Huff Huff Huff

  In the spacious training ground, there was only one sound to be heard. The rugged, rough, and heavy breathing of the students became an orchestra as it resouowards the vast blue sky. They were colpsed to the ground, barely able to move a single muscle.

  If there was something they were thankful for even in their miserable states, it was that the sun's rays weren't harsh, but rather gentle and warm, healing their exhausted bodies little by little.

  There weren't any more monsters in sight, not because the studeerminated all of them, but because of the opposite. The students fell like flies as the summoned monsters charged at them. The summoning was celed the moment all of them colpsed. Some were even unscious.

  "Yo～ Are you just gonna y down there all day?" ［Grey］

  "Shut up. Don't talk about standing, I 't even lift my fingers. That was too much, Greyー Ah!" ［Julius］

  Out of the blue, Julius suddenly halted on his words for unknown reasons. Soon after, he looked at Grey with a somewhat terrified expression, making the tter are of his brows in fusion.

  "Y... You're not gonna flick my forehead?" ［Julius］

  "For what?" ［Grey］

  "For calling you casually during css time?" ［Julius］

  "Ah, that... Well, I'll let you off the hook this time. You 't even move anyway. It would be too cruel if I were to punish you in that state." ［Grey］

  "I see... So you still have some humanity in you, huhー Ow!" ［Julius］

  The sound of a flick resounded all over the training ground as Grey's fingers hit Julius' forehead. He initially wao let things slide, but after hearing Julius' words, his finger moved before he even noticed it.

  "What was that for?!" ［Julius］

  "Think over your words before you speak, Cadet Julius, or... is it that you want to receive another one?" ［Grey］

  "N-No... Sorry..." ［Julius］

  Julius, the sed prince of the kingdom, groveled befrey as she relived the memories of pain he received from Grey's forehead flicks. Though it felt unfair for him, he couldn't do anything about it. Grey was just too much for him to handle.

  One might see it as bullying or abuse of power, and that's totally right. Though sihey were friends, it was more like teasing than bullying. Grey wouldn't have do if they weren't close enough.

  The other students also became silent as they saw Grey flick Julius' forehead. The 2nd years were especially terrified not because it was their first time witnessing it, but because of how it souhey could easily imagine a skull fracture after hearing it.

  "Alright, that's enough zing around. ??Heal?? ??Recuperate??." ［Grey］

  As the light of Grey's spells melted to their bodies, the students slowly started to get up oer ahey had already gotteo such a routier being with Grey and Yuna for two weeks.

  Even though the alpha csses of years 2 and 3 weren't as close as one ahe distaween them quickly grew shorter after experieng the same difficulties. They have bee rades in just a short amount of time.

  "Everyone～! Line up here and receive your share～!" ［Yuna］

  """"Yes!""""

  The students' eyes were quickly painted with color as soon as they all looked at Yuna's dire, or rather than Yuna, they looked at the servings of sweets which Yuna had prepared as they trained.

  After the sed day, Grey and Yuna had been using sweets to reward the students for their hard work. It is the only thing that kept the students striving even with how difficult their training was.

  Of course, the money spent in making those sweets were from the academy's funds. As Grey and Yuna barely use any resources, they use the funds allocated for their csses into buying ingredients for sweets the students looked forward to.

  While it eculiar method, the Headmaster did not object to their idea as it worked out well in the end. It also made the Headmaster resider their currehods after seeing how effective Grey and Yuna's carrot and stick strategy was.

  "Huh? What's thisー" ［Julius］

  "Waah～! It's ice cream!" ［Elise］

  "I've always wao have some again!" ［Eine］

  Julius' question was cut short as two young dies expressed their happiness upon seeing the cold dessert. They were very happy that they totally fot about the hardships they just experienced.

  It was the first time Grey and Yuna served ice cream to their csses, and as one would expect, the students looked at them with curious gazes. After all, ice cream was inally from Earth, not Merusia.

  "Oh? Had Lady Elise and Lady Eine had this already?" ［Amelia］

  "Ah, y-yes. We've had them back several days ago. They're absolutely sweet and delicious!" ［Elise］

  "Lady Amelia, you should try it. I'm sure you'll like it!" ［Eine］

  "Fufu, then I'll also have some, Miss Yuna." ［Amelia］

  "Un! Sure!" ［Yuna］

  Driven by Elise and Eine's remarks, Amelia took a cup of ice cream from the bench. Followihe other students also took a share for their own, leaving only two cups behind, frey and Yuna to enjoy.

  "Mmm! It really is sweet and delicious!" ［Amelia］

  "Right? Instructrey and Yuna really make amazing stuff!" ［Eine］

  "I couldn't agree more! Even the food they cook are delicious!" ［Elise］

  "Oh my, you're also eaten their cooking?!" ［Amelia］

  It didn't take long for the girls to engage in a versation about food and sweets, and it being the topic, Yuna also joined in soon after. The four of them talked like they usually would during lunch breaks.

  The other students also eheir cups of ice cream with delightful faces. Their mental fatigue melted along with the ice cream in their mouths. Some even had tears trig down their faces as they remembered what they had just gohrough.

  If there was one person who had totally different as than the rest, it would be Julius who was looking bad forth between Grey and Yuna as he slowly ate his ice cream.

  "Instructor, I have a question." ［Julius］

  "Hm? What is it?" ［Grey］

  "Between you and Instructor Yuna, who's stronger?" ［Julius］

  Julius' question not only surprised Grey a little bit, but also Yuna and the other students who happeo overhear their versation. All of them also wao know the answer.

  Grey didn't answer Julius' question immediately, and took his time to think. Although the answer was already obvious, it would be different if one siders their abilities, especially with Yuna's "Nihility" which allows attacks to pass through her.

  "It's Grey. He's strohan me." ［Yuna］

  The silence was only broken when Yuna opened her mouth. All eyes and ears were focused on her when she said those words nontly, slowly feeding herself ice cream after she answered.

  "Well, actually, if we were to fight, Yuna has the ability to put it to a stalemate. It's a tricky question." ［Grey］

  "Oh, a stalemate, huh... I kind of want to see that..." ［Julius］

  An idea quickly sprouted inside Grey's mind as Julius mumbled away his thoughts. It had occurred to him that haven't had the ce to spar with Yuna ever sihey left the forest.

  Before they entered Galderia, every on a while, Grey and Yuna would always spar against one ao test their growth against human oppos. It was something they haven't been able to do sihere wasn't any pce they could.

  They have grown so much from the st time they sparred that Grey wao see how they would fare against each other. Especially now that Yuna had reached S-rank and unlocked the final effect of her ability. He wao spar with her once again for old time's sake.

  "Hm? Then how about we show you?" ［Grey］

  "Eh?" ［Julius］

  "Yuna, you're also fih it, right? A spar, that is." ［Grey］

  "A spar...? Un, sure! It's been a while as well." ［Yuna］

  Julius still fused about what was happening, an agreement had already been formed with both Grey and Yuna. It didn't take long for both their csses to take i in their spar.

  With everythiled, everyone quickly fiheir ice creams and headed out of the shade. Grey and Yuna headed towards the ter of the training ground while the students stayed at the sidelines.

  The rules of the match were simir to that of Elise and Eliza's a few days ago. The only difference was that Grey and Yuna were restricted to only using the strength of D-rankers and could only use magic up to the intermediate level.

  It was also agreed that her Grey nor Yuna are allowed to use their abilities. After all, Yuna's abilities would rehe students from seeing her. It would defeat the whole purpose of the match.

  ??Barrier?? ［Grey and Yuna］

  For the safety of the students spectating the match, Grey and Yuna quickly erected a barrier c all of the training ground. It was ented so that the spectators would still see it even if dust scattered all over the pce.

  As for the referee of the match, Julius would be taking up that position. He had the ability "Sharp Sense", a 2☆ ability which Gaston also possessed. It was an ability like what its name suggests, increases the person's senses a couple folds.

  "Are you both ready?!" ［Julius］

  "Yeah!" ［Grey］  "Un!" ［Yuna］

  "Then... Begin!" ［Julius］

  ??Icicle Shotgun!?? ［Yuna］  ??Gale Waltz!?? ［Grey］

  Not even a sed after Julius annouhe start of the match, two intermediate-level spells quickly came flying towards the oppo's dire, creating a burst of cold wind as the two attacks cshed.

  Utilizing her speed as an assassin, Yuna swiftly kicked up a dust cloud and dashed trey afterwards. The tter, uo use his abilities, could only rely on his seo detect Yuna.

  Whoooshh

  A rge javelin made of ice came flying from the dust cloud, log trey's shoulder bde. It wasn't the only one. As soon as Grey dodged it, others came p towards him from all dires.

  Left, Right, and even in irregur dires from below, the frenzy of icicles tinued as time passed. But rather than dodging them, Grey grabbed those icicles ahem back where they came from.

  Ruummblleee

  As the torrent of ice tihe ground started to quake, and soon after, spikes came sprouting from the ground in rapid succession. Grey was left with no other choice but to move from where he was.

  ??Icicle Shotgun!?? ［Yuna］

  As soon as Grey left the dust cloud, Yuna immediately came after him like a tiger stalking its prey. A multitude of ice javelins bsted trey's face at speeds which easily surpassed that of a bullet.

  Thuddd

  With a stomp of his feet, Grey quickly erected a wall of earth, successfully blog most of the javelins. The remaining ones which passed through were easily crushed by his hands.

  Yuna tried to escape by leaping backwards, but she was met with a rge obstacle. Grey didn't just erect a wall in front of him, he also made another one behind Yuna at the same time to er her.

  Grey didn't waste any time and jumped over the wall he had previously created with the help of wind magic. At the same time, he also erected a couple more walls, g Yuna ih nowhere left to escape but towards his dire.

  ??Wind Cutter!?? ［Grey］

  A bde of wind came rushing towards Yuna as soon as she turned around and faced Grey. She was able to quickly evade it by bending her body downwards, her face fag towards the sky.

  The same thing couldn't be said towards the walls Grey had created. As they bore the brunt of Grey's attack, they were perfectly cut in half, falling towards the ground with a loud thud.

  With the walls cut down, Yuna quickly made use of her flexibility and twisted her body slightly tain solid footing, but as soon as she was ba her feet, Grey had already appeared in front of her.

  ??Magnum Caliber!?? ［Grey］

  Grey's punch quickly ected to Yuna as she tried to defend by crossing her arms. Her daggers were also crossed along her arms, successfully taking in the full ford impact of Grey's heavy punch.

  "Ughh!" ［Yuna］

  Clouds of dust came swirling again iraining ground as Yuna ushed back several meters away from her previous location. Grey's punch was so heavy that she left rge marks in the ground, making it seem like the training ground was scarred.

  However, Yuna's worries were far from over. As she ushed back, Grey also leaped towards her at the same time. She hasn't even recovered her but she received yet arike from him.

  The sed strike percut which broke through Yuna's crossed arms in an instant, leaving the elven girl defenseless. To make it worse, as soon as her guard was down, Grey's other fist was ready to nd arike.

  ??Barrier!?? ［Yuna］

  Yued a barrier to shield her but it was futile. Grey's attack quickly broke through the barrier, however, it provided her enough time to escape the current situation and kick up another cloud dust.

  Long before the match started, Yuna had already realized that she would be at a disadva close quarters bat. After all, Grey's "Brawler" css ecialized in rahile her "Assassin" css ecialized in speed and stealth. She couldn't afford having Grey close in on her again.

  ??Icicle Shotgun!?? ［Yuna］

  Grey tried chasing after Yuna, but before he could, another "Icicle Shotgun" came flying towards him, f him to stop and defend. He erected another wall, blog not only the projectiles but also his vision of Yuna.

  By the time the wave of icicles were over, a strange sight greeted Grey as soon as he dissolved the wall. The training ground had turned pletely wet, with rge puddles of water everywhere as if it had just rained.

  It didn't take long befrey figured out what Yuna was trying to dht before his eyes, Yuna used fire magid immediately turhe water lying down inte clouds of vapor, pletely engulfing the whole training ground.

  The first batch of evaporation only made a thin mist, but Yuna didn't just stop there. Oer another, Yuna created more water and turned all of them into vapor. By the time the dust settled, a thick mist already reigned over the training ground.

  While Grey could have just used wind magic to disperse the mist, sihe training ground was enclosed in a barrier, the mist would just circute a filled ihan a fra of a sed. In other words, it was useless.

  With the use of abilities forbidden, Grey didn't dare to charge recklessly in the mist-filled training ground. Instead, what Grey did was wait for Yuna to attack so that he ascertain her location.

  ??Ice Lance!?? ［Yuna］

  Grey didn't have to wait for long. A few seds after he stopped on his tracks, a rge icicle came flying towards him once again. He quickly dodged it and ran towards its in as fast as he could.

  trary to Grey's expectation, the moment he arrived to where he thought the source was, Yuna wasn't there nor was she nearby. There wasn't even a trace of her footsteps anywhere. He was bamboozled.

  What Yuna did was not fire a spell trey, rather, she fired a spell then trolled it with mana. She bent the spell's trajectory and made it seem it came from somewhere else. A very useful pn inside a misty enviro.

  Realizing Yuna's strategy, Grey couldn't help but smile a little. The young girl she thought a couple of years ago had already grown so much. Unfortunately, it was time to end the match,

  ??Blizzard?? ［Grey］

  Using Yuna's own primary element, Grey quickly froze the training ground, c the ground with gcial blue eyes and l the temperature all around the training ground. It was a temperature enough to turn water into i a short moment.

  The spell did not harm Yuna in any way, but that wasn't Grey's goal. With the temperature dropping down like crazy, the vapor densed bato water then into ice. Soon after, the thick mist was gone, only leaving behind a snowy field.

  "There you are." ［Grey］

  With the curtains of mist gone, Yuna's location was immediately revealed to Grey. The tter did not waste any time and swiftly rushed towards him, using the moment Yuna was still fused to his advantage.

  Even with the slippery snowy ground, Grey did not lose band just tinued rushing towards Yuna. By the moment Yuna noticed, he was only a few meters away from her.

  ??Sickle Cw!?? ［Yuna］

  ??Magnum Caliber!?? ［Grey］

  Yuna tried to slow Grey down by ung an art towards him, but Grey just faced it head on and tered it with his own. He was like an unstoppable force which destroys everything in its path.

  As soon as Yuna's art was broken through, Grey utilized wind magice again in order to close the gap between him and her. In just a quick burst, Grey immediately arrived in Yuna's range.

  "It's over. ??Magnum Calibー" ［Grey］

  Grey, I love you. ［Yuna］

  Befrey could even throw his punch, Yuna's voice suddenly came ringing inside his mind without any warning. It was so sudden that Grey started stumbling and he missed the ce to nd a hit.

  Yuna didn't waste the opportunity and quickly docked. She the Grey off his feet, making him fall towards the frozen ground. By the time he noticed, Yuna's daggers were already pointing towards him.

  "You're right, it is over." ［Yuna］

  "That's sly..." ［Grey］

  "Hehehe! All's fair in love and war, isn't it?" ［Yuna］

  Yuna giggled to herself as she saw Grey look at her with a little bewilderment on his face. Grey oher hand was not a little bit upset as it was also his fault for letting surprise get the better of him.

  "Haah... I give up. It's my loss." ［Grey］

  "Th-The winner is Instructor Yuna!" ［Julius］

  The result of the match was quickly announced as soon as Grey raised his hands i. A loud cheering then came after as both csses appuded the amazing match that had just taken pce.

  The barrier was quickly dispelled whech was over and the training ground was reverted back to its inal state with a quick work from Grey and Yuna. It was as if the matever happened.

  "Instructor Yuna, how did you make Instructrey stumble at the st moment?!"

  "Did you use some kind of spell?!"

  "Please teach us how you did it!"

  Questions came p down towards Yuna as soon as she and Grey returned back to where the students were. All of them were excited to hear the details of the match from their instructors themselves.

  "Fufufu, that's a secret～. All I say is that you have to make use of everything at your disposal!" ［Yuna］

  Everyone's head was filled with fusion as they tried to decode what Yu. The only person to uand her was Grey who is still a little taken aback from how sly his girlfriend had bee.

  What happeoday was a secret only Grey and Yuna knew. It is something which the two of them will remember for the rest of their lives. One of their preemories brought about by a random whim.

  CHAPTER 94 END