※ Some parts have been changed from the web version to align with the book version (Volume 1).
Mashiro’s magic elements: Wind/Water → Wind/Ice.
After each headmaster’s grateful and long speeches, the Inter-Academy Magic Tournament was at last underway.
While the Magic Studies and Magic Games divisions ran in the background, we did our final adjustments.
Surprisingly, among the athletes finished with their events, some came to offer us encouragement.
Like the lack of complaints about our representative selection, it must be guilt.
If they even spoke to Mashiro — yes, what moves people is shame.
But thanks to it, Mashiro’s motivation was rising.
And finally, the battle on which our future hung opened its curtain.
“Which academy claims the title of strongest!? Elite chosen as their school’s representatives clash in the Magic Combat division — beginning now!!”
"""Uoooooo!!"""
“Is this fate’s mischief! From round one, a match of huge proportions! A clash of the favorites!”
A roar erupted from the crowd at the announcer’s hype.
Sorry to disappoint the fans expecting a heated battle — what’s coming is one-sided.
To those who were looking forward to this matchup, my apologies.
“Last year’s championship members return, powered up! Show us the upset-level skill of last year! Mythosona Magic Academy representatives — Sherva Anthem! Boden Holly! Marka Mighty!”
Sherva and his teammates entered the arena from the opposite side.
Watching their relaxed faces wave to the cheering crowd, I was certain.
—— Our victory had become unshakable.
“Versus Royal Lichberg Magic Academy. Reina Milfonti’s chosen teammates are — gasp — a freshman pair! What sort of power will they show!? Representatives — Reina Milfonti! Ouga Veret! Mashiro Liche!!”
“Let’s go, you two.”
“Yeah! We’re definitely winning the championship!”
“Fufu, full of fight.”
With me at the front, we stepped onto the stage of battle.
This is the brilliant debut stage for me and Mashiro.
Anyone who watches this match is fortunate.
Because they’re seeing the first step of someone who will carve his name into history.
“Ouga~!!”
No way I’d mishear. When I looked toward Karen’s voice — she was at the front row, wrapped in a red dress, waving.
She was leaning forward, her chest resting on the railing bar — a serious situation.
Karen probably hadn’t worn dresses much before, because her cleavage was very open, with enough destructive power to seduce me to death.
…… Thank you, Karen. Now I can really go all out.
I raised a fist with that meaning at Karen, and she broke into a wide smile.
And one more thing. Something else caught my eye.
To the side, an interesting group.
Young noble ladies waving flags with my name and a deformed caricature of me drawn on them — and Alice beside them, conducting.
"""Crushing! Overwhelming! Lord Veret, light of the world!"""
“Your voices are too quiet! Make Lord Ouga’s name thunder across the world!”
"""Crushing!! Overwhelming!! Lord Veret, light of the world!!"""
Aaaaaaa!! Doing it again, Aliiice!!
I want her to stop because it’s embarrassing! Look, it’s attracting tons of attention!!
And this time she’s not alone. She’s roped others in……!
The one going along with Alice…… Satia, was it? Why is the girl who tried to challenge me to a duel here?
If she hated me, she wouldn’t cheer this passionately……
I’m a bit sorry that Alice is making her go along with this antics…… I’ll give her a wave at least.
“Aah!? Lord Veret waved back at me……!? I-is this a dream……?”
“Lady Satia!? Hold on!! The match is just starting!!”
For some reason Satia collapsed and was being held up by another girl.
What is up with her……? Interesting one. I like her. I’ll ask Alice later.
In any case, I dropped it and focused on the match.
“Confident-looking face, Veret.”
Sherva broke into a stagey villain’s smirk.
The fact that he can naturally form that expression is the one thing I might envy.
“Of course. A match with not a single chance of losing. Of course I look this way.”
“Heh, I like that. That kind of idiocy. Although the biggest idiot is the person who picked you as a representative.”
Sherva shifted his target from me to Reina.
“Hey, [God-Loved] Milfonti-san. When I beat you, tell Floné-sensei to take me as her apprentice. An outstanding apprentice is better, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s fine. Sensei loves excellent personnel. If you can defeat me twice, you’ll surely be acceptable.”
”…… Tch. As ever, sarcasm doesn’t land on this woman.”
Sherva cursed, but Reina returned an unshaken constructed smile.
This is where she shines.
”…… The atmosphere is really tense, Ouga. Is this competition usually this prickly?”
“No, this one’s different. Don’t mind it too much, Mashiro.”
“Got it! I’ll give it everything~”
Cute. With her smile, even bloody atmospheres get purified.
“All athletes, take your positions!”
Following the announcement, we lined up in our designated spots.
Me in front. Mashiro and Reina concealed behind me — a triangle formation.
Our opponents lined up in a row.
“Which side will the goddess of victory smile upon! Inter-Academy Magic Tournament, Magic Combat division, round one, match one — begin!”
"""[Thunder]!"""
The moment the match began, the enemy fired lightning-element [Thunder].
Specialized for speed; a direct hit causes stiffness from paralysis.
A spell highly effective in mage-vs-mage battles.
A surprise attack at the edge of foul play. But that’s the level of finesse they’ve trained.
I see. They aren’t all talk.
But even so, it doesn’t reach us.
“What——!?”
“Dodged!?”
I’d been watching mana movement the whole time; I caught the moment of initiation.
If you know the timing of the cast and the trajectory, dodging is no big deal.
Same as a pistol. Read the muzzle and the trigger timing, and you can dodge.
Per the strategy, I’d read the opening strike, with Mashiro and Reina following my movement to dodge — that pattern was set.
Likewise dodging the [Thunder], the two now shifted to offense.
“Give it to them, Reina!”
“[Thunder]!”
“Fast——!?”
The bolt of lightning Reina released, matching the enemy [Thunder] in speed, struck all three directly.
Her year of effort hadn’t been betrayed — it had reached them.
“[Wind Upper (Wind Uppercut)]!”
“Gh——!?”
“Uoooh——!?”
“Kyaaaaa——!?”
Missing not a beat, Mashiro activated a wind-element spell that hurled them up from beneath their feet.
Beautifully, they were separated; coordination now difficult.
Once this happens, the tempo is ours.
One-on-one, none of them is a match for any of us.
“Pattern One! I’m taking the captain, Reina!”
“By all means. Miss Liche, as planned.”
“Don’t lose your stance! [Wind Back]!”
Receiving a wind spell from her back, Reina shot forward.
But this was different from before — a straight line. Boosted by the wind’s support, she charged with phenomenal speed at the scattered students.
She’d hit them all before they could recover.
That outside of [Thunder], Reina is overwhelmingly superior was already proved last year.
A choice only the truly strong make.
“Oi! Reina Milfonti! I’m over here!!”
“Sorry, Sherva. I’m your opponent.”
“Tch! Don’t underestimate me! [Flame Shot]!”
“Picked offense over defense, huh. Good choice.”
The [Wind Back] assist is powerful, but you can’t dodge enemy attacks while being launched. At best you could fire spells to cancel them.
In other words — I can’t use magic, so I don’t get [Wind Back]‘s support.
So it takes some time to reach Sherva.
He’d fanned the fire-element magic to buy that time.
“Hmph, clever. So you do think a little.”
He’d dispersed the bullets to cut off my route rather than concentrating them.
With [Magecraft Funeral] off the table, I have to dodge — losses build before I reach him.
Before I closed in, Sherva broke fall and reset his stance.
“Too bad! You needed to finish me off before I had freedom of movement! That gambit failed too!”
“No. All according to plan.”
“What……?”
“Beat the optimal state with raw skill. Easier to understand, no?”
“You — don’t mess with me! [Flame Bomb]!”
Eight fire bombs formed between his fingers, hurled at me.
“Get blown away!”
“Won’t be granting that wish.”
I pulled a bundle of iron coins from my hip pouch and flicked them with my fingers.
The straight-flying coins met the bombs, which exploded.
The explosions occurred, but none reached me.
Smoke obscured the line of sight between us…… now it’s my turn.
“Gh!?”
“——There.”
Scattering the leftover coins, I located Sherva by the voice of him being hit.
Lowering my body and closing in, there was Sherva, face distorted by irritation and smoke.
“Damn it, where are you!? Come out!”
“Behind you.”
“Tch! Flame Shoo——”
“At this distance, spells are too slow.”
“——guoh!?”
My fist sank into his abdomen, real impact.
The swung-through fist sent him straight up.
A heavy thud as he fell.
Stepping close, his eyes had rolled back; he’d lost consciousness.
“Fists are best after all.”
I muttered, looking at my fist.
The effort and time spent on muscles never betray.
“Now, how’s the other side going…… Heh. Should end fast.”
A glance at Mashiro and the situation was obvious.
“Dual Magic Caster is cheating!”
“You can’t blame me, I was born this way.”
The female student rolling on the ground had her hands and feet bound with chains of ice.
She must have been on guard for wind-element magic, gotten hit with ice instead, and taken it cleanly.
Even knowing of it, responding to two different elements is tough.
“Yes. Be quiet now, okay?”
“Mngh!? Uu! Uuu……!”
Mashiro stuffed a handkerchief into the girl’s mouth to keep her from casting.
In that state, it might as well be over.
Now, Reina——
“Damn it……! [Thunder Rondo (Lightning Sword Dance)]!”
“[Lightning Pierce].”
Six lightning swords whirling in the air rained at Reina — but a column of lightning rising from earth to sky blocked them.
The raw magical power was on a different level. Same element too — Reina’s magic seemed to absorb the opponent’s spell.
Like a predator devouring prey.
“My apologies. Since Ouga-kun and the others have finished, I’ll wrap this up too.”
“N-no way……”
At a tone implying she’d been humoring a child’s game until now, the opponent’s expression sank to despair.
”——[Thunder Whip].”
A whip of crackling electricity appeared in her hand.
She swung it with practiced ease through the air with a hyun-hyun, slapped the ground bashin.
“It’s fine. Even a hit just stings a little.”
“A…… aah……!”
“Let’s enjoy ourselves!”
“Uaaaaa~!?”
Reina swinging that whip with a smile looked like a Queen of the Night…… and that’s all I’ll say.