Ch.5454. The Protagonist?

Gilbert’s giant mech, wielding a steel sword, was relentless. He pressed forward against Ian’s mech without giving him a moment to breathe, unleashing a barrage of consecutive attacks as if determined to cut down anything in his path.

This was different from Gilbert’s approach in previous matches leading up to the finals. In earlier fights, he had held back with the students’ growth in mind, but now he showed nothing but the determination to utterly defeat his opponent.

In truth, Gilbert’s mind was filled with the intention to completely destroy Ian’s mech. The reason was simple: as he had decided before the match began, he wanted to make a cold, objective assessment of Ian.

Though this was his first time facing Ian at full strength, Gilbert—having been a Tactical Combat player for many years—quickly began analyzing Ian’s control habits and patterns.

Adapting his own patterns to counter his opponent’s control style was always his forte. This wasn’t something he had developed through Tactical Combat, but rather an innate talent for control he had always possessed. It was precisely this talent that had allowed him to survive countless aerial battles.

Of course, Ian was no pushover. As the playable protagonist character, Ian possessed exceptional abilities and talents compared to his peers. Just as Gilbert was reading Ian’s control patterns, Ian was doing the same to Gilbert.

No matter how adaptable and experienced Gilbert might be, as a human, he inevitably had certain habitual patterns. Ian was trying to exploit these patterns to gain the upper hand against Gilbert.

This led to a high-speed mobile combat utilizing special skills.

Ian’s special skill, Integration, was one that improved synchronization with the giant mech far beyond what others could achieve. Though there was an artificial spirit assisting, this skill—which minimized the gap between thought and action without actually moving one’s physical body—gave him a tremendous advantage in controlling the massive mech.

As a result, Ian had always maintained the upper hand in high-speed mech combat and had no doubt this time would be the same.

He opened his shoulder armor and unleashed a barrage of fireballs. Gilbert’s mech easily evaded the volley, but hitting him wasn’t the objective.

The goal was to use the dust cloud created by the fireballs exploding against the ground to obscure vision. Even with the artificial spirit’s detection magic assisting, it would take time to pinpoint an exact location.

Moving like flowing water, Ian instantly circled behind and gained position on the seemingly defenseless rear of Gilbert’s mech.

“As expected, you can’t keep up with my speed!”

A confident smile spread across his face, stretching from ear to ear.

Ian believed that even if Gilbert was his rival, it was only natural that he would be helpless once Ian got serious. He deployed all his equipped magical armaments.

Ice, fire, lightning, and wind swirled throughout the arena.

“What? Is it over that easily?”

“Did Gilbert lose?”

The spectators, feeling somewhat deflated by the seemingly instant conclusion, nonetheless looked at Ian with amazed eyes for defeating Gilbert, who had demonstrated such incredible control skills.

“Yes, this is it. This is the protagonist’s moment.”

As Ian felt all eyes in the arena on him, he could feel a sense of fulfillment filling his chest. He thought this was exactly the attention he wanted—and deserved.

Until the dust filling the arena cleared.

“Look there!”

“It’s not over yet. Gilbert’s mech is completely unharmed!”

“As expected of the best!”

The audience erupted in excitement again as the silhouette of the mech became visible through the gradually settling dust.

The majestic figure of the mech, without a single scratch despite the bombardment, stood with its steel sword drawn and ready—it had all the elements to make the crowd cheer.

As the spectators began chanting Gilbert’s name, Ian snapped back to reality from his self-absorbed fantasy. He couldn’t understand how Gilbert remained unscathed after he had secured a position behind him and launched a concentrated barrage. Even for someone like Ian, emerging completely unharmed from such a situation should have been impossible.

“As I thought, you are my greatest obstacle.”

Ian concluded that for him to become the protagonist who receives the world’s full attention, Gilbert had to be eliminated. With this determination, he charged toward his destined rival.

Meanwhile, Gilbert, who had blocked Ian’s barrage with just his steel sword, responded to Ian’s charge with a cold gaze. Ian’s ability to instantly secure a position behind him and fire without hesitation was commendable, but that was the extent of it.

His targeting was a mess, with few truly threatening shots, and even those Gilbert easily evaded using parrying techniques. Gilbert acknowledged Ian’s natural control skills using his special ability and his superior instincts compared to his peers, but such individuals weren’t rare—Ian wasn’t special in that regard.

And above all else…

*Clang!*

His movements were monotonous. At the beginning of the semester, Gilbert had once advised Ian about the importance of physical training. At that time, Ian, who didn’t seem like a chuunibyou, appeared to accept his advice, but in reality, he had ignored it—something Gilbert could confirm after just a few clashes.

The top-tier knights of the continent never neglected physical training.

But Ian, unaware of this fundamental principle, had focused solely on magical training. In terms of raw magical power, he far surpassed Gilbert. If the battle were drawn out or turned into a contest of magical reserves, Gilbert might indeed lose. With Ian’s special skill specialized for mech combat, it was entirely possible.

However, his neglect of physical training ultimately created a difference.

No matter how high the output one could produce, without the physical foundation to support it, that was the limit.

And in Gilbert’s assessment, that was precisely where Ian’s limitation lay.

Gilbert easily deflected Ian’s incoming steel sword and pulled his control lever to dive inside Ian’s guard. Using his frequently employed shoulder bash to push the mech back, he then unleashed Lightning Bolt—the magical armament with the fastest firing speed.

With a blinding flash, it hammered against Ian’s magical barrier. Ian had no way to avoid the magical attack at such close range. Even with his Integration skill, he couldn’t completely defy the laws of physics.

Even Gilbert’s occasional three-dimensional maneuvers didn’t completely transcend physical laws. He simply incorporated movements physically possible for the human body into his mech control techniques.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

After the merciless barrage against the barrier ended, Ian struggled to control his shaking mech. He somehow managed to focus on the screen and activated defensive magical armaments to prepare for the next attack, but defeating Gilbert from a stable position was already impossible.

Gilbert was not the type to willingly take hits from magical armaments fired from an unstable position. He easily dodged the ice-based magic fired at an angle and thrust his steel sword through the small opening that appeared.

*Crash!*

The damage from the direct hit was fully transmitted to the deployed magical barrier. Hit while in an unstable position, Ian was sent flying through the air, and Gilbert quickly pursued with high-speed movement.

“Impossible!”

For the first time since entering the competition, Ian shouted in desperation. Even in this dire situation, he managed to activate his magical barrier to minimize the damage.

Of course, Gilbert wasn’t going to just stand by and watch.

“Winter Sword – Icicle”

Rotating his sword with a spiral technique, he delivered a sharp thrust that sent Ian’s mech tumbling again as it failed to absorb all the impact. Gilbert wasn’t foolish enough to let such a golden opportunity slip away.

“Winter Sword – Biting Wind”

A diagonal slash from the mech’s steel sword hammered against the barrier.

*Thud!*

A thunderous sound echoed as the massive mech collapsed.

“No way. This is absolutely impossible!”

Pulling desperately at the control levers of his fallen mech, he struggled to raise it. Staring at the sharp golden blade before him, he shouted as if screaming.

Ian couldn’t comprehend the current situation.

How could he, who should be overwhelming his opponent, be rolling on the ground?

This felt like a terrible lie.

Even as Ian was in shock, Gilbert’s sword didn’t stop. More accurately, he was mechanically pummeling Ian’s mech. Dealing with a mech showing such monotonous movements was child’s play.

“I think this is enough.”

Gilbert felt it would be a waste to spend any more time. If it were about fostering Ian’s growth, that would be different, but having written him off, he didn’t want to expend energy meaninglessly.

After kicking down Ian, who was now launching random attacks without any pattern, Gilbert deployed all his magical armaments.

Unlike Ian’s random barrage, this was concentrated fire with a fixed target. Just like before, ice, fire, lightning, and wind swirled throughout the arena.

“Gilbert! Gilbert!”

“Is it over? Is it finally over?”

The spectators continuously cheered for Gilbert, who had demonstrated the same concentrated firepower that Ian had shown. Some were now expecting this to be the end.

Eventually, as the dust settled, the fallen mech came into view.

The cheers were loud enough to shake the entire arena.

But Gilbert, showing no particular emotion, calmly waited for the referee’s announcement.

***

Competition Year 1

Winner

Gilbert Lion Heart.