WeTried Translations

Translator: Botanica

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight

Chapter 64

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Episode 64. What was hidden was a trump card.

Up until now, Mardol had been winning against opponents using only swordsmanship, without magic.

‘If I can just get that armor off, there's a chance to win.’

Ariel decided that she could use this point to her advantage by maintaining distance and casting magic.

「Chain Fireworks!」

Ariel aimed at Phine's feet and chanted fireworks magic. Linear flames formed, spherically enveloping the Glass Knight, and firecrackers erupted vertically along them, covering the Glass Knight.

Ba-Ba-Ba-Bang! In the instant chain of explosions, Phine's body swayed slightly.

“Did I get him...?”

Watching that sight, the red-haired mage quietly opened her mouth.

“...No.”

But Phine, using the alias Mardol, paid no heed to her magic and simply walked, making thudding sounds, to close the distance.

[Student Ariel! Is she truly unable to penetrate the armor after all?!]

At this rate, it was the same situation as Windy's match before. The crystal-like Glass Armor, seemingly unaffected, slowly approached Ariel.

"It's no good after all... Then I have something in mind too! Mardol!"

「Fire Ball!」

A sphere of flame forming in her hand. For some reason, she had abandoned the fireworks magic and was once again using primordial fire-attribute magic.

And it was a very basic, beginner spell. Immediately after that, she said something else quietly towards the fireball,

“...What's your intention?”

"Who knows? Take a guess..! Mardol!"

Bang. Ba-Bang. Bang. She began continuously throwing fireballs at her opponent as if pelting them with snowballs, and Phine's movement slowed as she confronted them head-on.

"...This is a bit tough."

"It'll be hard to approach. Mardol!"

Phine sighed, looking at the constantly blocked path.

Magic circles appeared at Ariel's fingertips, creating fireballs, which continuously poured out like an automatic turret, stopping the Glass Knight's advance.

"...I have to use my sword."

Phine, deciding she needed to respond immediately, drew the sword from her back and began to take a stance. She concentrated on breaking through the magic, raising her arm high.

「Gransia Style, Fourth Form, Grand Impact.」

With a crash, steel struck the stadium floor, and the ground shook like an earthquake. A fan-shaped shockwave formed, cracking the ground and sending fragments flying.

[It's the Imperial Swordsmanship again! This time, it's the fourth technique, Grand Impact! A technique that strikes the ground to deliver a wide-range attack!]

"Hiyah...!"

Due to the vibration, Ariel lost her balance and staggered, and the magic circle she was aiming dipped downwards. Without missing the opening, Phine charged at her opponent with Wolf Fang.

"Too bad, Ariel."

It was a situation where the Glass Knight's victory seemed certain to anyone. All she had to do was break through the mana-composed protective gear.

「S-Sparkler Flare!」

It was then. Although she spoke with a slightly flustered tone, there was no hint of resignation in Ariel's eyes. The red-haired elf, chanting magic, seemed to have an ulterior motive.

"It's no us...."

"...Is that really true? Mardol?"

Har-ruk. And then something unexpected happened.

The fireworks magic, which ordinarily should have been cast in an arbitrary direction due to improper aiming,

"...Huh?"

activated inside Phine's Glass Armor, burning the interior of the Glass Armor.

"...I mixed my mana with the fireballs I threw earlier!"

She barked at her opponent, who had momentarily stopped moving.

"My flames burn mana, so if mana accumulates inside something like armor, there's no way for it to escape! Mardol!"

From between the gaps in the glittering heavy armor, like white crystal, small flames, resembling linear fire, continuously leaked out.

"It's just like having a lot of oil poured inside your armor! Hehe, how does it taste?!"

Ariel displayed her joy at the success of her plan, smiling like a cat.

Because if the armor were removed like this, her victory was as good as confirmed.

***

I shook my head watching that scene. From the middle of the stands, I felt sorry for not having told Ariel more information.

"...It would have worked normally, but it's a shame."

"What are you talking about? Licht? Didn't our Ariel win?"

"If the opponent has a Masterpiece-grade item, you need to use equipment of the same grade, or Artifact-grade."

Only an ultimate skill would work. Equipment that can block a Demon King's attacks would never be affected by such simple magic. I sighed.

"At most, it'll restrain her feet or temporarily remove the armor. No, even that might be difficult."

"I know that too, but even with flames erupting inside like that...?"

"The name 'Masterpiece' is the very soul of the Dwarves."

I lowered my head. Even the restaurant I visited a few days ago was cooking with that name attached. It was a masterpiece, made with their utmost effort.

'I remember seeing in the game's lore that they don't sleep while concentrating on making it. And after finishing, they drink alcohol to force themselves to sleep.'

There's no way it would be damaged by just a few fire spells. What stopped Mardol's movement was only possible because Ariel had an enormous amount of mana.

If other mages had faced her, they would have lost helplessly like Windy.

"Her personality is so eccentric that you might not know, but it's hard to guarantee victory with just that."

My thoughts drifted to the fake Holy Sword, a replica crafted from an Artifact on par with a Masterpiece. That thing was practically like my son.

With this, temporarily nullifying that glass armor would be possible. As long as my conviction is stronger than that armor, and it is.

It is my Conviction (信念), formed through the Nameless Saintess. I could not lose to anyone.

But why go to such lengths with the armor to hide her identity? It could have just been a Masterpiece item in ordinary clothing. As I noticed this contradictory part,

"..."

Ariel's words bothered me even more. Was it really because she was a girl? As this question gradually grew,

"The junior is right. It would take something like a Phoenix's flames to be fatal."

"That's right, Senior Nex."

Hearing the purple-haired man speak with his arms crossed, my concentration broke. Then, it became clear that watching someone I knew being engulfed in flames was starting to evoke fear.

'This one's a bit scary.'

Other magic spells were fine because they felt less real, but seeing someone enduring like that within the flames was hard to watch. I tightly closed both my eyes.

Since I'm not watching the match anyway, I won't get caught with my helmet on.

How much time had passed like that?

"Waaahhh!!"

Hearing cheers from beside me, I opened my eyes,

[Student Mardol! Has cast Mirror Mirage! Glass statues that mimic the opponent's actions are turning their power against them!]

I looked at the arena, unable to hide my shock.

"So it's that technique from before. Mardol..." the blonde hero muttered in recognition.

His words made my eyes go wide. Multiple copies of Ariel, as if carved from shimmering crystal, stood before me.

That's possible too...?

They were white like Phine's glass aesthetic, but the twin-tails, the mage outfit, every detail was a perfect mirror image of Ariel herself.

So Mirror Mirage can copy the opponent too, not just herself. My understanding of glass magic just grew. Though honestly, I should have figured that out when she used it on me before.

The crown prince really is this story's protagonist. Even Ariel, the hero of the previous game, was visibly flustered. Watching that, I started thinking about how to handle her going forward.

The basics of a game are memorizing patterns.

In other words, it's about gaining an advantage in combat through information. Without even this, one could fight at a great disadvantage,

'Can she only copy magic? No. According to Laplace, she seems to be able to mimic other things too.'

This was also why I had hidden my Heart Sword (心劍) and Magnolia Sword Art until now. I narrowed my brows, concentrating not to miss any movements.

***

Inside Phine's armor, explosions continued to erupt like firecrackers. An attack that would ordinarily have been ignored.

"..."

"Mardol, you shouldn't bring armor like that! Let's compete fairly with our skills!"

But this was a year-end exam. She could lose due to a time-out. Because Ariel's mana made the explosions strong, her body wouldn't move as she wished.

"...That's true."

She lowered her head deeply and looked at her armor, from which flames were leaking. No matter how she thought about it, she had underestimated her opponent too much.

"...I will show you my respect, Ariel."

"What are you suddenly talking about..."

Phine raised her head again and looked at the red-haired elf. Wolf eyes glinted within her helmet. Golden eye-light shone, burning with fighting spirit.

"From now on, I will also use my magic."

She placed her hand on her chest, conjured a magic circle, and connected it to the armor. Then, smoke pushed out with a hiss, and Ariel's fireworks magic was extinguished.

"I'll do my best, Ariel."

"...Right, Mardol, you're a magic swordsman after all!"

It was then. The Glass Knight stretched out a hand towards Ariel, who was about to attempt her next attack.

「...Mirror Shield.」

A giant glass wall erected between them like a defensive barrier. It was one of the techniques she had shown before.

"If it doesn't work, just keep trying until it does!"

「Sparkler Flare!」

She chanted magic, targeting Phine beyond that glass wall. Since dense mana already filled the armor, even without explicitly specifying a direction,

"...Huh?"

she thought the fireworks magic would erupt just like before.

"Ah, this, that time...!"

"That's right, Ariel. What you saw before."

However, that expectation was unfortunately missed, and two crystal Ariels, emerging from the glass wall, took the Sparkler Flare instead.

「Mirror Mirage.」

One of the reasons she was able to endure longer than the Hero in the battle against Magic Hat.

It was a technique to create doppelgangers by copying an opponent or herself, and with this, she parried the Demon King's attacks, protecting Ariel and Kainel.

"Mardol. Isn't this a bit of a cheat?"

"This is not."

Ariel let out a slight sarcastic laugh at the glass magic, which she now saw as an enemy. It was like a mirror, perfectly reproducing the opponent's actions.

"...It's my magic, which I've practiced diligently since childhood, Ariel."

Even while seeing that, Phine wore an unsatisfied expression inside her helmet. The pressure to become even stronger still lingered slightly.

After all, only by catching Magic Hat would her mother return to normal.

"I wanted to become strong."

As Phine finished her brief words from behind the glass wall, the two doppelgangers cast the identical fireworks magic towards the red-haired mage.

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