She blocked it.
The ultimate skill-like technique that Seong Ah-rin had been using since entering the Academy, Tidal Wave.
Even the full power of Seong Ah-rin, wielding a specially-made staff equipped with the Alternum and Dragon’s Jewel, was countered… with a makeshift reverse-calculation device that looked like it was just thrown together.
– What, was that attack nothing special?
– No way, blocking that was insane! That spell is so hard to cast…
– She reversed it on a second-year yesterday, looks like she just got handled the same way by the Student Council President.
– Suits her, everyone says she’s the disciple of Professor Fury, but she’s nothing special.
– I knew the President was great, but maybe she just easily countered that spell because it was so basic?
– That might be it.
The audience began to shout in a mixture of cries, some praising the justified overconfidence of the girl who had dominated the second-years yesterday and others eagerly anticipating her downfall through the very same method.
Even though the cries didn’t reach Yoon Se-ah due to the distance…
– Maybe she just easily countered it because the spell was simple?
– Maybe. Honestly, that shield looked rushed. The detachable parts are a bit… crude, aren’t they?
– Haha, a one-tool reverse-engineer, Seong Ah-rin.
– Hey, stop it. You’ll get reported to the Total Guild.
“Chain, Lightning!”
Certainly, it was heard by Seong Ah-rin.
– Pzzz…!!!
Two strikes from Seong Ah-rin came flying. Was this due to her lost composure from her magic being reversed, causing her to lash out indiscriminately? But upon closer thought, the attacks were rational.
The spell formula was twisted as intricately as possible to make reversing it as difficult as possible…
– Pzzzz…!!!
“Uh?!”
The result was a perfect match to what she showed yesterday.
Dozens of split lightning bolts changed their trajectories to hit Seong Ah-rin directly.
“Ugh…”
Kneeling down, Seong Ah-rin watched helplessly as her opponent walked toward her.
“Reversal can turn a disadvantageous situation completely around if successful. People started creating reverse-calculation devices for that reason…But, they’ve failed, and it’s been a long time since reversal became a mediocre magic known only to a few insiders.”
“It’s supposed to be used as an auxiliary method. That’s the thing about reversal.”
The girl looked down on Seong Ah-rin, who had been mildly fried by the electric magic.
The audience anticipates a merciless attack that will bring Seong Ah-rin’s HP gauge to zero, but…
‘This can’t be where it ends.’
No, it wasn’t.
…
…
…
One conclusion drawn from observing her battle style was apparent:
‘She was too fixated on reversals.’
Certainly, reversal is important like parrying in swordsmanship.
‘Being able to seize the opponent’s magic powered by their own magical power and wield it at will is truly an enormous advantage.’
It’s practically the magic version of parrying or countering. If successful, there’s the potential to gain enormous benefits and the initiative, making it the joker card in magician confrontations.
But… Seong Ah-rin was excessively fixated on this method.
Previously, Seong Ah-rin would subdue her opponents through reversals to avoid harming them while fighting children of lower levels…
The result: Despite expanding the computational area with additional parts to boost output, she couldn’t hit me faster than my reversal speed.
Her persistent habit of relying on this single tool had to change.
“Now, please attack me. I don’t think my magic can safely disqualify Ah-rin.”
This is a clear issue that must be corrected.
“Ugh, uh…”
“Personally, I’d prefer not to see a talented junior injured. You must have been considerate to others yesterday, Ah-rin, not wanting anyone else to be hurt.”
The movement of Seong Ah-rin desperately trying to rise froze suddenly, as if struck at her core.
“How did you…?”
“Because Ah-rin is a kind person.”
Although Seong Ah-rin may be dull and lazy, she’s definitely considerate.
I don’t know how many students have fallen through the cracks while she was teaching half-heartedly… but her intentions were good.
Seong Ah-rin tries to get along well with everyone attending the magic lessons by deliberately holding back and considering their needs. However, for magicians who live on pride, this was a cruel ridicule.
“Let me put it simply… Imagine a South Korean high school soccer team training desperately for a professional career. Suppose there’s a student with the talent to play in the professional English league who has been playing soccer lazily with his school friends just for fun. Now, imagine the disappointment when his intentional underperformance is discovered.”
It becomes a heartbreaking tale—a weaker opponent is overwhelmed, and sympathy from the stronger creates distance and ruins their relationship.
It is like an eagle that should soar in the sky walking on the ground as if it were an ostrich.
Anyway, it’s a similar sentiment.
Having believed that you had the same dream and were in similar standing, discovering that your rival was in a much higher position and held back just to play with you must be utterly disheartening.
Though Hong Bi-yeon’s rage stemmed partly from her defeat by my own magic, the decisive factor was likely that Seong Ah-rin, in her consideration, had barely acknowledged Hong Bi-yeon.
“Staying curled up like this will not allow growth.”
So, that mindset must be shattered.
Ordinarily, Seong Ah-rin would overcome this trauma while facing the rampaging Hong Bi-yeon alongside Seo Ji-an. However, given that I’ve preempted Hong Bi-yeon’s corruption, it falls to me to dismantle the barrier Seong Ah-rin has built.
“There are more people outside the well than inside it.”
Leaving those words, I walked away calmly toward the back of the arena.
“If you become the Student Council President, you might think you’ll use your privileges to avoid attending classes. You could believe your classmates won’t be overshadowed by your abilities, right?”
And, in a flash, I had moved to just before the out-of-bounds line.
“Hey! President! You’ll be disqualified if you step over that line!”
“I’m aware, to that extent.”
And, precisely at the out-of-bounds line, I stopped.
“It’s up to Ah-rin. If you choose to stay in the well and degrade your own standards, I’ll simply step over with my own legs. You’ll achieve a safe victory.”
Then, pulling out the staff I had lied about not bringing,
“But if you can discard the mindset of pitying your opponent and focus fully on growth, trusting your peers and committing to become heroes together… I will employ every means at my disposal to demolish you.”
The fallen Seong Ah-rin remained still.
“Honestly, it’s a gamble.”
Seong Ah-rin pretends to be inadequate out of a desire not to hurt her friends’ feelings. However, this is a child that S-grade hero Fury, Choi Won-ho, had identified as having the potential to become a Great Magician of the future.
Naturally, she has a magician’s pride.
After all…
-Bang!
Magicians live and die by self-esteem.
“Don’t go.”
Despite being in a considerably battered state from repeated attempts to stand, Seong Ah-rin rose resiliently.
‘Good.’
She will still waver for now, fearing solitude.
Treading a path no one else has walked requires extraordinary courage.
But once the first step towards climbing higher is taken, the dazzling prospect can be claimed.
Like the hero of the original story.
‘To bring you to where greater people exist.’
Because existing in the glowing light of the protagonist demands more.
The moon was a barren wasteland before anyone landed on it. Had no one boarded Apollo 11 and succeeded, the idea of reaching it would have remained unexplored forever.
‘Therefore, rise. Fly higher.’
-Whoosh!
“I can’t accept this state. Drink these.”
Passing her upper-grade potions and mana recovery elixirs, Seong Ah-rin quickly gulped them down after quickly assessing the situation.
Despite the chatter from the broadcasting booth, I silenced it by raising my hand.
-Whirr!
‘70% isn’t enough.’
Just this much output wouldn’t suffice to triumph in a head-on fight with Seong Ah-rin.
-Clang!
I removed and discarded my bracelet.
‘The notion of winning by using a shield is… something Hong Bi-yeon will surely embrace fully.’
Looking up in the audience, I saw Hong Bi-yeon’s gaze fixed on me.
“Later, you’ll be able to block those attacks too.”
Pointing to Seong Ah-rin while saying that, I saw her floating with several mana spheres.
“The breath of the stars.”
-Fwoooom!
“Radiant stars, reveal your forms in the sky.”
Since the other party is going all out… I’ll do the same.
“Beings of Cancer, shattered by the burden of celestial sins, offering your power of the ocean unto me.”
The formation of the Cancer constellation illuminated in green was flawlessly completed.
‘The capacity of Cancer: 150% increase in magical power.’
This boosted my magical prowess… surpassing the S+ barrier without the use of Mephisto’s remnants.
Magic surged in my body to the point it felt about to burst. As if my body would burst forth with power at any moment, my head began spinning rapidly.
Formulas were much easier to draw due to the overwhelming mana, resulting in creating a fairly satisfying ball of dark mana.
Then,
“Infiniti Ray.”
“Black, maximum output.”
The most powerful spells that each could summon…
-CRASHHHH!!!!!!
Collided inside the arena.
