Attack him with everything I've got?
Uhh...
"Are you sure?"
Fitzgerald raised a brow.
"Kid, did you also miss the part where I said I was a Grade 9? You could throw whatever you want at me and I'd be fine."
Right...
"If you say so."
I decided to put my trust in Fitzgerald's durability.
Maybe I was just being overconfident?
Glancing over to the Combat Gifts side, I saw Kevin, and mixed in the crowd, four of the heroines.
All their eyes were on me.
So naturally, I shouldn't disappoint them.
Taking a deep breath, I channeled the energy within my heart.
While flying, I realized I could continue channeling the energy for as long as I wanted to. Then, in one burst, I could release it all.
So, after channeling nearly 25% of all my energy, I focused on Fitzgerald.
The moment I exhaled, I sent out a powerful blast of Telekinesis, aiming to push Fitzgerald off.
I wasn't expecting much, obviously. He was a Grade 9. I was a High-Grade 3.
Yet when I saw his feet lift off the ground and his eyes widen, I realized I wasn't overestimating myself at all.
A moment later, Fitzgerald was sent hurtling through the sky, only stopping when he hit a nearby tree, toppling it.
CRASH
The courtyard fell silent.
As the dust settled, I spotted Fitzgerald.
He seemed unscathed, though he was most definitely surprised.
I was going to leave it at that, but all of a sudden, he began jogging, then running straight at me.
He was so fast.
"Hahaha! Let's start your second test right away!" he yelled, lunging at me.
"Defense!"
As I stared at the approaching fist, I was left with only two choices.
Block the attack or straight up attack him.
He asked me to defend, sure. But sometimes, offense was the best defense.
With that in mind, I waved my hand, pushing him away again.
This time, even though I used a fair deal of energy, he wasn't pushed away as far.
Instead, he clapped the air, stopping himself.
As he stomped on the ground, he dashed straight at me again, his eyes brimming with vigor.
Ah...
Right.
This guy was both a panda and a muscle head.
I decided to stop holding back.
After all, ever since I had gotten the Dragon Heart, I had never used it to its full potential.
My limit was several dozen times higher. My energy restored itself much faster...
So with that in mind, I channeled all 100% of my energy.
Not in one burst, but continuously.
With a single thought, I crushed the approaching Fitzgerald to the ground.
The ground cracked under the force of my Telekinesis, but he seemed to be enjoying it.
He broke out of that pressure and appeared right in front of my face.
For a moment, my expression turned cold.
He had his neck wide open. His hands weren't even protected either...
What if I just...
Before I could even finish my thoughts, my eyesight blurred for a moment, then returned.
When it did, I saw Fitzgerald lying on the ground, his hands twisted at odd angles.
Huh...?
His neck wasn't in any better shape, as it was on the verge of snapping because of my Telekinesis.
Wait, my Telekinesis?
I immediately released the control I had over him and stepped back, startled.
Blood fell from my nose like a waterfall as the wave of nausea and fatigue hit me at once.
And yet, I was too stunned by what I was seeing.
What just happened?
One moment, I was pondering over how I wanted to deal with him, the next...
It happened again.
I zoned out without realizing, and my body acted in my stead...
It had started happening way too frequently as of late.
Nearly two to three times per day.
Still, when I realized the kind of shit I had just pulled, I immediately used my Telekinesis to snap all of Fitzgerald's bones into place.
I wasn't a healer, but I knew if I did half, he would regenerate the rest.
And I was right. His body regenerated rapidly, and with my Blood Sight, I saw his blood flow returning to normal.
Within just a few minutes, he was healed, but still lying on the ground without saying a word.
Murmurs filled the courtyard.
As for me, the headache got even worse.
I had used up all of my energy, so using Telekinesis now would not be ideal.
"..."
Hurting an instructor was one thing, but nearly killing an instructor was a really big problem.
It didn't matter if I was a noble. I'd be thrown out immediately.
I let out a sigh, and after realizing I had most likely just ruined the safest route to the end, I walked off the podium.
My eyes lingered on Kevin who, for some reason, was staring at me with a determined look.
Seeing that gaze though, I felt a little creeped out.
I knew for a fact this guy didn't swing that kind of way.
But I also remembered that he was really eager to make anyone and everyone his rival, and then pester them until he beat them.
The heroines, on the other hand, were hard to read.
All of them except the white haired beauty were staring at me with disgust.
She was Isabelle D. Quincy.
The imperial princess.
A frost mage with the Eternal Frost Gift. It was the Gift that the progenitor of the imperial family first had.
But she was also a woman who masked her true feelings.
I could clearly see that with Blood Sight. Her heart was beating particularly fast.
And... as it so happened, she would be my teammate after the next test.
That is, if I don't get thrown out now.
Chuckling inwardly, I stood back in the center and waited for Fitzgerald to finally get up.
A minute passed, then another.
Eventually, his hand twitched. He slowly rose from the ground and stared down at me.
I was expecting a scolding or perhaps an attack, but instead...
"You may move on to the next part of the exam. Go to the reception and tell them your name."
Is that it?
"Also..."
Nevermind...
"You lack finesse. If I had even a sliver of magic, I could've got you there. Your defense is lacking, and all you have is raw power," he said, chuckling. "Though I will admit, for a future cadet, you're very strong. Possibly the strongest I've ever seen in all my years of being an instructor."
"Sir..."
I bowed slightly.
There were plenty of things I wanted to say, but I also didn't want to overstay my welcome.
So I just walked out, keeping my pace steady as I approached the receptionist and gave my name.
"Amon Everness, huh? Take this."
The receptionist passed me a key.
"Go to room 320. The instructor inside will tell you what to do."
I took the key and walked away with a blank look.
What had just happened kept replaying in my mind, reminding me of that time I spent with nothing but my thoughts.
If I hadn't done any of that, none of this would be happening. Though, I can't dismiss there being some kind of side effect from the heart.
But I'll just have to bear through it until the exams are over, and after that, I'll make sure to get this fixed.
It took me only a few minutes to reach room 320. I knocked on the steel door, and after waiting a second, I entered.
I knew exactly what this part of the exam was going to be.
But... when I saw who was going to conduct the exam, I froze on the spot.
Why is she here?