EP.164 Fall, new semester (7)
A shadow covered Belnoa’s body. The procrastinating shadow becomes armor and protects Belnoa’s body. Belnoir let out a short breath.
Shadow Armor.
It is the strongest spell currently available. A spell that can be performed by offering four fingers. The effect brought by the Shadow Armor far exceeds the effect of most strengthening spells.
Expansion of the senses.
Enhancement of physical abilities.
Although it was hard on the body, it was necessary to use this number. Belle Noah looks in front of her. There is Lark looking this way with her posture lowered. Its eyes were red like those of an animal.
Chii Iik.
Steam rises above Lark’s body. Forearms with prominent veins. Even at this distance, the loud sound of the heart is like a warning.
‘come.’
This is the moment when Belnoa thought so.
Lark’s new model shakes. He took a step forward. A step taken is not a single step, but the result is not a single step.
Quang!
The distance is shortened by ten steps with each step.
Lark’s red pupils sparkled before Belnoir’s eyes. Encountering is just a moment. Lark, who was right in front of him, swung his axe.
Huh!
A silver-white flash aimed at Belnoa’s neck. Because his physical abilities were enhanced by the Shadow Armor, Belnoa could barely react to the attack. However, that doesn’t mean he can be completely prevented by reacting.
Wow!
My body is floating.
The forearm that blocked the ax feels tingly. Shadows scatter and come together. It was only for a moment, but the armor was pierced.
“···under.”
Belnoa burst into laughter.
This is ridiculous. Even though he raised his physical abilities by bearing the strain on his body… he could barely react. It is still impossible to hit from the front.
However, Belnoa is a shaman.
He did not forget his essence. With his body floating in the air, Belle Noah snapped his fingers. The loaded stakes are ejected all at once.
Whoosh!
The power of the shadow stake and its speed cannot be compared to the shadow dagger. The rotating stake targets Lark. The number approaches ten. This is the stake that shattered the Black Knight’s helmet with a single shot.
Its power has been proven.
It won’t be easy to avoid or destroy.
Belnoa thinks so and concocts the next spell. Approach Lark, who is looking away to stop the stake. And, at that moment, Belnoa’s pupils shook greatly.
Damn.
Lark’s ax smashes the stake.
So easy.
‘···how?’
Embarrassment flashes across Belnoa’s face. However, that too is temporary. Belnoir immediately understands the situation. Lark has extra senses. It’s as if he’s reading all of Belle Noah’s moves.
I know everything about what is coming and how.
It is not even Lark’s first sight of the shadow stake. The other day he saw a stake. The weaknesses of the piles are also accurately known.
‘I know the weakness…’
Shadow Stake is a spell that focuses on power and speed.
This means that the penetration power has been increased through rotation, but its durability is not much different from the shadow dagger.
‘The side, not the front.’
Lark was persistently smashing the stakes from the side. It is a technique that makes extrasensory sensation possible. The ax blade emits a silver-white flash. A flash of white splits the shadows.
Attack and evasion follow.
And, evasion leads to counterattack again.
“···!”
Belnoa, who was aiming for Lark’s back, hastily lowered his stance. The ax blade passed over her head. Lark just stretched out his arms backwards without even looking behind him. Belle Noah sticks out her tongue in a move that is close to her art.
All the stakes were smashed.
Lark, who was on the defensive for a moment, switches to an offensive.
Action and action follow. Rotating in place, Lark stretches his legs. Strikes Belnoa’s abdomen. Although the shadow blocks it, it cannot completely erase the shock.
Chii Iik.
Belnoa steps back, dragging his feet.
Lark’s attack continued, and Belnoa continued to retreat. He had no choice but to step back. There was no room for a counterattack.
‘difficult.’
It was difficult.
All I could do was protect myself while reading the trajectory of the ax being swung before my eyes. Belnoa’s entire attention was focused on Lark’s axe.
And, the opponent’s weapon is not just an axe.
“Wow!”
Knees, legs, and sometimes elbows pound Belnoa’s body. The accelerated and strengthened body is a weapon in itself. Belnoir groaned and fell back behind him.
chin.
When I came to my senses, I was already in a corner.
I feel the walls of the Colosseum touch my back. Belle Noah looks in front of her. The evil red eyes still show no signs of stopping.
Belnoa turned his head. Kwasik! The ax passes Belnoa’s ear and crashes into the wall. Belle Noah flung her body to her side. Kwak, Kwasik! The ax continues to chop into the wall.
Ga-ga-ga-ga-gak!
Scratching the wall, the ax continues to aim at Belnoa. She is busy running away, with Belle Noah unable to escape her predicament. She is constantly forced to go on the defensive.
There is no opportunity to cast spells.
Rather than reaching out to deal with the shadow, I had to extend my arm to block the ax in front of me.
‘Isn’t this at the level of a foul?’
Complaints are about to leak out.
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
Opponents read the future from the smallest actions. When you extend your arm to block the ax, the ax’s trajectory bends and hits another area.
Small movements.
Muscle contraction, gaze processing.
All of that is accepted as ‘information’ by the other person. Deriving the future from information. As all the moves are read, it feels like you are playing into the opponent’s hands.
‘The enemy is always one step ahead.’
Read the following numbers from your habits and act. The opponent is fighting in the future. If you’re too busy dealing with the present, things will end like this.
I was cornered.
The influx continues.
I had to find a way to escape. You have to use moves that your opponent cannot predict. What is it? Belle Noah desperately shakes her head.
‘New number.’
therefore.
‘An unpredictable number.’
It is a moment that one constantly longs for.
Suddenly, my forearm caught Belnoir’s gaze. Shadows that repeatedly scattered and stuck together were falling on the floor like blood. The shadow follows Belnoa’s footsteps as he runs away while being pushed against the wall.
A continuous shadow.
Remnants of mana left on the floor.
Something flashes in my mind. Belnoa changes his thinking. The opponent can read the future even in the slightest movement. You can’t block it. In that case, all you have to do is change your method.
‘What I had to suffer even though I knew it.’
Force the opponent to make a move.
Belnoir puts what comes into his mind into action.
Puzzle.
Belnoir offers a finger. The shadows that fell on the floor fluttered. At that moment, Lark’s ax stopped for a moment.
Lark looks back.
Belnoa raised the corners of his mouth.
All scattered shadows return to their owners. Shadows scattered on the floor gather towards Belnoa. For Belnoa, it is material to strengthen the armor. But not for Lark.
Each one is a dagger.
Hundreds of daggers are flying.
‘It’s simple to avoid.’
However, it cannot be avoided.
If you avoid that, if you let Belnoa absorb that… Belnoa’s armor will be strengthened. The strengthening will be incomparable to what has happened so far.
‘You must destroy it, not avoid it. entire.’
Lark is also forced to make moves.
‘But, you’ll have to give up your back.’
A smile spreads across Lark’s lips.
It’s not just you who has become stronger. The opponent has also become stronger. And, it continues to get stronger. A partner who competes with and grows with is more valuable than anything else to a warrior. Lark smiles at the luck that has come to him.
more.
A little more.
The gap between himself and Belnoa has widened, and he waits for Belnoa to catch up… Nevertheless, Lark swings the ax in the hope that he will eventually achieve victory.
The ax cuts through the shadows.
A shadow covers the silver-white flash.
Black and white are constantly intertwined.
2.
The fight continues to heat up. The audience can’t even cheer anymore. They watched the duel with bated breath. Every moment is like the climax of the play. Captures the audience’s attention.
Shadows surge, explode, and cover.
The ax cuts, tears, and shatters.
The most primal fight was there. Everyone reads each other’s numbers. They disturb each other’s gaze. In a fight that is far beyond the level of a student… the audience no longer gives up predicting the outcome.
They just express surprise and concern.
It looks like each side is trying to kill the other. The best attack always comes close to slaughter. The duel where the enemies go back and forth is extremely bloody. So much so that I thought that maybe one of us would die like this.
Therefore, the audience does not realize.
The fact that the parties involved in that bloody duel are truly enjoying this duel.
* * *
Belnoir found a way to force the move.
I found a way to tie an opponent who sees the future and moves to reality. As it is, it is very difficult to implement a method that has just been discovered in practice.
This was not a story that applied to Belnoa.
He has lived with the feeling of death since he was young. He didn’t have time to get used to anything. He had to put all his insights into practice straight away. For Belnoa, who was used to it, using the concept he had just realized was not that difficult.
Every attack contains two moves.
Force the other person to make a choice.
The moment your opponent chooses one, you gain time to make your next move. Belnoir repeated him.
Throw in!
The shadow moved constantly. Now, Rak can’t afford to look to the future and fight. Defense and offense change over and over again. The gap between the two is narrowing little by little.
“···under!”
Lark bursts out laughing and swings his axe.
Belnoa is not the only one who gains enlightenment during the duel. Rak also gains enlightenment. He handles his stronger body a little more skillfully.
Movement becomes simpler.
Adjust the speed to confuse the opponent.
As if imitating Belnoa’s dagger technique… Lark put pressure on Belnoa by repeatedly narrowing and increasing the gap at will.
“······.”
Belnoir smiles silently.
For some reason, he enjoys this situation. I’m not a battle fanatic. I don’t even like duels like this. Still, it’s fun. I’m so happy that I smile.
A situation where you fight without risking your life.
A situation where there is someone who will stop you even if you do your best.
In such a situation, you spar with a being that is on the same level as you, or is superior to you. We gain enlightenment and grow through confrontation. Growth brings joy to everyone. Even with Belnoa, it wasn’t much different.
It was fun.
For Belnoa, who had no experience like this, this situation was very enjoyable. For a boy who grew up in a back alley, there was no one who could grow up with him. Being able to have such an existence is a fortune given to only a very few.
It was a harsh life to hope for luck.
Chloe’s life was focused on protecting the light that was given to her. Therefore, now that he has some free time, Belnoir is grateful for the good fortune given to him.
Ttuduk.
By cracking his fingers, he casts a spell.
Show everything you can do. I don’t even think about hiding my numbers anymore. Belnoa showed his all to his opponent.
Tukan, kagagagak!
The same goes for your opponent.
As is the case with Lark, who always gives his all and attacks straight and ignorantly, he tackles everything head on.
Kang, Kang!
Attacks come and go.
Numbers and calculations go back and forth.
The two feel joy in the things that come and go.
However, that too comes to an end.
In the midst of a stagnant war situation, the two accelerate their thinking to find a means to overturn the war situation.
‘more.’
Each side seeks the best means.
‘More, a little more.’
Each pursues one perfect move. As the gap between them narrows, they reach the optimal conclusion almost simultaneously.
Stop.
The two stopped moving at the same time.
The two thoughts overlap.
‘found.’
Lark’s ax stops.
The pupil constricts and becomes a red dot. Steam rose above Lark’s body. The spell stocked on the ax blade emits light.
Belnoa’s shadow becomes calm.
The shadow armor gathers into Belnoa’s one hand. Belle Noah opened her eyes wide, clad in a highly compressed shadow.
widely.
Two people who stopped at the same time move at the same time.
Point-Break-Through.
Give up your defense. Lark, who was focused on the attack, becomes a ray of light and shoots out. The ax blade shines sharper than ever.
Point-Explosion.
Belnoir stretched out his hand and squeezed it. The shadow, contracted to its limit, explodes. It swallows Lark from the front.
Is it first that the shadow swallows you up?
Does the ax blade tear it apart first?
Throw in!
Lark jumps out, tearing apart the exploding shadow. This is thanks to reading Belnoa’s move and creating a gap with shock.
‘It’s my victory!’
However, the moment he was sure of victory, Lark realized.
Belnoir already knows how to read his moves. He manifested the spell even though he knew it. It is not difficult to guess the reason.
‘Because there are other moves.’
Belnoir extends his hand to Lark, who has come out of the shadows. The shadows that Lark left behind gather towards Lark once again. Like a wave.
‘It’s faster than my axe.’
The future is read. A future torn apart by the returning shadows is drawn before my eyes. A certain future is approaching. How do you get out of it?
‘more.’
As always.
‘More, faster.’
Lark chooses to attack head on.
The distance that was supposed to be narrowed with one step, Lark ended up taking one more step. My toes make a loud noise. Like that, Lark accelerated his body once more. Acceleration is added to acceleration.
Deep.
A shadow pricked my spine, but it only lasted for a moment. The shadow cannot follow Lark’s movements, which accelerated for a moment. Belnoa’s pupils widen.
There is no way to stop it.
Because there is no one, there is a difference between winning and losing.
and.
“stop.”
A voice I once heard echoed throughout the stadium.
3.
“Until there.”
It wasn’t just the voice that resonated.
With a “chakkang” sound, a chain from nowhere appeared and tied everything in the sparring hall. The object includes not only the body but also the phenomena that spread there.
Lark and Belnoa stopped moving.
Even the returning shadow stops there.
Again.
While everything stopped, someone walked onto the sparring hall. The sound of shoe heels hitting the floor can be heard. At the sound of those steps, Belnoa and Lark burst into laughter.
The situation even feels like déjà vu.
The situation is the same as the day we first encountered each other.
However, there are also clear changes.
“The game ends here.”
Lark and Belnoa just turned their gaze and looked to the side.
Rania is standing there. Unlike during her placement test, she smiled softly… and nodded her head slightly.
“The winner is Lac Van Grace.”
She says that as if she did a good job.
Then, he roughly waved his hand to clear the shadow. When the chains that bound his body were released, Belle Noah sat down helplessly.
My legs felt weak.
This is because the spell was stretched to its limit.
“···Phew.”
I was almost there, but I made a mistake in my calculations near the end. If I had known this would happen, I would have cast a shadow on the floor. With that thought in mind, Belle Noah raises her head.
There was a difference between victory and defeat.
It was time to acknowledge the results.
“I lost.”
What Lark said with his own words during the placement test. It is pronounced through Belnoa’s mouth this time.
I lost.
This is the first defeat I have admitted.
However, Belnoa’s expression as he admits defeat is refreshing.
“is it.”
Lark let out a short breath and placed the ax on the ground. Lark, now empty-handed as he had let go of his weapon, stretched out his hand to Belnoa.
“It was a good fight, Belnoa.”
Belnoa stood up, holding onto Lark’s hand with a sigh and a laugh. The two look at each other and burst into laughter. The audience, who had been holding their breath at the sight, belatedly burst into cheers.
Waaaaaaa!
It was the moment when the head of the combat magic department was replaced.
