Extra To Protagonist-Chapter 29: Battle Royale (5)

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Merlin gasped for air as he lay on the ground, like a newborn experiencing life for the first time... though, honestly, he wouldn't have been surprised if that were the case.

Elara marched toward him at a brisk pace, looking every bit like a worried mother—though she clearly didn't want to show it.

'At least I won...'

Merlin's thoughts drifted as Elara lazily kicked his side.

"Ugh..."

Grimacing, he clutched his ribs and forced himself up. The cracks on his body slowly began to mend.

'Looks like they recover over time.'

"Hurry up and move."

Elara's impatient voice snapped him out of his thoughts. She was practically stomping beside him.

She was just worried about me... kinda. And she has no reaction to my multiple affinities?

It was as if she couldn't care less—like winning was all that mattered.

"You do know this isn't a team game, right? Either way—"

"Shut it. I want to fight you when you're at your best. Not now. That wouldn't be fitting for a warrior. The final battle will be ours!"

Elara's ridiculous declaration cut Merlin off mid-sentence, making him want to bury his head in the middle of the field.

'Seriously? That's her thought process?'

He blinked at her in disbelief. She just stood there, leaning on her spear like she hadn't just said the most absurd thing ever.

"...Let's just go."

Merlin's kill count had reached four. Six more to go. And who knew how many were still alive after their fight... or more accurately, how many had already died?

Shaking his head, Merlin turned toward the forest without another word.

'We need to move faster.'

And with that, they broke into a sprint like a pair of lunatics, unaware of how much time they had left. One thing was certain, though—Merlin still had plenty of killing to do.

—

Meanwhile, in the arena the crowd erupted into a frenzy as the screens displayed Merlin's victory.

"YES! MERLIN AND ELARA!!"

"ELARA, THE TRUE SAVIOR!!"

"THEY WON!!!"

Truthfully, most people were cheering for Merlin... something that filled Victoria's heart with pride as she watched him on her phone screen.

'I'm proud of you.'

—

In the Instructor's Office the room was dead silent after the battle, every pair of eyes glued to the screen.

"...W-What was that thing around the boy...?"

Sophia's voice finally broke the silence. Even Morgana, arms crossed, silently replayed Nathan's little trick on the monitor.

'Would they really intervene over something like this? No, impossible.'

Morgana knew what it was, but the idea of them interfering over such a trivial matter was laughable. And why him of all people?

Her expression was unreadable as Sophia's question lingered in the air, unanswered.

"..."

Reinhardt's fists clenched as the scene replayed again.

'Just what the hell was that...?'

—

Back in the Simulation Merlin drove his sword through a boy's chest, only for a strange shiver to crawl down his spine.

'Hm?'

He glanced at Elara, who stood nonchalantly beside him as the boy's body shattered like a fragile glass figurine.

'That makes six.'

He had managed to take down two more since they set off. Not the most impressive count, but progress was progress.

—

As they moved deeper into the forest, they encountered more and more enemies.

Their teamwork wasn't anything extraordinary, but their individual strength more than made up for it. No team, no single fighter, stood a chance against them. They fought almost flawlessly.

"That's another team down."

Elara sighed, tightening her grip on her spear. Merlin was mid-stretch when a booming voice echoed throughout the simulation.

{Two players remain!}

'...Wait, everyone else is dead? Even Dorian...?'

Merlin had killed fourteen people in total, meaning the last pair had just been eliminated. Meaning the rest of the side cast were eliminated...by random extras.

He and Elara locked eyes.

Then, without hesitation, she dashed backward.

'...At least she doesn't waste time.'

Merlin's expression remained unchanged as he watched her grip her spear tighter.

"Come on! Attack me!"

Elara shouted with a manic grin.

Merlin sighed. Then, using his wind and space affinities, he dashed forward.

He appeared before Elara at a speed she shouldn't have been able to react to—but she was already prepared.

She blocked the kick with her spear, though the impact sent her skidding backward, her legs trembling.

"Your fighting style is too predictable, Merlin! You always rely on your speed!"

Her voice echoed through the forest, laced with excitement. The scent of flowers filled the air, birds chirped overhead... and Merlin just stared.

'She's right.'

Elara launched earthen blades toward him, but he dodged them all with ease, his mind still lingering on her words.

'Then how am I supposed to fight...?'

His thoughts were cut short as a massive rock sphere hurtled toward him.

Using the wind, he propelled himself upward, flipping over the boulder effortlessly.

"Tch."

Elara clicked her tongue like an irritated snake before lunging forward with her spear.

'Hmm.'

No. Experimenting mid-battle wasn't fair when Elara was giving it her all. That would be disrespectful.

Shaking his head, Merlin marked the ground beneath him.

[Courier's Mark]

Then he dashed forward at full speed.

Elara abruptly halted her charge and thrust her spear forward.

[Trickster's Reflex]

Merlin dodged in an instant, landing a strike that sent Elara flying.

'She can't fully use her affinity yet...I mean, neither can I. But still..'

He approached her with slow, deliberate steps as she pushed herself up, then dashed at him again. This time, she fired earth blades mid-charge—Merlin dodged them as easily as dodging Nathan's dumb questions.

'Haaa... fighting Seraph and Adrian was way harder than this for some reason...'

Ever since his wind affinity had leveled up, he felt noticeably stronger and faster.

'Whatever.'

Spear and sword clashed.

CLANG!

Merlin knocked the spear aside and drove his sword into Elara's chest.

She stood motionless, her spear slipping from her grasp.

"You did well, Elara."

Merlin gave her a small smile at her dumbfounded expression. She coughed and raised an eyebrow.

"...Screw you—"

Before she could finish, she shattered like a delicate antique plate.

'I won.'

—

Back at the Arena the entire thing exploded with cheers as Merlin defeated Elara.

"MERLIN! MERLIN! MERLIN! MERLIN!"

It was almost like some cult was chanting his name.

A message appeared on the massive screens, accompanied by an all-encompassing voice:

{The winner is... Merlin Everhart!}

The audience erupted—clapping, whistling, roaring his name.

Meanwhile, Victoria wiped away a single tear as she watched Merlin raise his fist in victory.

'You did it...'