Simon channeled Jet-Black into his feet and lunged toward Claudia.
Her response was simple. She produced two more potion vials and smashed them at her feet, unleashing another thick cloud of brown poison gas.
’She’s using poison to block close-quarters combat completely. How predictable.’
When an opponent’s strategy was this clear, there was no reason not to counter it. Simon summoned two of his undead. An Overlord’s tentacle snatched a zombie fresh from its Subspace portal and hurled it straight into the toxic smoke.
’A wall?’
The Overlord’s tentacle had slammed into something solid. It didn’t matter. Simon clenched his fist. "Corpse Explosion!"
’KABOOM!’
The resulting blast tore through the poison gas, clearing the air.
Simon lowered his arm and focused on what lay ahead. The smoke had revealed the shattered remains of a green wall and, behind it, a grimacing Claudia struggling to her feet.
"Ugh!" she grunted, quickly directing the slimes she had spread across the floor to converge in front of her.
’Slime Wall.’
The slithering creatures inflated like grotesque balloons, once again forming a bumpy, green barrier that shielded her from view. A flicker of interest lit Simon’s eyes. ‘She’s leaving the offense to the Poison Fog and focusing entirely on defense.’ It was a textbook strategy for a Venomology major.
Seeing no need to break through the wall, Simon simply ran around it.
’Gorgones.’
The moment he cleared the barrier, a swarm of snakes struck from the air. Claudia’s hair had transformed into vipers.
’Her family’s unique black magic!’
Simon ducked and twisted, frantically dodging the serpentine strikes. The snakes were so fast that he couldn’t close the distance. Left with no other choice, he stepped on a platform of Jet-Black and launched himself into the air.
"Got you!"
Claudia hadn’t been limited to just six snakes. Two more strands of her hair morphed into vipers and shot toward the airborne Simon. She had calculated that he wouldn’t be able to dodge in mid-air.
"I don’t think so," Simon retorted with a grin, whipping his arm back. He grabbed at the empty air and tore it open.
With a sharp sound, the air split apart, and a rain of arrows poured out.
’What?!’
It was a volley from the Skeleton Archers he had waiting in his Subspace. Two of Claudia’s snakes were struck and reverted to strands of hair. As she hastily threw up a Jet-Black shield to block the downpour, Simon landed safely on the ground.
"Open Gate!"
Six Subspaces ripped open, and bladed tentacles lashed out simultaneously. Claudia quickly sent a slime forward to cast ‘Slime Wall’ once more.
The Overlord’s blades failed to pierce the wall and were stopped cold. ‘This isn’t an ordinary Slime Wall. She must have modified it.’ While she had been flustered by the unorthodox arrow attack, she had easily blocked his Overlord. It seemed she had thoroughly prepared defenses for all his known techniques.
Without a second thought, Simon retrieved the tentacles. This time, potion vials came flying over the wall.
He immediately stepped on Jet-Black and darted to the side. The vials shattered on the floor, erupting in clouds of poison gas.
The pattern repeated: Claudia threw, and Simon dodged. Hidden behind her Slime Wall, she caught her breath, her expression grim. ‘Just a little longer. I just have to hold on a little longer...!’
One of the poisons in the fog had a nerve-paralyzing effect. Soon, Simon’s movements would slow. Her plan was to launch an all-out assault at that moment. That was her formula for victory.
But...
’Why isn’t it working?’
They exchanged several more blows, but his movements showed no signs of slowing.
’Why isn’t the paralysis taking effect?’
Anxiety began to creep in. If this dragged on and Simon completed his Blood Golem, the situation would become impossible.
Even Simon, who had been relentless at first, was now keeping his distance, focusing only on dodging her attacks. It was evident to anyone watching that he was channeling his energy into a magic circle, preparing his Blood Golem.
’I can’t just wait for the paralysis forever. I have to push harder!’
Just as she decided to tear down the Slime Wall and press the attack, she saw it.
Her breath caught.
The Golem’s Core, held aloft in Simon’s outstретched hand. A shimmering, emerald smoke coiled around it.
"Too late, Claudia," Simon declared with a triumphant smile. He opened a massive Subspace behind him and summoned twenty-three skeletons to the battlefield. "Time for a counterattack."
As Simon raised the Golem’s Core above his head, the emerald smoke scattered in all directions, wrapping itself around the skeletons.
’No way!’
Claudia’s face went pale. She had replayed the footage of that spell on the Memorial Crystal time and again, studying how to counter it, but she knew she had no hope of winning against that particular magic.
’...I have to stop it!’
Though her legs trembled with fear, she opened her own Subspace and pulled out two large potion cases. ‘I have to stop that technique, no matter what it takes!’
Her heart pounded. She threw up a large magic circle and opened the cases in both hands. They were filled with firecracker-shaped poison potions. Gritting her teeth, she raised the cases and slammed them against the magic circle. The potions sloshed as they were absorbed, and with each one, the border of the circle flared.
This was the most powerful attack she could currently muster.
’Bouquet of Virulent Poison.’
A barrage of poison spheres shot from the magic circle, bombarding the skeletons.
’BOOM! KRA-KOOM!’
Explosions rocked the arena. This was the technique she had saved to finish Simon off once the nerve poison took hold, but now was not the time to hold back.
"Hah... Hah..."
She dropped the empty cases and stared ahead through the swirling clouds of yellow, black, and blue smoke. ‘I... I blocked it.’
A moment later, she could faintly make out the forms of collapsed skeletons through the haze. Her lips trembled with emotion. ‘I blocked Special Admission Number One’s ultimate technique...!’
Just then, she sensed a presence. Whipping her head around, she saw Simon sprinting toward her from the side.
’He still hasn’t given up?’
They had both expended their strongest attacks. Now, with the Poison Fog still lingering, she had the advantage. All she had to do was block this final, desperate charge.
Her hair lengthened, morphing into six snakes that shot forward. Simon dodged with quick steps, then stepped on a platform of Jet-Black to leap over a snake lunging from below. The distance between them closed in an instant.
"Hmph!"
She drew up all her Jet-Black. In addition to the six snakes already in play, six more strands of her hair transformed and flew toward the descending Simon.
’I did it!’ she thought, a surge of victory coursing through her.
Suddenly, emerald smoke billowed from Simon’s body.
’Huh?’
The smoke formed into a human-like hand, grabbing the necks of the snakes, aiming for Simon’s throat and elbow, and twisting them aside. All six snakes were caught.
"Sorry for tricking you, Claudia."
Simon had never intended to use the Blood Golem. What he had shown her was a feint, a move to bait her into wasting her power. This was the true application of the Cloud.
Having neutralized her snakes and cleared a path, Simon landed right in front of her.
Her eyes widened.
She stiffly raised her arms to guard, but Simon didn’t attack. Instead, he took a single step back as a Slime Wall shot up, separating them.
"You were tricking me from the start?!"
"That’s right. That was just for show." The ‘Royal Guard’ could only be created after the Blood Golem was fully formed and its power used to armor the skeletons. He had only pretended to wrap the skeletons in the Cloud’s smoke. When he saw the firepower she unleashed, he had simply withdrawn the Cloud and slipped away. "And one more thing."
She belatedly realized something was wrong and looked down. Her shadow was stained a deep red, and the color stretched beyond the wall.
’A curse?!’
Her lips trembled. He hadn’t just retreated; he had cast a curse on her before backing away.
"Your analysis didn’t mention that I use a curse like this, did it?" Simon asked, activating the spell Bahil had taught him.
’Indolence.’
All the status effects that had accumulated in Simon’s body—the pain, the confusion, and the nerve paralysis she had been waiting for—were now shared between them.
’I-I can’t move!’
Her mind reeled as the Slime Wall separating them collapsed. Her face flushed crimson with the humiliation of being so thoroughly outplayed. She grunted, straining against her own body. The accumulated effects of the nerve poison hit her all at once, leaving her unable to even twitch a finger. The confusion effect made her head spin as if she were seasick, rendering her unable to cast any spells.
Of course, Simon couldn’t move either.
"So what are you going to do now?" Claudia managed, forcing a smirk. "A game of chicken? Whoever gets their act together and casts a spell first wins?"
"No." Simon smiled. The calculation was painfully simple. "In this situation, what’s faster? A venomologist building a magic circle with Jet-Black? Or..."
’Whirrr! Whirrrrr!’
"...a summoner simply giving a command to his undead with his mind?"
Six bladed tentacles shot out in unison, slamming into her and pinning her against the arena wall.
A cloud of dust erupted. Pinned to the wall, she let out a pained groan as a shower of purple light—the remnants of her barrier—rained down. A single, long blade came to rest at the nape of her neck. She flinched, her chin jutting up.
"Surrender," Simon said coldly. "There’s no need for any more pain."
"Ugh!"
She glared at him, her eyes filled with venom. But trapped by the Overlord, she was helpless. After biting her lip until it bled in frustration, she finally hung her head in resignation.
"...I surrender."
At her words, the referee immediately raised his arm. "Match over! The winner is Simon Polentia!"
Cheers and applause thundered from all directions.
His victory secured, Simon retrieved the Overlord with a relieved expression and sent it back to his Subspace.
"You did great, Simon!"
"As expected! That was a clean match!"
He could see Kamibarez and Dick in the front row, shouting enthusiastically. Simon waved back at them.
At the edge of the stands, one person was more ecstatic than anyone else. Bahil had shot up from his seat, his body contorted in a fit of manic glee, his bangs covering his face as he choked back laughter. His expression was a raw mask of a monster reveling in its pleasure.
"Did you see that? Did you see that, Chehekle! Simon won with a curse! With the curse ‘I’ taught him!"
"...Ah, yes. Congratulations." Chehekle glanced around nervously and quickly tried to pull Bahil away. "Let’s go. And please, for the love of all that is unholy, shut your mouth. This is embarrassing."
"I knew my earnest feelings would get through! To win with a curse! A curse! You must major in Curses, Simon Polentia!"
Meanwhile, the referee who had declared Simon’s victory motioned for the maintenance staff. "After a ten-minute break, we will immediately proceed with the next match."
Claudia, collapsed on the floor, stared at Simon’s back. ‘A complete and utter defeat.’ She had analyzed him thoroughly and was confident she wouldn’t lose. But he had used even her analysis to his own advantage. Far from countering him, she had been the one who was countered. To think he would win by turning her own paralysis against her...
’...He really is a genius.’ She had no choice but to acknowledge his masterful control of the match.
Just then, Simon started walking toward her.

Comments

Loading...