Chapter 184: The Grand Festival (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 184: The Grand Festival (5)
According to the scriptures, the architecture of the Helize Church was defined by its elegant, sweeping curves.
Within the grounds of Märchen Academy, atop a spire piercing the heavens, stood the statue of a pierced crescent moon—the holy symbol of the Helize Church. The various wings of the church radiated outward from that central spire.
Inside the sanctuary.
The Saintess, Bianca Anturaze, sat alone in the pews, her light pink hair cascading softly.
She wore the ceremonial vestments of her office: a pure white robe adorned with gold ornaments and a delicate veil covering her head. It was the mandatory attire for a Saintess during public ceremonies, a role that required Bianca to maintain an air of perpetual restraint and grace.
After offering prayers to Manhala as the academy’s representative for the opening ceremony, she had returned to the church to complete her private devotions.
The sanctuary was a place of devout silence, standing in stark contrast to the raucous fervor of the festival outside.
Bianca held a book in her hands.
It was an ancient tome recovered from Carly Hall—once the most prestigious building on the old Märchen Academy campus, and the site of the legendary battle between the Nameless Hero and the Thunderbird, Galia.
She had already read it several times.
Bianca believed her discovery of this book was an act of divine providence, which was why she pored over its pages incessantly. Though the script—neat and rounded—remained indecipherable to her, the illustrations spoke volumes.
‘Where is this place?’
Endless rain, the color of blood, fell from the heavens. The artist had clearly used their own blood to render the haunting scene.
There was a hole in the sky, looking as if the very ground had been inverted. The crimson rainwater seeped into a vast, sprawling lake. Around the perimeter of the water stood several indistinct masses; they looked solid, yet their true nature was impossible to discern.
Nowhere in the known world did a hole exist in the sky, nor did blood fall from the clouds to form such a lake. Even the scriptures of the Helize Church made no mention of such an ominous location. Where, then, could this be?
“Holy Saintess. Are you certain it is wise to abstain from the public ceremony?”
Sylon, the escort priest standing in the corner of the sanctuary, asked tentatively. Bianca turned her head slightly toward him.
Her eyes remained closed. Whether she opened them or not, her lost vision would not return. She could only ‘see’ through her mysterious divine power; should that power ever be depleted, she would be plunged back into a world of absolute darkness.
“There are many lambs seeking the Lord’s favor today. I merely strive to understand His holy will more deeply through my prayers. Is that not the mission of one who has become a Saintess?”
Her voice was refined and solemn, carrying the weight of her station. Bianca turned her attention back to the book.
“Now, I wish to know as soon as possible what this book contains, and to whom it must be delivered.”
She was prepared to give her life if it was the Lord’s will. She did not know the author’s identity, but the fact that this book had found its way to her was surely a sign. She had to ensure it reached its destined recipient.
And that recipient’s identity was already becoming clear.
“No, there is no need to worry about that…”
There was a mystery hidden here at Märchen Academy—an enormous secret that even the Saintess herself could not fully fathom.
It was all too clear who stood at the center of that secret.
“The Nameless Hero… It must be him. This book has to be passed on to him.”
The Nameless Hero, the enigmatic Archwizard.
The book must be delivered to him.
“Sylon. I will deliver this book to the Nameless Hero. Even if my limbs are crushed and my body broken, I will crawl through the dirt like a desperate worm if I must. Is that not the Lord’s will?”
Beyond the colorful stained glass of the ceiling, the midday sun seeped in, brilliantly illuminating the symbol of the Lord.
“So, if my breath ceases and my soul returns to the Lord’s side, I ask that you deliver this book to him. Even if your limbs are severed, your eyes gouged out, or half of your body is blown away, please prioritize the mission.”
Sylon approached the Saintess, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head. He did not hesitate. Having had his life saved by her once before, he had already vowed to dedicate his existence to the Lord and the Saintess.
“…Yes, I understand.”
Bianca allowed a refined smile to grace her lips.
On the Arcball Race Track, the moment we crossed the safety line, chaos erupted.
Those in the lead spun around in shock, gaping at the overwhelming mana radiating from the Clover Paladin, Pierre Flanche.
‘Outrageous.’
To wield basic elemental magic with such devastating power… it’s absurd.
Then again, it was to be expected. However, we were already prepared.
“…What?”
Pierre’s expression shifted to one of surprise. The outcome was deviating from his expectations.
“Kahaha!!”
Tristan was already tearing down the track at a blistering pace, his body enveloped in a shroud of wind.
Whoosh!
Our protagonist, Ian Fairytale, rocketed through the air, arms stretched back as he used fire magic like a jet engine. While his speed couldn't quite match Tristan’s yet, it was impressive in its own right.
Doji Tu Mals—a student whose presence fluctuated between overwhelming and nonexistent—raised a pillar of rock beneath his feet to dodge the swirling whirlpools and waves, much like Lisetta had done. The high-density water magic eventually shattered his pillar, but by then, Doji had already escaped Pierre’s primary attack range.
Zero casualties for our team. Moreover, Snow White, his primary target, hadn't been swept away either.
Pierre quickly scanned the area to find White and me.
“Waaah! Senioooor Isaac!!!”
Splash!
Clutching White to my side, I conjured a slab of ice beneath my feet and began surfing atop the massive wave Pierre had unleashed. White screamed so loudly my ears began to ring.
Our hair and clothes fluttered wildly in the gale. I had frozen our shoes to the ice board to keep us from slipping off. I froze the surface of the wave as I went, accelerating forward at high speed. Thanks to my trained physique, maintaining my balance was easy.
I had made a secret pact with White’s team. Since she was my mentee, I had vowed to protect her if things went south. My own team had agreed to the plan without hesitation. Perhaps because of the incident during the Duel evaluation where I’d gotten angry on White’s behalf, the other students seemed to understand my protective streak.
Using the excuse of cautioning them against Pierre Flanche’s massive mana pool, I had shared our strategy: the moment we crossed the safety line, we would go full throttle—like hitting a nitro booster in a racing game—to prepare for the eventuality of Pierre trying to wipe everyone out.
‘I already saw it coming with [Psychological Insight].’
Thanks to that foresight, my team and White’s group had successfully evaded the opening salvo.
‘Oh.’
We had climbed quite high. Pierre looked down at us, his face twisted in astonishment.
“Ha! Worms!”
In a single breath, Tristan cut through the air, bypassing the other students and reaching the Arcball. He had gotten even faster; I couldn't even guess how much he’d trained since his defeat at my hands.
Tristan snatched the Arcball right out of another student’s racket. Since there were no physical nets, it was perfectly legal to steal the ball by swinging your racket through someone else’s.
“Ah!”
“Don’t lose it!”
Realizing he couldn't handle the swarm of competitors alone, Tristan immediately passed the Arcball to Ian. The ball blurred through the air, and Ian caught it cleanly in his scoop. Lightning mana surged, securing the ball in place.
“Tch!”
Pierre, being the closest, lashed out at Ian with water magic. A massive wave rose up instantly, boxing Ian in. It was an unavoidable strike.
Whoosh!
“Isaac!!”
Ian swung his racket, hurling the Arcball toward me as I surfed along the crest of Pierre’s wave. I caught the flying ball mid-air.
Zap!
Lightning mana crackled from my racket, locking the Arcball in.
Good.
Whoosh!!
“Aaah!”
Ian was swept off the track by the wave, losing consciousness under the relentless pressure of Pierre’s magic. He slammed into a tree and slumped over, eyes closed.
Your sacrifice will not be forgotten.
He wasn't the only one. Looking back, dozens of students caught in the wake of Pierre’s magic were groaning in pain or lying unconscious on the ground.
Thanks for thinning out the competition.
Pierre was one of Alice’s most powerful subordinates—a Paladin. Due to the sheer density of his mana, even a basic water spell felt like being hit by a solid iron bar.
Regardless, the next step was clear. Pierre had unabashedly revealed himself as the most dangerous person in the race. That gave me ample justification to unleash everything I had on him.
“White! Get the staff!”
“Hngh…!”
As planned, White pulled a magic pouch from her robes and retrieved Zhonya’s Staff. The pouch, which held only that single weapon, was tossed aside as she wielded the staff—which was nearly as big as she was.
White hugged me tightly, pressing the staff against my chest so I could firmly grasp it.
“Whoa!! From the moment they crossed the safety line, it’s been absolute chaos!! Amidst it all, Isaac, riding a sheet of ice, advances through Pierre Flanche’s wave and secures the Arcball!!”
Amy’s voice boomed across the academy through the loudspeakers.
Whoosh.
Pierre withdrew his water mana. The subsiding wave instantly dissolved into blue powder and scattered in the wind.
“Aaaaah!!”
I felt a sudden sense of weightlessness. As we began to plummet, White wrapped her arms around my shoulders, squeezing tight and screaming at the top of her lungs with her eyes shut.
During the fall, I locked eyes with Pierre. Water mana still swirled around him, ready for both offense and defense.
Ignoring White’s ear-splitting shrieks, I leveled Zhonya’s Staff at him, channeling the energy of the dawn contained within the mana stone. Then, I unleashed a torrent of pale blue ice mana. I executed the complex mana mastery I had practiced countless times to wield the staff’s power with lethal efficiency.
A powerful current surged. Completely freezing Pierre’s formidable water mana was still beyond my current level, but I didn't need to freeze all of it.
Crackle!
My [Elemental Efficiency] was top-tier, meaning my casting range was extensive. At the heart of his whirlpool, I targeted the water mana directly surrounding Pierre.
[Elemental Synergy] activated. The power and effectiveness of ice spells used against water were massively enhanced.
Realizing I was aiming to freeze him solid, Pierre’s eyes widened in shock, and he quickly dissolved his whirlpool.
But that wasn't my true aim.
Groooow!
“…!!”
Shadows suddenly loomed over Pierre. He looked up, finally noticing the massive chunks of ice falling toward him.
One after another, I conjured several boulders of ice in rapid succession, targeting every possible escape route. Above the falling blocks, I added a layer of icicles for a secondary barrage.
This feat was only possible because of the sheer volume of water mana he had already spread; I simply absorbed his scattered remnants to amplify my own spell.
My target was Pierre and Pierre alone.
“Is he crazy?! How did he cast that so quickly…?”
“That bastard…!”
Tristan and Lisetta watched in shock as I manifested multiple large-scale ice spells using only basic elements.
Just before White and I hit the ground, I conjured an ice slide and transitioned into a smooth landing. The moment our feet touched the earth, I dissolved the ice and broke into a sprint.
Boom!
Behind me, the ice chunks slammed into the ground. A cloud of frigid white dust erupted, and the impact sent a localized tremor through the track. Pierre, with nowhere to run, had taken the full brunt of the assault.
“Senior Isaac!!! It—it was so scary…!!”
“I thought my ears were going to fall off from your screaming.”
I urged her on as I ran, carrying her princess-style. It was awkward, holding a racket in my right hand and Zhonya’s Staff in my left while lugging a student.
I glanced back.
Amidst the white mist, a chilling, eerie mana burst forth. I knew he wouldn't go down that easily.
“…Isaac…”
Pierre emerged from the wreckage, brushing dust off his shoulder with a sharp swing of his arm. Blood trickled down from beneath his beige hair. The murderous intent etched into his brow was palpable.
To think he was still standing after a direct hit enhanced by [vs Human Combat Power], Zhonya’s Staff, and my [Elemental Synergy].
He must have tanked my ice attack using nothing but [Basic Protection Magic]. Impressive.
“White, hold the staff for me.”
“Ah, yes!”
“Hold on tight.”
“What…? Aaah!!”
After handing the staff back to White, I pushed my leg muscles to their limit and sprinted down the track. The Arcball remained firmly locked in my racket.
From behind, Pierre gave chase, and from the front, the remaining participants lunged toward me simultaneously.