The sword Ash drew was engulfed in flames.
The fierce flames slowly engulfed the surroundings.
“My famous sword of flame. I will rend your flesh until it vaporizes.”
The two henchmen, lacking holy swords, drew iron blades.
The ordinary sword is made in a secret manner, and even for high-born individuals, it is not easy to obtain.
Many who wield it for the first time are of lesser nobility. That’s why it attracts attention even though they belong to the upper class and don’t possess it.
Both Theo and I drew our swords in preparation for battle.
“Do you think you can handle it, Will?”
“I have the slightest confidence that I’ll win.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, especially today I feel quite unwell. But don’t worry, even though I know I’m going to lose, you can win without hesitation. Like Ash said, I’m weak.”
“Then I’ll defeat those two and come to your rescue! Hold on until then.”
“Stop this nonsense. Hatch, Potini, take care of the commoner. I will deal with Will Starfield directly.”
The battle begins.
Theo and I spread out to the sides, using the stone pillars as walls. Ash comes towards me while his henchmen pursue Theo.
Sword against sword. Ash and I fight fiercely.
“It seems you know how to use a sword. I was just about to get bored and finish you off.”
“I am quite skilled, but rest assured, you seem like a small fish. Perhaps even I could defeat you.”
“Oh, really?”
As we brandish our swords, we try to provoke each other.
My defeat is more or less set in stone.
But even if I lose, I don’t want it to be a quick end.
I’d rather be defeated in a spectacular manner.
However, even if I stay calm and collected, Ash won’t make a monstrous move. That’s why I decided to take advantage of his simple and direct nature.
“I will definitely incinerate you! Inferno Blow!”
“Huh?”
Flames erupted from Ash’s flaming sword.
I decided to dodge them by jumping into the shadow of a pillar, as it was risky to face the attack directly.
The red flames slithered along the ground like snakes, raising the temperature and scorching the skin.
Despite his anger, it was surprisingly easy to unleash such a huge move. Does he have a large amount of magic energy, or is he just acting on impulse? He will probably run out of magic energy soon.
On the other hand, Theo… As expected, he is strong.
“You can’t defeat him?! What’s going on?!”
“Even commoners without noble titles can handle our swords better. How insolent!”
“Social status is not important in battle. It’s a matter of winning or being defeated. However, I would prefer them to lower their weapons and surrender. I’m not a fan of senseless conflicts.”
Theo handled the two opponents with efficient and precise movements.
Despite being surrounded from the front and back, he managed to escape using the pillars as a platform. He used unconventional but effective tactics, taking advantage of the environment while maintaining an orthodox fighting style. Did he lose patience with the two who wouldn’t listen to reason?
Theo knocked one of them out with a blow to the head to force a one-on-one confrontation.
“Fuck you, Hatch, acting like a commoner!”
“Don’t worry about him, it wasn’t a serious blow.”
“Then try this! Air Claw!”
The wind claws approached Theo, slicing through the ground as they came toward him.
However, he did not retreat, but instead shot magic directly at them.
“Wind Shield.”
The wall of wind Theo created deflected the claws.
Potini seemed stunned to see his attack blocked.
“So you’re a wind manipulator?”
“No, I’m not.”
“But you just used it in front of me.”
“Ah, true. I guess that would be the reaction. Let me correct myself.”
Four streams of magical energy surround Theo.
The flow of magical energy, including the elements of fire, water, wind, and earth, forces all mages in the arena to acknowledge the difference in powers, no matter what they think.
“I have four elements.”
“Four elements?!”
Everyone in the audience is restless and nervous.
Usually, having one element is the norm. It is extremely rare for someone to have two elements. It’s so rare that those with two elements are considered precious and rare in the magic court. Having four elements makes someone’s value incalculable.
But well, it’s Theo, so there he is. He is the hero of this story. A special being, born with special powers. Different from me.
Oh, it seems the flames have gone out.
I looked from behind a pillar and saw Ash disturbed.
“Potini, make sure you defeat him!”
“Y–yes!”
Finally, they realized what kind of opponent they were facing.
Now it’s my turn to do my duty.
“Now that you know that Theo is a mage who wields the four elements, you’re getting cold feet, aren’t you, Ash?”
“Don’t you dare make that smug face! It doesn’t change the fact that you’re backed into a corner.”
“If you don’t defeat me quickly, Theodore will come to my rescue. Do you want to be a loser? Come on, play your best hand. I’m sure you have something saved up, right?”
“Shut up! Don’t you dare mock me.”
We have another sword fight.
The complication with holy swords is the existence of exclusive special techniques.
Most likely, the Inferno Blow he just used was just ordinary magic. To activate an exclusive technique, he always emits a blue light from his body. He hasn’t shown his true power yet.
However, he’s really careless and has many openings.
He’s too tense. His magic abilities and the characteristics of his weapon are controlling him. Most importantly, I don’t feel that his sword is imbued with killing intent.
Realizing that small attacks don’t work, Ash jumps back and adopts a new stance.
“Since you want it so much, I will show you my ultimate technique!”
Here it comes. It’s the Burning Fang.
Ash uses his special technique to explosively increase his attack speed and strike twice in a row.
Even in the early stages, this powerful attack technique is known as the “First Encounter Killer” because even a single blow can bring an opponent to the brink of death. If I can take that hit, I can simulate an acceptable defeat.
However, taking a direct hit would be problematic. I don’t want to end up in the infirmary so soon after entering the school.
Ash’s body is covered in blue light. Bright and striding heavily, Ash approaches at a much faster speed than before.
I parried the first blow with my sword and blocked the second blow with my sword while maintaining a magical shield.
Snap!
I was thrown against the wall of the arena.
“Haha, you deserved that.”
Ash seemed excited.
In reality, I’m unharmed, but here, I have to pretend that the damage is severe. Better to be safe than sorry. Fortunately, I had already prepared for this kind of situation.
I took a small ball from my pocket and put it in my mouth.
I stood up swaying, simulating the inability to stand upright and falling to my knees.
“I can still… Do it… Gah!”
Apparently, I started coughing up blood.
“Will!”
Theo quickly defeated Potini and ran toward me, obviously concerned.
I continued to cough up blood, clearly indicating my weakened state.
Damn, I’m a great actor.
But most importantly, Theo will surely realize how weak I am, so he won’t want to rely on me in the future, let alone consider me a close friend.
“This is my problem, but I got you into this. If only I was strong enough to defeat Ash, you wouldn’t have to go through this. You don’t have to suffer for me. Please, let me go.”
“You are strong enough. After all, you willingly faced a powerful enemy. Rest here. I’ll take care of the rest.”
With a malicious smile on his face, Theo turned his back on me.
Now, Theo probably won’t think of asking for my help in the future. It would be best for him to find a new best friend.
“I’m sorry, Theo, but I want to continue enjoying my second life. I won’t sacrifice myself for you at all!”
“Come on, Ash!”
“I’ll crush you, commoner.”
Both drew their swords, but the tense atmosphere was interrupted by the arrival of a certain person.
Why does she have to interrupt at this moment? How annoying!
“That’s enough. If you continue to fight without permission, you will be punished.”
The person standing between Theo and Ash was a redheaded woman.
She carried a magnificent sword at her waist, and her elegant posture and sharp gaze commanded respect. Most importantly, the dense magical power emanating from her entire body made her stand out from other wizards.
In addition, her huge breasts, which could be seen through the fabric, her slender waist, and her long legs elegantly extending from her skirt also attracted attention in a different way.
“Who do you think you are? Don’t come in and interrupt the duel!”
“Well, I would like to ask, who gave permission for this supposed duel? It’s strange that even I, the student council president, didn’t know about it. Please tell me the name of the person who allowed it. Depending on the case, I might even consider demanding an apology.”
“Tsk…”
“What’s the matter, can’t you say it? Hmm?”
Ash, his words stuck, turned his hostility on her.
Just as he was about to step forward, cracks in the form of spider webs began to spread across the floor. Intense red light seeped out of the cracks, and its incredible magical power roared menacingly as if warning others.
“So your fire magic power surpasses mine, huh?”
“I am Adelina Agnis. I am the student council president and the eldest daughter of the famous Agnis family. If you want to challenge me, you’d better train much harder.”
Adelina, as if uninterested in the matter, turned her back on Ash and walked over to where Theo was standing.
“I am Theo…”
“I have no interest in you.”
After saying these words, she walked right past him until she approached me.
Adelina’s interference should have happened after the matter was resolved. It’s different from what I expected. It seems that not everything is like in the game.
“And you, what’s your name?”
“Will Starfield.”
She stared at me.
“Can I help you with something?”
“Interesting. I’ll remember your name.”
“Huh?”
Adelina Agnis grinned sharply, like a child finding a toy.
