Volume 1 Chapter 4 Practice Battle
The rumors about Slow Magic seemed to be spreading quite widely.
"He used to be the top student in our class..." "But if he's a slow magician, it's useless no matter how good he was originally..."
During class, I ignored the whispers of those who were talking behind my back. Being talked about behind my back wasn't that painful. I had experienced it before with some tough guys, but they didn't cause me much harm.
But there are always some fools who get carried away.
"Whoa! Ouch! That hurts! How dare you bump into me like that! Pay for my treatment, you jerk!"
A bully from a higher grade than me, who seemed to have better magic skills than me, picked a fight with me. He must have been looking down on me because of my Slow Magic.
"What, cat got your tongue? Too scared to speak up? Well, that's understandable! You have Slow Magic, while I have wind magic! With my superior speed, no one can stop me!"
"You're such a huge idiot."
"Huh!? What did you just say!"
"No, forget it. You looking for a fight? Bring it on. You're wide open."
"Huh?"
"Weight Up."
While casting [Weight Increase], I gently grabbed the thug's hand. The thug tilted his head, unable to sense any hostility.
And then, one second. In that one second, the thug was recognized as the target of my magic and crushed by gravity.
"Ugh!"
"Small fry!"
'...!'
Silence, then the surroundings began to buzz.
"What just happened?" "Did he collapse on his own?" "Did Wade do something?" "I was watching, but I didn't understand at all..."
As people looked around and exchanged words, they stared at me in astonishment. I brushed it off and walked away.
I've got a practice battle coming up. Don't get in my way.
During the practice battle class, Frain approached me.
"Hey, Slow Magic! I'm sure you haven't forgotten about the practice battle, right?"
Frain said with determined eyes. I replied confidently, "Of course not."
"I've been training for three days since then. It would be a problem if I don't do it."
"Ha! Alright. I'll crush you."
The surrounding area was buzzing. It seems like the clash between me and Frain has become a hot topic. Why did such a small promise to team up for a practice battle become such a big deal?
"Frain uses fire magic, and Wade is Slow Magic... right? Wade is a strong guy too, but magic is magic, isn't it quite one-sided?"
"There's as much difference between having magic and not having it as between a lizard and a dragon. Plus, Wade's magic only weakens himself... It's going to be tough."
"Frain is definitely going to win! He's a future hero, you know?"
The outfield is noisy as ever. I suggest, equipped with a practice sword and shield, "Let's start as soon as you are ready."
"...Seriously, you're always slacking off."
"Huh?"
"Tsk. Yeah, I'm ready. I'm waiting for you. I'll knock you down soon, so hurry up."
I call out to the annoyed Frain, "I'm ready." With a shield and sword, I can manage for now.
"Hah! Although you never wear it, today you are afraid and wearing a shield? That's hilarious. Did the top student get scared?"
"Yeah, your fire magic is scary. How do you know I don't usually wear a shield?"
"That's––– Tsk, let's just get on with it!"
"Yeah."
Frain, looking irritated, gets ready. I raise my shield.
Then, it becomes quiet around us. It may be because it's the first practice battle with magic involved, or because the top performers are glaring at each other seriously.
The distance is about 15 meters (49ft). If I sprint at full speed in a straight line, it's a distance I can cover in 2 seconds.
But if I run in a straight line, I'll become an easy target for a fireball head-on. I need to come up with a plan and move strategically.
I quietly exhale. I'll move after Frain does. If I move first, I'll be crushed. That's the kind of strategy I'm taking.
But Frain is also staring at me intently. He seems skilled at aiming. It seems he's planning to place a fireball where I'll move to.
It's a sneaky tactic. In other words, it's effective. It seems being a top performer isn't just for show.
The standoff intensifies. Without moving, I find myself battling the frustration bubbling in my stomach. "Hey, what are you guys doing?" the instructor's voice echoes from a little distance away.
Then, Frain flinches. I make a feint. Frain hastily shoots a fireball.
Dummy, not over there.
I dashed in the opposite direction Frain released the fireball. Frain twitched his shoulders, surprised.
In that moment, I closed ten meters (33ft) of the fifteen-meter (49ft) gap between us. Frain hastily launched a second attack.
"Fireball!"
"Disarm."
I canceled [Weight Increase], increasing my speed and dodging sideways. The crowd murmured. Frain gasped.
From Frain's perspective, this move probably seemed like I suddenly doubled my speed. Timing is crucial. Starting a bit slow at first and then catching them off guard makes you appear faster than expected.
"Ugh, fireball!"
"Too slow."
I closed in on Frain and swung my imitation sword overhead. The lightweight imitation sword moved gracefully through the air, powered by my strength trained with [Weight Increase].
In the midst of it, I said,
"Weight Up."
After a 0.3-second delay, my entire body felt heavy. It was the moment of impact.
Becoming 'slow' only takes a moment.
"Ugh!?"
Frain instinctively blocked my strike with his sword. However, it wasn't enough to fully defend against it. My initial blow was delivered with the force I usually reserve for crushing blows. It was probably nearly five times as impactful.
I checked on the thrown Frain and immediately canceled [Weight Increase] to move in. Then, I pointed the practice sword at his neck.
"It's over, isn't it?"
Cheers erupted from the crowd. Spectators expressed their surprise.
"No way!" "How did he win with Slow Magic?" "Wasn't that Wade guy supposed to be fast?" "It's amazing what he can do with Slow Magic." "Is this the aura of the top performer?"
"Damn it...!"
With a deeply frustrated expression, Frain gritted his teeth. Thinking that I had managed without using a shield, I decided the practive battle was over and began to move away from him, looking for my next opponent.
As a result, Frain was enraged.
"Darn...darn darn darn darn darn! I was chosen for fire magic! I stood at the entrance of a hero! Who do you think you are!"
Murderous intent emerged from him. When I turned around, Frain was pointing his hand at me.
"Fireball!"
"Weight Up."
I quickly activated [Weight Increase], raised my shield against the inevitable fireball, and then pushed it with all my might. The deflection, increased by [Weight Increase], bounced back the fireball and hit Frain directly.
...In the end, I had to use it.
"Guh, gaaaah!? It's hot! It's really hot! Someone, help me!"
"Frain!" "Hey! Isn't there a water magician around here!"
As Frain burned up, his followers gathered around him. I lost interest in the situation and looked away.
But the discomfort lingered, and as I walked away, I muttered.
"You fool. If I'm caught off guard, I wouldn't be able to do anything."
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