Chapter 92

Water, earth, and wind combined in the triple synthesis magic "Ice Steel Fang," which I activated by concentrating my magical power.

The ice and snow, hardened and condensed to the point of steel by ultra-low temperatures, were bundled into a small tornado and twisted into a thin, sharp form.

The spiral of ice swirled like a writhing snake, emitting a low roar.

"---Here I go."

As I swung my arm, the spiral of ice extended toward Gitan like a whip.

It shattered Gitan's magical barrier with a single strike and pierced through his right arm.

"Ugh!? M-My right arm won't regenerate...!?"

"To prevent the regeneration of slime-type creatures, you need to keep them in a frozen state! There's no way Lord Lloyd wouldn't know that!"

Jiriel shouted.

The spiral of ice that had pierced Gitan returned to me, tracing an arc under my control.

The next target was the left arm. Gitan hesitated to use his magical barrier and tried to dodge.

However, the areas that he couldn't avoid were frozen.

I manipulated the spiral of ice, continuing my attacks without letting up.

"Wait, wait! ...Wait, I say... Ugh!? T-There are so many people around! You're attacking without any regard for them...! Are you still a royal who should protect the people!?"

"Rude. I'm being careful. I'm trying to avoid hitting anyone."

"Well, we're guarding you, aren't we!?"

Indeed, when it occasionally seemed like I might hit someone, Grimo Jiriel would block it, keeping everyone safe.

If I didn't hit anyone, there would be no problem.

"Grr... Then, I'll use them as a shield directly!"

Suddenly, Gitan dove into the crowd and grabbed a child by the collar.

He pulled the child close and held them in a headlock.

He was planning to use the child as a shield.

"That's cheating! Using a child as a shield!"

"Ugh!? Saying that while attacking is contradictory, isn't it!?"

To be clear, I aimed for his feet to avoid involving the child.

I directed the spiral of ice at Gitan, who jumped to avoid it, but the child was used as a shield. Damn.

I clicked my tongue and redirected the spiral of ice, missing by a wide margin.

"Lord Lloyd, even if we guard, we can't protect just the child pinpoint! The direct hit of your magic can't be withstood. Using the child as a shield is impossible to deal with!"

Indeed, this would involve collateral damage.

I gave up and canceled "Ice Steel Fang."

The spiral of ice that had returned to me dissipated and vanished.

"Haha, hahaha... I'm relieved that you don't have the foolishness to attack a child! It seems you do have a heart after all."

Gitan laughed with a dry voice, beads of cold sweat on his forehead.

I felt like he was being incredibly rude.

"Indeed, you are a remarkable person, beyond my expectations. Despite being a child, your magical prowess is terrifying, and it's understandable why Lord Jiriel holds you in such high regard. If you don't end your life now, you might become a threat to me in the future."

Gitan's raised right hand swelled, and a dragon's face emerged.

"Oh... It's a Black Dragon! The strongest dragon species in the demon world! To generate such a thing...!?"

"Perhaps he obtained it from something the demons once brought... He's using his position as the Pope to the fullest...!"

A Black Dragon is a rare creature, hardly seen even on the continent.

Its roar shakes all living beings, and its breath can burn an entire village in one strike.

Using such a creature here would be a disaster.

"Hehehe, I didn't intend to go this far. But it's your fault. Your strength is that great! Now, die! Bow to my power and vanish without a trace!"

Magic concentrated in the dragon, and flames began to leak from its mouth.

This guy is planning to release his breath here. The city will be devastated.

Damn, what to do... Ah, I can use that.

The strange use of holy magic that Galilea mentioned.

I wondered what it could be used for, but now is the time.

It's a first try, but there's no other choice.

I concentrated my magic at my fingertips.

A shining light gathered at my fingertips and began to emit a flash.

"Holy magic!? Huh! Don't you understand that it's useless no matter how many times you try!?"

"■■■---"

High-speed incantation with a spell bundle, it's fine. I can make it in time.

"---This is the end!"

The dragon's head opened its jaw and released a bright red flame.

Instantly, everything in front of me turned white.

"...Farewell to my church. Though I'm reluctant, I'll take advantage of this chaos to escape with my research results."

Gitan muttered and tried to walk away—then he opened his eyes wide.

He stopped, seeing me standing there as the smoke cleared.

"W-Why are you still alive...!? No, it's not just you! Why are the buildings and people unharmed...!?"

---Indeed, the city should have been destroyed and turned into a sea of fire by the Black Dragon's breath.

Yet, everything around us was completely unscathed. The buildings were intact, and the believers looked confused, not knowing what had happened.

"Yeah, it worked out somehow."

A sigh of relief. I approached Gitan.

"Don't come closer! If you get any closer, this child will die!?"

"It's too late. Give up, Gitan."

"You think this is a bluff!?"

Gitan said, sliding his sharp claws along the child's neck.

He probably expected a gush of red blood.

"...What? What's happening...?"

The child was completely unharmed.

He looked at me and Gitan with a puzzled expression.

"Impossible! Ugh!? Why? Why can't I hurt him...!?"

The reason was simple: just before his attack, I had applied a spell to the child's body.

Holy magic "Healing Light," a holy magic that heals the body with sacred light, but it has a different use from ordinary healing magic.

Ordinary healing magic heals wounds by emitting magical light when the spell is activated, but "Healing Light" involves attaching the spell to the wound and healing it over time.

It's like a bandage. Surprisingly, it's the same type of holy magic as "Light Weapon," and when you attack the area where "Healing Light" is attached, it has the effect of healing the opponent instead of dealing damage.

Galilea and the others discovered this during combat training.

Using this, you can nullify the opponent's attacks unilaterally.

However, if the opponent is calm, they will quickly realize it, and breaking the spell is easy.

It's only useful in extreme situations, like this one.

"---Impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible!"

Gitan was flustered, confused, and shaking his head.

I took advantage of this moment to sneak up behind him, silencing my presence with magic.

I then activated the purification holy magic "Aurora."

A flash of light enveloped Gitan—

"Ugh!? A, a barrier...!?"

Gitan tried to deploy a barrier, but the part where "Ice Steel Fang" had grazed him was frozen, and some parts of his brain had stopped functioning.

Thus, I was faster.

"Aaaaaaaah!"

Gitan's massive body jerked violently.

White smoke spewed from his mouth and dissipated.

"Done it, Lord Lloyd! The guy's rolling his eyes!"

"Gitan's evil is being purified. When he wakes up, he'll be back to normal."

Gitan, who had fallen to the ground, had a face that looked somewhat at ease.