Chapter 55

Long awaited, everyone!!

"You two, you were too easy to defeat."

"Lady Tia..."

"Everyone, move back further to avoid getting caught in it."

"Damn... Yes."

Tia had been holding back the Death Lizard, which had been charging at her, with a protective magic array she created with one hand.

Above her, a flying dragon was also present, accumulating a vast amount of magic in its mouth, a sign of an impending breath attack.

While protecting the other soldiers, she certainly didn't have the courage to withstand such an attack, so she ordered the soldiers to move back.

The soldiers, unable to do anything, looked frustrated.

*Grrrr...*

It seemed the flying dragon's breath attack was fully charged. It tilted its head back, preparing to release it.

"I don't want to be hit by anything coming out of that mouth... ———— The power of rejection, the flow that repels, the fluidity that stops, the wall that repels everything ———— *Reflection Magic Array*"

*Gaaaaaa!*

As the breath attack was released, Tia's high-speed incantation protective magic array was deployed.

These protective magics, called defensive spells, are as important in this world as body enhancement spells.

This is not only because of their performance but also because they influence one's way of life.

Basically, people first learn elemental magic, and then choose either enhancement magic or defensive magic.

Those who choose enhancement magic generally become magic swordsmen who use their bodies.

Elka is an example of this.

Conversely, those who choose defensive magic generally become complete ranged-type mages who cast spells from a distance.

They do not enhance their bodies but create walls with magic arrays to block enemy attacks.

Tia is precisely this type.

She rarely moves, burning, shooting, and piercing enemies from her spot.

She blocks enemy attacks with defensive magic and then strikes back.

This is Tia's way of fighting.

Incidentally, Grain, who had little aptitude for magic, is a complete swordsman who only knows body enhancement magic through magic control.

He can't even produce ice and cannot deploy magic arrays.

"I'm sending it all back."

The fireball from the flying dragon, upon hitting the *Reflection Magic Array*, was deflected with a high-pitched sound and struck the dragon directly.

Although it is a fire dragon and doesn't take damage from fire, it seemed a bit surprised.

"... I've gauged your strength. It's time for me to end this."

Seeing the Death Lizard, which kept charging at the magic array, and the flying dragon, which was charging another breath attack, Tia sighed softly and began her incantation, both verbally and with her free hand.

"Thunder roars in the sky, thick and heavy thunderclouds, like the wrath of a god that shakes everything, an unmoving heart, my cold, cruel eyes, now witness the one who is pierced and dies ————"

*Flash of wind, a cut that slices the body, an invisible cut, a supersonic cut, a blade that severs life, a single wish, to cut the enemy ————*

Tia's mouth spun words, and her hand, glowing with magic, drew a magic array in the air.

*Writing incantation* ———— a high-level technique used by high-ranking mages when they cannot speak the words.

Instead of speaking, they draw the magic array in the air with their fingers, which, of course, makes the activation speed much slower.

However, in Tia's case, even if she slowed down her verbal incantation to match the speed of her hand movements, she still had time to spare.

In this world, no one, not even Setsu or Fuyuma, can surpass her incantation speed.

"—— *Judgment of the Thunder God*"

*—— *Flash of the Wind God*"

What followed was a mere instant.

Suddenly, a thundercloud appeared, and lightning struck the flying dragon.

An invisible blade of wind, released from the magic array, bisected the Death Lizard.

These events happened in an instant ————

The monsters, known as calamities in this world, were scattered by the hands of a single girl.

"Parallel incantation..."

One of the soldiers muttered.

Parallel incantation, as the name suggests, is a technique of simultaneously incanting different spells with the mouth and hand.

Only a select few can use it, and it is impossible without the ability to perform writing incantation.

Of course, even Setsu cannot do it, but Tia is even more advanced, being a user of three-row parallel incantation.

This time, without actually incanting, she completed two S-rank spells while maintaining the protective magic array.

This is a technique made possible by her top-tier magic control, enhanced by her magic eye that can see magic power.

"Done."

Tia, with a composed face, brushed off the dust from her hands.

"What... My toys... a, all destroyed?"

"You can see for yourself."

"Elka, you need to let her escape from reality."

"I apologize."

Now... the only things protecting Mera were the magic soldier she was sitting on, Arize Ifrit, and another magic soldier standing beside her.

She still had monsters inside her, but since even S-rank monsters couldn't stand up to them, there was no point in summoning more.

If she had stronger monsters, she would have already used them.

"What are you... Are you really human?"

"Yes. Just a human who admired a monster-like person."

"I don't understand... What? You became this strong on your own...? You achieved this through effort...? Without any enhancements or drugs...?"

"..."

"I don't understand... I don't understand!"

Mera screamed, slashing her wrist to create a black hole with blood.

The monsters that crawled out immediately attacked Elka and the others.

However ————

"Futile."

As they approached, they were frozen, torn apart, and sliced by the wind.

"Go!"

Mera jumped off the magic soldier and ordered them to attack.

By then, the monsters were already all dead, and only their corpses lay on the ground.

"Desperate struggle..."

Grain's sword ran, and with one stroke, he cut down the magic soldier.

Unable to do anything, the weapon, bisected at the shoulder, would never move again on the bodies of the dead monsters.

"It shouldn't be like this... I'm still..."

"I don't know your situation... but I'll defeat you here."

Grain closed the distance with Mera and swung his sword.

Just before the sword could strike her, Arize stepped in.

"Arize!"

Grain's sword stopped involuntarily.

Memories of the days spent with her and Setsu flashed back, causing him to hesitate.

In the end, he couldn't move his sword.

"Damn... Step back!"

He pulled back his sword and prepared to kick.

However, the decisive moment had already passed for his opponent.

The last magic soldier, stepping in front of Arize, took the kick to protect her.

The armor shattered, and the impact of the kick deeply penetrated the flesh.

"So... the inside is human..."

The sensation of cutting the magic soldier was not that of cutting an inorganic object but definitely that of cutting a human.

He couldn't be sure ———— no, he didn't want to be sure, but now he was certain.

And the sensation of touching the skin and feeling the flesh revealed another fact.

This was the body of a demon... probably forced to fight on the human side and locked inside this contraption.

The magic soldiers he had seen so far were all the same size, but if a normal demon was inside, there might even be children, Grain speculated.

Anger welled up inside him.

However, the time spent thinking cost him.

"Grain!"

"!"

Arize was ready with her rapier.

Grain remembered how refined her rapier was.

Elka's voice made him realize it was too late to defend.

"Alright!"

Mera's voice rang out.

The timing of Arize's thrust was so perfect that he involuntarily clenched his fist.

The next moment, Grain's body was rolling on the ground.

Elka had barely pushed him out of the way, preventing the sword from piercing him.

Instead, the tip of the rapier grazed her shoulder, tearing the flesh and drawing blood.

"Sorry! Is the wound okay?"

"It's shallow, so I'm fine. More importantly..."

"Haha... Hahahaha! Hahahaha!"

Mera was laughing.

A mad, terrifying laugh.

Despite the hopeless situation, with Arize's failed attack and the twitching magic soldier, she continued to laugh.

It was as if she was certain of victory.

"Is something funny?"

"Ah, I laughed, I laughed... No, no, I thought this gave me a chance to win. I wish it had been a bit deeper, though..."

"What are you ————"

"*Control Magic* ———— *Puppet Play*!"

"!? A unique spell!?"

Grain immediately braced himself.

He realized the spell Mera used was a unique spell.

Unique spells are rare, with only one person in the world possessing each, and they are extremely powerful.

That's why he was on guard, but Mera, with her arm extended, did nothing.

So, it was a bluff... Grain felt let down.

In other words, he let his guard down.

"Grain! To the side!"

"!?"

Tia, who was behind him, shouted.

The next moment, Grain's armor shattered, and a cut appeared on his body.

Bright red blood spurted out.

Not knowing what had happened, Grain looked at Elka, who had swung her sword at him.

"Here we go! Time for the final act!"

With Mera's voice, Elka raised her sword again ————

—— and brought it down on Grain, who was on his knees.