CHAPTER 19

"Take a good look, Master Kong. Once you submit your withdrawal letter, you'll never have the chance to see something like this again in your life!"

Logan loosened the tightly wrapped bandages around his chest slightly, revealing an intricately drawn magic square at the heart of his body.

There were three magic squares.

Each one had esoteric runes inscribed into it, pulsing beautifully in sync with his heartbeat.

"The secret technique of the Chaihark School, Body Fortification (體逞强)."

Gertrude Fenton raised her left eyebrow and let out a short sigh.

"It seems you intend to finish this in an instant."

As Logan placed his hand on the magic square and channeled his mana into it, the energy awakened the symbol at his heart, sending a radiant glow surging outward.

"It has begun—the battle magic of the King type."

Standing by Exit No. 4 and observing the magical duel, Hubert of the Rohinum School stroked his chin.

"The measure of a King-type mage's mastery is the speed at which they activate their body-enhancement spells..."

The radiant light of mana, which had started from Logan's chest, spread rapidly through his veins, engulfing his entire body in the glow of the magic square.

The greatest risk of King-type magic is the strain it places on the body.

Professor Caroline rested her chin on her interlaced fingers, watching Logan with interest.

Since it forcibly amplifies physical abilities, even the slightest miscalculation in mana control could result in dislocated bones or ruptured internal organs… But his speed and stability are certainly worthy of someone considered a prodigy of the Chaihark School.

Power surged through Logan's body as the force of the Body Fortification spell roared around him, sending his hair flying wildly in the magic-charged air.

"I will end this in ten seconds."

In a single instant, he advanced.

His mana-enhanced legs slammed against the marble floor, leaving deep footprints as he closed the distance to Rain in the blink of an eye.

"What the hell? That speed—!"

"That's practically martial arts!"

He had already advanced within striking range. His lead foot stepped lightly forward, his torso twisted back, and with all the momentum and centrifugal force gathered into one decisive strike—

A perfectly executed, unstoppable punch.

I've enclosed my body in a barrier of mana using Body Fortification.

Not only did this enhance his defenses, but upon impact, the mana barrier would explode at the point of contact, delivering a devastating follow-up blow.

He won't be able to react. This ends in one hit.

He had exploited a perfect opening—so fast and flawless that his opponent had no time to prepare any countermeasure—

—Smack.

Something struck his solar plexus.

A sharp pain shot through his entire body, momentarily blurring his vision. His breath hitched.

"──?!"

The momentum, force, and energy he had gathered—everything reversed against him in an instant, piercing his lungs with unbearable recoil.

"That technique… Could it be—?"

Professor Owen, watching Logan sail through the air, stared in shock, his mouth slightly open.

"Osarius-style staff combat?!"

The crowd's attention snapped toward the weapon in Rain's hands.

A broom.

Mana coursed along its wood grain, glowing ominously.

Three hundred years ago, the grand mage Lyn, who elevated the Osarius School to the status of one of the Eight Great Schools, devised this technique…!

A martial discipline refined with the help of the hero Lista, who believed that due to the chaotic nature of battle, even mages needed close-combat capabilities.

But how could Ludwig's successor know it…?

Even Professor Caroline raised her eyebrows.

After Lista's party returned from their legendary expedition, the Osarius School adopted staff combat as a standard discipline.

More than mere tradition, it was an acknowledgment of the technique's effectiveness.

No, did he simply imitate Osarius-style combat?

Even if it was an imitation, the fact that he had infused mana into a mundane object to harden it was proof of exceptional mana control.

Under normal circumstances, striking a body fortified with Body Fortification using a simple broomstick should have resulted in the broom shattering.

"Hahhh…"

Adjusting his stance, Rain smoothly spun the broom he had extended and rested it over his shoulder.

"Whoa! What was that?!"

"Did Logan really get knocked back?"

"Huh? What just happened? How?!"

Stunned by the unexpected outcome, Logan instinctively shifted into a defensive stance.

Twisting his body mid-air, he forcefully slammed both feet into the ground.

—Screech!

He skidded five paces across the floor, leaving behind deep scorch marks.

What the hell was that just now…?

Logan exhaled sharply, massaging the spot where he had been struck.

Did the Body Fortification barrier… break?

Did Rain's strike pierce the exact point where the spell's flow converged? How…?

A lazy, half-yawning voice cut through the tension.

"Weird. Ten seconds have passed, and it's not over yet."

"...!"

"Bullying a promising junior isn't fun, so I'll end this in six seconds. Bite down hard."

"Bite down?"

Ridiculous. Just because he got lucky once—Fine. I'll admit it. I underestimated him. But I won't make that mistake again.

With a thunderous crash, Logan stomped down hard, shattering two slabs of marble. The force of the impact sent debris flying into the air.

First, a long-range attack to disrupt his vision!

He spun on his heel and kicked the airborne marble shards, sending a barrage of stone fragments hurtling toward Rain.

"Now he's getting serious!"

"No way he loses just because of some fancy staff moves!"

And now—

Using the debris as cover, he would close the distance and land the finishing blow… or so he thought.

Why aren't my feet moving?

The instant he tried to dash forward, a thick, muddy force clamped around his ankles.

What…?

With the marble floor destroyed, the exposed soil beneath had somehow turned into a swamp. No—a sinkhole.

"That's a farming spell used to soften soil before planting rice. What was it called again? Anyway, it's a 1-star spell. Pretty useful, right?"

The voice came from above.

Rain stood atop a massive mound of earth, having raised it with magic as the floor collapsed.

"And this one is a 2-star spell meant to create temporary flood barriers."

Silence weighed down the battlefield. Only the sound of nervous breathing filled the air.

"Wait… That spellcasting speed—?"

"Did he just cast two spells at once…?"

"Remedier type? Was he hiding magic circles? Where?"

Amidst the murmurs, Professor Owen's lips curled into an incredulous smile.

He manipulated the ground to elevate himself, ensuring his vision wasn't obstructed while simultaneously blocking Logan's attack.

And then, instead of stopping there, he immobilized his opponent before he could counterattack.

That level of speed—no wonder the students think he's using the Remedier method.

Professor Caroline narrowed her eyes.

No one here realizes he did that all mentally, without a magic circle.

Then, shocking the already stunned crowd even further—

Rain leapt from the earth mound, raising his broom overhead.

"…?!"

"…?!"

"…?!"

And the fight escalates further!