Chapter 30

“Here! Catch!”

As soon as the match began, Seldienne swung her fan, and shining golden spears erupted around her.

This was the Elconja family’s unique spell: Crystal Magic.

It was a high-level magic capable of producing various structures in mid-air, suitable for an endless array of offensive and defensive purposes.

Seldienne, with her abundant magical power typical of high nobility, started bombarding me with long-range strikes from golden spears.

Thwack! Thwack!

“Ho-ho-ho!”

With every swing of her fan, dozens of golden spears were created, showering down like a torrent over my head.

I dashed around Seldienne with all my strength, trying to evade the storm of golden rain chasing closely behind me.

“Black Shadow Armor!”

A black magical aura erupted from my body, transforming into bandages that wrapped tightly around me.

This was a technique I learned from Haidiera, a valuable magic passed down only in her family.

The shadow surrounding my body greatly enhanced my physical abilities and could absorb impacts from the outside and return them to the desired location.

In short—now, getting hit is just part of the deal.

“Woooaaah!”

With a crackle, I lunged forward, my shadow trailing like a cloak, launching myself straight into the flurry of golden spears.

The crystal constructs shattered upon impacting the black magical armor, converting into my energy.

“Haah!”

As I raised my longsword with both hands in mid-air, I gathered the shock energy I just acquired and flicked it into swordsmanship—an attack taught by Perjena called the “Assault Slash,” aimed straight at Seldienne.

Boom!

The black blade surged towards Seldienne on the ground, leading to an explosion.

I landed, not letting up, and dashed around her as I continued to unleash the Assault Slash.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

With every explosion of black magical power, dust filled the air, obscuring my view of my opponent.

However, even a novice like me could tell Seldienne wasn’t the type to go down easy at this level.

“Ho-ho-ho! This is fun! It’s getting exciting!”

As the fragments of black sword energy and dust swirled around, caught in the gust of wind, Seldienne appeared floating amidst the golden hexagonal constructs.

Surrounding her were high-density crystals endlessly splitting into smaller pieces, forming a defense mechanism known as the Fractal Shield.

“Let’s end the warm-up here and dance together!”

With a flourish, Seldienne spread the golden crystals behind her like wings and flew toward me with magical acceleration.

“How about a waltz?!”

Her rapier shot forward, accelerating with golden magic, thrusting at high speed.

Simultaneously, the crystal trident formed around her began to rain attacks down upon me, mimicking her movements.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

“Ugh!”

I swung my longsword, fiercely fending off the relentless thrusts, but the sheer number of attacks was too overwhelming, and some got through, striking the Black Shadow Armor.

Though the shadow armor protected my body, it too belonged to the realm of magic, requiring me to expend my magic power to offset the opponent’s spells.

It was only natural that if I took on Seldienne’s powerful attacks head-on, I would run out of energy first.

“Ho-ho-ho! Your moves are pitiful!”

Seldienne, invigorated, rained thrusts down on me with her rapier.

“Seriously!”

I began to let go of my defense slightly, gripping the longsword with one hand and channeling black magic into the ground.

This was a basic technique of shadow magic I had been training in for a while.

In layman’s terms—a Ink Bomb.

Bang!

“Huh…?!”

The ground erupted into a thick cloud of dark smoke, completely obstructing my vision.

In that moment, I shot out a long shadow racing along the ground, switching places with it.

This was the movement magic I learned from Haidiera, the “Shadow Slip.”

“Enough childish tricks! Come here and let me stomp on your foot!”

Swirling! Seldienne created a giant pinwheel above her head with the golden crystal, blowing the black smoke away.

“Is that really what you want?”

I sank to one knee to catch my breath as I accelerated my circuits to pump magic through my body rapidly.

“No need to say later that I didn’t warn you.”

Thud!

The pitch-black aura that emerged from my body weighed heavily on the air.

This was the physical enhancement magic taught to me by Perjena—Iron-Blooded Body Reinforcement.

This was a technique developed by Perjena, who had a naturally low reserve of magic, striving for extreme efficiency.

It was a magic optimized for her, who specialized in steel magic, but I was confident it couldn’t even reach half her level, yet it had propelled her to the second rank in the academy based solely on her swordsmanship. Now, that power descended upon me.

“Ho-ho-ho! Finally putting in some real effort, huh, lowly peasant? But it still won’t even reach my toes!”

Seldienne floated high in the air, laughing joyfully alongside her Fractal Shield and the rapier’s magical outburst.

“You can only see that once you stick out your tongue!”

With that, I burst off the ground, rushing upward toward Seldienne.

Iron Blooded Body Reinforcement and Black Shadow Armor. Using spells that enhance both the inside and outside of my body was a reckless way to drain magic rapidly, but they were creating a synergy effect, doubling my agility.

“Waaaah!”

As I collided high in the air with Seldienne, I unleashed the Assault Slash wildly against her shield.

Thkaak! Thkaak! Thkak!

But piercing through was a massive challenge. The Fractal Shield constantly regenerated and split from the inside, and I couldn’t break through just by scraping the surface.

“A peasant should stay on the ground! Ho-ho-ho!”

Seldienne swung her fan downward, and a colossal structure generated in the sky came crashing down.

A hexagonal mass that looked as if a building’s column had been yanked and thrown at me.

This was the brute force attack called Hexagon Blast.

“Ugh!”

Bang!

I flattened myself against the ground between the falling column and the floor, ducking like a frog.

If I hadn’t had the Black Shadow Armor, I’d have become a pancake for sure.

“Cough… so you think having a lot of magic makes you special?”

Clang!

After lifting the column with sheer force and shattering it with the Assault Slash, I dashed through the stage as rubble from the hexagonal pillars rained down with all my might.

“Gap!”

Each column fell with a slight delay, which allowed me to slip through, using them as stepping stones to leap back toward Seldienne.

“Your face on the ground is quite amusing!”

“You scummy brat!”

Even through her frustrated remarks, Seldienne continued to smile, clashing blades with me.

Thukakakakaka!

Assault Slash and the rapier rained swords, unleashing waves of shockwaves.

“Come on! Burn even hotter! Show me the fruits of your growth!”

Clang!

Seldienne’s rapier, reinforced with crystals, thrust hard against my body, sending me flying backward.

“Gah!”

I created a footing with shadows mid-air and launched myself back at her like a spring.

This was the aerial technique taught to me by Haidiera—Flying Swallow Steps.

Utilizing this method, every time I got flung from Seldienne’s attack, I changed my direction, dashing around her and unleashing the Assault Slash.

“Waaaah!”

Thuka-ka-ka-ka-ka-ka!

It was dizzying, yet I couldn’t afford a moment’s rest as I drained my magic power quickly.

The only way to turn the tide was to keep showering her with attacks until she collapsed.

“Hooh… this is quite impressive…!”

Seldienne began to show signs of vulnerability against my erratic rhythm of attacks.

However, as long as that Fractal Shield worked by itself, she wouldn’t lose defense.

As long as I didn’t break through it, all my attacks would be futile.

At this point, I decided to use the finishing blow inherited from Perjena.

Focusing the magical energy of the Iron Blooded Body Reinforcement onto the tip of my sword, I prepared for an all-out strike—Sword Demon’s Slash.

“Hyah!”

With a burst of speed, I sidestepped behind Seldienne and unleashed that single strike against the golden crystal barrier in front of her.

Thunkaang!

The crystal shattered, revealing Seldienne’s body before me.

“You dare break my shield, how audacious!”

“You’ll probably take some time to regenerate!”

Just as I brought my sword down on the now defenseless Seldienne,

Cling—!

Two rapier shadows arose from the sides, crossing to block my strike.

These were not just copies of her weapon created from crystals.

The one holding that golden rapier were crystal dolls, identical to her, sprung out from a mirror in mid-air.

With the three golden rapier clones defending her, Seldienne wore a triumphant smile.

“Kaleidoscope! It’s been a while since I’ve been pushed to this extent!”

With a pop, a large golden mirror rose around her, and elegantly, the crystal dolls began to step out.

There were six clones in total.

Including Seldienne herself, that meant I was surrounded by seven enemies.

They all raised their rapiers, and simultaneously shouted,

“Stop with the shabby defense! I shall crush you under my overwhelming power! Taste the dismal defeat of a gutter rat!”

“Ah… damn!”

From then on, it was pure chaos.

Deflecting the attacks coming from all sides while soaring through the air, I maneuvered to circle this way and that, dodging and destroying them while rushing around the stage.

Even if I shattered their duplicates, the mirrors around Seldienne continued regrowing them, forcing me into an unfavorable battle of numbers.

The attacks I couldn’t block fell heavily on the shadow armor, causing my magic to drain even faster.

With my magic slipping away due to the triple expenditure of body reinforcement, armor, and sword strikes, I had little time to withstand this overwhelming offensive.

It felt like Seldienne was taunting me, claiming whoever runs out of magic first loses in this battle of skills.

“Ho-ho-ho! What’s the matter, peasant? Is this where you finally end up? It seems you lack the courage to break your limits, how pathetic!”

As swords clashed and explosions rang out, I gritted my teeth.

“I won’t let that happen!”

Resting only on what I had gained so far would make me one who never aimed higher.

Had I been someone who refused to look up as long as I had this much capability, I wouldn’t even be here right now.

This relationship with Tirisia wouldn’t even have morphed into anything more than friendship.

I could not afford to drop my guard out of exhaustion.

Ignoring logic was my only path to victory against all odds.

“Waaah!”

With that, shadows splintered from my body, taking on human forms.

“No way?! That’s your…?”

My shadows surrounded Seldienne’s clones, clashing with them and causing them to vanish one after another.

I charged through the gap they created, rushing straight for Seldienne.

The shadow manipulation technique learned from Haidiera, mimicking her Kaleidoscope to create my shadow clones—Shadow Form: Erto.

“You haven’t taught me properly, huh?!”

“Just learned it from over your shoulder!”

Roaring, I dashed forward like a gust of wind.

With strikes coming at an uncountable rate, I became both flame and storm.

“This is my will!”

And finally, having cut down every enemy blocking my path before me, I soared into the air, mixing crystal shards and black magic around me.

As I reached above Seldienne’s head, I flipped and created a massive shadow platform below me.

“Ugh…!”

She looked up at me in disbelief, surprise flashing in her crimson eyes.

“Hah!”

I gathered all my magic into the tip of my sword and leaped with all my might toward the inverted world.

“Not a chance!”

Clinking!

As Seldienne swung her fan, the regenerated Fractal Shield piled up between us in three layers.

This was the final showdown.

I made my decision then and there, to pour everything I had into this one strike.

“Release the Black Shadow Armor!”

As my shadow armor unravelled, a mix of horror spread across Seldienne’s face.

“You… dropped your defense?!”

“Waaah!”

I slammed my sword, loaded with all the magical energy I possessed, down onto the golden shield.

Crash!

A massive explosion erupted with a flash of light.

As the dust settled, everyone in the audience witnessed the outcome of the battle.

Standing in the center of the stage, pointing my sword was me, while Seldienne lay on the ground with a faint smile.

“The winner! Erto!”

Woooooah—!

With the referee’s declaration, the stage erupted with applause that could have shaken the heavens.

Of course, among them were nobles clutching their heads in shock.

A commoner, Erto, defeated the high noble, Seldienne Elconja. This was undoubtedly a monumental event for the academy.

“Ah… I should have fought more cleverly, but my pride… Guess that’s your bad habit,” commented Seldienne, who lay flat on the grass, gazing at the sky with a bittersweet smile.

“You’re right. Had you relied more on strategy than raw skill, I wouldn’t have stood a chance against you. But a commoner is going to break through in a straightforward fight… that’s still the pride of nobility, right?”

I sheathed my sword, smiling as I extended my hand toward her.

“Hmph… You’re still so cocky.”

Seldienne chuckled, taking my hand as she rose to her feet.

Her crimson eyes glowered at me, eyes filled with indignation.

“To mimic your secret techniques in such a short time, is thievery what is instinct for commoners?”

“What?!”

“Hehe… just a joke. You’ve certainly made it worth my time teaching you, quite impressive indeed!”

“Ah, thanks. I owe it to you.”

Dusting off her roll-bun hair, Seldienne stepped back, raising her fan to shield her face from me.

“Fine, I’ll admit it! This loss goes to Elconja! But don’t get too content and keep pushing forward! This tournament isn’t over yet! Ho-ho-ho!”

With that, Seldienne confidently strutted off the stage, lifting her chin high.

“Well, at least she holds no grudge.”

With a bitter smile, I watched her retreating figure.

*

Three days later.

Next up was the semifinal of the Martial Arts Tournament.

Following my promise with Perjena, I defeated Seldienne in this tournament and succeeded in reaching the top five.

I had achieved my goal fairly enough, but I couldn’t afford to feel like it was over yet.

Now it was time for a battle beyond that goal.

A true test awaited, proving how far I could truly go.

And… the main reason I couldn’t allow myself to lose in this match.

The opponent in the semifinals.

That would be none other than the one and only son of the Chairman, owner of this academy.

Kerg Durakal.

He had lived incognito within the academy until now without drawing attention, yet for some reason, this year he decided to participate in the tournament.

The matches thus far had ended in one clean blow.

Though it was always that way, he was still an enigma who had never revealed his true skills even by reaching the semifinals.

Could I understand a bit about who he was after exchanging blows?

Could I be someone who could make Tirisia happy?

Would I come to grasp why Tirisia chose him?

With those questions in mind, I headed towards the battleground.

*

Stepping into the arena, I spotted a towering man approaching from the opposing side.

Tall and robust, with a muscular build.

His skin, not tanned but rather naturally dark.

Wearing a loose, untied school uniform with no tie.

His wild, short blond hair gave off a wild air, and three pointed piercings adorned his ears.

With a fierce visage more suited to a back alley than a training grounds, his sharp features carried an arrogant grin.

Tirisia’s current boyfriend. Kerg Durakal.

Pocketing his hands, he swaggered across the grass and looked down at me with a sneer.

“Hey, long time no see.”

“It seems so.”

“How on Earth did a coward like you make it this far? Did you act like a slave to the nobles or something?”

“It seems you haven’t watched any of my matches.”

“What’s the point of watching those other losers? I’d rather spend that time having fun with the ladies.”

“Not assessing your opponents… you seem quite confident in your abilities.”

Kerg raised an eyebrow and tilted his head in amusement.

“Uh? Didn’t I mention? Your ex-girlfriend… no wait, you’re gonna find out soon enough. Heh.”

“…Get ready then.”

He was hinting at something, but I drew my longsword from its sheath, readying my stance.

A scouting match wasn’t necessary. Straight off the bat, I planned to go all out.

Since he clearly didn’t care about my skill level, I had to take advantage of that lapse in vigilance without mercy.

“Ready, fighters!”

The referee raised a hand and signaled the start.

Kerg Durakal, stepping back appropriately, drew the sword strapped to his back.

Swoosh—

A massive, thick sword, resembling a slab of iron, fitting for his stature.

With one hand still in his pocket, he fixed his coal-black eyes on me.

He regarded me, much like one would observe a bug.

“Tch… trash flopping around is still just trash… I suggest you give it your all.”

And then,

—Boom!

The firecracker signaling the contest burst, and

Thwack!

I activated the Iron Blooded Body Reinforcement, Black Shadow Armor, and Flying Swallow Steps all at once.

With a smash that sent the ground shaking, I charged through the dark shockwave, racing toward Kerg.

Just as my longsword was about to reach him,

“Figures, trash.”

I heard him jeer.

——

My memory cuts off there.

*

When I came to, I found myself lying on a bed in the infirmary.

“A-Are you okay, Erto?!”

To my side, Haidiera sat with a worried expression on her face.

I felt dazed, my head still spinning from the shock.

“Ugh… what just happened…?”

“You lost, disciple.”

“Oh… Haidiera.”

Behind her, Perjena stood, one eye squinting.

She had an irritated look on her face, baring her fangs.

“Don’t be disheartened, but listen. You didn’t even last a single blow against that Kerg guy.”

“What…?”

It felt unreal, although I knew it had happened.

How could I have fallen in just one hit?!

Haidiera also lowered her head, murmuring in a small voice.

“Ah, it seems… he’s stronger than we could ever imagine… Erto…”

“No way…”

“But that’s not the shocking part, disciple. Brace yourself.”

At Perjena’s heavy tone, I swallowed hard and nodded.

“Kerg invoked the Chairman’s privileges to expedite the finals while you were unconscious. And…”

Perjena trailed off with a deep sigh.

It was Haidiera who finally broke the silence, tightening her fists on her lap.

“Bruerd also… lost to that man… while you were out… Erto.”

“What?!”

That struck me as utterly unbelievable news.

How was that possible? Bruerd, the most powerful magician in his family history?

Why? How?

“Soon, they’ll hold the award ceremony for the champion… Shall I take you there?”

“Can I even move? You little brat.”

At their questions, I kicked the blanket off and leaped from the bed.

“What on Earth is going on? I need to see this now!”

“Er-Erto! It’s dangerous to move so suddenly!”

“I’m fine, I can move! Let’s go, little brat Aisidel.”

“Ah, okay… senior.”

Thus, we hastily headed towards the stage where the awards ceremony was being held, arriving at the edge of the audience.

The seats were filled with students from the academy, along with board members and faculty, all gathered for the ceremony.

And that man was standing on stage too.

“This year’s Martial Arts Tournament winner! Let’s hear some words from the Chairman’s son, Kerg Durakal!”

I spotted Seldienne in the audience ahead, her serious expression fixed on the stage.

“Aah—can you all hear me?”

Receiving the microphone from the host, Kerg began to speak in a tone unlike his usual manner.

“Being here today is all thanks to you all. I want to dedicate this honor to everyone.”

And there, beside him stood a familiar, silvery-haired beauty.

Tirisia Bruerd, who had shared this moment as the runner-up of this competition.

She was calmly gazing around, serene as she stood next to Kerg.

“Tirisia…”

“—So, I wish to further support this academy in the future…”

Just as Kerg began to make his address with a bright smile, his eyes suddenly locked onto me standing at the edge of the audience.

“—”

A strange glint appeared in his dark eyes.

With a sinister smile, he declared towards the captivated audience.

“Ah, I almost forgot. I have something I really wanted to say.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“It’s a bit embarrassing to say this in front of everyone.”

As he drew it out, an atmosphere of anticipation wrapped around us all.

The audience had grown silent, waiting for his words,

and with a grin, Kerg finally opened his mouth.

While holding Tirisia’s hand, he said,

“Actually, we’ve just decided to start dating.”

Wooooooah—!

That declaration sent the stage into a frenzy.

Students gasped, their reactions varied and vivid.

Some cheered, while others clutched their heads in disbelief.

But unlike with me before, nobody denied their relationship this time.

His lineage, capabilities—he was qualified by all means.

Who else but the son of the Chairman and the victor of the martial arts tournament would be worthy to pair with Tirisia Bruerd?

The sudden proclamation left everyone bewildered, but the atmosphere quickly calmed down.

In the eyes of all the students present, an understanding began to form.

Tirisia didn’t seem to be fazed by Kerg’s declaration.

Perhaps they had reached a consensus to disclose their relationship here.

She quietly accepted all the envious gazes directed at her with a neutral expression.

“Yeah… this makes sense.”

I gripped the railing of the audience and lowered my head.

It felt almost surreal.

Without any sense of shock, I no longer felt despair at this point.

I simply recognized the gap with him as reality.

I felt as if I might understand why Tirisia chose that man.

This was probably, a feeling of frustration.

It was something I had to endure. This was the reality of things.

All I could do was quietly listen to that man’s arrogant declaration of victory.

“But, you know,”

Yet Kerg did not stop there.

At this moment, he played the part of an honest man, transparent and simple;

“I’m not sure if you all know this, but there’s a student named Erto who was Tirisia’s ex-boyfriend.”

He began revealing his true intent.

I instinctively lifted my head.

What was he trying to pull now?

“Huh? What’s that brat doing?”

Haidiera and Perjena, standing next to me, couldn’t hide their surprise either.

“Senior?”

Tirisia also looked at Kerg with a puzzled expression.

It was clear that what he was saying came entirely from his own volition.

“You know, for some reason, that guy seems to still be unable to move on. Since he was still hanging around even after I became Tirisia’s boyfriend, I’m feeling a bit uneasy as her current partner.”

“Sen—!”

Tirisia attempted to pull Kerg back with a bewildered expression, but he ignored her completely.

Her aqua-colored eyes followed the dark gaze toward me.

With intense focus, her face began to lose color, glancing nervously between Kerg and me.

Words wrapped in venom flowed steadily from his lips.

“A real man should cleanly forget a girl he’s let go. Unfortunately, it seems Erto still hasn’t managed to do that.”

My blood went cold.

You… how far would you go—

“Therefore, I would like to ask you all to kindly set his friend straight with some harsh advice.”

That guy who snatched Tirisia away from me. Kerg Durakal.

In the months since, I found myself once more facing his boundless malice.

“Tell him to forget Tirisia already.”

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