Emma Mortis Dabbles in the Art of Whaling

As the Son of the Hero's "sidekick," Robert was, in Victor's eyes, nothing more than an annoying little character.

But Robert's "Magic Phantom Beast: Castle" was genuinely eye-catching, enough to make people wary.

"Dulong, you're back?"

"Yeah, I went to the bathroom."

Dulong flashed a flawless smile and asked his companions, "How's it going? Our Kingdom Bear shouldn't disappoint us, right?"

A chubby boy with his arms folded lifted his chin and said smugly, "See for yourself."

Dulong turned to look.

"Roar!"

Diana's Polar Bear suddenly roared furiously. It had actually jammed its fingers into the gap between the Castle and the ground, then lifted the heavy structure clean off the ground!

Chapter 44: Emma Mortis Dabbles in the Art of Whaling

Dulong: w(Д)w...

"Hahaha!"

Watching her Big White Bear slowly lift Robert's Turtle Shell, Diana put her hands on her hips and laughed loudly.

Robert, meanwhile, looked like he'd seen a ghost, his gaping mouth wide enough to fit a goose egg!

"Don't just stand there, Robert!"

Victor, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help shouting.

But aside from forcing his mouth shut, Robert truly had no idea what else he could do.

The Knight Academy students who had mocked Robert two nights earlier, only to be humbled in the first round themselves, all burst into laughter that was—presumably—good-natured.

After all, it really was funny.

His Castle was about to be flipped over by that Big White Bear.

Robert finally couldn't take it anymore and shouted, "Hold Position!"

At last, the Castle responded to his call for the first time. An earthy yellow glow flowed across its walls.

It was plain to see that the Castle had become much harder after using the Hold Position skill. The earthy yellow barrier also helped it absorb impacts more effectively.

But Hold Position was still just Hold Position, not Rooting.

→It was still going to get flipped over!

"Roar!"

The Polar Bear unleashed the Power of the Bear, flipping Robert's Castle completely over in one go!

With that, the Magitech Ball was left completely unprotected.

On Diana's command, the Polar Bear smashed through the Magitech Ball's Life Barrier, and this unequal duel was finally over.

Robert left the field with a grim expression and exchanged places with Victor. "Brother, it's up to you now."

Victor: "Don't worry. I'll win."

Robert: "This is our last chance."

Victor: "No ifs or buts!"

Diana recalled the Polar Bear with a flick of her card, then happily skipped off the field.

When she spotted Rose and Dark, she jogged over and patted her chest proudly. "Well? Isn't my bear huge?"

Dark gave a rare thumbs-up. "Huge!"

"Numbers thirteen and sixteen."

Professor Jones announced the next pair.

Victor and Robert both jolted. Almost simultaneously, they turned to look in the same direction.

Emma Mortis was watching the match by herself.

She suddenly noticed someone looking at her and turned to meet their gazes. Their eyes locked for a moment.

Then they both looked away.

Emma turned back, looking a little unhappy.

Victor and Robert exchanged a glance, then stood up together.

Robert couldn't help saying, "Don't lose!"

Victor's gaze was somewhat solemn. "I won't, as long as I'm not slower than her."

After trying it out in the previous round, Victor had figured out how fast he could summon.

Though he hadn't practiced for long, he'd already cut the casting time for his Normal Summoning Technique down to twelve seconds—about the same as Emma's.

He even thought that if he focused a little harder, he could shave off another second!

At eleven seconds, he'd have a chance even against Dark!

The temporary arena was only ten meters across. That distance looked short enough to cover in a few strides.

But a Magic Spirit still needed time to land after being summoned.

And accelerating from a standstill took time, too.

As long as he could summon his Magic Spirit before the Magitech Ball's Life Barrier was completely destroyed, the little fox—which didn't look especially strong on either offense or defense—shouldn't be a match for the Stag.

→As it happened, Victor and Dulong had reached the same conclusion.

Of course, now wasn't the time to think about that.

Victor knew perfectly well that his opponent was Emma!

"It'll be fine. Emma's Otter is weak. The only thing I need to watch out for is its Water Jet."

Victor and Emma crossed paths, but neither said a word.

The Little Magisters, fresh out of the academy, were still too innocent to get the hang of trash talk.

The arena was divided into the Red Side and the Blue Side. Victor took the Red Side, while Emma stood on the Blue Side.

Sievert of the Noble House was the referee.

Seeing two of the Knight Academy's top students face off in the second round, Sievert looked rather pleased.

Still, he had to blow the whistle.

"Tweet—Ready!"

Victor and Emma immediately took their Magic Phantom Cards in hand.

Dark, Diana, and Rose came over from the sidelines.

Dark was also very interested in this match.

Diana asked quietly, "Dark, who do you think will win?"

Dark narrowed his eyes slightly. "On the surface, Victor has the clear advantage, but in reality..."

Diana: "In reality?"

Dark: "Neither of them is simple."

Diana: "Huh?"

"The battle begins!"

At eleven and a half seconds,

Victor broke through his limits and completed his Summoning Technique before Emma!

The sturdy Stag appeared in a flash of white light, its enormous, branch-like antlers pointed fiercely forward.

It took off!

Less than half a second later,

Emma also completed her Summoning Technique, just before the twelve-second mark!

The Otter, about the same size as a little Eevee, slid along the ground just before landing, dodging the Stag's charge and deftly circling around it!

Emma's strategy was crystal clear.

In a contest of strength, her Otter definitely wouldn't be a match for Victor's Stag.

But the ultimate goal of a duel wasn't to defeat the other person's Magic Spirit. It was to break the Magitech Ball's Life Barrier!

Though she'd failed to Mimic Dark in the previous match, Emma had still learned from the experience and broadened her thinking.

At this point, most first-years were still fixated on battles between Magic Spirits. They hadn't yet grasped the essence of a Magic Guidance duel.

Seeing Emma's Otter dart toward his Magitech Ball like the wind, Victor's heart clenched. He hurriedly called the Stag back to defend!

→That move cost him his first chance to win.

The Stag was clearly stronger than the Otter, and it had started moving first. With the shorter distance along a straight line, a head-on exchange would have been a guaranteed win!

But he hadn't realized that yet.

The Stag failed to catch up with the nimble Otter as it returned to defend. The Otter took a strong bite out of the Magitech Ball's Life Barrier, and its magic value dropped by a whole chunk!

But the Otter didn't dare continue. It immediately broke away from the Magitech Ball and fled.

The Stag returned to guard the Magitech Ball, its four hooves clattering against the ground in a somewhat hurried rhythm.

Victor was also a little tense. He'd expected Emma to be difficult to deal with, but not this difficult.

"No, this stalemate won't work... I need to come up with something!"

Victor's thoughts turned, and he immediately had an idea.

At his command, the Stag lowered its head and pushed the Magitech Ball up, trapping it between its antlers!

"Perfect!"

Victor felt reassured.

Emma's Otter didn't dare face the Stag head-on, which made him even more confident of victory.

He immediately ordered the Stag to charge at Emma's Magitech Ball—he was putting what he'd just learned into practice!

But as the Stag charged, Emma suddenly ordered the Otter to close in.

Seizing its chance, the Otter opened its mouth and fired a Water Gun, hitting the Magitech Ball wedged between the Stag's antlers!

The Magitech Ball shot into the air!

At the same time, its magic value dropped by a huge chunk!

"A finishing move?"

Victor wasn't alarmed. He was delighted.

The finishing moves on one-star Magic Phantom Beast Cards usually cost fifty magic points. A Magic Spirit with only one hundred magic points could use one just once!

That meant the Otter no longer posed any threat!

He immediately ordered the Stag to catch the Magitech Ball again.

But just as the Stag caught it, the Otter—which shouldn't have had enough magic left to use a finishing move—fired another Water Gun!