“……[Status Up], [Septuple].”
First, I cast the biggest buff I can handle right now on myself.
Then, at the feet of Oliver who’s about to swing his sword for the third time, I cast [Reflective Wall].
Immediately after, Oliver is sent about three metres into the air.
Confirming this, I grab my favoured sword, Schwarzhase, and position myself directly under Oliver.
“[Magic Sword Unification] — [Third Mode]!”
I transform Schwarzhase into a magic sword. And that mana expands to form a Greatsword.
“–su!!”
I swing Schwarzhase with all my might.
Oliver easily receives it with his sword, but this time I’m wielding a magic sword.
The opposite from before, my strike with [Impact] shatters Oliver’s sword into pieces. Then, I send Oliver farther up into the air.
(I’m going to nail him in the air like this!)
There are two reasons for choosing to fight in the air.
The first is that if we continue to fight on the ground, there will be damage to the surroundings, like earlier.
If we were in a labyrinth, we wouldn’t have to worry about what’s around us, but this is a city.
If possible, I don’t want destruction.
Second, Oliver doesn’t have the ability to move freely in the air.
I’ve never seen him use [Mana Convergence] to create improvised footholds like I have, and even if he could, I doubt the current Oliver is capable of that.
Already without a weapon, there’s no way Oliver can counter.
In the air then, I can’t be challenged.
–That’s what I thought.
I kick the ground to close the distance in pursuit of Oliver.
As I’m about to catch up, the golden aura emitted by Oliver, which had been thrown into the air, begins to squirm.
It gathers on Oliver’s back, and the golden mana changes to something like wings.
“–What!?”
Oliver’s wings aren’t just for show, they actually seem to allow him to move in the air, and he suddenly swoops down on me.
“–su!”
I activate [Reflective Wall], and when Oliver touches it, he is bounced straight up.
While Oliver is adjusting his posture in the air, I rise to the same altitude as Oliver and stand on a foothold I created with [Mana Convergence].
Oliver and I stare at each other in the sky.
“Seriously, what’s going on, Oliver. What happened to you?”
“………….”
I knew he wouldn’t answer, but I couldn’t help but call out to him.
Oliver and I have ended up walking on different paths.
But it’s not a separation.
Oliver is still my good friend.
That’s why I’m upset Oliver did this and I definitely want to stop him.
“……I don’t want to think that you destroyed the city on your own volition. If you can’t stop this by your own will, then I will stop you. –[First Mode]”
I change Schwarzhase from a Greatsword to a Longsword.
Before, there was a time limit on the [Magic Sword Unification].
But now, that’s been overcome.
The current [Magic Sword Unification] has no such limit.
After the battle with “Amunzers”, I even gave up on sleep to improve [Magic Sword Unification].
As a result, this magic was completed before Thanksgiving started.
It’s not something temporary like before, it can be maintained as a magic sword for the entire duration of an actual battle.
Though I say that, it can’t remain this way forever, as maintaining the magic sword requires periodic casts of magic, like renewing buffs.
As for aerial manoeuvring, much more than I, who can only move in straight lines, Oliver who can move freely has an advantage
However, without wielding a weapon, Oliver can’t deal any direct damage to me!
At the same time as I kick the foothold, I scatter the mana in the foothold and with the momentum of that impact, I close in on Oliver at high speed.
“–su!”
Getting in sword range, I swing Schwarzhase.
Oliver protects himself by wrapping his wings around his body.
Oliver receives my strike directly and is blown away like a pinball.
“[Thunder Arrow]!”
To chase after Oliver as he flies back, I shoot out five thunder arrows.
And in order to pierce Oliver’s wings, I activate [Impact] on the thunder arrows, but the wings are able to withstand.
(That’s an attack that pierced even the scales of a Black Dragon. How tough are they……)
As I test the sturdiness of Oliver’s wings, he suddenly disappears from my sight, the next moment he moves right above me.
“–su!?”
And from there, he swings his right fist down on me.
I just barely manage to dodge the fist, but am struck by the wing.
“Gghh!”
After being thrown several metres horizontally, I’m finally able to balance myself.
‘This is seriously bad……”
Oliver’s unusual strength makes me break out in a cold sweat.
As if to mock me, Oliver evolves further.
Oliver’s two hands gather mana and form something in the shape of huge beast claws.
“I really wish you’d give me a break.”
After spitting out a complaint, I refocus.
If I let my guard down, I’ll be hit in an instant. From here on out, I can’t lose concentration for even a moment.
“[Flash]!”
While closing the distance, I generate a strong light in front of Oliver’s eyes.
(While he’s blinded–!)
After reaching Oliver’s side, I swing Schwarzhase horizontally.
My attack is blocked by the wings before it reaches Oliver.
(Even if I block his vision, he can still handle me huh?)
Oliver’s right arm like he’s about to swing a sword.
“[Reflective Wall]!”
(If I repel this attack, I can create a clear opening–su!?)
[Reflective Wall] can easily bounce back a Black Dragon’s fireballs even at close range,
However, Oliver’s claws simply destroy that wall.
And the slash from the claws continues and reaches me.
“……!”
Fortunately, I’m able to avoid it hitting any vital points.
Despite bleeding severely from four deep gouges, I’m able to gain space from Oliver.
Then I immediately cast [Ex Heal] on myself.
While I’m recovering, three tails made of mana appear around Oliver’s waist.
And those three tails bend and attack me.
“Tsk. [Second Mode]!”
The mana of my sword splits to form two daggers for intercepting those incoming tails.
I parry the tails coming at me from all directions with the two daggers as I sense Oliver gathering mana in his right hand, raised above his head.
“Damn!”
Oliver swings his right hand, now glowing gold, down at me, stuck in place by his tail attack.
Five golden slashes assault me.
“[Fifth Mode]!”
A shield larger than my body appears between Oliver and me.
When the shield and the slashes make contact, I also activate [Impact], and somehow I manage to endure.
–But I can’t rest easy.
The shield appears directly in front of me.
The tails’ attacks comes from all directions, so this shield cannot protect me.
“[Second Mode]!”
I immediately switch back to the two daggers, and fight off the tail attacks coming from my sides and behind me.
◇
From then on, this exchange of attack and defence continued for what seemed like an eternity.
It’s only actually been about fifteen minutes, but it feels so much longer than that.
“Haa…… haa…… ha…..”
“………….”
In the battle up to now, I haven’t achieved a single effective attack, while on the other hand, Oliver’s attacks have reached me numerous times.
My external injuries have been healed by recovery magic, so there aren’t any wounds, but my Clan uniform can’t be repaired in the same way and is in tatters.
(If we keep fighting like this, I’ll never be able to find a winning chance. I have to change how I fight.)
As for how I should fight, I’m still thinking about.
<This is Selma Claudel from “Night Sky’s Silver Rabbit”. I am currently speaking to all the explorers in Tutril. This is due to my Talent. You may be surprised at the suddenness of this, but for now I want you to lend an ear to my words–>
Selma’s voice echoes in my brain.
I wonder if this voice also reaches Oliver, his movements stop.
I don’t know exactly why he stopped, but with this I can rest my body a little.
Thanks, Selma.
Selma’s words continue.
<Right now, I’m sure most of you have noticed the battle between Orn from my Clan and Oliver from the Hero Party taking place in the sky above. I’ll spare the details, but the current situation is that Oliver has started destroying the city, and Orn is trying to stop him.>
We’re fighting at a pretty high altitude, but I guess even the people on the streets would be aware that we’re fighting after all.
Well, if there is so much gold and black mana flying around, people who were watching the final match earlier will know it’s us.
<I would have wanted to call for everyone to reinforce Orn, but this is the main issue. Just a few minutes ago, it was confirmed that all five labyrinths in the Tutril area have started overflowing with demonic beasts.>
（A flood of demonic beasts?)
A flood of demonic beasts is a phenomenon in which a large number of demonic beasts leave the labyrinths and come out onto above ground.
Normally, demonic beasts within labyrinths don’t emerge overground, or even move between floors.
This is thanks to the crystals placed at the entrance of labyrinths and each level.
However, in rare cases, the crystals aren’t enough to stop the demonic beasts from surfacing.
The cause of this is still unknown.
And when a flood occurs, the inhabited areas closest to the labyrinth are highly likely to be targeted.
There are not only a large number of people, but also a large number of magical tools — in other words, magic stones.
So it’s probably only natural that demonic beasts would come in a straight line toward the city.
(Oliver went crazy and five labyrinths overflowed at the same time? It’s too much to be a coincidence. This incident is nine of out time man-made. Oliver is just being used, huh.)
<Now, the Guild is carrying a large quantity of magic stones to the four gates located in the east, west, south, and north of the city. We, “Night Sky’s Silver Rabbit” are in charge of the east gate. I want everyone to go to the gates other than the east gate to stop the progress of the demonic beasts. The Guild will be assigning everyone. Parties of B Rank and above should follow the Guild’s instructions and go to their designated gate. Parties of C Rank should cooperate with the Military and help guide the people to evacuation. This is our city. We will protect it!>
They must have heard Selma’s voice, I can hear confused voices coming from below.
<Orn, I’m sorry we can’t support you. I’ll leave it to you to deal with Oliver.>
I am not sure if I’m the only one who heard this.
Perhaps other explorers might have heard it, too.
But my response is the same.
<Leave Oliver to me. I’ll leave the demonic beasts to you!>
If Oliver is involved in some unreasonable circumstances, all the more I have to do this.
No matter how unfair the situation is, Oliver, I will protect what’s important to me. –That is my oath.
No matter the odds, no matter what, I’ll fight them off!
I ready Schwarzhase and again close in on Oliver.
–