This Novel is not my Chapter 119: Main Competition (19)

hehost,whosejudgntwasclearlylacking,declaredthestartofthematchafterconfidentlypredictingthatafierce,evenlymatchedbattlewasabouttounfold.

henidrdidsothingevenmoreastonishingthanthehost.

eraisedonehandandbeckonedatReisir,blatantlyprovokinghimtoattackfirst.

sawReisirletoutahollowlaugh.

veninhiseyes,idr'sbehaviormusthavelookedutterlyridiculous.

evertheless,ratherthanrespondingtothechildishprovocationinkind,Reisirerasedthesmilefromhisfaceandkickedofftheground.

Assoonasthedistanceclosedenough—

Reisirswunghisspear.

idrswunghisswordwithallhisstrength.

Clang!

Asharp,deafeningimpactechoedthroughthestadium.

hespearbladewrappedingoldentherandtheswordbladecloakedinochrethercollidedhead-on.

Andremainedlockedtogether.

Reisir'sexpressiondidn'tchangeintheslightest.

idr,however,couldn'tcompletelyhidehissurprise.

couldmoreorlessguesswhathehadintended.

ehadprobablyexpectedtoknockReisir'sspearasideandcreateanopeningforacounterattack.

nstead,thespearhadn'tbudgedatall.

AlthoughReisir'sactualphysicalstatsaremuchhigher,idrhasthelargerbuildatfirstglance.t'sunderstandablethathemistakenlyassudhewasstronger.

Ratherthanforcingidr'sswordawaythroughsheerstrength,Reisirtiltedthespearheadbackoverhisshoulder.

herearendofthespearnaturallysweptforwardinadiagonalarc.

hud!

tslamddirectlyintoidr'swaist.

idrstaggeredslightlyasthoughhehadabsorbedasurprisinglyheavyblow.

Butinsteadofretreating,heimdiatelyswunghissword.

Areasonabledecision.

hespearhadasignificantreachadvantageoverthesword.

Unfortunately,theattackwaslittlemorethanaprobingstrikeintendedtopreventReisirfromgainingmontum.

Aftercasuallyevadingtheblade,Reisirthrusthisspear.

idrbarelymanagedtoavoidthespearheadaidathisabdon.

hesideofhisuniformrippedopenfromtoptobottom.

Still,adodgewasadodge.

histihewasabletoregainhisfootingandlaunchaproperattack.

fcourse,itfailed.

hespearshaftinterceptedhisadvancebeforehecouldcompletehisswing.

idr'sswordcouldn'treachnearlyasfarasheintended.

venthethercoatinghisbladefailedtoshinewithitsfullintensity.

Comparedtothedazzlinggoldenthersurroundingtheoriginalprotagonist,theoriginalvillain'sochretherlookedendlesslydullandshabby.

hecolorsbelongtoasimilarfamily.hat'sprobablywhythecontrastfeelsevenstronger.

idrwithdrewhisswordandimdiatelythrustitforward.

Reisircasuallyswepttheattackasideandneutralizedit.

henhedrovetherearendofthespearstraightintoidr'ssolarplexus.

idrstaggeredbackward,clutchinghisabdon.

hespearshaftswungagain.

histihecouldneitherblocknordodge.

edidn'tevenhaveenoughtitoactivate【arthControl】andraiseastonewall.

Well,aftertakingadirecthittothesolarplexus,breathingalonewouldhavebeendifficult.

nlyafterbeingstruckagaindididrfinallyerectthewall.

Judgingfromthatdescriptionalone,itmightsoundlikehewassimplyshuttingthestabledoorafterthehorsehadbolted.

Andwhilethatwasn'tentirelywrong,hispurposewasdifferent.

ewasn'ttryingtodefend.

ewastryingtocreatedistance.

hestonewallblockedReisir'sfollow-upattacksandpreventedhimfromimdiatelyclosingthegap.

Atthesati,idrretreatedseveralsteps.

ewastryingtobreaktheunfavorableflowofthebattleandreorganizehisstance.

nsteadofmovingaroundtheobstacle,Reisirsimplysmashedthroughit.

Stonefragntsexplodedoutward.

Yethespunhisspearwithawhirringmotionanddeflectedeveryshard.

henheextendedahand.

ightningerupted.

hunderfollowed.

heattackshotdirectlytowardidr.

Whyishejuststandingthereandtakingit?

Watchingidr'sbodyconvulseundertheelectricshock,couldn'thelpfeelingpuzzled.

omatterhowspecialheclaidtobe,couldhereallyfailtodefendagainstanattackthatevenhadmanagedtoblock?

...hatwasn'tsarcasm.

fhehadraisedastonewallthemontReisirliftedhishand,hecouldhavedefendedhimself.

ehaddoneexactlythatseveraltisintheoriginalnovel.

Yetthistihemadenoattemptwhatsoever.

omatterhowlookedatit,itfeltstrange.

Whenwaselectrocuted,Reisirhadimdiatelyrushedinbeforecouldrecover.

owhesimplystoodtherewiththebuttofhisspearplantedonthegroundandsaidsothing.

idrrepliedthroughlipsstilltwitchingfromtheshock.

hengoldenlightningflashedfromReisir'sfingertipsoncemore.

hesathinghappenedagain.

idrtookthefullblastwithoutdefendinghimself.

Don'ttell...

DidhetrytoimitatethewayblockedReisir'slightningwithpinpointtimingandfailbecausehisreactionspeedwasn'tfastenough?

idrdidn'tknowpossessedthehoughtAccelerationSkill.

Andhehadalwaysoverestimatedhisownabilities.

hemorethoughtaboutit,themorelikelythatexplanationseed.

fso,couldroughlyimaginetheconversationthathadjusttakenplace.

Reisirhadprobablymockedhim.

Sothingalongthelinesofaskingwhetherhecouldn'tevendefendagainstanattackofthatlevel.

idr,unabletoswallowtheinsult,haddemandedanotherchance.

"........."

sawReisir'slipsmoveagain.

heverynextmont—

idrchargedforwardwithafacetwistedbyhumiliation.

Whatexactlydidtheprotagonistofsooneelse'snovelsaytoprovokethatreaction?

reallyshouldlearnlip-readingduringvacation.

twouldmakemydutiesasafirst-personnarratormucheasier.

Whilewasentertainingthatthought,sparksbegandancingalongReisir'sspear.

Untilnow,hehadrelywrappedtheweaponincondensedther.

owheinfuseditwiththeightningAttribute.

Sinceidr'sswordwasalsocoatedinther,simplycrossingbladeswouldn'telectrocutehim.

Atmost,thecontactwouldsting.

Andyet—

idrhesitated.

nlyforaninstant.

Didgettingelectrocutedtwiceleavehiminstinctivelyafraidofthelightning?

venthebriefesthesitationinaduelcouldbefatal.

Although,consideringhisopponent,idrwouldhavelostregardless.

hehesitationrelyacceleratedtheinevitablebyroughlytenseconds.

idrhadbeentheonetochargefirst.

ButReisirstruckfirst.

nsteadofcuttingwiththespearhead,heswungtheshaftintoidr'sside.

fcourse,sincelightning-infusedthercoveredtheentireweapon,wasn'tsurewhethertocallitrcyorcruelty.

ntheend,idrcollapsedunconsciousbeforehecouldevenscream.

Unlikeintheoriginalnovel,therewasnoopportunityforthetwoofthemtoshakehandsafterward.

hemontthehostannouncedtheresult,Reisirleftthestagewithoutsparingsomuchasaglanceforidr,wholayconvulsingonthefloor.

hetwoofthemwereoriginallydestinedtobecoenemies...butnowtherelationshiphasbecocompletelyirreparable.

fanything,thingshaddeterioratedevenfurtherthanintheoriginalstory.

Acompletedisaster.

Atthispoint,honestlyhopedidrwouldleavetheacademyalongsideReisirinthefutureanddevotehimselfentirelytorevengeinsteadofacademics.

Mostimportantly—

sincerelyhopedhewouldnevercoanywherenearagain.

"Wow..."

igdís'svoicedrewmyattention.

Whenturned,foundherstaringblanklytowardthearena.

ergazefollowedReisirashemadehiswaythroughtheaudienceseatingtowardus.

fnobodyelsehadbeennearby,mighthaveaskedwhethershe'dfallenforhim.

Unfortunately,therewasnowaytomakeitclearthatsuchaquestionwouldbemotivatedbycuriosityratherthanjealousy.

Sokeptmymouthshut.

"Reisir,congratulationsonwinning."

hefirstpersontogreetthereturningchampionwashischildhoodfriend.

elga'stoneremainedcalm.

otbecauseshewaspretending.

SimplybecauseshehadneverdoubtedthatReisirwouldwin.

oher,theoutcowasobvious.

Still,theprideandhappinessonherfaceprovedhercongratulationsweregenuine.

"Studentidrisalreadyexceptionallystrongforhisage,butyou'reonanentirelydifferentlevel!owinthatoverwhelmingly...itwasincredible!couldn'tstopadmiringyouthroughoutthewholematch!"

Unlikeelga'scomposedpraise,igdíscouldn'tconcealheradmiration.

verysentencepracticallyendedinanexclamationmark.

Sinceshehadpersonallycrossedswordswithidrbefore,Reisir'sone-sideddominationmusthavelookedevenmoreextraordinary.

"-twasamazing...!R-Really!-owareyousostrong?tfeelslikeyou'vealreadysurpassedthelevelofastudent...!"

Ríolíkinjoinedthechorusofpraiseaswell.

venstudentsdidn'trecognizefromnearbyseatsapplauded.

Clapclapclap.

therswhistled.

Fwee!Fwee!

Severalevengavehinthusiasticthumbs-ups.

hevictorofamatchwonbysuchanoverwhelmingmarginjustwalkedovertothem.hesereactionsaren'tstrange...but...

WhydiditremindofChapter61?

hechapterwhererandoxtrassuddenlyrediscoveredtheirconsciencesafterReisirdeliveredaspeechthatwasn'treallyaspeechandbeganbehavingunnaturally.

"Ahaha...mm...hanks,everyone."

Perhapsreceivingpraisefromsomanypeopleembarrassedhim.

Reisirscratchedhischeekandsmiledawkwardlywhileblushingfaintly.

henhequietlysatdown.

Rightbeside.

"...Whyareyousittingnexttoinsteadofyourchildhoodfriend?"

"Becauseitlookslikeyouhavealotyouwanttosayto."

WasReisiralwaysthisgreedyforpraiseintheoriginalnovel?

e'dbeenembarrassedbytheattentionofcountlessstrangers.

Yetsohowthatstillwasn'tenough.

Consideringhispersistence,remainingsilentwouldaccomplishnothing.

Ratherthanwastetiarguing,decidedtosimplytellhimwhathewantedtohear.

"Yousaidyouwouldwinthistournant.Andyoudid.So...congratulations."

"hanksforthecongratulations.Butisn'ttheresothingelseyouwanttosay?"

"...suspecteditbefore,butyou'regenuinelystrong.oanabsurddegree."

"hankyouforthecomplinttoo.Butthat'snotall,isit?"

hadcongratulatedhim.

hadcomplintedhim.

Yettheprotagonistofsooneelse'snovelremainedunsatisfied.

venmoreirritating,theembarrassntthathadcoloredhisfacemontsagohadvanishedcompletely.

Aradiantgrinhadreplacedit.

Asthoughhe'dneverbeenembarrassedinthefirstplace.

Watchinghim,beganfeelingembarrassedonhisbehalf.

"...Whatexactlyareyoutryingtogettosay?!SincemanagedtoreachtheopSixteenthankstotrainingwithatalentedpersonlikeyou,doyouwanttothankyoutoo?"

"Youwereactuallythinkingthat?Sohowthat'sincrediblytouching.'msoproudrightnow~ahaha!"

hemorespoke,thedeeperseedtosinkintoaswamp.

ftherewassothinghewantedtohear,hecouldsimplysayitdirectly.

Whydidheinsistontestingpeoplelikethis?

igdíshaddonesothingsimilarbackinChapter109.

Wasthissokindofnoblecultureproblem?

Didaristocratssimplyhaveanunhealthyobsessionwithspeakingincircles?