Ch. 70
Rashamu was on me in a blink, closing the few paces between us. I had to sidestep fast.
“Hyaaah!”
He lunged again before I could even recover, thrusting the tip of his sword straight at me.
But I was fairly confident when it came to dodging attacks.
I wasn’t a physical type, so I wasn’t super fast—but as long as my opponent wasn’t moving at impossible speeds, I could usually predict their trajectory and move just ahead of time.
The thing was, while humans wield weapons, they also get dragged by them. Once you’ve committed to a swing, it takes a bit of time to redirect your force.
Sure, training shortens that delay, but kids weren’t exactly lightning-fast.
Compared to the Shavel Mercenary Corps? Not even close.
Thinking of their blood, sweat, and tears suddenly made me feel a little sentimental.
What noble souls. Dying for the greater good—aka, making me better at real combat.
“Y-You—!”
Rashamu had clearly studied my previous matches carefully.
He must’ve thought that if he could take me down before I started casting, he’d win. He didn’t give me a single chance to open my mouth—slash after slash, strike after strike.
But here’s the thing: Undine and I don’t need spells.
Also, kid, you swing way too wide. And you’re completely predictable!
I’ve never seen such textbook swordplay.
I couldn’t find an opening to chant, but I also wasn’t getting hit.
I was dodging pretty well, and the more I moved, the more his blade lost precision.
Eventually, though, I started to hit my limit.
It wasn’t skill—it was stamina.
I wanted to keep playing with him, but this was far enough.
[Undine. Trap him.]
The formal name for the move was [Unwater Breathing], but I often just called it [Unbreathing] for short.
That didn’t matter, though. We were perfectly in sync.
There are countless differences between mages and Spirit Mages, but this was the best one by far.
“Waaagh—gugh!”
Unlike mages, who need to chant, calculate, and aim carefully to cast spells, Spirit Mages control magic by communicating with intelligent beings. In chaotic situations like this, we’re way stronger.
Even if my judgment falters, the spirit’s doesn’t.
Even if I’m the one being targeted, if they ignore the spirit, this is what happens.
Water gathered rapidly around Rashamu’s head, then wrapped around his entire body.
The more he struggled, the larger the water mass became.
Undine understood my intent and carried it out exactly as I wanted.
Trapped and clutching his throat, Rashamu’s eyes filled with disbelief.
“You thought you’d win just by stopping me from casting?”
“Ggugh—gugh!”
“Too bad. Spirit Mages and regular mages are totally different.”
Fighting a Spirit Mage was basically like a 2-on-1.
If I summoned multiple spirits, it’d be more like a full party vs. solo.
And I’m not just saying that because I am one—spirits really are awesome.
The more attuned and synced you are with a spirit, the stronger you become. That’s the idea.
I didn’t really get it when they explained it in class, but now that I’d used it in combat, I understood.
This was what it felt like—
To become one with your spirit.
Undine and I didn’t need words. We just clicked.
“Hehehe…”
Hands on hips, I let out a triumphant chuckle. Felt good!
“Acting tough when you can’t even swim.”
“GGRUGHH—!!”
Doesn’t matter what you scream—no one hears you underwater.
I watched Rashamu flail in the water sphere, utterly relaxed. Eventually, I got bored and flicked my hand.
“Undine, toss him out.”
[Yes, Master.]
The water bubble, with Rashamu inside, rolled slowly across the arena.
The moment it reached the edge—it popped like a soap bubble.
Just like all the other matches.
I splashed the stunned commentator with a bit of water for good measure.
Well, technically, Undine did.
“Ten seconds didn’t pass yet, right?”
—Ah, uh, no! You’re right!
Way too easy. Almost disappointing.
‘So much for noble bloodlines.’
I kept it to myself, but it really was kind of laughable.
A sword’s only good if you know how to swing it.
“No way!”
Drenched and humiliated, Rashamu stomped and shouted from outside the ring—but losers always had complaints.
So what if it was a little cheap? A win’s a win!
—
Humming to myself, I skipped lightly toward the waiting room—only to be blocked by a red-haired man.
One moment, I was carefree and cheerful. The next, he was just there.
Silently. So silently it gave me chills.
Who is this guy?
He appeared out of nowhere, no presence, no expression, no words.
“…?”
“…”
He stared at me silently, so I stared right back.
For a few seconds, we just stood there like that.
“Brooother!”
And then Rashamu came running and practically threw himself at the man’s leg, crying.
Huh, big one and little one look exactly the same. They’re like carbon copies.
Red hair, identical faces—Rashamu’s older brother.
Got it.
“Rovenin Fedri?”
Even someone as clueless as me could figure that much out.
He was so famous, I’d heard his name and story whether I wanted to or not.
That’s what you call fame.
Rovenin gave the faintest nod, then finally opened his mouth.
“You’re…”
“Geenie Crowell.”
“Geenie Crowell.”
“Huh?”
Did he just pronounce my name perfectly? Or am I hearing things?
“Would you like to fight me?”
Out of nowhere.
Was this about revenge for his little brother?
“Brother! She—she—!”
I thought that for a second, but it didn’t seem to be the case.
Rovenin shoved Rashamu’s whining face aside like it annoyed him.
Rashamu stumbled away pathetically. Honestly, I kind of wanted to help him up… Brotherhood sure was cold.
“You want to fight me?”
“Mm.”
“You, and me?”
“Mm.”
So this was Elan’s prized genius—a guy who was clearly out of his mind for battle.
Seriously? He wanted to fight a ten-year-old girl?
From the looks of him, he was practically an adult!
And not just anyone either—he was the favorite to win the Youth Division!
He was so dominant that people joked second place was basically first.
“No thanks.”
I glared at him, my eyes narrowing to worm-thin slits.
“Why not?”
“Why should I?”
“Well…”
—Ahem. Attention, everyone. The finals for the Youth Division will now begin. Contestants, please make your way to the arena.
The moment Rovenin glanced away toward the arena—
I bolted.
My instincts were screaming loud and clear:
This guy’s insane. Stay far, far away!
* * * * * *
Translator’s Note:
Hey everyone, just a quick heads-up — starting next week, chapter releases might be a bit inconsistent for a while. My wife and I just had our baby, and I’ll be prioritizing taking care of them during this time. Depending on how things go, I might still be able to post chapters here and there, but I can’t promise a regular schedule just yet.
I really appreciate your patience and support. I’ll do my best to keep updates coming when I can, and I’ll let you all know once things start settling down and we’re closer to getting back to a steady rhythm.
Thanks again for sticking with me and this story. It means a lot.
