Chapter 128: Tick Tock Tick Tock (4)
Theo & Irene and Andrew & Sally stepped onto the arena.
"It's finally starting."
Hailey was thrilled.
The rest of the spectators felt the same way.
"Theo! Theo! The true warrior, the honorary orc! Theo Lyn Waldeurk!"
"Carry on Noctar's will, Theo! Don't lose to that mage!"
"Irene! Show them the power of the top student from the Knight Department!"
"Go, Cold-hearted Knight Irene!"
"Andrew! Andrew Jackson!"
"Blazing Mage Andrew! Burn that annoying face of Theo's so much that even healers can't cure it!"
"Hey, isn't that girl familiar? Isn't she the new part-timer at the hot dog shop in the Hero Department?"
"Oh, you're right. Hang in there, part-timer! I remember the three extra ketchups you gave me last time!"
"Stay strong, Sally~ Don't get hurt!"
At the same time, a man with a sharp look, wearing a hood, returned to the spectator seats.
'After Theo's round of 16 match, he immediately left his seat...'
Hailey sneaked a glance at the man.
His face was still obscured by the hood, but it seemed like he too was watching Theo.
'I need to talk to him this time.'
As Hailey pondered and watched the arena, Mari called out with an energetic voice.
[...You've all been waiting, haven't you? The highly anticipated quarter-final match is about to begin! The first game features Theo & Irene against Andrew & Sally!]
Waiting for the match to begin, I amplified [Observer's Eye] using the [Amplification Orb].
As soon as the match started, I immediately rushed towards Andrew and said,
"Irene, just as we discussed, stay close and follow my lead!"
"Understood!"
Irene closely followed suit, also heading straight for Andrew.
We had already planned the initial move.
We couldn't rely on the strategy we used against Seria's team, catching them off guard.
He wouldn't be careless enough to fall for it, nor would he use his specialty, debuff magic, against us.
Although Andrew might have some weaknesses, he's undeniably a genius when it comes to wielding magic.
Moreover, all the practical evaluations in the Hero Department are focused on real combat.
Naturally, Andrew's combat intuition would be much sharper than Seria's.
After all, he suffered defeat at the hands of Noctar during the previous practical evaluation.
Since we were on the same team during the 'Dungeon Exploration,' he likely took note of some of my habits and skills.
Of course, I had already accounted for that.
"Haa."
Irene and I quickly closed the gap between us and Andrew.
At that moment, a fireball flew toward us.
It was fast, but not too fast for my enhanced [Observer's Eye] to miss.
"To the left, Irene!"
"Got it!"
We both dodged the incoming fireball, veering to the left.
But as we did, another fireball was hurtling toward us.
'So, that was his aim.'
People rarely change.
This was the same pattern he used against Noctar.
It's commendable that he refrained from using his debuff magic, but...
'I will be the one advancing to the semi-finals, Andrew.'
I outstretched my right hand towards the approaching fireball and activated [Magic Nullification].
The fireball, powerful enough to momentarily crack the barrier of the Hero Department's dome stadium, vanished upon touching my palm.
"W-What the!"
I could hear Andrew's high-pitched voice, filled with disbelief.
It was indeed surprising.
Such a fireball would have been unstoppable even by Jang Woohee's [Magic Nullification].
But my mana stat is a whopping zero.
"Let's go, Irene!"
"Yes!"
We reached Andrew in no time.
I stared at him impassively.
Andrew entered the reach of my practice longsword, looking at me with a complicated expression.
"…You never cease to amaze me, Theo. But I anticipated this!"
With a whooshing sound, Andrew cast a massive barrier.
Irene and I immediately began to strike the barrier.
Although we left some marks, it was strong and challenging to break.
It was incredibly sturdy.
"Ha, haha! You won't break through with just that!"
Andrew smirked, a grin eerily similar to mine, tinted with a hint of smugness.
Inside the barrier, Andrew immediately prepared his next fireball.
While the first was dodged and the second was neutralized with a peculiar ability... at this range, it would be impossible to evade.
There would be no time to react.
Creak, creak!
Theo and Irene desperately hammered at the barrier.
'At this rate, we last at most another minute.'
But the barrier was already doing its utmost.
This wasn't a hastily cast spell.
It was a barrier he had extensively improved after being defeated by Noctar during the previous practical assessment.
'I knew I made the right choice.'
Just then, Irene, who had been pounding the barrier, tried to slip behind Andrew.
"I'll handle her!"
Sally, with her spear in hand, immediately pursued Irene.
In a clash of equal skill, the spear usually triumphs over the sword due to its longer reach.
After all, on the Kyren Zena Continent, techniques like Sword Aura, which could extend a sword's reach, are so rare they're considered legends.
This typically places the spear in a superior position.
Irene wields a longsword for dueling, which is only about half the length of a typical spear.
Utilizing the spear's advantage in reach, Sally targeted Irene, who was trying to get behind Andrew.
"How about that, Irene? I've improved a lot, haven't I?"
Irene, a first-year Knight Department student, is the goal of many.
Everyone talks about defeating her one day, but apart from Julia, no one has even come close to matching her.
Sally, though gentle in nature, isn't without her competitive spirit.
Watching Irene, who was struggling just to evade her thrusts, Sally felt a deep satisfaction rising within her.
'Maybe... just maybe... I could actually beat Irene this time?'
Irene Aslan, the Cold-hearted Knight, hails from the Aslan family, a lineage renowned for its swordsmanship across the continent.
Defeating her would be a badge of honor, far surpassing the simple achievement of winning a round of 8 match.
Such a victory would lead others to realize,
'If she can do it, so can I.'
With these thoughts, Sally boldly lunged again—
"I've been waiting for that."
Irene forcefully parried the spear and instantly closed the distance.
In a contest of spear versus sword, the spear often wins given equal skill.
But that assumes the duelists are on equal footing.
Irene's prowess far surpasses Sally's.
Yet, even with the advantage, Irene had been cautiously waiting for Sally's move.
"Ah, what?!"
Looking down at the suddenly approaching Irene, Sally hastily retreated.
But Irene had already closed the gap, her breath brushing against Sally.
And she didn't miss her chance.
Evading Sally's returning thrust, Irene responded with a stab of her own.
Her strike flowed fluidly: from the thigh, to the abdomen, the shoulder, and then the wrist.
Even with the blunt practice longsword, her technique could incapacitate an opponent in an instant.
It was a fleeting moment, yet Irene exploited all of Sally's vulnerabilities, living up to her moniker as the Cold-hearted Knight with a chilling expression.
'...Easy.'
This reminded her of the sensation she felt when she shattered her self-imposed restraints after successfully executing that unnamed thrust to save Theo from Noctar.
"This... ah!"
Feeling intense pain in her wrist, Sally lost grip on her spear.
'I lost... just like that.'
A phrase every Knight Department student had heard countless times rang in her ears:
—Dropping your weapon means defeat.
Yes, it's true.
Sally had lost.
But she couldn't let her teammate down.
If things continue like this, and Irene joins Andrew, they're definitely going to lose.
"Ah, ahh!"
In her frantic attempt to grasp her falling spear, Sally's side was struck.
Thud!
Irene's practice longsword hit Sally squarely in the side.
Sally is a human.
Unlike orcs, she doesn't have defensive traits like [Hard Skin].
Thud.
Sally fell, blood staining her side.
"You did well."
Irene kicked Sally, sending her out of the arena.
Out of bounds.
Even if Sally, by some stroke of luck, regains her consciousness, she can no longer participate in this match.
"Sally!"
Andrew, who had been fending off Theo's attacks with a barrier, cried out Sally's name.
But the fallen Sally didn't get up.
"Both of you... I won't let this go."
Andrew murmured softly, drawing on all his mana.
'The skill is still incomplete, but...'
With just basic debuff magic and mere fireballs, he can't defeat Theo.
"Sally... I promised to make us champions. I'll keep that promise."
His mana surged furiously, as if resonating with Andrew's determination.
"Hoo..."
Andrew, a possessor of the [Mana Ruler] trait.
True to that, he cast an incredible spell, one far surpassing the limits of a first-year student.
"Fire Field."
Flames raged, covering the entire arena.
Follow current nov𝒆ls on freew(𝒆)bnov𝒆l.(c)om