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Hartvin was originally a strong individual who showed little interest in anything other than combat, so he rarely did anything that impacted those around him. On the contrary, if any strange contenders appeared in the arena, he would easily defeat them with his strength, thus enjoying great popularity among the people.
The arena battles of Seichun, which had been dominated by the absolute champion Hartvin for a long time, were thrown into disarray by the appearance of a female combatant named Corry. As soon as Corry appeared in the arena, she ascended to the top with unprecedented speed, breaking all previous records, and even uncovering Hartvin’s secrets to become the victor. This marked the end of Hartvin’s long reign, and Corry became the new ruler at the top.
However, Corry brought no more to those around her than Hartvin had. After all, as soon as her battle with Hartvin was over, she disappeared from Seichun, which was probably natural.
It was in this climate that Isac, currently ranked second, appeared. Like Corry, Isac ascended to the top in a short period, but his popularity remained at the very bottom. This was because Isac possessed a personality that was arrogant, tyrannical, and cruel – traits that made him detested. Yet, his true strength was undeniable, and he eventually defeated even Hartvin. Faced with this reality, the people trembled, fearing that a reign of terror was about to begin.
However, even though he was ranked first in the arena, it didn’t mean he held absolute power over all of Seichun. Nevertheless, Isac was about to wield significant influence. Even now, at second rank, Isac was doing as he pleased. The people were filled with anxiety, wondering what would happen if he became number one.
It was at this point that Corry, the current number one, returned to Seichun. It was only natural for the people to place their hopes in Corry.
The arena was filled with the highest level of excitement due to the people’s anticipation. Almost all of it was filled with cheers for Corry. Isac, looking around the cheering crowd with visible irritation, sneered as soon as Corry appeared. His expression made it clear to anyone watching what he was thinking. “Haha Another rumor about you, and you turn out to be such a beauty! Let’s finish this pathetic fight quickly, and then the two of us can have some fun, shall we?”
Isac licked his lips with a lecherous expression, but Corry remained completely unfazed. In reality, for those who could read her expression, it was clear that she found engaging with him a foolish waste of time, but fortunately or unfortunately, Isac did not understand this. Taking her lack of reaction as indifference, Isac clicked his tongue in irritation. “Are you listening! Hey!” Corry simply stared intently at Isac. “…Hmph. Fine. When the fight begins, I’ll make you cry out in your cute little voice?” Realizing that she would never say anything, Isac spat out those last words, ending their first encounter.
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The battle between Corry and Isac, which had finally begun, was progressing one-sidedly, contrary to most expectations. Or rather, it had been a close fight for a while, as predicted. If anything, the audience even had the impression that Corry seemed to be struggling more in the fight. Then, at a certain point, the tide of offense and defense turned in an instant. Furthermore, unlike Hartvin’s previous matches, there was no commentary (or rather, explanation?) from Corry, so the audience likely had no idea what was happening.
Even so, the high-ranking individuals clearly understood the current situation. “…Well, I suppose if you understand the trick of a magic trick, it ends rather quickly,” Carmen remarked. Hartvin responded with a wry, self-deprecating smile. “A magic trick, huh. I suppose that’s true.” “But to see through the trick during the first match, that’s normally impossible, don’t you think?” Jiana’s observation caused both Carmen and Hartvin to show a hint of disbelief.
What Corry did during this battle was almost identical to what she did against Hartvin. She identified what Isac was doing and exploited his weaknesses. While it sounds simple when put into words, as Jiana said, it’s normally impossible to do. “…If the attack is with a weapon or magic, one can predict and dodge it, but with magic tools, that’s difficult… or it should be.” “About that, I… ah, see now.” As Jiana spoke, a faint light flashed around Corry. “A barrier?” “Yes. Almost instantly, she’s erected a barrier more powerful than the one currently in this arena.” “More powerful than this arena…?” Carmen was lost for words at this astonishing fact. The barrier of this arena, passed down through generations, was impossibly sturdy. Yet, according to Carmen, Corry was capable of using something even more powerful in a short amount of time, and during combat at that.
Listening to Jiana’s explanation, Hartvin opened his mouth. “…Isac was using multiple magic tools with movements we couldn’t read. That’s why I was hit so ignominiously, but Corry is accurately reading those irregular movements, isn’t she?” “The attack that defeated you in one blow must have been incredible too,” Carmen interjected. Hartvin frowned and replied, “That’s not exactly a compliment.” “Well, well. Corry is casually accomplishing astonishing feats.” “But the frequency of those is decreasing.” “She’s read the pattern.” Hartvin, who had been analyzing Corry’s movements similarly to Jiana, also noticed this. Corry had begun to evade attacks using only her body movements, something she had previously countered with magic.
From that point on, it became a situation where Corry only dodged Isac’s attacks. Watching this, Carmen tilted her head. “What is she doing? She could defeat him whenever she wanted, couldn’t she?” Even from a distance, it was clear that Isac was chattering away in frustration. Corry ignored him and continued to evade his attacks. “It’s simple. She’s showing him on purpose.” “Yes. It’s very much like her.” With Hartvin and Jiana’s words, Carmen finally understood what Corry was trying to achieve. More precisely, she understood what *Isac* was trying to achieve. “What? His movements seemed to stop for a moment?” “Mana depletion?” “Yes. Thinking about it, it’s impossible to keep using magic on that scale. It wouldn’t be strange if he was somehow replenishing his mana.” “Replenishing mana? Is that possible?” “I’ve heard rumors that Crown is selling something similar, but perhaps it’s something like that?” Many people saw the mana battery developed by Kousuke for the first time, but it wouldn’t be strange if something similar existed elsewhere. Moreover, the three of them inferred that each of the magic tools Isac was using was quite remarkable. So much so that they might even be certified as National Treasures.
“It’s almost over,” Hartvin muttered. Almost simultaneously, Corry’s attack landed on Isac, and he collapsed. In terms of physical ability, Isac was, as Hartvin saw it, somewhere in the upper-middle ranks. The reason he managed to climb this high was undoubtedly due to the magic tools he was using. However, Hartvin believed that this was the end of the road for him. He himself had already devised several countermeasures, and it was likely the same for Carmen and Jiana, who were watching with him. Hartvin’s prediction was that Isac would soon become a “magician whose magic tricks have been exposed,” as Carmen had muttered earlier.
Isac, who had climbed this high by mastering multiple National Treasure-class magic tools, was no match for Kouhi. The difficulty in dealing with a magic tool user is as the three of them explained. However, commonly sold magic tools would not provide such power. It was clear that the power of the magic tools he used was exceptionally significant.
