Alicia: You want to do a practice fight for the Tournament?

Igni: Yeah, I thought you would be great to practice with, Alicia.

After classes were over, Igni invited Alicia.

Secret to Popularity Rule No. 13 -- When you need help, ask for help properly.

Alicia: Why not ask the Student Council members for help?

Igni: The 3rd Years are all very busy.

Alicia: Oh, I see.

The 3rd Years are out and about completing quests and missions, but this was something Igni couldnt share, so he kept the details vague.

Iris: Ssir Igni! What about me?!

Igni: Of course, Iris too. I would love to fight with an [EARTH] : [S] genius.

Iris: Yyes!! Its the first time Sir Igni needed me.!!

Iris shouts something incredibly heavy and depressing but is jumping up and down for joy.

Igni was used to this, and it would be no use trying to talk to her about it, so he ignored it altogether.

Erumi: Igni, Ill help too.

Igni: No, Erumi.

Erumi: But...why?

Igni: Because with you.. It wont be practice.

Igni strains a smile across his face to kindly refuse Erumi who just suddenly appeared in the classroom.

The Secret to Popularity laws are all ingrained in Ignis genes.

So the fact that he was able to refuse Erumi like this showed a small crack, a small deviation to who he is.

Edward: H--hey! Why dont I help too?

Igni: Oh, no Edward

He was about to say, There just wouldnt be enough time today but before he could say those words.

Edward: HMPH! FINE! I thought so!

He got his two splunkies and ran out the classroom.

Hes always so energetic.

Yoori: Then Ill just watch from the sidelines.

Yoori, who is not a combat type, smiled as he said this.

So, lets move to the Practice Field.

The first fight will be between Alicia and Igni.

Alicia: Im a little surprised that a Wizard of your level still wants to practice.

Alicia said this as she got on her broom.

Igni: Yeah, I dont have much experience fighting people.

This was a lie. BUT to be frank, his opponent was the Ultimate Light Lucas.

For Igni, this would be a precious opportunity to see how far his abilities have come between him and the people around him.

Between Lucas and the Tournament Participants, there was a bottomless void that separated how far apart their strengths were.

Thats why if Igni doesnt properly understand the difference between himself and someone who is not an Extreme, he may misjudge and accidentally kill them.

Yoori: Let the fight...BEGIN!!

With Yooris shout, Alicia jumps up into the air.

Igni: [FLAME ARMOR - IGNITE - SHOTGUN SHOT]!!

Igni chants his incantation.

The [FIREBALL] he created splits several times.

In one breath, it splits into several hundred smaller segments.

Igni: [LAUNCH - FIRE]!

DODON!! (*sfx)

With Ignis shout, several hundred [FIREBALL]s launch into the air!

They come heading straight for Alicia.

Alicia: [Be Blown by Wind - Victomb!]

GOU!! (*sfx wind)

Suddenly, wind erupts below Alicia, and Ignis [FIREBALL]s get caught up and carried off.

And Alicias skirt also flaps wildly.

Igni: (.....I can s---...I can almost se!!)

And Igni will always be Igni even in times like these.

Actually, nevermind. Hes always like this.

Alicia: Igni, is that all you got?!

Alicia looks down after all the [FIREBALL]s are caught by her wind but

Alicia: Wwait! Hes gone!

Igni: Behind you.

Alicia: Huh?! Oh no!!

Igni rode <ON TOP> of his [FIREBALL] and transported himself in the air, and Igni placed one hand on Alicias shoulder.

Igni: [IMPACT - FIRE]!

The [FIREBALL] in his palm explodes but only towards Alicia and blows Alicia away!

DON!! (*sfx)

With the loud sound, Alicia is blown off her broom.

Alicia: [TO ME, WIND! - VENTOS]!!

Alicia regains her balance in midair and uprights herself, and then

Alicia: [WIND - LANCE]!!

She fires a lance made of wind towards Igni!

Igni: [LAUNCH - FIRE]!

Igni hits it with a [FIREBALL] and nullifies it!

Igni follows up with two more shots.

Alicia: Regular [FIREBALL]s wont work on me!!

And Alicia gets ready to cast her next spell but

Igni: [ERUPT - FIRE]!!

The two [FIREBALL]s explode in midair!

Flame and smoke completely block everyones sight!!

At that moment, Igni ignites and explodes a [FIREBALL] beneath his feet.

In a flash, he covers the distance between him and Alicia.

Igni: ......its over.

Igni gently places a finger on Alicias forehead.

If he were to use a spell in this position, Alicia would definitely become incapacitated.

Yoori: The match is over!

Yoori delivers the decision a moment too late.

Alicia: Wow, I would expect nothing less from you. But you still went easy on me, didnt you?

Igni: Of course not.

Alicia: I dont care about your excuses. If you defeated the 1st Year Rep in an instant, theres no way you couldnt defeat me in an instant.

Igni: .....okay, I went easy a little bit.

Alicia: I knew it. You said you needed experience going against people, but it was actually learning how much you had to go easier against people, huh?

Igni: ....yea

90% lies. 10% truth.

Yes, this man...

Its true that he does lack sufficient experience against other human beings, and he did want to practice, but that was only 10% of his reasons.

What is the other 90%?

Igni: (.....I just want.to touch girls..!)

Any boys going through puberty would start carrying around this desire, so Igni had to think of a way to fulfill it.

And using his lacking brain cells, he came to one desperate, final conclusion.!!

Igni: (....I...touched her!!)

For a man who is aspiring to become popular, he is really setting himself some extreme low bars, but recently, the only chance Igni got to touch other female students were during the combat training with the Council Members, and this was all with Miss Miko.

Miss Miko is a great person, so Igni would love to ask her to practice more, but she has been booked with missions. Being unable to release some of the tension and stress of touching girls, Igni decided to invite his classmates for practice fights.

Igni himself believes that he is reaching new heights, and it will take some before he realizes how incredibly creepy his motives are.

Iris: Nnext is me! Sir Igni!

Igni: Thank you, Iris.

Erumi: Wait! Let me just get hit once.

Igni: NO.!

Igni is barely able to hold back Erumi who suddenly appeared out of nowhere with a command to stay.

Erumi: H--hes intentionally. Ignoring me!!

If shes this happy about being left alone, Igni begins to think that this may be the best way to deal with her going forward.

So, Igni begins his practice fight with Iris.

Igni began to think really hard about how he could touch Iris without it being creepy. And did not realize how creepy this thought was in the first place.

Yoori: Miss Alicia, you come from a nobles family, right?

Yoori thinks Igni will win anyways, so stopped refereeing.

And Alicia just fought and wont get a chance to fight again so she is bored too.

And so Yoori decided that this would be a perfect time to catch up.

Alicia: Why did you think so?

Yoori: Your clothes were.really fancy and pretty.

Alicia: Yup. Youre right. Its no use hiding it, but yes, I come from a nobles family that is pretty high up there.

Yoori: And Im sorry to ask this, and you dont have to answer if you dont want to, but why do you go by <JUST> Alicia in the school?

Alicia.

In the school roster, she <DOES NOT STATE> her family name.

Alicia: Thats a secret. Ill tell you when the time comes.

Yoori: Okay, got it.

And their conversation ended.

Because thats what it means to be friends.

DOOOOOOOON!! (*sfx)

And with a large explosion, the match ends.

Iris: Oh no! Wait! Sir Igni!! Please wait a moment! Please! I practiced this one spell just for today!! Please dont let the match end here?!

Igni: Ummm.. But.we already ended the match. Here, show me your spell, and well call it a day.

Iris: Here I go!! [THE LOVE NEST - LOVE HOUSE]!!!

Iris finishes her incantation, and the ground around the two swirl together like snakes and wrap the two together.

Iris: Now well be together forever!

Her eyes are s, and Iris is glued to Igni.

Plus her breathing is really heavy and irregular.

Igni: (.............wait...am I..am I being popular.?)

<<<<>>>>

[GRANDPA! GRANDPA!]

[OYE, what is it, Igni]

[I want to become super popular like you, Grandpa! I want girls to tell me that they like me even if I dont do anything!]

SLAP!!

[DONT BE RIDICULOUS!]

Grandpas shout stings and slices through the air.

[Wh----whaaaaa.?!]

[Dont be so naive!! Why are you learning how to be popular?! For what end do you seek to polish your popularity skills?!?!]

[Th--thats..]

[Popularity! Wizardry! They are all the same! There is a height that only those who have sharpened their skills to the heavens can achieve! Dont be spoiled! Dont let your guard down! Heaven and Hell are just the different sides of the same coin!!!

Igni then realized something.

[I---Im sorry, grandpa! I was wrong!!]

[Its okay, Igni. Im glad you understand. Im glad.]

<<<<>>>>

Grandpa!

I finally arrived.!! I arrived in Heaven!!

This was it!! This is Heaven!!

This was Heaven all along.!!

2 years... of miserable training.!!

Some days seemed to never end.!!

But it was all for this day.!!

And just when Ignis spirit was about to reach its pinnacle

Alicia: [WIND - BLAST]

Alicia destroyed Iris spell.

Alicia: What.are you guys doing?

Alicia looked creeped out.

And not a single person there knew how Igni hit rock bottom to the point of dying of embarrassment that day.