For Sale. Fallen Lady. Never Used.

Chapter 251: That’s Not How You Do It… (4)

Iona leaned in close, her soft lips almost brushing my ear as she whispered,

“I’ll let you play vampire hunter tonight.”

“So I just have to knock everyone out?”

Thus, the sudden decision for a Yandel Raid.

The students of the Knight Department seemed dissatisfied for some reason, frowning or glaring at us. Their displeasure was quite apparent.

After all, the students of Class A had strong pride. It was only natural since they had been revered as geniuses since childhood.

But at the academy, where only the continent’s top talents gathered, pride in being a genius was equally pointless.

By the second semester, everyone would know… but it still felt insulting that nearly thirty people would gang up on me.

Usually, the friends from the Magic Department prepare for duels without complaint, casting shields and various support spells on themselves.

It’s fresh to see magicians, typically more egotistical, nodding in agreement with this.

Eventually, one of the Knight Department students raised his hand and began to protest to Professor Jason.

“Professor Jason!”

“What is it, Alberto?”

“This is too much!”

“Explain exactly what is too much.”

Jason scratched his head in annoyance as Alberto became even more heated.

“The opponent is clearly stronger than us; I get that. But it’s hard to accept that everyone here needs to intervene.”

“Do you realize you’re talking about Yandel, who has reached the level of an intermediate magician?”

“Of course. It’s not that we’re underestimating Yandel. It just seems like you’re underestimating us too much.”

“No. To me, it seems like you are indeed underestimating him. An intermediate magician could vie for a tower master position in smaller magic towers. He would be at least a gold-ranked adventurer, and many of our academy’s professors are at or beyond that level.”

Jason looked momentarily downcast as he picked hair from his hand, then continued.

“Alberto, do you really think all of you together could beat a professor-level opponent?”

“That’s…”

“Ah, yes. Maybe you could beat a Crafting Department professor.”

His tone was calm, without a trace of mockery, but it seemed to prick the pride of the Knight Department students.

Though they didn’t say it, some students tightly pursed their lips and glared this way.

Hm. They are quite spirited.

Alberto nodded solemnly in a lowered voice.

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“Understood. Then we will prove it ourselves.”

“Go ahead.”

Jason waved them off as if dismissing them. Alberto returned to his spot, nodding lightly at Jason as well.

Well, he’s not a bad guy. Just extremely prideful.

Though he appeared as a character in H&A, his polarizing personality, and delicate performance had led to a low hiring rate.

…Perhaps because some fervent fans stirred up trouble on strategy cafes, damaging his image.

I chuckled briefly, recalling the past, and then pulled out a staff from my inventory.

“Shall we start now?”

“Yep. Oh, do you need time to prepare? The other students have already cast their shields.”

“No, I’m fine as is.”

“Alright, alright!”

Iona lifted me up and quickly retreated to a position ideal for dueling.

She measured the distance and nodded satisfactorily, returning to her spot.

After a brief exchange with Jason, she placed both hands to her mouth and shouted loudly.

“From now on! Count to three, and we’ll start the duel.”

Saying this, Iona cast the safety spell, Blood Shift, on all the students, including me.

“One!”

As the count started, the previously disorganized students quickly aligned themselves.

The Knight Department students reluctantly drew their swords.

On the Magic Department side, faces resigned, and they gathered their magical power.

And I did nothing, simply watching the students in front of me.

“Two!”

Though there was no time for tactical discussion, it was natural for knights to be at the front and magicians at the rear.

Those armed stepped forward, while those in robes stepped back.

I still only watched.

This wasn’t about willingly losing, nor was it a mistake born from arrogance.

Considering the prize at stake in this duel, losing was not an option.

The mere ease I exhibited was due to the gap between myself and them.

“Three!”

As soon as Iona finished the count, the Knight Department students swiftly closed the distance.

I nodded lightly to Carla and Elisha, waving from the corner of the arena, and lifted my staff.

“Shield.”

A translucent barrier enveloped my body. The weapons of the Knight Department students arrived shortly after, slashing and stabbing at the shield.

Crack! Clank! Crunch!

A sword bent in a strange trajectory, a spear thrust targeting a single point, a fist rolling in a true angle, a massive hammer slamming down with immense weight.

Yet none could penetrate my shield.

It was to be expected. The protective magic was designed to counter attacks from equals.

Aura Runner… that is, attacks from those who have just begun to strengthen themselves with aura, equivalent to low-level magicians, could be blocked with a hastily cast shield.

The various magics flying in from afar would also be easily countered.

It seemed like the first time fighting together was a bit uncoordinated. If this continued, the effects of the magic might impact the Knight Department students as well.

As they realized the immobility of my shield, and noticed the incoming magic, the swordsmen hastily retreated.

As they widened their distance, a barrage of magic rained down from above my head.

Boom! Roar! Crack!

A loud noise.

Flames and lightning exploded in front of me. Huge rocks shattered, water lost its force and trickled down, and the wind merely swirled around aimlessly.

As expected, the shield wasn’t pierced by such attacks, though it had developed some minor cracks.

If it received a few more focused attacks like this, it would eventually break. However, this gave me time to prepare my magic.

A pitch-black fog obscured the view. Through it, I could hear Alberto, who had been protesting to Professor Jason just moments ago.

“Did I get them…?”

No, that line here? Given the circumstances, I must respond with a dazzling display of magic.

I canceled the spell I was about to cast and started forming a new image.

“Ember, I breathe life into you as a breath. This is both a birth and an end for many.”

My core pulsed wildly, boosting a massive amount of mana.

“Rise from the darkness. Ascend from the ashes.”

A sphere of bright flame flickered through the black smoke.

The Knight Department students, sensing something ominous, tried to rush in before the smoke cleared… but it was already too late.

The spell was nearly complete, with only the last line left.

“Awake, Fire Phoenix.”

The visible flame split to the sides. A fierce, hot wind swept through the gap.

Whoosh!

The smoke was blown far away by the wind.

In its place stood a giant phoenix, burning like the sun.

“Wh-what is this…? How…?”

Alberto stopped in his tracks, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.

With a majestic posture that seemed to set the sky aflame, merely existing, heated the ground intensely.

And above all, the eyes blazed with a clear hostility.

The intense pressure made it difficult for everyone involved in the duel to even breathe.

Even the professors, Iona and Jason, were startled, staring blankly in our direction.

The only calm ones were Carla and Elisha, who saw this magic yesterday.

But the Fire Phoenix they saw yesterday, and the one now were likely different spells.

I’d been contemplating how to use this impressive but power-wise ambiguous spell.

The greatest strength of the Fire Phoenix was its sustainability and maneuverability. The only way to make full use of it was to maintain the Phoenix while fighting my own battle. Eventually, it would be modified into an autonomous spell.

Of course, it wasn’t easy. I’d only thought about it in my head, never confirming whether it was actually feasible.

So, I was testing it now.

“Haa.”

After taking a light breath, I launched the Fire Phoenix at the bewildered Knight Department students.

“Go!”

The Phoenix, engulfed in flames, charged forward rapidly.

From its fiercely flapping wings, a stifling hot wind and burning feathers were shot towards the ground.

While the core spell was just intermediate magic, the derived attacks were, at most, the strength of a slightly powerful low-level magic.

But the actual power aside, the sight was quite majestic.

Enough to make some students turn their backs, overwhelmed by the spectacle.

“Run!”

“Such magic… I’ve never heard of it!”

“Is it really necessary to go this far in a duel?!”

Of course!

It’s one of the few chances I get to trouble Iona on my side; how could I hold back?!

I’ll smash through with full force!