Chapter 8 – The Ice Princess's Worries

The magic arena was still abuzz with cheers. I stood there, stunned, on the edge of the arena. My mind felt blank. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Sheela was going to fight Van?

"Hey, Nolan. Get up, it's my turn!" Van shouted from the stands. He enthusiastically descended the stands, jogging, occasionally bumping into students who got in his way.

That idiot. Doesn't he know who he's up against? She's not the same Sheela as before.

This is bad. What's going to happen? Without realizing it, I'd used up a lot of crucial ammunition in that duel. Damn Kara. She's managed to force me to use all my might.

Lamenting my stupidity, I trudged unsteadily toward the stands.

As I passed the rows of seats, I caught sight of Alya and Sheela. They were sitting side by side. Alya turned, smiling faintly, but Sheela only glanced at her. Her emerald green eyes glinted sharply. Her blonde hair glistened in the magical light from the ceiling. However, in contrast to her appearance, her face was now pale and tense. Her fingers gripped her uniform skirt so tightly that her knuckles turned pale. There was no usual cocky smile, just a tightly pressed line.

Suddenly, Sheela stood up. Her chair shifted roughly, making a creaking sound that was drowned out by the din of the stands. It seemed she wanted to get into the arena immediately.

Just as Sheela was about to leave us, Van arrived with his trademark grin

“Yo, you’re all gathered here, huh?”

Oh my, can she read the mood?

But Sheela only glanced at us briefly and then turned away. Her uniform skirt rustled quickly, leaving a chill that sent shivers down my spine.

“...What was that?” I muttered.

I looked at Alya, who was still sitting there, staring at Sheela’s back. There was a sense of worry there.

“Wow, it’s so cold,” Van said.

I looked at him. “Can you read the mood?”

“Hey, what did I do?” Van asked, confused. “But don’t worry, Nolan, Alya. I’ll make him understand what he’s doing.”

Van patted my shoulder. Then he started walking back down the stands.

I was about to warn him, but Alya grabbed my arm.

I turned around. Alya was now staring at me with a sad look.

“What’s wrong?” I asked briefly.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Alya said. She pulled her hand back. "Um, do you... do you want to sit next to me?" Alya asked, patting the seat beside her.

I noticed the empty seat next to her. "Isn't that Sheela's seat?" I asked, confused.

Alya fell silent. She seemed unsure of what else to say.

Ah, never mind. I couldn't stand her pleading expression. Besides, Sheela was in the middle of a match. Besides, wouldn't I be safer here if Sheela suddenly went berserk? Alya could protect me.

While pondering Alya's excuse, I sat down in Sheela's seat.

Down below, Sheela and Van took their stances in the dueling arena. Sheela drew her wand. Van rolled up his sleeves.

“Alright. Are you two ready?”

“Of course, Professor!” Van shouted. Sheela nodded slowly.

“Let the match begin!”

Both Van and Sheela took their stances. They circled the arena, wary of their opponent’s movements.

I frowned. This was interesting. In previous duels, Van would have charged straight in, not allowing Sheela to cast a spell. But this time, he chose to wait. Was it because Van already knew Sheela’s strength?

On the other hand, Sheela should have also known Van’s abilities, both his earth magic and his reckless personality. Perhaps, seeing Van acting out of character, she chose to wait.

Both Van and Sheela remained restrained. The audience began to whisper, some growing tense because the duel hadn’t started immediately.

Sheela finally made the first move, her wand raised. Instantly, ice spikes appeared on the ground where Van was standing.

Van swiftly jumped to the side. "Wow, that was close." He landed lightly, then glided toward Sheela. Before his feet had even touched the ground, he immediately launched several punches.

Bam! Bam! Bam! A rapid exchange of blows.

Van looked serious, his eyes focused on Sheela. His usual careless smile was gone.

Sheela herself was initially surprised by the attack. She took a few steps back, but now her stance was perfect. Her wand was raised again, ready to deliver a counterattack.

Van, seeing this, immediately halted his attack. He took a few steps back, observing what Sheela would do.

Sheela's wand began to dance. Each movement seemed calculated. In tandem with her movements, a sharp wind appeared, slicing through anything in its path. Not only that, but ice spikes formed in the air, taking turns attacking Van.

Van took a defensive stance. He was attacked here and there. Some of the sharp winds and ice spikes managed to graze his skin. Sweat began to form on his forehead.

Van was in a tight spot. But why was he still holding on? Was he waiting for an opening?

The students' cheers grew louder. Some cheered Sheela, others shouted at Van.

Then, the moment came. Sheela swung her wand too slowly. The series of sharp winds and ice spikes, even for a fraction of a second, seemed to slow for a moment. Van saw the opening.

With a swift jerk, Van leaped. His body spun in the air, then slammed his fist into the ground right in front of Sheela. The impact knocked the wind out of her, sending Sheela reeling.

Unconsciously, Sheela sent out a large icicle.

Boom. The icicle struck Van squarely.

Oh my. That happened so fast. I wondered what Van was up to. But the dust from the battle still obscured my vision.

As the dust slowly cleared, I could see Sheela standing stiffly. Her face tensed, while Van's spot was filled with towering pillars of earth.

Van waved his hand, and the pillars slowly collapsed, as if swallowed back up by the earth. Apparently, he had successfully blocked Sheela's attack.

"H-how is that possible?" Sheela's voice trembled, clearly in disbelief.

Van just grinned broadly. "You shouldn't underestimate your enemies, you know."

He raised his arm, revealing something attached to it. His wand was secured to his hand to prevent it from interfering with his movements.

My eyes widened. What an impossible idea. As long as you have a medium, magic can be created. The concept could be manipulated so easily.

A commotion erupted from the stands. Some students screamed in awe, while others laughed at the strange trick.

Beside me, Alya whispered softly, "Van is amazing, isn't he…"

I shrugged. "Well, sometimes that idiot has strange ideas."

Alya nodded slightly. Her eyes were still fixed on the arena, but there was a clear doubt on her face. "Sheela's great too, but…" her voice choked, hanging in her throat.

I glanced at her. "If you want to tell me, I won't tell Sheela." I leaned in slightly, keeping my tone light. I was dying of curiosity. I'd do anything if it would increase my chances of winning when I stopped Sheela later.

Alya was silent for a long moment, then took a deep breath. “…You’re right, I do need to talk.”

Alya looked down, her fingers fiddling with the skirt of her uniform. “Sheela has been… different lately.”

“What do you mean by different?” I asked.

“She always says there’s nothing to worry about. She smiles, friendly as always. But…” Alya bit her lip. “It feels like her smile is forced. Sometimes I see her daydreaming, her gaze blank. Sometimes, her friendly expression suddenly disappears.”

“Then,” Alya continued, her voice growing softer, “Ever since she got the letter from her father, she’s become more stubborn. She says she has to prove herself. She has to always be by my side. I don’t know why that’s so important to her, but…”

She paused, then turned toward the arena. “I want to help her, Nolan. Unfortunately, she doesn’t want to tell me.”

I swallowed hard. An uneasy feeling crept into my stomach. “What was in the letter?”

Alya shook her head slowly. “I don’t know. The letter came after Sheela accepted Van’s duel. I only found out from her father. Because that’s all Sheela said.”

This is serious. So it’s true, something has been wrong with Sheela lately. Worse yet, I almost overlooked it.

My thoughts were interrupted by the arena's commotion once again. In the arena, Sheela raised her hand. A magic circle shimmered in the air, and then a gust of wind appeared, pushing Van back. Van jumped, nearly losing his balance, but finally caught himself.

Van grinned, his face slightly dusty. "Then, it's my turn."

The ground beneath the arena shook. Small pillars rose, forming a trap ready to catch Sheela. Dodging the attack, Sheela jumped to the side. But Van had already planned it. Van appeared in front of her. The beastman's fist shot out, accompanied by a pillar of earth that appeared behind it. He also delivered the attack.

Bam!

Sheela staggered. For the first time, her face lost its cold expression. She touched her cheek in shock, as if she couldn't believe she'd just been hit.

The hall fell silent.

"Got you, Ice Princess." Van raised his fist again, preparing to deliver another blow.

However, instead of dodging, Sheela froze there. Her eyes were blank. Her breathing was heavy and erratic. A magic circle appeared around her without her chanting.

Seeing the magic circle, Van canceled his attack. He retreated to a safe distance.

Sheela's face tensed, and her lips trembled. "I... can't lose..." Her voice was hoarse, sounding desperate.

Realizing something was wrong, the teachers descended from the podium. Professor Cedric arrived first. He stood beside Sheela, who sat silently.

“Sheela, stop!” Professor Cedric said.

The magic circle continued to spin, continuing to weave intricately. Sheela’s hair was flowing, her uniform flapping uncontrollably.

Without further ado, Professor Cedric drew his wand, intending to forcefully stop Sheela.

Just as Professor Cedric began to chant, the magic circle shattered into a wild flash of light. Wind howled around Sheela, the ground began to shake, and even ice flowers began to form.

“Hey, what is this!?” Van exclaimed, his body preparing for a defensive stance.

“Stop, Sheela!” Professor Nerissa shouted. She and the other teachers also drew their wands.

However, before the teachers could stop Sheela, the magic circle stopped. Moments later, it exploded.

Boom!

“Uwaaah!” The students in the stands were thrown. Some screamed, thrown from their seats. Even the teachers were thrown back.

“Ugh.” I ducked, trying to fight the gust of wind. Alya, beside me, followed me.

"What happened?" she asked in a panic. Her voice was almost lost in the howling wind.

I didn't answer. I lowered my head, covering my face with my arms. The wind pierced my skin like a thousand needles.

I had to do something to keep from being thrown like the others. My gaze fell on Alya, who was terrified. Her hands were trembling as she held her staff. An idea popped into my head.

“Alya!” I shouted, turning to her. “Use earth magic! Create pillars, like Van!”

“What?” Alya stared at me in confusion, her fingers trembling.

“Hurry!”

She bit her lip, then began to chant. Soon, pillars of earth rose from the floor, forming a barrier in front of us. Wild winds slammed into the pillars, making them tremble, but they were enough to hold us in place.

As I felt safe from the onslaught of wind, I felt a sudden silence. I looked around.

“Eh!?”

Look at that. All the students who had been frantically trying to save themselves had now fallen unconscious. Even the teachers were lying there, their bodies frozen as if something had bound them.

I could feel something else, not just Sheela’s magical pressure. There was an invisible pressure pressing down on everyone. It was making it hard for my lungs to breathe, making my heart beat erratically.

“Alya, are you okay!?”

Alya staggered, but still held onto her staff. She was pale, sweat pouring down her face.

"I don't know why, but I can still move," she said, half-confused.

The magical storm had subsided. The howling wind and the cracking ground had begun to cease. Only Alya, Van, and I were left standing.

The arena was in ruins. Dust still billowed. In the center of the arena, Sheela stood calmly. Her eyes were blank, as if her soul wasn't there. Her blonde hair swayed, as if the wind were blowing through it. Furthermore, a magic circle hovered behind her, spinning slowly.

That appearance was unmistakable. It was Sheela, who had become the Act 1 Boss.

Van stared at me from a distance. I nodded slowly.

There was no need to ask me. Only we can stop Sheela.

I checked my remaining ammo. I had six bottles. I couldn't waste this precious resource.

After that, I patted Alya, who was still confused. "Alya, I know you're still confused. But Van and I need your help."

Alya looked at me. Her expression was a mix of confusion and fear. Nevertheless, she nodded slowly.

"Good." I cocked my pistol and stepped down from the stands. Alya followed me.

The three of us stood in front of Sheela, taking our stances.

Without waiting for my command, Van cast a spell. Dozens of pillars of earth formed around Sheela, striking her mercilessly.

"Van!" Alya shouted in panic. That attack could have killed Sheela.

Van shook his head. "Don't worry, Alya, she's safe." The pillars' attack stopped. Beneath the dust of battle, Sheela still stood where she was. All of Van's attacks had been in vain.

I gritted my teeth.

"In fact, you should be panicking about our safety right now." Van clenched his fists. That attack should have been quite powerful. Sheela's apparent normalcy after such an attack was actually a bad sign.

While we were struggling to think of a strategy, ice spikes suddenly attacked us.

"Watch out." Van jumped to the side, and Alya and I quickly followed.

"Not giving us time, huh?" I complained.

Van stared at me. "What's your plan?"

I swallowed. There was no other way; we had to render her unconscious. From there, we might be able to stop her rampage.

I explained my plan to Alya and Van. They immediately agreed.

Van raised his hand, and the ground beneath Sheela rose, binding her so she couldn't move.

Sheela tried to struggle, but Van's earth magic was too powerful.

I fired two bottles filled with a mixture to create cement like my old world.

Splash! The cement soaked Sheela, restricting her movement.

Alya immediately waved her staff, a wind swirling violently, accelerating the cement's hardening.

But—

Craaaak! Ice erupted from Sheela's body, forming a giant wall that protected her.

"Tch." My hand fired another bottle.

Bang! Another large hole appeared in the ice wall.

But it only took a few seconds—a new layer of ice covered it again.

"She regenerates so fast," I cursed.

I fired a second bottle.

Bang! Another explosion created a hole. Once again, the hole began to close.

"I won't let this happen!" Van stomped his foot. A clone of himself emerged from the ground, immediately holding the hole open.

"Alya! Now!" I shouted.

Alya advanced, her wind magic swirling wildly, piercing through the gap in the ice wall Van was holding back. Whoosh! The swirl of wind entered and enveloped Sheela, hardening the cement as fast as it could.

There was no more counterattack.

I gasped, staring at Sheela, now trapped in the cement.