'In the best-case scenario, I can support you with black magic after you defeat Mr. Marc. It would be great if I could turn Mr. Phillip's attention towards me.

　That was the conversation I had with Leme at the strategy meeting before the show.
　The worst thing that could happen would be for Leme to lose to Marc, or even worse, for me to lose to my brother before that.

'Yeah.'

After all this time you don't like it, do you?

　Leme's concerned gaze.

'Huh?　No way. Of course I'll take on the challenge, even winning one-on-one, but this is a tag team battle. I'm not complaining about winning with the help of my partner.

Okay, that's good.

　Mr. Leme smiled with relief before continuing.

'So, the spell I'm going to cast on Mr. Phillip, I'm going to make it 'Confusion'. Even if he uses 'vigilance', this will disrupt the thoughts that keep it in place. It'll only loosen the armor for a moment to a few seconds, but if I hit him there with my finished right arm, it should be enough to take him down, right?

'Yeah...'

Nicola?

　I hesitate a bit, then I manage to speak.

You know what? Reme-san, is that......reduced defense?

　Leme-san didn't disagree with me, but put a hand on her chin as if she was thinking.

It's also suitable for the purpose of attracting people with the style you want. It's just.....

　He gave me a difficult look.

'Black magic can't be cast on things. It can't even target magic, so the only thing that can be lowered by a reduction in defense is Philip-san's own durability. 'Kongo' won't become fragile...?'

　The reason why white magic black magic works on the magic body (avatar) is because it is set up that way at the generation stage. Otherwise, black and white magic wouldn't work on the magic body (avatar) made of magic power.

'Yeah, I know. In order to make use of Reme-san's support, I have to get over my brother's iron wall first.

　I knew a lot of things would be said.
　Mr. Leme is kind, but that's not the same as being sweet. He's eager to win, he's committed to letting his friends win, and he thinks more than anyone else to win, even if it doesn't seem that way to the audience.

　I wonder if he's been known to do that a little bit in this tournament. I'd be happy if that was the case.
　Anyway, he does not compromise when it comes to fighting.
　If he doesn't think I'm going to win, he'll tell me why.

It's up to you.

　He smiled and said just that.

　That was all he could say, and he was inexplicably happy.
　He decided that he could do it.

''As soon as you shatter your armor, I'll put my defenses down. Even if you can get through 'Kongo', you'll have most of your power killed by then.

Yes.

But we're gonna win.

Yeah...!

The Fist of Belito.

"By the black magic of Mr. Leme.


　◇

　I don't bother to check.
　What is Leme's situation now? Of course I'm curious, but I don't pay attention to that.

　He will do what he says he will do. There is no doubt about it.
　So I'm going to do what I say I'm going to do.

　I'm going to run.
　Not at my brother. I run through the area of my arm that remains in the field. Each time I do, my right arm gets a little bigger.
　My opponent doesn't get in the way of that. Are you concentrating on improving your defense or are you unable to chase it because of the damage you just did?

''It's gotten a lot bigger.''

　All of the 'arms' we've installed so far have been recovered.
　All that's left is to crash and destroy.

I'm going to hit you with this.

　It looks like he's going to intercept me as I sprint towards him.

　The ground shakes with every step.

　The distance between us is reduced to zero, with nothing in the way.

　My right arm is released and he catches it with both arms.

　A moment later, a roar like an earth-shaking sound echoes in the hall.

　His body is jiggling down, but 'Kongo' has not been shattered.

''I told you. Shattering my body--''

Do it..........

　I made that decision for myself, and my partner left me to it.
　There was more than one roar.

''......... This is--?

　Phil looked surprised. His body dropped further.
　I've been able to make my right arm huge by just absorbing it. I'm not going to be able to get a good deal more than a few hours of sleep. I'm not even a freshly awakened man. I'm already 16 years old.

　I've been training for six years since I found out my 【Job Title】. I have magic power.
　My arms were finished to the size limit of my movement.
　That's why my brother didn't doubt that this is the best he could do. In fact, it must be the best I could do.

　It's just that I got a boost.
　A silvery white 'arm' had struck the elbow area of my right arm.
　After hitting it, it would be absorbed by the right arm.

　I don't care if it gets to a size where I can't move it since I've already hit it.
　I repeat it for as long as I have magic power.

　Punch it. And then I hit it. And he's hitting me. And then he's going to hit me. Keep hitting. Over and over again. Even if it doesn't seem to be effective at first glance, we fold it up in succession anyway.
　Then, step by step, I step in.

''Ik-eee........!

Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...!

　The next thing you know, your opponent's back is in contact with the wall of the field.
　The shape of his right arm and the wall pinned him in between.

　A creaking, the sound of something creaking.
　There was a crack in "Kongo". But that's not all.
　My right arm is also cracked.

　--It's not a problem.

　I press in. I keep slamming my fist into it.
　Crushes him with a jolt of impact.

　Eventually, it shattered.

　His armor.
　And my right arm.

　My brother's exposed face had a look of disbelief on it.
　In that instant, I closed the distance between us.

　The first part of the body I put on. The thin, silvery white right arm.
　This is not enough to stop him.

　But don't worry.

"Smash him.

　I thought I heard such a voice. It's surely the voice of the best 【Black Mage】.

　I swing my fist with all my might towards my brother, who is clad in a thin gold color and holds his fist.

　The same goes for my opponent.
　We punched each other in the face with all our might.

　A dull, heavy sound.
　I should have thought it would be a bad idea to take two blows to the head, but I get hit morosely.

　Still, the reason he didn't fall down was because his armament was also weak.
　In contrast, he--.

''.........''

　There was none. He wasn't. He was dying, and I missed him.
　He left traces of him.

　Magical particles that look like stardust scattered all over the place.
　He left.

　Leme's defensive decline couldn't have come at a better time.

"Marc, Leme and Philippe are out.... The winner - the Leme and Berit pair..........