The Climax
The fireworks display dragged on for over an hour. “Wow! So cool. Just a little more! Come on……!” It was only when Irina's face paled with exhaustion, cold sweat beading on her brow, that Cloi finally released her.
“Oh, how rude of me…… I pushed you too hard on our first meeting. My apologies. Would you care to chat with me before retiring for the night?”
Even the elf, who had worn a smile throughout, couldn't help but stiffen at those words. Her face plainly betrayed her inner thought: If you're saying it's too much, then let her rest……
Nice one, Cloi. Tiny clenched his fist subtly at the sight.
A true sorcerer wielding innate bloodline power could maintain a small flame like that indefinitely without issue. But for a non-sorcerer mage, it was a different story. Even a low-tier spell demanded constant mana drain to sustain for so long.
Then, unexpectedly—
“Haha, sure. I can keep you company if you'd like. Though, out of curiosity…… Could the young spirit user join us as well?”
Irina made a surprising proposal.
“Huh? Tiny too?”
“Yes. My spirit arts are still lacking, so I thought I might learn something from a spirit user of another race.”
“Ah, haha. If that's what you want…… Tiny, you hear that?”
“Pardon? ……Yes, got it. I'm fine with that.”
The opportunity he'd been eyeing fell right into his lap. Tiny flashed his first genuine smile since traveling with the enemy.
“Hehe, thank you for indulging my rude request.”
Irina's eyes sparkled as she spoke. Watching her, Tiny wondered if her true target might be him alone, rather than the whole group. Messing with elite knights from the Valentia Duchy—straight under the Duke's nose in imperial territory—would be a massive risk, even for a black mage.
But……
Sorry, but……
Tiny still lacked confidence to take on a 5th-circle black mage solo. After all, dying to some “mere” 5th-circle hack after regressing through time would leave him too bitter to even close his eyes in death.
Besides, given Cloi's personality, if this elf turned out to be a real black mage, she'd never back down. Processing a high-ranking black mage right here would give them a lead on the organization openly toying with the Duke's house and the Empire.
That alone would be reason enough for the Duke to lend a hand.
No need to drag this out any longer. Tiny approached the elf, gesturing to Wolrang.
“Wolrang, come here!”
“Woof!”
Tiny scooped up Wolrang, who broke free from Vivian's grasp and bounded toward him, then thrust the wolf pup straight at Irina.
“Want to hold him?”
“Me? Is that okay?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you. Come here, little one!”
The instant Irina spread her arms toward Wolrang—
“GRRRRAAAAAHHH!”
Wolrang ballooned in size in a flash, baring fangs at her. Beside him, Tiny's blue-glowing mace swung viciously at the smiling elf's exposed side as she reached out.
Mages were creatures of preparation, after all. For one diving solo into enemy territory, maintaining a defensive stance was paramount. Even high-ranking mages lagged far behind equivalent mana users in physical prowess.
Thus, auto-deploying a mana shield in crises was basic hygiene for elite mages.
Of course, if that shield gleamed black, it was a special case.
BOOM!
Wolrang and Tiny's joint assault slammed harmlessly into the translucent black barrier.
In that moment, a loathsome aura unmistakable to any mana user radiated outward.
“Huh!?”
“That's……”
Before the knights' stunned voices could fully erupt at the unforeseen sight, a blue blade had already pierced the flustered elf's side.
SHUNK.
“Guhk!?”
It was Vivian's Mana Blade, slipping through the instant the shield blocked Tiny's strike and faded from its duty.
“Kuhk.”
SPLURT.
Unable to fully block the ambush, Irina's face twisted as she vomited a waterfall of blood.
But Tiny's expression hardened at the scene.
She dodged it!
The ambush, aimed to pierce her heart and end it, had only inflicted a grievous wound.
And moreover—
“Hah!”
THUD.THUD.THUD.
“Damn it!”
The black barrier, now denser, repelled Tiny and Vivian's follow-ups completely.
“Join in!”
At Vivian's shout, the Duke's knights sprang into action.
“Black mage!”
“Battle stations!”
“Protect the lady!”
The air turned murderous in seconds. Nine knights, cloaked in flames, ice, wind, earth, and more, charged the foe. The remaining three raced like the wind to shield Cloi.
Their instant response to the sudden crisis spoke volumes of their elite training.
Witnessing it, Tiny gritted his teeth, rallying mana once more to charge alongside Wolrang.
“Hah!”
“Kyaooo!”
BOOM!
CRACKLE-CRACKLE-CRACK.
But—
“You bastard! This is your doing!?”
Irina's face twisted inside the translucent sphere, yet the barrier blocking the mace and spirits only grew clearer.
“Tch, Tiny! This won't work!”
Vivian, desperately trying to land more hits, soon found herself overwhelmed fending off black mist and flames.
Irina's spells now zeroed in on the trickier close-range foes.
Even as she glared daggers at him.
Blatant dismissal.
Damn it, still too weak. Tiny bit his lip, feeling his current life's frailty anew.
At least the silver lining: she'd taken a fatal hit for sure.
“Cough.”
Glared at from within the translucent shield, Irina spat another gush of blood, her face contorted as she bellowed.
“Damn you, how did you know!?”
“How could I miss that filthy stench assaulting my nose?”
Tiny tossed the taunt to rattle her psyche further post-ambush.
But her expression hardened terrifyingly instead.
“Hoo, you damned brat……!”
CRACKLE.
A chilling voice echoed as countless cracks spiderwebbed the black shield.
This is!?
As Tiny recoiled—
KABOOOM!
The black shield shattered in a deafening blast, unleashing a massive shockwave.
“Ngh!”
Tiny reflexively surged mana to envelop his body, soul-memories transforming it into gleaming blue mana armor.
Iron Body—known across the continent as such—was perfectly recreated in this life.
Yet even that couldn't fully withstand the colossal impact; his body flew back.
Right then—
“Slay the demon worshipper!”
“Yes!”
A booming command and the knights' chorus rang out. Turning, Tiny saw Vivian wielding a blue Mana Blade nigh 2 meters long, while knights unleashed attribute-infused barrages.
The elf, now crimson smoke, paled as her black flames crumbled powerlessly before their combined assault, driven back.
“What!?”
The Duke's elites displayed far greater might than Tiny had anticipated.
Then!
End it now. “Rawr!” Wolrang roared in sync with his will, lightning-charging into the fray with Tiny aboard.
BOOM!
A black orb rocketed skyward amid the roar. From within, a grotesque voice oozed eerie killing intent.
“Killing one was supposed to end it, but you've made this messy. Now, all of you……”
“Don't make me laugh!”
Vivian, mid-heavy armor, leaped nearly 10 meters, her blue blade slashing the orb's surface anew.
KABOOM!
It didn't fully breach, but the glow flickered momentarily.
“Hah!”
Silver Wolf leaped after her; its rider smashed the barrier with a flashing blue mace.
BOOM!
The black orb crashed back to earth amid the explosion.
But from within came not a death rattle, but a roar brimming with rage.
“You scum! How dare you!”
Grit.
Tiny ground his teeth, face twisted. Even this isn't enough.
He could tell from her voice alone: despite targeting the weakened barrier, she'd taken no real damage.
In that moment—
“I'll bear the cost!”
With an incomprehensible shout, Irina reappeared unscathed, crimson-black flames erupting from her body.
“Not on my watch!”
“No chance!”
The knights swung instinctively to bat away the black flames—but
“Urk!”
WHOOSH.
Unlike before, the flames didn't dissipate; they clung to the knights' bodies.
“Aaaagh!”
“D-Damn it!”
“What the hell is this!?”
Only Vivian, blue Mana Blade ablaze, fully repelled them.
“Hold out, everyone!”
She twisted to cleave flames heading for Cloi, then charged solo.
The other knights staggered, faces ashen—unlike before.
“The enemy……”
“Ngh, we have to follow……”
“Damn it!”
Despite their spirited cries, resisting the black flames alone seemed grueling.
But one exception.
Falling from the sky, blanketed in black flames, Tiny's situation differed.
HUMMM.
His full-body blue mana armor, Iron Body, perfectly nullified the flames' power.
Perfect!
In his past life, Iron Body was an emergency defense. Now, refined via Mana Body, it held effortlessly for days as baseline tech.
True, peak burst defense dipped, but……
Utility's better this way.
Especially against spells. Plus, with constant mana flow—
HUMMM.
—it primed perfectly for sudden lethal surges.
Right now!
Mid-fall, he signaled Vivian with a glance to sync.
WHOOSH.
Blue mana flames erupted from his mace.
Minimum to sustain Iron Body, all else poured into the weapon.
From prior clashes, he'd calculated: to breach inward, at least……
70% power in one strike.
An extreme focus of mana and body strength impossible for anyone but him.
Vivian's Mana Blade crossed it top and bottom, slamming the black barrier.
CRRRRACK!
KABOOOM!
The black orb exploded amid the blast.
Got her!
As Tiny inwardly cheered at the perfect hit—
“Urk!?”
Shattered fragments detonated mid-air, engulfing him and Vivian.
POP-POP-POP.
BOOM!
He barely stabilized with Wolrang's aid for landing, but the aftershock slid him across the ground.
The impact was immense.
Cough.
“Haa…… damn.”
A dizzying pain shook his guts; he spat a mouthful of blood.
But damage wasn't his alone.
Lifting his head, he saw Irina staggering repeatedly. Opposite, Vivian steadied herself, glaring ahead.
“It's working……! Again!!”
With the boy's shout as he regained footing, Silver Wolf charged. Vivian, from the other side, gritted teeth and lunged.
As the boy said, Irina's twisted face showed clear damage.
Fatal wound from the start, plus follow-ups—he hoped she'd run dry.
But her counter was lightning-fast.
“How dare you!!”
Spitting blood, Irina unleashed a wave of black flames far fiercer than before, crashing toward them.
Vivian deployed her Mana Blade as a wall, blocking the front fully. Tiny lacked such means.
His sole option now:
“Hah!”
Trusting Iron Body, he swung his mace full-force into the flame wave.
KABOOOM!
Guh!
A greater shock hammered his skull, rattling his frame.
“Grrr……”
Exhausted, Wolrang groaned faintly and unsummoned.
Hack, ptui.
Spitting pooled blood, Tiny summoned every last ounce for one final roar.
“She's tiring too! Hit her now!”
He had no strength left. He'd pushed past limits twice over—any other Expert would've been dead.
The rest…… is up to you.
The shout aimed more at the relatively intact Vivian.
But it spurred others instead.
“Raaagh!”
“Can't lose to a kid……! Fuck!”
“Shit! Better die fighting than in shame!”
Flame-wrapped knights vomited blood en masse, shoving back the demonic energy.
Burn-scarred skin, ghostly pallor. At their absolute limit, yet they charged Irina as one.
Sensing the tide turn? Irina's body floated skyward again.
She gonna run after all this?
“The enemy's fleeing! Catch her!”
“Kill!”
All knights gnashed teeth, squeezing dry every reserve. Movements grew frantic; some even vaulted off comrades' shoulders into the air.
But then—
“By His will!!”
Behind Irina's demonic grimace loomed a colossal devil silhouette.
No way……!?
As Tiny's eyes widened in horror—
Irina's left arm engulfed in her self-made crimson-black flames crumbled to ash.
The shocking sight tore a raw shout from Tiny.
“Self-Immolation Offering!?”
The demon worshippers' final gambit: sacrificing limbs or body to amplify spells.
As Tiny paled—
“Burn!”
Irina's voice boomed; black flame rain poured from the heavens.
Impossible to block that spell now. Options: kill the caster, or…… counter with its antithesis.
I bought enough time!
Tiny's desperate gaze flew to Vivian—who'd slipped from the field.
Precisely, to the girl she guarded like a mountain.
And mercifully, that gaze wasn't betrayed.
“Light!”
The beautiful girl behind Vivian intoned clearly, radiating warm beams.
Auspicious light surged from earth, erasing the black flame rain without trace.
At the gorgeous sight, a satisfied smile curved Tiny's lips.