Chapter 169: Fury (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 169: Fury (4)
"Ho-ho..."
Miya watched in awe.
Until just a moment ago, Isaac had been calculating a 6-star magic circle in his head—one he hadn't yet mastered. Observing the form of the light blue magic circle deploying behind him, Miya realized it was the 6-star ice spell [Frost Wave].
Soon, the magic circle Isaac cast emitted an intense, blinding light.
Chararararak──!!!
Starting from Isaac, a violent, icy chill surged out in every direction.
Miya leisurely deployed a fire magic circle, spreading flames around her to counteract the freezing air.
The battle between fire and ice was a contest of temperature and sheer momentum. Would it be overwhelmingly hot, or overwhelmingly cold?
Generally, fire held the upper hand, but if the skill gap wasn't wide enough, the result was inevitable...
Chshhhh──
Boom──!!
A massive steam explosion.
As the mist billowed outward, visibility on the dueling grounds—now transformed into a sheet of ice—was completely obscured for both sides.
Miya sensed Isaac’s mana and tracked it, preparing to cast a counter-spell, but...
"...!"
Before she could even finish the thought, Isaac had already burst through the steam, appearing right in front of her.
For Miya, who was experiencing Isaac’s combat style for the first time, the shock was unavoidable. His physical ability was simply unbelievable.
Isaac had chosen this specific tactic precisely because Miya was his opponent. If he had been facing someone like Tristan, who was well-acquainted with his fighting style, they wouldn't have been so easily flustered.
That single moment of carelessness pushed Miya into a corner.
Bash──!
"Gah!"
Isaac’s fist, encased in [Rock Armor], slammed directly into Miya’s face.
The sickening sound of a crack echoed through the air. Isaac’s stone-clad fist possessed enough power to shatter even Miya’s [Basic Protection Magic].
Miya’s body was sent flying like a ball. Blood sprayed from her mouth and nose like an open faucet.
Disregarding the pain, she quickly detonated flames beneath her, using the explosive force to propel herself upward and regain her posture.
"You filthy insect!!!"
Furious, Miya instantly deployed three magic circles.
Just as she was about to engulf Isaac in flames, his school uniform jacket suddenly flew into her field of vision.
Using a distraction like that to mask an attack? It was a tactic so shallow it made her want to sneer.
For a mere second—no, less than a second—Miya’s vision was obstructed.
Beyond the fabric, Miya waved her fan and launched the 3-star magic [Fireball]. Despite being cast in an instant, the sphere was massive and dense with mana.
Boom!
The [Fireball] exploded, but it hit nothing but empty air.
Before she realized it, Isaac had already vanished from her line of sight.
"Where did he—?!"
At that moment, Isaac’s falling jacket emitted a faint blue light.
Something hidden inside it had been activated.
A strange pressure filled the air. Miya realized too late that a unique mana structure was concealed within the garment. Her eyes widened in shock.
She realized the truth: Isaac hadn't thrown the jacket to block her vision, but to deliver a payload.
—The stored ice mana detonated.
Kraaaaaaaaa──────!!!
The 5-star ice spell, [Frost Explosion].
The Sheath of Disaster, hidden in the pocket of the jacket, unleashed a devastating [Frost Explosion].
"Guaah!!"
Miya’s internals were ravaged by the blast of ice mana, and the rushing frost bored deep into her flesh.
Even as she vomited blood, Miya hastily swung her fire magic, incinerating every ounce of frost in her wake. This time, her flames were on a different level—far hotter and more powerful than before.
She couldn't wrap her head around the situation. What was inside that jacket?
Before she could deduce the truth, an unbearable irritation surged. A twisting, venomous anger burned inside her.
The density of her mana, the sheer volume of her power—everything should have been superior to that of this silver-haired senior who seemed like nothing more than an insect.
‘Why am I... losing...?’
...It’s obvious.
The gap in combat experience was stark.
Isaac, who endured brutal training, sparred constantly, and engaged in life-threatening battles every single day, held a natural advantage over Miya. Furthermore, with his superior physical abilities, it was impossible for Miya to fully react to his unconventional, hybrid combat style.
It was only then that Miya realized her grave mistake: she had assumed Isaac would fight like a typical wizard.
"Ma—!!"
Miya tried to call the name of the Nine-tailed fox, intending to draw upon its power. She was ready to throw away her pride and everything else, just to see Isaac burn.
If she could tap into the power of the Nine-tailed fox, Isaac’s "despicable" tactics wouldn't matter.
However, as Miya was calculating the summoning spell...
Whoosh─!
Isaac instantly reappeared in her line of sight. He was already standing right beside her.
Miya’s body hadn't even touched the ground yet. He had caught up to her with terrifying, predatory speed.
Miya’s eyes widened. How could anyone move like that?
She quickly deployed the 4-star defense spell [Flame Wall], wrapping herself in dense, protective flames. At the same time, she attempted to pour fire toward Isaac.
But Isaac was already raising a wall of ice infused with rock mana—[Fossilized Ice]—directly in front of her.
"...!!"
Judging by the timing, Isaac hadn't used [Fossilized Ice] as a reaction. He had been approaching her while casting it from the very start.
Miya’s flames couldn't melt the [Fossilized Ice] instantly.
Only then did she notice the magic circle deployed above her. Beneath it hung a spherical mass of mana, emitting a cold, light blue glow.
In this duel, Isaac was capitalizing on every fleeting opening.
Miya felt a revolting sensation, as if she had been dancing in the palm of his hand from the very beginning. It was as if her every move was being manipulated.
With her current defenses, she wouldn't be able to block that spell.
The light blue sphere instantly unleashed a burst of ice and mana.
「Frost Glitter (Ice Element, ★6)」
Whooooosh─────────!!
The 6-star spell [Frost Glitter] packed a massive amount of ice mana into a single sphere before detonating it.
A blinding flash erupted.
Reflexively, Miya shut her eyes.
Numerous ice spikes, dense with mana, tore through her flames and pierced her body. Various parts of her limbs rapidly began to freeze.
"Kaaah!!"
Miya screamed at the top of her lungs and slammed into the ground with a dull thud.
Isaac moved instantly, grabbing her by her black hair.
Miya’s body was tattered. Isaac’s other hand was aimed directly at her abdomen.
"It went like this, didn't it?"
Kraaaa───!!
"Kahaak!!"
Against Miya’s already shattered abdomen, Isaac unleashed a continuous stream of [Frost Explosion] at moderate power.
Kraaa!
"Don't you know?"
"Kuhuk!"
Kraaa!
"White wanted to be friends with you."
"Stop, stop...!"
Kwaaa!
"I don't know what you two talked about, but..."
"Uh, ha..."
Kwaaa!
"Is this how you treat someone... who just wanted to be your friend?"
"Aaah..."
In the dense fog that filled the arena, the only sounds were the wet thuds of Miya’s abdomen bursting and the crackle of freezing ice.
Agony churned wildly in Miya’s mind. The constant interruption of the pain made it impossible for her to calculate a magic circle or summon her familiar.
Because Isaac held her by the hair, her body bounced like a pendulum every time a [Frost Explosion] went off.
The icy chill and tearing pain ravaged her entire being. Yet, even amidst the torture, she wanted to hurt him.
As if she had lost her mind, she began to chuckle. Isaac stopped the explosions and glared down at her.
"You... filthy... insect...! To do this to me...! My nation, Horan... will not... let you... get away with this...!"
Kraaa─!!
"Kehuk!!"
As another [Frost Explosion] detonated, Miya’s eyes rolled back. They were bloodshot, and tears of blood streamed down her face. Her body was stained crimson—a mirror image of White from the previous duel.
But Isaac remained as bitter as the cold he wielded.
Miya had just violated the unwritten rule: what happens in the academy stays in the academy. Isaac clicked his tongue in disdain at her pathetic threat.
Miya was on the verge of fainting. Isaac grabbed her head and slammed it into the ground.
Boom!
"Horan or whatever, let them come."
Then, Isaac activated the 6-star ice spell [Frost Wave].
Charararararack───!!!
The intense cold spread rapidly, blowing away the dense fog.
The Priestess, battered by frostbite and penetrating wounds, was left completely frozen.
It was a shocking sight.
Everyone in the arena was stunned. Most people, despite feeling sorry for White, had expected Miya to win. The outcome before them far exceeded their expectations.
The Clover Paladin grinned excitedly, clearly amused. Ciel, Mateo, and Jack were speechless.
The arena was swallowed by a heavy silence.
Isaac looked down coldly at the frozen Miya, his crimson eyes filled with nothing but scorn.
"Haa."
His breath hitched, turning into a white frost that scattered in the freezing wind.