Chapter 146: Practice Match (3)
A blinding flash of light fills the broadcast screen in the center of the exam room.
Crackle!!!
With a menacing roar, a bolt of lightning shoots from Aizel’s hand, sending Murka, who had allowed it to happen without resistance, flying into the distance.
The testing grounds instantly erupted into a muffled roar. The eyes of the cadets watching were filled with trust in Aizel.
Everyone in the room knew that Murka was the strongest demon that had ever appeared.
The sight of Aizel defeating him with a single blow made everyone’s mouths water with admiration.
“Hmph, that’s pretty good. I wonder how that ‘Ludwig’ got into the academy… was it an anomaly?”
Rei, who had been clenching her jaw, turned her head and glanced at Hubert.
He’d watched Zetto’s group practice before, but back then, Aizel had made one mistake after another, and… Since Rei had dozed off halfway through holding the doll, it was only now that she was able to see the full extent of Aizel’s skill.
“I see. That’s why I felt so strange. A member of the Ludwig clan shouldn’t be good at any elemental magic.”
The bodies of the Ludwig clan had a very unique constitution. Not only did they have strange mana circuits that didn’t mix with any elements, but even the simple task of enhancing their bodies with mana was difficult.
Still, they had mana, and they could use magic.
What they were able to gain by abandoning combat power was none other than the power to manipulate time.
They were the only ones in the world who could cast time magic, which was used for many things, such as reversing time and predicting the future.
However, the price for breaking the laws of time is said to be terrible, and nothing more is known about it.
Not many people knew of the Ludwig clan, but those who did spoke of them in jest.
If the Ludwigs had a hidden vault, it was said, it would contain the “future” of the world.
As Hubert and Rei continued their conversation, the giant transmission screen showed Aizel’s face as she approached Zetto.
Aizel then speaks.
[ …I didn’t hear you properly because of that demon, please repeat.]
Aizel’s cheeks were flushed against the backdrop of the pouring rain.
They didn’t know the circumstances of what happened, but Aizel’s flushed face conveys that whatever it was, it wasn’t something to talk about in front of a demon.
“What did he say?”
“I don’t know. I think they were having a conversation.”
“…But aren’t they dealing with demons?”
“Maybe they’re talking about something more important than demons.”
This was both puzzling and curious to the onlookers.
What on earth were Zetto and Aizel talking about that they would put the demons aside like they were nothing?
Someone else wondered that too.
Why was Edward, who was broadcasting the screen, showing their conversation and not the demons?
Only Edward, with a sinister grin on his face, knew.
The image on the screen was being filmed and directed by Edward’s ‘will’.
It’s a fantasy he’s created, and with the tools Hubert has given him, he can easily compose the scene to his liking.
Next, the screen cuts to Zetto on the other side of Aizel.
His white bandages were mysteriously untouched by the rain, and his wet hair, now calmer, was radiating color.
At least, that’s how it seemed to the women in the room, except for Rei.
Maybe he was talking about something important.
His lips, now moistened by raindrops, were about to open.
[I mean, I…]
Everyone was holding their breath.
On the screen, Zetto’s voice is followed by a thick male voice.
[Zetto, Aizel! Are you hurt?]
Amon, Yuri, and Lucia appear, and the cadets sigh in unison.
Judging by Zetto and Aizel’s shaky reactions, the conversation between them was lost, and what Zetto was about to say remains a mystery.
The room quickly becomes chaotic and everyone has long since forgotten about Murka.
“Please finish what you’re saying…!”
Reina, who was the most engrossed of them all, was fuming with frustration.
It was a similar feeling to the one known to make people angry, which is to say, to stop talking.
“Hmph…”
Meanwhile, Edward, who was transmitting it, cleared his throat and frowned slightly.
‘I was expecting something interesting…’
It was a great disappointment.
***
“There seems to be only one enemy, and he uses a unique magic whose identity is unknown.”
The entire group is now gathered and Zetto calmly organizes the situation before Murka approaches them.
“It’s probably telekinesis.”
Aizel adds as she tidies up her wet hair.
Telekinesis was one of the rarest types of magic used by demons that utilized magic.
“Telekinesis… Amon and I will take the melee, while the rest of you provide cover. I’ll do my best to block his magic.”
Zetto then drew Sierra from his waistband.
Yuri, who was still processing what had just happened, asked a question.
“…So what were you two talking about?”
“Nothing much.”
“Then what was it about?”
“It’s nothing.”
“…”
Yuri’s sharp senses picked up on Zetto and the strange air currents flowing between them, but she was cut off by Aizel’s curt reply.
‘There’s something…’
A suspicion flashes through Yuri’s mind, but she gives up on asking further questions.
For now, the battle took precedence.
Zetto, with his Spectral Sword still clenched, senses Murka’s approach and makes a final check on his men.
Among them, he singled out Lucia.
“Ms. Lucia, are you making any progress?”
“…”
At Zetto’s question, Lucia calmed her breathing and closed her eyes.
Then she opened her eyes.
Her eyes were very serious, not like the usual Lucia.
Lucia’s eyes are focused on Murka, who is slowly walking towards them.
Turning her attention back to Zetto, Lucia says a few words.
“…I see it, the horned Amon.”
It’s a ridiculous line, one that wouldn’t have been out of place in a laugh, but there’s no sign of laughter on anyone’s face.
“Good.”
“The enemy looking like an Amon” was the most important thing to them.
Murka was a far cry from Amon, with long white hair and black horns sprouting from his forehead.
“Hmmm.”
Still, Amon cleared his throat, feeling a little uncomfortable.
The distance between Murka and Zetto gradually narrowed.
Zetto, who had been measuring the distance, spoke first.
“Scatter.”
At the sound of his voice, the three men assigned to cover fire scatter through the bushes.
Zetto then turns to Amon, who is standing behind him.
“Amon, let’s do what we did then.”
“Okay.”
Amon paws at the ground, raising a clump of dirt, and quickly forms a gauntlet of rock on his arm.
Zetto places his feet on the thick gauntlet as if he’s used to it.
Amon lifts him up lightly and aims it at Murka in the distance.
He swings his arm wildly, throwing Zetto off his gauntlet.
– Aaah!!!
With a sound like air being torn apart, Zetto’s body disappears in an instant.
Amon’s throwing power was enhanced by his mana. And Zetto’s leap while stepping on the gauntlet combined to send him flying at high speed.
Not only that, but as he flew, he cast Chapter 2 of Reverse Heaven to add to his momentum.
The speed was phenomenal and it took less than a second for Zetto’s sword to reach Murka.
In that instant, Zetto flew in front of Murka’s nose and swung his sword at the creature’s bloodless neck.
-Aaah!
A red sword light flashed, but his sword was blocked by an invisible force that prevented it from reaching Murka’s neck.
It was Murka’s telekinesis.
Murka’s mouth opens as she opens her palm to block Zetto’s sword.
“You’re quite the swordsman, aren’t you?”
“…”
Murka smiles faintly.
His smile shows nothing but lust for power and madness.
‘Murka is not an easy opponent after all.’
Zetto thought as they locked swords.
‘To react at this speed…’
Of course, Zetto wasn’t using all of his skills, but even the old Murka was still a formidable opponent.
It wasn’t a demon that Edward couldn’t kill for nothing.
‘Edward, you must have fought quite hard…’
The implementation rate of the fantasy Murka was quite good.
Judging by his personality and tone of voice, it was clear that he had actually encountered him.
Then, a thought crossed Zetto’s mind.
After all, Murka was an opponent he would have to face at some point. Maybe he could find some hints that would help him deal with him.
***
Chop! Chop!!!
The sound of sharp blades clashing echoes through the forest.
Edward’s vision of Murka is in a panic.
‘This blind man with his eyes covered with bandages… It’s quite disturbing. Most of all…’
Murka twisted his outstretched hand toward a clump of bushes and aimed it at the mage.
“Spirals.”
A technique he often used to warp everything within a certain range.
But before the telekinesis could even get there.
-Thud!
Zetto’s nimble feet slashed at the weak point of the magic, breaking it down.
‘…He cut through the magic.’
It was an intangible energy that was difficult to block even if you could see it…but the blind man sliced through it with ease.
The same could be said for the telekinetic force that protected his body.
Murka then used his telekinetic magic to raise the cold weapons around him to block Zetto’s sword.
-Boom!
However, Zetto shattered those weapons as if they were nothing.
‘An incredible barrage.’
Murka’s telekinesis was strong enough to handle dozens of swords, spears, and shields at once, but the blind man in front of him was swinging his sword back without showing any signs of fatigue.
‘If this battle lasts long enough, there won’t be any weapons around to parry his sword.’
But there was no opening in sight and every once in a while, an attack that he couldn’t parry came in.
“…Amon.”
“Coming.”
An earth mage with a thick gauntlet of stones wrapped around his arm rushes forward, pushing Murka as hard as he can with his immense defense.
Amon, guarded by his gauntlets, rolls heavily on the ground, causing mounds of earth to rise from beneath his feet as he struggles to hold onto Murka’s feet.
“…”
Running out of options, Murka chooses to fly into the air.
But as if aiming for it, magic shoots out from all directions.
-Boom!!!
In time, Murka unleashes his telekinesis to deflect a bolt of lightning, followed by another pillar of fire from the ground.
The power of each spell is so powerful that Murka’s magic is loosened and he allows a gust of wind to come at his back.
-CRACK!!!
Murka’s armor shatters.
“Ugh…One more.”
Pushed to the limit, Murka makes a momentary miscalculation and is knocked off balance by Lucia’s wind magic.
There was no way Zetto would miss this opening and from below, he immediately swung his sword at Murka.
‘Chapter 1.’
Zetto’s blade crossed the distance between him and Murka, aiming for his throat.
‘Something’s coming.’
But Murka, sensing the mystery in Zetto’s movements, reacted immediately. He realized that the blind man he was dealing with was not one to make useless moves.
Using his telekinesis to levitate, Murka barely managed to avoid Zetto’s counterattack.
-Ouch!
Nevertheless, his cheeks were shallowly cut.
Wiping the blood from his cheek, Murka realizes that he’s been cornered.
His form of telekinesis requires a high level of concentration.
It’s easy to learn, but difficult to master.
Nevertheless, if he could master it, he could attack and defend at the same time…the possibilities were endless.
Murka’s talent for offensive magic was such that it could almost be called an art.
For now, he had to defend himself.
Once again, magic intercepted him from a distance.
-Thud!
-Thud!
Murka realized that he would be at a disadvantage in a battle of attrition.
It was better to play the short game, even if it meant exhausting his magic.
‘I should aim for the mages.’
However, the fire and wind mages were hard to pinpoint.
‘Then that leaves the one who uses lightning magic.’
Murka flew at a high speed, dodging the bolts of lightning that shot out, and headed for the Lightning Mage.
-Thud.
After landing on his feet, Murka took in the mage’s appearance. It was the platinum-haired girl, Aizel, who had casually fired a lightning bolt at him earlier.
“I’ll deal with you first.”
The Murka that Edward had created in his fantasy was the Murka from the war a decade ago.
In essence, the current Murka should have known of Aizel’s existence, but Edward hadn’t been able to make it happen, so he didn’t recognize her.
Aizel faced Murka alone but there was no fear in her eyes, one love for Zetto and joy that she had gotten him to confess.
It overwhelmed the fear that had been imprinted on her soul.
For Aizel, Murka…was now just a nuisance who interrupted her sweet conversation with Zetto.
Looking at Murka, Aizel smiled faintly and drew a golden rod from her arm.
With a snap, it transformed into a majestic spear.
“What, you didn’t think I could fight in melee?”
Of all the mages who fired their magic from a distance, he could only pinpoint Aizel’s location…
…this was a trap set up because she could fight melee.
“Hoh…”
Murka was easily caught in the trap.
Aizel, whose body was sparkling, disappeared in front of Murka’s eyes with lightning-like speed.
-Zap!
Aizel appeared next to him in an instant and lunged her spear at Murka’s throat.
“Die.”