I Became a Genius Mechanic at the Academy

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“Ed····!”

As Charlotte returned to her original form, she clutched her racing heart and gazed at Edgar.

It felt as if she was looking at him as another being, overlaying her masked self onto his figure.

‘Of course··· I still need more training···!’

However, her power was still dangerous.

She had received a warning that using that power too much could synchronize her original self with the self wearing the mask.

“······.”

Meanwhile, Enya watched Edgar with a rather dejected expression.

She had lost in the previous match.

It was because she stubbornly clung to the sword technique that she couldn’t properly demonstrate her power.

‘Ed continues to move forward while I·····.’

Recently, Enya felt like she was continuing to lose and her skills were regressing.

She had been praised as a genius swordsman when she entered this place, but by sticking to her sword technique, she was barely able to unleash half her original ability.

Is this really the right path for her?

If she lost again in the second match, going to the Sea Wall with Edgar would become impossible·····.

– Paaang──!

At that moment, a powerful mana storm erupted from Lucas’s body.

Just when she thought the match would end flatly, Lucas had returned.

He had expelled all the psychedelic components that had dwelled within through his mana manipulation.

“·····Edgar Fix.”

Lucas finally opened his eyes and looked at Edgar.

Edgar was already equipped with all his suit except for his helmet.

At this rate, the situation looked grim.

“From now on, my target is you.”

But in this situation, Lucas had ignited his fighting spirit.

Declaring that Edgar was his target, he assumed his stance.

– Waaahhh!!!

– This is it! Lucas won’t fall easily!!!

The audience began to cheer.

At that moment, the academy was divided into Team Edgar vs. Team Lucas.

Everyone was on the edge of their seats waiting for the outcome of the match.

There was no way they would accept a boring end to the match.

Since this was a place to determine the strongest students, the match had to be worthy of it.

“I thought it would take quite a while, but you popped out quickly.”

However, Edgar looked at Lucas with a face of surprise.

Originally, the time for Lucas’s awakening was supposed to be after experiencing a humiliating defeat in the ‘United Kingdom Friendly Match.’

“···· Please take it easy on me.”

But Lucas replied with a brusque attitude.

He immediately kicked off the ground and charged at Edgar.

“Good attitude.”

Edgar responded in kind.

Without hesitation, he fired against Lucas who had loaded up his Repulsor Beam.

Space control magic reversed several Repulsor beams and sent them back to Edgar.

They were negated by the Plasma Mana Shield.

Dozens of daggers soared into the air.

They dove in from every direction towards Edgar.

It was all canceled by the Plasma Mana Shield.

Then, daggers began to appear from inside the mana shield.

An unexpected attack pattern.

The daggers targeted the joints of the suit.

They aimed for the weak spots.

– Ka-kaka-kaka-kak──!

An attack combining telekinesis and space movement magic.

The daggers spun like drills, burrowing into the suit’s openings.

Edgar countered by shooting his Repulsor Beam.

As Lucas was busy blocking the Repulsor Beam, the spinning dagger fell to the ground.

– Paat!

When the long-range attacks didn’t work, Edgar charged at Lucas.

He decided to switch to close combat.

However, Lucas managed to widen the distance by maneuvering his body through warp.

Now it was a battle of speed.

A chase and being chased.

Lucas manipulated the daggers to target Edgar.

Edgar performed three-dimensional movement to quickly close in on Lucas.

– Hooong!

But in an instant.

While soaring in the air using his web wire, Edgar felt weightlessness.

Lucas had warped part of the web wire, cutting it.

Edgar’s body fell freely towards the ground.

– Pababababang!

Then, dozens of daggers merged into one, forming a sharp blade.

The tip of the blade gleamed ominously as it aimed for Edgar’s back.

If he fell like this, he would surely be pierced through, even with the suit on.

– Paaang!

In that moment, the suit’s shoulder panel opened up, revealing a propulsion device.

A jet engine blasted out, rapidly propelling him away from danger in an instant.

The speed was akin to that of light.

– Mi-, Mi- crazy····

– Another new trick···.

Edgar, who had completed the foundation for flight through numerous technology developments, was now left with only the ‘system’ that could control it.

“Ugh!”

However, the match was not over yet.

Lucas immediately commanded the dagger to chase after Edgar.

– Paat! Paat!

But at that moment, the daggers got tangled in the web and fell to the ground.

While Lucas was flustered with his weapons neutralized, Edgar quickly approached.

Edgar’s fist drove into Lucas’s solar plexus.

– Peraack!

“Cough!”

An intense pain like muscles tearing apart.

But Lucas didn’t give up.

Completely free from the eyes of others, he could pour all his strength into the duel.

Now what mattered to him was not fulfilling his vanity.

It was about establishing his own beliefs and philosophy.

But since he had yet to find it, he was burning his entire being.

He was colliding with the colossal wall that was Edgar Fix.

– Peraack! Peraack! Peraack! Peraack!

Thus, numerous exchanges occurred.

Edgar’s punch landed on Lucas.

Lucas’s counter struck Edgar.

– Crack··· Crackle!

During the process, a significant portion of the suit was damaged.

Even the three-dimensional maneuvering device had been completely wrecked and rendered useless.

Moreover, his left arm was losing power, causing mana to fail to transmit properly.

– Peraack!

“Urgh!”

But by that time, the match had reached a tipping point.

Having run out of mana to use space movement magic, Lucas was struck by Edgar’s punch and fell into an incapacitated state.

“Match halted! Lucas has exhausted all his mana, thus, Edgar Fix is the winner!”

The referee, who could see the situation clearly, promptly declared Edgar the winner due to Lucas’s mana depletion.

The arena echoed with loud cheers.

– Waaahhh!!!

– Edgar! Edgar! Edgar! Edgar! Edgar!

The stadium was filled with chants.

Originally, Edgar thought this cheer was meant for him.

He had brought Lucas Fix to his knees, standing tall amidst the audience’s acclaim.

‘What a relief···.’

However, despite his defeat, Lucas smiled.

Now, such cheers were no longer of any significance.

Finally freed from the pressure that had gnawed at him for so long, he felt true freedom.

He acknowledged that he was an imperfect being, and half of the blood flowing through his veins belonged to a mercenary.

‘I’ve never met my father··· not even once.’

Now that he thought about it, he had never visited his father’s grave.

He had been too busy preserving the name Elmar.

“Lucas”

At that moment.

A man silhouetted by backlight extended his hand towards him.

Edgar Fix.

The man who acknowledged his origins and paved his own path.

“That was a good match.”

Lucas looked at Edgar’s face.

It was not the face that mocked him as he had seen in the illusions.

Instead, it felt like a compliment for him moving on to a new stage.

“I learned a lot. I still feel like I’m lacking.”

Lucas smiled as he took Edgar’s hand.

As a powerful force gripped him and lifted his body, he stood side by side with Edgar.

– Waaahhh!!!

The arena was filled with cheers.

They were responding to the brilliant battle they had displayed.

In the midst of the cheering crowd, Lucas looked at Edgar.

How could he have become so strong?

He couldn’t figure that one out.

The driving force behind that strength was something he couldn’t understand no matter how much he pondered.

‘But···.’

But at least one thing was certain.

He now had a reason to become stronger.

He had become envious.

He wanted to be a man who acknowledged his origins and forged his own path.

At the very least, he wanted to be someone who could stand alongside him.

Would he someday become a comrade he could trust his back to?

‘If I continue like this.’

His doubts did not linger.

Lucas nodded.

If he too had a steadfast conviction like Edgar Fix, he would be able to stand alongside him.

With Edgar’s support, Lucas walked forward.

“Lucas”

At that moment.

Edgar called out to him.

Lucas looked into Edgar’s eyes.

His serious gaze was tinged with sadness.

Had he too gained some enlightenment from this duel?

“Do you want to eat Macbeth pork?”

It was not.

His stomach let out a growl.

Was he hungry?

“···Hehe. Sounds good. I’m hungry too.”

Lucas chuckled softly.

It seemed he had lost a lot of blood.

How absurd to find meaning in all this.

“If you wrap it in kimchi, it’s delicious.”

Grrr- He was indeed hungry.

He didn’t know what kimchi was, but his salivary glands were bursting with anticipation.

Edgar and Lucas imagined the sizzling Macbeth pork as they exited the arena.