NOVPUBWhen asked why he brought a sword to a magic duel, the answer lay in the sword’s strange form.
Its tip was blunt, and the thick blade wasn’t meant for cutting—it looked more like a tool for striking.
Rather than a proper weapon, it was closer to a magic staff crafted in the shape of a sword. In other words, it carried almost zero risk or lethality as an actual weapon.
The referee hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided it was fine.
“All right. Both of you—take your positions.”
At the referee’s command, Aidan and Jeban stood at opposite ends of the arena.
The spectators, who had been shouting moments ago, fell silent.
A hush blanketed the Second Training Ground.
In the center of that silence, Aidan and Jeban locked eyes with intense gazes.
“Begin!”
At the referee’s shout, both raised their staffs toward each other without hesitation.
They began weaving mana like threads, constructing their spell formulas.
The first move was a test—meant to probe and deal an early blow to the opponent.
In a battle between mages, the first principle was to assess the gap between oneself and the other.
That started with an exchange of 1st-circle magic.
Fsshh!
Aidan cast [Flowing Water], a 1st-circle water-element release spell.
Jeban countered with [Piercing Flame], a 1st-circle fire-element release spell.
“Oh, that was fast.”
“Same speed, huh.”
Their spells deployed simultaneously—neither faster nor slower than the other.
In other words, Aidan, whom many expected to be at a disadvantage, had matched Jeban’s spellcasting speed.
And then came the elemental contrast.
Aidan had cast water.
Jeban had cast fire.
There was no need to ask which element had the advantage.
‘Yes!’
Aidan shouted in triumph inwardly.
To gain the upper hand in the opening clash, it was crucial to dominate through elemental advantage.
It was a bit like rock-paper-scissors—but not purely luck-based.
‘I figured Jeban would use fire magic.’
Given Jeban’s fiery temperament and his disdain for Aidan, it made perfect sense that he’d start with the element packing the most raw power.
And Aidan’s prediction had been right on the mark.
He had read his opponent through psychology and prepared the appropriate counterspell.
Some students might’ve chalked it up to luck—but the instructors knew better.
“Oho. Looks like he’s off to a strong start,” said the Headmaster, clearly pleased.
Beside her, Hugo glared, unable to hide his discomfort.
“The duel isn’t over yet,” he snapped.
And Hugo wasn’t wrong. The situation wasn’t flowing in Aidan’s favor just yet.
When water and fire collided midair—
To everyone’s surprise, it was the flame that won, evaporating the water in an instant.
“What the—?”
“Did he just overpower water with fire?”
“Does that mean there’s that much difference in mana?”
Elemental advantages could be nullified by overwhelming magical power.
And that’s exactly what Jeban had done.
His flame scorched through the water effortlessly and flew straight toward Aidan.
Aidan ducked in panic, dodging the oncoming blaze. His shocked eyes turned to Jeban.
“Hah! Did you see that? That’s the difference between you and me, pathetic commoner.”
Even as he taunted, Jeban didn’t stop channeling mana.
While Aidan evaded, Jeban was already preparing his next spell.
Aidan corrected his stance and immediately responded with magic of his own.
Again, both cast 1st-circle spells.
This time, Jeban launched a lightning-element spell, while Aidan countered with a fire-element one.
Boom!
The two spells collided midair and canceled each other out.
But unlike the previous exchange, this clash occurred slightly closer to Aidan’s side.
Aidan was being pushed back.
“Hah! That’s all you’ve got?”
Jeban cast another spell—and Aidan responded as well.
Their magics collided once again in midair.
Knowing he was at a disadvantage in terms of firepower, Aidan channeled even more mana into his spell.
Boom!
Their third clash exploded just inches from Aidan’s face.
He was gradually losing ground.
“Ugh!”
The blast knocked Aidan slightly off balance.
“Aidan’s being pushed back!”
“Guess a commoner can’t overcome the gap after all?”
Hearing the crowd’s chatter only fueled Jeban’s excitement.
Now was the time!
Seizing the moment when Aidan faltered, Jeban unleashed another spell.
This time, he was determined to finish it.
Previously, both had cast spells simultaneously. Now, Jeban was much faster.
As his next spell took shape, Aidan tried to raise his staff to defend—but quickly changed his mind.
‘No. I won’t make it in time.’
Jeban had already begun forming his spell.
Even if Aidan tried {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} to catch up now, Jeban would finish casting first.
If he rushed the formula to prioritize speed, it would likely fail—and Jeban’s spell had far superior power.
If only he had access to Ludger’s “Source Code,” he might have been able to cast faster and seize the initiative.
‘But that’s not something I can do just yet.’
Realizing their casting speeds were equal during the earlier exchanges, Aidan knew he had to switch tactics.
‘Now’s the time to use what Ludger-sensei taught me.’
He hadn’t spent the last three days training until his body broke down for nothing.
Instead of raising his staff, Aidan suddenly lunged forward, charging straight at Jeban.
“What?!”
“He’s charging in?!”
“Did he give up or something?”
Gasps of confusion echoed through the audience.
Most assumed Aidan had thrown in the towel and was resorting to a desperate leap.
Using one’s body in a mage duel was anything but orthodox. 𝓃𝓸𝓿𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝓬ℴ𝓶
What was he planning—throw a punch?
“Savage. Typical commoner.”
“Aidan... what are you even trying to do?”
While the crowd either sneered or pitied him—
Jeban completed his spell.
“Hah! Giving up already, are you?!”
With a cruel grin, Jeban unleashed [Scorching Lightning], a 2nd-circle spell.
A swift strike of lightning that pierced through the body like a bolt from the heavens—among the strongest spells at that level.
The protective enchantments would prevent fatal injury, but given the mana coursing through him right now, it would still hurt like death itself.
Jeban aimed the spell directly at Aidan’s forehead.
“Take this!”
Aidan rushed forward, showing no hesitation.
A commoner was still just a commoner.
That was Aidan’s limit—Jeban was sure of it.
He activated [Scorching Lightning].
BZZZT!
A flash of yellow lightning formed in the air and shot toward Aidan like an arrow.
Everyone watching thought the duel was over.
‘That’s it. Jeban wins.’
Chris smirked, seeing the duel unfold exactly as he predicted.
He turned to Ludger, already savoring the sight of his rival’s humiliated expression—but—
“...What?”
Ludger was expressionless.
Calmly watching the duel, as if it wasn’t over yet.
A chill—like an invisible frost—ran down Chris’s spine.
“...!”
His eyes snapped back to the arena.
And in that instant, he saw it.
Aidan, still in mid-sprint, twisted his upper body and head to the side—dodging the oncoming lightning.
BZZZZT!
“Guh!”
The [Scorching Lightning] grazed Aidan’s cheek and shoulder, drawing a wince of pain from him—but that was all.
Aidan didn’t stop.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Chris stared in silent shock.
He understood exactly how Aidan had managed to dodge the attack.
‘Even under that pressure... he didn’t take his eyes off the enemy?’
When freshmen engage in magic duels, they often display the telltale signs of inexperience—rookie behavior.
Turning their gaze away from their opponent. Shutting their eyes when magic flies toward them. Raising an arm out of reflex instead of forming a defense.
The moment they sense pain approaching, their body moves on instinct.
It’s natural.
It’s human instinct.
And the only way to reduce that response is through long-term training and conditioning.
But Aidan was a freshman who’d only just entered the academy. A novice with little understanding of magic.
A commoner who hadn’t even grown up in a proper environment to receive training.
‘And yet...’
Even with a spell flying straight toward his forehead, Aidan hadn’t flinched. He didn’t avert his gaze. He hadn’t stopped moving.
That wasn’t luck.
It was courage. Willpower. The unshakable belief that he could endure the pain and push through it.
He had conviction that he could dodge it.
‘But... to recover his stance and cast a spell right after that—he’ll still need time!’
Chris’s assessment was accurate. The initiative still belonged to Jeban.
And Jeban, as if to answer that belief, sprang into action.
He realized his attack had missed, and though he faltered briefly in surprise, he quickly moved on to prepare his next spell.
Aidan was still on the move—there should’ve been no opening to cast a spell...
“...!”
But then Jeban saw the spell array forming right in front of Aidan—and his eyes widened in disbelief.
Hugo and Professor Marie were equally stunned.
The Headmaster let out a low whistle, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Chris needed no explanation.
He recognized what Aidan had just done.
“K-Kinetic casting!”
Kinetic casting—a combat mage’s technique of casting spells while on the move. A real battle tactic.
Chris turned to look at Ludger.
The man who hadn’t taken his eyes off the duel once... now wore the faintest trace of a smile.
‘He... taught him this?!’
There was no way Ludger could’ve taught a “guaranteed-win” spell in such a short time. His options must’ve been limited.
That’s why Chris had handed Jeban the mana amplification tonic, even if it meant being underhanded.
Winning was all that mattered.
But Ludger hadn’t taken that route.
In just three days, he had taught a commoner a real battle mage’s technique—kinetic casting.
‘He learned that in only three days?’
No—that wasn’t the point.
This wasn’t about Ludger teaching it in three days.
This was about Aidan learning it in three days.
‘A mere commoner... possessing that kind of talent?’
Chris couldn’t understand.
While Jeban and Chris had been basking in the certainty of victory, spending their time in complacency...
Aidan had poured himself into training under Ludger’s guidance—relentlessly, fiercely.
While Chris had decided that nothing would change, those two had been grinding away beneath the surface to change everything.
He would never know.
Even if someone explained it to him—he wouldn’t understand.
That’s how absurd this moment was.
‘Jeban! You fool! Cancel the spell!’
Chris wanted to scream, but his last shred of reason kept his mouth shut.
If he shouted now, it would ruin the fairness of the duel. It would destroy his own image.
All he could do was hope that Jeban would notice something was wrong and act accordingly.
‘Too late.’
Chris shut his eyes tightly.
Jeban hadn’t expected Aidan to cast magic while running.
He was still preparing his next spell.
If he had hesitated after Aidan dodged his magic, things might’ve gone differently.
But Jeban’s half-baked talent ended up acting as his own shackle.
He had the ability to respond quickly to irregular situations—but not when they happened twice in a row.
“Huh?”
Finally seeing the completed spell circle in front of Aidan, Jeban realized something was wrong.
But it was too late to finish his own casting.
Aidan released the spell he had practiced so obsessively: [Glowing Stone].
Just a 1st-circle spell. Basic. Simple.
But used in that moment—when the opponent was shocked and unguarded—it was deadly.
Smack!
The Glowing Stone shattered Jeban’s forming spell and broke through.
And it didn’t stop there.
It slammed square into Jeban’s forehead.
“Guh—!”
It wasn’t fatal. But the pain couldn’t be completely absorbed by the safety barrier either.
The sudden jolt of impact made his vision spin—and Jeban stumbled backward, crashing to the ground.
His limbs slowed, his thoughts went numb—like being dunked in ice water.
That brief five-second exchange—
—had decided the entire duel.
Jeban staggered to his feet.
But now, the initiative had fully shifted.
And Aidan had no intention of letting it slip away.
‘It’s over.’
Ludger observed the scene, utterly satisfied.
The flow had completely turned in Aidan’s favor.
If this were some crude fistfight, maybe Jeban could still have a chance.
But a magic duel didn’t work that way.
It was a strict, turn-based exchange.
The moment you lost control of the rhythm—when you lost your footing—defeat was almost guaranteed.
Aidan raised his staff and pointed it at Jeban.
“...Now it’s my turn.”
“N-no—!”
But Jeban’s desperate cry did nothing.
Aidan’s spell flew forward, striking Jeban over and over.
The moment the total mana value in Jeban’s protective barrier dropped to zero...
...the duel was over.
