Match
Aifie is standing on a cylindrical platform at the edge of the arena.
There is a considerable difference in height between the arena on the first floor and the audience seats on the second floor, and Aifie, who stands on the platform, is located at a height between them.
Standing on a platform on the other side of the arena is Eul, a student from the Empire.
At the base of the stand on which the girls stand, there is a doll each.
"I'm sorry, Aifietouka-dono. It's a sudden request, and if it's inconvenient for you, I don't mind if you refuse."
"No, I'm not really concerned about it..."
While saying that, Aifie looked a little dissatisfied and turned her gaze towards the figure standing in the audience seats on the second floor.
Ahead of Aifie's gaze is her childhood friend, Tigaro, who is part of the infamous Noros family.
When Tigaro noticed that Aifie was looking at him, he smiled as usual and waved lightly at Aifie.
That faint smile strangely touched Aifie's heart.
"I just don't like the way he's observing me."
She whispers in disgust.
Eul also turned to look at where Aifie was looking.
"Is he from the Noros family from earlier? ...Still, it's surprising."
"...? What is?"
"No, I heard that although the Noros family is one of the three major nobles in the kingdom, they are shunned by nobles throughout the kingdom."
What Eul is feeling in her hand is a stick-shaped magic tool approved by the kingdom.
It seems to be made of wood that easily absorbs mana, and it looks just like a cane.
When Eul lightly applied mana, the mana passed through the magic tool easily.
Magic tools basically have the role of temporarily accumulating mana and assisting in magic activation, and depending on their quality, even the ability of the user can be affected.
"However, Aifietoka-dono's attitude toward him is more friendly than hostile."
"...Even if they are treacherous, to me the people of the kingdom are the people to protect."
"Hahaha. That's noble and precious patriotism."
---
Tigaro, who was resting his weight on the railing of the audience seats, opened his mouth without looking at the figure behind him.
"Kenna. You came."
"Yes. I could smell Tigaro-sama's scent, even though there were so many people gathered."
What appeared from behind Tigaro was Kenna, Tigaro's personal maid and slave.
Kenna usually serves Tigaro in a maid uniform, but now she wears a uniform as a student at the school.
Listening to Kenna's story, it seems that she also arrived here after finishing a lecture in the academy's commoner school building and heading to the aristocratic school building to pick up Tigaro.
Tigaro asked his maid while looking at the two beautiful women talking to each other on the platform at the opposite end of the arena.
"Who do you think will win?"
"I can’t judge the strength of the Empire member yet, but I can’t imagine Aifietouka-sama losing, so I guess Aifietouka-sama will win."
Tigaro also agreed with Kenna's prediction.
Putting aside Aifie when she was a child in the past, Aifie now is one of the best mages in the kingdom, which is a magic powerhouse.
How far will the Empire's foreign students be able to fight against her?
In the arena in front of Tigaro's line of sight, the battle was about to begin.
A member of the Fonedao family who was acting as a guide came forward and raised his voice so that Aifie and Eul, who were standing on the stand, could hear.
"The match will be an exercise based on the kingdom-style pseudo-human magic duel, and direct magic attacks on the opponent are prohibited. The first person to damage the doll at the foot of the opponent's stand wins. Are you both ready?"
"I'm ready."
"I'm ready anytime too."
The Fonedao family guide nodded after confirming their agreement, then raised his hand and quickly waved it down.
"Then... let's start!!"
Aifie spins the magic tool and points it at Eul.
Although it doesn't seem like it's releasing any magic yet, her eyes are looking straight at Eul.
"It's a royal-style duel. I'll give you the first move."
Rules that are advantageous to her who is used to the kingdom style are not fair.
Aifie understood this and gave the first move to Eul, an exchange student from the Asurora Empire.
"Then, I'll start right away. ――[Gorgeous Flame Bullet]."
When Eul chants, a ball of flame appears in her hand making a loud noise.
The flickering flame was no small spark, and was larger than a human torso.
If it hits a person's skin, it will probably cause a burn, but it will definitely swallow the person's entire body.
Eul swung her arms and fired fire magic at the doll on Aifie's side.
Aifie captures that magic with both eyes.
"[Water Barrier]"
When Aifie muttered, water suddenly gushed out from the dry arena floor.
It is water attribute magic that the Asur family is good at.
The water suddenly forms a wall, standing in front of the fireball.
The fireball hit the wall of water Aifie had summoned, making a sizzling sound and disappearing in an instant.
"[Flame Spear Bullet]"
Not particularly surprised that her own attack was blocked, Eul's next magic was a flame shaped like a spear.
Not only is its shape specialized for point firepower, but its volume alone is twice that of the previous ball of fire.
Eul wielded her magic tool and once again fired the flaming spear at Aifie's doll.
What it attacked was the wall of water that Aifie had left out.
A large amount of steam rises from the area touched by the flaming spear, but she can't see the wall of water itself collapsing.
"Hmm, that's tough."
"Next, it’s my turn."
Aifie pointed the magic tool in her hand at the other doll.
"[Wind Ball]"
"[Flame Barrier]"
At the same time as Aifie chanted, Eul also muttered.
Aifie's wind magic shot out at high speed and was eaten by the rampaging wall of flame.
A ball of wind and a wall of flame.
The two magics collided, and a large wall of flame fanned by the wind erupted.
In Eul's eyes, on the other side of the flames scattering in front of her, she saw the figure of Aifie flying up into the sky.
"[Flaming Ball]!!"
Eul quickly chanted.
She shot a ball of flame into the mass of wind that suddenly shot out from the other side of the scattered sparks.
The two magics collided in a position closer to Eul's doll than before, perhaps because the blinding and sudden attack from a high position threw her off track and delayed her reaction.
Their magic cancels each other out, and only the sparks scatter beneath the arena.
Eul responded to the angled magic attack, looked at Aifie who was still floating, and opened her mouth in admiration.
"I see, the kingdom's Wind Holy Knights fly in the sky, that's right."
"I haven't joined the order yet! [Water Ball]!!"
A number of water balls created by Aifie attack the doll at the platform where Eul is standing.
"――[Earth Barrier]"
Eul, who seemed calm, poked the floor with her magic tool.
The floor in front of the doll on Eul's side makes a sound and swells.
The improvised earthen wall absorbed the balls of water and crumbled to pieces, but it was able to withstand all of it.
Aifie's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the earth attribute magic that followed.
"You, maybe..."
"Aifietouka-dono. You're not the only one who can use two types of attribute magic."
No wonder Aifie is surprised.
Basically, it is difficult to use multiple types of attribute magic that have properties such as fire and water.
At least, this was the first time Aifie had seen someone other than herself who could use multiple attribute magic.
This is because, in the first place, when it comes to magic, the type of magic you can use is mostly determined by your innate talent.
Of course, it takes some effort to become able to use it, but whether you have the talent for it or not is entirely a matter of luck.
Aifie inherited the blood of both the Asur family, who are good at water attribute magic, and the Fonedao family, who are good at wind attribute magic, and is able to use it because of her talent.
However, even in the magic kingdom of Shirsodi, there are only a few people like Aifie who can use multiple attribute magic.
It is such a rare talent.
And just like Aifie, Eul, a foreign student from the empire who possesses unique talent, has the potential to rival Aifie.
It means that she has the power to come to the continent's most magic nation to learn magic.
"[Earthball Wall]"
Eul poked the floor of the stand again with her magic tool and once again put a wall of earth around the doll.
Unlike the simple wall from earlier, it seems to have a hemispherical shape, allowing it to block attacks from multiple directions.
"[Flaming Ball]"
Furthermore, Eul dropped a ball of flame towards the earthen wall she had put up.
Aifie frowned at that action.
Even though there is a hemispherical wall of earth, the target of the magic is an attack on her own doll.
In other words, it can be seen as an act of suicide.
Aifie suspected that it was a signal to surrender.
However, judging by the fighting spirit that dwelled in Eul's eyes, it seems that this was not her intention.
Aifie looks back at the earthen wall after the flames have died out.
The earthen wall was not only still intact, but had undergone some surprising changes.
The hardened surface appears to be stronger than a plain clay wall.
Eul's decision to drop flames onto her mud wall was not just an act of suicide, but a strategy to improve the wall's defenses.
I see, Aifie thought, as expected from the empire that excels in strategy.
"You can do that, too."
"I can't compete with the kingdom in terms of elegance, but the empire's way is to win even if it's muddy. Please don't feel bad about it."
"Hmph, that's fine. I don't hate it, that's what it is!!"
Aifie dances in the air, emitting magic as she flies around.
Normally, the defense would be unable to respond to attacks from multiple directions and would collapse, but the hemispherical earthen wall showed no signs of collapsing.
Still, Aifie uses the large amount of mana within her to cast water and wind attribute magic over and over again, searching for a fragile-looking hole in the hemispherical wall.
However, no particularly fragile spots were found.
Eul seemed to have built a wall with no gaps or unevenness.
It must have been quite difficult to create a spherical earthen wall with the same thickness and no gaps, and to burn it evenly with a swaying flame, but Aifie was amazed at Eul's ability to pull it off.
"[Gorgeous Flame Ball]!!"
"[Heavy Water Ball]!!"
While quickly intercepting the magic emitted by Eul, Aifie thinks of a way to break through that earthen wall.
"This is troubling. If it's a pure magic shootout, I guess I'm at a disadvantage."
Eul, whose magic has been shot down so easily since a while ago, muttered.
It seemed like she too was having trouble attacking Aifie's enormous amount of mana and accurate magic techniques.
It would be difficult for water attribute magic to penetrate the earthen wall whose surface was hardened.
However, she doesn't think wind attribute magic can pass through a thickly solidified wall.
Even if she used magic to fly around in the air and attack from multiple directions, everything would be blocked by the hemisphere's walls.
If she can't conquer it with delicate techniques and strategies, there's only one thing Aifie can do.
Concentrate on one point with the high firepower magic she has.
"[Water Spear Bullet]!! [Wind Storm]!!"
Creating a mass of water shaped like a spear, and using the wind to rotate its tip.
Seeing this, Eul seems to have been alarmed, as she wields the magic tool and chants.
"[Flame Spear Bullet]!!"
What was created again was a flaming spear.
This magic has been shot down by Aifie several times, but from the serious look on Eul's face, it can be seen that this is the magic with the greatest firepower.
Aifie swung her arms, not caring that Eul tried to intercept her with a flaming spear.
"Eat this!!"
The spear of water flies towards the earthen wall protecting the doll.
The sound of its rotating tip cutting through the wind echoed throughout the arena.
Naturally, Eul tried to offset it with the flaming spear she created, but the flaming spear that touched the tip of the spinning water spear instantly disappeared.
The spear of water collided with the earthen wall, scraping its surface.
"Kuh!!"
Eul pierced the floor with the magic tool she was holding and charged the earthen wall with mana.
Although this increases the strength of the earthen wall, the spear of water continues to plow through it without stopping its tip.
By the time the mana contained in the water spear ran out and the magic disappeared, the earthen wall was cornered to its thin layer.
"...But, I endured."
If she released this much magic, even if she was one of the kingdom's most powerful mages, she would definitely run out of mana.
Eul was convinced of this and looked up.
In the air above her, Aifie was riding a stick-shaped magic tool, holding it like a bow.
Although her forehead is sweaty from using magic so many times, there is a strong fighting spirit in her eyes.
"[Gale Arrow]!!"
As Aifie screamed, an arrow with a clear outline appeared in her hand.
Most of the time with wind magic, the mana changes color by letting the mana out into the air.
However, magic that is so imbued with mana and visualized to the point where the contours of the magic can be discerned is extremely difficult to handle.
The very act of using that arrow-shaped magic proved Aifie's high level of skill.
"What, how much mana do you still have――"
"Haaaa!!!"
Aifie shot an arrow that was condensed from the turbulent air.
A gust of wind blew through the arena, and Aifie's beautiful blue hair swayed.
Victory or defeat was decided in an instant.
Before Eul had time to react, the wind arrow fired at high speed easily destroying the brittle earthen wall.
Before the audience could even realize it, the magic penetrated even the doll hidden behind the earthen wall.
The wall with a hole and the doll are falling down with a sound.
Eul could only stare at it with a stunned expression and smile dryly.
"Fuu."
"Hahaha. Your skills are top-notch, but your talent is also top-notch... I'm so jealous."
Even though Eul had the talent to use attribute magic of multiple attributes, it seemed like she was no more than an ordinary person from the perspective of Aifie, who possessed a huge amount of mana and could use powerful magic.
"Even though I knew it, it’s frustrating."
"The name of the Royal Knights is not just a fancy name. But... you weren't too bad either."
Aifie, who was flying through the air, landed on the platform where Eul was standing.
The two women shook hands while being surrounded by applause praising their duel.
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