How far is the gap between the incompetent magician and the strongest 1st year student?
Kan Uolo POV
“How about a match for a full minute?” Lionne’s voice echoed throughout the empty training grounds. Questions started popping inside my head if this is what he wanted all along. Still, there is no reason to decline this. ‘To see how far the gap is between us...?’ Was one of the reasons I thought.
I could barely feel the effects of Milan’s spell. ‘Has it already worn off? If then I’m in a pinch, haha.’ As if coming back from reality, some senses started creeping up into my mind across my body. A sense of fear, guilt, regret, excitement, frustration, joy, disappointment, humiliation, and a sense of conflicting resolve. Do I truly wish to walk this path? I have already been told many times that it is foolish to keep dreaming of becoming a magician with my lackluster power. However, what is the thing that drives me to struggle and extend out my hand to reach towards this goal? Realizing, I once remembered Milan’s question.
“What kind of magician do I want to be?” Picking up myself, I felt the heavy weight of standing on your own back. “Is it to be a magician that can make my parents proud? Would it be a magician that can help those who are weak? A magician that strives to be the best?” Those are superficial reasons and lies. “Maybe, a magician that has unrivaled strength? Or a magician that can acquire anything? A magician that seeks boundless knowledge?” Those are just forms of greed and self-worth. “Possibly, a magician that fights for what is right? Can it be a magician that protects his loved ones? A magician that brings hope?” Those are fine but in this cruel world, what use is hope?
“Perhaps a magician who aims for his goals and ambitions?” Feeling the intensity of the situation I focused my gaze at the person in front of me, unfazed and unmatched, the strongest 1st year student.
“Those are people I had come to know, which are Mika Torri, Shinra Mavirus, Cecilia Merue, Marigold Leona, Frea, Reina Dawness, Inerva-san, Mariko-san, Principal Cainne, Tania-sensei, Lumie-senpai, Milan-san, and you Lionne Allair. I can never be any of those. The kind of magician that I can only be is a magician that struggles to barely be of use. That’s right, an incompetent magician!”
“I accept your mock fight!” I could never let go of these bottled feelings ever since the start. If by pouring everything in this fight, would I know what the path for me is, I’ll use everything!
Lionne tossed a coin, and as it descended, I took on a stance and let myself be submerged through my own thoughts. “Ting!” The sound of the coin hitting the ground signaled this fight, I would never be able to forget.
“A faint scorch as it may be, burn brighter and faster than ever before, gather all the flames and focus it all to one point! Heatwave!” Already using a large-scale spell, it took a large amount of mana draining my stamina altogether.
“Dance as the sway of one breeze covers the boundless sky above. Windfall...!” As its name pertains a strong gust of wind descended from the top of the dome, completely fanning out the flames.
“Earth Magic: Pillars!” Using what I had learned from the time with the Dawness students and Mariko-sensei. I concentrated to getting Lionne out of balance as the ground moved in a zigzag manner forming a spike to his footing. “Wind Outburst!” A spherical pattern of violent wind exploded destroying my focus to controlling the ground underneath. In which I switched to manipulate the ground to form a wall in front of me. “Ember Shot!” Using the wall, I took cover and casted a small precise ball of fire, this way Lionne could not easily see it.
As the ember shot almost caught him off guard Lionne released a powerful wind spell, “Tempest!” I could instantly feel the gathering of countless magicules. A small tornado tore apart the small fire as Lionne’s spell continue to run rampant destroying everything before he stopped it.
“Ice Shards!” Placing outside of his vision I used it to take his attention away from me and started charging ahead. Just before he tried to destroy the ice shards, I then quickly controlled it all changing it to a state of liquid. Mid-flight manipulating the spells and combining it altogether. “Mud Shot and Gust!” Fighting Lionne head-on will not result to anything. The only choice is to keep attacking him with consecutive magic and keep his attention away from the real attacks that are aimed towards him.
Combining mud shot and gust, the mud shot splattered across Lionne’s sight by using gust this was possible. “Gust!” Even though we both casted the same spell the effect of his gust far exceeds mine. “Now then, Lightning Strike!” Using a little mana, I casted.
Without using any spells to counterattack, Lionne simply dodged it. Finally, “Quicksand!” Taking his eyes away from my feet I had been waiting for the moment he would dodge one of my attacks. “Inferno...” The quicksand completely got melted in a few seconds.
Just as Lionne broke free from the quicksand his entire field of vision got covered by his inferno. “Fullpower: Blinding Light!” Completely off-guard, Lionne got blinded. “Now, fire off Fire Bla---”
“Aaargh...! Break free, chains unshackled, clear everything, Eye of the Storm...!” Before I could understand what was going on, there was a pause in time, like a calm before the storm. Blows of strong winds coursed just outside of Lionne affecting me as well. There wasn’t anything I could do as everything started breaking and cracks from the ground hurled towards the barrier of winds rapidly forming. Unable to withstand the sudden pressure of the wind, I got propelled inside the violent winds, quickly destroying my body as scars and scratches immediately started appearing from my body.
For a while, I could only hear the sound of someone dispelling this outrageous spell. ‘I already knew I don’t have any chances of winning, but for it to be like this...it’s too much don’t you think...?’ Being thrown from all sides, my thoughts were the only thing keeping me conscious.
After a few seconds, the winds seemed to have calmed down. I was barely conscious by gritting my teeth and plunged by the immense pain. The dark clouds that formed seemed to disperse as I fell down mid-air and narrowly landing on my feet.
“Lionne...!” The voice sounded just like her sister Ninna. As I walked near her voice, I found that Lionne also could not get away from his own attack.
“I’m sorry, Kan. It looks like it’s my loss this time.” He tried to get up, but it appears casting that magic sapped his mana and strained his body in the process.
“What happened between you two?” Ninna-san yelled angrily unable to keep her composure.
“It was just a practice match...” Lionne tried to respond while standing up.
“Look at the state of you two, what kind of practice match is this?” Lionne and I find it funny that we were both doing something stupid, but to Ninna-senpai it was not the least bit humorous.
“I don’t know your circumstances Kan, but I do know the person that I’ve fought earlier did his best and to my eyes he was not the least bit of incompetent.” It was a bit relieving that Lionne Allair did not see me that way to which most person does.
Just then I realized what kind of magician I want to be. “An incompetent magician? As if I will let that happen, hehe!” The kind of magician I want to be, is to not become an incompetent one. It seems a bit redundant, and it truly is, but for once it feels like a starting point towards the path I see as the only way.
“Haaah, it looks like you two are truly friends. You’re both idiots...” Ninna-san completely gave up and called Kokio and Yiuna to help us get back to our rooms.
After being reminded nonstop by Ninna-senpai to never do something reckless like this again. I left them after talking to Lionne about practicing together again and went back to my room once I was healed by Yiuna.
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“She nags a lot...” Knocking on the door, Shinra heard me nonchalantly opening the door.
“Who nags a lot? Wahh, what happened to you?” He immediately dragged me in the living room and helped me patched my wounds. I’ve been dragged a lot today, thinking back.
“It’s a bit of a story but I had a match against, Lionne.”
“Ehh, Lionne Allair? Are you stupid we’ve just been warned by Milan-senpai you know? Jeez, if that’s the case then...drink this.” Shinra brewed another herbal tea. It looks like this will be a common drink for us these coming weeks.
“I also told Ninna-senpai that you and Mika are friends with Lionne.”
“Haaah, why did you even involve us...” I could understand Shinra’s sigh and could not help myself but laugh loudly.
“You’re awfully happy, Kan.” Revealing a smile, he commented.
“Yeah, kind of. I finally know what kind of magician I want to be.”
“Ehh, tell me!” As he sprang up from his chair, we took a moment to eat.
This night, eating dinner which Shinra had already prepared, we shared what happened to us today without leaving anything unsaid.
I then mentioned that we should rest, and I went inside my room after taking a quick bath.
There was only one and half a week before the First Trial. While each and every one aimed to prove themselves in the coming event, I would not be outdone.
“I won’t give things up easily anymore. To never be an incompetent magician, that would be the first step here in Tempest!” I proudly exclaimed before falling asleep as soon as I lay down.
‘Because this time, I’m not alone...’ This was only the start of my journey... I innocently thought.
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