Chapter 47

Chapter 47

With the practical evaluation one day away, Shirone meditated in his dorm room.

I did everything I could.

He didnt have the time to devise a new special method for doing so would only hamper his ability to perform.

So instead, he explored the essence of the Sequence method.

What is the Sequence method?

Starting with the question that marked the beginning of everything

Why is it the Sequence method?

How is the Sequence method?

He pondered nonstop.

Shirone, who thought of so many questions it could fill up a field, closed his eyes.

Dont think Feel.

Just like that, Shirone embarked on a journey in which he built up his knowledge of the Sequence method from the base while increasing his knowledge one step at a time.

He has no set goal or limit in regards to how long and how far he should count.

I feel unrestrained. There is no incorrect path.

How long had he been at it?

When he reached a point most humans never set foot in, Shirone had a sudden thought.

Ah

When he reopened his eyes, the sun was there.

24 hours had gone by, and yet Shirone didnt even feel an ounce of fatigue.

However, a holy light that could not be described by any human emotions or words was fluttering in his eyes.

With a sorrowful expression, he asked in the direction of the ceiling.

Is that so?

No one replied back, but Shirone felt like he had already received a response.

* * *

There was still an hour left before the practical evaluation, but the training ground was swarming with participants.

The academy also paid great attention to this exams preparation.

The safety device was strengthened, and scoreboards to keep track of the scores were placed all over the place.

Although today was for the Speed Gun exam, Class 7 and 6 attended without exception. They were hoping to impress their upperclassmen.

On the other hand, most of Class 4 were not present.

Only a few who took interest in Shirone and Yirukis contest bothered to take the time to watch.

Of course, if someone had to name a person most recognized among them, it would be Sharelle, a prospective Advanced Class student.

Mark being Mark, ran up to her and said his hellos.

Senior! Hello!

Hey. All the lowerclassmen seem to be present. Well, I used to be like that, too.

That hurts my feelings, senior. Im only here to cheer and celebrate senior Shirones victory today!

Oh! Good! Very good! Then let us fire up and cheer like crazy!

The two were able to take the best seats available.

Needless to say, wherever Sharelle passed by, the path always opened up by itself.

As predicted, the students interest was towards Shirone and Yirukis Speed Gun competition.

Up until now, Yiruki has always had the upper hand, but there's a variable nobody can control. The practical exam is done by two people at the same time.

The reason why the academy chose to go for a competition layout was to push the students to achieve higher scores.

Its similar to a race. If you have a competitor, you get a score higher than when you take it by yourself. But can that variable alone bridge the gap? Yiruki hasnt even tried his best yet.

That's why I find it dangerous. For me, the level of tension I feel during actual combat is different. If you set the difficulty of training too low, you may not reach your maximum potential in actual combat.

Each of you, check your assigned group and wait for your turn. The exam will begin in 10 minutes.

As Ethella started talking, everyone went quiet.

In order to maximize their potential, students were partnered with opponents of similar records.

In addition, those with high records were placed on the second half of the exam. This was to ensure that those who were not as talented would not suffer any psychological blow before their turn to perform.

As such, both Shirone and Yiruki were allocated under group 20.

As expected.

The 10 minutes came to an end, and two people from group 1 walked towards the Image Zone.

Its finally starting. Im nervous.

The Speed Gun was popular with the spectators due to its competitive nature.

Perhaps the participants were aware of that as well, as even if they attained a new high score, they would return to their seats with an unsatisfied expression if they lost to their opponent.

Good job. Next group, get ready.

It took about an hour to get through 10 groups and the highest score so far was 533.

Nade earned a score of 491, which was considered to be slightly above class average.

As the second half neared, the hearts of the spectators thumped faster, and their cheers got louder.

They knew as well.

If he had been dealing with multiples of 100 before, now, he was doing whatever random calculations came to mind At least it seemed random. Shirone was relying on his intuition to give him numbers that would work.

187, 293, 378, 423

Shirones concentration had reached an all-time high. He was on a tightrope where the Sequence method itself would collapse if even one number was not analyzed properly.

469 points vs. 432 points.

When Shirone suddenly propelled, all the students stood up and cried out.

Even Ethella couldnt take her eyes off as she couldnt determine who would win either.

Yiruki saw through Shirones plan.

He broke the arithmetic routine. A kind of mental doping, I should say. He is thinking of absolutely winning .

The corner of his mouth tilted up.

Do you know how long Ive waited for this?

For an opponent who would put in everything they had.

Ill face you, Shirone.

To take on his first, legit rival, Yiruki chose to walk on a tightrope as well.

My gambling is on a different level than yours.

The change happened instantly, and the students noticed it too.

Hey, whats going on?!

542 points vs. 558 points.

Yirukis newfound speed managed to catch up with Shirones and not long after, completely surpass his.

Mark questioned.

Senior Sharelle, how did this happen? Did upperclassman Shirone perhaps make a mista

No, Shirones speed is also increasing. Its just that Yirukis is speeding up at a faster rate.

But he gained 100 points in a heartbeat! Is it possible to suddenly increase 2 folds like that?

Sharelle pursed her lips.

It still didnt appear possible, but there was no other explanation.

Also, if it was actually feasible, the current situation would be perfectly explainable.

That guy He has two Spirit Zones.

As soon as Sharelle spoke those words, the lowerclassmen squinted their eyes to try and detect even a wisp of the 2nd alleged Spirit Zone.

Although it was blurry, it seemed like there were two afterimages flying around at different angles.

I-Its true!

Sharelles expression turned dark.

I knew he was outstanding, but really, a double Spirit Zone?

Mental Partition, a unique characteristic of Deviant types.

However, not every Deivate type could do it. Even if one were familiar with the Deivate form, only a chosen few could put this advanced skill into action.

Its my first time seeing it. Currently, Yiruki is probably the only one who can do it in this entire academy, including the Advanced class. Above all, even though he split his mind into two

His speed did not drop.

He is carrying out two different Sequence methods at the same time. Is that even something a single human brain can do?

Yirukis performance proved that it was possible.

To process everything with mental arithmetic That is not a level that can be explained by the word talent Yiruki is more like a mutant.

The Savant Syndromes true power could be seen through the scoreboard.

692 points vs. 845 points.

There was over a 100-point difference, and Yiruki was ahead in terms of level as well.

Its over. The winner will be decided here.

While most students were thinking Yiruki had won already, Shirone did not give up.

More. I have to tie up more numbers!

The amount of numbers Shirone was processing using modularity was not at an average of 1,000 or more.

732 points vs. 911 points.

Shirone broke his personal highest score But Yiruki was far ahead.

It looked like he was going to break Amys record.

The students just sat there as if they had lost their souls.

Yiruki Hes out-of-this-world amazing. At this rate, hes going to write a new history for Class 5.

Meanwhile, Shirone didnt stray away from his thoughts. There was only one thing on his mind.

I cant reach it through arithmetic.

He had to go beyond.

Can I do it?

Was this really an ability humans were allowed to use?

There wasnt anyone who was going to answer those inquiries, but Shirone felt like he received just the answer he needed.

In order to transcend the number I have to

REACH FOR INFINITY.

PR Note: Prolly the worst cliffhanger yet no cap.