The Abandoned Saint I Picked Up is a Side Character in an Otome Game and Turns Out to Be the World's Strongest Mage. I Plan to Rescue the Heroine Who Couldn't Achieve Her Happy Ending in a Dungeon. - Chapter 21

A duel.

It’s a formal method of resolving conflicts or grudges, governed by rules and fought one-on-one.

Or so it’s supposed to be.

For some reason, Crown Prince Roland had challenged me to one.

What was more surprising was how enthusiastic both Roland’s father, the king, and his sister, Angelica, were about it.

“Lord Endo, this is an opportunity! A perfect chance to show the people the brilliance of arcane arts!”

Apparently, Angelica planned to use this duel as a way to introduce arcane magic to the public.

A duel between the Crown Prince, a magic-user, and me, a mage, was bound to attract attention. Nobles and commoners alike would undoubtedly fill the arena to witness it.

“But showing off the brilliance of arcane magic… that’s easier said than done.”

My magic isn’t exactly what you’d call elegant.

My combat style involves creating firearms and overwhelming opponents with sheer firepower. It lacks the grandeur and elegance of traditional magic.

Sure, I have a few flashy techniques, but…

If I go too far, I risk harming the audience. Balancing restraint with spectacle isn’t exactly my forte.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time to think it through.

“The duel between Crown Prince Roland and Mage Endo shall now commence!”

The king’s declaration boomed across the arena.

But before the fight began, I had one serious complaint.

“Hey! Why is this four against one?! That’s not fair!”

“…It’s out of my hands,” the king replied with a shrug.

“You’ll be fine, Lord Endo!” Angelica cheered confidently.

This wasn’t just a duel against Roland.

Standing before me were all the love interests from Under the Shining Starry Sky:

Eric, the envious mage who resented his sister’s talent.
Hayden, the swordsman who idolized his mother.
Jail, the future king’s trusted ally.
And, of course, Roland, the Crown Prince himself.

Four opponents.

For the first time, I could understand how the villains in those sentai shows felt when faced with five heroes at once.

Still, I didn’t feel even a shred of doubt that I would win.

“Do your best, Endo!”

“Oh, that boy’s fighting too? Endo, don’t hold back—teach them a lesson!”

“Can I go home now, nya?”

From the stands, I could hear Ariel, Christiana, and Kon cheering me on—or, in Kon’s case, not.

“I won’t forgive you, mage! When I win, you’ll undo the brainwashing you’ve inflicted on my father and Angelica!”

“I haven’t brainwashed anyone…”

“And when we win, you’ll hand over the witch who dares to claim she’s the reincarnation of the saint!”

The “witch who claims to be the reincarnation of the saint”… That was clearly aimed at Ariel.

This idiot truly has no idea what he’s saying.

“Try and take her by force if you dare.”

I decided to go all out.

First, I equipped my Exoskeleton Armored Power Suit, fully arming myself.

With this, none of their attacks would even make a dent.

“Wow, someone’s looking confident,” Jail remarked with a smirk.

The one who made that comment was Jail, the duke’s eldest son and Roland’s friend.

He was armed with a long spear, ready for battle.

Fighting against a spear in close quarters was always tricky because of its reach, but if I kept my distance and shot him, it wouldn’t be a problem.

“I hope you haven’t forgotten about the rest of us,” said Eric, adjusting his glasses with a sharp motion.

Eric, the younger brother of Mae, the head of the Mage Corps, was the most dangerous one here.

In the game, his inferiority complex toward his sister drove him to the point of plotting assassinations.

Thankfully, his skills weren’t impressive, so I didn’t see him as a real threat.

“…”

Then there was the last member of the group: Hayden, the captain of the Andarencia Knights’ son, and Christiana’s child.

If I were to take responsibility for what happened with Christiana, Hayden might very well end up being my son.

Hayden stood with his sword drawn, staring at me intently. Unlike the others, there was no hostility in his gaze—if anything, his eyes sparkled with admiration.

“…Do you have nothing to say?”

“Huh? Oh, uh… That armor looks really cool.”

“…Thanks?”

Maybe it was because he was Christiana’s son, but his sensibilities seemed similar to hers.

I decided to go easy on him.

“Let the duel begin!”

“Let’s go, everyone!”

At the king’s signal, Roland gave the command.

Hayden and Jail charged forward while Roland and Eric began channeling their magic.

It was clear that Hayden and Jail were the front line while Roland and Eric provided support from the rear.

Before Hayden and Jail could close the distance, Roland and Eric unleashed their magic, sending explosions toward me.

Screams erupted from the audience.

“Did we get him?!”

“It was my magic, after all. There’s no way he survived—”

These guys really were pros at setting up death flags.

“What?! It didn’t work?!”

“Impossible! How is this happening?!”

“My armor nullifies all attacks. Magic won’t work on me.”

Roland and Eric visibly faltered.

In the meantime, Hayden and Jail closed in, each swinging their weapons—Jail thrusting with his spear and Hayden slashing with his sword.

Naturally, both attacks were deflected by my armor.

While Christiana had been quick to adapt in combat by using joint locks and other effective techniques, these rookies lacked the experience to do the same.

So, I decided to give them a handicap.

“One minute.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll give you one minute. Hit me with your strongest attacks. Do your worst.”

To them, this probably sounded like I was mocking them.

But this wasn’t arrogance—it was the confidence of a mage who had survived in this harsh world.

There was no way these sheltered nobles, raised in comfort, could match the power I had honed.

At my provocation, Roland and the others began preparing their ultimate attacks.

“You’ll regret underestimating us!”

Roland shouted and unleashed his magic.

It was a technique I recognized from the game—his ultimate move capable of damaging even the Demon King.

But—

“What a waste of mana.”

My armor rendered all attacks null.

While there was a limit to how much it could withstand, Roland, who hadn’t leveled up since Ariel’s exile, didn’t have enough power to even scratch it.

Jail and the others followed up with their own ultimate moves, but none of their efforts had any effect.

“This… can’t be… Is this really arcane magic?”

“I won’t deny it. But keep in mind, I’m one of the top-tier mages. Don’t compare me to amateurs.”

“Ugh… I… I refuse to accept this!”

“You don’t have to accept it. The truth remains—your ultimate attacks couldn’t touch me.”

I stepped forward and closed the distance between me and Roland in an instant.

As a rear-line fighter, he hadn’t expected me to approach so quickly, leaving his guard completely open.

I delivered a single punch to his unprotected stomach, knocking him unconscious.

“Roland! No!”

“Shouldn’t you be more worried about yourself?”

“Wha—so fast—”

“Hmph!”

I turned my attention to Jail and landed a solid punch on his face, sending him sprawling.

Eric was muttering an incantation for some drawn-out spell, so I shut him down with a single blow as well.

“That leaves just you. Want to keep going?”

“Ah, no! I surrender!”

Hayden declared his defeat without hesitation.

His quick acceptance of reality was commendable, but he could’ve put up a bit more of a fight.

It was then that something unexpected happened.

“I refuse… I refuse to accept this!”

Roland rose to his feet, dark magic surging from his entire body.

That aura…

“What’s going on…?”

For the first time in this duel, I was shaken.

The dark magic radiating from Roland was unmistakably the same as that used by the Demon King.