Chapter 119: It’s Finishing! It Includes Lao Liu!

Alright, we can now see that both teams’ players have taken their positions, so let’s go over the banned spell slots for both sides.

First, for Team A, they’ve banned the two legendary spells, the “Forbidden Spells,” which is the standard choice when facing unfamiliar teams. Maitre’s speech is rapid, but honestly, there’s nothing particularly special about Jiang Cha’s bans.

Magic duels don’t really have formal rules; they follow what’s called the “principle of combat.” In theory, any magic a witch knows can be used here. It’s far more complex than any game or tournament system. That’s why there are different tiers—basically, it’s like weight classes in “World of Tanks.” A level-nine player shouldn’t just go blow up newbies in a rookie room.

But naturally, some spells are universally more effective in combat. Through countless duels, the five most powerful and practical spells for internal witch battles have been identified:

• Forbidden Spell: Time Stop — No explanation needed; it’s on par with a Dark Archmage’s ultimate. Hard to pull off, but if you do, victory is practically guaranteed.

• Forbidden Spell: Undead Cataclysm — Summons endless legendary undead. Its activation requirements are absurdly simple, and in the hands of a skilled necromancy Archmage, it could be unleashed within five seconds of the match starting. Overpowered beyond reason, it’s usually banned.

• Forbidden Spell: Celestial Meteor — This is banned not due to raw power, but because it’s part of a full “Skyfall” strategy. Jiang Cha’s team clearly can’t pull off this professional-level tactic, so banning it is also a subtle sign of underestimating the opponents.

Then there are two legendary spells:

• Legendary Manipulation Magic: Elemental Titan and Legendary Summoning Magic: Elemental Colossus — Essentially, they amplify a low-tier fireball to the destructive power of a top-tier spell. Any manipulation-specialized Archmage can use them, and without countermeasures, banning is mandatory.

• Non-School Magic: Mana Form — Technically not a spell, but a state where the witch temporarily discards her physical body and fights with her soul and raw magical essence.

At first glance, Mana Form doesn’t need to be banned—it’s universal—but the truth is, witches’ magical essence varies wildly. The same spell can behave completely differently depending on the school of magic the witch practices, making it highly unpredictable. To be safe, it’s generally banned. Jiang Cha’s team doesn’t have an Archmage, so banning it prevents the enemy from abusing it.

“Team B’s bans are much more targeted: Bone Hell, Dimensional Swap, Dimensional Veil, Magic Shield—it’s obvious they’re trying to exploit our lack of an Archmage.”

Nova read out Team B’s setup, clicking her tongue. Seeing it from Jiang Cha’s team perspective, she felt a little helpless.

“Can’t help it; no Archmage here means you can pick on teams without one. That’s just how it is in the Baby Cup. If you’ve got the guts, go find yourself an Archmage!”

Maitre joked along, keeping the tone light, and the audience was entertained.

[“How can little witches beat a big Archmage? One Archmage can crush five positions, what can you do?”]
[“Is this opening match even fair? Aren’t they bullying kids?”]
[“It’s the Baby Cup—everyone’s here for the fun!”]

As the chat notes, Jiang Cha’s five banned spells are usually mutually excluded in professional play. Sometimes a team even leaves one or two open to gamble on tactical possibilities. But in this situation, with “enemy has Archmage, we don’t,” there’s no way to avoid disadvantage. Still, Team B has no inside info, so their setup is just a conventional, safe choice.

“Alright, let’s officially begin the match.”

“Both teams are raising shields at the start; it’s a cautious first round… Wait, why did Wirlit pull a Bone Shield? That’s such a bad shield!”

As an experienced commentator, Nova expected some hair-raising moves in the Baby Cup, but she didn’t anticipate the opening blow to her blood pressure.

The Magic Shield ban is common in pro matches. Losing this baseline, versatile shield means replacement options all have pros and cons. Jiang Cha’s team uses a manipulation shield, which is reasonably well-rounded. Physically weak, but sufficient.

But Wirlit’s Bone Shield… has no magical resistance at all; it’s purely physical. In a witch-versus-witch environment dominated by magic, it’s practically worthless.

“Not a pure necromancer build, so it must be a tactical choice. Let’s trust the player,” Maitre tried to smooth things over while observing Jiang Cha on the battlefield.

Team A has one mentalism witch, one mysticism witch, and one manipulation Archmage—the standard “one core, two support” strategy. Jiang Cha is just playing low-key, saving her magical energy to coordinate the team via Divine Transmission.

This cleverly hides Wirlit’s lack of battle experience, giving the illusion of a seamless team coordination.

‘Senpai, you handle that attacking Manipulation Archmage, she’s a new Archmage, no big deal. The two backline witches are mine; Wirlit summons the undead, get ready for a Death Finger spell.’

Jiang Cha’s approach is smart: she’s the first to face the enemy Archmage, but she’s only throwing a few low-tier interference spells before retreating. Her shield usage buys enough time for Maitre to perform the high-level Holy Spirit Transformation.

Swapping positions and stacking buffs, Maitre’s transformed body holds the frontline, allowing Jiang Cha to move against the enemy backline.

No wonder it’s the Baby Cup… the opponents are too naïve. If this were a regular practice match, nobody would believe Jiang Cha’s shield was only meant to draw attention, not fight head-on.

“Damn! Old pros here! You two better be careful!”