Chapter 72

The forbidden spell, with a single activation, can destroy even a large city and alter the landscape. Its range extends to the horizon, and it is said that if used against an enemy army, it can kill ten thousand people for sure.

The forbidden spell, which is also the thirteenth tier of wind magic, *Earth Annihilation Wind Pressure*, turned the Glen Rock Field into a wasteland. It might as well be called the wasteland of Glen now.

"Looks like it's mostly over."

"Mr. Shu, you can use a forbidden spell too?"

"After reading the forbidden spell book I received from Rainwald and analyzing it, I can activate a forbidden spell without incantation by constructing a magic array."

All the large rocks were blown away, and at the center where *Earth Annihilation Wind Pressure* exploded, there was even a crater-like formation. Fragments of magic tools and weapons were scattered around.

There would be few survivors.

One of them was the Awakened Magic Armorer, Ruto.

"You did well."

She erected a gravity barrier and cut through the swirling wind descending from the sky. With her power that could even distort light, this level of task was easy.

Shu stepped in front of Iris, positioning himself to protect her from Ruto.

"According to plan, I managed to take out the empire's forces targeting me all at once. Now, it's just you. There seem to be a few others who survived, but they won't be able to move properly."

"...That's right."

Ruto also sensed the presence of her comrades through magic perception. However, they were weak.

It was certain they couldn't move.

"I thought my name, 'Reaper,' would surely draw them in. The name of the Black Cat is absolute in the empire. It was perfect that they formed a hunting party so beautifully. It's just right to sell my name to the revolutionary army."

"You really look down on me, and the empire."

"Yes, I do. Because you're only this much."

"Haha..."

"Hehe..."

Shu's provocation seemed like a lie.

Their battle began abruptly.

Ruto, accelerated by gravity, extended her index and middle fingers of her right hand to form a sword. She would cut everything with the pressure of gravity. Ruto didn't need a weapon.

On the other hand, Shu deployed magic and accelerated. He dodged Ruto's gravity sword, which left a gash in the ground. Shu, who had circled behind her, drained energy with a death magic spell. It was a spell that would kill a normal human instantly, but it had no effect on the Awakened Magic Armorer, Ruto.

"Wh-What? My power!?"

For a moment, she felt a sense of exhaustion, but Ruto, who possessed infinite magic power, quickly recovered. While not truly infinite, her magic power could recover without limit, making the Awakened Magic Armorer invincible.

She could naturally recover magic power that normally required food and rest.

By supplementing her physical strength with magic power, she could fight indefinitely.

Even if her magic power and life force were drained by Shu's death magic, she could recover immediately.

Ruto deployed a gravity field, trying to crush Shu. If pinpoint attacks didn't work, a wide-area attack would do the job. It was a simple idea.

Awakened Magic Armors didn't need much skill. When they wielded their magic arms, enemies died, so this response was correct.

However, Shu was not human.

Shu, who had materialized as a spirit, easily slipped through the gravity field.

Then, Shu deployed a massive magic array on the ground. It was the *Void Cutting Field*, a disintegration magic that could slice through all matter. To invalidate defenses with death magic, this spell would surely kill the enemy once they entered the magic array's field.

"Out of the way."

Ruto was expected to dodge, but she casually swung her right arm. Surprised that Shu wasn't caught by gravity, she remained surprisingly calm. For her, the unexpected was within the realm of the expected.

Gravity bared its fangs along the arm she swung.

A long, narrow gravity field extended far. When a powerful force was concentrated in a small area, the pressure became extremely high. Pressure was the indicator that affected matter.

Ruto generated immense pressure from powerful gravity, tearing the ground apart. The power of her magic arm, which included magic, affected the magic array, shattering Shu's *Void Cutting Field*.

Shu created shurikens with magic and threw them. Ruto deflected them with a gravity wall. However, in that moment, Shu activated death magic, draining life force. Even so, Ruto recovered instantly.

(Here it is.)

For Awakened Magic Armors, it wasn't death magic but death magic power.

During his battle with the holy knight Selster Altrain, he recognized its effectiveness. Dark magic power gathered in Shu's right hand and was released.

When life force and magic power were drained from an Awakened Magic Armor who could recover infinitely, there was a slight time lag before recovery. It was a very small gap, but Shu could aim for it.

Ruto tried to deflect it with gravity.

But death magic power was the concept of death itself.

Gravity died.

It pierced through the wall and struck Ruto directly.

"Wh-!?"

She must have realized, and defended with her left arm.

The death magic power touched Ruto's left arm, turning it to ash from the elbow down. The death magic power was eroding from the elbow to the upper arm, and if it continued, her entire body would turn to ash. Realizing this, Ruto cut off her left arm. Her lack of hesitation was commendable.

She immediately stopped the bleeding and counterattacked Shu.

Ruto compressed a small area with gravity, creating a micro-black hole attack. It attacked Shu, but he absorbed it with death magic.

"Attacks with magic power don't affect me."

"Unfair."

Unfair.

That word suited the king of monsters.

The Dark King Shu Arkwright bestowed death upon all things.

"You underestimated me as just an assassin."

For Ruto, the mental struggle continued.

◆◆◆

"Ugh..."

Ike opened his eyes.

The sky was already clear.

Then he remembered. The 'Reaper' had deployed a massive magic array covering the sky and activated the forbidden spell *Earth Annihilation Wind Pressure*.

Pain shot through his body, and Ike groaned as he tried to get up.

With the help of an unaligned enhancement magic, he managed to roll over onto his stomach.

His vision was still blurry, and he couldn't see the surroundings clearly.

"Ike...san, you're...awake..."

In the shaking vision, Ike crawled toward the voice. He extended his hand, hearing the sound of his armor scraping against the ground.

Splat.

Ike's fingertips touched a warm, sticky liquid.

He realized.

The iron-like, raw smell.

"This is...blood..."

Then Ike figured out whose blood it was.

He squinted.

"Sadi...na?"

"It's...me, Ike...san."

"Hey...your leg..."

Ike saw clearly. Sadi's lower body was crushed under a large rock. Most of the rocks that had been scattered by *Earth Annihilation Wind Pressure* had been blown away to the outskirts. Unfortunately, Sadi had been caught under one.

His vision stabilized.

Ike, who had suddenly stood up, almost collapsed from the pain. But he endured it and approached Sadi.

"Move the rock—"

"It's...useless."

"But...!"

"I know...I'm going to...die."

"Shut up."

Ike looked around.

Using a magic arm, moving the rock would be easy. However, Sadi would die from excessive bleeding. He needed to find someone who could use healing light magic. There were few such users among the court magicians, and it was unlikely he would find one quickly. If left alone, the bleeding would continue, leading to death from excessive blood loss.

But he couldn't give up.

"I'll heal you, so don't talk."

Feeling for magic power, he found nothing. No one was around, or they were dead and undetectable.

His anxiety grew.

Looking closely, the rocks were scattered in a parabolic shape with Sadi at the apex.

The area where Ike had fallen was strangely clear, as if something had protected it.

"Could it be...you protected me?"

He used wind magic to block the flying rocks.

It seemed that way.

To protect Ike, she had deployed magic, and in the end, was crushed by a large rock. That was what he realized.

"Ike...san, defeat...the 'Reaper'."

"Sadi...na! Sadi! Sadi...naaaaaa!"

Sadi spat out blood and closed her eyes, becoming still. Ike pressed his ear to her chest, hearing her weakening heartbeat.

"Damn it. Someone, heal her! A healing magic arm will do! Anyone! Hurry!"

Without healing power, Ike could only watch as Sadi's life slipped away. He had a healing potion, but it had been lost when *Earth Annihilation Wind Pressure* blew him away.

Even if he had it, a healing potion wouldn't cure a fatal wound. At best, it would extend her life slightly. There were high-performance potions, but Ike didn't have any. They were carried by the supply team.

"Please...open your eyes..."

All Ike could do was plead.

He had thought that killing the 'Reaper' was enough. It wasn't wrong, and given that the 'Reaper' had taken something precious from Ike, it was a natural wish. He had gained strength through resentment alone.

In front of the 'Reaper,' he had ignored his comrades.

This was the result.

Even if they had fought together, the outcome might not have changed. But it might have. Only regret remained for Ike.

"Her heartbeat is weakening...and won't stop!"

Sadi's heartbeat gradually faded and finally stopped.

He could do nothing.

"Hey, Sadi. Open your eyes."

Sadi, crushed under the large rock, died in her own blood. The cause of death was excessive blood loss, which was obvious.

But it didn't matter to Ike.

"Damn...damn! Why don't I have power...at a time like this...!"

Even on the brink of despair, even with his hatred exploding, Ike's magic arm didn't awaken. Because his heart wasn't moving forward.

The will to transcend the laws of the world and bring about a miracle was the nourishment for awakening.

Ike, trapped in the past, didn't have that qualification.

Ike stood up.

"...That way."

He felt intense magic power from multiple sources.

At the same time, the ground was shaking. From the magic power, it was likely Captain Ruto and the 'Reaper.'

Ike's hatred burned fiercely.

"I didn't know. When you feel anger like this, you don't even feel like shouting."

A flame of a dragon enveloped Ike.