Chapter 46

Since Mabel's second match was scheduled for the same day, I decided to meet up with Amu and Eifa in the audience.

"Hmm, good work. Here, Eifa. Seika, you're back."

"Yeah... Congratulations, Seika."

Eifa mumbled, looking down.

Ah...

"Eifa, look, I'm back, right? I'm not even hurt."

"...Yeah."

"Well... Anyway, it's amazing you found us in this crowd. We only gave you a rough location."

"I searched quite a bit."

From the sky, though.

"You can use wind magic too? I thought you didn't take that class."

"Sure."

"To finish off a golem with elemental resistance so easily... Your matches are never exciting."

Then, Amu remembered something.

"By the way... Do you plan to join the guard if you win the tournament?"

"Huh, no? I'm not interested. I'll go back to the academy after the tournament."

"Huh, I see. That's... good."

"What's good?"

"N-nothing! I just... I'll pray you decline gracefully. They have their pride too, you know."

"I think that's fine."

Actually, they probably don't want to include a magician in the guard.

It would be a dream come true for them.

"As long as I can get the prize money. In the worst case, I might have to decline that too."

"By the way... You're talking as if you're going to win, but it's not that easy."

I haven't even thought about winning the tournament.

Amu looked puzzled at my words.

"I just can't imagine you losing... What do you think, Eifa?"

"......I don't know."

Eifa said, looking down.

Ah...

So, she was worried all along.

There's no need to worry at all... but I can't just laugh it off.

I moved closer to Eifa and looked into her orange eyes.

"Eifa... It'll be fine. Even if I lose, I won't die."

"Really?"

"Really."

Actually, for me, it's like playing with a puppy.

To be honest, I could die about ten more times.

"Promise."

At the same time as Eifa's uncertain voice, the announcer's loud voice echoed throughout the arena.

"Ladies and gentlemen, here we go! The second match of the second round!"

"Stop being so affectionate. The freshmen's match is starting."

Looking down at the stage as Amu spoke, I saw both contestants already in position.

Mabel still had her two-handed sword on her back, but this time she also had two thin swords at her waist and a sheath for throwing knives on her thigh.

I tilted my head. What does she plan to do with all those weapons?

The opponent seemed to be a magician, judging by the staff in his hand.

"The contestant Haulo is a highly skilled earth magician! In the first round, Mabel, a first-year from the Magic Academy, overwhelmed a traditional knight with her unusual strength and agility. How will she fare against another magician? Let's find out—Match start!!"

The sound of a whistle echoed.

The opponent magician moved first, pointing his large staff at Mabel.

"Rock Bullet!"

With the incantation, several rocks about the size of a hug were launched at Mabel.

Without a protective charm, this mid-level earth magic could be fatal.

However, Mabel's response was calm.

She had already drawn her two thin swords. She lightly slashed the approaching rock with the one in her right hand.

I couldn't help but frown.

Mabel's thin swords were clearly designed for thrusting. Trying to deflect a rock with them would be reckless.

But—The rock projectiles exploded upon contact with the thin blade.

The opponent magician, shocked, began casting spells rapidly. However, the rocks he launched were all shattered and deflected by the thin swords Mabel wielded with both hands.

It was an obviously unnatural scene.

The sight of the small, slender swords wielded by the petite Mabel shattering the massive rocks was bizarre.

No matter how strong the wielder, the swords should either break or be deflected due to insufficient weight.

While being pelted with earth magic, Mabel gradually closed the distance with her opponent.

The magician, looking anxious, took a large step back.

"Ugh! The yellow that vibrates, splits, and explodes! The rugged, steep, towering mountains..."

He began chanting.

Judging that mid-level magic wouldn't work, the magician, while retreating from Mabel, raised his voice to cast a higher-level earth spell.

There was an opening, but not enough time to close the distance, a delicate moment.

Mabel must have judged that she couldn't make it in time. She discarded her thin swords and quickly reached for the throwing knives in her sheath.

However, the magician's reaction was quick.

He immediately interrupted his chant and pointed his staff at the ground. Instantly, a wall of rock rose up.

It seemed excessive for the throwing knives, but it was probably to buy time. As expected, the magician began chanting again.

On the other hand, Mabel.

Ignoring the wall, she threw her throwing knives.

Flying through the air, the small blades seemed completely incapable of breaking through the rock wall.

But—the blades shattered the wall with a loud noise.

The magician hastily interrupted his chant and frantically layered the rock walls.

However, Mabel's throwing knives paid no heed to such defenses.

They shattered and eroded the rock walls as soon as they were created. The defensive magic was almost meaningless.

The throwing knives were no larger than small knives and could be seen with the naked eye.

Piercing through thick rock walls was clearly abnormal.

Amu muttered in amazement.

"What is that?"

"Probably gravity magic. Mabel specialized in dark magic, I think."

Amu looked at me.

"I've done a little in class, but isn't that just a magic to make things heavier or lighter? Can it do that?"

"In the academy lectures, they didn't explain it in detail. There are two main methods to make something heavier. One is to locally strengthen the gravitational pull of stars on an object, and the other is to increase the object's susceptibility to the pull of stars. They are grouped under the same gravity magic because they involve the same particles, but the results differ greatly depending on which method is chosen. The latter affects the difficulty of moving or stopping the object..."

"......???"

"Ah, sorry."

Seeing Amu's puzzled expression, I reluctantly changed my explanation.

"Well... Heavy things are strong and have more impact when thrown, right? If you make the thin swords and throwing knives several times heavier than the rocks, you can do things like that."

By making the weapon lighter or making yourself heavier when holding it, you can handle even the heaviest weapon with ease.

Conversely, by making the weapon itself heavier, you can increase its strength and impact.

"I kind of get it, but..."

Amu muttered.

"Isn't that pretty difficult? If it's heavy, you can't swing it, so for thin swords, you have to use the magic at the moment of impact, and for throwing knives, just as they leave your hand. Casting such delicate spells without an incantation..."

Indeed, that was also a concern.

Returning my attention to the stage, the magician was being pushed back by the pressure of the throwing knives and had just burst through the defensive wall.

Before he could point his staff again, Mabel, who had closed the distance, swung her two-handed sword.

With one stroke, she cut the staff in half.

And the returned blade was pressed against the magician's neck.

After a few moments of silence, the whistle blew.

"The referee has declared the match over! The winner is Mabel Crane!"

Mabel lowered her sword and walked off the stage, seemingly oblivious to the cheers around her, her expression unchanged.

What's more concerning than her magical skills is her swordsmanship.

I know from my past life that such skills don't come easily.

Mabel was proficient with thin swords and the motion of throwing knives.

How did a girl who was adopted by a noble family acquire such skills?

"The support magic or something? Mabel showed incredible power! The red-haired hero's sword knows no bounds!!"

I frowned slightly.

Again.

At the end of the first round, the announcer had also compared Mabel to a hero. I had heard similar comments from the audience and in the city.

At first, I thought it was a common expression, but no other contestants were being called heroes.

"Why is Mabel always called a hero?"

Without thinking, I said it out loud.

Eifa and Amu looked at me with puzzled faces.

"Why... Seika, you didn't know?"

"Mabel has the same name as the second hero. It's not a rare name, but since she uses a sword, they probably see her that way."

At that moment, something clicked in my head.

I see.

Could it be... that's what it was?