“Hail Dust!”
✦ ✦ ✦
Countless chunks of ice rained down.
The magic missiles fell from every angle, unleashing a dreadful chill as they accurately tore into only the monsters. Like a furious storm sent by the heavens, it shook the battlefield even as it froze the air.
“?!”
It blew away every remaining monster in the room. Minotaurs and liger fangs froze without even getting out a roar before shattering into glittering dust and ice shards.
Hail Dust. It was a wide-area attack spell like Lefiya’s Fusillade Fallarica. One was imbued with the ice element and the other fire, but they were similar in that they both launched a massive number of magical projectiles at once. However, Fusillade Fallarica could only fire forward in a cone. At the same time, Alicia’s Hail Dust could target everything within its range, unleashing its hail from the sphere above her head in a full three hundred and sixty degrees in whatever direction she chose.
Just like Lefiya had demonstrated, moving to the center of the battlefield and eliminating every single enemy was possible.
Its range and raw power were lower than Fusillade Fallarica, but it was far more versatile. It was a highly valued spell even within the Fairy Force led by Riveria.
Both spells had their merits and drawbacks, but Lefiya could use whichever the situation called for. Thousand Elf was allowed to cheat like that.
“Whoa?!”
They were not hit by the magic, but Luke fell backward to the ground, still swallowed up by the blast of cold air.
Miliria managed to remain standing somehow, but Nano, who was also a mage, slumped to the ground, seeing the elf mage turn the large room into a frozen plain.
“…Unexpectedly, it seems I’ve found homework to assign.”
Lefiya confirmed that the fight was over in the chilled, frozen room and then turned around. Her bright blond hair swayed, and fragments of ice danced through the air as she walked over to the 7th Squad.
“Luke, you have to always remain calm. If you’re in command, then you are the party’s lifeline. You can never let yourself fall, and you must always keep in mind the responsibility you have toward your party members as a leader.”
“…”
“And the rest of you, work on keeping your party functioning even without Luke. You have become a little too dependent on him. You should, of course, address your individual abilities, but you should also focus on developing the flexibility to change positions as needed.”
“““O-okay!”””
Luke, who could not manage a reply, and the other three, who answered in unison, all looked at Lefiya with different eyes.
Meanwhile, without changing expression or stance, she stopped in front of the boy sitting on the ground.
“Luke, I believe that it’s too soon for you to join the ranks of the dead. Your loss would put this party in danger. And above all, they would be sad.”
“…I…”
Luke looked up as Lefiya peered down at him.
She couldn’t get through to him before, but her words were certainly reaching him now.
Now that he had been shown what his actions might lead to, he bit his lip in shame.
Shouldn’t be impatient, huh…?
As she mulled over what she said to Luke, Lefiya lowered her gaze as well.
Thinking carefully about what she should say now and what answer she could give now, she added, “So…let’s get stronger as fast as we can. You and me both.”
“Huh?”
Meeting his widened eyes, she smiled.
“People around the world are suffering… Honestly, until you mentioned it, I didn’t think much of it. My own concerns took everything I had.”
“…Instructor…”
“I shall strive to become stronger, too. So that you won’t have to be angry anymore. And I’ll teach you as much as I can so that you’ll be able to achieve whatever your heart desires.”
Her words were sincere.
After she survived a terrible battle and lost something precious, she had become obsessed with becoming stronger. Now, for the first time, Lefiya acknowledged that her heart had changed.
She could not say if everything had gone exactly as Loki had intended. But by instructing these students, she had gained a new outlook on life, and she felt like she still had room to grow.
“Luke, if there’s something that is bothering you, then don’t hold it in. Just say it. You seem depressed, but the way you are able to state your opinion without fear is part of your charm.”
“Wh-what?!”
Luke let out a wild shout.
Lefiya had always been a people pleaser.
When Anakity and Alicia came to recruit, she had never once thought to disagree with anything they said. She had just nodded happily like a puppy. And it was the same after entering Loki Familia, which made it something of an extension of her time as a student.
Luke was different. He was willing to stand by his beliefs, and if he didn’t agree with his superiors, he wouldn’t hesitate to challenge them. And on top of that, he could acknowledge his own mistakes, like now.
Lefiya was genuinely jealous and thought it was incredible.
So even if he was depressed about looking so pathetic, Lefiya respected him.
“I-isn’t that the opposite of what you just said?! You didn’t want me going against you…!”
“I did not say never argue. If you have a question or something feels wrong, then please say so. I will always answer to the best of my ability.”
In doing so, we students of the School District can grow even stronger.
Leaving that bit unsaid, Lefiya put away her sword and wand. Crouching down, she reached out her hand to the boy who peered up at her in bewilderment.
And remembering an old memory that fit the moment perfectly, she put her feelings into words.
“It’s all right. I will advise you and correct you as much as you need.”
Lefiya smiled as she held out her hand.
It was the unclouded smile of a kind, caring senior.
And seeing that, the boy…suddenly turned incredibly red, as if he had fallen ill.