Early morning. The current time is just five o'clock. I train with Amelia at all times, but today was not the time. The time specified is 5: 45. That's where I'm supposed to meet Amelia at her usual place.

When I wake up as normal, I just stretch a little and relax. And I take a light shower, and when I encourage awakening, I get dressed in training as usual.

Go straight to the washroom, then brush your teeth, get your sleeping habits right and done.

"Okay... later..."

I'll prepare a waist pouch for two. I wouldn't normally do this. But the training I'm going to do today will take me a long time to complete Ranger training. Even though it's not official, Amelia has finished the Aynsworth-style boot camp considerably in a short period of time.

Escapes, attempts to skip, dislikes, etc... There was a lot going on, but she followed me this far.

To be honest, I was also looking at the fact that she would be frustrated along the way. At that time, it was intended to lighten the training menu and come to Magics Chevalier, a sorcery sword competition.

But you can tell Amelia has completely completed my training. After successfully completing the physical enhancement training, the magic enhancement training was almost completed.

The only thing left is the final exam I'm going to impose. Magics Chevalier, a magic sword tournament, is already approaching a week later. Each contestant will surely now be in the period of adjustment.

But of course, I'm not going out of hand here. I'll get Amelia to do it for real, and I'll come back for real.

I knew. Amelia said she was worried. And this is what my master told me when I left when I returned from my master's house.

"Ray. What should I do against Amelia-Rose...... and you wrote in a letter"

"Yes."

"That's all you can decide."

……

Facts to tell pale.

I've been taught so much by my master. So I was going to get some advice this time too, but what the master tells me was a different word than before.

"I guess I shouldn't have said it anyway anymore... you can decide everything with your own mind"

"Master..."

"Ray. I wanted you to have pure fun with your admission to college. That battlefield is not the only place in this world. Ugly, cruel, and miserable strife is not the only thing in the world. I wanted you to know that there are things in this world that seem beautiful."

……

"And you got an irreplaceable friend. I tried to talk to everyone today, too. Oh, Ray said he enjoys life in college. He said he was able to live a student life with certainty. Glad to hear it. You're like my kid. I can't help but be happy with that growth. But hey, already... you can think for yourself. Like before, you don't just do what you're ordered to do pale. You can live on your own."

"... Yes"

"So do what you think. Amelia-Rose is you from the past. Different circumstances, but still the root will probably be the same. So, like I've done, you, too, do what she can. If you wish to do so by your own will."

"... ok"

Thank you on the spot.

This is not like making a superior officer like before.

It's just that as a purely human being, I show respect to my esteemed master.

What can I do for her?

Amelia definitely got stronger in this short period of time. In the physical sense or in the magical sense.

But it's impossible to say that she grew up like someone else in this period. Amelia remains Amelia. I live in that heart, I haven't been able to change it to her grid.

I was lost. I was wondering if I could touch her heart.

It's delicate, like zero falling glass, and it could shatter and scatter just by touching it.

If Amelia were to say me from the past, then I would surely... refuse to do anything that would force me into this heart.

And I'm sure I'll be stuck in my shell again.

No one else can believe it. This world is full of ugliness. There is no such thing as a beautiful place. The only thing I can believe is myself. But even that self, I don't understand. So, you don't have to, like, make contact with people... I thought so.

It was after all from me that I opened my heart to my masters like that. And everyone was waiting for me like that.

Then... I'll wait too. Until she reached for it.

At the end of the day, Amelia also needs to go on that foot, not on someone else's will, but on her own.

And suppose, if Amelia asks for help, help her with her whole body and spirit. That's my answer as a friend.

"Call-!

"Yi-hoo! Shit!

"Mm-hmm. You're all here today. Well, today's training...... I'm done with this Ranger training today. Everything at Aynsworth-style boot camp was ripe as I planned. Trainer Amelia, let me give you my greatest compliment."

"Ranger! Thanks!

"But heh! Training still goes on. Complete this and I'll send you my special Ranger Medal."

"Ranger!

"Mm-hmm. Well, it's my last exercise. From now on, I'll call it a completion exam, but take this first."

If you say so, I'll give her the waist pouch. When Amelia receives it, she stares at it and confirms what's inside.

"Is this...?

"I want you to fight me in the Kafka Forest for your exams."

"Huh?"

"The answer is Ranger!

"Fuck, Ranger!

It was a completely bewildered expression "Kao". And as Amelia wraps that waist pouch around her waist, she stares me in the eye again.

"Ask the Amelia Trainer to wear this rose, which is almost identical to the one used in the tournament on his upper body"

……

"That number is 10. The time limit is exactly twelve hours from six in the morning to eighteen in the evening. If you defend even one round of roses, the triumph of the Amelia Trainer. Spread it all out, it's my victory. In the Magics Chevalier, a magic sword tournament, there are some wins in the way you said you would drop opponents off-site and make them incapable of combat, but the most efficient way to do so is to scatter the roses on your chest. The other person will come for it, too. In other words, the rose is the same as its own life. Even in an actual match, how to defend it and scatter your opponent's roses is key"

"Ranger!

"Don't worry, I'm not releasing my abilities this time. All I do is deal with the inside code, but don't be alarmed, okay? I'm also a gold hunter. The battle in the woods is familiar. That's why I designated the number of roses to be 10"

……

"Too many, that's the face you think. But that's my assessment of Amelia Trainers right now. If you want to overshadow it, show your strength."

"Ranger!

"Then you should head to the woods first. At exactly six o'clock in time I will also go into the Kafka Forest and scatter all the roses of the Amelia Training Soldier. Are you ready for this?

"Ranger!

And Amelia rewinds the waist pouch she received from me to her waist vigorously and goes straight into the woods.

The very long time setting of twelve hours is a test of her mind.

I'm gonna cut Amelia's heart to shreds, and I'm gonna go fold it.

But if... if she can stand this out, I'm sure... Amelia can grow another big one... I believe.

Amelia's leaving. Is that back full of confidence, or something else?

She just walks straight, straight into the woods and disappears.

Amelia, I'm sure you can. If you show the results you've worked so hard to achieve, you can always beat me.

Of course, this is a fight with me... but at the same time, this is a fight with myself.

Amelia. Your potential Potential is not like that. I'm sure we can get there.

So I'll try again with my whole body and spirit.

I know what I was craving that day.

I asked Ray for an overview.

They say this is really going to be their last training.

It's been really hard so far. Muscle pain was much more painful (minor) and even harsh daily training was imposed in magic training. Ray was right, magic training was harder. The construction of a delicate code theory has never been thorough before. No, I was doing it to do it but it was hard enough to think you were going to do it that far...

At the same time, I was surprised. I'm sure Ray as an ice sword magician would make that one easier, and that's what he would do as much as breathe.

I wanted to get close to him like that, and I was devouring him. I couldn't have gotten Ray to this point and thrown it out now.

Like him, I want to be like Ray-White. Besides, I didn't want him to abandon me. So I... came this far with such distorted thoughts.

But butterflies that flock to the light may be burned out by that light.

Still, I've moved on, forward. Believe me, there is something certain.

I wonder what the hell lies ahead?

What lies ahead in getting past this training and reaching Magics Chevalier, the Magic Sword Competition?

Even if I think about it, I don't get any answers.

I have nothing right now but to get that answer. Because she's just a girl who's still empty and hasn't got anything on her hands. But I think just a little bit that maybe... To the extent that I thought so, I recognized this completion exam as something special.

"Phew..."

Ten roses received from Ray.

Secure it to your torso and continue through the Kafka woods.

"... three minutes later"

When I glanced at the watch Ray gave me, the time was 5: 57. In three minutes, Ray will come into this forest and take action to scatter my roses.

The time limit is twelve hours. If I can protect this rose in that time, my training will be complete. Even if we fail here, it will have no particular impact. I know there's no punishment whatsoever.

But... I wanted to be successful and finish.

I can't help it. If it's fake, no, I can't even be fake, I know it's elephant. Fools who paste masks, paint themselves at will of others and are just role-playing it.

Yes... I thought so, but I was grasping something called being myself by meeting everyone. Instead of playing, I felt something like my true self, glimpses from time to time.

─ ─ I'm sure you can't be anything to me. Am I there?

That's what I keep asking. And I'm sure I'm standing at the crossroads right now. The branch here determines if I can be... I had such a feeling.

That's why I'm going to successfully complete this completion exam... and come to Magics Chevalier, the Magic Sword Games.

It's not for anyone, it's for yourself.

"... here we go."

Moments, the sound rings from the pippi pi and the watch. Perhaps Ray had set it to ring at six and eighteen.

I was just coming around the middle of the Kafka Forest.

Even so, I don't know the exact topography, so it feels like it's only probably... But until I got here, I had set up a number of delayed magic "Delays".

Of course, I set it up randomly because I'm going to find out where I am when I set it up to come to this place

And I hide and wait. Worst of all, sometimes it ends without meeting Ray.

But I'm not that optimistic. He is out of standard. That's why I keep thinking, assuming I take over.

Also, I never thought there would be many of these ten roses.

We've trained together so far, but there's no doubt that a magician named Ray-White is out of standard. Of course, I didn't see my true strength as an ice sword mage during training.

All I saw was the performance of his basic flesh and the handling of the internal "inside" code. Says that that's the only skill I can use now that I'm sealing my abilities...

Ray still must have thought he was stronger than I am now.

It may be different if we bring him into a sorcery battle from a complete distance, but he doesn't cower in sorcery or anything.

The way that mind is, it's not what I am.

There is no fear, no tremor, no stray.

Those eyes, "Yes Boo", can only be seen on the far side of it.

So I never got alarmed about him like that.

"Hmm...?

About five minutes later. I heard something rattling. I keep an eye out for those who make noises, but there is nothing ahead of me. I thought, it was the demon that came out. That's a giant snake, Hughesnake. But basically the demons here can't come at us unless we do nothing else.

That's why I thought it was because I was being overly careless. And the moment I feel safe in my heart, there's a voice from above and I feel my heart bounce.

"... a great enemy."

"Huh?"

I think I heard voices from over my head, and three roses scattered all at once on my chest. It was Ray, who was on the tree, who shot through my rose precisely by throwing the stone debris "Crushed".

"... cum!!

As soon as I recognize that, I immediately activate sorcery.

Prima Material-Encoding-Supply Materials Code

Material Code = Decoding

Substance Materials Code = Processing

Embodiment = Phenomenon

Activated by Windcutter, an intermediate sorcery. Even activating it with the fast sorcery Quick, there was already no Ray on the spot. He's already started moving, and he's completely grasping my magic intervals, or he moves away while showing his back as he is.

"... wait!

I thought Ray was going to bring him into the melee and scatter roses all at once...

As it was, he moved by jumping from tree to tree, and quickly became invisible.

"Running away... no...?

It's hard to believe that Ray just ran off without thinking. Rather, I guess this is his ruse.

"Calm down... calm down, me"

Calm yourself by daring to speak up.

To analyze, I guess all my delayed magic "Delay" has gone through. 'Cause that's because I had everything installed on the ground.

After reading it, Ray avoids it by jumping from tree to tree and moves to the tree directly above me the moment he makes a sound where the giant snake Hughesnake is. And I guess he took three roses at once with the stone in his hand.

To be clear, I wasn't expecting it.

From his usable magic, and that physical performance, I assumed that it was all scattered roses by that sword that came and held at once packed with distance.

But taking that assumption backwards, I had unconsciously abandoned the option of an attack from a distance.

There's only one fact he left behind.

Even the stones that are falling there will be shot through if thrown precisely for the rose.

This must be advice from him.

If this rose is sniped, even without some sort of magical element, it will be scattered by stone throwing. I guess Ray tells me a lot in this training, assuming an actual game.

I felt such compassion for him.

"Phew..."

Again, strive to be calm.

It's okay. Calm down. I am able to think calmly. It's okay... it calms my mind that I'm okay.

Remember.

I'm sure he's already told me everything I need to accomplish.

This time, too. "Always assume every circumstance," "Mages strive to be calm," he remembered saying. I haven't had enough experience yet. So Ray's ambush was also unthinkable.

I wasn't very aware of the harshness of much training at that time, but this is just the aggregation.

I guess I should take advantage of all that teaching and head towards Ray-White.

"All right......!

I slap my cheeks thoroughly with bread and change my consciousness.

And then again, we ran through the woods.