"Now then, let's move into the preparation phase."
The second round. We were the ones on defense this time, meaning it was time to set the flag. We had plenty of time to construct Delay Magic as well.
When it came to Delay Magic, I wasn't able to prepare much, so I had nothing specific to do during this interval.
I felt bad for Amelia and Ariane, but there was simply nothing I could contribute here.
We didn't choose a particularly unconventional spot for the flag.
Having come this far, we were aiming for the championship. Therefore, we placed it in the innermost room on the top floor. It was a common choice in these siege battles, as it took the longest to reach from the entrance.
Furthermore, even if the flag was seized, it would take just as long to carry it back outside.
On defense, choosing this location was standard theory.
And yet, why? Why was this anxiety swirling in my chest?
"Ray. Preparations are complete."
"Is something wrong? You seem a bit off."
When Ariane and Amelia returned, they peered into my face with worried expressions. It was only a premonition, so perhaps there was no need to speak of it, but sharing perspectives was vital.
Thus, I decided to convey my unease honestly.
"It's not that anything specific has happened. I just have a strange sense of anxiety..."
"Anxiety, is it?"
"Anxiety, huh? Honestly, that last match is still bothering me, too... Could it have been a setup for this second round?"
"Perhaps. But there’s no use dwelling on it."
We were out of time. Constant worrying wouldn't help.
And so, we took our assigned positions.
For this formation, Amelia and Ariane were on the third floor, while I waited alone on the fourth-floor landing.
My first priority would be to stall either Lucas Forst, Evi, or Albert.
To be honest, I wanted to avoid fighting Lucas Forst if possible, but it couldn't be helped.
If we won here, the championship was ours.
I had to hold them back, even if I had to push myself past my limits.
Furthermore, we had concentrated our Delay Magic on the first and second floors. Since we no longer had to worry about subsequent matches, we had laid down the most powerful Delay Magic of the entire tournament.
Most notably, I had Amelia prepare an Extensive Chain Magic as well.
This should buy us a significant amount of time.
The plan was to stall as much as possible on the first and second floors. Then, Amelia and Ariane would handle things on the third floor, and I would deal with anyone who slipped past them... it was an orthodox strategy.
We had used this tactic countless times, but its very simplicity meant it worked more often than not. Adopting a bizarre plan wasn't always the best move.
The key was to choose the option with the highest probability of success and execute it perfectly.
"...It’s started."
The sound of a loud siren reached my ears.
The second round of the finals had finally begun. If we could endure this, the championship was guaranteed.
I waited at my post, but... things felt wrong.
Normally, there should have been more magical signs as they dealt with the Delay Magic on the lower floors.
Specifically, Prima Materia usually overflowed to the point where I could sense it even up here.
Yet, now there was only silence.
A stillness so profound it felt as if no one else was inside the castle.
What on earth was happening? Should I deploy my Anti-Material Field to check?
However, I had already pushed my Magic Area considerably during my fight with Lucas Forst. Considering the battles yet to come, I wanted to conserve it... but I had no choice.
I deployed my Anti-Material Field.
At that exact moment, I sensed something impossible.
"—As I thought, you're excellent. That's why the win is ours this time."
I whipped around. Standing there was Lucas Forst himself. I hadn't sensed his presence at all.
No, it was only by deploying the Anti-Material Field that I finally noticed him.
The flag was already in his hand. But that was impossible. The only path should have been the stairs right in front of me.
How did he get here?
Wait... was that what the previous match was for?
I looked behind him and saw a hole just large enough for one person to pass through.
In other words, had he dug a hole from the first floor all the way up here and climbed through it?
I had considered the possibility once, but while going down was one thing, climbing up would be grueling even with magic. One would need to be able to levitate or use some form of teleportation. To my knowledge, no sorcerer in the realm of Modern Magic had reached that level.
I had assumed a jump using Inside Code wouldn't reach, but... I had been negligent.
There were no rules against it, but that was largely because it was considered an impossible feat.
My opponent was one of the Seven Grand Sorcerers—the Absolute Blade Sorcerer.
The previous match must have been entirely for the purpose of preparing this. He had thrown the first round because he was certain he could win this way.
However, this plan required us to place the flag in this specific location.
No, he likely allowed us to win the first round so easily because he anticipated we would follow standard theory and place it in the innermost room.
I should have expected him to exceed my expectations.
Now that it had come to this, my only options were to stop him from leaving with the flag or to incapacitate him.
"Now, if you'll excuse me."
With that, he dropped straight back down through the hole. Since he only had to control his landing on the way down, it would likely take him even less time than the climb.
I dove into the hole after him.
—Will I make it? No, I have to make it!!
As I descended, I used magic to amplify my voice and barked the situation to Amelia and Ariane.
"The flag's been taken!! Both of you, get down here!!"
I reached the first-floor landing. I hit the ground and channeled my momentum into a forward burst.
Lucas Forst was already sprinting full-tilt toward the castle exit. At this distance, I could still catch him if I went all out. But, as if to obstruct my path, Albert and Evi appeared.
"Ray. We're not letting you past."
"It's already... too late, anyway."
I should have just barreled through the gap between them and chased the man with the flag, but... I was already a step behind.
In the split second my attention flickered toward the two of them, I saw Lucas Forst clear the castle entrance.
His top speed was likely equal to or greater than my own.
The moment the flag was seized, the outcome of this round had been set.
The siren wailed heartlessly.
"The winner is Team Forst."
I'd been had. This was exactly what they’d been aiming for.
I stood there dazed, my mind racing. Why go to such lengths to use a surprise attack just to force a final round?
Perhaps their goal was...
"Ray!? What on earth happened!?"
"Wait... it's over? That can't be right..."
The two girls approached me with bewildered looks, but the second round was already over.
"They were likely preparing this during the first round. Looking back, it was a tactic that relied on us placing the flag exactly where we did... They threw the first round easily to give us a sense of security. They calculated that we would then place the flag in the safest possible location to ensure we secured the win this round..."
"No way... You mean we danced right to their tune?"
"It seems so."
He had acted with a full grasp of our psychological state. A surprise attack like this would never work a second time, but it only needed to work once.
And so, we were being dragged into a third round... but was their primary objective to level the playing field?
Team Algren and Team Forst.
Both would now proceed to the final round with almost no exhaustion. If we had fought a full battle in the first and second rounds, both sides would be drained.
In other words, they likely believed they wouldn't lose as long as the conditions were even. Or perhaps they had decided from the start that a war of attrition would be a disadvantage for them.
They likely wanted to avoid Amelia’s Butterfly Effect, too. Even with its limitations, she could trigger it intermittently.
They might have considered that as the rounds went on, but they probably wanted to keep their exposure to it to a minimum... essentially sealing our trump card until the final round.
I reflected on it all, but it was nothing more than lamenting over spilled milk.
For the final round, we would simply have to clash head-on.
"...You two. It looks like the final round is going to be a direct confrontation."
"So it seems."
"Right. No use dwelling on what’s done."
Our gazes locked with the three members of Team Forst outside the castle.
None of them looked particularly triumphant about their successful gambit. If anything, their aura suggested the real fight was only just beginning. I couldn't sense even a hint of complacency.
There was no doubt they would approach the final round with everything they had.
If that was the case, we would simply have to meet them with the same resolve.
Thus, the finals reached an unexpected development, moving forward to a decisive final round.