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“N-No good…”
I tried using a variety of tools within the supply storage, but I couldn’t destroy the magic seal stone.
If there were an enchanted hammer here like the one Ban-san uses, I might have been able to do something though…
The impatience of having wasted time here and my guilt for making Yasutet-san endure fighting outside is squeezing my stomach.
“If only I could use magic…” (Rakura)
No matter how much confidence I have in my casting speed on barriers, the magic seal stone erases it the moment there’s the presence of a formation.
My mana would disappear into nothing the moment I think I got it out.
It is to the point that it makes me think I have to smash it with a directly completed barrier in this situation…hm?
“Completed…state…!” (Rakura)
I concentrate mana into my eyes and activate the Eyes of Blindness.
Maybe the constructions made inside my eyes won’t be affected by the magic seal stone…
“?!”
The formed barrier disappeared the moment I brought it out just like normal.
But I certainly did feel a difference.
It was faint, but I felt the sensation of the formation taking shape.
“One more time…” (Rakura)
I created a barrier in the same way again, but it disappeared soon after.
The effects of the magic seal stone reach all the way to inside my eyes.
I am sure there’s a point in this small difference.
Counselor-sama compares the difference between a variety of things to discern a lot of things, and make achievements.
Sound travels faster in the water compared to the air, and mana travels faster in the air.
If the magic seal stone works on the same principle, the less mana the place is filled up with, the slower the effects…?
I keep the necessary mana to activate the Eyes of Blindness to the bare minimum, and lower the mana inside my eyes to the very limit.
And then, I pour the necessary mana to form a barrier and activate the formation.
When I did, I heard the faint sound of the magic seal stone shifting.
“…The barrier…touched it faintly…?” (Rakura)
This is it.
I was certain I could do it with this and try it one more time.
This time faster and sharper.
This time a sound like that of hard objects crashing into each other rang.
It is a sound similar to that when I smashed the magic seal stone with the hammer nearby.
“But this is not enough… More… More… Make the inside of my eyes my own…” (Rakura)
I already feel the sensation of the magic seal stone disintegrating my formation with my whole body.
I envision myself pushing that sensation away…as if keeping it out from around my eyes… And with that…I cast my barrier!
“—!”
The barrier I deployed created a small crack on the surface of the magic seal stone.
Just a bit more, but while pushing away the effects of the magic seal stone… Casting a barrier with high output is extremely hard.
It would be one thing if it were Ekdoik-niisan who can do a lot of things at the same time, but me doing more than this is…!
“Right, if I do this…!” (Rakura)
Counselor-sama explained to me in this manner when he comprehended my way of being: Normally, you would integrate several battle maneuvers and decisions into one.
The reason why I can fight normally despite not being able to do several things at the same time is because I can concentrate on several actions as if they were one process.
Then, if I make this into one process -into one technique…!
I don’t think of them as different actions and imagine them as one and the same.
I imagine putting both of them together…into one…!
“Ei!” (Rakura)
I managed to make an even deeper crack onto the magic seal stone.
If I repeat this…!
My vision turned bright red.
It is not like I got attacked. It is just that something abnormal happened to my vision.
My eyes are bleeding.
Human eyes normally don’t have such a power, so this must be the price I have to pay for utilizing it.
The slower the healing of my wound is, the less chances you will be able to heal it to perfection ever again.
Serende is currently in this state, so I am sure it will take a good while before I can get my eyes treated.
I might lose my eyesight at worst.
“What of it?” (Rakura)
It is just losing my eyes.
The usual me would have been crying about not wanting to do this.
But there are people who are fighting with their lives to create time. There are people who are dying at this very moment because they can’t use magic.
No, those are just excuses.
I just want Counselor-sama to progress things as peacefully…as safely…as possible.
I am sure that person will help me out even if I lose my eyesight.
Then, there’s nothing to be scared of.
I used my power 2 times…3 times…as if not caring about the limit of my eyes, and smashed my barrier onto the magic seal stone.
I completely lost vision at who knows which attempt, but I still have mana, and it seems like my power is still activating.
7 times…8 times… I am sure I would normally be assailed with pain, but there’s no pain at all.
I concentrate only on hitting it with my barrier. The only sense that’s working right now is my hearing after all.
“More… More…!!” (Rakura)
I don’t know how many times it is now, but I suddenly heard a loud noise from the sides.
I noticed this was the sound of the magic seal stone splitting in half, so I changed the orientation of the barrier and continued smashing it.
The effect of the magic seal stone may have been halved now that it has been split in two. However, that means there’s still half of it left.
“I have to at least…at least continue smashing this magic seal stone until the limit of my mana!” (Rakura)
◇◇
I may have endured the impact, but the mana of Wolfe has the quality that it is easier to seep into the body of others compared to your average person.
It took a decent amount of time before I could spit out the mana that was forcefully poured into me, but it looks like my body can move without issues.
“Geez, good thing I put up my defenses.”
I wasn’t planning on stabbing Wolfe with my sword to begin with when she charged at me with the intention to settle the fight.
It is not about me not wanting to kill her. I was sure she would hit me with an attack that had her all before I could stab her.
She put so much mana in that one attack. I am sure my body would have been blown up with my normal mana strengthening.
That’s why I concentrated my mana strengthening on my chest to my trunk.
I went all in on that with more mana than when I tackled her.
The result is that my body has maintained its shape, and Wolfe, who did the punching, was the one on the ground, unconscious, and having lost both of her arms.
“Your consciousness got taken away by the impact of your own punch. That’s quite reckless.” (Murshto)
I take off the dredges of what was my armor.
It was newly made, and yet, it is already broken. I don’t know what Hilmera-sama will say about that.
I look around and pick up the sword that I completely left behind because I was concentrating so much on my mana strengthening.
I can still hear faint breathing from Wolfe.
She has such injuries on her arms. There’s no doubt she would die from blood loss even if I just leave her here, but I have to end her here or we will lose.
“If you were a bit more honest with yourself, I am sure we could have had more fun conversations and we might have gotten along.” (Murshto)
Such a waste, so regretful; those feelings were creeping up on me, but I raised my sword without much resistance and managed to swing it down just like usual.
“…Oh well, such things happen.” (Murshto)
I look at the tip of my sword and sigh.
Wolfe was not there and there was a man carrying her just a little distance away.
If I remember correctly…he was Dyuvuleori, I think?
He is not a person but a Great Devil that serves the Purple Demon Lord.
The Purple Demon Lord should be nearby if this man is here, but…it looks like there’s no such presence.
That means the Purple Demon Lord has already evacuated somewhere safe and this man alone has come all the way here as reinforcements.
“Wolfe…” (Dyuvuleori)
“We still haven’t finished here. Can you not pour cold water on the moment? Or are you going to be fighting me next?” (Murshto)
“I unfortunately am not a battle junkie.” (Dyuvuleori)
The chest of Dyuvuleori split apart and Wolfe was swallowed into his body.
And then, the split part visibly sealed up and only Dyuvuleori was left there.
It would have been great if it had been someone who was a bit more emotional, but it seems like he has calmly put on a scale losing the fighting force that is Wolfe and fighting me.
Looks like it won’t be possible to finish him in the confusion of battle.
That man is calm.
He would escape without fighting even if I were to insult the Purple Demon Lord.
I don’t have the technique to chase after a devil who can melt into the shadows.
In other words, I can’t kill Wolfe.
Now this is a problem…
Oh well, it can’t be helped.
“…Haah… If the treatment of that girl makes it in time and she regains consciousness, can you tell her this? ‘Congratulations, it is your win’.” (Murshto)
“…I see, you are…” (Dyuvuleori)
It seems like Dyuvuleori has noticed a variety of things here.
He didn’t say anything more and disappeared inside the shadows.
I wanted to kill Wolfe if possible, but it might have been fortunate that I didn’t have to fight that man.
“Now then…I have to head there fa—egh!” (Murshto)
My throat was so itchy that I ended up coughing.
The blood accumulated deep in my throat came out and stained the floor.
Aah, this is not just blood. There’s a bit of meat mixed in it too.
The last attack of Wolfe was stronger than any attack I have received in the past.
To put it bluntly, it is a fatal wound. There’s no organ that’s fine.
All of them are torn up to pieces.
This body is maintaining its shape because my heart was stronger, but…I am simply keeping it in place by force with mana.
If my mana strengthening is undone completely right here, all the organs in my body will mix into a mess, and I won’t ever be able to get them back to how they were.
I am definitely going to die on the spot if I lose consciousness.
I may be able to survive like the time I fought against Arcreal if I were to heal myself while I still have consciousness, but…I am the only subordinate of Hilmera that’s alive.
“Aah, I have lost…” (Murshto)
Wolfe succeeded in killing me, and I failed.
She survived, and I will die in a bit more.
It goes without saying who is the winner and who is the loser.
I have no lingering regrets in the outcome of a battle.
I still haven’t done what I wanted to do…and I still can achieve it.
The strength of Wolfe is the same as Arcreal; in the realm of the inhuman. That’s definitely not a factor that should exist when facing him.
Let’s just be happy that I managed to get rid of an obstruction.
I saw Mix heading to the outside of the castle not that long ago, so the only remaining obstruction would be Ilias, I guess.
She is stronger than Wolfe in terms of pure strength.
A monster that managed to win against that Arcreal almost unscathed.
But I for some mysterious reason feel like I wouldn’t lose.
I know about how strong her feelings are towards him. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Even so, I am sure I would win.
“I can still move despite being dead. Aren’t I basically an undead? Haha! That’s fitting for a knight of Hilmera-sama.” (Murshto)
It strangely tickled my funny bone, but laughing too much is not good.
If the position of my heart shifts in that instance, I might end up dying before reaching the place.