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Arc VII Chapter 3

  VII

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  Arc VII Chapter 3

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  1st Aqua Solar XI AAC 753

  “...” Erich merely nodded, serious, focused, determined. The boy adopted his stance, his boots planted firmly onto the ground. His right palm raised, his other hand gripping his wrist. It was a demonstration of the magic of old, from a time that in her world had long since passed. Magic without tools, without a catalyst, without other auxiliary means. Instead, he relied only on his own talent and faculties.

  “Heh ... Heh ... Heh ...” Erich inhaled, his breath slow and steady. The air, the flow of weather shifted ever so lightly. Faintly, but noticeably. The boy gathered his strength, his mana. His mana surged from deep within, accumulating, which spoke of a certain degree of skill. He reached, grasped for the strength residing in his soul.

  “Yes, that’s exactly what I want to see!” Angelika encouraged him, her wooden sword raised. “Now, shoot me. No need to hold back. I’m not made of sugar.” Considering that their knightess to be was usually heavily armoured, such fact was scarcely doubted.

  “...” His eyes flickered open, a bright amber, a scarlet hue resonating inside them. His lips moved. A chant crossed his lips, each word deliberate. Erich was true to his word. He gave all that he had. All that he could give. “Forged in fire, shaped by will. Hear my call.”

  A magic circle manifested. Multiple magic circles manifested, layered and staggered in depth, all of them geometric in nature. The glyphs rotated, shifted, stabilising his spell in the process. The lines and patterns guided, channelled, canalised his mana. Controlled. Contained. The flames surged, galvanising around his palm. Conjured fire engulfed his arm, forming a projectile, a spear

  “Ignis!!!” Erich shouted. At his command, his spell activated. The projectile shot forward. His spear cut through the air, heat trailing behind. Daunting as his spell might have been, his opponent remained undeterred

  “...” Angelika merely smirked, unfazed, hardly intimidated by his spell. Her wooden sword glimmered in the sun. Traces of mana coated the blade. The knightess moved, fast and agile. Her sword danced. Aided by her mana, her blade cleaved his spell apart, splitting it in twain.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  ...

  ...

  ...

  His fire harmlessly dissipated, its embers falling harmlessly onto the sand. It was as if his spell had never been.

  “... ... ...” Erich gaped in disbelief, incredulous. “Ehm ... Eh ... How ... How did you do that?”

  “...” Angelika retracted her sword in a single fluid motion, a triumphant smirk plastered across her lips. “Hehehe, all but a matter of technique, experience, and skill.”

  “...” Aurora merely rolled her eyes. Such a braggart. Not as if she would not have done the same in her stead.

  Angelika beamed. “That being said, I must say I’m impressed, Erich. To master magic at your age to such a degree ... That’s remarkable! Your performance was nothing short of extraordinary!”

  “...” Aurora furrowed a questioning eyebrow while petting her doll. Her definition of the term ‘extraordinary’ was quite different, but to be fair, the standards of this day and age in terms of magic had been found wanting. Nevertheless, Angelika had a point. Performing cascading spell casting without a catalyst was an achievement, even when chant assisted. Erich undoubtedly possessed a modicum of skill when it came to the arts of magic.

  Erich sounded doubtful. “Do you ... Do you think so?”

  Angelika nodded vigorously, further complimenting him, “Yes!” The woman balled her fist, brimming with enthusiasm. “Your mana control and spell casting are superb, Erich. Keep up your hard work, and you’ll have a bright future ahead of you as a mage. Not to mention, your aura. I sensed it during our match. You were using mana to reinforce your body, Erich, either deliberately or unconsciously, or a combination of both. We’ll work on it going forwards. With your talents, you’ll be a powerful aura user, no doubt.”

  For a change, Aurora agreed, on both accounts. Hs natural aptitude favoured the use of magic and aura.

  Angelika’s gaze turned to the next in line. Ludolf. He was sitting next to her on the ground. “Ludolf, get up! You’re next!”

  “Me?” Ludolf pointed at himself, mildly surprised. “What about Dolly Girl?”

  “Don’t worry, Edelgart will get her chance to shine.” Angelika added a gentle wink. “For wow, it’s your turn, Ludolf. Show me what you’ve got!”

  He did as ordered. It was his time now. Ludolf jumped up with a grin on his lips. “All right.” The difference in temperament was evident. The boy cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulders. He was itching for a fight.

  He and Erich switched positions, walking past each other, but not before exchanging a few brief words. Erich offered his friend some advice.

  Erich grabbed his friend’s shoulder, his grip firm. He whispered, “I’m sure you noticed, the lass is way tougher than she looks. I wish you good luck. You will need it.”

  Ludolf agreed. “Yes, I’ve figured so.” And off he went, marching off to fight.

  Erich exited the stage, returning to her side, despite his apparent aversion to her presence.

  “...” Aurora smiled at her comrade, Dollrora safely nestled in her arms. “Good work, Erich~. I never thought that you were capable of using magic~. I’m impressed.”

  “...” Erich narrowed his eyes. He studied her intently, his arms crossed in a defensive posture. Much time, a day to be exact, had passed, and yet he remained distrustful of her intentions. Probably due to their past interactions. “Are you serious? Aren’t you just trying to be snarky as usual, Edelgart?”

  Aurora beamed in response, unfazed by his accusations. “Perhaps somewhat, but I’m being mostly sincere. Your performance ... was certainly outstanding~. You might indeed become an excellent fire mage in the future~.” Her tiny hands and those of her doll even offered a round of applause as a gesture of good will.

  “...” Erich scrutinised her from tip to toe. The boy remained guarded, his distrust barely hidden. In the end, however, he relented. A heavy sigh escaped him. “If you say so, Edelgart. Your kind words are appreciated, though.”

  “No need to thank me~.” Aurora merely smiled.

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