It wasn't long before I approached her.

　There was a dense battle going on.
　Wraith-kun, who was swept away after receiving a swing down, headed to Fran-san without slashing at Astraea-san again.

　He destroyed the lump of earth that restrained her and clothed her with his own magical power as well.

''Wraith........''

　Fran-san's anxious voice.
　In order to save herself from the 'invisibility pressure', she used the magic power she had managed to regenerate while fighting. It's no wonder she's concerned.

　But Wraith-kun laughed.

''Don't worry about it. We're the strongest of them all.''

　Wraith-kun was originally companionable, but now he's not as impatient as he was during the raid battle.
　He doesn't give up on his friends and wins. His ideal.

　He said that he was closer to victory if Fran-san was able to move than if he was able to regenerate his own magic power.

''Yeah........''

　Then only make it a fact. Fran-san's determination seemed to be conveyed to us.

''Your sword handling is more refined than when I watched the video before.

'Because it can't be all fire. And that's exactly what's helping in a situation like the one we're in now.

I like the idea.

　They may be cutting at each other, but they are too fast.
　The sound of metal clashing together is barely enough to grasp that the two are cutting each other apart.

　Even while fighting, Astraea-san remains alert to her surroundings.
　I use my magical reaction to trace the movements of my companions.

　Lark is carrying Lily on his back and is making a move to join Jos-kun and Melania-san.
　There's little merit in unleashing 'invisible pressure' on the four people at a distance in this situation.

　No, you might be able to earn forty points, but as expected, it's not something to do in a situation where you're facing this many enemies.

　She is a knight.
　She is supposed to prioritize unbreakable form, proof of strength, and victory.

　You attacked me because you changed your priorities. You attacked me because you wanted to win.

　Well-- here they come!

　I'm not just blocking the path toward Béla.
　A cone of earth juts out of the ground and forces me to be skewered.

　It takes more thought and magic to form than to simply make a lump of dirt, but I still chose to do this.
　I cut off the top half with my holy sword and jump over the rest.



　Astraea-san's voice.

　The blow that Alba covered for me was a surprise, but if I sharpened my consciousness with the assumption that I was being targeted--.

''Payback.''

　Fran's fist snarled through the air as she closed in on Astraea.

'I'm sorry, but I can't take it.'

　The [Destroyer]'s fist pierced the space the enemy had been in a moment before, but the enemy's figure - was on his arm.
　Did it leap by reducing the gravity applied to itself and land on Fran-san's monstrous arm?
　She touched Fran-san's arm.

''Is it a little heavy?''

　With a gust of wind, Fran-san's arms drop down towards the ground as if they were being pressed down.
　Is he going to increase the power of the 'Invisible Pressure' that is offset by the antagonism of the magic power and put her under the influence again?

''Evil, demon.''

I'm surprised.

　Fran-san forcefully lifted her arms and Astraea-san's body was lifted into the air.
　No, it seems to have jumped by itself.
　And then Fran-san chased after it.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for when you're in the marketplace.

　That's all, but it's more than enough of a fight.
　I hear a dull sound and know that Astraea-san's arm was broken.

''A [Destroyer], brilliant.''

　The impact of the snatch causes Astraea-san's body to fall with great force. But she dexterously repelled Wraith-kun's thrusts aimed at her while adjusting her stance in the air, and threw the holy sword--throwing it at Fenix.

　Her fight, like the four who had also exited, had already ignored the normal knight combat techniques.
　By the time Fenix flicked the holy sword, she landed.

　Wraith-kun cleaves the holy sword to the side without thrusting back.
　It finally - cut through the soil.

''Ha, it's one interesting thing after another. It's like being some kind of general strategist.''

　Lace is smiling, but he looks frustrated.

　How should I describe this? A distorted, earthen pillar would be the closest description. No, it doesn't fit in a pillar.
　It's a ridiculous expression for me to think of myself - it's a tower of earth.

　She created a huge tower of earth at her feet, just before Wraith-kun's side-legs.
　It's big enough to look up at, and it's so thick that if this were a structure, it could hold a number of people.

　Dirt dust danced around it, making it somewhat difficult to see.

''But it consumes too much magic power, it's very unlikely that it's just to keep its distance from us.''

　Fenix was right.
　But as soon as the part of the tower that made contact with the ground was detached, it hit me.

It's the Holy Sword!

　The two of them instantly understood and were astonished.

　With Fenix playing it, that holy sword is now useless.
　So now they are going to use this tower as a holy sword.

　The tower floats softly. Is this due to gravity reduction?

'....A holy sword the size of a ridiculously large building? I think I'll leave this one to the older Fenix-san.

'If we don't, both Miss Fran and Reme will be killed. Shouldn't you, the leader, be the one to protect them?

　The two of them are still talking lightly to each other in this situation.
　I'm glad you two seem to be getting along so well.

'Fenix!'

　Finally, I was able to join Fenix and her friends.
　Fortunately, she's high in the sky and the dust will make it difficult for her to see us.

"Give me a hand.

Oh, what do you want me to do?

　"Give me the cape," I say.

"Give me the cape, for now.

　I explain the strategy in a whisper and immediately start moving.
　Wraith-kun has also been informed of the strategy.

'Hey Beulah-sempai, nice to meet you.

...Yes.

We can stop that stupid holy sword by freezing it together.

Yeah.

Can you keep up with me?　If you can't, I'll make it up to you.

I can do it. Now that Leme has shown his power, I must show my worthiness to exist. That I'm good enough to have joined the Fenix Party as a replacement. Besides.....

And?

　Béla says in a voice without inflection.

'I'm a little older than you, I'll support you--Lace-kun.

Ah. Great, well, I'll take care of it then--Mr. Beulah.

　Fran is at their side.
　The preparations are now complete.

　◇

　The knight must not be defeated.
　Because if the knight falls, he can't protect his people.

　Even though it is a battle with a magical body (avatar) that no one can hurt, defeat is heavy.
　The audience is also the people. How can they be reassured by watching a knight being defeated?

　It doesn't matter if they are human or sub-human.
　No matter what kind of bad person they are, the knights will take care of them.
　Even though they have to show enough strength to be reassured like that.

　--【Black Mage】Reme.

　I've never seen a [Black Mage] like that.
　It's enough to make me worried about whether I can simply call him a 【Black Mage】.

　That much magic power, I see, he must have done the same training as I did with black magic.
　His too delicate manipulation of magic power was the fruit of his efforts, and the adjustment of the magic's efficacy was something he learned with his body by repeatedly casting magic on himself.

　But he, the four great spirit contractors, and the others are all dismissed with this blow.
　It is not like being a knight, but a massive attack that can cause extensive damage to the surroundings.
　It's an attack that can never be used in the city, and its use is limited.

　They are an enemy that must go that far, they--.
　And they are not the kind of people who will give up after seeing this.

　--They are not the ones who are going to give up on this.

　Splitting the dust cloud, a flame-clad figure approaches.



　He flies straight at us.
　Discomfort.

　--what the hell, my unconscious caught what.

　Even with the gravity amplification, he doesn't stop.
　Does he still have the magic power to devote to offsetting on this?
　Maybe he's also a man of no less effort than Leme-dono--!

Not him?

　He's flying with flames, but that's just Fenix-dono flying over Leme-dono.
　Because of the many flames he wears in his body, his cloak, and the fact that I couldn't see him until he was on the verge of jumping out due to the dust cloud, I was late to notice.

　--the real Lord Fenix might be here too, and we need to be vigilant.

　But if Reme-dono is coming here directly, I would be grateful.
　He's a [Black Mage] with tremendous ability as a [Black Mage], but he can't handle direct combat without aptitude.
　He makes up for it with his ingenuity, but how far can he go in the air, and that too while flying with other people's magic?

　And his black magic.
　He no longer misjudges.
　I will meet him with maximum power.

　He creates a sword with earth magic and temporarily transfers the spirit's blessing to it.
　Please, the spirits complained, but the work is fast.
　I keep the huge clod of earth floating.

　It hurts to be hit in the left arm, but fortunately his dominant hand is on the right.
　I take his sword head on, head on.

　Then he unleashes his black magic.
　There's no time to break my resistance (resist). He will try to exploit the gap.
　Aiming at the eyes - where humans tend to unconsciously dilute their magical power deployment - the eyes.

''

　Feeling an enormous amount of magic, I prevented it from happening.
　And when I realized that even that was within his plan - the flaming holy sword was right in front of me.

　◇

　Ms. Astraea is wary of me.
　If I fail to crush her from a long distance, she will try to ensure that she defeats me at close range.

　If she read my aim and blocked it, she could swing her holy sword and that would be the end of it.
　In fact, that was what was supposed to happen.

　If it was my black magic that attacked her eyes.

　In fact, it wasn't.
　It's not...it's Beulah's magic.

　It's not just a matter of time before you're able to get your hands on a new one.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.

　Béla-san is originally skilled in manipulating magic power, and her various applications of the ice attribute are brilliant.
　Even though I asked her to manipulate magic power only, she was able to do it well.

　The [Balance of Justice] used quite a bit of magic power to offset the magic power of the [Ice Hero].
　Towards her eyes, this time, I hit her with black magic.

　To block Astraea-san's too troublesome thoughts - 'Blank'.

　The fire that sent me up into the sky is going out.
　That's enough.
　All the remaining magic is in that one sword.

"Come on, Fenix.

　The brave man, still wearing red after losing his cloak, wielded a flaming holy sword.