Oh no ............, I accidentally avoided it.

The arena was instantly turned into a scorched earth by the massive attack magic. In the midst of a cloud of dust, the sister fox was at a loss for what to do.

Kulahi's attack spell had a lot of power. The little sister fox was not very good at such things, but everything fit together. It was an unparalleled attack spell for a human.

The magic power in Kulahi's body was specialized in the use of lightning magic. This meant that he would be unable to use magic of any other attribute.

The staff of the treasure was specialized to amplify the magic of lightning. If she tried to use other spells with it, not only would the spell fail to work, but there would be a painful backlash.

And the spell was very efficient at creating lightning by disturbing the atmosphere. There was no precision to it, but the fact that it was able to cause this level of destruction in succession was due to the extreme efficiency of the technique.

In that sense, this man, Klach Andrich, was nothing more or less than a lightning mage to the hilt.
Despite the destruction he had wrought, Krahi was still opening and closing his palms in a puzzled manner.


'No--is there a gap in control? Could it be that my body is hesitant to defeat ...... you? But if the lightning magic is slightly off, it will hit the target on its own,............, and there's no point in thinking about it.


If it were true, he should have fallen.

I'm not sure what to make of it. He should have fallen when he called himself a fake.

It was a complete reflex. My sister fox is actually not very good at lightning. It is a kind of instinct that she used to have when she was a living being, before she was recreated as an illusion.

Besides, my sister fox isn't in her element. The outside world is too thin with mana and materials. A lightning strike like that would hurt a lot.

Krach Andrich spins his staff around and points it at you.

'If ten thunderbolts can be avoided, a hundred thunderbolts can be avoided, and if a hundred thunderbolts can be avoided, a thousand thunderbolts can be avoided! Take it! Let a thousand flowers of lightning fill the sky!

As if obeying his voice, light and sound fell from the sky. My sister fox, who could read her opponent's mind, understood.




This guy--he's not aiming at her.




He's going to burn this whole arena down with lightning. I didn't realize humans were such horrible creatures... even my mother, a god, would aim at her enemies.
Aren't humans supposed to be wise creatures?

But I couldn't fight back. The little sister fox had come here with the intention of bewitching her, and in the first place, she had few means of attack.

The purpose of the illusion of the [Lost Inn] is to deceive, not to kill. They may kill as a result, but it must not be one-sided or direct.

After all, you can't attack it. Do something.


Somehow, ...... somehow, we have to defeat it. If we don't do something soon, the trick we used on Mr. Crisis will wear off.


In the face of the apparent excess of lightning that filled the world, the sister fox became desperate and took a step forward.


















It was a breathless battle, as if the initial farcical and meaningless exchange had been a lie.

Everyone was watching the scene of smoke and dust with rapt attention. The first strike of lightning, as well as the lightning that continuously rained down on the entire place, was like the judgment of God, and did not look like the art of a single mage.

At first, Tino was confused by the confident fake and the master who declared himself a fake, but after witnessing the battle, his unnecessary thoughts naturally disappeared.

Krach Andrich. He has a name just like Master's, but he's no ordinary person. His attack speed and power are both top-notch, as expected of someone who was allowed to participate in the Martial Emperor Festival. If Tino were to fight him, it would be a contest between Tino kicking Krahi and Krahi being quicker to cast his magic.
If it's just the power of lightning, he is definitely stronger than Arnold the other day. If you allow him to make a move, he won't let you get close.


However, the Master's actions in response were nothing short of tremendous.
It was a little hard to see because of the dust and smoke, but the Master stepped forward.


'Are you dodging ............ lightning?


It was like a joke. The speed of lightning strikes is slower than light, but it is not something that can be avoided by human reflexes. In the first place, the damage caused by the impact should be unavoidable even if it is just barely avoided.

However, the Master ran through the lightning without a care in the world. From the outside, it looked as if the lightning was avoiding the Master. It was a feat worthy of a Level 8 who could not be convinced by the word "ingenious.

Krahi's unexpected magic startled me for a moment, but I think the Master has the advantage.

I'm not sure what to make of that.


'Hmm ............, that's a fake. I see, the fake that was in the kitchen at the time was for this purpose--'

'What?

Tino rolls his eyes, and the sister sitting next to him says in agreement.

'That's right. Cry-chan wouldn't run. Krai-chan doesn't really like to run.

'Interfering with your opponent's jutsu: ......? Are you playing it? ...... How can he do that? It's not like it's magic...'

'Of course it's training! I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.

'...... Mm-hmm'

Apparently, according to Lucia and Luke, that's not a master.
I check the place again. Even from a distance, Tino can only see the Master. He also looks like the Master in a divine way, but as long as the sisters say so, it's probably not the Master.

For a moment, my mind went blank. And the words that naturally came out of my mouth were filled with resignation.




'Oh, ............ this is the test this time, isn't it ......?



Master, the Martial Emperor Festival does not allow doubles. ...... Even though it's a big stage. I'm sure you've heard of it.

But if you ask me, Master said, "I'm not going to participate.
I thought it was a metaphor for something, but I didn't think he meant it as it is... Where did you find someone who looks just like him?

I'm not sure if it's a metaphor or not.
But the master's double also seems to be doing surprisingly well. Krach Andrich laughed at the fake master, who miraculously avoided the lightning as he approached.


'That's right, give it everything you've got! Can you avoid this? Lightning Arrows!

Countless magical arrows of lightning, created in no time at all, attacked the fake master.



Arrow magic is a rudimentary form of attack magic. But even so, lightning magic is more difficult, and Krahi shoots arrows in parallel with lightning strikes.
I don't like the fact that he has a name just like his master, but he is an understandable lightning user who calls himself the Thunder Emperor. Even Ark Rodin would not be able to control lightning to this extent. Well, he's a mage, so he's not a pure mage.

The fake master leaps to avoid the arrows flying at his feet at high speed. But that's an obvious bad move.
No matter how powerful you are, it's extremely difficult to evade an attack in midair.

Krahi must have been expecting this scene. The head of his staff pointed at Krai in midair. Then Krahi shouted, as if he were filled with all his feelings.



'I have waited for this moment, Krai! Receive the power of the heavens-- 'Raise the thundering spear of the god of destruction'!


'............ original magic (spell), isn't it?

I'm not sure what to say.

A spear was generated at the tip of the staff. It is a spear of lightning with purple lightning around it. However, its texture was not that of mere energy, but shone like metal.
A mass of compressed magical power. Like mana material converging to create the substance of a treasure trove, the texture was created by so much compressed power.

The spear boasts a mystical glow. The lightning strike has more than enough destructive power, but how much more powerful can it be if it is compressed?

Even a high level hunter who has allocated mana and materials to durability would be unable to avoid death if struck by the blow.
The lethal blow was unleashed without hesitation towards the master in the air.





And then-- the fake Master created the exact same spear to meet the attack.




'?



In a cloud of dust, shining spear and shining spear collide. In the collision and aftermath of the destructive energy, Tino could definitely hear the wards protecting the seats cracking with a fragile sound.
A scream erupted from the audience, but it was quickly drowned out. The aftermath of energy. Light, shock, and heat assaulted the audience. Brother Anthem, the other hunters in the front row, and the mages from the management who had been standing by in case of emergency stood up and suppressed it.

A cloud of dust blew away. The lightning had already stopped. A swirling cloud hovers in the sky above.


And what Tino saw was--.


You can't possibly ............ unleash the same magic as me, at the exact same time, and without a wand--how amazing are you?



The two men were standing in the middle of the blackened arena, battered and bruised, and the fake master was slumped against the wall.



The screams in the audience subside. Klach Andrich looks at his staff and says seriously.


'Did you duplicate my original magic in that instant? Without this wand, I would have lost. It's like you're a mirror image of me. ............ No, it's not polite to say this.'


Ah, yes, ...... I knew I would lose all my money.

The audience was in an uproar over the fierce battle that had been waged from the first round. It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.

But the game had already been decided. No matter how much of a fake master he was, it was unlikely that he would be able to stand up to that blow. In the first place, unlike the True Master, the False Master did not seem to be able to transcend the lightning attack.


If the Master had been in the game, he would have won. ...... It's a shame, but we can't let it be known that he's a fake. It would be more disgraceful to have a double, or perhaps even to have him compete and lose.


Krach shouts in a clear voice.


'Referee. He can't get up again. It looks like he canceled out the attack, but he's still intact, that's good. Krai fought well, call a doctor.'


At the sound of his voice, the judges began to move, as if finally remembering. The doctors and mages who had been waiting rushed to the fallen false master.

And then Tino saw it.




--the entrance. The Master's eyes blinked frequently as he sneaked his head out from behind a pillar.

The fake is lying on the ground, surrounded by help. There are two Mastaurs. Needless to say, which one is the real one.


The real Mastaa seemed to be in a hurry, which was unusual. I don't know what he's doing here, but he's looking around suspiciously.
Is he in a hurry, is he looking for something, or was his defeat unexpected?

No one seems to have noticed it yet in the aftermath of the fierce battle, but it's only a matter of time before someone does.


'Oh, that's Krai-chan.


She said in a light tone, as if she had also noticed. I'm sure she was looking forward to the Master's fight, so there was little dismay in her voice.

But Tino is different.

I'm sure you'll be able to do the same. I'll say it when I say it! I'll definitely say it!
Your sister may kill me half to death, but I'll say it this time. Tino was really looking forward to the day when he would see the Master fight.

But looking at it this way, the True Master was the Master himself. In retrospect, the fake Master's attitude was a little too fearless compared to the true Master.
Of course, it's not that I don't like fearless masters, but it's obvious when I compare them.

How is he going to get out of this? Does he have a better plan now that he has come out? He wouldn't just show up for no reason. It's not like he wants to fight again now.




--The moment Tino thought about this, the "thing" fell from the sky into the hall.

It did not hide, but appeared majestically. In the midst of countless stares, it fell like a leaf and landed without a sound on the ground behind Kulahi.

The spectators' seats, which had been filled with the lingering excitement of the heated battle, were filled with confusion.



It was a human. A tall human clad in a long, jet-black robe. But a mere human could not have fallen from the sky.


His face was covered with a white fox mask.



Noticing the presence, Kulahi turns around.
He rolls his eyes for a moment at the suspicious intruder, but Krahi does not shrink at all as he approaches the man and calls out to him.



'What is it? What are you...? Where did you come from? I'm sorry, but the next game--'


'You don't need to ...... say anything else. I'll let you die. You're dead.




.