Chapter 9: Elena Starium

As the match began, Prefa started chanting something under her breath. But the incantation was faint, and I couldn’t make it out.

“I won’t let you!”

I reacted instantly, thrusting my mana-infused saber forward. Shining water burst from its tip.

“O water, gather and pierce thy form—Aqua Shot!”

I fired a mass of water from the tip of my saber, trying to stop Prefa’s chant. The sphere of water flew straight toward her.

“Whoa…”

Her body swayed slightly, and the sphere of water grazed past her ear by a hair’s breadth, splashing against the wall behind her.

Prefa frantically looked left and right, as if trying to figure out where to run.

“You can’t win by just running away!”

I unleashed one water sphere after another, but she twisted her body, narrowly avoiding each attack. Her movements were elusive. She showed no sign of counterattacking, only dodging.

At this rate, this will be over in five more moves.

I unleashed more water spells in succession, cornering her.

The water spheres I fired one after another closed in on Prefa.

A look of desperation appeared on her face, and a thin sheen of sweat beaded on her forehead.

I felt a sense of superiority from cornering her, and a confident smile played on my lips.

“Your scurrying around ends now!”

I muttered in irritation and began to chant a spell that would attack a wider area. My magical power vibrated the very air of the training grounds.

“O earth, spring forth and conquer my foe—Adelantado!”

Countless sharp stakes of earth shot up from the ground. They spread out over a wide area, blocking off Prefa’s escape.

Trapped on all four sides as if in a cage, Prefa stopped in place like a cornered animal.

“C-Crest of protection, manifest now—Protect!”

Prefa Reroriu frantically crossed her arms, and a faint membrane of light formed around her body.

The earthen stakes crashed against her defensive spell, making a grating, unpleasant sound.

The barrier of light flickered and shattered, but it had just barely protected her. Determined not to miss the opening, I launched another attack.

Hmph, checkmate!

“O water, become a blade and pierce my enemy—Aqua Lance!”

With Prefa’s movements sealed, I unleashed a final water spell. A blade of water, infused with all my magical power, shot toward Prefa in an instant.

The water blade would hit her. I was sure of it. But in the next moment, Prefa’s form suddenly vanished from before my eyes. As if she were an illusion, her body blurred and disappeared.

“She vanished?!”

I stared, wide-eyed in shock. What in the world just happened?

“Where did she go?!”

A thin voice came from behind me.

“I’m sorry…”

At the same time as those words, a dull impact struck the back of my head. Before I could even process what happened, my vision rapidly faded to black, and I lost consciousness.

When I next awoke, I was lying on a bed in the nurse’s office. The back of my head throbbed with pain, and in my hazy state, I couldn’t understand why I was here.

Why… Why me…?

Eventually, the memory of the match returned with vivid clarity. I had lost to Prefa.

It happened so fast I didn’t even know what had occurred.

“Was I… always this weak…?”

My voice trembled. The confidence I had built up my entire life felt like it was crumbling away from beneath my feet.

I, who possessed overwhelming magical power and had always been praised as one of the Four Great Nobles, had been defeated so easily. I heard the sound of my pride shattering into a million pieces. My eyes grew hot, and I felt my vision begin to blur.

“B-But… I have more magical power than I know what to do with… I’m still okay…!”

I desperately tried to convince myself. My trembling voice trailed off into broken fragments.

Still, I tried to rally myself. Yes, my magical power alone was second to none.

I still had that. I repeated it over and over in my mind, trying to believe it.

Dragging my heavy body, I made my way home. The evening streets, so lively just a short while ago, felt terribly lonely.

“I-I’m hoooome…”

As I opened the front door, a tired voice escaped me. Today had been truly, utterly exhausting, both mentally and physically.

“Welcome hoooome, big sister! I’ve been waiting for yooou!”

My gaze shifted slightly toward the voice. In the entrance hall, my dear younger sister, Elena, was running toward me happily. I forced a smile, trying not to let my exhaustion show.

“What’s going on, Elena? Did something good happen?”

Elena replied to my question with a beaming smile.

“Big sister! Listen! In class today, they tested us, and they said I have the latent potential for as much magical power as you!”

Elena’s words echoed in my ears. My entire body froze as if turned to ice. It was a shock, like being struck over the head. I felt the ground I was standing on crumble away into nothing.

“Wh… What did you say…?”

It was like the sturdy castle walls I had built up were instantly crumbling before my very eyes. The unshakable identity I’d held as my one and only source of pride—my “overwhelming magical power”—shattered with a deafening crash.

I felt my very reason for being overturned from its foundations. Could it be? That my beloved little sister possessed the same, no, perhaps even greater talent than I did?

“N… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

My scream echoed throughout the house.

I collapsed to my knees right where I stood, and then, I lost consciousness.