Chapter 1276: Interlude: Magical Supremacy (1/2)
With Scáthach securing first place in the Tournament, things moved on to the challenge phase of the event but, with the absence of Mordred, the only person to issue a challenge was Gawain. This was a bit of a surprise as Vahn had expected several people to challenge Gray. However, while it was true that the latter had made it to the semi-finals, it didn't seem like anyone had the desire to display that they were stronger than her.
As could be expected, Gawain had issued his challenge towards Okita as the latter's attack against Artoria had left quite the impression. Though he didn't have any true animosity toward her, he was honor-bound to at least take a stand.
Unfortunately, even with his [Numeral of the Saint] still active, Gawain quickly learned that it wasn't a fluke that brought Okita victory. Her skill with the sword had reached a realm that only Kenshin and Scáthach had any hope of reaching. Though Gawain's orthodox techniques were very near the limit of what was achievable, Okita's had simply blown through such limits entirely. All he could do was persist for as long as possible before ultimately losing consciousness while still standing, greatsword in hand.
Gawain's display had earned him uproarious applause but, despite the efforts of her opponent, Okita showed no change in expression. Instead, she just vanished from the battlefield before appearing at her Master's side. This earned her a wry smile from Vahn but, as there was still an entire League left, he didn't have much time to discuss the importance of socializing with her. It was a little unfortunate that the only person to defeat her was Scáthach as, if she had lost to someone else, Vahn would have been able to task Okita with observing and learning more about others.
As most Spirits didn't really need things like sleep, the audience wasn't even remotely tired, despite the fact nearly seven hours had passed. Rather, after watching Gawain push himself to try and land a single hit on Okita, they were even more riled up than before. This wasn't too surprising, however, as the matches between Scáthach and others were more than a little anti-climactic.
Fortunately, while Scáthach would be participating in the Magus' League, the battles between Magi were always flashy. While the Knight's League was full of explosive displays of speed and power, it often came down to a difference in skill and technique. This wasn't necessarily the case for battles between Magi as, if they fought cleverly, it was possible to achieve victory against much stronger opponents. The only exceptions to this would be during the bouts between Scáthach and, as a result of her former status as 'Queen of Heaven', Ishtar.
As fate would have it, Ishtar ended up being one of the first contestants drawn from the box. This all but guaranteed the battle would be flashy as, with her nature, Ishtar was the type that liked to show off. If her opponent was smart, they could use this against her but, this time around, that would be a very difficult feat to achieve...
Olga couldn't help lament her misfortune as she assumed her place upon the now devastated arena. She was actually regretting her past decision to even participate in the event as, after seeing some of the battles play out, it was very apparent she had underestimated the power of Heroic Spirits. Now, as if to spite her past bravado, her opponent ended up being a literal Goddess...
Ishtar was already floating upon her massive bow with an amused smile on her face as Olga, much like the rabbit Vahn often compared her to, stood on shaky legs in the distance. Though she would have considerable trouble with Scáthach, Ishtar was confident in being able to defeat virtually every other contestant. Since fate had whimsically placed her against one of the weakest opponents, she figured it would liven things up if she made the battle into a spectacle. She intended to let Olga use up all of her power before securing the victory, both as a way to test the mortal woman's limits and show the insurmountable power she wielded after receiving a vessel from her lover.
While the use of Noble Phantasms was limited, there were no such restrictions on [Pactio] so, even before the battle had begun, Olga struck an unnecessary pose as she shouted, "Adeat~!" As a result, there was a momentary flash of light before the pale-haired Magus appeared, now attired in a dense assortment of robes. The only exposed part of her body was her face and, as a quirk of how [Pactio] often worked, a 'window' of sorts that displayed her cleavage. This wasn't the most notable aspect of the [Pactio], however, as Olga had a massive orrery in her left hand.
Orreries were mechanical models of the Solar System and, as a result of her Thaumaturgy, Olga's was an extremely complex version that showed the actual positions of the planets. At the very center, a very realistic looking sun was depicted, complete with tiny solar flares arcing from the surface.
Ishtar was slightly surprised by Olga's Artifact but, as it didn't matter much in the grand scheme of things, she just hopped off her bow before moving it into a ready position. With this, Vahn had shot his pistol toward the Heavens and, as a result, Ishtar's body outright vanished from her spot. At the same time, her own dominion began to spread through the battlefield, giving her full control over the surrounding Space as Olga began chanting a three verse magic spell.
As Olga chanted, a very peculiar magic circle appeared beneath her feet. It looked like an overhead depiction of the orrery in her hand, complete with secondary magic circles that represented each planet. Her own position was that of the sun and, while she couldn't use her Artifact's full power. it was still a sight to behold as, by the time her chant had completed, Olga's surroundings began to look like actual Space. She had created the illusions of planetary bodies but, as if to spite her, Ishtar appeared standing atop the illusory Venus with a smile on her face.
Olga was pushing herself far beyond her limits, to the point that blood had started to trickle from her nose as she shouted, "Heliocentric Annihilation~!"
From Olga's palm, a massive eight-sided magic circle appeared before a massive pillar of Star Elemental magical energy poured from the center. It took on the shape of a solar flare and, much to the audience's surprise, the protective barrier around the arena began to ripple slightly. This was only the prelude to the actual devastation Olga's attack would cause, however, as her solar flare tore through the area where Ishtar had been standing, annihilating the false Venus in the process.
Unfortunately for Olga, Ishtar was able to freely transition through the void and, while others may not have noticed it, those with high perception could see Olga's unique domain being suppressed as far more powerful energy encroached upon it from the periphery. Since she had put her all into the attack, Olga could only rely on the trickle of mana provided to her by Vahn but, due to the rules of the Tournament, this wasn't even remotely enough to keep her going.
As Olga's domain continued to shrink, Ishtar appeared out from behind Mars, giggling amusedly as she looked at her opponent's ragged yet determined visage. Since using her bow was the same as using her Noble Phantasm, Ishtar wasn't able to simply shoot Olga. Instead, she sat on her bow like a swing with her legs crossed. The surrounding void began to ripple and bend, gaining a crystalline structure before finally taking on the form of a massive hexagonal gemstone behind her body. This was a technique that Ishtar had actually inherited from her mixed memories with Rin but, rather than have to produce gemstones and imbue them with her mana, Ishtar could simply create them at her leisure.
With the same smile on her face, Ishtar brought her index finger to her lip as she teasingly stated, "I can't wait to see you make that power your own in the future. For now, I'll have to ask you to give up the match before things get out of hand~"
As Ishtar spoke, the gemstone behind her began forming an extremely complex magic circle using various runes and a few characters of Divine Words. This caused a feeling of combined dread and awe to pass over the crowd while, as the target of Ishtar's building attack, Olga fell to her knees with wide eyes. Fortunately, Ishtar hadn't suppressed her completely so, while she couldn't stay standing, Olga was able to mutter, "I...I surrender..." in a subdued tone.
Ishtar smiled radiantly in response to Olga's words but, instead of dissipating her attack, she angled the face of the gemstone toward the sky before releasing the stored up energy. This caused a pillar of light to pierce through the sky with enough force to rip through the surrounding space. It was a terrifying display of power that caused Vahn to released a tired sigh since he knew Ishtar was just showing off. Her attack could have easily wiped out a city so, if she had actually fired it toward Olga, they would have had to intervene since even an [Effigy of the Hero] might not be able to save her.
Olga ended up being retrieved from the battlefield by Lakshmibai and Fenrir as, even after Ishtar had withdrawn her domain, the poor Magus was not able to stand. In fact, if anyone were to look closely, they would be able to see that Olga had actually wet herself due to the overwhelming dread she had experienced trying to contest the power of a Goddess. Fortunately, Fenrir and Lakshmibai were able to have Olga leave the Training Orb directly and, as Ishtar hadn't drawn any attention to it. the secret was well kept.
Vahn made a mental note to comfort Olga and have a stern talking-to with Ishtar after the event had concluded. It almost felt like the latter was bullying the former but, given her status as a God Queen, Ishtar couldn't simply take a step back and allow herself to lose face. Even though Vahn's use of the [Page of the Akashic Tome] had fundamentally changed her nature, she still had an extreme amount of pride. She was also slightly hostile toward other women, especially if she felt they were not worthy of his care and affection...
With the field cleared, Vahn drew out the next two names after Merlin had finished making repairs to the massive hole that now existed in the dome-like magical barrier. Fortunately, they shouldn't have to worry about such things this time around as, by some string of fate, Rin and Luvia ended up being the next contestants. This caused Rin to release a profound sigh while Luvia, amused by the turn of events, crossed her arms as she raised the back of her hand toward her mouth and laughed in her characteristic, 'Ohohohohoho~' manner.
Like Olga, both Rin and Luvia had [Pactio] of their own so, after shouting, 'Adeat~!', they were both wrapped in magical light before reappearing in their raiments. Rin's took on the appearance of an orthodox Magus, complete with an ornate robe that had several gemstones adorning it. As for her Artifact, it took on the form of a sword-like staff that was made out of rainbow-hued crystals. When she was serious, Rin was able to use her Artifact to produce beams of magical energy that allowed her to cut through anything under B-Rank...
While Rin looked relatively normal, Olga's raiment was anything but as, rather than attire befitting a Magus, she appeared in a complicated outfit that gave her the appearance of a professional wrestler. It was a very form-fitting raiment that showed off a considerable amount of skin while, to exacerbate matters even further, her Artifact itself was a mask that covered the front half of her face, leaving just enough space int he back for her drill-like hair to cascade down her back. As for its usage, Luvia was able to multiple her parameters for a short period of time at the expense of magical energy. This was a very straightforward Artifact that suited her well but, every time Vahn saw it, he had to take a deep breath to relax his nerves...
As the two had actually fought each other in their [Pactio] forms several times, the battle was just a repeat of their usual spars. This generally involved Rin taking evasive action as she tried to bait Luvia into magical mines that Rin could place around the battlefield just by placing gemstones. These were strong enough to destroy armored vehicles but, as if she was a living weapon, Luvia would charge in without any hesitation as she attempted to get her hands on Rin. If she managed to do so, it was all but guaranteed she would be the final victor as, even with [Reinforcement] Magecraft, Luvia's power was already monstrous, even without her Artifact.
Fortunately, while she no longer had two Goddesses sharing her body, Rin had benefitted greatly from the extended exposure to Divine Energy. She hadn't reached Tier 4 herself but, compared to a normal human being, she was far stronger than normal. Her Od had surpassed Luvia's a long time ago and, while her parameters were much lower than the golden-haired beauty, Rin was able to use a D-Rank [Shundo] while Luvia had been stuck at E-Rank for a long time. She didn't have a talent for the Space Element while Rin had benefitted from having Ishtar's guidance for more than two years.
While Luvia was able to bait Rin into losing her cool in most situations, she couldn't use her words to goad her easily when there was a crowd watching. Thus, with Rin having far greater mobility, it only took around ten minutes before Luvia took an especially bad hit to her side, sending her tumbling across the battlefield like a rock skipping across water. This wasn't enough to defeat her, as her own Innate passively protected her body, but Rin had kited her toward the edge of the arena. Thus, while Luvia had more wins than Rin overall, she ended up losing the Tournament match.
Seeing how the battle had played out, followed by how Rin had helped Luvia up, the crowd was in high spirits as they loudly applauded the two girls. Vahn also had a smile on his face, even though he knew this loss was going to make Luvia butt heads with Rin a lot in the coming days. He needed to prepare himself as, while not all that often, the two sometimes came to him in order to 'compete' in a way where neither had an advantage over the other...
Following the cat and mouse game between Rin and Luvia, the next match included Iris and one of the favorites to potentially win the entire event, Medea. Unfortunately, while Medea was actually far more powerful than Iris, the young Magus didn't have the heart to harm others. She was intending to forfeit from the very start but, rather than upset the crowd, Iris managed to convince her to put on a performance of sorts. Thus, instead of a battle, the crowd was able to witness a display of pure magical power and finesse, one that showed why Medea was considered Circe's greatest student.
Iris had been able to make a 30m tall golem formed from gold, a sight to behold, but Circe had been able to one-up her by summoning a titanic golem formed from the white stone of the battlefield. It was a startling 100m in height and, much to Vahn's lament, and the amusement of many, it looked like a massive Grecian statue that used him as a reference. This meant the statue was predominately naked and, while there was a leaf-like motif covering the front, his eyes dulled when he heard Circe comment at the side, "That leaf is too small...silly girl..."
With it being very apparent which of them had the greater skill, Iris ended up being the one to give up the match, despite Medea's insistence that she continues forward. Unfortunately for her, this had no effect on Iris and, using her motherly disposition, it didn't take long for the white-haired woman to convince Medea to continue in her stead. This resulted in Medea reluctantly agreeing to do her best, earning her a long hug from Iris in return.
Though it wasn't nearly as flashy as the previous battles, the audience applauded the familial display with vigor. Vahn also appreciated the scene and, if not for the fact Medea had left the massive statue on the battlefield, he would have been very happy with how things had turned out. Now, until it was destroyed by someone, there would be a giant version of himself towering in the center of the arena. While he wasn't exactly shy, Vahn became increasingly despondent when future contenders made an earnest effort to avoid damaging the embarrassing work of art...
Following the match between Iris and Medea, the next duo to take to the field was Nobunaga and, much to her chagrin, Scáthach. This resulted in Nobunaga outright forfeiting the match in a not-so-content manner, complete with a few very vocal curses. Vahn knew he would be getting an earful from her later but, as Scáthach's participation had already been decided on two weeks prior, there wasn't really anything he could do about the situation. While it did indeed feel a little unfair, the same argument could be made in regards to anyone that had a demonstrable amount of power compared to the rest of the contestants.
With Nobunaga's forfeiture, Medusa and Semiramis were the final pair to take to the battlefield. This gave Da Vinci a pass through the first set of matches as there was an uneven number of participants in the Magus' League. It was apparent that her Luck parameter wasn't just for show and, if he wasn't wrong, Vahn expected she would be placed against Medea in the next set of matches. If she gave up in the match against Scáthach, there was a chance Da Vinci could pass through all the way to the finals without ever actually battling...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Poor Olga xD...','Intertwined fate','Nobunaga calls bullshit')
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