We were back to square one, but having some distance between us wasn't a bad thing. It gave me the breathing room I needed to use magic. Long-range spells were my greatest advantage, a strength Marl simply didn't possess. While I didn't have the time to chant anything high-level, low-level spells didn't leave me particularly vulnerable.
"〈Fireball〉!"
In response to my chant, three spheres of fire materialized in the empty air—a modified version of the standard spell. The orbs sped toward Marl in staggered succession.
She might be able to dodge the first and second, but the third would be the decider. If she couldn't evade it, she’d be forced to block with her shield, and that would narrow her field of vision. In that split second, I’d use 〈Shadow Hiding〉 to erase my presence, causing her to lose track of me entirely.
The plan worked perfectly—up to a point. By the time she dodged the second fireball, her balance was already wavering. For the third, she would have to either roll away or brace behind her shield. Or so I thought.
"Hah!"
To my utter shock, Marl swung her mace and shattered the fireball. Her weapon had glowed momentarily as she shouted; she must have used a skill.
My offensive ground to a halt as I stared at the unexpected outcome. Marl took advantage of the lull to regain her stance. We were back to a stalemate.
"Hehehe. I heard all about your fighting style from Zephyr, Tort-kun. He told me never to take my eyes off you!"
"I see. Even so... dispelling a spell with a mace? You really surprised me."
"Hey, I was the one who was surprised! Throwing three fireballs at once is totally cheating!"
Even as we bantered, we remained hyper-focused, observing each other’s every move. I could hear the sounds of Zephyr and Lowell clashing nearby, but I couldn't afford to glance over. I couldn't take my eyes off her for even a second.
"Alright, it's my turn! Here I come!"
Marl swung her mace upward, scraping the ground in a low arc. I assumed she was trying to kick up sand to blind me, but the attack was far more dangerous than that.
A shockwave, shaped like a shark's fin, erupted from the arena floor and raced toward me. It was fast—dangerously fast.
I’d been operating under the assumption that Marl lacked ranged options, and the oversight nearly cost me. I threw myself into a roll, narrowly evading the impact. Determined not to let her advantage slip, Marl sent another shockwave surging toward me, giving me no time to stabilize my stance.
After I’d scrambled around for a while, however, the shockwaves finally ceased. By the time I regained my footing, quite a bit of distance had opened up between us. I had a hunch that the attack's range was limited—though there was always the chance she was bluffing.
Regardless, I welcomed the reprieve. I immediately used 〈Stone Wall〉 to block her line of sight. Next, I cast my power and speed enhancement spells. To be honest, the effects were minor enough to be more psychological than anything else, but they were my only body enhancement spells, so I figured it couldn't hurt. Finally, I activated 〈Shadow Hiding〉. Since it was blindingly obvious I was hiding behind the wall, it wasn't likely to be very effective, but I used it anyway as a precaution.
"Ah!"
Marl cried out the moment I stepped out from behind the stone wall. She’d spotted me instantly. As I’d feared, the stealth was largely useless against someone who was observing me that intently. But that was fine; the real killing blow was yet to come.
"〈Shadow Leap〉!"
Fixing my gaze on Marl’s shadow, I chanted the spell. With this, a surprise attack from behind—
"Too naive!"
The moment I teleported, I was greeted by a crushing swing of Marl's mace. I dodged by a hair’s breadth, but it had been a close thing.
"I was warned about that magic, you know!" Marl said, a triumphant smile spreading across her face as she brandished her weapon.
Right, I’d mentioned 〈Shadow Leap〉 back when we were hunting the Chrome Beetles. At the time, neither our party nor Zephyr’s had expected to be competing in this tournament. It had been a bit careless of me.
Since she hadn't shown any sign of minding the shadows until now, I’d hoped she might have forgotten, but she had clearly been waiting for it. She was good.
Still, if that was how she wanted to play, I had other options.
"〈Air Jet〉!"
"Kyaa!"
I managed to trigger the spell while weaving through her mace strikes. Casting while in motion was significantly harder, but the earlier body enhancements gave me just enough of an edge to pull it off. At least for a low-level spell.
Given her petite frame, Marl was easily pushed around by the wind. The gusts forced her back step by step. She swung her mace frantically, likely trying to dispel the air, but it was futile. Unlike 〈Fireball〉, 〈Air Jet〉 was a continuous stream originating from my palm.
The wind wasn't lethal, of course, so I couldn't neutralize her this way. Once I had pushed her back to the vicinity of my stone wall, I cut the spell.
Perfect. The positioning was exactly what I needed.
"〈Shadow Leap〉!"
I called out the name of the spell as a deliberate feint before leaping into a shadow. When my vision cleared, I was standing directly behind Marl. Just as I’d hoped, she had lost track of me.
It was a simple trick. I hadn't jumped into Marl's shadow; I had jumped into the shadow cast by the stone wall. I had emerged on the exact opposite side of where she expected me. Believing I would appear in her own shadow, Marl had turned her back to me.
She tried to spin around in a panic, but it was too late.
Activating 〈Lightning Touch〉, I reached out and tapped her back. A terrifying crackle erupted from my right hand. Marl’s body spasmed for a fraction of a second before she crumpled to the floor. I had successfully knocked her out.
"Winners: Tort and Lowell!"
The announcer’s voice boomed across the arena. I hadn't been able to see what was happening with Lowell, but it seemed his side of the fight had concluded at the same time.
Whew... I’m exhausted. The fight didn't actually last that long, but fighting other people really takes it out of your nerves.