all the students surrounding him.
Feeling the space around him suddenly loosen, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Terrifying, I was almost squashed into a meat patty.’
‘And just now, it felt like a mischievous hand had touched my head. Don’t let me find out who it was, or I’ll chop off your hand!’
‘Can’t you all just play by yourselves? Do you even know what P.E. class is?!’ Aya Tone felt helpless regarding this group of gifted students.
‘Why aren’t you enjoying P.E. class? Practicing magic is one thing, but chasing after me to ask questions?’
‘This is a bit too studious…’
Under Aya Tone’s deliberate control, the repulsive force merely pushed the students away; the overall damage was less than if he had struck himself.
Thus, the scattered crowd quickly picked themselves up from the ground.
Hearing Aya Tone repeatedly mention P.E. class, someone asked in confusion, ‘Teacher, the timetable says ‘Magic Combat Class.’ We don’t have a P.E. class…’
Their timetable, aside from Magic Combat, listed only various types of combat classes.
Moreover, this S-rank expert-taught Magic Combat class was held only once a week, so how could they not try every conceivable method to seize the time, extracting knowledge from Aya Tone to nurture their own magical saplings?
‘Stop! Don’t speak yet, let me get this straight!’
Aya Tone raised a small hand, silencing the others who wished to speak.
‘Not P.E. class, but Magic Combat class?’
‘Something’s wrong, twelve parts out of ten, something’s seriously wrong!’
He clutched his forehead, Fire Finch’s sly, smiling face involuntarily appearing in his mind.
‘You’re saying that this is Magic Combat class.’
Everyone nodded.
‘And I am your Magic Combat teacher?’
Everyone nodded again.
‘Heh heh…’
Aya Tone’s mouth twitched.
I think Fire Finch is doomed.