Chapter 41: The Duel 2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 41: The Duel 2
"Commander! It's not over yet, is it?"
Idra approached Elicia, who was sitting alone in the spectator stands, and struck up a conversation.
"Idra, did you make that?" Elicia asked, her gaze fixed firmly on the arena.
The "that" she was referring to was the landmine Rophri had just stepped on.
"I’m the one who built it, but the idea came from Student Loki. He’s such a darling for coming up with something like that; I could just kiss him!"
"It seems a bit weak for your handiwork, doesn't it?"
Rophri had been injured by the mine, but not so much that he couldn't move. Of course, his artifacts had provided some protection, but if Idra had been serious, she could have pierced through those defenses and knocked Rophri unconscious in a single blast.
"Student Loki specifically requested it. He told me not to make it too strong."
"Loki did?"
Elicia tilted her head, unable to understand Idra’s words. Was there a reason to intentionally make it weaker?
"He asked for just enough power so that if the target got hit, they’d have a hard time keeping their head straight."
Idra had adjusted the output exactly as Loki requested. As a result, Rophri was currently struggling just to maintain his senses.
'What the hell hit me?'
He remembered something the boy threw exploding into a mess of light and noise. To prevent the brat from closing in while he was blinded, he had swung his sword wildly—a humiliating display, but necessary to buy time.
He had swung his sword at nothing until his vision finally began to return. When he opened his eyes, he saw that the boy hadn't even approached; he was just sitting in a chair, watching him.
That gaze felt like pure mockery. Enraged, Rophri charged forward to kill him, only to step on something and trigger another explosion.
"Aren't you coming? What are you waiting for?"
The boy’s voice drifted over while Rophri was lost in thought. It was a voice thick with amusement.
"I'll kill you...!"
Rophri moved to rush Loki again but hesitated. He was afraid another landmine might go off, just like before.
"Someone once told me that for a swordsman, footwork is everything."
Loki spoke to the flustered Rophri. Seeing the Vermin standing still, paralyzed by indecision, was delightful. He was glad he’d asked Professor Idra to dial back the power. Ending the duel with a single landmine would have been far too merciful.
He still had plenty of toys prepared for this Vermin.
'That's why I couldn't help but laugh earlier.'
He had struggled to hold back his laughter when the Vermin spoke so confidently, completely unaware that Loki was intentionally dragging this out. What happened in today's duel would haunt the Vermin for the rest of his life.
"So, first, I shall take your steps away from you."
With those words, Loki reached out his hand while remaining seated in his chair.
"What is that?"
"Looks like a frog?"
A single frog sat atop Loki’s outstretched hand.
"Isn't that a magic tool?"
A third-year mage was the first to realize the frog's true nature. The frog in Loki’s hand opened its mouth wide.
Pshhhhhhhhk!
A massive torrent of water erupted from the frog’s mouth, soaring into the air. The sheer volume of water then came crashing down.
Splatter! Splash!
As the deluge hit the arena floor, the ground became slick and soaked. Rophri, of course, couldn't avoid it. His hair and clothes were drenched by the falling water.
Loki, however, was a different story. Not a single drop touched his hair or clothes.
"It looks like it's raining. Since it stopped so quickly, I suppose it was just a passing shower?"
Loki spoke nonchalantly, holding up an umbrella.
"Oops! You're soaking wet. You really should always carry an umbrella. Should I lend you mine?"
Loki taunted the dripping Rophri.
"You little bastard!!!"
Rophri couldn't take it anymore and lunged at Loki. To prepare for any more landmine explosions, he reinforced his lower body with his artifacts and strengthened his physical form with mana.
Because of the artifacts and mana reinforcement, he fared better than the first time, but that didn't mean he escaped unscathed.
Bang! Boom! BAM!
As he charged through the mines, the protective shield generated by his artifacts began to crack.
"I didn't think you'd be so brutish as to just charge through like that."
Whish.
Loki threw a dagger as he spoke. Rophri tracked the flying weapon with his eyes. It looked exactly like the one that had emitted the blinding light earlier. The memory of the light that seared his eyes and the noise that deafened his ears was still vivid.
Instinctively, he squeezed his eyes shut, covered his ears with his hands, and crouched down.
But even after several seconds, there was no sound of an explosion. Sensing something was wrong, he looked up to see the dagger simply lying on the floor.
"I'm not so foolish as to use the same trick twice," Loki said, his voice dripping with mockery.
Rophri realized he had been played.
"I will tear you limb from limb!!"
"Then again... I figured it might work on you if I tried it one more time."
SCREECH—!!!
"Aaaaaagh!"
Belatedly, a burst of light and sound erupted from the dagger. Blinded by rage, Rophri hadn't been able to react in time.
"Well then, shall we get moving?"
Rophri clutched his eyes with both hands, recalling Loki's words. The boy said he was moving. If Rophri lost like this and got expelled, the throne would surely pass to his younger brother.
Rophri began to swing his sword pathetically and aimlessly once more. He kept at it until his vision returned. As soon as he could see, he scanned the area for Loki's position.
Loki was sitting in his chair, tying his shoelaces.
"Oh, my apologies. I forgot to tie my laces."
"You son of a bitch!!!"
Rophri charged at Loki.
'I am going to kill that bastard no matter what.'
Because of him, Rophri had become a laughingstock in front of a massive crowd.
"This is a bit scary, isn't it?"
Snap.
As Rophri rushed toward him, a wall suddenly materialized, blocking his path.
'Obviously a fake. Does he really think I’ll fall for that?'
Rophri had done some research on Loki before the duel. He hadn't found much, but he did know what Loki's Innate Magic was. Certain that the wall in front of him was an illusion, Rophri ignored it and charged straight ahead.
CRASH!
But the wall was real. Rophri slammed into it at full speed.
"Oof! That looked like it hurt."
Determined to kill Loki at any cost, Rophri endured the pain, climbed over the wall, and charged again.
Snap.
Another wall appeared in front of him. Rophri leaped toward it, intending to kick off the surface and vault over, but his foot passed straight through.
This wall was a fake. Rophri lost his balance and went tumbling face-first.
"Pfft!"
Hearing the sound of laughter, Rophri instinctively glared at Loki.
"That wasn't me laughing this time."
Following Loki's words, Rophri turned his gaze toward the spectator stands. Several students were clutching their sides, trying to stifle their laughter. Some had already given up and were laughing openly.
The realization that people who would normally fall before him in an instant were mocking him sent a wave of shame and fury through his entire body.
"You know, I've been practicing archery lately."
Rophri, who had been glaring murderously at the laughing students, turned back to Loki. Loki was holding a bow and aiming at him, but his posture was so awkward and clumsy that it was obvious he was a complete novice.
Whish.
The arrow fired from that clumsy stance didn't even come close to Rophri.
"I guess three minutes of practice before coming here wasn't enough to hit the mark."
"Are you mocking me right now?"
"Well, about half of it is that," Loki said with a shrug. "But you shouldn't let your guard down just because an arrow missed, you know?"
Hearing this, Rophri quickly glanced at the fallen arrow. But it was just an ordinary arrow.
Whish.
While Rophri was distracted by the arrow on the ground, Loki fired another one.
Clang!
This time, Rophri managed to swat the incoming arrow away with his sword. The deflected arrow fell to the floor.
"Is that all you've got?!"
"Oh, come now. I told you, didn't I? Don't let your guard down just because an arrow missed."
Crackle.
Electricity began to surge through the arrow on the floor. Since the arrow and Rophri were a distance apart, it shouldn't have caused any damage.
However, because of the water the frog had spewed earlier, both the arena floor and Rophri were soaking wet.
Zzzzzzzzt!
"AAAAAAAAGH!"
Rophri had to endure several more traps before he finally managed to reach Loki. He was a complete wreck. His hair was a matted mess, and his clothes were torn in several places.
"There's nowhere left for you to run."
Rophri began to contemplate exactly how he would kill Loki. He was confident that if they fought with swords alone, without any traps, he could crush the boy.
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
Loki, still seated in his chair, applauded Rophri.
"Oh! You actually made it all the way here. Impressive."
Rophri dismissed that relaxed attitude as a mere bluff. He prepared to lunge at the seated Loki, but...
Loki vanished from right before his eyes, chair and all.
"What?"
While Rophri was still trying to process the situation, a voice called out from behind him.
"In that case, please come all the way back here again."
Loki was sitting in his chair at the opposite end of the arena.