FANSiA Originals and KakaoPage
I Became the Genius Bastard of a Noble Dark Clan
[Author/Original: Yuin]
[TL: Dekor]
[PR: Spades]
Chapter 23
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[The Curse of Exhaustion]
It was a curse that sapped the opponent's vitality, leaving them utterly drained.
Though it was a mere 1-star basic dark magic curse, she unleashed it with the power of 3-star mana.
Naturally, its potency was on an entirely different level.
Yet, Chris remained unfazed.
Then, something astonishing happened.
Crack!
A black barrier unfurled, repelling the dark magic.
It was the 3-star defensive dark magic, Shield of Darkness.
Chris hadn't cast it himself.
Darkness was flowing from the necklace he wore.
"An artifact?" she asked.
"Yes. I secretly took it from the family vault," Chris replied. "It blocks all dark magic below 3-star level."
Count Kazar's face twisted in shock.
The artifact had been securely hidden in the vault, yet he had no idea when Chris had taken it.
'I've got a knack for thievery, you see. The vault's security was laughably weak,' Chris thought, flashing a sly grin.
"Well, this much is fine, isn't it? You said to fight like it's real. In a real battle, gear is part of one's strength, right?"
Melin let out a hollow laugh.
It was a flimsy excuse, but not entirely wrong.
If this were a true battle, she couldn't exactly complain about the enemy using such an artifact.
But Melin didn't know.
Chris had more up his sleeve.
'Time to show the true power of gear!'
More precisely, the power of wealth.
Chris had used money extorted from a corrupt merchant to acquire several artifacts.
He pulled a murky-colored orb from his pocket and hurled it.
Crack!
The orb shattered in midair, releasing black smoke.
It was poison magic, a specialty of the Extreme Poison mana clan!
Melin stepped back, avoiding the poison's range.
But Chris's onslaught didn't stop there.
Predicting her movement, he threw another orb in her path.
This time, it was Flame of Darkness, a destructive dark magic from the Destruction mana clan.
Similar to the white magic *Fireball*, it had a distinct difference. It erupted around the target, shrouding their vision in darkness.
As dark magic, it carried an eerie, sinister effect.
In an instant, Melin's surroundings plunged into blackness.
Chris wasn't done. He threw one final orb.
This one glowed with an ominous red hue.
It was the 2-star curse dark magic, *Collapse of the Rusted Blade*.
"!!"
Collapse of the Rusted Blade weakened and destroyed the durability of an opponent's weapon.
The problem was that the darkened vision delayed her reaction by half a beat.
As an area-effect dark magic, it was unavoidable once within its range.
Crackle.
The sword Melin held began to corrode rapidly.
'Such tricks!'
But Melin didn't falter.
She summoned her mana to resist the dark magic.
It was only a 2-star curse—she could easily overcome it.
Then, something unexpected happened.
Chris burst through the smoke of Flame of Darkness and swung his holy sword!
Clang!
She blocked it with ease, but there was a problem.
The mana she'd been using to counter *Collapse of the Rusted Blade* was disrupted by the holy sword.
With her mana scattered, the curse took hold, corroding her sword.
'Damn it!'
Melin's expression hardened.
Her sword was made of exceptional material, so it didn't break, but its durability was inevitably compromised.
And a weakened sword couldn't withstand a holy sword.
Crack!!
Chris's sword struck hers again.
Her blade shattered under the holy sword's might.
'Yes!'
Melin's face betrayed her distress.
Her specialty was swordsmanship.
She'd trained in hand-to-hand combat as well, but it paled in comparison to her skill with a blade.
Her other strength, curse magic, was rendered useless by the defensive artifact Chris wore.
In an instant, her combat ability plummeted.
'With both her hands tied, this puts her at maybe 3-star strength? Far from 4-star.'
That meant he could win.
'Victory is mine.'
Chris's eyes gleamed with fierce determination.
His sword pressed Melin back relentlessly.
It was a bizarre sight.
Melin was a formidable mage.
Even with her abilities restricted, her physical prowess and mana control far surpassed Chris's.
Yet, she was the one being pushed back.
Her faster, stronger attacks were consistently blocked by Chris's sword.
Meanwhile, his slower, weaker strikes repeatedly found her openings.
"!!"
Melin twisted her shoulder in a panic.
A moment later, and her shoulder would've been sliced.
For someone of her caliber, taking a hit with her body wouldn't have mattered—she could defend with mana.
But that sword was a holy sword.
It would pierce her mana and inflict a grievous wound.
'I'm… being overwhelmed?'
Melin's eyes wavered.
No, it was more than that.
Unthinkable as it was, she might actually lose.
That thought made her heart pound.
'God, this is exhilarating.'
Melin was a pure battle maniac, reveling in the thrill of facing a strong opponent.
Chris's insane talent sent shivers through her.
'I'll crush him.'
Her eyes blazed with fervor.
Caught in the heat of excitement, she forgot he was a young lord.
All she could think of was defeating this genius and bringing him to his knees.
Her attacks grew fiercer, no longer holding back as she had to avoid lethal blows.
"!!"
"Dangerous!!"
Onlookers cried out in alarm.
Marian frowned deeply.
'Melin's lost it. I need to stop her.'
Melin was a mage of their house.
Marian knew her personality well.
When excited, she became reckless—a battle maniac.
If left unchecked, this could lead to disaster.
"I'll intervene," Marian said.
"…Please," Count Kazar nodded, sharing her concern.
But Marian hesitated.
Chris was faintly smiling.
Despite being pushed back by Melin's ferocious assault.
It was the smile of a victor.
'What? Is he aiming for an opening in her excitement?'
But that was a miscalculation.
Melin wasn't so careless. Even in her fervor, she retained cold rationality.
Chris knew this well.
Yet.
He locked eyes with Melin.
Her gaze was ferocious, like a predator ready to tear into prey at the slightest hint of weakness.
The way to defeat her was clear.
Make her overcommit.
'A cheap trap won't work. I need to show a real opening.'
Chris acted immediately.
He misstepped.
His stance faltered.
He tried to recover, but it was too late.
Melin didn't miss the brief opening.
For a battle mage, it was an unmissable opportunity.
She swung a mana-charged fist.
*It's over,* she thought.
In such a compromised stance, no one could respond properly.
Everyone in the arena shared her thought.
But Chris's combat sense surpassed all expectations.
Something unimaginable happened.
Despite his faltering stance, Chris countered her attack.
With his free hand, he reached toward her fist.
*'What's he planning?'*
Melin wondered.
Her fist was enveloped in mana. Blocking it barehanded would only injure him.
Everyone watching shared her confusion.
Then, their hands met.
Chris's hand slid forward, his open palm grazing her mana with exquisite precision, touching her wrist.
That simple motion disrupted her fist's trajectory.
It narrowly missed him, grazing past his side.
'Parrying!'
Melin's eyes widened, as did everyone else's.
To pull off such a feat while off-balance was unbelievable!
That was the turning point.
The situation reversed.
Chris regained his stance, while Melin's was thrown off.
He didn't miss the chance.
The match was decided.
Thud.
His holy sword touched Melin's neck.
"...."
Silence fell over the arena.
No one spoke.
All eyes were fixed on the sight of Chris's sword at Melin's throat, wide with disbelief.
Was it an illusion? No.
It was reality.
A 1-star novice had brought a 4-star mage, one at the upper echelon, to her knees!
Even with artifacts and underhanded tactics, it was unthinkable.
Chris shrugged.
His calm voice echoed through the arena.
"I won, didn't I?"
"!!"
He turned to Melin, who wore a dazed expression.
"Was it a satisfying duel?"
"!!"
Melin clamped her mouth shut.
Satisfying?
Was that even a question?
She glanced at her arm.
Goosebumps prickled her skin.
The sensation from the fight, and Chris's insane talent throughout, kept her excitement alive.
"You seem pleased with the duel," Chris said. "As for the proposal I made to you earlier, think it over and let me know soon. I may have won, but I respect your decision."
He was asking if she'd pledge loyalty to him.
Though he'd won, he didn't force it.
Loyalty couldn't be coerced. He wanted Melin to join him willingly.
'Not that I need to force her—she's already hooked.'
Chris studied her wavering eyes.
Sure enough, Melin spoke.
"No, I'll answer now."
She looked at him for a moment.
"If I serve you… will you grant me duels like this in the future?"
There was a reason for her decision.
She was curious.
'How much stronger will he become?'
Even at 1-star, he'd given her such a thrill.
If Chris grew stronger—far stronger—what kind of exhilaration would he bring?
That thought sealed her choice.
Other nobles could never offer her this thrill.
"As many as you want," Chris said, smirking.
"But there's one thing you should know."
"What's that?"
"I'll surpass you soon."
"!!"
"And as time passes, the gap will only widen. You won't be my match. If you can handle that without despair, I'll face you anytime."
Melin nearly burst out laughing.
Chris was just a 1-star novice.
To say something so absurd to a 4-star mage like her.
Yet, it didn't feel wrong.
Even now, he showed such astonishing prowess.
He'd likely overtake her in no time, soaring to unreachable heights.
'That'll be its own kind of fun.'
Melin chuckled softly.
With a relieved heart, she answered.
"Come to me once you're officially a lord. I can only serve you after you've earned that title."
It was her acceptance!
Then, Chris turned to Marian, who stared at him with stunned eyes, unlike before.
"What did you think, Aunt?"
"!!"
Chris grinned.
"Did I pass?"