Chapter 15

Shuu, propelled by acceleration magic, soared into the sky and landed safely in the monster village. Just before landing, he used acceleration magic again to decelerate and gently touch down.

There, he saw a scene where people in holy knight uniforms were slaughtering monsters.

"These guys...!"

Shuu immediately spread a magic circle.

A magic circle with a radius of about thirty meters spread on the ground, glowing blue-white. Two holy knights who were killing imps entered the range.

"Die."

With those words, he activated *Sword Air Domain* and sliced the two holy knights in half. Deep red blood splattered, staining the surroundings.

The one who noticed this abnormality was another holy knight who was outside the range of *Sword Air Domain*.

"What is this... Did you do this!?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"So what!? No, who are you? I haven't heard of any humans in a monster village like this."

"Hmm, I wonder."

Shuu said this and activated his magic.

Since *Sword Air Domain* couldn't reach, he tried to blow the male holy knight away with acceleration magic. However, he was an expert at hunting monsters and experienced in combat.

Unlike Yumir, who was easily defeated, he countered the sudden appearance of the magic circle.

"Hmph! ...An ambush. How cowardly."

"Can you tear apart a magic circle? That's also magic armor, right?"

"I'm the one asking questions. Who are you?"

While continuing the conversation might be good, the village was gradually being destroyed, and the monsters were being killed. Because the village had grown large, Shuu couldn't cover the entire area alone. He needed to quickly take care of the holy knight in front of him.

Therefore, without answering the question, Shuu started attacking the holy knight.

"Weight increase"

"Ugh... This is..."

A magic circle that Shuu instantly deployed with his thought power generated a strong weight increase. The holy knight, unable to react to the magic circle spreading at his feet, easily became the magic's prey.

He knelt, bracing himself with one hand, trying to stand up. However, his body, which had become several times heavier, wouldn't obey. He could barely move with body enhancement.

"Damn it. You look human, but I'll treat you as an enemy. Don't complain."

However, that was because the holy knight was holding back.

He was an A-rank magic armorer, a human with vast magical power and formidable combat skills. He wouldn't be immobilized by just a few times the weight increase.

He redirected the magic power he was holding back to body enhancement, channeled magic power into his sword, and struck the weight increase magic circle on the ground. The magic circle was easily destroyed.

Magic has absolute power over physical phenomena but is not very resistant to magic power. Unless it is well-controlled or there is a significant difference in magic power density, a magic circle can be easily destroyed.

(He's really strong.)

A long time ago, Shuu had defeated the holy knight Zek Barat. At that time, he could instantly kill him with a vector conversion, but that might not be possible this time.

Moreover, unlike last time, Shuu's use of magic was known. The holy knight would likely always channel magic power in his attacks. Shuu's magic power is not infinite, so he couldn't afford to have his magic circles destroyed one after another. Magic power can only be recovered by taking it from others or eating, so he didn't want to waste it.

The holy knight didn't even give him time to think.

He readied his sword and rushed in with body enhancement.

"Haah!"

"Damn..."

Shuu used movement magic to forcibly move his body. The holy knight was surprised by the sliding movement but immediately responded. Lightning shot from his sword, attacking Shuu.

Shuu couldn't dodge the lightning attack, which was launched unexpectedly and at high speed, and it hit his left arm.

It seemed the holy knight had aimed for his heart, but the movement magic made it miss slightly.

"Damn..."

Even though he was materialized, he was originally a spirit-type monster, immune to pain. However, being a spirit-type monster was also a weakness.

Spirit-type monsters, essentially floating masses of magic power, are weak against magic power-based attacks.

An attack that would normally leave a severe burn could be devastating to a spirit-type monster, as the magic power that makes up their body would be blown away, dispersing the affected part.

Shuu, hit by the holy knight's lightning, had his left arm blown away.

However, no blood flowed.

"What...?"

The holy knight was surprised.

It was impossible for an arm to be blown away by a lightning attack that was launched in desperation, and the lack of blood was incomprehensible.

However, the holy knight, being a holy knight, had the knowledge to quickly deduce the answer.

"You... You're not human but a spirit-type monster. And a spirit that can materialize, right?"

"Sharp."

"Hmph. A high-class monster, huh. Then I won't hold back. I'll destroy you completely with the power of my magic armor."

Realizing Shuu was a spirit-type monster, the holy knight switched to magic armor attacks. Dense lightning bolts charged with magic power shot out, aiming to shatter Shuu.

He rolled reflexively, accidentally dodging the attack.

However, Shuu understood that this was just luck.

(Stronger than I imagined.)

Until now, he had been able to defeat holy knights by luck.

The difference was so significant that he could admit it honestly.

"You're lucky. How about this?"

"Damn..."

White lightning filled the surroundings. If this were a physical phenomenon, he could deflect the electrons with acceleration magic, but the strong magic power made it difficult to reflect.

The best option was to use acceleration magic to blow himself away.

He instantly deployed a magic circle with his thought power, channeled magic power, and propelled his body backward.

Despite colliding with a house built by monsters, he managed to dodge the lightning. He also managed to distance himself from the holy knight using lightning magic, making him temporarily safe.

"The compatibility is worse than I imagined. *Life Absorption* is useless at this level, and I don't have time to attack with magic, only to run."

Already, a significant number of monsters had been hunted.

While he couldn't grasp the entire village due to its size, the number of monsters was rapidly decreasing, as detected by his magic power. There were more than ten large sources of magic power that were eliminating the monsters' magic power. These were likely the holy knights.

Total annihilation was only a matter of time.

"First, I need to take down that holy knight."

Lightning was troublesome, but he had no choice but to defeat him.

Even if he ran, the holy knight wouldn't let him go.

As proof, the holy knight, using body enhancement, quickly ran to Shuu. As a high-class monster, Shuu was a significant threat to ordinary people and a target that needed to be eliminated.

"Tough monster."

"I can't be taken down easily as the ruler of this village."

"What? A spirit-type monster ruling goblin or pig-type monsters?"

"Surprisingly cute, right?"

When monsters form a group, the leader is often a higher species of the same type. It's a very rare pattern for a different type of monster to lead a group.

Thus, the holy knight was surprised.

Simultaneously, he judged Shuu to be dangerous.

"I see... You're the ruler of this village. So, you're our target?"

"If you came here with a purpose, that might be the case."

"Then I'll dispose of you with my own hands."

The holy knight raised his magic-armed sword. Intense lightning shot out, destroying the surroundings and heading towards Shuu. However, after seeing it a few times, he could devise a countermeasure.

Shuu immediately activated *Sword Air Domain* and sliced the lightning.

"What?"

The sliced lightning disappeared, not reaching Shuu. The holy knight tilted his head in confusion.

*Sword Air Domain* is not a magic that creates a cutting edge but a magic that decomposes an extremely thin domain. By decomposing the flow of electrons, the source of the lightning, and absorbing the contained magic power with *Life Absorption*, it posed no problem.

"Die!"

Shuu then targeted the holy knight. The invisible attack tried to tear him apart.

However, sensing the anomaly with magic power detection, the holy knight jumped away at the last moment. *Life Absorption* absorbs magic power before *Sword Air Domain* is activated, creating a slight time lag between the deployment of the magic circle and the activation.

Thanks to body enhancement, the holy knight managed to dodge in that brief moment.

(At this level, even *Sword Air Domain* can be dodged...)

Shuu realized he had underestimated the holy knight.

Until now, his victories had been due to luck. It was just a coincidence that he managed to turn the tables. There was no reason for Shuu to have an advantage against an experienced holy knight.

However, the holy knight was also surprised by Shuu's unexpected tenacity.

(I didn't expect to be this troubled by a high-class monster.)

High-class monsters are typically at a level where B-rank magic armorers can easily defeat them. Being forced to use serious magic power to defeat a spirit was humiliating for the holy knight.

Explosions echoed throughout the village, and wind and water raged.

Other holy knights were hunting monsters fiercely.

However, what about himself?

He was being held up by a high-class monster right in front of him.

"Don't underestimate me, monster!"

The holy knight roared and poured a large amount of magic power into his magic armor. Even for an A-rank magic armorer, it was a significant amount. It was truly a vast amount.

He pointed the tip of his magic-armed sword at Shuu and released the magic power.

"Perish, evil monster!"

"Wait..."

This magic power-infused attack couldn't be handled with *Sword Air Domain*'s makeshift defense.

(When there's this much magic power, it's often a trump card. A trump card is a technique that can definitely kill the opponent. If it's a trump card, it's likely a focused charged particle cannon rather than a discharge. If it has directionality, dodging is better than defending!)

Shuu instantly deduced the answer and disappeared from the spot using acceleration magic and movement magic. It looked like instant teleportation, but it was simply a combination of using acceleration magic to fly up and movement magic to control it.

Just as he managed to escape into the air, intense lightning pierced the spot where Shuu had been.

As expected, it was a charged particle cannon, and Shuu, who had escaped into the air, was unharmed. A powerful electromagnetic field was generated, making the surroundings tingle, but there was no damage.

If he had been just 0.3 seconds slower, his spirit body would have been shattered into pieces.

However, the crisis passed, and an opportunity arrived.

The holy knight, having launched such a powerful attack, couldn't see Shuu, who had narrowly avoided it. The release of vast magic power also temporarily disabled magic power detection. In other words, Shuu in the air could launch surprise attacks freely.

"Acceleration, weight increase, vibration"

Shuu, who had started free-falling, used acceleration magic to rush straight at the holy knight. He also used weight increase magic to boost the power.

He kept vibration magic in standby.

The holy knight noticed the sound of Shuu cutting through the air, but it was too late. Shuu's kick, amplified by weight increase and acceleration magic, hit the holy knight directly.

At that moment, he used the standby vibration magic to amplify the shock and sound.

As a result, the shock and sound of the kick, amplified inside the holy knight's body, destroyed his internal organs. Of course, the external impact of the kick was also devastating, and even body enhancement was meaningless, causing instant death.

A loud thud echoed, and the holy knight's body exploded.

Blood splattered and spread in a radial pattern.

A considerable amount of magic power was accumulated, but it wasn't enough for evolution. However, the magic power consumed by the magic was successfully recovered.

"Phew... Just in time..."

Looking around, countless dead monsters lay on the ground. Similar scenes were likely playing out throughout the village.

This village was a place Shuu had watched over.

Seeing the monsters he had grown attached to being killed like trash, his anger boiled like magma.

"I'll kill you."

While repairing his left arm, which had been destroyed in the previous battle, he muttered.

Shuu used movement magic and disappeared from the spot.