"Haaaaah!"
Jiriel swung his blade of light upward, slashing at me with a desperate cry.
"Heh! Look at those moves! A fly could dodge that! Right, Master Lloyd?"
Grimo was right; he was slow. Slow enough that I could have won easily with my base physical abilities alone.
I drew the Sword of Magic Absorption from my waist. This magic sword was capable of absorbing, storing, and even analyzing any kind of magic. If Jiriel’s sword of light was a form of magic, then parrying it with this blade should allow me to analyze its spell formula.
As I caught the strike, a sharp, metallic ring echoed out, and sparks showered the air.
"Hell yeah! Now we’ve got the sword of light’s spell formula, too!"
That was the plan, at least—but something felt off. No matter how long I held the contact, there was no sign of the sword being absorbed.
"...I see. Once the sword is materialized, it counts as a physical object. The Sword of Magic Absorption can't absorb it in this state."
"What are you mumbling about?! Haaah!"
I parried the incoming slashes and took a long leap backward. The Sword of Magic Absorption was a precious weapon; I couldn't risk breaking it in a meaningless bout of swordplay.
I decided to put it away for now, sliding the Sword of Magic Absorption back into its scabbard.
"What? Is that all?" Jiriel panted.
"Not at all. We’re just getting started."
If I could create a sword of light like that myself, it would be incredibly convenient. It wasn't expensive like a magic sword, and if I could manifest it at will, it would have all sorts of applications. Since my opponent seemed so eager, I decided to take this opportunity to conduct a few tests.
"Oh, that's right. Grimo, you mentioned that angels don't have physical bodies. Between you and Jiriel, who’s tougher?"
"Hmm... we’re likely evenly matched. No, I’m probably a bit more durable, I’d say. ...Probably."
I see. They were roughly equal. In that case, hitting him with a little magic probably wouldn't kill him.
"It's my turn now. Blazing Fireball."
I activated the Fire System High Magic, Blazing Fireball. I launched the roaring sphere of flame directly at Jiriel.
"Guh?! Fire magic?! Uooooh!"
The massive fireball hurtled toward him, but Jiriel caught it with his sword of light and somehow managed to dissipate the heat.
Hmm. The light seemed to have dimmed slightly, but it appeared his sword of light could withstand High Magic without much trouble.
"Huff... huff... That was quite the spell. You certainly have the skill required to set foot in the Celestial Realm. However, my Radiant Armament will not break from something of that level!"
"I'm glad to hear it. Then next... Scorching Flame Fang."
This time, I activated the Fire System Supreme Magic, Scorching Flame Fang. I used a spell formula to condense the resulting massive torrent of fire, shaping it so it would be easier to block with a sword, and launched it at him.
"Nguuh?! Th-this power! It’s on a completely different level than—Guaaaah!?"
Jiriel tried to catch it with his sword of light, but he was blown away, unable to withstand the sheer pressure and velocity. The sword of light snapped and shattered into shimmering fragments.
Ah. It was more fragile than I thought. It couldn't withstand Supreme Magic... I noted the limitation.
"Guh... y-you're good... But as an Apostle of God, I cannot falter here! It matters not how many times my Radiant Armament breaks!"
I was fairly certain he'd just claimed it wouldn't break earlier... Regardless, Jiriel began to chant, and the sword of light I had just shattered began to reform.
Since it was regenerating rather than being replaced by a new one, perhaps he could only manifest one blade at a time? However, the fact that he could restore it endlessly meant it could be treated as a disposable weapon. A weapon he could exhaust and replace without hesitation. I liked the sound of that.
"...Why are you wearing such a delighted expression, boy?"
"Because this is fun. Come on, Jiriel, show me more of your Holy Magic."
I hadn't fully grasped the properties of the light sword yet. I wanted to see how a shield or armor would perform, and I was curious if he could create other types of armaments. Once I saw those, I wanted to witness his other Holy Magic spells.
I was genuinely looking forward to it. I was so excited that I couldn't help the slight smirk pulling at the corners of my mouth.
"Y-You demon child...!"
He was calling me something rather harsh, but I didn't mind.
"Now, shall we continue?"
I muttered the words and resumed the battle with Jiriel.
"Wheeze... wheeze... Wh-what is that magic..."
After we had fought for a while, Jiriel fell to his knees, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Oh? Are you done already? Let's keep going."
"I-I’m at my limit... Do with me as you wish. Boil me, bake me, I care not..."
Was he really finished? I hadn't even broken the equipment generated by his Radiant Armament ten times yet. His magic density didn't seem particularly high, and the consumption appeared low from my perspective. Did angels simply have very little mana?
"Master Lloyd, creatures like us who lack physical forms get weaker whenever we expend mana. That’s why we Majin gather mana from our surroundings to make magic easier to use, but angels must be terrible at that."
"I see. Now that you mention it, Radiant Armament isn't the type of magic that continuously drains mana."
Materializing the weapon was a one-time cost. Even his healing involved scattering light particles that possessed restorative properties. Though the applications were different, both fell into the category of magic with relatively low mana consumption.
"Anyway, Jiriel, aren't you becoming transparent?"
The collapsed angel’s body was gradually fading from view.
"...I told you I was at my limit. It seems I have exhausted my mana. However, I fought with everything I had. I have no regrets. Step over my corpse and go..."
"Wait, are you going to die?"
That would be a problem. I had only seen a fraction of what Holy Magic could do. It wasn't nearly enough.
"I know. If I give him mana..."
I rushed over to Jiriel, held out my hand, and began pouring mana into him. Almost instantly, Jiriel’s fading body returned to its solid state.
"W-Why are you saving me...?"
"Why? It's only natural to help someone who’s about to die."
Besides, if Jiriel died, I’d never learn Holy Magic.
"It's only natural to help those about to die, is it? ...Heh. And to think I was trying to kill you."
A smile played across Jiriel's lips as he heard my answer. I wondered what he found so amusing.
"...It is my defeat. Lloyd, was it? I shall grant you Holy Magic."
"Really!?"
"Yes. However, to do so, we must enter into a contract. Hold out your hand."
I did as I was told, and a smirk crept onto Jiriel's face.
"Heh heh heh... This boy, Lloyd... He possesses mana so high it’s unthinkable for a human, the title of a prince, and the appearance of an innocent child. This is the perfect chance for me to descend to the surface. As an angel, I cannot leave the Celestial Realm, but if I use this 'contract' as a pretext to possess Lloyd’s body, I can operate in the human world! Plus, he's already possessed by a Majin! If anything happens, I can just blame the demon. There couldn't be a more convenient vessel! I was bored to tears with life in the Celestial Realm anyway. Once I’m on the surface, I can meet Isha-tan, Saria-tan, and all my other faves! He-he-he... until now, I could only watch from a distance, but soon I’ll be close enough to feel their breath... and if I’m lucky, I might even get an autograph..."
Jiriel was muttering something under his breath as he placed his hand over mine. It was a bit creepy, but if this was what it took to learn Holy Magic, I had to see it through. The moment our hands touched, a dazzling light flooded the area.
"Uoooooooooh! My time has finally come—!"
Along with Jiriel's shout, I felt something enter my body. And then—
When I opened my eyes, a mouth had appeared on my left palm. It had exceptionally straight, brilliantly white teeth. It seemed the contract had been completed successfully.
"Wait, WHAT IS THIIIIIIIIIIIS!?"
And yet, for some reason, it was Jiriel who let out a scream of horror.
"What's wrong, Jiriel? The contract was successful, wasn't it?"
"Impossible... I should have possessed him! Why then am I stuck in his left hand!?"
He seemed to be ignoring me, continuing to mutter to himself in shock.
"Gyahaha! Hey, you shitty angel, looks like your little plan backfired! As you can see, this guy’s magic density is on a whole different level! For a weakling like you, a single patch of skin on his palm is the best you can manage!"
"...I see. I wondered why a Majin was inhabiting a human body, but you are in the same predicament. Guh... to think that even I, an angel, cannot seize control... that I have been reduced to a familiar just like a common demon... But I will not give up! One day, I will surely take over this body and enjoy the paradise on the surface to my heart's content!"
"Hah! Not a chance, bird-brain. I'm the one who’s going to make that happen!"
"What was that, you low-life Majin!?"
"You wanna go, you shitty angel!?"
Grimo and Jiriel immediately began bickering. Having two voices arguing from my hands was incredibly noisy. I couldn't even make out half of what they were saying.
Well, in any case, I had obtained Holy Magic. It was time to head back to the Church.