The Beast (2)
Ryly's grimoire. A weapon that set him apart from everyone else.
It devoured the breath of living beings and passed on special knowledge to its owner.
Cedric had forbidden him from drawing it until he had grown strong enough. It consumed too much mana, and if the body's mana channels were damaged, recovery would be difficult.
On top of that was the casting time. Because the incantations were so long, there were few opportunities in real combat to use the grimoire properly. Ryly had been cutting the spells short, but that meant he couldn't show its true power.
Now that he was an adult, he had at least managed to overcome the massive mana consumption. Magic grew with use, just like building strength through exercise. With his body and mana channels fully matured from training, only the casting time remained as a flaw.
What could be done about this flaw?
The guardian who had foreseen it had already given the answer.
***
Beneath a sky heavy with gathering clouds.
Ryly, holding the book, opened his mouth slightly. Words flowed from it like breath, spreading through the air. The grimoire reacted to the mysterious language, spitting out a gloomy light.
“ —- — – …”
The beast-eared one perked up its ears. The cute girl had become a monster in appearance, and the beast lunged at Ryly.
Fixing its gaze, aiming precisely with its claws at the neck, slamming the ground.
Ryly caught the wrist of the flying monster. The hand floated beside him even as he let go of the book.
The hardness that couldn't be expressed in human terms made Ryly frown.
Still, it didn't matter. Magicians were also those who had gone beyond the human category.
Ryly twisted the grabbed wrist and pulled her right in front of him. His knee pierced the monster's belly floating in the air. "Kuk," it spat out a breath and shuddered.
Then, as it was about to throw a punch, the monster let out a "Kyao" sound, twisted its body greatly, and aimed its leg at Ryly. Sharp claws grazed the shoulder. The clothes tore, blood spurted, but Ryly didn't even blink.
Instead, as Sugar tried to rush out to watch, Cedric stopped her, but anyway, Ryly continued to chant the grimoire's incantation silently amid all this.
He immediately threw the beast away and pulled out his staff.
“ Ice Shard (Icicle). ”
Several sharp ice spears flew toward her. Landing on the ground, they flew toward the beast that jumped back at Ryly, slicing through the air. The beast cleverly dodged between them.
“ Icy Road. ”
Immediately responded. According to the next incantation, ice formed from the beast's feet. The spreading ice froze the beast's feet.
For sure suppression, freeze magic. The beast's body began to freeze. Limbs froze, even breath turned to frost, forming on nose and lips.
Still, it was laughing as if something was fun.
At the same time as the howl, hot heat spewed out. Body temperature rose sharply, ice vaporized, steam began to rise. The body covered in scales turned red hot.
“ ... Strange. ”
“ What? ”
As Sugar watching muttered to herself, Cedric, calmly wrapping bandages, asked.
“ It's strange, isn't it? ”
“ That girl? There are those who make such things and play around. ”
“ Really? Anyway... but that's right, Ryly. ”
Sugar stared at Ryly confronting the monster. She saw the man's calm expression, lips moving.
That was strange.
While chanting the magic book, he was continuously casting other magic.
It was a bit different from ordinary magicians' 'multi-tasking'. Multi-tasking is holding multiple incantations in the mouth at the same time. Like when Ryly used 'Acceleration, Flight' before.
That one completes the incantations all at once in the head and then releases them.
But what he was doing now was different. While preparing one, he was releasing completed products one by one.
To put it bluntly, 'Dual Casting'. Drawing different characters with different hands.
Sugar stared at the sight fixedly.
At that moment, cold droplets touched her skin.
Drops fell, then began to pour down heavily. Cedric took Sugar to a place farther from the battlefield and unfolded a barrier.
Looking up at the cloudy sky while being dragged, Sugar turned her gaze back to the front.
Water droplets touched the beast's red scales, making a sizzling sound and creating steam. The beast spewing steam rushed at Ryly.
A sphere of raindrops blocked and held it in front. Magic of the water domain.
To the struggling thing, Ryly shot ice spears. Piercing the body, the water domain turned bloody.
—K, Kyaaaa!!
The screaming beast spewed heat again. The water containing it began to boil. The wounded body recovered, eyes burning intensely.
Why keep blocking when there's a delicious saintess over there. That was the complaint.
Ryly quietly glared at the beast. Sharp eyes like ice. Hatred and killing intent were contained within. The one who had been calmly confronting until now finally showed emotions.
A sound of clouds colliding in the sky. It howled as if announcing the time.
The mana laid in the forest stirred heavily.
The beast instinctively shuddered, then struggled. It melted the ice spear that pierced its body, tore the water domain, and escaped.
Eat that man first.
With that resolve, it threw its body. No matter how injured, it recovered, so it didn't matter what happened to the body. The last one standing is the strong. The strong are the satisfied. A law found with an extremely simple brain.
Ryly aimed the staff in his right hand. The beast laughed as if waiting for it.
Clap twice. Clap clap.
In an instant, the appearance disappeared, and soon appeared from behind Ryly. It was very happy to cut the nape with claws and drink blood, baring its teeth.
But strangely.
Why did their eyes meet?
Ryly had long since turned his head and pointed his left hand fingers at it.
“ The Owner of the Cloud Sea— ”
Mana detection was his specialty.
“ — Dragon's Wrath. ”
With a deafening noise that made ears ring and a dazzling flash, the forest was covered.
Lightning piercing the sky and falling to the ground. That wrath pierced and burned the beast.
Even so, the remaining electricity and heat had no place to go, swirling like a storm. When the beast screamed with a voice not human.
Ryly stood as usual, looking down at the pain-stricken body writhing endlessly.
A way to supplement the long casting time.
The man had decided to overcome through training without faltering, so he found the answer in 'mental strength'.
Moving, fighting, even chanting another magic spell.
Mental strength to chant the grimoire's incantation without interruption. Unbreakable spirit that doesn't falter anywhere, anytime.
Grimoire in any world is tame because the owner pours human blood every day, but the grimoire here is very hungry and angry. Even if the owner stands quietly and chants, it makes the head throb.
Still, he could endure this much. Through experience trained under the guardian, he could perfectly complete the incantation. How many detours he had walked, he didn't know.
When the owner of such a grimoire looked down at the floor, the movement of the living being stopped, and soon a new page was born in the book.
“ Ah. I should have said in advance not to kill. ”
While Cedric, who had watched all this, muttered peacefully to himself, Sugar opened her mouth blankly.
The limbs were in emergency treatment with bandages. Of course, since flesh was torn, proper treatment was needed. Cedric glanced at such Sugar and muttered 'I should have said'.
“ Since it has the characteristic of recovering, I judged that capture would be difficult. For now, since the body remains, isn't it okay? Treat it properly. ”
“ Did you hear that? But from the beginning, it seemed like it was going to turn it into charcoal... ”
“ Wrong. ”
Ryly approached, dusting the dust from his body. The grimoire into his space, staff into the cloak's pocket, and stood in front of Sugar.
Without a word, he looked down at Sugar. Looking at her with a more sullen expression than usual.
Sugar lifted her head shyly.
“ Ryly. Th, th, that was amazing. Amazing. When did you become such a great magician. ”
Completely... ah, this is not good.
Sugar hesitated and muttered nonsense, but Ryly just looked at her. Mainly looking at the bandaged parts.
Then, he suddenly lifted Sugar up. The so-called princess carry. His hands touched Sugar's slender back and legs.
“ W, wait. I can walk by myself... ”
“ Quiet. ”
As Sugar said while hiding her flushed face, Ryly spat out.
From Ryly, who had just used magic, a sharp, cold flow was felt. If listening to it, it seemed like it would be swept away. Being in his arms, the sound of the heartbeat was vivid.
Sugar felt an odd feeling. Perhaps she was caught up in Ryly's possessiveness. Her heart beat greatly for no reason. Grasping her chest, she dove into the man's arms.
His face was full of shyness.
“ You know... ”
“ What. ”
“ Thank you... and sorry. ”
“ What else would you do. ”
“ Just. In many ways. ”
You are so strong and solid, but I feel like I'm too lacking.
Saying while hiding disappointment in herself under shyness.
“ Don't say that. I... don't have the qualification to hear such things. ”
Sugar's eyes widened a bit.
“ Why are you saying that? There's no way. ”
“ You got hurt. I was right next to you, but in an instant... ”
“ This is fine. The limbs aren't broken, it's not a severe injury. And you got out safely. ”
“ Did your head get hurt too? I saw bone. Idiot. ”
“ ... ”
Because Ryly's words were pitiful, and because she realized the reason for his strangely cold reaction.
Sugar hesitated, then brought her face to the wound on Ryly's shoulder.
Soon, she poured kisses around it.
Chuk, chuk, chuk— making cute sounds, moving her lips busily.
“ Y, ah...! What are you doing...! ”
“ Praise. ”
From behind, Cedric started grumbling 'Eolssigu jeolssigu-'
Still, Sugar didn't stop. Because it was hard to express with words.
How to convey gratitude. How to comfort the man who had guilt about the injured self.
' What can I do for you who cherish me so much. '
Even 'weak heart' was stimulated and ran wild in this midst. Every time she was in Ryly's arms, every time she smelled his scent, it beat desperately, too obvious.
Sugar sighed because her heart was upset and aching.
The cult that sets plans for her heart that doesn't go her way, with unknown plans.
For now, it was settled, but it was a day full of worries.