The school buzzed with anticipation. For the first time in a decade, Alpheas Magic Academy had an event this explosive.
Rumors spread:
"Shirone vs. Dante! The duel of the century!""Royal reporters are coming!"
Iruki (dryly, to Neid): "Wow. We're totally ignored."
Neid (grumbling): "Sidekicks forever, huh?"
"But the Archivist is coming, right? Hey... I guess I should go first, huh?"
Ever since the match was approved, Neid had been filled with worry.
Since Closers were targeting Iruki, his opponent would most likely be Sabina—a terrifying woman who accelerated with Haste and scattered Wind Cutters in every direction.
Even excluding the graduating class, she was easily within the top 20 in the nation. Regardless of compatibility, this was going to be a tough fight.
"What's got you so worried? You begged to be included, and now you're just whining?"
"What else am I supposed to do?! If I lose, Shirone's gonna be furious! Why did they even pick me in the first place? You know how I am...!"
"Losing is still better than running away."
Neid's footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
Iruki turned to look at him.
"We only need one win between the two of us. Can't you feel it? Right now, our role is to get Shirone to Dante's doorstep. That's important. It's not something we can leave to anyone outside our team."
"Iruki..."
Neid's face softened with emotion.
"And honestly... I don't think you'll lose. There are some variables, but I chose you because you have a real chance. Don't overthink it—just give it your all."
Iruki was right. Whether they won or lost, if Shirone had resolved to fight, then getting him to his enemy was a duty they couldn't entrust to anyone else.
Neid didn't want to live with the memory of running away. To stand tall as Shirone's friend, he had to take this risk.
"Alright! Let's do this! What's the worst that could happen?!"
The weekend of the first match arrived.
Though the duel between Neid and Sabina wasn't the main event, students had already packed Training Hall #2000.
Since this was the first match that would determine whether Shirone and Dante would finally clash, its significance was far from minor. With both teams' colors on full display, there were plenty of reasons to watch.
By the time Amy arrived, there wasn't a single seat left.
"Amy! Over here!"
Seriel waved from the front row of the temporary spectator stands. Amy was stunned by her enthusiasm—she had arrived early to secure a good spot. Next to her were Mark and Maria.
"Good afternoon, Senior!" Mark greeted loudly, while Maria bowed politely. Amy acknowledged them with a nod and took her seat beside Seriel.
"How long have you been here? Don't you have anything better to do?"
"Hehe! Actually, I gave Mark a special assignment to save seats. I haven't been here long. But you can't expect me to miss an event like this, especially when it's so important for Shirone!"
"Important, huh? That guy's always causing trouble one way or another."
Though Amy spoke dismissively, she wasn't as calm as she pretended. Dante of Airheim was a name even she—a recognized genius—had heard too many times to count.
The boy who had risen to become the undisputed #1 in the kingdom, surpassing all other aspiring mages in the nation. The wall Shirone had to overcome was on a completely different level.
Even though Shirone had grown exponentially since his time in Heaven, experts agreed that Dante's Information Magic was so refined that even professionals struggled to replicate it.
"It's starting! It's starting, Senior!" Mark's voice snapped Amy's attention back to the arena.
Neid and Sabina had entered the training hall, while Shirone and Iruki watched from the sidelines.
The referee for today was Instructor Sade, as the duty rotated among #2000's dedicated teachers.
After calling the two to the center, Sade explained the rules—most importantly, that the match could be stopped at the referee's discretion if physical collisions became too severe.
Neid and Sabina stood motionless, locked in a silent battle of wills.
Just ten minutes ago, Neid had been groaning in distress, but now his expression was calm—he had steeled himself.
Closer pointed at Neid and muttered,
"That guy... might be a dark horse. When he dodged my punch on the first day, I could tell he was used to fighting."
"No, it's more like..."
Dante shook his head but couldn't find the right words.
Something about Neid felt off. If he had to compare him to someone, it'd be Canis—but even that wasn't quite right.
"Whatever. The truth will come out in this match. Sabina will win no matter who she's up against."
Once the instructions were given, Neid and Sabina returned to their starting positions—60 meters apart, 30 meters each.
Close enough for preemptive strikes with sequential spells, but not yet within Spirit Zone range.
"Then, we shall now begin the match between Neid and Sabina."
As Sade raised his arm, the murmuring crowd fell silent.
Graduating students who had experienced #2000's combat training often said this moment was the most tense.
The initial deployment of the Spirit Zone—whether advancing or retreating, attacking or defending—could dictate the entire flow of the battle.
The four basic formations were just the foundation; countless variations created unpredictable variables, making this phase the cornerstone of any duel.
"Begin!"
Neid and Sabina had the same thought:
Advance. Attack. Strike first.
Their sequential spells clashed in midair as their Spirit Zones overlapped—Electric Bolts and Wind Cutters crisscrossed.
In terms of speed, few elements could match lightning outside of photons. However, its sensitivity to charge made it less accurate.
Ultimately, the Wind Cutters reached Neid first, slicing across his arm. The moment his Spirit Zone wavered, Sabina cast Haste on herself.
Her zigzagging sprint was too fast for most students to follow—a human-sized figure moving like a cat, as if part of some magical trick show.
Sabina seized Neid's flank and swung her arm. A blade of wind shot toward his neck.
'Hit confirmed? Is this over?'
The moment she thought that, a faint current of electricity ran through her arm.
Neid's signature spell—Image Copy.
By the time she turned, dozens of Neids had surrounded her.
"Hmph! Not bad for cheap tricks!"
Checking each one would waste time and risk falling into a trap. Sabina immediately focused and unleashed an advanced technique—Cutting Flower.
She raised her hands above her head and spun, sending Wind Cutters flying in all directions.
One of the Neid illusions barely managed to dodge. The real Neid, now outside the technique's radius, stared at Sabina with a grimace.
Over forty Wind Cutters per second at long range. She was undoubtedly beyond advanced-class level.
Air Magic was divided into Press-type (compressing air) and Blow-type (manipulating wind currents). Sabina seemed to specialize in the latter.
'Guess I can't win with the basics.'
As Neid concentrated, blue clouds began forming around him—Electromagnetic Bolts crackled within, darting in erratic patterns.
"Plasma?!"
Sabina halted her advance abruptly. Even she couldn't act recklessly against plasma.
"Whoa, so that's plasma. Guess last time wasn't a fluke."
"Are you stupid? You can't just luck into that."
Real plasma formed under extreme heat, but magic only replicated the phenomenon within the realm of electromagnetism, so the temperature itself didn't rise. Even so, it was one of the most powerful weapons an electric mage could wield.
Plasma was essentially electricity dispersed like a cloud, saturating the surroundings. Just as fish ruled water, an electric mage ruled within their plasma.
The accuracy issues of Bolt Magic disappeared here—in fact, the trajectories could be altered freely. Since the environment itself was electricity, mental energy consumption dropped drastically.
A passive skill.
A blessing for electric mages.
But understanding the electromagnetic domain of plasma—something that only occurred under extreme conditions—wasn't something even professionals could do easily.
For the first time since the match began, Sabina felt tension. Combat manuals advised against engaging an electric mage in their plasma unless the skill gap was overwhelming.
"Then..."
Sabina changed tactics. If she couldn't breach the plasma, her only option was to attack from outside—by summoning tornadoes to sweep everything away.
As she cast, multiple 10-meter-high whirlwinds danced across the arena.
Neid used Image Copy to disrupt her aim while trying to close the distance.
Just one Electric Shock. One second of stun was all he needed—no one could withstand high-speed electrical bombardment within plasma.
But Sabina's Haste-enhanced agility left no openings as she darted freely around #2000.
As the plasma expanded, so did the number of tornadoes. Sabina seemed determined to end this—she began merging them. Thirty became fifteen, then eight—each now four times larger.
If they fully combined, there'd be no escaping within #2000. Neid knew he had to act now.
Using the plasma's electromagnetic senses, he scanned the terrain.
About 32% metal.
It was just an illusionary environment created by #2000's data, but any conductor could be controlled by plasma.
'Sorry for borrowing techniques from another field...'
This wasn't the time for hesitation. If he lost, the burden of securing Shirone's match would fall entirely on Iruki.
Neid generated a magnetic field with the plasma. Metal particles within the rocky ground burst upward, forming a whirlwind of their own.
Sabina was stunned. Though only a tenth the size of her tornadoes, the sheer mass—nearly three tons—rotating at the same speed made their destructive power comparable.
'No. No one can break my ultimate technique!'
Gritting her teeth, Sabina merged fifteen more tornadoes. Fusion Rotation was an incredibly advanced skill, yet she had combined thirty in just two minutes.
A whirlwind massive enough to be called a typhoon now loomed. Neid's metal tornado charged straight into its eye.
Everyone knew this was the final clash.
As the students watched breathlessly, the two tornadoes collided at the center of #2000.
A battle of mass and scale.
The steel tornado danced wildly within the larger one, tearing apart its airflow.
Sabina's Anti-Magic bracelet activated, its gauge draining rapidly.
Neid wasn't faring well either. Though he disrupted Sabina's tornado, the difference in scale was overwhelming.
"Guh—!"
Wind pressure stronger than magnetism slowly dismantled the metal's density, neutralizing its rotation. At some equilibrium point, the two forces canceled each other out.
Sabina's tornado dissolved into turbulent winds. A deafening roar erupted as a gale swept beyond #2000, forcing even the spectators back.
As the dust settled, the two figures became visible.
Sabina was hunched over, panting heavily. Neid was on his knees, barely holding himself up.
Sade checked their mana gauges via the Master Bracelet.
Both were completely drained—neither could claim superiority.
But the students weren't marveling at Sabina.
They were stunned that Neid—a mid-tier advanced-class student—had pushed the nationally ranked Sabina this far.
'I can't tell. She might actually lose...'
Sabina staggered forward, pride wounded by the thought of being matched by some nobody.
"I won't let this stand!"
Sabina charged, too exhausted even for Haste. Neid couldn't possibly maintain plasma in this state either.
Then, Neid uttered something shocking.
"I surrender."
Sabina barely stopped her attack mid-swing. As much as she wanted to finish him herself, attacking after surrender meant disqualification.
Winning felt hollow. But if Neid had exhausted himself in that last clash, then so be it.
"Hmph, lucky you. Kneel and admit your defeat properly."
Neid complied immediately—he was already on his knees.
"Yeah. I lost."
Sabina's face twisted. The whole point of this rule was to savor the loser's humiliation. But Neid didn't seem bitter at all.
"Are you even a man? You just lost to a girl, and you're kneeling so easily?"
"I lost, so I admit it. And honestly, I'm embarrassed? Can we just end this now?"
Neid hung his head low and walked back to his friends. If he had laughed it off like he didn't care, it might've stung less.
Sade watched him leave, clicking his tongue.
'He could've pushed further. Sabina was almost done too. Still, well done, Neid.'
The match had ended faster than expected. A Class Four student usually had at least one high-destructive spell.
In real combat, casting opportunities were rare, but this duel had perfect compatibility and evenly matched skill—ending in a clean clash of power.
When Neid reached his friends, he bowed his head, eyes clenched shut in guilt.
"Shirone, Iruki! I'm sorry! I lost! I'm really sorry!"
"Don't say that. We're a team. I can't guarantee I'll win either. It's fine—you did your best."
Iruki added,
"For you, that was pretty good. You've improved since before."
Honestly, he hadn't expected Neid to last this long. Back during the Parrot Thieves incident, Neid had given up immediately—but lately, he seemed to have better control.
"I'm gonna head back to the dorm first. That okay?"
"Sure. You must be exhausted."
Shirone didn't stop him.
Neid blended into the crowd and left the training hall—but his destination wasn't the dorm.
He headed to a secluded park, and once sure no one was around, his true feelings erupted.
"Agh! Damn it! Stupid! Stupid!"
He had wanted to be Shirone's strength. But Sabina was strong—if the fight had continued, the price he'd have paid would've been unimaginable.
He still needed the school's protection.
"Hohoho! Here you are! Acting all composed earlier, but you're actually dying of shame, huh?"
Neid sighed. Turning, he saw Sabina had followed him.
"You still have business with me? The match is over."
"No, I still have something to say. Honestly, I'm pissed. I don't know why, but I can tell you didn't really accept your loss."
"I kneeled. What more do you want?"
"That's what I don't get. Wanna kneel again here?"
Neid had no patience for her nonsense. He only felt guilty toward Shirone and disgusted with himself for failing to help.
"Think whatever you want. You can brag about beating me all you like—just leave me alone. I'm leaving."
As Neid turned to leave, Sabina spoke.
"I did some digging. The West family's pretty famous, huh?"
Neid froze.
"Trashier than actual trash, from what I heard. The head's a jobless gambler, and the lady's a social outcast? Living beyond your means, flaunting what you don't have—"
A thunderous roar echoed.
Sabina's throat constricted mid-sentence as the world spun violently. When her vision cleared, she was embedded in a tree deep in the forest.
Neid gripped her neck, pulling her close.
"Say that again."
"Ghk—! Kgh—!"
Sabina's eyes widened in terror at Neid's expression.
This wasn't a human face. Not a villain's, not a psychopath's—just a monster.
'I'm going to die here...'
Not a fear—a certainty. If this had been a murderer, maybe she could've hoped for mercy. But no sane person expected kindness from a beast.
"You wanna live?"
Sabina nodded desperately, her consciousness fading as she wet herself.
"Should I snap your neck? Or drain your blood dry?"
She didn't understand his words. Her legs moved on their own, as if detached from her body.
"Hng—! Hngh—!"
Neid's face twisted as electricity gathered in his hand. He was ready to vaporize her blood.
But the moment the power concentrated, a single face flashed in his mind.
Her voice gently soothed the beast within him.
'Neid, isn't one mistake enough?'
Neid's eyes were bloodshot, as if he might burst into tears of blood at any moment. But gradually, humanity returned to his pupils, and he released Sabina's neck, slowly stepping back.
"Ghk! Keugh!"
Sabina collapsed to her knees, gasping for air. She still didn't fully understand what had happened, but her lungs frantically sucked in oxygen.
"You won, and I lost. That's all that happened today. Understood?"
Sabina nodded. She was prepared to nod no matter what order Neid gave next.
But Neid seemed satisfied with that and walked out of the forest. Just before exiting, his footsteps halted. Slowly, he turned his head and glanced at the towering tree behind him.
'Eek! What do I do? Did he notice me?'
Pandora, hiding behind the tree, felt her heart pounding. She had come to get revenge on Sabina but had instead witnessed something she shouldn't have.
Neid's voice echoed.
"Pandora, since I've already taken revenge, you should go back."
The fact that he mentioned her name was a warning not to escalate the situation further. Though she couldn't see him past the tree, Pandora covered her mouth and nodded.
Neid left the park with a wretched heart. In the end, this was how things had turned out. He wished it would rain, if only to cool the air, but the sky remained as gloomy as his mood.
"Iruki, I will never become a mage."