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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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The midday sun shone brightly in the training grounds, but none of the participants had the leisure to enjoy its warmth.
“Wow, the atmosphere is tense, huh? Arnold…”
Inside the arena, Eilly, Elisha, and Melina stood facing each other, their gazes sharp.
He and Varis had retreated to the sidelines to observe their match.
“I’ll be the one to spend time with Master. I won’t lose!”
“I have no intention of yielding either, so be prepared.”
“Huu, it seems everyone’s serious. I can’t lose either.”
A tense exchange of words preceded the start of the match. They each assumed their stances, waiting for the signal to begin.
“Is everyone ready?”
He glanced at them, a mixture of tension and confidence in their eyes.
“Alright, then……”
He raised his hand slightly, and the three of them lowered their stances, anticipating the start of the match.
“Begin!”
He swiftly sliced the air with his hand. The atmosphere crackled with tension, and a palpable wave of killing intent swept through the arena.
“Here I go!”
Melina was the first to move. She took a deep breath, her left hand gripping her bow, her right hand drawing the string.
“Hup!”
A green aura enveloped her, and the air shifted. It felt as if the surrounding air particles were obeying her command.
“Swiftly, as the wind!”
As she released the string, the arrow shot forward, propelled by the wind, its trajectory a graceful arc.
Its speed was too fast to follow with the naked eye, a streak of light flashing through the air, splitting into two.
Two arrows, flying towards Eilly and Elisha.
“Haa!”
Eilly moved without hesitation, her grip on her sword firm, her movements filled with energy. Speed was her weapon.
As the arrow flew towards her, she charged forward, swinging her sword.
Thwack -!
The blade sliced through the air, piercing the arrow.
The arrow, its momentum lost, flew harmlessly into the air.
“Pure crystal of cold ice, eternal ice that never melts, protect me!”
Elisha chanted as Melina attacked. A chilling aura emanated from her fingertips, and a massive ice wall formed instantly.
Boom –
The arrow struck the ice wall, but the barrier, seemingly stronger than steel, easily blocked Melina’s attack.
“You’re both pretty good!”
They had both handled Melina’s attack admirably.
“That’s not enough to defeat us!”
Eilly was the next to move.
The deflected arrow dissipated in the air, creating a strong gust of wind, but her sword, moving swiftly through the turbulence, ignored the aftershock and continued towards Elisha.
“Hup!”
But Elisha didn’t miss a beat and whispered another spell.
Ding –
A clear, shimmering shield enveloped Elisha, reinforcing the slightly cracked ice wall.
Crack –!
But the ice wall couldn’t withstand the force. Eilly’s sword shattered it, sending shards of ice flying in all directions.
“Ugh?!”
Elisha quickly retreated, her gaze sharp, as Eilly’s sword had struck the shield with considerable force.
“Flames, answer my call! Consume my enemy with your fiery dance!”
As she finished the incantation, flames erupted from Elisha’s fingertips.
The air shimmered with heat, and all other sounds were swallowed by the crackling of the flames.
The flames, initially small, quickly expanded, as if showcasing their power.
“Kuh…!”
A wave of heat washed over the arena, the air crackling.
Eilly’s face contorted as she shielded herself with her arm.
“I won’t lose!”
But she quickly regained her composure, her eyes filled with determination.
She started spinning around, unleashing a flurry of sword strikes, creating a spherical barrier of blade winds that pushed back the flames.
Whoosh –!
“She dispelled the flames with just her swordsmanship?!”
Elisha was shocked. She was stunned by Eilly’s display of skill, the sheer force of her swordsmanship dispelling the flames.
“I’ll finish this in one blow!”
Eilly, filled with confidence, leaped towards Elisha.
For a mage, allowing an opponent to get close was a fatal mistake.
Clang —
But Eilly’s sword couldn’t inflict a fatal blow. At the last moment, Elisha instinctively encased herself in ice, minimizing the damage.
“Uwaah…!”
Even so, Eilly’s attack was a solid hit. It hadn’t finished her off in one blow, but the impact sent Elisha tumbling backward.
“Kuh! Not bad!”
Elisha glared at Eilly, wiping her chin with the back of her hand, her voice filled with rage.
“Then how about this!”
As Elisha’s hand touched the ground, the temperature in the arena plummeted. A blue wave of energy spread from her fingertips, flowing across the ground.
“Age of Ice, reveal your cold heart. Cover this land and freeze all movement!”
The ground of the training arena began to freeze over.
“Th-This is….”
The ice spread relentlessly, reaching Eilly’s feet. She struggled, as if trapped in quicksand, but she couldn’t break free.
“It seems you’ve forgotten about me!”
Just then, Melina’s voice echoed through the arena. She was airborne, soaring through the air, manipulating the wind.
“Oh Spirit of Wind, answer my prayer. Unleash a merciless storm upon my enemies!”
She quickly nocked an arrow and let it fly, propelled by the wind.
The wind’s power surged into her bow, amplifying its force as it hurtled towards its target.
“Air Tornado!”
The arrow unleashed a whirlwind of wind, an unavoidable attack that split into two as it flew towards Eilly and Elisha.
“Pure crystal of cold ice, eternal ice that never melts, protect me!”
But Elisha reacted quickly. A chilling aura emanated from her fingertips, and a massive ice wall formed once again, blocking the windstorm.
Crack —!!
A powerful collision, its aftershock shaking the arena, sent shards of ice flying everywhere.
The ice wall shattered, but it had served its purpose, negating Melina’s magic.
“At this rate…!”
But the problem was Eilly. She quickly turned and swung her sword at the incoming arrow, desperately trying to defend.
She held her sword horizontally, trying to parry the wind magic, but—
“Ugh… Kyaah?!”
—she was at a severe disadvantage. Eilly’s fighting style prioritized speed over power.
But with her feet frozen by Elisha’s ice magic, she couldn’t move and took the full force of the attack, sending her flying backward.
“Ugh……”
She managed to minimize the damage by rolling on the groud.
“Ugh…”
Even so, it seemed like a significant blow was inflicted.
“Arnold… are they going to be okay?”
Varis’s voice trembled.
His eyes were filled with worry and fear, his attempt to remain calm only highlighting the seriousness of the situation.
His hand, clutching Arnold’s shirt, trembled slightly, as if he were a child seeking comfort after a nightmare.
“It’s intense.”
Arnold answered, as his gaze returned to the fight.
Their movements were fierce and intricate, their strategies constantly shifting, a captivating spectacle that kept him on the edge of his seat.
But at the same time, he felt a growing sense of unease.
Their fight was far more intense than he had anticipated, beyond a simple clash of emotions.
He knew that Eilly was skilled, but Elisha and Melina… they had surpassed his expectations.
Their abilities, exceeding the original story, especially at this stage, couldn’t be dismissed as a mere coincidence.
Why had they become so strong? The question gnawed at him. They hadn’t shown this level of growth in the original story.
What had changed? Could it be… something he had done?
“I was confident, but it seems I can’t let my guard down.”
Eilly said, catching her breath. There was sweat on her forehead, but her eyes were still sharp and determined.
“After all, this is a chance to have Arnold all to myself.”
Elisha smirked, her tone playful but her passion undeniable.
“I’m not one for conflict, but… this is getting my blood pumping.”
Even Melina seemed to have lost some of her usual composure, unable to hide her excitement.
Could it be that they were this motivated just for a chance to be with him…?
“Unfortunately for you, I’m the one who’ll be spending time alone with Master!”
Eilly declared firmly.
“Nonsense! You think I’ll just hand him over?!”
Elisha retorted.
“But you’re both looking a little shaky!”
Melina chimed in confidently.
Their confrontation was escalating, neither willing to yield an inch. He had a bad feeling about this.
“Should I stop them now?”
He asked Varis. But there was no response.
He turned his head, a strange feeling washing over him, and saw that Varis, who had been standing beside him just a moment ago, was gone.
As if he had been talking to a ghost…
………
“Haa, haa…”
Varis was gasping for air in a deserted alleyway. His face was covered in sweat, and he clutched his chest as if trying to catch his breath.
“What’s going on? It’s harder to maintain than usual…”
His hand went to the ring on his ring finger.
He slowly, carefully, removed it.
Slide –
His body began to change. His hair grew longer, and his physique softened, his form shifting gradually, as if time itself had slowed down.
“Haa, finally a break.”
His voice changed as well, from a boy’s to a girl’s soft, gentle tone.
And as he looked down at himself and sighed, he covered his blushing face with his hands.
“They probably won’t suspect anything, right?”
He muttered to himself, trying to reassure himself.
But the memories of his time with Arnold flashed through his mind, filling him with embarrassment.
He tried to hide his blushing face, but his heart continued to race uncontrollably.
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Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m new to translating so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
Ooh. Gender bender.