「I-Impossible... Even though the sealing magic hit him perfectly...!?」
「The only idiot here is you. I’ve been sealed away for hundreds of years. You think I wouldn't have prepared a countermeasure or two?」
Vilfrey sneered at the trembling Jiriel.
Well, that made sense. If I were sealed away for centuries, I’d probably spend the time coming up with a hundred or two hundred counter-spell formulas. I’d certainly have the leisure for it. It stood to reason that a half-baked sealing magic wouldn't just work.
「No, I think only Master Lloyd would spend his time thinking up hundreds of countermeasures...」
「Regardless, it seems a different approach is necessary.」
Based on what just happened, he likely deployed a shroud of mana over his entire body to block the Arrows of Light. High-density mana could destroy a spell formula itself; it was a simple yet effective means of defense. The quickest solution would be to find a way to cancel out his defensive layer... or perhaps I could enchant the magic itself with a formula that made it harder to break. Or maybe...
「This is bad. Despite the situation, I’m actually starting to enjoy myself.」
It was a bad habit of mine. I covered my mouth to suppress a grin. It wasn't every day I got to see magic density of this caliber. I couldn't help but run through various theories.
「What are you muttering about, you brat!」
With a roar, Vilfrey lunged.
He wasn't just fast—he was instantaneous. Rather than flying, he moved as if he were bounding through the empty air, a feat possible only for a Demon possessing a high-density magic body.
Crash! In the split second I was thinking, an impact that seemed to rattle my very skull jolted through my body. He had shattered my magic barrier and struck me with that same momentum. I had just barely been able to follow him with my eyes, but my defenses hadn't made it in time, and I had taken the hit full-on. I managed to right my posture as I was blown back.
「Ouch... That gave me a nosebleed.」
「...I don't believe it. Just how tough are you?」
Vilfrey looked exasperated. Jiriel, on the other hand, was in a state of pure shock.
「Master Lloyd is bleeding... I-I’ve never seen such a thing!」
「No, I just hit my face on my magic barrier when I tripped earlier.」
Even so, the fact remained that I had taken damage. Vilfrey's movements were far too fast. I could barely see them, but my body simply couldn't keep up.
「So he’s constructing his entire physical form by bundling high-density mana to enhance his physical capabilities.」
I had heard from Grimo that Majin and Demons, being creatures of magic, constructed their very forms out of mana. Apparently, at higher ranks, by forming a perfect mental image of every bone, muscle, and blood vessel, they could generate truly extraordinary power. That was exactly what Vilfrey was doing.
「I-Isn't this dangerous!? If he keeps attacking at that speed, you won't even have time to deploy your magic! Even you, Master Lloyd, can't win if things stay like this...」
「If things stay like this, sure.」
The veins on Vilfrey's temples bulged at my remark.
「You've got a big mouth for a brat!」
As he unleashed another high-speed charge with a roar, I deactivated my magic barrier and closed my eyes.
「M-M-Master Lloyd! Open your eyes! He's coming right for you!!」
「Given up, have you!? Fine, I'll just kill you!」
I sensed the presence of a massive fist swinging toward me. Without resisting the momentum, I simply tilted my body. Vilfrey's fist grazed my hair, cutting through empty air.
「What!?」
His face twisted in shock, but Vilfrey immediately unleashed a flurry of blows. However, I continued to dodge every single one with my eyes closed.
「W-Why can't I hit you!?」
It was the Mind's Eye—a technique used by Tao, an adventurer I'd met from a foreign land. According to her, the Mind's Eye was a technique where one didn't rely on sight, but instead used the movement of the air, smells, sounds, and various other senses to engage the imagination, predicting the opponent's movements as if looking down from above.
After hearing her explanation, I had tinkered with my Vision Scan spell formula, which allowed me to see distant places, and modified it to perceive all sensory inputs. By hovering these sensors around me and linking them to my movements, I was perceiving Vilfrey's actions and using the Trace function to automatically control my body's evasive maneuvers.
It worked well. I could keep up even with his speed. This was quite a useful tool.
「Now for an offensive experiment.」
While dodging a strike, I placed my hand against Vilfrey's defenseless flank. The moment I applied pressure, a heavy, dull thud echoed, and Vilfrey was sent flying.
「Guaagh!?」
Vilfrey barely managed to stay on his feet, but countless cracks had formed where my attack landed. He pressed a hand to the wound, where dark, murky mana was leaking out like mist.
「Ooh! That was the Purification System Holy Magic: Aurora! It's devastating against Demons, and you imbued it with Ki! A magnificent blow, Master Lloyd!」
Holy Magic was indeed effective against Majin and Demons. Come to think of it, this might have been the first time I'd actually tested it on a live subject. When I made contact, I felt a distinct sense of repulsion against Vilfrey's magic body.
「By the way, why is Holy Magic so effective against Demons?」
I had acquired the magic, but I hadn't had any opportunities to test it on Majin or Demons until now.
「Holy light dispels wicked darkness; that is the very nature of Holy Magic!」
「That's just a poetic description. I'm asking for the logic, the fundamental principle of why it works.」
「T-That is... to be honest, I don't really know either...」
「Hmm, I see.」
If even Jiriel didn't know, it couldn't be helped. Very few types of magic had their exact mechanisms documented, and Holy Magic, with its high level of secrecy, was likely even more mysterious. I’d just have to figure it out myself. That was more fun anyway, so I didn't mind.
「In that case, I'll just have to try a few different angles for my target practice.」
「...Heh! Try it if you can!」
He accelerated even further, but he wasn't fast enough to escape my Mind's Eye. Every time I dodged, I hammered him with Holy Magic—Aurora, Glimmer, and Ultimate Holy Light. With every hit, Vilfrey was blown back or recoiled, yet he kept charging in.
「What incredible toughness. So this is one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Army...!」
「I see. Holy Magic is magic that annihilates things humans instinctively find repulsive, like filth or corruption. Since the very existence of a Demon is an object of repulsion to humans, Holy Magic reacts violently to them.」
Holy Magic was a power granted through prayer; it was structured to purge things humans found abhorrent. It was built into its very foundation. Magic really did have a fascinating history.
「If that's the case, then the more I find my opponent repulsive, the stronger the effect should be.」
Alright, I hate this guy. He’s disgusting. Unforgivable. While focusing on those thoughts, I unleashed an Ultimate Holy Light.
「Guaaaaaah! You're mocking me! Over and over again!」
「Whoops.」
His desperate swing cut through nothing but air. Wait, that didn't seem very effective.
「Um, while it's true that Holy Magic grows stronger when you imbue it with emotion, that didn't really feel like your heart was in it... Also, wasn't there a bit of a wicked feeling mixed in there? Holy Magic requires positive, righteous emotions...」
「Oh, was that it?」
Come to think of it, my primary motivation was always curiosity. I rarely acted out of personal affection or hostility toward an individual, so trying to force an emotion like "repulsion" might have been the wrong approach.
「In that case, I'll try it a way that's more suited to me!」
Leaving the combat to the automatic control of my Vision Scan and Trace, I began constructing a new spell formula. Holy Magic was difficult to modify because it wasn't written in the standard Magic Language, but now that I had spent enough time interacting with it, I could manage some basic alterations. I moved this part here, changed that part there... and done.
I unleashed Ultimate Holy Light at Vilfrey once more.
「Nu—!?」
A flash of light erupted. Even with my eyes closed, the brilliance was so intense it bleached the entire area white, engulfing the very space around us.
「GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!」
Vilfrey's scream tore through the radiance. I could sense the magic body composing his form wavering violently. This response was far greater than anything before. It seemed I had succeeded.
「What did you do, Master Lloyd?」
「I just tinkered with the formula a bit.」
It was a minor adjustment, really. The magic was designed to scale with strong emotion, so I simply swapped the trigger from 'repulsion' to 'curiosity.' Essentially, the sheer curiosity I felt toward Vilfrey was now being converted into the destructive power of the Holy Magic.
「W-What terrifying power... It’s nothing like before! Though, if I think about it, even your weakest emotions produced incredible results. If Master Lloyd pours his full curiosity into it, it’s only natural it would reach this level... And he even angled the shot so it wouldn't hit Grimo. As expected of Master Lloyd—a battle performance truly worthy of a Heavenly Messenger.」
Jiriel muttered to himself while staring into the pure white void. At any rate, there was no doubt that emotion served as a multiplier for the power. I was glad I could verify that theory. Yes, this was very productive.