Labyrinth Ambush Fail
The underground maze beneath Ruda Castle was made up of uneven passages.
Just as I thought.
But the narrow and wide branching paths, along with the traps, posed no threat to Chris alone.
One arrow trap up ahead. A pit right next to it. Step on that, and it's over.
With his clairvoyance and x-ray vision activated, every view beyond the walls unfolded before him. As long as he had his eye magic tool, the maze's mechanisms couldn't harm Chris.
I need to lure her to a spot loaded with as many traps as possible.
Chris kept burning mana to scout the optimal location. Beyond four layers of transparent walls, he spotted Demona.
White short hair. Petite build. Demona was walking with robotic steadiness, her right hand trailing along the wall.
Her magic tool's a halberd, right?
Chris found the perfect spot—a narrow passage hiding a trap.
That's where we'll settle this.
The fight wouldn't last long.
In a rundown diner at an old table.
Isabel and Zien sat back leisurely, watching the match. Whether it was the organizers' consideration or not, the vintage TV delivered top-notch picture quality despite its appearance.
"Nice seats."
A smooth start to the match.
Zien commented while eyeing the TV, and Isabel chimed in.
"Yeah. Against a halberd user, narrow's better."
Fewer places to dodge was a hassle, but the halberd—aka axe spear—was proficient in both slashing and thrusting.
Demona especially excelled at wide swings leveraging her long reach.
Once those started flying, Chris's daggers would struggle to close the distance.
"Right. Limits her movement. And see those small bricks on the floor?"
At Zien's question, Isabel furrowed her brow.
"Those... little ones?"
"Definitely traps."
"Hm, yeah?"
Isabel popped a candy in her mouth, rolling it around as she glanced at Zien.
This guy's got no blind spots.
It wasn't just this once.
Since joining the party, Zien knew every little detail that made her wonder, how does he even know that?
He's full of mysteries.
Thinking back, there were plenty of such moments.
From dead last to top rank in one exam, then teaming up with 97th-ranked Chris over all the big shots. Fighting Desire tooth and nail, and now earning a spot in Battle Survival.
And now, finals-bound.
All in less than two months. No, he'd crammed even that, running special training for Isabel and Chris.
Zien is...
A true Saber.
That was Isabel's assessment of him. With gates conquered and the world changed, the meaning of "Saber" had drifted far from savior.
When Desire terrorized the mage tower, most Sabers might've compromised. But Zien stayed true to the end.
After mulling for the perfect word, Isabel nailed it.
Ah, yeah. He's upright. Straightforward.
The candy had melted away unnoticed.
Isabel turned her gaze back to the TV.
The broadcast alternated between Demona and Chris.
What if... Chris loses?
It could happen.
No, the odds favored it. Demona's magic tool was combat-oriented; Chris's support-type gave him slim chances.
What about me?
Per the bet, she'd lose her clubroom to Selphis, and the party would disband. Just thinking about it soured Isabel's mood; she propped her chin and sighed.
"Why'd it have to be a tournament?"
A little more.
Chris peered through the transparent wall to see Demona rounding the corner.
They were now about a meter apart. Yet Demona hadn't sensed him.
Thanks to his artifact Noksabaram and lessons from Battle Survival.
Hold breath. Lower mana. Conceal intent.
Recalling ambush basics, Chris gripped his daggers tight. Only one wall separated them now. Round the corner, and they'd face off.
Thud.
Demona's footsteps halted as she rounded the corner. She groped the wall, pausing. Chris's mouth went dry.
Did she notice?
But the suspicion proved groundless.
Thud thud.
Demona resumed walking.
Then the brick she stepped on sank with a click. Trap triggered.
Groooowl!
Got her!
Whoosh!
An arrow shot from the ceiling toward Demona. Poison-coated—hit meant tournament out.
Now!
Perfect timing.
Chris darted around the corner himself. His twin daggers thrust with the arrow. He felt certain of success.
But.
Tzzzt! Tzzzzzt!
Both daggers halted before Demona's throat. Thin sparks flew between her neck and the blades. A mana barrier had deployed.
"Damn it!"
Chris grimaced hard.
Until now, only Isabel had flaunted mana so brute-force.
Blocked daggers, deflected arrow.
Demona stared silently at Chris with her robotic expression.
Still a good start. That must've burned a ton of mana!
Both their stigmata glowed simultaneously.
Shaaa!
Mana filled Chris's eyes, and a vicious halberd materialized in Demona's hand.
Demona pulled back for distance.
Chris pressed with rapid strikes.
One hit and it's over.
His attacks bounced off her barrier.
"How much mana does she even..."
Chris trailed off.
Whoosh!
Had he not retreated, he'd have been bisected. Luckily, the halberd merely cleaved air. Tension stiffened Chris's legs, but compared to Zien's sword, her moves were slow.
No matter how strong, if it doesn't hit...
Clang! Clang clang! Crash!
"Urgh... urgh."
A fierce combo.
Barrier shattered, slicing Demona's arm. She glanced indifferently at the wound, then surged her mana.
Boom!
The downward halberd strike cratered the ground. Floor warped, walls crumbled, dust billowed.
Demona's magic tool packed destruction, but misses meant nothing.
Watch.
Chris's activated magic tool granted transcendent observation. Reading her stance, he predicted attacks.
Predictions were generous guides.
Green silken waves traced paths—the halberd followed exactly. Maps and matchups favored Chris heavily against Demona. Victory shifted from hope to certainty.
I have to win!
To repay Zien.
To prove his worth—more than anyone, Chris craved tournament glory.
But.
"Guh!"
Mid-combo, Chris faltered.
Overload doused the mana in his eyes. Magic tool deactivated.
Demona sensed it.
She seized the golden opportunity. Her halberd spewed azure mana wildly.
Grrrrrind!!
Planting her left foot, Demona swung the halberd like a bat.
Krrrngggg!!!
The wall it hit crumpled like tofu. An unimaginable horizontal slash. Without his tool, Chris couldn't read it.
Boom!!
Mana explosion.
The halberd obliterated everything nearby.
"Crazy!"
Chris cursed at the sight. No wonder—Demona's magic tool was like an airstrike. Area-devastating destructive mana. For Chris, who dodged by reading and speed, it was cheating.
"N-no place to..."
Red and blue mana surged like a tsunami over Chris. Where it passed, nothing remained.
The scene whitened.
No longer the underground maze—Chris stood in his original uniform.
Chris Arun - ELIMINATED
Winner: Demona Igzek
Round 1 Concluded
Score - Arcana 0 : 1 Celia
A massive screen displaying the score, 70,000 spectators staring. Chris glanced at Demona beside him, piecing it together.
"Damn... I lost."
He muttered softly.
With his defeat, Arcana's fate rested solely on Isabel. Chris sighed.
Burdens lifted, a twinge of regret. Despite fighting well, his face darkened.
"The Round 1 winner is Celia Academy's participant, Demona!"
Vernon's announcement drew cheers and applause for Demona. She swept the crowd with impassive eyes, then exited. A curt, fitting farewell.
Celia surged ahead.
Principal Raymond checked his phone, bursting into laughter.
"Kell kell kell! This is pure comedy!"
Name: Chris Arun
Year Ranking: 96th
The search showed Chris's dismal grades. 96th. Raymond mocked Selphis over the middling rank.
"A commoner, and now 96th? Sending a 96th to an off-campus event? Selphis, you old coot! You've turned into quite the entertainer! Krkh kh kh!"
"Khmm!"
Selphis shared the displeasure. He'd opposed Chris's entry too. Unlike proven top-ranker Isabel, Chris was just 96th.
Losing the bet made accepting Chris tough.
School honor. Pride against rival Raymond. Selphis's championship hunger amplified it.
Yet oddly, Selphis wore a relatively calm expression.
Chris reached that level...
He'd named him right this time.
No longer active, but as a former 6th-rank Saber, Selphis could gauge Chris's skill from the screen alone.
Still short of top rankers, but in that short time... What a steep climb.
At this rate, Zien's party could grow immense. Selphis couldn't imagine it. Sustaining this momentum might birth a generational hero.
A party worth watching.
Thus, he didn't blame Chris's loss. One point stolen didn't mean defeat. But Raymond's yapping grated.
"Still, facing our Celia? An honorable death! Kell kell kell!"
"Shut it, Raymond. The match isn't over."
They'd lost first blood, but a tie could flip it.
And 96th-ranked Chris got that strong. Isabel was top ranker pre-party! Then...
Selphis swallowed hard.
Betting on Isabel. His eyes and bald head gleamed in the light.
You promised me victory—don't disappoint, Zien!
Eyes on the 1-0 screen, Selphis clenched his fist.