Chapter Chapter 86: #20 Their story: Ria el Nermia’s story. (2/2)

“Uht?”

I reflexively blocked the fire arrow aimed at my back with my own magic, but it was such a sudden attack that the magic power in my body shuddered.

“You didn’t expect me to let you use magic so easily, did you?”

“What the heck, you’re a warrior. And yet you’re refusing a 1v1 with me? A swordsmaster is?”

I said to Aris in a voice designed to rake at her pride.

Warriors and martial artists were practically made of their pride and egos.

If a magician, who they thought were weak, challenged them to a 1v1, they were the types that would never refuse.

And especially if it was an opponent that had beaten them once, their pride would have their allies fall back and engage in a 1v1 duel.

I made an expression that belittled my opponent, another one of the instructor’s teachings back in the organization.

It was perfect. Any person who doesn’t fall for this definitely wasn’t a warrior.

“Mm? What? This is the imperial festival’s event? A team event, no?”

And apparently my opponent wasn’t a warrior.

“Wh, what about your pride as a warrior?”

“Mm? I’m a weak summoner. Summoners are great at fighting in groups, aren’t they?”

At my opponent’s shamelessness at calling herself a summoner despite her spear emanating with a crimson aura, I found myself lost for words.

“S, summoner?”

Despite the fact that all she ever summoned was a spear and sometimes a defensive shield!

I wanted to shout, but I couldn’t as I suddenly found myself surrounded by Yugrasia students.

Normally when someone talked, waiting was the polite thing to do, yet Yugrasia students saw that as an opportunity and attacked.

In the time I had to talk, I had to get off at least one more chant.

“Cut, wind. Destroy, tempest. Burn, flames!”

I used short words and completed the spell I wanted in my mind.

“Hup!”

I fended off Aris with wind blades, and interfered with the other students with walls of wind and fire, and charged at Aris with Laevateinn in hand.

“Feeling fearless are you, wanting to get into another brawl with me?”

“Not like I have a choice!”

Maybe not as a 1v1, but fighting a long-ranged war against numerous enemies capable of ranged attacks was futile.

“Really, you’re way more suited for here than Marcis. If you did, the night study might’ve been a bit easier!”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?!”

I glared at my opponent, who smiled as if she found something amusing, and unlike before, was showing no signs of the formality typically reserved between nobles.

As she spouted such nonsensical words such as ‘night study,’ her spear lunged towards me.

“Strike, lightning. Shatter, axe of thunder!”

As I blocked the spear which had its entire shaft embued with spear aura instead of just the head with Laevateinn, I allowed the force of the impact to push me back as I flung the lightning gathered in my fingertips.

“Not bad!”

Aris swung her spear and destroyed the lightning axe that was about the size of a human torso, but I took the opening that gave me to freeze the ground.

“Ice field.”

“Everyone, burn it all.”

“What the?!”

But as expected, the enemy did not allow me to use the same tactic twice.

By commanding her allies to use fire magic on everything within a certain area, including herself!

“Kugh? Surtr!”

At the rain of fire, I barely used magic to block the first wave, and summoned Surtr who had just become resummonable to barely block the rest.

“You’re using your summon quite handily.”

“Our contract is different from yours.”

The method of using a devil as a shield, one that only I, one that had contracted an archdevil with a slave contract could use!

“Really? Our contracts are quite different from normal ones too, I’m quite curious what your methods over there are?”

“Don’t even think about trying to buy time!”

“Really, you’re quick to catch on.”

Thanks to the instructor’s trials, I could already detect the flow of mana.

There was no way I would miss the surrounding spirits preparing for another barrage.

I quickly charged in and swung Laevateinn.

Using Surtr like I did last time was impossible.

Blocking the other Yugrasia students’ attacks was hard enough as it was for Surtr.

‘Should I just forfeit?’

It was extremely difficult for me to claim victory in this situation.

I did have a few hidden cards.

But I had to save them for the grand final.

But if Yugrasia took ten points here as well, it would be difficult for me to guarantee victory even if we did win on the final day.

Moreover, even if I put everything on the line to defeat the enemy in front of me, if she wasn’t the king of this event, then that would result in the absolute worst-case scenario where I revealed my entire hand and lost for nothing.

“By any chance, are you worried that I might not be the king?”

What she pulled out from a breast pocket was the proof of the king for this event. It was a clear-cut provocation towards me.

“Alright then, let’s play.”

If I can defeat the enemy in front of me, the king, then that would be an instant reversal.

Using a shortened chant, I would go in for an exchange and look for an opportunity.

My ace in the hole was my swordmanship.

Back in the organization, before I became a magician, I didn’t slack off from my swordsmanship training in order to fight against No.1 and No.1000.

“Letia style.”

“Sky Slash!”

No.1’s signature move he learned by fighting against the instructor, Sky Slash!

Sky Slash was originally a move wherein you had to at least know how to use sword ki before you got any decent firepower out of it.

Let alone sword aura, I couldn’t even use sword ki, but if you looked at my mana capacity alone, my magic power was on another level compared to No.1’s.

And the sword I was using right now was not an ordinary sword, but a magic sword brought out by summoning.

With this magic sword Laevateinn, a sword purely made of flames, even if I couldn’t use sword ki, as long as I put in enough magic power, I could manage at least enough firepower at that level.

“Kuugh!”

Blood flowed from the waist accompanied by a grunt of pain.

But unexpectedly, the grunt came not from my enemy’s lips, but my own.

“You coward, an ambush…”

“I said it, this is a team event.”

For the first time in a long time, I reflexively bit my lips.

As the distinct taste of blood spread through my mouth, I pulled myself together.

“Hello, Lady Nermia. I am the oldest daughter of the Reiara family, Siir ril Reiara. I am also the contractor of the messenger of the gods, Hermes.”

As the girl in front of me said her greetings with a smile while hiding her dagger behind her back, old habits kicked in again as I bit down on my lip yet again.

“Damn it…”

Yet another god-class summoner had appeared as an enemy.