That's rough. That's not what I heard.

　When the voice reached Mizuki's ears, she stopped her attack.
　The voice sounded somewhat neutral.
　The owner of the voice was on the roof of the mansion, and Mizuki was literally being looked down upon.

　She had orange hair and was dressed like an idol.
　The outfit seemed to show off her cuteness to the fullest.

The witch Mizuki is definitely related to the Great Demon Lord Aria, isn't she?
What's wrong with that?
Good. I hate doing things twice.

　When the enemy confirmed that it was Mizuki in front of him, he looked relieved.
　As Aria had said, the enemy wanted her.

　From the way she said it, it seems that the problem is that she is related to Aria.
　When she still didn't have enough information, Mizuki posed a question to her.

Who are you?　What do you want from me?
"I'm Lussier. I'm an officer of the Southern Demon King's Army. It's hard to say what you want, but ...... you were in the way, so I came to clean up first.
"Come to clean up?
Yeah. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.

　Lussier spits out his information in detail, without hiding anything in particular.
　Maybe it's because he's confident that he can kill Mizuki.
　Anyway, he understood perfectly that he was being licked.

The Demon Lord of the South is going to attack the Demon Lord Aria, right?
That's right.
I think it's a bit excessive for the Demon Lord to start targeting the surrounding areas.
Watch your mouth. Galeus-sama is looking for a sure victory. Incidentally, he's also attacking beings other than you.

　When Mizuki mocked the southern demon lord, Lussier changed his flippant attitude and glared at Mizuki.
　The expression on his face clearly showed that he was unhappy.
　And there is one piece of information that concerns me even more.

　She is attacking beings other than Mizuki.
　The beings other than Mizuki that Lussier is referring to are probably those related to the Demon Lord Aria.
　The Demon Lord's army in the south is planning to eliminate all of them.
　This alone shows their determination to defeat Aria.

　...... At the same time, the cunning of the Southern Demon Lord Galeus is also evident.

I've only heard such aggressive rumors about the Demon Lord of the South. I've heard that he's been messing with the Demon Lord of the West as well.
...... Well, you know him well. He was quite a tough opponent, but he was no match for Galeus-sama. He got away in the end.
"Hmm. Don't compare Demon Lord Aria with other Demon Lords.
...... Hmm. You trust her a lot, don't you? I've been ordered to try and recruit her because there's a chance she might turn, but do I really need to ask?

　Lussier shrugged his shoulders.
　From the way she said it, she wasn't trying to kill Mizuki from the start.
　It seems that he was thinking of extracting Mizuki from the southern army of the Demon King.

"Well, there's no need to ask. The Demon Lord Aria is stronger than you. Of course, there are other reasons as well.
"Other reasons?　Other than obeying the stronger?
Because I don't think I can get along with you.
"...... I see. Okay, that's enough.

　Lussier's face tightened a little.
　I'm not sure what to say, but I'll try.

　Mizuki, on the other hand, seemed refreshed to have said what she wanted to say.
　If it had been the Mizuki of before she met Aria, she would have accepted this invitation immediately.

　However.

But now that he knew Aria, he could never betray her.
　Even if Lussier had killed me here, I would have sworn allegiance to Aria.
　As long as he remained loyal, he could return to Aria again and again.

I will never forgive you even if you get down on your knees afterwards.
You'll never forgive me if I get down on my knees later, either.
Hmph!

　Lussier held out his hand to Mizuki from the roof.
　At that moment, the ground began to shake unsteadily.

　It was as if the earth was terrified.
　A strength that could rival Aria's.
　This is the first time I've ever experienced such killing intent.

"Oh no!

　The ground cracks, and Mizuki quickly creates a magic circle.
　It is a form of magic circle that holds you down and covers you up.
　You can't destroy the front of your house too much.



　Besides, a certain amount of magic could be absorbed by this magic circle.
　Then I could use that magic as my own.

That's not fair.
"What?

　The magic circle that Mizuki had created.
　The magic circle Mizuki created.

　I have a bad feeling about this.
　And the sweat running down Mizuki's cheeks.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.

　...... Then the magic circle cracked with a snap.

I'm not sure what to say.

　It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your time.
　If he had jumped too late, the victory or defeat would have been decided at that point.

　How could she suddenly attack with her full magical power?
　Is he trying to end the game early?
　Or is he very confident in his stamina?

　With Lussier's character, the latter is not surprising at all.
　In fact, he may be overconfident in his own abilities and try to use reckless tactics.
　Anyway, this one spell has given me a rough idea of Lussier's strength.

　He's probably about the same as you, or maybe a little better.

You did well to avoid it. I mean, you could fly.
I've been studying magic for as long as I can remember. I can't fly that long.
If I could learn that magic, I'd be able to fly many times longer than you.
I envy your good taste. It sounds boring.
...... Well, I'm not going to learn that kind of magic just for fun.

　I'm not going to learn that kind of playful magic. Mizuki decides that it's not a good idea to put her feet on the ground, so she stays in the air until Lussier finishes his attack.
　Flying magic consumes an inordinate amount of magic power, but it's the only way to protect yourself.

　Then...
　Lussier didn't seem to have the luxury of releasing meaningless magic all the time, and he stopped attacking surprisingly easily.
　Mizuki is good at defensive magic, not offensive magic.

　If it is defensive magic, she has learned various kinds of magic.
　She can use the most appropriate defensive spell depending on Lussier's attack.
　Although the difficulty of using different types of magic was quite high, he was confident in his judgment due to his experience in life.

　On the other hand, Lussier's forte is offensive magic.
　The way she was acting, she could assume that she had learned a lot of offensive magic other than 《Disintegrated Earth》.
　Therefore, it is impossible to predict what kind of attack he will make.

　If Mizuki does not make an instantaneous decision on the spot, she will be overcome by Lussier's powerful magic.

I don't know. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what you need to do. It was foolish of me to confront him.
"...... They all have stronger magic than me, a witch. It's disgusting.
Hahahaha. It's wrong to try to beat Master Galeus in any way.

　He sneered at Mizuki.
　And to worship his master.

　Lussier put on his best face.
　It didn't feel good to be so easily overtaken, even though he had been studying magic since birth.

"End of story. Burn to the ground!　Purgatory Flame!
《Water Flow Wall》

　In response to Lussier's fire, Mizuki immediately surrounded herself with water.
　As the name suggests, the flames were intense, but they couldn't penetrate this wall.
　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.

"Then this way!　《Shiro Lightning Blitz》!

　I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not.
　She chose a blitz spell aimed at Mizuki with pinpoint accuracy, using her index finger.

　You can't block it even with a wall of water, and it's hard to avoid because it's so quick.
　If she flies through the air as she did before, Lussier's victory will be decided at that moment.

"Lightning Avoidance Magic".

　In such a situation, Mizuki threw the ball of magic power as far as she could.
　Then...
　I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it.

　I never thought I'd remember this kind of magic.
　It was a spell that Lussier had never even heard of.
　I'm not sure what to make of that.

　...... But that's just knowledge.

I see. I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.
"Thank you for the compliment.
I didn't mean it as a compliment.
No, it's a compliment. It's a compliment.
"....... I'm done. I'll finish.



　Mizuki jumped up and jumped on top of the house.
　She knew that if she attacked with ordinary magic, Mizuki would easily be able to deal with her.

　Then all you have to do is attack in a way that even Mizuki can't handle.
　What is required here is overwhelming offensive power.
　If the power is so strong that it can destroy any small technique, Mizuki will have no choice but to respond with her own magic power.

　This is the same form of magic that Lussier is most confident in.

I've got a pretty good idea of what you're up to. And your weakness.
Weaknesses?
"Yes. You can't deal with this kind of magic, can you?

　With that, Lussier created a ball that contained an order of magnitude more magic power than before.
　He no longer seems to be conserving his magic power.

　It seemed as if Lussier had put all the magic he had inside him.
　Is this what Lussier has come up with to counter Mizuki?
　It's a shame, but that reading was spot on.

The "Dark Hell Ball"!

　The bullet filled with magic power is slowly but surely coming towards Mizuki.
　It's probably impossible to escape.

　It will probably pursue Mizuki permanently even if she hides.
　And it would be difficult to counteract it with magic compatibility as it has in the past.
　Water magic is a good way to deal with fire magic, but this "Dark Hell Ball" was well suited for that.

(Oh no, if we don't do something about this, ......)

　This ball is a mixture of various attributes that Lussier can use.
　Fire, water, lightning, ice, and so on.
　Even if you cast a defensive spell that works well with any of them, only one of them will protect you.
　In other words.

　The only way to deal with this is to cast an attack spell of equal power - and win the contest.
　If you can win the competition, you should be able to scratch off the "Dark Hell Ball".
　But if you can't, you don't even want to think about .......

"d*mn it!　Flashmagic Cannon!

　This is the most powerful spell that Mizuki can remember.
　It's the most powerful spell Mizuki can remember, and it's been hundreds of years since she's used it again.
　Catch the wand that flew from inside the house and thrust it into the ground as hard as you can.

　Then the wand took root in the ground and turned into a turret.
　And all the magic power pools in the embedded jewel.
　Now the preparations are complete - I have literally transferred all my magic into this staff.

　Now I can barely stand still.
　All that remains is to fire at Lussier.

　Mizuki gives it one last shot.

"Ignition!

　At the same time as that call.
　At the same time, the 《Sparkling Magic Cannon》 was unleashed at full power.

　The most firepower he could muster right now.
　It would collide head-on with the 《Dark Hell Ball》.

"Good ......!
"...... is good!

　Trembling air.
　The earth shaking.
　Light so bright you can't keep your eyes open.

　I'm not sure what to make of this.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

But it's no use.

　Lussier's relaxed smile.
　But it's no use." Lussier's smile was a stark contrast to Mizuki's expression.

　Why does he have this attitude?
　The current situation in front of us tells us why.

"Lies ......

　The "Flash Magic Cannon" that Mizuki unleashed at full power was being absorbed by Lussier's "Dark Hell Ball".
　I'm not sure what to do.
　Once it started to be absorbed, there was no chance of a comeback.

　I hadn't imagined that the gap had gotten this big.
　The "Dark Hell Ball" was growing larger and larger in front of my eyes.

Too bad. I should have turned to this side as soon as possible.
"......

　Mizuki has nothing to say to Lussier's words.
　This is not because she regrets it, but because she is thinking about her future.
　Mizuki's defeat has already been confirmed.

　The question is, can she really be brought back to life by Licht?
　Should he leave a message for Aria?
　Aria must be aware of the fact that Mizuki is being attacked, since she took the trouble to write to him.
　As long as she hasn't forgotten, she should be able to survive.

　Then there's nothing to worry about anymore.
　I just don't want it to hurt.
　Oh my god.
　That's what I was thinking.

"What?

　Lussier was the one who collapsed.
　She was spitting blood from her mouth and holding her chest, which was stained red.


　It seems that even Lussier himself doesn't know what happened.

　Of course, Mizuki didn't know what had happened either.
　Anyway, all that remained was the fact that something had pierced Lussier.

What ...... this?

　Blood poured out.
　Lussier's breathing became labored.

　It's the most fatal wound of all.
　Where the hell had he been attacked from?

　There was no one around here.
　It was too early for Mizuki's friends to arrive.

"What?

　The second shot.
　The mysterious attack hits the confused Lussier again.
　This finally confirmed it for Mizuki.

　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's worth it.
　And it was from a very long distance.
　The more powerful the magic, the more difficult it is to hit.

　If the spell was to be fatal to Lussier, it would require the control of a rampaging horse.
　In addition to that, this long distance.
　...... In a word, it's monstrous.

Oh, no. ......

　The third shot.
　Finally - as if to show you, the "Dark Hell Ball" was erased.
　In the end, the ball was blasted out of the air, and Lussier's face was contorted in despair and pain.

　Even Mizuki felt a moment of pity for him.
　Lussier probably doesn't have long to live.
　He must have used up all his magic.

　Mizuki uses the little magic she has just recovered to cast a "sleep" spell on Lussier, who is just waiting to die.
　And then...
　Lussier falls into a sleep from which he will never awaken again.

"............ is...

　A sigh of relief.
　Mizuki kneels on the ground, leaning on her staff.
　She feels a fatigue she hasn't felt in a hundred years.

　I don't want to do anything anymore.
　She felt both hatred for her bad luck and relief that she had won.
　Both of them were in my mind.

"...... Whose magic was that?

　I'm not sure.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.
　There was a beautiful hole in the corpse.

　It was a precise and precise shot to the right spot, which alone shows that he is a merciless character.
　At this stage, all I can tell is that this person is not an ordinary person.
　There are only a few people who can do something like this at this time... but...

Ah.

　And then...
　A spirit of death appears in front of Mizuki.

I'm not sure if this is ...... Dorothy's dead spirit?

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.
　They may have heard her, but they have no way to answer.

　Sensing this, Mizuki did not ask any more questions.
　The spirit of death, on the other hand, dropped something it was holding in front of Mizuki, as if it were a machine with a fixed task.

　There was no emotion in his actions.
　Then, after completing its role, the spirit gradually became transparent and disappeared .......

　Mizuki watched the scene in a daze, but after a few seconds, she came to her senses and picked up what the spirit had dropped.
　I'm not sure what to do.

"What?　This is .......

　It was a potion for restoring magic power.
　But it's not just any potion.
　The reason why Mizuki reacted with surprise for the first time in a long time was because of the value of the potion.

　Just one of these potions was enough to restore all of Mizuki's magic power.
　Normal potions can only restore a certain amount of magic.
　This potion, however, was able to recover the maximum amount of magic within its own vessel.

　If you were to obtain this potion in the human world, you wouldn't be able to get it unless you sold the entire country.
　It was insane that something so valuable could be delivered like this.
　I didn't think it was possible, but it looks like Mizuki's prediction was correct.

I'm no match for .......

　The prediction turned into certainty.
　I'm not sure what to do.
　And the person who had buried Lussier with powerful magic.

　That was his master, the Great Demon Lord Aria.