The Scorching Double Mage
The guy they called the Double Mage Gwayne was absurdly strong. Even I could do little more than dodge his attacks. And it wasn't just him—three others were still waiting in the wings. They were merely observing for now, and while Lorsha had erected a water barrier to keep them at bay, I couldn't afford to ignore the possibility of them joining the fray at any moment.
Moreover, there was something off about Gwayne's attacks. My instincts screamed that I must never block them—only evade.
"Ho... You've got quite the sharp instincts. As expected of the real deal! Dodging on pure reflex so you never let your body touch mine!"
"I just don't feel like rubbing up against a disgusting bastard like you."
I had no interest in getting physical with some punk my age.
"Just as expected from the weapon our organization has been targeting! You truly possess the qualities to become a weapon capable of slaying even a god!"
Fuck, I'm not some Monster Hunter boss. The way he looked at people like they were monsters to be forged into weapons pissed me off. That attitude definitely needed correcting.
Since I had zero desire to trade blows with him, I decided to keep my distance and settle this with magic.
"O scales of the Steel Dragon, pierce through the enemy."
Countless razor-sharp steel scales flew toward Gwayne. If even one hit, it should have severely restricted his movements... Ah, shit.
The moment the scales touched his body, they melted. I ground my teeth as I watched the remnants of my attack drip away as molten metal.
"Unfortunately, I'm a man whose body burns as hot as his heart... Anything made of iron melts the instant it touches me. Thanks to that, I can nullify most spells and easily overpower anyone who relies on hand-to-hand combat or swords. Well, Sir Lancelot might be an exception."
In short, his body was insanely hot. And if his body was that hot... then the flesh beneath that seemingly normal skin was glowing red. Which meant... this bastard was red to the bone?
The blood of an anti-communist warrior roared within me.
"Today is your memorial day, you unlucky pig bastard."
"I'm actually pretty slim, you know? Besides, from what I've seen, hand-to-hand combat seems to be your specialty... Surely you realize that touching me would turn you into a sticky meat stew?"
He had a point. Fighting him barehanded would definitely end badly. I needed another approach.
"You talked a big game, but you don't actually have a plan, do you? I hate people like that. The type who shout loudly without any real countermeasures...!!!"
"How unfortunate! I hate bastards who look like you!"
Merely dodging his punches and kicks was already pushing my limits.
"O water spirit, devour my enemy!"
A massive torrent of water surged toward him. If I could soak him and then hit the wet ground with lightning magic, I could electrocute him and win.
"Hahaha... Mages always think the same thing and always suffer the same fate..."
He wasn't wet at all. Every drop of water I'd launched evaporated before it could even reach his body.
Just how hot was he? No wonder the mine had felt like a blast furnace... This bastard was the cause. A walking global warming machine. I had to take him down for the sake of the environment. But with most of my attack options sealed, my options were limited. Sacrificing an arm to turn him into charcoal wouldn't be a big deal, but I wasn't about to throw my body away just to catch him.
Then I heard Lorsha's voice.
"Haa... Let's switch positions, Werner."
Suddenly, as if swept up by a valley stream, my body was pulled toward her. Lorsha rode the flowing water and faced Gwayne.
"Hey, don't joke around! You saw it too—water-attribute magic doesn't work on that guy!"
"What can I say? Mages always assume dousing me with water will win the fight. In truth, water magic is meaningless before me. It all evaporates before it even touches me."
Lorsha smirked, then glared at Gwayne with clear disgust.
"You're exactly the kind of person I hate. The type who dismisses water magic as useless for both offense and defense... calling it nothing but entertainment magic, those brain-dead idiots..."
"I never said all that. I simply stated that water magic has no effect in front of me."
"Then let me show you today, as a parting gift to the afterlife, just how magnificent water magic can be."
A blue aura began to swirl around Lorsha's body. She had devoted her entire life to water magic. Sure, being versatile like Werner was advantageous—you could handle more situations and enemies. But there was a unique strength in those who stubbornly walked a single path, pouring everything into it without compromise. Because she was that kind of person, I started to believe she wouldn't lose this fight.
"Kids these days sure are bold. Talking so rudely to your elders~!"
"Must be nice being old. If you're that ancient, your mom's surname must be Saurce, right? If she spreads her legs, an archaeological site would pop out. I heard there are ancient murals inside her womb too?"
I nearly blacked out from the sheer level of the parental diss. Even Lancelot, who had maintained his usual stoic and cool image the whole time, was now sweating bullets.
"Hah, the young ones have foul mouths! This is why today's kids have no manners!"
"Having no manners is still better than having no mom like you, isn't it?"
After spitting out a diss worthy of a Harlem rap battle, Lorsha unleashed a dense blue mana instead of another insult. It was a damp, cool energy that chilled the heat permeating the mine.
"I already told you—water magic is useless against me...!"
"O fangs of the Sea Dragon, pierce and devour the arrogant and wicked."
From somewhere, massive shark teeth materialized and tore into Gwayne's right arm. More precisely, they only bit off the flesh, but it was still the first time anyone had managed to wound the seemingly untouchable bastard.
"So you've materialized a part of a water spirit's body. And quite a high-ranking one at that!"
"Don't worry—the Sea Dragon is younger than your mom."
Finally snapping from the relentless dissing, Gwayne exhaled flames that incinerated the teeth that had appeared around him. Then he charged straight at Lorsha. If he made contact, she would be roasted alive. I threw myself forward to save her, not caring if the other Round Table bastards targeted my back. After all, they were just idiots standing around watching while their comrade fought.
His hand touched my arm.
"This fucking..."
It was insanely hot. It felt like I'd plunged my arm into boiling oil. And that was just from the slightest graze as I deflected the trajectory of his attack.
"Haha, hot, right? Hey, miss! You were talking so big earlier, but your friend got hurt anyway. If you're gonna talk big, shouldn't you actually fight properly?!"
Lorsha said nothing as she approached me and examined my arm.
"Idiot... Even if I had taken the hit, it would've only been a light burn..."
"I'm fine. Compared to what I did to you..."
The sin of forcing her to work without rest for twelve years minus eleven days was heavy. A burn like this couldn't even begin to repay it.
"Werner... You're such an idiot. All you had to do was stay back and wait while I fought... Why do you always have to jump in and get hurt like last time?"
"Haha... It makes me happy when you worry about me, so maybe that's why."
"...O water spirit, embrace the wound and grant it peace."
Cool water wrapped around the burn, and the stinging sensation gradually faded. Leaving me behind, Lorsha stepped forward. She was still radiating dense blue mana, but somehow it felt even colder and more chilling than before.
"It's been a while since you've seen your parents... Go show your face and be filial for once."
Lorsha's mana pressed down heavily on the mine.
"I mean go fall into hell, you bastards. Of course, I won't kill you easily either."
"Lorsha, you don't have to get that angry..."
Lorsha pulled out a blue gem from her bosom. Even at a glance, it was clearly no ordinary object.
"By offering the gem passed down by the Mackellin family, I hereby approve the contract with the Water Spirit King. This contract shall be passed down through the generations."
A brilliant blue light began to envelop her body. The three observers, sensing that something was wrong, rushed in, but it was already too late. She had completed some kind of contract and now stood before me, radiating mana that surged like the ocean itself.
"Now no one can hurt you. The same result as last time won't happen. You won't cry again, and you won't lose anything again."
Her back looked as reliable as the sea, and as beautiful as flowing water.
"I'll make sure of it."