Part 266: A Ruthless Person
We—well, I mean, we were aware.
Everything will be decided in the next confrontation.
Parting from her, someone I had come to know far more deeply than just casual conversation.
Thank you, stuff like that.
Goodbye, or something like that.
We didn't need to say things like that to each other.
They were deeply connected, heart to heart.
…………………………………
…………………………………
I know she won't hold back. She's not the kind of person who's soft-hearted.
We face each other, drawing our blades.
I keep mine sheathed. She lets her blade glow a pale blue.
Incidentally, I'm certainly not giving up this fight.
Thanks to my enhanced strength from my demonic transformation, even my unsheathed blade will easily deliver a fatal blow—so this is more than enough.
As the "Magic Swordsman," I activated the power known as "Spell Boost," combining it with the second-grade Fire Magic.
This imbued her blade with superheated flames, reaching temperatures of approximately 5,100 degrees Celsius.
Incidentally, this is said to be enough heat to melt anything existing on this planet.
"…………………phew"
I exhaled sharply—then, in the instant I inhaled the air next.
T-t-to begin with, the first step was light, and we dashed toward each other.
And first of all, almost perfectly mirroring each other,
"——Flame Tower!"
"——Fire Column!"
Chanting the fifth-grade fire magic.
We summoned magical circles beneath our feet and instantly dodged the attack by turning at a right angle.
A beat later, two massive fire columns erupted. The flames, amplified by Spell Boost, were twice as large as mine, blazing brightly and painting the world red.
Next move—
"——Waaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!"
"——Laaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!"
The same voice, unleashing a roar.
The sound waves canceled each other out perfectly, causing the ground beneath our feet to tremble in tiny, crackling vibrations.
Amidst all this, the other "me" murmurs something.
A chill runs down my spine—something ominous looms.
Most likely, she's drawing upon some unknown power, something she's been saving... in preparation for a duel.
"——Tch!"
I instinctively activate "Magic Absorption."
At the same time, a dull, dark glow envelops my entire body, transforming offensive magic into my own mana.
And my instinct proves perfectly correct.
In an instant, I felt as though a hot iron rod had been thrust into the core of my body, the very root of my life.
"Gh… ghaaah!"
[Lightning-type]. Probably a level V or higher spell, fast and sudden.
The surface of my demonic body burned and scorched, filling the air with the unpleasant smell of singed hair. This was damage far beyond what [Mana Absorption] could withstand.
It felt like my internal HP gauge had taken a hit of about half (game brain).
Still, I only paused for a few seconds.
——I can't possibly take a direct spell hit anymore!
Quickly making my decision, I activated [Silence].
I threw a small stone I'd been hiding in my pocket.
This technique temporarily paralyzes the opponent's vocal cords if the attack succeeds.
By preventing the incantation of spells, I ensured we wouldn't fall victim to the same technique again.
But it seemed the other person had thought of the exact same thing.
Before I knew it, a small stone had struck my chest,
"……………ッ"
We both realized at the same time that our voices had been silenced.
As a result, we'd be unable to use techniques like the 'Ultimate Skill,' 'Ultimate Sword,' or any variety of magic.
...so I decided to use a job skill instead, one that didn’t require me to recite incantations one by one.
"―――――――――――――!!"
In the silence reminiscent of empty space, we close in on each other.
The choices I made were "Body Slam" and "Cloak of Blades."
After long and grueling training, I finally understood one key insight:
Skills are fundamentally meant to be used in combination.
Each technique alone is too easy to avoid.
Muscle enhancement through Demonization, counterattacks via the Blade Garb, and high-speed approaches using Body Slam.
I thought that if struck head-on, even the strongest enemy would inevitably suffer a fatal blow in one hit—just as that thought crossed my mind.
Sensing the dryness in her eyes, her eyelids instinctively flickered open and closed,
"——………"
In a moment said to be less than 100 milliseconds, her figure vanished from sight.
"——! "
Instinctively, I cut short all skills except for "Demonization," raising my sword behind me.
"Void's Flash."
Not a skill, nor any technique—something I personally mastered in combat.
Our blades crossed in a cross, and the sword enhanced by "Demonization," along with the one glowing blue, snapped cleanly at the hilt.
The ancestral sword, shattered down to its scabbard, now stood upright, its blade piercing the ground at my feet.
"———"
Even without hearing her voice, I could tell what she was saying by the movement of her lips. "Well done," she said.
But... this person truly had no mercy.
She still had one final trick hidden away.
"———gurgle..."
The effect of the gag spell wore off, and blood surged up her throat through her esophagus.
What she had conjured was a magical short sword.
The dark blade, likely produced by a skill named "Elemental Sword," is twisted into my abdomen.
"...G-guh...?"
The strategy of targeting an opponent's weakness among various options.
I should have known that was her specialty.
Yet, the sheer variety of her techniques left me unprepared for this situation.
Twisting slowly, the blade about twenty centimeters long churns my internal organs.
"But still..."
Hearing the voice of the other 'me' right next to my ear, I lay my body flat on the ground.
"Was it impossible to perform a miracle? How disappointing."