Fire vs. Ice
"More than I expected."
I muttered to myself as I eyed the swarming crowd. Compared to the 10,000 or 20,000 live viewers in other famous streamers' broadcasts, it was just a handful. But feeling it in person was a whole different story. With 1,600 viewers, nearly 1,000 had jumped in to participate. There was no way my private room could hold that many, so I'd set the background to the large stage set provided by the capsule.
[Idol Stage ver.1.3.4]
As I stepped onto the stage, the overhead lights all swiveled toward me in unison. I could feel the scorching heat. Can't they tone down the intensity a bit? I fiddled with the settings for a moment but got annoyed and decided to dive right in.
What I was about to do wasn't exactly a World Cup—it was closer to an OX quiz. A simple game where you survive by picking the same answer as me. There was a reason I was selecting a manager this way. Even if you set clear rules against aggressive language, spamming, or toxic chats, there were always those skating right on the edge. I couldn't micromanage every little thing by telling the managers exactly what to do each time—their own judgment had to shine through. In short, I needed someone reliable enough to just say, "Handle it yourself." Someone with a similar mindset to mine would likely make the same calls. It was a matter of probability. If not... well, that'd be a problem.
"Pick whatever feels right."
5th Circle: Ignis Velum (Curtain of Fire) vs. 4th Circle: Glacis Asta (Ice Spear)
"Fire versus ice right from the start."
I don't know the official names of these World of Arceria spells just because I'm here. I just infer from the magic circle structure and compare to magic from my past life. A proper World Cup would've had explanations, but the devs apparently couldn't be bothered. Curtain of Fire versus Ice Spear? Sounds cheap.
"The left one's called Ignis Velum. Seems like a spell that semi-permanently supplies combustibles around the caster, extending in a spherical form. The combustion obscures the magic circle, so low dispel risk. Oh, we can play videos? Let's check it out."
The quality wasn't great. A muscular man charging through a reed field, pursued by a cameraman—probably a war correspondent. But at the end of the reeds lay a wide river. Cornered, they glanced back. Being chased by enemies? In that instant, the man grabbed the cameraman and hurled him across the river. He landed just past the midpoint, and the camera resurfaced.
"Conficio: ignis velum"
⟨ Ignis Velum ⟩
Dozens of soldiers burst from the reeds behind barricades. But the man's massive fireball scorched the field, leaving them stomping futilely, unable to approach.
"Next one too? I'll explain while watching due to time. Much better quality. 4th Circle Glacis Asta. Video shows it freezing water to minus 250 degrees and sharpening it."
"Constituo: glacies hasta"
⟨ Glacis Asta ⟩
A woman with long blue hair grabbed a spear conjured mid-air between her second and third steps. Her upper body didn't hunch forward; her shoulder and arm on the spear side tensed taut. Hips and shoulders as axis, palm skyward. On the fourth step, she shifted weight firmly to her left leg, locking her left side as her chest thrust forward for maximum contraction. Impactful delivery. The spear left her hand, her body briefly floating. Perfect bullseye. Aside from a quick recovery due to the intense cold, flawless form. The video ended with her clutching her flushed red hand and pouting.
"Cool. Nothing much else to say. Ignis Velum vs. Glacis Asta. Tough call?"
"Hmm... if I could only use one."
The same screen I was seeing appeared on the stage floor where everyone stood. Pick right, you survive; wrong, the floor drops and you're out. I was still mulling it over, but some had already decided and hurried to their sides. Mostly leaning fire magic.
"The former's an all-in-one offensive/defensive area fire spell. Great for one-vs-many or one-vs-one if handled well. Perfect for buying time when chased, like in the video."
"The latter doesn't rely on matchups but heavily on the caster's skill. Cast it but miss? Useless."
"Everyone picked? Wide-range Curtain of Fire on the left, Ice Spear on the right. Yeah, Curtain looks cooler visually. Agreed."
A bunch switched from Glacis Asta to Ignis Velum after my take. Must've resonated. No one went the other way. Oh, one guy.
"Guess I'll pick quick too."
Confirming no one on the midline, I lightly tapped the choice I'd already settled on.
840 participants eliminated.
218 survivors.
Hundreds of screams echoed faintly from below. 840 out in the first round. Finding the ideal manager is no easy task.
The once-calm chat exploded into a frenzy. The eliminated vented their rage.
Those who'd switched last were especially salty, spewing curses without hesitation. You're banned.
"I think Ignis Velum's useful. But if only one spell? Questionable pick. In a survival game, pistol or smoke grenade—only one? What you choosing?"
"Ignis Velum's basically a suicide bomb. Mana's not infinite, and obscuring vision hurts both sides. I'd skip such a dud spell."
"Glacis Asta lets you freely compose the spear's material. Not just freezing water—with niobium-based superconductors minimizing power loss, hypersonic speeds are feasible."
Railgun principle. And ice mages being inferior to fire mages? Nonsense. I'd never lost a magic duel to Remilia Asephite. This was trustworthy knowledge from experience, so I urged viewers to trust me.