Going to fight or blocking a fight? It’s all the same!
We all moved to the Magic Battle Training Ground at the Ricci Mansion.
The Botanical Garden under the moonlight was a scene straight out of a fairy tale.
Woof woof woof-!
Three guard dogs of the breed Cane Corso, not Cerberus… were fiercely barking at us, drooling.
Finally, a security guard who had been guarding the training ground appeared.
“Can we use the training ground today? I’m just planning to spar lightly with NoName.”
“You shouldn’t use it now. There’s definitely a schedule for training ground checks…”
“I know for a fact it was all finished yesterday morning.”
“Oh, really?”
Upon hearing Monica’s words, the security guard made a call and handed the phone to her.
Monica raised her voice and started arguing with the person on the other end of the line.
That person was probably her head coach for Magic Battle Training.
“If you don’t give me permission right now, I’ll suit up in combat gear and use my wand!”
Saetbyeol and I took a step back and watched.
Cheon Saetbyeol gathered her five fingers and smirked.
“Look at all those hand gestures. This is oddly entertaining.”
“Hey, don’t imitate me. That’s rude.”
Thud-
Monica hung up and returned to her calm lady demeanor.
“My coach says I absolutely can’t use a wand. He’s a stickler with no flexibility whatsoever. Hands-free rule is fine, right?”
“I don’t mind either way.”
“Such a shame. I wanted to compete against you, who uses Imperial Palace Swordsmanship. Even esteemed swordsmen from the East are powerless against you, so I’m quite curious about your skills.”
“Well, Monica, there are many ways to make you feel powerless, even without swords.”
“Snicker. Your confidence is always impressive.”
Although it was called an indoor training ground, when we actually arrived, the size was immense.
About half the size of the stadium where the National Exchange Tournament was held, it was definitely larger than the Academy Competition.
“Using three-circle magic in this vast space is practically a crime.”
“I agree, Na-me. But if I use four-circle spells, I might not survive till tomorrow.”
Instead, the intensity of the barrier created by the wall was set very weak.
Even non-lethal spells that couldn’t pierce skin would only cause cracks in the barrier.
“Well, the barrier quantity is sufficient even if its intensity is low. I don’t intend to wrap up this enjoyable spar quickly. That’s why I’m a bit worried about you, Na-me.”
“Worried that my skills might have dropped after taking three months off?”
Nod-
In the first place, my body didn’t even have muscles to begin with.
Using capsules for three months might have lowered my physical abilities a bit.
But the essence of Magic Battle lies in wielding the Aura Heart.
Recently, I learned how to control Erichiton, allowing me to unleash explosive aura.
“Monica, have you ever been slapped in your life?”
“…?”
“Be careful. My hands might go out without me knowing.”
*
Beeeeep-!
The match began.
Na-me kept rotating the aura, raising its output.
Naturally, the initiative passed to Monica.
[Casting: Plasma Drive]
[Casting: Ignis Lichtenberg]
Crackling-!
‘She’s more stubborn than I thought.’
Na-me’s cold eyes were fixated on the magic.
It was just like the start from my match against Giselle Fischer.
Monica was showing with her whole body that her fighting style wasn’t wrong.
With the moonlight reflecting off her golden hair, it began to rise against gravity.
Endless branches of magic extending out from around Monica.
Na-me decided to respond with magic to magic.
[Casting: Ignis Pushkina]
The lightning trident created by Na-me cut through the expanding branches of magic.
[Casting: Ignis Respicio]
Following right after, Na-me unleashed her unique magic with no delay.
Whoosh-!
But the sharp spikes from Monica’s third magic circle burst forth.
[Casting: Imber Abscisio]
They pierced right through the core of Respicio magic.
BAM-!
‘Not gonna let up on the magic?’
‘Dare to challenge me in an output showdown?’
Both proud mages maintained their triple casting.
The magic circles grew in size, and the rotation speed increased.
A total of six spells struggled for power in the center of the training ground.
Sparks flew around, and various colors of flames erupted in the area.
Saetbyeol was watching the match at midnight, wearing black sunglasses because the training ground was lit up.
However, the quadruple casting option only existed for Na-me.
[Casting: Arabesque Knot – Wood]
Sharp whips emerged from the ground, slicing through the air.
‘What a terrifyingly beautiful talent…’
Monica gazed blankly at the sky.
Like Na-me, she wanted to grasp that sky in her hand.
Is it possible for her to defeat the one granted this unique position, the champion of the National Exchange Tournament?
Her eyes sparkled as they got enveloped in aura.
Tick-!
As if waiting for this moment, Monica cut all the threads of mana and leaped forward.
The three magic circles instantly faded in color.
‘Did she move?’
Na-me lowered her magic circle output and reassessed the situation.
Monica Ricci, nicknamed the Italian Mobile Artillery.
Her combat style was more static than Cecilia’s.
While Monica had always presented elegant and destructive magic that fulfilled the dream of being a true wizard.
[Casting: Momentum Adjustment]
[Combined Casting: Angular Momentum Adjustment]
She created an accelerating magic circle and attempted a stylish approach.
“HYAAAAAAP!”
Light gathered at the tip of her fist.
She was now at the starting point of external manifestation.
Perhaps if Monica had been given just three more months, she would have met at a much higher place.
Na-me widened her eyes in admiration at her progress and then returned with fish-eyed surprise.
“That’s a corset that doesn’t fit your body.”
“…!”
[Emergency Casting: Demon King’s Horn]
[Appetite: Erichiton]
Whizzz-!
The intense pressure weighed heavily on the training ground’s mana.
A thick mist flowed from Na-me’s body.
The crimson aura swiftly engulfed Monica.
In a training ground that allowed no shadows, light vanished in an instant.
‘W-What aura is this?!’
In an unfathomable, towering abyss.
Thousands of ominous eyes stared at her.
Like swatting a flying mosquito, dark hands slapped her body horizontally.
“Cough!”
The pain felt like her insides were being crushed.
BOOM-!
Monica Ricci flew back a great distance, slammed against the wall, and collapsed in a heap.
Cheon Saetbyeol, who watched from the center, applauded.
It was Na-me’s perfect strike.
Since the barrier wasn’t completely broken yet, Monica struggled to get up.
However, her trembling legs gave out, and she hit the floor again.
‘Can’t move… what’s going on…?’
The moment she pressed her burning abdomen with her hand,
“Ughh!”
She instantly realized something was wrong with her body.
*
With the remaining subatomic barrier at 35%, ten seconds passed, and she showed no signs of getting up.
This was far from mere bluffing.
I sensed something was off and quickly ran to check on Monica’s condition.
“Are you okay, Monica? Are you hurt right now?”
“Not really… I think it hurts a bit. My leg and side hurt a lot. Ugh…!”
“Why? What’s wrong? Did you get hurt, Monica?”
“Saetbyeol, quickly go get a training ground crystal sphere.”
“Ah, got it! Just a moment!”
Cheon Saetbyeol scampered up the wall like a cat towards the control room.
I laid Monica down comfortably on the floor.
Huff… huff…
“Is it hard to breathe?”
“… Not that much.”
“Please be honest with me so I can diagnose you better.”
“A little bit.”
“I’m sorry, but may I lift your top for a moment?”
I pulled up the trainingwear that I had shoved into her pants.
“Wow…”
On her skin, blue bruises and red spots were jumbled together in considerable size.
Her muscles trembled as if they were cramping, and the bruised side looked asymmetrical.
I gently probed the wound area with my fingertips.
“Gyaah!”
“Does it hurt?”
“Yes, it hurts! Ughhh! So much pain…!”
“Sister, the crystal sphere! Eek, what’s all this?!”
Saetbyeol gasped, covering her mouth as she stared at Monica’s bruised abdomen.
I called the emergency medical team using the contact registered in the crystal sphere and also called the Ricci family.
It was quite cold, so I covered Monica’s legs, which were clad in thin clothing, with a coat.
I continued to channel my aura to maximize the healing ability granted by the Aura Heart.
“Ah, it’s warm and smells nice. This feels good.”
As I scanned the crystal sphere settings again, I found the cause of her injury.
“Monica, why did you set the subatomic barrier settings like this? One second recovery time wouldn’t even be enough! It’s currently set to ten seconds!”
“Oh, that’s the default setting… I must have forgotten that we checked it yesterday and only changed the wall barrier…”
What a ditzy girl.
Basically, it meant if I had been hit, I would have ended up like that too.
Of course, that would never have happened.
[Casting: Diagnosis]
I moved the diagnosis magic circle while observing the movement of her muscles and organs.
“Hiss, your leg would hurt a lot if you moved it now.”
“Yeah, it does hurt a bit…”
Putting aside the bruise, I confirmed a tear in the external oblique muscle and a simple femoral fracture.
The ribs might not be broken, but I’d need precise examinations to be sure.
Wiping off the blood flowing from the torn skin, we waited for the ambulance.
“Monica, when did you say the Super Cup match would be?”
“In about six weeks.”
“Ugh, what now?… I think it’ll be around that time.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I think it’ll take about five to six weeks of recovery.”
Monica slowly closed her eyes.
Perhaps because it was a situation she had brought upon herself, she was accepting reality calmly.
“No way, no way, no way! Aaaah, my stomach hurts! Gurgle…”
Monica Ricci immediately rejected reality.
Waa waaa-!
The sound of the ambulance echoed from the hill below as the girl frothed at the mouth and collapsed.
*
[Adella Ch. (Cheon Saetbyeol)]
[Just Chatting – Sincere Apologies to the Italians]
[Broadcasting Time – 0:02:14]
[Number of Viewers – 15,265]
In the early dawn, Cheon Saetbyeol’s stream started unexpectedly.
In Korea, it was the perfect time to watch while lounging in bed at 10 AM on Saturday.
“Hey Saetbyeol, hi!”
“Yesterday NoName streamed twice while Cheon Saetbyeol streamed once. Is this not Yasuke?!”
“Looks like Na-me’s trying to win over Italian public sentiment too. Upvote!”
“Quickly show your face!!!”
“Adella, show yourself!”
“Honestly, Monica was way too beaten up in today’s stream, lol.”
“NoName ← Only facts and a six-week recovery!”
“Where are you right now? Didn’t you say something about going to the Ricci Company?”
“Are you in the mansion?”
“The mansion looks like something that could drive you insane?”
“Hello, everyone!”
The camera turned, capturing Saetbyeol’s pure, unadulterated face filling the screen.
Comments praising her poured in like a waterfall, giving her no time to speak.
She walked down the white corridor, focusing the camera just on her.
“Where are you?”
“Doesn’t look like a hotel.”
“Isn’t it the Ricci Mansion?”
“The mansion looks like something that would drive you insane?”
[‘Adella’s Glorious Inertia Drift’ donated 10,000 won!]
“No need to apologize, right? Italy deserves it even more, lol.”
“Oh, the one apologizing isn’t me; it’s my big sister Na-me.”
“What?!”
“Did that NoName really say she’d apologize for the match Italy lost during the stream?”
“Na-me has surely mellowed.”
“If this keeps up, Na-me might end up causing a riot again, lol.”
“That gotta be Satan himself, lol.”
“Don’t you dare slander our Na-me; she’s not that much of a demon!”
Saetbyeol halted her steps.
She pointed the camera at Na-me.
Na-me was kneeling on one side of the corridor, with hands raised.
“I’m sorry. I feel like I am somewhat at fault, so I want to apologize in advance to the people of Italy.”
“What’s going on…”
Creek-
The hospital room door opened, and a very familiar girl appeared in a wheelchair.
Monica Ricci, who was eliminated in the round of 16 in the National Exchange Tournament, spoke with a troubled expression.
“They say it’s five weeks for recovery. Perhaps as fast as four…”
“I’m sorry. I think I made her get hurt while just having a light spar with Monica…”
