Chapter 56

When I first obtained the crystal of the teleportation magic, I tried to analyze its principles.

At that time, I couldn't easily ask Miralca for help, and when I later attempted to analyze it with Vellaine's assistance, I learned several facts.

First, the description of the magic circle required to enable long-distance teleportation cannot be fully reproduced by a human mage alone. To stably teleport to a distant coordinate, a completely different principle is needed, and the fact that this cannot be replicated is what makes teleportation crystals rare.

However, for short-distance teleportation, if I disregarded the intense consumption of magical power, it wasn't impossible for me.

"Did you manage to teleport because you analyzed the teleportation crystal, Master?"

"Hehe... So, Dee, you can do it too. You have a few teleportation crystals, after all. But I never taught you how to analyze the magic recorded in magical artifacts."

"You taught me the basics. If I can read the magical script, I can understand how the teleportation crystal works."

"No, Dee, you really are special. The magical script of the 'Star Relic' is something that ordinary children can't read even if taught."

Master acknowledges me, to some extent, ironically, because we once crossed swords.

I suppress the part of me that rejoices at this. With the 'Limited Restraint,' I can also suppress my emotions.

"Stellar Fact... Is that teleportation crystal one of those things?"

"The ruins of this kingdom haven't been fully explored. Dee, you didn't go deep into them out of consideration for the kingdom's investigation team, right? If you had, you would have understood what I'm saying."

"... Why are you telling me this now?"

Miralca asks. She didn't interfere in the exchange of techniques just now, but she is now focused, ready to include Master in the range of her magic circle at any moment—tension so intense it makes my skin tingle.

However, Master, like me, is skilled at techniques that seal the opponent's magic. No matter how quickly the magic circle can be activated, it would be difficult to hit her.

"I'm confident that Dee will return to me. I want to teach him everything he wants to know."

"Even after trying to kill him... I shouldn't be the one to say this, but your love is twisted."

"Hehe... You can't really talk, can you? You ran away from Dee when you thought he might be taken by someone else, hurting him. Yet, you still lingered around the tavern, watching Dee many times."

"..."

"Miralca, don't fall for the provocation. She's just trying to unsettle you."

How much does Master know—how much can she grasp? The answer is, 'She could know anything.'

She can know anything if she wants to, and that is the ability that supports her strength.

The information network I created was built through the investigations of the guild members. However, Master can read others' memories just by getting close—she can obtain vast amounts of information with just a few days' stay in the capital.

That's why she knows that I don't have absolute killing intent towards her. I should have done this from the beginning—I cast the 'Mental Defense' spell on both Miralca and myself to prevent our thoughts from being read.

"You're so kind, Dee. Even when a wounded wyvern attacked you, you desperately tried to heal it."

"That's because you helped me when I was injured."

"Yes. I thought I might as well help you because you were so foolish. You're only alive now because of my whims."

"You... how far...!"

She can be kind one moment and hurtful the next. In the past, I thought it was because I was a child and didn't understand her as an adult.

"Even if it's a whim, you recognized my strength and made me your disciple. That's why I have to stop you."

"... Let me tell you one thing. The Blue Archer Inn and the Purple Scorpion Inn were already doomed before I came. They were left behind by the times and couldn't secure the work needed to support their adventurers, nor could they develop new work. The twelve guilds in the capital should have been reduced to half. They were unnecessary."

"Why do you know so much about the guilds? What do you mean by 'returning'?"

The answer is already becoming clear. Why she was called the 'Gray Clown'—why the twelve guilds have color names—whether the guilds were originally twelve. I know they weren't, but I didn't want to think about Master's involvement.

"If Dee can defeat me, I'll tell you then. The magic circle won't reach me, so don't interfere."

"What...!?"

"I'm the only one whose magic can affect this person. It's better not to show your hand... Just like Miralca can analyze the structure of matter, this person can analyze magic and nullify it on the spot."

"... That's impossible. To analyze my magic circle on the spot..."

Master knows I can do the same, but she doesn't tell Miralca. She knows I will figure it out from the upcoming battle.

"Among the Demon King's slayers, the only one who's difficult to handle is the demon child. Her instantaneous attack power is the best I've ever seen. The knight and the magic circle user are not difficult to deal with. The Sword Spirit is troublesome, but it's not impossible to handle... like this."

I thought it was possible for Master, but seeing it for real, I had to admit it was troublesome.

Like the Sword Spirit, the Shield Spirit is a rare spirit that exists only one in the world, with absolute defensive power. She summoned it, transformed it into a round shield, and attached it to her arm.

In the murals of ancient ruins, there is a depiction of a goddess wearing a similar shield and holding a spear. Although Master's weapon is a fairy sword, I couldn't help but recall this image.

"To summon equipment... Besides the Sword Spirit, there are other spirits with such power...?"

"There's also the Armor Spirit. If you want to become stronger, you should have obtained it. Even at the SSS rank, your defense is so fragile."

Even without killing intent, I am always on guard against Master's actions. She swings her fairy sword, sending a magical slash at Miralca, but I teleport into the trajectory and deflect it.

"To go to such lengths. Dee, you really care about this girl, don't you?"

"... I didn't sense any killing intent at all. This person is emotionless..."

"Back then, it wasn't that bad. Master, can I speak freely?"

I will keep restraining Master until Miralca is out of range. I can see the flow of magic power when she casts a spell, and I can identify the type of magic she is casting.

"This shield can't be broken. I can't even break it myself, so it's impossible for Dee."

She thinks she has already gauged my strength.

However, I haven't released my inhibition yet. I don't know if Master has noticed this.

If she has, she wouldn't have taken no countermeasures. Master must be hiding her trump card.

"We won't know until we try. There are ways to defeat the opponent without breaking the shield."

"It's impossible with your current magic power. The way you are now, Dee, you can't possibly defeat me."

—No.

I just didn't confirm it before leaving her five years ago.

In these five years, Master's aura and the capacity of her magic power haven't changed at all. I didn't think this meant her strength hadn't changed.

After slaying the Demon King, I developed a method to continuously train myself by putting a load on my body. A byproduct of this was the Limit Release.

She didn't know about this. If she didn't need to know...

If an adventurer with the strength equivalent to the SSS rank didn't seek a way to further improve their strength.

"... Stop. Don't look at me like that."

My thoughts aren't leaking. Master's reaction changed just by looking at my expression.

"Why are you pitying me? Dee, you weren't supposed to be that kind of person. You were supposed to be weaker than me, always chasing after me, and continue to do so forever and ever."

"I'm not pitying you. I know I'm not weaker than you now."

"... Why do you think that? Someone who is bound by their fighting style can't possibly defeat me. How can you defeat me when you don't even want to kill me?"

I am not bound by anything. She just defined me on her own and believed I would return to her.

I came this far without clearly stating it. I hoped she had forgotten about me. Just like she had always wandered, abandoning everything and moving on to the next place.

"You can't break this shield, and you can't hit me. Dee—"

—Before she could finish, I had teleported. Right in front of Master.

By synchronizing the motion of swinging the sword with the timing of teleportation, I attack as soon as I appear.

"Ugh...!"

For the first time, emotion appears on Master's face as she uses the shield to defend. Up close, she looks as if time has stopped, retaining the appearance of a young girl.

A girl who can't grow up. If she were truly immortal, she would continue to live on that boundary—unable to grow like us.

"I waited in that village... I intended to keep our promise in the place where I taught you how to fight... But...!"

After blocking my attack, a magical force field emanates from the shield, trying to blow me away.

This 'force field' is also a type of magic activated through the Shield Spirit. If I can analyze it quickly and activate a counter-magic, it will be meaningless against me.

To speed up, I have to use it—unleash the abilities I usually keep sealed to the maximum.

Even knowing how much despair it would bring to Master.

—'Load Release, Restraint Liberation'—

The shackles that restrain my entire body are removed, and I am liberated. The world changes to match my liberated abilities.

My thought speed accelerates, and I analyze the force field generated by the Shield Spirit—defensive barrier, devise a counter-magic, and deploy it.

"... Why... I can't be faster than you... I can't lose...!"

"... Didn't you ask me to kill you? And now you're whining?"

"—You're mine, so why... why...!"

She isn't emotionless—she just had no interest in anything but me. Ever since we met.

I borrow Aileen's technique. I learned this ultimate technique through sparring with her, adapted it to swordplay, and incorporated elements of this battle.

—Asura Residual Image Sword: 'Teleport Thousand Cuts'—

A superior martial arts technique that consumes magic power to create tangible residual images and simultaneously attack multiple enemies.

By combining teleportation magic, I send the residual images around the enemy and attack simultaneously. If each one is enhanced with 'Slash Count Amplification'—

"Ah...!"

With the Shield Spirit's defensive barrier sealed, she has to withstand countless slashes with just her sword and shield.

It's impossible. But she managed to block the first hundred or so slashes. She continued to counterattack in all directions, but eventually ran out of strength.

"Dee... That technique is Aileen's..."

"My own techniques aren't that powerful. That's why it's best to learn from others."

"... Your adventurer strength isn't just a little over 100,000. Even if we four combined, we wouldn't match you..."

"That's an exaggeration. My techniques can't match the real thing. I'm just versatile in combining them."

Miralca smiles, unsure of what expression to make. I feel bad for making her look like that.

Even if she knew I could use her 'magic circle,' she probably wouldn't be too surprised now. I demonstrated Aileen's 'Asura Residual Image Fist' with about 80% accuracy.

"... Ugh... Ugh..."

Battered by the slashes, Master kneels. Her fairy sword is riddled with countless scratches and notches, and the shield, which is supposed to be able to defend against a 'Light Sword,' is also covered in scratches. The polished surface, once like a mirror, is now marred, but the scratches gradually repair themselves—the Shield Spirit has a self-repair ability.

A magic sword imitating a 'Light Sword' can damage the Shield Spirit. I'm not sure if it can destroy it, but I have a feel for it—my magic sword wouldn't break even when clashing with Cordy.

When the battle ends, Aileen, carrying Yuma, and Cordy and Vellaine arrive. They also see me in my Limit Release state, but I quickly sheathe my sword and suppress my power again.

"Dee... I thought you were struggling at first. You completely defeated her."

"... The Dee from just now, just watching made me shiver... Will you explain the situation to me later?"

"Dee, that's the leader of the White Goat Inn... Ah, her clothes are in tatters..."

While Yuma panics, Vellaine steps forward, removing her apron and placing it over Master's body. I didn't inflict deep wounds with my slashes; I just wore down her magical defenses and exhausted her, so there isn't much severe bleeding.

Still, it's true that I reduced her to tatters. I destroyed her armor so thoroughly that she is almost naked under the apron.

Vellaine kneels beside Master, looking at her with a thoughtful expression. She continues to stare for a while.

"... I never thought your master would be 'them.' I didn't believe they actually existed... And to defeat them..."

"Them... Vellaine, do you know about Master?"

Master, who had deep ties to the White Goat Inn, possessed strength equivalent to the SSS rank, yet continued to wander. She looked unchanged like an elf but wasn't one. Vellaine was about to tell me who she really was.