Chapter 252
Chapter 252
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 252
Chapter Title: I Am Your Future (2)
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The arena, or the dueling grounds.
The seats of the colosseum, as it was called, were packed tight with students. Even though this duel had been thrown together on short notice, the number of spectators flocking to watch kept growing.
There was a good reason for that.
If you asked anyone to name Aphria Academy's most famous graduate from the first class... everyone would point to Rox.
The Turbulent Rox.
Though Rox came from commoner stock, he'd shown a knack for 'shockwave' spells right from his school days. After graduation, letters poured in from mage academies and institutions far and wide, dozens of them—but Rox turned them all down.
What he chose was the battlefield.
After breezing through the abbreviated training for Aphria graduates entering special knight tracks, Rox was knighted and hurled himself straight into combat.
And that's when he really started making a name for himself.
"The Third Krempelt Defense."
"The Keltmier Fortress Reclamation."
"The Zipelte Gorge Annihilation."
He shone time and again in major operations, earning recognition that propelled him all the way to staff officer for the Knight Commander.
All in record time.
He was the epitome of an elite track.
So to students itching to head to the front lines after graduation, Rox was practically a role model... and even those who weren't knew his name.
"Then, if you please."
Such a Rox had come back to Aphria.
"Juniors."
As an early alumnus, he'd offered to guide his juniors with a spar. So who would be the lucky opponent to receive that honor?
That was what had drawn all these students here. Their eyes locked on the two standing across from Rox.
Belnoa, vice-top of the Combat Magic Department.
Rak van Grace, top of the Combat Magic Department.
Even among the first-years hailed as a once-in-a-generation talent pool, these two stood at the absolute pinnacle. Professors said they outstripped them in combat prowess, and from day one, they'd been rated stronger than most knights.
Those two against Rox, Aphria grad and current battlefield star.
No one could predict the outcome.
That made it all the more thrilling.
"Even so, taking on two at once is a bit much."
"It's Rox, though. The real deal, active on the front lines..."
"One on one, maybe. But two? Did you see Rak and Belnoa duel? Insane."
Opinions were split even among the students.
As the seated crowd buzzed with speculation, Rak tilted his head in the arena and spoke up.
"What the heck is going on, Belnoa?"
"Rox-senpai's gonna show us a move or two."
"Wasn't that just for you?"
"He said since I'm vice-top, bring the top along too. One wouldn't cut it."
"Ooh..."
Rak's jaw dropped in a short gasp of admiration.
That somewhat dim-witted look narrowed Rox's eyes as he watched them.
The warrior of the North, Rak van Grace.
The slum's nightmare, Belnoa.
Rox had heard the names before.
Rumors that these students outclassed frontline knights? He'd heard them plenty.
'Time to see if the hype's real.'
Rox stepped back, raising a hand—the signal to count down. The referee hurriedly began.
When he hit "five."
A twitch.
Belnoa and Rak's stances shifted.
Shoulders tensed, eyes snapped to Rox.
[Four!]
Rak yanked his axe from his belt.
Belnoa cracked her knuckles loose.
[Three!]
Rox inwardly admired the pair entering combat readiness in a blink.
'The air changed in an instant.'
They radiated honed-blade sharpness, poised to lunge.
[Two!]
"Not bad."
Rox rolled up his sleeves, mana surging. Circuits stocked in his forearms glowed hot; his eyes narrowed.
[One!]
The referee called the final count.
Thud—Rak and Belnoa kicked off together. Impressive speed... but Rox didn't flinch.
Clench.
Rox clenched empty air.
Shock.
Basic shock spell line.
Gather mana in the air, detonate.
A spell cast thousands, tens of thousands of times flowed flawlessly. Mana coalesced midair, enveloping Rak and Belnoa in the blast zone.
Precise prediction.
Just as it threatened to swallow them...
Krunch!
Rak's axe shredded the intangible mana.
The swing didn't stop. Momentum carrying him forward, he whipped it again.
Thwack!
The axe slammed into Rox's shield. His eyes widened—at the spell etched on the blade.
Smite.
"Ngh!"
Boom—the barrier shuddered. It held, but the rebound flung the axe back.
Thud.
Rak, now in Rox's face, snatched the spinning axe. Seamless, like he'd predicted every angle.
'This guy's more than I thought...'
Rox took it in, expanding his vision. There—Belnoa flanking from the side.
Belnoa from the flank.
Rak head-on.
A dry laugh tugged Rox's lips. One exchange, and he had to reevaluate.
'Not even close to touching them.'
Hell, he might lose.
"Hoo..."
Short exhale. Rox lifted a foot.
One forearm circuit blazed. His boot slammed the dirt.
Quake manifested—the spell synonymous with Rox—rocking the arena.
2.
Thoom, ruuumble!
Shockwave erupted from the impact point. Ground quaked, dust billowed. Rak and Belnoa stumbled mid-leap.
Crack, craaack.
Controlled for an advanced spell, but the sudden vibration was plenty to disrupt.
'Battle mages come in all flavors.'
Amid rising dust, Rox slapped the ground. Vision obscured. He tracked foes by seismic feedback.
'These two lead with melee, spells as backup.'
Rox was the opposite.
Spells primary—like a wizard who'd dipped into Stock magic.
Thud. Thoom.
Vibrations adjusted to the haze. Footsteps approaching. Rox swirled fingers clockwise on the ground.
Shock Ball.
Spells bloomed from fingertips in sequence.
They hovered at the ready beside him.
Whoosh!
Rak burst through the dust.
Three Shock Balls floated before his plunging axe. As he swung, superhuman instinct screamed.
'Touch it, get swept.'
Mine-like spells.
Rak twisted midair, sliding to land. Rox murmured,
"Good instincts."
Rak too.
"And you."
Belnoa, shadow dagger thrusting from stealth. Both halted by the Shock Balls.
Snap.
Rox flicked—balls detonated in unison. Shockwaves cleared the dust, revealing the trashed arena.
"That's my style."
A spar to test and teach.
So Rox explained obligingly.
"Blind them, quake the footing... lay mine spells."
Trickster tactics.
"In chaotic battles with big swings and spells, these hit hard."
Doubt flickered in their eyes. Why spill it so freely?
"Uh, Senpai?"
Belnoa finally spoke.
"Why tell us?"
"...Huh?"
Rox blinked.
"Obviously? This is practice. Not here to thrash you..."
"Obviously...?"
Rak cocked his head.
"Professors don't..."
"Huh?"
"We figure out habits mid-spar, right? Like... that?"
"...Whaa?"
They looked thrown by the upfront tips.
Rox was more baffled.
'What the hell do they learn normally?'
He shelved the thought, shook out his arms.
"Anyway, that's my style."
Signal to continue.
Belnoa and Rak nodded, charging faster now.
Rox upped his seriousness.
He stocked about twenty spells daily. More was unmanageable; they'd degrade.
Counting internally, Rox manifested.
Clap—five spells bloomed over colliding palms. Amplified Shock Balls embroidered the air. They checked the closing pair... as Rox raised an arm.
Instant-cast spells left.
Pin with Shock Balls, quake for openings. Snipe with instants—that was Rox.
'Terrain sweepers take days to etch...'
Tough matchup for melee rushers. Hard-earned style... not easy to crack.
Shouldn't be.
Yet—
Krunch, craaackle!
Why was it—
Boom. KABOOM!
Breaching so easily?
"What the..."
Rox froze, staring. Hidden aerial Shock Balls vanishing one by one.
Smashed by axe.
Impaled by shadow knives, detonating.
Invisible mines 'precisely' pinpointed and sniped.
'That sniper's nuts.'
But Rak stunned more.
Reading blast vectors perfectly, shredding balls while dodging radii. No average Joe pulls that.
'Superhuman sense territory.'
Rak's red eyes gleamed.
At some point, smoke trailing from his lips followed his moves.
Boom, KABOOM!
Shock Balls depleted.
They rushed Rox. He glanced down.
Slosh.
Pooled shadow rippled.
Blasting shadow spikes with shockwaves, Rox retreated—into Belnoa's thrusting dagger.
"Urk!"
Dodged the blade, but it dissolved to shadow, wrapping her fist into armor.
Armored punch swung.
Rox countered with shock-clenched fist—but he was repelled.
Splat!
Dorsal split. Blood sprayed.
Rox grimaced, stomped. Quake bought time, but the flung axe disrupted retreat. Rak slid under, reclaimed it, uppercut.
Splat!
Forearm bled.
'Insane.'
Overpowered, clearly.
One-on-one, maybe. But together? No shot.
'Teamwork pros.'
They knew each gap intimately.
Not blind rushes—gaps baited, checks instant.
Battle-hardened synergy.
And more.
'Why so hypersensitive?'
Stock reactions baffled most.
Rox dabbled in Stock—unorthodox like battle mages.
Unpredictable angles, timings. Tough counters.
'Gotta eat hits, rack experience...'
To grok it.
But they dodged flawlessly. Eerily attuned to Stock cues, hypervigilant on tells.
Like one hit meant death.
'They tank multiples fine, yet ghost every one...!'
His slightest twitch—bam! Evasive ghosts.
Laughter bubbled up.
Even elites weren't that sharp.
'What training breeds that...'
Monsters.
Synergy, physique, spell sense—all leagues beyond knights.
'Knights? Bullshit.'
Frontline veteran tier.
Deploy 'em now—they'd outdo vets.
'No way students.'
Aphria's elite, sure—but this was off. Instinct screamed as he watched their uncanny flow.
'Wall-climbers.'
Near-superhumans.
Teens touching that realm? Kingdom history could count 'em on fingers.
Future supermen.
Facing that potential, Rox laughed dryly.
"What kinda training you get?"
What taught kids those moves? His hollow cry didn't reach the stands.
Not everyone missed it.
Faint praise? One mage never missed, nodding.
"I teach good."
Lania van Trias beamed proudly.
3.
I teach good.
Watching the spar, chin propped, I let a faint smile slip. Seeing student growth was surprisingly fun.
'Rox is upper tier.'
Turbulent Rox.
Battlefield mages who shone were rare. Rox was solidly top, strong enough to solo crush named demons like Black Knight Dyke.
Belnoa had once been crushed by Dyke.
'But now?'
She wins.
Handily.
'Rak too.'
Steady climbers.
Me as main spar partner skewed my gauge... but Rox clarified.
"Almost there."
Spar nearing end.
Cornered, Rox unleashed final Stock spell. One I'd seen before.
'That one.'
Canyon-buster.
Lured Demon King's army in, buried 'em wholesale. I'd collapsed one too—similar, but methods differed.
I brute-forced output.
Rox cracked with quakes, packed fissures with minis for cascade.
Now deploying it.
Mana flashed in rifts. Ground heaved wildly, waving like ocean. Rak and Belnoa braced, weapons stabbed in.
'Block it?'
Trashing the arena? Nah.
Brief intervention itch scratched—I shook my head. Rox dialed power... and I was curious.
Months of crash course.
Real-combat drills for Rak and Belnoa.
'Read habits, mana, predict forms... counter.'
Payoff time.
I watched silently, then murmured,
"Block it, we skip class. Fail, overtime."
Mana-laced words whispered in their ears. Shoulders jerked. I smiled, observing.
Munch.
Pre-spar dessert reloaded, I watched the final clash.
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