263: Growth

A small boy stood before Shari and me.

He looked young, but his mana was terrifying—abnormally high. Every instinct I had was screaming. My brain fired off emergency signals at max volume, warning me that if I took my eyes off him for even a fraction of a second, it would be over. That was the only reason I hadn't moved yet.

From the front entrance, I could hear the distant, blood-curdling screeches of monsters.

"—Magic Shield."

Suddenly, the boy slammed his hand onto the ground. A barrier erupted instantly, enclosing Shari and me within its shimmering walls.

In that moment, a memory flashed through my mind. It was just like that time when Weiss had stepped forward to protect Sophia and me.

I glanced to my side and saw Shari looking visibly anxious.

"It’s okay," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "Actually, this is a good thing. We’ll just settle this right here inside the barrier."

"—You’re right. Thank you, Allen."

I let my mana surge, manifesting the Invisible Hand.

A heartbeat later, I charged.

I already knew the secret to this barrier, thanks to the explanation I’d received from Cecil. For the Demon Race and other Demon World Inhabitants, the space inside a barrier acted as an "inner world." Much like in the Demon World itself, mana became significantly easier for them to manipulate than usual.

Cecil had also mentioned that because they generally operated in small numbers, they used barrier magic as a matter of course to bridge the gap in manpower.

"Ha! You’re so naive it’s painful. This is why I hate humans! Eat this!"

The boy aimed for a counter, unleashing a Mana Cannon. The sheer force of it was staggering.

But still... he’s nothing compared to Carta!

"—Humans are capable of growth, you know!"

I used the Invisible Hand to swerve around and block the magic. This was the power I’d finally managed to Copy, a feat I'd only achieved after vomiting enough blood to fill a bucket. I couldn't afford to lose—not after Senior Eva had stayed by my side to look after me through all that training!

"—Ugh!"

I followed through with a single, decisive strike. As my blade connected, I saw mana begin to leak from the boy’s body. It was exactly as Cecil had predicted.

In that same instant, Binding Threads made of mana erupted from the ground, ensnaring the boy. I looked back and saw Shari; she had managed to set a trap from a distance while I distracted him.

We’re getting stronger. We really are.

"...My name is Kuro," the boy spat, glaring at us. "That is the name you humans shall hear as you draw your final breaths—"

"I'm Allen."

"And I'm Shari."

"...Hmph."

"And those," I countered, meeting his gaze, "are the names you will hear for the last time."

Weiss had been worried about us, but when it comes to protecting what matters, I won't show mercy to anyone—no matter who they are.

If he even thinks about using Forced Teleportation, I’ll cut him down with Time Lapse before he can blink.