“I think this topic is very straightforward and simple, it doesn’t require any extra props, and the time is short enough.”

Ansel patted Seraphina’s shoulder with a smile, “Isn’t that great? Right, Seraphina?”

“Um… Ah? Oh! Yes! Ansel is right!”

Although she didn’t know why it had anything to do with her, Ansel must be right!

“Then good, Seraphina, you stand between them.”

Young Hydral gently pushed the girl, chuckling, “But you have to stand firm, don’t make a fool of yourself.”

“Ah, may I ask, ahem, what is Sorcerer’s Hand?” Seraphina scratched her head in puzzlement.

“In essence, it is a non-existent ‘hand’ created using ether, which can interfere with physical entities.”

“Oh… so it’s still a hand in the end, just invisible, right?”

Seraphina’s face lit up with understanding. “I see, that’s fine then.”

With that, she nonchalantly walked between Conrad and Ravenna, her arms crossed, looking left and right.

“Who among you will begin?” The young girl massaged her neck, her face indifferent.

“Conrad, you may start.” Ansel made the decision for the two.

Conrad nodded slightly, his hands behind his back, standing still.

“…”

Seraphina turned her head, her face full of confusion.

Conrad, under her gaze, showed a slight change in expression. He began to extend his hand, making a dragging motion towards Seraphina, who remained puzzled.

“Wait a moment…”

After three or four seconds, the girl finally realized: “So you’ve already started!”

“What are you doing? I thought you were just standing there daydreaming.”

She moved her limbs a bit, seemingly feeling a slight gravitational pull on her body, but it seemed like there was none, so she said impatiently: “Put some strength into it, isn’t it supposed to be a hand? Even a weak hand should at least make me feel something pushing me.”

The outstanding talent of the Etheric Academy gritted his teeth slightly, and actually pulled out the scepter placed at his waist. If people knew that he had to use a casting medium to use the Sorcerer’s Hand, he didn’t know how long he would be ridiculed.

However, even so, in the subsequent time, even if he exerted too much force when manipulating the ether to the point where the veins on the back of his hand bulged, the young lady standing there just yawned in place.

“Weak.”

She pursed her lips, turned her head to look at Ravenna: “Hey, grumpy face, it’s your turn.”

“…”

Ravenna didn’t speak, but from her eyes, it could be seen that although she didn’t think that Seraphina could remain unmoved under the push of her Sorcerer’s Hand, she definitely didn’t underestimate Seraphina like Conrad did.

Relying on the model established by those crude data, it told Ravenna one thing.

This guy… this beast, might be a terrifying monster beyond her imagination.

She held the casting medium, began to activate the Sorcerer’s Hand trying to shake Seraphina’s body, and then, even the flow of ether in her body came to a halt.

Because the feedback from the Sorcerer’s Hand indicated that this was not something that could be described by weight, it was like pushing a mountain range rising from the ground!

“Ah… you’re no different from him.”

Seraphina looked at Ansel with boredom: “Ansel, how many seconds are left? I don’t think it’s necessary.”

“That won’t do, you have to complete the full thirty seconds, otherwise it wouldn’t be fair to Ravenna.”

“Complete it…”

As she muttered so… the terrifying perception of the head of wind allowed Seraphina to vaguely grasp something.

Weakness…

The monster bearing the power of two pact heads murmured in her heart.

It seems to be, the weakness of ether, the… weakness of magic?

What would happen if this thing was broken?

The quite bored Seraphina’s eyes moved slightly, she, who already disliked Ravenna very much, suddenly had a bad idea.

She clenched her fist slightly, silently sensing the invisible force that was constantly pushing or pulling her. When that weakness was gradually approaching… she suddenly swung a punch without any warning.

To the onlookers, it might seem like Seraphina was inexplicably punching the air, but the other three people present had already sensed that in that instant, Ravenna’s Sorcerer’s Hand…

— Was shattered by Seraphina with a single punch.

The astonishment was not limited to Ravenna alone; even Conrad stood dumbfounded.

How could a mere physical attack dismantle a powerful spell? Was it truly a physical attack, or did Seraphina employ some instantaneous application of an ethereal membrane …or maybe an entirely different technique altogether?

While the perplexed pair stayed stunned, Seraphina nonchalantly scratched her head and made her way over to Ansel’s side, her tone laced with a hint of apology. “Ansel, did I, uh… somehow, well, mess up again?”

“Mess up? Hmm… not exactly.”

Ansel chuckled: “This particular test assesses one’s mastery over etheric control. Although Conrad’s Sorcerer’s Hand failed to budge Seraphina, it managed to conceal any discernible flaws from her senses. However, Ravenna…”

The impartial Hydral, who had nothing to do with the whole matter, spread his hands slightly, a gesture of resignation: “Ravenna obviously made a mistake in the process of manipulating ether, which allowed Seraphina to shatter the Sorcerer’s Hand, so without a doubt… this round, Conrad wins.”

The young Mr. Conrad breathed a sigh of relief, looked at Seraphina leaning against Ansel with awe, and whispered: “Thank you for your recognition, Mr. Ansel.”

“…”

Suddenly, the crisp sound of heels hitting the floor echoed in the hall.

Ravenna walked past Ansel, Seraphina, and Conrad without expression, not turning her head, not looking at anyone:

“Continue.”

After dropping one cold word, she walked straight ahead.

Ansel watched the tall figure shrouded in a white lab coat, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

Only he, the one who knew Ravenna best in the world, heard the deep anger in this one simple word.

The future Miss Sage, just as he had hoped, was falling step by step into the quagmire from which she could not extricate herself.

*