"This is... monstrous!"
Rest reflexively crossed his arms to absorb Eilische’s blow.
Despite layering two body-reinforcement spells—Physical Enhancement and Fortitude—the impact was staggering. The force was more than he could withstand; he was sent flying, skidding a great distance backward across the dirt.
"Heh... your reflexes are sharp. Your output and activation speed are beyond reproach, too. I’m impressed you can maintain a Duo at such a young age."
"Th-thank you..."
Eilische didn't follow up immediately. Instead, she stood her ground, casually rotating her shoulders.
Had he been an average warrior or mage, that opening strike would have ended the fight then and there.
(I... I can't feel my arms. They’re still attached, right?)
The arms he had used for defense weren't broken, but they were so numb from the shock that he couldn't move them. Keeping his enhancement spells active, he channeled Healing Magic to mend the damage and restore sensation.
"Oh, you can manage a Trio as well? You really are quite the catch."
"Same to you... How can you produce that much power with only Physical Enhancement?"
It was a genuine question. While Rest was activating multiple spells in parallel, Eilische had relied on a single reinforcement spell. Rest was using the exact same magic, yet the gap between them was a yawning chasm.
"I was born with high magic output. It’s simply a matter of talent."
"...Talent, huh?"
"The trade-off is that I’m terrible at long-range magic. I suppose no one can have everything, right?"
"…………"
Rest possessed bottomless mana, but the amount of energy he could pour into a single spell at once—his output—wasn't particularly high. It wasn't low by any means, but compared to his infinite pool and his ability to copy any spell on sight, his output felt frustratingly average.
(I see... so you really can't have it all.)
"In that case... how about this?"
Rest manifested a dozen Fireballs around him. He sent the orbs of flame hurtling toward Eilische in a single, coordinated volley.
"Hah!"
"Fufu... A fine attack. I like your style."
He had staggered the timing and positioning of the fireballs to make them impossible to evade, but Eilische bypassed them with light footwork and physical capabilities that defied common sense. Without losing a fraction of her momentum, she lunged into Rest’s personal space.
"Smoke Screen!"
Rest instantly blanketed the area in thick white haze. Both Rest and Eilische vanished into the cloud; he had literally sought to leave her in the dust.
"Clever...!"
Eilische’s fist whistled through the air, missing him by a hair's breadth. Thanks to his Perception Enhancement, Rest could see her movements clearly through the smoke. He lunged forward, pressing his palm firmly against her abdomen.
(I’ll finish it with this...!)
"Thunder Shock!"
"Ugh...!"
Eilische’s body spasmed. It was a spell designed to suppress an opponent with an electric surge without killing them—one of the many interpersonal combat techniques Dieble had drilled into him.
"That actually stung. But... using a non-lethal spell? You’re looking down on me."
"…………!?"
Eilische’s hand shot out, clamping onto the arm Rest still had pressed against her stomach. Even though he’d landed a direct hit, her movement had been hindered for only a split second.
"You’re a naughty boy, putting your hands on another woman’s stomach... even with Viola and Primula around. You need a lesson!"
"Waaaah!"
Gripping his arm, she swung Rest around like a ragdoll and hurled him away. He bounced across the ground like a skipped stone, tumbling all the way to the edge of the training grounds.
"Rest-kun!"
"Rest-sama!"
"Stay back! Our spat isn't over yet!" Eilische barked at her daughters as they tried to rush to his side.
As she said, the fight was far from over. Rest pushed himself up, healing his battered body as he rose.
"This is absurd... truly..."
He only managed to stand because of Dieble’s grueling training. Being accustomed to fighting human opponents allowed him to break his fall and minimize the damage.
(If she can dodge all those fireballs, long-range magic is useless... and I can't risk burning the manor down by getting desperate.)
That left him with only one option: layering his reinforcement magic to the limit and meeting her in close quarters.
Rest grimaced at the thought. If he could use high-tier, wide-area spells, things might be different, but Dieble hadn't taught him those yet. His mentor’s style wasn't about the raw firepower used by typical mages; it was about the technical application of "weak" magic through ingenuity.
"That versatile fighting style... you’ve been studying under Dieble, haven't you?" Eilische asked.
Rest nodded, focusing on his recovery. "...Yes. Dieble-sensei has taught me a great deal."
"He’s had disciples before, but none of them lasted. He’s a hard man, isn't he?"
"He isn't kind. But if you want to get strong, that's only to be expected."
"Mm-hmm, a fine mindset." Eilische gave him a gentle smile, one that felt entirely out of place in the middle of a duel. "He has an exquisite grasp of magic, but his mana reserves were too low to ever master the high-tier arts. I’ve always wondered what his style would look like in the hands of someone with your nonsensical mana pool. I’d love to see the finished product."
"...I’ll try not to disappoint."
Rest clenched and unclenched his fists. His injuries were fully healed, and his mana hadn't dipped an inch from where he started.
(We’re back to square one... if anything, I’ve drained at least a bit of her mana. Technically, I should have the advantage...)
And yet, he didn't feel like he was winning at all. On the contrary, he felt cornered. A cold sweat broke out along his spine. He sparred with Dieble daily, and in a fight without restrictions, he had grown capable of holding his own. But Eilische felt unreachable.
The sheer pressure she exerted was a reminder that he was facing one of the kingdom’s pinnacle powers.
(She's strong... stronger than Dieble-sensei, and definitely stronger than me...!)
"Rest-kun!"
"Rest-sama!"
(Still... I can't give up. Not with them watching.)
Viola and Primula were shouting their hearts out for him. He couldn't let them see him fail so miserably. He had come here to learn, but if he didn't give it his absolute all, he would never truly improve.
(I’m going all out... even if it feels like I’m trying to kill her...!)
"Ah... there it is. You’ve made up your mind. I like those eyes—they’re just like my husband’s were when he was young. My favorite kind of gaze."
Eilische’s lips curled into a delighted, predatory crescent.
"Come then. Let me give you that hug I promised."
"Here I come...!"
Physical Enhancement. Fortitude. Accelerator. Earth Wear.
He activated the Quartet.
Casing his body in a suit of earthen armor, he dropped into a low, sprinting stance.
"A Quartet... magnificent!"
"Launch!"
As Eilische voiced her praise, Rest exploded forward. He moved with a speed that defied the weight of his armor, possessing the momentum of a heavy motorcycle crashing at over a hundred kilometers per hour. He charged straight for her, aiming a reinforced punch directly at her torso.
"…………!"
"Yes, very good. Excellent, even."
But the attack was caught.
Eilische had added Fortitude to her Physical Enhancement. Faced with a woman who had reinforced her already monstrous body twice over, even a strike from Rest’s Quartet was useless.
"And here is your reward. Just as I said—a hug."
"Gah...!"
Eilische’s arms locked around him. His Earth Wear shattered with a deafening crack, and his body was pulled into a crushing backbreaker.
(My spine... it’s going to snap...!)
His vision went dark, and Rest plummeted into unconsciousness.
In the second duel held at the training grounds, Rest had once again been defeated, ending the match just as he had the first: out cold on the dirt.