Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru! (LN) - Volume 6 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Dragonnewt in the Moonlight 

The utter stillness of the darkwood forest was like a barrier that prevented any and all from entering. But amidst it erupted a thunderous roar, a cacophony of whipping winds, and a light so bright that it would burn one’s eyes just to look at it. 

Right after Suimei and Hatsumi defeated Demon General Vuishta, the dragonnewt Eanru had appeared suddenly and fired off a dragon’s roar. It was the source of the disturbance, and in its wake, the trees of the forest were reduced to ash. All that was left were smoldering fires here and there. The scene was completely unrecognizable from mere moments ago, and the fiery blast undulated under the night sky like red waves of dawn. 

The only two things left standing were Suimei and Hatsumi. Everything else had been blown away by the power of the dragon’s roar. Even the ruins of the hero summoning ritual that Suimei had been looking for were incinerated without a trace. 

Both of their gazes fell on Eanru, who stood above the flames. By looks, he appeared to be a young man. Perhaps even an intellectual. He had a slender, elegant figure and stylish bangs falling down onto his shoulders. He could have easily been mistaken for an aristocrat who knew nothing of the ways of battle, but in truth, he held enough power in one hand to blow away a group of demons and his feet were firmly planted on the spot like the roots of a great, ancient tree. 

His strength and fighting spirit belied his appearance. He simply radiated power, exerting an intimidating pressure on everything around him. Hatsumi held her sword aimed at his head as the dancing flames licked at her golden hair. Without relenting a single ounce of her vigilant guard, she sharpened her green eyes like a blade and questioned Eanru. 

“You expect me to come with you...?” 

“That’s right. I cannot reveal the reason yet, but I need your power.” 

“I’m sorry to inform you the power of a single girl like me doesn’t amount to much.” 

“That might be true if we were talking about your strength alone. However, you have another power within you, no?” 

It sounded like he was implying the divine blessing bestowed upon the hero. But just what did he need a hero’s power for...? 

“Based on how things went just now,” said Hatsumi, “it doesn’t look like you need it in order to defeat the demons, right?” 

“Naturally. Those guys are completely secondary. If all goes according to plan, they’re fated to disappear soon enough anyway.” 

Eanru spoke fearlessly. Though he claimed to need the power of a hero, it seemed his goal had nothing to do with why the heroes had been summoned in the first place. 

“Frankly speaking, you’re just too suspicious,” said Hatsumi. “What’s with threatening to take me with you regardless of whether or not I consent?” 

“Because to us, it’s necessary.” 

“Don’t you think it’s normal to build up trust beforehand?” 

“I never had any delusions about sweet talking you into coming with me. Don’t misunderstand; I have no intentions of treating you politely. I don’t particularly care whether you consent or not.” 

“So you’re going to kidnap me? What exactly do you intend on doing with me?” 

“I told you that I cannot reveal the details... But, really, it’s nothing much. We have a use for you, and we plan on doing exactly that—using you.” 

“Tch, treating people like they’re objects...” 

Listening to Eanru talk, a sneer crept across Hatsumi’s face. Anyone would have their feathers ruffled by being so blatantly told that they would be used. Meanwhile, Suimei—who was standing in front of Hatsumi to protect her—looked directly at Eanru with his piercing red eyes and cut into their conversation. 

“Aren’t you supposed to keep the shady stuff to yourself and at least try saying something to get her to come along with you of her own free will? Isn’t that the established tactic?” 

“Indeed, you have a point there. But the fact of the matter is that we will use the hero one way or another. I have no intention of leading you to believe otherwise.” 

“Ballsy...” 

Despite plainly announcing that he wouldn’t reveal his motivations, Eanru was surprisingly frank about his intentions. Suimei wrinkled his brow at this somehow incongruous conversation. 

“Though before that... You come first,” Eanru said, turning towards Suimei as if the hero were merely a secondary objective. “Man in black, I would like to hear your name.” 

“Mine?” 

“That’s right. The name of the man who splendidly defended against my roar... I simply must know it.” 

Eanru’s unwavering eyes gleamed like emeralds as they looked right at Suimei. 

“Is that so?” 

“Asking an opponent’s name is a courtesy reserved for the strong. Don’t tell me you plan on giving me a boring answer like, ‘I have no name worth giving.’” 

As he implied that such a reply would be an utter disappointment, Eanru unleashed a raging torrent of fighting spirit. However, as a magician, Suimei was well accustomed to proper etiquette before a fight. And since he had no reason to refuse, Suimei introduced himself. 

“Magician of the Society, Yakagi Suimei... Though I guess you guys would say Suimei Yakagi?” 

For some reason, Eanru’s eyebrow twitched when he heard those words. 

“Did you just say Suimei Yakagi?” 

“Uh, yeah?” 

Baffled by Eanru’s reaction, Suimei was wondering what was wrong with his name. Eanru, on the other hand, suddenly dispelled the overwhelming aura of power radiating from his body. 

“I see. So you were the one who did in Romeon...” 

“What?” 

“I believe I owe you both a thank you and an apology. To do so while postured for battle would be inappropriate.” 

It didn’t seem like there was an ounce of fighting spirit left in Eanru as he spoke. But that wasn’t what had caught Suimei’s attention. 

“I’m sorry, I may have misheard you, but did you just say Romeon?” 

“That’s right. The elf Romeon. The one who served as a librarian in the Imperial University Library. I mean exactly the man you’re thinking of.” 

Eanru confirmed Suimei’s bewildered suspicion. Hatsumi was completely lost as to what they were talking about, but even Suimei—who’d known Romeon—had no idea what Eanru was getting at. 

“A thank you and an apology... about that guy?” 

“The incident that Romeon caused in the Empire... I heard you were the one that handled it. So for putting a decisive end to the depravity of a fellow member of the organization I belong to, I would like to thank you on everyone’s behalf.” 

And then, with a light bow of his head reminiscent of a nod... 

“We are in your debt.” 

“...In other words, that guy was one of your companions?” 

“That’s right. He’s a comrade aiming for the same ideals as the rest of us. Or rather, he was.” 

He already considered his camaraderie with Romeon a thing of the past. But hearing mention of Romeon’s name at all, Suimei’s distrust towards Eanru only grew stronger. Suimei knew that Romeon had had honest desires before he was touched by darkness, but... 

“I don’t really get it, but if that’s how you feel, you should’ve kept a much tighter hold on his leash. There’s no nice way to put it. That guy was beyond saving, you know?” 

“You’re precisely right. I can’t say anything in our defense. His will— No, our failure to see that he had been taken in by the darkness was sheer oversight on our part.” 

“Based on the way you’re talking, that uproar wasn’t your real goal, was it?” 

“By and large, it is exactly as you say. Though, naturally, I mean the harm that befell that young girl rather than what happened in the city.” 

In other words, the incidents in the Empire were something he—no, from the way he spoke, it was “they”—stood to gain from. It sounded like what had happened to everyone but Liliana and Rogue was... 

“It seems I may have said too much.” 

“I wouldn’t mind if you kept going, honestly.” 

“I’ll have to refrain. Your intuition is too keen. Even in the midst of panicking, you are still shrewd.” 

Eanru directed a sharp gaze at Suimei as he spoke. It seemed he’d completely seen through Suimei. But then Eanru sighed and shook his head as though lamenting something regrettable. 

“We were originally going to dispose of Romeon ourselves. However, before we could make our move, you ended up defeating him. We cannot even pay you back.” 

Those words came across as a mere excuse after all this time, but with the way he sighed... It truly did sound like he was ashamed and embarrassed at his own shortcomings. But there was something else that had piqued Suimei’s interest. 

“I get what you’re saying about what happened with Romeon, but how do you know that I defeated him? There shouldn’t have been anybody present observing us at the library that night.” 

“Let’s simply say our ability to gather information is just that good.” 

They were bold words. But, just as he said, there was clearly no mistaking the strength of their intelligence network. Suimei knew better than anyone else there was hardly any evidence of what had happened that night at the library. Having heard enough, however, Suimei lightly shrugged his shoulders as he spoke up once more. 

“Well, if you’re so grateful for what I did, could you maybe just step aside?” 

“I refuse. Not only is there the hero to retrieve, but now I’ve taken an interest in you too. In the power you hold that overwhelmed Romeon after he fell into darkness.” 

“Ugh, come on... Give me a break already.” 

Eanru turned a ferocious grin on Suimei like a predator that had found its prey. Just like Graziella—or perhaps even more so than her—he was the type who found enjoyment in battle. A dragon. A battle maniac. He was Suimei’s least favorite kind of person to deal with, right behind lunatics. Seeing Suimei grimace like he was biting down on something bitter, Eanru narrowed his eyes and curiously observed him. 

“I don’t really understand, but what has you so frightened? If you hold that much power, then there should be no reason for such cowardice. How strange.” 

“Mind your own business. I’ve got my own baggage to deal with.” 

“Is that so...? Very well. Either way, it’s about time we begin. Now, how will you do this? I don’t mind if you both come at me together, you know.” 

“So it’s a totally foregone conclusion that we’re going to fight?” 

“Based on our little talk, it’s clear that the young hero has no intention of quietly coming along with me. That being the case, is it not evident that I must now take her along by force?” 

“...” 

“There’s no need to make such a grim face. If you don’t like it, then all you have to do is win against me. It’s as simple as that.” 

Eanru gave a rather matter-of-fact reply to Suimei’s scowling, and then once more fearlessly unleashed his fighting spirit. 

Even though the whole ordeal centered on her, the exchange between Suimei and Eanru had completely left Hatsumi behind. All she could do was hold on to the anger in her heart the same way she did the blade in her hand, which she kept aimed at the new enemy standing before her. 

That enemy was the dragonnewt named Eanru. He’d quite plainly demanded that she come with him, though he wouldn’t say why, and the aftermath had devolved into a fight. But the one bearing the full brunt of this man’s fighting spirit was Suimei. He’d broken out into a cold sweat the moment Eanru showed up. He looked like he was suddenly confronted with someone he’d never wanted to see again. He hadn’t shown a single sign of anxiousness in their fight with Vuishta, but Hatsumi could see it dominating his heart now. His index and middle fingers were restlessly rubbing against each other as he fixedly kept his gaze on Eanru. 

“Yakagi, I’ll take the front,” she said from behind him. 

If they couldn’t avoid battle, she thought their strategy should stay the same. She would leave support to him on the rear line while she acted as the vanguard. It was a solid plan for a mage and swordsman duo. However, Suimei seemed to think otherwise. 

“No. Not this time. Step back,” he said sharply without so much as turning to look at her. 

“What are you saying? Aren’t you acting like this exactly because he’s an intimidating opponent? So wouldn’t it be better to fight together?” 

“...” 

“Hey, Yakagi!” 

“...Yeah, he’s an intimidating opponent all right. The kind that dredges up the worst possible memories for me.” 

After practically shouting in his ear out of irritation, she realized something from Suimei’s trembling voice. He wasn’t rubbing his fingers together out of restlessness. No, it was out of pure fear. 

“Are you that scared?” 

“Yeah, I am. You see, it was a dragon back then too.” 

“Wait, do you mean when your father...” 

“That’s right. We won that day, so I didn’t think I’d ever have to go through this again, but I was naive. And just at the thought that I might lose someone else, I can’t stop shaking.” 

The reason Suimei was sweating and quaking in fear wasn’t because he was faced with a strong opponent. It was because he was faced with a deep-seated fear of loss. Rather than fearing defeat, he was afraid of what that defeat would cost him. But Hatsumi thought that was all the more reason for them to fight together. And as she was silently conveying that thought to him... 

“No, it’s fine. Leave this one to me. This guy is different from that demon. He’s on a completely different level. If you still had your memories, it would be one thing. But if you can’t pull all of the Kuchiba techniques and dharani out from the depths of your mind, this guy will be far too much for you to handle.” 

“But even so...” 

“I only fought against those demons earlier, but you’ve been fighting all day, haven’t you? There was the incident at the fortress, and you had to defend yourself the whole time you were retreating. So even if you think you’re fine, your concentration is worn out.” 

“That’s not...” 

“True,” is what she was going to say, but Suimei cut her off. 

“That’s my line. Now, seriously, how long has it been since you’ve taken your eyes off him?” 

It wasn’t until he said that that Hatsumi realized it herself—she’d been completely focused on their conversation. If Eanru made a move while they were talking, she would have been slow to react. She might have even fallen to the first blow of the fight. And the simple fact that she couldn’t properly keep her guard up anymore told her that Suimei was right. Biting her lip, she relented. Without saying anything more, Suimei stepped forward. He looked like a knight in shining armor ready to protect her. 

She had more to say, but the words would hardly leave her mouth. As soon as she went to speak, her lips unconsciously shut tightly. It was the sight of the boy in front of her that had stolen her voice. 

That manly figure shielding her from the fight looked just like what she’d seen so many times in her dreams. He was just much, much smaller then. But even so, he’d always looked manly to her. That hadn’t changed. 

“Ah...” 

Indeed, this was just like her dreams—the memories she would recall while she was sleeping. He was always stepping forward to protect her from an incoming threat. This was the same boy she’d aspired to be like. He’d smiled so gently at her when he stood up to that dog. It was a small act of kindness, but a priceless one in her eyes. And thinking back on it, she recalled something important. 

I hated being the one who always needed protecting. Isn’t that why I became stronger? 

“U-Urgh...” 

At the sudden pain in her head, her knees buckled. There was a noise like a clap of thunder in her mind, and the next thing she heard was the sound of her knees hitting the ground. Perhaps suddenly recalling part of her memories had put a strain on her mind and body. But the question that had caused the shock in the first place had vanished into the ether. The next thing she knew, Suimei was talking to her. 

“Hatsumi? What’s wrong? Are you alright?” 

“Y-Yeah, it’s nothing.” 

“Then get back... I’m begging you.” 

His pleading voice, though quiet, weighed heavily on her. It wasn’t his words that were particularly compelling, but rather the desperate tone of his voice. Against that, she couldn’t argue. Silently nodding back to him, Hatsumi drew back. As she did, Suimei finally looked a little relieved. And after she got a fair distance away, he turned his attention back towards Eanru. 

“You sure waited for us patiently.” 

“It wouldn’t be interesting to take you out with a surprise attack after all this buildup, would it? To thoroughly enjoy a fight, it’s only proper to wait for it to begin fairly.” 

“Yeah, I don’t get you at all. Despite having a mission you seemed so intent on, you’re just completely neglecting it.” 

“No matter what battles a warrior may be forced to face, the fighting itself must be done in a warrior’s own style—no matter the cost. Is that not the case for you?” 

Eanru spoke in a dignified tone, but Suimei kept up his provoking attitude. 

“Magicians always try and catch their opponents off guard. Testing each other out is one thing, but in a fight to the death, there ain’t no such thing as fair and square.” 

“So attacking an unguarded enemy is your style, is it? Certainly, that is similar to those mages who are unable to fight head-on. However, is that something you should be revealing before a fight?” 

“Chew on it. Be wary of any and everything coming from me.” 

As Suimei went from quaking in his boots to baring his fangs, strange things began happening. Perhaps as evidence of the extreme instability of physical laws here, the air around him crackled with flashes of blue light here and there. Debris and soot floated up into the air and vanished as arcs of electricity bounced between them. And then everything started shaking. Hatsumi instinctively crouched to the ground like she would have during a severe earthquake. But standing tall amidst all the chaos was Suimei. 

“Archiatius overload.” 

Without being drowned out by the thunderous shaking, a chant with a mysterious echo to it rang in the air. Mere moments later, a rush of mana burst forth from Suimei’s body. A powerful shockwave followed, as though there had been an actual explosion. 

Hatsumi stabbed the tip of her sword in the ground and used it to support herself as she endured the blast. From her squinting eyes, she could see Suimei leap into the sky. Perhaps he was using magic that allowed him to fly, because he seemed to be able to freely control his movements in the air. After stabilizing himself like he’d flapped his imaginary wings in the wind a few times, from what Hatsumi could see, he came to a stop. 

Seeing all this too, Eanru smiled, apparently amused at such an interesting technique. Even with his opponent claiming air superiority over him, he still seemed to have plenty of composure. Any ordinary combatant would have been at a considerable disadvantage under such circumstances, but just as Suimei had said, Eanru was on a completely different level. Common sense didn’t apply here. 

“What excellent mana. The last time my heart throbbed so much was back against the Man-Eating Evil.” 

Eanru smirked, and then, as if the two of them had arranged it beforehand, they both called out to each other. 

“Here I go!” 

“Come!” 

As Eanru and Suimei’s voices overlapped, the curtain raised on their battle. 

The first thing Hatsumi really saw was that Suimei completely defied her expectations. Based on the way they’d fought together earlier, she assumed he would try and keep his distance and make this a long-range firefight. It would be the safest, smartest thing for a mage. 

But it was hardly the strategy Suimei chose. Though he could have easily targeted Eanru from the air with magic, he closed in on Eanru before firing a single spell. He was throwing away every advantage he had. Despite having more combat experience than him, she couldn’t understand what was going through his head. 

It looked like he was just randomly zipping through the air this way and that. He would even sporadically land, but then immediately leap into the air again and do it all over. He would change course suddenly midair, fluttering briefly in place before tearing off in a different direction with no rhyme or reason. It was like he was trying to bewilder his opponent. 

Meanwhile, Eanru was conducting himself with aplomb. At this rate, he could be attacked from any direction at any time. Knowing that, he kept on his toes. Every time Suimei entered one of his blind spots, he would immediately dodge accordingly. On top of that, Suimei was hammering him with low-powered magic to try and keep him in place, but it seemed to have no effect. Even when he took it head-on, there was hardly even a change in his expression. 

And then there were his counterattacks. Waiting for Suimei, who was constantly firing short-range magic and drawing nearer, Eanru would leap for him the moment he landed. He moved with all the sharpness of a bird of prey diving on its target. He would come in from above like a flash of green lightning, only regaining human form right before he was about to strike. It was like he was some kind of storm god. This exchange repeated many times, and finally, the green bolt looked like it was just about to catch Suimei. 

“Tch!” 

As Suimei clicked his tongue, he snapped his fingers. The air in front of the approaching bolt exploded, but the bolt passed right through it unfettered. Before Eanru’s far too speedy attack, Suimei had no time to spin any words together. And without even a protective spell to shield him, Suimei took Eanru’s open palm completely defenseless. 

Just as expected, its destructive power was tremendous. Suimei, like a pinball launched by a spring-loaded plunger, was sent flying all the way to the distant line of trees that Eanru’s opening roar hadn’t devastated. 

Watching all this unfold, Hatsumi audibly gasped. If Suimei didn’t land properly, it would be fatal. But there was far more to Eanru’s attack than that. The moment Suimei crashed into the ground, the surrounding darkwood trees and even the earth beneath him were turned to mere pulp. 

“You’re kidding...” 

Hatsumi could hardly believe what she’d just seen. How could the boy who’d always saved her without fail be so easily defeated? Obstinately refusing to give in to despair, she stared hard into the cloud of dust and dirt that had been kicked up by the impact where he landed. But even when it settled, there was only destruction to be seen. 

“YAKAGI!” 

“Don’t scream like that. I’m alive.” 

“Huh...?” 

In response to her aggrieved cry, she heard an unexpected voice coming from an unexpected direction. When she turned towards it, standing there holding his stomach and leaning forward a bit... was Suimei. It looked like he was using magic to heal himself. Sweat was pouring from his brow, and a pale green light was coming out of the hand he had placed over his abdomen. 

“Hmph. I thought I managed to get you with that one though,” remarked Eanru. 

“As expected, you can use the draconic eye, huh...?” replied Suimei. 

“‘As expected’ should be my line. Knowing that, you moved around to try and escape my sight. Though, isn’t it a little careless for you to stop to heal your wounds in the middle of battle?” 

Eanru boldly offered a word of warning, but Suimei seemed unconcerned. 

“I wonder. I’ll let you be the judge of that.” 

“Ngh—?!” 

As Suimei sneered at Eanru, for some reason, Eanru let out a puzzled groan. He staggered, and then shook his head like he was trying to shake something off of it. Hatsumi couldn’t tell what had happened. If anything, it looked like he’d been struck with a sudden dizzy spell or case of vertigo. But as she was trying to figure it out, she suddenly realized something. 

“A picture of an eye?” 

On the ground right next to Suimei, different from the one he used when they had defeated Vuishta, was a simple drawing in the shape of an eye. But looking carefully, there were copies of the same image all over the ground. 

“It’s a nazar bonjuk, a charm against the evil eye. Since the draconic eye’s origin is based on the concept of the evil eye, this will avert it. I’m not just recklessly fighting here, you know?” 

“What a surprise. To think that there is a means of defending against it... Could it be that I’ve come into an unfavorable matchup?” 

Despite his words, Eanru was stifling a giddy laugh. Seeing that he was completely joking around, Suimei scowled at him. 

“Shut up. It’s seriously unfair that I can’t properly put up a fight unless I take the time to do something like this.” 

“Perhaps. But while my foes are rarely able to make up for the difference between us, you were rather quick on the draw with a technique a human should know nothing about.” 

“A human from this world, you mean.” 

“Aha, I see! You’re a denizen of another world. No wonder the magic you use is different from the magic used here. That must be the reason you’re so close with the hero, too.” 

“It’s also why I won’t let you take Hatsumi with you.” 

“In that case, I understand how you feel. But nevertheless, I have a reason to take her with me no matter what.” Eanru paused there for a moment and slowly took up his stance again. “I won’t ask for forgiveness. I’m well aware that I’ll be resented for what I plan to do.” 

“Whatever. After getting this deep into it, I’m not gonna bitch and moan. That’s not gonna stop me from saying whatever the hell else I want, however.” 

Suimei then boldly stuck out his tongue and wiped the fearful sweat from his brow that refused to stop pouring. Seeing him like that, Eanru smiled. 

“That’s good. I’m all too used to hearing fools trying to argue against their inevitable defeat at this point.” 

“Sorry, I’m not the type to play the emotional card.” 

“No, but you certainly do have a mouth on you.” 

“Shut it.” 

With that, Suimei snapped his fingers. The sound of bursting air marked the opening to the second act of their increasingly ferocious battle like a violent starter pistol. 

After sealing one of Eanru’s moves, as expected, Suimei’s attacks grew more intense than before. 

As Suimei had explained, he had now completed his preparations and could finally act as he pleased. He was still racing through the sky while touching down intermittently, but the magic that he was firing off was much stronger, and both his casting speed and frequency had doubled. All of this was about what Eanru had expected, so that wasn’t what had really caught his attention. 

As far as he was concerned, Suimei was truly deserving of praise simply for knowing how to fight against a dragonnewt. He even seemed more knowledgeable on the matter than Eanru himself. Whenever Suimei drew close, he would stay just far away enough to keep out of range of Eanru’s fists. It would be nearly impossible to gauge that distance just by eye, but Suimei steered perfectly clear of Eanru’s real threat range. 

Normally, when Eanru swung his fist, the wave of wind that followed would be enough to blow away absolutely everything in its path—just like he’d done with those demons. But Suimei was moving around like he’d seen completely through the attack and knew exactly what to do to avoid it. 

And then there was matter of the howl wave Eanru had unleashed right as they met. Suimei called it a dragon’s roar, but he seemed to understand its nature and devastating power perfectly. If he were merely a normal human who knew nothing of dragonnewts, he would have been left standing there dumbfounded as he was evaporated. But he’d sensed what Eanru was about to do as he was preparing, and played his defensive hand immediately. 

And that wasn’t the only thing he’d seemed to know ahead of time. There was also the dragon’s eye. Knowing that Eanru held the technique to crush all within his line of sight by just looking at it, Suimei had jumped and flitted about to avoid staying within Eanru’s field of vision for any extended period of time. Moreover, he’d secretly been preparing a technique to counter it the whole time. 

All of Eanru’s powers were deadly. And knowing about them wasn’t necessarily enough to do anything about them. They were difficult to grasp in the heat of the moment, and even more difficult to counter. The average person—even knowing what was coming—still would have been laid waste by his power. But not Suimei. He’d gotten through every single one, and was still continuing to put up a fight. 

“Heh... heh heh...” 

Unconsciously, laughter began to seep from Eanru’s lips. Before him was a man who was using magic nonstop. All Suimei had to do was tap the ground, magic circles different from the ones already on the ground would appear behind him. The magic circles that were appearing continuously seemed to be substitutes for chanting. Each circle fired off a spell of its own. The attributes they used varied, and a completely unknown type of attack filled Eanru’s field of vision to capacity as it came rushing in at him. 

Now, just like when he’d arrived, his expectations were all being betrayed one after the other. Suimei’s casting speed and output were good, but Eanru was unable to get his head around how he was doing it so incessantly. Eanru knew that there were ways to improve casting speed, so he wasn’t particularly surprised that Suimei could cast spells faster than the average mage. What baffled him was that Suimei didn’t even seem to be taking a breath between them as he chanted. 

When magic was used consecutively, mana was expelled from the caster’s body. Mana being expelled in such a way would also increase body heat. The body naturally confused this with physical exertion, and would leave a caster short of breath. Normally, because of the length of time it took to chant spells, most mages would never find themselves in such a state. But everyone knew that a mage should have to take a breather after casting too many spells consecutively. 

But not Suimei. Despite the container of his soul being nothing more than a frail human body, Eanru couldn’t even hear the sound of Suimei inhaling and exhaling as he continued to chant. All he could see once in a while was a pure white vapor made of mana being expelled from his mouth. He was guessing that there was likely some sort of strange organ inside that human body of his responsible for all this. 

Suimei’s consecutive use of magic was a real threat, but in a sense, his rapid-fire attack was also a form of defense. From the hail of fire, lightning, and light magic he was sending out, it looked like he was on the offensive. But his incessant attacks could also be interpreted as a means of keeping Eanru restrained. That would explain why Suimei hadn’t yet fired off any particularly powerful spells in an attempt to deal the final blow. 

“If you aren’t going to dig in, then I’ll be the one to make a move.” 

With that, Eanru stomped on the ground. It was like an explosion occurred. The surface of the ground split and sent large lumps of earth flying. But that was all a precursor for darting forward. Eanru slipped through Suimei’s incoming spells and arrived right in front of him. Eanru could see him gulp as he stood there trembling. 

“Damn it, you move too fast!” 

Suimei Yakagi let out a shriek of complaint on the spur of the moment. As expected, he was quite flustered. Perhaps due to some bad experience in the past, he was deeply afraid of Eanru—no, of dragons. 

However, that was none of Eanru’s concern. Aiming for Suimei’s lower jaw, he unleashed a kick. To evade the attack coming up from below, Suimei dove to the side. Just as Eanru thought that he’d simply thrown himself to the ground, his powers of flight kicked in. Pulled by an invisible force, his body took an unnatural path through the air, and Eanru chased after him with a backhanded fist. 

Suimei had anticipated such a serious blow from the wave of power he felt coming for him, but he couldn’t stop it. It struck him in the leg, and when it did, Eanru could hear the unmistakable sound of bones breaking. But the immediate moment after Suimei made an anguished expression, a green circle with letters and numbers inscribed within it took shape around his broken leg. It was recovery magic. Every time he was dealt a serious wound, he’d use it to heal himself. 

As such, it was like Suimei and Eanru had come to a stalemate of sorts. Neither could really get an attack in on the other. As that self-deprecating thought passed through Eanru’s head, a fire spell came charging at him. 

“Mere desperation!” he scoffed. 

“Just take it!” Suimei shouted. 

Suimei sounded like he’d meant for this attack to finish Eanru off, but that wasn’t quite how it panned out. The large fire spell that came sweeping at Eanru was just a smokescreen. A cover. For just an inch in front of Eanru’s head, a tiny magic circle took shape. 

“Tch—” 

It was too close. The moment Eanru’s mind told him that he wouldn’t get off lightly if he were hit by that, his body reflexively took evasive action. However, the moment he distanced himself from the first tiny magic circle, another took shape. And just like that, one after one, they chased after him. No matter how fast he moved, how many times he changed directions, whether he took to the skies or not, the tiny magic circles formed a line that chased right after him. Eanru thought they looked like some out of place child’s toy as they formed an accordion like shape in the air, but it was then that they finally bared their magical fangs. 

“Chain Explosion.” 

When Suimei uttered the keywords, consecutive explosions erupted. In the blink of an eye, they caught up to Eanru’s face. 

“Guh—ah!” 

Eanru took evasive action, but he was too close to avoid the shockwave. Its power was on the same level as a strike from Jillbert’s superhuman strength. He couldn’t take it unfazed, and the force of the blow kicked his head back. But Eanru wasn’t about to let that stop him. After lightly shaking his head, however, he could see an ultramarine light coming down from the starry night sky. 

Did he set this attack up beforehand? 

The moment Eanru sensed impending crisis, Suimei began chanting. 

“Illustre carmen ad operationem simplicem. Armat ad centum et passive diducit, invocato Augoeides. Strategic Bombing.” 

[Illustrious spell at simplified operation. Arm from one to a hundred and deploy randomly, invoke Augoeides. Strategic Bombing.] 

With that, a hail of light fell from the sky. The magic lights raining down reminded Eanru of the falling stars he’d seen in the Empire, but this wasn’t quite the same spell. Having lost his chance to evade, Eanru overflowed his entire body with mana and took a defensive stance. The spell wouldn’t last long, but... 

“This isn’t the end of it.” 

With those words, Suimei began preparing his next act. Before Eanru could even notice, Suimei leaped backwards and was already weaving his chant by the time he hit the ground. 

“O flammae, legito. Pro venefici doloris clamore. Parito colluctatione et aestuato. Deferto impedimentum fatum atrox.” 

[Oh flames, assemble. Like the cry of the magician’s resentment. Give form to death’s agony and burst into flames. Bestow the one who obstructs me with a dreadful destiny.] 

Several red magic circles were now forming in the air, and at Suimei Yakagi’s feet, a single large magic circle was expanding. It filled with words in the center, and it began revolving in the opposite direction of the secondary circle at its circumference. The ground around it spouted flames that were reflected in Suimei’s eyes. That red-hot brilliance held a zealous purpose. And just as Eanru was captivated by it all... 

“Itaque conluceto. O Ashurbanipalis fulgidus lapillus!” 

[So shine. Oh Ashurbanipal’s dazzling gem!] 

He crushed the gem of light in his right hand. As it shattered to pieces, an inferno burst out of the large magic circle. The leftover fires still burning from before were all consumed by Suimei’s superior flame. The very earth boiled and bubbled like molten iron. 

Eanru thought it was common sense that dragonnewts were immune to fire, but a bad premonition was crawling up his spine. And rather than common sense—which was often useless on the battlefield—he put his trust in that feeling. Before the boiling earth could reach his feet, before the snakelike flames could wind their way around him, he put all of his strength into his legs and took a great leap back. 

He managed to escape the attack, but the sweltering heat spreading in the air scorched his body. The strange pulsing pain he felt on his skin was something he’d never experienced before in his life. As he’d suspected, this was no mere flame. It was likely that rather than just a burst of fire, there was a curse applied to it. Just as Eanru judged that it would be bad to take such fire head on, alarm bells began ringing in the depths of his mind. 

Piercing through the flames right in front of him... was Suimei. Just as Eanru was caught up in bewilderment at the sight of a mage closing in on him single-handedly, the mage in front of him turned into smoke and disappeared. 

Seeing that, Eanru once more let out a smile. Before he could ascertain where the dispersed smoke had gone, he could feel a presence behind him. As he hastily turned around, Suimei was standing right in front of him with a small magic circle in the palm of his hand. 

“OOOOOOOOH!” 

“HAAAAAAAAA!” 

Both men unleashed their fighting spirits at the same time. A crash of howls. In answer to Suimei thrusting out his magically inscribed palm, Eanru threw his fist. Immediately following the collision of power, an explosive shockwave was released that sent Eanru flying. As he corrected his posture and looked up, he saw that Suimei has also been sent flying—very likely by the same shockwave. 

Just how much would this fight make his heart dance? Eanru hadn’t had such an engaging fight since the day he was born. To think that he would be blessed right now with the magnificent, unending fight that he’d been seeking all this time... 

“What’s so funny?” 

“Hmm? Was I laughing? Aah, no, it’s just a battle like this... Doesn’t it make you happy?” 

“Yeah, okay... You’re that kinda guy, huh?” 

Suimei Yakagi quietly muttered something about “battle maniacs” in annoyance. It was a fair way to describe Eanru, and though Suimei spat such words loathsomely, it was unmistakable praise to Eanru’s ears. Being considered a formidable enemy by a strong opponent gave meaning to the way he’d lived his life up until now. It was validating. 

Therefore, this battle had significance. This was Eanru’s very raison d’être. His only regret was that it was happening now. It was pure serendipity that he’d gotten embroiled in such a fight in such an unexpected place. However, because he was in the middle of a mission, he didn’t have the leisure to fight to his heart’s content. That saddened him. 

“Aah, it’s beyond my control...” 

It seemed that his quiet lamenting sigh reached Suimei’s ears. Suimei furrowed his brow, perhaps puzzled by the complete change of tone that had come over the previously excited dragonnewt. However, for some reason, he wasn’t shooting out any magic. Despite the fact that he had been firing ceaselessly until now and showed no signs of being short of breath, he was apparently taking a short break. 

It was possible that he was simply preparing another trick, but concluding he would deal with whatever it may be, Eanru stepped forward. He unleashed a flurry of consecutive strikes, but the mage before him seemed accustomed to close range combat. He skillfully warded off Eanru’s blows. For a mage, engaging at a distance like this was fatal. But not for Suimei. He didn’t even bat an eye, leaving Eanru once again astonished. 

But even if he was competently dealing with the situation, he was a poor match for Eanru who specialized in such close quarters combat. Naturally, a human could never compete with the physical strength of a dragonnewt. The arms he was using to ward off Eanru’s strikes were becoming red and bruised in the blink of an eye. 

“Urgh...” 

While letting out a groan, Suimei put some distance between them. When Eanru refrained from chasing after him, Suimei looked back with a puzzled glance. 

“It’s such an exquisite feeling to be engaged in a difficult battle.” 

“Huh?” 

“Isn’t it? If your opponent is tough to deal with, it makes the fight last that much longer. And then, it’s possible to test out all the techniques you’ve been fostering.” 

“...Bewitching others with techniques and having that reciprocated is certainly enjoyable. Just not in situations like this.” 

“Agreed. My, aren’t we birds of a feather?” 

“No, my grievances are different from yours. That much is obvious.” 

“That kind of thing is trivial.” 

“...That’s your deal, isn’t it? You’re one of those people who gets everything you’re not interested in over with quickly, aren’t you? You’re really something, seriously.” 

“Hmph.” 

While amusing himself with their conversation, even now, cold sweat was pouring down Suimei’s forehead. But it had to be said that it was perhaps less than before. It was likely that he too had become stronger for the sake of accomplishing his goals in the fight at hand. Even though Suimei spoke to the contrary, their conversations up until this point were on the same wavelength, so it seemed he’d gotten into his element somewhat. 

Even if they were trying to get there for different reasons, their goals were the same. That elevated peak that nobody could reach, and a dream stimulated that desire... They were both staring down the same thing—their dreams. 

“It’s hard to get, huh? Really. You have a different kind of radiance from that man.” 

“...?” 

Just like a light within the darkness was more dazzling than anything else, Suimei was brilliant. Jillbert had certainly been right on that point. 

“At any rate, you sure talk a lot.” 

“Honestly, I surprise even myself. Even though talking in the middle of a battle is the height of folly— Aah, that’s it, isn’t it? That’s what this is. That thing where you become overexcited and start talking as you get worn out, right?” 

Such idle conversation in the heat of battle was something Eanru had never engaged in before. However, the reason he was unable to stop in spite of himself was because it was difficult for him to understand. That made it important. And if he was exposed to it too much, he would no longer want to destroy it. Unconsciously, he may have been taking that into consideration. But because he fought for the sake of destruction, this was a tremendous contradiction for him. 

Then, it seemed that Suimei was finished with his break. Eanru watched as the fallen trees were swept up and hurled into the air with a roar. The trunks of the darkwood trees were thick and sturdy. If a human was struck by one, it would be gruesome. Good thing Eanru wasn’t human. 

“Such play won’t even serve as a distraction to me.” 

Just as he implied, he could see Suimei’s shadow darting between the gargantuan trees. Eanru smashed through one with his fist to come after him, but Suimei used that opening to attack. Wielding a silver sword, he came in with a thrust, but... 

“That will never work.” 

The point of his blade reached Eanru’s chest, but could only pierce his clothing. There was no way a mere blade made by a human could pierce a dragonnewt’s skin. So just who had the upper hand here? 

“I’ll be taking that arm.” 

Using his hand like a blade, Eanru severed Suimei Yakagi’s right arm. Losing his dominant arm was the price he paid for daring to come into close combat with a dragonnewt unprepared. His right arm flew off, and blood started gushing out of the stump left behind. 

From a distance, Eanru could hear the hero screaming. And before him, he could see Suimei’s face twist in anguish. Nevertheless, he didn’t falter or fall back. Quite the opposite. He stepped forward like he had an opening to attack. 

But even this was within the realm of Eanru’s expectations. Striking first and sacrificing a piece of oneself to gain an opening was a common enough tactic. However, what Suimei did next baffled him. He was moving the stump of a right arm he had left. 

That would never even reach him to hit him. It wasn’t long enough. Had he misread the distance? No, it had to be an act of sheer desperation. That was a human flaw. Instead of thinking things through properly, they prioritized attacking. But in that moment, Suimei calmly opened his mouth. 

“Here you go.” 

The severed right arm that was tumbling through the air suddenly changed trajectory and jumped towards Eanru. Seeing that, he couldn’t help smiling. 

“Haha! So it’s come to this?” 

There was the thrill of joy in his words. This was the first time in a long time that a technique had completely and utterly surprised him. But the surprises wouldn’t stop there. The arm flew right back over to Suimei and connected where it had been severed. 

“HYAAAAAH!” 

Immediately following that, a magic circle formed between the arm and the stump, and rotated with a green brilliance. He then stomped his foot, planting it firmly in the ground. The earth shattered below and there was a shockwave of wind and mana. From there, Suimei unleashed a strike. 

“U-Urgh!” 

His fist caught Eanru right in the face. He never once thought that a human would hold such destructive force in their fists. The earth beneath his feet was unable to withstand the force from the blow, and it nearly collapsed beneath him as he was pushed back. 

Remaining upright, Eanru put a hand to his jaw when he finally came to a stop. As if to investigate the damage done, he craned and cracked his neck. Then, without wasting another moment, Eanru leaped forward and approached Suimei swiftly. 

“Seriously? That barely did anything...” 

“Unfortunately, I’m quite a resilient being.” 

“Even though you have a humanoid form, there wasn’t any damage to the brain? This is a damn scam. A rip-off.” 

Both that complaint and the pain he received felt good to Eanru. He pushed on his neck with his hand and cranked it around as he continued to inspect it. The man who had dealt him such an unexpected blow was already making his next move, but Eanru couldn’t help yielding to the pleasant sensation welling up in him that he hadn’t felt for so long. As Suimei fired a spell, Eanru kicked the ground, creating a grand cloud of dust. 

“You punk! Copying a human now?!” 

“Not at all. Smokescreens are a valuable technique.” 

The cloud of dust completely concealed Eanru. He couldn’t see, but with this he also couldn’t be seen. Abandoning all unnecessary thoughts, he devoted his senses completely to reading presences around him. His opponent was a mage who held a vast amount of power. If he followed the mana, he could accurately locate Suimei even without his eyes. 

Or, he would have been able to if he hadn’t suddenly multiplied. 

“He split? No, multiplied?” 

“It’s called Fast Replication.” 

It wasn’t just his mana presence that had multiplied. Eanru could start to see multiple figures through the dust. It was as if several Suimeis had suddenly appeared. And mere moments after Eanru heard him talk, the ground suddenly shifted and split. 

“What—” 

Eanru stumbled. He couldn’t tell what happened. Even as he replayed the situation in his mind, he couldn’t tell where the spell had come from. The ground that had been boiled by Suimei’s fire magic wasn’t so brittle and fragile that it would just crumble like that. 

As he promptly focused his gaze right below his feet, he could see the light of mana. Just when had that circle been put in place? When he looked up, he could see Suimei smiling. 

I see, that light spell from before... 

It must have been an effect of that rain of light. Suimei wasn’t just attacking with it. He was sowing magic circles in the earth. 

Before the fight began, Suimei had plainly told Eanru that it was a magician’s style to catch an opponent off guard. Certainly, this chain of unexpected attacks was a splendid tactic. Eanru wasn’t at all wounded by the ground shifting beneath him, but he was now forced to brace himself and robbed of his mobility. And like that, he was a sitting duck for Suimei’s next attack. 

The earth began to rise up around him. Coiling like a vortex, it stretched up to the sky and then came crashing down on him. He thought surely Suimei would know better than to think an attack like this would work on him, but Eanru would yet again be surprised. It wasn’t exactly an attack. 

“Ground Seal.” 

All Eanru could see was an incessant avalanche of dirt. And before long, it completely covered him up. 

As the rising cloud of dust settled down, the ground fell smoothly into a shape like a whirlpool. Seeing Eanru sink under the Ground Seal spell, Suimei could hear Hatsumi shout out in exaltation at their apparent victory. 

“You did it!” 

“Nope.” 

It was too soon to declare this a win. Hatsumi, however, was rather baffled at the disparity between what she was seeing and Suimei was saying. Suimei held up his hand and urged her to step back, and just as he did, the whirlpool of earth burst open with a thunderous roar. What soared into the sky from below was none other than Eanru. 

“When I heard you say that you fancied attacking people when their guard was down, I thought you meant surprise attacks. But now I see this is what you meant, isn’t it?” 

Praising Suimei, Eanru spoke in a refreshing tone like he hadn’t been wounded at all. Secretly grinding his teeth to see his opponent like that, Suimei replied frivolously. 

“It’s just the difference between cowardice and elegance.” 

“My goodness, I’ve learned a lot from you. Since it’s standard for mages to chant and fire, my actions have unexpectedly become quite monotonous and dull, it seems. But... it’s also refreshing to be surprised once in a while, you know.” 

“Well, you’re welcome.” 

Suimei’s tone of voice made it clear what he was really saying was “shut up.” Eanru looked at him questioningly, a dangerous glint in his topaz eyes. 

“You realized I wasn’t defeated from that just now, right? Why didn’t you prepare anything else to follow up?” 

“Who knows?” 

“I didn’t think you were the type to overlook such an opportunity. It was the same when your magic unnaturally paused earlier. In that case... there must be a reason you couldn’t fire.” 

“...” 

“From the looks of it, it seems I hit the mark.” 

Seeing Eanru’s increasingly confident expression, Suimei once more ground his teeth. Eanru’s guess was indeed a bullseye. Just as he said, the reason Suimei had stopped firing magicka was because he couldn’t. Due to his repeated use magicka, entropy in the area was nearing its limit. 

As such, he was unable to deal a decisive blow. Just using some half-assed magicka that wouldn’t trigger the magicka melt phenomenon would be completely futile. That’s why he’d chosen a spell that would at least buy him some time. 

Magicka woven together using modern magicka theory could be cast quickly. However, it also increased entropy greatly, creating a bottleneck of sorts. There needed to be an interval between spells, and when there wasn’t, a magician could end up a single step away from disaster like Suimei was now. He knew the risks of what he was doing, but nevertheless, falling into this kind of situation was vexing all the same. 

After wiping off the dirt and sand on his clothes, Eanru once more took a combat stance. He—unlike Suimei who had been hamstringing himself all this time—was composed and didn’t have a single wound to show for their entire fight. He looked truly unstoppable. 

Based on appearance, he reminded Suimei more of an Eastern dragon, but his fighting style was just like that of the Western version. The distinction was also a bit hazy, especially concerning the origin of the evil eye that became the draconic eye. Since the eight great dragon kings from the Lotus Sutra also had poisonous eyes, Suimei had assumed that this was somehow related. But because his ground sealing spell didn’t work on Eanru, it was difficult to imagine he came from those water gods. The power to suck up and scatter the earth was distinctly a Western dragon’s. There was no mistaking that. 

Just the fact that Eanru resembled a dragon at all terrified Suimei, but what was truly dreadful were his attacks and the weight behind them. For a while now, Suimei had been carefully observing his strikes and shockwaves. Such power should be impossible with Eanru’s slender body, but if his weight wasn’t properly reflected by his appearance—which was relatively common in inhuman creatures—it might be a different story. It was a power different from magicka, born purely from brute strength, it worked similarly to the Long Sword of the Absolute Edge that Hatsumi used. Their attacks were simply that powerful. 

This man was a master in close-range combat. But it was also a poor move to stay too far away from him. Looking at it from a scientific angle, he had something like a high-output microwave shockwave combined with a noise weapon like a plasma emission device. From a magicka angle, it could be described as exponentially increasing the heat in the area and causing forced combustion. That was how he’d leveled their surroundings before the fight. And just like his breath, he could control its directionality. 

“Though lightning breath is way scarier...” 

Suimei was reminded of a similar attack he had seen before. It was different from a dragon’s roar, but it had come from a creature that took the shape of a human and let out an attack that annihilated all living things—all from its mouth. Of the destructive organic attacks that creatures above ground could use, breath attacks were considered one of the most atrocious. Because they were so unique in nature, they were nearly impossible to properly defend against. 

And the monsters that could use them stood at the top of the pyramid in terms of power, even in the modern world. Their prowess boggled the mind. It was mythical—like it came straight out of legend. It was like such power came from a completely different time and era. A completely different dimension. 

And these monsters cold take humanoid forms. Perhaps that was true in this world as well, and the dragonnewt was one such example. 

As if to confirm this, Eanru began moving in a way that could not merely be described as “superhuman.” He leaped about like he was toying with Suimei who, even with the eyes of a magician, was unable to keep up with him. Rather than just being fast, Eanru was moving in ways that were impossible for a human to conceive. 

As the green bolt of lightning struck the ground and leaped to a new location, Suimei would try and follow the trajectory with his eyes. But before he knew it, he’d looked too far the wrong way and lost sight of him. When he realized and looked back, the only thing he could catch a glimpse of was the trail of light Eanru left in his wake. Looking this way and then that, Suimei’s eyes darted around fruitlessly. He just couldn’t keep track of him. 

Before such otherworldly power, Suimei had no card to play. And so he decided to increase the output of his mana furnace. With that single thought, the reactor core within his body was released, and with that figurative kindling thrown into the furnace, his heart rate skyrocketed. The pounding in his chest was louder than anything else he could hear. Surpassing his own limits, he pushed his body on as far as it could go. 

“Just how much mana...” 

Eanru was still untraceable, but he let out a few words of admiration. 

The mana furnace was a sort of organ that generated mana commensurate to a magician’s mana consumption and helped support them. For a normal magician, there was a limit to the mana they could use stably without triggering an overflow, called “regular mana.” 

The mana furnace would generate mana alongside that to manifest the mysteries. And after a magician’s regular mana was exhausted, the mana from the furnace would overtake it and essentially shut down the magician. Releasing the reactor core was a way to prevent that by releasing the limiters on regular mana to match the output of the furnace. 

When that happened, up to what the magician’s body could withstand, it was possible to continuously build up more mana. And the more mana a magician had, the bigger and more powerful spells they could use. It would push their bodies to higher-order existences, and increase the mysteries that they could manifest. 

Suimei still couldn’t see Eanru. This would be fatal if he couldn’t track him down, and he could only think of one way to accomplish that. The moment Eanru went on the offensive was the first time Suimei was able to identify his location. 

Suimei activated spells to reinforce and strengthen his body. After he finished casting them, his back was struck as if assaulted by lightning. The strike could have been fatal in and of itself, but Suimei was able to hold his ground with his heightened body. And that presented him with an opportunity. 

Eanru still had his fist planted in Suimei’s back. Before he could break away, the space in their surroundings was twisted by magicka. Reality appeared as though it twisted like the inside of a marble, and Eanru’s center of gravity was altered. His movements dulled. From there, Suimei went on to amplify gravity itself. 

“Gravitatem, duplex coniunctum!” 

[Gravity, twofold concatenation!] 

That wasn’t enough. Without dwelling on the spell, Suimei moved right into the next and added on to it, completely negating any lag. 

“Gravitatem, terci contexit!” 

[Gravity, unite threefold!] 

If Eanru had even a single free moment, he would be able to escape from the gravity cage. Suimei knew he couldn’t stop his hands, mouth, or magicka. 

Suimei caught a glimpse of Eanru’s bitter yet delighted face. “Enchant me more. Make me grind my teeth harder.” Suimei could understand what he was thinking just from his expression. And that didn’t waver at all even inside the gravity cage. In a way, it was terrifying. 

Suimei fired magicka from the five elements. Using the teachings of the five practices of the Bodhisattvas that mutually helped each other and organized the world, he instead manifested the elements that antagonized each other and gave birth to destruction. After creating a defensive circle below Hatsumi, the raging five elements gradually reacted with each other and caused an annihilation effect that blew everything away. 

The scale of the blast surpassed that of Eanru’s roar. This time, the entire darkwood forest was wiped off of the map without a trace. But lo and behold, the dragonnewt was still there. Apparently resistant to attacks that were pure force and power, Eanru was standing just outside Suimei’s range while laughing delightedly. 

The effect of the five elements was too weak. An attack based on a higher-order concept wasn’t enough to strike down the dragonnewt. When Suimei came to this conclusion, he let out a deliberately loud, belated scream from the pain that assaulted his back. Unexpectedly, his feet stumbled. His cold sweat turned to ice as it dripped off his back. And right before him was now that green bolt of lightning that would never miss an opportunity like this. 

“I’ve got you, Suimei Yakagi.” 

Suimei immediately moved to protect his head with his arm, and a fist came flying right at it. The left arm he’d held up to protect himself was bent backward. And as if that wasn’t enough, each of his legs took a strike. Finally, an extraordinary kick was driven into his torso. 

“G-Guuuah...” 

Sent flying by the kick, Suimei’s body rolled across the ground. While conscious that he was rolling as his head was whipped around and jolted into a haze, he immediately started to apply healing magic to his broken limbs. Even though he was immediately making a recovery, Eanru’s shadow lurked right over him. He was open once again, and Eanru would attack without fail. 

“Ugh, rrgh, gaah....” 

For every strike he received, Suimei applied healing magicka to his body. But his magicka couldn’t keep up now. Taking blow after blow like he was being hit with a giant iron wrecking ball, Suimei was receiving an unprecedented beating. 

I’m... going to lose here? Me? 

Rolling across yet again, Suimei came to a stop lying face down. He could taste blood and dirt in his mouth. His body was screaming. But even so, he tried to stand. He clawed at the ground and grasped lumps of earth. 

“Is this the end?” Eanru asked, unfeeling. 

“Shut up...” 

“But you can’t stand, can you?” 

“Shut up.” 

“If you can’t come after me, then I’ll take that woman with me, you know?” 

“SHUT UP!” 

“That’s it! Scream! If you can never hand her over, then scream out your feelings! Howl! Lay everything bare! There should be more to your power than this! You can’t hold back this late in the game!” 

He didn’t need to be told that. Just as a swordsman accepted that they might be inviting death when they drew their sword, a magician also put their life on the line the moment they decided to take action. They would burn both their souls and their mana to exhaustion. 

And so Suimei got back up. And he would again and again until his body would was rendered completely immobile. Until his heart twisted and broke. Until the day that he lost sight of the dream he’d been chasing. 

“O flammae, legito! Pro venefici doloris clamore! Parito colluctatione et aestuato! Deferto impedimentum fatum atrox!” 

[Oh flames, assemble! Like the cry of the magician’s resentment! Give form to death’s agony and burst into flames! Bestow the one who obstructs me with a dreadful destiny!] 

“You’ve already shown me that spell!” 

He was right. Suimei had used this one before, but it was just an opener now. As if replying to his deep desires, the magicka took on a different shape. Fire shot out behind Suimei like a jet engine, and as he grasped Ashurbanipal’s gem within his right hand, a dazzling conflagration wrapped around his arm. 

Pouncing at this opening, Eanru leaped in from the front. Showing contempt for that lapse in judgment, Suimei slipped into the chest of the leaping dragonnewt. As Eanru opened his eyes wide in surprise, Suimei put all his might into his magicka. 

“Itaque conluceto! Atque deicito! O Ashurbanipalis fulgidus lapillus!” 

[So shine! And shoot through! Oh Ashurbanipal’s dazzling gem!] 

His right hand that grasped the gem became a fist, the flames bursting towards the back became a mechanism to aid in acceleration, and that fist buried itself in Eanru’s solar plexus. Eanru was unable to escape it in any way, and was sent flying backward. And before he could regain his posture, Ashurbanipal’s flames rushed in after him. From within those flames, Suimei could hear Eanru’s howl. 

“NOT YEEEEEEEET!” 

He let out a loud roar that threatened to pierce Suimei’s eardrums and blow away the flames around him. Even after taking a hit of brilliant radiance from a gem that could bestow death on all living things, the dragonnewt’s knee did not hit the ground. As such, it was inevitable he would retaliate and they would clash again. Without basking in the glory of his magicka, Suimei prepared his last hand as he steeled himself for the close-range battle that was once more about to begin. 

Immediately, a light made of mana formed around his right hand shaped like a blade. It sparkled like the light of dawn, and using that, he quietly drew out letters and symbols that would give birth to magicka. 

A magicka circle instantly sprung forth at his feet. As he continued his actions, magicka circles began to take shape outside the circumference of the first. As he wove his magicka, terrible memories surged through him. Despite having power, his heart was weak. That’s why on that fateful day at that fateful hour on that fateful battlefield, the unthinkable had happened. 

It was there that he’d lost something important. All because when he stood before an excessively powerful existence, he was unable to move. His defenses were late. And to protect him, his father took a dragon’s roar that was meant for Suimei. 

It was on that day that he’d inherited his father’s wish. In his place, Suimei would do what he hadn’t been able to. He would save that woman. He swore he would. On that day, the weak, young Yakagi Suimei had died alongside his father. And now... 

“I’ll never let anything like that happen again...” 

What he wove as he muttered like he was expelling all the air from his lungs was a chant. A true chant. 

“The Progenitor emerges from the sky at dawn, and accomplishes the wishes of all heaven and earth. To release the Apostle from his mission, and to release the Apostle from his own hands, the Progenitor descended before the Apostle.” 

As the chant was exposed, the world began to shake. Quietly, steadily, and eventually violently, and as if no one would be allowed to stand. Having finally shaken off the flames, Eanru held his breath at the stark change in his surroundings. At this distance, even if he ran right away, he would be unable to do anything about the magicka before it was complete. 

“And thus the Apostle fell to the ground. Because his wings of light were plucked. And thus the Apostle fell into hell. Because his body deemed it acceptable to be a nest of malice. And so he fell. And the Progenitor passed Judgment, and drove the Apostle away. And so I pray. Just as the Progenitor demonstrated. Yes, to manifest that infinite light with no end just as he did.” 

And just as Eanru got into range... 

“Everything becomes unknown and is—!” 

The last word he needed to pronounce was on the tip of his tongue. All he needed to do was grasp that infinite light in his hand. But it was still too strong. It was too soon. 

“U-Ugh, shit... DELIVEEEEEEEERED!” 

No matter how strong the will of a magician, an incomplete chant would mean a failed spell. The aftermath of that torrent of power he was unable to control wrapped around the two colliding men and caught them. 

As the blinding light died down, a cold night air blew through the battlefield. All that was there was the scorched earth and the carbonized wreckage of trees that piled up as charcoal on the ground. Looking up from where he’d been blown back to, Eanru spoke doubtfully. 

“... What did you do? The air has reverted to how it was a little before?” 

“The aftermath stagnated time, it seems. It’s something like space rewinding. It’s probably an effect of the outbreak of low-speed light. Because it broke out, time is flowing to match it, or something... Well, that kind of thing doesn’t matter...” 

From the heat filling his inner organs and the red-hot feeling assaulting his throat, Suimei let out a bloody cough. His internal organs had suffered from his stunt just now. 

But even so, the single strike that he staked everything on had failed. What had happened here was a far cry from how he’d intended this to go down. Because he hadn’t been able to get to the last word in the spell at the right time, it ended in failure. No, it was because he was still insufficient to use such magicka. 

Due to the rebound caused by magicka failure, also known as turning, Suimei slowly fell to his knees. He’d staked everything on this bet, and was left completely wiped out. A strong numbness assaulted his body. He would be unable to move for a while. 

“...” 

It was a fatal mistake in a battle, but his opponent wasn’t moving either. No, he couldn’t move. It was likely that Eanru was also wounded. He had completely taken the surprise attack from Ashurbanipal’s flame, and the torrent from the infinite light without end. Even though it hadn’t fully manifested, it still had an effect on him. 

While Suimei remained immobile, a shadow suddenly appeared before his eyes. As he raised his eyes, he could see a girl in a uniform drawing her sword from its sheathe. 

“Hatsumi... I told you... to step back...” 

“You can’t move, right? It’s time for me to step forward.” 

“If you were watching just now, you should know that you don’t stand a chance.” 

“Ugh, I know that without you saying it. But I can still buy you some time until you can move again... And besides, both of you are wounded now, right?” 

“Heh, certainly so.” 

Eanru smiled as he slowly stood. With Hatsumi stepping forward, this could be a once in a lifetime chance, but even so, Eanru was being finicky about putting his burned clothing and battered body in order. Meanwhile, Hatsumi took a stance and aimed the tip of her blade at Eanru’s eyes. However, her hand gripping the hilt of that sword was sweating coldly and slightly trembling. 

“Are we doing this?” she asked. 

“No, I’m done. I’ll have you allow me to leave here,” Eanru replied, shaking his head. 

“Huh?” 

“What?” 

Hearing Eanru’s unexpected words, Hatsumi and Suimei both raised their doubts. 

“What, is that strange?” 

“Well, that’s...” 

“Since the fight has been interrupted, I’ll leave it at that. The chance to retreat has just come around, is all.” 

They couldn’t tell if that was his real intention. Hearing his casual way of talking about it, however, Suimei questioned him in a dubious tone. 

“Yeah? Weren’t you gonna take Hatsumi with you?” 

“Indeed, but she’s something I was to acquire after being victorious over you. Besides, I don’t want to leave you with a grudge.” 

“A grudge?” 

“That’s right. If I took the hero with me, you would hold it against me. The fight between us would become a fight riddled with a surplus of hatred. That is not what I wish for. An enjoyable fight, even if it’s unfair, is something that must be done in earnest.” 

“That’s why, since there was an excess of it this time, you didn’t fight with me to the end?” 

“That’s right.” 

Eanru closed his eyes as he quietly nodded. It was an absurd reason, but it didn’t seem like a lie coming from this strange man. Suimei was still suspicious, but Eanru made to withdraw. It seemed he really did have no more intention of fighting. Dispersing his overflowing fighting spirit, the hot atmosphere around him returned to a cool breeze. Seeing that figure just before his eyes, Suimei sat cross-legged where he was, and let out a somewhat astonished laugh. 

“You’re really something, you know that. I’ve never met a guy like you up until now who so genuinely liked fighting.” 

“I can think of no more flattering praise. It makes all the time I spent polishing my skills worthwhile.” 

Eanru humbly smiled and turned around, then turned to leave. And as if leaving behind words for a fellow comrade in arms... 

“Now then, Suimei Yakagi, I shall see you again.” 

“Yeah.” 

It was a promise for a rematch. Even though Suimei didn’t want to ever fight someone like that again, even though he was completely reluctant, he couldn’t help but acknowledge Eanru’s implicit request. His heart may have simply been replying to his opponent’s sincerity. 

After Eanru left, the quiet of the forest eventually returned. There was still the sound of crackling embers, but even so, it felt silent because what had been making a racket in his heart had finally vanished. The tension that had been mounting in Hatsumi’s body seemed to have dispersed, and she sat down right where she was with a thud. 

“He’s gone...” 

“Yup.” 

“Just what was he?” 

“Who knows? All I can say for now is that he’s a strange enemy. And a battle maniac.” 

After giving his brief personal opinion on Eanru, Suimei let out all the breath in his lungs. 

“Shit. Next time, I won’t lose...” 

After spitting out all the unpleasant air in his lungs, he leaked out a vexed vow to overcome a future obstacle. He wasn’t defeated. To the contrary, he accomplished his goal this time around, so if he was pushed to say it, this was a victory. However, the battle ended with Suimei at a disadvantage. It didn’t make him feel like he’d won. So conversely, he really felt like he was defeated. 

“Are you alright?” 

“Well, as long as I’m alive, I’ll manage somehow or other.” 

“I see.” 

After answering Hatsumi and hearing her brief reply, she suddenly seemed to remember something and once more began speaking. 

“Now that I think of it, you seemed to be listening to what he said pretty carefully.” 

“Hmm?” 

“You talked, right? With that guy.” 

“Now that you mention it, you’re right.” 

“Why? There’s no need to listen to what the enemy has to say, right? You also talked to him pointlessly in the middle of the fight.” 

“Well, that kind of thing happens. The subtleties behind that kinda fight to the death turning into something else gets all jumbled up. There’s a tacit understanding.” 

“It would’ve been fine to trap him while he was talking.” 

“I agree completely. But with that kinda opponent, I just can’t help but feel it’s too boorish. You know? An enemy you have to defeat head on... Anyone out there has one or two of those no matter what. That’s why I don’t want to lie to myself. Of course, I was thinking of ways of letting only you get away you know?” 

Honestly speaking, that was Suimei’s true desire. If Eanru’s objective was Hatsumi, in the worst scenario, he could just get her somewhere that Eanru couldn’t get to her. However, Hatsumi frowned as though she heavily disapproved of this. 

“And... you don’t look happy about that.” 

“Of course not.” 

“Hey, you saw my power, right?” 

After Hatsumi nodded once, Suimei continued. 

“I’m still midway on my path, but I’m well aware that the power I hold is great. In short, I’m something like an autonomous powder keg. If a guy like that did as he pleased, and flung around his power without knowing anything, you can tell what will happen, right?” 

“That’s...” 

“I’m a magician. Not just monsters, I’ve also beaten several people to death with magicka. But they all attacked me. I didn’t have a choice. But what if that wasn’t the case? If I swung around my power without properly understanding the circumstances of those around me, and if that turned into something that couldn’t be undone—” 

A heavy silence filled the air. Hatsumi could say nothing back to him. It was obvious. This was something that Hatsumi, who had no memories yet possessed power, had to be acutely aware of regarding herself as well. 

“I don’t want to regret anything after I’ve done it. That’s why I’ll have things I want to know, and things I’ll doubt partway through. The opponent’s personal circumstances are occasionally something that can’t be immediately intuited. Just because they’re hostile, it’s far too hasty to decide that they have to be defeated no matter what. Well, if you’re too cautious, it’s also possible to lose an opportunity, so I can’t really say which way is better. It’s all a load of trouble, huh? All of it...” 

As he let out a self-deprecating laugh and looked down at himself, Hatsumi still had nothing to say back to him. While she made a face like she was carefully scrutinizing something, Suimei gave her his real impression of Eanru. 

“Well, even so, it didn’t seem like he was in the right to me.” 

“The moment he said he said he’d use me, there was no more room for negotiation.” 

Hearing Hatsumi’s gloomy declaration, Suimei let out a dark sigh and nodded. And then, he suddenly fell to the ground with his arms and legs splayed out. 

“Yakagi?” 

“I’m so tired I could just die. I really, really want a futon right now.” 

At his idiotic declaration, Hatsumi drooped her shoulders in a crestfallen manner. It didn’t seem she would be able to pull him up anytime soon. 

The battle that was taking place on the plains between the Alliance army and the demon army had already come to a close. It had concluded in a draw due to sustained casualties on both sides, but the Alliance army—who had underestimated the strength of their enemy—had suffered significantly greater losses than the demon army. 

Currently, outside the fortress that served as the main stronghold in the area, the Alliance army was collecting itself. The surviving generals, Hatsumi’s companions, Rumeya, Lefille, and the others were all inside the main tent, and the atmosphere there was absolutely stifling. The war council meeting about how to proceed was heated, to say the least. Weitzer, whose position demanded he consider all available options, was listening to each and every proposal from the generals and staff officers. 

“Your Highness, how about we pull the army back for a short while? If we retreat into an area with a ravine, it would put us in an advantageous...” one officer suggested. 

“No, a ravine is just as likely to be a disadvantage. Plenty of the demons possess the ability to fly. It would be better to resolutely pull back the entire line at once and rally the army...” suggested another. 

“Both are out of the question. Until the hero has returned, we will not pull back,” declared Weitzer. 

All sorts of ideas were being thrown around, but Weitzer put his foot down on that matter. Despite his firm stance, however, most of the staff officers and generals were scarcely able to keep their opinions to themselves. One even tenaciously clung to the conversation. 

“But Your Highness, if we remain like this too long, we will be unable to break the deadlock. If it comes to a fight on the open plains once more, we will take catastrophic casualties.” 

“That is exactly why we have requested reinforcements from every vassal state. We will wait until the soldiers and supplies arrive.” 

“But while we wait, the soldiers only grow more and more anxious! It’s now that we need to present to them a firm plan! If we don’t, they will believe all is lost and morale will plummet!” 

At that, Weitzer seemed to reach the limits of his princely patience before his men who wouldn’t listen to him. Slamming both hands on the desk in front of him, he kicked back his chair and stood up abruptly. 

“If we do not put ourselves in order, the soldiers will certainly lose hope! But without the hero, there will be no hope for the army! Moreover, if we abandon the hero and run away after she saved us, can we even call ourselves soldiers?” 

“Hrk!” 

“You hear me?! The hero saved us, and we will do the same for the hero! Those who would dare abandon her have no right to rely on her! Heed my words and engrave them into your hearts!” 

Weitzer’s booming shout thundered through the tent with enough force to silence all present. It was like time stood still for a moment. Meanwhile, Rumeya, who was sitting at the end of the table at the war council, began speaking to Lefille, who was sitting beside her. 

“My goodness. Seems to be quite the sticky situation for them, eh?” 

“Please don’t talk like it’s none of your business, Rumeya-dono. Shouldn’t you also have a say in this matter? As the head of a guild branch, please offer your words of support.” 

Hearing Lefille’s somewhat exasperated opinion, Rumeya shrugged her shoulders. 

“I’ve got no sense for the delicacies of tactics. That being said, no matter how this goes, I’ll at least listen.” 

“Is that really alright...?” 

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” 

Rumeya puffed away at her pipe as she completely, irresponsibly wrote off the matter. Both Felmenia and Liliana, who were also sitting next to them, looked like they were troubled by her indifferent attitude. Not minding them, Rumeya called out to one of the nearby soldiers. 

“Hey, hey... You over there. What’s the word from the scouts?” 

“Ma’am! The demon army has already retreated. The latest from each of the other fortresses report the same. Regarding the possibility of an advance, however, they are still unable to come to a conclusion.” 

“But the demons are retreating, huh? It’s weird, innit? Even if we rallied at the end there, if I had to say, they still held the advantage. Lefi, what do you think?” 

“There are two reasons for them to retreat. Either they fulfilled their goal, or they took unsustainable losses. They had serious casualties, certainly, but I don’t think it was enough to cause the whole army to retreat.” 

“In other words... the demons accomplished their goal. That’s what... we’re left to assume.” 

“It’s just as Lily says. And in that case, the problem is...” 

“What exactly was their goal? Well, Lefi, what have you come up with for us on that front?” 

“The Alliance army suffered great casualties and is at a disadvantage, while their hero, Hatsumi-dono, is currently missing. The damage done to the army was serious, certainly, but the odds are much higher that their goal was the hero.” 

Lefille’s answer was undeniable, and Felmenia showed a somewhat perturbed expression upon hearing it. 

“S-So... Suimei-dono failed? Is that what you mean?” 

To Felmenia, who had complete and absolute faith in Suimei, the idea that he’d failed to rescue Hatsumi was unthinkable. However, Lefille shook her head. 

“No, that’s not necessarily the case. The demons’ plan was largely to separate Hatsumi-dono from the army. And in that respect, you could say that they accomplished what they wanted to. They may have begun pulling back as soon as they heard that happened. And besides, we haven’t heard any declarations from them that the hero was defeated. There’s a good probability that she’s still alive.” 

“I see...” 

If the hero had been defeated, the demons wouldn’t hesitate to raise her head to the sky with a great roar of celebration. There could perhaps be nothing more damning to the Alliance army’s morale. If that happened, despite whatever losses they’d taken, they’d press on in attacking. The path to victory from there would be a short one. 

“That’s assuming that the demons have that level of craftiness and intelligence, though.” 

“Those things are cunning. They take advantage of weaknesses immediately. That’s why they targeted Hatsumi-dono specifically.” 

That, essentially, was the conclusion to Lefille’s explanation—and her answer to Rumeya’s original question. 

“The Alliance army will likely be licking their wounds here for a while. If they make the poor decision to pull back their army for fear of greater casualties, the demons will take that opportunity to pounce, which will only further deteriorate morale. In the worst case, the retreating demon army might just turn around.” 

“So that’s what you want me to tell them?” 

Rumeya was pointing over to Weitzer and the army representative, and Lefille nodded. Rumeya glanced over Weitzer, and then back at Lefille again. The other side of the tent was still as tense as could be. Rather than cooling down, it seemed things had only gotten more heated. The staff officers were still unable to let go of the idea of a retreat, and even Gaius and Selphy—who had been quiet up to this point—had joined the serious discussion. 

“Aww, no way, no way, no waaaaay! Instead of jumping into that hot mess, I’d rather just go cut into the demon forces... Hey, I said that on impulse, but should we just go do it? We can head right out. Wouldn’t that be best?” 

Rumeya’s tails were shifting around restlessly as she gave the group a wink. Seeing this, Lefille let out a grand sigh like she was fed up with her. 

“Why are therianthropes all like this...?” 

“It seems... it’s simply... in their nature.” 

“Clarissa-dono is really the odd one out, I see.” 

“Seems so.” 

“Yup.” 

Lefille, Liliana, and Felmenia all nodded repeatedly. As they continued to talk amongst themselves, the entrance flap to the tent was suddenly thrown open. A panting soldier jumped in with a great sense of urgency. 

“R-Reporting!” 

“What is it?!” 

The one to address the soldier was the one at the center of the war council, Weitzer. The soldier then caught his breath and replied happily. 

“The hero is returning to the camp!” 

Hearing the good news, the tent was instantly filled with relieved voices. Weitzer, however, calmed them and addressed the soldier. 

“Does this mean the hero is safe?” 

“Indeed, Your Highness. She is walking towards the camp on her own feet.” 

Lefille took the opportunity to ask the soldier a question of her own. 

“Is she alone?” 

“No, the young man in black is with her. In fact, Hero-sama seems to be the one lending him a shoulder to walk...” 

Hearing that report, Lefille and Felmenia bolted out of their seats. 

“Is he wounded?!” 

“Is he alright?!” 

Terribly startled by their sudden terrific shouting, the soldier fell backward onto his butt. But rather than the messenger, they cared far more about Suimei’s wellbeing, and as such, continued to question the man on the floor without restraint. Though completely bewildered, he somehow managed to answer them. 

“Er, uh... No. From the looks of it, he does not appear to be injured, but it’s quite clear that he is not well, either.” 

“Get to the point! Tell us what you mean, and clearly!” 

“This is extremely important! Please pull yourself together!” 

“Don’t be so unreasonable, you two. Come on, step back a bit.” 

As Rumeya attempted to calm them, Liliana suggested a much easier and direct solution to the matter. 

“Let’s go...” 

At that, it was decided that the war council would be adjourned for the moment, and everyone inside the tent left in quick succession. 

After passing through what was left of the darkwood forest, Suimei and Hatsumi had returned to Alliance territory. From there, they’d made their way to the main fortress, and were now safe within its protective walls. Hatsumi took a seat on a wooden box while Suimei plunked down on the ground to take a breather. It wasn’t long before Felmenia and the others came running over. Spotting them, Suimei waved at them with a smile. 

“Yo. I’m back.” 

“Welcome back, Suimei-dono. I’m so glad to see you safe.” 

Felmenia sounded relieved. She held her hand out to Suimei, and from where he was sitting, he gave her a high five. Meanwhile, Liliana looked at him with a pleasant but astonished smile. 

“You always wear yourself... to tatters, don’t you?” 

“I can’t say anything back to that.” 

“Welcome back... Are you alright?” 

“Just wicked tired.” 

Between his fatigue and mana exhaustion, Suimei could barely move. But apart from that, all of his injuries had already been healed. Watching this reunion scene unfold from the side, Hatsumi lightly cocked her head to the side. 

“These people are...?” 

“My companions.” 

“I see... Not that I care, but it’s nothing but girls, huh?” 

“Huh? Well... yeah.” 

“Uhuh.” 

Hatsumi looked at Suimei suspiciously. Suimei, however, unable to tell what had caused such a change in her attitude, simply looked back at her dumbfoundedly. 

“What?” 

“Nothing. At any rate, aren’t you just a little reckless? Despite coming to save me, I had to lend you my shoulder to return.” 

“Yeah, well, what are you gonna do? It was a pain to walk on my own.” 

“How lame.” 

“I don’t have too much room to talk considering I came to save you of my own free will, but... just whose fault is it I ended up like this again?” 

“Oof... When you put it like that, I can’t exactly argue...” 

As Suimei looked at her with half closed eyes, Hatsumi could only groan. Serious by nature, she would never argue when confronted with the truth. And while they were having that little exchange, the next wave of people came out of the tent. Spotting Hatsumi sitting atop the box, Selphy dashed over to her. 

“Hatsumi!” 

With a cry of delight, Selphy threw her arms around her. Hatsumi was both surprised and flustered at the sudden embrace. 

“Oomph! Selphy, hang on... If you suddenly do that...” 

“Hatsumi... I’m glad you’re safe.” 

“Thank you. Really, I’m safe because of all of you.” 

When Selphy expressed her relief, Hatsumi replied in kind. They were both glad to see each other. And as things calmed down between them, Weitzer and Gaius—who had been watching from the side—at last called out to her. 

“Hero-dono. Welcome back.” 

“Thank you. And thank goodness you’re all safe.” 

“Sweet. Now I can finally relax and have some booze.” 

“That’s all you care about, isn’t it, Gaius?” 

Going along with Gaius’s carefree attitude, laughter began to make its way through the group. Even Suimei, watching on from the smile, gave a broad grin. 

“Hey, geezer. I did what I said I would do, didn’t I?” 

“You sure are a piece of work, lad.” 

There was a complicated expression on Suimei’s face as he looked away, but it wasn’t an unpleasant one. Rumeya, who at some point had seated herself on a nearby box, took the opportunity to call out to Suimei as she puffed on her pipe. 

“I heard you had to borrow the hero’s shoulder.” 

“Yes, that! Just what happened?!” Felmenia cut in. “For you to be unable to walk on your own...” 

“Indeed, it’s strange... If all you’d done... was search for the hero... there should be no cause for this,” added Liliana. 

“Was it demons?” asked Gaius. 

“That’s... hard to imagine.” 

Liliana had been the one to say it, but each and every member of Suimei’s party was nodding. In their eyes, no matter how many mere demons came flying at him, they could never be a threat to Suimei. Still waiting for an answer to the question at hand, however, Lefille raised an eyebrow. 

“Well, Suimei-kun?” 

“There was just one bad dude that showed up.” 

“By that, you mean a demon general?” asked Gaius. 

“Huh? A demon general?” 

Suimei cocked his head to the side. Seeing that reaction, Hatsumi looked totally stunned. 

“We did fight one, you know. Did you actually forget? You’re kidding, right? That’s just...” 

Hearing Hatsumi’s dumbfounded tone, Suimei began rubbing his chin. Had there been something like that? Groaning like his head hurt, he looked up at the sky, then the ground, and then finally the light bulb came on. 

“Hrm... Ah, oh yeah! The guy who used that shitty knockoff technique!” 

“Seriously...?” 

Hatsumi’s exasperated voice hung in the air. She never dreamed he would up and forget about it. Seeing her firmly plant her face in the palm of her hand, Suimei could only smile bitterly. The shock of fighting Eanru had completely put their encounter with Vuishta out of his mind. Judging that she wouldn’t be able to get to the point with Suimei like this, Selphy turned to Hatsumi and continued the conversation. 

“Then a demon general really did appear?” 

“Yes, and we fought him.” 

“Are you kidding? We destroyed him. A dweeby small fry like that is nothing. More importantly...” 

“A-A demon general... a small fry...? A... dweeby small fry?” 

Suimei sounded completely unconcerned, and Selphy began to mutter his words repeatedly in a dumbfounded tone from within her hood. To them, the demons were a major threat. It was hard to take what Suimei was saying seriously, and it wasn’t just Selphy. Both Weitzer and Gaius were frowning as well. Urging on the conversation from there was Lefille. 

“From the way you’ve been speaking,” she said to Suimei, “some opponent other than the demon general was the one to put you in this state.” 

“Yeah.” 

After Suimei nodded, Hatsumi cut in. 

“Thanks to Yakagi, we were able to defeat the demon general successfully, but after that, he showed up right away.” 

“And just who is ‘he’?” 

“He called himself a dragonnewt.” 

“Dra—?!” 

“A dragonnewt?!” 

Both Gaius and Weitzer yelled out in surprise. Hatsumi looked at the two of them curiously. 

“...Is that bad?” 

“B-Bad? You kiddin’? Rather than bad, I’d call it...” 

Gaius was so seized by shock that he was unable to get to the point. Suimei looked around to get an answer from someone else, but every member of the group was making the same surprised expression. The only one who still seemed calm was Rumeya, so he fixed his gaze on her. 

“Wow, a dragonnewt, huh? They’re a race that lives in the mountain range to the north of the Alliance. It’s said that they have the strongest bodies of all the beings in this world. In truth, they are indeed outrageously powerful. They’re not the type to stick their snouts into worldly affairs, however. But you’re saying you fought one of them?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Don’t tell me you absurdly did him in?” 

“Not even close. It took everything I had just to end things in a draw, which was really more like a loss.” 

“Wonders never cease with you, do they?” 

Even with that addendum slapped on to the end of Suimei’s declaration, Rumeya’s astonishment only increased. As their exchange drew to a close, Suimei looked to Lefille. 

“I’d like to get your opinion on this too for perspective.” 

“I can confirm what Rumeya-dono said. Dragonnewts are strong. They inhabit land bordering demon territory, but not only have they not been destroyed, they’re thriving. Despite being completely outnumbered, they have enough power to put up a fight with room to spare.” 

Hearing her say that, Suimei was reminded of Eanru’s monologue when he first showed up. 

“Yeah, now that you mention it, he did say something about demons being pests.” 

“Yeah, he did...” replied Hatsumi. “But this only confirms for me that he was a truly outrageous man.” 

As the two of them recalled what had happened and both sighed, Selphy raised a question. 

“But why was a dragonnewt fighting with you two?” 

“Who knows? He said he wanted to take Hatsumi along, but we weren’t able to get more out of him.” 

“H-He wanted to take Hatsumi?!” 

“He said he needed the hero’s power or something. I wonder what for...” 

As Suimei rubbed his chin, Weitzer let out a thunderous shout. 

“You bastard, how could you not get such important intelligence?!” 

“Huh?” 

“This is an important matter concerning the hero’s safety! To not get such an—” 

“Aah, damn it, just shut the hell up already. He wasn’t the kinda opponent you could get answers out of with force. Capisce? Or are you saying that you wanna go ask him yourself? From beginning to end, it was nothing but a trauma festival for me, you hear? He was a dragon—a freaking dragon! Could you fight against a monster that could bring ruin to a world of seven billion people and life as we know it?! Huh?! HUH?!” 

“Th-That...” 

Suimei bared his fangs as he glared daggers at Weitzer. He was so angry he was practically growling. Seeing this, Felmenia and Lefille started to try and soothe him. 

“Whoa, there...” 

“What am I, a horse?!” 

“Please calm down, Suimei-dono. This is not like you...” 

“No shit! This guy’s driving me berserk!” 

“Suimei-kun, you’re not making much sense anymore. Whatever you fought was different from the opponent you fought in your world, right?” 

“Yes, but a dragon is a dragon—URRRGH!” 

“We can’t have you acting violently now, Suimei-kun.” 

“GYAAAAAAAAH! Lefi-san, I’m breaking! I’m seriously breaking! You’re pressing down too hard, daaamn iiit!” 

As Lefille pinned down both his shoulders, everyone around them was observing them in bewilderment. Not just because of what they were doing, but because of what they were talking about. 

“Suimei... This isn’t... like him...” 

“He really must have been at his wits’ end. I have seen Suimei-dono act like this once before...” 

Felmenia was reminded of when Suimei first came to this world and went on a rampage in the audience chamber. Back then, he completely lost his composure at the unreasonable situation thrust on him. He at least had the self-control not to go berserk with magicka, but he did apparently act his age every now and then. Before long, after Suimei managed to calm down, Gaius was the one to get the conversation back on track. 

“Did you at least get his name?” 

“Y-Yeah... He called himself Eanru.” 

“Eanru, huh?” 

“Hmm? Now then, just where have I heard that name before...?” 

Gaius didn’t have a clue, but it seemed to ring a bell for Rumeya. Suddenly realizing it for herself, Selphy’s face became completely pale. 

“I too have heard that name before... Over a hundred years ago, there was a terrifyingly strong dragonnewt who defeated the ‘Man-Eating Evil’ that nobody was said to be able to take down.” 

“That’s who he was?” asked Suimei. 

“If I remember right, my master told me his name was Eanru. It’s probably...” 

“Good grief, so that crazy bastard was... Well, I guess if that was a hundred years ago, they’ve got hellaciously long lifespans, huh?” 

Suimei let out a sigh like he was annoyed. Rumeya was the one to answer his question. 

“Dragonnewts, elves, and dwarves are all similar in that they have long lifespans. I’ve also heard stories of the Man-Eating Evil too. That dragonnewt is probably already two hundred years old or so, I imagine.” 

“Great. There are plenty of people in this world that live that long? That gives me chills.” 

Suimei exaggeratedly grabbed his shoulders and trembled, and it was at that point that Felmenia joined the conversation. 

“Is it bad if they live long?” 

“Back in my world, most of the guys who live for a long time are dangerous. That’s kind of the standard. Even those who live for just a hundred years are all dangerous. Like, super dangerous.” 

“Then for you to go so far, Suimei-dono...” 

While Felmenia made a grim expression as she muttered, Suimei recalled the list of such monsters he’d come across. It included the leader of the Society, the chairman, the monster professor, and the Greed of Ten. They were all magicians who possessed dreadful power. During this pause in the conversation, Hatsumi spoke up. 

“Is it alright with everyone if we bring this to a close? I’m alright, but...” 

Hatsumi tossed a glance Suimei’s way. He didn’t even bother putting up a strong front. 

“I just wanna sleep. Let’s call it a night here.” 

Guessing that Hatsumi was also tired, he expressed his own desire to get some rest. It was a man’s job to stay tough in situations like this, but it would do the army well to see Hatsumi get some rest. Just as he was thinking of finding a place to do the same himself, Suimei stood up and suddenly felt a presence behind him. And as he tried to figure out who it was... 

“Since you can’t move, Suimei-kun...” 

“Huh?” 

Just as he thought he heard Lefille’s voice, someone grabbed his arm. He was then lifted up and confusingly turned around in the air. By the time he realized what was going on, Suimei found himself on Lefille’s back. 

“Wai— ?×???!” 

“Suimei-kun, you’re speaking gibberish, you know?” 

“Whatever! What the hell are you doing, Lefi-san?!” 

“You seemed to be having trouble moving on your own, so I thought I would carry you?” 

He was thankful for her consideration, but being a man carried on a woman’s back, he was getting weird looks from everyone. 

“S-Stop, stop, stop it! Let me down! I’m fine, so just let me down!” 

“No way. You’re tired, right? It’s better not to force yourself.” 

“Forget forcing myself! Being carried by a girl is far too lame!” 

“That’s too bad. This is what you get for using your power up to its limits.” 

“That’s not my...” 

He was going to say “fault,” but was suddenly distracted when he realized Rumeya was snickering at him. 

“Heh heh heh...” 

“Wha— You! Don’t laugh!” 

“But, you know....” 

“I don’t know, damn it! Menia, what the hell are you laughing for too?!” 

“It’s just so unusual for Suimei-dono to be so intensely perturbed. Heehee...” 

Felmenia pointed this out to him, but she was making a gentle smile the whole time. He was quickly running out of allies. Suimei was reaching his breaking point, but it didn’t stop Liliana from taking her turn. 

“Suimei, accepting the goodwill of others... is the adult thing to do.” 

Those ever-so-innocent words were what dealt the final blow. In the end, judging that he would be unable to escape his fate of being carried away, Suimei could only grandly scream out his resentment. 

“God daaaaamn iiiiiiiit! You guys, I’ll fucking remember thiiiiiiiis!” 

After spending a night resting in the fortress, Suimei’s party returned to Miazen.