The Villainess Who Was Dumped Got Married into My Family, a Mob Noble from the Frontier, and Turns Out, She's an Amazing Capable Wife? - Chapter 94: The Sage Festival, Battle with Edward

Chapter 94: The Sage Festival, Battle with Edward

[TLN: The dialogues are a bit hard to follow regarding who is speaking, so I’ll make it easier to understand.]

Edward: “―I will come at you with the intent to kill.”

In his eyes, there was a determined light, showing no deceit like when Castor had faced me.

Ragna: “Are you really coming to kill me?”

Edward: “Yes, I will borrow your wisdom.”

Edward nodded with a smile. 

He was serious, and it seemed like his heart was filled with excitement, much like how I felt when I fought Onyx.

Ragna: “I see.”

If that’s the case, I have to respond accordingly. 

If he desires a death match rather than a mere fight, as the head of the Brave family and as a warrior, I must fight with my life on the line. 

Unlike with Castor, my blood was racing.

This man brought it out of me.

Ragna: “Then, you should come at me with everything you’ve got.”

Edward: “Of course.”

Edward nodded, ready to use all his magic to kill.

Ragna: “Haha, looks like this won’t just be a warm-up.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. 

In a student tournament, if two mages capable of casting without incantations go all out, it would likely affect the following matches.

It’s a shame for the second- and third-year seniors, whose matches might seem lackluster afterward, but there’s no way I could hold back against Edward.

Edward: “I have neither past nor future.”

Ragna: “True enough.”

Edward, who had mastered chantless magic, was close to a genius.

He was a formidable opponent who made my blood race with excitement. 

He had seen and experienced my magic several times.

If he was challenging me despite that, it meant he believed he had more than a few percent chance of winning.

Edward: “In the name of Edward, I challenge you to a duel!”

Ragna: “I accept. Just Edward. You don’t need the mask anymore, right?”

We both held our swords at the ready.

When I teased Edward for not mentioning his family name, he removed his mask.

His eyes were filled with determination, and his mouth curved into a genuinely happy smile.

Status has no place in a duel, right?

[Begin!]

The host’s voice echoed. 

At that moment, Edward jumped back, putting distance between us. 

This suggested he was preparing to use wide-area destructive magic, rather than close combat.

It was the same magic he used to eliminate a bunch of dark magicians before.

As evidence, his magical energy expanded greatly, covering the entire coliseum.

Ragna: “I’ve seen that one before.”

I deployed a barrier at my feet, closing the distance quickly and aiming for his neck with the momentum.

Edward: “Damn.”

Edward barely managed to block my horizontal slash with his sword.

Without giving him a moment’s rest, I kicked his chin.

Edward: “Goof.”

When I kicked him, it felt like he was wrapped in a thick layer of air, just like me.

I spoke to Edward as he rolled on the ground.

Ragna: “If you think you can win by imitating me, you’re underestimating me.”

Edward: “Adopting effective magic is only logical, isn’t it?”

Edward responded without standing up normally, floating gracefully as he continued.

Edward: “And it’s not imitation—it’s respect!”

There’s not much difference, but I didn’t mind. 

After all, I was also trying to replicate Onyx’s magic, so we were doing the same thing.

Edward: “I didn’t expect you to counter by holding your breath, but it’s a simple yet effective strategy.”

Ragna: “Indeed.”

If the magic interferes with breathing, then just don’t breathe.

It’s a simple countermeasure, and if it ends the fight quickly, there’s no problem.

Edward: “Talking like this proves you’re underestimating me, doesn’t it?”

Ragna: “I’m not underestimating you.”

I launched an attack so fast that even Jelasis, in his demonic form, couldn’t react, but Edward managed to block it perfectly.

In a long fight, Edward would have the advantage. 

However—

Edward: “Using that magic here was a mistake. You can breathe again.”

The coliseum was filled with spectators.

Given that, Edward had to limit his space.

Fresh air was available. 

It was easy to create small air holes by extending a thin barrier upwards.

Ragna: “The Brave family is trained to fight anywhere, even underwater.”

Edward: “As expected.”

I could prepare a barrier with air in advance or expand it widely to neutralize and restore the air.

Edward: “But it’s obvious that a technique shown once won’t work again.”

Edward floated higher into the air as he spoke.

Edward: “Your barrier can read all magic. However, its range is limited to magic, and I already know its weaknesses.”

Ragna: “Heh?”

Edward: “You showed me in the summer, remember? If you exhaust yourself to the point where you can’t deploy the barrier, the attack will penetrate. The right approach is to chip away with minimal force.”

Edward pulled something from his pocket and threw it.

Edward: “When did you think I started lowering the oxygen concentration?”

What he took out was a small pebble, picked up from somewhere around.

He struck it with his sword. 

With a loud sound and sparks, an immense amount of flames suddenly engulfed the space in front of me.