Chapter 125: Battle Against Comrades

“To think we would end up fighting.”

“Watching the other contestants’ matches, this development was predictable.”

“You’re as usual.”

Meguri and I were facing each other on the arena stage.

“This is a match. Then I’ll just fight with full power. Even if the opponent is Mina.”

Yes, this match is between Meguri and me.

Since it’s a tournament format, I knew this possibility existed, but I never thought both of us would advance to the quarter-finals without losing.

“Good luck to both Mina and Meguri!”

“Do your beeest!”

Jairo and the others are cheering casually from the spectator seats.

“Good grief, since I’m a mage, fighting head-on like this doesn’t suit my nature.”

A mage is a profession that shines by supporting with magic from behind.

So engaging in close combat with an enemy without a vanguard is normally unthinkable.

Moreover, Meguri knows my hand, and since we can both use flight magic, I can’t attack unilaterally from the sky either.

Frankly speaking, the disadvantage here is extreme.

…Honestly speaking, there’s no reason I must win this tournament, so I don’t mind losing at a suitable point.

“I’m going for the win.”

But Meguri, wanting the prize money, is full of motivation.

“Don’t lose, Minaaaa!”

Without knowing my feelings, that idiot is cheering casually.

“Can’t be helped, guess I’ll get a little serious.”

No, it’s not particularly because that idiot is cheering, okay?

It just doesn’t suit my nature to lose on purpose.

“Then, quarter-finals, match BEGIN!”

“Hah!”

Simultaneously with the start signal, Meguri dives in with the momentum of an arrow.

Meguri strengthens her body to the maximum with Body Enhancement Magic, intending to settle the match before I use magic.

“But I predicted that! Storm Burst!”

Predicting Meguri‘s action, I release wind attribute area magic that instantaneously whips up a storm.

The good thing about this magic is that it activates quickly since there’s no need to concentrate on spell control, and being area magic difficult for the opponent to dodge, it was the optimal magic against Meguri.

Furthermore, the released storm wind has the effect of pushing the opponent backward.

“In other words, it’s the optimal magic for buying time!”

Until the magic weakens, I can delay Meguri‘s invasion speed.

Poking that slight opening, I activated my main magic.

“Freeze Earth!”

Ice wells up from the floor of the arena stage, covering the surroundings as if to protect me.

“This is!?”

The ice fills not only my surroundings but the entire arena stage.

“Uwaaaaa!”

Surprised by the upwelling ice, the referee hurriedly evacuates out of the arena.

“Kuh!?”

Meguri attempts to dodge, but since the ice wells up from the entire arena stage, there is no escape.

Above all, due to the earlier magic, Meguri is in the center of the arena stage.

She doesn’t have the leeway to escape out of the arena like the referee.

“Then to the sky… !?”

Meguri tried to escape to the sky, but she was stunned to realize the sky was already covered in ice.

“Fufu, this ice can be moved according to my will.”

“Then! Wind Blast!”

Meguri destroys the ice wall with wind magic, but that’s a drop in the bucket.

Because the speed of ice generation is faster than the speed at which Meguri destroys the wall.

“You seem to have learned that magic from Rex, but the compatibility was bad. If only it were fire attribute magic, you could have melted the ice.”

Meguri continues destroying the ice without giving up, but finally, she is covered by the ice wall and disappears from sight.

The ice covers the arena stage even thicker, finally trapping Meguri completely.

“Yes, the end.”

On the ice filling the arena stage, I announce my victory.

“Uwoooo!? What is that magic!?”

“Amazing! The arena stage is frozen!”

“I’ve never seen such magic!”

The spectators are raising voices of surprise seeing the frozen arena stage.

Fufu, as a mage, being able to excite the audience with my magic is something I can boast a little about.

Well, thanks to that, my magic power was scraped away significantly.

Honestly, it wasn’t as easy as it looked.

The magic Rex teaches is all powerful, but the problem is the intense magic consumption.

I’m supposedly undergoing training to increase magic capacity, but since I’m made to learn magic with high magic consumption as soon as my magic increases, I don’t really feel like my magic has increased.

However, receiving this, even Meguri should be helpless.

This magic that traps without allowing evasion can be said to be a natural enemy for light warriors and thieves.

“But is that girl trapped inside okay? Isn’t she frozen?”

Fufu, no need to worry about that.

Because the armor Rex made has high defense ability against magic too.

Besides, Rex also said this magic aims to seal the opponent, not kill.

…Well, since it’s Rex‘s explanation, it’s a bit scary, but let’s trust the performance of the armor Rex made.

If needed, I can just have Jairo help melt the ice after the winner is decided.

“Referee, can you confirm the win or loss?”

“Eh? Ah, yes!”

The referee, who was staring blankly at the arena stage, comes to his senses at my voice.

And he goes around the outside of the arena stage looking for Meguri trapped inside the ice.

Since the ice is cloudy white, doing that won’t allow him to see Meguri‘s condition, though.

“But when Rex used it, the ice was transparent.”

When Rex used the same magic, much larger ice was transparent like a jewel.

“I wonder what the difference is?”

Is it ability after all?

Admitting it is a bit frustrating.

While thinking such things, the referee circles back.

“I cannot confirm contestant Meguri‘s figure, but I judged movement is impossible in this situation. Therefore, this match! Contestant Mina’s…”

Victory—the moment the referee tried to announce that.

BOGON!

The ice at my feet shattered.

“Eh?”

“HAAAA!”

Appearing from under the ice was Meguri.

“No way!? Why!?”

“Shaved it with the dagger!”

“HAAAAA!?”

What’s that!? Shaved!? How!?

Completely losing my balance, I am easily pinned down by Meguri.

“H-How…”

“Destroyed the ice with magic to make many gaps. This dagger was made by Rex, so the sharpness is amazing.”

“Was that for that!?”

I see, Meguri continued destroying the ice with magic not to make an escape route, but to make it easier to shave the ice at the destination she was trapped in.

And using Body Enhancement Magic and the ridiculously sharp dagger Rex made, it means digging through the ice isn’t impossible.

“I was careless. I should have been more wary of the performance of Rex‘s equipment.”

If she made this move knowing the armor’s performance, I should have considered the weapon’s performance too.

The ice being unnaturally white was also caused by Meguri crushing it indiscriminately, huh.

Could it be that was also intended as a smokescreen?

“Or rather, I never thought she’d shave through a block of ice with a dagger and dig her way here.”

Haa, this is my mistake for underestimating Meguri‘s inventiveness.

“I lose.”

“Due to contestant Mina’s give up, contestant Meguri wins!!”

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

Receiving the referee’s declaration, the spectator seats go into an uproar.

“It ended in an instant, but it was an amazing match!!”

“Yeah, that girl who won in that situation is amazing, but the magic of the girl who lost was also amazing!”

“I didn’t think I’d see such an amazing match outside of the Dragon Princess‘s fight!”

“That was amazing, young ladies!”

“Sis who lost, fight again too!”

Oh my? I don’t really get it, but favorable reactions even though I lost.

A bit unexpected.

However, seeing the audience’s reaction like this, I realize I really lost.

“Ah-, I lost huh.”

Ah-, as expected, it’s a little frustrating.

But, can’t be helped.

In the first place, a mage engaging in close combat is wrong.

Rather, surviving the matches until now is the weird part.

“Congratulations Meguri.”

I switch my mindset and bless Meguri.

“Thank you. But this victory was something I could get because it was advantageous to me after all. If this wasn’t a match in a narrow venue, I think I would have lost without being able to approach due to magic from a long distance.”

“That’s just a ‘what if’. You won, so hold your head high.”

“…Yeah, thank you.”

Maybe Meguri also feels sorry about beating a companion.

But saying that, I also did quite a lot to win, so I can’t blame Meguri.

…Just well, having him cheer for me, losing was maybe a little unfortunate.

◆

“Good work.”

“Good work!”

Returning to the spectator seats after the match, Liliera and the others welcome me.

“Where are Jairo and the others?”

“Those two left saying their match is starting soon.”

Right, the guys have matches too.

They went out of their way to watch the match until the last minute.

“He was cheering for you during the match too.”

Liliera smiles with a grin.

“He was cheering for Meguri too anyway, right?”

“Well, yeah.”

I know. I’ve known that idiot for a long time.

Since we’re companions on the same team, I know he was cheering for both.

While I was thinking such things, Liliera added, “But you know.”

“When you lost, he looked really frustrated.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes, really.”

…Frustrated, huh.

…Yeah, well… I lost but… I feel like it became a little less frustrating.