“Rakudai Kenja no Gakuin Musou: Nidome no Tensei, S-Rank Cheat Majutsushi Boukenroku” is an academy fantasy based on the work by Arata Shiraishi. The protagonist of the story is the Great Sage Ephtal, who was reincarnated from modern times to another world. Having gained a new life as a reincarnated person, he literally pours his entire life into the research of magic. Hearing that much, you might imagine “a story of a protagonist who became the strongest through overwhelming talent.” However, Ephtal himself was unable to reach the pinnacle of magic that he aimed for. Even after making continuous effort, accumulating knowledge, and acquiring enough strength to be called a sage, he could not advance beyond that. Eventually realizing that his talent had its limits, he ended his life carrying despair and regret. The point that makes this story interesting is that rather than being depicted as a successful person from the start, the frustration of “having not reached it” serves as the protagonist's origin.

Ephtal's story does not end with death. After an immense period of 400 years, he achieves his second reincarnation. Furthermore, he begins walking his new life while retaining the magic and knowledge cultivated in his previous life. Naturally, the desire to reach the pinnacle of magic this time around burns again, but what awaited him there was an unimaginable reality. Over the 400 years, the world's magical civilization had declined remarkably, and the techniques that Ephtal had acquired in the past had reached a realm that would not be strange to call “miracles” in the modern era. From his perspective, having failed to reach the top in the past, he is still incomplete. Yet, seen from those around him, he is an absurd existence; this discrepancy in perception is truly enjoyable. Rather than just showing the protagonist's strength, the framework where “the common sense of the past becomes extraordinary in the present” due to the era itself changing gives a sense of exhilaration to the story.

Even so, Ephtal is not satisfied with a level of power that is praised in the current world. Believing that “there is still further to go in magic,” he starts walking toward the heights once again. Then, during his journey, he meets a slave girl named Anastasia and heads toward the entrance examination of the magic academy with her. From here, the story proceeds into typical academy fantasy developments, but what is interesting is that Ephtal is far too different from ordinary student candidates. Since a Great Sage with 400-year-old knowledge and experience is trying to enter an academy in an era of declined magic, there is no way nothing will happen. Being able to enjoy both Ephtal's perspective of “Is even that surprising in this world?” and the surrounding reactions upon witnessing his power is surely the real pleasure of this work.

What draws even more interest is the existence of Merlin, the headmaster of the prestigious academy. While being one of the demon race's foremost magicians, she is actually also a former disciple who received teachings from Ephtal 400 years ago. A person from 400 years ago for Ephtal still continues to think of him as her master. Through this reunion, it becomes visible that the setting of “400 years later” in this work is not merely a device for empowering the protagonist. The world continued even after the protagonist disappeared, and people lived their respective times. By adding the weight of such years, a taste slightly different from a simple matchless story is born.

What attracts you while reading is the simultaneous presence of the exhilaration of Ephtal overwhelming those around him with his power, and the background that “he himself has experienced failure once.” Even if he is out of the spec by current standards, what he himself is looking at is a place much further away. Therefore, while possessing mighty power, there is still room for growth in his story. The fact that the series has shown an expansion of over 1.8 million copies in total is precisely because such easy-to-understand matchless fun is combined with a story depicting a second attempt. Overwhelming magic, academy life, human relationships spanning 400 years, and the fresh start of a sage who once gave up on his dream. “He is the strongest, yet it is not the goal for him yet.” It is a work that makes you want to follow the academy life of such a slightly unusual protagonist.