episode_0211

In the Academy’s evaluation matches, the distance at which the contestants start varies depending on the discipline, as each discipline has its own optimal distance for an advantage.

For the combat department, it’s 5 meters; for the swordsmanship department, it’s 7 meters; and for the spear-fighting department, it’s 8 meters.

Furthermore, the archery and magic departments start at a distance exceeding double digits, with 20 meters for archery and 30 meters for magic being the standard starting distances.

This distance allocation seemed particularly unfair to me personally. While my magical skills were not lacking, my combat style was never solely reliant on magic.

Of course, lodging a complaint wouldn’t prompt the Academy to change the rules just for me, so I had no choice but to find a way to adapt to the situation, unfair as it may be.

The strategy I employed for the evaluation match against Agnes this time was to close the distance in a magical duel and render her unable to counter with magic. That was my approach for the evaluation match against Agnes.

-Splat!

Dodging Agnes’s flames once more, I managed to narrow the distance between us by a few more meters.

To an outsider, it might have seemed like I was desperately avoiding Agnes’s magic attacks without launching any effective counterattacks. It didn’t matter if they misunderstood the situation.

My goal was not to engage in a one-on-one magical battle with Agnes from the start but to gradually transition the fight into close combat.

The official title of the final evaluation match between Agnes and me was ‘Evaluation Match for the Magic Department,’ not ‘Pure Magic Duel.’ There was no reason to limit ourselves to using only magic in a magical battle.

If the issue was fighting with something other than magic, I would have been criticized since last year’s evaluation match with Luke when I used a dagger.

My aim was singular: to close the distance somehow, bring the fight with Agnes to close combat, shatter her vision shield with my magic, and finish her off with a dagger.

…It was a bit unsettling to think about thrusting a dagger into her small body, but the death prevention magic cast during the Academy’s evaluation matches served as a reminder not to hold back.

Above all, if I didn’t demonstrate this level of determination, I wouldn’t be able to showcase a strained relationship with Agnes to the public. Of course, our actual relationship was not strained; it was all just an act.

“Burn! Explode! Let all the flames consume that cursed wench endlessly in flames!!”

…It’s all just part of the act, right?

Dodging Agnes’s fireballs while changing incantations, I took a step forward.

While Lillis had a decent physique, it was only good for a magic department; she couldn’t dodge all the fireballs pouring down on her with just her physical abilities.

-Clang!

Even while moving forward, I continued to memorize the vision shield spell without a moment’s rest, using it to defend against the fireballs that were impossible to dodge.

“It’s dangerous, Lillis.”

For the fireballs that couldn’t be blocked, Sey naturally redirected their path with a wind spell. Instead of pushing the fireballs away with a wind spell, Sey used wind magic to push my body, allowing me to dodge the fireballs.

Typically, when wind magic and fire magic intersected, the amplification of the fire magic would only grow stronger. Taking that into account, Sey made sure that the wind didn’t touch the fireballs at all, using the wind magic solely on my body. While Sey usually appeared calm and lethargic, showing a slightly careless side, in this aspect, Sey was undoubtedly an intermediate-level spirit.

-Splat!

So, after somehow breaking through Agnes’s fireball baptism and narrowing the distance between us, there was barely even 10 meters left between me and her.

When it came to finishing things off without magic, using a throwing dagger would have been enough to reach Agnes, but I didn’t take that gamble.

If I tried something reckless, my dagger would probably get blocked by the vision shield surrounding Agnes’s body, and I would end up missing a valuable opportunity to attack.

I had to somehow destroy the vision shield and deliver a finishing blow with the dagger, both in the same moment. And if possible, on the first try.

“Flaming inferno! Agonizing scream!”

-Whoosh!

With Agnes’s next spell, a blazing fire erupted from the ground and engulfed me, a 4th circle magic known as ‘Flame Fortress.’

“She’s already at 4th circle magic. Feeling a bit inadequate, really.”

Just to note, aside from Mana Blast, the most powerful attack magic I could use was Energy Bolt, a 2nd circle magic. In contrast, Agnes had been using Rapid Fireball, a 3rd circle magic, since the start of the battle.

It was only the middle of my second year, and Agnes was already throwing around 3rd and 4th circle magic like it was nothing. I’ll save my envy for later; right now, I had to find a way to escape the wall of heat surrounding me. If I stayed like this, the flames surrounding me would slowly roast me alive.

“I’ll burn you, Lilith! Your chubby chest and everything from head to toe!”

…She’s not really angry, right?

With a curse that felt oddly sincere, Agnes surrounded me with a wall of flames.

The flames approaching the center weren’t moving particularly fast, but escaping the meticulous Flame Fortress was currently impossible. The height and thickness of the flames shooting from the ground to the sky were enough to be called a ‘fortress.’

To avoid becoming a charred mess, I had to find a way to escape before Agnes’s flames closed in on me. Or maybe, I should just end it right here.

“Misty fog, and faint light!”

As Agnes’s Flame Fortress began to encircle me, I quickly used Hazy Light on her. Even if she could block her surroundings with a vision shield, she probably couldn’t block a simple spell like Hazy Light that only obscured vision.

Of course, this alone wasn’t enough to stop Agnes’s Flame Fortress. In reality, the wall of fire she created was steadily closing in on me.

But blocking her vision was enough. Since right now, all that mattered to me was obstructing Agnes’s line of sight.

With Agnes’s gaze blocked, I shouted a spell that would help bring this fight to a close with a loud voice. It was the ultimate move of the mage Lilith, Mana Blast.

“Oh, magical power! Answer my call!”

Assuming I could complete Mana Blast within this Flame Fortress and shoot it at Agnes, it would definitely be powerful enough to finish the job.

It would likely shatter the vision shield protecting Agnes and, on top of that, be enough to force Agnes herself to retreat.

Even if her vision was somewhat obscured by Hazy Light, as long as Agnes’s position remained the same, my Mana Blast was an unmissable finishing move.

“Oh, vision! Condensed mana bomb!”

The flames of Agnes’ Fire Fortress were slowly enveloping me, but it seemed likely that my Mana Blast would be completed first. Agnes seemed to have enveloped the flames generously considering my physical abilities.

Using Mana Blast would leave me vulnerable, so it was a magic I wouldn’t use unless the conditions were right. However, now it seemed like the most efficient situation to use Mana Blast.

Anyway, Agnes’ Fire Fortress was also a channeling magic. Even Agnes couldn’t restrain me with another magic while focusing on a 4th circle magic.

In other words, if my Mana Blast was completed like this, the evaluation match would be my victory. And the Agnes I knew would never accept such a ridiculous defeat.

– Physis….

“B-Burn it all!”

Agnes, who judged that this couldn’t go on, cut off the Fire Fortress and desperately launched a fireball towards me, choosing a substantial victory over a flashy finish.

Since I was already using Mana Blast, I judged that I could end it with a 1st circle magic.

…And Agnes’ final decision was her downfall.

Because I never intended to end it with Mana Blast from the beginning.

– Taaah!

“….”

Dodging the fireball that flew towards me with a jump, I quickly leaped into the hazy mist surrounding Agnes, preparing a dagger in my right hand for the finishing blow and a spell in my left hand to break her Vision Shield.

Mana Blast? I never bothered to memorize such an inefficient magic spell from the start. I only pretended to memorize incantations and never wasted a drop of magic power on Mana Blast. Using Mana Blast in a one-on-one battle was akin to suicide.

In Luke’s case, he used Mana Chains to bind Agnes and fed her Mana Blast when her only means of attack was close combat. If a fellow mage like Agnes used a haughty magic like Mana Blast, she would be counterattacked just like now.

Using the hazy mist on Agnes before using Mana Blast was just to make her believe that I was using Mana Blast. The finishing blow with the dagger I originally planned was the most certain way.

“Say!”

“Yeah, I got it.”

At my call, Say used wind magic to blow away the hazy mist surrounding me and Agnes.

The appearance of the red twin-tailed mage in that mist finally entered my eyes, and I rushed towards her unprotected body with all my might.

– Clang!

“….Ah!”

Surprised by the sound of her Vision Shield shattering, I turned towards her, but my dagger in my right hand flew straight towards her heart.

And without any obstacles, my short dagger plunged between Agnes’ chest, accurately piercing her heart.

– Shwoosh!

“…Ugh!”

“…I don’t hold any ill will towards you, Agnes.”

…I blurted out words that weren’t excuses or apologies, perhaps feeling guilty at the sound of Agnes’ suffering voice.

“I-I…?”

“I would like to concede victory considering Agnes’ situation…but still, a win is a win.”

“…I had ill will towards you.”

“…What?”

– Thud.

For a moment, I was taken aback, not knowing what Agnes was saying. In that moment of confusion, her staff, which had been hovering in her hand until the very end, pierced through my chest, while Agnes, even as her heart was being pierced by a dagger, quietly uttered her final incantation.

“Flame…Explo, go….”

“…Ah.”

Just after Agnes finished reciting her final spell, the flames unleashed from the tip of her staff engulfed her body.

…That day, during the first evaluation match of the Academy’s Magic Department, two instances of life-saving magic were activated.