Chapter 110: Hero Festival – Part 2 (3)

The fight was over.

In truth, the outcome had been obvious from the start.

After all, it was common knowledge that when a swordsman and a mage faced off one-on-one, the mage was at an overwhelming disadvantage.

This was hardly surprising. If knights excelled in direct combat on the frontlines, mages were specialists in influencing the battlefield from the rear.

In exchange for their wide-area control capabilities, mages sacrificed defensive strength.

If exposed to direct attacks, they were often incapacitated before they had a chance to respond.

This is why, in every battle, regardless of scale, protecting or sniping mages is a top priority.

For a mage to overcome this disadvantage against a swordsman, there would have to be a significant skill gap.

Unfortunately for Mana, Sion was far stronger than her—not just in magical prowess, which was similar to hers, but also in swordsmanship, where she was leagues ahead.

Moreover, Sion possessed exceptional skill in seamlessly integrating and utilizing both abilities in combat.

Unless Sion was deliberately holding back to maintain her image, Mana had virtually no chance of victory in this matchup.

The only reason Mana managed to hold her ground for so long was her specialization in defense rather than offense.

As a specialist in protective magic, she conjured layer upon layer of thick barriers and used constant blinks to evade and confuse her opponent.

Meanwhile, she summoned sand golems to hinder Sion’s movements as much as possible.

While this strategy made it difficult to inflict damage on her opponent, it also minimized her vulnerability to effective strikes, enabling her to prolong the battle and exert as much influence as possible.

Thanks to this approach, Mana was able to endure the battle for a staggering six hours despite the hopeless mismatch and skill gap, until her mana was finally depleted.

The fight concluded as the crimson sunset began to sink behind the distant dunes.

“Phew, it’s finally over.”

Sion wiped the sweat off her brow after defeating Mana in the grueling duel.

Though unscathed, her body was utterly exhausted, as if she had just finished a long-distance marathon.

She wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the sand and rest.

“I can’t believe you managed to give me such trouble… You’ve certainly improved, even compared to 500 years ago.

But ultimately, it’s all within the confines of humanity. You were no match for me, the pinnacle of all demons.”

If Sion were the type to be easily defeated, the goddess wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of creating a hero to face her.

She was not someone who could be beaten in a one-on-one, fair fight—even now, in her significantly weakened state compared to her prime.

Mana likely knew this as well, so why had she challenged a battle she couldn’t hope to win?

“Are you alright? I held back, but you’re not seriously injured, are you?”

“…Yes.”

Mana replied weakly, slumped on the sandy ground.

Her robe was in tatters from destructive magic, her staff was broken in half from the final blow, and her skin was grazed all over by the harsh sandstorm.

She looked like she could collapse with a mere touch, utterly drained of mana and energy.

Sion glanced at her briefly, then walked past her toward the three bookshelves embedded in the sand.

With a wave of her hand, she lifted them using telekinesis and spoke.

“I’ve won, so I’ll burn these as promised. No objections, I assume?”

“……….”

There was no response.

Not that it mattered—she would burn them regardless of any protest.

Sion snapped her fingers, sending pillars of intense flames onto the three bookshelves.

The books, exposed to fire hotter than lava, crackled and burned.

As she scanned the titles of the burning books, Exia clicked her tongue.

-“Wow, master, these… there’s such a variety here. So thorough.”

“Indeed.”

Sion nodded in agreement as she observed the titles.

Despite the party consisting of only five members—six, counting Exia—the combinations of pairings were remarkably numerous.

The possibilities didn’t stop at two-person scenarios; there were occasionally three-person or even four-person groupings.

And yet, Gareum was often left out—an amusing touch.

Poor dwarf.

“At least there don’t seem to be any adult or same-gender romance materials. That’s a bit surprising, I suppose.”

“I respect others’ creative freedom, but it’s not my personal taste…”

“Really?”

That was a relief.

Ever since discovering her identity, Sion had been worried about her friend’s moral decline.

At least she hadn’t gone beyond the point of no return.

“Well, with this, the root of all evil is dealt with…”

After turning the three bookshelves into ashes, Sion turned around.

She walked toward Mana, who sat dejectedly, and looked down at her.

Feeling the shadow cast over her, Mana raised her head to look at Sion.

“What is it?”

“Hand it over.”

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb. Hand over the ones you hid separately.”

“…!”

Mana’s body visibly tensed at Sion’s words.

A faint smirk appeared on Sion’s lips.

“Did you think I’d believe those were all you had? Unfortunately for you, I’ve recently spent time with someone named Marianne and have learned a bit about your kind. Things like not putting all your eggs in one basket.

What was it again… collection for preservation, viewing, and proselytizing? Something like that. People like you are masters of diversification.”

Sion chuckled.

“In any case, if even a 15-year-old girl could fill twenty bookshelves, there’s no way your collection from the past 50 years would be so small. You must have stored some in a spatial warehouse for reading during outings.”

“…….”

“All of it. Bring it out. Every last one.”

Mana’s expression grew desperate as if she were about to cry. But only for a moment.

She quickly resigned herself, gesturing to open her spatial storage.

Countless books poured out, far more than what had just been burned—at least five times as many.

“Just as I thought. You planned to get away with this if I didn’t find them. You sly thing.”

Mana looked up at Sion with pleading eyes, silently begging for mercy.

Receiving her gaze, Sion gave a bright smile before—

Whoosh!

Without hesitation, she sent flames to engulf the towering pile of books, burning them all to ashes.

“A-ah… no…”

Mana hung her head in despair, letting out a sorrowful sigh as her last hope vanished.

Seeing this, Sion’s expression softened slightly. She approached Mana and gently patted her shoulder.

“Mana.”

“…”

“Hey, my friend. Are you listening?”

“Why?”

A tone laced with a mix of resentment and rejection.

Facing her, Sion slowly brought her face close to Mana’s ear and whispered quietly,

“Did you think you could get away with skimming off the top with invisibility magic? Hand it all over.”

“…!!”

Mana’s complexion turned pale in an instant.

Watching from the side, Exia muttered in a weary tone,

-“Crazy… You even noticed that in the middle of everything? That’s seriously impressive…”

“Observation is one of my specialties. The mere attempt to deceive me right in front of my eyes is audacious,”

Sion said with a snort, looking down at Mana with an expression that couldn’t possibly be more condescending.

Clutching Sion’s leg desperately, Mana begged in a frantic voice,

“Please, Sion… Not these. These are truly my most treasured possessions.”

“Do I care? Hand them over.”

“They’re out of print now, so there’s no way to get them again. So—”

“Hand. Them. Over.”

Sion smiled brightly.

“Should I knock you out and take them by force? Or should I proceed with burning the rest of the festival since you broke our agreement? The choice is yours. Choose wisely.”

“……”

In the end, Mana canceled her invisibility spell and handed over the books she had hidden away.

“Here… here they are…”

“Good.”

With a roar, the flames rekindled.

Unable to bear the sight, Mana hung her head in despair, looking utterly defeated.

Watching her, Exia whispered sympathetically,

-“You know… I hate to say this, but maybe you should’ve shown some leniency? She did help clean up your mess the other day…”

“Why should I? Allowing the festival to continue was already a favor. If it hadn’t been for Mana’s request, I would’ve destroyed it long ago—maybe by secretly planting bloodstone bombs in empty areas and setting them off.”

-“…Really?”

“Really.”

Exia clicked her tongue, marveling at Sion’s utterly tyrannical yet dazzling personality.

So much for maintaining the image of a hero—she’d been scheming like this all along.

“One last thing: let me make this clear again,”

Sion declared, glaring at the books reduced to ashes.

“I’m letting this slide for now, but never pull such a ridiculous stunt again. If you betray me again, there will be no mercy.

That day will mark the moment I turn against humanity itself. Consider yourself warned. I’d rather not have to reconsider our friendship. Got it?”

“…….”

“…Answer me.”

“…..Yes.”

Mana, her voice barely audible, murmured a response.

Sion snorted softly and formed a seal with her hands, casting a spell.

“Greater Teleport.”

In an instant, Sion and Exia vanished without a trace.

Left behind in the desert were only craters of destruction and Mana, crumpled and utterly defeated in the middle.

The crimson sunset cast a forlorn light over the fallen archmage.

How much time passed?

“…Are they gone?”

Suddenly, she lifted her head, scanning her surroundings.

Her long elven ears twitched like a rabbit’s.

Finally convinced that Sion had truly left, Mana stood up and reached out, casting a spell towards the ground.

“Move Earth.”

At her words, the sand parted left and right as if clearing a path.

Slowly, the granite bedrock beneath the dunes was revealed, and there—

“Good, they’re intact.”

Mana sighed in relief as she uncovered the books buried beneath the sand. It had been a close call.

Using the brief moment when Sion was calculating her next move, Mana had quickly hidden her most precious treasures by burying them in the sand.

She had known from the start that she was no match for Sion if she truly got serious, so she had taken precautions to safeguard her most valuable possessions.

Her other actions—hiding books in a pocket dimension, using invisibility to divert attention—were merely decoys to disguise this one critical move.

The plan was simple: lull Sion into a false sense of security by letting her believe she’d recovered everything.

The sacrifices made along the way were painful but acceptable.

Sometimes, one must lose a little to protect what matters most.

“Haha…”

Mana picked up one of the books and dusted off the sand. Its title, illuminated by the sunset, shimmered faintly.

How the Archmage Falls in Love.

Her most cherished treasure, one she would never allow to be taken.

Smiling, Mana planted a small kiss on the cover, where Sien’s face was illustrated, and declared softly,

“I win, silly Sien.”

Her laughter was as innocent as that of a child.