Volume 6 Chapter 26 Infinite Training
"What?!"
Suddenly, Yuusuke attacked at an incredible speed from the side.
Senri couldn't move, despite shouting. More accurately, she couldn't move at all.
A battle unfolded centered around Senri.
Her hair and clothes were pulled by the impact, and the sound mercilessly pounded her eardrums.
But still, she couldn't move.
If she took even a step from this spot, Senri would be shattered into pieces by Yuusuke's sword and Shikin's fist.
Just as Senri thought she heard a dull sound, Shikin was blown away. Seeing the arm extending from behind her, Senri belatedly realized that Yuusuke had punched him.
"'Sorry I'm late.'"
"No, it's fine. Thank you."
Senri struggled to keep her knees from buckling under the fear that came rushing back.
Despite taking a blow that could shatter the ground, his posture was dignified.
"I-Impressive. I thought you couldn't stand anymore..."
"'The armor can be repaired with magic power. But the inside is in pieces.'"
"Huh..."
"'Don't worry. I will keep my promise.'"
In other words, it means defeating Shikin.
Although he managed to land a blow, he continues to be overwhelmed in every other way. Sensing Senri's feelings, Yuusuke expressed his dissatisfaction.
"'Just so you know, I am landing attacks as well.'"
"Is that so?"
Senri looked at Yuusuke once again. Even after being hit, he remained composed and looked back at her as if asking her to look at him.
Arrogance and carelessness. That is the level of strength that allows for such behavior.
"'But, the blade doesn't go through. It's not that it's blocked by something, but rather the density is too high to penetrate.'"
"Is that possible? It's just human skin."
"'It must be some kind of magic. I thought it was manipulating the body, but it's going beyond that.'"
Even though from Senri's perspective, both Yuusuke and Shikin are beyond understanding. However, if Yuusuke, who has been fighting in the world of magic, says so, then it must be true.
"But, the magic of Asteris is different for each individual, right? If Shikin had a similar power, it wouldn't be an impossible story."
"'That's right. There are indeed plenty of magicians who play dirty.'"
Senri knows nothing, but Lords are the epitome of that. They impose unreasonable first attacks depending on the time and situation.
In that sense, it wouldn't be strange if Shikin, who defeated "Paranoise", used an equivalent magic.
However, Yuusuke felt a completely different sensation. No matter what kind of magician they are, as individuals, there are limits to their output.
There should be no exceptions, originally.
But Shikin is different. The bottom of his magic is not visible. It feels like he's cutting something opaque.
"'His magic is different from others.'"
Yuusuke said, and Shikin, who was looking at him eerily, opened her mouth.
"Hmm. Do you want to know about my magic?"
"'What?'"
"If you want to know, I'll tell you. It's not something to hide."
His tone was too casual. For a magician, magic is their trump card, their very soul. It is not something to easily talk about with others, especially not enemies.
Indeed, Shikin's mentality is unlike any other. Not boasting like Tarim, not for the sake of fairness, but simply to give if desired, that's all.
"My magic is called 'Mukyuuren (Infinite Forge).' The accumulated training is directly stored in the body. That's all."
"Training, accumulation?"
Senri didn't understand the meaning and tilted her head. Training is supposed to accumulate naturally. She didn't understand why it needed to be turned into magic.
However, Yuusuke seemed to have a different interpretation and a gasping sound could be heard from inside his helmet.
"What does that mean?"
"'Reality is not a game. The idea that you become stronger just by training is a fantasy, an ideal.'"
Senri was taken aback by those words. Training is always about progress and setbacks. It takes a long time to accumulate small advancements and gain a true sense of accomplishment.
And above all, everyone has limits. The limits of the body are the limits of time. Once you stop growing, you will only grow old.
But if, like in a game, the time spent training could directly translate into strength...
"'The ideal magic, closer to eternity.'"
"..."
Senri unknowingly focused on Shikin.
If all of Shikin's words were true, he would have achieved a millennium's worth of level-ups.
"'That means he become untouchable.'"
"No, you're really going through. There aren't many who can inflict this kind of injury on me."
"'Stop with the pointless consolation.'"
"It may be true, but..."
Senri, who began to understand reality in the face of Shikin's nonchalant remarks, felt his sweat recede.
What they are facing each other now is time itself.
The span of a thousand years overlaps with human form, clenched fists.
What is the density, the mass of that? What is fearful is not just the overlapping, but the fact that it is densely compressed together.
There is no way to win against something like that.
As Senri, who was about to bow her head in resignation, Yuusuke's voice reached her.
"'Yotsuji, it's still strange.'"
"Huh?"
"'Even if his magic is as literal as it seems, it doesn't give a reason to live for a thousand years. No matter the training, there is no technique to accumulate life.'"
He said it calmly, even though he should be aware of the worst situation. The enemy is naturally absurdly strong. The chance of winning is not something that exists, but something to explore. For Yuusuke, who was chosen as the weakest hero in history and has repeatedly survived on the brink against stronger opponents, this situation is not unusual.
"Well, that may be true, but..."
"'I feel a sense of discomfort. And perhaps, being someone who is not knowledgeable about Earth's magic, I cannot recognize his true identity.'"
There is a reason for Yuusuke's assertion.
From Shikin, he does not sense the presence of 'Shinrei (Spiritual Penetration)'. If he were able to activate magic at this level in Asteris, it would without a doubt be 'Shinrei'.
But he did not sense that presence from Shikin.
Hence the sense of discomfort. It is something that only Yuusuke, who possesses an exceptional amount of experience in anti-magician battles, can notice.
"'Yotsuji, please expose the true identity of his magic. I will earn the time until then.'"
"Sure, I mean, there are parts that I somehow understand, but even if I were to figure out such things, it wouldn't have any impact on the battle, right?"
"'Well, who knows. The battle between magicians does not end with a simple comparison of power. If my understanding of his magic deepens, my sword will also shine. At the very least, it is better than facing an unknown individual.'"
That's already a matter of determination.
As he was about to say that, Senri fell silent. She did not sense any lies or deceit in Yuusuke's words.
The battle between monsters is no longer within Senri's realm of knowledge.
"But there is no guarantee that I will understand anything, and even if you say you'll buy time..."
Only a few seconds. In that time, Yuusuke was submerged by Shikin. Saying it is easy, but realizing it is difficult.
In response to her anxiety, Yuusuke answered without turning around.
"'Don't worry. I won't let a single scratch touch you.'"
With these words, Yuusuke continued forward, unwavering in the face of a thousand years's worth of weight.
For the third time, Yuusuke and Shikin collided head-on.
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