"This is... outrageous!"
Rest quickly crossed both arms to catch Irish's blow.
Despite having stacked two body-reinforcing magics — [Body Reinforcement] and [Fortitude] — he was struck by an overwhelming impact.
Rest was sent flying, unable to hold his ground, and forced to retreat a considerable distance.
"Hmm... your reactions aren't bad. Output and casting speed are both flawless. At your age, double casting —I'm impressed."
"Th-thank you..."
Irish didn't press the attack, instead rolling her arm.
Had it been an ordinary warrior or magician, it would have been over with that first strike.
(M-my arms have no sensation... they're not torn off, are they?)
Both arms he had used for defense weren't broken, but they were so numb he couldn't move them of his own will.
Without dropping the reinforcement magic, he used [Healing] to mend the damage to his arms.
"Oh my, triple casting, too? You really are something."
"Likewise... how can you put out that much power with just [Body Reinforcement]?"
It was a genuine question.
While Rest was casting multiple magics simultaneously, Irish had been using nothing but [Body Reinforcement].
Rest could use [Body Reinforcement] too, but... there was an obvious, overwhelming gap in ability between the two of them.
"I was born with high mana output. That's just talent, I'm afraid."
"...Talent, huh?"
"On the flip side... I'm no good with long-range offensive magic. I suppose nobody can have everything, can they?"
"..........."
Rest did possess bottomless mana, but the amount of mana channeled into a single spell — in other words, his mana output — wasn't all that high.
It wasn't exactly low either, but compared to his infinite mana and his extraordinary talent for copying any magic at a glance, his output inevitably looked mediocre.
(Hmm... I suppose you really can't have everything.)
"Then... how about this?"
Rest conjured over a dozen [Fireballs] around him.
He launched the fireballs in a volley at Irish.
"Ha!"
"Fufu... Nice attack. I like it."
The fireballs had been fired with their timing and positions shifted to leave no room for evasion, yet Irish dodged them with nimble footwork and impossible physical ability.
Then, without slowing down, she closed the distance and plunged straight into Rest's guard.
"[Smoke Screen]"
But Rest scattered white smoke in all around them.
Rest and Irish... both their bodies vanished into the white fog, literally wrapped in smoke.
"Not bad...!"
Irish's fist cut through empty air.
Thanks to his [Perception Enhancement] magic, Rest could see Irish's movements even through the smoke screen.
He pressed his palm straight against her abdomen.
(Right here, drive it in...!)
"[Thunder Palm]!"
"Ugh...!"
Irish's body twitched with a small spasm.
It was a magic that subdued opponents through electric shock without killing them — one of the anti-personnel combat techniques Diebl had taught him.
"Ow, that stings. But... you really shouldn't underestimate non-lethal magic."
"............!?"
Irish grabbed Rest's arm — the one pressed against her stomach.
Even though it should have landed clean, she had sealed his movement in just an instant.
"You've got Viola and Primula, and yet you're putting your hand on another woman's stomach — what a naughty boy... time for your punishment!"
"Whoa—!"
Still gripping his arm, she swung Rest's entire body around and hurled him away.
Rest bounced off the ground repeatedly, tumbling all the way to the edge of the training grounds.
"Rest!"
"Lord Rest!"
"Not coming back out?! Our fight isn't over yet!"
Irish stops the girls from rushing over in a panic.
Just as Irish said, the fight wasn't over yet.
Rest heals his body with healing magic as he rises to his feet.
"This is insane... seriously..."
The fact that he could stand up like this was all thanks to the training Diebl had put him through.
Having gained at least some experience fighting against humans, he'd managed to take a defensive stance and minimize the damage to his body.
(If I can dodge all the fireballs, then no matter how many long-range spells they fire at me, it won't mean a thing... But I don't want to be like some terrible marksman firing wildly until the mansion goes up in flames...)
If that were the case, should he layer reinforcement-type magic and respond in close combat?
Rest twists his face in dismay at the thought.
If he could use large-scale advanced magic, that would be a different story... but unfortunately, Diebl had never taught him any.
The fighting style he'd learned from Diebl was less about the raw-firepower approach typical mages relied on, and more about tactical technique—using even weak spells in clever, creative ways.
"That fighting style, using such a wide variety of spells... you study under Diebl, don't you?"
Irish asks him.
Rest nodded, keeping his focus on recovery.
"...Yes. Master Diebl has taught me all sorts of things."
"He apparently took on other disciples in the past, but none of them stuck with it for long. He must be a harsh teacher?"
"He's not gentle. But if you want to get stronger, that's only natural."
"Mm-hmm. That's a good attitude to have."
Irish gives him a gentle smile—one you'd never expect during a battle.
"He has an exquisite talent for how he uses magic, but his mana reserves were too small to ever master advanced spells. If someone with absurd mana like you were to perfect his fighting style, I'd love to see what it would look like."
"...Thanks for that."
He clenches his fist, then opens it.
While they were talking, the damage had completely healed.
His mana, of course, hadn't diminished at all from its initial state.
(So we're back to square one... no, Lady Irish's mana has decreased at least somewhat. You could even say I have the advantage...)
And yet... why was that?
He didn't feel even slightly advantageous.
If anything, he felt like he was the one being cornered, and Rest broke into a cold sweat down his spine.
He fought practice battles with Diebl almost daily, and in an unrestricted fight, he'd grown capable of fighting on favorable terms even if he couldn't win.
And yet... Irish felt impossibly far out of his reach.
He was shaken to his core once more, realizing this was the fighting power that stood at the pinnacle of the nation.
(She's strong... stronger than Master Diebl, and of course, stronger than me...!)
"Rest!"
"Lord Rest!"
(Even so... I can't give up. The girls are cheering me on.)
Viola and Primula were raising their voices, cheering him on.
He couldn't let them see him looking pathetic.
He'd said he intended to learn from her, but... he'd have to give it everything he had.
(I'm going all out... I'll fight as if I really mean to kill...!)
"Ah... it seems you've made up your mind. Those are fine eyes. They remind me of my husband when he was young—eyes I've always loved."
Irish raised her lips into a crescent moon, looking thoroughly amused.
"Come here. I'll hold you tight."
"I shall proceed...!"
[Body Reinforcement] [Fortitude] [Acceleration] [Earth Armor] Quadruple magic — cast.
Coating his entire body in earthen armor, he dropped into a crouching start.
"A quadruple cast... that's amazing!"
"I'm firing off!"
The instant Irish's voice rang out with admiration, he kicked off the ground and shot forward.
The speed was unthinkable for someone sheathed in earthen armor. It was the momentum and weight of a heavy motorcycle barreling in at over a hundred kilometers per hour.
He ran straight ahead and drove his fist straight into her riding-clad torso as though tackling her head-on.
"............!"
Hmm, not bad. Genuinely not bad.
But... such an attack was caught.
Irish had reinforced her body using [Body Reinforcement] along with the [Tenacity] magic.
Even [Body Reinforcement] alone was more than enough to handle, yet with Irish further hardening her body by stacking it, even a combined blow from the Quartet was futile.
"This is your reward. Just as I promised, I'll wrap you in a hug."
"Ghah...!"
Both of Irish's arms closed around Rest.
The earthen armor shattered with a crunching sound, and his body was folded in half and squeezed tight.
(My... back... breaking...!)
His consciousness faded, and Rest passed out right then and there.
The second duel held at the training grounds.
Rest had been defeated once again, and just like last time, he lost consciousness.
—————————— Thank you always for supporting this work. I truly appreciate it.
I've posted two new novels, so if you're interested, please check them out as well.
• The Cursed Swordsman Carrying the misfortunes of an entire nation on his shoulders and cast out to sea, he seeks no revenge. Because none of it matters, he pursues supreme power.
• Legend of the Monkey King Reborn as a monkey, he builds a harem and lives life entirely on his own terms.