“Mikhail Balabanov here.”
“It’s Katsuhata Emika.”
“Definitely not like the riffraff. How many years did you prepare for this short moment?”
Mikhail drew his battle axe towards Emika.
It was a fearsome weapon for a Light Transmutation Circle Inscriber.
Emika raised her gaze higher and higher.
A black leather jacket. Scars crossing her face.
Her piercing gaze looked like that of a drug addict or a soldier on the brink of war.
Her neatly swept-back hair and occasional stubble added to her mature beauty.
Emika tightened her white uniform and spoke calmly.
“Everyone who joins the Katsuhata Sect has the duty of rising to prominence. And everyone trains from a very young age to become a successor. I’ve been at it since I was 7, so that’s about 8 years.”
“I’ve wielded a wand since I was 5. I’ve dedicated 11 years to this tournament.”
“What matters more than the amount of training is the density of that training.”
“Haha, any further talk would just hurt our mouths… I’ll give you the worst day of your life.”
“That’s what I was hoping for.”
The sound of a whistle rang out ten times, forcing silence upon the world.
Beep—
60,000 spectators in the Tokyo Dome clasp their hands together in earnest prayer.
Beep—
Just one step away from the title of the world’s strongest.
Beep— Beep— Beep—
With the fifth beep, an orange light lit up the traffic light.
Emika and Mikhail raised their auras simultaneously.
For them, external manifestation was a given.
Their talents in magic and aura were so exceptional that it’s hard to tell who is superior.
Beep— Beep— Beep— Beep—
Their muscles expanded to their limits, clad in aura as hard as steel.
And with the final beep,
Biiiing—!
Wands exhaled magic circles directly in front of them.
Katsuhata Emika
[Adela (Unique Magic) – Japan]
[Classification: 1st Circle Physical Impact Magic]
[Rank: A]
Mikhail Balabanov
[Charge of the Bear (Unique Magic) – Russia]
[Classification: 2nd Circle Physical Impact Magic]
[Rank: B]
The two burst forth like animals, crossing the ocean of sand,
Kwaaaaang—!
They collided in the center of the training arena, wind swirling around them.
“1 to 0.”
The girl smiled brightly.
*
“Let’s guess the first magic Emika will use.”
“2nd Circle Ignis Katsuhata.”
“1st Circle Adela.”
“Right off the bat with Adela?”
Did you think I would pull out Katsuhata’s secret move first?
Emika is an extreme efficiency advocate.
The loss from not having a clash on one side is potentially catastrophic.
Understanding this, Emika quickly moved her feet and surrounded her sword with the most powerful Adela in close combat.
The Akitaro lord, having quickly amassed a loss, rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
My gaze remained fixed on the stadium.
Betting is a game of probability.
Yet, the more probabilities are repeated, the luck cancels out, and only skill remains.
Moment-to-moment decision-making, remaining health and barriers, the players’ habits, behavior patterns, intentions.
The more information you gather, the higher your chances of winning your bets.
“Emika just entered Nanatsuno Tachi. Which direction will she escape from in the end?”
This guy doesn’t even give me time to think.
“Right side for Emika.”
“Right side.”
The answers overlapped.
The sharp sword cleaved through neck, shoulder, wrist, and waist.
As Mikhail took a step back, Emika rushed in again, thrusting her sword straight.
The boy, as if waiting, unleashed a pre-cast lightning spell.
Emika, with a keen reaction, twisted her body to the right to ensure her safety.
It was a draw.
That means the turn would come back to me.
Mikhail Balabanov cast a barrier magic.
Emika was well-prepared for the barrier.
“Barrier dissolution time. Let’s settle it in less than 18 seconds.”
“More than that.”
“I’ll go with less than.”
A round magic circle was drawn above Emika’s head.
Mana congregated, sparkling like falling snow.
Emika’s limbs froze solid.
She maximized her resistance with external manifestation and began her concentration work.
As Mikhail gradually tightened the barrier, he took solid steps forward.
“15… 16… 17. She must be well over.”
He came within range.
Mikhail discarded the barrier and leaped forward, spinning his battle axe.
I’m bluffing! Why this timing!?
I screamed inside.
She intentionally delayed that barrier release.
Free at last, Emika summoned a lightsaber in her left hand.
Easily deflecting the axe with Katsuhata’s divine blade, the lightsaber pierced, creating sparks.
Mikhail’s body swayed greatly.
“Looks like I’ve won. 1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss.”
“Tsk.”
I clicked my tongue in displeasure.
There were plenty of advantages I could have gained even if I had released the barrier quickly.
It wasn’t like Emika to gamble like that.
But Mikhail, unable to see through such an obvious gamble, suffered a critical wound.
10% of his barrier was chipped away, swinging an advantage towards Emika.
“Waaaaaah!”
A thunderous cheer erupted from the audience.
The expressions of the Katsuhata elders brightened instantly, while the Russian delegation’s faces soured.
“Looks like Emika is in good condition today. She’s got the psychological upper hand too.”
Lord Akitaro trembled his leg while chuckling.
Indeed, she did win that psychological battle.
But her actions were not the same as during training.
How much influence that would have, I couldn’t say.
“This match could be tougher for Emika than anticipated. Ask away.”
*
The tide of the match turned in an instant.
The applause and cheers gradually faded until hardly audible.
Bang—!
Only occasionally did Emika’s desperate sword strikes elicit slight Ooo sounds.
[Final Match 63]
[Мikhail Balabanov] [33% | 48%]
[Katsuhata Emika] [37% | ⚠️19% (Cannot Recover)]
They had entered the point of no recovery.
Emika wiped off her sweat mixed with sand and infused bizarre mana into her wand.
“Using the 64 Keis for the Seven Cut, Katsuhata is likely going to make her stand here. If she takes down just 15%, no, 10% more, it could be her stepping stone for a comeback.”
Lord Akitaro secretly introduced a technique being passed down.
Even though he mentioned its specific power, I didn’t buy it.
“I’ll choose below. I suspect even 5% is pushing it.”
“…”
“If you’re not saying anything, I’ll take that as ‘more than’.”
“I’ll choose ‘less than’ too.”
It wasn’t until 23 minutes after the match started that Lord Akitaro suddenly came to his senses.
‘A little late, isn’t it…’
Up until the 15th minute, they were both tied with 3 wins each, keeping the bets tight.
But the second half was a turning point.
Emika, confronted with the formidable mass of Mikhail’s battle axe, crumbled helplessly.
Every time their swords met, they shattered.
The energy difference was too much to match Mikhail’s external manifestation – the lightsaber just couldn’t keep up.
Lord Akitaro collapsed right along with her.
24 matches: 7 wins, 13 draws, 4 losses.
In the second half with 9 bets, the outcome split, and I secured 4 victories.
Humans tend to be overly optimistic about predictions.
Especially if it concerns themselves or their loved ones.
[Just like in the De Sampaio match, could there be another brilliant comeback!? Katsuhata Emika charges forward without hesitation! This is Japan’s unyielding will! Bring it on!]
The Japanese commentators cried out hoarsely in support.
Katsuhata Emika
[Adjusting Angular Momentum – USA]
[Classification: 3rd Circle Physical Quantity Transformation Magic]
[Rank: C]
She spiraled into a battle of strength against Mikhail.
And that was something he earnestly desired.
The two weapons sliced through the air with a sharp sound.
Emika’s desperate battle cry reached even the drone cameras covering the match.
Haaaah!
“Is it true? Emika is really struggling now. The physical strain is no joke. They might as well just quit while they can.”
“Eyes like jewels… those eyes…”
Lord Akitaro bit his lip in frustration.
It was the worst situation.
Or have they barely escaped the worst?
At least Emika, sensing this wasn’t her moment, withdrew her sword.
A wave of sighs erupted around her.
There’s no greater sign of defeat than sheathing one’s sword mid-fight.
[Katsuhata Emika puts away her sword and catches her breath…! You have to remain calm and think clearly, even in desperation. There’s still a chance!]
[Recasting the Demon King’s Horn. Is she preparing for a long-range Adela?]
[Sometimes, returning to one’s roots might also be a valid strategy! You can do it, Katsuhata-san!]
The commentators breathed hope back into the dwindling flames.
Those who’ve watched many duels know this.
Comebacks in unfavorable situations don’t happen often.
To make a comeback, there has to be a solid basis for it.
To find it in a disadvantageous situation is even harder.
“Haa, the opponent’s preparations were just too thorough. They might have anticipated meeting us before the tournament.”
The lord let out a sigh.
Emika couldn’t find a path to victory with the resources she had.
It wasn’t a lack of luck, but simply a deficit in her ability.
The weight of despair thickened.
“Emika’s every move is being countered.”
“True.”
“Is it really ‘every move’ that’s being countered?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll ask the next betting question. Will Emika use Adela for her next magic or not?”
“Of course!”
The lord believed that after the Demon King’s Horn, Emika’s follow-up would be her only shot.
“Will you not use it?”
“I’ll bet that this time she won’t use it.”
“Why? Are you trying to show mercy now?”
If I win even once more here, it would become my ultimate victory.
Perhaps misunderstanding that I was letting her off the hook, the Katsuhata lord clenched his fists tightly.
But I had no intention of losing.
“I still can’t hand Emika over to Korea. Even if you sever both Adela and the Horn, if you were a sect that could be taken down by such trivial matters, it would have been better off destroyed long ago.”
“True, the Katsuhata sect’s history isn’t short enough to crumble from such trivial matters. However!”
Smack—!
I slammed the armrest of my chair, standing up.
“Are you not curious? How much brighter my talent can shine in this wide world?”
I turned back to look.
Emika’s horn had grown about a palm’s length longer.
Katsuhata Emika
[Light Demon’s Horn – Continuation – Korean]
[Classification: 3rd Circle Other Magic]
[Rank: B]
The red energy of the lightsaber was engulfed by yellow.
In her hand remained a katana crafted by the artisans of Katsuhata.
The sunlight-colored aura shaped the sword’s edge, giving it a razor-sharp blade.
“From now on, Emika won’t use any magic at all.”
“Her aura… changed?”
The lord’s eyes widened in disbelief and leaned forward.
[The attributes of the aura have changed! A new aura never seen from Katsuhata!]
[Using multiple auras is tough…! I have doubts whether she has really trained for it, but I can confidently say that this is the only chance she has!]
To manifest a multi-aura, one must endure the clash of two different realms, two different mentalities.
Even for Ban So-wool, a master of aura arts, it wouldn’t be easy to handle a second aura comfortably.
The Demon King’s Horn had a function to stabilize the chaos of imagination.
But beyond that depended on Katsuhata’s will.
During training, I had lightly exchanged swords with Emika while demonstrating techniques from my past life.
[Is this a sword style I’ve never seen before?]
[Isn’t it? I don’t even know why I made it this way. I’m not sure how effective it is, but it surprisingly works well. Is it really that hard to block?]
[Yep! The sword comes at a completely unexpected angle, making it hard to react. And above all, it’s incredibly heavy…]
[According to Marquis Bastion, it’s said to contain the dignity of a powerful nation.]
At the time, due to time constraints, we didn’t have the chance to practice fully.
Successfully making an external manifestation was the immediate priority.
If she truly wanted to win, Emika had to recall the memories of that training.
“You can do this. You’re a genius after all.”
Her feet became increasingly heavier.
Each step felt like she was running a marathon.
Emika pulled her left foot back and hunched down.
Mikhail horizontally swung his battle axe to block the attack.
Starting from the waist, aiming to the sky.
“Kaisan-style Sky Slash.”
Swwwwish—!
The blue wave of energy flashed and cracked Mikhail’s sturdy shield in half.
Rapidly renewing barriers, yet she appeared strangely taken aback by the cold air seeping through the cracks.
The strikes continued.
“Next, the wrist. Let’s get that bothersome weapon out of your hands.”
Still a bit clumsy in her movements.
Yet, if her will remained strong, the aura would fulfill her wishes.
[Hands of the Kaisan.]
Emika’s eyes sparkled golden as blue lightning struck her horns.
Kwaaa-!
With a breathtaking explosion, a terrifying storm swept through the arena.
