Cougar entered my ring.
The "Summoning Ring of Bazel" darkened, a sign that he was still alive. Of course, it wasn't his choice to enter—it was my doing, forcing him in against his will.
Stubborn as ever...
I recalled Cougar's hesitant gaze before he finally relented. My plan was to heal him and release him once the battle was over—assuming we both survived.
"Huh?! That ring… could it be?!"
Futan recognized my summoning ring immediately. It made sense; a high-level mage like him wouldn't fail to notice such a remarkable artifact. When I casually brushed the dust off the ring, his lips curled into a sinister grin.
"So, you possess such a rare treasure. That gives me one more reason to kill you."
"And I've got dozens of reasons why you need to die."
"Ha! Still too young to grasp reality, are you? You think I'm the one who'll die here?"
"You wouldn't be the first to laugh in my face before meeting their end."
"Hmm... If you're counting on the Black Mirror Corps, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I took care of them while you were busy playing with knights. Everyone knows the Black Mirror Corps always shadows the bloodline of Arahan."
He killed the Black Mirror Corps? This guy really doesn't hold back.
Not that I had any particular attachment to them. If anything, their deaths worked in my favor.
"So, that must've taken some effort," I remarked.
"…What did you say?"
"The Black Mirror Corps may be an intelligence unit, but they're not so easily dealt with."
"..."
"Judging by your reaction, I must be right. You probably burned through at least half your mana dealing with them—assuming you only faced low-ranking members without their captain."
Futan's brow twitched at my words. His face twisted with fury, but he quickly masked it with a sly smile.
"And yet, do you think that gives you a chance of victory?"
"Fifty-fifty."
"Ha! Half?! Let me teach you how foolish that hope is!"
With a rumble, clouds of dust began swirling around Futan. The particles coalesced and transformed into solid metal—a higher-tier elemental magic.
At least 6th Circle... no, probably 7th.
To wield an advanced element like metal so skillfully in combat required at least a 7th Circle mage.
Could I defeat a 7th Circle mage? Worry gave way to excitement. A thrill coursed through me from my heart to my fingertips. My mind was sharper than ever, and every muscle in my body tensed with anticipation.
This was what I'd been waiting for since leaving my family's estate: a true rival.
Futan wasn't some small fry; he was a high-level mage worthy of testing my training and progress.
With Black Cougar safely contained, I unleashed my full power.
[Magic: "Manifestation" activated.]
-CRACKLE!-
Golden currents of electricity erupted violently around me. Against the knights earlier, I hadn't even shown half of this strength. Now, Futan would face the full force of my mana.
Noticing the shift in energy around me, Futan's gaze sharpened with interest.
"…So you were holding back."
"Don't worry—I'll give it everything I've got against you."
"Hah! Even so, you're just taking baby steps compared to me. One strike is all it'll take to finish this!"
The ground beneath us trembled as countless shards of metal disappeared into the earth. He was preparing spatial domination magic—an advanced technique that allowed him to control his surroundings entirely.
Sensing danger, I leaped high into the air.
"It's useless!"
-THWIP! THWIP! THWIP!-
Sharp fragments shot up from below like missiles aimed directly at me. Channeling lightning energy into a protective barrier around myself, I deflected them mid-air.
[Magic: "Lightning Discharge" activated.]
-TING! TING! TING!-
The shards ricocheted harmlessly off my shield as I began descending back toward the ground. But Futan's grin widened ominously as he prepared his next move.
"Foolish brat!"
-BOOM!-
A massive metal pillar erupted from where I was about to land. Its razor-sharp tip aimed straight for me.
But this wasn't enough to stop me...
Here's the continuation of the translation, maintaining the engaging tone and style suitable for English readers:
The metal shards were blocked by my shield, bouncing off like debris. As they reached their peak and began to fall back down, Futan wore a triumphant smile.
"Ha! Foolish brat!"
-CRASH!
"?!"
In an instant, a massive metal pillar shot up from the ground where I was about to land, its tip sharp as a blade, aiming to pierce through me. Futan must have thought he had me cornered, but that was merely his delusion.
"What?!"
[Magic: "Lightning Discharge" activated.]
Just as the metal pillar was about to make contact with my body, I twisted in mid-air using the power of lightning to evade it. I then used the pillar's midpoint as a springboard, launching myself toward Futan.
"Wha—!"
-THUD!
I threw a powerful punch, but it was halted by the mana barrier Futan had conjured. If I had been just a fraction faster, it would have landed.
His expression shifted slightly, revealing a hint of surprise.
"You're trying to close the distance? A mage…?"
"That's just how I fight."
"..."
As I instinctively created space between us, the metal shards launched at me a beat too late. Taking a moment to catch my breath and prepare for my next attack, I noticed beads of sweat forming on Futan's forehead. He must have exhausted a lot of energy fighting the Black Mirror Corps.
"What's wrong? Was the battle with the Black Mirror Corps that tough? You're starting to lose your edge."
"...Shut up, brat."
"If this is all it takes for you to struggle, this is going to be boring. We haven't even started yet."
"I'll be watching how long you can keep that arrogance up."
It seemed he was running low on mana. Adjusting his strategy, he dropped the metal shards surrounding him and began chanting. A large magic circle formed, radiating intense light.
So he's planning to summon something.
It was certainly a better approach than exhausting his mana with spatial domination magic. Not that it was great for me.
"Ha! Watching you panic is quite enjoyable!"
-SWISH!
Futan's breathing quickened as he squeezed out every last bit of mana he had left. I watched nervously as the light from the summoning circle began to fade.
-HISS!
Suddenly, a massive serpent emerged—a Medusa.
Its face resembled that of a human, but its body was unmistakably serpentine and grotesque.
"Such disgusting creatures…"
"Ha ha ha! Have you heard of empathy? It's a special ability granted from birth!"
Two Medusas coiled around each other. Summoning two upper-class magical beasts simultaneously indicated that Futan's empathy level was quite high.
One would be tough enough; two is going to be a nightmare…
The Medusas flicked their thick tongues in anticipation. Their faces bore human-like expressions twisted into sinister grins that sent chills down my spine.
"Do you only summon creatures like these?"
"This isn't exactly the time for jokes!"
-SWISH!
"?!"
At that moment, the Medusas suddenly accelerated. They slithered in spirals towards me with their sharp fangs bared.
I quickly moved out of their path while concentrating lightning energy.
[Magic: "Lightning Strike" activated.]
-CRACK! CRACK!
Lightning struck down on each of their heads simultaneously. The impact didn't seem too severe; they shook their heads and coiled back up again.
Not giving them a moment's respite, I gathered more mana.
"Ha! This is pointless! You think you can take down Medusas with that level of power?"
"This time will be different."
"It's still like throwing eggs against rocks!"
The Medusas moved left and right, attempting to flank me. Meanwhile, I split my lightning energy into multiple streams and multiplied them further—a technique I learned from my master's training called multi-casting, enhancing its power exponentially.
[Item: "Artisan's Necklace" activated.]
[Mana Surge activated.]
[Magic: "Lightning Strike" used in succession.]
-CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! BOOM!
-BOOM! CRACK! CRACK!
"What kind of madness is this?!"
Exactly thirty strikes rained down on one of the Medusas.
The sky lit up continuously with flashes as thunder echoed relentlessly around us.
Throwing eggs against rocks? No way; even dew will soak your clothes.
-KREEEAAK!
The Medusa let out a pained scream as it was bombarded by relentless lightning strikes. Once its thick protective scales melted away, every subsequent hit became effective damage.
By the time the magic subsided, not even a faint whimper could be heard from it—only a massive hunk of charred flesh remained.
-FIZZLE!
The Medusa lay there, blackened like a burnt stick.
The acrid smell filled the air as thick smoke billowed around us. The aftermath resembled a battlefield ravaged by artillery fire.
"Phew… phew…"
I wasn't without risks either. The Mana Surge doubled my consumption rate, and using it thirty times had drained me significantly.
Running out of mana was an inevitable consequence.
[Item: "Unidentified Belt" activated.]
[Releasing stored mana.]
"Tch…!"
This belt was supposed to store 100% mana, but what I had recharged barely amounted to half that due to my earlier struggle with Cougar.
I can't repeat that same attack…
With only about 40% mana recharged left, it wasn't enough for another multi-casting attempt with Mana Surge.
As I contemplated my next move, Futan's voice dripped with disbelief.
"How remarkable… Multi-casting instead of dual-casting? Is that also a power from your bloodline? The Arahan family is truly impressive."
"They're also known for their lack of mercy. You'll find out soon enough."
"But your energy has significantly weakened too. That last attack must have drained you completely. How will you deal with what remains?"
I pondered his words carefully. Without replicating that level of power again, taking down another Medusa would be challenging.
If only I had Rachel's bear summon right now; things would be much easier…
Damn cat! To think it could slice my summon in half like that.
The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. Here I was in dire straits while he rested comfortably inside his ring.
Feeling slightly resentful but knowing I needed to focus on battle instead...
Looks like there's no choice.
Fortunately, I was an experienced champion. There are effective ways to compensate for any shortfall in strength during combat—namely through counterattacks.
When an opponent strikes, you can turn their own force against them; if executed properly, it could flip the tide of battle in an instant.
I concentrated what little mana remained into "Manifestation."
-CRACKLE!
"...Is this your last stand?"
Golden currents surged several meters into the air as I poured more mana into amplifying my magic—a skill learned through careful control over power fluctuations.
I planned to go all-in on this one decisive strike.
[Trait: "Tenacious Challenger (S)" activated.]
[All stats temporarily increase by +10.]
With everything prepared, my gaze locked onto my target while visualizing each step of our imminent clash in my mind—just like always; my odds stood at 50%.
For any challenger, that's an outstanding probability.
-CRACKLE!
"This will end it!"
"Ha ha! Come at me! Arahan's scion!"
-THUD!
I kicked off the ground with all my might and charged forward at top speed.
The Medusa coiled up tightly in preparation for its counterattack. Watching me charge straight towards him without any tricks made Futan's face twist oddly in disbelief.
"Ha ha! Foolish child! Freeze right there!"
Unbeknownst to him, this too was part of my plan…
-KYYAAAHHH!
The Medusa opened its mouth wide and unleashed a torrent of poison toward me like an aerosol spray.
But it didn't matter; none of it would affect me—and I had anticipated this too.
[Trait: "Immunity to All Poisons (S)" resists "Petrifying Poison."]
"?!"
My gaze remained fixed on my target—like a challenger staring down their goal rather than focusing on mere summoned creatures.
"?!"
I dashed past the Medusa straight at Futan himself; every ounce of strength behind my fist aimed directly at his heart without error.
"Gah…!"
"I told you—Arahan shows no mercy."
In an instant, remnants of shattered mana rings behind Futan burst into dust as they exploded outward around us.