"I don't mind as long as you do your job properly."
"..."
Rotsard added, tilting his head in a similar manner to how Syon was doing it before, causing the man to grit his teeth and glare at him with much more intensity.
"Speaking of, I will be getting help from my contracted fae."
"...!"
When Oliver spoke up, it made Syon, who appeared to completely forget about where and why he was there, flinch and hurriedly turn to him.
"Then you're aware of the risk of that… of student Vallhall targeting it?"
Syon inquired while sending Rotsard a very hostile glare over his shoulder.
"I am. In fact, I believe the flames of my contracted fae are the best option for countering his ice."
"Oh, that's a terrible idea."
Oliver nodded and explained, but Rotsard spoke up against the idea instantly.
"...that is not something for you to decide…"
Syon gritted his teeth and groan at the bleached-blond-haired youth.
"And how exactly is countering ice with fire a bad idea?"
Oliver himself also challenged Rotsard's advice while furrowing his brows.
"Because ice of the Essence of Winter is completely different from ice created by mana. My very mana is of the ice element… and although I detest the idea, it is very much like mana of a Grand Fae of Ice… therefore, unless your contracted fae is a Grand Fae of Fire, I advise you to not summon it."
Rotsard took a deep, regretful breath and revealed with a bitter expression as if having to compare himself to a fae was making his skin crawl.
"Ice mana cannot be countered with a spell created by normal mana merely attuned to fire. If you're looking for an attunement that will give you a CHANCE to directly counter me, it should be nature."
"..."
Rotsard explained, and at least Syon instantly went silent, looking to the side and squinting his eyes.
"Tsk! Talk all you want, you won't get away from beating!"
"No… What he said isn't wrong… just in case he's telling the truth, I also advise you to not summon your fae."
Oliver's face turned red from anger and he clicked his tongue before declaring in a heated voice, but right then, Syon shook his head slowly and said with a hesitant voice.
"Vice Headmaster?! You cannot be serious! I refuse to believe a word he says! He's surely lying and desperately tries to cheat his way into victory!"
Oliver growled furiously, going ahead and pointing at Rotsard's face with the tip of his slightly charred wooden sword.
"Maybe I do~"
"!!!"
"See!? I told you!"
In response, Rotsard ended up tilting his head all the way to the side and snickered, causing Syon to tense up while Oliver, who did not pay attention to the beastly yellow eyes, scoffed and called out.
"...but even if I'm lying, wouldn't a reasonable master test it first without putting their precious contracted fae into harm's way…?"
Alas, Rotsard also paid him no mind and continued what he wanted to say from the start.
"And what?! Lose the first move because of your provocation!? Don't make me laugh, you shameless cheat! The whole Academy knows that the only time you win is by ambushing your victim! You're nothing more than a cowardly scum!"
"If that's the case, so be it. Young Lord Syon, I'm ready."
"!"
Oliver scoffed, utterly dismissive about the issue, to which Rotsard merely shrugged his shoulders with a wry smile before nodding his head up at the baffled vice headmaster.
"..."
"HMPH!"
And as Syon looked over at Oliver, the sixth-year student scoffed and nodded his head decisively, taking a proper stance without taking his eyes off his opponent.
"...I have a bad feeling about this… READY YOURSELVES!"
In the end, Syon sighed to himself under his breath before raising his right hand and shouting over the entire training ground.
Oliver couldn't look more ready, while Rotsard was the picture of dismissive nonchalance.
Neither of them needed to verbally confirm Syon's call.
"BEGIN!"
Syon roared and dropped his hand…
In the span of the next few moments, a couple of things happened.
Before anything else, a circle of light spread out from beneath Rotsard's feet and disembodied ephemeral wings spread out from above his back basically instantaneously.
Oliver moved, but not on the direct offensive. Instead, he jumped back, while keeping his sword-wielding hand back, he reached his left hand towards his opponent and started opening his mouth.
Syon glanced first at Rotsard, then he was going to look at Oliver, but in the middle of the movement, his brain actually registered what he saw and the vice headmaster turned right back to the bleached-blond-haired youth with such gusto that he almost lost his balance.
"Appear in blazes and torch him, Pilgri! Enflame!"
Oliver roared, taking back his hand even before his contracted fae would appear, and briefly touching the handle of his sword with his left hand before sliding it across the blade while chanting the incantation.
The sixth-year student had already seen Rotsard's fancy meditation technique, but didn't think it was actually important.
A shame, truly.
If he paid attention to the vice headmaster's expression, he would have realized the depth of the shit he was already buried in.
Then, Oliver's contracted fae appeared.