The Battle Mage's Berserk Transformation
The early stages of a duel typically unfolded as a probing skirmish. This was especially true when detailed information on the opponent was scarce.
'Mana Sword.'
He channeled mana into his blade and advanced. Closing the distance was one of the fundamentals when facing a mage.
"Blade!"
But his opponent was a battle mage. If simply narrowing the gap guaranteed superiority, the title wouldn't carry such weight.
The man's mana began to surge. At the same moment, a powerful flow of mana emanated from his staff. Like a pair of serpents climbing a vine, red and blue mana swirled in a vortex, coating the staff.
"Strength! Haste!"
He cast Strength to boost his power and Haste to enhance his agility simultaneously. In an instant, the frail ranged mage had transformed into a brawny close-quarters fighter. True to a battle mage, his spellcasting was remarkably swift.
Clang!
Sword met staff in a clash. The Mana Sword and Blade Staff collided, sending gusts of hot wind exploding outward. Johann's hair whipped back wildly.
'Solid.'
This level of balance couldn't come from buffs alone. Clearly, the mage hadn't neglected physical training despite his class.
"Whoa! That guy's really a mage!?"
"Even accounting for demonic physical prowess, holding his own against a swordsman like that... Battle mages aren't to be underestimated."
Johann disengaged first, creating distance. He could overpower him with brute force if he wanted, but he was curious to see more of the man's tricks. Realizing none of his techniques worked would shatter his spirit completely.
"Not bad on power. Now, let's see about your speed."
"Don't get cocky just because you have a sword—you'll regret it!"
Using Wind Control, he expelled gusts from the soles of his feet. He lunged forward in sync with his step, closing the gap far faster than before—like split waters merging once more.
"Double Haste!"
The man instantly judged his current speed insufficient. Sharp instincts. Johann's blade sliced empty air as a result.
"Cold Spear!"
Icicles formed in midair. About ten transparent, crystal-clear spears hurtled toward him, naturally.
"Isn't the number a bit low?"
"Looks like it. Let's up the count, then."
Ignoring the taunt, the man tapped the ground with his staff, conjuring ten more icicles on the spot.
"Mud Hand!"
The ground softened beneath Johann's feet, squelching like mud. It wasn't just a sensation—the terrain had truly turned spongy.
"Transmutation magic isn't easy... That freshman has some skill."
Garnet senior, arms crossed outside the Reality Room, commented while watching their duel.
The floor didn't stop at being soft. Ochre hands erupted, grabbing at his ankles. The twenty icicles locked on, thrusting their sharp tips forward as they flew.
An excellent combo, but its weaknesses were glaring. The Mud Hand's restraint was laughably weak, and the ranged Cold Spears didn't seem particularly potent. The fundamental class disparity prevented the combo from shining.
"Mana Thread."
He drew mana threads from his blade, weaving them into a thin membrane. A mana shield. It looked fragile, but the intricate cross-weave offered superior defense.
Crack! Crack!
The icicle projectiles shattered against the mana wall. The scattering, glowing ice crystals resembled falling shooting stars.
"Cold Shuriken!"
But the man didn't relent. Each falling crystal spun furiously, reforming into ice shurikens that launched back at him. He'd deduced direct hits from Cold Spears wouldn't work.
'Wind Control.'
He blasted wind downward to escape the Mud Hand. The ochre grip shattered joint by joint from the propulsion, crumbling to the floor.
"You won't dodge that easily!"
The Cold Shuriken seemed homing. They pursued him as he shot toward the ceiling. That smug tone made sense now.
"If I can't dodge, I'll just knock them away."
He activated Mana Sword again. Roughly twenty shurikens gleamed as they approached from the front, a dozen more curving from behind.
Leveling his blade horizontally at his waist, he twisted his body with a midair spin. In that instant, he unleashed the mana, slashing in all directions.
The mana-infused sword painted glowing afterimages in sweeping arcs. The spinning blade-like residues pulverized the incoming ice shurikens.
Crunch-crunch-crunch!
The man had recycled Cold Spear debris into Cold Shuriken, but couldn't reuse the shuriken remnants. After shredding them all midair, Johann scanned for a landing spot. His target: the man, staff held vertically in tense readiness.
"Double Strength!"
The man cast a new spell.
"Trying a slugfest? Foolish."
No battle mage should opt for close-quarters against a swordsman.
Thud!
He landed and stamped forward, surging ahead. His mana-charged blade plunged into the Blade Staff.
"Ngh!"
Even double-doped, it wasn't enough. The man's body lurched like he'd been smashed by a sledgehammer to the ribs.
"You weren't going all out earlier...!?"
"First clash is always probing. National rule."
Though reeling, he hadn't lost balance entirely. Proof of exceptional duel sense.
"Lightning Chain!"
Thrusting his upright staff into the ground, he unleashed writhing blue currents that slithered across the floor like serpents. Johann countered by planting his own blade.
'Mana Sword.'
The mana blade sealed the electricity's path. The man poured more mana to amp the output, but it was futile struggling.
"I don't like getting zapped, you see."
To match, Johann boosted his Mana Sword. The vivid blue mana blazed brightly, illuminating the surroundings—and backlashing the enemy's current.
Crackle-crackle-zap!
"Gaaahhh!"
Utterly defeated in the mana contest, the man dropped to his knees. His hair stood wildly askew, like he'd just rolled out of bed. Victim of the reversed Lightning Chain. The stench of burning flesh wafted unpleasantly.
"Looks like the match is decided."
Garnet senior shook his head, as if there was nothing more to see.
"S-Senior...! I can still go on!"
The man rasped pathetically.
"This is advice for your own good. You're strong enough. Johann's just stronger. Even in the Reality Room, mental damage accumulates. Call it quits."
"Ngh! Not yet!"
"...I don't hate persistence, but you should know the line between courage and recklessness. Fine. Resume the duel."
Garnet senior glanced at Johann, his cold eyes urging a quick finish. Having demonstrated the overwhelming gap, he'd oblige.
"Not... yet!"
Suddenly, the man pulled something from his pocket.
"Hey! Potions during a duel are—"
Before Garnet could finish, he dumped it into his mouth. A green liquid—reeking of ill intent even from afar.
"Grrraaaghh! W-What is this!? My insides are burning! Gaaahhh!"
He began thrashing wildly. Sensing trouble, Garnet shouted to the senior operating the Reality Room.
"Shut it down now! Johann, get out! What the hell did that idiot do...?"
"Gaaahhh! It hurts! Damn it! This wasn't supposed to hurt! Gaaaaahhh!"
His screams escalated. Then his body ballooned Hulk-like. Onlookers paled, backing away.
"W-What? Some prank?"
"Doesn't look like it. Damn! Get another teacher!"
"What's going on!?"
"Gaaahhh!"
Now towering at three meters, he swung a fist. The mana burst demolished a corner rack of wooden swords.
"Haa. What a mess."
Garnet senior sighed, stepping forward. Sub-circle chief Doris Bienker flanked him.
"Sub-circle chief. Help evacuate the others."
"Can you handle it alone, Circle chief?"
"With room to spare."
"Understood."
Bienker nodded and herded the fleeing crowd.
"Hey, Johann! You evacuate too!"
"I'll handle it."
"Appreciate the sentiment, but no. This is my responsibility. Tch, student council's gonna chew me out."
"Gaaahhh!"
The green monster Jekki ignored their exchange. His fist rocketed toward Johann. He raised his sword to block, but lowered it as Garnet intercepted.
Boom!
"Thought you just couldn't tell courage from recklessness. Turns out you're a clueless brat. Whatever your excuse, behave now."