A Great? First Step (4)

As soon as the start was declared, I created an ice chunk on the spot and threw it at Mari. There’s a universal truth that applies everywhere: in a fight, the one who strikes first has the advantage. In short, it’s called “first hit, first win.”

“Ugh!”

Mari barely blocked them with a hastily created barrier while stepping back. But that’s not enough.

From my knowledge of the original story, I know that Mari lacks experience in one-on-one combat. It’s only natural. Mari is just a country girl who was living an ordinary life. She couldn’t have any experience fighting with magic. All she knows is to overwhelm opponents with her overwhelming output.

Compared to that, what about me? Although I haven’t been learning magic for long intentionally, I’ve been continuously training with my father’s help. Additionally, I’ve been gaining experience bit by bit through duels with my brother, who’s a current member of the Imperial Knights.

I can’t say I have abundant practical experience, even as an empty compliment. It was all just duels, and even those were for a short period. But still, if I were to lose to Mari here, that would be unacceptable in its own way.

Crackle!

Mari’s face darkened rapidly as she saw the electricity gathering in my hand following the ice. It’s worth mentioning again, but while ice is indeed my main attribute, I can use lightning just as easily if I put my mind to it.

“T-Then!”

I could see Mari closing her eyes tightly and gathering light magic power. If I get hit by that, even I wouldn’t come out unscathed. So I have no intention of leaving her be.

“Ouch?!”

When I released electricity that wasn’t too strong but just right to break concentration, the magic power Mari was gathering immediately dispersed.

For a magician, one of the most important things is concentration. A magician should never lose their cool under any circumstances, and even if emotions run high, they must calculate coolly on one side. As such, breaking concentration with external stimuli is the most basic method of dealing with magicians.

“Your concentration is weak.”

I throw out a slightly disdainful remark while naturally moving on to the next move. This time, not electricity but ice. Wouldn’t anyone be scared seeing a huge chunk of ice falling on them?

“Try catching this.”

Creating a total of six ice pillars and dropping them, I could see Mari’s eyes wavering from here. It’s a cruel thing to say, but the world of competition is cold. If this ends it, she wouldn’t be the protagonist anyway.

“Haaah!”

Crash!

With a shout, Mari’s magic power shattered the ice pillars. As expected, this much is necessary to be called a protagonist.

“Here I come!”

“Bring it on.”

Magic power gathers again with a shout. Even after what just happened, she’s planning to push through with firepower again? Then should I interfere the same way this time too?

‘No, let’s overwhelm her head-on here.’

While just interfering isn’t a bad method for a villainess, my goal here is to overwhelm with power. For that, not just dodging around, but crushing from the front is also a necessary process.

Of course, that’s not an easy task. Mari’s attack power was outstanding even in the original story, to the point where it would be faster to count from the top. This is based on the current point in time, by the way. Later on, she develops insane specs where she casually has firepower duels with demon lords.

‘But it’s not like there’s no way.’

While Mari’s attack power is certainly tremendous, it’s not completely impossible to break through head-on. Of course, ice, which I’m most compatible with, falls far short in terms of simple attack power. While it might be fine for defense, it’s an attribute that leaves much to be desired when used for offense.

Then what should step up here is my other attribute, lightning. Both in my previous life and here, lightning is a symbol of destruction and an attribute that produces strong attack power.

It’s an attribute that loses stability the more overwhelming firepower it tries to produce… but there’s no choice but to clash with the light attribute, which is cheating in itself.

Crackle!

Electricity sparks once again. But what gathers at my fingertips this time isn’t a small spark like before. It’s a bombardment made of electricity. If it’s simple firepower without thinking of the consequences, this is a magic I’m confident in. It’s also a magic I learned desperately despite the tricky formula, as there were a few similar techniques I saw in cartoons as a child.

Well done, past me!

Now Mari, who’s facing me, is no pushover either. She’s preparing the magic that blew away Professor Elaine’s scarecrow in the entrance exam. If I were to be hit by that without any defense, I’d probably disappear without a trace.

I expected that to come out. It’s essentially Mari’s main technique in the early stages, and readers jokingly called it the “holy bombardment.” Thinking that I have to break through that, I feel like everything’s going dark.

But I have to do it. If I don’t, it won’t work.

“Are you planning to blow away this whole place?”

Professor Elaine, seeing the two of us, threw out a remark that sounded like a reprimand. Oh, did we go too far? Is it right to stop here after all?

Both Mari and I are in the middle of drawing out our magic power at full force. If these two clash, it definitely won’t end nicely. We’re like preparing ultimate techniques in a manga right now. It might be right to stop here, as this isn’t some final battle.

“I’ll let it slide this time.”

But Professor Elaine instead closed her mouth again after making the barrier even more solid, as if saying “go ahead if you want to try.” Is she really telling us to go all out here?

I glanced sideways and met Mari’s eyes. She looked confused too. Is it really okay to shoot here? What if we shoot and then get scolded for going too far? Normal people would have these thoughts and find it hard to move easily. If someone acts without hesitation even after being given hints that they shouldn’t do something, wouldn’t they be quite brazen?

But I don’t care about such things. I’m a villainess anyway. I’ve already given up on others’ opinions.

“Where are you looking?”

While throwing out a taunt, I fired the electron cannon I had been charging.

“Ah!?”

When I fired without hesitation, Mari was momentarily flustered but soon seemed to instinctively realize what she had to do and fired the magic power she had prepared.

When the two magic blasts collided in mid-air, my vision was filled with light and I couldn’t hear anything. Mari seems to be saying something, but I’m not in a situation to hear any of that right now.

‘This is cheating!’

Now that I’ve directly clashed with it, I understand. Mari’s attack is cheating. There’s no cheating like this cheating. One hit would probably wipe out most magical beasts. To use an analogy, it’s like an overpowered attack that works from beginner stages all the way to the endgame.

But that doesn’t mean I can lose. If I lose here, I might be able to secure great plausibility as a villainess, but as I thought earlier, I can’t accept it.

‘I can’t lose!’

I swore to bear the name of Ariel Walpurgis. And while living in the mansion, I learned the minimum etiquette and dignity a duke’s daughter should have. Having decided to live with the Walpurgis name, I can’t lose. I must not lose.

And above all…

‘I don’t want to lose to a newbie, no matter what!’

I may not have proper combat experience either, but I’m not a complete novice. It’s like a battle between level 10 and level 1. I don’t particularly have any pride about starting earlier, but my self-esteem can’t accept losing.

Securing plausibility while also preserving self-esteem. I wonder if I’ve developed some strange stubbornness without realizing it, but thinking about living as a duke’s daughter from now on, this might be natural.

So, I have to win here!

“Aah!?”

With Mari’s scream, my electron cannon completely engulfed her.

“That’s enough.”

As Professor Elaine snapped her fingers, the barrier was lifted, and Mari collapsed on the spot. Although she was hit by my electron cannon at the end, thanks to the protective magic prepared by Professor Elaine, she was in perfect condition without a single scratch.

“I-I can’t move…”

“It doesn’t completely block everything. Rather, you need that level of impact to feel it.”

So she deliberately left some impact even though she could have eliminated it completely? Well, it would be strange in its own way if there was no sense of being hit at all.

It seems Professor Elaine is a professor specialized in defensive magic, as she showed during the exam. It’s said that she can create barriers ranging from simple shields to powerful ones that can protect the entire academy if she’s serious.

“I blocked some of the shock and converted it to fatigue, so you’ll feel better after resting a bit. Good work, both of you. It’s almost break time, so please rest comfortably until then.”

Ah, this isn’t the time. I should give a winner’s taunt here.

As I walked towards Mari, who was slumped down, her gaze turned to me again. Now, how should I speak here?

I could simply criticize, but that alone doesn’t quite cut it. Saying things like “You’re so weak” or “You’re pathetic” can be refuted since she fought almost evenly with me until just now. Then what should I do here?

I already know the answer. The answer is “fact violence.” People get most angry when hit with the truth. Here, just throwing out real facts should be enough to provoke anger. For example:

“When using magic, it’s better to concentrate more. Think through the magic you’re trying to use until the end.”

You can’t concentrate at all. Where are you putting your mind?

“When fighting, look straight at your opponent. Don’t let your gaze wander elsewhere.”

Where are you putting your eyes? Look properly. Whew, just need to finish up here, right?

“Good work. It was a good duel.”

A fake greeting following the fact violence. And even extending a hand. This is another technique that’s good at getting under people’s skin.

“Y-Yes. Thank you…”

As expected, her face is a bit red as if she’s angry, and seeing her bow her head and take my hand, it seems the strategy was successful.