While great cheers rose from the audience seats, a quiet and tense atmosphere drifted within the field.
Shion held a single sword in his hand. And facing him from thirty meters away was Reacher Diablo, clad in medium-weight armor from head to toe, holding a longsword in middle guard position.
Now, on the verge of the match start signal, Reacher was already emanating a killing intent so intense it reached Shion.
Shion clearly felt it with his skin. 一The place where he stood was already within his opponent’s range.
Even that “Black Dragon of Destruction, Schwarzwaldius” probably didn’t have this much intimidating presence… Shion gripped his sword hilt tightly.
Shion didn’t know much about Reacher Diablo in detail. However, even so一
“(I see… So this is a ‘monster.’)”
Now that he faced him, Shion was convinced that Reacher Diablo was called a practitioner with SS-rank equivalent ability.
一My magic is just C-rank level after all. There’s no way it would work against a monster like this.
一I’ve been training with the sword for several years, but that doesn’t mean it would work against a professional swordsman.
Shion naturally understood such things.
“一-Match, begin!!”
…However, even so.
“(一Limit Accel!!)”
Ichinose Shion began his full-speed charge without a moment’s hesitation.
…Among all the spectators in the venue, there probably wasn’t a single student who would blame Shion if he lost.
But Shion himself had not the slightest intention of losing.
He knew. If Magic Academy lost in this tournament, the plant magic classes would be abolished and Lina Restia would be dismissed.
And he knew how much Restia treasured her plant magic research and classes, how much sadness she carried as she prepared for dismissal一.
一So I cannot be allowed to lose this match.
一I will not allow myself to lose this match.
If there was any possibility that Shion’s attacks would work against an overwhelmingly superior opponent, it would be nothing other than his trump card, “Limit Accel.”
To win in a tournament match, one must completely削る all the durability points of protective gear set according to the opponent’s magical power.
It would be utterly impossible for Shion’s C-rank level attack magic to deplete the durability points of Reacher’s protective gear, which were probably set to match S-rank or higher magical power.
However, even such a Shion had one method to deal damage that clearly exceeded the C-rank.
That was: physical attacks with an iron sword while using “Limit Accel.”
Shion, currently activating “Limit Accel,” was faster than “sound,” which travels 340 meters per second, reaching the extraordinary speed of 400 meters per second.
If he charged straight for thirty meters at this tremendous speed and struck with his sword, putting his full body weight behind it, it would have enough power to dent iron armor.
But even that degree of attack couldn’t deal even a scratch’s worth of damage to an opponent with S-rank or higher ability.
Shion understood this perfectly well himself.
Even so, he had no other means to rely on. He could only bet everything on the strongest trump card he possessed.
一[If someone else beats you before I get my revenge, I won’t forgive you]
一[I want everyone to understand that my hero is actually more amazing than anyone else]
一[Shion can definitely become the strongest magician]
…Such words floated through Shion’s mind.
一…How reassuring. That there are others besides me who believe in me.
The reason he absolutely couldn’t lose, the feelings entrusted to him, and the tension of facing an overwhelmingly powerful opponent heightened Shion’s concentration to its limits, and his consciousness entered the “Trance Zone.”
一What have I been working hard for? What have I been aiming to become the strongest for?
一For status? For honor?
一Or just to look cool?
No.
None of those.
[I’ll become the strongest magician and fight for people who need help, for someone’s precious things… In place of people who can’t fight, I’ll fight. Like the protagonist of a heroic tale, I’ll become the strongest magician who can fight for others. 一That is my dream]
一I wanted to become strong so I could fight for others!! I wanted to become someone who could fight for others’ precious things!!
Still, Reacher remained motionless with his sword in middle guard position.
His expression was invisible behind his full-face helmet, and it wasn’t even clear whether he was reacting to Shion’s movement.
However, even though his gaze couldn’t be seen, there was definitely a presence aiming directly at Shion.
As the distance shortened, Shion strongly felt with his skin that he was stepping into a danger zone.
However, even so…
一It doesn’t matter. Never stop moving forward.
一Keep advancing. Don’t flinch, don’t cower.
一Step forward.
一Faster, even faster…!!
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Shion’s strong and resilient spirit demanded even greater acceleration from his body.
…However, his speed wouldn’t increase any further.
No matter how much power he put in, that was his limit.
“Limit Accel” is magic that explosively accelerates the transmission speed of electrical signals from the caster’s brain, the contraction speed of muscle fibers, and the flow speed of blood and magical power.
Literally, it is magic that accelerates the caster to their physical limits.
Now that he had entered the “Trance Zone,” Shion’s consciousness had reached a domain where his field of vision, moving at 400 meters per second, appeared to be stopped.
However, no matter how much his consciousness accelerated, his physical movement couldn’t keep up.
Even when he commanded his body to “move faster, accelerate more,” his body wouldn’t respond.
On the contrary, his body was already beginning to reach its limits. His blood became as hot as if boiling, capillaries throughout his body burst causing internal bleeding, and muscle fibers everywhere began tearing.
When he tried to force his legs forward, even Shion, who had abnormal resistance to pain, was struck by such intense agony that he nearly lost consciousness. It was severe pain as if his bones and flesh were being forcibly torn apart while his legs were fixed in place.
That was unmistakably a signal from his body that “going further is dangerous.”
一This is my limit…?
一My body can’t endure any more…?
The limit point of himself, thrust before him whether he liked it or not. Even he had to acknowledge that fact.
However, even so一
一Then it’s fine if I can’t endure it…!! Whether my body gets crushed, whether my limbs get torn off, I don’t care about that…!!
一My current speed is my limit, and at this rate I definitely can’t defeat Reacher Diablo… Then…
一Then surpass your limits right here and now…!! Don’t let me, Ichinose Shion, decide my own limits!! Don’t give up thinking this is my limit!!
一I have hidden power, don’t I? I have concealed “true ability,” don’t I?
一Then show it right here and now…!!
Don’t let it end as just delusion!!
Turn the feeling of believing in yourself into power…!!
Just keep charging forward, never cower.
It doesn’t matter if the opponent is S-rank or SS-rank.
Believe that I have the power to surpass that!!
一一Convince yourself that you are SSS-rank!!
Limit Accel一… Over Limit
…In that moment.
Crackle – magical power like static electricity burst forth from Ichinose Shion’s entire body.
And his physical form accelerated like lightning surpassing sound, reaching a speed of an entirely different magnitude from his previous “limit”一.
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