Not given much time to think, the first thing he did was take a breath before using an invocation, “Invoke: Strength!” 

It was an all-around amplification to his physicality that he manifested, feeling the newfound strength surge through his body as the instructor only continued to stand there, tall and with a worriless smile. 

“I expected as much! I didn’t take one with an A-Rank to be a simple spellcaster!” Maroon shouted out with a smile. 

He was more focused on the exam itself, hardly paying any mind to the woman’s words as he raced in a circle around her using his amplified speed. 

It’s weird–I’ve never really fought before, but it feels natural to me now. Maybe I can do this–! He thought. 

Even as he circled around the instructor though, he couldn’t exactly find an opening; it was an aura of strength that surrounded the towering, muscular woman. 

“Are ya’ scared or something?!” Maroon called out, glancing back as he was running behind her at that moment. 

Just as she said that with a sharp smirk, he felt the powerful aura exude further from her position, prompting him to launch his attack at last. 

Attempting a faint first as if going for a fist towards her gut, he jumped back before using the invocation.

“Invoke: FireBall!” 

Maroon seemed to be taken aback by the faint, widening her eyes for a moment, “Not bad–”

FWOOSH. 

The flaming ball exploded, resulting in a shock wave that brought a gust of wind to the edges of the training arena. 

“Did I get her…?” He muttered to himself. 

“Come on, you really think I’m that easy?”

–Appearing behind him with insane speed, Maroon was smiling, towering over him with an excited smell. 

“Huh?!” 

Before he could do anything, he received a swift kick to the back, causing him to be launched a dozen meters away. 

“Ghh…!” He lost his breath for a moment, tumbling across the ground. 

As soon as he managed to stop himself, picking himself back up halfway, Maroon appeared in front of him again with that same, unbelievable speed. 

“Invoke:--”

“Too slow!” 

A sharp fist to the gut caused his invocation to be stopped midway as he spit out, holding his stomach. 

I can’t breathe…! He thought. 

It felt as if it was on fire after receiving that hit, struggling to regain his breath as he could see the instructor slowly approaching with her same, frivolous smile. 

“I should mention, in a duel like this, the winner gets to have their way with the loser,” Maroon told him, stopping in front of him. 

“Duel…? This is an exam!” He coughed out. 

Maroon shook her head, “Well, it can be both, and it is. You agreed to my challenge, and you even asked for my conditions. Maybe it’s not the way it is in the land you’re from, but that’s the natural order here! The winner of combat gets to claim the loser’s holes!”

That revelation made things a whole lot more dire. 

As a man who always considered himself pretty straight, with some, few exceptions, his rear was essentially a taboo for acts such as that. 

Knowing the conditions of this exam now, his eyes lowered again to the instructor’s tight shorts that clung to her massive, sheathed appendage. 

…There’s no way I’m taking that! He thought. 

It was now life-or-death for him, using everything he had learned until that point.

“Invoke: Strength! Invoke: Quick Step! Invoke: Thunder Fist!”

With the amplification spells set, he moved swiftly with his fists coiled in lightning, rushing towards the woman before attempting to strike her. 

—A swing, and a miss. 

Being kicked in the side after having his assault sidestepped, he rolled across the floor, coughing up.

What the hell?! I can’t touch her! He thought.

“Honestly, you’ve got real potential. You pass.”

“Huh—? I thought I needed to land a hit?” He asked in surprise. 

Maroon laughed, waving her hand, “No, no, that’s just for the conditions of the duel. As for the exam, well you pass. You’ve definitely lost the duel, though.”

“Pardon…?”

“Yup! So, drop those pants!”

“Pardon?!”