Chapter 33 – Cheat vs. Cheat

「Although reluctant, I’m a person from different world just like you」

I answer while spitting out.

「…… Hee」

He――I found with〈Pinnacle of Appraisal〉that he’s called Light so let’s call him that from now on. Rather, what a sparkly name――I stopped myself from laughing, but I couldn’t conceal the unrest in my heart. I’m growing impudent, but I’m still a timid person deep inside.

「I see. So you are the perpetrator who obstructed my army. But, how did you came this far? Was it transfer magic? But, you shouldn’t be able to transfer to a place you haven’t visited before, right?」

He tries to investigate.
This country is considerably far away from the Ekbana.
It’s also out of range of〈Pinnacle of Detection〉.

But, I have read Ouka’s memories with〈Pinnacle of Mind Reading〉.
Thanks to that, I was able to imagine this place in my head which allowed me the use of transfer magic.

Maa, there’s no really need to explain that much to this fellow.

「Ogurua」
「Hii」

While thinking about that, the Ogres started assaulting the Onihime girl.
Oops. I should first do something about that.

「 Ogres die 」

Soon after I mutter, the light in the eyes of Ogres disappears.
They movements stop and they fall to the ground.

The Ogres have died.

「Eh? Eh……?」

Onihime opens her eyes in bewilderment.
Light raises his voice.

「Wh, what have you do…..?」

「I just cast a little curse on them」

I have cursed them with〈Pinnacle of Black Magic〉.
What a dangerous trick……

When, I tell that to Light, he asks with a stiff face,

「…… I see. You are saying that is your skill?」

「Yes」

「Ku…… kukukuku…… kuhahahahaha!」

Oioi, this fellow, he suddenly started laughing like a maniac?
What to say, his laugh follows the villain-like template too much.
――While thinking such,

「〈Steal〉!」

Light extends his right hand towards me and suddenly shouts.
The next moment, I felt something disappearing from within my body.

「That right now……」

「Hahahaha! You are a fool! To stupidly use a skill in front of me!」

Light starts laughing again.
He then starts teaching me even though I haven’t asked.

「The skill I have received from the goddess is〈Steal〉!You see, this skill the strongest skill which allows me to steal every skill I see!」

「Hee~」

When I appraise myself, I certainly see that〈Pinnacle of Black Magic〉has been stolen by this fellow.
Uwa~, a disaster~ (In monotone).

「At first we thought it was just some kind of a thieving skill, you see. Therefore, among my friends who were hero candidates, only I alone was considered a failure. A guy like that with such dangerous thieving skill, they said and started avoiding me」

He suddenly started narrating his life story for some reason……

「However, I noticed at one point! This skill, it can steal skills of my opponents! 」

You already said that before.
Did he say it twice because it’s important?

「From there, my advancing has begun! Although not many people of this world know about the existence of skills, but in fact, many of them possess them without realizing it. So to speak, it’s a talent. I kept on stealing their talents with my〈Steal〉. Naturally, I stole all the skills from my friends! Their faces when they realized they became ordinary people…… aha, ahahahahaha!」

Light bursts into laugh again,

「You will also fall into despair more and more! A reincarnated person without a skill is――」

I used transfer magic while Light was looking the other way.
I moved behind Light.
I catch him by the neck and throw him against the floor.

「Gube!?」

The floor breaks and debris scatters around.

「Wh, what did you do……!」

Light shakes my hand off and quickly stands up.
A blood is dripping from his forehead, but he apparently has a natural recovery skill because the blood immediately stops.

「You talk too long. Also, your laughter is gross」

「Ku…… kufufufu, kuhahaha, Good job on keeping that arrogant attitude even though I stole your skill. Do you possibly have some other skill from the magic system? But, sorry, you shouldn’t have used it in front of me! Ste――」

I draw a sword and attack Light.

「――Oh!」

Light immediately draws his sword and blocks my attack.
He has quite a fast reaction speed.

「Hee, you understood it well. Or was it just a fluke? The truth is, I can’t use〈Steal〉if I don’t concentrate. Therefore, I don’t like it when I have to engage in close combat」

On contrary to his words, Light looks quite comfortable.
A fool who talks about his own weak points usually loses, though.

「But then, there’s no one who can be my opponent since I possess〈Sword Gift〉and〈Brave General〉!」

Light who blocked my attack suddenly starts attacking.
He attacks me with lightning fast slashes one after another.
His sword is imbued with strong fighting spirit, making every single blow heavy.

Maa, his attacks are nothing to me who possess〈Pinnacle of Fighting Spirit〉and〈Pinnacle of Weapons〉, though.

「…… W, what is the meaning of this? Why is my sword not connecting……!」

Not being able to land a hit on me, Light starts getting impatient.

「H, he fights the Emperor on equal terms……?」
「Who is that man……?」

The audience who watches the sword exchange are exclaiming in surprised voices since a little while ago.
Rather, if it continues like this, they will end up getting involved.

I decided to change the battlefield.
I move us outside using transfer magic.

「U……」

「We can go all out here, right?」

I transfer us approximately 2km away, 500 meters in the sky.
Light seems to be able to use flight magic, so we can confront each other while floating in the air.

「…… Then, I will let you see it. My trump card」

Light says in a low voice.

Immediately after that, a magic circle suddenly appears behind me.
I narrowly evade the lump of fire it shot at me.

Light didn’t chant.
In other words, just now, he activated a chantless magic.

A magic circle appears at the place I escaped to.
Moreover, it’s two at the same time.
I somehow avoid two ice arrows which rapidly accelerated towards me.

「Hahaha, how is it, amazing, right? I who possess〈Chantless〉,〈Great Wizard〉and〈Paraller Thinking〉can activate multiple complex magic spells!」

Light loudly discloses his secret trick.

It’s possible to cast two spells at once, but it’s impossible to activate two or more magic circles at once.
That is because it’s impossible to chant twice at the same time.
Maa, if you had more mouths it might be possible.

People usually have only one mouth, so no matter how fast the chanting is, there would always be a time lag between the magic circles.
But, that problem is solved with a chantless activation and parallel thinking.

「I see. So this is your trump card」

Magic circles appear in the air one after another.
Besides, since they are chantless, they fire before I notice.
It’s quite a troublesome attack.

「Hahaha, a piece of cake! It seems like you are good only at running away! However, how about this!?」

「Oh」

Many magic circles appear all around me.
Ten in total…… no, there’s fifteen?
In addition, all of them are Advanced magic.
There’s no way to escape. There’s no time to chant.

「Ahahahahahaha, it’s the end! Die while regretting that you have opposed me!」

Light roars loudly, certain of his victory.

Pin pon pan po~n.
I bring you disappointing new.

「No, this much, even I can do?」

I have decided to cope with the situation by using multiple chantless magic circles too.
Twenty magic circles immediately appear around me. Look, there’re a bit more circles than the enemy has.

「…… Eh?」

Light releases a stupid voice after I mimic him by extending my right hand at him.