REAPER SCANS
Necromancer Academy's Genius Summoner
[Translator - Ramen]
[Proofreader - Artethrax]
Chapter 518
Moiran's 'waterway arena' had the largest audience of the three great necromancer schools.
The arena featured real, flowing waterways with numerous bridges spanning across them.
Camibarez and her opponent from Moiran—Alizarin—were warming up at the center of the arena.
'To think Cami's up first. She must be really nervous.'
Simon stood in the waiting area, holding his stiffened shoulder as he watched on.
In fact, anyone could tell she was nervous. She forced her frozen muscles to stretch as she warmed up, but as she tried to twist an arm to the side, she spun her entire body, lost her balance, and flopped onto the floor with an "Ack!"
Soft chuckles rose from the audience.
"Kugh, she's so cute!"
Mumbled Meilyn from next to Simon.
"Do your best, Kizen!"
"Go for it!"
At least, unlike Alland and Sierra, Moiran's audience wasn't overwhelmingly biased or mercilessly booing the opposing student.
Of course, the spectators wanted their champion to win, but they mostly wanted everyone to do their best.
It was probably because there were civilians mixed into the audience, and that Moiran generally had a more peaceful school culture.
"Simon, have you seen Cami fight recently?"
Asked Meilyn out of nowhere.
Simon scratched the side of his head.
"Hm… Not recently, I don't think."
"Geez, you never pay attention to this stuff."
Meilyn furrowed her brows and turned her gaze forward.
"Cami's battle style mostly has two steps. First, she inflicts a wound on her opponent, then she casts Hemorrhage."
"Hemorrhage… Yeah, I remember."
The brutal dark magic which caused blood to endlessly gush from an enemy's wounds was a signature of the Ursula family. It remained vividly in Simon's memory.
"However…! It will be hard to land a valid wound in this duel. The protective suits are the same outdated ones we used in our first year. You know, the ones that cover your entire body with a barrier."
"Right, yeah. To injure someone, you first have to bring their barrier gauge down to zero."
"And that's why the second part is the key."
Meilyn raised her slender index finger with a smirk.
"Do you remember that dark spell Cami used to make blood rise up like a whirlwind."
"I do. I believe it was called Blood Storm?"
"Yeah, that one. If Cami can just hold out long enough to prepare that powerful move, she wins nine times out of ten. Cami is a classic slow starter, after all."
Having finished her analysis, Meilyn looked at Cami's opponent, Alizarin. The man had a sharp chin and nose, as if chiseled, and wore a long pair of sunglasses.
"But I have no idea how her opponent will play the duel. He'll definitely take advantage of the waterways, but he's also a hemomancer like Cami? I can't quite picture how this battle will go."
Just as she said, this duel was between two hemomancers. Of course, since the opponent was a transfer student from Moiran, he had without a doubt also prepared skills that were suited for this arena.
"Duelists, shake hands!"
As the warm-up time ended, the referee called the two students together for a handshake.
Click!
Alizarin flipped open his sunglasses. They were designed in a way that allowed the lenses to slide up.
It turned out that his sunglasses were designed in a way where its lenses could slide up. Beneath them, he stared intensely at Camibarez, the white of his eyes easily visible above his iris.
A shiver ran down Cami's spine.
"…Ursula, huh?"
His eyes were so terrifying that anyone would get nightmares of them after just one glance.
Shaking his hands, Camibarez' shoulders hunched up toward her ears without her knowing, but she still quickly bowed her head with a small, nervous smile.
"L-Let's have a good duel."
Alizarin coldly turned away, walking back without giving any response.
Left awkwardly with her hand still raised, Cami clasped it with her other hand and brought it to her chest. Then, looking dejected, she hurriedly returned to her starting spot.
"How dare he!"
Fuming, Meilyn shook the safety fence violently as she shouted,
"How dare you be so rude to our Cami! Just wait till you get to Kizen!"
'…Are you her mom or something?'
Simon smiled bitterly.
Soon, Camibarez and Alizarin took their positions, keeping a fair distance between them. Finally, Jane and a professor from Moiran approached the students for some brief coaching.
The Moiran professor gave technical advice, but Jane focused on caring for Cami's mind.
"You'll do well once the fight starts, but right now, it's quite obvious how nervous you are."
Jane gently brushed a hand over Camibarez' head.
"Let go of the pressure, Secretary Camibarez."
"I-I can't seem to do th— I'm sorry, Professor."
"Whatever happens in this duel, know it will be alright."
She continued,
"Because the student council president and vice president will take care of the next duels."
Camibarez' eyes widened, and she glanced toward Simon and Meilyn. The two of them were waving enthusiastically.
"But you should still give it your all so you won't have regrets when facing your friends later, right?"
At those words, the shaking in Camibarez' eyes finally steadied.
"Yes! Thank you!"
Jane nodded and returned back to the audience.
"Now then, we'll begin the transfer student assessment duel between Alizarin Zac and Camibarez Ursula!"
The referee raised an arm above his head, and…
"Begin!"
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator - Ramen
Proofreader - Artethrax
Join our discord for updates on releases!
* * *
As the crowd erupted in cheers, Camibarez and Alizarin simultaneously began preparing their dark magic. Given the many canals around and between them, neither rushed in to immediately utilize combat dark magic.
Shiiiiing!
Camibarez extracted her own blood, drawing a red magic circle over her body.
Meilyn's eyes sparkled at the sight.
"As expected! Cami's going for Blood Storm."
"Looks like it."
Simon titled his head.
"As for the opponent…"
Alizarin, on the other hand, was intricately piecing together a symphony of magic circles to prepare one large one.
Normally, pre-drawing magic circles before a duel was forbidden, but 'soul-bound magic circles' that remained on the body without using the jet-black were allowed.
He activated the soul-bound circles on his body one after another, then drew a magic circle in the center, gathering all the power of his dark magic into a single circle.
At last, his preparations were complete. He turned around and strode forward, heading straight for the nearest canal.
Splaaaaash…
Crystal-clear lake water rushed vigorously through the canal.
Stretching his fingers over the water, a single drop of blood dripped down from one of Alizarin's fingers—he likely made a cut using a fingernail—and landed in the rushing water.
Woooooooooooooosh!
Then, like an ink spreading through a cup of water, the entire canal turned crimson. Like a conductor, he moved his arms through the air and the crimson water slowly began to rise.
"…!"
Camibarez, who was preparing her Blood Storm, instinctively took a step back in surprise.
"My blood controls the waters around me."
The crimson waves rippled, moving perfectly in sync with Alizarin's commands.
"Open your eyes and watch closely, Ursula. Witness the power I've cultivated in Moiran!"
{Blood Wave}
Swaaaaaaaaaaaah!
The massive crimson wave advanced forward. Meilyn's jaw dropped in shock.
"I mean, what the?! That's a blood wave?!!"
Blood Wave was a common spell that any hemomancer could use. However, by utilizing the surrounding water, it was on an entirely different scale.
Camibarez also drew magic circles onto both hands, crossing them and thrusting them forward.
{Blood Wave}
The same hemomancy spell came out from her palms.
The blood wave created from Ursula's blood effortlessly tore through Alizarin's attack. However, an endless barrage of Alizarin's blood waves clashed against hers, eventually overwhelming and shattering Camibarez' spell.
Simon urgently shouted,
"Dodge, Cami!"
Camibarez turned away and stepped on jet-black, running away. Behind her, crimson waves crashed down like a flood, turning the arena into a sea of blood.
Sweat trickled down her forehead.
Splaaaaaaash!
Splaaaash!
A crimson stream of water rose from the canal on the side and rushed toward Camibarez.
She immediately changed direction and fled the other way, raising her finger and curling the fingers underneath like her hand was a gun.
{Blood Bullet}
The Blood Bullet she fired forcefully shattered the front of the wave, but the second and third waves soon surged into the gap and restored it.
Camibarez had no choice but to turn and run again.
"Ughhh! I knew it!"
Her face full of anxiety, Meilyn clasped her hands together and hopped in frustration.
"Even if we're Kizen, we're both second-years! Their home-field advantage is way too big! An endless supply of water is just unfair!"
Simon silently nodded, observing Alizarin's next move.
Alizarin kept dripping his own blood into the waterway, trying to control more and more water with it.
"Oh, look, Cami is…!"
At Meilyn's shout, Simon quickly turned his gaze back to Camibarez. She was now charging toward Alizarin with the crimson wave behind her.
'Is she going to use combat dark magic? No.'
Simon saw jet-black rippling in her hands.
Alizarin swung his arm, a Crimson Wave surging toward her head-on, so she…
"Haaaah!"
She bravely threw herself even further forward.
Using her smallness to her advantage, she barely slipped through just before the wave completely crashed down. Now on the same side as her opponent, she landed on one knee and raised her arm.
{Bleed}
A decisive blood curse shot out from her hand, but Alizarin immediately and skillfully countered it with {Cancellation}
Meilyn shuddered in frustration as she watched.
"That bastard! His curse defense is perfect, too!"
A formidable opponent. There was hardly a single opening on him.
Even Simon thought that he'd have struggled if he had been the one facing him.
{Blood Silk}
Camibarez created a carpet from the blood on her fingers and hopped on as it hovered slightly in the air and sped forward.
Now that they were second-years, even their application of basic skills had evolved significantly.
Behind her, the crimson sea swallowed every obstacle in its path as it chased her.
However, every time the edge of the wave was close to consuming her too, she slipped out just in time. The audience started jumping out of their seats, shouting excitedly with clenched fists full of sweat.
'Cami is definitely doing everything she can right now.'
Simon rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
'And yet…'
A crimson wave suddenly rose like a wall in the canal in front of Camibarez, who was busy narrowly dodging the waves coming from behind her.
"Ah!"
"I was waiting for this!"
This was the opponent's home turf. The students of Moiran not only controlled water freely but also knew every inch of this arena.
The wave swallowed her whole, then slammed her down onto the floor before dispersing with a loud splash.
Soaked from head to toe, she coughed heavily, spitting out water.
[Camibarez Ursula: 78%]
[Alizarin Zac: 100%]
"Camiii!"
Shouted Meilyn, her face on the verge of tears.
Fortunately, Cami had been pushed onto flat ground and not into a canal. However, there was no time to stay down.
The crimson waves kept closing in from all sides.
Drenched like a wet rat, Camibarez pushed jet-black into her feet and sprinted despite being weighed down by the water soaking her hair and uniform.
Tap!
"Pant!"
Just then, she stepped onto a bridge's railing and jumped into the air. The wave followed close behind.
While airborne, Camibarez curled her fingers into a gun and aimed at Alizarin in the distance.
'A Blood Bullet?!'
Seeing her, Alizarin raised a wave in front of him, forming a wall.
As he did, Camibarez' left hand separated from her right, the hand forming the gun shape.
Like drawing back an arrow, each movement of her left hand caused the magic circle to expand and its formula to shift.
Simon's eyes widened.
'A three-dimensional magic circle!'
{Camibarez Original - Blood Chaser}
There was no special sound when it fired.
At her command, a red line shot straight forward, colliding with Alizarin's wave wall in an instant.
The bullet pierced through the wave at once and struck Alizarin in his gut.
"Kuhugh!"
The fierce impact of the red energy striking him winded Alizarin and left him stumbling backward.
[Camibarez Ursula: 78%]
[Alizarin Zac: 66%]
"Woooooooaaaaaaah!"
The crowd, who were immersed in Camibarez' moves, erupted into cheers. The waves chasing after her also weakened as Alizarin's focus wavered.
Landing safely on the floor, Camibarez began running again while Alizarin clutched his gut and continued directing the waves.
"Woohoo!"
Camibarez had scored through a moment of quick thinking. Meilyn jumped up and down, cheering.
"She landed it! She landed her sniper shot! Do your best, Cami!"
Simon also silently cheered, clenching his fist.
This was the first time he had seen the student council members fight since they became second-years, and they had reached a whole new dimension.
'As expected, everyone was getting stronger!'
——
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