Chapter 42 - In The Heat Of Battle

At those words, the halfling's face went from the pale it had been from seeing the unharmed examiner to a large grin.

However, that grin didn't last long, as the instructor drew his second saber and got into a real fighting stance. Sweet, now I can take mental notes on how he fights.

Not giving up, the halfling threw her two daggers and two more daggers into the air, then drew a third set of daggers.

There were now a total of six daggers being controlled by the halfling, two being wielded and four floating due to magical control. Wind magic? Something else entirely?

I really am ignorant about the different types of magic in this world.

Dashing forward, the floating daggers attempted to strike at the instructor from any angle as the halfling dashed to his right side and went for a spinning slash, carrying all of her momenta.

Unfortunately for her, the instructor dropped one sword and rapidly moved his hand, using his other hand to slash down at the now wide-open halfling.

Thankfully, the halfling was able to fling herself backward with air magic, yet her floating daggers were all blocked by the man's arm, which was now coated in a thick layer of mana.

Not letting the halfling have any time, the instructor followed her lead and shot next to the halfling. Sticking his free hand out, he shouted "Clear a path, Blowback!"

Yep, I knew that's what he was using.

Afterward, Nonie was slammed against the barrier wall, and with her head making a direct impact, the fight was over.

"Well fought, Nonie." The instructor said, walking back to his original position and picking up his sword. Sheathing his second blade and returning to his neutral pose, he nodded as the Union members came and dragged the halflings unconscious body out of the ring.

"That is how you're supposed to fight. Like I said, treat this as if your life was on the line, not some arbitrary test of strength." The instructor said with a small grin tugging on his lips.

Is this not literally just an arbitrary test of strength?

It's not as if you're some national average, you're just a random high-ranked adventurer.

Is this entire thing not just arbitrary tests of strength and knowledge?

Does this guy even know what that word means?

After the exciting fight with the halfling, the next four fights are more of the one-sided slaughters from before.

Finally, it's just myself and one other person left here. Based on the delicate features and pointy ears, she's either some part elf or I'm racist.

"After you," I say, gesturing towards the ring as the elf looks over to me.

"I'd prefer to go last, you're free to go first." The elf says a nervous laugh and smiles coming along with it.

Listen to me fucker, I'm trying to go last here so I can surprise him with my transformation magic and other tomfoolery, but I can't really be doing that in front of another person now, can I.

I guess, there isn't really a harm to going all out if it's just one other person. It's not like Vincent Decourville is a real person in this world.

"Alright then," I say, stepping into the arena and spinning my staff in my hand similar to a baton. I also have a dagger in my left hand, I won it off some weird guy in the street.

"One question before we start big guy if ya don't mind," I say as the circle is still filling with magic power.

"And what would that be." The instructor replies, in a tired voice.

"Does this ring heal poison?" Please say yes.

Suddenly, the instructor doesn't look or sound tired anymore. Instead, he seems both on edge and excited.

"Why yes, yes it does." He says, grinning as the barrier erects itself.

Going for a bluff, I dash towards the man mimicking all of the tools before me.

Dropping his smile, the examiner raises his hand to blast me away with the wind like the rest.

Unfortunately for him, I have just the spell to counter that.

"Clear a path Blowback!" He yells.

Putting my palm to face him, I yell something similar.

"Blowback!"

As the two spells collide, somehow, mine beats out his, causing the orb of violent wind to slam into the man.

Yet, I know a spell of that quality can't hurt him.

Before it even clashes with his arm, I throw my dagger at his head and fling myself backward with wind magic.

Just as I thought he would, he brings his hand up to block my dagger, allowing Blowback to slam into his chest, unaffected of course.

I knew he would block the dagger since he thinks it's poisoned.

Now that his hand is raised in front of his face, and I have distance, I can enact my split-second plan.

Grabbing my staff with both hands, I funnel a ton of water mana through it.

"Eisdamon!" I yell, man this is kinda fun.

After that yell, not one, but six spears of ice fire from my staff simultaneously.

Unfortunately for me, the man is faster than my mouth.

The instructor draws his second sword and crouches down.

He moves like a blur and only thanks to the insane amount of mana his blade is coated with can I sense him. Appearing in front of me, he slashes horizontally at my neck.

Did he just duck under my spell?

Instantly, I drop the transformation magic, causing a look of confusion to come across his face as he slashes at nothing but air.

Perfect, now he's wide open and I'm right in front of him. Putting my hand out, I conjure all of my strength and dump what feels like a tenth of my mana into my newest yet most risky spell idea.

"Absolute Zero!" I yell, blasting him with a similar concept to a spell I've regretted casting for a while now.

The insane flood of water magic that Domain of Frost utilized to freeze everyone around me, instead it's concentrated into a beam of pure cold.

Instead of freezing him solid, due to his defensive magic, he's instead blown back by the intense ray of pure cold.

Man, yelling that, plus the magic and the motion, it did feel really cool.

Pun totally intended.

As the smoke from the blast settled, the examiner is pinned against the wall, his swords shattered from blocking the blast and it looks as if his arms are painted with deep purple and black paint.

Yet, for some reason, the barrier isn't down, and his eyes and face don't show a bit of anger.

Instead, his face is twisted into a mix of intrigue, surprise, and what I can assume is joy?

"Oh, Lords above, whose light guides all. Restore the hero so he may never fall." He begins to chant.

Fuck! I need time to recover and cast a spell again, and he knows that!

And if I need a spell powerful enough to break through his defenses, I need to chant!

Sike!

Pointing my staff at his face, I draw a circle in the air in front of it.

A barrel if you will.

"Wind Shotgun!" I yell, as around forty Wind Pellets are shot from my staff, and I can feel my mana capacity take another hit.

Not as significant as Absolute Zero, but it is at least noticeable.

Yet, the cocksure grin on the face of the instructor doesn't seem to falter.