Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: An Unnecessary Lesson
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Loan shot out Narrow Paths at the falling rocks and massive, withered roots.
He leaped and flew.
Amidst a constantly shaking view and a collapsing world, he observed the flow of mana.
Neither Bella nor Boris was anywhere to be seen.
He had fallen an immense distance in that time, yet it felt like a mere instant.
Roooooaaaar—
At last, the ear-splitting noise faded—
and an empty resonance filled the air—
the moment everything had settled to a uniform level, leaving nothing for his Narrow Paths to latch onto.
Standing in a world devoid of light, Loan perceived his surroundings solely through mana.
The mana density was undeniably greater than on the surface.
With dark mana comprising more than half of it, the world he saw through mana was different from usual.
Feeling as if he were standing alone in a bright darkness, Loan extended his mind's eye even further.
Among the fallen debris, he could occasionally see the gaping maws of labyrinths.
One hole, in particular, held an exceptionally dense darkness.
Inside, at the very edge of his perception.
He saw a device of chaotically tangled chains, rings, and pillars, and a being suspended from it.
A large demon with three heads.
It was looking down at Boris, who was prostrated at its feet.
Loan immediately extended a Narrow Path.
The solid path of mana connected collapsed rocks, pillars of unknown origin, and natural stalagmites and stalactites, guiding Loan forward.
After entering the cave, he didn't stray onto side paths, running straight toward his destination.
For Loan, who could see the truth behind things, the labyrinth was useless.
At last, Loan arrived in a vast hall. It was so large that the massive demon seemed small by comparison.
Despite this, the hall was fairly well-lit, thanks to the bluish phosphorescent stones embedded in the ceiling and walls.
His eyes gradually adjusted to the space, bathed in a soft glow.
It wasn't difficult to grasp the situation.
The demon's body, completely drained of magic, and Boris, slowly rising to his feet, his eyes flashing wildly.
There must have been some kind of contract between the demon and Boris, or perhaps the demon had possessed Boris's body.
However, the darkness had not yet fully taken hold.
Loan spoke to Boris, who was struggling to keep his head up.
"Senior Boris."
After a moment of struggling to meet Loan's gaze, his neck creaking, Boris burst out laughing.
"You."
Then he abruptly pointed a finger and continued.
"I get it now. Why you were so strong. Psychokinesis, my ass. You. You. You made a contract with a demon."
"That's not true."
"No. I understand now. This power. This power that makes me tremble uncontrollably. Now that I have it, I know."
"Did you make a contract with that demon over there?"
"Yes. It made a very reasonable offer. I accepted. Just like you."
"I have never done such a thing."
Loan replied, emphasizing his point once more.
Boris wasn't listening.
He spoke with a sneer.
"So that's why you were so cozy with Asmo. Birds of a feather. How disgusting. A Union member in league with a demon. What a bunch of fools, praising a traitor in their midst as a genius without even realizing it."
"..."
Amidst the foul words, one name stuck out.
Asmo.
He must have inadvertently let slip the name of the demon possessing Bella.
Unable to control his emotions, Boris kept muttering.
"I may not be with the Union anymore, but you... you're despicable. It's disgusting that a Union member would borrow a demon's power to show off."
"Not with the Union anymore... What happened?"
Boris suddenly glared at the ceiling, veins bulging on his neck, and growled.
"What does she know, that blind woman. How presumptuous. How dare she... kick me out."
"Was it the Governor-General's decision?"
As he asked, he thought of the Governor-General, and his turbulent emotions seemed to calm slightly.
Why would she have dismissed Boris?
It was hard to fathom, but he wondered if this, too, was part of her plan.
Loan assigned meaning to both his encounter with Boris in Rhodes and the current situation where Boris was losing his humanity.
Then, what he had to do came to him naturally.
Loan gave a small nod and opened his mouth.
"Boris, you."
"You?"
"What? You're not my senior anymore, are you?"
"..."
"It's possible to break a contract with a demon. There will be side effects, but for the sake of our brief acquaintance, I'll recommend it. It's better than dying, isn't it?"
"Trying to lecture your senior again? Don't you realize we're on equal footing now?"
Boris retorted, then screamed and thrust out both hands.
His movements were incredibly fast, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
Shiiiiing—
Six daggers.
He had already counted them the moment they appeared in the man's hands.
There was no way he would be hit, but he was admittedly a little impressed by their speed.
Even though he hadn't fully synchronized with the demon, the boost to his magic was substantial.
But.
Strictly speaking, the one who had received the biggest magic boost after descending beneath the Forgotten Wheat Field was Loan.
The dark mana was so dense that his body felt completely saturated with magic.
His heart beat rapidly, and the density and speed of his Convection far exceeded his expectations.
And still, mana continued to pour into him in abundance.
He used it generously, spreading it evenly throughout.
He had pushed his physical abilities and senses to the very limit, just shy of overloading his body.
So, the trajectory of the flying daggers and the wicked intent embedded within them seemed like nothing more than an ordinary throw in slow motion.
There was no need to even draw Sheville.
Loan was already controlling not just the Convection around his body, but the entire flow of mana in the atmosphere.
He merely looked, and Boris's daggers stopped mid-air before changing direction.
Loan took a step forward and flicked one of the hovering daggers with his fingertip.
The dagger began to vibrate in place at an incredible speed.
Vrrrrrrrrrrrr—
"You seem to have some grand illusion about demons. What makes you think a contract will suddenly let you do anything?"
Crack—!
Unable to withstand the force radiating from within, the dagger instantly shattered into pieces.
Loan didn't stop, destroying the other five daggers as well.
Fine metal fragments filled the space between Loan and Boris.
The countless traces of the daggers, too small to be called shards, were soon drawn to Loan, swirling around him.
The Convection, now filled with sharp fragments, glittered as it reflected the light of the phosphorescent stones.
He might have just revealed the true nature of his ultimate technique to the demon.
"What is that."
Boris, not yet fully consumed by darkness. The fear remaining within him made him step back.
The jealousy and envy he felt for his junior swirled up once more.
Strangely.
The more he felt it, the deeper the darkness sank into Boris's body. And then.
"A curious fellow."
The tone of voice had changed.
It was Boris's voice, but it was no longer him.
A being either completely possessed or, as Bella had described, reborn as someone new.
The creature asked.
"Are you not human? How do you do that?"
It seemed genuinely curious.
It took a defenseless step forward, trying to examine the Convection.
Loan immediately manifested a barrier of flames.
Beyond the wall of undulating fire, Boris raised his hand.
A strange phenomenon then unfolded around his hand. To be precise, it concerned the movement of mana.
It was a form he had never seen before, and seeing the barrier immediately weaken, Loan swiftly extended his Convection and severed the creature's arm.
Thud—
Boris stared blankly at the arm that had fallen to the floor.
Expressing no pain, it looked back and forth with great curiosity, comparing the two severed ends, which looked as if they'd been ripped apart.
A moment after Loan dispelled the barrier.
The flow of mana around the creature became strange once again.
Much like how Loan controlled mana with Convection, mana began to condense between the creature's body and the severed arm.
It was a peculiar sight.
There was no sign of intentional manipulation. It wasn't being forcefully drawn; the mana was simply gathering naturally, as if attracted to the creature.
It was a different concept from how Loan himself drew in mana using breath, circulation, and Convection.
So he watched.
How it was done. What it was trying to do.
'Ah...'
And soon, he had a great realization, but Loan did not let his inner achievement show.
Presently, Boris's arm floated up and was forced back onto his body.
However, it wasn't as if the arm had never been severed. The reattachment point was swollen, looking like spilled tomato soup.
It was grotesque to look at, but since it could move, it had achieved its purpose.
Loan found the entire process fascinating and couldn't help but ask.
"You can do some interesting things yourself."
"It's a trivial bit of magic."
"Do demons use words like that? I thought you'd call it an 'authority' or a 'power'."
"We are just as individualistic as humans. You're quite peculiar yourself, aren't you? That thing you use seems to be unique as well."
Boris pointed to the glittering Convection with his reattached arm.
He raised and lowered it repeatedly, as if the movement felt awkward.
"Did you erase Boris completely?"
"Ah, I only kept his experience and memories. Everything else was abysmal. His emotions were base, and his intellect was particularly disappointing."
"You still look pleased, though."
He pointed out the indelible smile on its face.
Boris didn't deny it.
He glanced behind him.
"I can't even fathom the ages I was suspended there. Of course I'm pleased. Ah, though I do have one regret. If you had come first, we might have been able to make a different choice."
"That would never have happened."
"Is that so? You seem interested in my abilities."
"That's true."
"I could break my contract and form a new one with you. You seem to be aware of that. Let's both break our contracts. You with Aul, and me with this body. There will be side effects, of course, but if we work together, we can recover quickly."
It clearly knew of Aul's existence, likely because it retained Boris's memories.
In terms of information about each other, at least, the creature had the upper hand.
Loan answered nonchalantly.
"I'm not interested in that."
"A shame."
Boris's shoulders slumped, as if he truly meant it.
Then he shook his head and said.
"Then must we fight now? Unlike this one, I have no feelings toward you."
"I have no feelings either. I'm simply carrying out a mission."
"A mission. You mean that thing called the Union."
"That's right. 'Kill all demons' is the Union's standing policy."
"This body's memories say as much. In that case, since we're destined to fight anyway, may I ask you something first?"
Loan saw in Boris the characteristic curiosity of a mage.
A mind bordering on madness, willing to disregard all else to understand phenomena, principles, or what could be called truth.
Loan knew he was not free from it himself.
He too had come here with questions, and this could be his chance.
But he also knew he had to respond cautiously to a demon's offer.
Boris smiled.
"Cautious. Well, I was going to say you could ask me anything you're curious about, my friend, but that probably wouldn't be enough for you... How about this?"
Boris glanced down at his crudely attached arm, grabbed the wrist with his other hand, and ripped it off again with a snap.
"You seemed interested in my magic earlier. I'll teach you how it's done."
He said this with a triumphant smile.
As if doing a great favor. His expression was full of confidence, certain that Loan would have to accept.
The reply was unexpected.
"I don't need it."
Loan shook his head and continued.
"It's not that appealing an offer."
"Hmm?"
"I'm saying you don't need to teach me, because I can already do it."
"You can do it?"
Boris tilted his head repeatedly, as if he couldn't comprehend Loan's words.