The Lightning Catcher
The Tenth Apostle: the Thundershrike. It possessed three unique traits:
[Miniaturization] | [Fortitude] | [High-Speed Movement]
With its tiny, rock-hard body, it moved at blinding speeds. Its velocity was so extreme that it was like a strike of lightning itself. That was the definition of the Thundershrike.
The moment the Thundershrike manifested, Sharin sacrificed her staff to unleash her magic. She, too, had witnessed the creature during Princess Iris's match. Knowing what she was up against, she had prepared a massive spell from the very beginning, intent on ending the fight in a single blow.
Rumbleeee! White flames engulfed the entire area, threatening to incinerate the Thundershrike. But just as the inferno closed in, the creature vanished.
Boom! With a deafening crack of thunder, the Thundershrike materialized directly in front of Sharin. Spinning violently like a drill, it lunged forward, aiming to pierce her straight through.
Clangggg! Before it could touch her, a wall of shadows surged upward, intercepting the strike. The Thundershrike stretched the shadow thin, stopping mere inches from Sharin's nose. It was Card's shadow magic that had saved her.
"Heave-ho!" Card spun the two staves in his hands as if performing a dance. The shadow wall flexed with sudden elasticity, catapulting the Thundershrike backward.
Sharin's brow furrowed in frustration. She realized that aiming her magic at the Thundershrike was nearly impossible; it was far faster than she had anticipated. The moment she showed even the slightest hint of casting, the creature would immediately evade. No matter how devastating Sharin's spells were, they were useless if the target could simply react and dodge before the magic even materialized.
Furthermore, the Thundershrike's Fortitude trait granted it absurd defensive capabilities. It had survived dozens of Princess Iris's relentless onslaughts. Even Sharin's magic wouldn't be enough to take it down in a single blow unless it scored a direct, clean hit.
Tick-tock. Meanwhile, the clock was ticking. The remaining time, which had been barely three minutes, was rapidly approaching the two-minute mark.
"It's too fast!" Seron groaned, panting as she chased after the creature. No matter how wildly she swung her battleaxe, she couldn't even graze its feathers.
"Gah!" Instead, Seron was struck repeatedly, rolling across the stone floor. If Grantoni hadn't conjured a bone armor to protect her in the nick of time, she would have been knocked unconscious in a single hit.
Anxiety began to creep into everyone's minds. Given enough time, our party could easily wear the Thundershrike down and defeat it. But the strict time limit was driving us to the brink of panic.
Card summoned his shadows. Grantoni activated his soul magic. Seron's axe crackled with explosive energy. Sharin began to weave another spell. But it wasn't enough. It wouldn't be enough to defeat the Thundershrike within three minutes. And that was exactly why I had prepared for this day.
I tilted my head back, looking up at the sky. "Sharin, cast a barrier over everyone. Now," I warned quietly.
Sensing my intent, Card immediately lashed out with his shadows. "Kyaaa?!" Seron shrieked as the shadows wrapped around her waist, dragging her back to Card, Sharin, and Grantoni. In the same breath, Sharin's defensive barrier flared to life.
Sensing that something was amiss, the Thundershrike began to fly in a frantic, jagged pattern, accompanied by sharp cracks of thunder. It moved so fast it was practically invisible to the naked eye. Amidst the chaos of the battlefield, I raised my hand high above my head. On my finger glinted a single ring.
Tick-tock. In the sudden silence that fell over the ticking clock, dark clouds abruptly began to gather overhead. One by one, the spectators noticed the anomaly and looked up. The sky was turning pitch-black, as if a torrential downpour was about to unleash.
The Thundershrike was undoubtedly too fast for even me to track. But no matter how fast it was, it was ultimately just an illusion conjured by the arena's magic. Its wings were trapped inside the cage of the coliseum. It could not escape the boundaries of the arena.
Rumble! And that meant... Ruuuumble! ...if I swept the entire battlefield, there would be nowhere left for it to dodge. This was my final card, prepared specifically for this moment.
"Come."
Lightning Caller
Flash! A blinding blue light swallowed everything in the arena.
Through the blinding glare, even the opaque defensive barriers shattered, revealing glimpses of the stunned, wide-eyed spectators. Yet, amidst the collective shock, there were those who kept their eyes wide open, refusing to miss a single second of this spectacle.
A tempest of blue electricity swept through the arena.
―――――――――――!
The entire world turned a brilliant, electric blue. The crushing pressure of the current coursing over my Steel Skin weighed heavily on my body. It felt as though my consciousness would slip away under the sheer force of it, but...
Tick-tock. The relentless, unstoppable flow of time forcibly anchored my mind. In this world dyed in blue, I saw the Thundershrike caught in the electric storm. Paralyzed by the shock, it hung frozen in midair, unable to move.
Despite its name, the Thundershrike possessed no lightning-related abilities. However, because it moved with the speed of thunder, one had to wield a force of equal velocity to catch it. Princess Iris had solved this through sheer physical might, but I chose to borrow the power of a Divine Relic. Even so, the Thundershrike managed to survive the lightning strike thanks to its Fortitude trait.
Thud! I took a heavy step forward into the electric tempest. Glowing runes began to etch themselves across my Steel Skin, radiating a brilliant light. I reached my hand toward the sky. The current flowing over my Steel Skin was forcibly drawn into my palm, condensing into a spear of pure, crackling blue electricity.
Magic Engraving: Lightning Catcher
The blue lightning of the goddess was grasped firmly in my hand.
There were only two ways to bypass Fortitude: an attack so devastating that it rendered defense meaningless, or a strike with absolute piercing power. That was why I had forged this—the ultimate spear capable of piercing anything. My Steel Skin violently pulled in the surrounding electricity. With my Mystery and Magic Engraving manifesting simultaneously, the power of the engraving amplified exponentially.
Thud. I planted my foot firmly on the ground, channeling the momentum through my hips. Creak! The sheer act of wielding lightning threatened to tear my shoulder from its socket. If that was the case, I would simply add more force. The Magic Engraving etched into my elbow flared to life once more.
Boom! With an explosive burst from my elbow, I threw my arm forward with everything I had. The blue flash left my grip, streaking across the sky like a shooting star before slamming directly into the Thundershrike.
CRAAAAAASH! The spear of lightning impaled the Thundershrike, blasting it all the way to the far edge of the arena. But in that exact moment, my eyes widened in alarm.
The spear of lightning had hit its mark perfectly. The Thundershrike would undoubtedly succumb to the devastating shockwave and perish. Tick! But the timer in my vision showed barely five seconds remaining.
As the electricity crackled and expanded, the Thundershrike was slowly disintegrating. But there wasn't enough time to finish it off completely. I had no strength left in my body, and I was completely out of options. I could only watch and pray that the beast would die a fraction of a second faster.
But right in front of the Thundershrike... stood someone holding an axe. Red hair tied in a ponytail fluttered amidst the blue flashes. Her exposed forehead shone brightly under the electric glare. Seron Parmia. She was right there. When on earth had she gotten over there?
Having leaped out of Sharin's defensive barrier, Seron was covered in layers of shadows and bone armor. She had reached that spot with the combined support of Card and Grantoni. In that instant, I realized something. I wasn't the only one who desperately wanted first place. We all did.
Explosive energy wrapped around her descending axe. Smash it to pieces! Everyone, including myself, screamed the thought in our hearts. And as if answering our silent plea, Seron's axe finally connected with the disintegrating Thundershrike.
BOOOOOOM! With a massive explosion, the blinding lightning faded, replaced by a thick plume of rising smoke. I collapsed to the ground, frozen in my throwing posture, gasping for air. Having been struck by lightning and then holding it in my bare hand, black smoke billowed from my mouth and every pore of my body.
As the lightning dissipated, the magic concealing the arena faded, revealing the VIPs and students in the stands. Yet, not a single soul uttered a word. A heavy, breathless silence hung over the coliseum. Through my hazy, fading consciousness, I kept my eyes fixed on one spot.
Slowly, the smoke began to clear. Through the haze, Seron came running, having tossed her axe aside. "Hanon!" For the first time, she called me by my actual name, throwing her arms around me. She hugged me tight, jumping up and down in pure excitement. As the realization washed over me, I looked up.
31 minutes and 20 seconds. The timer had stopped with barely a single second left. My eyes widened. Seron's final strike, backed by everyone's support, had finished off the dying Thundershrike just in time.
"Ha... haha." A breathless laugh escaped my lips, refusing to stop. We had beaten Princess Iris's team.
"Bwahaha! King Hanon!" Card yelled, rushing over to ruffle my hair.
"Heheheh, I can't believe we actually pulled it off," Grantoni chuckled, his distinctive rattling laugh echoing as he trudged over.
"Phew... I absolutely hate being kept in suspense~" Sharin sighed, walking toward us.
Because this victory was only possible because of everyone, a profound sense of fulfillment swelled deep within my chest.
"Hehehe, my allowance is definitely getting raised!"
Well, seeing Seron's goofy, grinning face quickly cooled that warm sentiment right down.
In the distance, I spotted several familiar faces. Van, the lazy genius, nodded with an expression that said, 'Just as I expected.' Isabel clenched both of her fists, her competitive spirit clearly ignited. The first-years, Aisha and Poara, were beaming, genuinely thrilled by our achievement.
Then, my gaze fell upon Iris. While her teammates stared at us in utter disbelief, Iris simply watched me with unreadable, ruby-red eyes.
Finally, I saw the White Wood Duke, the living history of the Empire, standing straight up from her seat. I had shown her everything I had to offer. Now, it was up to her to make the next move.
"Team Hanon: 31 minutes, 20 seconds," Professor Beganor's voice boomed across the arena, announcing the results. "Currently first place in the second year."
Our victory was officially sealed.
Immediately after our team's match ended, I completely collapsed. I hadn't lost consciousness, but with absolutely no strength left to move, I was forcibly escorted to the infirmary.
Having pushed myself to the absolute limit before even reaching the Seventh Apostle, and then taking a direct lightning strike to my own body... it was a miracle I was even breathing, let alone moving.
Afterward, Isabel's team put up a valiant effort, but they ultimately finished in third place behind Iris's team. No other team managed to beat our score. Just like that, our team safely secured first place.
Lying in the infirmary bed, I stared quietly at the ceiling. Just a moment ago, Professor Beganor had given me a stern scolding. She lectured me about pushing myself to such reckless extremes, pointing out that I had done the exact same thing during the previous exam. But for me, every single battle was a matter of survival. I had to give it my all; there was no other way.
Even with all my preparation, the margin was razor-thin. I had gone in with the absolute intention of winning, meticulously planning every step using all the knowledge at my disposal. Yet, we had only made it by a single second. This was the discrepancy between the game and reality. But it was precisely because of that discrepancy that I received the unexpected help of my comrades.
I have to prepare even harder. The main scenario had only just entered its mid-stage. With such a long road still ahead of us, I had to perform even better to make up for Lucas's absence.
I pushed myself up from the bed. I had a feeling it was about time for my expected guest to arrive.
*Knock, knock.*
Right on cue, a knock echoed from the door.
"Come in," I called out.
With a soft creak, the door swung open. Standing in the doorway was a massive man wearing a single eyepatch. Walking in ahead of him was a woman with flowing, snow-white hair.
She possessed a voluptuous, eye-catching figure that could easily make anyone mistake her for a woman in her early twenties. In truth, however, she was an ancient monster who had lived alongside the Empire for centuries.
Swish! She came to a halt in the center of the room, her cloak fluttering behind her.
"Greetings, boy."
The White Wood Duke, Raxid Anvesia.
"I shall make this quick," she said, the corners of her mouth curving up into a chilling smile.
Instantly, a suffocating pressure flooded the room. Just looking at her felt like a physical weight pressing down on my shoulders, as if an invisible force was demanding that I fall to my knees.
"Excuse me?"