Chapter 66 - The Wall

“Heh heh...”

Gilberton kept chuckling beside him, and Tom was beginning to feel a little worried.

“Has something good happened, sir?”

“Ah, I bet everything.”

“Everything, sir?”

“Yes. Heh heh. I'm rich now.”

Gilberton gave another low chuckle. Seeing him so excited, Tom swallowed nervously.

“I'm going to buy a beautiful, sleek sword.”

“... Who did you bet on, if I may ask?”

“What a stupid question. The commander, of course.”

Gilberton clicked his tongue as he answered.

“The commander can burn even Demons to ashes. If his opponent's a Mage, there's no way he'll lose. Shame the payout's so low, but I made up for it by putting down a huge stake.”

His reasoning was uncharacteristically logical, which only made Tom more uneasy.

Tom, too, was certain Galahad would win. He couldn't imagine Galahad losing in the first place.

Just then, Galahad stepped into the arena. He had taken off the coat Tom had made for him and was wearing a neat suit.

“Why isn't he wearing the demon-beast coat? Didn't you say magic doesn't work on it?”

“Ah, imperial-style magical duels apparently have quite a few restrictions. There's a prescribed dress code, and demon-beast coats aren't included. That must be why.”

“How do you know that, Tom?”

“I looked into it, since the commander would be dueling.”

“I see. Still, so many rules. Mages really are a pain in the ass. With swords, the stronger man just wins.”

Tom gave an awkward smile at Gilberton's muttering.

Just then, a knight nearby saluted Gilberton. He acknowledged the salute with an icy expression.

This was the Gilberton of the front lines Tom had heard rumors about.

“Ahem. So, did the commander place a bet this time too?”

Of course, he soon reverted to the Special Operations Unit's Gilberton.

“That's the strange thing. He told me not to bet this time.”

Galahad had correctly predicted two matches in a row. Yet he had specifically told Tom not to bet on his own.

“... Really?”

Gilberton's expression turned odd. Was he finally realizing something was wrong?

“Heh heh. He wanted to keep all the winnings to himself. Can't fool me!”

Tom gave a slight shake of his head at Gilberton's sly chuckle.

Just then, a Mage in white robes stepped into the arena.

* * *

'It stings even more now.'

Galahad murmured as he shook out his tingling hand. The Egg of agony nodded vigorously. It was utterly terrified.

Adrianna's mana-burning nature grew stronger the more powerful her opponent was.

Now that the Egg of agony had risen a grade, the pain was almost incomparable to before. Galahad had nearly screamed. The outrageous agony had jolted him fully alert.

Had he held on a little longer, he really might have died.

In exchange, perhaps, Adrianna's nature had revealed itself more clearly.

'Compatibility, is it?'

Galahad murmured the word, which left a dry taste in his mouth. He was beginning to understand Adrianna's nature.

THUMP! THUMP!

The Egg of agony protested fiercely, as though demanding to know why he had done something so insane.

'Because I need to.'

Galahad brushed his disheveled hair back and looked up to his left.

The Imperial Princess was lounging there, her eyes curved into lovely crescents.

Would the Imperial Princess meekly back down just because she lost a duel? Not a chance. She was a thoroughly deranged woman.

There was only one reason she had conceded so gracefully.

'She's leaving it in my hands.'

She was waiting for Galahad's decision.

What a truly vicious woman.

If Galahad won here...

'There'll be no taking it back.'

The consequences would undoubtedly be terrible. Sending the Imperial Princess away would not end it. The Empire would certainly use this as a pretext to bring her down while pressuring the North as well.

The Imperial Princess was a card tied to the imperial family. He couldn't discard her.

But he couldn't lose, either. The Grand Duke was watching him with a fierce blue gaze.

It felt as though both the Grand Duke and the Imperial Princess were aiming at his throat. Either choice would lead to the worst possible outcome.

Galahad rubbed his suddenly chilly neck.

“You don't even have a staff?”

The sharp voice broke Galahad's train of thought. Bunch's face was full of contempt.

His opponent was, after all, a senior Mage of the White Mage Tower, an accomplished man who had made quite a name for himself in the capital. He wasn't someone Galahad could manipulate at will.

“Sorry, but my legs are still perfectly sound. I've no need for a walking stick.”

“What—? You stupid bastard. Still acting defiant, are you?”

Galahad chuckled at Bunch's sharp retort. Nobles were so childish. Childish enough to stoop to petty bullying simply because a boy much younger than themselves had entered the academy.

Just then, a soldier beside them blew a horn.

“I'll teach you some manners! Land of Fire!”

A huge blaze erupted from the tip of Bunch's staff. It spread in every direction as though eating away at the ground.

'Ah, he specialized in fire.'

Galahad recalled Bunch's specialty. He was a fire Mage.

'Land of Fire. Was he preparing the incantation in advance?'

Land of Fire was a domain spell that filled the surrounding area with flames. Once laid down, it made fire magic easier to cast and increased its power. It was primarily a support spell.

'Not bad.'

Rather than lashing out in anger, Bunch had laid his groundwork first. Clearly, he was quite accustomed to magical duels.

Since the Land of Fire belonged to him, using fire magic against him would only make it easier for him to interfere.

And besides...

'It needs to be as spectacular as possible.'

Ice was the classic answer to fire.

Galahad curled his lips into a smile and snapped his fingers.

“Frozen Land.”

For the first time in a while, a substantial amount of mana drained away. A chill spread around Galahad, driving back the fiercely burning flames.

He gauged its speed.

Bunch pointed his staff at him and shouted.

“Flaming Serpent.”

A thick torrent of fire surged from the staff's tip. As the viscous flame emerged, looking as though it had been molded from lava, the surrounding fire was sucked into it.

The serpent swelled in an instant. A fiery shape more dragon than snake looked down at Galahad.

'Flaming Serpent, is it?'

Intrigued, Galahad snapped his fingers.

“Frozen Serpent.”

Frost gathered and swelled. Before long, a serpent carved from ice stood behind Galahad.

Cheers erupted around them.

Then he spotted Gwen in the stands. She was watching the magic with a vacant stare, her mouth hanging wide open. Her eyes were dreamy.

“This is a good opportunity. Watch closely.”

The enormous serpent of fire lunged at Galahad. Smiling, he flicked a finger.

Fire and ice collided in the middle. The fire billowed, swelling in an instant. Shards flew behind the ice, spreading a chill.

BOOM!

A heavy crash rang out.

'Oops.'

The fire dragon's shape faltered. Bunch's skill was lower than he had expected.

No.

'I've grown far too strong.'

He had miscalculated. Galahad frowned.

He hurriedly pushed his spell forward. The ice dragon advanced, shoving the fire dragon back.

Once it had pushed the fire dragon into the Land of Fire, the balance shifted abruptly. The ice dragon weakened inside the fiery domain, while the fire dragon grew larger.

Galahad narrowed his eyes, examining the spells and comparing the amount of mana going into them.

'Quite a difference.'

He needed to burn through his mana more aggressively.

“Explosive Fireball!”

“Ice Spear.”

This time, he increased his spell's speed further. The two spells collided within the Land of Fire.

The Explosive Fireball scattered. The Ice Spear pierced through it, advancing before melting away.

He still had far too much. Galahad adjusted his mana precisely, lowering its concentration and increasing its quantity. He deliberately inflated the spell's size.

Then his eyes met Bunch's. The man's face was thoroughly contorted.

'Quick on the uptake.'

But there was nothing he could do. The calculations were already complete.

And Galahad's calculations were exact.

* * *

'This is insane.'

Bunch bit his lip hard.

At first, he had thought the bastard an idiot. When Bunch cast Land of Fire, he had followed it up with Frozen Land. It was the stupidest possible response.

Bunch was a fire specialist. Fire magic had earned him admission to the White Mage Tower, and he had devoted his entire life to that branch of magic.

Trying to challenge him through elemental compatibility was the worst possible move.

Yet the bastard's Frozen Land had pushed back his Land of Fire. The longer their contest continued, the stranger it became.

The bastard watched Bunch quietly, almost as though...

'He's waiting for my spells.'

Bunch gritted his teeth and cast spell after spell. Every time, his opponent countered with ice magic of exactly the same tier.

Without the slightest deviation.

The point of collision drew steadily closer to his opponent. Bunch thought he was pushing him back.

Yet even when he chanted more incantations and poured in more mana, the place where their spells vanished remained unchanged.

They disappeared at precisely the point where their domains overlapped.

Only then did Bunch realize that the bastard was matching his magic exactly.

“Damn! Magic is incredible!”

“Wow. They must be equally matched! What a magnificent fight!”

Cheers poured in from all sides as spells exploded one after another. Magic continued to intertwine and burst apart.

To the spectators, it would look like an evenly matched battle.

Bunch knew it wasn't.

No, he could feel it.

When spells collided, there were three main outcomes: one devoured the other, one was devoured, or they canceled each other out.

Usually, one swallowed the other. For mutual cancellation to occur, the mana invested in both spells had to be equal. That was exceedingly rare.

Yet now, their spells kept canceling each other out.

Was it simply because their mana was equal?

'No. He's matching my mana precisely.'

Bunch shook his head, dismissing the bizarre suspicion.

'Bullshit. I'm Bunch of the White Mage Tower!'

Gritting his teeth, he poured in more mana.

But the result was the same. Their spells shattered precisely between their domains.

Why was he doing this? If he was going to win, he could simply end it cleanly. Why go out of his way to humiliate him?

Then Bunch felt an ache near his heart. It was a sign his mana was running out.

'Don't tell me...'

“Frozen Spear.”

A spear of ice targeted Bunch. His head, to be exact.

If he uttered anything other than an incantation, it would surely pierce him between the eyes.

Bunch hurriedly chanted. Their spells shattered precisely at the boundary between their domains.

After giving him a brief moment to breathe, another ice spear came flying.

The bastard was even allowing for Bunch's casting time, like a teacher adjusting a sparring match to his student's level.

'How dare you do this to me! Not a chance.'

Bunch tightened his grip on his staff.

This time, his opponent spoke first.

“A Frozen Spear for you.”

He recited the incantation kindly, as though explaining his spell.

A thick ice spear targeted Bunch. He had no choice but to chant.

The spells collided again, vanishing in a magnificent display that left the spectators unable to hide their admiration.

That was when the real problem began.

“Hmm, a Frozen Cannon should do nicely.”

“Frozen Arrows. Ten of them.”

“I should catch my breath behind an Ice Wall.”

The bastard had begun adding commentary to his incantations. It sounded like he was talking to himself, but those words were directed at Bunch.

He was telling him his moves, urging him not to miss anything and to keep up. Like an exceptionally kind teacher, he explained every step.

Only then did Bunch grasp his intention.

He was toying with Bunch. He was clearly taking revenge for their academy days.

'How dare he! How dare he!'

Back at the academy, the brat hadn't even been able to meet his eyes. And now that same brat was toying with him.

It was intolerable.

'I am Bunch of the White Mage Tower!'

Bunch gritted his teeth.

But agitation was a curse for a Mage. Maintaining his composure, Bunch prepared a move.

'Such arrogance.'

If the bastard was predicting his mana and matching it, he simply needed to break through.

Bunch had the ability to do that.

He adjusted his grip on his staff and chanted, so quietly that his opponent wouldn't hear.

Meanwhile, he released a very basic spell, Fireball, from his staff.

He would draw the bastard's attention with the fireball, then deliver his decisive strike.

'You weren't expecting dual casting, were you?'

Dual casting was Bunch's hidden dagger.

'Your own arrogance has you by the throat.'

As his opponent launched an Ice Arrow at the fireball, Bunch opened his mouth.

“Flame That Melts All.”

A massive stream of fire shot from Bunch's staff. It was the fastest spell in his arsenal, with respectable power to boot.

Distracted by the fireball, the bastard couldn't possibly block it.

'... He's smiling?'

A strange chill ran through Bunch at the sight of those upturned lips.

Then...

“Flower That Freezes All.”

The bastard snapped his fingers.

An ice flower bloomed from him, swallowed the fireball, and collided with the torrent of fire.

A tremendous explosion erupted, and the fire and flower vanished together.

That meant he had calculated the mana in both the fireball and the torrent in that split second, then constructed a spell containing their combined mana.

Unbelievable. Such a thing couldn't possibly be done.

Yet the smile on his opponent's lips proved it.

“Interesting. Now, an Ice Arrow this time.”

Bunch felt an implacable, insurmountable wall before him.

* * *

'It can't be.'

Devan, the Imperial Princess's knight, widened his eyes.

Spells were launched and shattered, then launched and shattered again. The arena had already lost its original shape.

Flames blazed on one side while frost raged on the other. A dragon of fire rose, and a dragon of ice opened its jaws wide in answer.

Wild cheers greeted the gripping duel. The evenly matched struggle continued, neither side yielding an inch.

Bunch was a senior Mage of the White Mage Tower, but his opponent was Galahad. As long as he was a Mage, he couldn't possibly defeat Galahad.

Yet they were fighting such a fierce duel. Devan couldn't understand it.

'Was Bunch really that powerful?'

The spells on display certainly looked formidable.

Then the Imperial Princess rose from her seat, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Ah...”

A fervent sob escaped her lips, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

'Why?'

Why was she so delighted to see Galahad struggling?

Just then...

“How dare you! What do you take me for?!”

Bunch swung his staff, coughing up blood. A small ball of fire rose along it.

It was far smaller than the previous spells, but its presence was entirely different. The remaining flames around him were sucked into it in an instant.

“Devouring Flame.”

A massive blaze formed on Bunch's staff. Its heat was so intense that the ground beneath it melted.

Galahad snapped his fingers. Ice as clear as crystal rose into the air. The surrounding frost was drawn into it, until a huge mass of ice hung before him.

“Cut the fucking bullshit!”

With that furious curse, Bunch swung his staff. Galahad flicked a finger in response.

The two enormous spells collided in the middle.

KABOOOM!

The deafening report followed a moment later. The arena shook violently. Broken shards of ice flew in every direction, and flames scattered wildly.

The explosion was so enormous that Devan instinctively stepped in front of the Imperial Princess. Several soldiers were blown backward.

Soon, thick smoke filled the arena.

A heavy silence settled. There were no cheers.

“Tch.”

The Grand Duke swept his massive hand through the air. Wind drove the haze away.

The sight revealed within was wretched.

Bunch stood in the ruined arena, leaning on his staff. Veins bulged all over his face. His eyes were red, as though every capillary had burst, and blood dripped from their corners. His body shook violently.

'Mana exhaustion.'

It was known as a Mage's death sentence, infamous for pain comparable to being cast into hell.

'Then Galahad...?'

Galahad was in the same condition. Blood vessels crowded his reddened eyes, and his body trembled uncontrollably from pain. Though he stood resolutely, it was clearly mana exhaustion.

Then Bunch and Galahad collapsed.

At exactly the same moment, without the slightest discrepancy.

THUD.

That feeble sound, nothing like the earlier thunderous crashes, marked the end.

'What in the world...?'

Was such a thing even possible?

“You truly are driving me mad.”

At the princess's tearful murmur, Devan realized what had happened.

'He engineered a draw?'

Unlike duels between knights, magical duels could end in a draw. If both combatants suffered mana exhaustion, it was a tie.

But two Mages would not have identical mana reserves to begin with, and even if they did, they would allocate different amounts to each spell.

Moreover, mana exhaustion was so infamous that forfeiting was universally considered preferable to enduring it.

As a result, a draw was rare even in a thousand duels.

Yet he had manufactured one. That meant he had willingly subjected himself to the notorious agony of mana exhaustion.

“A... a draw.”

The referee belatedly announced the result.

The Imperial Princess kicked back her chair. In the next instant, she was in the arena.

Adrianna stood directly before her. The two women faced each other over Galahad.

Adrianna had arrived first, but she couldn't reach out. Without her gauntlet, she couldn't touch him.

Looking at Adrianna, the Imperial Princess gathered Galahad into both arms. Then, as though flaunting it, she drew him closer against her chest.

Adrianna's brows rose sharply.

A heavy silence descended at the unbelievable outcome.

As everyone watched warily, scarcely daring to breathe, someone let out a loud, despairing cry.

“Aaaaagh! I'm ruined!”

It was Gilberton.