NOVEL NEXT Chapter 314 - Myke vs Asuka
Myke vs Asuka
『Sorry for the wait! The preparations seem to be finished, so let’s start the first match!』
That cute announcer’s voice resonated throughout the venue. What kind of voice is this? Is it an anime voice? It’s the kind of voice that would make people want to join a fan club. I could hear cheers all over, people saying, “That’s her voice!” It seems like cute voices are popular, even in another world.
『The first match is Myke, from Stella! Ah, when I say he’s from Stella, it doesn’t mean he’s an official guild member! Because he’s still a child. He’s a future Stella member, or rather, all the children here are like that!』
That was a rough explanation! I get it, though! I could hear chuckles all over the venue. But the impression’s generally positive. Maybe it’s better than trying to explain it in a difficult way?
『His opponent is Ryuasukatius, from Ortus! His name’s long, so I’ll call him Asuka! I wonder if he’s nervous in the waiting room right now?』
I’m not even going to comment on how carefree she is anymore. It’s better if it’s fun, right! Yes!!
『Well then, before the contestants enter, I’ll introduce the commentators for the first match! Firstly, the Demon King, Zahariash-sama! Kyaaa~! He’s so handsome again today!』
『Hmm, so this is where I should be talking? I’m expecting a great match, even though it’s the children’s division!』
Oh, it’s Father-sama’s voice! I’m relieved that he doesn’t sound nervous. And the other commentator that Karina-san introduced is…
『It’s Diega, the head of Annulus. Well, I don’t know if I’ll be able to properly commentate, but I’ll do my best.』
It’s Diega! Cheers arose from the Annulus spectator seats. Everyone loves their leader! The same goes for Ortus too, of course!
『Diega-san also looks incredible! Those muscles! Can I touch!?』
『Eh? W-Oi, stop it!』
Honestly… what are you doing? But I can understand why she wants to touch those muscles. N-No, I wouldn’t! I’m not going to touch them, okay?
I could hear shuffling through the microphone. And then, “Stop it!”, and, “Hey Karina!” It sounded like people were trying to stop her, and then the audio suddenly cut off. …I-Is everything okay?
And then a few seconds later, I heard that cheerful voice again.
『Sorry about that! Now then, without further ado, let’s begin the first match! Here come the contestants! Let’s welcome them with a round of applause!』
Her voice is incredibly lively. I’m sure… she touched them. Those muscles… ah! Asuka just entered! And a tall boy with wavy, light blue hair that reached his shoulders was walking from the other side. Hmm, hmm, so that’s Myke. I can’t see clearly because he’s far away, but I feel like he has a gentle aura.
『Myke, the Water Lizard demi-human, versus Asuka, the elf! Wow, there’s such a height difference!』
It’s true, just like Karina-san said, the height difference is incredible. Seeing Asuka, who’s still small, made me worry a bit.
『Well, this tournament’s going to be mainly about magic. Physical attacks are also allowed, but that difference in physique won’t matter much.』
『Yes, that’s right, you mustn’t be deceived by appearances. Even if they look gentle, or small, they might unleash a devastating attack.』
The commentators immediately chimed in. Yeah, yeah, they’re right. Asuka’s nature magic’s still a bit unstable, but he’s very active! He’s fast, accurate, I think he’s a formidable opponent.
But I can’t let my guard down because all I know about Myke is the brief information from Saura-san. It’s possible that he’s actually incredibly competitive even though he looks gentle. He’s so tall, you’d think he was an adult.
Just as I was observing them, crossing my arms, going “Hmmm, hmm,” I noticed a familiar person heading for the center of the venue. Ah, that’s!
“It’s Kron-san! Huh? Why’s she there?”
Kron-san briskly walked to the center of the venue, her light blue hair tied up, in her usual maid uniform. And she’s signaling to Myke and Asuka with her hands. They both took a few steps forward. Ah, maybe…
“Kron’s the judge, this time. There’s no one better suited to be a judge, someone who’s as calm as her!”
I knew it! She’s definitely the right person for the job. Because she’s a Battle Maid, she won’t get hit by any of the attacks, unless she’s the one attacking. And she won’t favor Myke just because he’s from Demon Castle!
I know that because she’s a Demon King supremacist…! Everyone else is treated equally. She’s normally so cold, but… she’s always loyal to the Demon King, that never changes.
“Begin!”
And then I heard Kron-san give the signal, raising her hand. I couldn’t hear her properly because she wasn’t using a microphone. Asuka was the first one to move, using his usual, Light magic.
『And it’s begun! Asuka’s using Light magic from the start! Uu~, it’s so bright! A blinding attack?』
『Yes, obstructing your opponent’s vision from the start is a good move.』
Myke, hit by the light, seemed to flinch for a moment. And of course, Asuka wouldn’t miss that opportunity. He ran straight towards Myke. But Myke, with his eyes closed, extended his hand. Maybe he’s going to do something!
『Oh! Even though he can’t open his eyes, Myke’s using his specialty, Water magic! And it’s at his feet!』
『Good job! Because he can’t see, there’s a low chance of hitting his opponent directly. But if he spreads water at his feet, then his opponent’s footing will be affected, and he’ll also be able to know their location from the sound of the water!』
『Oh! That’s right! Asuka’s momentarily distracted by his feet!』
That’s amazing, the water’s moving like a living creature! In that instant, a puddle of water appeared within a radius of a few meters around him! And it’s moving like a snake, aiming for Asuka! He’s still blind, but he’s aiming just from the sound and his sense of touch. Wow.
“…He’s moving well.”
“You think so too? Asuka’s been working so hard!”
I puffed up my chest, as if it was my own accomplishment, when I heard Gil-san’s voice. That’s right, even though Myke’s water attacks are coming from all directions, Asuka’s using his athletic abilities to avoid them! And sometimes he uses wind magic to change their trajectory! It’s amazing! He’s not nervous and he’s moving like he always does!
『Asuka’s attacking again! Eh, physical attacks, even though he’s so small!? He lands a sharp kick on Myke!』
『No, Myke jumped back just in time. I’m sure he realized he couldn’t defend in time. It probably hurt, but he smoothly softened the blow.』
Ugh, that looks like it would hurt! That’s why I always try not to get hit during sparring. I desperately try to dodge. So I’ve never been hit, but Asuka always gets frustrated when I do that. He doesn’t hold back during matches. He even aims for my face, it’s terrifying!
Asuka said, “There’s no point in not aiming for it, if it doesn’t hit!” W-Well, I guess that’s true!
『Hmm? It looks like they’re creating some distance.』
『Hmm, so they’re going to use larger spells.』
『Eh? You can tell?』
『You can tell, if you look at their magic power.』
『You’re saying that so casually! Most people can’t tell! As expected of Zahariash-sama!』
Ah, yeah, that’s right, most people can’t tell. I only noticed after hearing his explanation. Most people would be like, “Really?” Of course, those from the Special-grade guilds probably noticed!
But if I can’t sense that instantly, then it would be a disadvantage. I have to get used to observing!
“Huh? Is that a magic circle at his feet?”
I was carefully observing the two of them, and then I noticed a circular magic circle appear at Myke’s feet. It’s glowing light blue, like a pillar of light. It looks like he’s using a lot of magic power.
“Using a magic circle stabilizes the spell. It also conserves magic power and reduces the risk of it going out of control.”
“That’s right, so they often use magic circles when using larger spells, until they get used to it. I think most children use them. That’s called ‘preparation.’ Meg-chan and Asuka don’t need them because you’re using nature magic.”
Gil-san and Saura-san answered my question. Heh~, I see. So basically, it means I should assume that everyone’s going to use a magic circle. I would have been fazed if I’d never seen one before.
Come to think of it, I’ve never actually seen anyone use magic circles to cast before. Because those around me are all incredibly skilled and don’t need it, and Licht doesn’t use them either. Well, in Licht’s case, he probably just doesn’t know how to use them.
“A magic circle, huh… ehehe, I was surprised.”
My heart’s still pounding a bit. I have a slight trauma, regarding magic circles. Because of that incident, when I was transferred to the human continent and suffered. I know it’s okay now, but I still get a bit shaken up.
“…It’s fine.”
“Gil-san… yeah, thanks.”
I felt the hand supporting me tighten slightly. It seems like he knew. Thanks to that, I relaxed. You’re always helping me out!
『Myke’s created a water dragon! Wow, it’s so coool!』
『Why a dragon!? Isn’t he a Water Lizard demi-human?』
『It’s cool! The Demon King-sama’s beast form is also incredible!』
『That’s… different.』
Commentary, commentators, do your jobs! I’m also curious about why it’s a dragon, but still! Saura-san, crossing her arms, gave her opinion, going “Hmm.”
“Maybe he chose a dragon because it looks cool. You basically use your imagination for magic. It’s possible he imagined a dragon when thinking of a strong magic spell.”
I see, that makes sense. A dragon is like the Demon King, Father-sama, so it’s not unusual to imagine that.
Or rather, that’s not important! I have to focus on the match! That strong-looking water dragon’s moving around freely, attacking Asuka!
“But it’s pointless if it doesn’t hit. It looks like Asuka’s dodging them all. But he’s making a lot of unnecessary movements. That’s such a shame, if he’d attacked right then, he could have won!”
Wyatt-san, who was holding Saura-san on his lap, was getting heated. It’s true, Asuka makes a lot of unnecessary movements. Everyone always tells him that. His goal might be to find weaknesses and exploit them.
“Now!”
“There! Go!”
“You can do it!”
Gil-san, Wyatt-san, and Saura-san suddenly shouted in unison. When I looked, Asuka, twisting his body to get parallel with the water dragon, was using wind magic to instantly get close to Myke. That’s amazing, that he dared to get close to the water dragon! He looks even faster because he’s moving in the opposite direction!
“Go! Asuka!”
I couldn’t help but shout too. Asuka, enveloped in wind, ran towards Myke with all his momentum and threw a punch. And then all the wind gathered in his fist. A gust of wind hit Myke, blowing his tall body away.
『Myke’s sent flying! And then… out of bounds! Myke’s out of bounds! The winner of the first match is… Asuka, from Ortus!』
Cheers erupted at the announcer’s cute declaration of victory. We also shouted “Yay!”, celebrating Asuka’s win. He did it, he did it! Asuka won!