Jumping between ships, we landed on a small boat at the edge of the “Valfala.”
Just as we, who could no longer stand the frustrating wait, reached Laura Via’s “Epic Seeker,” we heard an explosion.
Flames were rising from Maria’s room on the top floor of the “Epic Seeker” headquarters.
Furthermore, we saw a Reaper, cloaked in darkness, carrying Maria, who was engulfed in flames, and flying over the roof. Rustiara was chasing after them.
The battle had already begun.
Rustiara must have intercepted the Reaper who tried to kidnap Maria.
It wasn’t the ideal development, but I felt relieved it wasn’t the worst-case scenario.
Confirming that the three were moving in the direction of the “Epic Seeker” training grounds, Snow and I hurried towards them. Along the way, Snow and I split up, encircling them. We succeeded in cornering the Reaper and Maria inside the training grounds.
Once we had them in a triangle formation, Rustiara shouted to the Reaper.
“—Give Maria back!”
Maria was crouched beside the Reaper.
I immediately used “Gaze.”
[Status]
Name: Maria HP 107/159 MP 832/855 Class:
Level 10
Strength 7.69 Stamina 7.23 Dexterity 5.99 Speed 4.45 Intelligence 7.96 Magic Power 41.13 Aptitude 4.13
Condition: Mental Contamination 1.65 Memory Alteration 1.04 Amnesia 1.02 Perceptual Inhibition 1.34 Darkness 1.33
Innate Skill:
Acquired Skill: Hunting 0.68 Cooking 1.08 Fire Magic 3.53
She seems to be in the same condition as I was in the semifinals. Her sanity has been stolen by the magic of the “Bracelet,” and her perception of her surroundings is limited by the Reaper’s darkness.
Perhaps Maria currently sees everything that approaches her as an enemy.
The Reaper coolly brushed off Rustiara’s shout.
“Give her back? Hehehe. But, Big Sis Maria doesn’t want to, you know? It’s cruel to try and forcibly remove the ‘Bracelet,’ Big Sis Rustiara.”
“Grr— I shouldn’t have taken so long to remove the ‘Bracelet’! But she’s Maria! I can’t rough her up like Kanami!”
Rustiara, scratching her short hair, looked genuinely frustrated.
It seemed the Reaper’s attack occurred while she was in the process of removing the “Bracelet.”
“Rustiara! Let’s capture her first!”
I instructed Rustiara.
However, I was met with a disgruntled voice.
“Kanami! I didn’t know Maria would become this strong!!”
“I told you there was a possibility she could use Arti’s power a little!”
“It wasn’t ‘a little’! That was no joke of a flame!”
“No, I didn’t know that much either!”
I knew that Maria had used flames to perceive her surroundings like Arti on the last day of the Christmas festival, but I knew nothing else.
However, judging from Rustiara’s reaction and Maria’s status, she seemed likely to use a considerable amount of Fire Magic.
“La—, Lady Rustiara, it’s a fine day today… Um, last time, I was very rude—”
Suddenly, Snow began to assert herself.
“—So, is Snow an enemy!? Or an ally!? Which is it!!”
“I-I’m an ally, Lady Rustiara! I, who have repented thanks to you! I will gladly help! —However, if I may ask a favor later…”
“Alright, I’ll listen! So, cooperate for now!!”
“Understood! I’ll do my best!”
Snow, holding her Greatsword, showed her determination.
The Reaper’s eyes narrowed as he saw us surrounding him.
“Brother, you read my movements… You set up Big Sis Rustiara, who can deal with me, to ambush me… If the Apostle were here, I could have taken her hostage and done more things…”
“No, Dia is just involuntarily absent, you know…”
Dia is unconscious for a very trivial reason.
However, even if she were awake, I wouldn’t have let her participate in the fight. Against the Reaper, who easily gets behind you with teleportation, Dia, who can only attack from a distance, is a bad match. I wouldn’t want her to participate, even if Sera were to be her legs.
“In any case, there are three swordsmen here who can withstand your absurd teleportation attacks. Give up on taking Maria, Reaper.”
“It seems so. But, I anticipated this far, didn’t I? I can interfere with Palinkron’s ‘Bracelet.’ Why do you think that is?”
As the Reaper raised his hand, the darkness of Maria’s “Bracelet” intensified.
I had an idea about how that worked.
“I pretty much understand. You have a ‘Connection’ with The One Who Steals the Logic of Darkness, Palinkron Legacy, right? You can manipulate the ‘Bracelet’ with the magic you obtain from it.”
The Reaper’s mouth fell open in surprise.
However, he quickly closed it and glared at me.
“…If you understand, don’t come any closer. I can immediately unleash The One Who Steals the Fire Logic, Big Sis Maria—”
“I don’t mind. But don’t think it will be that easy. Maria ‘won’t mistake her own wish.’ That alone makes a big difference. That’s why I chose this situation.”
“Oh… What happens if you don’t mistake your own wish…?”
“It means you won’t be controlled by anyone.”
The will to persevere to the end.
That is more important than anything else.
Without it, no matter how much power a person possesses, they become weak.
Indeed, Snow and I, who should have been evenly matched in raw power, were soundly defeated by Rustiara because our wishes were vague.
“In that case, it means I won’t be controlled by anyone either. I also ‘won’t mistake my own wish.’ Absolutely.”
“…I understand. It’s my fault for making it so for the Reaper. It’s my responsibility for carelessly leaving my ‘Connection’ with the Reaper unchecked that day. I’m not saying that wish is wrong. I can tell that the Reaper genuinely desires it from the bottom of his heart. But if the Reaper clings to that wish while knowing Rowen will suffer… then we have no choice but to fight.”
“You dislike my wish that much, then…”
“That wish will cause suffering for both Rowen and the Reaper. As their two friends, I cannot overlook it.”
“If you’re friends, overlook it, Brother.”
“Because I’m friends, I cannot overlook it, Reaper.”
The Reaper continued to plead, but I had no intention of backing down.
Reaper, sensing the firm will, gave up on the conversation and laughed.
“Heehee. No matter what, you’re still going to interfere, aren’t you…… Big brother……”
The darkness thickened.
Reaper’s favorite scythe appeared, and the entire training ground was filled with darkness.
The training ground transformed into a field where Reaper could exert maximum power.
“Heehee, ahahaha! You think you can do anything you want with that ridiculous ‘hero’ power, don’t you! You’re making a big mistake!!”
At the center of that darkness.
Reaper floated gently and laughed cheerfully, yet mercilessly.
There was an aura of a witch who had lived for thousands of years.
The magic, “‘Soul-Adoring Grim Reaper’,” was less than a year old.
However, more than a thousand years of experience had been poured into her.
A transcendent being, a being beyond humans.
—––’Grim Reaper’.
That was Reaper now.
“I am ‘Soul-Adoring Grim Reaper’! A magic created solely to kill humans, that’s all I am! All living beings are my prey! –––《Dimensional Binding》!!”
Suddenly, the ‘Connection’ between me and Reaper thickened.
I instinctively used my slightly recovered magic power to close that ‘Connection’.
However, Reaper’s ‘Connection’ was not limited to me alone.
Reaper was visibly augmenting her magic power.
Through the subtly activated Dimensional Magic, I could sense its origin. It was highly probable that Reaper was draining magic power from all the people living in Laura Via.
Of course, my companions were included in that.
“What, my magic power—!?”
Rustiara felt her strength draining and panicked.
Snow was likely in the same situation. However, Snow seemed to have anticipated this, and her agitation was less compared to Rustiara.
Judging by the situation, she was probably also stealing magic power from high magic power users like Maria and Dia.
Now, all of Laura Via’s magic power had become Reaper’s prey.
“For this moment, I’ve been traveling all over the place! My magic power source is infinite! This is the true worth of a Grim Reaper’s!! ‘Curse’!!”
Feeling the strengthening power in her body, Reaper’s emotions surged.
And, in her exhilaration, she spoke volubly.
Reaper already seemed confident of her victory.
“My magic power is inexhaustible! But what about your magic power, big brother? Not only is it insufficient, but it’s interfering with your vital functions, isn’t it? That’s not all—!!”
Reaper clenched one of her hands tightly.
With just that, black magic power spread out as if to cover the sky.
The world transformed into complete darkness, devoid of any light.
If my 《Dimension Winter》 was magic that turned the world into winter—
“—《Dimensional Night》!”
This magic was the magic that turned the world into night.
“I didn’t just keep your ‘Connection’ for surveillance, you know. You were the only expert in Dimensional Magic who could teach me! But it’s enough now! All your magic is already mine!!”
《Dimension Winter》 was a difficult magic to construct.
Even an average mage would likely not be able to understand it.
Yet, Reaper understood and mastered it all in just a few days.
It was like the growth rate of a baby.
The absorption was fast precisely because everything she saw was fresh.
Reaper’s youthful senses combined with her seasoned experience.
With these two elements, Reaper had become a master mage in a short period.
“In this darkness, all perception is subject to my will! I won’t lose to anyone! Today, I will defeat you! All ‘Dance Battle Tournament’ participants, except for Rowen, I will defeat them all!!”
She had decided to defeat everyone except Rowen from the start.
As a strengthened, strongest mage, she had the confidence to do so. That was why she had been so at ease.
With that shout, Reaper disappeared into the darkness.
After a fleeting silence, I sensed killing intent from behind and swung ‘Crescent Pectoral Azure’s Straight Sword’.
A high-pitched sound echoed.
Only the scythe emerged from the darkness. However, the darkness was too thick to discern Reaper’s form.
“Tch. You’re still faintly clad in Dimensional Magic, big brother. –– If so, you’re on the back burner until that magic runs out!”
Although unseen, Reaper’s voice could be heard from the darkness.
“Rustiara, Snow! Here they come!”
“– Blood Magic 《Will Linker》, Divine Magic 《Light》!”
“– Vibration Magic 《Vibration》!”
It seemed unnecessary to be told.
Each had finished chanting their trusted magic.
However, Reaper just laughed scornfully.
“Heeheehee, you two have amazing magic! It’s unfair to be strong with swords and magic! But it’s meaningless! Me, the magic itself, can handle this magic better than big brother! –––《Midnight of Abyssal Dimension》!!”
Since Reaper had used 《Dimensional Night》, a variation of 《Dimension Winter》, it was natural that she could use this magic.
Reaper deployed a magic, likely mimicking my 《Midwinter of Overcrowded Dimensions》, over a much wider area than I could.
“If it’s big brother, you can only maintain this magic for a limited time, but I can use it for so much longer!!”
Unlike me, who could only maintain it for a few seconds, Reaper deployed it with ease.
And, using sufficient time, she interfered with the two’s magic.
The dark magic disrupted their magic construction, leading them to failure.
Blood Magic 《Will Linker》, Divine Magic 《Light》, Vibration Magic 《Vibration》.
All their magic dissipated.
“Geh, my Blood Magic and Divine Magic!”
“I’m sorry, but you have to fight without such unfair tactics! Just with swords, like Rowen! In this darkness!!”
Rustiara screamed as her Blood and Light magic failed.
Reaper responded to that scream. However, she was not attacking Rustiara.
A sound similar to when my sword clashed with Reaper’s scythe earlier echoed.
“Mmm! How tough, big sister Snow! My scythe can’t even penetrate those dragon scales! But I have the power to set the world ablaze! Big sister Maria!!”
Snow was targeted.
And in the darkness, a single light source blazed.
“《Blaze Flash Flame》. –––《Heavenly Condensed Flame》.”
A pillar of fire rose, and a white line streaked through the darkness.
It was a magic I recognized.
Maria must have cast the same fire magic as Arti.
The sharp flames, which looked like they could cut through space, resembled Dia’s *Flame Arrow*.
That white line stretched endlessly.
“Ugh, he’s fast!” Snow groaned.
From this, I understood that it didn’t hit Snow directly. Perhaps the flames in the darkness were easier to see.
“Rustiara! Can’t you break through with one of your spells!?”
“I’ve been trying various things, but it doesn’t look like it will be possible right away!”
Rustiara didn’t return a favorable answer.
Instead, Reaper’s voice, growing bolder, replied.
“Hee hee. Only a high-ranking Dimensional Sorcerer can block my magic! But you don’t have any magic power, do you, big brother!? That’s why I told you to wait until tomorrow!!”
“If I waited until tomorrow, you would have already kidnapped Snow and Maria! No doubt!”
“That’s right! Hmm, maybe I should have sent a letter saying, ‘If you want them back, come to the abandoned castle where Dravdragon was at the time of the *Dance Battle Tournament* finals’!”
“I bet you would have!”
Thanks to our *Connection* until today, the Reaper and I had a pointless silent understanding.
Fighting with pure emotion, we understood each other’s schemes all too well.
While talking, the Reaper attacked me again.
I blocked his scythe with my sword at the last moment.
And while clashing with the Reaper, we shouted at each other.
“Sleep well, big brother! You haven’t slept for several days, have you? I’ll let you sleep until the *Dance Battle Tournament* is over!!”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass! If I leave it to you, I might end up sleeping forever!”
“But your magic power is running out, isn’t it? How will you defend against my attacks without Dimensional Magic? You don’t have Rustiara’s senses or Snow’s toughness, so how will you manage!?”
“That’s—!”
“See, your magic power is about to run out!”
The more we clashed, the more magic power was lost.
The magic power that had slightly recovered after the battle with Rustiara was gone, and it was truly depleted.
“—!”
The Dimensional Magic that had been deployed to a small extent was finally dispelled.
But it didn’t matter.
It had already been proven that I could fight the Reaper even without magic power.
I had seen it with my own eyes.
I had also been taught meticulously.
There was enough information.
—Rowen had said it.
That my “mind and body were separated.”
That the discrepancy between mind and body had hindered the mastery of the ultimate technique.
Now that my memories had returned, I understood the meaning of those words.
Skill, *Sensation*.
Its true mechanism.
“That’s!! Rowen taught me that!!”
The literal meaning.
Just as Rowen said, I had everything I needed. I possessed sufficient observation and imitation abilities. The only thing I lacked was the unity of mind and body.
By creating even a slight barrier with the outside world, that skill would activate.
The trigger for its mastery was provided by Palinkron’s *Bracelet*.
During that uncontrollable rampage, I had indeed used the skill *Sensation*. It was the same as when the *Bracelet* replicated an unknown Franryure technique. In an effort to unleash my own power without relying on Dimensional Magic, the *Curse* had caused the skill *Sensation* to activate.
I remembered that feeling.
Once the body has used it, it becomes easy.
All that’s needed is to replicate it.
In essence, it’s about perceiving the world with the senses of the heart, not the five senses of the body.
A technique beyond consciousness, in the realm of the subconscious.
I don’t know if this phenomenon is unique to this *Another World* or if it’s applicable in my own world. No, it’s probably unique to this *Another World* where *Magic Power* exists.
This is a law not present in my world.
In other words, it’s the power to sense the *Laws* of this *Another World*. I had that feeling.
In the deep darkness, I closed my eyes.
I dispelled all magic.
I relied on my heart.
The skill *Sensation* was enough.
I activated the skill *Sensation* and felt the world with my skin, not with magic.
This unusual existence unique to this *Another World*—*Magic Power*.
By grasping its flow, I could understand the movements of the beings it affected.
Therefore, the malicious scythe attack coming from behind.
I succeeded in evading it by the narrowest of margins.
Furthermore, the subsequent consecutive attacks.
I dodged them all, dodged and dodged, continuing to dodge.
“Wh-what!?”
Reaper must have sensed the disappearance of my Dimensional Magic.
However, instead of cowering and being confused in the darkness, he was astonished to see me moving even better.
Astonished, he hesitated, thought, and finally arrived at an answer.
“Th-this is just like—!”
Because Reaper knew Rowen better than anyone, he realized it immediately.
In response, I gave a faint smile.
“It’s just like fighting Rowen!! Big Brother, could it be—!”
I boasted to Reaper that I had reached the same state as Rowen.
Seeing this, Reaper became angry.
“Damn it! Then, Maria! Seal big brother’s movements with that hellfire of yours!”
He gave instructions to Maria, who had been waiting.
Reaper’s attacks were no longer a threat. However, Maria’s threat still remained.
Next, I had to deal with Maria, but… I was confident that I could persuade her.
The “I” who made a new resolve that day.
The “Maria” who swore an oath before her best friend that day.
If the two of them were united, they should be able to overcome even Palinkron’s *Bracelet*.
“Maria! Can you hear my voice!?”
I would redo that day.
However, this time, I would not sacrifice anything.
There was no need to.
Maria’s body, which was likely wandering in the depths of darkness, flinched.
I couldn’t see anything, but my voice seemed to reach her.
I shouted again.
“Maria!!”
“B-Big Bro…?”
“No! I am not your ‘Big Bro’! Please remember my name! And call me by that name! Maria, you know my name, don’t you!?”
“…Big Bro’s name?”
I appealed to the memories of that day.
Even if she couldn’t remember it completely, if she could regain the emotions of that day, it would be enough.
“If I’m not ‘Big Bro’, then what…? My name… ‘Christ’? No, I know… I know ‘Big Bro’s’ real name. A name that feels within reach but is not… But, acknowledging that means…!”
Maria trembled.
It was the same as with me.
Escaping from a false world means denying the happiness before your eyes.
This is no easy feat, and it cannot be accomplished with half-hearted effort.
However, I am confident that Maria can do it.
She possesses such unwavering resolve.
“It hurts… my head hurts…!! No, that’s a lie…!!”
Maria began to doubt her memories, but she was still one step short.
Therefore, I continued to shout.
“Maria! I told you everything! You said you believed in me! So, I believe in you too! If you give up now, even the words I said to Arti back then will become a lie! Is it alright to just stop here!?”
“A, Arti…, my, ‘best friend’…?”
I appealed to even my former nemesis.
“Arti! You said it yourself, didn’t you? ‘I’m always watching’! You became ‘the same’ as Maria in the end, didn’t you!? Then, what do you think of this situation!? You, who understands Maria’s feelings better than anyone, will just leave her to be deceived by false memories!? Do you really think Maria wants this!?”
“Ugh, ugh, waaaah, aaaaaaaahhh—!!”
Maria wailed.
She conjured more raging flames, amplifying the pillar of fire.
Within that inferno, I could see her shedding tears faintly.
In the darkness, a single flame shone brightly.
Further still, within it, Maria glared at Reaper, clutching her throbbing head.
Even without her memories, I could see an will close to Maria’s former self resurfacing.
“I will not make a mistake again…! I will not be swayed by anyone anymore…! Reaper, are you deceiving me…!?”
Hearing this, Reaper stopped fighting me and tried to approach Maria.
However, the raging flames prevented him from getting too close.
“Hot! Why!? Does ‘The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire’ reject ‘the logic of darkness’!? I, I wasn’t told anything like this!”
With growing impatience, Reaper attempted to send dark magic towards Maria. However, it was all incinerated by the flames.
With no other choice, Reaper began to persuade her with words.
“Maria, my dear sister, don’t be fooled! That person over there, he is indeed Maria’s ‘Older Brother’! You do have memories with your ‘Older Brother’, don’t you!?”
Maria was made to confront her memories.
Even though her emotions returned, her memories remained altered.
“Memories…? I do… I have memories from when I was a child… Memories of playing with my ‘Older Brother’, memories of Father and Mother, memories of my family…! I have so many!”
“Yes, exactly! You’re saying that’s fake!? You have memories there, and you’re doubting them?”
“They are happy memories. I know they exist. But these memories…”
However, this had the opposite effect.
“—It’s strange to have memories of my family.”
Maria offered a gruesome smile within the flames of purgatory.
Cutting them off was more painful than dying.
Yet, she had a determined expression, as if she had resolved to cut them off anyway.
It was a smile that even the seasoned Reaper took a step back from.
“…Huh? Huh? It’s strange to have them?”
Reaper did not understand what Maria was saying.
“It was a miscalculation not to erase my experience with fire magic for emergencies. My fire magic is a magic that activates by burning the past. Because of that, I lost my memories of my family. I remember that clearly as part of my experience with fire magic. That’s why I know it’s strange to have memories of my family…”
“Bu-but, I wasn’t told any of that…!”
“Certainly, my memories are gone! But that doesn’t justify implanting false memories…! I know that lies save no one! I won’t mistake that for anything else!!”
Though Maria had lost her memories, the path she believed in, her ‘true desire,’ was etched into her very being.
No matter how much emotions and memories were manipulated, the flame burning deep within a person’s heart could not be extinguished.
Maria was proving this with her own body.
Reaper realized this would not do, and attempted to channel more magic.
“Then! With the ‘Bracelet’, I’ll bend your will further—”
“Please, do as you wish. I’m used to that sensation now.”
However, Maria dismissed the memory alteration and emotional changes with a single statement of familiarity. Then, she began to chant.
“—’Into the fleeting and elusive dream’—!”
She constructed even more powerful fire magic.
The price is high.
I know, because I’ve experienced something similar.
It’s a power that activates by burning the past.
“If I burn away all these false memories, I will no longer be swayed by you! All that will remain for me is one thing: the vow to believe in ‘Kanami-san’, not ‘Christ’ or ‘Master’! With that alone, I can live!!”
Maria was angry that her will had been twisted.
She completed her chant with that emotion.
Although it was a chant that burned the past, for now, it would not cause harm.
“—’Swallow me’!! —《Midgards Blaze》!!”
A snake of flames, possessing monstrous heat, emerged from Maria’s left shoulder.
“‘Older Brother’, there’s no such convenient person! There isn’t!!”
Maria swung her left hand towards Reaper.
Her left arm ignited. The clothes from her shoulder down burned away, and the bandages covering her eyes unraveled.
The flames burned her skin, scorched her arm, and finally melted the ‘Bracelet’.
Then, without losing momentum, the flame serpent pierced through the darkness.
Scattering flames throughout the training ground, it attacked Reaper.
Reaper fled into the darkness, attempting to evade it.
But the brilliance of the flames cut through the darkness.
Seeing this power and will, akin to intense heat, I declared victory to Reaper.
“See, Reaper? Maria didn’t make a mistake, did she?”
Reaper emerged from the darkness.
He had narrowly dodged the flames, but his right arm was burning from the residual impact alone.
“Kuh, ugh!”
Maria’s fire magic was immense.
It was burning Reaper’s body, a magical being, down to its very existence. Even though Reaper should have lost his physical form upon being seen by me, the flames did not extinguish.
I approached Maria, using the light of the flames as my guide.
“Maria!”
“Kanami-san!”
Maria was also running towards me.
Finally, Maria and I reunited in the truest sense.
Two weeks had passed since Christmas festival, but it felt like we had been separated for years.
“Everything… It was all a dream, wasn’t it…”
“Yeah, it was a dream…”
“My older brother… no, my whole family died… I can’t even remember them anymore. But! That’s why I don’t want to mistake my precious family! I absolutely refuse false memories! I promised my best friend I’d move forward this time, I swear on these two eyes—!!”
Maria spoke her promise with Arti, and flames erupted from her body, just like the old Arti. The flames turned into countless butterflies, illuminating every corner of the training ground.
The darkness constructed by the Reaper was gradually illuminated by the light. The positions of Rustiara and Snow also became faintly visible.
“—’Firefly – Kagerou’. …Now I can see much better.”
Maria’s eyes remained closed. Yet, she showed no sign of being blind. It seemed she was indeed gathering information about her surroundings with those flames.
“But for now, rather than celebrating our reunion, it’s the Reaper. Don’t worry. —No matter where she hides, our flames will burn it all away.”
Maria concentrated and constructed more **Fire Magic**.
Darkness gathered on her defenseless back, and a scythe extended. I deflected it with my sword.
“Geez! Big brother! You’re in the way!!”
“Maria is weaving her magic with trust in me! I won’t let you touch her, not even a finger!!”
I clashed with the Reaper in the darkness, exchanging insults. However, in this state, I didn’t know when she might endanger Maria. As a safety measure, I gave instructions to Rustiara.
“Rustiara, come here! Fight while protecting Maria like the first time!”
“The first time!?”
“From when we were in the Labyrinth!”
“Ah! That’s right! Can I carry her princess-style this time!?”
“Ask Maria about that!!”
Relying on the light of the flames, Rustiara hurried to Maria’s side.
“—’Setting Sun Heavenly Flame’! Please, Rustiara-san. Let’s talk a lot later. I have so many things I want to apologize for.”
Maria sent a sphere of flame into the sky and extended her hands to Rustiara.
“O-Oh! Maria-chan is being sweet to me!”
Rustiara happily scooped Maria into her arms and started running. The mass of darkness pursued them, but couldn’t catch up. Rustiara was fast. With the light born from Maria, the weakened darkness lacked the speed.
Then, Snow, who had arrived late, delivered a full-power strike to the weakened mass of darkness.
“—’Impulse Break’!!”
A metallic sound echoed within the darkness. It was the sound of Snow’s **Greatsword** colliding with the Reaper’s great scythe. The darkness, struck from above with Snow’s full weight, was blown away by the vibration and impact. Then, the Reaper, who had been hidden within the darkness, was revealed.
With her visibility established, the Reaper lost her corporeal form, and Snow’s greatsword fell to the ground.
“—Ku!! All the magic I gathered!”
The Reaper distanced herself from Snow and immediately began to gather darkness again. Then, she tried to extinguish the flames that were harming her field by enveloping them with darkness. However, the darkness only seemed to disappear in return.
“‘The one who steals the logic of fire’ magic can’t be interfered with…!? Because the magic level is too different!?”
The Reaper despaired. Her confidence in being the strongest mage wavered, and her darkness weakened in proportion.
Protected by Rustiara, Maria continued to generate flames endlessly. As if to protect her, I and Snow, the frontline fighters, formed a pincer on the Reaper. Our formation was impregnable.
“Now, Reaper. You may have come here intending a two-on-two, but this is four-on-one. You’ve lost the advantage of sight as well. Give up…!”
I pointed my sword at the Reaper, urging her to surrender. However, upon hearing that, she became enraged.
“Give up? When you said that, did big brother give up? My feelings are the same as big brother’s! I’ll never give up until the end!!”
“Then this is the end. —As long as Rowen’s **Technique** exists, the Reaper can’t defeat me.”
“Not yet! If I defeat big brother, there’s still a chance! Big brother is the center of the **Party** even though he’s the weakest, so there’s a chance of winning!!”
“If you think so, then come at me! Reaper!!”
“Big brother!!”
The Reaper gathered all the remaining darkness in the training ground. Clad in the final darkness, the Reaper ran. I met her charge with a single sword. That was enough. Rowen always fought with just a sword.
The darkness took the lead and enveloped me. My vision closed, and I lost sight of the Reaper. And, as expected, the Reaper attacked from behind. Just like Rowen, I bent down to evade, and counterattacked with his sword technique. The Reaper was accustomed to it. She blocked my sword with the hilt of her great scythe and disappeared into the darkness again. The unique surprise attacks with the Reaper’s scythe. The divine technique of Rowen that responded to them. In the darkness, swords and scythes clashed countless times. Metal against metal, sparks of white light scattered by the dozens before the conclusion was reached. It was a very simple **Answer**. —The **Answer** that the Reaper could never defeat Rowen. That alone became reality. For the Reaper to contend with Rowen’s **Technique**, she shouldn’t have attacked so recklessly. Rowen’s **Technique** could only deliver a decisive blow to the Reaper during a counterattack. Yet, the Reaper, in her rage, attacked me repeatedly. There wasn’t a single element that would allow her to win. My sword severed the Reaper’s right leg. Only that sensation transmitted to my hand. The Reaper, having lost a leg, staggered with a pained expression. Then, as the Reaper fell, I pierced her left leg with my sword, pinning her to the ground.
“—Magic, ‘Ice’.”
As a finishing blow, I channeled **Ice Magic** from my sword. Basic magic like this could be used with the **Magic Power** that had naturally recovered during this battle. Following the same procedure as the fight with Teeda, I solidified the incorporeal Reaper. Then, I could visually confirm the Reaper. There, a crippled Reaper lay on the ground. She was no longer in a condition to move.
“Damn it… You’re cheating, big brother…”
The Reaper glared at me, tears welling up in her eyes. It was the moment she acknowledged her defeat.
