"—Emerald Garden."
The Origin Magic she deployed was Emerald Garden. Just as the name suggested, a world of deep emerald green unfurled before my eyes.
This particular Origin Magic was a Wide-Range Interference type, characterized by the manipulation of Prima Materia within a designated area. It also allowed her to command plant vines that grew and shifted like a mass of tentacles.
While it was a rare Origin Magic, I hadn't expected a student to possess one of this magnitude. For a moment, I was stunned.
However, I quickly recalibrated and barked orders to the other two.
"Amelia! Ariane! Hold the base! I'll take the front line alone!"
"Ray! I shall join you!"
"I can handle this! Ariane, support Amelia!"
"...Understood!"
I spoke with an intensity that brooked no argument.
The truly vexing thing about Emerald Garden was its ability to manipulate Prima Materia. According to the rules, manipulating Prima Materia inside a base was forbidden, but outside of that, Hartnett-senpai could control it at will.
Ultimately, she could converge enough Prima Materia for her own use while depriving us of it as much as possible. This meant the opponent could cast magic freely while we struggled to find the fuel for our own.
Equipped with both buff and debuff effects, it was an incredibly troublesome Origin Magic.
However, the fact that she had resorted to it now was proof she was cornered.
Furthermore, the Charlier sisters were completely incapacitated. They had collapsed from the strain of excessive magic use. From the look of things, they wouldn't be moving again.
"...I'll have to do this," I muttered under my breath.
Though I hadn't foreseen this specific outcome, we would secure all the points if we held out for four more minutes. At that point, our victory would be guaranteed.
Currently, a swarm of vines was closing in on Amelia and Ariane as if possessed by a will of their own. From the looks of it, the two of them could manage to hold their ground.
In the meantime, I had to face Hartnett-senpai, the source of this Emerald Garden.
"O-ho-ho-ho! Now that I have unleashed this, our victory is certain!"
Her haughty laughter rang out from the center of the domain.
She was surrounded by what looked like a massive flower. It served as both a defensive barrier and the magic's core. If I could destroy that flower, the Origin Magic would dissipate.
It seemed she was splitting her focus, targeting Amelia in the base and Ariane who was covering her, while still keeping a wary eye on me.
To maintain an Origin Magic of this scale while effectively distributing her resources showed her skill. Her confidence wasn't just empty bluster.
"Now! Dance within my garden!"
Suddenly, a mass of writhing vines descended from above, striking at me as I moved forward. I perceived the threat and dodged immediately, but the volume of the attacks only intensified.
Combined with the forest terrain, her Emerald Garden was operating at peak efficiency.
The surrounding area was filled with pale green Prima Materia, dense enough to be visible to the naked eye. It rushed toward her, causing the flower to swell even further.
Conversely, the flow of Prima Materia toward us had been severed. It wasn't entirely gone, but the circulation was abysmal. At this rate, standard magic would be nearly impossible to cast.
Fortunately, Ariane and I primarily relied on Inside Code. While Amelia's offensive capabilities were significantly hampered, the impact on us was far less severe than it would be for those using Outside Code.
I let my code run at full throttle.
<Prima Materia = Encoding = Material Code> <Material Code = Decoding> <Material Code = Processing = Deceleration = Lock> <Embodiment = Material>
What I manifested was an Ice Sword.
Rather than the countless blades of Icicle Blaze, I created only one. Gripping it in my right hand, I sprinted across the earth.
The scenery blurred into a green streak as I tore through the forest. Vines lashed out, trying to ensnare me, but I carved through them all with the Ice Sword.
"...Kh!! Do not underestimate me!!"
Next came a cloud of dust—pollen, most likely. It instantly choked my vision.
But when it came to battle, I didn't rely on sight alone.
I deployed my Anti-Material Field for a mere fraction of a second. Hidden by the dust, it wouldn't be caught by the broadcast cameras. As I cleared the pollen, I pinpointed the flower's core.
I located the tentacles and the heart of the flower protecting Hartnett-senpai.
"..."
With cold, detached precision, I moved.
I dug my feet into the soil, narrowing my focus until I finally entered my killing range.
Sensing the danger, she panicked. Attacks more ferocious than anything before came crashing down on me. She must have diverted all her remaining resources toward me.
But once I was this close, the match was effectively over. As long as Amelia remained on the point, we won.
However, I didn't intend to let it end on a timer. To set the stage for what was to come, I would deal with this Emerald Garden myself.
"My Lady!"
"It's dangerous!!"
As I closed in on the flower, the Charlier sisters—who should have been incapacitated—threw themselves in my path. I felt a flicker of admiration for their willingness to shield her with their own bodies despite being unable to use magic, but I had to brush them aside.
I roughly kicked the two of them away and surged toward the center of the bloom, where a grimacing Hartnett-senpai waited. She could no longer track my speed; she could only watch my afterimage.
"Eek!!"
I reached her.
Slicing through the petals, I breached the inner sanctum. I plunged the Ice Sword into the massive green mass embedded in the earth.
Instantly, the Emerald Garden dissolved into shimmering green Prima Materia.
A loud siren blared through the forest.
"The winner is Team Algren."
Abby-san's voice, amplified by magic, echoed through the trees.
Hartnett-senpai slumped to the ground, staring blankly at the space before her. I wiped the sweat from my brow.
The match was over. It was a decisive victory.
I hadn't expected to face magic on the level of Emerald Garden so early, but we had adapted well.
"Ah... We... we lost? Our team... lost...?"
She muttered the words softly, seemingly unable to process the reality of her defeat.
I walked over to her, knelt down, and offered my hand.
"Hartnett-senpai. That was incredible magic. It was a very exciting match. Thank you."
She didn't take my hand immediately, but I saw a new spark of resolve in her eyes—something different from before.
"Who... just who are you? Are you truly just an Ordinary?"
"I am. But a sorcerer's worth isn't decided by bloodline alone."
"I see... Is that so..."
She looked down for a moment before slowly reaching out.
"Ray White. I concede. This was my total defeat."
I gripped her hand firmly. Her words were unexpected; given our past interactions, I had assumed she would never acknowledge me even in defeat. But her expression now seemed surprisingly clear.
"...Forgive me for saying this, but you're actually acknowledging me?"
"I am not so pathetic that I would deny the person who shattered my Emerald Garden from the front. The world is a vast place... I suppose I can accept that. I got a bit too worked up, but it was a good match. Thank you."
"Likewise."
"Al... also, the way you look when you fight is a little—"
Her voice trailed off, making the last part inaudible. Her face seemed a bit redder than it had been during the match.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that last bit."
"I-it's nothing! Regardless, I shall recognize your skill!"
We shook hands.
She certainly had the pride of a noble, but the grace to acknowledge her opponent showed she possessed the character expected of a true lady of the upper nobility.
Amelia and Ariane came running up from behind.
"Ray! We won! We actually did it!"
"Ray! We were victorious!"
"Whoa...!"
Amelia leaped at me, followed immediately by Ariane, who hugged me with just as much enthusiasm. Caught up in the thrill of victory, both of them were beaming.
"It's incredible! We really won!"
"The results of our training have been proven, Ray!"
"Yeah. This is a victory the three of us earned together."
The Magics War Qualifiers had begun. In the first match, Team Algren had secured a resounding victory.