Chapter 74: Cutting Through in One Stroke

The training waters had transformed into a hellish scene within minutes of the start.

Each boat displayed its unique modifications and characteristics, with artillery fire flying everywhere and water columns rising one after another.

The creaking of wooden hulls colliding, angry shouts, screams, the explosive sounds of magic—all of it mixed together, shaking the sea surface.

Among them, the most eye-catching presence was, of course, the girl with pure white hair fluttering in the sea breeze—Emma.

“Alright, next wave coming! Hold on tight!!”

“Eeeek… I-I’m holding on, but this is definitely impossible, Emma~~!!”

Completely ignoring the screams of the female student riding with her, Emma handled both oars almost simultaneously, accelerating the boat as if making it bounce.

She was like a bird gliding across the sea.

At that speed, a normal student would lose control and capsizing would be inevitable.

But perhaps due to protagonist correction, she read the height of the waves and turned the rudder, weaving through the gaps between artillery fire as if dancing.

“Why is that person laughing instead of getting seasick…?”

“No, that’s not even knight department training anymore. Is that air force training or something…?”

While the surrounding students watched in amazement, Emma accelerated even more.

She was clearly aiming for the fastest goal, and her ability was obvious at a glance.

However, another threat was rampaging behind her.

“Move outta the waaaaay!! You’re in the way!”

Along with a rough voice, a massive water column rose up.

It was Razer’s boat.

What should have originally been a two-person boat no longer retained its original form, with magic cannons and auxiliary parts from other teams forcibly attached all over it.

The hull was asymmetrical, with three gun turrets.

Because magic power boards to increase propulsion were carelessly stuck on, sparks flew with each movement.

The girl riding with him—the timid Erett—was already trembling with both hands covering her ears.

“R-Razer-san, please… hic… stop…”

“Don’t cry, Erett, it’s dangerous! Hold on tight!”

No, crying was natural.

Every time an enemy boat approached, Razer didn’t hesitate to slash in, knock the opponents into the sea, and plunder their parts.

The students trembled at his bold and fearless fighting style.

“This isn’t naval warfare!? Why is he alone acting like a pirate crew!”

“Damn it, don’t get close! Razer’s coming!”

“Someone stop him!! The instructor!? Where did the instructor go!!”

However, the instructors had already grasped Razer’s outrages but seemed to be observing quietly, judging it to be within the scope of training.

The knight department existed to survive through rough situations in the first place.

And Razer’s commotion hadn’t yet exceeded the rules.

Proof of this was that no one wanted to step into Razer’s path.

Once targeted, you’d be sunk along with your boat.

Still, Razer seemed somewhat dissatisfied.

“Tch… Where did Arcs go? He keeps running away…”

While roughly turning the rudder, he clicked his tongue as if searching the surroundings.

“Come on already, entertain me… valedictorian!!”

Razer’s roaring voice echoed across the raging sea surface.

“Alright! Once we pass those rocks, it’s the midpoint!”

“I hate this so muuuuch… Why am I in the same group as Emma today…”

Meanwhile, Emma was about to enter solo leading mode.

The passenger’s screams had already become background noise, and Emma paid them no mind.

That’s when it happened.

Far behind her field of vision, the sea surface… rose up unnaturally.

“Hm? Something, behind us… aren’t the waves high?”

“Hic… Hiii!? Wh-what’s that, isn’t the sea splitting…!?”

Emma turned around while steering.

The center of the sea surface—the water was splitting as if being pushed apart to the left and right.

As if some massive force was prying open the sea itself.

At the deepest part of the split sea trench—from there, white spray “exploded.”

BOOM!!

A massive water column pierced toward the sky, and the shockwave slammed the surrounding sea surface.

Raging waves smashed the rocky area, Razer involuntarily turned the rudder and lost balance, and Emma’s eyes widened as she froze.

“Wha… I’m feeling some incredible pressure…”

“The sea itself is being gouged out!? Eh, impossible, that’s against the rules… or rather, against the laws of the world…”

The students clung to their boats in terror, looking down at the valley bottom that had just formed before their eyes.

The muddy currents pushed aside to the left and right towered as massive water walls with a thunderous roar.

At the bottom—the exposed rocky surface and sandy seabed continued like a single road.

And from the depths of that.

Brushing back his wet hair, a young man appeared leisurely.

It was Arcs.

With each wave of his finger, the water walls were pushed further apart, and he ran lightly across the dry seabed.

Kicking sand, leaping over rocks, as if it had originally been land.

“…Ah, this did get flashy after all.”

With the massive explosion behind him, the person himself muttered casually.

“Oi, you bastard, Arcs!!”

Above Arcs’s head, a spirited angry shout rang out.

Looking up, he saw Razer looking down at him while pulling up the dizzy-eyed Erett.

“Ah… Razer-san. What a coincidence.”

“What the hell did you do!”

“What I did, or rather, it’s as you see…”

Arcs scratched his cheek and spread his hands as if making excuses.

“Well, at first I was trying to make a proper effort for the race. The people in front kept advancing steadily, and Razer-san hunted all the battle points… I thought this was the only way to leap to the top.”

“…”

Razer was speechless, as if looking at some incomprehensible creature.

As Arcs ran as if fleeing, the split sea path extended forward matching his speed.

The water walls roared, and the sea continued to open like massive doors.

Each time, the other students’ small boats were whipped by rough waves and thrashed up and down.

“Wa, wawa, such big waves…!”

“Emma, I’m at my limit!”

Emma’s small boat was thrown up greatly by the big wave—and tilted to the side with a lurch.

“Emma!?”

“Wha… hey, this is—!”

Emma’s body was thrown into the air, falling headfirst into the split in the sea wall.

“Kyaaaa——!?”

At that moment.

Whoosh, a gale ran through.

“Yes, I caught you. Are you alright?”

Arcs, who had been running swiftly across the seabed, caught the falling Emma firmly in mid-air with a single leap.

His arms showed no hesitation, and there was almost no sense of impact.

It was a princess carry so natural it was as if he had been there from the start.

“Wha…! H-hey…!? Eh, I should have fallen… eh…!? Why is Arcs-kun here…!”

“Well, you were falling so I picked you up.”

“Th… thank you…?”

Emma clung on in confusion from within his arms.

Mixed with the reaction from fear, she pressed her face tightly against Arcs’s chest.

Only then did she finally notice the scenery around her.

“Wait, Arcs-kun, what is this!? The sea… the sea has split wide open!?”

“Well, it’s a long story, as they say.”

“Eh, you really did this… Arcs-kun. H-how!? Is this okay!?”

“Hmm, well…”

Arcs looked back behind him.

The shore where the exam proctors were couldn’t be seen because of the towering sea walls.

“…Well, it should be fine.”

Arcs shrugged his shoulders while picturing the face of the teacher who had put a bounty on him.