The Mysterious Black Magician

The match concluded in an instance. It\'s not even a few moments that have passed since it started.

Just what kind of attack was that?! Everyone was wondering with their mouths hanging.

Even the commentator Mora Liz gawked and forgot to announce the end of the match.

Right at this moment, King Aggressor was lying unconscious on the ground along with his deity.

"I-I don\'t know what happened. B-but, as you can see, the match is over. Ehehe..."

She sounded terrified as she announced the end of the final match of the first half.

Almina and the others had their mouths widened as well. Even Rei-Rei and Sonya were flabbergasted.

Kiko had a bitter expression at the moment. Who knows what was running in his mind at this very moment. But one thing for sure, he was bothered by that power.

<Uh, eh, partner, wasn\'t that a bit overkill?>

For some reason, he heard Sistela sounded skeptical. Well, he could not blame her as it was truly a bit overkill.

He looked at his hand. Perhaps he was too anxious after hearing Keremi\'s words last night. He failed to gauge the power behind that attack.

Yman could only display a wry smile at his failure of controlling his skill.

Regardless, there\'s nothing he could do about it. He calmly walked back towards the waiting hall.

In the VIP room, "What was that?" Sunday asked with a noticeable shock in her voice. That was truly shocking.

Jack adjusted his sunglasses. "It seemed like a small version of that devastating spell."

"Hm, devastating spell?" Sunday asked.

"I mean, the Spherical Bomb," Jack replied with a serious face.

"That spell that can devastate a mountain in one go?"

"Yes, though it was smaller and weaker compared to it. Still, being a first-year academy level, it was almost impossible to be able to cast such a strong spell."

Jack and Sunday fell silent as they wondered how such a first-year academy student was able to cast it. Also, he was from a backwater academy.

He truly was a mysterious kid. Even Jack could not get information about him. Just who is he? Why was he not in the elite class?

Sunday\'s curiosity towards Yman grew stronger.

Out of a sudden, she realized something. "Then, if he fired it to all his opponents from here on, won\'t it be a sure win for him?" Sunday asked upon realizing it.

"Well, that... might be so," Jack replied.

While Sunday and Jack were conversing, they suddenly heard a chuckle.

"Fufu."

The two simultaneously glanced at where the chuckle came from.

"Mr. Adam?" Sunday called out while blinking her eyes in wonder.

"Ah, sorry. It\'s nothing," Adam excuses for his sudden chuckle.

"Uhm, could it be you also felt surprised at that contestant\'s spell, sir?" Jack asked.

"Hm, to be honest, yeah. I think most of the people who have witnessed it feel the same. It\'s truly surprising to see a first-year academy student used it."

Sunday and Jack nodded their heads in agreement.

However, Adam Praeter wasn\'t finished yet. He opened his mouth once again. "Regardless, based on my little knowledge, that spell is what they called Elemental Burst Compression."

"Elemental Burst Compression, sir?" Jack repeated Adam\'s words with a blank expression. Elemental Burst Compression?\' It was the first time he heard it.

"Yes. And it\'s indeed powerful as you see it. But, it has the most complex condition to meet to use it. However, this kind of place is the most desirable place to meet its condition."

"C-conditions? What do you mean, Mr. Adam, sir?"

Sunday was silently listening while Jack was questioning Adam.

"Indeed. Conditions. That spell is the gathering of excess elemental energies. Those elemental energies are the lingering energies that are left around."

Jack knitted his brows from Adam\'s explanation. He could not catch up with what Adam meant to say.

Right at this moment, Sunday joined in their conversation.

"Uhm, Mr. Adam Praeter, sir, do you mean the elemental particles that were left behind?"

Adam side-glanced at her and nodded. "Mhm! Exactly. Those are the elemental particles from the other participant\'s attack. It was the needed recipe to cast the spell. Without them, it\'s impossible to use that spell."

"I see. So that\'s the reason of it\'s complexity."

"Right. Regardless, that kid secretly gathered those energies by creating a vacuum-like pressure in his hand right after stepping the stage. After that, he compressed them and then coated them with [Mana Coating] ability to avoid diffusion."

Sunday touched her chin as she looked below. Probably, understanding where Adam going about with his words. "I see. And those elemental particles inside will be coiling, thus causing the sudden temperature rise. Then it cause an explosion at a slight impact," she analyzed.

"Right. And since the elemental particles are almost weightless, it travels so slow. It was the reason why that speck of light traveled like in slow-mo."

"I see. Now I get it," Sunday muttered. \'As expected of a person who is one of the leaders of a giant magician association, the Seeker, he knows a lot regarding spells,\' she complimented him inwardly.

Adam continued explaining. "That said, since it travels so slow, one could easily evade it if he or she already knew the danger about it, which I think everyone is already aware of from this moment. Also, the difficulty of meeting its condition made it impossible to cast again and again. Once those element particles are used, they are no longer usable again."

"I get it. For that reason, he could no longer use it again, right?" She concluded.

Without nodding, Adam chuckled. "Fufu, as expected of the manager of a big firm, you\'re smart," he complimented her.

"Compared to you, sir, I\'m more like a baby."

"Now, now. No need to become so humble, you know. We are from a different field of business after all."

Adam meant that it was only natural that he knows a lot more than her regarding magic spells because it was in the line of his work.

"I can\'t deny that. Thank you very much for telling us such information, Adam, sir!" She bowed slightly in his direction.

"Fufu, such a thing. It\'s not a big issue."

Jack, on the other hand, was whispering, "I see, I see. So that was the reason, huh."

\'Still, that young man is cut above the rest in terms of magic spells.\'

Adam Praeter thought.

When Yman came back to the waiting hall, he noticed everyone was looking at him like he was a big sinner in their eyes.

Well, in regards to Kiko, it wasn\'t new to him. Oddly though, the others were looking at him with the same expression.

Slowly, he saw Almina approaching him with a shadow overcast on her face. He could not tell what expression she was making at the moment.

However, he felt a bothering feeling. She stopped right in front of him. Everyone was silently looking at them. They were wondering what Almina was planning to do.

He noticed Almina unhurriedly opened her mouth without lifting her face to look at him. "J-just this time…" she said in a low voice and paused. Then she opened her mouth once again. "J-just this time I will forget my feelings. I will defeat you, okay!?" She finally looked at him as she said it. 

Yman was quite surprised. It was a challenge invitation.

He understood.

To begin with, it was a competition, everyone there was an opponent they needed to beat. She wanted to disregard their friendship while facing each other and face him seriously.

It could also be comprehended that she wanted him to fight her seriously without holding back.

She also emphasized the words \'just this time\'. So, it meant they would be back as friends again after their match.

Although she declared it right at his face, her face was as red as a tomato.

Yman smiled wryly.

"Yeah, I won\'t hold back either when the time comes. Best regards then." 

From here on, they were competitors.