“Amelia, keep going! We’ll cover you!!”
“Got it!!”
The third round of the semi-finals.
The Siege Battle was reaching its climax. As expected of the semi-finals, we hadn't been able to settle the match during the second round.
We had won the first round on offense handily, but a narrow defeat on defense in the second round had forced us into this third and final tiebreaker.
At the moment, we were in possession of the flag and were hauling it toward the designated goal outside the ancient castle. Naturally, our opponents were unleashing their magic with everything they had to stop us.
On our end, since we hadn't used our Origin Magic yet, we wanted to secure the win as we were. The finals were scheduled to begin the day after tomorrow, with only a single day of rest in between. Even with that break, the recovery time needed after using Origin Magic would make a one-day interval incredibly tight.
To be blunt, if Amelia and Ariane were to activate their Origin Magic here, our victory would be guaranteed. However, that would not only accumulate unnecessary fatigue but also reveal our trump cards to our future opponents.
Furthermore, the semi-final in the other bracket had already concluded. As expected, the team advancing to the finals was Team Forst.
I had watched their match, and as one would expect from the favorites to win, their level of coordination was among the best in the tournament. In terms of overall strength alone, there was no doubt they surpassed us.
Since we would be facing an opponent of that caliber, I wanted to save as much of our strength as possible. With that in mind, I moved to the front line to buy time for Amelia to carry the flag.
“Ariane, I need cover!!”
“Understood desu wa!”
Standing against us were three sorcerers. Having made it to the semi-finals, their skill was top-tier even among the student body. Theirs was an aggressive team consisting of a girl from Mercrose Magic Academy and two boys from Diom Magic Academy.
More than anything, the two on their front line were incredibly resilient. I had sensed it throughout the match, but they were as accustomed to combat as we were—perhaps even more so. Two fought on the front line while the third provided magic support from the rear.
It was the same composition as our team.
Ariane and I would take them on alone, meaning we had no support from Amelia. However, I was already well-versed in group combat. Even if it meant pushing myself a little, I had to stop them with everything I had.
“Pincer them! We’re out of time!”
“Yeah! I know!!”
They were frantic. I could hear it in their voices, yet even in their desperation, the precision of their magic didn't falter. With cold composure, they sprinted across the earth, trying to force their way past Ariane and me.
I wouldn't allow it.
Running my Inside Code, I accelerated in a sudden burst. I rounded behind one of the opponents and, using that momentum, threw him over my shoulder.
“Ugh... wah?!”
I slammed him into the ground, pinning him down to neutralize him first.
“You...!”
In the meantime, the other student tried to dash past me while I was occupied. I couldn't catch him in time, but Ariane stood in his way.
“I will absolutely not let you through desu wa!!”
Even so, it was a two-on-two situation. Before things could shift further, magic support from the rear was about to be deployed. I had already grasped the signs of the gathering mana. The moment the opponent’s magic activated, I ran my Anti-Material Code all at once.
《Anti-Material Code: Restoration》 《Material = Anti-Material Code》 《Material: Restoration = Prima Materia》
From there, I activated my magic in an overlapping sequence.
《Prima Materia = Encoding = Material Code》 《Material Code = Decoding》 《Material Code = Processing = Deceleration = Lock》 《Embodiment = Material》
To a casual observer, it would look as though the opponent’s magic had transformed into something entirely different. I wanted to hide the fact that I could restore magic to Prima Materia as much as possible, so by performing the entire sequence in an instant, I created the illusion that I had simply converted their spell.
What I deployed was an Ice Wall. It surged up, expanding greatly to seal off the passage ahead. Simultaneously, Ariane succeeded in incapacitating her opponent.
A moment later, a loud siren blared through the air.
“The winner is Team Algren.”
We had won. While we were buying time, Amelia must have successfully reached the goal with the flag.
As I turned to celebrate with Ariane, she threw her arms around me with all her might, just as she always did.
“We did it! We did it desu wa! We’re finally in the finals desu wa!”
I caught Ariane head-on as she cried out in joy. Her soft body and full chest were pressed firmly against me... but pointing that out now would be in poor taste. I simply held her and responded to her excitement.
“Yeah. We're finally in the finals.”
“Yes! We did it desu wa!”
Looking at her beaming smile, I couldn't help but smile back. I understood her joy perfectly; this match had been the narrowest victory we’d had yet. That only made the winning moment feel more significant.
“Phew. We made it through.”
After a short while, we joined up with Amelia. Unlike Ariane, she seemed relatively composed. I bumped fists with her.
“It’s thanks to you outrunning them at the end, Amelia. You saved us.”
“Only because you and Ariane held the line. I’m just glad we won.”
“With Ray and myself, it was a certainty desu wa!”
The three of us shared the moment, but I suddenly sensed a gaze directed at us. It was the three members of Team Forst, who had finished their match earlier. It seemed they hadn't been watching from the Colosseum stands, but had been viewing our match on the monitors in the prep area instead.
Lucas Forst. Evi Armstrong. Albert Alium.
I had suspected we would meet them in the finals, and my prediction had come true. The lineup was finally set: Team Algren versus Team Forst.
Given the performance of every team in the qualifiers, this was the most probable outcome. The final match would be a battle on a completely different dimension.
We couldn't afford to hold anything back. Since it was the last match, there was no longer any need to worry about what came after. The match would likely see the use of Origin Magic from both sides.
Furthermore, Lucas Forst possessed his Secret Sword—a magic-infused sword technique. It was a rare art classified as equivalent to Origin Magic. Unless we found a way to handle that, victory would be impossible.
And if Albert and Evi were added to the mix... it was best not to hope for an early conclusion. In fact, we might need to be prepared to concede a round if we fell into a disadvantage. Team Forst was a formidable enough enemy to make me consider such grim strategies.
“You two. The final match will likely be the toughest fight we’ve ever faced. I hate to say this right after a victory, but we need to brace ourselves.”
Their expressions immediately turned sharp.
“Yes. Of course.”
“I am well aware desu wa. Our opponents are one of the best teams in the tournament. However, naturally, we will be the ones to win desu wa!”
As usual, Ariane puffed out her chest with pride as she made her declaration. Amelia and I watched her, knowing it wasn't mere bluster.
If it was us, we could win. One more victory, and the championship was ours.
I had fought many battles before, but this was the first time I had ever felt this specific way. It was difficult to put this exhilaration into words, but it certainly wasn't a bad feeling.
Afterward, we disbanded and headed our separate ways home.
“Oops... My apologies.”
I accidentally brushed against a man in front of me. It was a strange sensation; it wasn't that he had bumped into me intentionally, but rather as if he had slipped into my consciousness and approached before I could notice.
No, I was probably just lost in thought.
I took a proper look at the man. He was tall and slender, with lustrous white hair that reached down to his waist—long even for a man. He wore a pitch-black suit that made his appearance quite striking. Given his incredibly pale skin, I assumed he was albino. At first glance, he almost looked like a woman, but his low voice marked him as male.
“No, it was my fault for spacing out. I’m sorry.”
“No, no. I was distracted by my suit. It’s actually brand new, and I was checking the fit while walking. I’ve truly done something inexcusable.”
“It’s fine. No harm done.”
“I’m very glad to hear you say that. This is just a small token of my apology.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, square-wrapped object.
“It’s a caramel. Do you dislike sweets?”
“No.”
“Then, here you go.”
“Thank you.”
I accepted the caramel. He gave me a gentle smile as he walked past.
“Ray White. Let us meet again someday.”
Hearing my name, I turned around.
But he was already gone. I hadn't told him who I was. Was it possible he knew me from watching the tournament? That was the most logical conclusion, yet...
I looked down at the caramel in my hand. It was definitely there. I checked it for any signs of tampering, but I found nothing. I couldn't sense even the slightest trace of magic.
“...Am I overthinking it?”
I felt a lingering sense of oddity about the encounter, but I shook it off. I turned back toward my path and continued on my way.
The caramel I received was truly sweet and delicious.