Chapter of Arkdragon, Episode 8: Duel

It was early in the morning, and many were gathered at the hall of the Sorcerer’s Guild. Those who’d just entered looked around with dubious expressions as they noticed the sorcerers and high sorcerers in attendance.

One of them asked the person next to them, “Hey, what’s going on? Did they mention what this is about?”

“No, I’ve only heard that the guild leader called for this. What, does no one know why we’re here?”

Their questions slowly made waves among the group, spreading throughout the hall. The hall was built in a wellhole-style that was about three stories high, with people looking down over the handrails from above.

The woman with the eyes like lakes was among them, as well. The sunlight pouring in from the frosted glass faintly illuminated the area, and she quietly stared at the scene below.

Everyone gathered seemed bewildered by the meeting that had been called without any explanation of its purpose.

The guild’s sub-leader appeared on stage, then glanced up toward her. His look seemed to ask, “Are you sure about this?” to which she wordlessly nodded in response. The aged man shook his head with exasperation, then took the gavel that was on the table.

Bang! The sound echoed throughout the hall. Everyone quieted down, and all eyes turned onto him. The man cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

“Thank you all for gathering here today. The one who will be sent to the ancient labyrinth will now be decided. Please begin.”

Once his rather abrupt explanation was completed, his eyes turned toward the woman again. The crowd followed his gaze, and the attention of everyone gathered turned toward Mariabelle’s master. But she stayed perfectly calm, and a faint smile could even be seen as her lips parted.

“The reason you were gathered here today is none other than to have you all see for yourselves whether there is someone superior to Sven, the Twin Blade Magic Swordsman. With the guild leader’s blessing, we shall begin the selection ceremony.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a circular body of water appeared before her. Sunlight reflected off of the serenely wavering surface like a mirror of water, displaying a scene of somewhere far away.

＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋

The Nazul-Nazul Ruins were an underground city that existed below the surface. To go outside from there, one had to either go through a hole that had caved in over the years, or pass through a waterway used to draw in water from the river. No one knew where the entrance originally prepared for that purpose was located.

As we walked through the dried-out irrigation canal, the echoes of our footsteps grew quieter. We began hearing the sound of running water, and an exit covered in foliage with sunlight peering through awaited us. Having completed their task of providing illumination, the light spirits were dismissed with a wave of Marie’s wand, vanishing into the air.

“Mm, this area’s so refreshing and full of greenery.”

I looked around the riverbank as I stretched out my limbs. Fresh verdure that had been untouched by humans was a rare and welcome sight for me. The young leaves grew freely there, covering the riverbed, with an almost emerald-colored river flowing between them.

I breathed in the refreshing morning air deeply, then hopped down from the moss-covered rocky stretch. Since we were in the dream world, my body was that of a young and nimble boy. I landed in the sand without losing my balance, then turned to the girl behind me.

“I hear elves live among nature, but I’m guessing not all of them are equally athletic?”

“I-It depends. Not every elf is a master of archery or something. You shouldn’t have such prejudices.”

She crouched down, her long ears drooping anxiously as she gave me a look of disapproval. I reached out to her, and she grasped my hand firmly and said, “Why, thank you,” with a cool expression. She then closed her eyes and nervously jumped down. Her foot slipped on her landing, but she managed not to fall by holding on to me. We ended up in a position that looked like we were dancing.

“Most of the elves I have known were quite athletic,” an exasperated voice called out to us.

There stood Wridra. Unlike in Japan, her horns and wavering tail were out in full view. Her dress-like armor with intricate ornaments was the same color as her hair and looked incredibly durable.

She, of course, showed no fear of heights as she leapt down, but I was shocked to see the rock she’d landed on burst into pieces with a loud crack! It seemed she had quite a lot of weight despite her nimble movements.

Her eyes, framed with long eyelashes, turned toward me. “So, let us head to this so-called Sorcerer’s Guild already. Once that is done, we will head to Arilai.”

“Let’s do that, then. By the way, are you okay with the heat, Wridra? Marie hates hot weather. It puts her in a bad mood.”

“That’s a mean way to put it. Of course I wouldn’t talk as much if I’m dying from heat. Ugh, you always do this. I’ve never seen or heard of someone who invites people on a walk when the infernal sun is directly overhead.”

I became a bit flustered as she turned away and pointed her nose in the air. She was a lovely girl, but I always put her in a bad mood when it came to hot weather. Though, it was possible that she hated the cold just as much.

Before we headed to the Sorcerer’s Guild, we had to cross to the opposite bank first. The water was only deep enough to go up to my knees, but the footing was very mossy and easy to slip on.

I watched the little fish that occasionally reflected sunlight as I advanced through the water, leading Marie by her hand. The cold water helped wake me up. I thought about how Wridra was going to cross the river with all that heavy armor holding her down.

I turned around to find her standing there firmly with her legs apart. The water passed between the space in her armor, and she remained unmoving like a rock. Just as I felt that she seemed a bit different than earlier, she looked at me with a faint smile in her eyes.

“I just remembered there was something I must take care of first,” she muttered, though it was unclear what she meant. But that seemed to be the end of her comment, so I wondered about it as we continued wading through the river.

I squeezed my clothes, wringing out the water they’d absorbed. We were enveloped by greenery and the smell of the river when someone appeared from the bushes as if they’d been waiting for us.

My eyes widened as I saw who it was. They were the two I’d just met a only few days ago.

“Sir Sven! I didn’t expect to see you here. I apologize for not thanking you properly the other day.”

Sven stood there, seemingly scrutinizing my words, and I tilted my head questioningly. The tall, well-built man no longer had the unnatural grin that had been on his face at our last meeting. There was a tenseness to both him and the person clad in black that accompanied him.

Marie and I looked at each other, blinking our eyes. The two were clearly on edge about something, as if looking out for an unseen enemy.

Sven’s animalistic eyes looked at me from behind his sunglasses.

“...Who is that? No, first, I need to know... What was that thing in the depths of the ruins? There was a monster that could easily wipe out not just a town, but a whole continent. How did you come to meet it and come back alive?”

The question left me at a loss for words. I couldn’t tell him the woman in front of them was that very being. The magi drake was a legendary creature. Telling him honestly probably wouldn’t end up very well.

There was something else I realized: Our meeting here was no coincidence. They’d probably been following us and sensed the presence of the dragon.

I listened to the sound of the flowing river as I thought about how to proceed. Trying to convince him there was nothing to worry about wasn’t going to work, but if we didn’t resolve this, it could lead to a more thorough investigation. This would be an incredibly bad time for that, considering Wridra was so busy taking care of her children that she was experiencing maternal neurosis.

I casually looked to the side, and she was watching the river fish with a nonchalant expression. I furrowed my brows. Maybe it wasn’t a big deal? Or maybe she figured she could handle someone like him with ease. I grew more worried, wondering if she’d forgotten he had the Sorcerer’s Guild backing him.

I wanted one more piece of information before answering him, so I replied to his question with a question of my own.

“Sven, what do you intend to do with that information?”

His intent would determine my response. I knew he was suspicious of us for coming into contact with a monster, but I needed to know how he thought about us and the magi drake.

But Sven merely just rubbed his chin, looking as if he’d just remembered something. He quietly rose from behind the trees, his beast-like eyes glinting behind his sunglasses. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me as his muscles expanded, his body seemingly growing bigger with every step. The murderous intent was palpable as he approached, so I assumed a battle stance.

“That’s right. Whatever I ask, it doesn’t change what I’m about to do. I’ll peel off your skin to see if you’re monster underneath, and have a barbecue on this riverbed as I enjoy torturing you all day. Then, I’ll go to the ancient labyrinth of Arilai, obtain enormous riches, and live happily ever after... Hey, restrain the ones in the back.”

His last words seemed to be directed at the figure in black behind him.

I narrowed my eyes. I knew what I had to do. Even if it was out of fear for the magi drake, I couldn’t let him threaten harm to Marie and get away with it.

I ignored him as he approached and spoke to the woman next to me.

“Wridra, do you have any spare weapons? It just so happens that I don’t have a sword right now...”

“I suppose I do, but I question whether you are worthy of it... Oh, very well... Give me a moment as I remove the unnecessary effects. Gracious, getting like this the moment Mariabelle is in danger... Such a tiresome male you are.”

Yeah, this really wasn’t the time to be messing around.

Wridra bent her knees, and a hilt appeared as her armor shifted with a heavy, metallic sound. It was the same color as the rest of her attire, with the partly-visible blade being as black as night.

“I will remove my name from it and make it possible for you to wield. This is a sword that is strong, durable, flexible, and unbreakable. Think of it as thanks for the okonomiyaki from last night.”

I never would’ve guessed some okonomiyaki would be returned in favor as a weapon like this...

I bowed my head, then gripped the hilt that was presented to me. Another metallic noise rang out, and the sensation of drawing the sword nearly sent a shiver down my spine.

Despite its rather slim form, there was a significant weightiness to it as I held it in my hand. What surprised me was how short of a time it took for my hand to grow accustomed to it. It was perfectly balanced, and there was no need at all for me to make any adjustments on my end.

“It appears you like it.”

“Yes, it’s wonderful. I’ll use it gratefully.”

I gave it a couple practice swings, and two slashes appeared in the water’s surface before me after a short delay.

Hmm, it was quite amazing. I could hardly believe this was a gift given in thanks for some okonomiyaki. I was really glad I didn’t end up using the last of my money to buy a cheap weapon.

Looking forward, I noticed Sven had drawn his weapon, as well. Rather, there was no hilt for him to draw from in the first place, as they floated in the air around him instead.

There was still some distance between us, but I had a feeling I’d be within his attacking range if I took a few more steps forward. Yet, I ignored even that and spoke to the girl who was watching the scene worriedly.

“Marie, make sure you stay next to Wridra. This goes without saying, but I’ll be fine.”

“Yes, be careful. The magic swords he uses aren’t the same as normal ones. Don’t underestimate them,” Marie replied with a calm voice.

It was smart of her not to tell me to beat him or run away. Despite being in the same guild as the opponent, she’d approved of me responding with violence. She also understood that since I’d been working solo for most of my past, I was far stronger going on the offensive by myself, rather than fighting while protecting someone. So she’d told me not to worry about her and not to hold back.

“Wridra, I’m counting on you.”

“Of course.”

Just as the short conversation ended, two things happened. Sven’s sword carved a path on the water’s surface as it came flying toward Marie, and Wridra slammed it down with a backfist. The other thing was that I set my resolve to fight seriously and began walking forward as the girl cried out behind me.

Sven seemed to be about two meters tall. I could feel his distinct aura as I moved in closer to him. His well-built, bulging body seemed inversely proportional to the intricate movements of the magic sword as it flipped in the air and returned to him.

My honest impression was that he seemed strong. His pressure was mounting, but my expression was unmoving.

I only spoke to him with a sleepy lilt to my voice, but inside, I was angry at him for trying to attack Marie.

“Hey there, I’m just gonna call you Sven. There isn’t much need for formalities against an enemy.”

“Shut up!”

He reared back, then swiped at me with the speed of bullets using his pointed fingertips.

A mere fifty centimeters. That was the distance I’d moved to evade the attack using Over the Road. It was a skill that allowed me to instantly transfer myself from one point to another, and it could only be activated if its various prerequisites were met.

Just as I moved in to his flank, a spinning blade whizzed past my nose as if he’d read my move.

Huh, that was close. If I’d reached out for a counterattack, I would’ve been sliced to pieces. This should’ve been his first time seeing my transportation move, so how was he able to react to it so quickly?

No, there was something else far more pressing. He had two swords earlier; so where was he hiding the other one?

When considering things like this, it was a good idea to try and think as if one was in their opponent’s shoes. I thought about what would be the hardest to predict and deal with, given my current situation.

“Oh, right. My feet.”

I backed off one step. Just then, gravel was strewn into the air as a magic sword appeared out of nowhere and flew upward with a whoosh! If I’d have still been standing there, it would’ve cut right through my thigh.

It disappeared back into the ground immediately, effectively setting up for the next attack. This meant I’d have to be wary of more attacks with no way to predict when they’d come.

I let out a heavy breath. I had to figure this out, or there’d be nothing I could do.

The grin on Sven’s face was indicative of his current advantage. If there were a set pattern, I could’ve recorded it in my muscle memory with my Precision skill, but it was hard to do so in this case due to its somewhat random nature. The best I could do was throw that melee attack with his hands into my open slot.

My opponent’s estimated level was 70 or so. Not too far off from my own level, but he had superior offensive skills. He was probably hiding some proper magic under his sleeve, too, and I had no idea when he’d bring those out.

His combat experience also vastly outweighed mine. The attack he’d just used told me he was several leagues above the people I faced at the Adventurer’s Guild the other day.

“Maybe I’ll challenge him a bunch of times and learn the hard way.”

“Huh? The hell are you talking about?”

Luckily, this was a dream world to me. If I lost, I could just sleep again.

I decided to look at this positively. What if I ignored the attack from below and dove right at him without worrying about the risks?

I took a bold step forward and barged right into his attack range, and he gave me a mocking look.

“Hah! It’s torture time!”

His grin widened, and his hands extended like an eagle’s talons. There was incredible pressure radiating from him, but it also made me realize something. He seemed very aggressive, but he had to have some defensive measure prepared, too.

And so, I decided to take it to close quarters combat and fight with instincts alone. I’d already set his barehanded attack into a memory slot earlier, so my body moved while maintaining the optimal distance and evaded attacks automatically. I spun around like a top while getting closer to him.

As I stepped forward, I swiftly slashed twice at his hardened abs in the shape of a cross. Two metallic screeching sounds rang out as my attacks were deflected, and I gripped the hilt of my weapon hard with my numb fingers.

Silvery white lights glinted before him from the protection provided by his magic sword. I figured he’d have something like that... No matter how strong he was, it was odd that he was exposing unprotected, bare skin like that.

“I’ll bet you’re good at baiting attacks like this and going in for a counter attack.”

“That’s right. Now eat this!”

His knee filled my vision and zeroed in directly toward my head. A clean hit would’ve probably sent me flying ten meters away, but there were ways around it so long as I anticipated his attack.

My upper body vanished like an illusion as he hit the copy of myself that I’d created with my Phantom Image skill.

“Argh, damn your little tricks!”

He glared at me as I reappeared at his side, but I figured it was just an intimidation tactic. These moments, when the opponent was sent off-balance, tended to be the best times to strike.

I dug my feet into the gravel and arced my blade as I swung it toward the side of his unguarded body. My attack was deflected by his magic sword as expected, and I immediately followed up with a low strike for his ankles. Then, a second blade emerged from the ground, blocking the attack at the last second.

But that was just what I was hoping for.

“There, now you can’t keep your sword hidden.”

“Annoying little...”

I secretly enjoyed his frustrated expression as he gritted his teeth.

The fun in player-versus-player combat was in manipulating the opponent’s movements. I was actually finding it enjoyable myself, and my smile wasn’t one you’d expect to see on such a boyish face.

Meanwhile, the necromancer was making a move, slowly approaching Mariabelle and Wridra as Sven had ordered. The necromancer’s short stature was covered in black cloth from head to toe, and a mist-like substance emanating from the figure made it hard to discern the outlines. Dull lights glowed from where their eyes should have been, like a full moon in a cloudy sky.

Then, the chains attached to the figure’s staff clinked heavily as they floated into the air. The eyes, nose, and mouth began shifting around in unnatural positions and cackling out loud. It seemed that long periods of withstanding such harsh conditions had affected their mental state, which in turn amplified their necromancy abilities.

A round creature on the ground, the spirit of a Fire Lizard, screeched threateningly in response. Its short tail was pointed straight up, with its beady eyes in an angry triangle as it tried protecting its master.

Its master, Mariabelle, gripped her holly staff and let out a puff of air from her nose.

“You do realize fighting among guild members is against the rules?”

“Keehee, of course I know that, Mariabelle the honor student. That’s why I was only told to restrain you. I’ll wear down your mind until the brink of death, so just stay unconscious for me, all right? Don’t worry, this won’t hurt...”

Mariabelle furrowed her brows at her opponent’s mocking tone. It was a heavily disadvantageous situation. She was lacking in levels and field experience, and she hadn’t been able to use her advantage of prepping with Spirit Sorcery beforehand. The best she could do was create one Fire Lizard.

But strangely, the girl felt no fear. It may have been due to the calmness she could feel emanating off of Wridra, who stood behind her as if there were nothing going on at all.

The girl looked back with her pale purple eyes.

“That’s right, Wridra. Don’t you need to ready a shield?”

“Hm? And why would I need to do that? No one else here is holding one.”

Mariabelle pursed her lips, then tilted her head. She assumed a tank would typically have a shield, and her expression suggested that she was wondering if this was true.

“But... aren’t you a tank?”

“Hm... It appears you have the wrong idea. Of course, I could easily prepare such equipment. But there is no need to obscure my own hand in such a way.”

She spread her hands, showing that she wasn’t even holding a weapon, let alone a shield. Marie contemplated where her critique should even begin, then turned toward the necromancer.

“A shield’s important, right?”

“Hmm, I’m not so sure. I’m a sorcerer, so I suppose an opponent with a shield is actually easier for me to deal with. I’d actually be glad if they limited their own vision by holding one... Wait, why are you asking me?”

The necromancer blinked, then gave a troubled expression. The black-clad figure could never seem to get a proper read on these people. They couldn’t get the expected outcome whether they provoked or laid back... In fact, they couldn’t even get to the provoking part. Even the Fire Lizard turned toward the conversation with its tail facing the necromancer, even though it was trying to be intimidating just a minute ago.

The figure in black sighed.

There was another reason not to attack. The woman in black armor standing behind Marie wasn’t there last time, and no one had ever heard these two had another companion.

Something like a tail peeked out between her armor, and a horn-like hair ornament was on her forehead. There was an air about her that was distinctively inhuman, and something told the necromancer that moving forward any closer wasn’t an option.

“No matter. We’ll take our time getting the answers out of you later.”

The necromancer seemed to set their resolve and tapped the ground hard using the staff with a “Hmph!”

They hadn’t just been leisurely waiting for the party to arrive. The necromancer’s master, Sven, used his Oracle to figure out that they’d appear here and set a trap in preparation.

The ground began rumbling. Shadowy circles appeared on the ground all around Mariabelle and the woman, the rumble sending ripples through the surface of the river. The girl sensed something horrible as a shiver went down her spine, and her purple eyes opened wide.

“Ah! This is forbidden to use!”

“Keehee! Behold, the power of my necromancy!”

As the necromancer raised both hands in the air, three pillars of pure black erupted from the ground. The objects looked like giant black trees, and a fissure ran down each of them as if a knife had cut through the top. As the tip split open, countless irregularly-shaped teeth appeared, followed by eyes completely devoid of emotion. The ground continued shaking, and the necromancer laughed as the creature began taking form.

“Hahaha! Behold, the soul of a wyvern! There are only a select few in the world who are capable of freely controlling the souls of monsters!”

After rolling around and laughing joyously, the necromancer pointed the staff at the elf. It was the signal to eat her soul. The black-clad figure was finally feeling the joy of cornering prey. There was nothing more adorable than someone who struggled vainly and desperately tried to fight back. Calling down with words of kindness from high above, then gently breaking their spirit... There was no greater enjoyment.

Just then, the woman in black finally turned her dark eyes toward the necromancer.

“Your screeching is getting on my nerves. If you must boast so loudly, do it elsewhere.”

She complained as if she were annoyed by a rowdy neighbor. It was clear she didn’t like that she was being put in danger in the slightest.

The loud slam! that followed was the sound of her tail hitting the ground. It became obvious after a few seconds why she’d done so.

Something incredibly dense began gradually rising from beneath the wyvern wraiths’ feet. Its body surface was a pure black that would absorb any light, and neither the necromancer nor the wraiths could move an inch. All they could do was stare and try to hold back the fear. The three wraiths simply stood there trembling, and each of them were engulfed from the ground beneath them.

What was the thing that was even bigger than the wyverns? What had just emerged from directly below and absorbed them?

Despite them being wraiths, the sounds of screams and bones being crushed could be heard, and the black smoke that puffed out like a burp told them the wraiths had been expunged from existence. At this point, the necromancer finally realized they were now sitting on the ground. The next word out of the necromancer, as one could imagine, wasn’t all that impressive.

“...Huh?”

It was unbelievable, despite having witnessed it with their own eyes. So much time had been spent training each of those wraiths, yet they all perished in the blink of an eye. Only the howling sound of vibrations in the air seemed to remain, and the giant thing that appeared earlier had vanished, as well. The necromancer tried to remember what had just happened, but the whole scene was like a horrible dream.

The sound of shoes crunching against the gravel road made the necromancer’s eyes look up slowly. There, a pair of eyes were looking down at the figure, and they were the exact same color as the thing that had just appeared earlier.

Huff, huff, huff... Shallow, repeated breaths. It was as if the necromancer’s heart was in a vice grip, making it difficult to breathe. The woman was just that terrifying.

“Finally, you’ve calmed down. Now, will you keep sitting quietly? I will at least spare your life, then. There will be no second... No, no third chances.”

“Huh? Y-Yes! I’m sorry! I’ll stay seated quietly!” the necromancer replied immediately, sitting upright with their legs underneath their thighs.

This clearly wasn’t the work of a typical tank, but they didn’t dare complain about it.

I heard some unsettling noises from behind me, but I had something more pressing to attend to.

To keep both his magic swords within view, I made Sven focus on defense by keeping up the offensive in super close quarters. My blade flashed as I swung it in quick succession, but my opponent seemed to have reinforced his arm and used it to accurately deflect each blow. Then, his magic swords applied pressure from both sides as they flew in while spinning like fan blades.

Hmm, I was in quite the predicament...

“Are you trying to turn me into mince meat?”

“Huh? The hell are you smiling at, ya creepy brat?!”

He yelled, “Die!” and the spinning blades closed in on me from either side. But he seemed to forget that I had the ability to transport myself instantly.

I glanced above his shoulder area, then vanished. Instead, I left an illusion where I had been just a moment ago so he could slice that up to his heart’s content. I stepped off his shoulder lightly, then flipped in mid-air as I slashed at his back. The slender blade of Wridra’s weapon made a satisfying whipping sound as it cut through the air.

But I was taken aback when he crouched down at the last possible moment to avoid the attack with what seemed to be his bestial instincts.

How odd. I’d totally caught him off-guard, and he shouldn’t have been able to react in time. His reaction to my first teleport was also too fast.

I considered this as I landed on the ground. It seemed as if his eyes were glowing more than earlier as he turned around to face me.

The fact that he was waiting for us here was odd. as well. Could he have had some sort of skill that allowed him to see the future?

The thoughts nagged at me, but I’d decided to do close quarters combat, so I couldn’t take a break now. I went in again right away, stepping in close toward the big man waiting for me. We both had a sword, but from an outsider’s perspective, it was a bit different from a typical battle. Probably because I was using teleportation, and he was using magic.

There was so much to consider when it came to player-versus-player combat. Using the same method twice could lead to eating a big counter attack, and it was clear that I had to figure out some way to overcome him.

I was glad I’d gotten some practice at the Adventurer’s Guild the other day, in this case.

I overwrote the movement pattern I’d saved with my Precision skill as I continued laying on the barrage of swings with my black blade. The onslaught of attacks seemed to be wearing on my opponent as I kept it up without giving him any room to breathe.

“Annoying bastard!”

His front kick filled my vision as he tried getting me off of him, but I teleported two steps’ worth of range away to avoid the attack. I reappeared on his right-hand side and immediately executed the attack pattern I’d registered with Precision: a lightning-fast, full powered swing.

Clang! Sparks flew into the air, and I teleported to his left side this time, repeating the same attack again. Another magic sword flew in to block this attack as well, but I had no time to be disappointed. If I stopped for even a moment, his magic swords would automatically take the opportunity to cut me into fine little pieces.

I groaned internally. Just looking at him from a calm perspective, he was very strong. His physical capabilities were abnormally high for a sorcerer, and his spinning kick delivered from a proper stance was powerful enough to break a tree.

I leaned back desperately and moved out of the way, but my cheek split open a moment later. Fresh blood spewed out, and my vision blurred... A concussion.

His toe barely scratched me!

A magic sword came flying toward me from the side. I contained my loudly beating heart and tried to think calmly.

Was it possible for me to learn that? That was an ideal kick, but we were both human, so maybe it was possible for me to record it with Precision. I tried to do just that, and the Precision skill tried resisted it somewhat, so I pushed it into the slot by force. There was no way for me to be sure if it’d work until I tried it, but it seemed the midst of battle wasn’t the time to be experimenting.

Just as I ducked to evade the rotating magic swords, his knee came rushing up to my face from below. I had no time to look somewhere else to teleport to, making it impossible to dodge the incoming strike.

With a resounding crack! my young, lightweight body was sent flying into the air. I felt the impact of the ground as I landed on my back and rolled around on the gravel, unable to breathe.

As I finally got to my knees and regained my footing... Sven was grinning at me. The gravel crunched under his foot as he came closer.

“I see, your teleport has a ton of limitations. You’re always looking in the direction of your destination, and it only activates when you have both feet on the ground. Seems like a pain in the ass.”

Not bad; he was pretty spot on. Though, there were other limitations, like weight and distance.

As if to confirm his victory, his magic swords pincered me from both sides without making a noise. One came flying over the water while the other flew over the gravel road, both heading straight toward me.

I have a bad feeling about this...

The hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end.

“You won’t be able to teleport now.”

The magic swords made a horrible whizzing noise as they closed in.

“Oh no!” I shouted as I realized what he was going for. I broke out into a sprint, and immediately after, a sword sliced where my foot had been. I leapt out of the way just in time, but I couldn’t transport myself fully in that moment.

“Hey, kid. Enjoy your flight.”

His creepy smile came rushing at me, then his full-powered swing connected with my body. I tried protecting myself with my sword at the last second, but it did little to absorb the impact. The shock felt like I was being torn apart, and I was launched so quickly that I could hear the wind howling by. I spun diagonally, and the second I thought I saw the river, I bounced off of the surface of the water like a skipping stone.

You’ve gotta be kidding!

Multiple pillars of water shot up with each skip. Then, I sank into the water with a big splash. All I could see were countless bubbles as I spun around, my mind going completely blank.

When I could finally see again, fish covered in a silvery light were trying to flee from me. But one of them was moving strangely, making a beeline toward me like a torpedo... Ahh, a magic sword!

I raised my own sword to intercept it, and, luckily, I was able to deflect its course away from me. Judging by the weight of the impact I could feel in my arms, a normal sword would’ve broken on the spot. The weapon Wridra had given me, however, seemed to be specially made, and it hadn’t even been chipped. I felt a strange sense of pressure knowing that if I did end up losing, I couldn’t put any of the blame on the weapon.

“Pwah!”

I paddled to the surface, taking in a breath of fresh air. Then, the magic sword’s attack I’d been anticipating... never came.

I was wide open... Why wasn’t he going for it?

I looked around curiously, and the sight of Sven looking dumbfounded on the opposite shore and some people watching us entered my line of sight. Maybe I was imagining it, but it seemed like he was staring at Wridra instead of me.

“What are you guys doing? Taking a break sitting at the rocks?”

“What does it seem like? We are waiting for you to finish.”

The black-clad person was sitting patiently next to the rocky area where Marie and Wridra were sitting. It was nothing like what one would expect from a battle scene, and it dampened the tension I was feeling.

The water splashed around as I made my way through it, waving at the elf.

“You seem to be having trouble. Should we come help?”

“I-I think I’ll be fine. But really, what happened over there? Did you become friends with that necromancer?”

Judging by the way Marie shook her head with a troubled expression, it looked like Wridra had taught their opponent a lesson. I doubted there was anyone who could take on a magi drake. In fact, I had a mind to commend and console anyone who dared.

Poor thing, the necromancer was curled up and trembling like a kitten...

“You have some nerve looking so unconcerned when you wet my sword with water like that.”

“Oh, sorry. I’ll clean it up before giving it back to you.”

“No need to return it. It was given as thanks for the okonomiyaki. But I trust you know what you must do.”

That probably meant she wanted me to win.

She gestured with her chin toward Sven, the Twin Blade Magic Swordsman. Apparently, the magi drake wasn’t going to accept defeat when it came to using her weapon.

I wished that I could confidently say I was going to beat him...

I nodded to signal that I’d do my best, then stepped forward once again.

＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋

Sven, the Magic Swordsman, was in shock. After sending the boy flying with a kick, he looked off to the side and furrowed his brows when he found the girls and the necromancer just... sitting there. Wondering if they’d used some sort of mind control, he activated his Oracle to find out what was going on.

But just then, he felt his entire body freeze in fear. The woman talking and laughing next to the elf unconcernedly was no woman at all, but a monster. An overwhelming presence that reminded him of the night he ran for his life just a few days ago. Above her head, the words “Arkdragon” were written in blood-red text, telling him that battling such a being would mean certain death.

“M-M-Magi...”

His mind was thrown into a state of confusion, and his vision blurred so much that he almost passed out. Now that he couldn’t escape with his companion taken for hostage, he had to find out how to remove himself from this dreadful situation.

Could it have known he was going to be there? What if they let him escape the other night because it was planning to dispose of him here?

Finding himself in the same situation again filled him with complete terror. His body trembled, and a primal fear filled his mind.

Then, he acted in an attempt to avoid certain death. He threw his sunglasses to the ground, his eyes gleaming gold like those of an owl.

His skill, Oracle, allowed him to peer into the uncertain future, and he’d activated its maximum power. It would rapidly drain his magic in exchange for putting off his impending death.

“Hey there. You don’t look so good.”

He wasn’t even paying any mind to the aloof-looking boy who’d come up to talk to him.

No, the boy may not even be human. In Sven’s eyes, the boy appeared to be a minion of the magi drake and an evil demon who was there to devour his heart.

But now that he’d activated Oracle, the truth hit him.

“You’re... human. And your mind’s not being controlled, either.”

“Huh? R-Right... Whatever you seemed to figure out just now, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone. She may not look it, but Wridra’s a pretty nice lady. We were on a nice trip together just yesterday.”

He didn’t know how to respond to this nonsensical reply. Could it be that the boy was interacting with that being knowing it was a magi drake? That would make him even more dangerous. To awaken a sleeping dragon and take it to human civilization was akin to knowingly spreading natural disasters throughout the land.

There were many issues that came with the activation of Oracle. One of them being that it even increased the efficiency of the user’s thought process, stripping away their humanity as a result. This was why Sven limited the amount and duration of its usage to a minimum, but...

“I’ll cut you down.”

“You sound even more threatening than earlier. All right. Let’s finish this, then.”

The murderous intent erupting from Sven was enough to cause the birds in the vicinity to flee, but the boy only shrugged his shoulders. No matter how badly Sven damaged the boy, that sleepy-looking expression and speech pattern didn’t change, which was rather annoying.

Light was cast on their feet through the leaves of the trees as the sun slowly rose. As the sunlight eventually went up to their knees, their blades suddenly clashed. Then another body appeared next to the boy, and another. Each of them raised their weapons, executing the move the boy had learned at the Adventurer’s Guild.

Sven instantly saw through the trick with his Oracle activated. They were just illusions with movement patterns assigned to them with Precision. Merely a distraction.

He whirled around and extended his hands like an eagle’s talons... and missed. The boy had recorded this movement with his Precision earlier, and he was prepared with the optimal evasive maneuver.

The two swings the boy delivered as a counter attack cut into Sven’s wrist and elbow, but keeping the boy from teleporting was more important than the wounds he had sustained.

Again and again, he used his magic swords to attack at the boy’s feet. This was all he had to do to prevent the boy’s transportation skill, giving him a massive advantage... or so he thought.

With his mind so focused on this task, Sven had overlooked something important: As his attacks increased in accuracy, they were becoming more simple, allowing the boy to record the movement with Precision. The magic swords danced in the air as they missed their marks, and he found himself sweating as the boy began evading the attacks by simply swaying his upper body.

Just then, the sleepy-looking boy pointed at his back. He seemed to be telling Sven to turn around, but it would’ve been foolish to do as he said. However, when he noticed a shadow cast over the sunlight, his eyes quickly turned toward his back.

There, he found the boy swinging his sword down toward Sven’s neck. Even though he knew it was an illusion, seeing a sword being buried into his unprotected neck made him sweat profusely.

It only took one moment. In that blink of an eye, when his body tensed up ever so slightly...

A black sword leapt upward from below, like a fish springing into the air. Sven raised his reinforced arm to block it, but the abnormally sharp blade cut halfway through his arm.

“Dumbass, you just lost your weapon!”

No longer feeling any pain, Sven laughed and tightened his swelling muscles around the blade. It was completely locked in place, and when he sent his magic swords at the boy from both sides, the boy let go of his weapon. Perhaps the boy had recorded this attack, too.

He leaned back, dodging the blades by just a hair. What was more, he rotated his body in the same movement, perfectly utilizing the momentum and muscles of his body to deliver a powerful kick. The form was fascinatingly beautiful, and it could only be achieved through years of training, but...

“Bastard, that’s my move!”

He even recorded my kick!

It was an infuriating thought, but the boy struck Sven’s elbow with his toe, sending a shock through Sven’s arm. The muscles that were holding the black sword in place loosened. The boy noticed it immediately and retrieved his weapon, then executed a horizontal swing.

The side of the blade was slammed into Sven’s temple, and a sound like cracking bamboo echoed throughout the river beach. Sven’s vision shook dramatically, and before he knew it, he found himself on his knees. Oracle became deactivated, and then everything seemed to go sideways. The woman on the other side seemed to be tired of waiting as they approached, and Sven felt a cold sweat running down his face.

He knew it was coming. He was about to experience unspeakable horrors straight from his nightmares. But he was in for another surprise when the magi drake opened her mouth.

“It seems it is over. Your level is higher, but he outclassed you in skill. How shameful. Now that I have joined you as a tank, I will be whipping you into shape from the ground up.”

“Whaat, really?! But I thought I tried pretty hard...”

Sven stared, stunned, as the woman yelled at the boy. Were they really having a pleasant chat with the legendary magi drake? And what was this about her joining them as a tank? That sounded too good to be true. She was far more than overqualified as an escort for the ancient labyrinth. She was possibly... no, absolutely stronger than the labyrinth boss itself!

He screamed out mentally, then finally lost consciousness.

＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋

Click, clack...

The sound of shoes hitting the floor echoed out loud. The hall of the Sorcerer’s Guild, which had been so lively, was now left completely empty. The selection ceremony for deciding whether a substitute would be chosen was complete, and everyone had already fulfilled their duties. They’d been shocked by the sight of Sven, the combat expert, having been beaten so soundly, but since he was quite unpopular among the guild, they began chatting lightheartedly soon after. Although they shouldn’t have, they began pouring drinks at the courtesy of the guild leader, and they happily cheered for the young ones with bright futures ahead of them.

In other words, everything had turned out great.

Mariabelle was popular among this group, and she was trusted not to hide any information or treasure that may be found. It was quite entertaining to see that even the ones who often acted high-and-mighty threw up their hands enthusiastically when they saw Sven eat the knockout blow.

The woman’s long azure hair swayed as she remembered the sight and smiled. She usually had a stern look on her face, but the womanly beauty hidden beneath the expression was clear to see.

She looked at her surroundings with her eyes like lakes, then walked toward the center of the hall. An aged man could be seen there, holding out a glass that hadn’t been used yet. The corners of his mouth curled up to a grin, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

His deeply wrinkled mouth opened. “It appears everything turned out the way you wished.”

“Thank you for your help. I’m certain the guild leader is pleased, as well.”

The guild’s sub-leader let out an exasperated sigh as if to say “Who knows?” The guild leader was a difficult person and hardly showed up in public. Even the sub-leader could hardly recall having a conversation together in person. He complained that the woman was likely closer to acting as the guild leader, being the one who controlled the flow of information.

The woman only gave him a cool expression in response. He shrugged dismissively, then looked around at the hall, as well.

“It wasn’t just their abilities that got them here. I’m sure you realize this, as well.”

Mariabelle’s master looked at the sub-leader wordlessly. Her eyes seemed to swallow everything from happiness to sorrow. It felt as if staring at her smile would make one vanish into nothingness.

Then, her eyes narrowed with a happy smile, and she downed the contents of the glass at once.

“I have no idea what you mean. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

With that, the woman handed back the empty glass and left. The man with graying hair called out after the footsteps echoing away from him.

“I’m sure everyone was quite entertained by your rare clairvoyance spell. But it was unlike you to obscure the image just as the black-haired woman moved. So tell me, what happened in those moments?”

The words echoed as if no one had heard them, and the woman walked away without stopping, leaving the man alone in the hall.