Chapter 11: Breaking Through Limits
The most intensely contested vice-captain match of this year’s tournament had ended, leaving only the captain’s match to determine the victorious school in this year’s inter-academy competition.
The audience had been greatly stirred by the heated battle in the vice-captain match, but as the captain’s match approached, tension gradually began to permeate the venue.
This was a competition where the honor and prestige of their respective academies was at stake, and the victor of this battle would finally be decided.
Above all, the students were building up their expectations at the prospect of seeing that “Reacher Diablo” in action.
—In the midst of all this.
To the students eagerly awaiting the start of the captain’s match, an announcement echoed: “Here is an announcement regarding the captain’s match.”
“Carter-san, who was scheduled to serve as captain for Crawford Magic Academy, will be absent due to illness. Accordingly, ‘Ichinose Shion-san’ will participate as substitute captain.”
A murmur… rippled through the venue, and the atmosphere completely changed.
The students in the audience all wore puzzled expressions upon hearing the announcement.
“The Magic Academy’s captain is absent due to illness…?”
“The substitute Ichinose… who is that?”
“Never heard of him…”
The students showed lukewarm reactions to this completely unfamiliar competitor.
It was no wonder the audience’s excitement dropped.
“And here I thought we’d get to see that ‘Reacher Diablo’s’ true abilities…”
Just when they could finally see a match with the “strongest man of Knight Academy,” his opponent would be some unknown student with no notable achievements. They couldn’t even expect a proper fight.
“If anything, I would have liked to see him fight Yufia Queensroad or Alphonse Fried…”
“Yeah, absolutely. I can’t believe the final captain’s match turned into such a throwaway game…”
Such was the clearly dampened atmosphere that pervaded the venue.
But amid all this…
“Ichinose… that Ichinose…!?”
“Why is he in the captain’s match…!?”
There were students showing reactions clearly different from the surrounding audience.
These were Ichinose Shion’s classmates.
Having attended classes with Ichinose Shion daily and recognizing through practical lessons that Shion’s abilities were unmistakably “C-Class level,” they wore expressions of shock and bewilderment upon hearing the earlier announcement.
And among them was a student showing yet another different reaction from Ichinose Shion’s other classmates.
“A-A-Aniki!? My Aniki is going to compete-su!?”
The only one in the audience whose eyes lit up upon learning that Ichinose Shion would participate in the captain’s match was Elliott Friegan, the special student of weapon creation magic.
—And then…
“(…!! Ichinose-kun…?)”
Lina Restia, seated in the back row of the audience, covered her mouth with both hands and widened her eyes.
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In the Magic Academy’s preparation room within the arena, Ichinose Shion was receiving an explanation of the rules from the competition’s organizing committee.
“—Those are the rules of the match. Do you have any questions?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Understood. Now, as I mentioned earlier, if you judge that [victory would be difficult], we recommend a prompt resignation.”
“Yes.”
“Well then, I pray for your success. When you’re ready, please move to the entrance gate of the field.”
“Understood.”
After confirming that the rules were sufficiently clear, the committee member emphasized an early surrender once more and left the preparation room.
Afterward, Shion put on the reinforced fiber combat clothing prepared in the room and equipped black open-finger gloves for grip.
Then, taking up a single-edged sword with a slightly curved blade—what is called a “katana”—as his weapon of choice, Shion opened the door to the preparation room.
…Shion, who had been watching the vice-captain match from the back of the audience, was approached by a Magic Academy teacher in the middle of the match.
Led to the rear corridor of the audience for easier conversation, Shion received the request to “participate in the captain’s match.”
The teacher explained to Shion: “The fourth-year student scheduled to participate in the captain’s match would be absent due to illness,” “Other top-performing students had already declined participation,” “He, Shion, had been nominated due to strong recommendations from royal family members attending as guests and Eliza Lowred,” and finally, “If Shion declined to participate as substitute, the captain’s match would be canceled at that point, resulting in a forfeit loss.”
Even if he accepted the captain’s match, Shion understood better than anyone that he had no chance of winning.
Even if he could move quickly using “Limit Accel,” that alone couldn’t defeat his opponent. No matter how excellent his acting skills and rhetoric, no matter how confident he was in enduring hardship, no matter how well he could deceive his opponent, none of it would work within the “rules of this competition.”
Fighting under the competition’s rules, there was no possibility that Ichinose Shion could defeat a superior opponent—especially one said to rival even SS-Class.
But even so, he accepted participation in the captain’s match.
Even if he might make a fool of himself, even if he would lose pathetically in front of everyone, even if all the acting he had desperately maintained to mislead those around him would be ruined, still, he decided to participate.
Having been told that refusing to participate would result in an immediate forfeit, the option of not participating didn’t exist in his mind.
Having finished his match preparations with the captain’s match before him, he was focused solely on victory.
No matter how great the difference in ability, no matter how clear it was that he had no chance of winning, no matter how reckless it was, still, fighting spirit burned within him intensely enough to consume his very being.
As such a Shion exited the preparation room into the corridor…
“…!”
As if waiting for Shion to emerge, three magic academy students stood there.
“…There’s just one thing I thought I had to tell you.”
Meeting Shion face-to-face, the first to speak was Eliza Lowred.
“You became captain through my recommendation, so don’t lose and embarrass me too.”
To Eliza’s curt manner of speaking, Shion responded with a deliberately obtuse expression.
“Don’t lose and embarrass you—you lost in the middle match your—”
“Shut up, don’t talk, shut up. Close your mouth, don’t speak.”
Eliza rattled off rapidly with a vein bulging at her temple.
Seeing Eliza’s reaction, Shion’s mouth relaxed slightly.
Then Shion looked at Eliza with a suddenly serious expression.
“…”
“…W-What. …Are you perhaps angry about being dragged onto the main stage…?”
Eliza was under the misunderstanding that Shion was intentionally hiding his abilities. Therefore, despite her strong tone, she looked at him with apologetic eyes, wondering if he was displeased about being forced into the public eye through her recommendation.
To such a her, Shion shook his head left and right.
“…No, I’m not angry at all. Rather…”
“Rather…?”
Eliza sought the continuation of his words, but Shion shook his head sideways once more.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“W-What’s that!! Tell me!?”
“…It’s really nothing. Thanks for the support, Eliza.”
Shion smiled thinly. Then…
“Hah, haaa!? I’m not supporting you-! There’s no way I’d support you!! Idiot!! Lose!!”
Eliza turned her back on Shion while shouting and walked down the hallway with large strides, vigorously opening the door to the athletes’ waiting room.
Just when it seemed she would enter the waiting room, Eliza turned toward Shion for a moment with the door still open.
“…Actually, …forget what I just said. If you lose to someone else before I get my revenge, I won’t forgive you.”
Leaving those words, she entered the waiting room and closed the door.
…In the corridor after Eliza had left, after a brief silence, it was Alphonse Fried who spoke.
“Shion-kun.”
“…Alphonse.”
When Shion answered, Alphonse looked straight into Shion’s eyes and began to speak.
“First, I wanted to thank you.”
“Thanks?”
“Yeah. I was able to beat Lloyd thanks to you, Shion-kun. I won because you cooperated with me. So, thank you so much.”
When Alphonse bowed slightly, Shion shook his head slightly.
“I’m not involved. You beat Lloyd through your own ability, Alphonse.”
“No, it was thanks to you.”
Alphonse directed a gaze filled with strong will that this was non-negotiable.
To such a him, Shion laughed as if exasperated, “Is that so.”
“And there’s one more thing I want to tell you.”
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