Battlefield Mining Site - 3

"Good instincts, Alex."

The man known as Bonaparte stepped forward.

"Taro, go ahead. I'll handle him."

"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Yes, I'll take care of it."

"Trying to play tough, huh? You think I'd let you go in so easily?"

"I'm going in."

Alex made the first move. Bonaparte blocked it.

Both were using the same weapon. It almost seemed as though their designs were identical.

A large battle-axe adorned with similar patterns.

They clashed fiercely.

I absorbed the light gathering around me, darkening my shadow.

The mining site was darker than I expected. Absorbing the approaching light, I melted completely into the darkness.

I’ll leave the fighting to Alex—slip past his side unnoticed.

As I passed right by the midst of a furious clash, an axe swung down directly in front of my eyes.

It struck the air beside me, sending me flying backward.

"Ah, good dodge. I said I wouldn't let you pass."

No way. I should've been completely unable to see...

Just what kind of sense does he have?

But I can't give up here.

I'll push through by force.

"Aleks, can you handle it?"

"No problem."

Without waiting for a reply, Aleks dashes forward at full speed.

This guy hasn't used this much speed in a while...

I draw my crossbow.

Aiming carefully, I fire directly at Bonaparte.

The bolt, supercharged by lightning, closes the distance in an instant.

Yet it's effortlessly deflected.

It shouldn't be visible in my field of view.

I had a vague idea, but just what kind of physical ability does he possess?

But there's no reaction from the mana. It's the same as with Alex.

Pure physical ability...

But that's not a problem.

Because he stopped moving to catch my arrow, Alex gained the upper hand.

I still managed to block Alex's attack.

Yet there's no counterattack.

The two of us are evenly matched.

I couldn't withstand the attack with the correct posture.

It was just a small thing, but it made a big difference. Alex continued with a flurry of attacks.

I kept thrusting the crossbow in rhythm with my breath.

Bonaparte was on the defensive.

I accelerated myself with wind magic while adding further strikes with the crossbow.

As expected, every shot was blocked.

But caught up in Alex's relentless assault and my own crossbow attacks, I had no time to think of anything else.

I moved while continuing to fire the crossbow.

Eventually, my position had completely overtaken Bonaparte.

"Alek, I'm counting on you from here. Don't you dare die!"

"You think I'll let you get away?!"

Bonaparte drew a dagger from his waist and hurled it straight at me, moving with terrifying speed.

I barely dodged it, sidestepping just in time, and called out as I retreated further into the depths of the mine.

"Not bad at all. You're hitting the right spots—legs, arms, abdomen. You really know where to strike, those hard-to-handle areas. And your teamwork with him. Alex, how long have you been working with that guy?"

"Not much, really. He's just a capable guy, that's all..."

"Yeah, that's exactly what makes it troublesome."

With that, their conversation ended, and they clashed their blades with even greater force than before.

Hearing the high-pitched sound of metal colliding, they rushed deeper into the mining site.

I have to catch Neu mann quickly and join Alex's side before it's too late!

They reached the deepest part of the mining site.

Only this space was widened, filled with various items—mostly things like water barrels, and human body runes that were too disturbing to look at directly.

"Fuhu, you've finally arrived. I was expecting you much sooner."

"Neumann, surrender! You must stop this research now!"

"Who would have thought you'd be the one to say such a thing... I cannot halt science just to accommodate your egoism. Your loss would be the world's loss, but let us end it here—by your death."

Saying this, Neumann exposed his left arm.

It had transformed from what he had seen before—no longer resembling a human arm at all, more like that of a monstrous beast.

"What have you become...?"

"Anywhere... as long as this thirst is quenched."

Saying that, flames burst from Neumann's left arm—equal in power to William's fire magic.

But there is a countermeasure.

I activate a wind spell, directing it to clash with the flame mass.

"Excellent. How about this?"

Neumann pulls out a small vial and attaches it to his left arm.

Suddenly, a bullet shoots out from his left arm.

An older water bullet, but its accuracy and power are in a completely different league. It expands the range of the wind effect and slows down the target.

Seizing the opportunity, activate the electric shock to detonate the water bullet.

Water splashes around.

That was quite the lightning strike... Then, how about this?

When Neumann placed his left arm on the ground, the human body crystals positioned around him began to react.

What the hell! What's going on?

"I've taken inspiration from your attack method."

My attack method?

Using the surrounding crystals?... Lightning!

The reaction of the nearby crystals is growing stronger and stronger. The attacks of fire and water are intense, leaving no room to breathe.

"Taro, what do you think 'warm' or 'cold' means?"

Neumann suddenly begins speaking.

"What difference does it make right now?"

As I answered, I floated using my wind magic, securing my mobility.

"Hot and cold are merely a single physical element, in my view."

At Neumann's words, the human-shaped gemstone floating in midair suddenly burst into flames. Instantly, the water splattered by the water bullets and the water stored in the barrels transformed into ice spears, rapidly expanding to fill the space around us.

I'm desperately trying to dodge the rapidly expanding ice.

There's no place left to run.

"You won't get away."

I'm struck by a water bullet from Noiman.

I barely dodge it, but my balance is thrown off.

I collide with the ice mass still growing at an alarming rate and get flung away.

Hit repeatedly by ice, a dull sound echoes from within my body.