I Have been Reincarnated As a Lazy, Arrogant Noble, but When I Destroyed The Scenario Through Effort, I Became The Most Powerful With Extraordinary Magical Power - 96

Chapter 96 – Day Seven

On the seventh day, the final day.

The prohibited areas kept increasing, and more than half of the deserted island became inaccessible.

Only a few hours left until it ends. The remaining contenders are Duke, Shari, and Weiss.

I won’t hold back no matter who my opponent is.

I’m determined to win this trial.

“Prohibited areas: A-1, A-2, A-3, A-4, A-5.”

The announcement of the last prohibited areas.

Checking the map, they are lined up consecutively.

I see… so, everything will vanish in the end.

Until now, they disappeared one by one in order. That means A5 will be the last.

In that case, I need to hurry to get there.

To secure a good position ahead of everyone.

Alright.

“Karta, let me use you.”

I slowly activated my Gift ability.

There’s nothing special about it.

It’s something inside me other than magic.

I call it forth.

The mimicked magic places a considerable strain on my body, to the point that it’s not suitable for me. Pain is a given, and if I overuse it, I might lose access to magic for a while or even lose consciousness.

It’s a common side effect, but I don’t mind it. I don’t quite understand why I received this ability, why I’m the only one who can use it. I know it’s unfair, just taking someone else’s hard-earned power.

But merely talking about ideals won’t turn the impossible into reality. I’m thankful, and I have no regrets.

My body lifts gently. The wind welcomes me.

No staff, no special manipulation needed.

I ascend to the area like I did when I saved Weiss from falling off the cliff.

But I can’t use it for too long. Kartasan’s flight magic is that incredible.

Still, flying through the air feels great.

I wonder if Karta-san always sees this view.

At that moment, the ground gleamed.

No, it’s not magic.

A shockwave.

“Ugh.”

I instinctively dodge, but the second, third, and fourth waves follow.

One of them hits my right leg, causing minor damage.

I could continue flying, but the magic resistance has activated due to this attack, consuming my magic power. Considering what’s coming next…

I slowly descend to the ground.

The area is shrinking.

I could have reached it in a little while, but there’s no choice.

Emerging from between the trees is…

“Hey, Alan.”

As expected, it’s Duke. His body exudes magic power as if he’s about to fight right now.

He’s been fighting for seven days, yet he doesn’t seem tired at all.

His balanced Body Enhancement must be supporting him on both offense and defense.

But what I respect most about him is his spirit. I’ve never heard him complain or falter.

“Fighting here might put us at a disadvantage later.”

“Well, that’s a problem for later, isn’t it?”

“Haha, that’s so like you.”

“Praising me won’t get you anything but a punch.”

Duke remains composed, without any disturbance in his magic.

He comes from a lineage of knights. Unlike me, he received proper training from a young age.

But it seems he lacks a talent for magic.

Nobles typically use magic, and even if they have latent magical abilities, they’re different from those trained in knightly families.

But Duke doesn’t care about such things.

It doesn’t concern him. He is who he is.

His words struck a chord with me.

I used to think that using this unfair Gift ability was wrong.

But it’s not.

Duke is right. I am who I am.

I slowly raise my weapon.

The Holy Sword, my exclusive weapon.

The ancient magical artifact fits surprisingly well in my hand.

When I grasp it and fill it with magic, it generates a sword while simultaneously covering my body.

It’s almost like Duke’s automatic Body Enhancement Power-Up.

“Here we go, Alan!”

“Yeah, Duke!”

We charge at each other head-on. I enjoy fighting Duke.

It’s a clash of pure power.

I start with a powerful swing, and Duke catches it with his right fist.

He doesn’t flinch even though a misstep could cut his body.

“Nice, nice!”

Without hesitation, a punch aims for his left side, but I shift my sword without minding it and target Duke’s head.

Because there’s no reason to evade.

“Ice Wall – Ice Shield—”

Cynthia’s magic. It creates a small wall right before an attack lands.

Duke’s punch connects, and although it cracks, the wall holds.

Of course, that’s not all. Shari’s magic is enhancing it, making it more solid.

Duke is surprised but still smiling.

But… my sword lands.

However…

“Clang.”

“That hurt.”

“You’re quite something.”

However, Duke tilted his head and seemed to use magic to catch my sword with his teeth.

Although its power was somewhat reduced due to using Ice Wall, it was unbelievable. But it was precisely because it was unbelievable that he managed to defend against it.

“Geez, quite the troublesome sword.”

He spat it out and raised his fist again.

He leaped backward to create some distance.

One of the good things about the Holy Sword is that it has a tangible presence, meaning it can’t be easily destroyed.

Duke excels in breaking weapons, making it almost like a natural enemy for him in a way.

But this is just a greeting.

I need to use my Gift ability more.

Then, Duke showed me his palm and then pointed behind him.

When I looked, I saw that the area was shrinking.

“You’re right. We should step back. Well, we can continue like this, but…”

Certainly, if we stay like this, we might not be able to win.

“…I’m in.”

“Hah, I thought you’d say that.”

Duke dashed ahead, and I followed from behind.

Of course, we remained vigilant. Duke might not resort to sneak attacks, but the other two are different.

It’s not that it’s unfair; it’s simply a difference in approach.

And that difference became a reality.

“What the…!?”

Just as we were about to leave the area, the ground suddenly turned into something like mud.

Not only Duke but my feet as well.

Moreover, magic threads were attached, making us unable to move. It was like multiple layers of these threads.

Perhaps other elemental magic was woven into it, as I couldn’t seem to deactivate it effectively.

“Kuh, damn it, I can’t get out!”

Even Duke was struggling.

Should I use Karta-san’s magic? No, it’s too early.

But that wasn’t all.

Next, magic projectiles flew towards us.

They were sharp and imbued with elemental power, making them strong.

I couldn’t move, but unnatural barriers created by Unnatural Wall defended against them.

Shari’s magic is versatile, covering all elements.

Duke smiled and continued pounding, trying to destroy it.

Beyond that, Shari, who was about to attack next from the trees.

“Damn it, Shari, this is unfair!”

Duke shouted, but likely, she hadn’t shown herself until now for a reason.

She’s smart.

Since the remaining area is filled with her traps, we should’ve assumed that and acted accordingly.

However, at that moment, Shari suddenly leaped down from the trees.

No, she didn’t. She avoided an attack from behind.

“Huh, you’re pretty good. But it’s ridiculous, isn’t it? You two taking a breather in the mud?”

And who appeared at that moment was Weiss.

“Hey, isn’t this timing kind of unfair?”

As Duke pointed out, it’s the worst situation.

But we can’t relax here.

“Haah!”

I used Flash Time-Lapse and Body Enhancement Power-Up to destroy the mud magic.

Although it looks like mud, it’s made of magic.

The mud returned to the earth, pushing our bodies upward.

“Before the imitator gets to it, Duke!”

However, in front of us, Duke appeared to be at risk of having his neck cut by Weiss.

But…

“Sorry, Weiss, but this is the second time!”

I kicked the mud with all my might and made it adhere to Weiss.

However, Weiss seemed to have anticipated this.

Unnatural Wall blocked all the mud and stopped Weiss’s sword.

At the same time, Shari intentionally released the mud magic.

Duke jumped out vigorously.

“Hah, thanks, Shari!”

“I didn’t help you. I’m doing this to win.”

Yes, Shari is serious too.

If Duke had fallen from this, I would have been at a higher risk of being targeted than Shari due to our positions.

By intentionally helping Duke, she was likely trying to put herself in a more advantageous position.

“Area shrinking, area shrinking.”

And so, the area continued to shrink.

In close combat, Duke has the advantage.

But we need to move to the next area. Shari’s traps await us there.

I had imagined it, but this battle was turning out to be incredibly tough.

“Hah, Alan, you’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Huh?”

Duke’s words made me realize.

I had been wearing a smile on my face.

Even though we were in a hopeless situation and about to face a tremendous battle.

…That’s right. It’s interesting. I enjoy fighting.

I had subconsciously realized it.

I want to protect the world. I want to create a world where no one gets hurt.

But I’m a man too.

Fighting… I like it.

I’m always trailing behind Weiss.

This time, I’ll definitely win.