“Hoh, this opponent looks like they’ll put up quite a fight. To think you could dodge that, you’ve got some skill.”
“Yes. And such agile movements for such a huge body. It’s informative.”
I feel a slight emptiness as I consume a large amount of magic power and then replenish it, feeling that strange sensation, and offer words of praise to the enemy floating far in the distance with the instructor.
Honestly, fighting against people related to Tris, rather than Isal, always ends up being with troublesome individuals, which is mentally exhausting. But this current enemy is quite agile and bold in their actions, making the fight feel substantial.
Moreover, the instructor seems to be feeling satisfied, his ferocious smile deepening.
“Still, you seemed a bit careless at first, but you’ve responded properly since the next attack.”
“Perhaps there’s a Seraph still remaining inside. If so, I’ll enjoy it even more.”
“As a General, I’d rather avoid that. It seems like our casualties would increase.”
“Hmph, I haven’t trained in such a soft way.”
I have a premonition that he’s making a grand misunderstanding, but my opponent is clearly a skilled individual who blocked my serious, fatal magic with the barrier, requiring only minimal action.
It would be better to stay focused in this situation.
The instructor is also laughing with apparent enjoyment, and causing trouble by dampening his mood would be bothersome later.
“Well then, enough idle chatter. As expected, they’re starting to counterattack now.”
“They prepared that attack while defending, hahaha!! I’ve only faced opponents who lacked challenge lately. It’s been a while since my arms have tingled with excitement!!”
“In that case, leave that to me. I’ll concentrate on attacking.”
“Oho! You lot!! The angels are coming! Get yourselves fired up!!”
” ” ” “Oho!!” ” ” ”
Alright, I’ll think about my own countermeasures.
That previous attack was a slash wave fired in parallel, an assault that forcibly increased attack power, but it also put a considerable strain on my body.
The magic crest also experienced a load, and it requires time to reload the next shot.
Currently, it’s a cooldown period for my body to rest and to carefully refine my magic power.
However, the battle has become somewhat high-paced.
If this pace continues into a shelling battle, the stamina difference between a machine and a living body will be too great, and I’ll be the one to tire out first.
Even if magic power is supplied inexhaustibly, it’s I, a living body, who uses that magic power.
Even the grit I cultivated during my corporate slave days is starting to run out.
Even with this body, which has become incredibly tough to an absurd degree, continuously firing high-output magic is not efficient considering the strain.
“Hmm, with this method, it will take too long to wear down the enemy. Would it be faster to simply transfer over and directly tear through the barrier and infiltrate? No, it’s not good to storm enemy territory without knowing what kind of military strength they possess.”
If we consider efficiency, it would be easier for my instructor and me to attack the fort.
However, charging into the enemy’s controlled territory carries high risk.
The enemy will likely have countermeasures against intrusion, and they might possess weapons we’re unaware of.
“But the enemy is also putting a lot of effort into their attacks. How much magic power was used for that?”
“I don’t know.”
As I slowly loosen my body and finally prepare to move on to the next attack, the center of the fort opens, revealing a giant turret that aims towards us.
At this distance, they’ll fire before my attack can reach them.
If it becomes a contest of output power, my magic, which is an emission type rather than a sustained type, will lose in terms of endurance.
If defense is left to the instructor.
“Shall I go for another counterattack?”
The moment the artillery barrage ends, I’ll attack with full power again.
The instructor is also rotating his shoulders to intercept the attack.
That’s a movement of someone concentrating quite intently.
“This next spell is a special custom order.”
In that case, I’ll change my approach slightly this time and attack.
I’ll deploy my magic garment, changing the element from lightning to darkness.
Darkness is the equivalent for light element, after all.
“Partner, it’s a bit tough, but don’t falter.”
“Understood.”
Dark magic is somewhat incompatible with living, sentient ore trees, but thanks to their continuous evolution, they’re gradually developing dark resistance.
I can’t use the magic Instructor Fushio taught me yet, but I imagine a substitute spell and deploy a magic circle at my feet.
This time, I’m deploying three.
The more magic I wear, the greater the burden on the ore tree I infuse, and the longer the preparation.
As for the burden, my partner’s toughness is certified as being on par with mine, so one or two hits won’t budge them.
As for time.
“Hahaha! Bring it on!!”
Given that the instructor, full of spirit and enjoying himself so much, is standing in front, it’s pointless to worry.
In the first place, it’s absurd to prepare magic behind the instructor who’s trying to win head-on against the fort’s artillery.
No, there’s hardly any place as safe as behind the instructor, so it can be considered a rational judgment.
The instructor is charging magic at his hip, so he’s probably planning to win head-on with his fists.
“Magic composition: coating ice magic with dark magic, using dimensional magic in the process.”
As usual, a brainless tactic.
That’s so characteristic of the instructor.
Thanks to that power, I can rest assured and build the magic circle system like programming, creating even more formidable magic than Takemikazuchi.
If the opponent chooses to deflect magic sideways, I’ll use magic that erodes the barrier to neutralize it, and then barrage them with the hidden magic within.
This is a magic I learned from Instructor Fushio, but it’s quite troublesome to prepare.
At least, I can’t do what Instructor Fushio does, assembling it in parallel while fighting.
“Here it comes!!”
Still, I won’t let my spell construction be delayed by mere noise.
A roar echoes from far away.
That means the artillery barrage has arrived.
The roar arrived first, which means the artillery barrage didn’t break the sound barrier.
So it’s an attack prioritizing power.
Calmly analyzing the enemy’s movements and attacks, I continue to imbue the ore tree with counterattack magic. My partner is dyed in an ominous blue-black.
Darkness and ice don’t mix; instead, darkness forms a beautiful layer enveloping the ice.
The magic construction is about sixty percent complete. It should be ready to fire by the time the angelic army, divided into two groups to avoid the artillery, arrives.
Though the artillery will come before that.
I glimpse the thick, platinum beam called artillery.
It looks painful if it hits directly.
Perhaps it’s an attack infused with a lot of holy attribute.
Considering that amount of energy, it’s conceivable that it has the power to obliterate a city.
My reaction to such an attack is that it looks painful. If one thinks normally, pain wouldn’t be enough.
One would normally be annihilated before feeling any pain.
However, even in the face of such a threat, I know I’ll only end up heavily battered, not annihilated.
My body now is tough enough to rank in the top five among the Demon Lord’s Army through numerous fierce battles, and among them, I’m a General who’s counted from the top.
It’s impressive that only an attack of considerable power can damage me.
But, conversely, that’s the extent of my reaction.
The opponent who’s going to receive it this time is the wrong one.
After all.
“Shatter!!”
The Ōni, who possesses even greater toughness than I do, leaps forward with full force right in front of me and swings his fist in front of the artillery shell extending like a platinum golden beam.
If it were an attack that only causes me pain.
“Hahaha! Good! Come on! Entertain me!!”
It’s an attack that he enjoys with a wicked grin.
Considering the amount of magic-like energy contained within, it undoubtedly has the power to easily slaughter a legion.
In fact, if this had landed on the ground, it would have obliterated the mountain where we have established our position.
However, he’s not transmitting that power to the rear; he’s skillfully absorbing the impact head-on.
What is dwelling in that Ōni’s fist?
At the very least, it must contain an immeasurable amount of magic and the destructive impulse to shatter an energy projectile.
Considering the laws of inertia, a simple jump cannot stop a continuously advancing attack.
It might achieve a temporary stalemate with the inertia of the jump, but thereafter, it would be pushed back.
However, in reality, the instructor receives that artillery barrage with just his fist, as if he’s fixed in mid-air.
One would normally think, what’s the principle behind this?
“It’s not a matter of spirit; it’s that the fundamental structure of the dimension we fight in is different, so understanding the reach is limited. That’s why Generals are synonymous with absurdity.”
It’s pointless to think about that.
Just as I can cut anything I want to cut, the instructor can punch away anything he wants to punch away.
That’s all there is to it.
That’s also a magnificent conceptual attack. The instructor’s attack is violence materialized. That’s why he can physically punch energy bodies head-on.
And it goes without saying that such an Ōni can create footing in the air with his sheer will.
Even with a simple explanation, numerous question marks will likely arise, right?
But when fighting the instructor, there’s no other choice but to think of it that way.
Indeed, the more you think about it, the deeper you fall into the rabbit hole.
Therefore, it’s better to think of it as it is and approach it positively.
“You’re showing quite some guts.”
Otherwise, you can’t contend with a madman who challenges the pinnacle of the Demon Lord’s Army with just his fists.
He receives the intensified artillery barrage head-on, and not a single speck of harm is inflicted on his entire army.
It’s unimaginable to defeat that Ōni, who speaks of his strength with his back facing us.
“Hiyah!!”
Because we believe in that strength, our army shows not a hint of disturbance even in the face of such a large-scale attack, and we proceed with preparing to intercept the angels, trusting the Ōni.
With a flash of will, the Ōni disperses the impossibly energetic power with a single punch.
Scattering a sparkle like a diamond dust reflecting in the light, the Ōni, whom I will forever respect as my instructor, literally shatters the destruction from the opponent.
“Jiro!!”
“I’m ready.”
In that case, it’s my turn now.
If the attack was defended, the next shot should be coming.
Before that, I must attack and surpass their defense.
“In this edge dwells the dew of the river of the dead. Beyond it lies the underworld, and all things sink to its riverbed.”
A short incantation, yet magic with destructive power on a different dimension than Takemikazuchi is now unleashed.
“Black River.”
Compared to Takemikazuchi, the speed is overwhelmingly slower as the black wave emerges from the ore tree.
“Wave Dash!!”
That black wave creates a strange spectacle of racing across the sky, and the fort begins to move again to evade it.
But.
“It’s useless. Black River has a tracking function.”
The black wave slowly changes its course and tracks towards its target.
It cannot change direction at high speed, but the opponent also cannot evade that quickly.
Several angels leaped out in front of the Black River Wave Dash and deployed barriers, but that was a bad move.
It melts the barrier and its magic erodes the angels, causing their bodies to decay.
“This isn’t exactly my favorite kind of magic.”
The magic’s effect is absorption.
Like a sponge absorbing water, this magic absorbs magic power.
The angels become mummies and fall to the ground.
Judging that they cannot evade, the enemy’s barrier becomes even more robust, but I wonder what will happen.
Today’s Word:
When you think something is different, you are mistaken.
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Pandora Pandemic Panic: Pandora’s Box Has Been Opened Again, But We’re Fighting Back with Various Things in Our Secret Base!!
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