The Mysterious Black Magician

Loud thuds silenced the audience. It was the sound of the footsteps from a female participant, who would not lose in size against Bob and Bert.

She immediately gathered everyone's attention upon stepping on stage.

"I-it's Julie Brown!"

One of the students shouted.

"Eh, what kind of armor is that?"

"Ugh! That seems heavy!"

Everyone said their thoughts upon seeing her in a heavy modeled red armor made in a thick-looking kind of metal.

"Isn't it hindering her mobility?" Chloe asked in a worry. After all, even if they were not acquainted, Julie was no doubt one of their classmates. So, she wanted her to win as one of Section D's representatives..

"I-I guess it will," Bob said wryly, agreeing with Chloe's suspicion. Then he added, "but I think she isn't the type who is bothered by it."

"Mhm, since Miss Julie isn't the agile type, right?" Chloe inquired.

"Yes," Bob nodded. Then he said, "nonetheless, let's cheer for her."

"R-Right."

Chloe and Bob agreed to cheer for her in this match. 

Beside them, Yana suddenly felt curious upon listening to their conversation. "Uhm, do you know her?" She asked them with a curious look.

"Yes, she's in the same classroom as us," Chloe replied.

"Ohh, so she's a classmate of my brother. Woah!"

Yana looked amazed after knowing that Julie was in the same classroom as her brother. Now, she too was secretly cheering for her. 

Next to her, Rea was looking at the stage with a bored expression.

Almost all of the onlookers were dumbfounded at Julie's armor.

Regardless, her opponent was a student from the elite class. 

The person calmly walked in the middle of the stage and stopped opposite Julie.

"Ugh, Klein looks so small compared to her," Ban, the Rabbitman, commented upon seeing the size difference of Klein and his opponent.

"Haha, I'm pretty sure Klein would get annoyed if he hears it," Sonya laughed before saying it.

As a Beastman with a pair of wolf ears, Klein could only be said as an unusual case. Canine people mostly had larger builds. But in Klein's case, he had an unusually small body.

He was garbed in a light leather suit, suitable for mobility. A complete contrast for his opponent which is clad in a full-set red heavy-modeled armor.

If there was anything common between them, it was that both of them were empty-handed. 

Right.

Both Julie and Klein had no weapon in their hands. Perhaps their weapons were inside their Cyber Storage.

"Heh!" Klein threw a scornful look at Julie. "Just make sure that your body is strong enough for the beating." He spat an insulting line at her. He wasn't a bit intimidated by her size.

Julie's brow knitted from hearing it. "Give your best shot, dwarf." Even in the face of an elite student, Julie replied with a spicy line of herself.

The tension immediately rose upon receiving each other's spicy remarks.

"Chu!" Klein threw a spit to his side from Julie's words.

It didn't take long after coming in front of each other that the signal was issued.

Magical energies burst out from their bodies upon hearing the bell notification.

Klein's figure disappeared from his position and reappeared in mid-air, above Julie. Now with shining razor-sharp claws on each of his hands. He swung them down in Julie's direction.

Three waves shot in haste to Julie.

Fwoosh~! Fwoosh~! Swoosh~!

Bang! 

An explosion happened. However, there was a noticeable displeased expression on Klein's face.

"Those waves were made of wind elements. They are sharp and could easily slice a common metal. 

That said, it shouldn't have usually exploded. And there shouldn't have been an explosion in the first place. It must be because those waves suffered an obstruction that they exploded. Meaning, those waves failed to slice his opponent. It's the reason for his displeasure," Yman narrated for Almina and Maena to understand.

Both girls were wondering why Klein showed such a displeased face after his attack hit his opponent.

Almina was standing on his right side, while Maena took his left side.

Because of the explosion, a cloud of smoke rose, obstructing everyone's vision of Julie's figure.

At the same time that Klein's foot landed on the stage that the gathering smoke on Julie cleared.

"Woah! Sweetchocobo is unscathed!" Mora Liz jovially announced.

Some audience members were dumbfounded at hearing the word Sweetchocobo. It was Julie's new codename for this competition. Contrary to her looks, she was truly fond of cute things. In this world, there was a small shiny mythical bird known as Chocobo.

Regardless, just as Mora Liz said, Julie was standing still in her original position, unhurt. But, there was a peculiar shine on her armor.

"That's--"

Maena muttered but stopped.

"Mhm, Fortification, right?" Almina followed.

"Yes, that's exactly a Fortification ability," Yman confirmed. He also knew how to cast it, but Julie's Fortification ability surprised him. It was on a whole different level. Those wind attacks could not even scratch her.

Che!

On the stage, Klein spat on his side before his face twitched. "Kuhaha," he laughed. "Not bad, not bad!" 

"However…"

"That's only a mere test!" He said as he lifted his hand while grinning.

No one doubted his words as he was from an elite class. But, it's weird that Julie's health points remained 100%! It only meant that she completely blocked Klein's attack.

"Heh," Julie scoffed. "Come on, Dwarf!" Then she challenged him to attack more.

"W-what did you say, grr!" Upon hearing her, Klein gnashed his teeth and his face turned dark, out of anger.

Julie secretly grinned as her provocation succeeded. The next moment, Wind Waves were raining unceasingly on Julie.

Klein continuously slashing his claws in the air, creating sharp Wind Waves that shoot rapidly to the immobile Julie. She was receiving all those Wind Waves. 

It was a terrifying onslaught. Everyone gawked at the scene.

While leaning on the wall, Kiko secretly sighed. He thought Klein was an idiot. It was clear that his enemy was provoking him. And he took that bait without a second thought. Well, he wasn't concerned about it. He just wanted their match to end faster because he was itching to fight-- that guy. His line of sight turned to Yman as he thought it in his mind.

While Kein continuously rained Wind Waves to Julie, they suddenly heard a rumbling noise. Then the stage was seemingly vibrating.

"What is that?!" Mora Liz shouted when she noticed a round shadow inside the smoke to where Julie was.

The shadow rolled out of the smoke and shot like a cannon bullet towards Klein's direction. At this moment, Klein already stopped attacking and stared at the fast-approaching shadow with wide eyes.