Chapter 27

“We’ll take a brief break of about an hour, and then the main event will finally begin. The preliminaries produced unexpected twists and turns that no one could have predicted… but what will happen in the main event?”

I am currently in the waiting room.

Around me are those who survived the preliminaries and advanced to the main event.

Out of the eighty-two participants, only eight remain.

The genius lady and my brother, of course, but the other five are likely stronger than the average competitors in the preliminaries.

Not that I’m particularly interested, though.

“Now, let’s introduce the eight participants who have fought through the preliminaries to earn their place in the main event! Contestants—enter!”

At the host’s signal, the eight contestants, including myself, stepped onto the battlefield.

I could feel the audience’s gaze upon us.

The genius lady seemed uninterested, my brother looked in good spirits, and the others… well, there was a timid one and one with an arrogant expression, among others.

Of the eight, only one is a lady.

Of course, that’s the genius lady.

We lined up horizontally in the center of the battlefield as planned.

“Now that the participants for the main event are assembled! Some of you may know them, but allow me to introduce them in order!”

I know about the genius lady and my brother, but I don’t know the other five, so I’ll listen in too.

“First, the only lady among the eight contestants! The instantaneous victory she displayed in the preliminaries showcased her overwhelming power! …Arrogant, independent, no one can halt her progress! Her renowned title is the genius lady! Arcelia Oriondor!”

“Next, the valiant heir who emerged from the chaos! Dodging and defending against incoming magic, and even attacking when necessary, he overcame the muddy second match! What kind of form will he show in the main event? Grom Valefang!”

“His gentle face can sometimes show fangs! A gentle breeze can transform into a violent storm! From stillness to motion! The elegant heir who destroyed the third match! No one knows what lies in his heart! Beware, this is the calm before the storm! The embodiment of a tempest, Rowen Rainostia!”

“The fourth match turned into a mire like the second! The one who shone was an heir who ran around the battlefield! Cowardice? Cunning? No! It’s a splendid strategy when it doesn’t break the rules! If you win, it doesn’t matter! Escaping has become justice! Isirion Emilirance!”

“Drifting cold! A world of ice created! The heir who controlled the cold to triumph in the fifth match! When he walks, the ground freezes, and when he waves his hand, ice spears pierce through! What kind of face will that ice show in the main event? Hakurei Arcadion!”

“A versatile heir who skillfully manipulates fire, water, wind, earth, and everything else! In the hectic sixth match, he demonstrated his versatility and won the right to proceed to the main event! Don’t underestimate him as a jack of all trades! His adaptability makes him a master of versatility! Marcos Arclight!”

“The heir who confused the seventh match with his illusions! He can conceal his form and create duplicates with ease! His ability to create chaos and silently strike is akin to a resident of the mist! How will he fight in the main event with his skillful illusions? Welmond Felkshinia!”

“Initially underestimated by everyone! Everyone looked down on him! However, he crushed the eighth match, stepping over the other participants! In this age of magic supremacy, he wields a single sword, a symbol of an outdated era! The smile he reveals in battle is a symbol of madness! The title of ‘useless heir’ is now outdated! His new title is ‘battle maniac’! Rowen Rainostia!”

The introductions by the host concluded.

The three I’m particularly interested in are the genius lady, my brother, and Hakurei Arcadion.

I feel bad for the other contestants, but I’m not especially intrigued by the remaining four.

“Now that the introductions are complete, let’s move on to the first match of the main event!”

The matchups follow the order in which the contestants were introduced.

This means the first match will be between the genius lady and Grom Valefang.

My brother will compete in the second match, and I will be in the fourth match.

Considering the sequence, my brother will fight the genius lady before I do.

Personally, I would like to face the genius lady in the finals… but despite being a pervert, my brother is still my brother, so I also want him to win.

Well, in any case, I’m advancing to the finals.

I just have to wait.

(Third-person perspective)

“Now the first match of the main event begins! Facing off are the genius lady, Arcelia Oriondor, and the muddy demon, Grom Valefang!”

On the battlefield, Arcelia and Grom faced each other, maintaining some distance.

Arcelia wore her usual composed expression.

In contrast, Grom appeared somewhat tense.

“The preliminaries were a matter of survival and luck! However, the main event is different! The only thing that determines victory is one’s own strength! It simply comes down to which of them is stronger!”

From what I saw in the preliminaries, the difference in power between Arcelia and Grom was overwhelming, and everyone believed Arcelia would win.

Of course, Grom sensed this too.

While Arcelia achieved an overwhelming victory, Grom barely scraped by.

There was no way he could win.

Such thoughts swirled within Grom.

Yet, he had no intention of losing.

“Let the first match of the main event begin!”

With the host’s signal, Grom unleashed his magic.

“Burn! —Iglagma Spiral Flame!”

From the palm he faced forward, flames spiraled and shot out.

The roaring Iglagma collided with the rocky wall that jutted up before the standing Arcelia.

Heat filled the battlefield, stirring both of their hair.

The first exchange ended.

Typically, mages exchange spells from a distance, so another round of long-range attacks would begin.

But this time, it was different.

“Uoooooh!”

Grom let out a battle cry as he jumped over the rocky wall Arcelia had created.

Using the momentum of his fall, he aimed a punch directly at Arcelia’s face.

In response, Arcelia calmly raised her hand and muttered.

“Wigbolga Wind Cannon!”

In an instant, Grom crossed his arms in front of his chest and was blown back.

As he fell to the ground, he managed to roll and quickly get back up.

“Grom Valefang was blown away! What a surprise! Grom Valefang actually tried to close the distance to strike Arcelia Oriondor! As you know, battles between mages are usually fought at a distance! However, Grom Valefang attempted to take it to close quarters! How interesting! Extremely interesting!”

The unexpected move by Grom stirred excitement among the host and the audience.

They realized that if he could bring it to close combat, Grom might have a chance.

“Damn it…!”

Meanwhile, Grom’s face twisted in frustration.

His plan was to maintain the momentum of close combat.

But he had failed.

A surprise attack would no longer work.

His opponent was Arcelia Oriondor.

Grom had heard all about her being a genius, so he didn’t think another surprise attack would work.

In other words, this was beyond the realm of his strategy.

“I can’t help it…”

Grom switched gears.

This strategy had come to him after watching Kraze fight with a sword in the preliminaries.

Thus, even if the surprise attack had failed, it didn’t mean that mages were weak in close combat.

“Uooooooh!”

Grom roared.

Finding a slight chance, he dashed forward.

He focused all his nerves on Arcelia, ready for any incoming magic.

Fortunately, his magical barrier was still intact.

He thought that if he could dodge once, he could close the distance before she could cast again.

(Here it comes—!)

A faint tremor from the ground.

Confident it was an attack from below, Grom jumped forward with all his might.

“Alright…!”

Just after that moment, a rocky spike shot up from the ground, just as Grom had predicted.

This was his chance.

Grom kicked off the ground toward Arcelia, who was completely exposed.

“Ugh…”

Crash.

A bolt of lightning fell from the sky onto Grom, shattering his barrier.

Grom fell forward to the ground, and as he lifted his head, he met Arcelia’s gaze.

—Her eyes were empty, showing no interest whatsoever.

“Match over! The first match, Arcelia Oriondor versus Grom Valefang, ends with Arcelia Oriondor’s victory!”

The host’s voice boomed, and the audience erupted in applause and cheers.

As if nothing had happened, Arcelia passed by Grom and returned to the waiting room.

“Damn it… there’s no way I could win against that…”

The feat of casting two spells simultaneously was beyond his imagination.

The opportunity he had glimpsed had been nothing but an illusion.

Grom remained crouched for a while, once again realizing why she was called the genius lady.