༺ Duel (2)༻

Leafa the Illusive, the final boss of ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, 「Act 6, Chapter 3, Fictional Hell」.

His current level was lower than I knew, but it was clear who he was by looking at his elements.

There was no way he would appear so early. Act 6, Chapter 3 was in the second semester of the first year. It meant that fighting Leafa was still a long way off.

In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, during the ‘Four Constellations’ part of the 2nd semester of the 1st year, Leafa transformed into a human and became friends with Ian Fairytale’s party. He was able to disguise himself and infiltrate the academy by altering people’s perception with illusion and perception type magic.

If you were a player who hadn’t been spoiled, you would have thought ‘that’s a new character’‘ when seeing Leafa for the first time and moved on. I was like that at first too.

However, as we entered Act 6, Chapter 3, it was revealed that the Leafa was a demon, and the battle to subdue Leafa began. At that time, his level was 150. I remember the difficulty level being horrendous.

I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a story twist that big before.

This meant that something I didn’t know about triggered Leafa’s appearance.

Leafa the Illusive was a demon who had been manifesting in this world for quite some time. It could be seen as one of the few demons who adapted to life in this world with its own intelligence.

So, even though he was tasked with the mission of killing Ian Fairytale, a light element user, he was capable of demonstrating ‘caution’.

I quickly racked my brain.

The reason why he appeared early, what was it?

‘…No way?’

With a little thought, I was able to figure it out.

He had a close relationship with Alice Carroll, the student council president of Märchen Academy, and a shadowy figure with her own agenda who was manipulating events behind the scenes. It was a shallow alliance, since they could betray each other at any time, and would be more appropriate to define it as friendship.

In the original story, it was self-evident that the man dealing with the demons was Ian Fairytale. So Alice or Leafa simply had to watch Ian’s every move. Even if Ian was a member of the Fairytale family, he could still be trapped and killed at the right time.

However, it was currently unknown who the Demon Hunter was. Alice must have been desperate to find me. It was highly likely that Leafa was also interested in the unknown entity after seeing his reaction.

That was why he probably couldn’t overcome his curiosity and appeared now.

Since the troublemaker first appeared during the class placement evaluation for the Magic Department, they were likely a student in the Magic Department.

This duel evaluation allowed him to gauge the strength of the first-year students of the Magic Department. It was a golden opportunity to find out who that person was.

‘But this is too fast.’

The story has just entered Act 3, Chapter 1, and the final boss of Act 6, Chapter 3 had already appeared…

Still, Leafa’s level was only 130. There would be no problem with fighting him one-on-one, but Leafa’s specialty was more than just simple confrontation.

It was not like Leafa’s subjugation happened for nothing. The stage for fighting him was [Fictional Hell], an 8-star magic capable of destroying an entire country; a magic that creates a world that ignored the laws of this world and transcended the concept of illusions, even though it was a type of illusion itself.

It was a unique magic that no one else could copy.

It didn’t emit mana, but rather absorbed mana around it into its own world, so you couldn’t even sense it. Just like how a black hole absorbs light and becomes invisible.

Leafa was Absolute inside, akin to God playing around in a world of magic that was entirely his domain.

If you didn’t know the ‘strategy’, even a level 180 giant like Dorothy Heartnova would have a hard time defeating Leafa with [Fictional Hell] activated. I didn’t want him to become a god.

By the way, dying in that world meant losing your soul. You would become a human vegetable.

The ‘normal’ strategy was to not get caught in the [Fictional Hell].

‘Ah, what should I do?’

He likes to toy with humans and in case he finds the troublemaker, he would most likely trap them at Duke Hall and suck them into [Fictional Hell] and play a game of death. Ian would most likely struggle to keep the people safe.

So what should I do now?

“Ha! Are you praying to the heavens? Too bad! You can’t see the sky from here!”

Hahahaha! Tristan laughed loudly and then cleared his throat.

I lowered my head and looked at him.

I was not in a position to comfortably engage in a duel here. It wasn’t a comfortable situation currently, but rather a crisis.

In any case, I need to get to the rooftops as soon as possible. But I couldn’t just give up and run to the roof.

As Professor Fernando said earlier, the waiting proctors were expected to subdue anyone who looked suspicious.

Because the duel evaluation encouraged students to fight, there were times when the adrenaline rush could sometimes get the better of them.

Those who acted unexpectedly were therefore reprimanded and then questioned about why they didn’t follow the rules. And if that happened to me, I couldn’t say how long it would take.

I wouldn’t be free until the duel was over, and then I would have to hear feedback from the judges.

Furthermore, I cannot surrender during the first minute of the duel. I couldn’t just give up and leave right away.

Even if I decide to surrender, Tristan’s magic would wreck me in that one minute. He looked like he was determined to beat me to death.

And if I got beaten by Tristan, I wouldn’t be able to go defeat Leafa the Illusive.

‘What if I were to challenge Leafa directly at this moment?’

The [Hunter] trait would activate and I would become stronger. But, unless I wanted to be openly caught by Alice Carroll, it was probably best to refrain from such ignorant behavior in front of the other students.

No matter how secretly the performance evaluation or exam is conducted, there was no stopping the word of mouth.

‘Then the only option left is…

It was the best option.

I made my decision and glared straight at Tristan.

“The means are unlimited. No surrendering for the first minute. Now, show your opponent some respect and get ready for the duel. Ready…! Begin duel!”

After the referee gave his instructions, he shouted and fell back.

The duel with Tristan had begun.

“Kuhhhh! I’ve been waiting for this moment! This time I can ruthlessly cut off that ugly face of yours with my magic!”

I ignored whatever he said. Stay focused. I couldn’t afford to make a mistake here. Level, mana – he was much better than me in all criteria. If we start exchanging blows, I would be screwed.

Let’s postpone assessing my current skills with pure magic to the next duel.

For now, I should just focus on getting through this situation carefully and quickly.

I wrapped ice mana around my fingers and blasted it toward Tristan.

* * *

Tristan was tormented by the painful memory of his defeat during the class placement evaluation.

A mere commoner with only Grade E mana and no special skills. He was defeated by his poor tactics and, for some reason, by Kaya Astrean as well.

Tristan gritted his teeth.

Through his life, he had always been respected and held to high standards.

Because he was special. Even at the prestigious Märchen Academy, he was able to take the top rank in his class because he himself was a competent person!

Therefore… it didn’t make sense for someone like him to lose to a Grade E commoner. Even if something went wrong, it must have been seriously wrong.

This time, he would use this opportunity to right that wrong, and make it clear to Isaac that a Grade E commoner like him couldn’t even reach his toes. During the class placement evaluation, he had only let his guard down for a moment.

Ddddddddd—!!

「Ice Wall (Ice Element, ★4)」

A wall of ice rose from the ground in an instant, trapping Tristan from all sides.

A trick to his eyes. Tristan channeled his mana into a sharp form, carving a light green sword in the air.

「Wind Sword (Wind Element, ★3)」

Sasasasasasak—!

The dense wind sliced through the [Ice Wall] as easily as if it were cutting a cake and in the blink of an eye, the [Ice Wall] with several hatches collapsed helplessly.

When the students saw a 3-star spell slice through a 4-star, especially a defensive magic, with such ease at once, they exclaimed, ‘As expected.,’ as if it were only natural.

[Elemental Firepower] meant the power of magic, and it was an obvious fact that Tristan, a top-ranked honor student, far surpassed the level of Isaac, a low-ranked inferior student.

“Whew.”

As if he already knew his magic would be shattered disastrously, Isaac threw out his next move as the ice wall collapsed,

‘Processed Fog’. A whitish fog emanated from the magic tool, enveloping the arena.

「Cold Divergence (Ice Element, ★1)」

As the cold air released by Isaac cooled, the processed fog grew thicker and turned into advection fog.

「Snow Pellets (Ice Element, ★2)」

In the fog, the magic that Isaac had learned specifically for the duel evaluation, [Snow Pellets], pounded the arena mercilessly, dispersing the sound.

It was a spell that created a large amount of small icicles in the air and sent them crashing into the ground like hailstones.

The purpose was obvious – to make sure that no one could hear where he was.

“Not again. Is this the only trick you can pull?”

Of course, since that’s all I’m good for as a Grade E commoner!

Tristan’s mouth curled into a sneer. He was starting to find that Grade E commoner almost cute now.

Ever since the class placement evaluation, Tristan had been working hard on his magic training. Now he was even capable enough to use defensive magic at a decent level.

“Hiding like a coward.”

Oh, so he’s trying to anger me again.

How shallow. You think I’m going to fall for your tactics twice!

“Pathetic!”

Tristan stretched his right arm upward, casting wind magic.

A light green magic circle formed above the right hand, and the wind mana began to swirl violently. The newly created whirlwind barrier absorbed the dense fog.

「Wind Wall (Wind Element, ★4)」

Huuueeeeeee─!

Ssshhhhhhhh─!

“Ha! I, Tristan Humphrey, am getting stronger at every moment!”

The thick fog cleared, and the [Snow Pellets] were absorbed into the whirlwind.

In a short period of time, as the fog cleared, the arena revealed itself and soon, the figure of Isaac, who was running toward Tristan, was also revealed.

As he ran, he put his fingers together, creating a gap between his hands to gather ice mana.

‘Huh, what kind of athletic ability…?!’

Almost there. I got here much faster than expected!

Tristan quickly tried to retreat, but his feet wouldn’t move. In a fleeting moment, he glanced down and saw that the soles of his shoes were frozen.

It wasn’t just his shoes. The entire arena was covered in ice.

「Ice Generation (Ice Element, ★1)」

‘When did he?!’

The ‘Processed Fog’ created by Isaac was of water element. Even if his [Elemental Firepower] was insignificant, his [Elemental Synergy] which enhanced the combination effect between elements, could not be ignored.

Thus, it was possible for him to freeze the arena thick enough to trap Tristan’s feet.

Before long, ice mana was gently condensed in Isaac’s hand. A pale blue magic circle formed, following his hand.

Isaac clutched the mass of mana in his right hand and stretched it out toward Tristan.

“You think you’re going to get away with this!?”

He didn’t know what kind of magic that was, but Tristan himself wasn’t generous enough to tolerate it calmly.

Today would be the day Isaac would be beaten into dust. It would be a day to unravel his own regrets.

Tristan released his whirlwind barrier [Wind Wall] and swung his left arm, which was covered in wind mana, in one swift motion.

And at the same time, the light blue mana in Isaac’s grasp exploded towards Tristan.

「Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ★5)」 「Whirlwind (Wind Element, ★4)」

Kwaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh───!!

Huuuuuueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee───!!

“Shut up!”

Tristan’s lone scream could be heard as an explosive flood of ice attacked him.

The [Whirlwind] shattered the mass of ice that had formed in an instant, sending large shards of ice scattering into the air. However, the impact of the explosion had yet to be fully received.

A strong wind pressure was generated and the impact caused Isaac’s body to bounce back like a ball. However, after rolling on the floor for a while, Isaac got up without much difficulty.

“Whew.”

Tristan’s spell caused no damage because it did not directly touch him. However, the wind pressure created by the collision of [Frost Explosion] and [Whirlwind] only caused a brief pain in his abdomen, it felt as if he had been punched in the stomach with a huge fist.

“How?”

“What? Did I misread that student’s information?”

There was a look of bewilderment and confusion in the judges’ eyes.

A Class D student, who was supposed to have Grade E mana, used 5-star magic that most first-year students didn’t even have access too.

The judges began to sift through his information, reading the papers on their desks once more to make sure if Isaac was indeed a Grade E, or if they had misremembered.

The students watching the duel were also stunned, and soon started talking with faces full of disbelief.

“What just happened…?”

“That was 5-star magic just now, wasn’t it…?”

“Isaac used 5-star magic? But he’s Grade E in mana, he…!”

The atmosphere centered around Isaac started to become chaotic. As for Tristan, it was a very embarrassing situation for him.

His school uniform was tattered as if it had been pierced by numerous thorns, and his body was covered in frostbite and bruises.

At least, the [Whirlwind] and [Basic Protection Magic] seemed to have softened the impact of [Frost Explosion].

“Keukhuk…”

He groaned and staggered in pain before straightening up again and glared at Isaac with a furious gaze.

At the same time, he activated [Wind Sword] and smashed the ice that was binding his feet to the ground.

Because of the collision with [Whirlwind], he trampled on the remains of the ice block that had been shattered into pieces. His anger was fully expressed with that one step.

Amidst the calmly flowing cold air, he began to generate a strong wind.

「Wind Generation (Wind Element, ★1)」

As if to represent Tristan’s anger, light green wind began to sweep around the arena fiercely.

Then, a whirlwind began to form in his outstretched hands.

“A Grade E commoner… wounded me again…!”

“You let your guard down again, Tristan.”

“…?”

That was when Tristan, in a fit of rage, let his guard down and took an offensive stance.

Isaac gently clenched his left hand, which was hidden behind his back, into a fist.

The flow of mana in his left hand suddenly ceased.

「Ice Generation (Ice Element, ★1)」

Before he knew it, a large block of ice that had formed above Tristan’s head suddenly crashed down.

Crash─!

“Kaugh!”

The block of ice hit Tristan squarely on the head.

Amidst the screams of some startled female students, Tristan staggered and fell to his knees on the ground, a chunk of ice rolling straight to the ground.

Blood trickled down from his head. The colors present on his face were a mix of his skin and red blood.

“Ah, ugh…!!”

Tristan stood up, gnashing his teeth to the point of making a clicking noise.

“Ughhhhh!!!”

His anger exploded as if it would pierce the sky.

The damage he suffered this time was different from the class placement evaluation. Thanks to [Basic Protection Magic] covering his entire body, he was able to stand even after his head was directly hit by the falling ice block. He only fainted, very briefly.

He shuddered and managed to get up, then stretched his right arm over his head again.

A light green magic circle began to materialize in double and triple layers. Tristan had often referred to his power as ‘dense, thick, limitless mana’.

The wind whipped menacingly, a swirl of mana, ‘almighty,’ as he called it, that would tear through someone straight to their bones.

Isaac no longer had a chance to win. He must now bear the wrath of the conceited blond aristocrat who was covered in blood.

“Are you done already? Come on, it’s my turn. I am definitely going to kill you, right here, right now!”

They say anger is a catalyst for an awakening and Tristan, who used his anger as fuel, was unleashing a torrent of mana that could crush anyone.

The students watched and gulped without even realizing it. Even though they were simply watching, they felt overwhelmed by the mana.

Isaac no longer had a chance to win. From now on, Tristan’s magic would hack Isaac to pieces without mercy.

“Yes, I surrender.”

…That is, if the fight continues.

Isaac calmly lifted his arms up and said. Exactly one minute had elapsed since the start of the duel, and a quick glance at the clock above the judges’ heads could confirm this fact.

“…Huh?”

As if he’d heard something he shouldn’t have, Tristan’s expression was tinged with astonishment.

Because he was so surprised, his concentration broke, his wind mana dissipated, and the magic circles were dispelled.

“Student Isaac…? Are you aware that if you surrender, you’ll lose the opportunity to get feedback from us…?”

“Yes, Mr. Judge. My opponent is too strong. Even though it’s a shame, I will surrender…”

‘No, you can’t…!’

Do not say that! The fight is just starting…!

Even though you lost, don’t put on a refreshing face as if you fought well!

“I lost. It was a good fight.”

Isaac lightly patted Tristan on the shoulder with a look of ‘I acknowledge you’, and walked away.

At that moment, time stood still for Tristan.