[Alisha's POV]
The match had ended; the Priests had already carried them out of the arena field.
I did not expect Raul to win against Prince Vlad. Miraculously, he was able to counter, evade, and attack his opponent so perfectly without a single mistake. It was as if he had planned this fight, like a painter sketching his own battle.
"Leon, could you face Prince Vlad without using your Anti-magic ability?" I asked my loyal servant.
If he used Anti-magic, it was certain that Leon would defeat him easily. This ability of his was truly too terrifying for fighters who relied on magic. Leon seemed to have difficulty answering. It appeared he was truly contemplating how to defeat Prince Vlad without using his mainstay Profound Codex.
"I do not know, Princess Alisha," Leon answered quietly. "However, I will definitely defeat him no matter what happens."
He sounded unsure, but that was only natural. According to my calculations, Leon would lose easily if he did not use his Anti-magic against Prince Vlad. Once he was trapped by the magic that could control one's body, it would be over for Leon.
However, somehow Raul was able to be free from that magic. Without Valeria's previous explanation, I might not have known how Prince Vlad's magic worked.
Broadly speaking, Prince Vlad possessed magic far superior to Raul, who until now had only used basic physical magic. However, that last attack of his must be kept in mind, as it could pierce through Vlad's armor, which appeared extremely strong.
Could that be one of his Profound Codices? And why did he use it when he was dying like that? Could there be certain conditions to activate it?
I do not know...
"It seems my future husband is more interesting than I have estimated all this time..."
It seems this tournament will be far more challenging than I previously anticipated...
"Alright, let us continue to the fourth match!"
The spectators stopped chatting with one another as the Match Promoter's voice was heard.
"Geralt de Jimena against Scarlett de Jimena!"
After hearing the names of those who would compete, I glanced toward the red-haired woman who was sitting next to a man with the same hair color as her. They then stood up and left the participants' stands.
If I am not mistaken, they are the twin children of Duke Vasco de Jimena—the most influential Noble in the southern region of the Empire. It seems this match will be interesting.
***
[Raul's POV]
My entire body felt painful; this is the risk if one wants to use an ability at its maximum potential. The condition—where the greater the pain you receive, the stronger the Power buff provided by this ability—makes me have to think more than twice before using it. This is because if I fail to execute this attack, then the possibility of me losing the fight will become even greater.
Opening my eyes slowly, a beam of sunlight passing through the window made me squint.
"Ah, you are awake?"
Suddenly hearing a voice, I turned to the side. A beautiful woman with braided green hair was seen sitting beside my medical bed.
"How is your condition?" she asked me.
"I think it's better now," I answered her. "What are you doing here, Valeria?"
"Why are you asking that? Do you not like that I am here?" she said, appearing annoyed and beginning to show a sulky face.
"That is not what I meant," I replied, trying to calm her down. "It would be more beneficial for you to be in the arena and observe the abilities of the other participants compared to being here."
Hearing my words, Valeria looked pouting and crossed both of her arms.
"I am here also wanting to know about the ability of the participant who defeated me," Valeria replied, turning her gaze away from me. "How were you able to be free from Prince Vlad's body-controlling magic earlier?"
Ah, she wanted to ask that, as it turned out.
However, is it the right thing to tell this to Valeria? I still think that she and the other students must learn from experience to grow further. Yet, I suppose she has already suffered the consequences of failing to obtain intel when facing someone.
"What will you give me if I tell you?" I asked her.
"Ughhh... Why are you asking for something from me?" Valeria complained.
"Hey, knowledge and information are very valuable, you know," I expressed to her. "You felt it yourself, didn't you? The reason you lost was because you knew nothing about Prince Vlad's blood magic, wasn't it?"
Flooding her with a tsunami of facts, Valeria could not counter my words and could only mumble in annoyance.
"What do you want?" Valeria asked while staring sharply at me. "I will not forgive you if you ask me to do something lewd!"
Ughhh... I thought your bad view of me had disappeared. Why does she always call me lewd!? I am a gentleman who always respects women. Except in battle, okay? Like the saying goes, "Equal Rights, Equal Fight."
Alright, what exactly do I want from Valeria... Let's see how much Value she has now.
She is the daughter of Duke Julian de Artagnan—the leader of the Empire's Magic Council and the Headmaster of the Castille magic tower, the largest magic tower in the world. I think it is certain that Valeria will enter this magic tower and her potential will develop much further there. In fact, I think she could become the youngest Archwizard in the history of this world.
Having an easy connection with her will be very good for me later.
"I want to be able to meet you easily once you have become a Master at the Castille Magic Tower someday," I answered her.
A Master is a wizard who has already gained recognition from the Empire at one of their institutions, such as a magic tower or academy. However, it is very difficult to become a Master at the Castille Magic Tower. You must have high talent and magical knowledge to achieve it. Because of that, ordinary people will have difficulty meeting the Masters of the Castille Magic Tower. Only people of importance can freely meet them.
"W-What do you mean by becoming a Master!?" Valeria said, sounding like she did not understand the meaning of my words. "I lost even against a magic-using fighter; how could I possibly obtain the title of Master, let alone Archwizard, that easily?"
Valeria looked down; it seemed her defeat against Vlad yesterday made her realize that there are many people far greater than her. It is true that Valeria's magic talent is the best in the game Path of Destiny. However, in a life-and-death struggle, what is looked at is not talent, but rather the fighting tactics and information we possess regarding the opponent.
"No, I am sure you will definitely become a Master and the youngest Archwizard in the history of the Empire," I said sincerely to her.
"Ughhh... Why are you so sure about me?" asked Valeria, who turned her face away from me. Her cheeks were also seen turning red as if holding back embarrassment. "Alright, I accept your offer. You can meet me anytime when I become a wizard at the Castille magic tower later."
I smiled slightly hearing those words of hers. With this, I have a connection with Princess Elena, who is a member of the Imperial family, and Valeria, who is the candidate for the youngest Archwizard in the world. This will make my influence in the Empire even stronger later.
"By the way, how long have I been unconscious?" I asked her.
"I think only one hour," Valeria answered. "Previously, the ones competing were Scarlett and Geralt after your fight earlier."
Scarlett and Geralt, huh? A pair of siblings who possess Fire Nature Mana abilities. I do not know if Geralt has already awakened the Codex he possesses, but I have ensured that Scarlett has not yet awakened hers. If that is true, then this match will be difficult for Scarlett to win.
"Then, how were you able to get free from Prince Vlad's body controller?" Valeria asked, claiming my promise to her.
I then explained to her regarding the Assimilate ability possessed by Vlad and why I was not affected by his magic at all.
"Randomize Blood Potion, huh?" Valeria muttered. "I cannot believe you could know his ability in such detail just from a single glance!"
Ughhh... That is because I was the one who programmed his abilities in the game, you know. However, I cannot say this thing to her.
While we were conversing, a very loud shout from the spectators was heard. It seems a quite exciting match is taking place on the arena field. I wonder who is competing right now?
After defeating Vlad, I qualified for the quarter-final round that will take place tomorrow. Starting from this round, the participants will not be informed of their opponents before the match time. This means they will not be able to prepare anything to face their enemies later, just like me in the match earlier.
Tomorrow, three rounds will take place simultaneously because many participants have already fallen by this time. Only seven matches remain...
I wonder who will successfully qualify? However, what is certain is that there will be no easy opponents when entering the quarter-final round. They are the best of the best. They possess magic and abilities far greater than mine.