CH.64 18-2. The Hidden Trump Card
Until now, Mardol had been defeating her opponents using only swordsmanship, without relying on magic.
‘If I can strip off that armor, I have a chance.’
Using this strategy, Ariel decided that she just needed to maintain her distance and cast her magic.
「Chain Fireworks!」
Ariel targeted Phine’s feet, chanting the fireworks spell. Linear flames formed a sphere around the Glass Knight, and, following the flames, vertical bursts of fireworks shot up, engulfing the knight.
Boom! Bang! Boom!
A series of chain explosions erupted in an instant, causing Phine’s body to sway slightly.
“Did I get her..?”
The red-haired magician muttered quietly as she observed the scene.
“..No.”
But Phine, who was using the alias “Mardol,” was completely unfazed by the magic. She simply continued walking, the sound of her slow, deliberate footsteps echoing as she closed the distance.
[Student Ariel! It seems she still can’t penetrate the armor!]
At this rate, it was looking just like Windy’s previous match. The crystal-clear glass-like armor showed no signs of damage as it steadily approached Ariel.
“Guess it’s no use… But I’ve got an idea too! Mardol!”
「Fireball!」
A small orb of fire formed in Ariel’s palm. Strangely, she abandoned the fireworks spell and reverted to the most basic fire-attribute magic.
It was a simple, beginner-level spell.
Then, in a barely audible whisper, Ariel spoke a few words toward the fireball.
“..What are you planning?”
“Who knows? Why don’t you figure it out, Mardol?”
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Like tossing snowballs, she hurled one fireball after another toward her opponent. Phine, while facing them head-on, noticeably slowed down.
“..This is getting a bit troublesome.”
“You won’t have an easy time approaching, Mardol!”
Blocked repeatedly, Phine sighed in frustration.
A magic circle appeared at Ariel’s fingertips, continuously generating fireballs. Like an automatic turret, they bombarded the Glass Knight, halting her advance.
“..I’ll have to use my sword.”
Determined to break through, Phine drew the sword strapped to her back and took a stance. Her eyes sharpened with focus, and she raised her arms high.
“Gransia Style 4th Form, Grand Impact.”
Thud!
The sound of steel colliding with the arena floor echoed loudly. The ground trembled like an earthquake, cracks spidering outward as a fan-shaped shockwave spread across the surface, sending debris flying in all directions.
[Once again, it’s the Gransia Empire’s swordsmanship! This time, it’s the 4th technique, Grand Impact! A technique that strikes the ground to deliver a large-scale attack!]
“Hyahk..!”
The vibration made Ariel lose her balance. She staggered, her magic circle tilting downward.
Phine seized the opening and charged at Ariel like a wolf with its fangs bared.
“Too bad, Ariel.”
Anyone could see it — the Glass Knight had the upper hand.
If she broke Ariel’s mana barrier, victory would be hers.
「S-Sparkler Flare!」
At that moment, Ariel chanted, her voice tinged with slight panic.
But in her red eyes, there was no sign of giving up. Her gaze glowed with resolve.
The red-haired elf seemed to be aiming for something, her intentions hidden.
“It’s useless….”
“..Is that really true, Mardol?”
Fwoosh!
An unexpected phenomenon occurred.
The fireworks spell, which should have been misfired due to its poor aim, instead activated inside the Glass Knight’s armor, igniting the interior.
“..Huh?”
Phine’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Flames flared up within the transparent crystal-like armor, devouring the inside.
“..I mixed my mana into those fireballs earlier!”
Ariel taunted as she watched her opponent’s movements slow to a halt.
“My flames burn mana itself. So when mana builds up inside something like armor, there’s no way for it to escape, you see! Mardol!”
Small flames flickered from the gaps in the radiant white armor, looking like tiny lines of fire sneaking out from every crevice.
“It’s like dumping oil into a sealed space! Hehe, how’s that taste?”
Ariel grinned like a mischievous cat, delighted that her plan had worked.
If she could force Phine to remove her armor, victory would practically be guaranteed.
***
Watching the scene, I shook my head.
From the center of the spectator seats, I felt a twinge of regret for not giving Ariel more information.
“..It would’ve worked under normal circumstances. Too bad.”
“What do you mean, Licht? Didn’t Ariel win just now?”
“If her opponent is using masterpiece-grade equipment, you need to match that with either masterpiece-grade or artifact-grade gear.”
Otherwise, only an ultimate skill would have a chance of working.
Equipment that could block even a Demon Lord’s attacks wouldn’t be defeated by such simple magic.
I sighed.
“At best, it’ll only temporarily restrict his movements or force him to remove the armor. Actually, even that might be too much to expect.”
“I know that, but the flames were inside his armor. How can it not work..?”
“The name Masterpiece embodies the very soul of the dwarves.”
I lowered my head. Even the restaurant I visited a few days ago had used that name, branding their dishes as “Masterpieces” crafted with their utmost effort.
‘In the game, it was said that dwarves focus so intently on making these that they don’t sleep until it’s done. Afterward, they drink alcohol to force themselves to sleep.’
There was no way a few hits from fire magic would have any significant impact on that. The only reason Mardol’s movements had stopped was because of Ariel’s overwhelming mana capacity.
If it had been another magician, they would have been defeated as helplessly as Windy.
“Since he’s got such a nasty personality, I wouldn’t blame you for not knowing, but that alone isn’t enough to guarantee victory.”
My mind wandered for a moment, recalling the fake Holy Sword I had crafted. A creation that was on par with a Masterpiece or even an Artifact. It was like my own child.
With that, I could briefly suppress that glass armor. After all, it only had to be stronger than that armor — as long as my will was stronger.
This conviction was something I gained through the Nameless Saintess.
I wouldn’t lose to anyone.
But why was she going so far to conceal his identity with that armor? He could’ve just worn a normal-looking Masterpiece-grade item. As I noted the contradiction,
“…”
Ariel’s words lingered in my mind.
“Is it because he’s really a girl?”