Experiencing a loss for words is not something that happens often, but Lisha was currently experiencing it.
―What... is that?
Lisha stared wide-eyed at the shimmering silver and jade brilliance within the army of flames.
It was none other than Yuusuke, who had suddenly charged into the heart of the army all by himself.
While half in a state of thought paralysis due to the unbelievable spectacle unfolding before her, Lisha's dance remained flawless, a result of her training.
However, despite being taught to immerse herself in her dance when maintaining 'Sanctuary,' it was currently impossible for her.
It all began when she and Yuusuke were searching for demons together. Lisha felt an unnatural surge of magic power, one that was leaking out. She immediately realized that the protective barrier had been broken.
Right after that, Lisha found herself lifted into the air by Yuusuke.
And in just a few minutes, Lisha and Yuusuke arrived at the scene of the battle between Earth's magicians and demons.
To be honest, Lisha was trembling with fear and despair at that moment.
Because there, waiting for them, was the Crimson Army that filled her entire field of vision.
"I can't win... There's no way to win."
For Lisha, who had never participated in a war, that sight was more than enough to break her spirit.
This was the true power of the demons. The power of demons who could stand against an entire human nation.
But right after that, Lisha would forget all the fear she felt towards the demons. It was because of a knight who reached out to a girl who had collapsed on the ground.
"Yuusuke-san..."
Lisha murmured but stopped herself, or rather, she couldn't continue. The words ceased to come out due to the overwhelming pressure, as if her heart had been seized in a vice.
From the silent Yuusuke emanated... anger.
Even though it wasn't directed at her, Yuusuke's anger overshadowed even her fear of the demons.
Whether the demon was aware of it or not, he continued to talk loquaciously, but with a single word from Yuusuke, the sound disappeared.
"'Silence'"
It didn't seem like he had activated magic; he had simply spoken. However, the magic power contained in his voice manifested as a compelling force. It was an unbelievable display of power.
Stunned by the sheer astonishment of it all, Lisha was suddenly called by her name by Yuusuke, and she involuntarily gave a strange response.
"'I'll leave the back to you.'"
At that moment, Lisha couldn't help but feel proud that she was able to respond. She had known that Yuusuke was strong, but she had underestimated him. Yuusuke showed no signs of retreating in the face of this army. In other words, he had complete confidence in his own power.
That's why Lisha did as she was told, strengthening 'Sanctuary.' And then, she was once again filled with astonishment.
As soon as Lisha began her dance, Yuusuke leaped into the sky and, with a single strike, sent several minions flying. He then took his position in the center of the army, where a massive dragon had been stationed.
Lisha had heard rumors about that dragon. It was likely an embodiment of a magic creature counted among natural disasters, the Swallowing Dragon. Once it targeted something, it would even abandon cities to pursue its prey.
But with a single blow, Yuusuke had utterly obliterated it.
With an air of indifference, Yuusuke surveyed his surroundings, as if he were the superior being, despite the overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation.
Naturally, Luiid responded by directing the Crimson Army.
Although the Swallowing Dragon had vanished, and a number of minions were blown away in its wake, it still accounted for less than ten percent of the entire army. Luiid's forces were still going strong.
Each individual among them possessed formidable power, either being powerful magical creatures or warriors of comparable strength. They attacked relentlessly from all directions with blazing bodies and unwavering movements.
No matter how strong he was, Yuusuke couldn't contend with this overwhelming quantity of adversaries on his own. Lisha couldn't help but see his life as hanging by a thread when she looked at him from her perspective.
That was until the next moment.
With a swift slash, a silver flash cut through the sea of red. It was a sword strike from Yuusuke that Lisha realized. At that moment, the minions who had been rushing toward Yuusuke lost their form and exploded.
But Yuusuke was no longer there when it happened. With his jade-colored tail trailing behind him, Yuusuke dashed, leaped, and moved freely within the ranks of the minions.
He slipped past a leaping werewolf, beheaded it, and then struck the abdomen of a warrior who had raised a greatsword, sending him flying.
The bastard sword gripped in his right hand leaped at its prey with a ferocious arc, cleaving through multiple minions in a single sweep.
He didn't stop. Thanks to 'Sanctuary,' Yuusuke no longer needed to think about unnecessary things. Gradually and surely, he was approaching the Hero he used to be when he was with Asteris.
A lizardman's shield was deflected by a front kick, and a lizardman's massive body bent over from a spinning kick. Numerous minions rushed toward Yuusuke when he stopped, but their attacks were in vain.
Even if it looked like he had stopped, even if it was a kick, Yuusuke's movements never actually halted. Every action he took was part of a larger flow.
Yuusuke emerged from the frozen minions and cut them down with a horizontal sweep. Since everything around him was an enemy, Yuusuke's movements were as free as a fish in water.
But Luiid couldn't possibly remain silent while watching this.
Luiid's magic power flowed, and two minions moved toward Yuusuke.
"What...!?"
Upon seeing this, Lisha, still dancing, couldn't help but cry out.
Among the Crimson Army, they were particularly conspicuous due to their enormous size. While not as imposing as the Swallowing Dragon, their presence alone was enough to inspire despair.
They were giants, specifically a rare race of demi-humans with trained steel-like bodies. They weren't monsters, nor were they from the demon or human races. They were a unique subhuman race that had somehow managed to survive without affiliating with either side, purely due to their immense strength.
These two giants spewed flames and charged, raising their fists. Simultaneously, multiple minions clung to Yuusuke, determined not to let him escape.
The descending fists were akin to meteors. Two of them, simultaneously.
"Yuusuke-san!!"
Lisha cried out, not knowing if her voice would reach him.
Then, two fists struck Yuusuke, precisely in time.
Flashes erupted, and the shockwaves struck Lisha's entire body.
(This is the power that even scared the gods...! Yuusuke-san...!)
Her eyes, burned by the light, gradually started to recover.
'Sanctuary' was still barely holding on, but she couldn't tell if Yuusuke was safe.
Still, Lisha didn't stop dancing. From the beginning, she had been told to maintain 'Sanctuary' no matter what happened to Yuusuke.
She believed that was the best way to assist him, so she never stopped dancing.
When Lisha's vision had finally completely returned, she was met with a sight beyond her imagination.
Certainly, the giant's fist strikes had hit Yuusuke directly. In that sense, Luiid's command had been executed perfectly.
But both Luiid and Lisha had underestimated Yuusuke's power as a Hero.
"…Impossible."
Lisha muttered unconsciously.
Yuusuke caught the giant's fists that slammed into him from both sides. He held them with his left palm and the sword in his right hand, despite the giants clearly putting all their strength into it. Yuusuke stood firm as if he were rooted deep within the earth.
Emerald light leaked from various parts of his armor as Yuusuke calmly spoke.
"'Do you desire a test of strength?'"
Understanding the provocation, the giant roared as if its fiery mouth were about to split open.
—Rooooaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!
The giant's entire body swelled, and the flames intensified. 'Sanctuary' creaked as an immense power was poured into the fists, causing the atmosphere to rumble.
Yet, the Silver Knight remained unshaken.
"'Is it over already? In that case, it's my turn now.'"
This time, a tremendous amount of magic power overflowed from Yuusuke's armor. Emerald light sparkled like sparks, and his left hand, which had caught the giant's fist, plunged into the flames.
What followed was beyond belief.
—Rooooaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!
The giant, grasped by Yuusuke's left hand, floated. More precisely, Yuusuke swung the giant's body like a hammer.
Boom! The giant, now turned into a colossal weapon, collided with the other giant, turning into a mass of flames and scattering the remaining minions.
When Yuusuke released his grip, hundreds of minions had turned into formless fire.
"Tch!"
Luiid quickly recognized this and acted swiftly. The minions that had been waiting in the sky launched breath attacks and projectiles toward the motionless Yuusuke.
This was undoubtedly effective against Yuusuke, who primarily engaged in close combat. Luiid's decision was undoubtedly correct, but...
"'You underestimate me.'"
Yuusuke imbued his left hand with magic power, and immediately, emerald light took on a sharp form.
If Luiid's magic bestowed properties upon living beings, then the magic Yuusuke performed imbued the properties of weaponry into his magic power.
"'Javelin.'"
Slicing through the air, an emerald spear was unleashed.
The spear dispersed in mid-air, taking on the appearance of a shotgun barrage, shooting down agile giant eagles and Karyuuruune.
Without waiting to confirm the results, Yuusuke created an emerald sword in his left hand and leaped toward the remaining enemy forces.
With most of the army gone, and Luiid's command in a far-from-perfect state, the once-unshakable balance of power had completely reversed.
Silver and emerald sword flashes overlapped, and with each strike, minions turned into sparks.
The end was undoubtedly drawing near.
"Ah..."
Lisha, who had been in a daze, noticed the change in Yuusuke's movements and let out a cry.
Having sent minions flying and gained a brief respite, Yuusuke began molding magic power.
The world began to scream, with Yuusuke at its center. Magic power was the irrational force that could alter the world, and magic was the paradoxical art of using magic power to create phenomena. The concentration of immense magic power warped the world's laws.
"Ugh!"
Lisha's dance accelerated. She increased her speed, not losing her elegance but becoming more intense than before. She spun, swept, crumbled, stopped, and rose. The surging magic power flowed like a turbulent stream, strengthening 'Sanctuary.'
Yuusuke's magic was completed almost simultaneously. His arms, covered in emerald magic power, intertwined like lightning, and his crimson cape billowed violently.
Naturally, Luiid had also noticed this anomaly.
But it couldn't be stopped.
Yuusuke's magic power, when casually blocked, acted as a barrier, deflecting it. Any minion capable of penetrating that barrier had already been sent flying by Yuusuke. This was the flow of battle created by a Hero who had faced countless demons.
And finally, the charged magic power was transmitted to the silver and emerald swords.
"'Mikatia (Storm Sword)'"
A dazzling flurry of slashes enveloped the night.
Flash after flash, each strike of the sword possessed truly deadly power, creating a raging hurricane of destruction.
The warrior who held a large shield was effortlessly cut down along with his shield, and the dragon knight who tried to counter with their weapon was sliced into pieces in an instant. The raging inferno that had burned fiercely had vanished like a candle's flame.
"Mikatia" was, in essence, a magic that unleashed thousands, millions, billions of strikes in an instant.
However, its power was truly staggering.
When the storm of swords ceased, all that remained to indicate the presence of the Crimson Army was the ashes that gently drifted to the ground.
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