Chapter 186: The Grand Festival (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 186: The Grand Festival (7)
“As expected.”
Pierre sensed the surge of Isaac’s mana.
Isaac summoned a pillar of rock from beneath his feet, propelling himself high above the crashing waves at breakneck speed. Though it was merely basic elemental magic and the structural integrity of the rock was likely weak, Pierre recognized that such precise control was considered elite at the academy.
Isaac leaped from the stone pillar at the perfect apex of his trajectory. His eyes locked onto Pierre’s.
Just when Pierre expected Isaac to manifest another iceboard…
With a sharp, crystalline rustle, ice mana coalesced into several massive blocks suspended in mid-air.
Isaac used them as stepping stones, leaping forward. The heavy blocks hung in the air for a fraction of a second before plummeting into the water under the force of his weight.
His silhouette was etched against the sun. With the dazzling light at his back, his shadow chased Pierre in a relentless, straight line.
Pierre skidded to a halt, gathering water mana in both hands. As Isaac drew closer, his figure finally became clear against the glare.
“…!!”
Pierre’s eyes widened in genuine shock.
He finally noticed the pattern forming around the mana stone embedded in Zhonya’s staff. It was the magic circle for the 5-star ice spell, [Frost Explosion].
It was a spell strictly forbidden in the race.
“Heh!”
A thrill-seeking smile curled on Pierre’s lips. It was a magnificent sight.
If that magic activated, Isaac would be instantly disqualified. In other words, the man was acting as a sacrificial pawn to eliminate Pierre—the most dangerous obstacle in the race.
Such tactics were common in the Arcball race. Since it was a team event, a strategic sacrifice was often the key to victory.
Even with Pierre’s S-Grade mana, it would be impossible to withstand a 5-star elemental spell using only basic magic. If he took that attack head-on, he would undoubtedly fall.
“You’re making this far too much fun…!”
The only option left was to counter-attack, even if it meant his own disqualification. Isaac had forced his hand. Isaac’s goal was clear: protect White by self-destructing along with Pierre.
Pierre gladly accepted the challenge.
As Isaac closed the final distance, time seemed to slow to a crawl.
There wasn't enough time for complex calculations, but for a genius like Pierre, a 5-star spell could be conjured in a heartbeat. He manifested the magic circle for the 5-star water spell, [Hydro Cannon].
Even as the disqualification loomed, Pierre smiled, rationalizing that stopping Isaac was the priority.
It was then.
Isaac’s eyes widened, looking surprised as if he had seen something entirely unexpected.
“What?”
Pierre felt a sudden, foreign surge of mana from behind. He had been so hyper-focused on Isaac that he noticed the threat too late.
Flickering flames. A sudden warmth enveloped his back.
Startled, Pierre spun around.
“…?!”
A black-haired man, drenched to the bone, had reached him. Mana-infused flames roared around the sword held in his grip, the blade whistling through the air.
“Ian Fairytale?!”
How could he not recognize him? Ian Fairytale—the wielder of the light element, the one the Evil God sealed in the abyss desired to kill above all others.
Hadn’t he been knocked unconscious?
No. He must have regained consciousness almost immediately. Pierre’s basic elemental magic had failed to keep Ian, the SSS-Class Master Fainter, down for long. It seemed Ian’s resistance to being knocked out was growing stronger by the day.
“The ones who will win are…!!” Ian Fairytale roared, swinging his blade with everything he had. “…Us!!”
Wait, what?
Ian, who had been out cold, had come back to life. It seemed he had charged the moment he opened his eyes. Had he grown so much that he could shrug off one of Pierre’s waves so quickly?
“Marvelous…!”
It was a staggering leap in progress.
Ian gripped a longsword, his racket tucked haphazardly into his waistband. The red flames trailing from his blade looked like a fiery tail, elongating as it cut through the wind.
Pierre kicked off the ground, desperately deploying a new magic circle toward Ian. Between the disruption of his mana and the suddenness of the pincer attack, his response to Isaac faltered. The magic circle for [Hydro Cannon] began to distort.
Unfortunately for him, both Ian and Isaac were anomalies. Despite being in the Magic Department, they possessed physical abilities that defied common sense.
It felt arrogant to think, but Isaac knew that when he and Ian targeted the same person simultaneously, that person was finished. He wouldn't let Pierre slip away.
The distance had vanished. Their speed had surpassed Pierre’s casting time.
Whoosh!
Ian twisted his body mid-air, defying physics to dodge the water spell Pierre had hastily fired. Pierre gasped, his composure shattering.
Do not underestimate our protagonist.
The flaming sword drew a brilliant, lethal line toward Pierre.
Fwoosh!!
“Ugh, Aaagh!”
The strike of the fire sword engulfed Pierre, the impact sweeping across the ground. With a thunderous boom, Pierre’s body was wreathed in flames and launched into the air.
Nice! You’re the best, Ian!
Even amidst the searing heat, Pierre refused to lose consciousness. He tried to fire a [Hydro Cannon] at Isaac. His mental fortitude was truly admirable.
However, by then, Isaac was already upon him.
Releasing his condensed ice mana, Isaac thrust Zhonya’s staff forward and triggered the spell.
Whoosh—!
Booooooom!
The ice mana detonated right in Pierre’s face.
The delayed [Hydro Cannon] was swallowed whole by the [Frost Explosion]. Having already been battered by Ian’s flame strike, Pierre’s mana was completely disrupted by the freezing blast.
A massive pillar of ice surged toward the ground, flash-freezing the surrounding area into a jagged wasteland.
Isaac glided down the side of the ice mass, landing lightly on the track after a quick corrective kick.
Inside the frozen pillar, Pierre was encased like a specimen in amber, his gym clothes scorched and his body frozen in time.
Beyond the ice, Ian stood panting, catching his breath.
A sharp, synchronized beeping echoed from Isaac’s racket and Pierre’s racket inside the ice. Both were officially disqualified for using spells exceeding 2 stars.
This is…
It had ended more easily than Isaac expected. He had prepared for a grueling struggle, but Ian had been the ultimate wildcard.
Ian walked past the ice pillar, giving Isaac a solemn nod and a thumbs up.
“Isaac, your determination reached me! I’ll definitely take first place for us!”
“Uh… yeah. Go get ’em.”
Isaac had no idea what "determination" Ian was talking about, but he gave a thumbs up back anyway.
Like a true shounen protagonist, Ian Fairytale dashed off down the track, kicking up a cloud of dust and wind in his wake.
In the distance, faculty members were already flying toward the scene to retrieve the disqualified students.
“Isaac and Pierre Flanche have been disqualified after a fierce exchange! Ian Fairytale, carrying the will of his sacrificed comrade, charges forward with incredible intensity!!”
Amy’s voice, accompanied by the deafening cheers of the students, echoed across the stadium. She seemed to be getting a bit too carried away with her commentary, adding all sorts of dramatic flair.
It was then.
A sharp crack echoed from the ice pillar. Spiderweb fractures began to spread across the surface.
I haven’t released the spell yet…
Pierre’s mana was surging inside the ice. The cracks multiplied, and high-pressure streams of water began to spurt from the fissures.
“…!”
Isaac reflexively dove to the side, narrowly avoiding a jet of water that sliced through the air like a blade. The water, forced through the narrow cracks, acted like a pressurized saw, gouging deep furrows into the ground.
Then, the ice mass shattered.
Boom!
Before the shards could shred the approaching faculty members, Isaac quickly converted the flying debris back into raw mana.
At the same moment, a staggering volume of water erupted from Pierre. It was like a dam bursting, creating a localized tsunami that swept across the track.
Whoosh!!
“Whoa!”
There was no room to dodge. Isaac conjured a 4-star [Ice Wall], but both he and the wall were swept away by the sheer force of the surging mana.
The wave swallowed him. The [Ice Wall] protected him from the initial blunt impact, but he found himself submerged, forced to swim through the magical deluge.
Finally, the water subsided, soaking into the ground.
Isaac pushed himself up, water dripping from his hair and clothes. On the track, Pierre was propped up on his hands and knees, coughing violently and spitting up blood. He was in terrible shape after taking a 5-star [Frost Explosion] point-blank.
“Pierre! Are you alright…?!”
As the faculty members rushed in, Pierre suddenly manifested four magic circles around himself.
A heavy, lethal mana saturated the air. The faculty members froze, swallowing nervously. They were teachers, yes, but they were also human—and they couldn't help but feel primal fear toward a predator higher on the food chain.
“Pierre Flanche has been disqualified, yet he is deploying combat magic against Isaac! This is a major violation!” Amy’s voice wavered as she reported the turn of events.
This was unexpected. Isaac had thought Pierre was the most obedient to Alice’s whims and the most level-headed of the paladins. He had to know that starting a fight here would lead to severe consequences.
“Pierre, drop the circles immediately!”
“You’ll be suspended! Calm down! Attacking Isaac now will result in immediate disciplinary action!”
The faculty desperately tried to talk him down, but the magic circles only glowed brighter.
Pierre lifted his head.
The moment Isaac saw his eyes, he knew words were useless.
Pierre’s eyes were void of emotion, fixed entirely on Isaac. He wasn't just angry.
He was filled with the singular intent to kill.