Chapter 97: Chapter 97

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: Solvas Umbra

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Solvas Umbra.

I never imagined I'd run into him right at the start of the International Solo Preliminaries.

'If they're going to assign us, they could at least do it properly.'

Then again, how much could they really do with assignments in this cramped forest?

Still, I couldn't help but feel a little aggrieved.

"Your name was Hanon, correct?"

Solvas continued speaking.

This guy, who had clearly seen through everyone who attended the meeting, including me, said that.

"It's quite a coincidence that we ended up in the same group, and so close to each other. How about we team up?

The preliminaries only require us to make it into the top 16, so forming a team seems like a good idea."

Solvas smiled a friendly smile.

What a liar.

He's clearly just planning to stab me in the back.

"Really? If I get to team up with Lord Solvas, I'd be delighted."

But the feeling was mutual.

Solvas and I smiled, facing each other.

Solvas was by no means an easy person to deal with.

His true intentions had never been revealed, not once, until now.

However, he wouldn't know.

That the person standing before him was the only one who could truly see through him.

"Excellent. I've already recruited some individuals in our group.

If we join them, we should be able to clear this without any trouble."

The people Solvas claimed to have recruited were just dummies.

He would have his actual allies hidden among the other participants in Group 2.

'The dummies will stick together, eliminating people, and once they're exhausted…'

Solvas planned to call in his real team to eliminate them.

'He actually used this method in the International Solo Preliminaries right from the start.'

It was safe to assume it was a sure thing.

"That's a good strategy. We should be able to get through the preliminaries smoothly without wasting too much energy."

"Haha, is that so?"

Just then, a sound echoed from the bracelets we were wearing.

It meant all the students had taken their positions.

[ 3 ]

The countdown to the start of the preliminaries began.

[ 2 ]

Solvas and I locked eyes and smiled.

[ 1 ]

Then, we immediately leaned forward.

[ Preliminaries Start ]

*Whoosh!*

A shadow blade grazed past the tree next to my head.

I stomped hard on the ground, simultaneously activating the magic inscription beneath my feet.

*CRASH!*

My body shot forward like a cannonball, lunging at Solvas in an instant.

Solvas's eyes, meeting mine, curved into a smile.

It was proof that he hadn't trusted me from the start either.

If he'd done his research on me, he'd know I was a dangerous individual.

Of course, he'd try to eliminate me early, not even consider taking me on a dummy team.

*Thud!*

Solvas stomped his foot down.

Immediately, shadows surged up like ink right in front of me.

My vision was obscured for a moment.

But my hand blade shot out towards the shadows without hesitation.

*Clang-clash!*

A sword that had erupted from within the shadows clashed against my own.

Solvas stood there, gripping a shadow sword.

As we clashed, both of us recoiled from each other.

"So you didn't trust me from the start?"

"Same goes for you, doesn't it?"

My tone had changed, too, without me realizing it.

Solvas's eyes curved into a deep, amused smile.

"I have a good eye for people, you see. I can tell when someone is full of suspicion."

"I don't usually have long conversations with fortune tellers."

Despite my provocation, Solvas didn't flinch, only smiled.

Instead, shadows writhed beneath his feet.

The Umbra Duchy possesses a unique technique passed down through generations.

The technique is called…

Night Shadow.

The foundation of Night Shadow originates from a Mystery that the ducal family has worshipped for generations.

The Mystery,

Lily Shadow.

It involves manipulating shadows that can be partially excised from a lily's shadow and transformed into any shape.

This is the true nature of the Umbra Duchy's secret art.

The succession order within the Umbra Duchy is determined by how well one can wield this Night Shadow.

Controlling Night Shadow is as arduous as controlling a limb you don't possess.

Thus, most descendants of the Umbra Duchy struggle to master it.

But in the current generation, there was only one.

Solvas was different.

He possessed an innate talent for Night Shadow.

The shadows he controlled moved freely, transforming into anything he willed.

Therefore, Solvas's combat style was incredibly unpredictable.

Even if you pinpointed him, you couldn't pinpoint the shadows.

The shadows were everywhere and could appear from anywhere.

So you had to be on edge constantly, never knowing where an attack would come from.

Everyone who fought Solvas felt their nerves frayed and succumbed to fatigue.

Solvas knew this and actively exploited the unpredictability.

He would exhaust his opponents and then strike at their openings.

This was a tactic Solvas frequently employed.

Sure enough, shadows began to form beneath my feet.

Just before the shadows could surge up, I pulled my body back.

Immediately, spike-like shadows shot up, narrowly missing my chin.

I didn't stop there, pulling my back foot forward.

This time, short spikes erupted and vanished where my foot had just been.

Solvas's eyebrows twitched subtly as he watched me.

Once again, his shadows moved, targeting me.

It was an attack from a complete blind spot.

My body naturally evaded the surging shadows.

Solvas gazed at me with peculiar eyes.

It was only natural.

Since I was dodging every attack from his blind spots, it must have been an unbelievable sight for him.

"...Hanon, it seems you can perceive my Night Shadow somehow?"

"Perceive the shadows? What do you mean?"

I grinned impudently.

Solvas's eyebrows twitched again.

"Indeed. I'm quite curious how you're doing it."

This guy, who usually never showed emotion, looked remarkably displeased.

Solvas had immense pride in his Night Shadow.

It was natural for him to react this way when his Night Shadow was being completely seen through.

The reason I could sense Solvas's Night Shadow was simple.

'The Body of Steel is also a Mystery.'

Mysteries tend to react to each other instinctively.

Ordinarily, people wouldn't be able to notice such reactions between Mysteries.

But the Body of Steel *was* my body itself.

For ordinary people, Solvas's shadows were attacks from a complete blind spot.

However, I could feel exactly where Solvas's Night Shadow was moving.

'Oh dear.'

Your tricks won't work on me.

I revealed a smile full of blatant provocation.

"Alright."

Instead of getting annoyed by my provocation, Solvas shook off his irritation and smiled back at me.

"Then I'll just make it so you can't dodge even if you perceive it."

A chilling aura instantly spread from Solvas's body, engulfing the forest.

Sensing this, my feet abruptly stopped.

*Rumble—*

Soon after, a sound that shouldn't have reached my ears began to resonate.

*Thump-thump-thump—*

My Body of Steel reacted violently.

My vision wavered.

In response, an even more malicious smile spread across Solvas's lips.

*RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE!*

Immediately behind Solvas,

a tidal wave of shadows, filling the entire forest, could be seen surging upwards.

"Aaahhh!?"

"W-what is this?!"

"Gurgle, s-save me."

The students nearby were swept away by Solvas's shadow wave, instantly eliminated.

Is this what it feels like to face a tsunami head-on?

I had, without realizing it, become a mere human facing a natural disaster.

Solvas spread his arms wide towards me.

"Try dodging this, too."

Night Shadow

Lawless Wave.

What a scoundrel, utterly devoid of sportsmanship.

The moment he judged me a threat, he pulled out his strongest move.

This, I couldn't dodge.

The moment the wave, having swallowed trees and surrounding terrain whole, reached right in front of me,

I was swallowed whole by the shadow wave.

***

Above the shadow wave,

a boy with ash-gray hair styled in a wolf cut stood serenely.

Solvas Umbra.

The Son of Shadows, one of the Six Stars.

The secret art of Night Shadow he had mastered:

Lawless Wave.

This secret art, which conjured a colossal shadow wave, consumed immense power.

But it possessed equally overwhelming destructive force.

According to his original plan, he hadn't intended to use it.

However, the moment he saw Hanon in person, he immediately changed his mind.

Hanon was someone who had become famous within the Jerion Academy in just half a year.

A madman who, on his very first day transferring to Jerion Academy, had cursed while mentioning the tragedy that had occurred earlier.

Certainly, that act was close to madness.

But his subsequent actions showed what he had meant.

People in other countries hadn't yet properly encountered his exploits.

However, Solvas had planted spies within Jerion Academy.

He had heard all about Hanon's activities.

'His known accomplishments can't be all there is.'

There were several inexplicable gaps in his actions.

It was clear evidence that he had been secretly active in some way.

'His activities at Jerion Academy definitely have some hidden intention.'

An academy isn't always a peaceful place.

Having some intention meant…

…that he was someone with countless hidden tricks.

Solvas, having learned about Hanon's exploits and researched him, was certain.

And today,

after seeing Hanon in person, he made his judgment.

There wasn't an ounce of hesitation in Hanon's eyes as he faced him.

That meant he either possessed an arrogance born of belief in his own skill,

or he had prepared a countermeasure against him.

And Hanon was the latter.

This type of person was dangerous if not defeated early on.

Solvas never underestimated people easily.

Even after rising to the Six Stars, he was far from arrogant, constantly suspecting his opponents, throwing out feints, and sometimes making powerful moves.

He judged Hanon to be someone he needed to make a strong move against.

"If a new sprout has sprung up like bamboo after a rain, you should definitely stomp it down and crush it."

If an opponent tries to think of their next move, you must break them before they can.

Although it deviated from his original plan, he decided to sweep away all the students with the Lawless Wave now.

It was the moment Solvas thought that.

*Splash—*

A sound reached his ears.

The sound was like… swimming.

Solvas wondered if he'd misheard and looked around.

All around him, only the pitch-black shadow wave surged.

*Splash, splash—*

But soon, the sound came again.

An ominous premonition flashed through him.

Solvas hastily peered into the depths of the shadow wave.

Soon after, he felt something moving forward within the wave.

In a panic, he quickly turned his head in the direction he sensed the presence.

*Splash!*

Solvas discovered someone swimming forward through the shadow wave at incredible speed.

It was butterfly stroke.

That was butterfly stroke.

Within the shadow wave,

vivid red eyes flickered.

"...Are you insane?"

Solvas muttered, dumbfounded, at the sight.

Well, of course.

What madman in the world would even *think* of swimming through a shadow wave?

But there was someone doing just that.

*Splash-splash-splash-splash-splash!*

And at an astonishing speed.

Hanon Airey.

Hanon, who had been swept away by the shadow wave, was right there.

Solvas muttered his name, clenching his fists.

And then he realized.

Hanon was an even more dangerous madman.