Chapter 26: Xenon vs. Anoi
The duel takes place in one of the school’s facilities, the arena. There are countless seats for the audience, making the venue resemble a coliseum. A protective magic barrier created by the headmaster separates the arena from the audience, ensuring protection from stray projectiles.
This seems to be the first duel for many students, regardless of their grade, as there’s a cultural fascination with watching battles for entertainment in this world. The audience’s expressions indicate excitement for the upcoming fight.
Well, I should do my best to meet their expectations without disappointing them. Moreover, my opponent is an elite who passed the rigorous entrance exam for the Royal Academy. From his tone and mannerisms, he appears confident in his abilities, so I can’t afford to let my guard down.
I gained early admission thanks to the headmaster’s approval, but that also means I have less life experience than others. I wouldn’t want to be caught off guard.
“Xenon Restinata. I used to think of you as an annoying brat. I believed that your early admission was due to connections or favoritism. However, over the past month, you’ve diligently attended classes and haven’t belittled anyone. I retract the words I said on the first day. I apologize for my earlier hostility,” Anoi said, bowing sincerely.
I was somewhat surprised by his words. Nowadays, nobles tend to be stubborn, hardly ever retracting their statements or offering apologies. Recognizing one’s mistakes can be difficult. Whether you’re a commoner or a noble, the difficulty remains the same, but nobles often refuse to admit fault to protect their pride. It might be acceptable in political struggles, but it’s morally questionable.
I didn’t hold any biases, but based on Anoi’s behavior on the first day, I had assumed he was of that type.
However, to my surprise, he not only apologized to me but also bowed.
…He still appears somewhat hostile and not completely convinced. Being able to admit one’s mistake when not entirely convinced is commendable.
“I don’t mind. It’s natural for people to notice the early admission system. In a situation where explanations were lacking, it’s not unreasonable to think it’s due to connections. Besides… When I said I challenged you, I meant it. I apologize for my initial aggressiveness, but I genuinely respect your willingness to voice your opinion in a situation where everyone was curious. Furthermore, you prioritized apologizing to me over your own pride. I can’t refuse such an apology,” I responded.
“Is that so,” Anoi mumbled, looking away and scratching his cheek with his index finger. There’s something reddish about his cheeks.
But then, with a cough, Anoi pointed his finger at me and declared, “However! I still don’t acknowledge your abilities! I’ll see that during this duel!”
I agreed, “Sure, let’s go into this with the mindset of proving ourselves.”
“Don’t lie! At the very least, you have confidence in your own abilities, right? I don’t think you look down on others, but I also don’t expect you to lose or hold back. Am I right?”
“Yes, you’re right. I was mistaken. I’ll go all out and crush you. Is that acceptable?”
“Hahaha! That’s more like it!”
They exchanged grins, and as the gong sounded, the battle began.
“Let’s go!”
Initially, it was Anoi who made the move.
It seemed like he used body enhancement magic, thrusting his fist forward me at incredible speed. Although he couldn’t enchant his fists with magic like Yuno, getting hit by that wouldn’t end well.
No matter how much I trained, without magic, I was vulnerable.
First, I tried to create distance for long-range combat—then I changed my mind.
If he wanted a physical battle, I was ready to oblige.
“【Body Enhancement】”
I also used body enhancement magic.
To achieve a speed far beyond my usual capabilities, one needed to be proficient with this magic, or it could backfire. In that regard, I had no issues since I had used body enhancement during my training with Ray. However, my expertise lay in swordsmanship and magic alone.
Even if my enhancement ratio was higher, it wouldn’t matter if I lost due to lack of skill.
So, I enhanced my eyes with more magical power than usual, allowing me to track the fast movements of my opponent.
“Haaah!!!”
Anoi’s right fist aimed for my face.
It wasn’t straightforward; I couldn’t call it that. I had already anticipated evading his attack and had a backup plan in place.
Without dodging his right fist, I used my elbow to push his right hand upwards, deflecting the attack. It was a nerve-wracking moment. If my timing had been even slightly off, his fist would have struck my face.
“Chii!”
Having had his attack deflected and his balance disrupted, Anoi retreated to regain his composure, but giving me distance meant giving me an advantage.
“【Thunder Strike】”
—Lightning struck.
By vividly imagining the magic circle in my mind, it automatically formed. This led me to speculate that I didn’t necessarily need it right in front of me. As a result of this deduction, I had developed the 【Thunder Strike】ver2, which allowed me to generate a magic circle above the opponent’s head and rain down lightning.
The advantage of this system was that it made it difficult for the opponent to notice the activation of the magic. They would be focused on my every move, but their attention would tend to scatter when it came to what was above their heads.
True strength gives rise to opportunities.
The interpretation of magic can change drastically based on how you perceive it. Imposing your own preconceptions can narrow your understanding.
“─Unscathed, huh?”
As the dust settled, Anoi appeared unharmed, surrounded by a thin, film-like barrier.
“Advanced barrier magic. Is that one of the secrets of the Longren family?”
“Yeah, I can’t just lose easily after all that tough talk, right? You should use what you’ve got.”
“No doubt. I’m actually starting to enjoy this.”
“It’s a coincidence. So am I.”
─Secret magic.
A type of magic known only to the family.
I suspected he had something up his sleeve, but a barrier magic strong enough to withstand my 【Thunder Strike】 was quite rare.
─Anoi Longren, the top student.
Being able to duel a strong opponent immediately was a delight for me.
My blood boiled. Heat rushed to my head.
“I won’t lose.”
“─Then try to break through my barrier.”
The battle continued to intensify.
—
Note: Sorry for the delay. I was quite busy. However from now on, 1 Chapter will be released daily. And the next chapter will be locked.
Don’t worry. From next Monday (Not upcoming. But after that.), 3 chapters will be freed. Meaning paid chapters will become free at that time.
This is so I can get support and get more motivation to translate novels. Hope you guys can buy the chapter and help me .
Thanks!!!
Oh, I caught up.