Chapter 243: I’ll Have You Know, I Was a Magic Partisan Back in the Day.
Chapter 243: I’ll Have You Know, I Was a Magic Partisan Back in the Day.
“Looks like the bombardment has finally stopped.”
It had been pouring down like rain until just a moment ago.
“They must have lost us, poyo.”
“It seems Brigadier General Un-ho was correct. The Automatic Counter-Mental Magic I set up to defend against detection spells has been quiet for a while now.”
Automatic Counter-Mental Magic?
“Since when were you carrying something like that around?”
“Since the start of the battle. It’s been bypassed so many times that it’s practically useless, but I suppose it’s better than nothing.”
…You’re just openly admitting your specialty keeps getting bypassed now, aren’t you?
“Don’t look at me like that. I only realized after coming here that I am surprisingly inexperienced when it comes to pure combat magic.”
Perhaps it was because I was looking at Al’shel with pitying eyes.
He offered that excuse, but my feelings didn't change.
“…To be honest, I never had much interest in concepts like hiding one’s location, mana recycling, spell modularization, or parallel distributed casting. It’s only natural that I’m vulnerable in those areas.”
“….”
You sure have a lot of excuses, you octopus.
“No, but in exchange, these people can’t use the limit-breaking magic I use, like Planetary Bombardment, can they? That concept involves unraveling the magic formula itself rather than controlling it. In this magic system, such a thing can’t—and shouldn’t—exist.”
At this point, it was almost pathetic.
As that thought crossed my mind, my gaze naturally grew even more sorrowful.
To think that Al’shel, who used to be made of nothing but pride and malice, had his ego so ruthlessly shattered.
What value does this creature even have left?
“Huh? It’s not quite at that level, but a few of the combat-type generals can use large-scale magic, you know?”
Good heavens. There goes his last bit of self-worth.
“Ah, that is fine. I’ve discussed the development of individual magic with Captain Af and the Prina Waiter. With a few exceptions, it seems most still struggle to break free from the basic, efficient Military Magic system. Some exceptions would be Lady Lina of the Guard, who moved hundreds of people in an instant earlier… and Lord Un-ho.”
You’re rambling, you ego-bruised squid.
Well, setting aside the jokes about Al’shel’s loss of purpose.
Things had certainly calmed down.
Earlier, we were too busy scrambling to avoid the bombardment.
Now we could actually walk around calmly and have a conversation like this.
If only we could find the enemies' location.
Since this was a battle involving over two hundred participants, it seemed they opted for this format to test military prowess rather than a chaotic life-or-death brawl on the spot.
To be blunt, the other side seemed prepared for this, bringing specialized scouts and artillery units.
On the other hand, we were essentially a trio of rabble, unable to even pinpoint The Enemy.
We had Un-ho, a specialist in guerrilla warfare, but his methods were more analog than magical, so he seemed to need some kind of catalyst to get going.
Al’shel was a magic specialist, but since he was specialized in destruction, mental, and Spatial Magic, he was currently showing the pathetic display of being unable to pierce the tracking protection of enemies far weaker than himself.
As for me, well…
I can’t fight, so I’m useless.
Isn’t there anyone around I can just smack?
Grumbling inwardly, I expressed my boredom by tapping The Hammer—which had nowhere to go—against my shoulder and turned to Un-ho.
“So, where to next? You said it’s hard to track them without a lead, so just take a wild guess based on your gut.”
We couldn't just wander around aimlessly forever.
Since Un-ho was the one leading us, I decided to leave it to his luck.
“Hmmmmmmm.”
When I spoke, Un-ho lay flat on the ground, resting his chin on his hands while making a strange noise.
After a while, as if something had occurred to him, he suddenly grabbed his own tail with his mouth and started spinning in circles before losing his balance and falling over.
“….”
What is he doing?
The trust I had built up while watching Un-ho’s abilities plummeted to the floor in an instant.
As I watched his bizarre behavior for a moment.
“Ugh, I’m so dizzy… Let’s go that wayyyyyy.”
Having spun too much, Un-ho pointed in the direction he had fallen while slurring his words.
“That’s a forest, though?”
I wasn't sure if it was the same forest from before.
“You said you’d leave it to luck anyway, poyo.”
That’s true.
But I didn't expect my partner to act like a complete idiot.
In that sense, I looked at Al’shel to get his opinion.
Al’shel simply gave a shrug and offered no further reaction.
I scratched my head and thought about it for a second.
But whatever.
That thought didn't even last five seconds.
Since I’d already handed the lead to Un-ho, I might as well keep following his word.
With that thought, I took the lead and headed into the forest, with the others following behind.
* * *
We had been in the forest for about four or five minutes.
It was a pleasant stroll with nothing particular happening.
“I wonder how the rest of the battlefield is doing.”
“I hope they’ve half-annihilated each other.”
“I hope they both hit each other with counterattacks and pass out, poyo. Then we wouldn’t have to fight, and they’d understand each other and find peace, poyo.”
Un-ho was still talking crazy.
Understanding each other through fighting only happens in children’s cartoons.
Still, I could understand why he was saying that.
We had flown here ready for a grueling battle, but all we’d done since arriving was take a walk and watch others fight.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but the engine sound humming from The Hammer on my shoulder was starting to sound like it wanted to hit something.
The Hammer couldn't actually speak, so it just meant I was that bored.
“I wish something would just show up.”
I pushed through the thicket blocking my path, hoping for something.
But all I found was more grass.
“Aw, everyone else is busy fighting. There’s no way anyone would be passing through a forest like this.”
Un-ho threw cold water on my hopes as he crawled past me.
…Then what does that make us?
Tourists?
The thought crossed my mind, but since it was clear that what we were doing was strange, I didn't argue and kept parting the bushes.
And then, we ran into The Enemy.
“…?”
“…?”
To be precise, it was a squad of about ten individuals, all beastmen.
We locked eyes with them, and both sides tilted their heads as if they couldn't make sense of the situation.
Myself and Un-ho included.
“Enemy attack!”
“They actually appeared!”
The Enemy immediately stepped back and formed a battle line.
Un-ho shattered the quiet special forces image he’d built up so far and acted in an exaggerated manner.
However, my actual impression was nothing but indifferent.
‘Weak.’
Truly, the beings before my eyes were far too weak.
Judging by the power I felt, they were B-Rank, mid to high tier?
And non-combat Type S at that?
If they were soldiers, they should at least maintain a proper formation, but even that was incredibly sloppy. It was as if they had no commander, or the leadership was a mess.
However, in contrast to my indifferent mood.
“Headquarters! Requesting backup! Enemy encounter!”
The enemies were dead serious, even summoning Magic Circles.
Right, I suppose this is a grave crisis for them. They just ran into people who could rival their own boss.
By the way, I should have dealt with them quickly. Since they succeeded in making contact, another bombardment is probably coming.
Let’s finish this quickly and get out of here.
With that thought, I lifted The Hammer from my shoulder.
“Repeating! Encountered enemy…”
Zap.
A black spark erupted from the Magic Circle in front of the one shouting in the back, and the circle dissolved into the air with a crack.
As if the magic had failed.
“My apologies, but I’ve interfered with your magic for a moment.”
Al’shel walked out from behind me.
His hands were spread wide, as if to prove he was the one who had used the magic.
“Repeating…”
Zap.
Pop.
Could they not believe their magic had been interfered with?
The Enemy soldier attempting to make contact summoned another Magic Circle, but this time, it cracked and evaporated before it could even form a complete ring.
“Since when did you block them?”
“From the very first contact. So, you needn't worry about our location being compromised.”
That means I don't have to worry about bombardment.
Now then.
What should I do?
I took a step forward, my mind racing.
“Halt…! Any further approach will be considered a hostile act, and we will attack!”
The enemies flinched and reached out toward us.
However, I felt absolutely no danger from that action.
It was like a child pointing a toy gun at me.
If their voices had at least carried some dignity, I might have wondered if they had a trick up their sleeves, but they were stuttering so much I didn't even know what to say.
Wait, are these the ones?
The non-combatant Major-ranks Ronia mentioned?
Field officers are usually high-ranking, but here, even the artillerymen are generals, so these guys look like mere grunts.
Anyway, that Ronia fellow—he said he’d exclude them from the battle immediately, but he was plotting something here after all.
Now, what to do?
“R-Repeating! If you do not retreat this instant…”
When we didn't react, their voices grew increasingly desperate, and their outstretched hands began to tremble violently.
Hmm.
Let’s see.
They’re moderately weak.
But not too weak.
There are plenty of them.
And there’s nothing nearby that could be damaged.
…The environment is just right. Should I use it for the first time in a while?
“Un-ho.”
“Yes?”
“I’m using that Magical Girl-style thing. Brace yourself.”
“…Yes, I understa—Wait, what?”
Since I couldn't distinguish between friend and foe with this, I gave Un-ho a heads-up.
“What is that? ‘Magical Girl-style’? It sounds like you’re about to use another strange technique…”
Al’shel was rambling because he didn't know what it was.
It didn't matter.
Al’shel would find a way to survive on his own.
Therefore, I stopped talking, gathered the mana within my body, and took a step forward.
Thump.
The surrounding air began to vibrate.
“…! We will consider this a hostile act!”
Had a switch been flipped?
The enemies, who had been trembling just a moment ago, instantly erased the fear from their actions and began to make their Magic Circles glow.
Non-combatants or not, they were still soldiers.
Right. They should at least do this much.
However, it was meaningless.
This technique held absolute power against anyone who hadn't reached a certain level.
Two steps.
Thump.
As the Martial Artist’s Form took shape, a shockwave radiated outward.
It wasn't enough to blow the enemies away.
“Fire!”
But it was enough for them to perceive it as a threat and attack.
I took the third step.
Thump.
The shockwave expanded.
Like when I released my limiter, a massive shockwave that overturned the environment surged forth.
The shockwave swallowed the spells flying toward me and disrupted the stances of those attacking me.
But my steps weren't over yet.
Four steps.
Thump.
The ground cracked beneath my feet.
The radiated shockwave no longer spread out chaotically but wrapped around the area in a circle, creating a Mana Storm.
With this, the enemies were trapped within the storm, unable to move forward or flee.
I smiled at them.
And took the fifth step.
Boom!
The ground collapsed.
The new shockwave, having nowhere to go due to the rotating shockwaves filling the area, became a downward current, slamming into the storm created by the fourth step.
Everything within it was driven into the ground.
The earth was compressed.
The soldiers crawled on the ground, unable to pull themselves together.
“Gah… cough… ugh.”
“Now then, dear Majors. There might be a Lieutenant Colonel mixed in there, so I’ll apologize in advance for that.”
I spoke while lifting my foot for the sixth step.
“Now, I know this must be hard to endure. But you see, this technique isn't over yet. You all are familiar with magic, so you might not know, but this is what we call a ‘Form’ in our traditional techniques. You can think of it as magic performed with the body. And this is a Form that is completed through the act of stepping with the whole body. As you’ve already experienced, the power multiplies several times with every step.”
I intentionally adopted a kind, explanatory tone to instill fear.
“This is the sixth one. And from here on, it might be a bit hard to bear. For now, this Form is classified as non-lethal, but…”
I smirked and flexed my foot.
“I truly hope no accidents occur.”
“Gasp… What… do you want?”
Had my sincere persuasion worked? One of the enemies managed to speak.
I kindly paused my foot and spoke.
“Isn't it obvious? The location of Ronia’s main force.”
I kept the smile on my face.
I wanted to leave the impression that I could do any cruel thing to them while smiling.
Despite my kind consideration.
“Urgh. We can still… endure this much. We won’t sell out our allies…”
“Oh, is that so?”
Boom!
The sixth step.
Immediately, all the shockwaves converged toward the center, creating a vortex.
However, the downward pressure remained the same.
As a result, the soldiers were pinned to the ground and dragged left or right, plowing through the earth.
The enemies tried to resist by bracing themselves against the ground.
But such resistance only resulted in their hands being snapped by the shockwaves and their entire bodies being buried deeper into the dirt.
“Cough… Is this… the end? Do more… if you can…”
He was saying something cliché, so I had slammed them down, but even more cliché words came out.
Therefore.
I spoke to explain the overall structure of this technique.
“Ah. For your information, there are eleven steps in total. This was only the sixth.”
I lifted my leg.
I could feel the enemies flinching.
But my actions did not change.
“I wonder how you’ll endure the remaining five.”
I mustn't lose my smile.