I Became a Time-stopping Narrow-eyed Character

Chapter 19

Magic that reads afterimages.

The range of the magic is very narrowly confined, the visible afterimages are blurry, and the speed is erratic.

Therefore, Eris Betelgeuse could only deduce that the man in front of her wielded a sword.

She couldn't determine who the sorcerer was that restored the destroyed scene, how many people were outside the afterimages at the time, or even what time it was.

She was only certain of one thing: that Ichimaru Shiki was a bully harassing his classmates.

And, that she would certainly win.

It wasn't a conclusion drawn from mere arrogance. At the young age of seventeen, she had already ascended to the honorable rank of High-Ranking Mage.

Even among adults, there were few who could match her.

Let alone peers who had barely taken their first steps into the world of magic.

That applied not only to mages but also to swordsmen.

Victory was a given, and she had to hold back her strength to avoid going too far.

Yes, she needed to control her power.

Even if the opponent was a nasty bully, she couldn't kill him.

No matter how advanced her level was, it was difficult to weaken magic fired from a distance afterward.

For that reason, even though she was deploying a barrier to launch a surprise attack, Eris Betelgeuse chose to close the distance.

"Expansion."

Lightning Magic.

Electric Shock.

Crackle─!

A bud of blue lightning bloomed in her hands.

Normally, for an average mage, approaching the opponent would be an incredibly foolish choice, but exceptions exist everywhere.

An asymmetric force that rampages as a one-person army in war.

Combat Mage.

And the title of High-Ranking Mage gave her confidence in close combat.

'Paralyze him, then interrogate him.'

After conjuring her magic, Eris moved at high speed to occupy the blind spot in his vision.

Even though she got right up close, her opponent didn't show any sign of turning his head.

Crack-! He merely rotated his wrist leisurely, without holding any weapon.

'Got him.'

The moment she felt certain of her success, a dagger suddenly appeared in his grasp.

A dagger as small as her palm.

It was so tiny that one might doubt its usefulness in battle, but as soon as Ichimaru Shiki turned his head, the blade revealed its true significance.

─It swung.

Bringing metal into contact with lightning—a foolish act.

But exceptions exist everywhere.

The blade moved twice as fast as she had anticipated, tracing a semicircle before she knew it.

Eris Betelgeuse widened her eyes at the sight before her.

Crackle... The lightning magic, which should have been seamlessly connected, was split in half.

Through the severed lightning, she could see a half-open eye and a raised corner of his mouth, as if mocking her.

"Oh dear, that was dangerous."

Though his tone was clearly mocking, Eris couldn't get angry.

Her high affinity for magic allowed her to see the movement of external mana with her own eyes.

'......Just now—'

Mana bloomed on the dagger.

A blue light coated the blade of the dagger vividly.

Sword Aura.

A technique achievable only by the chosen swordsmen, just like High-Ranking Mages.

It meant that the opponent before her was a monster not to be underestimated.

A Combat Mage capable of neutralizing the enemy.

The absolute premise that had to be fulfilled was shattered in the first encounter.

......She needed to create distance.

As that thought crossed her mind, the dagger flew toward her forehead.

'Huh?'

Before she knew it, it was right in front of her.

Startled, Eris instinctively tilted her head back to avoid the incoming dagger.

She dodged the strike purely by chance, not knowing how she managed to do so.

Realizing she had just narrowly escaped death, she urgently began chanting a spell.

"Expansion."

The mage extended her hand forward and fired a bomb at the swordsman, who tilted his head in curiosity.

Wind Magic.

Air Bomb.

"──Fire!"

Boom─! The Air Bomb exploded between them, creating a turbulent air current.

Not only was the swordsman blown away, but Eris herself was also sent flying backward, creating distance.

She stabilized herself mid-air and began casting another spell.

'......Where is he?'

Meanwhile, she checked the enemy's condition.

Ichimaru Shiki, who had been spinning through the air due to the magic's impact, suddenly landed on a steel beam at the construction site with a thud.

Ignoring gravity, he stood vertically on the middle of the beam—a sight that was indeed astonishing, but there was no time to admire it.

Boom!

He kicked off the beam.

The sight of the man flying fiercely through the air was utterly terrifying.

Not only did his body itself possess explosive physical power like a cannonball, but what was more shocking was that a small dagger was now engulfed in a brilliant blue flame.

Blue Flame.

The flickering flame, which appeared to be fire, was entirely composed of the ultimate swordsman technique, Aura.

"......Expansion!"

She immediately activated the flight spell "Fly" to lift herself into the air.

Realizing the urgency, she abandoned the thought of holding back.

Crackle─!

Blue lightning bloomed anew.

This time, it was a lightning magic several levels higher than before.

"Chain Lightning!"

Crackle!

A chain of electricity, born from the mage's hands and roaring fiercely in the air, began to extend its reach elsewhere.

Ting, ting, ting.

The lightning, starting from the mage, traveled through the steel beams scattered across the construction site.

The flow of electricity momentarily stopped before erupting simultaneously.

Boom! Blue currents poured out from the entire steel framework of the construction site.

"Oh, how interesting."

However, the half-eyed man floating in the air still wore a relaxed expression.

Chains of lightning closed in from all directions.

If it were Eris herself, she would have deployed a protection spell to endure or countered it with an attack spell.

So how would a swordsman escape?

She couldn't imagine her magic being destroyed by a blade, especially not by a dagger.

It wasn't her area of expertise, and such an absurd scenario was hard to envision.

And now, at this moment.

Eris Betelgeuse confirmed the answer.

"But still, you're inexperienced."

Boom! The half-eyed man suddenly kicked off the empty air.

"......!"

Eris Betelgeuse widened her eyes.

An option she had never imagined. Consequently, her response was delayed.

The opponent's flight speed doubled, and the chains of electricity failed to catch up with their target.

The distance closed in an instant.

Screeching sounds echoed!

A constant barrier unfolded.

A knife that pierced through the seemingly impregnable shield like tofu stopped right in front of her forehead.

Standing before her, Ichimaru Shiki spoke with his usual smiling face.

"Looks like you've died once with this?"

"......What?"

Eris Betelgeuse blankly stared at the dagger in front of her eyes.

What is this, this surreal sight?

Even as a mage who explores the truth, it was an incomprehensibility she had no desire to understand.

'Did I lose?'

The Star Mage, the youngest High-Ranking Mage, the successor of the Great Mage.

Countless glorious titles and honors flashed through her mind.

'Am I really going to die now?'

Impossible.

It hadn't even begun yet.

Grinding her teeth, the blonde mage ignited the radiance of the stars.

The immense astral power of the Orion Constellation dyed her blue magic into gold.

If the opponent is fast and skilled, then she just had to unleash her true abilities.

The Star Mage, Eris Betelgeuse, immediately unleashed her magic.

Crackling─!

Lightning Magic.

Chain Lightning, triple cast.

No incantation, spell omitted.

"Oops!"

Blindingly blue lightning burst from Eris's entire body, and Ichimaru Shiki let out a ridiculous sound as if startled and widened the distance.

The swordsman retreated on his own.

As a mage, it should have been something to rejoice over, yet Eris Betelgeuse furrowed her brows.

"......Did you think I was a joke?"

Eris poured the star's magic into her spell.

The ever-growing chains of blue lightning not only leaped across the construction site's steel beams but also freely lifted her own body.

Screeching, dozens of steel beams flipped in the air, all aiming at a single target.

"Fire!"

The mage clenched her hand.

Boom─!

Lightning and steel beams exploded simultaneously.

"Haha, I was the one holding back, so why am I the one being hated?"

Finally landing on the precarious construction site, Ichimaru Shiki shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, it can't be helped."

He pointed the dagger directly forward.

Facing dozens of ballistae reborn through modern magic.

Still, with a relaxed and leisurely expression, he muttered.

"Repetitive training is supposed to be like this."

Soon, lightning and steel beams collided, and Ichimaru Shiki swung his dagger at all of them.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Sparks flew with each clash, and the sound of bullets being fired echoed.

Simultaneously, everything was cut.

Through the split steel beams and magic, the grinning man's face could be seen.

"Shall we raise the difficulty level instead?"

Ichimaru Shiki slashed the air with his dagger.

And then,

─Only then did time slow down.