excel三国杀

Chapter 234: Challenge

The buildings damaged during the Alice Carroll incident were also restored using this technology, resulting in a cleaner exterior than before.

Soon, the staff who had been using Marzio Hall as a temporary administrative office returned to Bartos Hall.

In the afternoon, the door to the Student Council room in Bartos Hall opened.

A female student, who was temporarily handling some of the President’s duties, turned towards the door. Her eyes widened.

“President…?”

Alice Carroll had returned.

* * *

The swift repairs of Bartos Hall and the return of the Student Council President quickly resolved the administrative disruptions.

Alice handled the backlog of work fluidly, and the Student Council operated systematically, reinforcing administrative recovery.

Right after her disciplinary action ended, Dorothy came to see me to subtly inquire if anything had happened with Alice. When I said nothing had, Dorothy, who could detect lies, was relieved and moved on.

Before long, the end-of-semester evaluations were completed and the time for the holiday ceremony approached.

After adding up all the scores from the evaluations conducted over the semester, I was ranked third in the academy within the Magic Department. It was a fairly satisfying result.

My residence in the top-level dorm, Charles Hall, for the next semester, was confirmed. If I had performed well in the class assignment evaluations, I would likely be placed in Class A.

“I’m sorry for holding you back.”

“No! I should be the one apologizing for avoiding you all this time…!”

Near the campus, at a hideout in Josena Forest.

Sitting at an outdoor table, I brewed tea for Kaya, who sat rigidly, her body stiff as if she were at a job interview.

I sat across Kaya, sipping tea.

Usually, Kaya avoided me when I approached and secretly watched me from a distance like a girl with a crush. Lately, I had heard she was even singing my praises.

So I grabbed her wrist and forcefully brought her here.

“I’ll ask you straightforwardly.”

Setting aside Kaya’s bare-faced embarrassment.

“Your other personality hasn’t been showing up lately, has it?”

“How did you…?”

Kaya was surprised.

Why wouldn’t I know? Considering Dark Kaya’s personality, there was no way she would have let Kaya continue avoiding me.

Normally, Dark Kaya would suddenly show up and launch into displays of affection. Especially now that my identity was revealed, it would be impossible for her not to interfere in my daily life.

“...Actually, she hasn’t come out since the Alice Carroll incident. It’s similar to the symptoms from last year’s joint practical evaluation. It might get better again if I consume a demon…”

“Are you going home during vacation?”

“Yes.”

“Try eating a magic beast with high mana. It might help.”

“…?”

Creatures swirling with mana were not tasty. Especially those with high-quality mana.

They lacked nutrients compared to ordinary animals and didn’t bring any positive effects to the mana of those who consumed them.

That was why magic beast meat was not very popular and practically unavailable.

But in the vast land of the Astrea dukedom, there were ferocious magic beasts that were dangerous to humans. Since such monsters needed to be hunted anyway, I suggested that it might be worth cooking and trying one.

Even that should be enough to properly restore Dark Kaya’s personality.

Kaya’s mouth dropped open, and she exclaimed in her usually sweet and cute voice.

“You really know a lot, Isaac…! Even discerning things about my personality…”

“I noticed it during the joint practical evaluation.”

Thankfully, Kaya seemed relaxed enough to continue the conversation.

I apologized for the trouble I caused when I was eaten by the Abyss. I also explained that enemies would continue to emerge outside the academy. I also complimented her beauty in a roundabout way, causing Kaya to blush and fidget.

Kaya tends to view our relationship as hierarchical. She looked up to someone she admired like they were on a different level, like how someone would treat their favorite celebrity.

This perspective influenced her behavior, making it challenging for me to interact with her as casually as I would with Dorothy or Luce.

It’s cute though.

She’s cute like an adorable character, but who cares?

After our conversation, Kaya timidly sipped her tea, holding the cup with both hands, clearly pleased by the compliment about her appearance.

***

Most students were preparing to go home and relax. The empty training ground was evidence of this.

As evening approached, the sky darkened and began to drizzle, adding a damp chill to the already somber atmosphere of the training ground.

I began training by firing my 7-star ice spell, [Icebolt], at a target.

I hit the target easily at 50 meters but struggled with the accuracy beyond 100 meters.

The sensation of mana spreading out was something I wasn’t used to. I realized I still lacked the mana mastery to handle 7-star spells.

I also ran through several waves of demonic illusions, using minimal magic and focusing on hand-to-hand combat to prepare for the Heavenly Beings. Dodging, blocking, and counter-attacking.

During one wave, as the last demonic illusion attacked.

Whoosh!

Kwagak!

A blade of wind sliced through the demonic illusion, disintegrating it into dust.

It was the 3-star wind spell, [Wind Sword]. I caught my breath and turned towards the source of the magic.

There stood the vain blond noble, Tristan Humphrey, glaring at me.

“Got something to say?”

Is he here to pick a fight again?

Tristan approached me. His slow, distant steps echoed through the training ground.

Finally facing me, he spoke earnestly.

“Fight me, Isaac.”

I wasn’t surprised, having read his intentions through [Psychological Insight].

I examined Tristan. His uniform, though neat, could not hide the cuts and bruises on his neck and hands, they were signs of his rigorous training that no amount of healing could completely recover.

Tristan had always targeted me as his goal. Perhaps the revelation of my identity had shocked him the most, as his demeanor had seemed particularly troubled lately.

I felt no affection for him outside our previous encounters in the game. I felt no camaraderie with him and he was certainly not someone I would confide in.

However, I felt compelled to honor his resolve before the start of vacation.

As if we had agreed upon it beforehand, we left the training ground.

The night sky, covered in dark clouds, continued to pour rain as we protected ourselves with elemental shields and crossed the grounds.

Following Tristan, we arrived at an outdoor dueling ground.

We stopped atop the dueling ground.

And I quietly observed Tristan from behind.

* * *

“How did it make you feel?”

“What are you blabbing about?”

Tristan’s voice cut through the sound of rain, reaching Isaac.

“All this time, I’ve clashed with you with all my strength, and you’ve been matching me from your position as an archwizard. How did that make you feel?”

“...What are you trying to say? Why does my feeling matter to you?”

Tristan turned away, creating distance between them.

The two stood facing each other.

Tristan’s mouth curled into a sneer.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Whooooosh!!

Tristan gathered his mana, creating a fierce whirlwind around him, and in the blink of an eye, he suddenly disappeared.

A brilliant emerald wind swept the rain aside, performing a violent dance in the air. Tristan’s speed had increased, swirling wildly to trick Isaac’s eyes.

Tristan kicked off the stands and the dueling ground, accelerating and showing Isaac the results of his intense efforts.

Isaac calmly watched as Tristan dashed towards him.

Whoooosh!!

Whaaack!!

Tristan flew at incredible speed behind Isaac and launched a powerful kick.

The kick was accompanied by a blast of wind mana, however, Isaac easily dodged it by stepping aside.

“Do you have eyes in the back of your head?!”

Tristan was flustered but his wind mana did not falter and he continued to accelerate.

He unleashed a barrage of wind mana at Isaac.

Isaac easily avoided the sharp [Wind Sword] and [Gale Fang], and Tristan’s physical attacks.

A wide [Zephyr] was blocked by raising an [Ice Wall].

“You’ve gotten stronger.”

Isaac’s indifferent comment fueled Tristan’s anger.

“I don’t want to hear that from you!!”

Grinding his teeth, Tristan charged at Isaac, concentrating wind mana in his right hand, ready to swing.

At that moment, Isaac extended his hand toward the direction Tristan was charging, intending to show an overwhelming difference to give Tristan a chance to come to terms.

Isaac condensed ice mana in front of him with his thumb securing his middle finger, constructing the magic circle for the 5-star ice spell, [Frost Explosion].

The reaction speed, magic computation speed, and mana mastery were all at unbelievable levels. Tristan was momentarily amazed but continued his assault on Isaac.

Simultaneously, Isaac flicked his finger.

Kwaaaa!!!

A cold explosion and fierce ice barrage hit Tristan. The high-density wind mana he had gathered was instantly dispersed.

Although the [Frost Explosion] was moderated in power, Tristan’s body was helplessly swept by the blast and slammed into the wall beyond the dueling ground.

An ice block had formed in the direction Isaad had struck. Isaac immediately dissolved it, and the rising bluish powder was washed away by the rainwater.

Below the stands, Tristan lay slumped against the wall.

A deep chill penetrated his body to the bone, causing him to shiver violently from the intense cold.

“I’m not done yet…!”

Drenched in the pouring rain, Tristan struggled to rise from the muddy ground.

But his body was at its limit, and it took all of his remaining strength to hold on to his drifting consciousness.

His vision was blurry. He looked up and saw Isaac standing majestically as the Ice Elemental King.

An insurmountable gap seemed to lie between them, like the height of heaven and earth.

“It’s my win, Tristan.”

Isaac’s calm declaration was something he had heard before.

Like he was urging him to give up.

This scene was reminiscent of their last duel.

Back then, Tristan could boldly declare he’d soon surpass Isaac.

But now, he couldn’t make such a claim against the vast disparity before him.

Tristan’s eyes were bloodshot. He glared at Isaac, ignoring his immense pain.

Believing this was enough, Isaac turned and left the dueling ground.

Tristan watched Isaac’s back as he walked away. Rain trickled down his hair and cheeks. He gritted his teeth, but no useless miracle would happen.

However, his mind slowly gained clarity.

A faint smile crossed Tristan’s face. As he thought about what that smile meant… he realized it was self-mockery.

It was okay to laugh at his ridiculous self. Had he not already disgraced himself by aiming for an unachievable goal?

So for now, it was time to laugh off the foolishness of aiming for an Elemental King.

Just stand up.

Standing up was enough.

“Ha!”

With a deliberate chuckle of confidence, Tristan exclaimed.

Isaac paused and looked back at Tristan, who was struggling to stand, even with the support of the wall.

Tristan’s face, marked by scars from the [Frost Explosion], bore his usual prideful smile, laughing like a third-rate villain.

“The great archwizard, the Ice Elemental King, the Ice Sovereign…! What’s the big deal?”

Tristan was determined.

He would get a true victory over that bastard.

He was going to risk his life, challenge Isaac, and win.

“Isaac!!”

Tristan’s voice was filled with rage, but he took a moment to clear his tearful voice.

“Someday, I will become a great wizard and challenge you again! Remember that…!”

He firmly declared.

“I will surpass you.”

He aimed to become a greater wizard, surpassing even an archwizard.

This was his first and last declaration to the Ice Sovereign Isaac, not Isaac, who was once the weakest and grew rapidly.

Isaac gave Tristan a cold look.

“...Give it your all.”

Isaac spoke indifferently and walked /genesisforsaken