Extra To Protagonist-Chapter 267: Back to Gear (7)

The wind around him bent, compressing. His body blurred, one step, and the distance between him and the opposing leader vanished.

The boy’s eyes widened just as Merlin’s hand reached his collar. The air cracked, pressure, not violence, sending him flying backward into the shattered wall.

Merlin didn’t follow. He turned, eyes scanning the rest of the field.

Leira had forced back another opponent, Dain maintaining the team’s mana link, Renn’s flames sweeping the perimeter with reckless precision.

Within minutes, the opposition began to retreat, their cohesion breaking.

Merlin exhaled slowly. "Hold position. Don’t chase."

Renn turned, smirk faltering slightly. "You’re not going to finish them off?"

"This isn’t about finishing," Merlin said. "It’s about control."

Leira nodded once. "He’s right."

The forest quieted again. The relay crystal pulsed faintly, a sign that control had been established.

They waited.

Time bled slowly.

By the time the second opposing team arrived, they were ready.

This one fought smarter, ranged assault, coordinated movement.

But Merlin’s group had settled into a rhythm now, their affinities weaving together naturally. Leira’s earth fortified, Sera’s shadows concealed movement, Sil’s lightning cut through defenses, Dain reinforced from the back, and Renn, reckless but brilliant, created openings none of them saw coming.

Merlin filled the spaces between them, adapting, redirecting, protecting. Not as leader by command, but by gravity.

When the signal finally rang, the tone of completion echoing across the arena, all five stood standing, breath heavy, uniforms marked with dust and scorch, but intact.

The relay crystal dimmed.

Then Morgana’s voice echoed softly from the air:

"Team S, control maintained. Efficiency rating: 94%. Synchronization: 87%. Pass."

Sil let out a low whistle. "Not bad."

Renn wiped sweat from his brow, grinning. "Told you this would be fun."

Leira nodded, expression calm but faintly approving. "You held back."

Merlin looked at her. "...Did I?"

"You could’ve ended it faster," she said simply. "But you didn’t. You let us move."

His gaze softened slightly. "...That was the point."

They stood in the silence of the aftermath, the mist thinning under the morning sun. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Somewhere high above, unseen, Morgana watched, faint smile touching her lips.

’So he’s learning,’ she thought.

The platform beneath Team S flared once more, light swelling upward to return them to the academy courtyard.

As the glow consumed them, Merlin exhaled quietly, his mind steady, calm, but his heart faintly restless.

Because even though the test was over, he could feel it.

This was only the beginning.

The light faded.

Stone replaced sky; silence replaced wind.

Team S reappeared on the central platform, the faint shimmer of teleportation residue clinging to their uniforms like mist that refused to let go.

Around them, other groups were beginning to return as well, some limping, others laughing, a few carried by emergency mages. The scent of burned ozone and damp earth filled the courtyard.

Merlin exhaled slowly, loosening his shoulders. The others followed suit, Sera shaking sparks from her fingertips, Dain rubbing the bridge of his nose, Leira crouching to stretch out her legs.

Then came the voice.

"Team S. This way."

Professor Irelle stood near the eastern archway, her black uniform immaculate as ever. Her expression was unreadable, eyes sharp beneath her silver-rimmed glasses.

Without a word, they followed.

The room they entered was round and windowless, lined with faintly glowing crystals that pulsed in rhythm with their breathing.

A rune circle covered the floor, projecting ghost-images of the battlefield they had just left. Every movement they made replayed in spectral color above the ring, the strikes, the feints, the mistakes.

Professor Irelle folded her hands behind her back. "This is your debrief."

Her tone was neutral, but something in the air felt heavier than the room itself.

Morgana was not present.

Instead, two instructors stood by the far wall, Professor Ryn Vale, head of Tactical Application, and old Master Corin, who oversaw Combat Assessment. Both watched silently as the holographic replay flickered to life.

"Observation one," Irelle began, "you located and secured the relay point in under seven minutes. Impressive, given your mixed-year composition." Her gaze flicked toward Merlin. "The leadership was unspoken but clear."

Leira spoke before anyone else could. "Merlin made the calls."

Renn snorted lightly. "Yeah. The quiet kid who somehow makes everyone move the way he wants without saying much."

Sera grinned. "It’s creepy, honestly."

Merlin said nothing.

Professor Vale stepped forward, gesturing to the projection. "Observation two, coordination. Your elemental interplay was... unexpectedly clean. Particularly your control of field resonance." His tone carried mild disbelief. "Did you plan that formation beforehand?"

Leira shook her head. "No. We adjusted on the fly."

Vale studied her, then Merlin. "Then someone has very good instincts."

A soft hum rippled through the crystals, a replay of Merlin’s burst of wind and space magic when he intercepted the enemy leader. The instructors’ eyes followed the movement closely, too closely.

Master Corin’s brow furrowed. "That displacement speed. Not pure wind. What was the secondary?"

Merlin replied calmly. "Spatial compression. Just enough to close distance."

Corin’s frown deepened. "Risky technique for your level."

Merlin met his gaze. "Not if you know the limits."

Silence.

Then Irelle spoke again, voice clipped. "Observation three, restraint. You held overwhelming advantage yet did not pursue retreating opponents. Why?"

Merlin’s answer was immediate. "Because the trial was about control. Not elimination."

"Do you always assume the examiner’s intent?"

"No," Merlin said softly. "Just this one’s."

Her eyes narrowed, not in anger, but in curiosity. For a heartbeat, her mana pressure brushed the air, probing, and he felt it, the faint sting of a teacher’s scrutiny.

He didn’t flinch.

The pressure faded.

"Fine," she said, tone easing. "Result: Pass. Efficiency 94 percent. Synchronization 87. Recommended classification, Upper Tier."

Sera’s mouth dropped open slightly. "Upper Tier? That’s—"

"Provisional," Irelle interrupted. "Pending extended observation. Dismissed."

The group began to disperse, relief mixing with exhaustion. Leira gave Merlin a small nod as she passed, approval, wordless but solid. Renn clapped him on the shoulder.

"Guess you’re not just a quiet kid anymore."

Merlin’s lips curved faintly. "Guess not."

They filed out one by one, until only Merlin remained.

"Everhart," Irelle said quietly.

He paused.

"The Headmistress requested a private evaluation. Follow me."