Chapter 74

Just what did he do such a reckless thing for.

I wanted to run to Lucian right away, smack him on the back, and demand to know what he was thinking.

“Theo.”

“Sunbae, just a moment, I need to check on Lucian’s condition.”

“The Magic Division matches are starting now. If you don’t go now, you’ll lose by decision. Are you okay with that?”

“That’s….”

That, of all things, couldn’t happen. It couldn’t… but, Lucian!

In the Original Storyline, Lucian won the Flowering Festival without getting seriously hurt.

But, he was hurt.

His stomach was pierced!!!

It was an injury that should never be overlooked.

“Professor Artemia is here, isn’t she.”

“I know, but it’s… not as easy as it sounds.”

I guess this is what it feels like to have your blood run dry.

My head understands that I can’t unconditionally change the future for the better, but my heart refuses to accept it.

The protagonist got hurt because of me. In an episode where he wasn’t supposed to get hurt, and by none other than Zephyros, who could be called another protagonist.

That fact was driving me insane.

“What you’re worried about won’t happen.”

“That’s… true, right?”

But my head was still so hot that I couldn’t think straight.

“Lucian would hate it too if he heard you were disqualified because of him, I’m sure of it.”

He was that kind of guy. A foolish protagonist who would smile and say it was a relief even if his misfortune became someone else’s good fortune.

“Hoo….”

After a few deep breaths, I slowly nodded my head.

“I’ll finish this quickly and go.”

I stepped into the arena, and Senior Kalen’s commentary followed, but it didn’t really register in my ears.

My attention was completely stolen by Lucian.

[We begin!!!]

Simultaneously with the signal, over a hundred circles of water and fire embroidered the sky, filling it completely.

I’ll end this in a swift and decisive battle, even if it’s a bit of a strain!

With that single-minded determination, I clenched my fist and bound my opponent with circles of wind and earth.

The circles of fire and water that poured down from the sky like meteors stopped right in front of the opponent’s nose.

“Wanna surrender?”

If he was going to surrender, this was the moment.

At my question, my opponent trembled and then declared.

“I surrender.”

It might have been a victory won all too easily, but there was something more urgent.

I quickly dispersed the mana to eliminate the magic circles, then hurried down from the arena.

The cheers pouring down on me weren’t that important at this moment either.

My entire mind was focused on whether Lucian had been properly treated by Professor Artemia and was safe.

* * *

Chwareureureuk!

With the sound of a curtain being drawn, I saw Lucian sitting with bandages wrapped tightly around his abdomen.

Next to him were Zephyros, Senior Lerwon, and Professor Artemia, and Lucian’s complexion was a little gaunt.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“The wound is fine, but my ears hurt.”

Lucian looked a little teary-eyed.

It seemed he had been nagged in various ways by the three of them from the arena to here.

He wasn’t as badly hurt as I thought. I finally felt relieved, pulled over a chair, and plopped down.

“He’s clearly being scolded, but why is he smiling?”

Senior Lerwon asked gently.

Hmm, that’s definitely killing intent leaking out right now, isn’t it…?

Lucian himself, however, didn’t even seem to know he was smiling and just fiddled with the corner of his mouth.

“Am, am I smiling?”

“Now that you mention it, you are! Why is the corner of your mouth creeping up like that?!”

Zephyros asked Lucian, flaring up.

“Uh, um. It’s just… because I’m happy.”

“If you liked being in pain, you should have said so sooner. Then I wouldn’t have wasted mana on healing magic for nothin’.”

“It’s not that I like being in pain, it’s just.”

Now Lucian started to grin openly. Whatever was so amusing, the corners of his mouth wouldn’t come down.

“It’s just, I feel strange.”

Lucian fiddled with his hands, which hadn’t been completely wiped of blood.

“It’s the first time anyone has ever worried about me like this.”

Hearing Lucian’s words, the professor’s expression practically rotted.

It was written all over her face that she had just heard the most pathetic thing in the world!

“Alright, try not to worry your friends so much, and if the wound opens up, call me immediately.”

With those words, Professor Artemia left without a single look back.

Is it really okay to just let her go like that?

“Cian, please take care of your body.”

“I’m sorry for making you worry.”

I was about to joke that my heart had really dropped. Just then, Zephyros cut into our conversation.

“That’s not something you should be saying, is it?”

“Why me.”

“Your nosebleed, you idiot.”

Zephyros took a handkerchief from his pocket and threw it at me.

Did I have a nosebleed? I wiped under my nose with the handkerchief he gave me, and sure enough, something red smeared on it.

“It’s real?”

“I knew it from the way you were using magic.”

“I guess I was in a bit of a hurry.”

“No matter how much mana you have, know your limits, your limits. Don’t you consider that your body and brain are being overworked?”

“Ahem, hem.”

“A person isn’t a sword. You don’t get stronger by being beaten.”

However, if I said something like, ‘a rolling stone gathers no moss,’ I felt like Zephyros might actually kill me, so I’d better just keep my mouth shut.

Yes, that seems like it would be better for my well-being.

* * *

“So, do you know who your opponent is in the finals?”

Zephyros asked me while taking a crisp bite of an apple.

“Yeah, I know. It’s Elric Droxen.”

Elric Droxen. In the game, his last name wasn’t mentioned, he was just referred to as ‘Elric,’ but he was a magic-type tanker and an essential early-game character.

Whether or not you had him from your risemara—a Japanese abbreviation for Reset Marathon, meaning to continuously reset with a new account to get a good character—made a world of difference in the early game progression.

“If he’s a Droxen, that’s a family of mages famous for their defense magic.

He’s won all his matches so far by protecting himself within a powerful defense magic and incapacitating his opponents with attack magic.”

Come to think of it, in the Original Storyline, he managed to take first place in the Magic Division and even faced Lucian in a special match. I really like the scene where those two face off.

“So, what are you going to do?”

Ah, right. Now I’m the one who has to face him.

“…Good question?”

In the Original Storyline, Theo achieved victory by drawing out the power of the Holy Sword for the first time without actually using it.

But I can’t expect something like that. I’m at a bit of a disadvantage.

“What if you just push through with firepower like before!”

“You think that’ll work?”

Zephyros asked as if he were dumbfounded.

Well… it’ll be difficult.

Defense magic isn’t absolute, but it’s a different story if it’s a top-class mage.

A mage like me, who lacks a single powerful blow, is bound to be at a disadvantage.

“You could use lightning like in the round of 32.”

“How are you even going to get close to him in the first place? You said yourself the chances of lightning striking just because you put handcuffs on his wrist aren’t that high.”

“What about a golem?”

“Breaking a barrier with pure physical force? Dream on.”

Why does he keep raining on my parade from the side?

I glared at Zephyros.

Though Zephyros himself just looked at me and smiled confidently.

“You’ve done well to make it to the finals for someone of your level. The time has come for you to give up.”

Was he just trying to purely tease me?

Man, I thought we’ve become real besties, but I also felt a slight sense of emptiness wondering how we ended up playing around so informally.

I don’t really want to give up, though.

《I have a way.》

Albedo, who had been sleeping quietly in my pocket, suddenly spoke to me.

‘Really?’

《I don’t know if it’s possible in one day, but would you like to give it a try?》

It sounds like a demon’s whisper.

‘Call!’

Well, might as well go for it!

* * *

The last day of the Flowering Festival.

The other years had already finished all their events, including the special matches, leaving only the 1st year’s final and special match.

As such, quite a lot of people had come to the arena to watch the final.

“Hey, loser.”

“Don’t tease me by calling me a loser.”

Zephyros fiercely ground his teeth with a ppadeudeuk sound. Watching him, Theo smiled with great satisfaction.

“So, what’s the plan?”

“I’ve got it.”

I’m not entirely confident, but… I plan to make it happen somehow.

Having come this far, I absolutely wanted to win the final and face Lucian as well.

“I would prefer if you became a loser like me, though.”

That’s a curse if I ever heard one, I was thinking.

“Still, win. If you’re going to lose, lose to Lucian.”

Zephyros said that and patted Theo’s shoulder.

Perhaps thanks to the unexpected encouragement, Theo looked at Zephyros with more caution.

“What is this? Did the Master of Golden swap you out? Or maybe Father replaced the mean Zephyros with a nice Zephyros for my sake.”

“At this rate, you’re going to ask if a demon has disguised himself as me.”

“Is that perhaps the right answer?”

“You think that’s the right answer?”

When Zephyros asked sharply, Theo finally burst out laughing, ha ha.

Seeing the boy laughing brightly as if his tension had been released, Zephyros too finally let out a small chuckle.

“Alright, if I’m going to lose, I’ll lose to Lucian.”

“Yeah.”

“Then, I’m off to win fiercely.”

A relaxed smile bloomed on Theo’s lips.

As his footsteps, one by one, brought him closer to the arena, the cheers grew ever louder, showing no signs of stopping.

And so, the two faced each other, and Theo looked straight at Elric.

“Theo Lisitoel, your tactic is overwhelming firepower.”

Several layers of protection magic were superimposed over Elric’s body.

Each one was a sturdy protection magic that could never be penetrated by mere basic element magic.

“Therefore, you will not be able to defeat me.”

He certainly has the skills befitting an essential character from the game’s release.

“Hah, this is so unfair.”

Theo’s small mumble did not reach Elric.

“No, if I strengthened myself with my own money, I should be just as strong. Does it make sense for me to go through this much extreme hardship to break through?

My body’s durability has to be moderately crappy for me to even feel like doing this.”

Theo, who had been continuing what was more of a grumble than a mumble, let out a deep sigh as if the ground would collapse.

It was the moment Elric, who had been quietly observing Theo’s state, was about to use attack magic with the stance that if you don’t attack, I will.

Theo lightly drew a line with his finger.

Drawing, and drawing again—the lines drawn with mana overlapped several times, creating a beautiful spiral.

The spiral, embroidered in the empty air with mana, soon took the shape of a perfect circle.

What on earth is that?

As Elric wondered, Theo shattered the circle with his fingertip.

The world was turned upside down.

The mana that had been condensed in layers within the circle answered Theo’s wish , just like the primordial Origin.

And so, a giant sword of ice appeared in the world.

A mysterious sword of ice that could pierce through any magic in a single blow.

—————–

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