"G-Guwaaaaaah!"
Gitan’s wounds were closing bit by bit.
I see, he generated heat within his body to decompose the poison. It was a crude, brute-force method, but effective. However, it had clearly taken a toll on him. His stamina was flagging, and his regeneration wasn't quite reaching a full recovery.
"...I see. I will admit I hadn't prepared a perfect countermeasure against toxins. But I shall not be struck by such an attack a second time."
Luminous patterns surfaced across Gitan’s flesh. They looked like the plates of an insect's carapace.
"I have encased my body in the carapace of an Arc Beetle, which boasts incredibly high magic resistance. Your poisons will no longer affect me."
I’d heard that Arc Beetle carapaces were light, durable, and prized for high-end armor. They were rare monsters, notoriously difficult to find... yet he was manifesting those parts as if it were nothing.
"Does that mean you can manifest the parts of other monsters as well?" I asked.
"Naturally. I can wield the scythes of a God Mantis, the hide of a Silver Kong, and the traits of every other monster imaginable."
"A God Mantis and a Silver Kong?! Aren't those rare species found only in the deepest reaches of the continent?"
Gitan sneered as I stared at him, my eyes wide with genuine surprise.
"Heh... you seem shocked. If you surrender now, I shall grant you a painless death."
"Hah! What are you acting so high and mighty for just 'cause you can use some monster powers?! Master Lloyd, do 'im in!" Grimo barked.
But I was simply in awe. To be able to construct the biological components of any monster—it was an utterly magnificent ability.
"...I'm impressed. I don't think I can kill this guy."
"Master Lloyd?! What’s gotten into you, sounding so weak all of a sudden?!"
"No, it really is an extraordinary power. Monster materials are extremely difficult to source depending on the species. I need vast quantities of them to forge magic swords and craft magic tools. To think he can manifest them at will... no, there’s no way I can kill him. It would be such a waste."
"Huh...?"
At my words, everyone present went dead silent.
Did I say something strange?
"Ha... Hahaha! Just as expected of Master Lloyd! In that case, we'll take 'im alive! We’ll strip every single material we can off his back!"
"Indeed. And then we shall use Holy Magic to purify his wicked heart and bring him into our service."
"Ooh! I see. That’s an excellent idea."
After all, synthesizing monsters with humans and then attempting to murder anyone who discovered the truth was clearly the work of a twisted soul. As a prince, I should hate the sin and not the sinner. It was my duty to guide those who had strayed back to the righteous path.
...I had briefly considered blowing his body apart and embedding heavy weights into his flesh during the regeneration process to seal his movements forever, but having him have a change of heart would certainly be less of a hassle.
"Heh... Heh heh heh... Too 'wasteful' to kill me? Don't make me laugh. Then by all means, try it!"
"You didn't have to tell me twice."
I had already constructed the spell formula.
Purification System Holy Magic: Aurora.
I gathered the highest tier of purifying light into a single point using magic focus and fired. A brilliant, blinding flash of light pierced straight through Gitan’s torso.
"He did it! A direct hit!"
"N-No! It didn't work! He's still coming!"
Despite the white smoke billowing from the wound, Gitan charged forward without hesitation.
"Fool! As a master of Holy Magic myself, did you truly think I would not have a defense against it?"
Well, that made sense. Countering mind control magic was relatively straightforward.
Mind System Magic: Mind Canopy.
While it offered zero protection against physical impact, it served as an absolute shield against all forms of mental interference. Naturally, I kept it deployed around myself at all times as well. Mind control magic generally relied on fragile spell formulas that only worked if they caught the target off-guard, but with this active, it was a literal iron wall. Even with a massive gap in power, it was impossible to land a mental attack on an opponent protected by this spell.
"What's more, he's got five brains, letitng him deploy spell formulas at high speed! Dammit, that's just cheating!"
"Even for Master Lloyd, breaking through that barrier to land Holy Magic might be a tall order...!"
True, he would likely be faster at reconstructing his barrier than I would be at dismantling it. At least, under the current circumstances.
"In that case, I'll just have to destroy his brains."
If his construction speed dropped to a fifth of its current rate, my Holy Magic would surely overwhelm his barrier. I would smash them, and before he could regenerate, I’d hammer him with full-power Holy Magic.
"Enough of your whispering!"
In the brief moment of our exchange, Gitan had manifested sharp, jagged black claws. Given his confidence, I assumed they were more than just decorative.
"Those are Rune Wolf claws, Master! They can slice through spell formulas and nullify magical defenses! Don't try to block 'em with a magic barrier!"
"Then... Radiant Armament."
I manifested a sword of light and used it to parry the strike. Since it was a physical manifestation of light, it remained unaffected by the claws' spell-breaking properties. I slid my blade along his and transitioned into a thrust.
"Langris Style Twin Sword Arts: Disturbed Dragon Horns."
I traced Sylpha’s movements perfectly, unleashing a relentless flurry of strikes.
"Impressive speed, but it won't be enough to reach me in this form!"
Gitan swatted every strike away. It seemed I couldn't break his guard with swordsmanship alone. I leaped back, creating distance, and began focusing my mana. I’d blow him away with large-scale magic and be done with it.
Double Casting—
"Oh no, your magic is far too dangerous. I'll be sealing that now."
Seeing my stance, Gitan sliced through the floor beneath us. What was he up to? He plummeted into the hole himself, and though I was suspicious, I followed him down.
As we landed, the air was filled with the sound of crumbling masonry and rising dust. Through the haze, I heard confused, panicked voices.
"W-What's going on?! What happened?!"
"I don't know! The ceiling just gave way...!"
"Eek! A-A monster!"
As the dust settled, I realized we were in the Prayer Hall. It was filled with believers who had been offering their nightly devotions. They stared at us, trembling in terror.
"This is the Prayer Hall," Gitan said, laughing triumphantly. "Even at this hour, many faithful come to offer their prayers to God. Tell me, with so many innocent people around, can you still use your large-scale magic?"
I ignored his taunt and resumed my incantation.
"Y-You... what are you doing?! Do you not care what happens to these people?!"
"..."
I utilized a spell bundle for high-speed Double Casting. I unleashed a Water and Earth Double Synthesis Magic toward the bewildered Gitan: Violent Ice Storm Fang. A concentrated vortex of freezing air swallowed him whole.
"I deployed a barrier around the area at the same moment I released the Violent Ice Storm Fang to keep the effect range narrow. No one else will be caught in it."
"Master Lloooooyd! A couple of people almost got turned into ice cubes just now!"
"But I, Jiriel, have protected them! Truly, I am indispensable!"
...It seemed a little bit had leaked out. Well, everyone makes mistakes. Probably.
Grateful for Jiriel’s support, I looked back to see Gitan guarding himself with a magic barrier. So even Double Casting could be blocked... he really was a high-level mage. And with that regeneration, mediocre spells wouldn't be enough to finish him.
"Right, I have another mouth, don't I?"
By using the mouth on the palm of my left hand where Jiriel resided, I could achieve Triple Casting. If I fired that with proper magic focus, I should be able to shatter his magic barrier and deal a decisive blow.
Triple Synthesis Magic required far more precise timing than Double Synthesis, but...
"It's worth a shot."
Muttering to myself, I opened the mouths on both my palms and braced for the next exchange.
What a terrifying child... (Grimo could only look on in awe).