Chapter 76

The 1st years’ special match was the final battle concluding the Flowering Festival.

The ones to face off in the special match were Lucian and I.

It seemed Riedenfeld had been in an uproar since last night, debating who would win.

The crowd’s fervor was so intense that as soon as I stepped onto the field, I felt an inexplicable heat.

I stared blankly at the sun before turning my gaze to Lucian, who was slowly appearing on the opposite side. The corners of my mouth lifted at the sight of his determined expression.

Just then, a magitool for transmitting sound appeared, and before Senior Kalen could declare the start of the match, I made the first move.

I raised my hand high and waved it eagerly.

“Excuse me! Senior Kalen!”

[Ah, what is it?]

“Since Lucian is the Hero of the Holy Sword, why don’t you let him use the Holy Sword?”

At my sudden proposal, Kalen fell into a long silence, as if he couldn’t find a response.

The reason the professors had forbidden Lucian’s use of the Holy Sword was simple.

It was too powerful.

The Holy Sword enhances its owner’s power, cuts through magic, and never breaks.

As long as he used the Holy Sword, Lucian’s victory was as good as guaranteed.

Even the first Hero had declared that as long as the Holy Sword existed, defeat would not exist for him.

So for me, his opponent, to request that he be allowed to use it, it was only natural to be flustered.

[One moment, please! There will be a discussion among the faculty!!]

Kalen’s hurried footsteps were broadcasted through the magitool.

In front of me stood a bewildered Lucian, and surrounding us was a crowd even more astonished.

Lucian, who had been gaping his mouth in utter shock, finally managed to ask.

“What on earth are you thinking?”

“I told you to give it your all.”

That was the only reason I had asked for the restriction on the Holy Sword to be lifted.

But this would be more fun, for sure.

At my confident smile, Lucian gripped his sword.

“You don’t care if you lose?”

“I didn’t say I would lose.”

As long as we’re fighting, I’ll go at it with all my heart.

I’ll wring out all my mana and use all my knowledge and abilities to seize victory.

“Why? Do you think you can win even without the Holy Sword?”

At my question, Lucian smiled.

“Actually, I’m a little worried that I might lose even with the Holy Sword.”

Once again, the sound of hurried footsteps was heard, followed by Kalen’s announcement.

[As this is the final match and the opponent, Theo, made the request first, there has been a unanimous agreement from the professors to lift the restriction on the use of the Holy Sword!]

[The Hero of the Holy Sword and the strongest mage of the Academy’s 1st year! Who will seize victory!!]

Hey, compared to the Hero of the Holy Sword, doesn’t the title of ‘strongest mage of the Academy’s 1st year’ seem a bit lackluster?

I scratched the back of my neck slightly before quietly gathering my mana.

The stigma on the back of Lucian’s hand glowed, and in his grasp, the Holy Sword, radiating a brilliant light, took its place.

I never thought I’d actually end up facing that thing.

I’m a little nervous, but at the same time, is it too contradictory to be excited?

[Now then, the final match to decorate the grand finale of the Flowering Festival!]

[The 1st year special match will now begin!!!]

* * *

I first took refuge in the sky.

I already knew how strong Lucian was, having had the bones in my hand crushed in his grip.

The moment Lucian firmly kicked off the ground, the earth caved in and dust rose.

Soon after, his body lightly shot up, cutting through the wind and soaring into the sky.

Seeing him as if he had forgotten gravity, I pushed Lucian back with a circle of wind, as if I had already expected it.

Lucian, with nothing to support him in the sky, fell straight down as if in a freefall.

“He won’t get hurt doing that, will he?”

As wind rose around the completely fallen Lucian, his figure was momentarily hidden.

Is he really okay?

In that momentary lapse of attention, Lucian instantly moved behind me and leaped once more to grab me.

My reaction was a little late, but thankfully, I had already prepared the next spell.

The ice sword that instantly appeared in the air glittered silver in the sunlight, emitting a cool aura.

The ice sword flew straight at Lucian, colliding with his sword and stopping him.

The Holy Sword shatters as it collides with the ice fragments, but Lucian falls down once again from the impact.

No, I thought he was just falling.

A light mana gathered in the hand not holding the Holy Sword, and a circle of earth appeared in the air—using it as a foothold, he stomped on it and flew up into the sky once again.

“X-ing hell!”

Is this the karma for teaching him basic element magic?

The ice sword shattered from Lucian’s strong downward strike, and transparent fragments scattered in all directions.

No matter how much it was a sword made of magic, it wasn’t so weak as to break with just one strike.

The reason it shattered so futilely was because of the Holy Sword’s power to cut through all magic.

“Tch.”

Did I make a mistake in allowing him to use it?

I felt a belated regret, but I created ice swords over and over again and managed to make Lucian fall.

Simultaneously with his fall, I instantly created a golem using dozens of earth magics and captured Lucian.

My plan was probably to attack Lucian from above while the golem held him.

Lucian put great strength into his arm and swung the Holy Sword in a single breath.

The Holy Sword, imbued with a sacred light, cut through magic itself and instantly brought down the golem.

“The Holy Sword’s performance is insane.”

Watching from above, I created another ice sword.

I’ll overwhelm you with numbers so you can’t even come up.

Lucian, whose every moment could lead to a fatal blow.

Me, with hundreds, thousands of attacks surging like waves.

It seemed the winner of this fight would not be decided easily.

And Beatrice, who had been watching the entire scene, clicked her tongue.

“Are those really 1st years?”

There were cases where an unusual number of monsters who couldn’t be seen as 1st years would enter.

A prime example was when Evan had entered.

Like father, like son, how could that phrase be so fitting?

“Hah, really.”

To be able to smile like that while struggling so hard.

He was a born fighter, no doubt.

That’s why it simultaneously reminded her. Of Evan in his academy days, who fought like a mad fighting dog…

Forget reminding, it was a memory so unpleasant that if it appeared in a dream, she could declare it a nightmare. Beatrice trembled slightly for no reason.

“What a shame.”

At the same time, she felt a sense of disappointment.

If only the Holy Sword wasn’t in Lucian’s hand, the winner would have been impossible to predict.

No matter how much he couldn’t fully draw out the Holy Sword’s power, a hero was a hero, and the Holy Sword was the Holy Sword.

Evan might be a different story, but there was no way Theo, who was still far from his level, could defeat a hero wielding a Holy Sword that could cut through magic.

Just then, from the impact of the ice sword and the Holy Sword clashing once again, Lucian falls completely to the bottom.

Not missing that fleeting moment, I grimaced at the feeling of wringing out my mana, but still clenched my fist.

The ice particles that shattered and glittered like spotlights in the sunlight gathered in one place as if responding to their origin.

The gathered particles condensed and became a giant greatsword of ice.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the greatsword fell heavily from the sky to the ground, and fell again.

An overwhelming spectacle unfolded before Lucian’s eyes.

It wouldn’t have been strange to let out a gasp, but strangely, a laugh came out.

Goosebumps covered his entire body. His heart somewhere near his chest felt a shiver of despair at the thought that there was no way he could win against something like that.

Lucian stood firmly on the ground. The sacred blade, radiating a brilliant light, let out a cool cry and pointed towards the sky.

The falling greatsword charged as if to swallow the ground.

Lucian slowly, without a hint of hesitation, swung his sword.

Gagagagagak─

Sword and sword clash.

The greatsword of ice, endlessly heading downwards, was heavier than anything Lucian had ever cut.

But, he could cut it. He had to.

He erased all distracting thoughts and focused solely on swinging the sword.

“Haaaaaaaaat!!!”

He entrusted himself to the dizzying sensation that his arm muscles were about to burst.

For a brief moment, no metallic sound, no impact sound was heard.

Only the greatsword of ice shattering into pieces under the sharp arc.

What Lucian had accomplished was clear.

He had cut the greatsword of ice.

Without leaving even a trace, the Holy Sword had completely cut through my magic.

Truly a sacred sword with the power to cut through magic and defeat evil.

It was a fleeting moment, but Lucian had perfectly drawn out that power.

The first time is always the hardest, and now, from the second time onwards, he would be able to use the power without much difficulty.

Cheers erupted from all over, and at the same time, groans of disappointment flowed out from all over.

My magic was incredible. But the power of the Holy Sword was just more incredible.

“Hah, hah…”

A sense of elation boiled in his heart.

The victory was now decided.

Lucian thought so and looked up at the sky.

I was silhouetted against the sun, my outline blurred by the light, only a silhouette visible.

Now, just obediently admit defeat.

Just as those words were about to leave Lucian’s mouth, Lucian raised the Holy Sword.

What is it? Is there something more?

The audience’s curiosity was soon resolved.

From my hand, a tiny, point-like circle fell towards Lucian, as if scattered by the wind.

It was the Holy Sword that had cut down a greatsword of ice several times the size of a person. There was no way it couldn’t cut through a magic like that.

Lucian too raised the Holy Sword and immediately tried to cut it down.

But the moment the tip of the sword touched the circle, what he felt was a resistance like an iron wall.

What is this?

It was a sensation completely different from the magic he had cut so far.

Once, twice, three times—

No matter how much strength he put into his arm, the circle didn’t budge. On the contrary, the recoil traveled up his arm and pierced to his very bones.

What is this…?!

Not missing that short hesitation, that tiny gap, the small circle flashed.

“!!!!!”

The next moment, without a moment to catch his breath, a huge force exploded out.

Lucian, hit squarely from his shoulder to his chest, was thrown across the ground like a fragile beast.

With the sound of his bones cracking, his body, which had fallen on its back, scraped against the ground, raising dust.

I, positioned alone in the sky, was simply serene.

A sight no one could have ever predicted.

“……”

A momentary silence fell over the spectator seats.

Kalen, who had been staring blankly at the match, couldn’t get his words out for a while, then continued the commentary, almost screaming.

[Lucian! He’s not regaining consciousness!! The winner is Theo! Who could have predicted it!! The winner is the victor of the Magic Division, Theo!!!]

With Kalen’s shout, a thunderous roar of cheers poured out from the spectator seats.

“Waaaaaaaaah!!!!!”

As I slowly descended through a circle of wind, I thought.

‘Ah, this is freaking hard.’

I barely managed to swallow the blood that was about to gush out of my throat.

‘I’m never doing this again.’

As if someone could hear my thoughts, I immediately corrected myself.

‘No, if the system threatens me, I guess I’ll have to.’

I’m being threatened by the system with a knife.

A wave of sadness washed over me, and for some reason, I felt like I was about to cry.

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