The moment the Rank Battle¹ began, Allen charged with a ferocity that caught the air. In his left hand, he gripped a blunted training dagger in a reverse hold.
(Hollow-kun's innate ability is <Refraction>², a high-tier magic that warps any object he touches, living or not. But it requires frame-perfect mana control, making him weak in high-speed, close-quarters brawls. I've done the research. As long as I watch his hands - the source of the magic - I can definitely - !)
CRACK.
A sharp, sickening thud echoed through the arena. Allen recoiled, his vision blurring as tears pricked his eyes. A thin trail of crimson leaked from his forehead, matting his hair.
"This is... a <Wall>!?"
Towering before him was a massive, semi-transparent barrier, visible only to those straining their eyes. He had sprinted into it at full speed.
"What is that pathetic look on your face?" Hollow asked, his hands still tucked casually into his pockets. "Don't tell me you actually thought I'd use my innate magic on you?"
"I - well, I..."
Allen's stammer told the whole story. Hollow watched him, realizing the boy had been so wary of <Refraction> that he'd neglected everything else. He hadn't even noticed a basic <Barrier> until he'd tasted it.
"They say a lion exerts all its strength even when hunting a rabbit," Hollow said, his voice dripping with aristocratic disdain, "but I won't waste the effort to stomp an ant. For someone like you, a single <Wall> is more than enough."
(If I fight using only barriers, the protagonist won't gain any real experience, and his leveling will stall,) Hollow thought. (An overwhelming victory like this preserves my status as a villainous noble. I've put in the steady, boring work specifically to handle irregularities like this.)
Allen, however, found his footing. "No <Refraction>, just <Barriers>... I see. In that case, I'll just have to give it my all until you take me seriously!"
Mana surged into Allen's legs as he began to move at a blinding pace. This time, he didn't take the shortest path; he used a wide zigzag to shake Hollow's aim.
(He's adapted to the barriers already?) Hollow noted. (He realized a linear charge makes him easy prey. He learned that in a single exchange and adjusted. Just like the original story said - the protagonist is a combat genius.)
"Hey, he's too fast!" a student shouted from the stands.
"That agility, boosted by mana... it's insane," another added.
"I see," a third student remarked. "So that superhuman strength is why a Preparatory Student got shoved into the Special Advanced Class."
As the crowd grew restless, Hollow remained unimpressed. "Hmph. A one-trick pony."
Without taking his hands from his pockets, Hollow deployed his magic at a terrifying speed. Walls of varying sizes erupted like a forest, cutting off every path Allen attempted to take.
"What!?" Allen cried, pivoting mid-air. He tried to change course, but a fresh wave of barriers blocked him instantly.
"What kind of construction speed is that!?" someone in the audience yelled. "He's out-casting Allen's movement! I don't care if it's a low-tier spell; that speed is a total anomaly!"
Dry laughter broke out among the spectators. Hollow watched as Allen's speed finally dipped. (He's trying to think.) Hollow didn't give him the chance, launching a flood of barriers toward the boy.
Allen slammed his heels into the dirt, going full throttle as he leaped forward. A split second later, a violent wave of force tore through the space he had occupied, gouging into the practice ground's outer wall.
(Close. Just a few more inches and I would have pinned him,) Hollow mused.
(That was way too close!) Allen thought, his heart pounding. (Using <Barrier> like that... Hollow-kun really is incredible!)
From there, the battle became a one-sided suffocating press. Hollow continued to expand his field of walls, systematically reducing the available space.
"What happened to that momentum?" Hollow taunted. "You can't win by running."
(I can't stop,) Allen told himself, his lungs burning. (If I stop for even a second, these walls will swallow me whole.)
(Perfect. Just like this,) Hollow thought. (If I keep this up, I can end the Rank Battle on my terms. But I can't get impatient. My only enemies right now are my own pride and carelessness. As long as I keep playing the optimal moves, the win will fall into my lap.)
Allen's face was twisted with desperation. (He hasn't moved a single step since the start. I'm burning through my mana just to stay alive. I'm being bled dry...)
(I've neutralized his speed,) Hollow observed. (Which means next comes... his brute force.)
"Let's see you block THIS!" Allen roared. He funneled a massive amount of mana into his right fist and threw a desperate straight punch at the wall in front of him.
Hollow knew the boy's secrets; the Hero's Factor and the Demon King's Factor both resided within him. A normal barrier would have shattered like glass under that impact.
(Too bad my <Barrier> is a custom build,) Hollow thought.
BOOM.
A shockwave ripped through the arena as Allen's fist connected. The air screamed, but the wall held firm.
"Agh...!" Allen winced. His knuckles split, painting the translucent surface with red. (It's... it's like hitting a mountain. How much mana did he pack into this one layer!?)
(I didn't spend my life speccing into 'Defense' and 'Recovery' for nothing,) Hollow thought. (This is a 'Super-Survival Build.' These walls can tank a direct hit from a cannon.)
Allen panted, clutching his trembling hand. (It's... okay. It hurts like hell, but the bone isn't broken. I can still swing.)
"The gap in our power is obvious," Hollow said, his voice bored. "Any more is a waste of time. Give it up and admit you've lost."
(I shouldn't push him too far,) Hollow warned himself. (Allen is the world's favorite. If I back him into a corner, some narrative convenience will bail him out. It's best to end this while I have the clear advantage.)
But Allen didn't look defeated. Instead, he smiled. "Hollow-kun... you really are kind."
"...What?" Hollow asked, genuinely confused.
"Thank you... for worrying about me. For trying to stop this before I got seriously hurt. But it's okay! I can still keep going!"
(No, that's not it at all,) Hollow thought, his internal voice reaching a frantic pitch. (I don't care about your health! I'm trying to avoid a scripted power-up! Stop misinterpreting me!)
While Hollow grappled with the protagonist's 'Ultimate Delusion', Allen's spirit caught fire. (He's so strong... so kind. The perfect Mage. It hurts, it's agonizing... but fighting him is the most fun I've ever had!)
Allen kicked off the ground, his speed suddenly doubling.
"Hmph, it's the same no matter - wait!"
Hollow's next thirty layers of defense were vaporized instantly. Allen was moving faster than the barriers could form.
(Is that... <Factor Resonance>³!?) Hollow's stomach dropped. (The three-percent proc rate? He pulled it now!? That 'Cheat Ability' is the definition of plot armor!)
"Tch!" Hollow finally pulled his right hand out of his pocket, thrusting it forward to assist the coordinate calculations. He spammed a hundred walls in a single breath to wall the boy off.
"NOT YET!" Allen roared, weaving through the maze like a bolt of lightning.
(I hate protagonists,) Hollow grumbled. (His stats are scaling in real-time. I have to end this before he reaches a new plateau.)
The distance closed to three meters. Allen was in the red zone.
"I'm through your walls!"
"Yeah? Depends on how I use them."
Hollow snapped his fingers. A pyramid of reinforced barriers encased him - an omnidirectional, high-density bunker. Allen's power was peaking, but he couldn't break a triple-hardened shell with his bare hands.
Allen grinned. "<Zero Counter>⁴!"
A piercing, crystalline chime rang out. The pyramid defense simply vanished.
(An Innate Counter-Magic?) Hollow's eyes widened. (He was hiding that the whole time?)
Allen lunged through the opening, swinging his dagger in a finishing move. "This is my - "
" - Actually, it's your loss."
Allen's blade hissed through empty air.
"No way, he's go - "
"Where are you looking, Allen?"
Hollow had used that split-second opening to move. Capitalizing on his own hidden physical stats, he'd circled behind the boy. He delivered a brutal, precise kick directly into Allen's unprotected ribs.
"Gah-ha!"
The air left Allen's lungs in a single burst. He was sent flying horizontally, skipping across the dirt before slamming into the arena wall with a heavy thud. He slumped over, motionless.
"That's the match!" the teacher shouted. "Winner: Hollow von Heisenberg!"
Hollow exhaled, tucking his hands back into his pockets as the villainous persona settled back over him. The first Rank Battle was over. He had beaten the protagonist, but he had a feeling his peaceful life was about to get a lot more complicated.
Summary:
Hollow von Heisenberg faces the protagonist, Allen, in their first official Rank Battle. Despite Allen's protagonist status and 'Factor Resonance' power-up, Hollow secures a decisive victory using high-speed barrier construction and tactical evasion. The chapter ends with Hollow's victory being declared, marking a subversion of typical shounen tropes where the hero triumphs through grit.
Trivia:
- Hollow's focus on 'Defense' and 'Recovery' suggests his long-term strategy is survival rather than conquest.
- Allen's 'Ultimate Delusion'—interpreting Hollow's pragmatism as kindness—flags him as a persistent, potentially annoying ally in the future.
- The use of <Zero Counter> reveals Allen was hiding a high-level trump card, implying he is more dangerous than Hollow's initial data suggested.
- Hollow's hidden 'physical stats' allow him to outmaneuver a resonance-boosted Allen, hinting that Hollow's training went beyond just magic casting
Character Insight:
The dynamic shifts from mutual wariness to a one-sided admiration. Allen now views Hollow as an 'ideal Mage' and a mentor-like figure who 'worried' about his safety, while Hollow views Allen as a dangerous 'Incarnation of Opportunism' to be managed rather than befriended.
Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
Introduction of 'Factor Resonance,' a rare (3%) ability triggered by emotional or physical crises in those with Hero/Demon King factors. The magic system categorizes spells like <Zero Counter> as 'Innate' and distinguishes 'Origin Class' magic as superior versions of common spells.
TL Notes:
The chapter title 'Opportunism' (ご都合主義) is a meta-commentary on the 'plot armor' frequently found in light novels. The translation preserves this by having Hollow explicitly call out Allen's 'scripted convenience' in his internal monologue.
TL Notes:
1 ↩ Rank Battle: A formalized duel system within the academy used to determine student standing and prestige.
2 ↩ Refraction: Hollow's unique innate magic. It allows for the manipulation and 'bending' of objects, though it requires intense concentration.
3 ↩ Factor Resonance: A phenomenon where dormant genetic factors (Hero/Demon King) synchronize to provide a massive, temporary stat boost.
4 ↩ Zero Counter: An innate magic that copies an incoming spell and releases an opposite-phase version to nullify it.
Notes:
• Allen - Fifteen‑year‑old protagonist of Ronzolkia, now a preparatory student in the Special Advanced Class under Hollow’s watch. Snow‑white medium hair, sky‑blue eyes, androgynous gentle smile, wears a white track uniform and a ‘White‑Vest’ denoting his underdog status. Rank 31, last place, yet wields Hero’s and Demon King’s factors, high‑agility dagger style, and is genuinely kind.
• Hollow - 15‑year‑old heir of the Heisenberg ducal house, 170 cm tall, dark crimson medium‑length hair in a ribbon‑ponytail, crimson eyes, lean aristocratic build; wears a black school uniform with a navy jacket. Top‑ranked freshman at Redrick Academy, known as the Vile Aristocrat and founder of the organization ‘Void’ under the alias Void. He wields Origin‑Class innate magic ‘Void’ and Refraction, hides intense training behind a slothful façade, sits by the window, and plots ruthlessly as a transmigrated noble.
• Heisenberg - Lord of the Heisenberg family. One of the Four Great Noble Houses. Noted for his immense wealth and territorial holdings.