…And so, the silver-haired mage and I stood facing each other in the parade grounds.

Seated on the spectator’s seats were King Alexius, his bodyguards, the middle-aged mage, the usual entourage, and before I knew it, there was a golden-haired lady as well. Since she’s in the area meant for the Royal Family, she might be the King’s daughter.

“Are you going to be fine with me as your opponent? I’ll be careful not to injure you, but…”

“Kuruauoo voru guruo oouah.” [It’s not my style to keep losing all the time.]

Having said that, I took off my mithril mask that limited my vision and went near the lower spectator’s seats to throw it at Ax.

“Wafuh!?”

Perhaps it was unexpected, but I saw him hurriedly catching the silver mask with both of his hands as I returned to my place and waited for the signal with the wooden sword at the ready.

Ernesta, on the other hand, was bare-handed.

Considering that she can deploy a large-scale wind-breaking barrier on the go, there was a time when I thought that she was without a doubt a skilled wind magic-user… 

“Begin!!”

“Guruooooooooooonn!!”

【Activated ：Battlecry】

At the same time the old mage raised his arm on cue, I let out a magical roar that enhanced the physical capabilities of a Kobold and lost no time in closing the distance as is customary when dealing with a mage.

“Shaaaaaaaah!!”

However, along with the unimaginably immense fighting aura coming from her, Ernesta lowered herself and propelled herself forward with the help of the wind magic covering her limbs just like a silver arrow!

“Uoooooh!?”

shatter

She almost got me with a wind blade-covered right punch if I had not blocked it with the wooden sword, but the wooden sword shattered with just a single strike.

“Sei!!”

Furthermore, the silver-haired mage’s feint allowed her to take another step forward and deliver a short left uppercut. 

(I can’t dodge it!!)

I promptly crossed my arms by my throat to reinforce my guard, but the gales surrounding her left fist broke through my defenses, and her punch connected with my lower jaw.

“Guah!”

The power of the blow was reduced by my intersected arms, but it left the rest of my body defenseless.

“Hah!!”

“Gahah…”

Taking a short breath, Ernesta hits my stomach with the heel of her hand. I reflexively jumped backward, and the impact of her attack barely crossed my Leather Armor.

And so I took another huge step back to gain some distance from her while at the same time I threw away the hilt of the wooden sword which I held in my right hand and fired some Wind Blades.

“Uo, guruah!” (O wind, tear my enemy to pieces!)

“Tear my enemy to pieces, Triple Wind Blade!”

The other side also launched three wind blades, one canceling my wind blade, and the other two going straight for me.

“Kuh.”

I avoided the Wind Blades by dropping to the side and rolling on the ground with the momentum.

“Haaah!!”

When I managed to stand up, Ernesta was already in front of me and unhesitantly unleashed a roundhouse kick from the deep slit of her battle robes, exposing her young, healthy-looking smooth legs.

“Oooooooh!!”

Even though I just stood up, I evaded the roundhouse kick once again thrusting my left hand out and dropping my upper body on the ground. And then, I propelled myself backward by doing a cartwheel. 

“Aguh!?”

In doing so, my heel catches Ernesta’s chin, and she also moves backward and breaks the series of offense and defense, but… This is bad.

“Even though I’m holding back, you’re holding up pretty well, Kobold Wind-user!”

..  Tsk, I’ll admit that she is better than me.

So she was holding back? Then I’ll use that to my advantage! 

I was a child when the Commander picked me up from the desert city of Laudonell and he was stronger than I was. Looks like I have to struggle again like that time.

“At least let me have a little more fun!!”

And with those words, she came dashing towards me covered in wind!

“Wuooonn garuaaah!” (Take this, Greedy Fangs!)

In response, I quickly laid my hands on the ground and invoked a version of my earth magic, “Binding Fangs”. Numerous earthen fangs that were lower than usual sprouted and blocked Ernesta’s advance.

“!?!”

Reading the flow of magic, she leaped over the fangs right away. From her position above, she pointed her hands to the ground and, with her gale-covered heel, unleashed an ax kick on my lowered head.

“Gguruouh! Wuoh!!” (You’re not the only one who’s been reading moves! Wind!!)

The earthen fangs that I sprouted from the ground were a distraction; the reason I made it so low was to increase the chances of her leaping, even for a little. Additionally, by lowering myself and exposing my head, I also invited her to go for a knockdown attack.

This time, I crossed my arms and mimicked Ernesta, and canceled out the magic gale winds covering her.

Goh!!

“Guu!”

“Kuh!”

A considerable amount of impact hit me which almost made me fall to the ground, but I managed to hold on and caught her kick between my arms. Without a moment’s delay, I vigorously stood up and used my left hand to brush away her kick and break her stance.

“Uoruaaaaaaaannn!!”

【Active：Howling Noise】

【Effect：Inhibits the use of magic for a period of time】

“Wha!?”

Furthermore, she is hit by the full force of the Hellhound’s Roar, blocking her magic for a moment and taking away her means of defense. From there, I did not hesitate and delivered a full-strength blow straight to her solar plexus with my right fist.

“Guruoaaaaaah!!”

“Kahah….”

Unintentionally bending over, she exposes her neck and I give her a hand chop, finally rendering her unconscious.

Thud

“…Kyuu~”

“We forfeit!!”

When Ernesta was knocked out cold, the old mage stopped the match.