Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: 11. Not a Legend, But Legendary (9)
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# 105
11. Not a Legend, But Legendary (9)
#9 Their Side: Lia El Nermia's Circumstances
A massive scythe blocks the sword of fire.
Magic shoots down the spirit attacks flying in from five directions, and two additional spells are fired off, but they are torn apart by the claws of a massive hound-shaped phantom beast.
"It's tricky after all."
"That's what I should be saying, isn't it?"
I scowled and grumbled, and my opponent made a similar face while grumbling back.
For over ten minutes, we had been exchanging blows, but neither of us had landed a fatal strike on the other.
If some opportunity arose, I'd take the risk and go for it, but since we both knew each other's skills, neither of us could move carelessly.
"Do you know what it means that I'm here?"
"Well, Arsia and Marsis have formed an alliance, right? It was within the expected range even before the Imperial Tournament started, so it doesn't matter."
Trickster shrugged as if it were no big deal.
Not just Trickster—the sight of the other Yuglasia students in black robes made it feel like they had fully anticipated the alliance between Arsia and Marsis.
"Then, do you also know that our students, including No. 1000 and the Marsis group who came with me, have left to support Yuglasia's student council president?"
It was a provocation to lure out the enemy, but it was also the truth.
The Marsis students who had come with me, led by No. 1000, had left this place to support Yuglasia's student council president.
Even for a swordmaster like Lady Aris, facing the Spirit King, magic support, and Arsia's swordsmen would be too much.
"Hah, you think we'd send our strongest card alone? Everyone else besides us here is handling the interlopers."
But seeing Trickster respond as if he'd expected that too, with a nonchalant expression, I bit my lip so hard it nearly drew blood.
"Damn, so that's how it is?"
"Heh heh heh. As expected from the same academy as us? Drop the noble act with the polite speech and let's get serious."
Seeing Trickster cackling at my reaction, I was convinced of victory deep down.
'No matter how weird the concept or imitation... No. 1000 said she came for the food!'
The Yuglasia reinforcements for Lady Aris wouldn't be that many.
I didn't think they could stop No. 1000 with that.
As long as food was on the line, No. 1000 was the strongest person I knew!
Even against a swordmaster like Lady Aris, No. 1000 wouldn't go down easily!
"Yeah... Guess we have to get serious now?"
But if I showed that outwardly, they might pull their forces to support Lady Aris, so I tried not to give it away.
It was right then.
A chill ran through me.
"What...?"
In that instant, something dark passed over my entire body.
The moment it passed, an irritation welled up from deep inside.
'A mental attack?'
I quickly used the mana circulation method I'd learned during my Howling days to check the flow.
Something similar to mana, but more primal, was clinging to my body.
'What is this?'
I tried flushing it out with mana, but it wouldn't come off easily.
"A gap!"
Seizing the moment when my mana was unstable, Trickster's attacks began.
"Surtr!"
Dodging was impossible. Blocking would make it hard to expel this black thing, so in this situation, I chose my reliable, ever-disposable ultimate shield: Surtr!
"Come at me, you brats!"
Surtr swung a massive fiery whip, forcing Trickster back.
"You punks know your place! As for me... Gahk?!"
"You're big, so you're fun to hit."
"I saw this summoner in a video. Looked tough. Thought it could hold up even against the Silver Devil with that durability."
"Keuk!"
"It'll just take a couple more hits. What good does that do?"
"Cough...."
"It's big, right? The demon said it felt good to hit, so we can save it. That buys us a bit more time to escape."
"Y-You bastards, guk...."
"That's a good idea."
As expected, Surtr stepped forward boldly and got pummeled by the Yuglasia crew. Watching that, I succeeded in peeling off all the black things clinging to my body.
-Master, weren't you calling me to help?!
-My body was acting weird, so I summoned you as a shield?
-Kraaak! Then you should say so beforehand!
-Sorry, sorry~
-As always, Master shows no sincerity toward me!
Ignoring Surtr's usual complaints, I looked at the opponents.
'Why are they fine?'
The black stuff that had tried to cling to me was already attached to everyone in front of me.
But their appearances hadn't changed much from before.
"As expected, it's controlled not to affect allies, huh? Gaaaaah?!"
Slash.
In the midst of staring intently ahead, a chill made me instinctively drop to the ground, dodging something.
As if to prove my choice right, seeing the brown hair falling to the floor, I felt cold sweat trickle down my back.
"Why... are you doing this?"
Once, it had been stuck to my head. If I hadn't dodged, it might not have been hair that fell like that. I stared at the culprit who had sliced off part of my body.
"Because..."
And that culprit looked at me with dead eyes and said this.
"You and No. 1 stole my food?"
"Since when do you kill people over old grudges?!"
I screeched and dodged the follow-up attack.
Having learned from the same instructor—not master—we knew it well.
We were taught never to stop attacking, even when speaking ourselves or when the enemy spoke!
"Wait, she's strong? I thought Hail Reia was weak!"
"Mirua is strong."
"Why ditch the protective concept you were clinging to just now and come slashing at me?!"
This was no joke. The nonchalantly flying sword beams were scarier than Lady Aris's sword aura for some reason.
"No. 17... stole... my food...."
"So why bring up ancient history all of a sudden?! And it was just once!"
"It was precious to me... *sniff*."
"If you're gonna sniffle out loud, at least pretend to cry!"
Dodging the continuous sword beams, I glanced toward the Yuglasia students.
"They're gone, as expected?"
"Where're you looking?"
"Euk?!"
Seeing the brown hair flying again, I bit my lip hard and glared ahead.
"Fine, things are screwed anyway... Let's do this properly."
The absence of Trickster and the Yuglasia crew here meant they'd left to attack their target, Yuglasia's student council president.
I couldn't catch up to Trickster in speed.
And seeing No. 1000, it didn't seem like she'd let me go easily.
"We've never fought properly without No. 1 interfering, have we?"
"Yeah."
Seeing No. 1000 nod slightly and grip her sword, I swallowed dryly.
The reason No. 1000 was like this was probably that black stuff clinging to her.
If I removed it, she'd go back to normal.
Plus, No. 1000, holding a single longsword instead of her usual dual daggers, looked a bit awkward in her stance.
Now was my chance!
Clang!
"No surprise there."
No. 1000 split her blade in half and gripped the extra piece in her empty left hand.
Thanks to the glove on her left, not a drop of blood fell.
"Here... I go?"
"You're already here!"
I blocked No. 1000's attack piercing my vision and screamed silently inside.
'Why does nothing in this Imperial Tournament go as planned?!'
And so, the fight began with No. 1000, whom I'd thought was my most reliable ally.
#10 Their Side: Some Student Council President's Circumstances.
I felt something spreading through the space in an instant.
But no matter how much I prepared, no signs appeared.
"What on earth did you contract with?"
I swallowed hard and looked at Riduan, who usually had no presence.
Perhaps because he'd contracted with a darkness spirit, he always liked lurking alone in dark places, but now he was emanating an overwhelming aura.
It matched the nickname "the student council's shadow" that Liseng had joked about—no, it was beyond that, dark enough to earn him a title like "empire's black curtain."
-The being before you has contracted with a Spirit King, the Emotion Spirit King no less!
-What kind of spirit is that?
Emotion Spirit King? First Spirit King I'd ever heard of in my life.
A spirit even Professor Niserwin hadn't mentioned?
-Spirits that live in the emotions existing in the world. They dwell where human emotions manifest, so most have no emotions of their own. Even upper emotion spirits are at the level of basic low spirits, with barely any sense of self...
-Is the Spirit King different?
-Yes. As a king, it's naturally different. It transcends levels and can manipulate the emotion itself.
-Manipulate emotions... You don't mean!
-Exactly that hunch. It can freely use mental attacks that you know of, though limited.
"Stop it, Riduan!"
"What're you stopping? I'm just working hard for Yuglasia's victory, you traitor."
A cold rebuke came back at my attempt to dissuade him.
But it was all true, so I had no room to argue.
"Senior... What on earth have you done?"
"Simple, Lady Aris. I used my new contract, the Fury Spirit King, to... scatter fury around."
"Scatter fury?"
"Yeah, simple. Everyone around gets pissed off just like me. Committing insubordination against a senior they resent, backstabbing someone they dislike..."
"That's evil!"
"What? Forgot what we learned at the academy?"
"That's..."
My words failed me again.
The truth of war we learned at the academy: Evil actions toward the enemy are heroic to allies.
"When using small forces, nothing beats causing enemy internal strife. I have the ability to induce it autonomously, and I used it. What's the problem?"
"Of course..."
"Shut up, traitor. Where does a traitor get off yapping."
He'd prompted me to speak, then told me to shut up.
His personality had flipped too drastically in an instant.
What had turned the quiet Riduan into this?
I couldn't comprehend it.
"But scattering fury around like that—Liseng won't be unaffected either, right?"
"Oh? You knew Liseng was coming?"
"That guy's the type who wouldn't miss a crazy stunt like this."
Before and after Professor Niserwin arrived, one thing hadn't changed: Liseng.
The center of all Yuglasia's madness, upgraded even further by Professor Niserwin, would've rushed here vowing to kill me.
No, considering Lady Aris charging at me screaming she'd kill me, Liseng must've used some method.
"Yeah, he led us here, no doubt. But traitor, you know one but not two."
"What?"
Riduan smirked wickedly, as if heralding something terrifying.
"What I scatter is fury. And... who does that guy get furious at?"
"No way... Me?"
Seeing my stiff expression, Riduan gave a devilishly evil grin that could belong to a demon king.
"Correct."
"Die, Nerkiiaaaaaaaa!"
And with that, from afar, Liseng's fury-filled scream began to echo.
Whoosh!
Along with the spear of death!