The Academy's Barbarian

Chapter 46: What Does That Matter? (4)

Just before the start of the second match, Dilia arrived at the arena ahead of time. Her keen eyes swept across the arena's surroundings, observing the flow of mana. Soon, her gaze locked onto a black-haired girl approaching from a distance, her eyes narrowing with concentration.

Noah Darshen.

Noah hailed from the same barbarian tribe as Ulan. She seemed to be quite a competent shaman, particularly renowned for achieving an S-Gradein Curses during the specialty test. However, Dilia wasn't particularly concerned.

'Shamans, after all, have their limitations.'

Shamans depended on tools and ingredients, and their spellcasting was notably slower than the casting magic through magic incantations.

Some even said that if a shaman and a mage with equal power were to fight, the mage would have a 90% chance of winning. So, naturally, Dilia was confident.

Sorry, but I shan't show leniency.'

In truth, Dilia had little interest in the mock battle; there was nothing to gain from her participation. She was the princess of the Arpen Kingdom, and thus, she had no need for the investments or sponsorship of nobles.

'But..,'

she changed her mind and there was one simple reason Ulan.

At the rate things were going, Ulan was certain to secure a spot in the top 10 and qualify for the mock battle.

'In that case, I should join too.'

She was Ulan's friend, after all, and she wanted to get to know him better. That way, their relationship could grow even deeper.

To do that, I need to spend more time with him.

Her gaze held an unusual intensity.

As these thoughts danced in her mind, a presence nearby caught her attention.

Zap!

Finally, Noah arrived at the arena, her face tinged with nervousness. Their eyes met briefly just as a booming announcement reverberated through the arena, "The battle begins!"

The voice signaled the start of the match. Noah was the first to act. She unfurled the amulets clasped in her hands and sent them soaring into the air.

Flutter! Flap! Swish!

The amulets were expertly arranged.

The amulets were meticulously arranged. But Dilia paid them no mind; irrespective of Noah's actions, she intended to unleash her own magic.

'I shall make this as painless as possible.'

With a touch of consideration, she prepared to cast her magic. In an instant, the magic incantation was complete.

Zap!

It was an offensive magic called 'Starlight Flash'.

It was a basic offensive spell, as the name suggested, that condensed the stellar mana and hurled it at the enemy. Its power was weak, but its speed was incredibly fast, much faster than an arrow.

Farewell.

With a farewell that would go unheard, Dilia raised her hand, poised to unleash Starlight Flash. However, at that very moment, her eyes widened.

"Huh?"

Just as her magic incantation was nearing completion, the mana she had gathered crumbled and dissipated into thin air.

'What's going on? The incantation was perfect.'

Puzzlement furrowed her brow, yet it was Noah's expression that arrested her attention she now wore a subtle smile.

Dilia's brows knitted.

'Could it be...?'

Noah had disrupted her incantation ? And that too right before it was complete?

But that's only possible if

She had similar talent as Dilia the ability to see all the mana in the world, read its flow.

She narrowed her eyes.

'It could be an illusion.

She decided to test it again.

This time, she raised both hands in the air, ready to cast a more powerful magic. Nevertheless, the outcome remained unchangedall the mana she had gathered scattered before completion.

There was only one plausible explanation.

Dilia's eyes flickered.

.....someone with the same talent as me.

The Blessed by Mana a gift allowing one to perceive all the mana in the world. But it seemed there was someone else who possessed the same talent as her.

Dilia felt genuine surprise, yet that was the extent of it.

'Noah Darshen is a shaman.'

Shamans, due to the nature of their magic, had a slower casting process.

'Shaman magic entails drawing a spell circle through visualization and infusing it with their mana to activate it.'

This mana differed from the usual kind; it couldn't be stored within the body, necessitating its creation afresh with each spell cast. In essence, every spell by a shaman required the conversion of mana into magical energy.

'Contrastingly, magic is different.'

Magic merely demanded arranging the amassed mana in accordance with the magic incantation, ready for immediate activation, which accounted for the difference in speed.

So it can't be countered.'

If one unleashed an overwhelming amount of magic all at once, beyond individual countering, it would be insurmountable. There'd be no response to such an onslaught.

Dilia executed her plan.

Ooong! Wuuuuuung!

A vast quantity of mana surged through the air, releasing over half of the stored mana within her body, flooding outward.

'From Rank-1 to Rank-3.'

She arranged the magic incantations, totaling twenty. Though the process overwhelmed her, she maintained her composure, biting her lip.

After some time,

she finished the incantation.

Okay, now with this... I'll end it.

This was the moment.

Injecting mana into all the arranged incantations, she smiled with confidence. Then, she extended her hand confidently towards Noah.

And then...

Nothing happened.

"Huh?"

Dilia's eyes widened, and as she exclaimed in surprise,

...shock seized her golden gaze.

".........!?"

It finally dawned upon her.

All twenty magic incantations she had arranged in the air had dissipated into nothingness.

'That... that means!'

Noah had disrupted her magic, and at an astonishingly faster rate than Dilia.

Right after witnessing this spectacle, Dilia suddenly recalled Ulan's words from their lunchtime conversation.

I understand. You be careful too.

Ulan had told her to be careful.

Back then, she had considered it a friendly gesture, akin to saying "good luck." Yet, now, in light of Noah's true capabilities, it took on an entirely different meaning.

'Ulan was warning me.'

But she had simply brushed it off as a friendly gesture.

Dilia lightly bit her lip, vexed at herself for her complacency.

'What did I say I would tell him to apologize for?

Dilia's cheeks flushed as she thought back to an hour ago, when she'd told Ulan to apologize to Noah because she was confident of her impending victory.

She swallowed hard, suppressing her embarrassment.

Okay, I'll admit it.

Noah Darshen was strong.

As strong as herself, or maybe even stronger.

'But I won't give up.'

She was determined to partake in the mock battle, to spend more time with Ulan.

A steely resolve filled her heart.

But was she too engrossed in it? Dilia failed to notice one thing.

At Noah's feet, a sizable heap of shattered amulets lay strewn about.

*********

Meanwhile, around that time, Noah watched Dilia in silence.

Dilia's face displayed signs of confusion, which was understandable. She had attempted to cast dozens of magic incantations, and not a single one had activated.

'It's quite shocking, isn't it?'

The casting speed of a shaman's spells was inherently slower than that of a mage's incantations. In a one-on-one duel between a shaman and a mage, the shaman was conventionally at a disadvantage, a widely accepted fact in this world.

'But...'

This only applied to the shamans in this world. Noah was technically a shaman in this world.

'Because I'm a transmigrator.'

Originally, she had been a regular student from South Korea. Because of that, Noah had several unique abilities that only a transmigrator could have. One of them was the ability to instantly gather information with just a blink, and

and one more thing; she has a very special ability.

[Notification]

Skill 17 shortcut, activated.

Intermediate Spell: [Gluttonous Spirit]

The magical spirit in your amulet has devoured your opponent's magic and mana. Star Constellation Magic: Dance of the Constellation (Rank-3) has been nullified.

The skill system, that is.

This system allowed Noah to categorize and employ all the spells within this world as skills. Thanks to this, much of the intricate spellcasting process was circumvented.

Although to register them as skills, I need to have a perfect theoretical understanding of each shaman spell...'

That's not a problem if she dedicated enough time to it.

Noah's attributes included 'Investigation' and 'Memorization.' As a result, she had registered a total of eighty-eight spells as skills.

However, this was not enough.

I have less mana than Dilia.

Even with the skill system, if she doesn't have enough mana, she can't win. So she made a plan.

A strategy that would only work against Dilia.

She is confident in her abilities.

Of course, it was understandable considering her talent.

Dilia used her magic by pouring a massive amount of mana into a high-mana-consuming offensive magic to achieve victory.

That was her fighting style.

'So...'

Focus on defense rather than offense, and evasion rather than defense. Nullify all of Dilia's attacks with as little mana as possible that was Noah's strategy.

And the blue amulet currently hovering at her side was a key tool in this battle.

Gluttonous Spirit

A spirit, once cursed, would only be freed by consuming mana. So, after binding the spirits, she trapped them in the amulets, and when it was released, it absorbed all nearby mana.

Yes, just like now.

Star Constellation Magic: Solar Flare (Rank-4) is nullified.

Star Constellation Magic: Supernova (Rank-3) is nullified.

Star Constellation Magic: Celestial Thunder (Rank-2) is nullified.

Star Constellation Magic: Constellation Waltz.

The magic incantations disappeared like crazy.

Dilia, by now, must have felt on the brink of despair, for none of her magic, regardless of the incantation, had activated.

Perhaps this was why she had drastically altered her strategy.

'Perhaps she wants the amulet to fall off.

She was using lower-rank magic gradually, which indicated her intention. To eliminate one magic, Noah needed one spirit, so it was quite clear.

Nonetheless, it was a futile effort.

Why, you ask?

'Because there are still many spirits.'

On their way from the grasslands to the academy, from the Vagabond village to rugged mountains, Ulan and Noah encountered all kinds of bandits and rogues. And the souls of those they defeated became Noah's spirits.

'And there are also many amulets.

While starving herself during lunch, she put each spirit into an amulet. As a result, Noah now had a hundred and eighty-two amulets.

Each of these amulets harbored a spirit.

'This should suffice...'

She could hold out until her mana was completely depleted; her blue eyes shone with hope.

How much time had passed like this?

The two of them battled relentlessly. As soon as Dilia would finish with her magic incantation, Noah would throw amulets to nullify them a fierce and brutish battle.

The only problem was

they were the only ones who felt that way.

"Uh, just out of curiosity."

"We're starting the game, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"But what are those two doing?"

The students in the spectator stands gazed down at the arena, where a battle between a mage and a shaman was unfolding.

At first, they expected a spectacular and destructive spectacle.

But the reality was different; one side constantly extended their hand, while the other threw paper around frantically.

"Hey, but this is kind of...?"

"It's so boring even though they're fighting."

"And I wonder if it's even a fight."

Those were accurate descriptions.

Because to a third person, the two of them just looked like they were flailing around in the air.

Yet, both of them were invested wholeheartedly in the battle.

"Haa, haa!"

"Hukk! Hoo!"

Labored breaths escaped their lips. Their shoulders trembled intermittently, and their legs occasionally shook as well. This was a sign that their mana was almost depleted.

Noah looked at Dilia in disbelief.

Wow, she's a real mana monster.'

Unlike Dilia, who cast magic directly during the match, Noah had prepared amulets in advance. Even though she used relatively less mana, the fact that her mana was almost depleted, just like Dilia, was surprising. If it hadn't been for the amulets, she would have definitely lost.

It's bad enough in the daytime, but if it were nighttime, I'd have to go to.

Noah swallowed dryly, feeling nervous. It was natural. Dilia would only unleash her full strength at night when the starlight shone on her. The mana she had accumulated was stellar mana. As long as the starlight shines on Dilia, she would continuously replenish her mana.

Just as she was sighing in relief inwardly

Drip!

Dilia suddenly began to bleed from her nose, a clear sign of mana depletion.

Now!

This was her only chance.

Noah's eyes flashed as he approached Dilia, her legs wobbling.

"Ugh!"

Dilia reached out her hand. However, the magic didn't activate. The magic incantation was complete, but there was no mana to inscribe it.

And in the meantime...

Noah had reached Dilia's face. Only one final blow remained for Noah's victory.

But at that precise moment...

"Ah."

Drip! Drip!

Blood started to trickle from Noah's nose as well.

A series of silences filled the arena. Both of them sensed that their mana was depleted and stared blankly into each other's faces.

The conditions for victory are clear

One side surrenders.

Or when the referee deems the fight impossible due to a lack of mana. Those were the only two cases.

However, the referee didn't react at all. That meant they had to continue the battle.

Uh, what do I do?!

Noah hesitated for a moment.

She had reason to be. She had used magic and curses to attack others many times, but she had never thrown a punch herself before.

'Should I just pinch her cheek?'

The soft, white cheek.

Maybe if she pinched them firmly enough, it would hurt, and Dilia would surrender, right? With such a casual thought in mind, Noah reached out her hand to pinch Dilia's cheek when

"Uh? Uh-oh?"

she made a startled sound.

That's because Dilia suddenly stood on tiptoe and reached out with both hands. She stretched out her tiny palms and tugged on Noah's hair.

"Wait a minute! Aaah!"

The pain of having her hair pulled out by the roots.

Wincing in agony, Noah's eyes rolled back, and she retaliated by grabbing a handful of Dilia's hair.

Dilia, too, grimaced in response.

The two of them grabbed each other's hair, screaming at each other.

"Ugh, let go."

"You did it first! You let go first!"

"I won't, absolutely, let go!"

"Then, neither will I! Kyaaah!"

The arena turned into chaos in no time.

As the situation deteriorated, the referee intervened, and the second match ended in a draw.

*******

After the second match was over, while the arena was being prepared for the next round, the spectators in the stands were abuzz with discussions about the recent match; they talked about the relatively uneventful battle and the bizarre scuffle that occurred towards the end.

However, the most popular topic of conversation was the story of the barbarian girl who had grabbed the princess's hair during the chaotic fight.

Among the spectators, there was also Ibella, who had returned to the stands after the first match.

"Uh, what was that?"

Ibella blinked her big eyes.

She had returned to her seat midway through the match after returning her equipment, but even considering that, she had no idea what had transpired.

"They did fight, didn't they?"

"Probably."

Ulan nodded.

In truth, he didn't know what had happened either. However, seeing Noah desperately tearing apart amulets throughout the match gave him the intuition that it had been an intense battle.

"Oh, that's right. I don't know about the other side, but I'm guessing there was a fight over there with the professors."

She pointed to the seats where the professors were gathered; thats where the professors from the Magic Department were seated.

They all looked surprised and bewildered, each engaged in their own heated discussions.

They weren't the only ones.

The Head of the Magic Department, Deflyn Chernihiv, also looked at Noah with surprised eyes.

Judging by these reactions, it was clear that something more had happened that the regular students didn't know about.

"But what happens if it's a draw?"

Draws were rare in the preliminary rounds, and considering that both participants had completely depleted their mana, having a rematch would be impractical.

Just as everyone's attention was focused on what the outcome of the second match would be...

"Match 3 will begin shortly!"

"The selected students should prepare!"

The announcement echoed through the arena.

Soon, the list of students competing in the third match was revealed and soon, the names of the students who would participate in the third match were revealed.

"Himel Deorg!"

"Ulan Bator! Please proceed to the arena!"

It was Ulan's turn.

He quickly stood up.

However, as he was about to head toward the arena, someone suddenly grabbed her arm.

"Ulan."

It was none other than Ibella.

A faint trembling could be felt through her hand. Simultaneously, her turquoise eyes also trembled slightly. Ulan, who was staring at her intently, asked inquisitively, "Do you have something to say to me?"

"Um... It's nothing."

Ibella, who had apparently wanted to say something, clamped her mouth shut tightly. She vigorously shook her head and then spoke with a face that had cleared all distractions, "Just win. Make sure to win."

"Of course I will."

"Yeah. Let's go to the mock battle together," With a smile, she gave her words of encouragement, and that was the end of it.

Ulan then tightened her grip on her axe, took firm steps, and headed towards the arena.

A little while later, the third match began.

(End of Chapter. . . . . . . .Thanks for Reading. . . . . . . . . )

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