With the Olympia match-ups now fully revealed…
The semi-final opponents were as follows:
[Earl Helios vs Carlos Hugo]
[Lux Stella Sirius vs Gailen Romanov]
If we talk about academies, it went like this:
[Minerva vs Don Quixote]
[Minerva vs Ice Castle]
Thankfully, there wouldn’t be any intra-academy battles. That was truly a relief.
“Hmph, Amy’s fighting that stiff guy, huh? Tch, I should’ve been the one to stomp him.”
Beside me, Ariana grumbled. Carlos was the opponent who broke Earl’s sword during the prelims—even though it was just a standard-issue weapon, getting hit by him seemed to really bother her. If they had fought a bit longer, she might’ve lost—so it made sense why she was upset.
I shrugged and said, “If you two faced off now, you’d definitely win, right?”
“Of course! As long as Blue Dragon is on my side, there’s no way I’d lose to that hunk of muscle.”
Seeing Ariana confidently puffing out her chest with such assurance made me chuckle. Yeah, someone who has mastered divine techniques wouldn’t lose easily. At this point, unless it was a master-level swordsman, no one could beat her.
“Yeah, yeah. Our student is the best!”
Just when I was patting her on the back for comic effect, a snarky comment came from beside me. It was Senna sitting to my left.
“But didn’t you lose to Lux? Even after using all those flashy moves.”
“Losing in the Round of 32 doesn’t count! She immediately lost once the finals began, despite landing the first blow. She basically showed all her tricks!”
“Yup~ And let’s not forget, you’re technically not a combat specialist since you’re the Holy Maiden~ Losing to a mage while being a knight? Lady Selene would be so proud!”
This wasn’t even middle school drama anymore…
Should I intervene or let them fight it out? Before I could decide, Ariana grabbed Senna by the cheeks.
“Is this your annoying mouth talking? Huh? Why don’t you try saying something else smart?”
“Phwaaagh! Let gooo…”
Of course, Ariana wasn’t going to stay quiet. Sigh… if they’re gonna fight, why did they sandwich me between them?
Shaking my head, I pulled Ariana away.
“If you’re gonna argue, stick to words. Once you use your hands, you’ve already lost.”
“He started it by being annoying!”
“Enough, both of you. Stop teasing each other. You usually get along fine; why start fighting now? If you must fight, do it outside.”
“Tch…”
“Oww… that hurt…”
Looking at Ariana turning her head away and Senna rubbing her reddened cheek, I sighed.
“Ah~ this is my fate, I guess.”
We were currently lounging on the plush sofa in the VIP lounge where we watched the matches until now. Normally, contact with participating students was forbidden during the competition, but since the tournament was nearing its end, that rule seemed relaxed. Though, participants still couldn’t interact with anyone, these two already got eliminated.
That’s why Senna was stuck on my left and Ariana on my right. Thankfully, thanks to temperature control magic in the VIP room, it wasn’t too hot. In fact, it was kind of comfortable, especially because snacks kept getting shoved into my mouth by these two pretending to honor their teacher.
Not bad treatment, better than most nobles probably. Except for their constant bickering, it could’ve been quite pleasant.
Where’s Black Wolf, you ask?
“…It’s noisy.”
“Yes sir!”
“…”
There he was, keeping order beneath my seat. Normally, he’d sit next to me, but maybe feeling displaced annoyed him more than usual.
‘Not bad…?’
Still unsure whether it was shyness from meeting me recently or some fear I unknowingly instilled, Ariana and Senna clearly feared Black Wolf. Meanwhile, other Minerva students only saw his cute exterior and thought nothing of him. Ignorance truly is bliss sometimes.
“With no other professors around, it feels kinda empty.”
Professors Cain and Angelica returned to Minerva with the rest of the graduating class who didn’t advance. Honestly, I suggested they just watch till the end, but the students needed to prepare for the festival coming up when we return after Olympia ends.
Apparently, student input mattered most, so everyone headed back to Minerva. Since there were pending tasks anyway, they decided against staying. But hey, I took some time off from Earl, so babysitting these two till everything wraps up suits me fine.
“Hmm, grumbling about that guy makes me laugh.”
Meanwhile, at Minerva Academy’s outdoor training grounds…
“Ah-choo!”
Allen’s substitute instructor, Earl Helios, sneezed loudly while teaching his class. Rubbing his nose, Earl nodded.
“Sniff… The commander must be badmouthing me.”
“What? What did you say?”
Holding a small round shield in one hand and his beloved one-handed sword in the other, Reinhardt blinked in confusion. He was practicing shield techniques based on Earl’s advice.
“It’s nothing. Anyway, how’s it going? Manageable?”
“A little awkward still… but it doesn’t feel bad.”
Since Reinhardt excelled at defense over offense, adapting to shieldwork came naturally. Even Allen struggled breaking through his defenses without using aura. His swordsmanship was heavily focused on defense. Earl believed if defense was going to be his forte, it should be done thoroughly.
“Great job. With this level, you might even stand a chance against… never mind, Allen when he gets back. Show him what you’ve learned.”
“Sir!”
“Alright, moving on.”
And thus, Allen-less lessons continued peacefully under Earl’s guidance.
—
“Everyone! After a long journey, we are nearing the climax of the Olympia Tournament! Only three matches remain! Who will claim ultimate victory??”
Waahh!!!
The crowd roared at the announcer’s cry. Gradually building excitement, the host signaled the entrance of competitors.
“The first semi-final match begins now! First up: the prestigious crown jewel of the Empire! The top student from Minerva Academy!”
As soon as the announcement ended, Amy strode confidently onto the field. Her owl badge gleamed brilliantly on her robes.
“The prodigy of the mighty Sirius Empire! One half of the Helios Dukedom’s dynamic duo! A magical powerhouse whose skills rival even Archmages! The future Duchess Mage herself! Amy Helios!!”
Upon stepping into the arena, Amy treated fans to a dazzling fireworks display.
Poom! Poom!
The beautiful pyrotechnics ignited wild cheers from the audience.
“Kyaaa~!”
“Queen of Flames!”
“My sister is amazing!!”
For some reason, Amy had an impressive number of female admirers.
“Our next contender is no pushover either~! From the renowned knight academy known for producing the strongest warriors in the Empire! Currently honing their knighthood skills at Don Quixote Academy comes their distinguished top student!”
A towering figure marched forth with steady strides. Neatly trimmed beard adding gravitas to his rugged appearance, it was none other than Carlos Hugo.
“His physique rivals even ogres! Known for tearing monsters apart barehanded! Descendant of the illustrious line of knights from the Hugo Count family! Carlos Hugo!!!”
With heavy steps, Carlos entered the arena and plunged his massive sword into the ground.
Ka-thud!
Gripping the handle firmly, Carlos locked eyes with Amy.
“Our contestants are ready! No further ado! Beginnnn… the match!!!”
At the signal, Carlos swung his sword powerfully.
“Roheim Swordsmanship: Rock Collapse!”
A wave of earth-shattering energy surged toward Amy.
“Too hasty.”
Amy smirked as she channeled mana.
“Flame Magic: Mirage Heatwave!”
Her form distorted, swallowing Carlos’ attack before creating numerous illusions of herself surrounding him.
“Do you regret not offering me the first move? Not exactly chivalrous, is it?”
Confused by the multiplying images, Carlos closed his eyes and replied calmly.
“Offering precedence last time nearly cost me dearly. I’m smarter than that.”
“I was planning to finish you in one strike. Too bad.”
Amy looked slightly disappointed at missing the opportunity for a decisive blow. Carlos smiled faintly.
“I’ve gone all-out too. Not because I have a vendetta against you, but our academy simply cannot afford losing to Minerva.”
This was the directive given by Don Quixote’s principal Alonso Falenberk. Truth be told, every professor heard it ad nauseam.
“So… maximum effort from the get-go.”
“Roheim Swordsmanship: Steel Form!”
Harnessing steel-like ki, Carlos unleashed rapid slashes.
“Decent…”
“Faster…”
“…than expected?”
Each swing erased one illusion. Closing his eyes helped Carlos avoid optical illusions, relying solely on tracking Amy’s mana presence instead. Watching this brute-force method, Amy shook her head.
“Brute strength alone isn’t enough.”
“Flame Magic: Phoenix Eternal Flame!”
A legendary phoenix-shaped inferno soared across the arena. Sensing countless flames charging towards him, Carlos shouted fiercely.
“HAAAH!”
His massive blade split the fiery bird mid-air. However, their sheer numbers overwhelmed him, leaving several embers to scorch his body.
“Ugh…”
Carlos grimaced in pain.
“Thinking of surrendering yet? Surely you don’t possess the same strange healing abilities as my last opponent?”
Though unlikely, Amy cautiously examined Carlos for any anomalies.
“…”
But the flames clinging to Carlos refused to extinguish. Clenching his lips to endure agony, he eventually bent down.
“Even if another miracle worker appeared, logic dictates it shouldn’t happen twice.”
Relieved internally, Amy prepared her next spell. Until the match concluded definitively, she couldn’t afford complacency.
“If you’re hiding anything, show it now. Otherwise, this ends here.”
Amy’s emotionless gaze turned crimson.
“Bloodline Liberation: Helios Fire Eye!”
Soon, brilliant fire condensed elegantly at her fingertips. It resembled a miniature sun—the exact technique she showcased earlier in the preliminaries.
“…”
Despite the slowly forming fiery sphere, Carlos remained motionless. Growing impatient, Amy released her mana explosively.
“Flame Magic: Sunspot Explosion!”
Just as the sun seemed ready to detonate…
“This is what I’ve been waiting for.”
Carlos sprang into action from his crouched position.
“Roheim Swordsmanship: Stone Dropping!”
With full force, his massive blade hurled straight toward the sun. Having expended her mana, Amy couldn’t react in time. Moreover, his timing was faster than anticipated…
!!!
The sun exploded.
