Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent

Chapter 226 Maiev

Maiev and Selpen stood facing each other in the arena.

Selpen spoke while combing her hair.

“It’s not Flan. I thought you wanted to face Flan.”

Maiev had not failed to hear such remarks from Selpen. On the contrary, it was precisely because she had heard them that she decided to step into the arena.

Selpen slightly lowered her waist, looked up at Maiev provocatively, and continued.

“You even seem a bit nervous?”

Maiev looked down at the openly provoking Selpen without moving. Then, with an expressionless gaze that showed no emotional disturbance, she replied.

“I am nervous.”

“Uh?”

Selpen widened her eyes a bit, not expecting Maiev to admit it so easily.

After a moment, the pink-haired Capital Knight burst into laughter.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen someone admit they’re nervous.”

“I have no reason to lie.”

“True. I like that honesty. I also like directness~”

Selpen nodded and spoke again.

“Then why did you step forward? Do you think it’s better to get beaten first? Or… did you want to protect Flan?”

“Well.”

Maiev’s tone abruptly cut off Selpen’s words.

“I’m not nervous because I think I’ll lose to you.”

It wasn’t a lie.

The fact that Selpen’s unique ability was ‘enchantment’ and that she wanted Flan as her opponent. Maiev stepped into the arena because such things bothered her.

“…Oh?”

Selpen took a step back with a slight smile. Indeed, Maiev’s eyes were filled with a fighting spirit that made the Capital Knight even more intrigued.

“So, why are you nervous?”

“Controlling my strength.”

“…”

The smile on Selpen’s face grew stronger. She continued to speak while combing her hair.

“So, what you’re saying is… you’re worried about controlling your strength because you’re stronger than a Capital Knight like me. Is that right?”

Maiev slowly nodded.

“That’s pretty much it.”

When Maiev slowly closed and opened her eyes, they held a killing intent that seemed inhuman.

Unlike others who only had to pursue victory, Maiev currently had one more constraint.

‘Vampire.’

Her inherent nature.

Maiev was not born a vampire by her own will, but it was also impossible to escape such a birth.

At one point, she had been proud of her nature as a vampire.

Born as part of the Void, continuing the will of the Princess who held the continent in her grasp, she believed herself to be more useful than anyone in the world, moving with a grand purpose.

But now, things were different.

Flan.

To enjoy a life of humanity with him….

“I am ready.”

Selpen continued to comb her hair as she spoke.

“You’re more arrogant than I thought. Alright.”

As the Capital Knight shook her head from side to side, her well-combed pink hair shimmered glossily. Selpen flicked her tail comb into the air.

At the moment Maiev’s gaze followed the high-flying tail comb—

Bang!

Something dove into Maiev’s arms like a lightning bolt. It was a tremendous surprise attack.

“!”

Boom—!

Maiev hurriedly swung her hand upward. An ink-like line drew vertically in the air, deflecting the sword.

“Hmm…”

Maiev kicked off the ground and retreated far back, swallowing dryly.

She had anticipated that Selpen would launch a surprise attack after throwing the comb. However, despite being fully aware of it, this was the best response she could manage.

Swoosh—!

Then, an astonishing thing happened before her eyes.

“What…!”

The line Maiev had drawn in the realm of painting was clearly sliced in half by Selpen’s blunt sword.

‘That can’t be possible?’

Swoosh—!

Again, as Selpen slashed horizontally with her sword, the ink line Maiev had drawn was severed. At least, from Maiev’s perspective, this was something she couldn’t easily understand.

Furrowing her brow, Maiev focused on observing.

Then she saw something new.

‘It’s a bit different from simply breaking, isn’t it?’

Upon closer inspection, the ink line wasn’t merely breaking.

‘It’s dodging by itself.’

What she thought was the line breaking at high speed was actually the ink line moving to avoid Selpen’s sword on its own volition.

Selpen flashed a triumphant smile.

“Did you notice?”

Swoosh!

Selpen’s incredibly fast sword slashed horizontally once more. All Maiev could do was bend backward to the point her waist seemed to snap to avoid it.

While rolling back to regain her stance, Selpen continued speaking.

“Enchantment doesn’t only work on people.”

“…”

Maiev caught her breath while Selpen, with a triumphant expression, took out her tail comb and started combing her hair.

“Even the lines you draw are influenced by enchantment. Once they like me… you understand who they will follow as their master without me having to say it, right?”

“That’s an absurd ability.”

Maiev muttered while licking her dry lips.

She knew that unique abilities were beyond common sense, but this was beyond her expectations. Her mind was now filled with complex calculations.

‘In this case, magic is meaningless.’

Mana is a delicate force that flows as if it has its own will. If she lost control of it due to Selpen’s enchantment, any magic she cast would become a detriment to Maiev.

‘Dark magic is also impossible…’

Theoretically, hitting the opponent’s vital spots while defending against all incoming attacks was simple, but she couldn’t put it into practice.

“Have you already given up?”

Selpen brought her sword down vertically.
Whoosh!

The blade, catching the sunlight over the arena, shone brightly. A silver line drew a stark trajectory as it descended vertically. It was a tremendous downward strike.

But Maiev had not yet given up.

Thwack!

Maiev’s palm swiftly pushed Selpen’s wrist aside.

Crack!

A sound like her wrist snapping came from Maiev’s hand, overwhelmed by the force, but she didn’t allow the strike to land.

“What? Are you trying to win with martial arts? A magician?”

Selpen continued her attacks, as if finding the idea absurd.

Instead of answering, Maiev kept moving. As long as she accurately struck the joints like the wrist or shoulder, she could prevent her body from being sliced by the sword.

However, just as she was about to deflect the wrist again, Selpen’s knee suddenly struck her abdomen.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

With a sensation like her organs were about to burst, Maiev rolled several times across the ground. She quickly stood up and regained her stance, but she was already in a dire state.

“Spit.”

Maiev spat out a lump of blood with a cough. Covered in dust and with blood dribbling from her mouth, her gaze towards Selpen did not weaken in the slightest.

Selpen nodded quietly.

“What’s this, you’re holding out? A magician.”

But this time, her voice wasn’t mocking.

“Impressive.”

Even Selpen couldn’t help but notice. As soon as Maiev realized that magic was nullified by enchantment, she stopped using it.

Instead, she relied solely on her solidly trained martial arts to confront her. It was commendable that she had mastered the basics of martial arts and abandoned magic so decisively.

“I was really disappointed that I couldn’t fight Flan…”

Selpen grinned.

“…but I’m satisfied. This has been fun in its own way.”

“Stop the arrogant talk.”

“Your mouth doesn’t seem to change. Well, wait. I won’t taunt you by dragging it out any longer.”

At the same time, Selpen’s aura intensified to an unprecedented level. The ground beneath her feet even caved in slightly.

Swoosh!

Finally, Selpen launched herself into the air.

Just as Maiev had drawn her world of paintings, Selpen’s long sword began to draw a trajectory in the air. The traces hung suspended in the air before shooting out all at once.

“Maiev!”

Becky and Trixie shouted, their eyes wide with shock.

The audience was also astonished. It was already impressive to imbue one’s aura into a sword, but to project it like a projectile was an incomprehensibly high-level skill.

The sword energy, as if it could slice through space itself, and techniques that no ordinary knight could ever mimic, began to rain down on the defenseless Maiev all at once.