There was a time when I got really into a MMORPG and became a pro at it. Although I call myself a pro, my account had bad records for Idling a lot. It’s because I always got called by my father, mother, or sister disturbing me in a middle of an important match.

***

“Show them the power of God Helius! Saint Goldenbloom!”

“Show us the magic of the Darkus Saint!”

The peanut gallery sure are noisy.

Well, it can’t be helped. They are about to see the elites of their school in an actual fight. Although I said elite, it excludes me.

Currently, I am standing twenty meters away from Sora and Cherry girl. We are inside a training ground which has the size of baseball stadium. Of course, there are also seats which the students with free time are going to use. It’s equipped with a magic barrier so that they wouldn’t get affected by stray magic during the fight.

“Do I really have to do this?”

“Come on Key, don’t be such a wuss. Just do your best even if you know you’re going to lose.”

Such encouraging words, really.

“It would be nice if she isn’t trying to kill me though.”

“Didn’t I tell you that you’re not going to die no matter what happens? Just look at your [Inverse Double] behind you and think of it as your health bar just like in a game. Doesn’t that make you feel at ease?”

“Can’t really argue with that…”

What Sora called [Inverse Double] is a human shaped stone pillar. This was created not long ago by the Headmaster. Its purpose is to take the damage the person it is linked with using [Soul Magic] and prevent the person from dying. However, the feeling of pain will still be felt by the actual person during the fight.

I don’t know if I should get nervous to the fact that I’m going into a fight, or get angry to the Headmaster who approved it. Also, Headmaster, don’t look at me with that ‘looking forward to the fight’ face.

[Everyone, in my signal, the Three Way Duel will start.]

I got slightly startled when the Headmaster talked through telepathy. Honestly, it feels slightly irritating.

On the other hand, Sora pulled his dagger off its sheath on his back and made a dashing pose while holding the dagger on his back. Cherry girl pinned her staff to the ground and then looked at me as if she’s challenging me—no, she’s warning me not to run.

[By my name as the Headmaster of Half Moon Academy, I declare to start the bout!]

With that signal, Sora suddenly flew—jumped high in the sky like some person from the movies.

“--## # #### ## >”

He was already chanting.

Seven—no eight pillars made of stone suddenly erected from the ground. I managed to dodge it rising below me by hair’s breadth. But Cherry girl was faster than me despite being a girl.

“It’s a mistake jumping into the sky!”

“### ##### ### ### >”

It’s probably my imagination, but isn’t her chant really short? But not’s the time to think about it, she casted it twice with the other one directed at me. I almost forgot that I’m in a middle of a war.

“### #### ##### ##### #### ## ## >”

This spell is something Sora taught me. Although he said it’s very durable, it has very bad mana consumption. But that problem doesn’t apply to me because I have infinite mana.

“Tch! He knows how to use a barrier.”

So she was actually targeting me.

Clicking tongue isn’t fit for a girl you know!

“Hey Goldy, is it a good idea to take your attention away from me?”

While saying that, Sora suddenly disappeared from our views. How did he even dodge it mid-air?

“Who do you think I am Darkus Saint?”

“##### ###### ############ ### # ##### #### >”

When I looked into the sky, dozens of white magic circles appeared out of nowhere. Suddenly, a sharp tip of a spear peeked out from it. In the next moment, it started raining down on us.

I got a little worried that my barrier would get destroyed from the continuous striking of the spears of light, so I enchanted myself with > that gives temporary movement speed boost to dodge most of them while keeping the barrier’s integrity.

Since the only element I managed to study first was wind, so all the spells I’m able to use right now is wind based ones. I heard that wind spells consumes less mana than other elements. But it’s pretty ironic for me who has infinite capacity of mana.

Because there was too much spears coming down from the sky, Sora suddenly jumped out from one of the pillar’s shadows while holding his shoulder. It seems he got hit by one of those spears.

“As expected of you, Goldy, using such reckless spells in a large area without minding the people around. I’m slightly disappointed.”

Even though he got hurt, he didn’t fail to mock Cherry girl who was tired after using such large scale magic. Now that I look at it, he isn’t bleeding at all. But his Dummy’s shoulder has a deep cut though.

“Shut up, Darkus Saint. I’m only doing this since I’m aware that the students are protected by the Headmaster. Be thankful that I am not holding back.”

“Oh really?”

“>”

After mocking her more, Sora released a few chantless spell from his palm to Cherry girl.

Cherry girl seemed to anticipate it and waved her staff while chanting.

“#### ### ### ### ## >”

A thin triangle shaped light shied appeared mid-air and intercepted the balls of flame. However, it was only a distraction.

Seeing the Sora suddenly harden into stone, Cherry girl became panicked.

Sora suddenly popped out from her shadow from behind. The one in the running around was actually a clay golem judging from its deformation when it disappeared.

“### ## # >”

Sora’s dagger instantly became red hot iron and slashed it towards Cherry girl who didn’t anticipate this.

“It’s over.”

The dagger struck.

I thought she died, but then I realized that this is only a mock game so I felt slightly relieved.

“What are you talking about?”

Cherry talked without flinching and smiled at Sora who was dumbfounded at her reaction.

“No way, you already acquired >?”

The dagger that was supposed to be struck on Cherry’s back didn’t even touch her flesh. More accurately, the dagger when through her since there was a hole from the back separated by white light.

Sora jumped back in a slightly panicked state and then made a defensive posture while holding his dagger in front of him.

“I acquired this after many months of research and able to practice it during my free time. Because of you, I am able to materialize the > in full power.”

“I see, so there are requirements in using >. To think that you are able to use it before me, it’s quite unexpected.”

“Then, for the sake of your honor, I’ll defeat you using my strongest spell using this form.”

While holding her staff up, wings of light sprouted out from her back and started chanting.

“Activate >”

Sora used his eye while looking at Cherry girl. Since I’m just going to blind him with my mana when he looks at me, he’s trying his best to not look at me.

“Key, if you can put few more layers of your barrier on yourself, I advise you to do it and buckle up since we’re about to go into a bumpy ride.”

While warning me half-jokingly, I heed his warning and put 6 more layers on my barrier. Good thing the barrier’s color is very transparent or I won’t be able to see what’s happening on the other side.

“—## ## #### >”

A very large magic circle appeared above us three. It has the size to prevent us from running away or give us chance to hide around the stone pillars, but it’s not that big to also reach the spectator’s seats.

In the next second, it started raining, raining lasers of light from the magic circle.

I braced myself and received the lasers that hitting my barrier with strong force that is enough to be compared by getting rammed by a truck. Good thing that my barrier is reinforced by other barrier and each barrier has very strong durability, but my expectations where slowly disappearing when I saw the first layer of my barrier started to make cracks everywhere from the continuous shower of lasers.

On the other hand, Sora was running around with all his might dodging the lasers by hair’s breadth. He was able to defend himself using numerous palm sized stones by lifting it with magic into air. But since there were too many lasers, he wasn’t able to dodge everything and got hit on random parts of his body resulting for his stone dummy to get random holes on its body.

I looked at Cherry girl. I got slightly taken aback by her ecstatic face from not being able to see us through the rain of death while enjoying our suffering.

When the rain of death was over, only two layers of my barrier were left. The outer one was in tattered shape though.

On the other end, Sora was exhilarating from too much running and too much use of magic. His black uniform was tattered all over the place, but I commend his shoes and lower uniform from not getting a single scratch after getting out of that hellhole.

“To be able to break my magic in the middle of getting bombarded by me, as expected of a [Magic Knight] of the Royal Family.”

Cherry girl commended Sora who was huffing and is leaning on his knees.

“I really hate to admit it, but it’s my loss.”

Sora suddenly raised his hands in surrender.

Jeers from the peanut gallery from both sides were heard, but the Darkus fraction was silent. It seems that they understood their leader’s decision and didn’t say anything to the Helius fraction who was jeering beside them. These guys sure are good people.

The stone dummy crumbled after Sora surrendered.

Suddenly, he picked a glowing paper from his pocked and activated it.

“I’ll be arriving in twenty minutes, dispatch squad 7 and put a two hundred yard perimeter around the castle. She shouldn’t have got that far yet.”

I see, so he was getting a call in the middle of the fight.

Cherry girl wore a vexing expression like she was the one who got defeated.

The headmaster did say anything and nodded at Sora when he asked permission to leave.

And in an instant, Sora disappeared into the shadow of a crumbling pillar.

“That guy, so he was holding back.”

I heard Cherry girl murmuring to herself while grinding her teeth.

Please stop that, it’s giving me goose bumps.

When she looked at my direction, she got surprised to see me standing without getting a single scratch.

“How, how did you survive my attack?”

Please don’t look at me like you’re seeing a guy back from the dead.

Without wasting any second, she flew towards me while chanting.

I’m guessing that she won’t be able to use something showy after using too much mana.

“#### ### ## >”

Two slashes of water from the ground ran towards me and struck my barrier causing it to break. Luckily, the one that broke is the tattered barrier that was barely holding on to the last layer.

[Element Row: Wind, Effect Column: Push, Target: Forward, Direction: Force Down, Mana Output: 70%.]

Without using my mouth in chanting, I used the ring to cast the spell.

Strong wind from Cherry girl’s back suddenly struck her and pushed her to the ground causing her to crash. But since she didn’t fly too high, I hope she’s okay.

“A-again? Without chanting!?”

She immediately stood up after making few rolls on the ground after her fall.

It seems that my attack can prevent her from flying and hit her. She’s being cautious.

“### ##### ### ### >”

Water came gushing out from the ground flew towards me. Since the force is stronger than a truck ramming my barrier, it managed to blow me away since I didn’t expect her to suddenly attack. To add, she chanted it faster than before.

“Are you trying to kill me!? I could have died you know!”

“I am trying to kill you. But I hate to admit it, I can’t.”

“For a shorty, you’re really crazy.”

“Who’s a shorty!?’

She immediately ran towards me after I teased her.

She held her staff like a baseball bat and started chanting.

“#### ## ###### # >”

“### #### ### ##### ### >”

Chain chant, I didn’t expect that.

Since my barrier is something that separates me and foreign magic, the thorny vines grabbed my barrier instead of me. But since I’m in the core of the barrier, I also can’t move due to it.

> is an enchant magic. I can see her staff getting wrapped in water and froze forming a very sharp blade.

I should be able to survive getting slashed by that because of my barrier, but I’m not someone who’ll wait for the enemy to arrive before me.

[Element Row: Wind, Effect Column: Blow, Target: One, Direction: Force Up, Mana Output: 100%]

I was able to finish the rune formation in my head, but—

“--#### ### >”

--She was already chanting and broke my rune formation ahead of me.

The distance was already close, I can’t think of another spell. I don’t have time to chant another layer of my barrier. I’m going to lose.

[Don’t panic and use your head boy.]

Suddenly, a familiar voice called to me. Thankfully, it returned me back to my senses and stopped me from panicking.

Everything became slow motion as I get serious in forming runes. I remembered another book from the library back home, although barely, I remembered a single spell on it.

[Summoning Row: Intelligent Being, Type: Sword, Class: Magical, Effect: Auto Pilot, Number: Four.]

In an instant, four magic circles appeared before the charging Cherry. Four long swords got summoned intercepting the enchanted staff.

Three of the four swords instantly broke, and the last one was able to hold it back even though it got sliced halfway and then disappeared.

Cherry girl immediately stepped back looking surprise. Her hands were shaking after striking hard metal unexpectedly. Sorry.

“You’re also a summoner, and still chantless, impossible!”

Like I said, it’s not chantless. I’d like to retort but it’s not time for that.

I summoned another batch, this time it’s only 3. Despite it being called as [Intelligent Being], I’m still controlling it to prevent it from slashing myself.

I let it cut the thorny vines and released my barrier from being rooted to the ground. Since I’m still a newbie in controlling them, I ended up destroying my barrier along the way.

“So you’re confident enough to beat me without a barrier? That’s very infuriating.”

Aren’t you misunderstanding something?

“##### ### #### ##### ###### ### #### ## >”

Water came gushing out violently behind Cherry girl. After that, the torrent suddenly turned mid-air and to my surprise, it became a giant water snake.

“Hey, hey, hey, isn’t that going overboard!?”

“No it’s not. I find you a fitting enemy to go all out.”

So the ‘you’ that almost destroyed the whole stadium still going all out, just how powerful and crazy are you?

I’d like to use a shield too, but I don’t know what the rune is for the shield summoning, so I summoned 3 more swords making it six. Because of that, I found out that this number of swords is my limit.

It might be late to say this, but I’m trying to make a barrier. However, Cherry girl’s lips were faster and countered it with >.

“Destroy him, Water Emperor!”

The Water Emperor let out a roar answering her command. I’d like to ask how it produced a voice without lungs.

The Water Emperor ran towards me like a snake going for a bite. I tried to counter it with my swords, but it only went past it since it’s only made of water and ended up breaking from the water pressure.

“It’s useless to do physical attack on a magical entity! Hahahaha--”

Quite an evil queen huh…

She kept laughing at me while I’m running around from the attack of the Water Emperor. Since the effect of the > hasn’t faded out yet, I’m running at a considerable speed.

I know it’s useless, but I tried erecting barriers. But all ended in vain since she’s still has mana to break them. Just how much mana do you have woman!?

Since it’ll be pointless if I kept on running around, I decided to ran towards her and attack her directly.

Now, I’m in between the Water Emperor on the back and Cherry girl on the front. I’m so stupid.

“### #### ### ##### ### >”

Cherry girl quickly chanted it trying to seal my movement.

Since I anticipated it, I jumped into the air to dodge it. However, I tripped mid-way and ended up spinning in the air. Because of the effect of the >, I’m slightly floating while spinning towards Cherry girl slowly.

“I can’t stop spinning!!! HELP!”

When the Water Emperor managed to catch up to me, it tried to bite me. But it only ended up missing me and crash on the ground making a cloud of dust. And to make matters worse, it pushed me instead towards Cherry.

“Get out of the way!”

Cherry froze on the spot while looking at me while going towards her. I guess she didn’t expect this kind of comical development.

In the end, I struck her with a head-butt. But I didn’t expect her to be so sturdy despite being small and I ended up getting knocked out instead.

But before that, only before losing consciousness, I felt that my lips touched something very soft, warm, and sweet.

-End of Chapter 5-