In the silvery hair that reflected the morning sun and the sharp ice-blue eyes, she scanned the room intently. However, her most distinctive features were the intricate emblem-like markings on her back and the pure white long spear she carried.
Undoubtedly a miracle of magic. But something felt off. A sense of unease gnawed at my mind.
Before I could identify the source of this unease, the beautiful intruder, with movements as graceful as ever, sprang into action.
A magic already activated caused the spear of pure white to glow. Its tip aimed directly at Lisha, who stood in the corner of the room, a look of surprise on her face.
The spear emitted a sound like thunder, and a flash of light was released toward Lisha. At this distance, Lisha's Sanctuary wouldn't activate in time, and the girl's delicate body would be easily pierced.
"'Too slow.'"
However, I wasn't dull enough to let that happen.
I grabbed the spear and forcibly crushed the magic that was about to be released. A tremendous heat surged into my palm, but I contained it with the emerald flash overflowing from my gauntlets. Without hesitation, I delivered a left punch to the intruder's abdomen.
Light clashed with light, causing an explosion. The resistance against my striking fist was extraordinary. Did she activate magic in response? In an instant, she displayed a level of magical prowess that was far from ordinary.
Nevertheless, it couldn't be helped. Fighting in the middle of a residential city was out of the question.
"'Blow away.'"
I put strength into my left arm, which was now defensively positioned and swings at the resistance.
"――!?"
Her ice-blue eyes widened in astonishment, but at this point, no magic would make it in time.
With a resounding thud, I sent the girl's body flying out of the window.
"'Kanami, take care of Lisha.'"
"Wait!"
Leaving only those words behind, I chased after the girl who had been thrown out of the window. Kanami shouted out in protest, but I had something I needed to confirm first.
Now, if those wings weren't for show, I could roughly guess where she'd be.
"'As I suspected.'"
Upon landing outside and on the roof of a building, I saw the girl with geometric patterned wings spread above, looking down at me from the sky.
Even though I had sent her flying out of the window while using "My True Name," the girl was calmly suspended in the air. She didn't seem to be struggling in the least.
It appeared she wasn't resisting at all.
However, that's what felt unsettling. Only now, as we faced each other, did I realize her true identity.
"'State your name.'"
"..."
Not even the power of spoken words had an effect.
I understood that this opponent was not someone I could manipulate with this level of compulsion. But I couldn't just let it go. When I had vowed to protect Lisha, that duty became mine.
Despite the sense of foreboding I felt from the girl's familiar clothing, I had to know.
"'Why would you, a human, target Lisha?'"
Her response was a flash of light released from her spear. I immediately cut through it and glared at her.
Yes, the girl in front of me was undeniably human. While possessing extraordinary magic skills, she was fundamentally different from demons, who were born as transcendent beings.
No matter how many times I looked, no matter how much I tried to sense her presence, my Heroic intuition told me that she was human.
Furthermore, her abilities were impressive. If she was using the magic from Asteris, a conclusion about her identity naturally followed.
"'Tell me why, as a guardian, you side with demons!'"
It was then that the girl showed a different reaction from before.
She furrowed her brow beneath her iron mask and infused her spear with magic power in an irritated manner. Sparks flew from her wings, distorting the space around her.
It was like a silent rejection that said, "Don't ask me any further questions."
Continuing the interrogation further would be futile. It was already past the point where words could resolve anything.
In that case, it was simple. As unfortunate as it was, it was the worst method to use for someone renowned as a gentleman throughout Asteris.
I lowered my stance, wielding my sword in a mid-level guard position.
If she's up for it, experience the true essence of the Heroic negotiation technique 'Destroy Negotiation.'
* * *
Swords and spears clashed, creating a delicate balance. The force behind the spear was considerable, but I wouldn't be outdone. I forcefully deflected the spear and smoothly transitioned into a thrust.
With a metallic clash, the girl's spear barely managed to defend against my attack. But with her hands full, she couldn't continue. I closed the distance while still holding the spear and delivered a kick.
However, that strike was thwarted with incredible resistance. The girl's wings flickered, creating a shield between my kick and her body. She was pushed back by the shield.
"'...'"
I see; it seemed the girl's magic was primarily channeled through her wings.
Both the light enveloping her spear and the shield used for defense were powered by magic flowing through her wings. While it may seem like she's adding unnecessary steps to her actions, her wings served as magic circuits. This allowed her to skip certain processes she'd normally have to handle mentally.
That's why her defenses were so fast, as they synchronized with her wing movements.
While her adaptability was lacking, she overwhelmed her enemies in close combat through her basic stats and speed. In simple terms, she was a magician of the same type as me.
So, the outcome was clear from the start.
I drew more magic power from 'My True Name,' raising the level of enhancement. I felt like my gears were shifting, and it seemed the girl sensed something too, as she released a flash of light from her spear.
I swiftly cut through all the spear's flashes that rained down like a torrential downpour and closed the distance with superior mobility.
"...!!"
Once I closed the distance, her defenses and magic didn't matter anymore. Output, speed, durability, no frills—fighting a fellow close-quarters magician was a straightforward affair. And I had the upper hand in all of those aspects.
With a speed exceeding the girl's spear, I swung my sword and followed up with punches.
What's more, I realized while fighting her that she was likely inexperienced in major battles. The experience of life-or-death combat, the determination to kill the opponent—she lacked all of it.
My blows, toned down to avoid killing, pierced her defenses and struck her body. She let out muffled cries of agony with each blow, yet she didn't attempt to stop the fight.
She must have already understood the vast difference in our strengths. I used my sword only for defense against her spear, focusing solely on striking. She should have noticed that I was holding back.
I thought she might show some different move, but it was a waste of time. I had a general grasp of her abilities, and it was time to end it with my next attack.
I clenched my fist with that intention, but suddenly, the girl's movements came to a sudden halt.
Her elongated eyes widened for a moment, and then, she poured an enormous amount of magic power into her wings.
A big move, perhaps?
Instinctively, I prepared myself, which was both right and wrong. The girl's wings suddenly expanded, forming more complex patterns, transforming into something much larger.
And then, a quiet voice echoed.
"'Sephiliata (Radiant Spear of Annihilation).'"
It was an explosion of light. The faint morning glow now shone as brightly as noon. The true nature of this was a tremendous number of luminous lances, far surpassing the number of previous spears.
However, they weren't directed at me but unleashed indiscriminately all around.
"What the!?"
This was entirely unexpected. The rules of the God-Demon War prohibited indiscriminate slaughter. Such an action was beyond comprehension due to the underlying principles of the conflict.
Without sparing even a moment for cursing, I channeled magic power into my armor. By invoking 'My True Name,' the generation of limitless magic power began, and an unprecedented surge of energy emanated from my entire body.
Emerald lightning surged from both my arms and flowed into the sword, creating geometric patterns.
What I unleashed was a barrage of countless slashes, numbering in the tens of millions.
"'Mikatia (Storm Sword).'"
The white light spears raining down to the ground were met by the emerald slashes. They clashed, pierced, and cut through. The remnants of magic power scattered like fireworks in the sky, and the overlapping shockwaves created a deafening roar.
It took more than ten seconds to intercept all the spears. Naturally, the girl had vanished.
...Damn, did her recent display of power end up being a bluff? She scattered fake spears to distract me.
But then, why is the Guardian targeting Lisha? Why did she suddenly flee, and what happened to the person who was supposed to be the 'key' she was protecting?
There are many things that concern me, but for now, there's something I must do immediately.
At my feet, the commotion was growing louder. Well, it's no wonder when there is a flashy battle going on without even setting up a barrier since morning. So...
――First things first, let's call Ayaka-san.
Hero can't handle post-battle cleanup!
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