Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Magician
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You want me to prove my skills?
Alright.
I'll do just that, you bastard.
"You really have a penchant for vulgar words."
So much for the act. His tone had changed completely.
"They say the weaker you are, the more you run your mouth. You fit the bill perfectly."
"Hmph... Truly. Your provocations are first-rate, even beyond. You damn commoner brat...!"
"Thanks for the compliment."
Provocation is the ultimate mental technique, you know?
It's a skill that clouds your opponent's judgment and prevents them from thinking rationally.
In my past life, we called it 'getting triggered'.
And the professor before me was a prime example.
Guys like him can't hold it in for long. They'll fly off the handle and screw themselves over later.
"As thanks for the compliment, I'll show you a new meme I learned~"
From my inventory, I took out a cat-ear headband made from the scales of the sea serpent I had caught before, along with a choker with a bell I'd bought at a nearby accessory shop.
*'Heh~ I never thought I'd be the one using this.'*
I originally made it for Luna or Yui.
The look on the craftsman's face, wondering why I'd use such precious materials for something so bizarre, and the way Luna stared at me like I was trash, had brought out my hidden masochism.
The sad cat dance.
No.
The taunting cat dance.
As I started dancing, the sounds from outside were chaotic.
-Ugh! What is that guy...?!
-Get lost! Boo!
Still, the sounds from outside were mild in comparison.
The professor in front of me had a vein bulging on his forehead and glared as if he were about to shoot lasers from his eyes.
"How far are you going to mock me?!"
What's the big deal?
Mock you? What are you talking about?
You're making a fuss even when I show you something good.
This is a meme with a ton of views, you know?
And are you sure it's okay to get that angry?
The sound might be somewhat blocked, but it's not completely soundproof.
Can't you see the students who admire you out there?
"Die!!"
My, such murderous words for a spar.
The professor spread his arms and slammed both hands on the ground. A chill spread, and a wave of ice surged across the floor.
The wave was formed entirely of spikes, perfectly sized to turn a person into a corpse.
Indeed, as expected of a professor, the range of the ice was vast and intense enough to freeze the entire training ground.
The entire training ground was frozen, except for the area around the professor, the caster of the spell.
It was a ridiculously overpowered technique, impossible to avoid unless you could fly or burrow underground.
However,
"Iron Body."
Weak! Weak! Weak!
It was certainly powerful. My whole body was chilled, and the parts hit by the spikes stung a little. But you can't beat me with magic like this!
If you want to beat me with magic, you'd have to be at least on Argo's level.
"What trick did you use?!"
"A trick?"
Is using a skill a trick?
I guess if you call that a trick, it is.
But they say luck is a skill, so a skill is definitely a skill.
"You're just fucking weak, dude."
"Don't be ridiculous!"
*'To think someone who actually says lines like 'Don't be ridiculous!' exists in real life.'*
Maybe you're also destined to suffer for all eternity?
"Now it's my turn, isn't it?"
I pulled a greatsword from my inventory.
I'd noticed lately that the sword had gotten much lighter. Back when I first made it, I could only swing it with two hands, but now it was light enough to casually wave around with one.
Seeing a sword of a size never before seen in this world held in my hand, the professor showed a slight hint of intimidation.
Lifting a heavy sword is possible for anyone if they enhance their body with mana, but the professor seemed to know I had none.
So he seemed a bit flustered that I was lifting it with sheer physical strength alone.
Immediately after, I lightly kicked off the ground and launched myself at the professor.
And just as the professor entered my sword's range, I turned my body sideways and slammed on the brakes.
Then, I prepared the optimal stance.
One foot forward, torso twisted away from my lead foot. Only the arm holding the sword was extended straight back as I took my stance.
"You underestimated me because I'm a mage! Close-quarters combat is a basic skill for any mage!"
Seizing the opportunity, the professor quickly closed the distance and got within my guard.
True, a mage who doesn't learn any close-quarters combat would be a total fool.
My motion was certainly a large one.
A stance that blatantly exposed a weak point, as if begging to be stabbed.
Yes, it was a large motion, but...
*'What are you going to do without a sword?'*
The professor closed in on my torso and swung a sword.
*'Just as I thought...'*
The sword was an ice sword, made of ice.
Hey, hey... what's the point of hitting me with an ice sword?
That ice you made is still magic, you idiot.
Didn't I say magic doesn't work on me?
Why is this professor such a slow learner?
"...How?!"
While the professor was stunned, my preparations were complete.
What is the best attack to maximize the advantages of a greatsword?
There are two main ones.
One is the spinning slash.
It uses rotational force to slam the sword's speed and weight directly into the opponent.
The greater the rotation, the higher the attack power, but there's something even better.
And that is.
"The non-lethal downward strike."
The downward strike.
Weight, gravity, and physical strength.
A perfect attack, a trinity of these three forces.
I pulled my drawn-back torso forward, swinging the sword upward.
My bent leg straightened out behind me, while the knee of my other leg bent.
The sword, which had risen in the arc of a crescent moon, began to fall in the arc of a new moon.
The professor, who had intended to defend with magic, swiftly changed his mind at the sight of its sheer power.
-CRASH!!
Where the tip of the sword struck, the marble floor cracked in all directions, and a small crater formed.
"Kuh...!"
"Oh. Good judgment. I was going to slice you in half along with your magic."
"You damn bastard...!"
The professor threw the ice sword he was holding at me and created ice spears, firing them indiscriminately.
Thud, thud. The ice stabbed wildly at my body before disappearing.
"Is that all you know how to do...?"
This is boring.
I was going to mess with him since he got angry, but he's just too weak.
So I activated Macho Man.
"Gah! What?!"
The professor, who had been taunting me while firing magic from the front, collapsed to his knees.
I walked up to him and grinned.
"Let's Show Time!"
***
Luke waved his hand in the air, and a wooden box fell to the ground.
The box was long and rectangular, with a thin line drawn straight down its center.
"Wh-what are you planning to do?!"
"I may not be able to use magic, but I do know some stage magic. I brought something good, so you get to be my assistant. We have plenty of spectators, after all, don't we?"
As he spoke, he fumbled with the box's lid and opened it.
Then he lifted Dmitri and stuffed him inside.
Even in this situation, his body wouldn't budge.
In fact, the more he tried to move, the more it felt like someone was forcibly pressing him down.
The only thing he could move was his mouth.
"Release me from this dark art at once!!"
"Ah, don't worry. If you die, I'll preserve you just like this and use Reanimation Jutsu on you later."
And the lid closed.
Inside the dark box, there wasn't a single hole.
The only thing he could hear was the voice from outside.
"Alright, everyone~ The professor is going to perform a magic trick for you! It's called... the Body Sawing Trick! If he fails, he'll die, but if he doesn't want to die, the professor will have to find a way to escape on his own, won't he?"
What...? The Body Sawing Trick...?
And I have to escape on my own...?
As Luke finished speaking, the pressure on his body vanished.
Dmitri struggled to escape the box at once, but for some reason, the lid wouldn't open.
Immediately, Dmitri's brain sounded an alarm.
Telling him to do something, anything, if he wanted to live.
The reason no other professors or Lucia intervened, despite this situation, was because any damage incurred within the training ground is reverted to nothing once one steps outside.
That's why they were merely watching from the sidelines.
Dmitri also knew this fact, but that didn't mean the pain from the training was non-existent.
The pain from any damage taken is felt just the same.
Therefore, he had no desire to experience the agony of his body being split in two.
*Should I block it with magic?*
*No, considering the power I saw before, I'll be cut in half along with the magic.*
Having come to that conclusion, Dmitri instinctively hugged his legs and curled his body up like a pill bug.
This was a posture made possible by the box's surprisingly large interior.
And then.
-CRUNCH!
"Huuh?!"
With a horrifying sound, the blade of a sword grazed past just below Dmitri's feet.
*'That... that madman...! He was actually trying to kill me...!'*
There was no way that he, who was known to have dropped out at the beginning of the semester, would know about the magic cast on the training ground.
In other words, he had genuinely intended to kill him.
The recent slash split the box in two, and only then was Dmitri able to get out.
"Oh...! Everyone! The magic trick was a success!"
Dmitri was dumbfounded by Luke's amused laughter.
"Shall we move on to the next trick, then~"
This time, the object that appeared at Luke's beckoning was not made of wood.
It was a rectangular glass tank.
The problem was that the tank was large enough to remind him of what had just happened.
Inside the tank, which was square rather than long.
Once again, he was stuffed inside.
Just like before, something was pressing down on his entire body.
Like a fish trapped in a drained tank, he couldn't move a single step.
"The next trick is an escape act! Escaping from a tank full of water on your own!"
*Water torture after being cut in half?!*
Knowing what was about to happen, he could only resent his unmoving body.
"Ah, but there's no water."
*Phew...*
For a moment, Dmitri was relieved.
"Oh, right. I have some leftover booze from last time."
What...?
From a barrel that appeared out of nowhere, alcohol was poured indiscriminately.
How much alcohol would it take to fill this tank?
But the alcohol flowed out endlessly.
The pale yellow liquid rose steadily.
In the end, the tank was truly filled with alcohol.
"Alright, the time limit is until the professor kicks the bucket! Ready~ Go!"
At his signal, freedom of movement returned to his body.
"Mmph...! Mmmph!!"
He couldn't even open his mouth.
It was hard to even open his eyes.
But for him, who had regained control of his body, this was nothing.
-Crrrackle!! CRACK!
At Dmitri's will, the alcohol that filled the tank began to freeze.
Soon, cracks began to form in the sub-zero tank. It didn't take long for it to shatter completely.
Afterward, Dmitri emerged from between the broken shards of ice.
"Gasp...! Cough! Cough!"
"Ah... using magic is cheating. Oh well. I still have plenty of props left."
Once again, he took out a long wooden box.
The box was similar in size to the one Dmitri had been trapped in before, but the difference was that this time, it had square slots all over it.
"This next trick is the Sword Box! I didn't think I'd have to use this one, but Professor, you seem to have more talent for magic tricks than I thought!"
Looking at the longsword Luke had pulled from somewhere, Dmitri thought.
*'Ah...'*
*It would have been better if I'd just been cut in half at the beginning...*