Book 14 Chapter 19
Chapter 33
“They say a newborn puppy doesn't know to fear a tiger. You certainly aren't afraid to speak your mind in front of us, the top-ranked of the Gold tier.”
This sensation, as killing intent rapidly approached and made my hair stand on end—it's not bad, is it?
Their movements are unusual.
Perhaps they've dealt with many mages. Their speed in approaching, using people as shields, and their ability to calculate trajectories were considerable.
On par with Nils's goons.
Hmm, are they stronger because of the flesh?
The moment I stepped back, a magic-infused club swept across my vision just as a punch slammed down on my back.
Osarius-style hand signs.
3-star.
Runes and mathematical formulas abbreviated.
The next moment, a psychokinetic barrier enveloped my body. As it collided with the giant's fist, it generated a dull shockwave at my feet.
“Huh… what is this? This activation speed?”
Does this mean the power of the Abyss is infused even in attacks like these?
I was slightly surprised.
The invisible barrier crafted with psychokinesis began to corrupt under the Abyss's erosion. The barrier flickered painfully.
“Don't panic and finish them off!”
Barrier deactivated. This spell was designed to emit an electrical surge upon deactivation.
“!”
The woman with the club and the giant easily dodged this surge.
As soon as I judged that I had driven them out of the danger zone, the sharp edge of the wind assailed me.
That magic, imbued with the power of the Abyss, seemed designed to kill any passersby who got in its way along its trajectory.
“Hmph.”
How foolish. As powerful as the magic is, its casting coordinates are immediately pinpointed, aren't they?
I found it immediately.
I just need to deflect this magic casually and kill the caster with a counterattack.
- Rin, protect these people.
At that moment, the echo Lista had left behind made me recall the tears the dean had shed that day.
- Rin.
Those tears bound my mind like a spell. A magic circle different from the one I intended unfurled on my palm.
This magic was the Counterwind spell.
It only amplified the wind's intensity. It was a gale that not only stopped the menacing blades of wind but scattered them completely.
“!”
“!”
“!”
The citizens, who were moving like puppets held by wires, were swept away by this wind, but it would be better than dying.
“Ugh…”
My shoulder blade throbbed, and my breathing began to falter slightly.
A dizzying pain shot through my main meridians.
My magic channels weren't even prepared, but the backlash from continuously using 4-star magic had arrived. It's the first time I've been in a situation like this…
“Take this!”
Just as I faltered, the giant mercenary grabbed the citizens by the nape of their necks and began flinging them wildly at me.
Is this intended to obstruct my vision?
It was at that moment, as I was safely catching the rapidly flying citizens with a psychokinetic barrier.
“Gugyut!”
I want to emphasize that instinctively turning around was closer to sheer luck than Sval's help. That guy is truly useless.
Anyway, whether it was with a mage's help that he completely concealed his magic trace, a spearman I hadn't detected until just now had burrowed in right behind me.
From the spear he thrust, an ominous light of the Abyss blazed. And from the front and sides, the woman with the club and the giant were closing in.
“Got you!”
These guys… they're amazing, aren't they? Is this the coordinated attack displayed by those who aimed for [The Strongest] together? If so…
Osarius-style hand signs.
2-star, Repulsion Zone.
Coordinate calculation omitted.
I quickly formed the hand signs, but a desperate thought flashed through my mind: "Am I slightly too late…?"
It seemed that completing the hand signs and finishing the spell would be about half a beat slower than the spearman's attack.
This might be a bit dangerous… But there's no time to switch to another spell now. Still, they're folks who live by the blade; did I underestimate them too much?
“It's over, runt…!”
The spearman's sneering expression, the next moment, with a *thunk*… as soon as a short tearing sound was heard, it changed drastically.
A tiny arrow, a 'baby arrow,' almost impossible to discern its shape during high-speed movement, had pierced through the spearman's shoulder.
Was that an accidental shot from that archer then? He didn't seem to have that kind of skill. But thanks to that, I gained half a beat of leeway.
…Poohk!
The spear tip imbued with the Abyss, the club, and the fist could not penetrate the invisible barrier.
This Repulsion Zone isn't meant to block or repel with rigidity. It uses elasticity.
It reverses the incoming force as is and can gently bounce it back. It's a spell I'd been devising after hearing about the magic the mastermind used against the archer.
“Ugh…!”
“Hwut…!”
“Eugh…!”
They were flung back into the crowd.
I wondered what they would do, but they used the crowd as a breakwater to reduce the impact force and quickly regrouped, didn't they?
Is this what it means to be a professional in combat?
“Looks like you're tired.”
“We'll finish this with the next exchange.”
“Don't get careless. That guy can use magic with just hand gestures.”
What should I do now? I need to find a way to defeat only these guys, without harming the people being controlled by wires.
They say people grow rapidly when faced with their limits, and it seems that's true.
During that brief time when I felt cornered, exactly 31 blueprints were devised in my mind, put through simulated trials, and yielded the optimal result.
“I found it.”
The burly guy cracked his neck while hitting his left hand with his right fist.
“Hey, buddy, what did you find? We weren't even hiding from you.”
Foolish fellow.
That's not it.
“I found [The Strongest Magic] for this situation. Its name is Bouncy Ball Magic. If you're curious, you can experience it right now. Want to try?”