Hopes, who was leading from the front, drew his sword.
Then, with the momentum, he swung his arm sideways.
Along with this, the knights behind them began to chant. If one looked closely, the entire group wore light armor and carried staffs decorated with jewels. It could be predicted that they were a group of knights devoted to magic.
I tried to ignore everything and pass through, but taking out my sword from my “Inventory,” I increased my running speed.
Hopes stood in my way as if to block my path–
I didn’t slow my running speed.
I was confident I could cut him down as we passed each other.
I leaped in with momentum and swung my sword.
Hopes attempted to parry it while retreating.
His movements were not aimed at defeating me. What lay beyond his retreat was my momentum-fueled slash. While it might prolong the battle, in a board game, it would be considered a move leading to defeat.
However, that was if it were a one-on-one fight.
Just as my slash was about to hit Hopes, who had lost his footing from repeated retreats–the magic of the knights behind him was unleashed.
First, all the water from the fountain floated into the air and began to fall towards me.
I dodged it by leaping widely to the side. Of course, in that opening, Hopes regained his stance and drew his sword again.
It was clearly a delaying tactic.
I contemplated. With my current power, I could freeze all the manipulated water. The preparations for it were complete. The cold air from “Freeze,” accumulated within my Magic “Dimension – Decisive Calculation,” possessed such power.
If I were to consider the fastest approach, I could choose that.
However, I wanted to save it for the “Seven Knights of Heaven” I would encounter ahead, whom I had never seen before. Moreover, I couldn’t be sure if the magic from the knights in the rear was only water magic.
“Then–!”
I switched my sword to my left hand, took out a suitable hard stone from my “Inventory” that could be thrown, and hurled it with all my might towards the back of a knight’s head.
Hopes, who had been facing me, was surprised by the projectile he had somehow produced. Then, he attempted to parry it with his sword to block it. However, I used my left-hand sword to seal Hopes’s movements.
Several knights took the projectiles to the head and lost consciousness.
The stones thrown with my current strength and dexterity were now deadly weapons. However, some knights did not lose consciousness even with a direct hit. This was partly due to the high level of those knights themselves, but they were, after all, just stones.
“All troops! Form a double phalanx!!”
Hopes directed his orders towards the knights in the rear.
The knights quickly formed two lines, with those in front taking defensive postures and those in the rear performing incantations.
It was a fluid movement, like that of an army.
While marveling at it, I understood that breaking through their formation would not be easy.
I resumed throwing stones, but they were deflected by the knights in the front row, and could not reach the knights chanting in the rear.
Cold sweat trickled down my face.
I was not panicked by the enemy’s strength.
It was the current situation, where I could no longer hold back, that made me sweat.
If I only needed to break through, I could throw a spare sword from my “Inventory” with all my might. That alone would impale not only the knights in front but also those in the rear. However, that would most likely kill them.
I hesitated for a moment and implemented a compromise.
I took out a spare sword from my “Inventory” and intended to throw it with all my might at a non-fatal part of their body. Although I would avoid vital points, there was a considerable chance of fatalities occurring. However, having resolved to save Rustiara, I could not afford to hesitate.
“–!”
As soon as Hopes saw me take out a blade from my “Inventory,” he reversed his strategy of fighting while retreating and went on the offensive.
I instantly slashed the back of Hopes’s hand, causing him to drop his sword. It was easy to defeat him, as he had switched from defense to offense.
Hopes, having dropped his sword, quickly raised his voice.
“I, surrender! This is impossible! If you’re determined, then I lose!”
Raising both hands that must have been hurting, Hopes showed no intention of resistance.
The knights behind him looked at their captain’s surrender in bewilderment. They murmured, and eventually cries of resistance arose.
“There’s still more to come, Captain!! Our real strength begins now–”
“No, no, you’re not even a match for him! Even going easy to avoid injury, this is the result. Even ten of us wouldn’t be enough. Hurry up and drop your weapons. If you keep this up, people will die quickly. Ah, what a waste.”
Hopes sternly ordered the knights to drop their weapons.
With faces like they had eaten bitter fruit, the knights reluctantly placed their weapons on the ground.
Seeing this, I gave Hopes a small nod of thanks and immediately ran off.
“Thank you.”
I passed by Hopes.
I was truly grateful that they didn’t offer complete resistance.
“Sorry. For taking advantage of your good nature. But you managed to buy me almost twenty seconds. You should hurry.”
Hopes’s voice could be heard from behind me.
His tone somehow seemed to be encouraging me.
It felt like I had glimpsed Hopes’s character and a part of his position at Fuziaze.
I passed by the disarmed knights and hurried on my way.
To live up to Hopes’s encouragement, I couldn’t afford to waste even a second.
I passed through the central large garden.
This was half the way to the Cathedral. If I continued like this, I should be able to see the grand staircase in front of the Cathedral.
I had heard from Dia that the Cathedral was on a hill, and there were magnificent T-shaped and inverted T-shaped stairs on its slope.
After running through the long path adorned with jewels and flowers, I finally reached the grand staircase.
There, a battalion of dozens of knights awaited me.
At their forefront stood a knight with an obvious aura of strength.
His attire was light, similar to the magic knights from before. The decisive factor was that he carried not only a sword at his waist but also a jeweled staff.
He was probably one of the “Seven Knights of Heaven.” The first type of “Seven Knights of Heaven” specializing in magic–
He wore his long hair in multiple braids. He was a man of similar height to me.
He appeared to be around forty years old.
I tried to “Gaze” but stopped myself.
If it were a first encounter, analyzing the enemy’s strength was standard procedure.
However, I chose not to do so.
Fortunately, the conditions were right.
If the opponent was an unknown “Seven Knights of Heaven,” and I judged them to be magic-oriented, I had decided to use my new magic.
Therefore, I did not even spare the effort of “Gaze” and began constructing my magic.
I was confident that my greatest magic would be able to neutralize the opponent.
I began to chant the magic.
“Magic “Dimension,” Magic “Freeze”–”
The domain of perception magic enveloped the entire enemy battalion.
Simultaneously, the cold air of ice magic enveloped the entire enemy battalion.
The concept behind the new magic was exactly the same as “Dimension Snow.”
Only the scale was different.
“Dimension Snow” encased cold air within dimensional magic in the shape of bubbles. This time, it was encasing cold air within dimensional magic in the shape of a domain.
“–Magic “Dimension Winter”.”
A spherical domain with a diameter of about fifty meters centering on me turned into winter.
In this winter world, my ice magic’s performance would increase significantly.
However, the decrease in temperature was not the true value of this magic.
The true value of this magic lies in its obstruction of matter within its range.
As always, it was a composite magic born from the idea of replicating existing magic. This time, I emulated the soft wind magic that Mr. Hein had used.
Mr. Hein had filled the surroundings with wind, obstructing my magic “Dimension.” This is a magic that reproduces that and adds obstruction unique to ice magic.
I sensed through “Dimension” that the knight at the front, presumably one of the “Seven Knights of Heaven,” was attempting to activate magic.
I obstructed it by manipulating the cold air composed of my magic power.
The image was simple.
As someone from a world with advanced science, I interpret ice magic as magic that manipulates molecular kinetic energy.
If molecular kinetic energy becomes zero, it becomes absolute zero. Based on such trivial knowledge, I have performed ice magic with the image of manipulating the vibration of molecules that constitute matter with my magic power.
In other words, extending the magic that suppresses molecular motion to magic that suppresses enemy magic power. Fortunately, since enemy magic power can be finely grasped with dimensional magic, the image is easy.
I suppressed the magic power of the knights within the domain.
Gradually– I shifted their incantations so that they could not construct magic.
The knights, while feeling a slight chill and discomfort, released their magic.
But upon seeing the magic they had unleashed, everyone looked surprised.
The released spells were all visibly weakened. Some even failed to activate.
A flame the size of a match.
Water bullets that couldn’t travel far.
A shockwave that barely trembled.
Remnants of magic that merely churned with magic power.
None of them reached me.
The captain knight, presumed to be one of the “Seven Knights of Heaven,” was no exception.
He had been constructing an exceptionally powerful spell, but he succeeded in attenuating it by concentrating his consciousness.
“Alright…!!”
I smiled at the unexpectedly effective results.
Then, with a sword in one hand, deflecting the weak magic, I attacked the captain knight at the forefront.
The captain knight hurriedly tried to draw his sword from his waist.
I concentrated cold air onto his hand.
As a result, the captain knight struggled to draw his sword.
This was also an effect of Magic “Dimension Winter.”
It is a magic that creates a domain that refuses magic battles while also restricting the enemy’s movements.
Since it suppresses magic power, it is also possible to suppress the physical body. However, unlike suppressing delicate things like magic power, there is a limit to suppressing the physical body. To the opponent, it only causes a slight discomfort.
–A slight discomfort.
How unsettling that would be for someone who handles a weapon.
A slight deviation in the drawing motion, which they must have practiced repeatedly. This magic displays immense power to those who have honed their skills through relentless effort, engraving them into their bodies.
Perhaps it took the captain knight twice as long as usual to draw his sword.
Before my speed, that was fatal.
The moment the captain knight readied his sword, my sword had already been swung mercilessly.
The jeweled staff was cut in half diagonally, and I also inflicted a shallow cut on his chest.
With a returning blow, I slashed the back of his sword-wielding hand, lightly knocking his sword away.
This captain knight, as his appearance suggested, was a magic-specialist type who was weak in close combat. I struck his solar plexus with the pommel of my sword and swept his leg, making him fall.
Being struck with my strength would cause an impact so severe that it would cause his stomach contents to regurgitate.
The captain knight collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.
It was over.
Given that they had engaged in magic-centered combat, this unit was likely similar to Hopes’s.
As expected, the knights, having lost their captain, descended into chaos and were unable to stop me as I ran past.
I was attacked by some magic and sword strikes, but the scattered attacks from their broken formation posed no threat. I incapacitated nearby knights and sprinted up the stairs.
I ascended the T-shaped stairs, turned the corner– and ascended the inverted T-shaped stairs further.
Now, only the straight staircase remained.
However, the remaining straight staircase was long.
Visibly, there were nearly a hundred steps.
And halfway up that staircase, a single knight stood.
He was a giant knight clad in thick, jet-black armor.
Since he wore a full-face helmet, his gender and age were indiscernible. He had drawn his enormous black sword and was staring at me through a gap in his visor.
I intuitively knew that this knight was one of the “Seven Knights of Heaven.”
My ability to discern enemies had been honed by repeated battles with knights.
Moreover, standing alone on the staircase in front of the Cathedral.
That was the greatest proof.
The great responsibility of defending the last fortress alone.
That, in turn, meant–
[Status]
Name: Perciona Queiger HP421/434 MP105/105 Class: Knight
Level 27
Strength 10.98 Stamina 9.72 Dexterity 8.55 Speed 10.09 Intelligence 9.32 Magic Power 6.56 Aptitude 1.56
Innate Skill:
Acquired Skill: Swordsmanship 1.88 Divine Magic 1.95
This Black Knight, Perciona Queiger, was the strongest knight among the “Seven Knights of Heaven.”
