Eugene analyzed the sparring match between Algina and Noan that had taken place just moments ago.
‘Thunder God Spear…… its power is still the same.’
Noan had aimed for Algina with a technique called the pinnacle of lightning magic.
Noan had seemed minutely faster in casting.
But Algina had woven her formula at a speed that did not fall behind Noan, the master of high-speed casting.
She had created a wall of water before her, blocked the lightning Noan fired, and at the same time launched it to blow Noan away.
‘Defense and offense at the same time.’
If that was possible, it did not matter if her casting speed was somewhat slower.
Pssssssss-
With a strange sound, the water scattered across the parade ground evaporated with a blue light.
In order to reduce mana consumption, she had intentionally loosened the mana connection generously so that it would vanish quickly.
The regressed Eugene knew Algina’s technique.
Magic that handled water.
At a glance, being able to handle water did not seem as strong as handling lightning or fire.
In fact, for various reasons, water-handling magic was considered less efficient for combat than other kinds of magic.
But Algina was different.
She had learned a technique that granted several properties to water and gained enormous combat power.
‘The water the commander creates has viscosity.’
A sticky liquid like melted taffy.
On top of that, it rotated at high speed and high pressure.
At a glance, it merely looked like a gathered mass of water, but if one even put a finger into it, it was a murderous liquid that would grind through bone.
Eugene thought,
‘I absolutely can’t win in a head-on fight.’
Algina’s defensive power was tremendous.
If it were his prime, perhaps things would be different, but right now, with his mana and body not yet fully refined, he could not pierce it with a maximum-output Arcane Cannon.
On top of that, she was someone who could throw that barrier as it was and apply it as an attack. A basic exchange of offense and defense itself could not be established.
‘But that doesn’t mean there’s no method.’
Nearly ten years of combat experience gained through regression.
Having obtained various means from that, Eugene judged that his chances of victory were not zero.
Eugene stood at the center of the parade ground. Then he looked at Algina.
“I’m ready. Let us begin.”
“Good.”
Algina merely stared blankly at Eugene as if telling him to try attacking.
This was not an actual battle, so she was giving him the leisure to display his technique.
In response, Eugene drew in one breath, then wove magic in one go.
[Arcane Barrier]
CRAAACK!
The barrier Eugene created blocked the tidal wave Algina emitted.
“Ghk!”
Kagagagagaga-!
The water current clawed across the blue mana barrier and scattered flowers of droplets.
The barrier, which should have been harder than diamond, screamed as if it would be crushed at any moment.
And Eugene continued casting magic.
If Noan was a mage focused on speed, Eugene was a mage focused on diverse methods.
Casting several spells at once.
Multi-casting was his specialty.
[Arcane Shuriken]
Light flashed beside him, and over a dozen disc-shaped blades made of arcane force were created.
Round arcane waves focused on the edges of the discs, then exploded.
They were launched and flew.
Shrrrrrrrit!
With a sound of cutting through wind, the arcane-force blades drew arcs as they flew toward Algina.
Their power was nothing special, but they were not attacks one could take with a bare body. Algina snapped her fingers and deflected the shuriken with a ring of water wrapping around her body in the shape of a sphere.
Then she swung it.
Taaaaang!
An ultra-high-pressure liquid whip that could tear even a castle wall to pieces struck Eugene’s barrier.
A terrifying explosion erupted, and a crack split across Eugene’s barrier.
Eugene quickly poured mana into it and repaired the barrier.
His face was red as if he had been drinking. His eyes were bloodshot.
He was displaying terrifying concentration and weaving magic in succession.
Flash, flash!
Around his body, round magic circles unfolded one after another in circles like flower petals blooming.
The rotating magic circles spun like precise machines, layering fearsome mana.
Algina realized what Eugene was doing.
‘He is not unfolding the formula all at once, but dividing it into stages.’
That was not all.
He did not stop deploying his barrier or his restraining attacks toward Algina. While doing that, in another direction, he was deploying a massive formula capable of piercing Algina’s defense.
How much rapid calculation ability and concentration were needed for that to be possible?
Frightening multi-casting ability.
And witty mana operation.
‘As expected, he does have skill worthy of Sir Victor’s praise.’
Eugene would never know, even if he died and came back to life, just how fiercely Victor of the Arcane Magic Tower, who had taken over the position of imperial magic advisor in Algina’s place, had praised him.
Algina smiled with a satisfied hum.
She had seen enough of his skill, so now it was time to give him a bitter taste.
Drops of water swirled around her and gathered, then loaded themselves as dozens of shells.
[Water Cannon]
They were launched with explosions.
BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM!
With the sound of a waterfall crashing down, a fierce banquet of liquid rushed toward Eugene.
Dozens of Water Cannons began battering Eugene’s barrier.
Algina had completely shifted to attack, intending to break Eugene’s defense with overwhelming firepower.
“Guh-.”
Letting out a painful breath, Eugene deployed another formula.
He changed the shape of the barrier. He stretched the round disk-like shield long and redesigned it into a cone.
With the slanted angle of the twisted barrier, he deflected the incoming Water Cannons.
A technique that adjusted the angle of defense and let force flow away.
That was not a method as a mage, but a method as a warrior.
Watching the sight from a distance, Bella thought,
‘It seems Eugene has greater combat experience itself.’
That was what was making the current fight possible.
The difference in actual combat experience had a truly great influence in battle. Even a clumsy trainee could do one person’s share after surviving a single battle.
If someone fought three times and survived, they were already a seasoned soldier.
And before returning, Eugene and Bella had fought hundreds of battles during the war against the Voidnir.
She looked at Algina.
A tremendous amount of mana that was hard to believe belonged to a human. Speed and concentration that approached Noan and Eugene, who specialized in high-speed casting and multi-casting.
And mana efficiency no one could follow.
‘She is on a different level.’
Bella did not know much about the world of mages. However, with her unique senses, she could predict the degree of strength.
Whether it was fighting skill or anything else, the basic ability values themselves were no match.
It was truly a battle between an elephant and an ant.
If this were combat, defeat would be inevitable.
“…….”
However.
In a sparring match, no one knew.
BAAAANG!
Algina’s Water Cannon flew once again and battered Eugene’s barrier. But it still could not break through it.
“……!”
Surprise appeared in Algina’s eyes.
It was because Eugene’s skill was better than she had expected.
The cone-shaped arcane barrier he had created.
Ordinarily, just performing crystallization to raise its strength would leave one gasping, and yet he had even applied a transformation of its shape on top of that.
‘That is not all.’
Eugene was adding mana only at the moment attacks came in, raising and lowering output to achieve maximum efficiency.
‘His proficiency is high.’
Even combat mages who had rolled across battlefields for years did not handle magic that skillfully.
Algina was impressed.
Was it talent?
Or was there some other story behind it?
She did not know.
One thing was certain.
Eugene Brace already possessed ability worthy of the position of Tower Master.
“Haha.”
Algina let out a hollow laugh.
She drew up even more of the mana still sleeping within her.
If he had talent, then all the more reason to press down his pride here.
For one who did not know their own insufficiency could never grow.
Before her eyes, a complex structural formula appeared, like the one Eugene had woven.
Clack, clack-
Gears of mana fit together in an instant, scattering metallic sounds.
The Water Dragon Cannon, created by focusing the pressure of dozens of Water Cannons.
‘This ends it.’
She was just about to fire the Water Dragon Cannon.
At that moment.
Suddenly, the barrier blocking Eugene’s front lowered.
“Ah……!”
If she fired like this, Eugene would die.
Just as the startled Algina let out a foolish sound,
Eugene moved.
The magic circles embroidered over his body were sucked into a single point in an instant and summoned one muzzle.
The extended supports drove into the ground.
[Eye of Ruin]
A technique called the pinnacle of arcane-attribute attack magic, firing an extremely compressed crystallized warhead at supersonic speed using arcane waves and the muzzle he had created.
The muzzle spat blue flame.
KRAAAANG!
A strike that could pierce even a dragon’s head if it landed struck Algina.
Fwaaaaaa-
Along with an enormous shock wave, water mist spread.
From within it, Algina revealed herself.
“You little…….”
Algina walked out of the water mist and shook the moisture from her hand.
Her fingertips were trembling slightly, but she did not look injured in the slightest.
She had converted the Water Dragon Cannon she had been about to fire at Eugene into a barrier and blocked the Eye of Ruin.
It was a trick possible only for Algina, who could freely switch between attack and defense.
Algina bit her lip and looked at Eugene.
“You are really going to get scolded.”
She knew he had done it to create an opening, but suddenly lowering his barrier like that!
That was the same as an opponent suddenly offering their neck to the other side’s blade in a true-sword duel held under agreement between skilled fighters.
In short, it was an extremely rude act.
Algina swung her hand.
Five streams of water flowing from her fingertips became whips dozens of meters long and struck Eugene.
“Gweeeek!”
Having lost most of his mana through unreasonable magic operation, Eugene could not put up any real resistance and had to let out a sorrowful scream.
Just like Noan earlier, he flew to the end of the parade ground, slammed his torso into the wall, and rolled like garbage.
“Idiot. Even good guts should be shown in moderation.”
She had almost killed a promising member with her own hands.
Algina pressed her forehead with an irritated expression.
She had felt it when he suddenly came asking for permission to have an opposite-sex partner, but the premonition that Eugene would cause accidents throughout his life in the Order now swept over her.
That was when she was thinking over how to deal with Eugene.
Suddenly, above Algina.
Crackle-
Sparks of mana rose.
Fwaaaa!
A spray of water suddenly surged up and wrapped around her entire body. At the same time, a healing spell unfolded and raced across her body.
A barrier. And Rapid Regeneration.
“Siquel? Why suddenly?”
It was automatic defense activated by Siquel, the artificial spirit Algina had built.
It was an automated magic formula that detected even threats Algina herself had not perceived and reflexively deployed designated defensive magic.
The fact that Siquel had reacted meant that something had threatened Algina’s safety.
“What on earth…….”
The flustered Algina suddenly discovered something strange around her.
A subtle wave of mana was flowing around her body.
A sour smell tickled her nose.
Only then did Algina realize the identity of the danger. She quickly covered her mouth and nose.
‘Poison……!’
She hurriedly swung her remaining hand to erase the mana lingering around her, then inhaled the cleared air once more.
Tracing back the remaining mana traces, she soon realized that it was magic Eugene had deployed.
“…….”
This time, she was truly shocked.
To think he had attempted an invisible attack using poison magic, which was not even his specialty.
On top of that, the mana manipulation had been so stealthy that even Algina had not noticed it.
The repeated restraints and massive techniques like Eye of Ruin had all been nothing more than smoke screens to divert her gaze.
Was that not magic operation so practical that it sent a chill down her spine?
Algina was a person of a peaceful era.
Although she had risen to the position of commander, the number of times she had experienced actual battle could be counted on two fingers.
‘There was merely a difference in magical skill.’
Algina judged that, when it came to battle, Eugene was better than herself.
Tremendous application and control of arcane magic.
And on top of that, excellent practical combat sense.
‘That boy…….’
Algina directed her gaze toward Eugene, far away.
Bella, who had approached him before she knew it, was seen taking care of him as he lay collapsed.
Bella naturally lifted the limp Eugene and carried him on her back.
She seemed to be taking good care of him like that, only to suddenly slam Eugene, who had been on her back, back down.
Then she shouted in a shrill voice.
“W-waaah, carry me?! Damn it, that gave me chills! Have you really gone insane?!”
“It was a joke! A joke! You can’t even take that much of a joke?”
The two began squabbling, just as Algina had seen several times before.
Algina watched them closely.
According to records until now, every dragon of a Twinstella had entered society after discharge by following their human partner.
Their relationship with their partner was deep, but the dragon themself did not have an established position compared to their partner, so it could only naturally turn out that way.
Thus, unless something unusual happened, Bella would also finish everything and return to the Magic Tower together with Eugene.
“The Arcane Magic Tower is very fortunate.”
Algina could only smile bitterly.