Standing there was something that appeared to be human, yet was not quite human.
Despite being bathed in the evening sun, it was covered in a darkness that seemed to absorb all light. From head to toe, it was enveloped in black.
From its silhouette, it could be discerned that it was a man wearing armor, but nothing else could be grasped.
However, there was one thing that could be understood. The dense and ominous magic power emanating from its body was not something that could belong to a human race. In other words, a demon.
In an instant, Kanami changed into her combat attire, a gothic dress, and gripped a silver revolving six-shooter revolver called "Ferger" in both hands.
Even in the face of Kanami's combat stance, the shadow did not flinch.
Nevertheless, it revealed itself before the guardian and the key, making its purpose clear.
Of all times, it had to be now.
Unconsciously thinking this, Kanami gritted her teeth. She scolded her weak heart and struck herself with words to motivate herself.
"My name is Kanami Landtor Sith Fador. If you desire a battle as a warrior, then state your name."
In response, the shadow shook its shoulders and let out a laugh.
'How noble. Are you from some noble bloodline? Unfortunately, I don't have a name or the pride to decorate a war that matches yours.'
In a mocking tone from below, Kanami aimed her Ferger without moving a single eyebrow. She continued speaking without being bothered by the situation.
'But if you insist on introducing yourself, then 'Amon'. Or perhaps Fifi. You can call me either.'
It was natural that the name was unfamiliar. Kanami did not participate in the peak of the God-Demon War. The demons she knew were only those of the calamity class.
But that wasn't the problem. Amon did not mention its title.
Just like Ashes, whom Yuusuke fought, or Tarim the Senai, and even Galeo. It was proof that they had reached a certain level as magicians, a title. It was impossible not to have one if they possessed it.
In the world of demons, titles carried a very heavy meaning. Not having one in this God-Demon War was even eerie.
"Lisha, cast Sanctuary."
"Understood!"
Even without Yuusuke, or rather because he wasn't there, Lisha responded with enthusiasm.
She immediately began to pray, and a golden veil covered the surroundings. It was the impregnable magic, "Sanctuary," that could defend against any attack. At least, there were no significant magic power reactions around. With Lisha's Sanctuary, even interference could be prevented.
It was unclear what the intention was for launching an attack, but if they jumped in, they would be crushed here.
Kanami loudly stomped her feet and exerted force on the finger on the trigger.
'Oh, what's this? That brat over there is quite capable too. I didn't expect this.'
Amon leisurely muttered while gazing at the golden light that enclosed its surroundings. Despite its words, its attitude exuded confidence.
It was unknown what kind of magic it would use, but this distance and situation overwhelmingly favored Kanami.
"..."
Ferger roared as bullets were fired. The six "Swordian (Sword Bullets)" tore through the air and rushed towards the Guardian.
The "Sword Bullets" were the fastest and most powerful magic bullets, suitable for surprise attacks. It was believed that if the opponent was average, this would settle the matter, or at the very least, disrupt their posture. However, it was not so easy.
As Amon swung both hands, puzzle pieces came together, forming a shape in its hands. What appeared were a shield and a mace. Their color remained the same, a black that swallowed light. They crouched down and skillfully dealt the "Sword Bullets" with a sturdy reception that was unimaginable from his frivolous tone.
At that moment, Kanami had already moved on to the next action. She pointed the gun backwards and fired the "Grem (Karmic Wind Bullet)". The bullet of the storm blew Kanami forward due to the recoil.
It was a reckless move for a person using a gun to abandon distance. That's why it can catch the opponent off guard. Kanami twisted her body while charging forward and delivered a powerful flying kick.
The shield managed to block the kick that was launched from the vibrant frills, but that was within expectations. The impact resounded deep into the bones. The accelerated charge by the magic bullet seemed to have taken its toll as the black body trembled slightly.
While kicking the shield further away, Kanami jumped backwards and showered the disoriented Amon with magic bullets from mid-air.
Exploiting the small opening was the continuous firing of "Blast (Heavy Bomb)". The crimson magic bullets landed without giving any time to readjust, transforming into immense light and heat. The explosion shook Sanctuary and the shockwave even struck Kanami.
While reloading the exhausted bullets, Kanami landed. The world was dyed with a red heat haze more intense than the setting sun, and sparks of fire scattered on the asphalt. There was a sense of accomplishment. The impact crushed her internal organs, and the flames would surely burn her life away.
Or so it should have been.
'Hahaha! You're doing well!'
Mocking such logic, Amon broke through the flames and rushed towards Kanami.
Despite being almost a direct hit, there was no apparent effect. Advancing while scattering black soot or fragments.
All the magic bullets that tried to stop him were deflected by the shield. At the same time as closing the distance, the mace roared and attacked. It followed a straightforward trajectory without any pretense. Recognizing this, Kanami tilted her body sideways to evade, with her violet hair swirling and the wind pressure striking her cheek.
The attack didn't end there. The shield forcefully collided with the avoided Kanami. With a thud, Kanami's delicate body was blown away as if it were a joke.
It was a blow that could be felt even without breaking bones just by the sound. Amon stepped forward even more to continue the assault. Immediately after, their body was struck by a hammer that sprung up from the ground.
'Oguu?!'
This time, it was Amon who was sent flying from the ground. Due to the momentum of their step being returned directly from the front, they flew as if they were a super ball.
What appeared from the ground was an iron hammer made by solidifying clumps of soil. It was a trap-type magic tool that struck the opponent after they stepped on it.
At that moment, Kanami had already prepared her posture. She had intentionally set up the magical tool at her feet to lure him into a charge, even taking the attack from the shield beforehand as bait.
The magazine rotated in quick succession, and the follow-up magic bullets attacked Amon. Flames and spinning swords relentlessly shaved away at their black body.
With the Blast (Heavy Bomb) shaking them and the Swordian (Sword Bullet) piercing their vital points, victory was now certain. All that was left was to continue pounding them with bullets while preventing their counterattack.
Honestly, it was unexpected. This trap was based on the assumption that it would be exposed. If Amon hesitated in their movements, Kanami would have the advantage with her wide range. However, Amon stepped on it directly.
Their movements were decent, but they had little combat experience. That's why they easily fell for Kanami's transparent bluff.
'Damn, you're annoying!'
That's when the Amon made a surprising move.
They abandoned defense and forcefully tried to move forward. Naturally, the magic bullets wouldn't allow that. Their stepping knee was instantly blasted, and their wide-open torso was swept away.
In the midst of that, Kanami widened her eyes in astonishment.
Amon's upper body, hit by the magic bullets, rotated at the waist. It was a surreal movement, as if they were a toy.
But the blow that was unleashed from there was no joke. Their arm flexed, and a mace, fully utilizing centrifugal force, flew towards Kanami.
——A throw?!
Even just grazing it would cause the head to explode, that much was clear. Kanami immediately dodged to the side.
Thud! A dull sound reverberated. It wasn't the sound of the mace hitting Sanctuary, but the sound of Amon stomping the ground with enough force to shatter his legs.
Amon approached Kanami at an explosive speed and raised their fist instead of their mace. Kanami reflexively tried to intercept with a magic bullet, but a chill ran down her spine.
She dodged with all her might, even though it was not an especially fast punch and her posture was compromised.
The fist pierced right next to her. What followed was an explosion that shook the entire vicinity, including the Sanctuary.
"Huh?!"
It seemed that the fist collided with the erected wall of the Sanctuary, but its power was extraordinary.
Her footing became unsteady, and the shockwave from the explosion hit her body from behind.
The power was clearly on a different level from the previous attacks. If she had taken it head-on, she would have been completely crushed. However, Kanami's momentary decision brought victory. Amon was either immobilized due to the recoil of his powerful attack or unable to follow up.
She pressed the gun barrel against her side and fired a rapid succession of magic bullets.
Boom! The deep bass sound reverberated intensely, and the black figure was blown sideways.
She continued her assault.
While pulling the trigger, Kanami tried to switch to the gattling gun "Alphaneil" and infused magic power into her gothic dress.
However, her movement stopped halfway.
Kanami's pause was not because of Amon.
"Kanami-san, the Sanctuary...!"
It wasn't because of Lisha's shout from behind either.
When the words reached her ears, Kanami had already noticed the anomaly.
"This is..."
The golden veil that covered everything from the sky to the buildings like a canopy had disappeared.
In other words, Lisha's Sanctuary had been lifted. She would never undo the magic without Kanami's instruction, so it must have been destroyed by an external factor.
She initially suspected that it was due to Amon's attack, but the Sanctuary was not broken by that.
There must be another reason.
Something that could cause the Sanctuary to collapse, even in Yuusuke and Tarim's battle where it remained intact.
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