Lurona city [southern shores of Fuminao Legacy Kingdom], local time [1794.01.11]

Zeph was intrigued. He knew well how devastating and unpredictable the fights between Manacaster could be.

Sure, Makani’s opponent wasn’t really up to par with a true Manacaster when it comes to external Mana manipulation, but she was sure to use Matrix Spells. In a direct fight, it was much easier to just abuse the System’s Matrices than to construct Spells manually.

Sure, being able to form at least two Spells at once was an advantage and the woman would have less flexibility. She would be also limited to the Spells available for her Class and Profession while being additionally limited by her Matrix space. Not to mention, she shouldn’t be able to modify them in any meaningful ways.

But, if she was an experienced Spellwielder with a lot of fights under her belt, the Duel could easily end in seconds. That was the difficulty of Mana-based fights happening on this stratum – ‘mages’ were squishy. And they didn’t have many Mana-relevant options to protect themselves.

‘Mana barriers’? Try to wave one, it sure would help.

If a person didn’t possess a ludicrously high control over their Mana, the best they could do was to form obstacles for the incoming Spell assault.

The best ‘barrier’ Zeph managed to invent was the one stemming from Telekinesis. Maybe, just maybe, he could form something better with his coolant – by freezing the moisture into a solid barrier. But that would depend, once again, on Force-Magicules. The sheer complexity of such a setup would deplete his Will in seconds, as it would require not only to keep the coolant in place over a vast area but also to reach a frozen body of matter – either the sea or the cold ground, both of which weren’t in any proximity of the arena.

In other words, besides thick and/or living armor, there was no true defense against fast-acting Spells. Maybe some enchantments on the armor could simulate that effect, but if so, he wasn’t privy to them.

The bodies of Manacasters weren’t supported by many ‘physical’ Passive Enhancements (PE). Most people were choosing to increase their ‘spiritual’ capacity to better manipulate their Mana.

‘Glass canons’ populated this stratum, at least in Zeph’s mind. In a Duel between such individuals, it wasn’t important how strong your Spells were – it was all about timing, precision, and speed.

That was exactly why he was so scared of fighting another Manacaster.

Each and every fight had the potential to become an unpredictable mess. One correct Spell, one diversion, and the whole fight could be decided.

Manacasters didn’t have the staying toughness of advanced warriors or higher-strata individuals. This kind of combatant was probably as squishy as it gets in this world, taking into account the relative power of Spells they could wield versus their body toughness.

And Zeph was one of those people.

At least he had his living armor and was somehow more prepared to receive heavy wounds of any kind. But that didn’t change the fact that the energies the people were able to use could easily maim a person with a ‘physical’ PE under a hundred.

On the other hand, the Spellwielder who stood against Makani was clearly investing in her body. The sheer fact that her visible equipment should be weighing 100 kilograms, at the very least, was saying enough.

P’pfel might have been able to bring his vehicle/armor to the field by himself—as stipulated in the rules—but there was no chance for him to actually fight when it was inert.

His whole Duel was about equipment and resources – if the armor was to be left without power, his overwhelming mobility and firepower would disappear. He could have, probably, still stand and fight, but it would just be a reversal of the ending of the actual fight – hoping to get your opponent with what was left or a trump card.

The fact that his opponent lost the jetpack at the end was either a strike of luck or a result of big-brain planning. Gaining air superiority wasn’t a bad idea, but it was as flawed as P’pfel’s vehicle – it could only take that much beating before collapsing while still requiring fuel.

Either way, people here were depending much more on their equipment than anything else. It was much easier to multiply your damage output if the right enchantments were placed on your gear. And, right now, it seemed that Makani was vastly overplayed in that regard.

As the countdown reached zero, both combatants moved.

Makani jumped up and, from that point, started to glide higher using some invisible air currents. The spiral trajectory of his ascend brought to mind Earth gliders riding the hot air above water reservoirs.

The woman ignored the terrain and simply rushed ahead, aiming at Makani’s location in a straight line. Ponds of water or not, her footing seemed as stable as if she was running on solid ground. A spray of displaced water and mud was left behind in her wake.

Also, more and more water was conglomerating around her form, dipping into all nooks and crannies of her – already impressive – armor and forming a second layer of protection.

It was a shame that they couldn’t hear anything because the water around Makani’s location suddenly started to distort, forming miniature but regular shapes on the surface.

Zeph knew that his friend was using some kind of Sound Spell, but it was hard to tell what exactly was being used. But the fact that he was using sound offensively was enough for him to smile. This fight wouldn’t be as simple as everyone predicted anymore.

During their hunt, Makani wasn’t able to use this kind of attacks. The physical manifestations of such Spells didn’t care about friend or foe, so it was much too easy to damage your teammates. For the very same reason, Zeph never used his Flash Spell in ages. The last time he did, he was paired with Aisha, who evidently was able to fight while blinded – back in the Barringstone village.

As a result, Zeph had a hidden card to play in his Duels. But now, it was also true for Makani.

The Manacaster understood him, it seems. Sounds could be harmful. And, finally, Makani managed to successfully weaponize them.

Zeph couldn’t be more proud. Makani never disclosed his latest improvements, so all of it was just guesswork on his part. But, either way, the physical effects were talking for themselves.

The woman faltered in her charge, almost sinking into the mushy ground in the process. Meanwhile, Makani was rising higher and higher into the air while throwing smoking bombs all around.

The putrid smoke they released while descending was unnaturally pushed down. Makani, obviously, also could use the Heat cantrip to set them on fire. Even keeping a pocked of superheated air under his robes to work as an igniter wouldn’t be much of a challenge to the Air Specialist.

Zeph suspected some of the robe’s enchantments could help with that, but he couldn’t be sure. But, as it was, the smoke show was more entertaining, it seemed. Even if everyone knew that Makani was specializing in air manipulation, doing it on such a scale was still something new for the audience.

All in all, it was the best area attack for physically-inclined opponents. Well, at least when disregarding chemicals in large quantities.

But Makani couldn’t just suffocate his opponent. P’pfel managed that only because of the scale of the air pollution. It was off the charts during his fight.

As the woman tried to find her footing, while coughing violently at the same time, Makani did something absolutely unthinkable for a person in his position.

He dropped down.

Yes, instead of keeping high ground, he actually threw himself at the opponent.

His trajectory was covered by the black smoke, and Zeph was sure his descent wasn’t producing any sound because the woman didn’t react at all. His robes weren’t even fluttering in the air, just stiffly bending upwards, uncovering the form-fitting trousers beneath.

With the speed of a falling brick, he landed feet-first on the woman’s back, just as she strengthened her grip on the water below and started to rise.

An explosion of red glitter ensued, followed shortly by the rainbow light show made by the barrier above and an announcement.

“Lesser Landlord Lavinia Naidaya critically wounded! Medical team deployed; help will be appreciated. Winner of the Duel - Sepia Familia! A truly crushing defeat!”

Zeph blinked owlishly. “How, tell me, did his legs and spine survived that?” he asked, pointing at the scene. Makani was in the process of diving down to bring the woman back to the surface.

“We took a page from your Telekinetic Spells when designing his robes,” professor P’pfel said, leaning back in his chair. “If he can fly up, he needs to have a way to land safely. Even when unconscious.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

That’s… very thoughtful, actually, Zeph thought, remembering a flying wizard from a certain game. It seemed that increasing your athletics by 1000 wasn’t exactly healthy without precautions – who would have thought.

“So what? He can just… fall from any height and be good?” he asked.

“Pretty much,” Aisha said. “But to require enchantments to survive just that…” She grimaced.

“What can you expect? He is a Manacaster through and through,” Ghrughah added.

“What about me?” He asked innocently, pointing at his bearded face.

“You cannot fly,” Aisha stated coldly. “And you just need 50 more Flexibility. 300 may be the sweet spot, but with your body enhancement, you should be alive enough after crashing down.”

“There goes my child dream…” he murmured, dejected.

“Better stop this farce and prepare mentally. You are next,” Kwan interjected, glancing at him.

“Yes, yes. I know.” He sighed, leaning down in his seat. “Any last advice before I leave?” he asked more seriously.

“Just do it quickly. No gadgets,” Aisha said.

“Use the electrifying enchantments when parring. They shouldn’t know about it yet,” Pavail said vigorously.

“But don’t use new explosives,” P’pfel added.

“Or that Spell.” Kwan glared.

“And you better—"

“Okay, okay! I will be careful and fight as blandly as possible! Geeez…” He shook his head at the ridiculous number of restrictions his guildmembers placed on him. “See ya later,” he said, standing up.

After gathering the necessary equipment, he left the room. An attendant responsible for getting him was already waiting outside, so she immediately showed him the way.

As the elevator—as steampunk as everything else here—started to descend, the woman started asking important questions.

“Your opponent has chosen the hill terrain for the start of the fight. Is that acceptable?”

“Do I even have a choice?” he asked rhetorically and without passion.

But, against his expectations, the attendant uncovered another detail of the proceedings.

“You have a right to veto the decision. If the terrain is too much of an obstacle for your fighting style, we can negotiate with the opposing side,” she said seriously. “It will require you to show some evidence of the fact, though.”

Zeph looked at her blindly for a moment. “No, no… Hills are alright…”

“Good.” She nodded, writing something down in a small notebook. “Do you have a direct help of any Onji?”

Zeph’s brew rose. “No? At least not… direct?”

The following questions all regarded the rules of the competition. In his mind, it was mostly to make sure he understood the restrictions and risks. It was quite funny in a way – asking questions about the terms and rules instead of reciting them blindly.

Earth could learn a thing or two from this, he thought, amused. It makes the legal rules so much more approachable…

“Now, please prepare an Effigy,” she finally said. “We will arrive at the auditorium hall shortly.”

He did just as she said and censured the ‘screenshot’ of his Interface. He would have to show his name, Class, Profession, levels in both, and the names of his PE. The last one was a precaution – people unbalanced in their PE had colored indicators of that fact in their Interface, and it was impossible to erase them from an Effigy. System-unbalanced people, like P’pfel, required more attention when it came to the balance of a Duel.

It was a little bizarre for Zeph, though. As much as the Duels were normal and accepted practice in these lands, he never expected this much control coming from the local government.

They entered a room that looked more like a dojo or gym hall – a wooden floor, white walls, and a high ceiling. In the center, four people stood. Three of them wore extravagantly decorated robes, and one was in full plate armor.

Zeph knew that his opponent would be a physically-inclined male of human race, but his height was something else. He was slender, as humans on Corora tended to, but stood way above two meters in height. He kept his helmet under one arm. His other hand was busy keeping his warhammer upright. The blunt face of the weapon was enormous, easily the size of a large monitor. The back ended in a wicked, curved edge not dissimilar to a pickaxe.

The man looked to be in his twenties, but his face was heavily scarred. In contrast to other Landlords he ever saw, this one looked more like an experienced warrior than a politician.

“Welcome, La-Einar,” one of the ornately dressed men said, nodding slightly in greeting. “Do you have any questions or should we proceed?”

As he stopped a few meters away, his attendant trotted to another man to deliver her notes.

“Everything seems clear to me, but… I didn’t hear much about the involvement of Soul-bonded organisms?” he suggested, careful with his wording.

“If they are in the arena, you are safe. The rules are quite lax because of the agreed-upon form of the Duels,” another man said with a tired voice. He seemed much older than his companions. “No need to register them, too.”

Zeph nodded, stepping closer.

“Let us proceed, then,” the third man said just as Zeph’s attendant left the room. “Is everything in order?” he turned to the first arbiter; the one reading the notes.

“Yes, everything is in order.”

The older man nodded. “Effigy please,” he said, gesturing to Zeph and his opponent.

After a quick evaluation, he nodded once again. Then, he straightened up.

Zeph—already knowing about the procedure—stepped forward, just as his opponent did. They ended up standing almost face-to-face with the old arbiter to Zeph’s right.

“Zeph Einar, Department Head of Sepia Familia Guild,” he started, looking at Zeph, “Arrio Arslancle, Lesser Landlord of Lurona city,” he continued, turning to Zeph’s opponent, “state your declarations!”

“I, Arrio Arslancle, will fight to uphold my heirloom and the honor of Lurona city’s Landlords,” the man opposite Zeph stated in a gruff voice arrogantly. “To not allow Kwan Gewong, an outsider and intruder, to attain the title.”

The older man nodded and turned to Zeph.

“I, Zeph Einar, will fight for our Guild. The title you speak of is merely an extension of our rights to the land; you have no right to contest it,” he spoke with resolve.

Grrru! his companion reported. A pseudo-Soul-bond formed. Something much more palpable than the hazy feeling Gru got while they were fighting animals.

It was just as Zeph predicted. It was a shame they weren’t in a position to truly test that bond. On the other hand, any confirmation of his insights was welcome.

“May the confrontation begin, and the strength contested,” the old arbiter quietly murmured.

Zeph and his opponent reached and crossed their arms.

“Let the Duel determine our future,” the man said, looking deep into Zeph’s eyes.

“You mean, the future of my Guild,” he said resolutely. “If you weren’t a coward that you are, you would be buying the land instead of fighting us.”

Arrio’s jaw clenched as he glared at Zeph. With a final push that threw Zeph’s arm away. After he disengaged, he turned around and walked away.

As for Zeph, he was impassively looking at the man’s back.

For all hype and warrior-like behavior, they can’t even stay calm in the face of small trash-talk? he thought, turning around and placing his helmet on his head. Like hell I will believe it. He’s either a perfect actor or a tool in the hands of giants, and nothing more.

He knew that he was generalizing and simplifying, but he hadn’t had a choice. It made things easier for him.

It was Zeph’s way of dealing with murder trauma. Not the one born from Soul shenanigans on Corora, but a true to its name, mental burden that came with killing another sapient being. He had enough of that on Earth to learn how to rationalize the problem.

It all came to one simple truth. If he arrived at the junction without any way out, he would prioritize his life over the lives of strangers. The fact that his past-self pushed him right into this junction could be omitted. Life was never linear or predictable. Especially because he was never able to predict the future – his decisions were made rationally at the time. And he did his best to never regret his choices.

However—he mused, arriving at the moving platform and removing the sheath from the tip of his spear—I can do that now, to some extent at least… don’t I? Predicting the future…

The sliding doors opened as the platform moved. The artistic interior of the rooms and hallways he passed were lost on him, as his focus was drifting closer and closer to the coming fight.

As the saying goes: ‘There is no glory in war’. To fight for one’s life was to concentrate on one’s survival. Not much attention could be spent on things besides that.

The platform landed on the top of a hill, around 70 meters away from his enemy. He stepped down, already preparing a few Spells in his Veil.

Yes – Spells. After the nightmare vision from the Adeptus Miu-something, he was inspired. Not only because of the man’s method of imploding the Mana in the vicinity—a thing he wouldn’t be able to mimic just yet—but also in the way the man was constructing his Spells.

Moreover, Zeph himself was actually straying in that direction for the longest time. All he had to do was to form multiple Spell components beforehand, and then assemble a full construct when needed. He was ways away from mastering the art – far enough to not even gain a General Skill for it – but he could, at least, form a few initial shapes that were included in his light Spells.

All of these fragments were being reinforced by encapsulating Mana-L – the main reason he had to prepare beforehand, as it took the most time.

But what was happening on the field wasn’t going to leave the field. The moment he stepped down from the platform, the Duel had started – meaning he could start to construct right away.

The countdown was just a way to buy them time to prepare. Which was especially important for the Manacasters. How the stadium checked the state of the combatants’ Veils beforehand was a mystery, but it probably had to do with their Onji.

Seeing the man in the distance, taking a running stance with his warhammer hold vertically, didn’t faze him. His relaxed posture didn’t sift. He was against a man of unknown abilities, so he had to be prepared for anything.

The extent of the arena was forgotten. The thousands of observers, hiding behind the tilted widows, were forgotten. The unpleasant feeling of becoming a gladiator-like source of entertainment was forgotten.

The only thing that mattered, was to survive.

As the countdown—loudly projected from multiple speaker-like enchantments around the arena—hit zero, the world around him immediately exploded into blackness.

Zeph retrieved the Spell components that he was assembling into a Flash Spell, and reached for the satchel on his belt. He jumped to the right while spinning, throwing the live-detecting beads all around. His Veil morphed, sending a mesh of condensed Mana in every direction while staying sharp at the border of his perception.

Next, he raptured one of the satchels keeping the exploding beads while waving his spear wildly all around.

He has to have a way to see me, or the blindness is just on me, he reasoned. Playing a victim isn’t that hard when he can’t see my face!

True enough, after ten seconds of this farce, the leftmost bead that was connected to his Mana tendril returned a reading. Of course, he wasn’t able to keep all the beads truly active – the Spells inside would produce the Magicules, but as long as it wasn’t his Mana, he wouldn’t receive any readings.

They were, basically, a smokescreen.

He immediately started constructing Flash while redirected his three Mana tendrils. Two of them to other live-detection beads, one to explosive bead that happened to be in the vicinity.

He saw nothing as his Flash Spell manifested, but heard the explosion that followed shortly.

Feeling danger, he took a more stable hold of his spear and moved the shaft to cover his right shin. At the same time, he released an electric charge through the enchantment.

A low grunt reverberated and his vision started to return. He jumped back two times, forcing one more bead to explode, as his eyes recovered from whatever the man did at the beginning.

His opponent was kneeling, using his warhammer to keep himself upright. The electric current seemed to influence the man’s body, probably thanks to the Magicules interacting with it. A person in full plate armor shouldn’t even feel that attack.

Zeph frowned. He could have ended the fight here and there, if only he used more detection Spells or techniques. He was too far away to attack though, and his Beam Spell would take too long to construct.

“Congratulations,” came a gruff voice. “You somehow survived the first round.”

Zeph looked at that man with wide eyes.

His armor was as pristine as at the beginning of their Duel.