Volume 1 Chapter 101 The Dark Magician Ark
In the moments just before Kasim's axe struck my head, I grabbed the blade with my bare hands.
"What!?"
"Huh!?"
"What on earth!?"
Unexpectedly, the three members of the Balzark party all looked at me in shock.
My body was filled with both physical and mental strength.
I felt good.
Because of the sudden surge of excitement, my voice naturally leaked out.
"──Hey, ──hey..."
I stood up and looked straight at the bewildered Kasim.
And then...
"Die."
I muttered while strangling his neck with both hands.
Kasim's body trembled in surprise, his limbs hanging limply.
His eyes widened, and he stopped moving.
He was instantly killed.
"Kasim!?"
While staring at the confused Io, I tossed the lifeless body onto the ground.
The guilt and hesitation of dirtying my hands disappeared completely.
Now, with the knowledge given by Ragius, I understand.
Anyone blocking my path should have been eliminated.
I should have done this from the beginning.
Coming here, I have finally arrived at one truth.
"Ark-sama!"
"T-This is the [Instant Death Magic]...! Io! Kill him first!"
In the next moment after the two confront each other, the sound of swords clashing resonates.
Io and Lyle, who have regained their original power with the removal of [Ability Nullification], resume their battle.
Both of them possess powerful skills, so their decision-making is swift.
"You were supposed to be my opponent!!"
"Tch! Getting carried away!"
As Lyle delivers a sweeping blow, he immediately jumps back to create distance.
"That guy's wounds have healed... What's happening?"
The conversation with Ragius cannot be heard by anyone else. It's a natural reaction.
Io and Lyle don't seem to be coming towards me.
They are probably measuring the distance to avoid deadly attacks.
In the meantime, I approach Fatina.
To be honest, she is just getting in the way because she is not a combatant.
"Step aside, Fatina. I'll handle the opponent."
"Um, are you sure you're not hurt?"
"No problem. I can keep fighting."
"If that's the case, I want to fight together──"
"You are more important than anyone else. I don't want you to get hurt anymore. You've done well so far."
I speak in an intentionally dramatic tone.
──Homunculi seek the love of their human creators.
They lend a hand to humans in order to be loved and try to attract attention.
Fatina is no exception.
She is completely unaware that her kindness is just an illusion.
Still, it's fortunate that she hasn't "transformed."
When a Homunculus undergoes a phenomenon called "transformation," they not only break free from these limitations but also gain special powers.
That's what Io is right now.
"Stay away. Got it?"
"Yes"
Even in the midst of battle, Fatina wore a blissful expression and silently stepped back without a word of complaint.
To the front and right, Mel lay on the ground with a dagger still stuck in her shoulder.
Sensing the danger, Io quickly moved away from her side.
The princess is the target of assassination, but she can be killed whenever I feel like it.
She seems to be under some kind of mental manipulation, but even if she resists, her combat abilities are not significant.
I checked the status and confirmed the abilities.
A red cross mark was drawn on the 'Abilities List'.
Touching it yielded no response.
Instead, another translucent board appeared.
'Extinction: Casts an invisible Instant Death Magic spell that instantly kills the target. This magic does not require incantation.'
Below that, a few words continued.
'The magic power is constantly supplied to the magician from Ragius.'
'If the search for the key is refused, the magician will die.'
'If the homunculus who transformed into a shrine maiden cannot be eliminated, the magician will die.'
It seems that Ragius doesn't intend to give me freedom even though he believes I am necessary.
I understood the general situation.
I shift my gaze to Lyle. He was wary and ready for anything.
"Huh!? Watch out, Lyle!"
"Huh?"
Io shouts.
There was a loud crash as metal hit the ground, and Lyle fell face down.
(extinction) hit him.
The spear-wielding man died unexpectedly, without even realizing he was attacked with magic.
He was unbelievably weak.
"Oh..."
"Now it's your turn."
Io has a bitter expression, but she hasn't let go of her bow.
It seems that her spirit has not been completely broken yet.
"...Hah! Mel-san! Hang in there!"
Fatina, who had regained consciousness, rushed to Mel's side and pulled out the dagger that was stuck in her. She began healing her with restorative magic.
Don't do anything unnecessary.
Well, whatever.
I picked up Ragius's sword that had fallen, and ran towards Io.
"!"
Dodging arrows with the power to pierce rocks, I chased after Io as she retreated.
The moment we both leaped into the air, Io simultaneously fired three arrows.
It was an attack that accurately targeted the head from the front and both sides—a feat that was impossible for an ordinary human.
But I deflected all of them with my sword.
As soon as we landed, I swung my sword down towards Io's head. Io drew a short sword from her waist sheath and blocked it.
A shockwave swept through, greatly gouging the ground beneath our feet.
It was a battle between individuals with the ability to grow.
Io's status is likely equal to or greater than mine.
I threw a punch, but it was cleverly avoided.
She's reacting well to my speed.
"You... how dare you hurt my friends!"
"You were the one who started this. And... were those losers really that important to you? They were too weak to notice."
"Ugh!! I'll kill you!"
Io keeps aiming for vital spots like the neck and heart with her attacks.
However, her movements are slow.
She seems to be lacking concentration after losing her allies.
This is a chance.
I quickly release an "Extinction" in between sword attacks.
Io immediately sensed it and dodged to the side.
It seems she can sense a faint flow of magic power that is normally not visible.
It's thanks to her "Hyperfocus".
But Ragius keeps supplying me with infinite magic power, so I can keep casting spells endlessly.
The longer the battle goes on, the more advantage I have.
"Such a waste of time. Just die already."
"I won't die! There's no way I'll die here!"
"It's your fault that my friends died."
"No, that's not true!"
The blades clash once again.
Right in front of me, I see Io's pained face.
"Your death is predetermined by fate. It can never be changed."
"Hah, don't joke... I'm not the one who will die here!! It's you!"
Io, who was only defending, jumps into my guard.
With each attack, her speed and precision increase.
Still, the blade never hits me.
"Damn it! Damn it all! Why, why... it was going so well until now!"
"Don't worry. Balzark will join you soon enough."
"Shut up!"
Dodging the fatal attack targeting my heart, I grab Io's head.
I forcefully slam her to the ground.
"Gah!!"
The hard ground cracks, creating a sinkhole.
"This is pointless."
"Ah, no... it's a lie... I don't want this. I don't want to die..."
Io felt weak and collapsed.
I grabbed Io's drooping hair, peered into her face, and saw her unfocused eyes staring back.
She seemed like a completely different person from the confident one I met at the Voltana Adventurer's Guild.
I couldn't help but remember the scene from that time.
Yes, this is a reenactment of the events of that day.
"――Move, trash."
Without mercy, I stepped on Io's head── and then raised my hand towards her.
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