EP.164 Autumn, New Semester (7)
A shadow covered Belnoa’s body. The writhing shadow formed into armor, protecting Belnoa. He exhaled sharply.
Shwooosh!
Shadow armor.
The strongest sorcery available at the moment. A spell that can be manifested by offering four fingers. The effect of shadow armor vastly exceeds that of ordinary enhancement spells.
Expansion of senses.
Augmentation of physical abilities.
Though there is a burden on the body, it was necessary to pull this out. Belnoa gazed ahead. Lac, crouched low, was staring back at him. His eyes were red like a beast’s.
Hissssss…
Steam rose from Lac’s body. Veins bulged on his forearms. The heartbeat, resonating loudly from this distance, felt almost like a warning.
‘He’s coming.’
That was the moment Belnoa thought.
Lac’s new form quivered. He took a step forward. Though just a single step, the result was anything but small.
Boom!
A distance of ten steps was closed in a single stride.
Lac’s red pupils shimmered right in front of Belnoa. Their encounter was instantaneous. Lac swung his axe, closing the gap.
Whoosh!
A silvery-white flash aimed for Belnoa’s neck. His physical abilities were enhanced by shadow armor, allowing him to barely react to the attack. However, simply reacting didn’t equate to fully blocking it.
Thwack!
His body lifted off the ground.
The forearm that blocked the axe felt numb. The shadows scattered and reformed. It was a fleeting moment, but the armor was breached.
“…Hah.”
Belnoa couldn’t help but chuckle dryly.
It was absurd. He had increased his physical strength at the cost of burdening his body… and yet could only just manage to react. Direct confrontation was still impossible.
However, Belnoa was a sorcerer.
He had not forgotten his essence. Suspended in the air, he flicked his fingers. The preloaded stakes shot out in unison.
Swish!
The shadow stakes could not be compared to the power or speed of shadow daggers. The spinning stakes targeted Lac. Nearly ten of them shot forward. These stakes had smashed through a black knight’s helmet with a single thrust.
Their power had been proven.
There would be no easy dodging or breaking them.
Belnoa thought this as he conjured the next spell. Approaching Lac, who had turned his gaze to block the stakes, Belnoa’s pupils suddenly widened.
Crack!
Lac’s axe shattered the stakes.
So easily.
‘…How?’
A look of bewilderment swept over Belnoa’s face. But that moment was short-lived. He quickly realized the situation. Lac possessed hyper-awareness. It was as if he could read all of Belnoa’s moves.
He knew everything about what was approaching and how.
Lac was not encountering the shadow stakes for the first time. He had seen them before and knew their weaknesses exactly.
‘He knows the weakness…’
The shadow stakes were a spell focused on power and speed.
Though they gained penetration through rotation, their durability was no different from shadow daggers.
‘Not from the front, but the sides.’
Lac was diligently smashing the stakes from the side, thanks to his hyper-awareness. The axe blade drew silvery-white arcs. The white flash sliced through the shadows.
Attack and evade continued in a seamless loop.
And in return, evasion turned into counterattacks.
“…!”
Belnoa, who was targeting Lac’s back, hastily lowered his posture. The axe blade grazed just above his head. Without even looking back, Lac simply extended his arm behind him. Belnoa clicked his tongue at the almost skillful movement.
He had destroyed all the stakes.
Lac, who had briefly been on the defensive, switched to offense.
Movements interlinked like a dance. Spinning in place, Lac stretched his leg, striking Belnoa’s abdomen. Although the shadows had blocked it, the impact could not be entirely negated.
Hisssss!
Belnoa retreated, dragging his feet.
Lac’s attacks continued, forcing Belnoa to step back constantly. He had no choice but to retreat. There was no opening for a counterattack.
‘It’s tough.’
It was difficult.
Reading the trajectory of the axe swinging right in front of him, all he managed to do was guard his body. All of Belnoa’s nerves were focused on Lac’s axe.
And the opponent’s weapon was not just the axe.
Gah!
Knees, legs, and sometimes elbows battered Belnoa’s body. The accelerated and enhanced physique was a weapon in itself. Belnoa groaned, backing away.
Thud.
By the time he regained his senses, he was already cornered.
He felt the wall of the Colosseum touch his back. Belnoa looked ahead. Those ominous red eyes showed no signs of stopping.
Belnoa turned his head. Crash! The axe grazed his ear and embedded itself in the wall. He leapt sideways. Crack, smash! The axe repeatedly shredded the wall.
Scrape, scrape, scrape!
The axe continued to hunt Belnoa, scratching against the wall. Unable to escape the corner, he was too busy fleeing. Constantly forced on the defensive.
There was no opportunity to cast a spell.
Rather than reaching out to manipulate the shadows, he had to stretch out his arms to block the axe before him.
‘Isn’t this way beyond unfair?’
Complaints threatened to bubble up.
The opponent could read the future from even the smallest action. If he extended his arm to block the axe, its trajectory would curve to strike elsewhere.
Small movements.
Contraction of muscles, processing of sight.
Everything was received as ‘information’ by the opponent. They pulled the future from that information. With all his moves getting read, it felt like he was merely a puppet in the opponent’s hands.
‘An enemy always one step ahead.’
They acted based on reading the next move from instinct. The opponent was fighting from the future. If Belnoa continued to be busy dealing with the present, the outcome would be settled right there.
He was cornered.
Continuously pressured.
He had to devise a way to escape. He needed to use a move the opponent wouldn’t expect. What could that be? Belnoa desperately racked his brains.
‘A new move.’
So…
‘An unpredictable move.’
It was a moment of yearning for that.
Suddenly, Belnoa’s gaze fell on his forearm. The shadows that had ever so briefly scattered and converged were dripping like blood on the ground. Shadows trailed along Belnoa’s footsteps as he attempted to flee, pressed against the wall.
The connected shadows.
The remnants of mana left on the floor.
Something sparked in Belnoa’s mind. He shifted his thinking. The opponent could read the future from even minute movements. He could not seal that. So, if he outright changed the method, it would be fine.
‘Letting him hit me even when I know.’
He forced a move upon his opponent.
Belnoa executed what had sprung to his mind.
Clench!
Belnoa offered a finger. The shadows that had splashed onto the ground swayed. At that moment, Lac’s axe halted for just a moment.
Lac turned around.
Belnoa smirked.
The scattered shadows returned to their master. Shadows left on the ground converged towards Belnoa. For him, it was material to reinforce his armor. However, it was not the same for Lac.
Each one was a dagger.
Hundreds of daggers were flying toward him.
‘It would be simple to dodge.’
But, he couldn’t evade.
If he dodged that, and allowed Belnoa to absorb them… Belnoa’s armor would be reinforced. That enhancement would not remotely compare to what had come before.
‘I must break them all without dodging.’
Lac was also forced into a move.
‘But, he would have to give up his back.’
A smile spread across Lac’s face.
He wasn’t the only one who became stronger. The opponent was growing stronger too. And they continued to do so. For a warrior, having an opponent who could grow through competition was the most precious thing. Lac smiled at the fortune that had come to him.
More.
A little more.
Eagerly anticipating Belnoa to close the gap between them, yet still wishing to achieve victory for himself, Lac swung his axe.
The axe split the shadows.
The shadows covered in silvery-white flashed.
Black and white continuously intertwined.
*
The fight became increasingly heated. The spectators could no longer even cheer. They held their breath, absorbing the duel. Every moment felt like the climax of a dramatic tale. It captured the audience’s gaze.
Shadows surged, exploded, and covered everything.
The axe cleaved, tore apart, and shattered.
The most primal fight was taking place there. Each trying to read one another’s moves. Distracting each other’s gazes. The battle far exceeded the students’ level… and the audience gradually gave up predicting the outcome.
They could only express surprise and concern.
It seemed like each was moving to kill the other. The best attacks always came close to being lethal. A duel peppered with such lethal intent felt terribly savage. One couldn’t help but think that one might die at any moment.
Yet, the spectators didn’t realize.
That the participants of this savage duel were genuinely enjoying the fight.
*
Belnoa found a way to force moves upon the opponent.
He found a way to bind an opponent who moved with foresight to reality. Normally, it would be incredibly difficult to apply a method just discovered in practice.
That was not the case for Belnoa.
He had lived feeling death since childhood. There was no time to get accustomed to anything. He had to translate all learnings directly into battle. For Belnoa, who had become accustomed to that, the application of a suddenly realized concept was not a difficult task.
He infused every attack with two simultaneous moves.
He forced the opponent to make a choice.
The moment the opponent picked one, he bought himself time to devise the next move. Belnoa repeated that.
Thwack!
The shadows constantly writhed. Now, Lac could no longer afford to fight while reading the future. The offense and defense switched back and forth numerous times. The gap between them began to shrink gradually.
“…Hah!”
Lac burst into laughter as he swung his axe.
It was not just Belnoa who gained insight from the duel. Lac was gaining insights too. He skillfully managed his enhanced body even more efficiently.
The movement became more concise.
He fluctuated his speed, confusing his opponent.
Imitating Belnoa’s dagger techniques… Lac continually narrowed and widened the gap, pressuring Belnoa.
“……”
Belnoa silently smiled.
For some reason, he found this situation enjoyable. He wasn’t a battle maniac. He didn’t particularly enjoy this kind of duel. Yet, he was happy. Genuinely happy, causing laughter to well up.
A situation where he was fighting without risking his life.
A situation where someone was there to block for him even when he tried his hardest.
In such a situation, battling with someone more or less on par with him, or even superior. Gaining insights and growing through this clash. Growth brought joy to everyone. Belnoa was no exception.
It was fun.
For Belnoa, who has never experienced such a thing, this situation was overwhelmingly joyous. Having grown up in the back alleys, he had never had anyone who would grow alongside him. It was a fortune only a select few were endowed with.
Growing up in such a barren life, wishing for luck was just not in the cards.
He lived a life eager to protect the light called Chloe that had been given to him. Hence, with the leisure he felt now, Belnoa was grateful for the fortune that had come to him.
Crack!
He bent his fingers and cast a spell.
He revealed everything he could do. No longer hiding any moves, Belnoa showed everything he had to his opponent.
Whoosh, screech!
The same went for his opponent.
As expected, true to Lac’s nature to charge bluntly and honestly, he pierced through everything head-on.
Clank, slam!
Attacks exchanged.
Moves and calculations flowed back and forth.
They both found joy in the passing moments.
Yet, that as well, was coming to an end.
In a static situation, both sought a means to overturn the tide.
‘More.’
Each craved the best means.
‘More, just a bit more.’
They both pursued a perfect move. As the gap between them narrowed, they almost simultaneously arrived at the optimal conclusion.
Pause.
Both ceased their movements simultaneously.
Their thoughts overlapped.
‘I found it.’
Lac’s axe stopped.
His pupils contracted into dark red dots. Steam rose from Lac’s body. The spell stored in the axe blade began to emit light.
Belnoa’s shadows became still.
The shadow armor flowed into one of Belnoa’s hands. With the shadows compressed tightly around him, Belnoa widened his eyes.
Thud.
Both who had halted their movements surged forth simultaneously.
Single Point Breakthrough.
Abandoning defense. Lac, solely focused on offense, launched himself like a beam of light. The blade of the axe glimmered sharper than ever before.
Single Point Explosion.
Extending his hand forward, Belnoa tightly clenched his fist. The shadows that had been compressed to their limit exploded. They engulfed Lac in front of him.
Would the shadows swallow him first?
Or would the axe tear through first?
Thwack!
Lac lunged out, tearing through the exploding shadows thanks to the shock that had created an opening.
‘This is my victory!’
However, the moment Lac was sure of his victory, he realized something.
Belnoa already knew that he would read Lac’s move. Even knowing that, he had unleashed his spell. It wasn’t hard to deduce the reason.
‘Because there’s another move.’
As Lac emerged through the shadows, Belnoa reached out his hand. The shadows that Lac had just escaped from swarmed back toward him. Like waves crashing.
‘Faster than my axe.’
The future was clear. The incoming shadows tore at Lac’s future, vivid visions materializing in front of him. How would he escape this fated future?
‘More.’
As always.
‘Faster, always faster.’
Lac opted for a frontal breakthrough.
In a single step meant to narrow the distance, Lac willfully inserted another step between them. Crack! His toes made a loud sound. Lac accelerated again with that.
Acceleration upon acceleration.
Thud.
His spine was pricked by the returning shadows, but it was only momentary. For just a second, the shadows couldn’t keep up with Lac’s suddenly accelerated movement. Belnoa widened his pupils.
There was no way to block it.
Thus, the outcome was determined.
And then…
“Stop.”
A voice that Lac had heard before echoed throughout the arena.
*
“That’s enough.”
It wasn’t only the voice that echoed.
With a clang, chains that had appeared from nowhere bound everything in the duel area. Not just their bodies but all the phenomena spreading there were included as well.
Lac and Belnoa halted.
Even the returning shadows froze in place.
Clop, clop.
In the stillness, someone walked onto the duel ground. The sound of high heels echoed against the floor. At the sound, both Belnoa and Lac chuckled.
It was a deja vu-inducing scene.
It resembled the situation they first clashed.
However, there were clear differences.
“The match ends here.”
Lac and Belnoa turned their gazes to the side.
There stood Rania. Unlike during the class assignment exam, she was smiling softly… and she slightly nodded her head.
“The winner is Lac von Grace.”
As if saying “good job,” she stated.
Then, she waved her hand carelessly to dispel the shadows. As the chains binding their bodies loosened, Belnoa weakly collapsed to the ground.
His legs lost all strength.
He had pushed his sorcery to the limit.
“…Huh.”
He was nearly there, but he had made a mistake right at the very end. If he had known this would happen, he would have left shadows on the floor as well. Reflecting on that, Belnoa lifted his head.
Victory and defeat had been determined.
It was time to acknowledge the result.
“I lost.”
What Lac had once said, uttered by him back then, now came out from Belnoa’s mouth.
He had lost.
It was the first time he admitted defeat.
Yet, the expression on Belnoa, acknowledging his loss, was even refreshing.
“Is that so.”
Lac sighed short and set the axe on the ground. With his weapon now lowered, he extended a hand toward Belnoa.
“It was a great duel, Belnoa.”
Belnoa chuckled as he grasped Lac’s hand and stood back up. The two exchanged smiles, provoking a cheer from the spectators who had been holding their breath.
Waaaaaaah!
It was the moment the top spot of the Battle Magic Department changed hands.
Author’s Note
I packed it full! 😀
12 o’clock… not yet…!
