I can't even touch that thing.

　Mujer nodded in agreement with Sajik, who overflowed with admiration.

I'm sure you're good at close combat. I'm sure you've got a lot to offer, so why don't you join us?
Don't be foolish. Captain Letty and I are still way behind. I can't believe that Captain Letty is still behind, he'll only get in my way.

　While saying so, it's only their role to support each other whenever there's an opening, and they exchange words without averting their gaze even for a moment.
　For several minutes already, Ars and Letty have been engaged in a close battle with Rosocarg. Although it could be fatal if the opponent's attack was taken seriously, they were engaged in an offensive and defensive battle that could be safely watched.
　Leti is bare handed but has a small-scale explosion just before touching her body, and as for Ars, a magic sword was formed on the tip of the knife and cut the outer skin.
　However, the situation was such that it was recovered from the side where it was cut.

I'm sure it's a bad diet. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to use magic to that point without regard to lineage, but even the single magician captains will not be able to attack it.
I don't even want to think about how much I ate.

　Even now, Letty was about to slam her fist into the ground, but her body changed in front of her, and a spine attacked her through a gap in her outer skin. He detonated it and retreated. However, a path of icy spines ran from Rosokarg's donned foot.
　He quickly evaded it, but a sword mountain of ice grew in its wake.

　Ars felt even more uncomfortable in close proximity. Even if you have a huge amount of magic power, as long as it's magic that you use, there is a consumption of magic power. That means that magic power moves, but this Rosokalg has an error of a few tenths of a second between that magic power and the exercise of magic.
　He didn't know why, but Ars had a growing quizzical sense of uncertainty about who and what he was fighting.

'Can you go, Letty?'
Okay.

　Ars passes his magic through his AWR as Letty makes sure his hands are panned together vigorously.

(How many seconds can I hold you...)

　He held his AWR and shrank to make a fist with his right hand as if to grab it. Rosokarg's arms tightened and pulled against his body as he linked to it. It's exactly as if Ars is holding Rosokalg in his giant hands.
　The strength of Ars's hands loosened to considerable resistance, and then they were caged and antagonized.

''Mutsu Mitama's (Mutsu Mitama) Blue Flame Karma Fire, manifesting the reincarnation of the great sin and the reincarnation of karma.......!
Oh, shit!

　Sajik's liver is chilled by the chanting, but he is relieved to see that Ars's barrier has been put up in front of them.
　Linne and the others who were watching behind him also put the maximum amount of barriers on top of each other, and Ars' barrier covers them.
　Six demon fires of blue flame burn furiously around Leti's clasped hands.
　All of the rings shine - one of the hands that had been clasped together is thrust out.

''Kagutsuchi,''

　When the letters of the Lost Spell appeared on Rosokarg's chest, chirping and sparking--''

''One........''

　One of the demon fires blazed for a moment and then disappeared. Then, starting from the lost spell engraved on the chest, blue flames covered the entire body at once.

''Two........two........''

　The blue flame raises the temperature even higher. It's not a flaming, but a kinetic fire that isn't a flame, or should we call it a demon flame that only burns its target?
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. Although he staggered back as if to take his distance from the spot.
　With three eyes, the blue flame clings to his body like a snake.

'It's useless. There's no escaping this flame.''

　As the word suggests, not only is it bound by the blue flame, but this magic is like the body itself is on fire because the Lost Spell engraved on the chest is the ignition source. And this blue flame will not spontaneously extinguish before the six demon flames are used up.

''Yotsutu..........''

　A pillar of fire rose high in the sky above and turned into a storm as the air was sucked in.
　My body turned bright red.
　The arms that held her eyes down hung slackly and charred, and blue flames spewed from her eye sockets.

　Finally, Letty took a deep breath and thrust out her other hand that was standing in front of her chest as well.

''Fuu~...............mmmmph!

　A layer of fierce blue flame envelops you. The body that burns from the inside out is knee-deep as if the threads were broken. It could be said to have burned out only the demon without transferring the fire to the surroundings.
　The body, which was completely charred and burning red, was also discolored hard and black by the outside air, and both arms collapsed to pieces.
　It barely retains its original form, but I wonder if that's also because of its A-rated outer shell.

''Did we do it?!

　Sweat was dripping from Letty's face.
　That would be true too. To call the Kagutsuchi 《Kagutsuchi》 the top level is highly questionable because of its outstanding power and magic power consumption. You have to touch your opponent's outer skin directly and write a magic formula to activate it, so of course, even though it's simplified, it's still the minimum necessary to link the three letter expression coordinates and so on. However, there is no way to escape the fires that will consume you if it is accomplished.
　It's just that it's classified as the highest level in the current evaluation of magic difficulty, and is actually considered to be a higher level of magic.
　Its consumption of magic power is also incomparable to the ordinary top level.

''I don't know.......Letty should have stepped back a bit. I'll put the two of you forward instead.
It's bad, isn't it? But I don't think you can't beat them with that.
I hope so, but I can't see it from here.

　Knowing what to do after using this magic, Sajik and Mugel stepped out to the vanguard to take over.

'Good work Captain, leave the cleanup to me.

　Sajik opens his mouth, followed by Mugel, who has positioned himself to defend Letty by setting up a tonfa, and Sajik opens his mouth.

'If you're going to do that, at least say a few words.
You know that's not gonna happen to you guys, right?
'Of course!　However, at that distance, the heat alone is enough to burn you. It can't be prevented by manipulating magic alone, like the captain of the surgeon and Arus-sama.

　It would be a terrible thing to declare them immature. That's what magic manipulation is originally. Unless it's a single one, it's probably because the training priority of the magician is low.

I'm sorry to hear that. It's the first time I've used it in a while, so I misjudged it, hahahaha.

　Sajik and Mugel, who were returning fire with zit eyes, immediately gave up and pointed behind them, "Fortunately, there are no injuries, so please hurry up and rest behind me.
　Just after Letty was about to start walking while wiping sweat with her sleeve--.

''Arus-sama!　Not yet!

　A tense voice cooled the warmed air in an instant.
　Everyone's strong faces poured into the burnt Rosokarg. Letty froze, blindingly aware that she couldn't possibly be alive in that one, either.

(What's going on...)

　The reason why Ars is so skeptical is because the demon in front of him is definitely seen as having already finished its life activities. They are carbonized to the extent that their entire bodies would collapse if they were to give chase at any moment. Nevertheless, the difference is that it is still caught by Linne's detection. If they were to move even a little bit, they wouldn't miss it. That means that Linné has detected the magic power itself. There is no leak of visible magic power.
　The answer derived from that was swallowed up by the movement before it could be uttered.

　Mississippi!　Mishimish....................A strange sound comes from Rosokarg. It comes from the slightly raised abdomen, carving cracks in the charred outer skin and running in all directions like a spider's web. It's moving on the inside - part of the outer skin collapses into a ragged mess, dropping charcoal on the ground and sending soot flying.

　No one could move in that bizarre scene and could only watch what happened, but when the next piece collapsed - to the sensation of time stopping at a point of light like an eye looking into the interior from there..................... We're going to see.

"What--!　No!

　Letty unconsciously overflowed and took a step back.
　A creature-like object peeked out of a hole in her distorted and collapsed belly. A cloudy white eye wavered there, perhaps a depression like an eye socket.
　And then--.

''Wovvvu........''

　A vibrating sound that sounded more like a throat shaking than a voice trembled as it reverberated into his guts.
　Mugel's body shook as if he was about to drop his tonsure as he was shot.

''It's a joke, right? What, what was that--''
It's not good...

　Letty wet her back with cold sweat and turned around to ask Linne, the detection magician, about the rate discrimination.

''I.........no!　

　The translucent, fine skin had lost its blood without a shadow of a glance and had turned a corpse-like white. He was hyperventilating and even nauseated. His perspective doesn't seem to be fixed.
　I'm sure he could sense the difference in strength between them, the difference in magic power, because he could sense the subtleties of magic power. It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what is going on in the world.
　When you look at the reaction alone, Letty bites her navel against herself, who was relieved that she had defeated them somewhere.

''Al........Captain......'' Letty uttered with a serious look on her face. It contained the single mage's determination to die. It was an eye that was conscious of life and death.

''Ah, there's no doubt about it...SS rate decided.''

　The pressure you feel on your skin is enough to make you feel nauseated even as it leaks out of the hole. My heart boggles at the differentness of the differentness, which is different from any of the demons Ars has slaughtered so far.

The actuality of the situation is that we can't handle that thing by ourselves!
''Ta, Captain Letty is right. Rather, this is a level that one country can do something about........
'Oh come on, Mugel, what are you talking about right in front of Master Ars? It's not up to us to decide.

　Mugel's eyes widened as he was interrupted by a shaky voice.　

''This is not the time to be talking about that...''

　Even as I say it, one by one, the holes widen and three fingers come out slimy as they spread out from inside.

'Can we get away, if we're going to retreat, it's now or never... oh, if we can buy ourselves a second...'

　Mugel spits out a retreating spirit following, but he opens his mouth even more to weakly ask Ars, who shows no reaction, for instructions.

''A, Ars-sama...?''

　Mugel, who turned his face to peer at Ars, who was standing there as if he was dumbfounded, paled with a guffaw.

''--!

　A smile stuck to his face like a hunter who was simply waiting for his prey to come out with fierce eyes.


Al-kun?

　Letty also asked in a voice of doubt.
　Then, as if coming into the corner of his vision brought him back to himself, Ars's attention was turned to him.

''Yes, you guys can retreat.
""-------!"
''Master Ars, does that mean you're going to fight on your own then!
Of course. And it's not like we're going to see an SS rate anytime soon. I can't think of a more qualified person to fight at full strength.

　He nodded his head, but his eyes were shining with the innocent light of a child who had found a toy. Of course, depending on the person who looked at it, it was a face that was more frightening than anything else.

'Even though it's a mission, sometimes you have to f*ck a guy with a bone in his body or his arm gets dull, right?　And it's the first species I've ever seen, and it's probably been a parasite in a rosocarg until now. Perhaps it was waiting for a strong prey. But if we escape here, he will definitely come after us. And if that happens, it will cause more damage than we had originally planned, with that one.
Do you think you can beat Al?
I don't know. But I don't think we're going to lose.
"Hey!　But Master Ars, the strength of your opponent is also unknown...

　Mugel tried to line up reasonably, but Sajik put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head to prevent him from saying more.
　Then he stepped forward. He straightens up and opens his legs shoulder-width apart, arms crossed later. Upright in a familiar motion.
　Ars listened for a moment.

It is my pleasure to say that we are the leading wizards of Alpha, Master Ars. It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for. I am well aware of my shortcomings. But there's no way I can leave Master Ars and retreat without him.

　Even Mugel, who had been upset until then, understood. He said that trusting the captain instead of calculating his own odds of victory was the way it should be..............The very ideal scene was right in front of him.

(How could this guy beat me to it?)

　Mugel also postures up next to you and gives a supreme salute as if there are no demons.

I'm sorry that it was me who made the exit. The same is true of Sajik as well as all the members here.

　Letty, who was looking at it, whispered and chuckled, "That's what men are for.......stupid.

''I'm going to finish him off anyway, you guys, even if it's just to hit each other.
Hey!　I don't care if you're hot and bothered, but keep your hands off. I'll allow you to spare yourself the spirit and just look at it.
Huh?

　Letty tilted her head slightly as if she didn't understand correctly.
　Ars opened his mouth with a wry smile at the three of them as they lined up their pigeon-faced faces.

'You guys don't know why I've been fighting alone all this time. You'll have to watch it from above to make sure it's all right.

　Then he pointed to the deposit rising at a distance.
　That's where we'll manage to avoid any damage. The enemy will see it, but I'm confident they won't let it happen.
　I'm not going to be the only one who's been waiting for this evil predator to prey on them, so I wouldn't be distracted by anything other than the immense amount of magical power they have.

''Come on, get going. It's coming out. When we reach the top of the deposit, give me a signal, even if it's Linne-san's magic eye, and I'll put up a barrier.

　Immediately after the reluctantly approved faces retreated while being cautious--''

''Vvuuuuu........''

　His feet land on the ground with a chattering, mucus-like substance, and he emerges, crumbling his brittle shell without bothering to fight the narrow hole. His arms are outstretched, rubbing his four fingertips together as if he's checking his movements.
　Its entire body was a shiny, dark green color and it was small, a little over a meter long, but it had a tube-like tail split in two halves and a mouth that looked like it had been ripped open at the tip.
　Its face was flabby and eyeless, with a mucus-like liquid that reflected light terra firma off the surface of its face. Only a mouth that seemed to be able to open to most of the face was set, and from the head, something that looked like a deformed horn extended backwards, giving the overall appearance of a reptilian standing.
　Even Ars has never seen such a complete figure in the evolutionary form of a demon.

　And after seeing various demons, Arus had a similar impression at this time.
　Even before the demon progression, virtual creatures and fantasy creatures might have originated from demons. This has already been discussed thoroughly, but I have yet to reach a conclusion. One theory is that when a creature absorbs a human being, the information it obtains from its magical power includes memories and other information, making it very similar to that creature, while another theory is that demons may have existed in the human race for some time.
　If that was the case, then the act of predation was an acquired taste. If the cause of the predation could not be determined, it would be a maze, a meaningless argument. In the latter case, religious beliefs that claim that demons are a higher species than humans take precedence, and many scholars study the former, which is a negative view.
　This is because the endpoint of religious ideology is often recognized as terrorism, as it can be traced back to the extinction of the human race. The treaty also says that such manipulation of consciousness - sympathetic activities - is against the law.

　Therefore, due in part to the religion that has been persistent since before the turning point in human history, the people who spout delusional rumors about the descent of their gods have gone to various places to be devoured by demons.
　This is the reason why the human race is still alive today.
　That's why the only human beings who are still alive today are the ones who are not obsessed with such blind faith and have their feet on the ground. But the fact that we are still struggling to eradicate it makes it difficult to do so. It's really easy to put your faith in something. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but I didn't agree with the act of laying down your life as you pleaded.
　I don't know if I can't see God in this desperate world, but I wonder if that doesn't show disdain for those who are risking their lives on the front lines.

　Once again, even with his whole body in view, he's still just a demon, a monster, and a devil.

(Ha, how can you know where they are without eyes and noses?)

　Ars takes off his cloak and unleashes his magic. He sees the demon reacting with a jerk to the rush of magic like a stormy wave and narrows his target to himself.
　Uneven teeth trailing to the back of his mouth, his mouth parted as he laughed.
　Then it bent forward on four legs, two tails wandering through the air with a kink.
　Although it was short in stature, its physique reminded me of a fierce beast. It brings its face close to the ground, and blackened saliva pulls strings from its mouth.
　This was just as the troops were about to move in behind them.

　They ran with legs that blew off the ground and approached without even a blink of an eye. However, its target was not Ars.
　It is an instinct similar to that of a beast to chase those who try to escape.
　It takes distance from Ars and once leaps over the tree trunk to a foothold and leaps again. Of course, he didn't watch it in silence, though.

''----!

　Linne, who was probably far away from Ars who had interrupted him in the line of fire, stood in front of him.
　The person in question remained delirious, and with tears in his eyes, he asked why?　The face that said "I'm not sure what to do" stuck to me. And despite the distance, the demon that I expected to appear in front of me opened its mouth and stuck out its jaws.
　A human being would be chewed up without creating a human being in front of a vicious mouth that would make you think the lid was open.

''d*mn it!