Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Academy’s Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 16
Suddenly, the man abandoned all defense, throwing himself entirely into offense.
I couldn't exploit the glaring openings he left behind with whatever abilities he possessed. The moment I tried to target one of those gaps, I'd create one of my own.
And he would slip right through it to deliver a fatal blow.
There was no reason to make a disadvantageous move.
So I focused solely on defense.
"You... You know what my ability is, don't you?"
He seemed to catch on.
Well, I had been pretty obvious about it.
No matter how meticulous someone might be, they wouldn't go to such lengths to avoid showing even a single momentary opening like I was.
They wouldn't ignore the enemy's vulnerabilities and concentrate only on defending.
Of course, a defensive approach wasn't bad by any means.
Taking down the opponent mattered, but protecting yourself was just as important.
Unless you could see the future, slacking on defense could spell disaster.
Yeah, unless you could see the future.
On the flip side, if you could glimpse the future, you could attack without a care.
"You're the first one to figure it out that quickly."
It wasn't that I'd figured it out at a glance.
I'd known from the start.
And for good reasonhis ability was described as downright cheat-level in the story.
The trait that let him peek into the near future, ten seconds to a minute ahead: Ten-Li Eye.
It might not see a thousand li into the distance, but peering ten li into the future gave him wings. Not only did it let him dodge all fatal strikes and gain the upper hand in battle, it was perfect for finding the optimal escape route in a pinch.
An ability with no weaknesses.
Even the protagonist couldn't take him down early on.
It wasn't until the mid-game, after the protagonist had grown strong enough and steeled himself for mutual destruction, that he finally managed it.
"Hm. So you have something similar to me, huh?"
He seemed to be under some strange misconception.
No need to correct him, so I kept quiet.
"In that case, I'll have to play it the same way."
In the meantime, he muttered to himself and reached some conclusion.
The man drew a pistol from his belt. A small black handgun.
It showed clear signs of modification, but it didn't look particularly powerful. I could block bullets easily enough with Pyrokinesis.
That was overly optimistic.
Bang! A deafening gunshot rang out as the bullet flew toward me.
I didn't panic, summoning mana to erect a wall of flames. It had enough physical force to stop a pistol or even a sniper rifle.
But the bullet pierced right through the barrier.
It wasn't destroyed on impact. It just passed through as if nothing was there.
The flame wall still blazed fiercely.
"What the hell...!"
Realizing it wasn't an ordinary gun, I immediately backpedaled.
Luckily, it had no homing featuremy low agility was enough to evade it. But that left me cornered.
Whoosh! The sound of wind slicing through as a sword aimed for my throat.
I instinctively flared flames to block it like a shield, but I was still pushed back.
"...Ngh."
Maybe because I'd cast the spell on pure instinct without calculating.
My mana distribution was off. I'd wasted five times more than necessary for that output.
With Solar Vein Blockage already making it hard to chain spells, this was no joke.
Blood welled up in my mouth instead of saliva. My fragile body had taken internal damage from the impact.
Sip... Haaa. I steadied my breathing to calm my body.
My oxygen-starved constitution was spinning from all the fire and intense movement around me.
Bang!
Bang!
But he showed no mercy.
He fired relentlessly. Barriers and shields wouldn't stop it.
I'd seen that much already.
Whatever trick that gun had, it pierced solid flames. I had no choice but to dodge desperately.
I moved backward with footwork while simultaneously computing a spell. It wasn't anything simple.
It was listed in the textbook as Moving Casting, a highly advanced technique.
"Oh ho, it's been a while since I've seen a mage pulling off moves like that with their body."
He seemed impressed even mid-fight.
I had no time or mind to respond, focusing solely on the spell. Moving Casting was no easy feat.
Your eyes scan the battlefield and enemy, your feet keep moving nonstop. All the while, your mind predicts evasion paths and calculates the magic.
I was handling it all at once.
An ordinary TA might have slipped up on one of them.
But I had plenty of combat experience from wars, so it was relatively manageable.
My body remembered how to move in chaotic melees like this.
That was when I added one clever twist.
A move that could break this deadlock if it landed right.
Whoosh! Flames bloomed on my right hand as I thrust it forward.
My wrist was thin as a dry branch, but flames enveloped it.
He laughed derisively at the sight.
He didn't even seem interested in dodging. He planned to tank it and counterattack.
How much could a skinny arm like that hurt, anyway?
His right hand, gripping the pistol, rose slowly.
No matter what he did, I clenched my fist.
A puny fist unfit for my height. Even an elementary schooler wouldn't think twice about taking it.
That's why this attack would work.
A grin curved my lips. Only then did he realize something was off.
He tried to dodge in a panic, but my fist was already connecting with his abdomen.
Kaboom!
Something exploded.
The source was the tip of my fist. The moment it touched him, he flew far back.
He crashed into a building, rolled across the ground, and barely stopped.
Bloodied from torn skin, but no internal injurieshe stood up unfazed. Then he clutched his stomach and limped, proving I'd landed a critical hit.
Finally, a solid blow. But rather than celebrate, I clutched my right hand in agony.
That strike that sent him flying.
It was beyond my current physical capabilities. But I'd thrown it anyway, accepting the backlash.
And this was the result. My right wrist was badly swollen, my finger joints wrecked.
I could heal it eventually, but not before this fight ended. No more right arm for now.
"Haha, so not just a mage, but a proper martial artist too. My mistake."
He approached as he spoke.
No limp in his steps. As if he hadn't taken that critical hit at all.
Hah. I swallowed a curse and glared at him.
I'd definitely felt it crunchbones breaking, organs rupturing.
I thought it'd at least seal his movements.
Gauging my reaction, he pulled something from his pocket. A crumpled necklace.
Then it clicked.
"[Necklace of Protection]. A one-use trinket, but S-grade performance is guaranteed."
That necklace had absorbed the damage.
Unfair. I'd sacrificed my arm for a critical hit, and he nullified it with gear. Dirty cheater.
But what could I do? That's reality.
"Know how many items I've collected over decades as a mercenary?"
"...So what? Bragging now?"
"Haha, no need to be so prickly. Take a look."
Something dangled from his hand.
The sword and pistol I'd just faced. The green talisman that ignored my magic. And that damned necklace.
If I wasn't mistaken, they were all artifacts.
High-grade ones, worth a fortune.
"These are all my treasures. They don't quite measure up to my best, but still S-grade or higher."
S-grade was the highest you could reliably buy.
Above that? Rare even on the black market.
Think of it as the ceiling for what money could get you.
One thing bugged me from his words, though.
S-grade or higher meant he had something even better.
My eyes flicked to his pistol.
"Oh, you get it? Good eye. The bullets in here are Epitaph-grade."
Epitaph. The legend an artifact carried within itself.
Depending on its depth and caliber, artifacts earned acclaim as epics or even myths.
And he was using such a weapon.
His gear outclassed my expectations so hard it pissed me offmade me despair, even.
I should've prepped some A- or B-grade artifacts myself.
Who knew I'd be fighting in the protagonist's place?
"Feeling hard done by? Don't be too bitter. I only have a hundred of these bullets myselfI save 'em."
He'd used a whole ten on an unknown nobody.
Plenty to brag about.
"But I'll finish you with this blade."
Bullets were too precious to waste.
Shing. The sword let out a chilling wail. No scorch marks on the blade, even after slicing my flames.
A blade of exceptional quality.
As he closed in, I thought:
Ah, standing in for the protagonist is no joke.
When I first decided to take responsibility, I wasn't too worried. I was used to chaotic fights.
The only pain was the risk of dying.
But now I could say it proudly:
I'd made the worst choice possible.
Replacing the protagonist? Who did I think I was?
"Guess I can't hold back anymore."
I muttered blankly, and a chilling intent locked onto my throat. Sharp killing aura.
The man within range swung his sword wide.
Staring at his stance, I recalled:
In the original story, he didn't appear properly until mid-game. And as a demon by then.
A demon who transcended human limits.
He triggered the protagonist's trauma and cornered him.
I didn't know why he wasn't a demon yet, but that was good news for me.
It meant he hadn't fully discarded his humanity, still wielding demon-weakened power. I'd exploit that.
His emotional side.
"Sleep well. That was fun."
"Could you say that in front of your daughter?"
"What...?"
"No, wait. You've abandoned your name so long ago, she's probably not even on your mind."
Hit his emotional reverse scale.
Pretty low blow.
But for survival, whatever it took.
Haha, who'd have thought he'd react to his name?
Still clinging to his humanity, huh? His flushed face was ridiculous.
"Yuren Spilberg. That's you, right?"
"...That name. Where did you hear it?"
"What, scared I heard it from Airi Spilberg?"
Airi was the only one who knew the Mage Hunter's real name.
His one and only familyhis daughter.
I didn't remember the details.
But I recalled his reason for becoming a demon was for her sake. If I'd read the novel, I'd know more.
Regrettable.
"No, Airi would never betray me. She couldn't!"
Yuren Spilberg, who'd cast aside his name to live as a mercenary.
The man who'd planned to spend his remaining days as a demon wailed.
His mind wasn't on his exposed old name, but on the delusion that his daughterthe sole keeper of itmight have betrayed him. Despair consumed him.
"...No. She wouldn't."
Yuren paused in thought.
Then he realized: no need to despair.
He could just check himself.
He steeled his resolve.
Intense killing intent surged toward me as he raised his sword.
"I'll find out how you know my name. Even if I have to rip out your brain."
Oh, he has that ability too?
I only knew about Ten-Li Eye.
I let out a hollow laugh at the sight.
'Maybe I poked him too hard.'
Provoking his emotions.
It bought me time to recover.
But his momentum was piercing the heavens now.
Screw up, and I'd really die.
No more holding back.
To survive, I'd dive into the fire pit.
Literally.
Boom! Yuren kicked off the ground and pulled a fountain pen from his pocket.
A white-feathered fountain pen. He snapped it between two fingers, and his speed visibly surged.
A powerful [Haste] enchanted item.
I watched wide-eyed until he was nearly on me, sword about to strike.
Roar! I erected a massive firewall to block his path.
A crimson wall of flames.
The Pyrokinesis barrier was thick and scorching. But Yuren didn't slow even facing it.
He just sheathed his sword and drew it in an instant.
Iaijutsu.
A powerful sword wind blasted through the flame wall.
Like an enraged bull charging.
He smashed through the flames without a care.
So he missed the faint purple deep within the red wall.
They say bulls can't calm down seeing red.
It's a myth now, but Yuren was the spitting imagecharging excitedly at the crimson barrier.
Blind to the trap.
Roooar!
Massive flames surged like a wall.
Aiming for Yuren's side.
He planned to cut through with his sword again.
"What the...?"
If not for the eerie purple hue.
His pupils dilated as Ten-Li Eye revealed the path.
Nothing.
No way through.
No escape.
The purple flames grazed Yuren in an instant.
They skimmed his side. It stung, but no major pain.
For a burn, it felt refreshingly cool.
Chilly rather than hot.
Only then did Yuren sense something wrong. Grazed by flames, yet feeling cold?
He hurriedly pulled a blue vial from his pocket.
But the pain had already begun.
"Grrgh, grraaaagh!"
Black tendrils spread from the wound.
I knew it was a curse right away, but dispelling it wouldn't be easy.
Not just one or two.
Paralysis, poison, flame poison, and more.
Dozens of curses began binding Yuren's body.
I laughed loudly at the sight.
Though my vision blurred from the curse too.
His agonized writhing was satisfying to watch.
Serves you right for charging in so recklessly.
"...Ha, haha. How's that gonna save your daughter?"
A faint smile in my response.
Finally landing a proper hitI grinned in delight.
But against the backdrop of flames behind me, it looked grotesque.
Yuren's bloodshot eyes glared at me with madness.
Serves you right for charging in so recklessly.