Chapter 16

Episode 16: 3rd Rank in the Year vs. C-Class Magic Student <2>

──”Limit Acceleration.”

It was once a magic also known by the epithet “Peerless Dictator.”

The gist of it is a technique that explosively accelerates the caster’s dynamic vision and physical movement speed.

If one were to think of it as merely “becoming able to move quickly,” it might seem no different from “Physical Enhancement Magic.”

However, even when activated by an A-class mage, “Physical Enhancement Magic” only increases speed to about 20-30 km/h.

In contrast, a mage who activates “Limit Acceleration” can reach subsonic speeds.

Furthermore, the enhanced dynamic vision from “Limit Acceleration” makes even a fired arrow appear as if it’s standing still to the caster.

It is truly a power beyond human comprehension.

In the ancient world, where territorial disputes were endless, this magic was feared as the “Peerless Dictator” because a single mage could dominate the battlefield.

Historically, there have been only a handful of users, making it an exceedingly rare magic requiring exceptional aptitude.

During his duel with Eliza Rowlett, Shion Kurosaki activated “Limit Acceleration” and managed to dodge every incoming spell.

Why could a mere C-class magic student wield such high-level magic?

Simply put, “he just got lucky.”

Every person has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the magic they can wield.

Generally, those classified as “mages” excel at converting their magical energy and releasing it externally.

Similarly, those classified as “close-combat specialists” excel at enhancing their physical abilities with magic.

There are also abilities that affect materials with magic, and each type of magic has its own specialized field.

These specialties are usually determined by the innate nature of the magical energy within one’s body, and it’s rare to excel in multiple fields simultaneously.

Moreover, even among those with the aptitude to be mages, there are strengths and weaknesses based on the attributes of the magic they wield.

For example, a mage who can handle fire, water, wind, and lightning at an A-class level might be completely incapable of using earth magic.

Conversely, a mage who can’t use fire, water, wind, or lightning at all might excel in earth magic at an A-class level.

Thus, it’s not uncommon for a mage who seems inept at most magic to have one exceptional talent due to their innate magical affinity.

For Shion, “Limit Acceleration” was precisely that magic.

Just as he was born with below-average talent for most magic, his ability to wield “Limit Acceleration” was also one of his innate gifts.

However, while it might seem incredibly fortunate to be able to wield high-level magic due to innate talent, the process of mastering “Limit Acceleration” was anything but easy.

Aware of his below-average magical talent, Shion had been searching for a magic that suited him since childhood.

He wanted to master at least one magic that could rival others.

Unable to intuitively understand magic, he desperately studied the structure and formulas of spells, spending an enormous amount of time searching for the right magic.

He meticulously studied countless spells, trying to activate each one.

Yet, not a single one worked.

“Maybe the next spell will make me strong,” “Maybe I can activate the next spell.”

No matter how many times he hoped, each attempt ended in crushing disappointment.

No matter how much he tried, the only result was the harsh reality that he lacked talent.

Still, he never gave up.

No matter how many times he faced despair, no matter how much he realized his lack of talent, he never quit.

Because he believed that as long as he didn’t give up, there was still a chance. As long as he kept getting back up, there was light ahead.

And then, he found it.

The one magic that could rival others.

His relentless determination, his unyielding spirit, allowed him to grasp “Limit Acceleration.”

Through an enormous amount of time spent on magic, his extraordinary persistence, and his incredible focus, he achieved it.

“Limit Acceleration,” a magic that requires unparalleled concentration, to the point of accelerating the caster’s consciousness to its limits during activation.

Whether Shion obtained this magic by mere chance or inevitability, it was the highest-level magic he could wield.

For Shion Kurosaki, it was his──ultimate trump card.

In his duel with Eliza Rowlett, the 3rd rank in their year, Shion, cornered, used this trump card to face her.

Dodging every single one of her countless wind arrows, “Destructive Piercing Rain of Wind Arrows,” without a scratch, Shion closed the distance.

When he was about two meters away, Eliza, startled, stopped her magic and leaped back. Shion closed the gap in an instant.

Then, with his right palm facing Eliza, who was too shocked to speak, he calmly declared,

“──Checkmate.”

But immediately after───.

“……Don’t mess with meeeeeee!!”

Eliza Rowlett roared.

Furious at Shion, who had merely extended his palm without even deploying a magic circle, seemingly showing mercy or urging her to surrender, Eliza lost her temper.

“(I haven’t lost yet!!)”

She deployed a magic circle the size of Shion’s upper body and chanted in a fit of passion, “Giant’s Frozen Fist!!”

From the magic circle emerged a massive fist made of ice.

The “Giant’s Frozen Fist” struck Shion’s torso at point-blank range, sending him flying backward with a powerful impact.

The icy arm extended rapidly from the magic circle, and Shion was slammed into the arena wall with a thunderous crash, as if crushed by a giant pillar of ice.

“Guh!”

Pressed hard by the icy fist, Shion exhaled the air forced from his lungs.

“Haah…… haah……”

Eliza, having unleashed her full power, stopped channeling magic into the circle, and the icy fist shattered into tiny crystals before vanishing.

With the icy fist gone, Shion, no longer supported, collapsed to his knees and fell face-first to the ground.

Eliza watched the entire scene with a stern expression.

She was wary, expecting Shion to rise and charge at her with his incredible speed once more.

The man who had dodged every single “Destructive Piercing Rain of Wind Arrows” couldn’t have been hit so easily by “Giant’s Frozen Fist” without a reason, she thought.

Perhaps he had deliberately taken the hit, thinking it wasn’t worth dodging, and was planning something.

“There’s no way a man who wields such incredible magic would end like this,” Eliza thought, her entire being on guard as she watched Shion lying by the wall.

But then, the man simply rolled over onto his back and,

“───I give up, I surrender,”

he declared, waving his hands as if holding a small flag, casually admitting defeat in the duel.

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