The sky was cloudy, but the town’s burning flames illuminated the large garden brightly.
Two guardians and two challengers faced each other.
Rowen looked genuinely perplexed as he saw me and Rainer step forward.
“…Are you truly not going to escape with this disparity in force?”
“I want to escape. Rationally, escaping is the correct path. But I’ve stopped making excuses about being ‘rational’ or ‘correct.’ From now on, I will continue to fight as long as there’s even a sliver of hope.”
Perhaps my resolve, conveyed through my unwavering answer, got through to him. Rowen let out a booming laugh.
“Ha, hahahaha! Then it’s a quick matter. – ‘I do not choose the path I walk.’ ‘I am the wind,’ ‘I continue to walk through the entire world,’ ‘I remember wishing that!'”
I began chanting the basic incantation taught in magic class not long ago.
The next magic released was also a fundamental one.
“—Wind Magic. Then, we will have an overwhelming victory.”
However, that wind magic did not stay within the bounds of being basic.
Rowen’s fundamental magic could change the weather in an instant.
For her, it was likely just a small preparatory spell, but a powerful wind began to blow over a wide area, much like the superior magic 《Zea-》. It was as if I had gone out outdoors on a typhoon day.
Pushing through the strong wind to approach Rowen, I gave final instructions to my companion.
“Rainer, I’ll finish this quickly. Hold out until then.”
Rainer, behind me, nodded silently. His attention was solely on Nosfy. His gaze was fixed on Nosfy, and he didn’t glance my way.
Nosfy, who was being glared at, began weaving magic with slight displeasure, finishing her preparations.
“—Light Magic. Rowen, it seems Lord Uzun and the others want to divide us.”
“Let’s take the bait, Nosfy. It will be more certain to defeat them one by one than to improvise Resonance magic or the like.”
She was likely confident in her superior raw power. Rowen proposed eliminating variables. This was the expected development.
“…A one-on-one between Rowen and Lord Uzun? Certainly, with superior raw power, that would be the correct approach… No, I will believe the words of my ‘friend.’ I’ll leave Lord Uzun to you.”
Nosfy’s face contorted slightly, but she eventually accepted.
“Leave it to me. Defeat is impossible for me.”
“Yes, I suppose so. Rowen is stronger than anyone. We’ll finish quickly so as not to fall behind you. I’ll capture Rainer unharmed and give him as a present for today’s anniversary.”
“I am counting on you.”
The intentions of the four aligned.
Thus, I advanced into the ‘north’ wind, and Rainer into the ‘south’ light.
“…Now then, Lord Uzun. I will be playing with Rainer, so please wait a moment. I will finish quickly and come to you.”
Nosfy insolently offered her farewell, but I ignored it.
From this point on, I couldn’t afford to waste even a modicum of magic power. I left Nosfy entirely to Rainer and concentrated 《Dimension》 solely on Rowen.
And, as if moving to two separate battlefields, Rowen and I moved. We left the Volz family’s garden and emerged onto a deserted street.
Rowen and I, facing each other, had our final conversation before the battle.
“Rowen, I’ll say this first. From now on, I intend to look back on the ‘past’ that you said didn’t matter, together with you. No matter how much you wail, I won’t stop you anymore. Don’t ever cover your ears.”
I spoke forcefully with a slightly preachy tone.
Undoubtedly, Rowen detested sermons. However, I deliberately went to anger her.
Right now, getting Rowen to unleash her full power was the most important thing for the winning strategy I was planning. To capture the ‘Thief of Principles,’ who was likely the fastest among the guardians, I might not even be able to touch her without using underhanded tactics. Also, frankly, I would be in trouble if Rowen, with her flight ability, calmly aimed for a protracted battle.
“‘Looking back on the past’…? Lord Uzun, running away from ‘here’…?”
“I apologize for trying to escape. I’m sorry… But I’ve decided not to run anymore. So, you don’t run either…”
“What nonsense are you spouting…! Don’t think I’ll listen obediently to Lord Uzun’s story! After all, I am already—”
“I know. That’s why I’ll make you listen, even if I have to force you. Ah, by force…”
“How can Lord Uzun, who can only use support magic, even have a chance in a one-on-one with me…?”
Rowen shook her head slightly. She still seemed incredulous at my plan to fight her to the bitter end. She likely had the confidence in her strength to think so.
“Don’t underestimate me. When it comes to ‘Swordsmanship,’ there’s no one better than me.”
Although I had been content to stay in the rear since falling here, it wasn’t because I couldn’t fight in the front. I had deliberately stayed back to maximize overall efficiency.
However, Rowen, who had never truly seen my swordsmanship, judged it as vanity.
“Getting overconfident after luckily defeating a weakened Aleis… You can only hide and shoot magic…!”
“Don’t mistake me for my ‘past’ self… You’ll regret it…”
Right now, Rowen was seeing the world overlaid with the ‘past’ from a thousand years ago.
She saw me as ‘Knight Commander Kanami’ and Rainer as ‘my former brother.’
To deny that, I declared with a sword, not magic.
Rowen, sensing my fighting spirit, magnified the magic enshrouding her wings. Then, she pointed the muzzle of the bayonet in her right hand at me. She seemed to realize it was impossible to make me surrender through conversation and threats.
“—Then, prove me wrong! I will deny all of that, and I will add you to my ranks again! Come at me, Lord Uzun!!”
“Ah, here I go! Rowen—!!”
With that, I charged.
First, I attempted to read the trajectory of her bayonet using the magic, 《Dimension – Decisive Calculation》. However, I quickly realized it was unnecessary. Rowen intended to use her bayonet as a sword, not a gun.
Rowen casually assumed a stance with her bayonet and remained still.
She seemed prepared to engage in close combat to deny my words just now.
“First, let me see this ‘Swordsmanship’ of yours. Such amateur swordsmanship won’t work against me.”
“You don’t need to tell me, I’ll show you now—!”
I charged straight at her to showcase my ‘Swordsmanship.’
While it was partly to advance the conversation favorably, more than anything, I wanted to deny her strength as the ‘Ruling King.’ The magic, 《Dimension – Decisive Calculation (Prelude)》, foresaw that this was the absolute condition for victory in this battle.
I swung the ‘Crescent Pectoral Azure’s Straight Sword’ with great force. However, the only response was a hard clang, as if striking iron.
Rowen, deflecting my sword, grinned.
Unlike the tangible ‘Crescent Pectoral Azure’s Straight Sword,’ Rowen’s bayonet was constructed from magic power. She momentarily lost the substance of her bayonet, allowing my sword to slip through.
My skill ‘Sensation’ activated first, and then my skill ‘Swordsmanship’ taught me the corresponding technique. Using the pommel at the end of the hilt, I defended by parrying the tip of the approaching bayonet.
Another sharp clang resounded, and Rowen lost her balance.
“Not bad—! But—!!”
However, there was no opening in her faltering stance.
At this moment, Rowen was unstable, on her tiptoes on her left foot, her center of gravity completely tilted.
Yet, no matter where I struck, I felt like she wouldn’t fall.
The reason was simple—
“—《Wined》.”
Using perfectly controlled wind magic, Rowen maintained her balance.
And from that impossible posture, using sheer brute strength, a ridiculously powerful slash came flying at me.
“Kuh!”
I abandoned pursuit and defended with my sword.
I thought I had created a decisive opening, but instead, I received a counterattack.
“Ha! Indeed, you seem a little different from before! But with just that—!!”
Rowen somersaulted and finally used the air as a platform.
Then, she inverted her body and stepped on the air solidified by 《Wined》, slashing upwards at my head. From my skill ‘Swordsmanship,’ I drew a defensive stance against that absurd upward slash and managed to block it with the flat of my sword—but her consecutive attacks continued.
Rowen’s sword, which I should have deflected, was guided by the surrounding wind and attacked again, defying inertia.
Therefore, despite possessing the highest-tier skill ‘Swordsmanship,’ I was forced into defense.
Naturally, my ‘Swordsmanship’ was undoubtedly superior.
However, her physical movements were simply too fast.
And her erratic stances, sword flashes, and weight shifts had already surpassed the framework of ‘Swordsmanship.’
The wind magic 《Wined》 was what enabled her to achieve this recklessness.
She had said that if the basics were in place, anything was possible. This was a demonstration of that, with an unending barrage of 《Wined》 without incantation.
This sword dance, which seemed like dancing in zero gravity, had already reached a new skill that could be called ‘Wind Swordsmanship.’
“How’s that, Lord Uzun! Am I stronger—!?”
Seeing me on the defensive, Rowen laughed proudly.
I wanted to retort to her premature certainty of victory but silently accepted it.
There was no need to tell my opponent that my ‘Swordsmanship’ had not yet reached its true potential.
“Furthermore, I! Am strong even when fighting like this!!”
Perhaps because I didn’t retort, Rowen became even more spirited.
Then, using her bayonet as a feint, she attempted to grab the hem of my clothes with her free left arm.
She likely wanted to prove that she could do ‘Martial Arts’ as well as ‘Swordsmanship.’ True to her boast, I reacted too late to her sudden change in tactics.
My hem was grabbed—and I was roughly thrown sideways.
With Rowen’s inhuman strength, my body shot out like a bullet, racing horizontally through the town of Viais. As a result, I crashed through the walls of the houses and then, without losing momentum, crashed through another house—and repeated this about five times before rolling violently onto a wide street.
“Guh, ha—! Hah!!”
Due to my Level Up, my body’s durability and HP had skyrocketed.
Gratefully thanking my body, which had become sturdier than houses, I immediately stood up amidst the kicked-up dust. However, it wasn’t that it didn’t hurt. Depending on where I hit, I might have broken a bone.
As I stood up and tried to quickly re-gather information about the surrounding terrain—not with magic, but with my own eyes, I saw several knights with surprised expressions, weapons at the ready.
“—N-No way, Knight Commander!”
“But why did you break through the wall!?”
Suddenly, someone had flown in, and it turned out to be the rebel they were searching for. It was only natural for them to panic.
However, I had no time to deal with them now.
Without replying, I leaped up and landed on top of the house I had just broken through. I intended to move away and lose the knights.
At that moment, 《Dimension》 detected the presence of an incoming projectile traveling at ultra-high speed.
“—Ngh!!”
I arched my body backward, dodging the wind bullet.
Then, I spotted Rowen, who had also climbed onto the roofs at a distance.
“Don’t run, Lord Uzun! It’s useless to run, after all, I’m strong even at this distance!! Ah, no matter where, no matter when, no matter what kind of battle, I am stronger than anyone—!!!! Strong, I am! Therefore, I am the ‘Ruling King’ who stands above all!!”
“Are you an idiot! Move locations already! You’ll involve people here!!”
She seemed to have interpreted climbing onto the roof as running away. I urged her to move, albeit exasperated by her overly hasty thought process.
“Move!? Why!? Where!? It’s the same everywhere, it was the same!! —Magic 《Fly Shoot》!!”
However, Rowen returned that it was unnecessary and began firing a large amount of compressed wind from her bayonet.
Innumerable high-speed wind bullets attacked me, but my 《Dimension》 was compatible with long-range weapons. I read all of their trajectories and dodged them all.
As a result, countless explosions erupted behind me.
“Wh-What the—!!”
It seemed these wind bullets detonated upon impact.
Rowen continued to fire magic bullets, and I dodged them while leaping from roof to roof. Naturally, the town of Viais was destroyed one after another.
Roofs were blown off as if subjected to bombing. Smoke plumes rose with the sound of destruction. From her conspicuous attacks, I could tell she didn’t care about the intervention of the surrounding knights.
“Tch, you dodged this much! Then, it’s time to change the ammunition type!! —’The swift thunder and gale shall become a ring,’ ‘I shall imbue my soul with heterogeneous bullets’!!”
Along with the incantation, Rowen began to gather her magic power.
At that moment, a voice called out from the street below.
“Ah, is that the ‘Ruling King’…!? Could it be, she’s fighting the Knight Commander!?”
“Our ‘Ruling King’ has returned!! Our savior never betrayed anyone!!”
“Ah, you’ve finally returned!? To ‘here,’ the homeland of the ‘Ruling King’!!”
Several knights rejoiced upon seeing Rowen’s figure.
However, Rowen’s face contorted upon receiving their encouragement. Then, she commanded as if spitting it out.
“—Don’t get in the way! Stand down!!”
Receiving the king’s reprimand, the knights froze mid-step as they were about to rush to reinforce her.
Rowen was frustrated.
It was clear that her heart was raging like a storm upon hearing the voices of her people.
And, as if her mental state was leaking out, the area around Rowen began to charge with electricity.
Thick wind magic raged, and thunder crackled and burst with a *bakin*, *bakin* sound.
It was as if a thunder-laden great storm had been personified and stood there. For a moment, I felt as if I were fighting not a person, but a natural disaster.
Gradually, the lightning began to concentrate in one spot.
《Dimension》 sensed that Rowen’s bayonet was emitting an abnormal power as successive charges of electricity accumulated.
—Th-This…!? It’s unfamiliar since coming here, but could it be, magnetism…？
《Dimension》 and knowledge from my original world predicted its true nature.
The unique current flow was undoubtedly creating a cylindrical magnetic barrier (or something similar). 《Dimension》 analyzed this magnetic barrier, read its danger, and my skill ‘Sensation’ sounded a warning in my head.
—D-Damn it!
As soon as I understood this, I leaped sideways.
“Break through!! Thunder Magic Bullet—!!”
Then, a blinding flash filled the air, and a bullet of purple lightning streaked through.
The moment it was fired, the space where I had been moments before was pierced.
Its power was abnormal, extremely so.
Even though it was not dimensional magic, the space where the bullet passed through was distorted.
“Dodging the initial velocity—! But, this bullet is a test shot for error correction! My bullets will still ‘accelerate’!!”
—I managed to dodge it.
But Rowen wasn’t stopping yet.
As if reloading its casing, she expelled blackened magic power from her bayonet and began to gather more magic.
The terrifying thing wasn’t just the static electricity. The wind and magic power did not stop expanding.
I broke out in a cold sweat at this natural disaster-like magic operation.
My mouth, which had been trying to maintain a confident smirk, began to feel stiff.
Though I didn’t voice it, I mentally urged Rowen to stop.
—Wait. Wait, wait, wait! Wh-What is that?
Is another barrier being added?
That last one was strange enough, but next is— surely not—!
A Kamaitachi (Wind Slash) formed within the narrow barrel, creating countless vacuum tubes. Not only that. Rowen’s magic caused distortions in space, repeatedly compressing and expanding the air, creating a very small, but pseudo-gravitational collapse. A vicious ‘barrier’—no, a vicious ‘force field’ that was ill-suited for a magic world was unfolding within that small bayonet. It was only natural to break out in a cold sweat at such an absurd sight. And, without a doubt. The one who taught her this was an inhabitant of my world—
“Don’t die, Lord Uzun!!! This is the power I received from you in the past! Eat your sin!! —Magic Bullet 《Heavily Collapsed Color of Non-Wind Sword》—-!!”
—Or rather, it had to be Shiso Kanami!
When Rowen yelled out a magic name that was out of place for this other world, I was convinced. Her shouting method was the same as the magic operation method Rainer had taught her not long ago.
—What dangerous things are you teaching this idiot, damn it!!
Putting an end to my self-recrimination, which was hard to count how many times it had been now, I also yelled out the magic with all my might.
“—《Dimension – Curvature Calculation》!!”
Magic construction while performing evasive maneuvers.
However, I knew that avoiding it was physically impossible.
Therefore, the main objective was to change the line of fire by shifting space.
When the two of them finished shouting, the magic activated simultaneously.
What was released from the muzzle of Rowen’s bayonet was not a flash—but darkness.
I saw a black bullet—and at the same time, a line was drawn across the world.
It was not a ‘light ray’ but what could be called a ‘darkness ray’ or a black line.
The ‘darkness ray’ was fired at my abdomen, and just before hitting me, it curved. Due to the spatial shift, it changed its trajectory and shot towards the sky.
Immediately after, a screeching sound, like the death throes of a beast, rang out.
Confirming the rear with 《Dimension》, a large hole had opened in the sky.
A black hole, reminiscent of pictures of black holes in science textbooks, had pierced the barrier called ‘Viais.’
Cracks began to spread around the forcibly created vent. The space fissured, and flakes of sky began to peel off. The barrier membrane created by Shiso Kanami was shattering like an eggshell.
“—Y-You!! Are you going to destroy ‘here’!?”
“If Kanami is here, it will be fixed anyway!”
“Even so, you! You can’t shoot that in front of people!!”
“This is a magic Kanami taught me to shoot at people! So, what’s wrong with shooting it at Kanami!!”
“Did I say that!?”
“Yes!”
“—Well then, you can shoot it at me! But don’t shoot it at the country called ‘Viais’!!”
“You’re saying it will hit ‘Viais’ because Kanami will avoid it!?”
“Of course, he’ll avoid it—! with something like this!!”
Perhaps due to the confusion from witnessing the surreal magic, we resumed combat, bickering like children.
Seeing Rowen preparing to charge more magic bullets, I dashed towards her to switch to close combat. It was bad if she fired bullets like that again and again.
However, as I ran, I noticed something strange.
I couldn’t put proper force into my left arm.
Upon closer inspection, my left arm was hanging limply.
Following that, I was struck by a dull throbbing pain that seemed to bore into my brain.
“Wh-Why—!?”
I had perfectly dodged the magic bullet 《Heavily Collapsed Color of Non-Wind Sword》.
It hadn’t even grazed me.
Yet, my arm was twisted and broken—!
With truly mere residual energy, I lost an arm.
“Hm…? Fu, fuhahahahaha! It’s broken!? How, how, how, did you experience my ‘Demon King’ power! You finally took one! Fuhahahahaha! Now close combat is my overwhelming victory!!”
Seeing this, Rowen rejoiced, stopped reloading her magic bullets, and ran towards me.
She likely thought that with me, weakened by injury, it would be simple to close in and capture me.
Rowen kicked off the ground and flew, approaching me freely as if mocking gravity.
