Duel at the Magician's Club
The Magician's Club's protection device was, simply put, a system that took damage on the participant's behalf. On top of that, if a spell exceeded what the device could handle, it would issue a warning and prevent the magic from activating altogether. Barring some truly extreme situation, accidents were practically impossible.
I turned the black robe over in my hands, examining it from every angle. One of the club's duel rules required wearing the designated garments, and these black and white robes fit the bill. Inspired by chess, perhaps? In that case, choosing the black robe had been an excellent decision.
I pulled the hood low over my head and made my way toward the ring. The moment I stepped out of the passageway and onto the arena floor, a figure emerged from the opposite tunnel. The man stared at me for a long moment before speaking.
"Flame mage?"
"How perceptive. Do you possess some kind of foresight magic?"
"No foresight magic, just two working eyes. I'm Bokerus. And you?"
"Ruina."
"Let's have a good match."
Bokerus drew a wooden wand from within his robes. It was only slightly longer than a man's palm, shaped remarkably like a conductor's baton. He pointed it at me.
In the next instant, a towering wave of water surged upward and swallowed the world.
I spun my pure white lantern in a lazy circle and activated my spell. Four crimson lines shot from the lantern and slammed into the oncoming wave. A section of it instantly vaporized.
I dashed straight through the gap, charging forward. At the same time, Bokerus swung his wand. The wave altered its course and coiled around me like a living thing. It spun violently, a roaring vortex, and I gave an appreciative nod.
So this is the kind of magic it is.
This spell couldn't be broken unless you erased more than half the wave. Even if you dodged, it would chase after you as if alive. A well-crafted piece of magic. I could sense the countless hours of refinement that had gone into it. Still...
My eyes gleamed. It doesn't seem like it's meant to be used quite like that, though?
Bokerus swept his wand upward. The wave responded by surging into the air before crashing down toward me. If it hit, it would shatter every bone in my body. Instead of dodging, I raised my lantern.
Within the lantern's tiny flame, a mouth and teeth formed. I hurled it with all my strength. The flame swelled in an instant, devouring the descending wave. It consumed, digested, and dismantled.
The flame that had swallowed the wave flicked its tongue in satisfaction. I reached into the "magical structure" I now felt inside myself and reassembled it. To activate a devoured spell, you needed elemental aptitude compatible with the original magic. The structure itself could be recycled after consumption and disassembly, but the mana required had to be supplied manually.
Fortunately, I possessed water elemental aptitude. There was no problem activating the spell.
A wave surged up around me. Bokerus let out a stunned laugh.
"You can copy a spell after seeing it once?"
If it were that kind of magic, I might have shed tears of gratitude. Sadly, the Flame of Predation wasn't quite so convenient. All I could do was spit back what I'd eaten. I wasn't copying the magic itself.
Bokerus had made a rather large misunderstanding, but I saw no reason to correct him. I simply manipulated the wave. In the middle of battle, revealing your abilities usually meant one of two things: you had some limitation forcing you to, or you were an idiot. Since I was neither, I rode atop the wave.
Bokerus looked visibly flustered. He clearly hadn't expected me to imitate a surfer. He raised his wooden wand and shouted.
"No matter how perfectly you imitate it, a fake is still a fake! You cannot surpass the real thing!"
Waves surged around Bokerus and rushed toward me. I smiled. Like I said, that's not how you're supposed to use that spell.
I pulled my own wave backward while lifting my lantern. Bokerus's wave chased after me with terrifying speed, but the wave I was using had exactly the same specifications as his. In other words, his spell could never catch up.
Flames gathered inside the lantern. They compressed into a single point. Bokerus ground his teeth. As an experienced mage, he immediately understood what I was preparing.
He summoned several more waves to pressure me, but the increased number only dulled his control. Holes appeared in his encirclement. I weaved through the gaps, then released my magic.
If developed further, it would eventually earn the name "Flame Thunder." The ultra-compressed flame shot forward in a straight line, engulfing Bokerus as it passed.
Bang!
Fireworks exploded. I looked up at the arena ceiling.
Winner: Black!
Clean. I walked over to Bokerus.
"That was an excellent spell."
"If you have a powerful offensive method, you can even use my magic as a mobility tool, huh."
"If it were me, I would create some new spell that links with the waves somehow."
"I'll have to do that."
Bokerus took my offered hand, stood up, shook it firmly, and left the ring. I watched his retreating back for a moment before shifting my gaze back to the passageway. Next opponent?
That was when I heard it.
Step.
Someone entered the ring through the tunnel. It was a blond, blue-eyed man wearing a white robe. A familiar face.
Ferant opened his mouth. "Lady Ruina's magic. To experience it personally with this body—"
Eight crimson lines mercilessly bombarded Ferant. As the fireworks went off, I thought to myself, When did he follow me here? Go home, Ferant.
Step.
Another person entered through the passageway. This time it was someone I knew even better. Brown hair and red eyes. Jerry.
Jerry, wearing a black robe, spoke first.
"Please fight me with full strength."
"That depends on what I see."
Fwoosh.
A belt of flame formed in Jerry's hand. The fiercely rotating band of fire gradually shrank until it took the form of a bracelet. He repeated the process, loading multiple flame bracelets onto his wrist.
I shook my lantern. I didn't fully understand the situation, but I knew standing still would be a bad idea.
Four crimson lines streaked through the air toward Jerry. Right before they connected, Jerry extended his index finger. The flame bracelets transformed into rings and launched from his fingertips.
Screeech!
The spinning rings of fire completely blocked my spells. Flames scattered everywhere. I raised my lantern again. A mouth and teeth formed within its flame, and from the other side, Jerry pointed his index finger at me.
The flame bracelets turned into rings once more. Then—
Flame bullets tore through the air.
I shook my lantern at the high-speed incoming projectiles. It was a good thing I'd prepared the spell in advance. Otherwise I might have missed the timing.
The Flame of Predation devoured the magic, digested it, and dismantled the structure. A belt of flame formed around my hand. It spun fiercely before transforming into bracelets. I pointed my index finger at Jerry.
Jerry extended both his index and middle fingers. Two bracelets became two rings and fired along his fingers. I shot down one of the flame bullets with an identical projectile and blocked the other by summoning a wooden giant.
Rumble.
The wooden giant that rose from the ground looked down at Jerry. Jerry smiled brightly, as if he'd been waiting for exactly this.
His hand moved downward.
Bang!
Jerry fired flames at his own feet and took a stance. The fire wrapped around his feet like shoes. He kicked off the ground. Leaving trails of flame, Jerry sprinted across the ring.
Boom!
The wooden giant swung its fist, but it couldn't keep up with Jerry's speed. The wooden giant was certainly powerful. It was a spell that had allowed me to stand against knights who had mastered Release. No one could deny its strength.
But it wasn't without weaknesses. One of its most obvious flaws was the sluggishness that came from its size. Each blow was devastating, but its speed was lacking. Of course, it only looked slow because of its size; its actual speed was average. Still, against an opponent focused entirely on speed like the current Jerry, it was bound to fall behind.
Jerry circled rapidly around the wooden giant, firing flame bullets. The giant turned to block, but the compatibility was simply too poor. I shot down Jerry's bullets with my own magic while thinking, Does this guy run simulations of fighting me every time he's bored? How is he handling this so skillfully?
The offensive spells I currently possessed fell into two categories: harassment and finishing moves. Rapid-fire Flame Bombardment and the more powerful but slower-to-prepare Ultra-Compressed Flame. It was a simple but gapless combination. However, fighting Jerry had made me realize something. Against this type of opponent, my current arsenal would inevitably lead to a prolonged battle.
Jerry must have been quite resentful about getting ambushed by my wooden soldiers during our first meeting. He was the type to maintain distance and fight using his speed, but that time the distance had already been closed, allowing my magic to hit him all at once. It made sense that he'd prepared countermeasures.
Bang!
I consumed the incoming bullet with the Flame of Predation and thought, I need a new spell. Something that could compensate for my current weakness.
Various elements I currently possessed flashed through my mind, and soon a single image took shape. I drew the flame inside my lantern out into threads and wove them together. Then I "connected" them to the wind core.
I scattered the flame net connected to the wind core roughly around the area, creating an excellent trap. While summoning numerous wooden soldiers to harass Jerry, I installed flame nets all over the arena. As his range of movement gradually shrank, Jerry tried to destroy the nets themselves by shooting them with bullets, but I was faster at shaking my lantern.
Crimson lines streaked through the air. Jerry twisted his body desperately to avoid the flame bombardment. His speed was impressive, but unlike before, his available space was now limited. That meant it was much easier to land hits.
I bound Jerry with ropes of water and pointed my index finger at his forehead.
"Check."
"Haa..."
Bang!
The bullet fired. Fireworks exploded.
Winner: Black!
I dispelled my magic and spoke.
"That was an excellent spell."
"Thank you."
"Can't you give me just one?"
"I cannot."
What a shame. Oh well. I stretched pleasantly and turned around. I'd enjoyed myself plenty. It was about time to look around elsewhere.
"For a dud, that's a rather decent spell you've put together."
I froze. The voice was familiar, though we weren't exactly acquaintances. I turned back to face the speaker.
A woman with golden hair and golden eyes looked down at me, wearing a white robe. She asked,
"I am Sepia of the Golden Magic Tower. And you?"
"Ruina."
"Is that so?"
Weapons made of every element clattered into existence around Sepia's body. A massive arsenal of weapons formed from water, fire, wind, and earth. Sepia smiled.
"I wonder how much you'll be able to entertain me? I'm quite curious."
I smiled back. It's a massive magic repository!
