The Unreasonable Duel
The Academy had various buildings serving different purposes, and among them were structures dedicated solely to duels. These were spaces prepared specifically for the large-scale matches held during the Academy's own events. Today's duel was taking place in one such building created for exactly that reason. Designed from the start with a massive audience in mind, the spectator area was extraordinarily spacious. Today, however, those vast seats were packed completely full—a clear sign of just how much attention this particular duel had drawn.
With so many people gathered in one place, the arena was naturally noisy. The entire space buzzed with overlapping conversations. Everyone wore their own expressions as they waited for the match to begin, chatting among themselves.
Then, in a single moment, the murmuring died away.
The protagonist of the day had appeared on the dueling stage.
Sebastian Ebenros stepped up first, wearing his usual relaxed smile, though a faint thread of tension could be seen beneath it. All eyes inside the arena focused on him at once. Any ordinary person would have shrunk under the weight of so many gazes, but he showed no sign of intimidation. He stood with absolute confidence, even radiating composure.
At that moment—
"Huh? Is that...?"
Some of the spectators widened their eyes. They had noticed the items Sebastian was wearing.
While Sebastian's own appearance was striking enough to draw attention, the equipment he wore today was equally eye-catching. Accessories adorned various parts of his body, but what truly stood out was the staff. Anyone could tell at a glance that these were no ordinary objects, yet some reactions were particularly intense. They had recognized exactly what the items were.
"No way... Are those the Ebenros family's...?"
Mages tended to have a deep interest in equipment. After all, their power was heavily influenced by it. Moreover, this was a world where magic had advanced significantly, so there were many who could wield it. Naturally, demand and interest in mage-exclusive equipment ran high. News of a new artifact or piece of gear could draw considerable attention.
Most of it, however, only caused a local stir. The reason was simple: truly remarkable artifacts were rarely created. Producing equipment or artifacts for mages required enormous sums of money. Even an item with mediocre functions cost enough to buy an ordinary house, while anything of decent quality demanded a sum that could purchase an entire mansion. As a result, proper artifacts were uncommon, and those that captured widespread attention were even rarer.
Yet dozens of years ago, an event had drawn the eyes of every mage in the Empire to a single point. The then-head of the Ebenros family had decided to invest a staggering fortune into creating a complete set of artifacts.
The previous head had poured an incredible amount of money into their production. Rumor had it that the cost of crafting each individual piece was enough to purchase a castle. An event of that scale was bound to attract attention, and the resulting artifacts became the center of fascination across the Empire. Their distinctive appearance was still widely known, so some spectators immediately recognized that the items Sebastian wore bore a striking resemblance to those legendary artifacts.
Naturally, those who identified them couldn't stay silent. Information about Sebastian's equipment spread through the stands in an instant.
"Just how serious is he about this?"
The spectators who learned the truth were deeply shocked. Simply seeing such items in person was astonishing, but what stunned them most was the fact that Sebastian had chosen to wear them here. After all, those artifacts were strictly reserved for the family head.
Since Sebastian was confirmed as the next head, there was no major issue with him using them. Still, those particular pieces rarely saw the light of day. Unless a war broke out, the head of Ebenros had little reason to step forward personally—and even then, they would only don such equipment if they were utterly committed.
Yet Sebastian had brought them. For a mere duel.
"I expected something after reading the duel conditions, but..."
The detailed terms had been publicly known for some time. The clause that drew the most attention was, of course, the complete lack of restrictions on equipment. It was obviously favorable to Sebastian. No one understood why Kyle Berwen had accepted such terms, but one thing was certain: Sebastian would come thoroughly prepared.
It would be foolish not to take full advantage of an edge you'd been given—especially when heavy stakes were involved. Most had expected Sebastian to bring something extraordinary. But this surpassed even those expectations. To think he would bring the head-exclusive artifacts. Everyone was stunned. Some were outright flustered.
Then—
"Ah... here he comes."
The other protagonist, Kyle, appeared on the dueling stage.
Kyle stepped up with casual movements, his face perfectly calm. It was an expressionless mask that gave no hint of his thoughts, yet somehow felt serene.
"Kyle Berwen... hmm... I don't see anything special on him?"
"Yeah."
People began murmuring again as they watched Kyle stand on the stage. It wasn't his calm demeanor that surprised them. It was the fact that his outfit looked far too ordinary.
There was nothing remarkable about what Kyle wore. He had on the standard Academy uniform with a single sword at his waist. That was it. No other notable items were visible.
Everyone stared at him with puzzled eyes. A warrior's equipment was usually eye-catching. It had to be—the tools of direct combat were typically large. Even smaller pieces usually included accessories of some kind, yet Kyle wore none at all.
"If he's hiding something, I don't sense any unusual mana..."
There was no particular flow of energy or mana to suggest he had anything concealed.
"And that sword... doesn't look special either."
The blade at his waist appeared completely ordinary. Its appearance was plain, and neither mana nor any repelling force could be felt from it.
Those studying Kyle with doubtful eyes soon widened them in disbelief.
"Don't tell me... he really came with nothing?"
It was hard to believe even as they said it aloud. Logically, the action made no sense. When the conditions stated there would be no equipment restrictions, anyone could predict that Sebastian would bring something incredible. That was why most assumed Sebastian held the advantage. Still, they had believed that since Kyle accepted those terms, he must have made some preparations of his own.
Having been disowned by his family, he probably couldn't obtain anything exceptional, but they expected him to at least scrape together some decent gear through sheer desperation.
Instead, Kyle had shattered those expectations by appearing in his everyday attire.
"Has that guy lost his mind?"
Some reacted as if they couldn't comprehend him at all.
"No way... He must have something hidden somewhere. Or maybe that sword is better than it looks."
Others denied what their own eyes and senses were telling them. The situation was simply that difficult to accept.
And it seemed his opponent felt the same way.
"What are you thinking?" Sebastian asked, turning toward Kyle.
He had already finished his inspection and reached a conclusion: Kyle truly wasn't wearing any notable equipment. That was why he couldn't understand it. Of course, the situation wasn't bad for him. If anything, his odds of victory had only improved.
Still, the question remained.
"Have you given up on the match?"
Otherwise, none of this made sense. To step onto the dueling stage without any preparations, carrying nothing but a single ordinary sword.
Faced with Sebastian's obvious disbelief, Kyle answered in a casual tone.
"As if."
He tapped the sword at his waist with a light clack.
"This is more than enough for you."
"......"
Sebastian frowned for a moment, then slowly shook his head.
"I don't understand. Though I doubt it, I'm starting to wonder if you've somehow grown a conscience. Or perhaps you've simply gone mad."
Speaking as if thoroughly fed up, Sebastian looked at Kyle once more. His eyes burned with clear intensity.
"Under normal circumstances, I would never have accepted a duel like this. The conditions are far too unfair."
But.
"This time is different. I intend to win this match no matter what."
It was both a declaration and a vow.
"......"
Kyle offered no reply. He simply stared at Sebastian in silence.
How long did the two protagonists of the duel gaze at each other?
"Are you both prepared?" the professor serving as referee asked.
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Good. Then... let the duel begin."
After making the declaration, the professor stepped down from the stage.
At the same moment—
Whoooosh!
Mana began to swirl violently across the dueling stage, centered around Sebastian.
"What the...!"
The spectators were shocked by the tremendous flow of power.
"He only moved his mana...!"
It was literally nothing more than the act of moving mana. Yet it wasn't simply fluctuating—it was swirling wildly. The result came from Sebastian's already exceptional ability combining with artifacts that could only be described as absolute masterpieces.
Supported by those artifacts, Sebastian's power had already far surpassed the Student Level. Simply releasing his mana was enough to make the entire area tremble.
The mana that had been swirling under everyone's gaze soon took solid form.
"Barrier...!" someone shouted, recognizing the sight.
The mana that had swept across the arena like a storm had now hardened into a wall—no, a shield. A solid, immovable barrier that blocked every direction.
That alone would have been sufficient defense.
But Sebastian wasn't satisfied.
Whoooosh!
The mana swirled again, and another barrier formed. Soon, three full layers of barriers surrounded him.
"...It's over."
Everyone who saw the sight reached the same conclusion. The match was already decided.
Three layers of barriers created with full power and immense mana. Even one layer seemed nearly impossible for a student to break through. Kyle might have defeated Jerim, but that didn't place him beyond the Student Level. Without special equipment or artifacts, he had no hope. Even if he somehow managed to break through, Sebastian would never simply stand by and watch. While the barriers held, he would cast devastating attack spells with that overwhelming mana and unleash them on Kyle. There was no way Kyle could endure it. The outcome required no further thought.
Everyone believed it.
'I've won...!!'
Sebastian's thoughts were no different. Mana overflowed within him. That overflowing power moved exactly as he wished. A sense of confidence—that he could do anything—flowed through his entire body.
Certain of his victory, Sebastian finally felt pure joy. At last. At last he could drive Kyle Berwen away.
He still didn't understand what Kyle had been thinking, but it no longer mattered. The only thing that counted was that he had won.
The condition Sebastian had proposed was publicly known only as withdrawal from the Academy, but the truth was different. It was to leave the Academy of his own will and stay away from the Saintess. In other words, Kyle Berwen would no longer be able to approach her.
'Finally...'
At last, he had achieved his goal. He had protected the noble Saintess from that vile man.
Sebastian felt an intense sense of accomplishment, along with a small spark of anticipation. With Kyle gone, perhaps he could take the empty place that would be left behind.
Of course, it wouldn't be easy. After all, he had driven away someone she had taken an interest in and had even earned her enmity.
Still, Sebastian refused to abandon hope. If he could only convey his true feelings to her, he believed she would eventually understand his actions.
It might have been nothing more than optimistic wishful thinking, but the mere fact that even the slightest possibility existed was important.
In the blindness of love, as Sebastian's eyes sparkled at the hope before him—
Srrrng—
Kyle slowly drew his sword.
"What is he trying to do?"
Everyone watched Kyle with puzzled expressions. Some even sneered. His action looked like nothing more than meaningless struggling.
Sebastian thought the same.
'It has no meaning at all.'
He believed Kyle was simply flailing desperately. He wished the man would accept defeat cleanly here. He didn't want to see him become even more pathetic with pointless resistance.
But his wish never reached Kyle. Kyle finally moved his feet.
'Foolish!'
While lamenting Kyle's stupidity, Sebastian didn't immediately prepare an attack spell. He wanted to make him feel the wall between them. He wanted Kyle to taste despair before a barrier that wouldn't break no matter how much power was thrown at it. He wanted to watch that ugly, stubborn face darken as he finally accepted defeat.
Soon Kyle's sword moved, colliding with the barrier.
Sebastian had already pictured the outcome: Kyle's sword helplessly bouncing back from the barrier's repelling force.
However—
Kwaaaaang!
What shattered helplessly was the future Sebastian had imagined. The sword that should have been repelled instead smashed through the barrier with a deafening explosion. All three layers at once.
"Wha—"
Sebastian couldn't even finish the word. Before he could, Kyle had already closed the distance as if he had leaped through space itself.
'Right now—'
Shocked once again, Sebastian quickly activated the artifact. The built-in defensive magic would protect his body. It should withstand at least one blow. There would be impact, but—
'Endure it and counter with magic.'
He would pour every ounce of his power into attack spells and unleash them on Kyle.
The moment he finished the thought, Kyle's sword had already reached his side. The flat of the blade struck him.
Sebastian drew up his mana, trusting completely in the artifact's magic, but—
Crash!
Crack!
Something shattered. Excruciating pain exploded through his mind, and Sebastian's vision went completely black.