Crack.
With a sound like something splitting, one of Ian’s pupils turned white. It looked as though he had gone blind. But his vision was intact. No—it had become even clearer.
A snake’s pupil is optimized more for judging temperature than for discerning the outlines of objects. Hot things in red, cold things in blue. After confirming its prey’s body heat, the snake swallows the living creature whole down its gullet.
Ian’s pupil was much the same.
“A place where ether is dense.”
Human vision. The gloomy backdrop of a factory. Gunnar charging in a spray of fire, and Theobaran raising a shotgun.
And between them. A single white dot was captured. A dense cluster of ether imperceptible to ordinary eyes.
More precisely, natural ether that had been forcibly condensed through Ian’s magic revealed itself in the form of a white dot. Without hesitation, Ian pulled the trigger toward it.
Bang!
With a short gunshot, the bullet struck the white point.
At that moment, the dot distorted, and the condensed ether exploded.
Boom!!
The trapped ether reversed flow and burst forth as white petals.
“Ugh?!”
“…….”
The petals latched onto the upper bodies of Gunnar and the knight, who had been rushing toward each other. They immediately began to spin fiercely, grinding away their clothes and skin.
“Fucking hell!”
“Tch.”
The two immediately responded. Flames surging from Gunnar’s entire body burned the petals away, and Theobaran stomped a true step, unleashing a burst of wind.
The scattered petals shot into the air and simultaneously melted away. Ian watched this and smiled bitterly.
*The risk wasn’t that great, and the description was short, so I hadn’t thought it would kill them in one go, but… as expected, some regrets are unavoidable.*
Click.
The revolver’s cylinder turned.
If possible, Ian would have liked to spam Recreation magic while concealed, but unlike the summoning of the Abyssal Chronicle, the stealth magic via the Contract Scroll fundamentally required continuously holding the grimoire, making it impossible to use concurrently with the Touch of Recreation. As reliable as the effect was, the drawback was equally definite.
To assassinate someone, he had to approach with a knife while covered by a veil, but in that brief fleeting instant, a portion of the veil had to be removed. Then he would definitely be caught before stabbing and get beaten in return.
They were the kind of people who could see bullets and dodge them. If possible, it was right to leave not even the slightest opening.
“Huu…!”
Ian roughly wiped away the tears caused by the magic’s side effect, stepped far back, and pulled the trigger toward the floor. With a splorch, the White Point (白點) exploded, and liquid like white paint surged up.
Extraterrestrial digestive fluid that mixes all organic matter it touches into a mess.
Theobaran and Gunnar did not know its true nature, but they at least knew not to carelessly touch something a magician had summoned.
“Hup!”
They immediately leaped onto the factory machinery.
A knight with physical abilities outstanding to the point of being bizarre. And a Viking who had strengthened his body through runes. Though the process differed, the two who had obtained the same result looked at each other momentarily.
But nothing like “joining forces to face a common enemy,” which might appear in a comic book, occurred. Gunnar sneered and pointed his flaming axe blade toward Theobaran.
“What’re you looking at, you son of a bitch.”
“…….”
Conversation did not continue. Theobaran shattered a machine as he leaped, flying straight toward Gunnar. Launched like a cannonball, he swung his blood-soaked sword.
Bloody Sword.
The name of the cherished weapon (愛兵) Theobaran had given it himself.
It was a somewhat fantastical name, but the effect was quite plain.
A weapon that contained the knight’s blood inside the blade, allowing the sword to endure the knight’s strength and speed.
Naturally, it was impossible to do things like firing off crimson sword qi or drawing out a blade aura.
Instead, red steam generated by the blood inside the blade rapidly evaporating spewed from below the sword, creating an oppressive sense of pressure.
Chiiiik!!
The high-temperature smoke scorched Gunnar’s skin. But Gunnar ignored it and swung his axe to deflect the knight’s attack.
Kraang!
A sharp metallic sound rang out. At close range where their weapons met, the two quickly exchanged blows.
Theobaran’s twisted sword tip pierced Gunnar’s shoulder. Gunnar took a shallow cut and swung his fist, slamming Theobaran’s side.
Kang!
The knight, having raised his leg to defend against the attack, twisted and pulled out the blade lodged in Gunnar’s shoulder.
Blood spurted. It stained and ran down his helm.
“……!”
The knight’s eyes flashed. He laid the blade flat and swung precisely at Gunnar’s nape.
A sword strike at close range. Normally it was unavoidable that weight and power wouldn’t properly transfer, but a fearsome amount of power writhed within the longsword. The vibrating blade enhanced its cutting force.
It was already too late to dodge. Judging so, Gunnar opened his mouth wide and bit down hard on the middle of the blade.
Craang!
The energy of the blade, stopped mid-air, spread through Gunnar’s teeth to his entire body. Teeth dug into gums. The trembling blade entered slightly deeper, piercing both corners of his mouth.
That was all. His life was not in danger.
“Bwa…!”
Gunnar grinned and carved a rune in the air. The knight, recognizing the magic, pulled out a shotgun with one hand and pulled the trigger.
“Kuh!”
The knight was faster. The lead shot lodged in Gunnar’s abdomen, creating a huge hole.
It was an injury that would have killed an ordinary person on the spot. But the rune magic that had been activated once was still circulating inside his body. Having recovered from the wound, he grabbed the rune character carved in the air and slammed it into the knight’s chest.
“Kuaaaack!!”
ᚦ
Booooom!!!
A massive explosion burst from the engraved rune character. Gunnar smiled widely and was pushed back, while Theobaran stood firm in that spot and wiped away the blood flowing between his helm.
“Not bad….”
Chiiiik!
The flowing blood seeped into the sword, creating blood-colored steam.
At that moment, a silver kitchen knife flew precisely aimed at Theobaran’s thigh. He lightly dodged the knife and charged in the direction the attack had come from.
“He dodged that?”
Behind the remaining machinery. Ian, who had been hiding, let out a hollow laugh and brought his axe down on the machine’s battery.
Crunch!
A white bolt of lightning surged from inside the battery. Backflowing ether burned the knight’s gauntlet completely.
A forearm was revealed. A forearm full of all kinds of scars ignored the electrical current and grasped Ian’s face.
“Confess. Apostle of the Outer God. You have a chance.”
Bam!
The knight who had slammed Ian to the ground crushed his face with an elbow.
At the same time, Ian’s body disappeared like a mirage. Instead, a piece of blue cloth fluttered down and tickled the knight’s helm.
“……!”
A magic corresponding to a clone, or perhaps a mirage.
He realized it, but it was already too late. Ian, who had summoned chains faster than the knight could flee, bound the bastard’s limbs.
Having somehow climbed to the second floor of the factory, he looked down at Theobaran and switched grimoires. He reached toward a pre-prepared magic circle and uttered the incantation exactly as written.
“O you who love. O you who are loved. I wish for our peace, so let our child be full forevermore.”
Gurgle…!
Black seawater poured down along the chains. The plankton contained in the seawater opened and closed their maws with clacking sounds. Part of the seawater flowing down while gnawing on the chain touched the horn attached to the helm.
Crunch!
The horn was instantly devoured by the plankton and disappeared.
It was clear that if left alone, his head would disappear too, so the knight gritted his teeth and pulled his body back.
Just as the chain was pulled taut, he launched his body forward with all his might and rotated around his waist.
Whoosh!
A rotation based on overwhelming physical ability. The chain, partly gnawed and weakened by the plankton, snapped midway.
A chain that would never break by physical means. But due to the reaction between an outer god and an outer god’s magic meeting, its sturdiness had long since vanished.
Nevertheless, it was still quite tough, so Theobaran’s limbs were also tattered. The recoil of the chains loosening tore all his skin, and crushed gauntlets and boots pierced his flesh.
But Theobaran showed not a hint of pain, swung his sword to blow away the seawater, then threw off the chains and kicked off the wall to soar up.
Thud!
Having come up to the second floor, he slashed downward with his sword without a word. The neatly sliced second-floor walkway tilted, dropping the two to the first floor.
“Confess.”
“You talk too much.”
Just before hitting the ground. Ian stowed his axe, and while holding the revolver in his hand, brought out the Touch of Recreation.
“Be born anew.”
Creak!
The ordinary revolver’s barrel stretched long. The barrel, lengthened to nearly three meters, reached right in front of Theobaran’s forehead.
“……!”
A nonsensical transformation.
A sight that could never function properly if approached physically, but the opponent was a magician. There was little point in thinking about it scientifically.
Bang!
At the same time Ian pulled the trigger, Theobaran twisted his head. With a whizzing sound, the bullet grazed past his helm and lodged in the machinery.
“Hup!”
Though the attack had come to naught, Ian paid it no heed and swung the revolver widely. The lengthened barrel struck Theobaran’s head like a spear.
It couldn’t deliver a great blow. Theobaran immediately flashed his eyes and stepped toward Ian with a true step. And then, Gunnar, who had been sent flying, threw machinery and charged.
“Let me in, you bastards!!!”
The guy whose mental state had changed to that of a typical Viking due to continuous rune magic let out a mad howl and charged.
Simultaneous attacks by those with physical abilities nearly superhuman. Ian clicked his tongue and pulled out the Abyssal Chronicle.
*I have no choice but to use it. Creature of the outer sea.*
The moment he thought so and grabbed the hem of his coat.
“O-Oppa!”
“……!”
Amelia, who had been hiding, revealed herself behind Ian. At the unexpected situation, Ian’s head whipped around, and she stepped in front of Ian, gripping her grimoire tightly.
“Library of Knowledge…! Please use a proper spell…!”
Kiiing.
As if responding to Amelia’s will, the black notebook-shaped grimoire shone and sent a message into her head.
[Detected an attack the current owner cannot handle.]
[Therefore this grimoire, the Library of Knowledge, uses spontaneous magic.]
[All costs will surely be collected.]
Gurgle…!
A sphere fell from the grimoire with a plop.
A silver sphere. It immediately spun and scattered magnetic force in all directions.
North and south poles.
The magnetism arbitrarily assigned by the sphere attracted and repelled, smashing the factory apart. Walls moved apart. Drew close. Crashed and broke.
Machines pushed against each other, were crushed, and sprayed oil in all directions. It met sparks and formed flames. Those flames too were drawn by magnetism and swirled in the air.
“……Ah.”
A scene of destruction.
Amelia stared at the scene she had created with a blank expression. Ian scratched his cheek with a troubled look next to her.
“This is magnetism magic. The price seems like it’ll be pretty steep….”
“…….”
“Well, whatever. Thanks for helping, Amelia. You saved my life.”
Ian grinned and ruffled Amelia’s hair wildly. Amelia finally came to her senses and flailed her hands incoherently.
“Ah, aah! I-I’m sorry! Suddenly intruding… y-you told me to hide….”
“It’s fine. You did it to protect me. You’ve got the best nerve there is, my disciple.”
“Ah….”
“Wait here a moment. I’ll finish this quickly.”
Ian lightly patted the top of her head, loosened his stiff wrist, and walked toward the magnetic field. The silver sphere that had been floating in the air settled gently into his palm.
“…….”
For a radius of one meter around the sphere, flying debris, fire, oil, and chunks of iron did not dare intrude. Instead, they gently traced circles as they spun, then flew far away.
“……The effect is more than a little good.”
Magnetic imbuement magic required an enormous amount of materials, and the magic circle was quite intricate as well. On top of that, since it took four days to prepare, it was impossible to cast instantly like this.
Simply put, it was magic for establishing a fortified position, not magic one could take into battle.
But the Archive of Knowledge was a grimoire capable of ignoring every process of magic and drawing out only the result. It could casually chew up and spit out a spell’s weaknesses.
Of course, since the price was paid afterward, Amelia would have to suffer a little…… but even taking that into account, the magic’s effect was tremendous. Wearing a bitter smile, Ian stared at Gunnar and Theobaran, who were stuck fast to each other.
“Grrraaaaah……!”
“Get off me, runic mage. It is difficult to move.”
“You get off, damn it……!”
The two of them floated through the air, spread-eagled and stuck together.
The skin of their backs, pressed tightly together, showed not the slightest sign of coming apart, and the strongly magnetic substances flying through the air continued to surge toward them. However, their bodies themselves were tough, so most lumps of metal could not pierce their flesh. At most, they merely dug into parts of their skin.
Well, that alone was enough to cause pain. Ian held the sphere in his hand and, watching the two of them rotate, took out a cigarette and put it between his lips. Then he wore a wistful expression.
“This is the complete golden rotational energy…… Thank you…… Amelia.”
Hiss.
Smoke rose from the lit end of the cigarette. Ian stood there for a moment, drawing in the smoke, then exhaled as he drew a magic circle and placed a blue cloth over it.
“One trapped beneath the veil of the Milky Way. One who has imprisoned yourself. Hermit. Binder. Bearer of the scales. And my companion. I seek to borrow your chains, so let my enemy be unable to raise his head before me.”
Clatter, clatter, clatter.
The moment the incantation ended, bundles of blue chains surged madly from within the magic circle. They immediately wrapped around Gunnar and Theobaran’s bodies and slammed them into the ground.
Slither.
The chains temporarily plundered the two men’s physical abilities, talents, magic, and stamina, then placed them into a lock that floated in the air.
“……!”
“……Kugh.”
In an instant, the two had returned to ordinary men, groaning without even being able to lift their heads.
As the situation came to an end, the magnetic magic was dispelled as well. Heavy debris crashed down all around with thudding booms, and Ian sat in front of the two of them and blew out a long breath of cigarette smoke.
“Now then. Shall we have what civilized people call a conversation?”
“……Fuuuck.”
“……I will explain.”
Gunnar’s eyes trembled as he spat out a curse, and Theobaran mumbled from within his helmet.