Chapter 18: The Strongest Onmyoji Faces the Entrance Exam

　The written test ended without any problems.

　But it seems Ifa didn’t think so.

“What should I do Seika-kun? I might have made a mistake…”

“Well……we’ll just have to make up for it in the practical test.”

　I consoled the teary-eyed Ifa.

“Ugh, I studied so hard……”

　After all, we only had half a year to prepare.

　It can’t be helped.

****

　The venue for the practical exam was outside.

　Six stone slabs are lined up in front of the examinees.

“Aim at that target and release your magic.”

　The examiner with round glasses explains.

“From left to right, fire, earth, water, wind, light, and darkness are listed in this order. Please choose a target with your favourite attributes. You can choose as many targets as you like, but it is a scoring system, so it is better to challenge as many as possible. However, please do not attack targets with different attributes, as the resistance attribute magic circles will not work and will damage them.”

　I see.

　You can try without worrying about failure? It’s a good test.

“Burning red! Spirit of fire and sulphur, roar and make it a fireball of wrath, flame bullet fireball! ”

“Yellow is the one that pops! Crush the stone into pieces and turn it into wrathful wreckage! gravel bulletstorm blast! ”

“The water that springs up is blue! Spirit of cold springs and ice rain, freeze and turn your wrath into a white spear, white ice spear Icicle Spear!”

　At the next testing site, the process had already begun.

　Everyone was energetically chanting spells, but most of them had chosen only one attribute.

　Their performance was also subtle.

　It seems that Luft and Grey, who were learning chantless and multiple attributes at about this time, were actually excellent.

“Oh, it looks like it’s my turn. I’m going, Seika-kun.”

“Oh. Good luck.”

　Ifa steps forward.

　Judging by the level around me, it seems like her skills are okay.

　At that moment, I saw red hair at the edge of my vision.

　The girl named Amiyu from earlier is at the test site next to me.

　It looks like her turn is yet to come, but I wonder how good she is. They said it was all attributes or something like that…….

　Or rather, is that a sword hanging on her waist?

　What kind of girl are you…?

　As I wondered, —- hot air caressed my cheeks slightly.

　Ahead of me is Ifa, holding her staff at the target.

　The examiner and everyone else are stunned at the sight.

“Hey, what’s the flame just now?” “Flame Note……?” “Medium level magic?” “It was chantless.”

　If you look closely, you can see that the corners of the stone slab have melted a little and become glassy.

　Ifa bows to the examiner.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would melt…”

“No, no…it can’t be helped…”

　The examiner with the round glasses tilts his head and mumbles curiously, “It’s a target for the fire attribute, isn’t it?”

“Can I go next?”

　Seeing the examiner nod, Ifa walks to the next three targets.

　Huh, next?

　A wind-attribute target.

　In front of it, Ifa once again holds up her cane.

“――――Windruns.”

　A gust of wind blew.

　The wind, which made my ears hurt from the difference in atmospheric pressure, struck the target.

　Along with an exploding sound, the stone slab was smashed as it was.

　The testing site was quiet.

　After a while, I heard the sound of the upper half of the stone slab falling somewhere.

“…… wind cone spear wind lance is a medium level magic, right?” “Medium level magic without chanting?” “Oh, is that really a wind cone spear wind lance?” “What are we going to do now that the target is broken?”

“Shh, shh, shh, shh! Everybody quiet!”

“Oh, that’s all for me. Sorry about the target. Thank you very much.”

　Ifa lowers her head and runs towards me.

“I-I don’t know, Seika-kun. I ruined the target, but I won’t be rejected because of it, right ……?　I put too much into it……”

“Ifa!”

“Hyai!?”

“Your wind! Isn’t it amazing! What’s up with that?”

“… Ehehe”

　Ifa is shy.

“I practiced little by little. I thought Seika might be surprised.”

“I was surprised. You can already use wind spirits. What about your other attributes?

“Not at all yet. There were a lot of green spirit children in the mansion, so I brought a lot of them. Also, I think it’s because I myself have an aptitude for the wind attribute. I just found that out.”

　Oh man, I’m getting kind of louder.

　When you suddenly realise how much your students have grown, it’s like this, it’s so heart lifting……

“But you know, the other spirit children are slowly gathering too. I hardly ever see the children of light and darkness, but other than that, I’ll be able to ask soon…Seika-kun, are you crying?”

“W-I’m not crying. I’m not crying. Ah …… Ifa. I’ll tell you one thing, it didn’t look like a wind cone spear windlance. The real one is much weaker.”

“That’s right”

“Don’t worry about it, though. You can be stronger.”

　The spirit-using druid in my previous life wasn’t like that.

“Eh, everyone, please listen. There was a little accident, but the test will continue. We are preparing a spare target, so if you wish to use the wind attribute, please wait your turn. Next up.”

“It’s me”

　I walked forward while watched by Ifa.

“Which attribute?”

“Fire first”

　I stand in front of the target and hold my staff casually.

　If it is not required to destroy the target, the power should be appropriate.

　Let’s make this quick and easy.

“Fire Bowl”

　A weaker “devil’s fire” hit the stone slab and a blue flame burst out.

　This is fine.

“Blue flaming fireballs!?” “Hey, the fire’s not going out” “I’m thinking maybe the damage from the damage-resistant spells isn’t working.” “Wait, that guy should have been without Lamprog’s magical power…..”

“Next, on earth”

　I tell the stunned examiner and move to the front of the target.

　What should I do now?

　The other guys were sending stone pellets and such, but there’s no such thing as a trivial jutsu.

　With a technique like that, it’s too far away to use…… Keystone [Kaname stone] That’s too far. <<red iron Akatetsu》 and 《Iwato Toss》 can’t be used in a place like this…

　Wait, that stone slab – is it granite?

　Okay, I’ve decided.

　I hold up my staff.

　What should I name the technique? Well, let’s just call it something appropriate.

“I don’t know……How do I do it?”

《Earth and Gold Phase —- Fangjin Hougon no Jutsu》

　With the sound of bangs.

　Five or six gigantic golden cubes grew out of the stone slab.

　Naturally, the target was destroyed from the inside.

　All right.

“I’m sorry I broke it. Now let’s try water.”

“No, no, wait a minute!”

　I was stopped by the examiner with round glasses.

“You, what was that magic just now…?”

“It’s…….”

“What?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m going to the next one.”

　I briskly walk to the next target.

“Just now, what kind of magic was that……?” “Whoa, the target was destroyed from the inside……””……””……””……”

　It was quiet behind me too.

　Thanks. If I’m told to explain it, I’ll be in trouble.

　That cube is pyrite.

　It is a golden mineral known for its ability to produce sparks when struck, but it also has another characteristic: it makes beautiful cubic crystals.

　If you pour gold and earth into a seed inside a rock, it will push the surrounding area away, crystallize as moulded, and break the rock like that.

　Granite is a stone formed from solidified lava. I thought that iron and sulphur, the seeds, would be there first, but that’s to be expected.

　It’s the first time I’ve found the technique useful, even though it was made for civil engineering work.

“So, water huh…”

　Others were throwing icicles at them, but of course there’s no jutsu for such an unimportant action.

　Hmmm….

　I think I’ll just use that one. It’s large scale and I’ll use Hitogata just in case.

　Wave your staff and show them.

“Aishikuru …… something.”

《Phase of negative water―――― ice waterfall jutsu.》

　A huge volume of water, like a tsunami, was released from the Hitogata, which had been made invisible.

　The water, which had been in a supercooled state due to the negative energy, froze upon impact with the stone slab.

　In the blink of an eye, the chain of events quickly turned the tremendous amount of water into ice in an instant.

　Oh, it’s frozen stiff even the dark and fire target at both ends because it flowed around ……. ……

　It was a little too much.

“I’m sorry, I’m just kind of ……. That’s all for me. I’m sure this will thaw out in time.”

“…”

“…” “…” “…” “…” “…”

　There is no longer a word from anyone at the testing site, which is now covered with ice.

　I turn on my heel.

“I’m back, Ifa. Shall we go home?”

“Uh… yeah. Did you have any other attributes?”

“There were only three things I could do.”

　Wind is not in the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Light and darkness are not well understood at this point.

　Or rather, I can’t seem to use this magic in the first place.

　I have been trying for years, but nothing works. Maybe magic and spells are two different things after all.

　I can use the yin-yang jutsu, so it’s not much of a problem.

　Even this exam, as far as I can see around me, I can normally pass it. So it should be fine.

“Fufu”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing”

　Ifa says

“Everyone was surprised to see Seika-kun’s magic, it …… kinda made me feel good.”

※Horikane no Jutsu

A method of breaking rocks by growing pyrite crystals with iron from gold and sulphur from the soil. Pyrite, also known as “fool’s gold,” is a golden mineral that exhibits hexahedral, octahedral, and dodecahedral crystal forms. Its existence seems to have been known at least around the 1st century AD, and it was described in Pliny the Elder’s “Natural History” as a stone that produces sparks when struck.

*Ice Waterfall Jutsu

A technique that freezes the target by releasing a large amount of water that has been supercooled by Yin Ki. Yin Ki controls negative energy. Supercooled water has the property of freezing rapidly upon impact. The temperature of the water is about minus 40 degrees, which is the critical temperature for supercooling. Theoretically, it can be cooled further while still in liquid form, but in that case it becomes a state similar to glass called amorphous ice, and in the end it is difficult to use, so Seika keeps it at this level.

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