3 bar menu

Chapter 26 – Part 2

---

Translator: Mii

Editor: Ryunakama

---

As long as I already knew at what strength level I should act at Magic Academy, there is no reason to extend this mock battle any longer.

I jumped into the air and aimed at Nell, who was still in a motionless state, and fired a transparent wind hammer at her.

Although it can’t be helped that she wanted to avoid the Energy Ring, jumping now was a mistake, Nell.

「Principle of Wind, hear my voice! Be an unruly hammer, and strike my enemies! Air Strike!」

Even if I cast wind magic which had no color and was difficult to catch visually during her leap, she couldn’t construct any defence magic and had to receive the mind hammer directly.

That’s why it was a mistake for her to jump to avoid the Energy Ring. Nell’s judgment ring shines again, creating an absolute defensive barrier to protect her.

「Shoot another one, Energy Rain!」

「So fast!」

Nell should’ve meant the speed of my magic use. She reorientated her position while the defensive barriers were still intact, yet her motion was pursued by countless magical arrows, and even if Nell managed to offset some using her cold air, the trajectory of the magical arrows attacked from behind.

She didn’t manage to avoid the arrows and the second defensive barrier once again generated with Nell’s judgement ring. I could see the veins on Nell’s head.

「The disciple of eyes, dye my way like the great brilliance of the sky, freeze everything and break them down, and strike everything that stood in front of me! Icicle Flare! 」

Fumu? Is that the exploding cold atmosphere from the high rank ice attribute magic? Considering the length of the pre-casting, it should be reasonable for this magic, but this shouldn’t be the end.

As I predicted, after an extremely cold snowstorm that had generated even more energy than before rushed to me, there were also ice blocks that struck me. In exchange, after my second crystal of judgement lit up, I thrusted straight from the front side.

There was only one more crystal left on the judgement ring. But unlike Nell, who had used up the rest of her enchantment due to the Icicle Flare, I still had enough enchantment to make a blow.

「Principle of Fire, hear my voice and burn like a crimson lotus flower. Gather in my hand, and be my sword! Burning Edge! 」

After creating the fiery magic sword with the remaining I had left in my cane (even if I was just pretending), I swung the magic sword and tore apart the ice pillar and snowstorm in front of my eyes.

The figure of a tired Nell who fell to her knees was shown between the split snowstorm.

While her finely carved figure was covered with sweat, she glared solemnly at me who broke through her Icicle Flare. Her firmness was also likeable.

My protective barriers disappeared at the same time when the Icicle Flare broke. However, I should end this enjoyable mock game soon. I threw up the flame magic sword to Nell.

Nell’s lips curved up while she stared at the flaming sword that lit her dark eyes with a blaze. It was a smile that was convinced of victory.

Behind me, an Ice Arrow, which had already been activated by Nell before the Icicle Flare, flew in, and shot the back of my right hand holding the staff that was the medium of the Burning Edge.

The sharp, pointed tip of the Ice Arrow pierced the back of my right hand, and it freezes quickly, trapping my blood in a thin layer of ice.

I had waited since she should’ve activated the magic that had already been cast in advance, and I aimed at the chance of the moment when I broke through the Icicle Flare that Nell had pretended to be her trump card.

I was relieved that things happened like how I predicted it, and released the staff in my right hand.

As I released the staff, the supply of the magic power ceased, and the Burning Edge changed into innumerable fire powder and disappeared.

Losing the staff, which is one of the conditions that would decide the outcome, was the moment when the balance on the outcome of this mock battle fell away from me. But to end up in defeat was never my intention.

I bent the five fingers of my left hand just before the Burning Edge completely disappeared, and it gently propped up on Nell’s flank.

The gentle move was like a delirious infant who was in heat, and Nell took a moment before she noticed my left hand was attached to her right flank.

「Eh?」

「Fumu, it’s a draw, right?」

Since I wanted this kind of result in this mock battle, I struck the Energy Impact filled with pure magic into Nell’s body.

Basically, it is a long-distance magic based on contact with the opponent, which was rarely used as an offensive magic. The judgement ring responded to the blow of energy bolt after the close contact.

Nell, who was already convinced of her reversal victory, quickly triggered the defense barrier that prevented the Energy Impact that would damage her ribs and organs. With that, she triggered the defense barrier three times. She made a blank face, while silently murmuring.

It wouldn’t be unreasonable for her to make that face right now, since I took the victory that was just right in front of her.

All of the crystals on Nell’s Judgment Ring were lit, and my hand also lost a cane. This created a situation where we each met the condition of defeat.

Hum, I took a big breath and picked up the staff that rolled on the stage.

Nell was staring at her judgment ring, as if her understanding could not keep up with the fact that we ended up in a draw.

「Stop. The match ends here.」

I felt magic other than mine and Nell’s being released. The headmaster Olivier, who was outside the stage a moment ago, used the magic to manipulate the atmosphere and appeared back on the stage which was still filled with cold air residue.

「Nelneshia’s judgement ring lighted up three times. But since Dran released his grip on his staff, this mock game ends in a raw.」

Fumu, did she accurately grasp the battle on the stage which was blocked with cold air, a snowstorm, and ice? Or maybe she might have been grasping the rough situation by the change of magic, or using the perspective of magic.

This headmaster Olivier was likely to be the best magician among the magicians I had encountered in this world.

It seems that Nell finally swallowed the headmaster Olivier’s decision, and returned to a vague expression and muttered a little.

「Draw… I didn’t win.」

「But you didn’t lose either, right? If it’s hard for you to stand up, I can lend you a shoulder.」

Before I could relax from the tension of the mock battle, I frantically rushed towards Nell’s side as she was about to fall down because of the released tension, and supported her body.

Nell looked quite flustered towards my sudden actions without asking her permission.

「I-it’s okay. I’ll stand up alone. You should be tired too.」

「Fumu? I might not seem like it, but I have morals as a man too, so I can’t just pull back after offering my help.」

「Then, just until we get off the stage is okay.」

Fumu, I wondered why she was still so obstinate, and I felt Nell’s body temperature and smell full of sweat over her uniform.

It seemed like Nell’s body was excited when she was smiling with a sadistic smile, or even when she was driven into a corner in frustration.

When I intentionally snorted my nose, Nell’s face turned red and she moved her gaze towards the side.

「Ah, if I reek of sweat then you can release me.」

「I don’t really mind.」

Nell’s fatigue is so heavy due to the continuous use of magic and the repercussions of extreme concentration, and she was likely to fall on the stage after relaxing her mind.

Headmaster Olivier made the wind blow to clean the cold air and water vapor on the stage, but there were frozen spots and a pool of melted ice on the floor of the stage here and there, so without walking carefully, she might slip.

「Dran, I’ll be okay on my own now. I can walk properly, so release my hand.」

「It will be bad if you slip. Even if my magic power is close to zero now, I still have my strength. And according to my male disposition, to leave a girl on her own right now will make me a nasty creature. 」

Our appearance of supporting each other’s bodies would look somewhat uncool, but it was fun to see Nell’s flustered charm, different from her usual stoic attitude.

There was also a special spot where you could see Nell’s face at such a breathtaking distance, and I stared at it directly even when she was aware of my gaze.

Her cheeks were faintly dyed red, whether it was because of the tiredness from the battle, or or from the lingering joy of her sadism.

I was wondering which one was the reason, but I really did have fun having Nell as my opponent.

I was tempted to continue looking at Nell, and whether it was because of modesty or embarrassment, she turned her face away from me and murmured in a small voice.

「……Got it. But after we get off the stage, release my arm.」

「It’s good that you understand now. Then, make sure to hold me properly until then. By the way, what is Nell’s nickname? Even if it’s a draw, I didn’t lose, so can you tell me? I think it won’t be really that bad after all.」

「……Nn. I don’t really want people to know, but… they call me “Ice Flower”.」

Ice Flower, huh? If I compared it with the previous battle and her good looks, it sounds like a poetic nickname.

「So it’s a flower of ice, right? I don’t think it’s something embarrassing. Since Christina-san is called as the Silver Princess Knight, the other Big Four members should have similar nicknames, right?」

「Nn. Well, the nicknames are generally almost similar. But in my case, the ‘ice’ is because it is the attribute I often use, and the ‘flower’ is because I am too silent.」

I could understand the ‘ice’ part, but what does she mean with the ‘flower’ part? Why is her silence associated with flowers?

I tilted my head in confusion unconsciously, and Nell told me the explanation with a thoroughly reluctant expression.

Since Nell, who usually has only a little change in her facial expressions, turned her face obviously, the intensity of Nell’s unpleasantness might be deeper than I predicted.

「I’m mostly silent like a plant, so they called me a flower. A woman who can’t talk to anyone, like an ice-cold flower.

That’s why I am the flower of ice. Ice Flower Nelneshia. I’m also called the wallflower who will stay alone without dancing in a ball, so it increased the meaning further.」

「So you’re given that nickname because you don’t really interact with others, huh. It can’t be helped if you don’t have any attachment on it then.」

「Yeah. That’s why I don’t really like that nickname.」

「I see, but it can also be interpreted as the beauty of ice flower sculpture. Since Nell is particularly beautiful, I personally think that the flower nickname is truly fitting for you.」

「Nn, thank you, but it’s no good for you to say such things recklessly.」

「I just honestly told you what I thought though.」

「That’s why, that’s no good.」

---

---