Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 42: The Duel 3

The spectators in the arena were in a state of collective disbelief.

Naturally, everyone had assumed Rophri’s victory was a foregone conclusion. In fact, they were certain of it.

Of course, rumors about Loki had been circulating before the duel began—tales of how he had soared through the air and slaughtered magic beasts during the entrance ceremony. But those who heard the stories dismissed them as wild exaggerations. Even if they were true, they believed he would be no match for Rophri in a proper sword fight.

However, Loki hadn't even drawn his sword.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

As soon as the duel began, he had retreated to a chair, sat down, and done nothing but throw daggers.

"I thought they said he was a swordsman?"

"Right? Is he a coward or something?"

Even the students who initially thought Loki was throwing daggers out of fear soon found themselves marveling at his absolute mastery over his threads and blades.

"Did he calculate all those trajectories before he threw them?"

The students of the Special Class, however, weren't surprised by the thread-and-dagger technique. It was a method Loki frequently employed during his sparring sessions with Professor Elicia.

But even they were seeing the tools he used next for the first time.

Daggers that emitted blinding light and deafening noise, bombs that exploded the moment they were stepped on, mechanical frogs that spat torrents of water, and even arrows coursing with crackling electricity.

He even toyed with Rophri by creating illusory walls with his Innate Magic to complement the real ones.

* * *

Meanwhile, there were those watching the duel from afar.

Through a communication device held by Lucas, the Emperor, the Empress, and Yerika were observing the match.

"The Clown is winning, right?!" Yerika asked, her voice high with excitement.

Upon hearing that Loki was fighting a top-tier third-year, Yerika had been worried he might get seriously hurt. But far from being injured, Loki hadn't been touched a single time.

His opponent, Rophri, was a complete wreck, but that wasn't Yerika's concern.

"Hohoho."

The Empress looked down at Yerika with a gentle smile.

"Mother, what do you think? Isn't our Clown amazing?" Yerika asked, looking up from the Empress’s lap.

The Emperor opened his mouth to say something about the word 'our,' but he fell silent when the Empress shot him a sharp, silencing glare.

"Hoho. He hasn't even moved from his chair yet. I can see why His Majesty approved him as a guard knight."

After glancing at the Emperor, the Empress stroked Yerika’s hair. She had been surprised when Yerika insisted on having an academy student as her guard knight, but she had been even more shocked when the Emperor actually permitted it.

"He didn't use those traps and magic tools when he fought me. I approved Loki as a guard knight because I judged his skills to be sufficient even without them," the Emperor noted.

"But isn't it a bit arrogant of him to refrain from attacking on purpose?"

As the Empress pointed out, Loki’s current behavior could certainly be seen as arrogant. If he had attacked while Rophri was blinded by the flash grenade, the duel would have already been over. Yet, for some reason, Loki didn't finish it; he simply continued to provoke ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Rophri.

"Empress, that boy is not being arrogant, nor is he being careless. If anything, the arrogance and carelessness belong to Prince Rophri. Because he believed he would easily defeat Loki, he keeps falling for every single provocation."

* * *

Rophri, looking like a total disaster, finally reached Loki, who was still lounging in his chair.

"Now we'll finally get to see the boy fight with a sword."

"I wonder. I don't think it will turn out that way."

The Loki standing before Rophri vanished in an instant and reappeared on the exact opposite side of the arena.

"Did you notice, Your Majesty?" the startled Empress asked.

"I realized it halfway through. Though I have no idea when he switched with a fake."

The magic tools Loki used were all flashy and loud. In the midst of such chaos, it was nearly impossible to tell exactly when he had swapped himself for an illusion.

"It seems Prince Rophri has already lost his fighting spirit."

Rophri dropped his sword and collapsed to the ground. He had endured so much humiliation and pain just to get this far.

You want me to move that far all over again?

Gedra, who was acting as the referee, realized Rophri had lost his will to fight and was about to declare the end of the match. But then—

"It would be a shame to end it just like this."

Loki stood up from his chair and walked slowly toward Rophri. He couldn't let the duel with this vermin end so easily. He had prepared so much; he hadn't expected the prince to give up so soon.

"I haven't even swung my sword yet, you know?"

As Loki spoke, he reached both hands high and cast his threads.

The students couldn't understand what he was doing. But when Loki yanked the threads back, the crowd gasped in horror.

"There were that many?"

"When on earth did he set all those up?"

Dozens of traps, tied to the threads, rose from beneath the ground.

"This should be enough to keep the fight going, right?" Loki said, looking down at the slumped Rophri.

"You bastard...!"

Unable to endure the mockery, Rophri grabbed his sword and swung it with all his might.

Swish.

But Rophri’s blade failed to reach Loki, cutting only through empty air.

"You have to look where you're swinging. Or did you swing like that on purpose because you wanted to cut the air?"

Loki was standing directly behind Rophri. Even though he had taken his opponent's back, he didn't draw his sword; instead, he kept his hands casually in his pockets.

"Are you mocking me?!"

Rophri swung again, aiming behind him, but once more, he struck nothing but air.

"I told you to look where you're swinging. Why do you keep cutting the air? You're going to hurt its feelings."

Loki was behind him again, hands still in his pockets.

Until moments ago, the spectators had thought that Rophri would win if they fought with swords instead of traps. But the scene unfolding before them shattered that assumption. Rophri ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠swung his sword repeatedly, but Loki remained standing behind him, hands in his pockets the entire time.

"Now, shall we wrap this up?"

Loki, who had been hovering behind Rophri, finally backed away to create some distance. Rophri focused with everything he had. If he lost here, everything was over.

First, I need to maintain distance while I swing.

Rophri tried to take a stance, anticipating Loki's next move, but his body wouldn't budge.

"???"

No matter how much strength he exerted or how hard he tried to move, his body refused to listen.

"Oh dear. Since you seem unable to move, I'll help you out."

Rophri instinctively looked at Loki and saw threads wrapped around the boy's fingers. And those threads were connected to him.

As Loki moved his fingers, Rophri’s hands shot up into the air. Loki moved his fingers again, and this time, Rophri dropped to his knees.

Rophri was now kneeling with both hands raised high. He looked like a small child being punished for misbehaving.

"This is fun," Loki said, mocking him.

Rophri felt a wave of intense humiliation at being treated like a puppet, but there was nothing he could do. Loki continued to play with Rophri as if he were a toy.

The stands fell silent at the shocking sight. A freshman was toying with a top-tier third-year as if he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were a mere plaything. Everyone watched the scene with different emotions.

"Just how strong is that guy?"

"He's really a first-year?"

Some felt admiration.

"Can you get that strong if you join the Special Class?"

"If only I had gotten into the Special Class..."

Some felt jealousy.

If I fought him, could I win?

This isn't enough. I have to get stronger.

And some felt their competitive spirits quietly ignite.

"It's time for the finale."

Loki moved his fingers. Following the movement of Loki's hand, Rophri picked up the sword he had dropped on the ground.

What are you trying to do?!

Rophri’s own hand brought the blade to his neck. As he felt the cold steel inching closer to his throat, terror gripped him.

If this continues, I'm going to die.

He struggled desperately to move, but his body would not obey his will. Just as the blade was about to touch his skin—

"That's enough. The match is over."

Gedra, the referee, declared the end of the duel, and Loki released the threads.

"Pant... pant..."

Though he could move again, Rophri collapsed, breathing heavily. He glared up at Loki.

"I said I'd end the match with a single swing, but I didn't even get to swing once."

Unlike Rophri, whose body was a mess, Loki was so clean it was hard to believe he had just been in a duel.

"Should I at least give it one swing now?"

Loki gripped his sword and gave it a half-hearted swing through the air.

"I'll kill you!"

Unable to contain his rage, Rophri channeled mana into his sword and charged at Loki.

"The duel is already over!"

But Gedra’s voice didn't reach Rophri, whose mind was consumed by fury. Watching Rophri rush at him with murderous intent, Loki smiled behind his mask.

Yes. He had been waiting for this exact moment. The moment this vermin would snap and try to kill him after the duel was over. That was why he hadn't ended the duel when he could have, choosing instead to keep playing with him.

I'm going to turn you into a permanent wreck.

Loki used an illusion to create a thick fog, trapping himself and the vermin inside. With this, no one outside would be able to see or hear what was happening within.