Chapter 100 Yuki Chihiro ⑧
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The spectator stands of the Academy arena were packed to capacity with students. In a world like this, a duel was one of the few high-stakes forms of entertainment available. During my own ranking match against Kelly, almost every student had come out to watch. They were, quite simply, starved for a thrill.
Though, recently, word had spread about a new casino opening in Greedia. A lot of people from Envyos ¹ have been heading that way for a bit of excitement. I even heard from Ise-san that Tenkouin-san and her group left Slothset ² for Greedia as well. Given her notorious love for gambling back in our old class, it wasn’t exactly a shock.
Setting that aside, the students in the stands were busy running a makeshift bookie operation on the fight. Since they were students, the stakes were low – at most a single large copper coin. The faculty didn’t seem inclined to stop them, either.
The odds were currently sitting at 20-to-1. The “20” was Nakim. Kelly was ranked 118th – and while that sounds low, since some students don’t participate in ranking matches at all, the bottom is actually around 200th. Considering his raw physical stats, the smart money was on Kelly. There was also the fact that Nakim was a complete unknown. Still, a few eccentrics were putting their coins on the underdog. Some just hated Kelly’s guts; others were female students who had a thing for the “cute kid” types. Naturally, I was one of those eccentrics.
As a side note, I’m currently ranked 8th. Among the Kijima sisters, Mei-san is 17th and Rei-san is 23rd. Kodama-san is surprisingly higher than me at 6th, and Yamato-san holds the 4th spot. Kagaya-san isn’t participating at all, claiming she’s just not interested. I only ended up at 8th because the previous title-holder had a toxic personality and went out of his way to pick a fight with me. Since then, I haven’t challenged anyone; I only fight when I’m the one being challenged.
Down in the arena, the Avatars for Nakim and Kelly had already been deployed.
Nakim was equipped with a simple staff and cloak. Kelly was decked out in the same heavy metal armor and massive claymore as before. The gear Nakim held was actually a drop from the Envyos Great Labyrinth. The staff slightly reduces MP consumption when casting sorcery – it’s not exactly a relic, but it’s the kind of thing a novice mage would kill for. The cloak helps mitigate incoming damage. Again, nothing legendary, but useful.
”What’s with that pathetic gear? This is going to be a landslide! Gyahahaha!” Kelly’s voice boomed through the arena’s amplification system.
Compared to Kelly’s heavy plate and oversized sword, Nakim did look a bit underdressed. It was a simple fact that the cloak wouldn’t save him if Kelly landed a solid hit. But magic is the great equalizer. Kelly’s Magic Power – his MAG – is nothing special. Nakim, on the other hand, has impressive MAG and a surprisingly high MIN stat. Besides, Kelly being that overconfident only tilted the field further in Nakim’s favor.
Nakim stayed hunched over, staring at the ground and refusing to make eye contact. To Kelly, it must have looked like the boy was paralyzed with fear. He began to gloat even harder.
”This win is a lock,” Kelly bragged. “With this, I’ll be taking the Chairwoman’s special lessons. I’m on the fast track to the elite course now! I can’t stop laughing!”
I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Nakim has grown immensely over the last five days. He’s studied hard, and he’s stared death in the face while crawling through the labyrinths. His level is up, and his spirit is tempered. He may lack Kelly’s raw physical power, but he’s gained something far more valuable: real combat experience.
Of course, it would be a different story if Kelly had been training too, but I knew for a fact he’d been doing absolutely nothing but underestimating his opponent. At least he had enough sense not to call the Chairwoman a “hag” in public. If he had, the backlash from the faculty and students would have been enough to ruin him.
”Are both combatants ready?” the Chairwoman asked.
Standing right next to me, she used an amplification spell to project her voice. The magic was impressive; the volume stayed perfectly consistent whether you were standing right next to her or at the back of the stands. It was clear and authoritative, without being grating.
”Y-yes!” Nakim stammered.
”Hell yeah! Ready whenever!” Kelly shouted back.
”Very well. Let us have a fair fight. And remember: no grumbling or excuses once the match is decided.”
That was a pointed jab at Kelly, who had spent a week complaining after I beat him. He didn’t seem to catch the sarcasm, though; he just kept on grinning.
”Then, the match between Rank 118, Kelly Burton, and the unranked Nakim begins. Start!”
* * *
The two stood about twenty meters apart. Kelly made the first move.
”Enchantment Weapon! ³“
Kelly’s claymore flared with a pale, magical light.
”This is the end for you!” he roared.
If he actually landed a hit, he was right. In fact, it was total overkill. Buffing his weapon for this fight was a complete waste of mana, but Kelly was too caught up in the spectacle to notice.
”RAAAAAGGGGHHH! – Wait, what!?”
Kelly charged Nakim with a thunderous war cry. But just as he closed the distance to striking range, Kelly suddenly vanished.
No, that’s not quite right.
He fell.
He had plunged straight into a pitfall Nakim had carved out with sorcery. There’s a Lifestyle Magic ⁴ spell called Dig – usually used for irrigation or wells. Nakim had repurposed it into a trap about two meters wide. I couldn’t tell exactly how deep it was, but it looked to be at least three meters.
Normally, someone would notice a giant hole in the ground, but Kelly had total tunnel vision on Nakim. He hadn’t bothered to check his surroundings at all. He’d taken the win for granted, and he’d walked right into the trap. Now, stuck in that heavy metal armor, he was going to have a hell of a time trying to climb out.
The arena fell into a stunned silence. Beside me, the Chairwoman was visibly shaking, trying to hold back her laughter.
”Dammit… you little brat! I’m gonna get out of here and – “
”Stone Wall. Times two,” Nakim said quietly.
Kelly’s shouting was cut off instantly. Nakim had sealed the top of the pit with a Stone Wall spell – and he’d stacked a second one on top for good measure.
Wait. Did Nakim just Double Cast? ⁵
Double Casting is a high-level skill where a mage chants and activates two spells simultaneously. That was what the Chairwoman had been drilling into him during their private sessions. I knew he was bright, but I didn’t think he’d actually master it so quickly. I’d tried to teach him the knack for Silent Casting, but he could only pull that off with basic Lifestyle spells.
The whole situation was absurd. I couldn’t help it; I let out a snort. The Chairwoman finally hit her limit and doubled over, laughing loudly.
”Aha! Ahahaha! Now that is how you use your head!” she cried.
She’d told Nakim – who lacked offensive firepower – that magic is all about a shift in perspective. Seeing it in action, I was genuinely impressed. I realized I’d been getting a bit too rigid in my own tactics. I needed to start broadening my horizons too.
Completely trapped in a cramped, dark hole with no footing, Kelly couldn’t even swing his claymore. He could only manage a few desperate stabs upward. There was no way he was going to break through those reinforced stone walls with a sword. That left him with only one option.
A muffled BOOM echoed from inside the ground.
He was probably trying to use his signature Fireball to blast his way out. But in that confined space, it was a double-edged sword. Fireball creates a small explosion with a five-meter radius. I can use it too, but the force is weaker than actual dynamite. It would take five or six blasts to crack those walls. The real problem, however, is that the caster isn’t immune to their own explosion.
Normally, you fire it from twenty meters away. Trapped in a stone-sealed pit, the shockwave and the heat had nowhere to go. Kelly was taking the full brunt of his own magic. I didn’t know how many shots he could fire before his MP ran out, but I was pretty sure he’d knock himself out long before he broke the wall.
He was completely checkmated.
After a few more dull thuds, the noise finally stopped.
”Winner: Nakim.”
A cold, synthesized voice – modeled after the Chairwoman’s own – announced the end of the match. Nakim had won.
—
Summary:
Nakim faces off against the bully Kelly in a ranking duel. Despite the overwhelming odds against him, Nakim uses clever ‘Lifestyle Magic’ to trap Kelly in a pitfall and seals him in with double-cast Stone Walls. Kelly ultimately defeats himself while trying to blast his way out of the confined space.
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Trivia:
- Chihiro is currently ranked 8th in the academy.
- Nakim’s gear is specifically drop-loot from the Envyos Great Labyrinth.
- Kelly previously lost to Chihiro and complained about it for a week.
- Double Casting is considered a high-level skill that the Chairwoman taught Nakim.
- Fireball damage in this world affects the caster if they are within the blast radius
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Character Insight:
Nakim demonstrates significant growth by applying ‘perspective’ over raw power. Chihiro realizes his own combat style has become rigid and vows to broaden his horizons after witnessing Nakim’s victory.
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Behind the Scenes:
The use of ‘Lifestyle Magic’ (utilities) for combat is a common ‘cheat’ or ‘clever protagonist’ trope in Isekai/Fantasy light novels.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Kelly – An aggressive student and bully who uses a claymore and fire magic. Has short blonde spiky hair.
• Nakim – A thirteen-year-old boy with soft, androgynous features; the creator of the Dispel spell.
• Kodama – Kodama Satomi. A self-proclaimed fan of Chihiro. A bronzed girl with bleached hair. She uses Lightning Bolt sorcery. Her stats are noted to be higher than a Gargoyle’s, though she is not built for melee.
• Yamato – Yamato Hina. Student council vice-president. Serious, beautiful, with long straight hair and sharp eyes.
• Mei – One of the Kijima twin sisters. She uses a longbow that creates arrows of light. She is part of Chihiro’s party in the Envyos Labyrinth.
• Rei – One of the Kijima twin sisters. The eldest one. She uses a spear and acts as the frontline defense for her sister. She demonstrates ‘perfect sync’ with Mei.
• Chihiro – Height 178 cm, weight 70 kg (Male). Natsumi’s childhood friend. A handsome, athletic top student in the soccer club.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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