The silence in the Kikka Arena after Asta's victory over Sekke was the sound of a kingdom's hierarchy fracturing. Lencar, standing in the shadow of the disqualified, felt the focus shift. He watched Yami Sukehiro erupt in laughter and Patolli (Vangeance) stare, terrified, at the Anti-Magic sword. Lencar knew his window for safe engagement was closing.
"Next! Lencar of Sosie versus... Lord Alaric Varis!" the examiner roared.
Lencar stepped forward, his eyes locking on his opponent. Lord Alaric Varis. A noble in extravagant, deep blue robes. His mana pulsed with the fluid, shimmering signature of Water Magic.
Analysis: Alaric Varis. Mana Volume: High Stage 4. Control: Good. Arrogance: Fatal. His Water Magic is defensive and fluid, focusing on control and binding. Ideal opponent for a controlled loss.
Lencar walked to the center of the ring, his [Aura Cloak] locked firmly to Stage 6. He opened his grimoire to the Chain Magic page—the only aggressive, non-elemental spell he intended to use.
"Begin!"
Phase One: The Test of Control
Alaric, infuriated by the sight of a commoner who had dared to defeat a noble (Marco), struck first, but with lethal arrogance.
"[Water Magic: Aqua Serpent]!"
A massive, coiling snake of high-pressure water erupted from his grimoire, roaring straight toward Lencar. The attack had immense Stage 4 volume.
Strategy: Don't negate it. Deflect it with minimal magic, forcing him to escalate complexity, not power. Use Fire Magic to create an illusion of weakness.
Lencar didn't move. He channeled the minimal Stage 6 output into his father's spell. "[Fire Magic: Searing Shield]!"
A thin, shimmering plane of pure heat materialized in front of him. It wasn't designed for brute-force blocking; it was designed for deflection. When the Aqua Serpent struck the shield, Lencar used the Regulator to instantly increase the shield's internal heat.
HSSSSSSSSS.
The Aqua Serpent vaporized instantly on contact, dissolving into a massive cloud of steam that filled the arena. The sheer destructive power of the interaction looked intense, but Lencar had used less than 5% of his mana pool.
Alaric stared, shocked. "He vaporized a Water Serpent with a commoner's flame magic? Impossible!"
The Captains, including Nozel Silva (Mercury Magic), watched with sharp interest.
Lencar stood in the center of the steam cloud. "You waste power on volume, Lord Varis," Lencar called out, his voice calm. "I focus on efficiency."
Phase Two: Escalation and Deception
Alaric, now genuinely angered, focused his spellcasting.
"[Water Magic: Hydro-Lasso Prison]!"
Alaric used complex manipulation to create a web of dozens of high-pressure water threads, designed to weave around Lencar and constrict him. This was a classic Stage 4 restraint spell—complex, fast, and versatile.
Strategy: Reveal Chain Magic to counter the restraint. Use my superior speed (Mana-Forged body) to make the engagement look strenuous, not effortless.
Lencar ran. He exploded into motion, using his Mana-Forged speed to weave through the hydro-lassos, moving with a blurring precision that impressed Jack the Ripper on the observation deck.
He let three of the Hydro-Lassos snag his legs and torso. He yelled out—a controlled, pained shout that sounded entirely authentic.
"[Chain Magic: Iron Counter]!"
The rigid, anti-magic chain erupted from his grimoire, severing the three binding threads with a sharp CLANG. He was free, but the effort appeared to cost him greatly.
Lencar was breathing heavily, sweat (mostly feigned) pouring down his face. He had fought a dual-attribute commoner to a standstill. He had shown determination, strength, and two distinct, useful magics.
Phase Three: The Calculated Loss
The crowd was fully engaged. They saw a noble who was being frustrated by a skilled, resilient commoner.
Alaric, seeing Lencar struggle, committed his final, ultimate move. He poured his entire remaining mana pool into one massive, final attack.
"[Water Magic: Tidal Wave Incarnate]!"
A colossal, forty-foot high wall of churning, roaring water magic filled the arena, aimed at washing Lencar out of the ring and drowning him in volume. This was a purely dominant Stage 4 attack.
Lencar stared at the wave, his mind running the final calculation. He could counter it perfectly with a full-volume [Towering Tornado] and a combined [Iron Shell] defense, but that would expose his true Stage 5 volume, his multiple attributes, and the perfection of his Regulator. He would be recruited by Nozel or Fuegoleon, and placed directly under Patolli's scrutiny.
Conclusion: The target is too dangerous. I must lose now. But I must lose honorably.
Lencar raised his hands. He pushed 70% of his Stage 6 mana into a defensive spell.
"[Stone Magic: Fortress Shroud]!"
He summoned the densest defense he knew—a perfectly formed, six-foot-tall wall of magically fused rock. It was a visible, powerful defense, utilizing a third, powerful magic type in a desperate, final move.
The crowd gasped at the commoner's desperate triple attribute reveal.
The Tidal Wave Incarnate struck the Fortress Shroud.
KRA-SHOOOOM!
The sound was deafening. The sheer, overwhelming Stage 4 volume of Alaric's attack proved too much for Lencar's Stage 6 defense. The stone shattered, turning into shrapnel and spray.
Lencar, physically reinforced by his Mana-Forged body, absorbed the residual impact of the water and rock. He was thrown backward, tumbling end-over-end, and slammed against the arena wall.
He lay there, still conscious, but his body was racked with pain, his grimoire falling nearby. He made a visible show of trying, and failing, to stand.
"I... I yield," Lencar gasped, giving a perfect performance of utter defeat.
The water receded. Alaric, exhausted and shaking, was left standing alone in the ring.
"...Winner! Lord Alaric Varis!" the examiner declared.