Chapter 21: Weaknesses

As I was sitting, the speaker started his thing again.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the second round has ended today and now, only 25 competitiors are remaining. Third round will be a little special, just like round two. And what will be so special about it, obstacles. The field will be filled with obstacles, where your opponent can hide or even do stealth attacks so you must constantly be on guard. When the match starts, the position of our opponent will be selected randomly and they will need to find themselves. One good thing for our contestants is that in the field, there aren’t any traps so they do not need to be worried about their surroundings. What will be needed in this fight is a calm mind and good control of their powers. Now then, as I said before, one person will become the joker and will have a free ticket to the next round. If that is a good thing or not, depends on our joker. That’s everything from me. I hope our contestants will show us great matches. Applause for top 25 of this year.”

Cheering was heard all around us. When this tournament started, all seats were filled with people, now only a quarter remains. Its a surreal sight, it’s clearly showing us how things can change in one day.

I’m not strong enough now that I could see others in action. I surreally overwhelmed my opponents so far, but they were stronger in certain aspects than me. I could not control the mana balls like that. I could not create something like four tornadoes at the same time. Because void is so hard to learn. There are only few basic spells, not like other elements. You cannot even derive it to create other elements. Void is surely harder than other elements but it is fun for me and fulfilling too. To overcome obstacles with your own power is something grand in its own right.

I still remember my first day. I was much weaker than everybody else. My only redeeming thing was my brain. Thanks to that, I was able to close the gap and even surpass others, but not all of them. I need to change if I wish to survive in this cruel world. That much, I am certain of.

There’s no time for me to train my abilities, the only thing I can do is start learning my opponent’s tactics, moves and their habits. It’s time for me to become completely serious.

First two opponents were chosen and I, with complete concentration, was watching them. How they channel mana, how long it takes, what sort of movements is their weakness and their fighting spirit. If someone does not wish to win, then he will never win, no matter how strong the individual is.

The two that were fighting right now, did not have grand fighting spirit. They wanted to win but it wasn’t like their life depended on it. That is the biggest weakness when it comes to their fight.

Their fight ended with a so-so victory. They were almost equals and their power was definitely greater than in second round. All of us were hiding our true abilities and that didn’t change even now. Top 25 is not enough to show our trump cards. I think only in next round trump cards will be shown. My trump card, is not so easy to use but the effect is overwhelming, just how it should be.

I have several trump cards and I will definitely have to use all of them if I wish to win this fight. That’s how deep the essence of some people are.

The Second fight was of rank 1 and his opponent was one of those I could feel strong essence from. It looks like rank 1 felt it too because something he never showed before happened. He released his blood lust. You could see he wanted to fight without waiting any more. His thirst to fight was much greater than my fighting spirit. I knew it, I’m still too weak.

Their fight started and if the first fight was battle of tactics, than second fight was a battle of pure power. Rank 1 just charged straight through the obstacles, destroying them in the process. How could he do it, I don’t have any idea. He did not use any element and I could just feel a change in his mana flow but nothing else. It does not look like he used mana strengthening or something like that.

This skill looks troubling. If he can enhance his power so much without even mana strengthening than with it, he would be a complete monster. To go against him and win against such a state would be pure madness. Or so I thought until his opponent appeared at his back and shot at him big fire ball. You could see the extreme hit even in our seats. This fire ball had to be filled with immense amount of mana but that skill should be taught this year and it shouldn’t be known to us.

I heard of this skill, but to use it you need to reach certain conditions, sadly I don’t know them. Spells have a fixed amount of mana they use. Noone knows why it is so at the start but with training, you can control that amount. I think it has something to do with your soul or else it would be strange to why it would be so. Your soul probably limits the amount of mana your spells use so that your vessel or body would not be harmed. That’s why mages train even their body, to strengthen the vessel but if you could change the amount of mana you use in spells just with that, it would be too easy. I really wonder what the secret is. Well, I will learn it with time.

Some people thought it is the end of the fight after the fire ball hit him straight at his back and he even was sent flying. We could not see what happened to him because he crashed in the wall that fell on him. Referee also though it is the end and just as he was trying to declare winner, the ruins moved and he appeared from them, with tattered clothes but completely unharmed. Many had their mouth falling on the floor but I knew it wouldn’t be so easy.

He smiled for the first time in the tournament with a savage grin. His eyes filled with a desire to fight more but before his wish was fulfilled, his opponent conceded. It’s no wonder though, for that spell, he used all his mana, it was easy to see that he has problems standing. Rank 1 started to almost rampage but he calmed himself down and just stepped out of the arena even before referee declared him the winner.

That guy, his eyes look devoid of something. What is it? I could not find the answer but I could see his loneliness and longing. He must have lost something he is trying to find in this tournament. If it would be like in the books, than it would be a worthy opponent that would make his blood boil but I don’t think that is all, the only way to find out is when we will confront each other. Something is telling me it will happen.

Next few fights weren’t so drastic like the first two and the fighters would just overwhelm each other or would reach stalemate and waited until someone collapsed. There were a few fights that were interesting enough.

One of such was of Lili. For the first time in the tournament, she did not win easily. Yes, she won in the end but it was a close call. She had to use one of her trump cards to win. Her opponent just had the advantage against her. He was a earth mage and so wind could not damage him easily. That was until she used her trump card. It was scary I must say. She created several different air waves that were intertwined to each other and it was like she wanted to shred him piece by piece. He had to lock himself into earth prison and when her skill was slowly tearing it apart, it disappeared before it would kill him and he conceded. It was a terrifying sight and what’s more, that spell is extremely lethal and if she would just time it a little bit later, her opponent would be just paste and she would be disqualified. You can seriously harm your opponent but you mustn’t kill.

No kingdom would want to lose future assets.

Sani had it much easier this time and just punch her opponent until he was just a bloody mess. Irel had to use magic for the first time during the fight because his opponent was on the same level as mine in the second round.

Do you remember when I said some fights were boring because one overwhelmed the other. These two were the main culprits of this statement. The other was rank 2. He just went forward a few meters and slashed horizontally with his enchanted sword and cut through the scenery. His opponent conceded while his eyes were full of fear. I thought he was just good with enchanted gear but I knew I was mistaken after this fight.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

To cut through those things would be impossible just with the enchanted gear he has. The funny thing he is always changing the enchanted item. Only one is allowed during the fight. Is he testing them? Another question without an answer.

You probably thought I became the joker while I was talking about the fights but no, my fight came as second from the end. My opponent was a guy with fire affinity, our fight was something else, let me tell you.

We both reached the arena and I just waited in the column of light until it flashed and I appeared at the different spot like everybody else.

I appeared inside the forest. I get my wits back fast, at such time it is essential. I did not know where my opponent is and so I tried to find his essence without any luck.

I was moving in the crown of trees with silent steps. Only that way I could be at least a little bit safe but I was not conceited. It’s not like silent steps are all powerful. You can see the movement of the tree or feel the presence of the user. Every skill has a weakness and mine even more so. Only when I combine all of them my weaknesses diminish. This is the true strength of phantom arts. I did not use full potential of phantom step because I would pointlessly waste my mana. It is consuming slight amount of mana but even that slight amount becomes big with uses. I could use it constantly for 30 minutes if I wanted but that is my limit and I could not fight anymore.

As I was moving through the trees, I reached the plain, I say plain but it was more of destroyed ruins with some wall and pillars here and there. In the middle of the ruins, my opponent was standing. He had closed eyes and I could feel his mana fluctuating.

I leaped from the cover to cover and when I reached 10 meters from him and was hiding behind the pillar, red glow appeared under my feet and I jumped back, my right leg was burned a little. It was almost instantaneous. Fire pillar should take time to appear after invoking and a glow should be there 2 seconds before that. It can be shortened but it shouldn’t be so short but the biggest question was, how did he find me?

While I took another cower, the area where I was barraged with fire balls. The amount was great but the power not so much. He wanted to lure me and so I took the bait. I sprinted from the cover but not at him but to a place closer to him. In the middle of my run, another fire pillar appeared but this time I jumped forward, using my momentum. I rolled on the ground and as I stood up from my rolling, I saw fire lance flying at me. I used mana shield to protect myself but I could not envelop my whole body and some damage happened to me.

I sprinted on towards my opponent because it was impossible for him to see me envelop myself in a mana shield and even if he saw it, he would know I couldn’t protect myself fully so he would let his guard. And yes he did, but it was just another trap of his. As I was just 2 meters from him. Another red glow appeared under my feet and I just jumped directly at him again but what happened was the red glow where I stood diminished and exactly at the spot on the ground while I was in the air, appeared another. There wasn’t any time to use mana shield again and I already concentrated some mana so I did something I hoped would work, I fired mana ball directly at the glow and when it hit, a big explosion occurred and I was sent flying higher in the air but my opponent was sent flying too, straight at the wall. I could not let this chance slip by and so as I was rotating in the air, I tried to fix my position even though I couldn’t fully and just timed my attack with void blast to send it at his position.

I was lucky and it hit the place he was even though it wasn’t direct hit. If I would of used mana ball than it would never hit.

I started falling down and if I would hit the ground it would result in a big impact and so I used mana and released it out of my back, creating a cushion. Mana shield would not work due to its nature of creating a ball shape. It would probably shatter or I would be shook pretty badly. Mana shield appears around you and you are always directly at the center of it. With such a fall, my body would go through the impact and shock of the fall too. So creating a cushion with mana was better at the time.

My bones creaked and my head was pounding and hurting, I had to hurt myself. My Soul and mind did wonder though and I could move even through my disorientation. My opponent was getting up too and truthfully, I was afraid another red glow would appear under my feet. He probably created a mine field of the fire pillars and that’s why they could be used so fast and at such amount.

So I stayed at my place, and just bombed him with mana balls, like he did to me with his fire balls.

There was dust around him and I stopped when I was sure at least 4 hit him. When the dust settled, he was unconscious and I was the victor.

I went to sit at my seat after the fight and understood another weakness I had. I could not even use my sword in this fight. It’s like using just half of my power. If I would try to cut through those fire balls it would be much easier but they would explode when I would try to cut them. Another weakness I need to work on during tonight.

The Commentator did a good job with ending today’s part of the tournament and I was beaten as hell. Oh and the joker became some girl I don’t even remember seeing before.

Lili and Sani were worried about me getting back to the dorm even though I was healed thanks to the staff but I was under a shock to the system that could not be healed so easily so I was really busted with this and so I let them take me back to the dorm under the condition of Irel helping me and supporting me. He wanted to carry me in princess carry and I said ok. Oh boy he looked like a tomato. He never expected it.

When we reached the dorms, Irel went into his room and I told Lili and Sani they could go too but they would have none of it and went to my room.

Thankfully Alice wasn’t there or else I would be scolded. Sani wanted to make me something to eat but Alice left food for me and so she was dejected.

I told them I am okay and I can feed myself but they wanted to feed me so I let them. My head hurt, so I really did not want to argue with them. After they fed me, I wanted to change to my pajama and they wanted to help me with that too. When I told them what they wanted to do to me, they blushed and let it be. Thank god even though I would let them if they said they wouldn’t mind. I don’t see reason why not to accept. The reason I am thankful is that it did not happen, and he thought that they would bicker again like when they fed me and I would have spoon in my eye again, or in this case they would rip my upper part apart or something. They are scary.

I gave my farewell to them and said it's ok, I will go to sleep so no worry but I went to shower myself and brush my teeth even though my head hurt so much. When I was done, I went to my bed and closed my eyes to let sleep embrace me but was still thinking how to use my sword against magic and replaying today’s matches until sleep took me.

Another day and new injury to repertoire.

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Hi, new chapter and I must say it went great. Do problems during writing, no interruptions like 4 chapters before and no stopping in half. I think it’s much better than before and hope you will say the same to me.

Hope you enjoyed.

Pr: If theres any problems do tell author san,and enjoy this chapter!