Hal’s victory against one of the expected semi-finalists turned the empire upside down.
While his achievents were limited to this batch of youngsters, they were nothing to scoff at, and his na had most definitely already made it to the list of individuals that the empire must groom for the future’s sake.
Both Headmistress Isolde and Deputy Headmaster Korvus were being showered with praise.
After all, not only did they manage to produce the likes of Liora and Vyse, but they also now had Hal.
The emperor would most definitely be pleased with the results and might even grant the Grand Magic Academy additional funds.
Only the two academy leaders, however, weren’t too pleased.
The old man was uneasy because he realized he would once again have to swallow his pride for the sake of the empire, and the middle-aged woman due to the fact that the academy had overlooked such an impressive youngster, and now had a sowhat sour relationship with him, thanks to her deputy.
The two rely smiled and bowed in appreciation at the congratulatory words, for the sake of keeping up appearances.
Naturally, what was going on in the Gaora VIP Hall was unknown to the public.
All they cared about was the progression of the exciting tournant, especially now that one of the perceived semi-finalists has been eliminated.
"...Hahaha! You said it, Akari! I, too, want to see more of Competitor Hal. Does he still have sothing up his sleeves, or was his earlier display the extent of his capabilities? We shall see later.
For now, let us welco Competitor Ennya Kasai and Competitor Pierro Macario. Please ascend the stage for the third quarter final battle of the Arcana Primis Cup!"
The next mont, a serious red-haired midget and a rather relaxed yet composed young man with green hair and a few strands of red highlights ascended the stage.
Pierro smiled at Ennya like an older brother, while the latter wore a slight scowl, clearly taking the battle more seriously.
The midget had already saved herself from her master’s wrath simply by qualifying for the quarterfinals.
However, that didn’t an she was content.
She wanted to earn as much money as possible from the rewards, and the higher she ranked, the more she would receive.
Old Hag Freyra was extrely stingy.
In addition, she rarely gave Ennya the chance to experience the world, always saying she wasn’t ready and that the Fellkins probably already had her on their hit list, with a pretty high priority at that.
Unlike Lucien Winter, who was now free to do whatever he wanted, Ennya was stuck with her master until the hag decided to release her.
The red-haired midget and Pierro drew their weapons—a fla elental staff and a pair of mana gauntlets—and readied themselves as the counter ticked down to zero.
Ennya had expected to be stord with spells to prevent her from casting her own.
But no...
Pierro cast only one spell, and it was the sa old Conjure Puppet.
On the surface...
The only difference was that this one held a small, strange mana shield in its hands, making it appear like the sa conjure-type spell he had used before.
However, the truth couldn’t be farther from that.
What Pierro actually conjured were the puppet and the shield separately, with the latter being the special component.
This Conjure Reflector Shield was one of Pierro’s trump cards, designed specifically for opponents like Ennya, who could wipe out all his puppets with a single spell.
And to the red-haired midget, it was an utter eyesore.
This was because the puppet wasn’t a normal one but the sa kind Hal had used back at the orc camp.
It was a Taunt Puppet.
Before Ennya even realized, she had already launched a spell at it.
The roaring ball of flas, which was larger than half the entire main stage, shot toward the infuriating puppet, seemingly about to devour it whole and burn it to ashes, when, suddenly, the spell’s montum was stopped by the small mana shield, defying logic and everyone’s expectations.
The massive fireball then shot back at Ennya, and at a horrifying twice the speed.
"IYAAAH!!" she scread in utter horror as she was devoured by her own flas, gray smoke billowing from the explosion.
"E-Ennya!" Hal couldn’t help but call out in worry.
He had never experienced having his special protective barrier shattered and losing consciousness as a result, so he couldn’t tell whether the midget was truly fine or not.
The forr Fla Magna, Freyra Solbrand, however, knew that her student was just fine.
Despite the student’s loss, the master—disguised as an unassuming middle-aged man in the crowd—was smiling in satisfaction.
"Now you see, brat? Just because your flas are unstoppable doesn’t an you’re invincible. Reflect on this loss and go back to training..." she muttered.
Freyra knew just how cold and cruel Ennya’s path would be.
After all, the Magna Novem were tasked with ensuring humanity’s continued existence, and it was inevitable that Ennya would one day have to fight the wicked Fell race, perhaps even perish doing so.
Freyra knew this all too well.
Painfully well.
She did not want Ennya to experience what she had, so she was making sure her student would be ready for every challenge that ca her way, even if it ant being hated by her.
The Fellkin specialized in the rarer elents of magic, so so obscure they were unheard of in human history.
Reflecting a human’s spell back at them with twice or even thrice the power was just one of their countless tricks.
For soone with raw firepower like Ennya, her own devastating flas could very well be her greatest enemy.
Soon, the gray smoke cleared, revealing the unconscious midget.
Freyra imdiately returned to her original appearance: an old woman with curly red hair, a scar that sealed her left eye shut, and a stoic gaze that spoke of war, bravery, and loss.
She vanished from the crowd and reappeared beside Ennya, like an origin fla igniting from nothing.
Freyra then picked up her unconscious student, cast an unfriendly look at Hal, and stared at him for a mont before disappearing the sa way she had appeared.
Reviews
All reviews (0)