episode_0045

He had a long hooded robe wrapped around his body so that no one would discover him.

Only the two students participating in the sparring exam are allowed to enter the spatially generated sub-space.

However, since it’s a magic that basically provides a considerably large sparring space for individuals, one or two more people entering won’t be noticeable.

This means that if someone discovers him, they might follow and secretly enter the sparring space.

He wanted to avoid such a situation because, for this duel, he intended to leave as few witnesses as possible.

Only after finally standing before the portal entering the sub-space that would be the sparring arena, could Mark relax.

Even looking like this, he was somewhat confident in reading presences through training, so he could be sure that no tail was currently following him.

As soon as he entered the portal and discovered a man who had already arrived in front of him, he couldn’t help but show a bitter smile.

“Ah, I didn’t know you were already here.”

A translucent magic wall existed, blocking them from each other to prevent a premature start to the duel, but he couldn’t help but remember and recognize that face.

The man who had snatched away the woman he was aiming for and also left a small stain on his pride.

The identity of that man was Ropel Teufel, his sparring opponent today.

Remarkably, without giving up or running away, he had entered this sparring arena in advance and was waiting.

“…You’re a bit late.”

Honestly, upon seeing him, Mark couldn’t help but feel relieved.

Although he had previously visited Seraphina to pressure Ropel into forfeiting, this was solely what his master, Regulus Serion, had wanted.

In Mark’s case, he actually secretly wanted Ropel not to run away and to appear in the sparring arena.

Because if he had forfeited, if he had given up on this duel, according to their promise, he would have had to let him go untouched and unharmed.

But now, he had revealed himself at this spot and was walking towards him.

He had obtained this position by utilizing his hard-won connections with his master and Headmaster Lium Kitokal, so now there was no need to let him go unharmed, was there?

Even if he said he would forfeit now, he had no intention of accepting it.

After all, he had followed him into this sub-space that he had manipulated, so he would pretend not to hear the forfeit and give him the utmost attention and education.

After fully entering the sub-space, Mark simultaneously threw off the stifling robe he was wearing and drew his greatsword.

It was a treasured sword of the Serion family, received directly from Regulus Serion, the head of Serion, in other words, his master.

On the hilt, along with the Serion family crest, was embedded a sturdy yet ornate decoration mixed with scarlet jewels and gold.

Furthermore, the blade itself shone with a stark white and sharp light, as if forged by fairies from mythology, like a sheet of ice.

Matching this, Ropel also drew his weapon.

Seeing this, Mark couldn’t help but let out a slight scoff without realizing it.

And rightfully so, because the weapon he had just drawn, while appearing sturdy, looked old and unappealing due to its age.

“Did you pick that weapon up at some junk shop?

Mark provoked Ropel with a clear meaning of mockery.

“Saying things like that is a bit troublesome. Even looking like this, it’s something I got from the dungeon last time.”

“Dungeon? Ah, right… the dungeon rampage incident during the interim period, you must have been there.”

That incident where the dungeon rampaged and simultaneously collapsed, swallowing the students inside, was a moment Mark could absolutely never forget in his life.

Now, the fact that he could make his talent blossom like this and simultaneously receive praise for his reputation from countless people was all because that incident happened.

There was also the terror incident during admission, which heightened his reputation, but that incident was truly nothing more than a small matter compared to what Mark gained from the dungeon rampage incident.

…The artifact and elixir obtained then, and even that ‘ability’!

It’s no exaggeration to say it was a moment that truly changed his life entirely.

“Hmm… yeah, while running away, you seem to have managed to get your hands on something decent too.

But for the item you got to be merely such a mace, looks like your luck was truly terrible.”

Just then, judging that the two beings who would participate in the duel had entered the same space, magic began to activate with a bright light centered around the magic circle carved in the center.

The observation magic that would record and broadcast the upcoming duel, and the return magic to protect the two students’ bodies and prevent accidents, were activated.

However, the bright light, shortly after beginning to shine, distorted with a refracting shape, then soon disappeared with a small explosion.

Upon discovering this phenomenon, Mark gently smiled as if everything was going according to plan.

This phenomenon meant that the magic circle’s casting had been canceled, and thus meant that his direct sabotage of the magic circuit had been successful.

“Oh dear, looks like something went wrong with the magic, doesn’t it, Ropel?”

“…Seems so.”

“But just because of this, I won’t go easy on you or anything.

I have my own personal grudge against you, you see.”

“Then, by all means.”

Unexpectedly, his current appearance was calm and composed.

He had hoped he would at least recognize that he was in a dangerous situation and show a little hint of panic.

His current appearance, which was strangely even dignified, slightly irritated him.

Well, it doesn’t matter.

Because now, that appearance will also begin to thoroughly shatter.

Neither the magic to protect the two duelists’ bodies nor the magic to observe this were activated, but the magic circle engraved in the sub-space still decided to start the duel according to its role.

And soon, along with the countdown of numbers decreasing in the air, the translucent wall blocking the front of both sides began to gradually become transparent.

Mark repeatedly stroked the hilt of the splendid greatsword in his hand, planning what would happen next.

Simultaneously with the start, he would kick off the ground and fly directly towards him, first leaving an incised wound with a massive swing in front of him.

Afterward, simultaneously with being suddenly attacked, he would lightly slash his two ankles or knees while he was panicking from the pain.

In a typical duel, at this point, with Ropel’s incapacitation discovered, the duel would end with Mark’s victory.

But naturally, in this sub-space, such a thing wouldn’t happen because Mark had already taken measures.

Thus, he would launch thoroughly painful, torture-like attacks, starting from the arms, against Ropel, who would be unable to even stand properly.

Ropel, unable to use both his arms and legs, would have no choice but to cry out from pain and helplessness, begging him for mercy.

Of course, that doesn’t mean he intended to end it easily.

He intended to take more time, slowly teaching him his proper place thoroughly along with pain.

Mark didn’t particularly have a twisted sexual preference containing sadism, but just imagining the moment that was approaching was exhilarating.

But still, perhaps he should be a little careful.

This event, where an ordinary academy student applied for a duel against an honor student, was a somewhat big incident, so there was no one who didn’t know that Ropel’s sparring opponent now was him.

Whether he lived or died, if people saw Ropel’s messed-up state, they would inevitably hold him, his opponent, responsible.

Even so, if he made excuses like the return magic didn’t activate properly or something, considering his position, which now has some influence on the academy’s prestige, they would probably let it slide roughly.

If things got really bad, he could just accuse him of causing the unusual phenomena in the sub-space he had set up, and say he tried to cheat during the duel, thus framing him.

Simultaneously with the numbers appearing in the air turning to 0, the translucent wall completely concealed its form.

At the same time, Mark and Ropel kicked off the ground in each other’s direction and charged at the same timing.

. . .

“…! Huh… Hah…! Wh- where is this!?”

Seraphina simultaneously came to her senses and looked around.

The place where she opened her eyes was Ropel’s dorm room.

After checking the location, she then checked the current time.

It was quite some time after the start of the sparring exam and permission was granted for outsiders to enter.

In other words, it was enough time for Ropel’s sparring exam to have already begun.

Without caring about where she currently was or the wrinkled attire she was still wearing from yesterday, she kicked the door open and went out.

Due to the duel from the previous day, she felt a slight sharp pain in her body, but it wasn’t severe.

…It was the result of Ropel, who had sparred against her, having somewhat controlled his strength when reaching the end.

She remembered that moment yesterday when she was defeated by Ropel.

Throughout the duel, from the beginning until the last moment arrived, she had been overwhelming him, yet in the end, she even ended up fainting from his final strike.

But she didn’t even have time to feel ashamed of the fact that she, too, had doubted and underestimated his ability.

She had to move to the sparring arena where he was right now.

Gasping for breath and not caring about the gazes around her, she ran out.

“Hah… Hah… Ropel… just what were you…!?”

Although there was a way to check his state through observation magic, she still had to analyze it directly with her own two eyes.

No, she just had to at least manage to take it in with her eyes again.

The skill he showed in the final moment, which she couldn’t properly see until the very end due to being careless…!

That strike, which was similar to Master Sargus, who was her father’s master…!