Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner

Chapter 612: Episode 612

The lights were off. Heavy black curtains were drawn tight, sealing the windows from the outside world. In the artificial darkness, human silhouettes stirred.

"All preparations are complete."

"We finally set foot on Kizen’s soil."

"I have waited a long, long time for this day."

The voices echoed like whispers in the shadows.

"The fate of our clan hangs in the balance."

A figure in the center of the room rose to their feet.

"Our opponent is Kizen. Prepare for anything."

---

In all his time at Kizen, Simon had never seen so many outsiders roaming the school grounds. The largest crowds he had witnessed were spectators for special events or parents visiting for the end-of-semester ceremony. But now, the sheer number of technicians, merchants, and other personnel—here not to watch, but to build—dwarfed all previous records.

He could only imagine what it would be like once the Dark Festival officially began. The thought alone filled him with anticipation.

The clang of hammers echoed across Roc Island. Merchants brought their own materials to assemble stalls and small vendor buildings on-site, while larger structures, like the arenas, were teleported in whole using massive magic circles. Of course, bringing an entire building from the outside world directly onto the island required meticulous inspection and investigation.

As a representative of the student body, Simon had received a notice to attend one such inspection. He left the student council office in the care of Dick and Kamibarez and set out with his vice president, Meirin.

"Do I look strange?" Meirin asked suddenly, turning to him. Her long, sky-blue hair cascaded down to her waist as she struck a subtle pose, one hand resting on her student council armband. Her wavy hair seemed especially lustrous today, and her sapphire eyes were wide as she awaited his verdict.

Simon stared for a beat too long before quickly shaking his head. "Not at all. You look the same as always..."

Her eyes instantly narrowed into a pout. Wrong answer.

Warning bells went off in Simon’s head, and he hastily corrected himself. "...but different! In a good way! What’s the word? Effortlessly chic."

"Really?"

Fortunately, his answer seemed to satisfy her. She seemed to be in high spirits today. With a light, bouncy spring in her step, Meirin held up her clipboard.

"As you know, Kizen is renting arenas for the Dark Festival via teleportation magic. We’re inspecting three of them today."

The scale of Kizen’s operations never ceased to amaze him.

"We’ll meet the arena owners with the committee members and run a full safety check," she explained.

"Got it." Simon brushed a piece of lint from his presidential coat and fell into step beside her. It was a rare moment of leisure. For a moment, he pushed all thoughts of work from his mind, and just walking through the park, breathing in the scent of fresh grass, seemed to clear his head.

"Hey, Simon."

"Yeah?"

She twirled a flowing strand of her hair around a fingertip, her gaze dropping shyly to her feet. "Am I... actually being helpful to the student council?"

It was an ironic question coming from the person who had been the primary force driving the student council forward, but given her recent emotional instability, it was understandable.

Simon offered a gentle smile. "You’re the best, Meirin."

She flinched, her face flushing a bright red. "W-Who asked you to say that! I was being serious...!"

"No matter who became vice president—even a third-year," Simon continued, his tone sincere, "no one could have done a better job than you."

He meant every word. Hearing this, Meirin’s eyes darted about, the tips of her ears turning a faint pink.

"I-I don’t know about that!" She stormed ahead, and Simon followed with a fond smile.

They soon arrived at the carriage road, where Mojo was already waiting for them.

"President, Vice President. I will be your escort."

The entire island was the stage for the Dark Festival, and the arenas were a considerable distance from the main school grounds. Mojo took the reins himself, and for the first time in a while, Simon and Meirin were able to relax and enjoy the ride, chatting amiably as the scenery rolled by.

Time flew.

"We have arrived."

As they stepped out of the carriage, Simon spotted a familiar face among the adults gathered before the arena. She wore a perfectly tailored suit, her hair cut in a severe, short style that framed a cold, impassive face. It was Jane, the Vice Principal of Kizen and the chairwoman of the Dark Festival committee.

"Professor Jane!" Meirin called out, running over with a bright smile. Simon followed, bowing his head respectfully.

"You’ve arrived. President. Vice President." As expected, Jane addressed them by their official titles. Simon had to hide a smile; he doubted there was anyone on campus who separated the personal and professional so completely. She was surrounded by men with long mustaches, presumably other committee members, who were in conversation. Standing before them was a group of men in rather shabby work clothes.

"Allow me to introduce you," Jane said, gesturing to Simon and Meirin. She explained that these men were the owners of the arena, a clan known as the Valkese. Apparently, they came from a family with a long and storied history.

’Hmm.’

Simon found them thoroughly untrustworthy. The way they kept glancing around nervously, like criminals expecting to be caught, set him on edge. After the introductions, he finally turned his attention to the arena itself.

It looked like an ancient ruin, a coliseum that was clearly centuries old. It was a massive stone structure, and when he ran his palm across its surface, it felt rough and uneven. The walls were riddled with window-like openings, where grass and even small trees had taken root. He figured not all the rented arenas would be like this one. There were surely cleaner, more modern facilities available, so the choice to use this one was likely related to one of the festival’s events. Of course, he couldn’t ask Jane about it.

"Well then, let’s head inside."

As they walked, Jane peppered the Valkese clan with sharp, incisive questions. Each time, they answered with beads of sweat trickling down their faces. If they had assumed a powerhouse like Kizen would overlook minor issues, they were sorely mistaken. Under the pressure of Jane’s meticulous scrutiny, which covered everything from the building’s state of preservation to its maintenance costs, the Valkese clan ended up agreeing to cover all repair expenses themselves.

Deeply impressed, Meirin followed Jane with sparkling eyes, diligently recording every question in her notebook.

Soon, they stepped inside the arena proper.

"What the..." Meirin’s mouth fell open. "This was a swimming pool?"

Water cascaded like a waterfall from a grand statue in the center of the arena floor. The entire basin was filled with shimmering blue water, a breathtaking sight visible from every seat in the stands.

’Wow.’

Even Simon was impressed. It was a classical swimming pool and arena, ancient and magnificent. He could just imagine the nobles of old clamoring for the chance to sit in these seats, even for a moment.

"Now, let’s begin the inspection," Jane announced, turning to the committee members, Simon, and Meirin. "We need to cover the entire arena and identify any elements that could interfere with or threaten the students during their matches. Please be thorough, including the submerged areas."

At that, Simon blinked. "What about us?"

He and Meirin were still in their school uniforms. Jane and the committee members could likely use black magic to move about without getting wet, but the two students hadn’t learned anything that advanced yet.

Jane placed her hands on her hips, her expression impassive. "The student council is no exception. Change into your swimsuits and begin the inspection."

"Whaaat?" Meirin was horrified. "We didn’t bring our swimsuits!"

"Mojo."

Jane turned her head and called his name. Simon and Meirin’s gazes followed. There stood Mojo, holding up their swimsuits with a perfectly placid expression.

"Aah! Why do you have my swimsuit?!" Meirin shrieked, her face turning crimson as she ran over, flailing her arms.

---

Simon changed into his swim trunks and emerged from a nearby tent. Jane and the committee members seemed to have already departed to begin their inspection.

And then there was Meirin.

She was crouched on the ground, hugging her knees to her chest, her face the color of a ripe tomato. She hadn’t uttered a single word since changing.

Simon offered a wry smile. "Want to wait here?"

"I-I’m going!" she yelped, then immediately ducked her head, her face somehow growing even redder. "I-I’m the vice president of Kizen, after all."

"...Why are you being so weird about this? We’ve gone to the beach in swimsuits together before."

During their first year, they had all practiced black magic at the beach to prepare for the sea-based BMAT. Now, there was hardly anyone around, and the swimsuit she was wearing was far more modest than the one she’d worn back then.

"That was the beach!" Meirin retorted, her face flushed. "And it’s not like everyone is undressed! It’s just the two of us in swimsuits!"

"...Haha."

He didn’t understand the difference, but if she was embarrassed, there was nothing to be done about it. Simon shot a glare at the members of the Valkese clan who were peeking from a distance, then took a step forward. It was probably best to just get it over with.

"I’ll go in first, then."

"H-Huh?"

Simon held his nose and leaped into the water-filled arena.

A big plume of water erupted as his body disappeared beneath the surface.

’Oh.’

He’d been a little worried by the water’s deep blue color, but the quality seemed surprisingly good. For a moment, he forgot all about his mission and splashed around happily, feeling the accumulated fatigue and stress wash away.

"Meirin! Come on in! It’s cool and feels amazing!" he called out, his head popping above the surface with a wide grin.

Meirin, who had been glancing around nervously, squeezed her eyes shut and stood up.

"Ugh, I don’t care anymore!"

With a surprisingly graceful dive, she plunged into the pool.

She surfaced with a splash, her eyes wide with surprise at how refreshing the water was. Her earlier embarrassment was completely forgotten as she began to swim around gracefully, taking in her surroundings.

Their playful splashing was short-lived. Meirin, remembering their duty first, pointed ahead. They cast a breathing spell and began their inspection, swimming through the entire arena. The ancient structure was elegant, but its age meant there were plenty of sharp, protruding edges. A student could be seriously injured if they brushed against one during a match, so Simon meticulously noted every hazard.

’Swish, swish.’

Just then, Meirin, swimming below him, gave his foot a light tug.

With her light-blue hair fanning out around her like a silken halo, she looked exactly like a mermaid from a fairy tale. As Simon stared, momentarily mesmerized, she waved her arms frantically in a mock-angry gesture and pointed down.

He saw a section of the floor where the surface had peeled away, revealing something red and corroded underneath. The water was deep, so it wasn’t a major issue, but they decided to report it to the committee anyway.

After finishing their inspection, they climbed out of the water.

They scrambled out, gasping for breath.

Simon climbed out first and offered Meirin his hand. The moment she was on dry land, she launched into a passionate tirade, water dripping from her hair.

"Isn’t this just a mess? The state of this arena is a total disaster! There are so many things that need fixing, especially underwater."

"Yeah. Let’s organize our notes and report to Professor Jane."

Meirin summoned a checklist from her subspace. After updating it with their underwater findings, she prepared to go back in. Considering the time they had left, this would be their last dive.

The pool was so deep and wide, and there were still so many places to explore. Meirin, who seemed to have discovered a newfound love for swimming, shot forward through the water.

’This is technically work, but it’s actually kind of fun,’ Simon thought.

Swimming together in an empty arena while everyone else was busy studying felt like a small act of rebellion, a strangely enjoyable experience.

[Boy.]

Pier’s clone, tucked away in his swimsuit pocket, spoke into his mind.

’What is it, Pier?’

[I sense a strange energy nearby!]

A strange energy? Pier wasn’t one to make things up. Simon immediately stopped moving.

’Where? I’ll head there right now.’

[A little further down from here.]

Simon sliced through the water, descending swiftly to the bottom. The world around him grew darker.

[To the right!]

[You have to pass that pillar-like structure!]

Following Pier’s guidance, he soon reached the arena’s main waterway. Back when the arena was in its original location, it had drawn water from a nearby river. This channel, therefore, was submerged 365 days a year. It was a section one could easily overlook, but at Pier’s urging, Simon scraped away the moss covering the wall.

A hole, like the mouth of an undersea cave, was carved into the arena wall. He would have completely missed it if he’d just glanced past. Simon squinted, peering into the opening.

’The passage leads up. Where to?’

Just then, Meirin, apparently worried, swam over. He quickly showed her the passage, and together, they slipped inside, swimming up through the dark tunnel.

They broke the surface, gasping for air. They were in a cave.

"What is this place?!" Meirin exclaimed, startled.

Simon looked around, equally surprised. "It looks like it’s underground. How is a structure like this even possible inside an arena?"

A secret, natural cave hidden within the arena itself. They exchanged a look and nodded. As members of Kizen’s student council, they couldn’t just ignore this. Wreathed in a protective layer of Jet-Black, they moved forward cautiously.

"HUH!!"

Suddenly, Meirin, who had been walking beside him, slapped a hand over her mouth, her face turning pale.

"What’s wrong?"

"S-Simon! Over there...!"

Scattered across the cave floor was a gruesome mess of bones. Human bones.