Chapter 72
"Alma, here's another arrow!"
"Un!"
I continue to parry Elhart's attack while Alma and Ruli shot him with arrows .
Fighting while using as little mana as possible, and being careful not to get shot and get pushed back is unexpectedly tough .
Apparently, being a vanguard in a practice battle isn't easy .
The sole consolation here is the fact that Elhart's brain has been damaged by the traceback, so his magic construction is very coarse and easy to nullify .
However, this tough fight is worth it as the two's prowess clearly rise in the midst of this fight .
Ruli's magic engraving speed becomes remarkably faster and Alma rarely misses her shot now .
The difference in running tension between fighting monsters in a dungeon and fighting a demon is big .
"Kuh . . . Why's my magic disappearing! My power shouldn't have fallen this much!"
Elhart doesn't notice that I'm nullifying his magic as he keeps trying to use them .
It's true that I've been doing stealthily . . . . But having it this unnoticed is a problem in itself .
If the situation becomes too stable, the tension decreases and the effectiveness of this battle training turns weak .
. . . . Well, this fight is about to end soon .
『Looks like the effect is starting to manifest . 』
I informed the two while continuing the fight .
『 . . . Effect?』
『I feel like my arrows hit easier . . . or rather, he's slower?』
『Correct . 』
The magic circle I gave to Ruli this time is an arrangement of poison magic called 『Magic Poison』 which interferes with demon's mana, stiffening them .
The effect is slow-acting, or rather it will demonstrate itself once the accumulated amount of poison passes a certain mark .
The fact that he's slower now means that the amount of poison Alma shot has passed that mark .
It's only a matter of time before the demon completely loses its ability to move .
" . . . Nu? Since when did you bastard became faster--No wait! It is I who turn slow!"
After a slight delay, Elhart himself noticed the effect of magic put on him .
However, the pattern he showed afterward is quite an unusual one amongst what I predicted .
"Me, beaten by a sham . . . . I won't allow thaaaaaaaaaaaaat!"
"Mu? This is . . . . "
Elhart's dull movement suddenly turned fierce unlike what he showed up until now, I immediately activated Physical Reinforcement magic .
However, Elhart's change didn't end with just that .
"Damn you--damnyoudamnyouuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"
The moment Elhart's speech crumbled, his eyes shined red, and his whole body was wrapped in mana .
It's a phenomenon called 『Evilize』 .
" . . . . 『Evilize』 huh . Been a while since I saw that . "
When a demon is cornered, this situation may happen rarely .
The amount and intensity of mana of demons who have undergone 『Evilize』 increase tremendously, and their physical ability becomes incomparably higher than their usual state as a result .
Demons who undergo 『Evilize』 die at the same time the effect of 『Evilize』 ends . . . . However, that doesn't change the fact that demons who use 『Evilize』 is a force to be reckoned with .
I'd better stop the practice and deliver the finishing blow here .
"KILL!"
Looks like the 『Evilized』 Elhart is targeting the two behind me .
His evilized feet kicked the floor and he jumped above me .
Seeing that, I constructed a magic while giving order to the two and shot it at Elhart .
『You two, don't move from where you are . 』
『I understand!』
『G-gotcha!』
They probably couldn't catch up with the sudden turn of event . The two remained in place as they nodded .
And the two--moved ahead, before the coming Elhart .
"DIE, DIEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Elhart easily caught up with the two who didn't act as ordered .
My magic also missed its target, destroying the ceiling .
And Elhart's sword reached the two--slipping through them .
" . . . Aa?"
Elhart looked surprised as his sword slipped through nothing .
I had expected this move .
The things Elhart cut just now were illusions I created with magic .
It was an impromptu illusion, I merely hid the two with an extremely simple magic .
If Elhart still retained his sanity, he would have immediately noticed the oddity .
However, Elhart didn't notice it .
Because his awareness was turned at my magic instead of the two slow-moving girls .
"This is how you use camouflage magic . "
And it's not just an illusion .
I've put highly concentrated 『Magic Poison』 inside it .
With how much 『Magic Poison』 has accumulated inside his body, even an 『Evilized』 demon can do nothing about it .
As he swings his sword, Elhart hardens--and perish in that position .