“Hey now, do you really think I’m the kind of guy who’d go easy on my own rival? You’re not an opponent I can afford to fight with my guard down.”
“Hah...! As long as you understand that. This might not be a pure one-on-one match, but it’s the perfect opportunity to show you what I’m made of. I’m taking the win, Yugo!”
Marcos raised his shield and charged. Yugo sidestepped the rush, aiming a blow at Marcos’s flank, but his rival reacted instantly, snapping his defense into place to intercept the strike.
“Heh! Not bad!”
“Back at you! I wouldn’t expect any less from my lifelong rival!”
Marcos’s reflexes were impressive, but Yugo had been calculating his next move since the moment he began his evasion. As he dodged the charge, Yugo had circled toward Marcos’s right side—the side away from the Giga Scissors—hoping to force a delay in his defense. Yet Marcos had stayed right with him.
Perhaps it was because Marcos hadn't expected his initial charge to land in the first place, leaving him mentally prepared for the follow-up. But more than anything, it was his deep understanding of how Yugo operated that allowed him to react so flawlessly. He caught Yugo’s attacks on his golden pincers, searching for the slightest opening to launch a counter-offensive.
“Seyah! Haah!”
“Humph! Too slow, Yugo!”
Marcos parried a rapid-fire one-two combination, leaned away from a roundhouse kick, and braced against a magic-infused punch without breaking a sweat. Even with enhancement magic bolstering his defense, the way he calmly weathered Yugo’s fierce assault left Neries and the others wide-eyed with shock.
“Are you for real...?” Verda muttered. “Even with the buffs, is Marcos actually standing his ground against those hits?”
“I told you, didn’t I?” Misery said, a hint of pride in her voice. “Marcos-san’s skills are the real deal. When it comes to pure defense, I don’t know anyone more proficient than him.”
Verda, who had been effortlessly blown away by Yugo earlier, felt the weight of Marcos’s achievement deep in his bones. As Misery boasted, Yugo shifted his tactics.
“I guess you really aren't going to crack that easily! In that case, let’s try this!”
“Ngh?!”
Yugo’s figure suddenly vanished from Marcos’s field of vision. A split second later, Marcos’s legs were swept out from under him, sending him tumbling onto his backside.
While the onlookers instinctively cried out in surprise, Yugo didn't press the advantage against the fallen Marcos. Instead, he pivoted.
“Sorry, but I’m aiming for this one instead!”
“Eh?! Ah! Wait?!”
Yugo’s target was Neries—the support mage who was keeping Marcos reinforced with magic. Panicked by the sight of Yugo leaping toward her with a fist wreathed in magic power, Neries stood frozen, unable to defend or evade. She could only watch him descend—until—
“...Honestly, that’s a bit cold of you. You shouldn't ignore me, Yugo.”
“Gack...?!”
Yugo’s body stopped dead in mid-air just before reaching Neries. The golden magic power scissors had clamped onto him from both sides. As Neries gasped, Marcos, who had caught his rival from the ground, heaved him away with all his might.
“Uwoooah?!”
Hurled in the opposite direction, Yugo let out a cry of surprise as he skipped across the dirt like a stone on water.
Neries watched the exchange in a daze, only looking up when Marcos walked over to her side.
“...Are you unharmed?”
“Y-yes. Thank you very much...”
“I only did what was expected; no thanks are necessary. However, you must realize that you are an active participant in this battle.”
Neries flinched. Marcos’s words struck home; she realized she had slipped into the mindset of a mere spectator while watching the two of them fight. Seeing that her awareness was lacking compared to Verda or Misery, Marcos continued his lecture.
“If the enemy in front of you is troublesome, the logical choice is to take down the rearguard supporting them first. Yugo’s judgment was sound. In a real battle, you will be targeted often. Ensuring you aren't hit, or positioning yourself where your allies can cover you if you are—maintaining that situational awareness is one of your primary duties.”
“Y-yes...”
“Well, for now, I’ll take it as a sign that you placed your full trust in me. Just be careful from here on out.”
Which enhancement magic should go on whom? When should the spells be reapplied? Where should she stand to stay safe? There was a mountain of things to consider. Unlike the days when she simply followed Cyan’s orders, Neries now had to judge every situation for herself. As she clutched her head at the sheer difficulty of it all, Misery spoke up.
“You’re doing great, Neries-san. The training has already moved on to the next step. This pace is unthinkable compared to when I started.”
“I’m just failing at everything. I wouldn't call that great...”
“Identifying your weaknesses early means we have more time to fix them. Let’s work together to crush those problems. That’s what we’re here for, after all.”
“...Thank you, Misery-san.”
Neries offered her thanks, realizing that if she looked at it from Misery’s perspective, there was no need to be so negative. Meanwhile, Marcos was being bombarded with excited praise from Verda, who had been watching the display of defensive mastery with rapt attention.