The second round commenced, this time with the random terrain generator selecting a desert arena. The landscape offered virtually no natural cover, leaving both mages completely reliant on their tactical prowess to bend the environment to their advantage. Sesil's opponent seized the initiative, instantly chanting a wide-area wind spell.
Combining the spell with the loose desert sand generated a fierce sandstorm, severely impairing visibility and creating uncomfortable fighting conditions. Sesil appeared to take my prior advice to heart. Despite being visibly bothered by the blinding sandstorm summoned by her opponent, she maintained an aggressive stance and charged directly forward.
Her opponent retaliated aggressively, launching two small tornadoes in her direction. Sesil deftly parried the oncoming spells by summoning a counter-tornado with an equal force, spinning in the exact opposite direction.
I was pleasantly surprised by her practical grasp of physical dynamics. Then again, perhaps it was simply the result of her extensive combat experience.
Seeing Sesil apply her battle experience so effectively brought me a deep sense of relief. Her opponent gasped in surprise as Sesil burst through the remaining winds of the neutralised tornadoes to strike.
However, her opponent managed to parry the strike by deploying Windwall, a rotating sphere of concentrated wind currents that protected the caster, forcing Sesil to leap backwards. Observing her from the sidelines, I noticed Sesil taking a moment to recharge her mana while waiting for her opponent to emerge from behind the barrier.
In my view, prioritising mana regeneration in that specific moment was a brilliant tactical choice.
As the opponent's Windwall expanded outward, Sesil seemed to sense danger and immediately retreated further, erecting her own Windwall. When the enemy's barrier suddenly detonated, scattering sharp wind projectiles in all directions, Sesil successfully absorbed the blast before dispelling her shield.
However, she failed to anticipate her opponent charging forward under the cover of the explosion, taking a glancing blow from the incoming strike.
Sesil looked thoroughly annoyed by the swirling dust storm. She rubbed her eyes repeatedly, brushing away layers of sand clinging to her uniform and skin. Her opponent maintained a relentless assault, leaving Sesil with no choice but to adopt a defensive posture and dodge incoming attacks.
Ultimately, time ran out for the round, and based on the overall damage calculations, the victory was awarded to her opponent.
"That was incredibly intense!" Princess Thelma cheered enthusiastically. Meanwhile, my other students remained quiet, intently analysing the flow of the match.
"Princess Thelma, do not forget to write an observation report for this scrimmage session as well. I want to evaluate your analytical capabilities," I reminded her calmly.
"What?!" Princess Thelma panicked. Glancing over at her teammates who were already diligently scribbling notes, she hastily pulled out her tablet and began typing away.
Noticing Sesil's sombre expression in the ring, I headed straight to the locker room to retrieve a warm towel prepared by the scrimmage event staff. I approached her as she stood lost in thought in front of her locker.
"Instructor..."
She looked up at me, her eyes filled with lingering anxiety.
"It is quite alright," I smiled with genuine pride. "Remember what I said? Win or lose, I am always proud of you."
"Here," I offered her the warm towel. "Or would you like me to clean your face for you?"
Sesil remained silent, shyly nodding her head in agreement. With gentle movements, I wiped down her face, head, and hair, clearing away the lingering sand clinging to her skin and clothes. While doing so, I lightly massaged her earlobes and temples to relieve her stress.
"Mmm..." Sesil exhaled softly, enjoying the gentle treatment. She turned her body around to face me directly. "Thank you."
"What is our tactical strategy for the third round?" she asked, her spirit fully restored. "Knowing she holds a distinct advantage in environments that complement wind magic, I would prefer adopting a semi-defensive approach if the next map is not a desert. I recognise that defence remains my weakest area."
"Let us go with that plan. Just exercise caution if she attempts her Windwall combination again," I advised her.
As the two-minute break concluded, a rejuvenated Sesil stepped back onto the arena floor with complete confidence. I resolved to schedule frequent scrimmage matches for her, allowing her to gain invaluable experience while gradually rebuilding her stage confidence. Returning to the observation dugout, I rejoined my other students.
The random map generator selected an urban city layout, a landscape abundant with structural cover that favoured defensive tactics. Sesil appeared far more comfortable in this environment. I would be thoroughly impressed if she managed to execute an ambush and conclude the match swiftly.
Ultimately, the scrimmage concluded with Sesil securing a decisive four-to-one victory. I instructed my remaining students to return to my office first, informing them that I would join them alongside Sesil after exchanging courtesies with the opposing coach.
"Nice match," I offered as a compliment to the opposing instructor.
"Likewise, Instructor Klausmann," the opposing instructor responded politely. "With that level of refined skill, your student should have no trouble navigating her upcoming debut."
"Ah, thank you for the kind words." We exchanged a firm handshake before departing with our respective mages.
Upon returning to the locker room, I found Sesil already fully changed into her school uniform. The late afternoon sun was already beginning to set outside. Sesil looked up at me with expectant, shining eyes. Opening my arms wide, I welcomed her as she ran forward to wrap her arms around me in a tight embrace.
"Thank you so much, Instructor," Sesil whispered softly, tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. "Thank you for believing in me."
I gently stroked her back, letting her hold on until she felt completely satisfied.
"It is about time we head back to your office, is it not? The others are likely waiting for us," Sesil remarked, breaking the embrace to pick up her gym bag. "You are remarkably warm, Instructor. Being around you feels just like holding my favourite teddy bear."
"I am genuinely looking forward to our next scrimmage session, and I feel confident I can win my official debut match alongside you." Sesil walked happily by my side as we made our way back to my office.
Inside, the office was lively. Dela was casually chatting with Shia and Chia, while Princess Thelma sat completely absorbed in her portable gaming console, failing to notice our entry entirely.
"Alright, it seems everyone is having a great time," I announced, setting up the digital projector, which immediately brought the room to a respectful quiet. "We will conduct a brief review of Sesil's scrimmage performance together."
Together, we reviewed the match footage before concluding the day's activities. Princess Thelma took her leave immediately, while the Tsukinose sisters stayed behind to chat animatedly with Sesil. Meanwhile, Dellila stepped forward toward my desk.
"Instructor, would it be alright if I stayed for extra training today?" Dela asked softly. "I would like to work out at the fitness centre until evening."
"Certainly," I replied. "I will keep you company."
Sesil, Shia, and Chia eventually departed, leaving me to accompany Dela down to the fitness centre. Dela requested that I act as her spotter, and I offered guidance throughout her routine. We continued training until seven in the evening before Dela decided to call it a day.
"For some reason, watching Sesil's match earlier filled me with so much energy," Dela admitted, catching her breath.
I handed her a water bottle and took a sip from my own. However, our quiet moment was briefly interrupted as the same stray cat we met yesterday trotted over to us.
"Meow!" The cat circled my ankles before rubbing itself affectionally against Dela's legs.
Lifting the cat into my arms, I gently stroked its head. The sleek black cat purred happily, thoroughly enjoying the attention.
"The cat seems really fond of you, Instructor..." Dela remarked softly.
Suddenly, she moulded water magic into the shape of the cat's head, refining the construct further by converting it into solid ice.
"It looks just like him. Though it is a shame it will melt eventually," Dela spoke softly, tears unexpectedly pooling in her eyes.
"Eh? What is wrong?" I asked in surprise, stepping closer to comfort her.
"I just cannot bear the thought of seeing his little face melt away," Dela confessed mournfully.
Taking the ice sculpture from her hands, I darted back up to my office and carefully stored it inside the freezer compartment. Afterwards, I returned to find Dela cradle-holding the stray cat in her arms like a precious newborn baby.
"Instructor... I am so sorry for making you panic," Dela apologised softly.
She possessed a remarkably fragile heart, much like the delicate ice she created. It seemed my suspicion was correct, she had likely failed her tryout matches five times simply because she lacked the heart to defeat her opponents. Thinking about it, it was almost ironic, someone with such a gentle nature probably should never have enrolled in a competitive mage academy in the first place...
"It is quite alright, Dela. Come on, let us return to my office so we can pack up and head home."
We returned to my office together. As I gathered my personal belongings, Dela carefully settled the stray cat into a cosy corner of the room.
"Instructor, would it be alright if we kept this cat here in the office?" Dela pleaded softly. "The female dormitory rules strictly prohibit pets because some students have severe fur allergies."
"Sure. However, before you decide to relocate every animal you feed across the academy grounds into my office, please make sure to inform me first," I answered with a smile, sitting at my desk to draft my daily report and summarise Sesil's scrimmage results.
"Yay!" Dela smiled peacefully.
She truly possessed an exceptionally calm and soothing presence.
"Instructor..." Dela looked toward me with a hesitant expression.
"Yes?" I inquired, glancing up from my screen.
"May I use the private bathroom here to take a shower? That way, when I return to the dormitory, I can simply grab dinner and head straight to sleep," Dela requested politely.
"Go right ahead," I replied, handing her the bathroom key, recalling that I had locked it earlier.
"Thank you!" Dela responded gratefully, heading straight for the adjoining bathroom inside my office.
As I continued drafting my tactical analysis regarding Sesil's scrimmage, a message notification popped up on my screen from Ms Selia.
"Well, Yogiri. Thank you so very much," Ms Selia initiated the conversation.
"Is something wrong? I did not make a mistake, did I?" I replied, attaching a custom sticker of my own panicked face. I was actively trying to adapt to civilian life by utilising my custom pixel stickers.
"Not at all. I happened to bump into my niece earlier, and she looked exceptionally happy. Whatever you did for her, thank you for allowing me to see Sesil's genuine smile once again," Ms Selia messaged back.
"How about we go on a date this weekend?" she proposed teasingly. "You are being asked out by the most beautiful woman in the entire academy, you know."
"You forgot to add self-proclaimed to that title. However, I have extra training scheduled for my students this coming Sunday. Perhaps another time, Ms Selia," I messaged back playfully.
"Self-proclaimed?! Back when I was at the military academy, every single officer was crazy about me, for your information!!!" Ms Selia replied instantly. "Even though I am approaching thirty-five, I am still undeniably gorgeous, you know!"
"Do you want me to dock your salary as an instructor?" she threatened jokingly.
"I was only teasing, Ms Selia. In all honesty, you remain as stunning as ever," I replied, adding a custom sticker of my pixel self bowing politely.
Ms Selia sent no further reply.
From inside the bathroom, the soft sound of running water echoed as Dela showered. I rubbed my temples in mild distress. How could that girl be so bold? We had only known each other for a few short days. Damn it, was I simply too rigid from spending most of my life surrounded exclusively by male soldiers in military barracks, or was modern civilian youth culture genuinely this intense?
Come to think of it, Sesil acted similarly. Was I simply experiencing severe culture shock from re-entering civilian society after years in the military?
"All done," Dela announced, stepping out of the bathroom while towel-drying her damp hair. "May I borrow an electrical outlet to plug in my hair dryer?"
"Go ahead," I replied softly.
However, the lingering concern in my mind would not leave me alone.
"Dela, you are far too trusting," I remarked, a hint of genuine concern lacing my voice. "Are you always this relaxed around other men? You are entirely too off-guard for a young lady."
Dela paused her movements with the towel, turning her head to gaze at me directly. A faint blush dusted her cheeks. "If it is in front of you, Instructor, it is completely fine. Because I know you are a deeply kind person."
"How can you be so certain of that?"
"The very first time I saw you walking toward me in the backyard, I instantly recognised that you were someone worthy of trust," Dela smiled sincerely, her soft eyes shimmering with genuine warmth. "Otherwise, I would never have agreed to join this team in the first place!"