The moment Reinhardt activated his Magic Body Strengthening, the outcome of the match was determined even before their swords clashed.
As Reinhardt's body was enveloped in the blue flames of magical power, Scarlett lost her grip on her sword in the blink of an eye.
Clang!
Reinhardt's blade, which had charged in an instant, knocked Scarlett's sword away.
Most martial arts techniques are designed to face opponents of the same caliber. Therefore, when a battle occurs between those who have reached a superhuman level and those who have not, it is not a matter of skill but rather of sheer power that prevents a fair fight.
Loss of weapon.
Soon, combat incapacity.
The third set goes to Reinhardt!
The announcer's declaration marked the end of the third set.
"What on earth is happening?"
Olivia seemed baffled. She was unaware that Reinhardt needed the support of Self-Suggestion to utilize Magic Body Strengthening. It seemed as if he had deliberately refrained from using it until now.
Only Ellen and Scarlett knew this.
In the audience, Ellen alone could accurately grasp the growth Reinhardt had achieved in such a short time.
Unconsciously, Ellen clenched her fist.
'Reinhardt…'
Reinhardt had taken the next step. No one else could know, but Ellen understood all too well just how significant that progress was.
Overwhelmed with happiness, Ellen struggled to hold back the urge to rush over to Reinhardt immediately.
Putting aside Ellen's excitement and the audience's astonishment, the competition continued.
The score was 2:1.
Even though Reinhardt had succeeded in using Magic Body Strengthening without the assistance of his Supernatural powers, it was still a double-edged sword.
For the next two sets, he would have to defeat Scarlett using only his Magic Body Strengthening since he couldn't use his Supernatural powers.
However, would that leave him able to compete properly in the remaining final matches?
Although he had overcome the crisis, his path to victory remained uncertain.
Now, let's begin the fourth set…
But as Scarlett and Reinhardt faced each other, Scarlett suddenly raised her hand.
“Yes, what is the matter? Ah.”
The announcer's flustered voice echoed throughout the stadium.
“First-year Royal Class student, Scarlett, has declared her forfeit.”
Forfeit.
Both the audience and her opponent, Reinhardt, were utterly taken aback by the sudden announcement.
——
In the waiting room,
'Reinhardt has to win this. I can't afford to hold back any longer.'
Scarlett left those words before forfeiting.
She seemed content.
Scarlett had wanted to see me not giving up. She wanted to see my reaction when my most powerful strength and means, my Supernatural powers, were neutralized.
Scarlett had hoped that I would overcome it somehow. She had always shown me something, never giving up, and wished for the same this time.
I, somehow, repaid her for that insistent encouragement.
Scarlett's initial goal had been just that.
The moment I succeeded in Magic Body Strengthening without the aid of my supernatural abilities and overpowered Scarlett, she stopped testing me any further.
Had the set continued, the outcome would have been uncertain.
It was a fleeting moment.
Though the Magic Body Strengthening was only activated for a brief instant, I used it without the support of my supernatural abilities.
My fingertips tingled, and a strange pain as if my muscles were being torn apart permeated my entire body.
Even with the support of Self-Suggestion, this power could not be used for an extended period, so it was inevitable that my body would experience a more severe overload without that assistance.
Scarlett could have beaten me. But in the end, she gave up after seeing the result she wanted.
In any case.
Unbeknownst to her, Scarlett had participated in the tournament to push me one step further.
It was possible to give it their all and collide with full force in this stadium, something that couldn't be done during practice duels.
The audience buzzed, but I returned to the waiting room, and Scarlett left with a firm insistence that I must win.
It was an uncomfortable yet oddly responsible gaze, as if they were forcing expectations upon me. If I had been an ordinary person or the usual Reinhardt, I would have told them not to spout nonsense.
However, I owed Scarlett in many ways, and so I couldn't say anything.
Ludwig and Grayden Amorel left to prepare for their next match.
Thus, I was the only one left in the first-year waiting room, and I occupied the audience seats alone.
No matter who came next, I could use Self-Suggestion. Scarlett, who had been my most formidable and unexpected opponent, gave up after seeing the transformation she had hoped for in me.
Probably the only person in the stands who noticed my change was Ellen.
She had been nagging me for so long to try Magic Body Strengthening, and I had been whining that I couldn't do it for what seemed like ages.
But this time, I succeeded in Magic Body Strengthening without the support of my supernatural abilities.
…Will she praise me?
What is this feeling?
It's as if I'm a child who has done something good and desperately wants praise from their teacher.
Well, Ellen is technically my teacher, so it's not that different, is it?
Regardless, in the empty waiting room,
I sat down to watch the semi-final match that would determine my final opponent while continuously applying Self-Suggestion to ensure my condition fully recovered.
How much time had passed?
-Now, the second match of the first-year tournament semi-finals will begin soon!
Ludwig and Grayden Amorel stepped onto the field.
In the original work, Ludwig couldn't even win a single set against Grayden Amorel.
Ellen doesn't give a single set to Grayden Amorel either.
However, Ludwig is even stronger now than he was in the original work.
Nevertheless, he cannot win. If one were to rank them, at this point in time, he would be after Ellen and me. If he were to awaken Magic Body Strengthening, he would immediately rise above me. Scarlett's case is a bit special, so we'll consider her an exception.
Will alone cannot become strength.
The moment my Self-Suggestion was nullified, I felt a sense of unease as the power I desired failed to manifest within my body. I had grown so accustomed to my own Supernatural abilities that I was once again reminded of how absurd it was to draw power through an unwavering belief.
However, Ludwig resolved not to speak of defeat anymore.
The screen displayed Ludwig's face—his ever-smiling expression, full of warmth and amiability. But now, his face was cold and hardened, an expression I had never seen before.
——
Grayden Amorel. A first-year student in Orbis Class A-1, his skills were second to none, even when compared to those in the Royal Class. This made him a strong contender for future leadership in the Orbis Class.
"You can do it. You can defeat the Royal Class. Just keep doing what you're doing. Just like now. No, even more—work harder."
He had heard these words countless times, pushing him to complete tasks to perfection better than anyone else.
Grayden Amorel. He had thought it was his responsibility to bear the burden of his imposed growth, but upon realizing it was a hellish existence, he broke free.
Grayden Amorel found laughter and leisure. He realized that there was no need to live a life dictated by others, so he became kinder and more compassionate. No longer feeling as if someone was constantly chasing him, he found solace.
But that didn't mean he had grown lazy. In fact, he felt his skills had improved since he was able to focus on the training he truly desired.
The satisfaction from voluntary training.
Grayden Amorel's personality had changed, but his skills hadn't deteriorated. On the contrary, it was fair to say they had advanced even further.
The once joyless boy had rediscovered his laughter.
However, his opponent—Royal Class B-11, Ludwig—had a kind, amiable, and friendly demeanor. But now, there was no trace of a smile on his face. It was as if he had steeled himself, determined to face a wall behind him where everything would end once touched.
Their roles reversed, both Grayden Amorel and Ludwig faced each other with swords drawn.
Grayden Amorel spoke to Ludwig, "It seems like you've made up your mind."
"…"
After a brief silence, Ludwig, still with a hardened expression, responded to Grayden Amorel, "I'm the lowest-ranked in the Royal Class. My talent might be enough to get me in, but in that position, I'm considered the least talented."
"What is your talent?"
"Physical strength."
Usually, Ludwig would laugh and scratch his head in a silly manner, but now, his face remained stern as he spoke calmly.
"But there was a friend in Class A with infinite potential, someone who entered without a single talent. There was a lot of talk in Class B too, saying that Class B-11 should be his. Of course, I didn't think so myself."
"But the important thing is, that friend truly had nothing. Not even the small advantage of physical strength like mine."
"However, that friend may have been weak, but he was not fragile. I cannot say it was a good thing, but he never backed down from all the hardships he faced. He fell, and no matter how many times he fell, he got back up again. He could have given up by then. It would have been right to give up. But even in those moments, he always stood back up."
Grayden Amorel seemed to know whose story Ludwig was telling.
"I am the opposite."
"Let's work hard. At anything. If we work hard, even if we fall behind for now, I believed we would be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our incredibly talented classmates. I believed in that."
"I lived with the mindset of a loser."
Always hoping for the future.
“I've been thinking too objectively about my present self. I'm not there yet. I'm still lacking compared to them. So, let's work hard. Even if I fall behind now, someday I'll be able to stand alongside them.”
It can't be helped now.
"But that friend always collided, knowing that he couldn't. He crashed, fell, got hurt, and believed he could win, even though he couldn't. He spent this past year making reckless and desperate attempts."
"Right now, I'm much weaker than that friend."
"Surely, I must have originally been stronger than him. But while I justified many other things with the thought that I was working hard, that friend surpassed me by a great distance and went far away."
"Hidden behind my excuses, while I thought working hard now was enough, that friend challenged the impossible and collided with it. It was an impossible task, but he believed it could be done."
"Yes, I admire Reinhardt."
"Catching up to this distance that has already been closed."
"I think that's what I have to do from now on."
"It won't be possible, but I have to believe that I can make it possible. That's what I decided. Reinhardt said that's what I have to believe, at least."
"I won't hide behind the excuse of working hard anymore. Just thinking like that, I will remain the same."
Ludwig, holding his sword, looks at Grayden Amorel.
Gone is the last-place Ludwig of B-Class, who had accepted reality and resigned himself under the names of effort and perseverance.
He changes.
Now, he does not console himself with the words "I'll work hard."
Not working hard, but working well.
Not doing his best, but aiming for victory.
"So."
No longer scratching the back of his head and telling himself that things will be better later after every failed result.
He abandons that now.
Willpower cannot become strength.
But there is one person in this world who knows the truth.
Willpower may not be strength, but Ludwig is the protagonist of this world.
The core of causality.
A protagonist can turn their will into power.
Such a protagonist.
Ludwig declares.
"I."
"Will."
"Defeat you."
The world is, as always, on his side.
What the hell is that guy?
I couldn't help but doubt my eyes at the results of the quarterfinals.
It was a complete victory for Ludwig, 3-0.
They seemed to be having some sort of conversation, but as soon as the duel began, the situation unfolded just as I had expected.
Ludwig's sword, with overwhelming power, drove Grayden Amorel back.
He didn't even use Magic Body Strengthening.
Nor did he use any supernatural abilities.
Ludwig countered all of Grayden Amorel's attacks with just his physical strength and struck back.
A crushing difference in ability.
Ludwig accomplished what should only be possible with Magic Body Strengthening with his bare hands.
The audience too stared blankly at Ludwig, who had utterly defeated Grayden Amorel with monstrous strength.
-Wowww!
While those who didn't understand the situation were excited by the overwhelming and incredible fight itself, I was flabbergasted.
That speed and reaction aren't possible without Magic Body Strengthening.
I couldn't tell what he had done, but Ludwig had changed.
If he's this strong without Magic Body Strengthening, it's a given he'd be even more insane with it.
I could somewhat tell that my words from yesterday had caused some sort of ripple in Ludwig.
Willpower can't become strength. Except for me, who possesses the power of Self-Suggestion and Word Magic.
As I watched Ludwig, with his determined expression, standing tall amidst the cheers of the crowd, I realized what I had been overlooking.
The current world's strongest, Saviolin Turner.
The next world's strongest, Ellen.
Another candidate for the world's strongest who should have died but survived, Olivia Lanze.
Harriet de Saint-Owan, with the greatest magical talent in history.
And me, who had recorded a tremendous growth in just one year with the ability called Infinite Aptitude.
So what?
-Wowww!
In the end, the protagonist is Ludwig.
The protagonist can convert willpower into strength. Anger, sorrow, vengeance, and longing are transformed into unbelievable power. Even if there's no reason, the world lends its strength to Ludwig as the winds blow.
Strength in situations where strength is needed.
Fate in situations where fate is needed.
The power I have.
Self-Suggestion is ultimately a knockoff of Ludwig's power.
The power to change will into strength originally belonged to Ludwig.
This world is created for the protagonist, and Ludwig will have everything he needs.
Ludwig looks somewhere.
Precisely, he looks at the inner stands.
I look down at Ludwig through the window.
Ludwig looks up at me.
The guy who said he'd meet me in the finals really ended up meeting me in the finals.
——
Nothing went as planned.
Believing that I could easily achieve a 10,000-point achievement challenge was foolish from the start, as there was nothing easy about it.
I struggled against the underestimated Scarlett, and even though my defeat was imminent, I advanced to the finals due to her forfeit.
Greyden Amorel was utterly crushed by the overwhelming power of Ludwig.
With hard work, I believed that we could eventually catch up to them.
But Ludwig had cast aside his feebleness.
The progression of events had diverged so much from the original story that predictions were now impossible, rendering the situation meaningless.
He hadn't awakened any Magic Body Strengthenings nor employed any Supernatural abilities.
He was merely the protagonist.
With that single advantage, Ludwig had grown stronger.
After a brief respite, the final match was set to commence.
My physical condition was far from optimal. Yet, it wasn't so dire as to cause serious concern.
If I used Self-Suggestion, I would be able to face Ludwig, and if I used Magic Body Strengthening, I could potentially overpower him.
But there was no way of knowing whether that would be possible throughout all three sets.
If I failed to control my pace properly, I'd face the humiliating situation of losing not to Ludwig but to my own inability to manage my condition.
-The long-awaited final match is about to begin! A clash between the Royal Class A and B!
They avoid mentioning that it's a battle between the bottom-ranked competitors.
As the announcer speaks, Ludwig and I lock eyes. His once-playful face had turned stern.
Finally, a more appealing expression.
Ludwig, who had previously lacked seriousness, was now earnest.
"Did it have some effect?"
"It seems so."
Ludwig also seemed to find what had happened to him hard to believe. He stared at me intently.
"Can I catch up to you?"
"You still have much to learn, kid."
With my sword in hand, I smiled at Ludwig.
"Think that you can catch up. No, believe that you can trample over the likes of me and rise above."
"Haha… right. That's what it was."
Ludwig smiled as he looked at me. But it wasn't the clumsy smile he'd shown before.
"Still, it's strange. You're definitely strong, Reinhardt, but there are many people stronger than you…"
With his sword in hand, Ludwig sighed.
"At some point… it just didn't work."
"What didn't?"
"Imagining myself defeating you."
Ludwig's smile vanished from his face once more.
"It's just… hard to picture."
As I heard those words and saw that expression on Ludwig's face, I understood.
There was one other person who thought the same way.
That person, watching me from the stands.
There were many people stronger and more exceptional than that person.
But, I could never imagine defeating Ellen Artorius. Ellen would always be looking down on me from a much higher place, as if she were there to teach me swordsmanship.
In the original story, Ellen was that kind of existence for Ludwig.
A wall they could never surpass, no matter how hard they tried. An entity they would always have to look up to.
Now, looking at Ellen had become my role.
"You've grown so much stronger so quickly that I feel like, no matter how hard I try, you'll always be far ahead of me."
That's only natural.
While Ellen was already strong when she arrived, I started from a worse state than Ludwig and managed to surpass him by a significant margin.
That's why Ludwig's focus inevitably shifted from Ellen to me.
He can't help but wonder why he can't be like Reinhardt.
Ludwig felt the wall not with Ellen but with me, and he had no choice but to make me his goal.
Although Ellen may be stronger than me, Ludwig's objective can only be to overtake me.
An insurmountable wall.
For Ludwig, that wall is no longer Ellen but me.
In the original story, I've now taken the place that was once Ellen's.
-The highly anticipated finals of the first-year tournament! We'll begin right now!
The eternal rival and object of admiration for the protagonist.
Is that my role in this world?
"It may seem impossible, but I'll believe in it."
Ludwig takes a deep breath.
"That I can defeat you."
As I grip my sword, I face Ludwig.
There's only one thing I've taught Ludwig.
Make a commitment to victory, not a prepared excuse for defeat.
It may not be much, but it's what I've taught him.
"No."
And that is my specialty.
"You can't defeat me."
Ludwig looks at me and speaks.
"I will."
I also look at Ludwig and speak.
"I will."
And as we look at each other, we say simultaneously.
"Defeat you."
-Kruung!
A blue magical energy envelops my body, and Ludwig lunges at me with a determined step.
-Kwakang!
The moment our swords clash, they shatter as if they'd made a pact to do so.