Ryu dodged the fireball attack by quickly stepping sideways, the fireball vaporizing against the training ground wall. (The training ground walls were enchanted with a defense spell.)

Betty: "W-Well dodged. But how long do you think you can keep that up?"

Betty, whose attack hadn't ended in a single blow, said, her face twisted.

Sophie: "Wait, Betty, using magic in a sword fight is cheating!"

Betty: "There's no such rule!"

Ryu: "I don't mind. You challenge a commoner who can't use a sword to a sword fight. You challenge someone who can't use magic to a magic fight. You attack without revealing your strengths, and try to win with a surprise attack. A truly noble way to fight, isn't it?"

Betty: "Are you trying to insult me?"

Ryu: "I'm just stating facts. But it's a bit foolish to challenge someone to a duel without checking their skills first."

Betty: "………Are you desperate? Are you trying to provoke me into fighting without magic? I'm not taking the bait. I'm not good with a sword."

Ryu: "Funny you should say that, I'm not good with a sword either. I'm not good at magic either."

Betty: "If you're not good at magic, surrender. I'll forgive you if you honestly admit defeat and apologize."

Ryu: "I told you, I don't mind. I may not be good at it, but I don't think I'll lose to magic like that."

Betty: "…You'll regret it!"

Fireballs appeared again, attacking Ryu.

Ryu dodged them swiftly and efficiently.

Betty: "How long can you keep this up?"

Betty kept launching fireballs, one after another. They were all dodged, but some of the fireballs that passed through Ryu without hitting him turned around and flew back towards him. They were tracking.

Ryu didn't seem to notice the fireballs coming from behind, and he didn't even move to dodge. Seeing this, Betty thought she had won.

Several fireballs hit Ryu's back…

…But the fireballs disappeared as if they were being absorbed into his body.

Ryu, of course, had noticed the fireballs coming from behind. He created a subspace and opened the entrance at his back, storing all the fireballs.

Betty: "?!"

Startled, Betty continued to launch more fireballs, but they all vanished as if absorbed into Ryu's body.

Betty: "Magic barrier? ...No, what did you do?!"

Ryu: "I just 'stored' the magic in subspace."

Betty: "Storage magic?! I've never heard of magic being stored!"

But no matter how many fireballs she launched, they were absorbed and disappeared.

Betty, terrified by the approaching Ryu, who was storing the magic she cast, while taking step after step closer, said,

Betty: "What about this?!"

Betty floated multiple fireballs in front of her and began to combine them into one. She kept adding more fireballs, and the combined fireball grew larger and larger.

This was her ultimate move. She combined multiple fireballs into one by continuously adding more magic to them, creating a spell with immense power. Normally, she would be finished if she was attacked while doing this, but she could perform this attack because Ryu didn't seem interested in using a quick attack.

Sophie: "Betty, stop! If you unleash something like that, the Guild will be blown up!"

But Betty wouldn't stop.

…No, something was wrong. She looked panicked.

It seemed that she was rushing too much because she was in a panic, and she lost control of the fireball.

She had intended to control it and focus the power on the target, but it was no longer working.

Betty: "Sophie-sama, I can't control it, run!"

Ryu: "It's okay."

Ryu raised his hand towards the massive fireball hovering above Betty's head, and it vanished. He had stored the giant fireball too.

Betty, relieved and pale, collapsed to her knees. She was out of magical power. The final ultimate spell had drained her magic.

The creatures of this world rely on magical power to some extent to sustain their life force. If they completely run out of magical power, they don't die, but they become very weak and unable to move.

Sophie rushed to Betty.

Ryu: "Is it over?"

Sophie: "It's over. Betty can't fight anymore."

Ryu: "I haven't done anything yet."

Betty: "Not yet! I can still fight!"

Betty tried to act tough, but she couldn't stand up on her own. Sophie spoke, seeing this.

Sophie: "…The match is over."

Betty slumped, dejected, hearing that.

— — — — — — — — — —

Ryu: "So, what now? Who's next?"

Ryu turned his gaze towards someone standing against the wall.

There were three maids with Sophie.

There was another maid besides Marie and Betty, who had been silent and invisible all this time.

Third Maid: "No, I'm fine. I don't have the strength to fight Ryujeen-dono."

But Betty shouted.

Betty: "What are you talking about, Alice! You can win!"

The maid called Alice was actually a skilled fighter, even Marie and Betty acknowledged her skills. But because she was so skilled, she wouldn't challenge someone without first gauging their strength, and she wouldn't challenge someone she knew she couldn't beat.

Alice, having watched the fight, probably realized that she wouldn't stand a chance against Ryu.

But then Sophie made a shocking statement that surprised the maids.

Sophie: "Then it's my turn."

— — — — — — — — — —

To be continued

Sophie's battle?

Don't miss the next episode!