Ch.569569. Competitive Spirit (3)

“Magic, huh.”

After learning magic from Ephena Allenar at the Royal Academy, I was quite absorbed in it for a while. But that was only temporary. I hadn’t seen her use magic recently, so I thought she’d lost interest. But judging by how quickly she can cast, she must have been practicing constantly in private.

And that—

‘This isn’t ordinary magic.’

It’s far from the standardized magic circles that common mages typically use.

‘Ephena Allenar mentioned it. That Sione seemed to have talent for the kingdom’s ancient magic as well.’

That ancient magic they clung together discussing and practicing. It had exactly this feeling.

‘…This won’t be easy to approach.’

Starting with her fierce aura that began dominating the space around her after she started wielding magic.

Unlike standardized modern magic circles, the appearance of that ancient magic is completely unknown territory to me. I have no idea what kind of magic will pour out from her.

Paang—!

The moment the arrow was released from Sione’s bowstring, her magic shone.

‘Two-stage acceleration.’

I’ve heard that ancient magic, unlike reproducing formalized techniques, focuses on materializing will and imagination.

It seems what Sione imagined was something even faster.

‘And that eerie mana.’

The mana that had gathered at Sione’s arrowhead was concentrated once more into a single point, containing destructive power beyond easy estimation.

‘I must avoid it at all costs.’

Sione’s attack, now that she’s reached Master level, enhanced with ancient magic carrying her intent—directly confronting her attack would be foolish.

‘Since she used magic first…’

I too stepped lightly, riding a crisp breeze.

Kwaaang—!

As if she knew it would be difficult to hit me directly with an arrow, the reason she used magic to shoot became apparent.

“So you intended to destroy everything from the start.”

The moment the arrow touched the cover, the concentrated mana in the arrowhead exploded, literally shattering the cover to pieces.

The hundreds, thousands of sharp fragments that scattered became an immense threat.

Of course.

“Somehow… there’s more than just one magic circle…!”

The tactic Sione was aiming for was precisely these scattering fragments.

Magic with the ability to imbue. Her magic was imbuing mana into those countless fragments, transforming each one into a weapon with undeniable power.

I manipulated the gentle breeze more forcefully, creating a torrent to increase distance and block her magic.

But the real problem was just beginning.

‘She just keeps firing relentlessly.’

The fact that such destructive attacks wouldn’t end with just one.

The danger of this technique was masked only because we were alone on the battlefield. On a battlefield mixed with numerous enemies, being able to use such techniques so abundantly—she possessed abilities sufficient to be called a demon wearing human skin by enemies.

‘If she could infuse not just mana but Divine Power as well.’

One of the most terrifying aspects of demons.

Their cowardly tactic of pouring overwhelming quantities of attacks and then, when we’re exhausted, directly seizing our throats.

Especially against the soldiers commanded by the lord of corpses, Sione’s attacks could produce brilliant results.

Beyond simply shooting stronger arrows through solid fundamentals and excellent mana, the moment she became able to wield magic, Sione’s attacks transcended simplicity and gained a more special advantage.

“…Tsk!”

While dodging fragments.

At a critical moment, Sione’s arrow came flying directly at me, forcing me to confront it head-on.

Srrng—!

I drew my sword from its scabbard and imbued it with magic.

It was a strike containing gale winds meant to disrupt the arrow’s trajectory, but.

‘Wait, that energy…!’

Had she imbued this arrow with her prized starlight?

Even amid the fierce winds, her arrow refused to follow the distorted trajectory and crash pathetically into the ground.

‘A power that forces certainty, they say.’

Instead, it continued flying to pierce my left arm.

Chaeng—!

“…Why is it so heavy?”

When I blocked Sione’s arrow with my blade, a stronger force than expected pushed back my weapon.

The heavy impact felt upon collision shook my entire body beyond just my hand, and as the arrow scraped along my blade, still boasting excess power, forcing my arm backward—

I had to reconsider my thoughts.

Even if her archery lacked the flashiness of mine or the elves’, that didn’t mean her combat ability was inferior. Perhaps because I’d been closest to her, I unconsciously overlapped her with her past self, underestimating our Sione’s skills.

“Surprised, Ray?”

“…When did you get this strong?”

“I told you before. No master can defeat their disciple.”

“Yes, that’s right. Still.”

Far from just showing others a unique psychological battle between archers.

“I’m still above you.”

If I wanted to claim complete victory over our Sione, I needed to engage in close combat.

I began pouring out mana in earnest.

Moving forward with tailwinds at my feet, somehow neutralizing and deflecting Sione’s arrows containing faint starlight with my Divine Power.

“You think I’ll just stand by while you approach so openly…!”

I avoided Sione’s nimble rapid-fire by sliding across the ground, even if it meant getting covered in dirt.

For arrows I couldn’t avoid, I either struck them down with my sword or somehow burned them with actively deployed magic, closing the distance.

“What are you trying to do, coming in this deep?”

“There’s still something I haven’t properly taught you.”

We were in a situation where we were aiming bows at each other, drawing our bowstrings.

The moment these arrows fell, we would naturally have to enter close combat.

“I’ve taught you a lot about archery, but not yet about archers’ close combat.”

“…You’re going to teach me that now?”

“There’s no better opportunity than experiencing it directly like this.”

As our arrows were fired, canceling each other’s attacks, and a strange sound and powerful wind pressure enveloped us—

In that moment when our eyes met clearly as our hair fluttered in the strong wind, a properly heated close combat between just the two of us began.

‘I’ll start with pressure.’

Archers’ close combat is serene.

The pressure of not knowing when and how the other will draw their bowstring weighs down your entire body. Rather than the valiant movements of burning knights, it’s a stage dominated by exploration based on that keen sense of targeting an enemy with a bow.

In this, I was one of the veterans who had consistently fought and won while maintaining the essence of an archer. The moment my sharp vision caught her momentarily awkward movement and breathing—

I simply wielded my sword in my own unique way.

‘Aiming for restraint.’

Not in a knight’s way, but in an archer’s way.

With light movements like the steps taken to shoot another arrow, I closed the distance in an instant. As I inserted one arrow from my quiver into my sword belt—

Sione aimed her longsword.

“Your weapon transition is slow.”

An archer inevitably possesses high concentration and near-prophetic predictive abilities. I thrust my sword, predicting Sione’s movements.

Like an arrow being shot, a sharp thrust aimed at the tip of her sword. Her sword, held in an awkward stance between bow and longsword, couldn’t help but collapse.

Through my preemptive strike, Sione’s sword, overwhelmed by force, was pushed aside.

But unexpectedly.

“…You intended this!”

In that moment when my thrust twisted her sword—

Sione, without hesitation, abandoned her longsword and broke her bow limb, diving toward me instead.

“…!”

The bowstring that had lost tension when the tightly drawn bow limb broke. Sione instantly tied it around my arm and pulled.

My center of balance was about to collapse.

To avoid falling for her intention, I immediately drew the arrow I had inserted into my sword belt with my left hand and aimed at Sione again. At this, Sione momentarily retreated.

Noticing that she was trying to use this opportunity to draw her secondary weapon—

‘Prevent her from drawing her sword.’

As I raised my leg, intending to kick away her sword hilt to block her rearming—

“You’re also thinking too shallowly, Ray. Do you think I wouldn’t know that much?”

Sione, having read my intention, twisted her waist to hide her secondary weapon while simultaneously—

Thrusting the sharp part of her broken bow limb like a spear.

‘Tricky.’

Sione has also experienced numerous battlefields with me.

The combat experience accumulated over time must be guiding her smooth combinations.

Eventually, Sione also drew her sword to rearm herself, and a brawl began.

‘…Though it seems like I’m pushing her back.’

While Sione couldn’t usurp the offensive initiative I was leading, her defense was solid. Breaking through her wasn’t easy.

When I tried to kick her legs, she read it and stepped back. When I deliberately loosened my wrist to continue or induce an attack with a different trajectory, she stepped back two more paces, breaking the flow of combat.

As if distinguishing when to shoot and when not to shoot with a bow. As if the weapon in her hand was a bow, not a sword. She was gauging and continuing this battle with the same perspective as mine.

Therefore.

‘Continuing like this would just be a comparison of stamina.’

I staked the outcome on something somewhat bold yet worth trying.

Kwaaang—!

As if excited by the heated close combat, I struck down Sione’s sword with even fiercer mana. Now, with about five steps of distance opened up again due to the impact, the difference between her and me was—

While Sione’s bow was broken, my bow was still intact.

‘Not knowing when an arrow will be drawn.’

To leverage this pressure, the strongest fear and advantage an archer can show to an opponent—

I boldly discarded the sword I was holding and raised my hands to the bow and bowstring.

‘Even without nocking an arrow on the bow.’

The fact that I can handle magic, and knowing how strong my archery is, Sione—

Even if she confirmed that I wasn’t nocking an arrow on the string during that chaos, she would inevitably be consumed by the attack that would be fired from that drawn bowstring.

‘Got her.’

Before my raised bow could fire at her—

Sione charged, lowering her stance and aiming her sword at my body.

At this, I drew the bowstring even more fiercely, emitting stronger mana.

“Ugh…!”

Sione, conscious that the bow was aimed at her, seemed to judge herself too late.

In the moment she twisted her body to escape my aim—

I dropped my bow to the ground and targeted Sione’s upper body, which had crumbled awkwardly, with my knee.

“Kugh…!”

Even with iron-reinforced chest armor, it couldn’t completely absorb the shock.

Sione coughed dryly as air suddenly left her lungs. While she wasn’t bleeding, her posture had collapsed, so—

Kwang—!

I struck her back with my sword hilt. In that state, Sione fell face-first onto the dirt ground.

Then, drawing another arrow from my quiver and aiming it at Sione’s neck—

The winner was already decided.

“Duel terminated!”

Hanelrn’s voice rang out.

“The winner is the kingdom’s legitimate noble, Baron Ray Carpel!”

I was the victor in this duel.

With that, I carefully moved away from straddling her back and aiming an arrow, sitting beside her and letting my voice flow.

“Didn’t see this one coming?”

That choice I made as revenge for all her provocations.

I soon had to regret it.

“……”

Sione’s face, which had been facing the opposite direction.

The moment she turned her head toward me, still with her cheek pressed to the ground—

“…Is it okay to hit your wife like this…?”

“Ah.”

Because I could see the very small tears forming at the corners of her eyes.