After school, a crowd had gathered in the duel arena.

Is that how many people want to see me get beat up by Legal?

"So, you didn't run away after all."

Legal said this, looking at me as I arrived at the duel arena.

"Yeah, I came."

I nodded.

"Hey, you guys! The loser, Norman, says he can use magic now. Let's all confirm if it's true!"

Legal said this as if he were deliberately inciting the students in the audience.

The students start to laugh.

"There's no way Norman, who couldn't use magic before, could suddenly use it now."

"Hey, Legal. Don't bully him too much!"

The students start to say whatever they want.

"Go ahead, hit me with everything you got."

Legal grins and gestures, like he's provoking me to shoot magic at him.

Legal and all the students in the audience believe that I can't use magic.

But,

"Master, please beat that guy to a pulp!"

"Lord Norman, good luck!"

Only Orobos and Crocelle cheer me on.

Well, the other students probably can't hear them, but just the fact that they're cheering for me gives me courage.

Okay, I psych myself up in my head.

I'll surprise him first.

Thinking this, I slowly walk towards where Legal is.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Legal says this in a mocking tone.

Ignoring him, I continue walking until I judge that I'm close enough and then chant with my left hand in front of me.

"――Fireball, Fuego Flama."

"Ugh!"

Completely caught off guard, Legal lets out this sound and is blown backward.

"Hah, so you really learned magic."

Legal says this as he gets up.

"Well, it's just basic magic that anyone can learn."

That's right, anyone who's a magician can control a ball of fire.

"――Fireball, Fuego Flama."

However, there's not much I can do now.

So, I'll just do what I can to the best of my ability.

"Hah, there's no way the same attack will work twice!"

Legal says this, seeing the fireball, and chants his magic.

"――Annihilation, Conseration!!"

Simultaneously with the chant, a giant magic circle floats in the air, protecting Legal.

Annihilation magic.

Magic is activated by ordering the countless minute spirits that exist in the atmosphere.

So, by interfering with the spirits that the opponent has ordered, you can forcibly cancel the magic that has been activated.

However, my magic doesn't depend on spirits.

"Guhh!"

The fireball hits Legal directly again.

As I thought, my magic can't be canceled by annihilation magic.

Annihilation magic is just a magic that interferes with spirits.

It can't erase my magic, which was activated by borrowing the power of a demon.

"――Water Blade Launch, Aqua Espeida."

I immediately launch a water blade.

"――Annihilation, Conseration!!"

Legal uses annihilation magic again.

But, it doesn't disappear.

The water blade hits Legal directly.

"Hey, what kind of trick is that?"

Legal says this, bleeding.

The audience has also noticed the anomaly and begins to buzz.

I even hear an audience member say, "Legal's getting pushed back..."

"――Fireball, Fuego Flama."

Ignoring Legal's question, I chant another spell.

"――Gale, Rahaga!"

Two green magic circles appear from Legal's hands.

A gale erupts from them.

The gale hits the fireball, and they cancel each other out.

"Don't underestimate me. I'll kill you!"

Legal howls.

And then he begins to chant.

"Eigenmagic activation, Silver World, Mundo de Prata."

After all, if I just shoot fire or water, it will disappear as long as I use annihilation magic.

So, I needed to learn magic that couldn't be erased by annihilation magic.

That's how Eigenmagic was born.

Magic is intricately combined and engraved into one's soul.

By engraving it into your soul, you can simplify some of the processes that would normally require a lot of chanting, magic circles, etc.

Multiple magic circles appear around Legal.

Normally, each magic circle would require a chant to appear, but because it's Eigenmagic, it can appear with just one chant.

"I'll definitely kill you with my Eigenmagic."

As soon as Legal says this, countless knives appear in the air.

Generating knives from nothing.

I can't even imagine how this magic is activated.

It's such a high-level magic.

"Die!"

The countless knives all fly through the air towards me.

There's no way to defend against this.

I don't have any means of defending against these knives with my current abilities.

Is this the end...

Well, I didn't expect to win from the beginning, and it's probably the most I could do.

I close my eyes, ready to give up.

"Lord Norman! Be careful!"

Eh?

I open my eyes.

Crocelle is standing in front of me.

Huh? Why is she here?

"Eeeh!"

Crocelle says this and puts both hands forward.

Instantly, a huge amount of water is launched.

The large amount of water deflects all the knives coming towards me and then...

"Hey, what the... ?"

Legal opens his mouth in shock.

"Guhhh!"

Legal lets out a scream and is blown away.

"The winner is! Norman Esland!"

The judge makes this decision, seeing Legal unconscious.

"Eh? Norman won...?"

"I-It can't be... can it...?"

"What was that magic just now?"

"Did Norman just launch that magic without chanting?"

The confused voices of the audience can be heard.

The audience can't see Crocelle, so it looks like I cast the magic.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I couldn't just stand there when I saw that Lord Norman was going to be hurt! I'm so useless... I was told not to get involved, but I broke Lord Norman's orders. I am not worthy to be by Lord Norman's side!"

Crocelle turns around and apologizes, tears in her eyes.

"Crocelle, don't worry about it."

I quickly try to comfort her.

Actually, I was kind of relieved when I saw Legal fall.

So, my first duel ended up being a victory in an unexpected way.

Volume 1 – End –