'What I've been through!　I'll take my time teaching you!

　The next moment when it seemed that a three-dimensional magic circle was unfolding in the air - the next moment.

　It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you can see your own personal life.

The actuality of this is that it's not a good thing.

　Bran's left arm is distorted like a crushed paper drawing, and he is being taken in by a black vortex that looks like a hole drilled in space.

　That's not the only anomaly.
　Even the surrounding air was sucked into the black vortex, sending a fierce gust of wind through the narrow passage.

''Noahhhh!　Me!　What have you done!
"You know, I've short-circuited my arm's spellprint ...... to such ...... such and such, but... ...!

　Pretending to restrain his arm, he contacted Bran's left arm and interfered with the bare prototype spell mark to interfere with the bare prototype spell mark to interfere with the additional dragon soldier summoning - that was the strategy Noir had set up.

　Since it was only a prototype, the preparation against the spellprint's magical interference was inadequate, and even a few seconds of contact was enough to cause a short-circuit in its path.

　However, he hadn't expected such a caustic reaction to occur.

　An unfinished summoning technique had gone out of control, and the action of summoning from another place was about to backfire in an incomplete way, dragging Bran into the void of nowhere?

'd*mn it ...... back up!　Noir!

　Nagi shouted, revealing her impatience.

　But Noir did not move an inch from the spot.

　It wasn't that he was too terrified to move, cowering in fear.
　He couldn't take his eyes off of Bran, who was screaming as he was dragged into the black vortex.

　I wanted to keep my eyes down.
　I wanted to cover my ears.

　But the thought of having to see it through to the end was driving Noir helplessly.

'I'm a wizard too!　This much, you can stop it: ......!

　In order to stop the mutation that attacked his left arm, Bran gathered magic power in his right hand with a desperate look, but the magic power itself was scraped away and sucked away by the black vortex.

　It was clear that magic could no longer help.

　It's a good idea to be able to use the same kind of tools for the same purpose.

'Lies, lies, lies, lies......!　Sis, please, help me!

　The black vortex, like a hole, dragged not only his left arm, but Bran's entire body into the void.

''...... Bran .......''

　She will defeat her sister, who betrayed humanity and followed the demon race, with her own hands.
　Noir came here with that determination and resolve.

　However, I never dreamed that it would end like this.

''Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting!　How, how could this ...... be happening? ......!　Help me, please, I'm sorry!　I don't like this, I don't want to die. ......!
I'm sorry: "...... I'm sorry. ......
'No!'

　His body and legs were dragged in, and his white hair, his tear-stained face, and even the last remaining right arm disappeared into the black vortex.

　And then, as if the fact that Bran's body had disappeared without a trace was a signal, the black vortex contracted and disappeared as fast as it could be seen.

　Realizing that it was all over, Noir collapsed to his knees in the passage, covering his face with his hands and letting out a stifled voice.










　-- It was at exactly the same moment that a major change occurred in the battle between Luke and the two demon generals of the White Wolf Forest in the Entrance Hall.

　The ice norzuri, which had taken on the body of a dark elf girl, had trapped both Luke and Garnet in the ice tower, and had entered it themselves.

'Let them!'

　The cherry-red scarlet-gold sword is lit and Sakura tries to slash at the ice tower.

　However, the blade is caught by the sword of Demon General Suzuri, and with tremendous force, Sakura herself is flung away.

''Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ......!

　The Suzuri's face cannot be seen because its entire body is covered with cloth, but its physique itself is slender compared to that of the Austri of Arashi and the Norzuri in its original form.

　Nevertheless, its physical strength far surpassed Sakura's.

　Probably, it was some kind of enhanced skill at a high level.

　After all, he has a special status as a four demon general, and it seems that he has hidden abilities that cannot be measured by appearances.

It's not a problem for me to increase my firepower a little bit when it comes to the ice wall that Norzuuri has put his heart and soul into.
......!

　It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on it.

　It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to find a way to get the best out of it.

　It's not something that can be endured in the flesh.
　It's necessary to 'descend from the gods' to counter it.

''First restraint release, flaming body activation.
Sorry, Hinokagahime!

　Two scorching temperatures manifest in the entrance hall.

　On one side, a deformed figure with flames burning beneath a simple cloak.

　No face is visible behind the hood, only the intense flames flickering.
　Whether the body is covered in flames, or the flames take on the form of a human being and are contained in the cloak - it's not even clear.

　On the one hand, a flowing figure with a band of flame drifting like a feather coat.
　His long, black, lustrous hair is dyed a bright red, and his sun-like colored eyes stare coldly at the enemy before him.

　In the midst of the heat that instantly consumed every combustible object in the entrance hall, Sakura, who had succeeded in lowering the god, stood as if she didn't feel any heat at all.

'Ho.'

　Suzuri, who was transformed into a flaming body, let out an exclamation of admiration.

'Ancestor regression. And it's intentional. I see, humans are not abandoned.

　Sakura didn't reply to that, and as if there was no need to waste words, she fleshed out Suzuri with the speed of a flash of light.

　The sword flashes that cut through the air.
　With an unseen speed, they separated from each other in time, and then instantly closed in, scattering heat waves and roaring sounds as they unleashed their sword strikes.

　If they don't settle this matter as quickly as possible, they will not be able to rescue Luke and the others who are trapped in the ice tower.

　Currently, it's impossible to even get them out of the ice tower.

''(My body is lighter ...... and I'm drawing more strength than before!　(Thanks to Luke-dono for [restoring] the pattern!

　In the midst of the battle, the wall blocking the entrance hall's doorway melted away without a trace, opening the way to the outside of the castle.

　However, there was no sign of the Demon King's army soldiers coming to check on them.

　The scorching heat that filled the hall was too horrendous for any of them to even approach.

　On the other hand, the ice wall that trapped Luke and the others seemed to be able to withstand the heat wave, as it was the full force of the Demon General Norzuri - suddenly shattered into pieces.

''Nah......!
Mmm. ......?

　Not only Sakura but even Suzuri stopped fighting due to the premature collapse.

　Could it be that the Norzuri have settled the matter too soon?
　Or, on the contrary, did Luke and Garnett defeat the Norzuri and escape?

　Either way, the survivors would be burnt to death by the scorching magic if they didn't.

　--But in the wake of the ice tower's disappearance, there was only an uninhabited space.

''(I see!)　(Luke-dono [disassembled] the floor and escaped to the basement!

　Sakura, who was well aware of Luke's abilities, immediately understood the current situation.

　He immediately realized that the outside of the ice tower was filled with scorching heat and tried to avoid the damage by retreating to the basement of the entrance hall.

　It must be how Norzuri followed suit and moved underground, destroying the ice tower that was no longer needed.

'If only ...... could!

　Sakura rushed at Suzuri, who was slightly behind in her grasp of the current situation, and pushed her out of the castle with a recoil of fire spewing out of her, bringing her into a favorable brinkmanship.

　If they continued to fight in the entrance hall themselves, they would impede Luke's escape.

　Perhaps Suzuri had released her abilities with that intention, but there was no reason to go along with it.

''Ho, that's a lot of power.''
In this place, I'd rather fight without fear...

　Just as he was about to take a sufficient distance from the entrance hall and confront the castle and the middle of the walls once again, a strange change occurred in Sakura's body.

　Her vision rapidly distorted and she lost her equilibrium.

''(Hot, hot, hot, hot!　(My body, my mind, seems to be burning from the inside out: ......!)

　Somehow he managed to stop and avoid falling over, but the anomaly had been transmitted to Suzuri.

'You've drawn too much power from the human vessel. I'll let you die gracefully before the thing that must not be awakened awakens. This is mercy.
'Lame, Luna ......!　To help!　I will not be swallowed up!

　Suzuri wields a white-hot, scorching sword, and a scarlet sword covered in flames greets it.

　Evenly matched firepower clashed, and a heaven-shattering pillar of fire erupted.

　Immediately after that, Sakura felt a chill that was hard to put into words.

　The countless arms that extended from inside herself were trying to drag Shiranui Sakura's personality into the abyss - she felt like she could even see a vision of it.

''Kuhu......!''

　He jumps backwards with all his strength and releases the god's descent when he escapes from Suzuri's scorching heat zone.

　A cold sweat breaks out all at once and runs down my face.

''Haha, haha......''
'You've stopped. Going back through the human lineage is a foolish thing to do: ......
'What are you ...... saying ......?'
You don't need to know. Go to your last breath.

　At the very moment when Suzuri held her scorching blade at the ready.

　As if something flew at high speed from the direction of the city walls, it split into countless spears of magical power in the air and fell down on Suzuri's surroundings with a roar like a lightning strike.

''Muuuh!

　The Suzuri, who had broken away in the nick of time, was tracked by an ultra-fast spear with a trajectory like a lightning bolt.

　I'm not sure I'm going to be able to get away with it even though Suzuri ran up the outer wall of the castle with an inhuman gait, it finally caught up with me from behind and tore off Suzuri's left arm that had turned into flames.

''Is it ...... tide time?''

　Suzuri grabbed his left arm with his right hand and disappeared, pressing against the cut surface that spewed flames, melting into the shimmering distortion of the atmosphere.

''Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt Demon Spear...... no way!

　Sakura looked back at the two A-ranked adventurers that Luke of the White Wolf Forest had come to be friends with.

''You're in the nick of time!　Is Luke okay?
'Hmm, how can a guy who hasn't done anything yet talk like a big shot?
'Hahaha!　I'm going to do everything in my power to make it up to you!

　A strong man equipped with a mithril alloy cage - Travis of Black Sword Mountain.

　A wraith-like man carrying two magical spears - Dustin the Two Spearman.

　The fact that they were here was the best proof that the siege force was succeeding in breaking through the city walls.