Finally, the day of the early graduation quarterfinals arrived. Normally, public admission wasn't allowed until the semifinals, but since this match was expected to be the most popular of the entire exam, the venue was changed to the largest central gymnasium, and public entry was permitted. It was the largest crowd to ever visit the academy for a match. In particular, there were over eighty official scouts dispatched from various guilds.

"God, why am I the one who's nervous?" Bora said, watching the situation on a monitor in the player waiting room. "Is it because this match is basically the final? There are so many people here!"

"I know right," I muttered in response.

"Hah, I never thought the two top contenders would meet in the quarterfinals. In the end, one of them is destined to postpone their graduation and stay at the academy."

"Looks like it."

"Of course, I'm sure you'll win, but…" She stopped talking and stared at my face. "Oh my, are you okay? You don't seem nervous."

Not wanting to worry her, I hadn't told her anything. "Just nervous," I replied with a reassuring smile.

Bora, who had been giggling like a prim lady, suddenly turned serious. "Come to think of it, I am a little worried."

"About what?"

"That you'll get too immersed again. As if you'll charge into death even when your mana suit gauge is at zero, or try to hurt your opponent by using lethal force."

"…Hey. What do you take me for? I'm not that bad."

"Who was it that got so immersed in a drama that they were sobbing their eyes out?"

Ah, that one was heartbreaking. "That's the proper way to watch a drama."

"It was just a medical TV show!"

"Do you have any idea what it's like to watch the disabled mother who raised the main character all by herself pack him a lunch for the first time?"

"…That's where you broke down?"

As we were easing the tension by talking about dramas, the announcement we were waiting for finally came.

"Mr. Kim Yusin, please come to the central gymnasium immediately."

"Let's go."

"Okay!"

* * *

"Raaaaaaaaaaah!"

The roar of the crowd was so loud I thought my ears would go deaf. The central gymnasium was comparable in size to a decent stadium, and it was hard to find an empty seat. From the opposite player entrance, Yeon was also entering.

'…Oho.'

As if to declare that she wouldn't be taken down so pathetically again, she was wearing a proper suit of armor. Her red hair fluttered over the pure white plate. A noble and overwhelming presence. Just her appearance alone inspired a sense of awe. I thought that someone who stood above the masses should have at least such an aura.

"Both contestants, step forward." From the quarterfinals onward, the match was officiated by a hunter-turned-faculty member, not just a regular facility staffer.

Yeon and I walked toward each other.

"We meet again," I said.

She returned the greeting with a slight nod.

"Looks like you prepared a lot. That shiny armor is no joke."

"There will be no more carelessness." Her eyes sparked as she looked at me. "I will defeat you with my full strength."

"Quite the spirit."

"…Let's see how long that composure lasts."

The staff member prompted us for a handshake, and we clasped hands. As soon as we did, Yeon turned her back and walked away.

"Alright, both contestants, please get ready."

'Shing.' She drew her sword. It was the same silver as her armor, but the moment she gripped it, a hazy red glow crept up the blade. Even I, who had no expertise in equipment, could tell it was a remarkably fine sword. As always, I had no special equipment. I wore a mana suit underneath and a protective vest borrowed from the academy over it.

"The official quarterfinal match between second-year Kim Yusin and first-year Hong Yeon will now begin!"

Amidst the roaring cheers, I sharpened my focus. The screen began the countdown.

3.

2.

1.

'BEEEEEEEEEEP!'

The moment the buzzer signaling the start of the match sounded, Yeon gripped her sword and charged. Just as she had declared, there was no waiting around for me to cast a high-level magic spell.

<Rapid Arrow>

In response, I countered with my specialty right from the start. Countless magic circles unfolded behind me, and soon, a storm of golden arrows was released, dyeing the sky yellow.

Yeon slowed her pace and faced the oncoming golden wave. One by one. Each time her red sword flashed, mana arrows fell to the floor.

'Ea, keep her pinned down like this. I'll assist with the formulas and prepare another spell.'

-Understood.

Ea began to cast the spell in earnest. It wasn't just a combination of remote and accelerated casting; she mixed in Copy Magical Position to fire five Rapid Arrow spells at once, unleashing a barrage of projectiles. My current Rapid Arrow proficiency was thirty percent. It was difficult to raise the proficiency of original magic, but the performance increase that came with it was significant. I could now load up to five Rapid Arrows into a single magic circle before firing. Rapid Arrow was evolving into a spell specialized for rapid fire.

Another barrage tore through the air.

And Ea, who shared my abilities, began to pour on the firepower. The best-case scenario I envisioned was for Yeon to take a hit or two as if caught in a light rain, breaking her tempo and allowing me to inflict significant damage, but…

'…She's inhuman.'

Yeon was lightly stepping, dodging or parrying every single attack. From what I could see, her concentration showed no signs of wavering. So far, not a single arrow had hit. After being pushed from side to side by the firepower of Rapid Arrow, she suddenly dashed forward and began to swing her sword.

'Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!'

In that short time, she had finished adapting to the attack pattern. Despite picking up speed and swinging her sword, not a single Rapid Arrow touched her body. It wasn't just that she was swinging her sword quickly. Every single step she took was like a divine move, and the angle of her arms, the position of her knees, the turn of her waist—everything was perfectly in sync to counter the attacks. It was to the point where it felt like Rapid Arrow was deliberately avoiding her.

'…She's so good it's mind-boggling.'

Her sword dance was utterly beautiful. Could one call that simply a human swinging a piece of metal? Each trajectory of the sword was a hair-raising series of fate and coincidence crafted by nature itself. Yeon was wielding a miracle.

-Initiating formula change for Rapid Arrow, Ea's voice echoed in my head. -Changing firing pattern. Switching from targeting vitals and body to targeting space. Re-firing after formula change.

The arrows flew again.

Ea responded by immediately changing the pattern. 'That's my Ea!'

It was a significant change. After taking a few hits to her thigh, Yeon stopped her advance again to focus on defense.

-Changing firing pattern.

-Changing firing pattern.

-Changing firing pattern.

Ea's voice grew urgent. She was constantly changing the pattern against an opponent who somehow managed to keep up, but Yeon's adaptability was formidable. Now, she was even predicting and countering the changing patterns to increase her own speed. Watching this, I clicked my tongue in frustration.

"Unable to penetrate even with pattern changes! The Rapid Arrow spell has been completely countered!" the announcer's voice boomed.

'I'm ready, just let her through.'

Even without needing Ea to stop, Yeon broke through Rapid Arrow with her own power. Leaping into the air to avoid an arrow aimed at her legs, she gathered her red mana and raised her sword vertically. In response, I lifted my finger and activated the magic circle I had laid on the floor.

<Earth Claymore>

The ground rumbled. It was a second-order earth-element magic she was seeing for the first time. Two earthen swords shot up rapidly from the floor, crossing in an X-shape in front of me to block her attack.

"Now!" The crossed Earth Claymores shot up at incredible speed, carrying her into the sky. And all around her in mid-air, Fire Cannon magic circles blazed, ready to spit out fireballs.

'Tch!' She couldn't dodge in the air. She tried to find a foothold on the swords to escape quickly, but I clenched my fist and twisted it to the side. The Earth Claymores dissolved into fine powder, and her foothold vanished. She was falling helplessly, and perfectly timed Fire Cannons were closing in from all sides.

'Got her.'

'KABOOOOOOOM!'

The fireballs exploded. A follow-up attack of fireballs rushed in, causing a secondary explosion. My gaze shifted to the gauge on the screen.

Kim Yusin <1,000/1,000>

Hong Yeon <940/1,000>

'Damn it! It barely did any—!'

-Tower Master!

A red flash sparked for an instant within the explosion, then pierced through the smoke and descended toward me.

A searing pain slashed across my shoulder.

Even with my Sage's Eye open and fully prepared, the crimson sword strike cut me deep.

"Ugh!"

She landed on the floor and immediately tried to spin for a follow-up attack, but by then, I had already leaped above her.

'What does he hope to accomplish with such a reckless dodge that leaves himself wide open?' she must have thought. As she raised her sword vertically, crimson mana coiled around the blade.

Just as she prepared a decisive blow for her descending opponent, a shield formed beneath my feet in mid-air. Stumbling precariously, I landed on the shield and took a couple of running steps before launching myself away by activating a Leap Boots magic circle. In the blink of an eye, I had created a significant distance between us.

'...You always manage to exceed my expectations.'

She lowered her sword and glared at me. Having landed on the ground, I panted for breath and wiped my mouth.

Kim Yusin <710/1,000>

Hong Yeon <960/1,000>

My health had dropped by nearly 300 from that last exchange.

"Very well," she said. "From now on, I won't be holding anything back."

A wave of energy pulsed outward. Mana began to rage around her like a whirlwind.

'Ea, get ready again.'

-Warning. It is projected that Rapid Arrow will no longer be effective against this opponent.

'Then use Guided Arrow this time.'

Just as Ea and I began to deploy the magic circle together—

"Ah!"

My mana began to drift toward Yeon.

'There it is.'

A human blessed by mana. A being cherished by the entire world. There was no other way to describe it. The mana of this city was swirling and gathering toward her. The mana I had control of was no exception.

The very formulas of the magic circles I had prepared were unraveling, the mana was being sucked away before it could take form. Some circles were torn apart entirely, ripped from the air like banners in a gale and pulled toward the vortex at the center of it all: Hong Yeon.

My entire combat style was built on a foundation of mana. Her mere presence was enough to annihilate the source of my power. This wasn't like the third-floor trial, where magic simply failed to work. This was worse. I couldn't even cast properly.

-Tower Master. The opponent does not appear to be controlling this intentionally. However, as it stands, the efficiency of your magic has plummeted.

I let out a hollow laugh and spoke to the girl approaching. "Are you trying to drain me completely dry?"

"That was not my intention," she replied, her voice low. "But I was told this is fatal to those who rely solely on their Unique Ability."

"Is that so? Well, you heard wrong."

The moment a flicker of confusion crossed her face, my lips twisted into a cruel grin. "I'm different."

'Rumble!'

All the mana within my body began to boil at once. Sensing the sudden shift, she raised her sword to charge.

<Spin Guide Arrow.>

At Ea's command, mana arrows spun with unpredictable trajectories, tangling Yeon's feet and pinning her in place.

"…You can still use techniques like this!"

While she swung her sword again to bat away the arrows, I left the battle to Ea and closed my eyes, beginning the process of total immersion. I took several deep, centering breaths, then snapped my eyes open.

The world was bathed in blue. This was the world as seen by the Master of the Magic Tower, wielder of the Sage's Eye—a world where the density of mana was rendered in shades of color. I immersed myself deeper and deeper.

The world of color and density began to fluctuate, cresting like ocean waves. Now, I could see the 'flow.' The current and trajectory of the mana became visible. The surging, roiling energy made it feel as if I were submerged in the depths of the sea, not standing on solid ground. In this state, I could read the mana's intent. And at the center of its current, the focal point of its desire, stood Hong Yeon. The mana wavelengths around her were impossibly complex and dense, as if the entire world revolved around her.

I bit my lip.

'Where are you all looking?'

I unleashed every ounce of mana within me, blasting it outward in every direction. It was a protest, a raw show of force.

'I am the Master of the Magic Tower on this planet. I am the one who can command you better than anyone else. Look at me.'

'Whoooosh!'

The explosion of my mana mixed with the atmosphere and dissipated. To an outside observer, it would have looked like a colossal waste of energy, but I could see the effect. Like the warping growth rings of an ancient tree, the currents and flow of the mana began to shift.

'Whoosh!'

Hong Yeon flinched. A vortex, identical to the one swirling around her, began to rage around my own body. It was so powerful that it began to pull streams of mana from her and drift toward me. She stared at me in shock.

I smiled. "This is how you do it, right?"

She was dumbstruck.

Impossible. This was a mana control technique that even she had yet to grasp. To replicate it through sheer force of will, without the aid of a Unique Ability, was beyond the realm of talent.

'Who in the world is this guy?'

"The real fight starts now."

As I spread my arms, countless magic circles bloomed into existence around me.

* * *

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