Landing lightly on the ground, Ethan Hayes made a quick decision—not to flee.
There was no point in running.
The six-person alliance had made their intent clear: eliminate him first. If he abandoned Asta and ran away now, he would truly be alone when the tide turned against him.
Walking to Asta's side, Ethan said, "Asta, I don't think I need to explain what's happening, do I?"
"Uh, not really sure, but... I guess we're fighting, right?"
Asta gripped the anti-magic sword in his hand tightly. It was obvious the group hadn't come for a friendly chat. This was a full-on raid.
Even one was already too much of a challenge for Asta. Against six, it seemed impossible.
"Mercury Magic—Silver Spear!"
"Ice Magic—Glacial Slicer!"
"Fire Magic—Blazing Missile!"
Without warning, the six attackers launched their spells at Ethan and Asta, a symphony of destruction crashing toward them.
Ethan swiftly retreated, his red and green four-leaf clover grimoires hovering beside him.
This wasn't child's play. One misstep and he'd be out of the competition—or worse.
"Four-Leaf Clover Magic—Wind God's Blessing!"
"Four-Leaf Clover Magic—Fortune's Favor!"
With two buffs boosting his power, Ethan's magical strength surged to the fifth domain, matching the strongest among the attackers.
But no matter how strong he was, the six-to-one odds were heavily stacked against him.
"Asta! Just hold one of them off!" Ethan shouted.
Asta didn't even have time to respond. He was already engaged in a heated skirmish with Xerx, a mage from the Purple Orca squad.
Xerx's magic relentlessly kept Asta at bay, not letting him close the distance to land a hit.
"Tch…" Captain Yami Sukehiro, watching the battle through the projection stone, spit out his cigarette in annoyance.
"Cowards," he muttered.
The Purple Orca mage's tactics disgusted him. Even against a magicless opponent, they wouldn't fight fair.
But Yami knew the outcome was already set.
Six-on-one wasn't a battle—it was a slaughter.
The only question left was whether Ethan could do anything to change the tide.
High above the battlefield, Ethan tried to use his ability to hover for better positioning.
But Langris Vaude was having none of it.
Spatial magic circles trailed Ethan relentlessly, forcing him to remain grounded. From below, Nebra Silva and the others bombarded him with a constant barrage of attacks.
Ethan could only duck into the thick foliage of the forest, using it as a shield.
"Wind Magic—Hurricane Armor!"
"Fire Magic—Flame God's Garb!"
He swiftly layered defensive spells around himself. Even so, a powerful mercury spear tore through the canopy, forcing Ethan to dodge.
Reacting on pure instinct, Ethan twisted his body just in time to avoid a spatial portal that had opened behind him, a torrent of flames roaring out from it.
A split second slower, and he'd have been captured.
He cursed under his breath but didn't have time to rest. The five mages continued their relentless assault, showing no signs of letting up.
"Four-Leaf Clover Magic—Wind Phantom!"
Ethan darted through the trees, leaving afterimages in his wake.
In his hands, elemental blades formed—one of wind, one of fire.
"Is he insane? Is he actually trying to attack?"
"He's out of his mind!"
Spectators watching the projection stone were dumbfounded.
A single mage charging head-on against five? It was suicidal.
Only the most experienced mages, like the captains and Wizard King, understood Ethan's reasoning.
If he tried to run, he'd only expose himself to their combined magic barrage, which would drain his mana in minutes.
The only chance he had was to close the distance and disrupt their formation.
"Fire Magic—Wildfire Inferno!"
Ethan spread a wall of flames in front of his attackers, cutting off their line of sight.
Moving like the wind itself, he shot through the fire, appearing above Nebra.
The burning blade in his right hand descended without hesitation.
A silver shield of mercury magic materialized just in time to block the strike.
"Tsk!" Ethan clicked his tongue in frustration.
The mercury shield morphed, sprouting sharp spikes that lunged toward him.
The spikes collided with Ethan's Hurricane Armor and Flame God's Garb, failing to penetrate but sending him flying back.
"Damn it, my usual tricks won't work on these guys!"
Before he could recover, the ground where he had just been standing was obliterated by five simultaneous spells.
"Ethan Hayes, give up! You don't stand a chance!"
"Concede now, and we'll spare you!"
"You're not seriously expecting that magicless commoner to come and save you, are you?"
Despite their taunts, Ethan ignored them, his mind racing to formulate a plan.
Comparing magical reserves? Individually, he might surpass any of them.
But against five combined? No chance.
Magical potency? They were all in the fifth domain—no advantage there either.
Combat experience? These were battle-hardened knights.
Everything pointed to one conclusion:
But Ethan wasn't one to accept fate so easily.
He clenched his fists, flames and winds swirling around him as he prepared for one final gambit.
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