"Also, I want to match faces to names, so please come onto the field after stating either your name or your house name. You first."
"...Hazen."
"...Kuneru."
"Hmm, Hazen Reyes, Kuneru Harold, Gale Carlyle. Pleased to meet you."
"......"
I bowed my head to the three brats.
Even if they are detestable brats, a mock battle is a mock battle. I must show proper respect.
...Or so I thought, but the three of them are surprised, and the other students are gawking.
"Perhaps nowadays people don't bow before mock battles?"
"...Yes. I heard that custom was abolished a little while ago."
Cyril answered my question.
"Seriously... I think things like this are important for education, though. Well, in my class, we'll bow to each other before mock battles. Come now, you guys might find me annoying, but such etiquette is—"
"Lightning Bullet!"
Interrupting my words, the brat thrust both hands forward and conjured magic.
Instead of a straight bolt of lightning like before, balls of lightning the size of tennis balls floated around the brat.
"Wha-!? The signal to start hasn't been given yet, Lord Gale!"
"Shut up and die, you damn substitute teacher!"
He's really the worst...
However, the aim isn't bad. He seems to have at least some thought put into it.
*Snap!*
"Wha-!?" What did you do!?"
The Lightning Bullets reached the spot where I was originally standing, but they all went wide. Just before the approaching lightning magic hit me, I simply dodged by conjuring an incantation-less physical enhancement magic.
Magic activation has three stages: incantation, decantation cancellation, and incantation-less casting, with power and effect decreasing in that order. What he used just now is decantation cancellation, where the incantation is omitted and only the magic name is shouted. In basic combat, decantation cancellation or incantation-less magic is used.
However, I basically activate magic by flicking my finger. While classified as incantation-less, by using a specific action like flicking my finger as the activation key for magic instead of shouting the magic name, I can achieve magic that is fast to conjure yet has power close to decantation cancellation.
"What do you mean? I just dodged using physical enhancement magic."
"I-Impossible!?"
...In a battle between mages with no tank, physical enhancement magic is essential. It seems the brat didn't use physical enhancement magic, which is why he couldn't see my movements.
Hmm, has even basic tactics changed from 10 years ago? The crucial parts aren't being trained...
"An ambush before the start is not ideal, but choosing Lightning Bullet was not bad. Reflection magic, Reflection, cannot reflect multi-target, wide-area magic. And you chose trajectories that wouldn't self-destruct even if reflected, likely anticipating that. Well, it's a relief to know you weren't able to enroll in this academy without any actual skill."
"O-Of course... Ugh!"
With my physically enhanced body, I instantly closed the distance to the brat and grabbed him by the throat.
"Too bad, it was a deduction for that, after I just praised you. It's a mock battle, so you should be attacking me aggressively even while I'm explaining. However, that's a separate matter..."
"Gak!"
"Don't blabber about killing and dying, you brat who's never experienced a life-or-death struggle. Also, don't pick up cunning tricks at such a young age. You seem to have sufficient power, so train your abilities and come at me head-on."
"Lord Gale!"
*Buzzzzz!*
I struck the brat's abdomen with a palm strike, sending him flying out of the field. Of course, being expelled from the field means being considered incapacitated, and a buzzer sounded, extinguishing the second lamp.
If children learn cunning, they will repeat it as adults. It's important to scold them early for such things.
"Guh, cooough!"
Although he looks in pain, the damage he received on the field is only one-tenth of the actual pain, so it probably isn't that serious.
Hmm? This isn't corporal punishment. Defense magic is a class to learn combat against monsters and other people. In my previous world, it's like a Judo or Kendo class, so it's better for them to grow by experiencing things firsthand with their own bodies.
"L-Lord Gale! You bastard, Fire Lance!"
"This substitute teacher! Stone Bullet!"
Hazen and Kuneru conjured fire and earth magic, sandwiching me from both sides.
Hmm, their casting time is slower than Gale's... So he was indeed fast for that.
*Snap! Snap! Snap!*
"Wha, Fire Lance!?"
Hazen's Fire Lance was deflected by Reflection.
Honestly, even though Gale was defeated, they've gotten too flustered. They're repeating the same mistake as before.
"Kgh, Guwahhh!"
Admittedly, there was distance, so Hazen was able to dodge the reflected Fire Lance. But as he dodged, a weaker Fireball I conjured hit him.
"Ugh! Get off!"
As Kuneru's multiple rock shards flew towards me, my wind magic, Wind Bullet, shattered all of them, and one of the shards struck Kuneru in the abdomen.
*Buzzzzz!*
Similar to before, the buzzer signaling incapacitation sounded across the training ground, and the remaining two lamps went dark.
"...Hmm, they're considered incapacitated with this much damage."
I wanted to see one or two more spells from each of them, but I failed a bit. For subsequent students, I'll adjust the output of their magic, observe their response capabilities, and aim to see about two types of spells.
"Hazen, even powerful magic will just be dealt with head-on by skilled opponents. You should try to confuse them with smaller spells before landing a hit; you need to be more resourceful. Kuneru, you had numbers, but each one was weak. And to all three of you, move more. I'm intentionally being a target by not moving this time, but if you stand still, you're practically asking to be targeted by magic."
"Damn it!"
"Lord Gale!"
With the brats leading, Hazen and Kuneru ran off the training ground.
For now, the damage from earlier doesn't seem to be an issue. Their attitudes are still those of brats, but this is probably to be expected at first.