[V5C15] Two Rivals, High in the Sky
Translated by Jodas 5: The Magic Battle(This is the first time I’ve seen Frederik smile like that during a battle…)
Rikard Oks, one of the mages from the Extermination Office side, hefted his axe onto this shoulder and took in the scene before him.
There was a wide open space, perfectly suited for a large animal to run about. Yet, surrounding that, the trees were densely packed and ropes had been strung between them.
It seemed that the purpose of the Apprentices’ maneuvering was to establish this battlefield. Without a doubt, it would have been much harder for that massive lion to run about if they were somewhere with denser tree cover.
With enough space for that lion to run around, Sevil’s could draw out the full potential of her swordsmanship. The strength of mounted combat was enough to justify the need to be constantly on the move.
(Between Frederik’s spear and Sevil’s curved sword… if those two were to fight on the ground without any magic, Frederik would be the winner.)
However, if Sevil was mounted, the tables would be turned.
Imagine there were two fighters: one good swordsman who was a poor equestrian, and one poor swordsman who excelled on hoseback.
If these two were to fight, who would win? — The common wisdom was that it would be the latter. Rikard felt inclined to agree. The power of a mount was just that impactful.
Even without Agniol’s strength as a Flame Spirit, her large body and high speed were impactful enough. Multiplying that with the force of Sevil’s sword, and her impact grew even further. The whole was far more than the sum of its parts.
Most importantly, once Sevil gained the momentum, the morale of her unit buoyed. Once she took the initiative, the attitude of her comrades shifted dramatically.
She had the aura and fighting spirit to drum up her allies; that was her undeniable talent.
(Now turning off his flight magic is no longer an option for Frederik.)
The mobility of Sevil, on the red lion’s back, posed a serious threat. If he stayed on the ground, he would be cut down.
That said, if he flew higher up, he had to deal with the ropes as well as Tia jumping off of them.
Sevil and Tia’s attacks were quick, but direct. Once he got used to it, it shouldn’t be difficult for him do dodge them.
However, weaving into those gaps, arrows of flame and fish of water attacked on curved vectors.
The flame arrows fired quickly, and rapidly.
The water fish, meanwhile, were somewhat slower, but much more powerful. They moved nimbly, as if they were alive.
With all of these attacks bearing down on Frederik, it would be tough for him.
Rikard adjusted his grip on his axe.
“…I should go support him around now.”
“Ah, I suppose I have to go support him as well, don’t I? … How sad. How very sad… I’m so sad. I’m really, really sad…”
Oh, this might end poorly. Rikard’s face silently tensed.
The more she insisted that she was sad, the worse Helena’s mental state was.
—Hee hee hee… Hee hee hee…
He heard a laughing voice coming from thin air. A faint voice that couldn’t be heard unless he listened really closely.
To cover over that voice, Helena repeated “I’m so sad. I’m so sad.”
(There’s just over fifteen minutes left… I hope she can keep it together that long…)
Just as Frederik, cornered by Agniol on the surface, climbed to higher altitude with flight magic, Tia made her move.
“Pyofufu!”
Tia latched onto the rope with her feet, spun around, and kept her momentum as she flew — no, leapt — high into the air.
She was not flying, but leaping.
Coming from below, Tia reached out her hand to grab Frederik’s leg.
“Too bad.”
Frederik spun his body around. He floated at a sharp angle, with his head down and feet up.
Then, with this unnatural posture, he thrust his spear. Using the attack wreathed in twirling wind that took down Oliver.
“Pirorororo….!”
In midair, Tia tucked her knees in and avoided the attack. Even if she avoided it, the spiraling wind threatened to envelop Tia and throw her off balance. However, Tia spread her arms wide and twisted her body around with her chest puffed out.
She countered Frederik’s spiraling winds by spinning her body in the opposite direction. Then, with a stable posture, she fell back to the ropes, feet down.
“…Well done.”
His attack had failed, but Frederik felt strangely thrilled.
Even though he’d learned flight magic just to run away. Even though he hated fighting.
Competing to see who was the best at flying — and the magic battle as a whole — was fun.
After falling feet-first, Tia landed back on one of the ropes, then jumped once more. However, this time her leap wasn’t enough to reach Frederik.
(What are you going to do now, my rival?)
Tia scrunched her body into a ball, then stretched out again. The moment she stretched out, she activated her Magical Leaping Device.
It was almost as if she had found an invisible foothold in midair. Leaping off of that foothold, Tia soared into the sky.
A double jump — not something just anyone could pull off.
She stretched out her body like a spring at the exact moment the Magical Leaping Device outputted the most power, then took her balance. A miraculous move.
“Piyo! I’ve got… you!”
Thud. His spear tilted over.
Tia dodged Frederik’s spear, then grabbed onto the shaft of that spear with her bare feet.
Just as a bird would perch on a tree branch.
“You’re quite nimble.”
“Piroro… It’s so weird that Frederik can keep flying like this! Amazing!”
“You too, landing on my spear like that.”
With her miraculous sense of balance, Tia perched on the shaft of his spear.
On the other hand, Frederik was occupied using both his flight magic and imbuing mana into the tip of his spear.
He had the option of letting go of the spear and dropping Tia to the ground with it, but then he’d be left unarmed.
Keeping his grip on the spear, Frederik dove into a barrel roll with flight magic in an attempt to shake Tia off. With her toes firmly latched onto the shaft of his spear, Tia reacher her hands out towards Frederik. Her fingers grazed past Frederik’s bracelet.
(That’s her plan… If she could pull my bracelet off, I’ll be knocked out no matter how much mana I have remaining.)
Frederik quickly retracted his arm. Tia’s fingers swiped through empty air.
“Peu, Too bad… Pefufufufu.”
Even though she said ‘too bad,’ Tia was smiling. She was enjoying herself.
Before he knew it, Frederik was also smiling. In a very different way than the hate-filled smile he directed towards Monsters.
“Fufu. Too slow, huh, my rival?”
“Pefufufufu, Again! Again! Hyah!”
“Whoops, too bad.”
As the two grappled in midair, a fish of water flew towards them. Roswitha’s magic. Even though it would be at a lower power this far from the caster, this must have been their objective.
(Good thinking.)
Among the Apprentice Mages, only four were capable of close-quarters combat: Tia, Oliver, Sevil, and Gerald.
While these four were engaged in battle with Frederik, Julius couldn’t launch his attacks. Because there was a chance of catching his teammates in the crossfire.
However, Roswitha could manipulate her magecraft with outstanding precision.
“—Burrow forth!”
Roswitha threw even more sticks. Three fish of water flew towards Frederik.
With Tia hanging from his spear, Frederik sighed.
(…Even though the Apprentices are trying so hard, my allies are…)
A large pillar of water emerged from the ground. The water, spewing forth like a geyser, the tip of that pillar split into thin strips that took the form of snakes. This was Helena’s magecraft.
The snakes of water moved quickly to intercept the fish of water.
At the same time, Rikard chanted as he planted the shaft of his axe into the ground.
The ground rose up, forming a wall of earth just in front of Sevil and the red lion. The lion’s relentless charge came to an abrupt halt.
(… They’re so slow to get to work, sheesh.)
Complaining internally, Frederik disabled the imbuement magic on his spear.
While maintaining his flight magic, he chanted.
(Tia has no means of attacking me.)
Frederik didn’t do any detailed information gathering, but he knew a little bit about the Apprentices’ capabilities.
The Apprentices were using inscription magic as their primary weapon. They fought by writing magical formulas on paper, stuffing that paper into tubes, then pouring mana in and throwing them at him.
However, he’d heard that there were two of them who couldn’t manage that ‘pouring mana in’ step. Those two would be Tia and Ella.
(Where did I hear that again…? Eh, it doesn’t matter.)
Considering their remaining mana reserves, Wren and Gerald were on the verge of dropping out. Neither of them had the mana to spare.
Meanwhile, Julius and Roswitha had their hands full with their own magecraft. Practically speaking, the only one who could pour mana into inscription magic was Rukiye.
It was safe to assume the inscription team was just about out of action.
(Then maybe I should drop the altitude and start working on the two who can do long-range attacks…)
He finished his incantation. A ball of wind slammed into Tia as she clung to Frederik’s spear. However, the moment before the attack connected, she dropped out of the way.
He couldn’t see any ropes nearby. At this rate, she was going to hurt herself on the landing. Perhaps she might be able to double jump in midair like she did earlier, but maybe he should use wind magic under her just to be safe?
(No, wait. There’s someone standing where she’s about to land. That’s…)
A boy with long, black bangs — Gerald, as well as a golden-haired boy — Wren.
Those two had almost no mana remaining. There was practically nothing for them to do.
“Tia, it’s complete! Take this, the Pretty Boy Cannon!”