“Haa... haa... As expected, I’m finally starting to feel the fatigue...”
I must have fired off dozens of Ki Blasts by now.
I might be an expert when it comes to magic, but I’m a total amateur with Ki. It required constant focus on my breathing, and the mental exhaustion was starting to pile up.
“But I’m definitely getting the hang of it...!”
Compared to when I first started, the speed at which I could circulate and refine my Ki had noticeably increased. It wasn’t just speed, either. My range and power were improving the more I used it; honestly, the sense of progression was incredibly fun. The battle with the magical beasts was perfectly balanced right now—I found myself wishing this fight would drag on just a little longer.
As that thought crossed my mind, I noticed Albert standing beside me, his breathing heavy and ragged.
“The number of magical beasts isn’t going down at all...! The Royal Guards and Sylpha are maintaining their composure, but their movements are getting sluggish. Even Lloyd is panting. At his age, using that much magic... it’s only natural he’d be exhausted. No, I don’t have the luxury of worrying about others. I’m starting to hit my own limit...! But as an older brother, I can’t show such a pathetic side. Smile, Albert! Smile! At times like this, you have to look fearless!”
Muttering something under his breath, Albert forced a sharp grin onto his face. Oh, as expected of Albert. It looked like he still had plenty of energy to spare.
“...Lloyd, can you keep going?”
“Yes! I can still go as long as you need me to!”
“Good boy. All right, this is the part where we really dig in our heels...!”
Albert swung his Magic Sword, unleashing a Blazing Fireball. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to be completely out of mana by now. Given the look on his face, he must be thrilled by how much the Magic Sword was boosting his output. Attack magic has such a straightforward metric like ‘power,’ after all, so it’s easy to stay motivated. I get it.
I couldn’t afford to lose, either. Unless some special factor—like a reinforcement arriving—disrupted the stalemate, the battle would continue, and I could spend that time practicing my Ki—
“Hwa-taaaaah!”
Just as the thought occurred to me, a small figure dived into the fray with a sharp, strange cry. It was Tao. A single, flashing flying kick sent a Bearwolf soaring all the way into the lake. Tao spun through the air and landed, striking a sharp, dramatic pose.
“I have come to lend a hand-aru!”
A roar of cheers erupted from the group.
“Tao! You’ve come! You’re a lifesaver!”
“I’m glad I made it in time-ne! I’ll kick these things to the curb in no time!”
Winking at Albert’s praise, Tao began tearing through the pack of magical beasts. Her performance was nothing short of ferocious. Agile and light on her feet, she ran across the battlefield with reckless abandon, picking off every Bearwolf that showed even the slightest opening. Since we had been focused primarily on defense, her arrival created a perfect pincer movement, and the number of magical beasts began to drop rapidly.
...I really didn’t think a reinforcement—let alone Tao—would actually show up. If I used Ki in front of her, my secret identity would be exposed, and this fight was clearly reaching its end anyway. Sigh, it’s over. Losing my motivation entirely, I went back to firing off half-hearted Fireballs.
“And this is the last oneeee!”
With Tao’s Ki Blast, the final Bearwolf was slammed into a massive tree, falling unconscious. The dozen or so Bearwolves scattered across the area were no longer capable of movement.
“Uooooooh! Victory is ours!”
The Royal Guards embraced one another, shouting in relief and joy. Hah, what a shame. I wanted to enjoy the practice a little longer.
“Phew, looks like we got them all...”
As Tao wiped the sweat from her brow and caught her breath, Albert stepped forward and offered his hand.
“Thank you, Tao. You truly helped us out.”
“Don’t mention it-ne. I’m just glad I made it in time. ...Hehehe.”
Tao took his hand. With an intensely delighted expression, she began vigorously squeezing and shaking Albert’s hand. Albert looked a little taken aback.
“B-By the way, Tao. How did you know we were being attacked?”
“Well, the shrine is up on the cliff, right? I could see Master Albert and the others being swarmed by the pack from up there.”
Tao pointed toward the top of a sheer cliff, where a stone shrine was visible. However, likely due to its age, the shrine was almost entirely in ruins. Repairing that looked like it would be a monumental task.
“...It’s quite badly crumbled. You said you were headed there for repairs, didn’t you? It seems we’ve caused you to interrupt your work. We’ll help you with the repairs later as thanks for saving our lives.”
“That would be a huge help-ne! I’ll make it up to you! If you’d like, maybe we could grab dinner sometime?”
Tao was actually inviting Albert out for a meal. Hey now, he’s a prince, you know. She’s certainly... bold.
“—Master Lloyd, do you have a moment?” Grimo spoke up in a solemn, heavy tone.
“What is it?”
“I’ve remembered something about that shrine. It’s a place where a Majin just like me was once sealed.”
“What...? But that shrine has been destroyed.”
“Yes, which means the Majin inside has already escaped. And he’s very close by...!”
As if answering Grimo’s warning, a Bearwolf’s body suddenly jerked with a loud thump. The beast stood up on its hind legs, its arms dangling limply.
“I-Is it still alive?! Everyone, get your weapons ready!”
At Albert’s command, the Royal Guards surrounded the Bearwolf. But it wasn’t just one. The fallen Bearwolves began to rise one after another. Looking closely, their bodies were shrouded in a faint, black, mist-like aura.
“Heh-heh-heh... These humans are quite capable, aren’t they?”
A hoarse, raspy voice drifted out from the Bearwolf’s mouth. Peering from within its sharp fangs was a pale face that looked like a cross between an old man and a monkey. With abnormally large eyes and a long, sharp horn protruding from its forehead, it was undeniably inhuman. The Royal Guards froze in terror at the grotesque sight.
“Wh-Who are you?!”
As Albert forced the question out, the old man’s lips curled into a sickening grin.
“I am Pazuzu. The Majin Pazuzu. Foolish humans... you have done well to torment my kin. You shall pay for that debt with your lives.”
The old man—Pazuzu—forced the Bearwolf’s jaws shut and made the creature stand tall. Its massive frame seemed to grow even larger, fueled by Pazuzu’s mana. Within the Bearwolf’s crimson eyes, the old man’s sinister gaze burned with a malevolent light.