Chapter 410
Chapter Title: The Real Fight Begins
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410.
First year, first semester final exams, the first round of the tournament.
The tournament was open to all, but there was still some time before the world summit.
As such, no outside dignitaries had arrived in Lumerne yet.
“Will this lessen the kids’ burden a little?”
Yura, the second-year Summoning Department professor, asked, tilting her head.
In response, Ain, the second-year Knight Department professor, shook his head.
“It won’t make much of a difference to the first-years.”
“True enough.”
Yura nodded in understanding and glanced around.
She knew a certain someone would be loitering around during an event like this.
“Popcorn! Grilled butter squid! Roasted corn! Drinks! We’ve got it all!”
And just as Yura expected, Karl appeared.
Seeing him, Yura raised her hand.
“Over here, over here!”
“Yep! Yep! Coming right up!”
Karl came running, out of breath.
He looked at Yura, then spoke to Ain.
“What can I get for you?”
“I didn’t call you.”
Ain replied with his usual cold expression, then gestured to Yura with his chin.
“I’ll have a butter squid.”
“...We’re all sold out.”
“Didn’t you say you had it all?”
Yura narrowed her eyes, but what could she do if it was sold out?
“Popcorn, then.”
“...We’re all sold out.”
“Are you messing with me right now?”
Yura’s expression turned fierce.
Seeing her, Karl wore a frightened look.
“B-but. They really are sold out.”
Watching Karl struggle to answer, Yura snapped her fingers.
At that, her summoned creatures began to rummage through Karl’s things.
Snacks giving off a delicious aroma poured out of Karl’s bag.
“What are all these then? Are you making a fool of me?”
As Yura’s face grew more menacing, Karl looked like he was about to cry.
“I have nothing to sell to you, Professor Yura.”
“Who do you think you’re messing with?!”
Just as Yura’s face was contorting like a demon’s...
“Huhu, that’s right. There’s nothing to sell to Senior Yura. Ah, what a beautiful sentiment. Well said, Student Karl.”
Thud— thud—
Ren descended from the spectator seats.
Draped in a black mage’s cloak, he looked out of place holding a wine glass.
He swirled the wine in the glass, took a sip, and wore a look of satisfaction.
“What’s with that ridiculous act?”
As Yura spoke with a scowl, Ren tossed the wine glass in his hand aside.
Clang.
Leaving the sound of the shattering glass behind him, Ren approached and snapped his fingers.
The items Karl was selling, held by Yura’s summons, returned to the bag by Ren’s magic.
“There’s no need to blame Student Karl, Senior Yura. The students of the Merchant Club, including Karl, have made a contract with me.”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
As Yura scowled, Karl pulled a piece of paper from his coat.
It was a contract with a clause stating that the Merchant Club could not sell anything to Yura during the tournament.
“What’s your reason for going this far?”
“Huhu, it is to punish Senior Yura for daring to insist Leo Flove belongs in the Summoning Department.”
At this point, it was something beyond childishness, bordering on madness.
Yura, who had let out a hollow laugh, gestured to Karl.
“Let me see that contract.”
At her words, Karl handed over the contract.
“No poison pill clause, I see?”
The corners of Yura’s mouth curled up.
“What happens if I pay the penalty fee for you?”
“Then the contract becomes void, right?”
“Good. Then change the contract. To say you can’t sell to that bastard.”
“Will do.”
“Karl Thomas! Are you betraying the Magic Department now!”
Ren raised his voice, and Karl replied.
“My apologies, but a merchant always follows the money.”
“Trust! Isn’t a merchant supposed to pursue trust!”
“I don’t think breaking a ridiculous contract like this will damage my credibility.”
“Fine! Then let’s rewrite the contract and strengthen the penalty clause this time!”
Watching his two juniors start to bicker, Ain stood up from his seat.
“Professor Ain, where are you going?”
“Somewhere else. I can’t sit with the likes of them.”
Ain said coldly and left.
***
Thud— thud—
Following the bright light out of the long corridor, his vision opened up.
Lement stood on the opposite side of the arena, and the circular spectator seats surrounding it were packed with people.
-The two students have just entered the arena! Please welcome them with a huge cheer!
Runba Tess, who always served as the commentator for big events, said, trying to liven up the atmosphere.
The students responded with a roar of applause.
Amidst the students' fervent cheers, Luke stepped onto the arena stage, his face even more tense.
There stood Mel, the first-year Magic Department professor, who was serving as the referee.
Mel gave the two students a gentle smile and spoke.
“I hope you have a match with no regrets. Any kind of attack is permitted, so fight to your heart’s content.”
At her words, Lement narrowed his eyes.
“Any kind of attack?”
“Yes. Even fatal attacks that could take a life are possible. Of course, I will intervene if an attack is truly dangerous.”
No matter how powerful, there was no way the faculty couldn’t block a full-force attack from a first-year.
Especially Mel.
Lement smiled and nodded at Mel’s answer, and Luke also nodded with a tense expression.
“Then, please go to your positions and wait. The match will begin on the signal.”
Mel stepped off the stage.
Before heading to his position, Lement spoke.
“I’ll give you credit for not running away. Then again, if you had, you wouldn’t be able to face the Student Council President.”
“...”
Lement narrowed his eyes.
“I didn’t like it. Someone like you getting private lessons from a person like Professor Ren. Did it feel good, getting special treatment as the Student Council President’s mentee?”
At those words, Luke recalled his lessons with Ren.
In truth, the one who taught Luke magic was none other than Ren’s assistant professor, Anna.
Ren was a mage through and through.
His interest was solely in Luke’s mana characteristics.
Aside from that, as a mage, Luke was rather ordinary.
Having not even mastered the basics of magic, he was even more of a non-factor to Ren.
The only other time Ren showed interest, besides researching Luke’s magic characteristics, was...
‘Assistant Professor Anna.’
‘Yes, Professor Ren.’
‘What are your thoughts on dissecting Student Luke?’
‘Please shut up.’
Ren claimed it was a joke, but his eyes were dead serious.
Recalling that moment, Luke shivered and said.
“It wasn’t that great.”
“Hmph. A fool who doesn’t even realize the greatness of the glory he enjoyed.”
Lement scoffed and returned to his position.
Returning to his own spot, Luke took a deep breath.
‘I wonder how much of what I’ve done will be effective?’
He thought back on the past months.
After classes, he always did physical training.
They were, quite literally, days of hell.
All Leo had taught Luke was physical conditioning and combat-related training.
Countless times, he had questioned himself, seeing no progress.
He always sensed his own limits.
Whenever that happened, Leo would say.
‘Hitting a wall means you’ve encountered your limit. To keep going means you’re continuously surpassing that limit. Trust in the self that has ceaselessly overcome those limits, Luke Elda.’
Luke turned around, smiling.
‘This is a challenge, to see just how far I can go.’
“You’re smiling?”
Lement’s face crumpled.
Watching Luke, Mel muttered to herself.
‘There are people like that sometimes. Those who smile in a crisis.’
With that thought, Mel flicked the coin in her hand.
Ting—! Whirrrrr—!
The coin began to spin.
The spinning coin flew up and soon landed in the center of the arena.
Ting—!
The moment it hit the ground, Lement slammed his palm on the floor.
“Earth Wave.”
He completed the spell in an instant with high-speed chanting.
Rumble—!
The arena floor began to ripple.
It undulated like water, but this wasn’t the solid ground turning soft.
To be swept up in this ripple was to be slammed against the ground.
Luke summoned his aura.
A silver aura gathered at the tips of his toes.
Fwoosh—!
Luke charged swiftly toward Lement.
“Fool. Do you really think you can close the distance?”
Lement sneered.
Luke’s eyes followed the rippling ground.
He instantly grasped the pattern, lightly stepping on the edge of a rising crest of earth and pushing off.
Lement’s eye twitched.
Leaping from one safe spot to another, Luke rapidly closed the distance to Lement.
The moment he closed in on Lement, Luke saw the corner of Lement’s mouth lift into a smirk.
Kwang—!
“Kugh!”
A fist of earth shot up from the ground and struck Luke.
Luke, who barely managed to block the attack by raising his aura, was sent flying.
“Not bad. But you didn’t think I’d let you close the distance that easily, did you?”
Magical power shimmered around Lement.
“I’d like to play with you as much as possible, but the audience would be bored.”
Lement’s lips curled into a grin.
“I’ll end it here.”
Woooong—!
As if responding to Lement’s magic, the surrounding earth began to tremble.
Kwang—!
Around Lement, rock spikes began to shoot up from the ground at incredible speed.
An indiscriminate attack that would tear his opponent to shreds.
Kwagagagagagang—!
In an instant, the spikes erupting from the ground filled the arena.
A thick cloud of dust rose.
The only escape was the sky.
But even if he jumped, there was nowhere to flee.
Anticipating this, Lement had already taken control of the air above the arena with wind magic.
‘If he had jumped to evade, he would have been shredded by blades of wind.’
“As expected, how boring.”
Just as Lement scoffed and was about to leave the arena...
Swish—!
A sharp sound cut through the air.
“What?”
Luke, having broken through the spikes, was swinging his sword at Lement.
Lement barely managed to dodge the attack by rolling on the ground.
Chwaak—!
Blood spurted from the nape of Lement’s neck.
Thud—!
Luke landed on the ground.
If it had been just a little deeper, the match would have ended in Luke’s victory.
“You bastard! What trick did you use?!”
“I dodged.”
Luke said, flicking Lement’s blood from the tip of his sword.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You dodged that attack?”
Veins bulged on Lement’s forehead from extreme anger.
Just then, jeers erupted from the first-year spectator section.
“You let a failure like him land a hit on you?”
“You’re not so great after all, Lement, huh?”
At the sound of snickering, Lement’s eyes went wide with rage.
“He’s got good eyes. To think he saw that and thought to dodge.”
Chelsea muttered from the second-year seats.
“That’s why he became Leo’s mentee in the first place. His eyes are good.”
Celia crossed her arms.
“Of course, he only landed the hit because his opponent let his guard down. Now that the attack has failed, it’s over.”
At her words, Chelsea rested her chin on her hand.
“Won’t he show his true skills now?”
“I’ll finish you! You damn failure!”
Rumble—!
The floor began to heave.
Kwagagagagang—!
The ground lunged at Luke like a slime.
Thwack—!
“Keok?”
A section of the floor, shaped like a palm, slapped Luke.
He was hit and sent flying.
Bang—!
“Guk?!”
A fist made of earth struck Luke’s back.
Battered by the physical attacks erupting from the ground, Luke collapsed.
His entire body screamed in pain.
When the attacks stopped, Luke pushed himself up.
“It’s no use after all.”
“Ha, did you really think you could win?”
Lement growled contemptuously and stomped on the ground.
Kwang—!
“Keok?”
The ground erupted, launching Luke high into the air.
His mind went blank from the impact.
Whoooooosh—!
Soaring unimaginably high, Luke looked down at the bracelet on his wrist.
‘So this is my limit in this state.’
He looked down at the arena below.
‘The way to break the seal is simple. Just say “release” with all your heart.’
Breaking the seal was easy.
But he had held back.
He endured being despised and ignored as a failure for the entire first semester.
For this very moment!
‘Release.’
The moment he thought it.
Ting—!
The bracelet and anklet that had been restraining Luke came undone and flew off.
In that instant.
‘My body... it’s so light.’
Luke looked at his palm with a shocked expression.
‘With this...’
Luke stirred the mana throughout his body.
Woooong—!
In an instant, aura swirled around his toes.
Luke used Aura Step to kick off the empty air.
***
“It’ll be over once he hits the ground.”
“Ahh, and I thought we were about to see a giant-killing.”
“Hey! You might as well just curse Lement.”
“Ah, was that too harsh?”
Just as the first-years were snickering...
Flash—! Crash—!
A silver flash shot down from the sky and slammed into the arena.
“W-what was that?”
“Just now, something from the sky...”
The first-years were bewildered by the thick dust.
“This is... what...”
Lement was also stunned.
Flash—!
Along with a silver flash, something came flying.
Thwack—!
“Keok?”
Kicked in the stomach, Lement tumbled wretchedly across the ground.
Thud—!
Luke, who had landed on the ground, spoke while cloaked in a silver light.
“From now on.”
Luke declared powerfully to Lement.
“This is for real.”