NOVEL WEB Chapter 42
✦ Chapter 42 — Duel (3) ✦
「Translator — Creator」
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The spectators watching the duel could scarcely believe what their eyes beheld; they had naturally assumed — no, been certain — that Lophrey would emerge victorious.
Of course, they had heard rumors of Loki before the duel began.
Stories of how he had soared through the air during the entrance ceremony, slaughtering magic beasts.
Those who heard these rumors dismissed them as exaggerations.
Even if true, they thought, he would be no match for Lophrey’s swordsmanship.
But Loki never drew his sword.
As soon as the duel commenced, he retreated to sit in a chair, throwing only daggers.
“Wasn’t he supposed to be a swordsman?”
“Maybe he lost his nerve.”
The students who initially thought Loki was throwing daggers out of cowardice soon found themselves marveling at his calculated attacks using threads and daggers.
“Did he plan every single one of those in advance?”
The Special Class students weren’t surprised by the attacks using threads and daggers. After all, these were tactics Loki frequently employed against Professor Elysia.
But even they had never witnessed the arsenal that followed.
Daggers that erupted in blinding light and deafening sound, landmines that exploded underfoot, a frog that spewed water, arrows coursing with electricity.
He even toyed with Lophrey by creating both real walls and illusionary ones with his Unique Magic.
Meanwhile, not everyone watching the duel was present at the arena.
The Emperor, Empress, and Yerika were watching through a Communication Orb held by Lucas.
“He’s winning, right?! Our Humble Clown is winning, isn’t he?!”
Yerika exclaimed in a voice tinged with both excitement and worry.
When she first heard that Loki would face a top-ranking third-year student, she had worried he might be seriously injured.
But far from being hurt, he hadn’t taken a single hit.
While his opponent Lophrey was in complete disarray, that was hardly Yerika’s concern.
“Hohoho.”
The Empress watched Yerika with an amused smile.
“Mother, isn’t he amazing? ‘Our’ Clown?”
Yerika looked up from where she nestled in the Empress’s embrace.
The Emperor moved to comment on the word ‘our,’ but a sharp glance from the Empress sealed his lips.
“Indeed. He hasn’t even left his chair yet. I can see why His Majesty approved him as a guard knight.”
The Empress, after shooting that warning glance at the Emperor, spoke while stroking Yerika’s head. She had been surprised when her daughter expressed her desire to have an academy student as her guard knight.
But she was even more astonished when the Emperor granted permission.
“He never used such traps and magic tools when fighting me. I approved Loki as a guard knight because I judged him more than capable even without these devices.”
In the stands, eyes widened in disbelief at the scene unfolding before them.
“Could this really be an act of arrogance – deliberately holding back from attacking?”
The Empress’s words pointed out a valid concern. From an outsider’s perspective, Loki’s behavior could indeed be interpreted as arrogance.
Had he struck when Lophrey was blinded by the flash bomb, the duel would have long since ended. Yet for some inexplicable reason, Loki chose not to attack, instead weaving a web of provocations around his opponent.
“My dear, this is not arrogance, nor is it carelessness,” the Emperor replied. “Rather, it is Prince Lophrey who has shown both — he assumed he could easily defeat Loki, which is why he keeps falling for the provocations.”
Meanwhile, Lophrey, battered and disheveled, finally made it to the chair where Loki sat waiting.
“Looks like we’ll finally get to see that boy fight with a sword,” the Empress whispered.
“Hmm, I doubt it,” the Emperor replied.
Just as Lophrey reached Loki, the figure of Loki vanished, reappearing in the exact opposite direction of where he’d been moments before.
“Your Majesty, you noticed?” the Empress asked, surprise coloring her voice.
“I caught on midway, though even I cannot pinpoint when the illusion began.”
Each of Loki’s magic artifacts had been a symphony of spectacle and sound, a carefully orchestrated distraction that made it impossible to discern when reality had begun to blur with illusion.
“It seems Prince Lophrey has already lost his will to fight.”
As if to confirm the Emperor’s observation, Lophrey let go of his sword and collapsed onto his knees. He’d endured humiliation and pain to get this far, but now the thought of going through it all again seemed unbearable.
‘He expects me to do it all again?’
As Gedra, observing as judge, moved to declare the duel’s end upon seeing Lophrey’s broken spirit…
“It would be such a shame to end things here,” Loki said, descending from his chair and walking slowly toward Lophrey.
There was no way he’d end this duel like this. Not against someone like this pathetic prince.
He hadn’t even drawn his sword yet.
“I haven’t had the chance to swing my sword, you know?”
As he spoke, Loki raised both hands, throwing threads into the air.
The watching students couldn’t comprehend what Loki was doing.
But when he pulled the threads taut, their gasps filled the air.
“There were that many?”
“When did he set up so many traps?”
At first glance, dozens of tarps emerged from beneath the ground, entwined in his threads.
“Now, perhaps we can have a proper fight?”
Loki looked down at the kneeling Lophrey as he spoke.
“You bastard!!”
Unable to bear Loki’s mockery any longer, Lophrey grabbed his sword and swung.
*Whoosh—*
But Lophrey’s blade met only empty air, missing Loki entirely.
“You should watch more carefully when you swing. Or perhaps you were deliberately trying to cut the air?”
Loki’s voice came from directly behind Lophrey.
An eerie silence fell over the crowd as they watched Loki grasp Lophrey’s back, yet instead of wielding his blade, he casually slipped his hands into his pockets.
“Are you mocking me?!!!!”
Lophrey whirled to strike at the presence behind him, but once again his blade carved only empty air.
“I told you to watch carefully when you swing, didn’t I? Why do you keep slicing at the air? You’ll hurt its feelings.”
Once more, Loki materialized behind Lophrey, hands still tucked into his pockets as he spoke; the spectators had believed, until moments ago, that in a pure sword fight without traps, Lophrey would emerge victorious.
But the unfolding events shattered that notion completely.
No matter how many times Lophrey swung his sword, Loki evaded with ease, never even bothering to draw his weapon.
“Shall we wrap this up now?”
Loki, who had been haunting Lophrey’s shadow, finally put distance between them.
Realizing this might be his last chance, Lophrey focused every ounce of his being. If he lost here, it would all be over.
‘Maintain distance and keep swinging the sword. That’s the only way.’
But as he tried to adjust his stance and ready his sword, something horrifying happened — his body refused to move.
“?????”
No matter how much strength he mustered, how desperately he tried to move, his body remained frozen.
“Oh my. Since you seem unable to move, allow me to help you with that.”
Instinctively, Lophrey’s eyes darted to Loki, discovering threads wrapped around his fingers – threads that connected to his own body.
With a twitch of Loki’s fingers, Lophrey’s arms rose high above his head.
Another subtle movement, and Lophrey found himself on his knees; there he knelt, arms raised high like a child caught in wrongdoing and awaiting punishment.
“This is quite entertaining.”
Loki’s mocking words cut through the air; though shame burned through Lophrey at being reduced to a mere puppet, he could do nothing but endure.
Loki continued to toy with him, moving Lophrey’s limbs as if he were nothing more than a plaything; the once-boisterous crowd fell silent, stunned into speechlessness by the sight before them.
A first-year student was toying with a top-ranking third-year like a plaything. Each observer harbored different emotions as they watched the spectacle unfold.
“Just how strong is that guy?”
“Can he really be a first-year?”
Some watched in awe.
“Can you become that strong in the Special Class?”
“If only I had gotten into the Special Class…”
Others seethed with jealousy.
‘Could I win if I fought him?’
‘This won’t do. I need to become stronger.’
Some quietly nursed the flames of determination in their hearts.
“Time for the finale.”
Loki moved his fingers one last time.
Following Loki’s fingers like a marionette, Lophrey lifted the fallen sword from the ground.
‘What is he trying to make me do?!’
Horror coursed through Lophrey as his own hands brought the blade to rest against his throat. As he felt the cold steel inch closer to his neck, primal fear gripped his heart.
‘I’ll die if this continues.’
Desperately, he struggled to move, to break free from the invisible binds holding him captive, but his body refused to obey.
Just as the blade’s edge whispered against his skin…
“That’s enough. The match is decided.”
Professor Gedra, serving as judge, declared the duel’s end, and Loki released his threads.
“Hah… hah…”
Though freed from his bonds, Lophrey collapsed to his knees, drawing ragged breaths.
His eyes burned with hatred as he glared at Loki.
“I said I would end this with a single sword strike, yet I haven’t swung even once.”
Unlike Lophrey, who was in complete disarray, Loki stood immaculate, as if he hadn’t even participated in the fight.
“Should I at least make a token swing?”
Loki grasped his sword, making a casual, almost dismissive cut through the air.
“I’ll kill you!!!!!!”
Rage consumed Lophrey’s reason as he infused his blade with mana and charged toward Loki.
“The duel is already over!” Gedra bellowed, but his words fell on deaf ears.
Consumed by fury, Lophrey’s mind had no room for reason or restraint. His sole focus was ending Loki, no matter the consequences.
Behind his mask, Loki smiled—a wicked, calculated grin.
Yes. This was the moment he had waited for.
The moment when this worm would disregard the duel’s end and lunge for the kill.
It was why he had prolonged the fight, toying with his prey when he could have ended it earlier.
‘I’ll reduce you to a half-wit.’
He conjured an illusion of mist, enshrouding both himself and the worm within.
Now those outside would neither see nor hear what transpired within.
END of CHAPTER
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