[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
Chapter 35
Before watching the semifinals, Kaylen didn’t have a high opinion of the current era's martial prowess.
“Mana Suits exist, but the lack of mana is too severe.”
In this era, where mana is scarce, even elves cannot summon higher spirits. Swordmasters had disappeared long ago, and the highest level of magic was capped at the 5th Circle. Compared to the past, it all seed lacking.
However, that notion changed entirely after witnessing the semifinals.
"The Princess and Sir Lioness are entering."
"......"
Princess Violet walked in, donning her icy mask. Lioness ascended the arena, his hair ablaze. As they stood face-to-face, the clash of their mana—fire and water—filled the entire arena with rising steam.
The stage beca shrouded in mist. Watching this, Alkas couldn’t help but exclaim:
“What an incredible display from the very start.”
“The steam seems intentional. They’re having a private conversation, it seems.”
“R-Really?”
Their voices, inaudible to Sword Experts, seed deliberately shielded to prevent eavesdropping. Yet Kaylen clearly heard their exchange:
"…Today, I will lt that mask and prove myself, Princess."
"How arrogant of you, with just an A-rank Mana Suit."
"Prepare yourself to join my household. I will treat you well."
"Hah. I’d rather die than step foot in your duchy."
Suddenly, the arena floor froze solid. Princess Violet’s body began to transform into ice. As the steam condensed into water and fell to the ground, it instantly froze into solid ice.
This frost was entirely different from when she froze a tutor in the past.
“As expected of an S-rank. Glacia… Frost Assimilation.”
Lioness smiled as he activated his A-rank Mana Suit, Inferno. However, it was insufficient to resist the encroaching cold.
The arena froze in an instant, with only the ground beneath Lioness’ feet barely spared from icing over.
“So this is Glacia…”
“In a battle of ice and fire, fire is utterly overwheld.”
“The difference between S-rank and A-rank is this vast.”
“Still, both of them exhibit mana of an entirely different caliber.”
Although both were isters, their magic power was capped at the 4th Circle. But once fully equipped with Mana Suits, their bodies transford, aligning with their elental attributes like spirits, unleashing unimaginable power.
“Is this what Spirit Assimilation looks like?”
Spirit Assimilation—a feature of A-rank or higher Mana Suits—allowed the ister’s body to transform into a spirit-like form. For isters who focused entirely on a single attribute, this was the ultimate way to maximize destructive power.
Even without casting any spells, their re presence altered the atmosphere of the arena.
“Just by emitting mana, they can rival the power of a 5th Circle mage.”
The arena felt like winter, the air growing increasingly frigid.
To safeguard the spectators, a hastily reinforced protective magic circle was imdiately activated. It worked to suppress Lioness’s energy while also shielding the arena and stands from the overwhelming cold emanating outward.
The mana of water was absurdly powerful.
"Should we even be watching this?"
"The atmosphere feels... ominous."
The audience began to stir in unease.
"Hmm... Should we stop the match?"
"The difference in power seems stark."
As the referees deliberated, Lioness, now fully transford into a brilliant yellow fla, let out a confident laugh. Despite his body entirely afla, his beauty was undiminished, drawing gasps of admiration from the won in the audience.
"You are as formidable as I expected. However, my goal isn’t victory—only to prove myself."
With a roar, the intensity of Lioness’s flas surged, and in an instant, he vanished.
"Glacia, allow to lt you."
Lioness lunged toward the princess, recklessly throwing himself forward. His attack was uncharacteristic of a ister—it was a raw, physical assault.
"What? Close combat…?"
"A wise choice. The arena is already under Glacia’s dominion."
No matter how fiercely he unleashed fire, it couldn’t break through the icy force controlled by Glacia. His only possible path was a direct physical charge. It was the best decision Lioness could make under the circumstances.
"Pathetic."
The only problem was that the princess was simply too powerful.
The mana of ice spread even further, its density increasing.
"Ice Field."
A 4th Circle water-attribute spell, Ice Field, typically had wide coverage but relatively low power compared to its circle. However, the Ice Field cast by Violet was entirely different.
Ssss…
Even within the icy domain, where it seed Lioness’s fla would burn eternally, his fire gradually began to dwindle.
"Explosion."
Boom! Boom!
Explosions erupted from Lioness’s arms and legs as he tried to push back the ice mana. But Glacia’s power was overwhelming. The blasts couldn’t carve a path through and only caused collateral damage.
"The protective magic circle… It’s not holding!"
The mages scread in alarm.
"Ugh… We need to evacuate!"
The judges, fearing they’d be swept away by the enormous mana shockwaves, scrambled to escape.
Thud!
The ground shook as Lioness triggered another explosion on himself.
The clash of ice and fire—or more accurately, fire struggling against the overpowering force of ice—continued.
Cracks ford across the arena floor, and one by one, the protective magic circles shattered.
"Ugh… Everyone, evacuate imdiately!"
Safety officers began guiding the spectators to safety.
As the referees, scouts, and senior mbers of the Mage Tower closest to the arena hurriedly evacuated, Alkas also suggested retreating.
"My lord, shouldn't we withdraw as well?"
However, Kaylen, wearing an expression of pure intrigue, refused the suggestion.
"No need. I can protect myself. Alkas, you should evacuate first."
"How could I leave when my lord stays?"
"Hmph. Then stand closer. I'll cast a Fire Shield for both of us."
Summoning a large Fire Shield, Kaylen crossed his arms and continued observing the clash.
"In terms of raw power, Lioness seems to be around the level of a 5th or 6th Circle Mage."
Though Lioness struggled to escape the icy domain, the force he emitted was comparable to that of a 6th Circle mage. The fact that he could demonstrate such power with only an A-rank mana suit was impressive. Despite being rely a 4th Circle ister in terms of magic, his body had transford through elentalization, making physical attacks ineffective.
As a Swordmaster, Kaylen ran simulations in his mind.
"In so ways, he might be more botherso to fight than a 6th Circle Mage."
The usual vulnerability of Mages to close combat had been neutralized through elentalization, removing a key advantage for a Swordmaster in lee.
Shifting his gaze to Violet, Kaylen observed her unrelenting pressure on Lioness, cornering him completely with her ice barrier. Despite the fierce inferno radiating from Lioness’s Inferno mana suit, Violet subdued him with ease.
"She’s nearly at the level of a 7th Circle mage."
While Lioness had burned with everything he had to lt the ice, Violet had concealed her true strength. Kaylen's eyes glead with curiosity.
"It’s ti to end this."
A storm of wind mixed with ice surged violently, and Lioness’s flas began to flicker and die.
"Explosion."
Lioness tried one last desperate move, intending to detonate himself, but no flas erged. His voice echoed hollowly.
"Hah…"
As his flas extinguished, his pale body gradually erged, starting from his fingertips. For a mont, he let out a bitter smile.
"Princess, please don’t leave frozen for too long…"
Before he could finish his words, his body froze completely.
"How dull."
The duel ended as simply as that.
Unlike the straightforward conclusion, the arena was left in ruins. Lioness’s explosive attempts had devastated the structure, and all the protective magic circles had been destroyed. Only a few sections, such as Kaylen’s area, remained intact due to self-cast protection magic. The spectator stands were entirely empty.
"Is… is it over?"
"Yes. That was entertaining."
Perhaps hearing his remark, Violet, still in her elentalized state, glanced briefly in Kaylen's direction. She gave a faint smile before leaving the arena.
As Violet descended from the arena, the aftermath of her battle beca evident. Lioness, frozen solid in an ice sculpture, stood as a stark reminder of her overwhelming power. The semifinal match had ended with her flawless victory.
Watching the Fire Shield fade and the full extent of the arena's devastation, Alkas comnted, his tone a mix of awe and disbelief:
"I’ve heard that S-rank mana suits are powerful, but this... exceeds all expectations."
***
Kaylen surveyed the arena thoughtfully as Alkas stood by.
"And to think, she didn’t even allow anyone to get close. It’s as if Princess Violet has no weaknesses."
"Haha, is that so?" Kaylen replied, his gaze sweeping across the arena.
From north to south, east to west, the ice spread in an evenly distributed pattern, its influence apparent.
"Look at the range of the ice field. It’s almost symtrical, isn’t it?"
"Yes, my lord. It is."
"And what of the Princess’s temperant? Is she cruel?"
"Not at all. From what I’ve heard, she’s fair and just in her judgnts."
"Exactly. That’s the impression I’ve gotten too," Kaylen said, gesturing toward the frozen Lioness and the desolate scene beyond him.
"The disparity in strength between the Princess and Lioness was clear. With such a gap, there was no need to freeze the entire arena to this extent."
"Indeed…"
"And yet, she did. The ice spread in a controlled radius, even reaching the spectator stands. This suggests… a lack of precision in controlling her power."
"You’re saying the Princess has trouble controlling her strength?" Alkas asked, incredulous.
"Precisely. Against a strong opponent, she likely finds it harder to restrain herself."
"Still… even without perfect control, her power is almost flawless, isn’t it?" Alkas glanced again at the scorched and frozen remnants of the arena.
Kaylen smiled.
"Even so, flaws exist. That’s what matters."
He felt a surge of excitent well up within him. Witnessing Violet’s power had ignited a warrior’s passion, a longing for a challenge.
"I’ll make it to the finals."
He wanted to face her. For the first ti since stepping into this body, Kaylen felt a genuine desire—to test himself against Violet’s icy might.
"You’re aiming for the finals, my lord?"
"Yes."
"Are you thinking of using… that power?"
"No," Kaylen replied firmly. "It must be strictly through magic."
Alkas referred to the power of the Swordmaster, but Kaylen had no intention of revealing it. No matter how much he desired the duel, exposing his true abilities was unnecessary. The Swordmaster technique was his hidden trump card—a revelation reserved for when the ti was right.
"Then… how will you prepare?"
Kaylen’s eyes glead.
"There’s sowhere I need to go."
The following day, Kaylen found himself standing before Myorn’s research lab, ready to take the next step in his plan.
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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