Saintess Competition (1)
Close-quarters combat against a master-level Vanguard was certainly grueling.
Normally, a Vanguard’s attacks could be deflected with a 5th-circle barrier if the angle was right.
But an Aura Master’s Aura Blade required at least a 6th-circle barrier to deflect.
The problem was that even a brief cast time for 6th-circle magic made timely defense difficult.
So instead of relying on defensive spells, I chose to dodge attacks with attacks of my own.
Whoosh!
Boom!
An Aura Blade came slicing in at terrifying speed.
Yet the blade aimed at my neck never reached me. It veered off in the wrong direction.
“Have you been drinking?”
“Ghh!”
The pinpoint Explosion spell had struck Count Felix’s wrist and thrown his attack off course.
It felt absurd to use a spell on the level of an anti-tank missile just to slap someone’s wrist, but there was no helping it.
A Vanguard wasn’t a human in armor. It was more like a killing machine from the future.
Bang!
Next, a Wind Pressure spell exploded against his back while his balance was broken.
Count Felix stumbled forward three steps with a confused “Huh?”
I sidestepped and tripped him.
The proud Aura Master collapsed to the floor without resistance.
Thud.
It was a pathetic sight, completely at odds with his earlier declaration that he would fight with everything he had.
His face flushed so red it looked ready to burst.
Using the rebound, he sprang up and thrust his sword in a surprise attack.
Whoosh!
“Hup-cha.”
Unfortunately for him, I had already seen it coming.
I leaned my head back. The crescent-shaped Aura Blade grazed past my forehead.
Whoosh!
No matter how many buff spells I layered on myself, I couldn’t match an Aura Master in raw strength or speed.
But I had two advantages.
One was the real-world combat experience I had gained in the game, fighting millions of monsters.
The other was the dynamic vision honed through countless battles.
Boom!
Once again, I knocked his sword off course with magic.
This time he had expected it. Using the recoil, he twisted like a snake and aimed for my shoulder.
It was a good attempt.
But I struck his knee with Explosion, forcing it to buckle.
His sword cut through empty air.
“Grr.”
He must have been frustrated.
Unlike swordsmanship, where the path of the blade was determined by the arm and wrist, magic could manifest from any direction without restriction.
On top of redirecting his attacks with Explosion, I also made the ground slippery or opened pits beneath his feet.
He could no longer rely on his usual style.
Boom!
“That’s cowardly!”
“Why? Is a mage fighting in close combat automatically cowardly?”
Realizing he couldn’t continue like this, he tried larger attacks or increased his speed.
Each time, his precision dropped and openings appeared.
The moment his three-strike combination of thrust, diagonal slash, and rising cut broke apart, his flank was completely exposed.
“Kuh!”
Most mages would have used the opening to create distance.
I stepped in instead and drove the tip of my magic staff into his chin.
At the same time, a 6th-circle Laser Cannon finished casting and fired along the staff straight at his jaw.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Perhaps he remembered getting knocked out by Laser Cannon in the first round.
Even while off-balance, he desperately threw himself backward, determined not to fall for the same trick twice.
That choice was a mistake.
He seemed to have forgotten we were in close combat.
I was a mage.
And mages specialized in long-range combat.
“Perfect distance for 7th-circle magic.”
His large evasive movement turned him into a perfect target.
I gifted him a grand spell.
Aqua Blast.
Count Felix was forced to take the spell in an awkward posture.
Thud!
Even so, he was still an Aura Master.
He somehow managed to cancel the spell despite his unstable stance.
Aqua Blast was a high-pressure grand spell that pierced everything in its path.
But after clashing directly with his Aura Blade, its power weakened and failed to penetrate the Force Armor.
“How long do you think these petty tricks will work?”
He must have thought he had blocked my finishing blow.
The displeasure vanished from his face as he shouted triumphantly.
He curled his lips into a smile and straightened his posture.
But the smile didn’t last long.
“Huh?”
My magic staff appeared right in front of his nose, having passed through the water stream that had been blocking his vision.
Count Felix’s eyes widened.
“Light.”
And then came the inevitable solar sphere.
The so-called “eye-blinding attack” exploded in his face.
“Aagh!”
Force Armor didn’t block a simple manifestation spell like Light.
An unexpected flashbang was something even an Aura Master couldn’t handle.
Count Felix squeezed his eyes shut in pain.
“Y-you bastard!”
We were still in the middle of a fight.
What happens when you close your eyes during combat?
It’s the same as asking to be killed.
I pressed my magic staff against his defenseless abdomen and detonated Flame Blast at point-blank range.
A thick stream of destructive flame swallowed Count Felix like a giant serpent opening its jaws.
“Guhk!”
Boom!
Once again, the familiar scream echoed through the arena along with a thunderous explosion.
I checked Count Felix’s condition with Mankyung.
I hadn’t unleashed ten consecutive 7th-circle spells like in the second round, but he had taken a 7th-circle spell at point-blank range while completely defenseless and further empowered.
The impact couldn’t have been small.
Oh, Aura Master Vanguards really are tough.
A moment later.
When the flames died down, Count Felix appeared in the exact same state as after the second round.
He was barely standing by stabbing his sword into the ground.
Once again, both his Force Sword and Force Armor had been shattered.
Without his support, he collapsed weakly to the floor.
With a suppressed groan, he spat out the same line.
“I… don’t accept this……”
Third knockout.
If he had responded properly, his Force equipment might not have broken this time either.
But taking the hit while completely defenseless had been too much.
Thanks to that, he had now destroyed three sets of Force equipment.
One variety show appearance had cost him both his pride and a hundred billion in damages.
He was going to be kicking his blanket when he got home.
“M-medical team!”
While watching him squirm like a frog, still refusing to accept the result, the cast and crew of the comparison variety show Anthony erupted into chaos once more.
Once again, the medical team including Ibril rushed out.
When I looked at the referee, who was standing there with his mouth hanging open in shock, he flinched and declared my victory.
“The winner of the third match is also Marquis Lawrence!”
“Kyaaaaah! Oppa!”
“Waaaaah!”
Cheers erupted from the audience, the cast, and even the production crew.
When I returned to my seat, questions poured in from every direction.
Previously the female cast had shown the most interest in me.
Now every male cast member was looking at me with shining eyes, as if they had become my fans.
“I never imagined a fight like this. I always thought mages mainly ran around and attacked from a distance.”
“Mages also possess mana, just like knights possess aura. There are many spells that can strengthen the body. I wanted to show that a different way of thinking makes this kind of combat possible.”
“To overwhelm an Aura Master wearing Vanguard equipment like that… Without the equipment, wouldn’t an Aura Master and a 7th-circle archmage be on completely different levels?”
“That’s not necessarily true. Vanguard equipment shows high destructive power, but it also makes attack patterns monotonous. And Count Felix seemed to lack real combat experience. He got excited easily and showed poor reflexes. He needs more varied experience.”
“In the end, it comes down to how you use your power.”
“Yes, exactly. Not every archmage can fight the way I do.”
“That’s true……”
The self-proclaimed experts who had been arguing with me before the fight now apologized, saying they had been too rigid in their thinking.
I magnanimously told them it was fine and picked up the drink the production team had prepared.
“What is this? It tastes amazing.”
“It’s not product placement.”
“Ah, right.”
We had been talking for a while when I noticed Count Felix being helped to his feet by the medical staff.
National MC Baron Jimmy reacted with concern.
“It looked like Count Felix still refused to accept the result. What if he demands another fight?”
“Then we fight again. I’ve already analyzed his combat patterns, so the next match will end even faster.”
Baron Jimmy was left speechless by my confident, cool reply.
It wasn’t just talk.
Unlike him, I still had plenty of spells I hadn’t used yet.
I continued with a refreshed expression.
“Besides, it probably won’t be necessary anymore.”
“Pardon?”
“Count Felix is the one who must feel most keenly that he can’t win in his current state.”
Unlike him, who had always fought desperately, I had been holding back.
Count Felix wasn’t stupid. He must have realized I hadn’t gone all out.
My guess was correct.
“Tsk.”
Although he still refused to accept the result, he clearly had no intention of fighting again.
After finishing treatment and tidying himself up, he simply clicked his tongue at me and quietly returned to his seat.
“W-well then, let’s resume the discussion.”
Baron Jimmy let out a small sigh of relief and continued professionally.
Perhaps because I had shown my strength, no one present looked down on a mage’s combat ability anymore.
However, everyone still had to admit that Aura Masters were superior in sustained combat and group battles.
So despite my performance, mages hadn’t gained the upper hand against Aura Masters.
It was only natural.
I was simply not normal.
Still…
My battle footage had spread across the world through this variety program and caused an enormous reaction.
“What kind of scheme is this?”
— Francis Ducal House, Brigham Empire
Even though the empire was currently at war with the republic, the knight’s name being discussed everywhere belonged to a foreigner.
Duke Francis, who planned to send his daughter to the Saintess Selection, stared in disbelief at Ibril, whose face was now known worldwide alongside Adrian.
Anyone with a brain could tell that Adrian’s actions were meant to raise Ibril’s recognition as a Saintess candidate.
“Never in my life have I seen a Saintess candidate being bundled and sold like this.”
Duke Francis, one of the four great dukes of the Brigham Empire, was a Grandmaster on par with an 8th-circle mage and one of the strongest beings in the world.
With just the military power of the Francis Ducal House, he could destroy an average kingdom.
His vast territory and fifty million subjects were enough to call him a king in his own right.
Lately, his greatest concern was making his third daughter, Evelyn Francis, the Saintess.
Now some annoying fly was buzzing around in front of him.
“Gregory.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Duke Francis gave an order to his shadow and right-hand man, Gregory.
“Deal with it.”
It was a direct assassination order targeting Ibril.
Gregory bowed his head without a single question.
“Understood.”