Demon-Hunting Genius Mage

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]

Chapter 71

'Wait, this wasn't part of the plan...'

Just like with Thompson, with Kayla's skill level, there was nothing to worry about in the duel.

She had also just reached 4th circle.

Moreover, she had honed her skills further through practice duels with me and even received winning strategies.

However... if her opponent was Roan, it was a different story.

'There's no way she can win.'

Roan had already reached the 4th circle when we first met.

Furthermore, he had learned light magic since then and gained practical experience through the Aldeon incident.

He must be much stronger now.

Moreover.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Roan Vilgef."

"I'm Kayla."

'...The atmosphere is different.'

His cold gaze, his stiff tone.

Whatever had happened, he felt different from the Roan I had seen just a few weeks ago.

As if he had become a completely different person.

No, what was important now wasn't Roan's gaze, tone, or atmosphere.

It was the fact that his mana had noticeably changed.

For some reason, Roan's mana was emitting a much vaster and stronger energy than before.

'If she even grazes a spell cast with such eerie mana...'

It would definitely result in a fatal injury.

Of course, Professor Ziren would intervene if there was such a risk...

What was this unease?

I had a feeling things wouldn't go as planned.

'I have to stop the duel.'

With that single thought in mind, I returned to my seat.

There was only one surefire way to cancel the duel.

Persuade the dean.

"Dean!"

"Ah, you're back? The duel is already underway..."

"What's going on here?"

"Hmm?"

The dean tilted his head and asked.

"What do you mean? What's going on?"

"Roan. Why is he suddenly the opponent? There was a different student on the list."

"Ah, it just happened that way. Roan came to see me this morning. When I told him that Kayla was an acquaintance of yours, he said he would participate himself."

"Is it okay to change it like that so suddenly?"

"There's no problem. It's not a real fight."

Did Asion Gale not sense Roan's eerie mana?

He spoke as if it wasn't a big deal.

Every time he did that, my insides churned.

Thump! Thump! Thump...!

This pounding that I couldn't get used to no matter how many times I experienced it.

I was sure of it.

It was a sign that something bad was about to happen.

Perhaps he noticed my hardened expression.

"It seems you have some concerns."

The dean asked first, and I confessed honestly.

"I can't explain it clearly, but I have a bad feeling. It's as if Kayla is going to get hurt..."

This was the best way to explain it.

There was no real basis for a hunch like this.

However, the dean respected my intuition.

"Okay, then what should we do? Should I cancel the duel?"

"You believe what I'm saying?"

"There are definitely times in life when you have to. People like you, with good intuition. Once you've experienced it, you never ignore it."

"Then..."

"Yes, if you wish, we can pretend this duel never happened. But how about this?"

Fwoosh!

In the middle of our conversation, Asion Gale's figure disappeared before my eyes.

Knowing who I was talking to, it didn't take long to figure out what had happened.

There was only one way to disappear so instantly.

'Teleport!'

The symbol of a high-ranking mage, teleportation.

I immediately shifted my gaze and, as expected, found Asion Gale standing in a different spot.

He appeared next to Professor Ziren.

-If I said I would intervene directly if there was a problem.

The voice echoed in my head.

Telepathy from such a distance that only I could hear.

It was a moment that made me realize how high Asion Gale's level was.

"..."

As I was pondering, I heard his voice again.

-Think carefully. This could be a good opportunity for Kayla.

He wasn't wrong.

Actually, if I hadn't felt this unease, the duel with Roan would have been a good opportunity.

The more experience you had facing strong mages, the better.

It would all become nourishment for Kayla's growth.

However,

'Isn't it too dangerous?'

This wasn't a practice duel with training wands.

It was a situation where Kayla could be in danger.

-Whether she is admitted to the academy will be judged separately from victory or defeat.

"..."

I had to choose.

Whether to take the safe route.

Or take a little risk and give Kayla a new experience.

If I had to choose between the two, what I could choose was, of course...

"...Alright. Please intervene if there's a problem."

The latter.

Could he hear my voice even though I didn't use telepathy?

Asion Gale, who was looking at me from afar, nodded.

-Just trust me.

His face was more serious than ever.

"Huu..."

I shook off my anxiety and took a deep breath.

Even if my intuition was screaming, it was worth trusting Asion Gale if he was going to intervene directly.

Indeed, the pounding in my chest had noticeably decreased since I heard those words.

'That must mean it's much less dangerous than before.'

As I sat down with that thought, someone spoke to me from beside me.

"Is something wrong?"

A student with pink hair in pigtails.

It was Jensen Ville.

"It's nothing."

I brushed it off like that, but Jensen Ville pressed on.

"It's not nothing. Is it because of Roan?"

She must have overheard my conversation with the dean, seeing as she figured it out right away.

I felt like it would become troublesome if I dragged it out further, so I just confessed.

"I think Roan is too much for Kayla to handle."

"You know Roan?"

"We lived together for a few months."

"Hmm, Roan is amazing. He's the only one who holds the top student position in our academy."

Jensen Ville nodded and continued.

"But don't worry too much. Even though he's a bit reckless, he's not the type to cross the line."

"Are you close?"

"Somewhat?"

Jensen Ville said with a grin.

Was it because of her bright face that showed no worry?

I felt a little more at ease.

Of course, that didn't mean my anxiety completely disappeared.

'...Okay, let's not overthink it. It'll be fine.'

Looking at the situation objectively, even though Kayla couldn't defeat Roan, she wasn't at the level of being completely overwhelmed either.

She hadn't been slacking off all this time, so she would be able to cope in her own way.

In the end, I decided to clear my mind and watch the duel.

You never knew the outcome until the very end.

"The rules are the same as before. Any attack using mana is allowed, and forbidden magic cannot be used. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"I understand."

"Please stand at the line at the back."

And so the duel began.

Bang!

A small explosion erupted from Ziren's fingertips.

Magic was cast immediately after.

"Haa!"

Kayla's first attack began with her launching a fireball.

It was a clean spell cast, comparable to the ice mage student from earlier.

She had definitely improved compared to before.

However.

Shwaaaa-

Whoosh...

Roan slammed his staff down once, and a chilling cold spread out, extinguishing the fireball.

At the same time, the duel space was covered in ice.

'Ice Field.'

The same magic as the student from before.

But it was on a different level than what that student had cast.

Crackle, crackle!

It was as if the lecture hall had transformed into an arena.

The lecture hall was instantly covered in ice, and Kayla's legs were firmly bound.

"Ugh..."

Kayla, after struggling a few times with the discomfort, quickly calmed herself and cast a spell.

A composed response.

Woooong!

The magic she activated was the transformation magic she had first cast.

Kwaaaang!

A huge explosion erupted around her body.

It seemed she intended to break the ice binding her legs with the explosion.

However.

"...What?"

The ice binding Kayla's feet wasn't even scratched.

It was still firmly holding Kayla in place.

It was because of the elemental affinity.

'...The stronger side has the advantage.'

Ice attribute and fire attribute.

With equal skill, the two attributes showed the same performance.

However, if one side's power was even slightly stronger, the weaker attribute would be completely consumed.

This was precisely that case.

Even the explosion Kayla caused with all her might couldn't break Roan's ice.

It was something that could be predicted.

However.

'This much of a difference?'

It was strange that it wasn't even scratched.

The difference in skill between Kayla and Roan wouldn't be that big.

It seemed that my feeling that something was different about Roan wasn't just my imagination.

His level had risen much higher than before.

"You don't have to push yourself."

Roan muttered and started walking towards Kayla.

One step, two steps...

Blue mana surged with each step he took.

Along with it, a murderous intent could be felt.

Woooong!

An ice spear appeared behind Roan's back.

An ice spear that was larger, sharper, and sturdier than before.

Whirr-

It spun.

As if it would pierce Kayla at any moment.

'...Is he going to kill her?'

Casting magic with the intention to kill and casting magic to kill felt different.

And the ice spear Roan was currently displaying felt like the latter.

That uneasy premonition hit the mark, and soon Roan's ice spear rushed towards Kayla.

Judging from its trajectory... it was aiming for Kayla's heart.

"Huh, huh?"

Jensen Ville was also flustered, sensing something was wrong.

Shwaaaack!

The fierce tearing sound that ripped through the air.

Anyone could see that it was a dangerous attack.

Still, Kayla didn't panic and raised her staff.

Fwoosh!

Powerful flames erupted in front of her.

However.

The gap between the two had already been confirmed.

Kayla's flames couldn't stop Roan's ice spear.

The ice spear reached Kayla in an instant.

'This is dangerous!'

It was at that moment that I sensed it.

Fwoosh!

Suddenly, a figure disappeared from beside Professor Ziren.

It appeared in front of Kayla, extinguishing her flames, and at the same time,

Crackle!

It shattered Roan's incoming ice spear with one hand.

It was Dean Asion Gale.

Fortunately, he intervened before an accident could occur.

'...That was a close call.'

If he hadn't stepped in, Kayla might have died.

Even if I turned back time with [Chronos' Pocket Watch], I couldn't bring back the dead.

If Kayla's heart had been pierced, there would have been no way to reverse it, no matter what method I used.

Did the dean know that too?

"Hmm, are you alright?"

"Y-yes... Thank you."

After confirming Kayla's safety, he turned his head towards Roan.

"That was a dangerous prank, Roan."

Contrary to his calm tone, he had a frown on his face and looked quite angry.

As if he was disappointed in his best student.

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]