"Hah-ha-ha-ha! Your vaunted barrier is quite something! But how about this? Spell: Lightning Bolt!"
The moment he looked up, Leon was met with a blinding radiance.
(That light—!)
It was the same dazzling flash that had mercilessly pulverized a target dummy—one that was supposed to be indestructible—during the Practical Exam. It was an overwhelming brilliance that seemed impossible for a mere Lightning Bolt spell to produce.
Albert’s lightning collided head-on with Serafina’s barrier.
"—Kh!"
Panic flickering in her eyes, Serafina thrust both hands forward. It was a desperate move to reinforce the strength of her deployed ward.
Her reaction alone proved just how much destructive power was behind the strike.
Crr-ack!
A sharp, grating sound suddenly rang out.
Cracks were spider-webbing across Serafina’s barrier.
(Even with the barrier reinforced—!?)
A smirk played across Albert’s lips.
"Lord Leon, run! Quickly!"
Serafina’s voice echoed through the arena like a scream. Even with the power of Saint Seraphina, that lightning could not be fully contained.
(The brilliance is even stronger than it was during the Practical Exam!)
When he had fought Victor, Professor Karia’s barrier had managed to hold, but there was no telling if they would survive this.
"Lord Leon!"
Serafina’s pained cry reached his ears. The fractures in the barrier were spreading at an exponential rate. If he was going to withdraw, he had to do it within the next split second.
"That’s not it... That’s not how this goes, Serafina—"
Leon cast aside the shield he was holding. He planted both feet firmly on the ground and glared sharply at Albert.
(—This is it! My one and only chance!)
Now was the only time—while the lightning’s power was significantly attenuated from shattering Serafina’s formidable barrier. There was no way Albert could immediately transition back to close-quarters combat after unleashing a spell of that magnitude.
If he could somehow parry the lightning and seize the opening left by the exhaustion of such a massive technique, even the Hero Leon would have a chance at victory!
"Lord Leonnnnnn!"
Following Serafina’s scream, the barrier shattered into a thousand pieces. The dammed-up torrent of lightning surged toward Leon.
"Uooooooooooooooo!"
Instead of dodging, Leon charged headlong into it. At the same time, he channeled every drop of his mana into his clenched left fist. At the moment of impact, he struck the lightning with everything he had.
He had coated his arm in a thick layer of mana to prevent the electricity from flowing into his body, but—
(Even diminished by the barrier, it’s still this powerful...!?)
The moment his fist met the lightning, a searing pain shot through his left arm, as if it were being burned off. In fact, that was likely exactly what was happening.
Had he been reckless? Had he thrown his life away for nothing?
Leon grit his teeth against the agony.
(—No! Don't give up!)
He had to surpass it. He had to surpass his own weak heart. He had to overcome the version of himself that had already decided he couldn't beat Albert. He had to move beyond the self that found being a Hero to be a burden.
Was this a phantom courage granted by Serafina’s blessing? Or was it true courage, welling up from the heart of a Hero?
(It doesn't matter which! I will seize victory here!)
To prove himself a Hero! To answer the voice of Serafina, who believed in him!
"Ooooooooooooooooo!"
Ignoring the pain, he swung his left arm through with all his might. The weakened Lightning Bolt was deflected behind him, slamming into the barrier Professor Karia had deployed and vanishing into nothingness.
Leon didn't have a spare second to confirm the results. He didn't even acknowledge the fact that his left arm was crumbling into charred cinders. He lunged straight ahead, a human bullet aimed directly at Albert.
(As long as my right arm is intact, I can do this!)
The distance between them vanished.
"Hah-ha-ha-ha! You’re interesting, kid!"
Albert let out a boisterous laugh as he swung his sword.
But it was—
"Slow! I've got you!"
Leon’s blade, clad in the Saint’s Light, flashed across Albert's midsection.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
The scene before me was genuinely shocking.
No matter how much the power had been reduced by Saint Seraphina’s barrier, he had actually punched through my Thunder Emperor's Flash. It was a reckless stunt that only worked because of the Saint’s blessing, but still—
To go that far?
In the original game, the Hero Leon was one of those "silent protagonists," so his personality was always a bit of a mystery. I never expected him to be the type of man who enjoyed such insanity.
"Hah-ha-ha-ha! You’re interesting, kid!"
"Slow! I've got you!"
Leon and I crossed paths. Before my own counter-attack could reach him, Leon stepped in with incredible speed and slammed a strike into my stomach.
"Gah!"
I moved at the very last moment to avoid my vitals, but if it hadn't been a practice blade, it would have been a nasty injury. Even so, backed by the Saint's Prayer, the impact was heavy—I was sent flying backward in spite of myself.
"Lord Albert!"
Luna leaped out, interposing herself between Leon and me.
"Luna, sorry!"
Before Luna could even ready her short sword, the charging Leon cut her down with a horizontal sweep. Without a chance to resist, Luna was knocked aside with a sharp cry.
Was it a meaningless resistance?
No, far from it. She had bought me the one second I needed to reset my stance.
"To sacrifice your own left arm... Talk about a desperate move!"
"I factored in the Saint's Healing!"
Sensing that this was the decisive moment, Leon launched an all-out offensive.
—But there was no problem.
Leon had lost an arm; I was merely nursing a bit of a stomachache. The outcome was already written. Leon was likely banking on my being rattled so he could overwhelm me in a single burst.
But I wasn't rattled. And because I wasn't, an upset was never going to happen.
The one-armed Leon threw everything into his attack, discarding his defense entirely. I parried his blows with a composed expression.
Should I just take the win normally? No, why not have some fun? I might as well use one of the "experimental hands" I’ve been keeping up my sleeve.
—Consider this a reward for entertaining me; receive it without reservation.
"Spell: Physical Enhancement."
Of course, the actual spell I was using was Frenzy—and a highly concentrated dose at that. If I kept a boost like that active, my body would reach its limit in seconds. In the worst-case scenario, my heart might literally burst.
I couldn't use it for long.
So, was I prepared for a mutual double-KO? No, I just had to manage the timing.
Activation time: exactly two seconds. Just enough for a single slash.
"Fu..."
Exhaling a sharp breath, I unleashed my blade.
"—!"
Leon's eyes definitely caught the movement. However, his brain couldn't process the trajectory fast enough to react. My strike mercilessly cut Leon down while he still wore a look of utter bewilderment.
If this sword had been live steel, Leon’s defenseless body would have been sliced wide open.
"Gaha!"
Leon was blown back, tumbling across the dirt. He tried to push himself up, but his strength failed him, and he slumped into unconsciousness.
"Lord Leon!"
Serafina scrambled to his side. The rules of this match were simple: it ended when the Main Combatant—either me or Leon—collapsed.
The referee raised a hand and shouted the declaration.
"The winners are Albert von Kronstadt and Luna!"