Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 267: Episode

’WHOAAAAA!’

A major showdown had begun. The audience couldn’t hide their excitement as the standoff between Simon and Raheim, two special admission students, filled the main screen. The announcer, caught up in the fervor, propped his feet on the table and roared.

"It’s a huge matchup right from the start of the exam! Special Admission No. 8, Raheim, who became the Lord of the Snowy Field in his teens! And the one who caused a massive sensation in the second BMAT, Special Admission No. 1, Simon Polentia!"

The announcer turned to his co-commentator. "Professor Jane! What are your thoughts on this fight? Coincidentally, the two students you mentioned we should watch for have met!"

Jane glanced disapprovingly at the announcer’s feet on her table, then sighed. "For now, Raheim has the advantage."

"Ah, is that so! I’m curious about your reasoning!"

"While he has recently shown talent in Cursology and Hemomancy, Simon’s foundation is, after all, Summoning. A battlefield like the sea is the greatest obstacle for a summoning major."

"That’s certainly true! The statistics show that summoning students are struggling greatly!"

Most of the summoning aspirants had abandoned their summons and were taking the exam using black magic from other fields. Since it wasn’t their specialty, their competitiveness had plummeted. It was already being rumored that thirty of the fifty dropouts might be summoning students.

"I’m curious to see how Simon will overcome the limitations of his major! Let’s keep watching!"

---

Simon sliced through the water, a frantic wake trailing behind him. Above, Raheim hovered like a hawk, relentlessly raining down explosive snow bombs.

’Booom! Booom!’

Water erupted all around Simon.

’Ugh, I don’t want to use Deimos already because of a guy like him.’

He decided to hold out as long as he could. Simon took a deep breath and dove.

He fled underwater, but Raheim persistently showered attacks from the sky. The projectiles pierced the surface and shot forward with terrifying speed, seemingly unaffected by the water’s resistance.

’He’s already prepared for underwater combat.’

Simon quickly swam and hid among a large group of students, calculating that Raheim wouldn’t risk making enemies of so many people. However, Raheim bombarded not only Simon but also every other student who got in his way. Those hit by the snow bombs began to sink into the depths as if iron weights were tied to their legs.

"Ugh! What the hell?"

"An attack from the sky!"

Just then, Simon broke the surface with a gasp and shouted, "That guy is Raheim!"

"Raheim?"

"He’s the one in first place! He’s already collected all ten coins!"

"Get that bastard first!"

The counterattack began. As a storm of Jet-Black magic and curses rained down, Raheim scowled and pulled back.

"You rat...!"

In the chaos, Simon had vanished again. While Raheim was tied up fighting the other students, Simon stealthily swam away.

"Puhaaa!" he gasped, climbing onto another floating platform. He swept back his wet hair and let out a light sigh.

’A necromancer who can handle both aerial and naval combat... how tricky.’

Just as he was catching his breath and standing up, a blur of motion descended.

’Thwack!’

Raheim flew like a comet from the air and landed on the platform Simon was standing on.

"Why are you running?" he demanded. As he landed on a corner, the entire platform tilted heavily in his direction.

’Whoa!’

Simon bent his knees, barely maintaining his balance.

"I thought we were having a duel for Meirin! Jumon Bolendis!"

Simon blinked. "What? My name is Simon Polentia."

"Just shut up and get it," Raheim snapped. He firmly pressed down his white swim cap and grinned. "I will make you fail this exam, and from now on, I will make Meirin look only at me. It’s useless no matter where you run, Jemon Bolentona!"

"...Your names are getting weirder."

"The only name I need to remember is Meirin Villenne!" Raheim pounded his chest. "Anyway! I’m going to make sure you’re one of the fifty dropouts. Even if you come back in thirty minutes, I’ll kill you every single time!"

"...Uh, um. Sure."

"However, there is one way for you to stay at Kizen!" The corners of his lips curled into a sneer. "Swear it. Swear that you will never again have any lingering feelings for Meirin, and that you will never appear before us again! Say it in front of the countless spectators watching through the Observers!"

At this point, Simon was starting to get genuinely worried about this boy named Raheim.

"...Sorry, but do you happen to have some kind of, you know, mental problem?"

"How dare a mere student mock the Lord of the Snowy Field!" Raheim roared.

He clenched his fists and pulled them to his sides. The platform creaked and began to tilt again as he spread ‘Gold Snow’ under his feet. As the weight shifted, Simon focused his consciousness on his left foot and raised his concentration.

’‘Open Gate!’’

’Chwa-rurururuk! Chwa-ruruk!’

Six blades shot out at once, but Raheim had already leaped off the platform.

"I will not forgive you! Jubon Bolendodina!"

’...I’m just going to ignore the name from now on.’

The platform flipped over. Simon, plunged into the sea, tried to swim away, but Raheim continuously fired projectiles at the platform. Covered in Gold Snow, it became incredibly heavy and began to sink, dragging Simon down with it.

’Kugh!’

The downward force was too strong to escape. Simon clenched his fist and gathered his Jet-Black energy. A brilliant, deep blue glow enveloped his hand.

<Hongfeng Original - Chwita>

’Thwack!’

The moment Simon punched, a large hole blew open in the platform, and he slipped through. Watching the platform sink to the bottom of the sea, Simon let out a sigh of relief.

’Splash!’

But in the distance, Raheim was diving into the sea. As he frantically looked for Simon, students blinded by the coins he possessed launched a simultaneous attack.

’Why is that guy so thoughtless? It’s good for me, though.’

While Raheim was occupied, Simon leisurely headed for the surface. He found another floating platform and swam toward it.

’If he chases me again, I’ll have no choice...’

[Boy! He’s coming from behind!]

Raheim was ignoring the other students and chasing after Simon. Bubbles continuously streamed from the magic circles under his feet.

’I have no choice, Pier.’

Not everything was going according to plan, but it couldn’t be helped. Simon hardened his resolve and climbed onto the platform.

’I’m taking it out.’

[Kuhahaha!]

Simon kicked off, leaping into the air as he generated Jet-Black energy. Almost simultaneously, the platform he had been standing on sank into the sea, struck by one of Raheim’s snow bombs. While Simon was airborne, Raheim also broke the surface. He spotted Simon and shouted.

"This is the end!"

Eight magic circles unfolded above Raheim’s body. The other students floating in the sea, the spectators watching on the main screen—everyone was watching Simon’s next move.

And Simon, while in mid-air, leisurely reached his arm back and tore open a long rift in space.

At the massive vibration, reminiscent of the world’s creation, everyone watching widened their eyes. Raheim hastily stopped his attack. Soon, what emerged from that Subspace was...

"A mo-monster?" Raheim stammered.

The colossal skeleton of a whale, easily over fifty feet long, emerged from the rift. A long skull composed of an upper and lower jaw, followed by neck vertebrae. At the end of the long spinal column connecting the back, waist, and tail, was an elaborate fin. The two pectoral fins extending from its chest were reminiscent of a land-dwelling mammal. Simon lightly landed on top of it and waved at the dumbfounded Raheim.

’Booooom!’

As Simon and Deimos hit the water, a mountain-sized splash erupted, staggering Raheim.

"Waaaaah!"

"What is that?"

The students stared at Simon, who was riding Deimos, their expressions a mixture of shock and awe. The sight of him crossing the sea at lightning speed on a skeletal whale was the epitome of a necromancer’s dream.

[Khahahahahah!! Good! Very good!] Pier roared, reveling in the speed.

A smile also appeared on Simon’s lips. He was moving at a speed incomparable to swimming. Of course, he drew a ton of attention. The watching students fired black magic, but there was no way they could keep up with Deimos’s speed.

"You bastard!"

Raheim followed him into the sea. The magic circles under his feet accelerated, spewing bubbles.

’Vwoong! Vwoong! Vwoong! Vwoong!’

Once again, eight magic circles unfolded around Raheim, and he continuously fired projectiles of Gold Snow. In the water, they gained a homing function and followed Deimos.

’You want to try, huh?’

Simon connected to Deimos’s mind and picked up speed. Deimos began to accelerate.

’Swhoooosh! Shuuuuu!’

Deimos, freely changing direction and traversing the sea, and Raheim’s projectiles, closely following below. Everyone’s mouths fell open at the sight of the two moving at high speed, leaving different trails against the backdrop of the sea.

’Crazy.’

’Are they the only ones taking a different test?’

The watching students were dumbfounded.

’Faster, faster!’

Simon’s concentration sharpened. Six of the eight projectiles couldn’t withstand the water pressure and disintegrated, while the remaining two stubbornly followed. Deimos was close to the surface, and just then, a floating platform came into view above.

’Now!’

Deimos made a sharp curve right under the platform, and the projectiles that followed collided with it and were destroyed.

’It worked!’

The elated Deimos rose to the surface and jumped. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

—’Vwoooooooooooooo!’

A roar like grinding metal erupted from the skeletal whale, its magical components scraping against one another. The gazes of all the students floating on the surface turned towards the giant skeletal whale that had risen into the air and Simon, who was riding on top of it. The sight, glinting in the sunlight, was like a masterpiece captured in a famous painting.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Naturally, the spectator seats on Roc Island went wild.

"Amazing! Truly amazing! He doesn’t disappoint this time either! Simon Polentia using a skeleton in the sea!" the announcer shouted, spittle flying. Jane quietly took out a handkerchief and wiped a drop of saliva from her arm.

"What on earth is that, Professor! How can a skeleton be so fast in the sea?"

"It’s the juvenile of Deimos, a level-eight-danger monster known as the ‘Ruler of the Sea,’" Jane stated, of course, already knowing. "It’s the only undead that can create the special undead, the ‘Nether Whale.’ This is the first time I’m seeing a skeleton version."

"Aaaaaah! So that’s what it was! Amazing! To prepare something like that in anticipation of an underwater battle!"

While the two were talking, Simon and Deimos descended back towards the seabed. The attacks from other students aiming for Simon didn’t even come close. The only one stubbornly following him was Raheim. Soon, Raheim spread his arms to the left and right. Once again, eight magic circles unfolded around his body. Simon glanced back, then turned Deimos to face Raheim and the nearby students.

’Let’s show them, Deimos!’

When Simon issued an absolute command, Deimos’s mouth gaped open. Inside, Jet-Black energy churned with a frightening force, sucking in the surrounding seawater.

’What the!’ Raheim flinched.

The sight below him was like a brilliant sun rising from the mouth of a giant whale’s skeleton.

<Tidal Current Cannon>

’Swhooooooooooooosh!’

With a roar, the Tidal Current Cannon shot out from Deimos’s mouth like an arrow. The massive wave of water made the eight projectiles Raheim had fired look feeble. They were all swept away by the sheer force, and the core of the blast reached Raheim.

"Whoa...!"

A massive explosion shook the entire sea. When Simon checked the Tonguepad on his arm, a dozen students had been eliminated.

’Yesss!’

Simon felt a thrilling jolt and clenched his fist. Deimos, its mind connected to his, followed with a tremendous roar of its own.