Chapter 24 : Half – Assignment Battle – 4

Leonhardt, the top student at the academy, and Luen, who received a letter of recommendation from Ophelia, are set to duel on the very first day…!

As I had expected, the rumors spread far and wide.

Looking indifferently at the cadets filling the academy’s dueling grounds, I let out a calm breath.

“Are you nervous?”

‘Of course not.’

There was no way I would be.

Steadying my breathing, I focused on the opponent before me.

…Leonhardt.

The cadet who overwhelmingly secured the top spot at the academy with his sword.

A kind nature, overwhelming skill, and a humble attitude that kept him from arrogance—he was the perfect role model.

Naturally, he was already surrounded by many friends.

Or perhaps it would be more accurate to call them followers.

The clearest proof of this was the deafening cheers erupting from the gathered cadets.

“Leonhardt…!! Do your best…!!!”

“Leon!! Win this!!”

And it wasn’t just the female cadets.

Even the male cadets were cheering for him.

Even if there were some who envied the fact that I had received Ophelia’s recommendation, that wasn’t the issue here.

It was simply that the number of people who genuinely liked Leonhardt was overwhelming.

“Hello.”

“Yeah.”

I gave a small nod in response to Leonhardt’s greeting, then exhaled deeply once more.

The protagonist.

If there were such a thing as a protagonist, surely it would be someone like him.

But it didn’t matter to me whether or not Leonhardt was the protagonist of this world.

I met his brown eyes head-on and spoke.

“I’m sorry.”

Because today, the protagonist is going to lose.

Leonhardt blinked in surprise, tilting his head as if he didn’t understand my apology.

From his perspective, it made sense—he probably didn’t even consider the possibility of losing.

But then again, neither did I.

I won’t lose.

No—more than that.

I will win, overwhelmingly.

As Leonhardt met my determined gaze, he seemed to finally understand why I had apologized.

With a smile that hinted at excitement, he calmly drew his sword.

…Interesting.

Just facing him, I could immediately tell.

This wasn’t just any ordinary cadet—no, even compared to knights, his presence was formidable. T

here were knights of Kalbrandt who would be outmatched by this boy.

But that didn’t make me anxious.

Just how strong am I right now?

Could I truly overpower the cadet standing before me?

The thought was almost amusing.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

The moment Leonhardt gripped his sword, the atmosphere shifted.

He felt like a single, sharpened blade.

Before I knew it, I was smiling as well.

It was true—his presence was on par with knights.

But my goal was different from his.

I am here to reclaim Kalbrandt.

So if I wasn’t strong enough to defeat even a mere knight here—then I had no right to dream of revenge.

“…Of course.”

With a brief response to Leonhardt’s words, I slowly began to summon the spirits slumbering within me.

As I said, I had no intention of barely scraping by with a win.

Nor did I plan to put up an evenly matched fight.

“I’ll show you.”

I was going to defeat him—overwhelmingly.

It’s true that spirits inherently overpower magic in terms of affinity.

This was already proven during my experiments with Ophelia.

Whether it’s fire, water, or any other elemental attack, spirits always dominate magic.

Even Ophelia admitted that unless she used non-elemental magic, facing me would be difficult.

However, the sword is different.

The debate over whether swordsmanship or magic is superior would never end, even after years of argument.

But at least in one-on-one combat, in direct confrontations—swords inevitably hold the advantage over magic.

That is, assuming both fighters are on a similar level and neither has reached the realm of a Grand Mage or a Swordmaster.

When a mage fights a knight, they must constantly maintain distance, avoiding the knight’s striking range.

But that is easier said than done.

It’s not just about keeping a distance; the mage must track the knight’s movements while also throwing in attacks to keep them in check.

Meanwhile, the knight only needs to focus on charging forward.

That’s why, in direct combat, mages are generally at a disadvantage against knights.

So, in hindsight, it was only natural that Elicia lost to Leonhardt.

Then, what about the relationship between spirit arts and knights?

Truthfully, even I don’t know for certain.

I’ve never fought against a knight of equal skill.

But still—

I am certain.

A deep, resonating hum fills the air.

I will absolutely, overwhelmingly defeat Leonhardt.

When discussing the effectiveness of different combat styles, the most crucial factor is whether the fighters are of equal skill.

For example, to determine whether spirit arts or knights are stronger, Leonhardt and I would need to be at the same level.

But that assumption is meaningless.

I already know that Leonhardt possesses immense talent.

Reaching that level at his age requires not just relentless effort but also extraordinary natural ability.

That’s why he can easily overpower other mages of his age group.

I watch, expressionless, as Leonhardt calmly gathers his mana.

He exhales deeply, ready to give his all against me.

Even though I am Luen Phil Kalbrandt—the one called “the lowest-ranked in mana sensitivity.”

It was admirable. A truly respectable mindset.

I found myself smiling slightly as I focused my thoughts.

[The duel between Cadet Leonhardt den Ririse and Cadet Luen Phil Kalbrandt will now commence…!]

The judge’s voice echoes across the dueling ground.

At those words, Leonhardt grins sharply and kicks off the ground.

It seems he assumes I’m a mage and doesn’t want to give me any time or distance.

Impressive.

Since mages need time to gather mana and chant their spells, knights are taught to rush in and give them no chance to prepare.

I simply watch his approach.

I do nothing.

I don’t gather mana.

I don’t chant.

Leonhardt’s expression tightens.

And still—I only watch.

Bam!!

He pushes off the ground with even more force, now believing I’m mocking him.

Unfortunately for him, he’s absolutely right.

I am looking down on him.

Because I am certain—he will never be able to reach me.

Leonhardt…

“Let’s go, guys.”

My quiet murmur reverberates across the dueling ground.

A heavy silence follows.

Some doubt my judgment.

Others are entranced by Leonhardt’s skill.

But none speak.

They only watch.

In Ophelia’s name.

In Kalbrandt’s name.

In the name of Luen, myself.

I stake everything I have.

Because I am certain—

Leonhardt will never be able to defeat me.

“Wha—?!”

The ground trembles.

Even though the Academy’s dueling grounds are enchanted so that the terrain cannot be altered, the ground trembles.

That’s because a high-ranking spirit can effortlessly ignore such magic.

Leonhardt, who was about to push off the ground again, staggers and lets out a faint gasp.

Fwoosh…!

Flames ignite at my fingertips.

They grow larger and larger, swelling as if they intend to consume everything around them.

In the briefest of moments—less than a second—while Leonhardt’s movement falters, the flames take shape.

“Flamekin.”

[GRAAAH—!!]

A massive, god-like entity made of fire responds to my call.

Even as Leonhardt kicks off the ground again, he stares blankly at the towering figure beside me.

“What… is that…?”

A voice murmurs in astonishment, the words ringing clearly in my ears.

I let it pass, barely acknowledging it, and extend my hand forward.

“Crush him.”

[GRAAH!!]

Flamekin’s enormous hand reaches out.

A fist, larger than a human, hurtles toward Leonhardt.

Leonhardt bites his lower lip hard and raises his sword.

It seems he intends to cut through Flamekin’s fist.

But that is a mistake.

BOOM—!!

Because Flamekin’s fire… never goes out.

The flaming fist slams into Leonhardt with devastating force.

Even though he timed his sword swing perfectly, his blade sliced through nothing but air.

Leonhardt, struck full force by Flamekin’s punch, crashes into the ground, leaving a deep impact.

And with that—

It was over.

The dueling grounds remain silent.

Leonhardt lost consciousness the moment Flamekin’s punch landed.

I simply watched, indifferent.

Was Leonhardt weak?

No, that wasn’t it.

His judgment, his movements, even the way he swung his sword—everything was beyond the level of an ordinary cadet.

However—

I was simply too strong.

My talent was just too overwhelming.

“Good work.”

[GRAAH! It was nothing!]

I praise Flamekin, who still stares at Leonhardt with fiery eyes, and turn my back on the scene.

And at that moment—

[T-The winner…! Luen Phil Kalbrandt!!]

The announcement of my victory echoes through the arena.