The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 19

Episode 19

“Take a good look, Young Master. After you submit your withdrawal, you won’t even have the chance to see something like this for the rest of your life!”

Logan slightly loosened the bandage tightly compressing his chest, revealing the elaborate magic circle drawn on his heart.

The number of magic circles was three.

Each magic circle had esoteric runes inscribed, beautifully flickering in response to the owner’s heartbeat.

“Chaihark School’s Secret Technique, Body Strengthening (體逞强) [a technique that enhances physical abilities].”

Gertrude Panton raised her left eyebrow and let out a short sigh.

“It seems he intends to end this quickly.”

Logan placed his hand on the magic circle and channeled mana. The released mana from his fingertips awakened the magic circle in his heart, creating a burst of light.

“It has begun, a Ging-type combat magic [magic focused on direct physical enhancement].”

Hubert of the Rohinum School, leaning against the 4th entrance, stroked his chin as he watched the magic duel.

“The measure of a Ging-type mage’s skill is the speed at which they activate body enhancement magic…”

The light of mana that started from Logan’s heart spread throughout his body through his blood vessels, and soon the magic circle covering his entire body began to emit light.

‘The biggest risk of Ging-type magic is the burden it places on the body.’

Professor Caroline rested her chin on her clasped hands, watching Logan with interest.

‘Forcibly increasing physical abilities, even a slight miscontrol of mana can lead to bone dislocation or internal organ rupture… truly, the speed and stability are worthy of being considered a rising star of the Chaihark School.’

Logan, with the power of Body Strengthening emanating from his entire body, had a whirlwind of mana swirling around him, his hair flying wildly.

“I will finish this within 10 seconds.”

A moment of true awakening.

Due to the amplified leg strength by mana, footprints were deeply imprinted on the marble floor, instantly closing the distance with Rain.

“What, that speed?!

“Is that even martial arts?!

Already within striking distance. Lightly thrusting his forefoot, twisting his waist back, a straight punch (正拳) [a basic, direct punch] containing inertia and centrifugal force in one place.

‘I’ve created a wall of mana on the surface of my body through Body Strengthening.’

Not only for defense, but also for attack, this wall of mana explodes at the point of impact upon striking, enabling additional strikes by mana.

‘Reaction is impossible, I’ll end it with this one blow.’

Perfectly exploiting the unguarded moment. So fast and perfect that no response is possible in that unprepared stance—

—Thwack.

In an instant, something pierced his solar plexus, causing a blinding pain and disrupting his breathing.

“──?!

All the flow of power, inertia, centrifugal force, and reaction, all focused on his body, reversed and felt like piercing his lungs.

“Could that be…?”

Professor Owen stared blankly, his mouth open, watching Logan, who was knocked away from the perfect killing range and floating in the air.

“Osarius-style (式) [a specific style or form] staff technique?!

All eyes were on the broom Rain was holding. Mana was flashing blue along the growth rings of the broom.

‘300 years ago, the great mage Lynn, who elevated the Osarius School to one of the Eight Great Schools with overwhelming achievements, devised a staff technique…!’

A staff technique established with the help of the hero Rista, who was proficient in all weapons, thinking that mages also needed the power to perform close combat due to the nature of melee combat.

‘How did Ludwig’s successor know that…?!

Professor Caroline also had no choice but to raise both eyebrows.

After the Rista party’s expedition, staff techniques using staves became the basic armament of the Osarius School. It was more than just a basic armament; it was the school’s unique technique.

It was both an expression of respect for Lynn and a recognition of its efficiency.

‘No, is it just an imitation of the Osarius-style staff technique?’

But even if it’s just imitation, infusing mana into an object to achieve hardening (硬化) [making it rigid and strong] is proof of tremendous mana control skills.

Normally, if you hit a body covered in Body Strengthening with that cleaning broom, it should shatter miserably.

“Hoo…”

Regaining his stance from the thrusting position, Rain skillfully spun the broom and slung it over his shoulder.

“Wow! What was that just now?”

“Was Logan really knocked back?”

“Huh? What? How?”

In an unexpected situation, Logan’s body automatically entered a defensive state. Forcing his body, which was flying in the air, to spin, he slammed his feet down on the ground.

Chijijijijik──!

Leaving a long trail of soot, his body, which had forcibly braked, stopped after being pushed back about five steps.

‘What was that just now?’

Logan quickly touched the area where he had just been hit, exhaling a large breath as if he were dizzy.

‘The wall of Body Strengthening… is broken?’

Does that mean he accurately pierced the location of the blood point (穴) [pressure point or vital point] of Body Strengthening? How? Then, a languid, yawn-mixed voice was heard.

“That’s strange. It’s been 10 seconds, but it’s not over yet?”

“…!”

“It’s no fun bullying promising juniors, so I’ll finish it in 6 seconds. Clench your teeth.”

* * *

“Clench my teeth?”

How absurd, with just one stroke of luck… Okay, I admit it. I was trying to go too easy. It will hurt a little, but I have no choice but to use my full power.

Kwaang──!

As if throwing his foot down, he slammed it down on the ground, and two sections of the marble floor shattered, even soaring into the air due to the recoil of the impact.

‘First, put in a ranged technique for deterrence!’

Then, rotating around his heel, he spun his body and kicked the marble. The white, shattered rubble formed a barrage rushing towards Rain.

“He’s getting serious.”

“There’s no way he can beat Logan just by using a staff!”

And now.

Taking advantage of the obscured vision from the ranged deterrence, he will surely grab his back with footwork and cut off his breath… Huh?

‘My feet…?’

He was about to step forward, but Logan was shocked by the heavy, sticky power of the earth grabbing his ankles.

‘What…?’

The dirt floor revealed as the marble floor disappeared had become muddy, in what gap? It was not just muddy; it was quicksand.

“That’s a magic that makes the field even before planting rice, what was the name again? Anyway, it’s a 1-star magic. It’s quite useful, right?”

That voice was heard from far above. It was a huge mountain of dirt that had risen as the marble floor collapsed. Rain was standing on it.

“And this is a magic to create a temporary breakwater for when a flood occurs. It’s 2-star.”

The silence that captivated the audience at that moment was large and heavy. It was a silence where everyone could only hear each other’s breathing and swallowing.

“What was that magic calculation speed just now?”

“Two magics simultaneously…?”

“Remedier type [a mage specializing in support magic]? Was he hiding a magic circle? Where?”

Amid the commotion, Professor Owen had a smile on his face, stemming from absurdity.

‘Blocking the enemy’s attack reliably without being blocked by the rising ground he is standing on.’

And it didn’t end there; by binding the opponent’s feet, who was about to go on the offensive, he even blocked the transfer of the right to attack to the opponent.

‘These two magics were performed so quickly that the students mistakenly thought it was a Remedier type.’

Professor Caroline also narrowed her eyes.

‘This atmosphere where no one even thinks it was done by mental arithmetic, it’s not unreasonable.’

There was something that shocked the audience even more, who were in such shock: Rain raised his broom above his head and leaped from the dirt mountain.

“…?!”

“…?!”

“…?!”

His footing was incomplete because his feet were trapped in the mud, but he could reverse this clumsy attack and seize victory.

“What is that idiot doing?!

Christa stood up from her seat in disbelief.

“Just casting one magic from a distance would end it…?!

Logan clenched his fist tightly.

Squeezing mana from the core and dantian [energy centers in the body], he concentrated the power of Body Strengthening, which had been spread out widely, solely on his right fist. The mana, amplified to the limit, amplified his concentration, stretching the flow of time.

In these two eyes, he can see it clearly.

The trajectory of the broom flying in a large arc, aiming for the crown of his head, and Rain’s face beyond it.

With this, he will break the broom with a straight punch that carries all his mana, and strike the face beyond it to end the match.

The punch with swirling mana went forward. It completely shattered the broom as it was, passed through the scattering wood fragments, and easily struck Rain’s face.

“…?!”

Yes, it should have definitely hit.

But the fist, for some reason, the body, the fist that had rushed right in front of Rain’s eyes, did not move at all.

“And this seems to be a magic that breathes life into dead plants for a short time. It only lasts about 10 seconds, but it can be used like this.”

This, what is this… The source of the problem was the fragments of the broom that had been broken earlier.

The fragments, imbued with life, were woven together with sticky vines, tightly holding Logan’s body like a spider web.

“I ended it with three magics as promised. Right?”

“Ugh, ugh!”

“Now, let’s finish this.”

As Rain raised the broom high, a gruesome shadow fell on Logan’s face. The end of the broom, broken by Logan’s punch, was as sharp as an awl.

The fear of the pain coming in a completely helpless state was enough to turn Logan into a child.

He tightly closed his eyes and barely let out an unstable breath. And the sound of death reaching the crown of his head, tap.

‘Tap?’

There was no pain or bloody smell there. When he finally mustered the courage to open his eyes, he saw Rain’s back.

“What, what? Why don’t you finish it? Are you kidding me…”

“Why don’t I finish it? It’s over, isn’t it?”

“…!”

“There’s no need to get hurt unnecessarily in something that’s already over.”

Rain recalled Frede’s teachings and gave a sad smile.

“If you know that being hurt is scary, don’t do bad things in the future and live a little nicer.”

Those words that Rain said with a bitter smile left a strange resonance in Logan’s heart for a moment.

He had lived his whole life in a place where there was corporal punishment. He had lived in a world where if you were weak and immature, you would be punished to the point of death.

In the world of magic, there was originally no distinction between men and women, and wasn’t it a world where if you didn’t become strong, you would be eaten by someone?

– You are a magician of the Chaihark School! What are you going to do if you can’t even do this!

– You immature thing! What did you do to be panting already!

But Rain was saying.

“Ah, the magic duel ends when the opponent surrenders or is knocked out, right?”

Huh?

He tilted his head, then Rain immediately stabbed the broom into Logan’s chest.

The mana that had been circulating blue along the growth rings, burst out from the end of the broom in an instant, covering Logan. It was a torrent of mana.

Swept away by the wave of that tremendous power, Logan rolled on the ground several times, and finally collapsed limply in the distance, unable to get up.

The students who watched the end of the fight were dumbfounded.

‘What? Didn’t he say there was no need to be hurt…?’

‘Why did he say that? Just for fishing…?’

‘He wasn’t a useless young master, but a character abuser…!’

Professor Theon, who had been watching the situation blankly, finally removed the barrier and raised his voice as Rain approached, yawning.

“Winner, Rain Ludwig!”

Woah, sighs from the unbelievable reality erupted from everywhere.

“Is this real? The useless young master blew away Logan, the rising star of Chaihark?”

“Did you see that? That’s the young master’s skill, you guys. Where are you going, bring all the silver coins here.”

Gertrude Panton blinked in disbelief, while Christa Warden nodded as if she knew this would happen.

And Joen, the club president, who had been watching the battle with the club members nearby, ran out with tears of emotion.

“Thank you, thank you, Young Master. How should I repay this grace…”

Something embarrassing, shy, and awkward… In short, it was a common sight. Like when he was walking around with Rista.

“No, it’s not grace.”

Rain scratched his head annoyedly and shook his head.

“Just create a lot of good magic for local development. So that I have nothing to do.”

What did Rista say at this time? No, let’s not think about it. I’m not Rista.

He is not the type to smile brightly and say, ‘It’s okay,’ or ‘I’m glad I could help.’ Decisively, he is not the type of personality or impression that helps people with only kindness like Rista.

It was easier to think and act that way. For himself and for others.

“If you have to say it, we’re helping each other. It’s not about unilaterally owing a debt. Don’t make people uncomfortable for no reason.”

However, this action of the former great mage left an even stronger impression on the others in that place.

Strong.

Modest.

Seemingly indifferent, yet kind.

A being who seemed to embody the life of Simgyecheonha (心系天下) [a concept of caring for the world and its people], the first commandment given by the Dragon Race to the imperial nobles… The club members were bowing their heads at the back of the boy who was yawning and leaving.

– Later, in the world where Lynn has grown up, there will be rich forms of life. I hope Lynn will protect those lives.