The magic Lest unleashed was [Kagutsuchi].
It was a technique that annihilated enemies by compressing countless fireballs and then detonating them in a massive burst. This Strategic-Grade Destruction Magic had once slain an Elder Wurm in a single blow and completely reshaped the surrounding landscape.
This time, because he hadn’t had much time to accumulate fireballs, its power was significantly reduced—at most, enough to blow away a few buildings.
A certain person had warned him never to use it, but since he had suppressed its output compared to that time, it shouldn’t be a problem.
(Once again, I'm reminded of how terrifying this spell is... If I unleashed it at maximum power, it might wipe a small city off the map.)
"Gwah..."
"Ugh..."
The Magic Knights caught in the explosion plummeted from the sky one after another.
Some struck the bridge with a sickening crunch, while others fell into the river, vanishing beneath the surface as pillars of water erupted around them.
They had been on the verge of launching a certain-kill coordinated attack to ensure his demise, only to be hit by a suicidal counterattack they never saw coming. It was no surprise they were defeated without having the chance to defend themselves or evade.
"Khah...!"
Lest exhaled a breath tinged with soot.
In contrast to the decimated Magic Knights, Lest remained whole and unscathed. He stayed suspended in the air, covered in soot but showing no signs of falling.
He hadn't self-destructed with the intention of dying. From the very beginning, he had planned a way to survive the blast.
(That was actually quite dangerous... If I had raised the firepower even a little more, I might have been blown away myself...)
His face twitched as he began mending his body with Healing Magic.
In the instant before the explosion, Lest had generated multi-layered barriers of water and wind around himself. By enveloping his body in layers of water and air to shield against the heat and flames, and further increasing his durability with Physical Enhancement, he had been able to trigger [Kagutsuchi] at point-blank range and survive.
(Still, it’s much better than being killed then and there...)
"And yet, you have no intention of retreating either, do you?"
"......"
Lest turned his gaze toward the lone survivor.
Almost all of the Magic Knights who had surrounded him had been shot down, but one man remained floating in the air despite his wounds. The battered warrior appeared to be in his forties. Clutching a broken sword, he glared at Lest with his one remaining eye.
"You... who are you...?"
"...Lest Clover. A Count," Lest replied.
He questioned if there was any point in introducing himself to an enemy, but he felt it was appropriate to respond.
"I am Geet Baramov, Commander of the Imperial Magic Knight Order."
"......"
"You will undoubtedly become a grave threat to the Empire... I will cut you down here."
"...I see."
Lest manifested a Dark Star in his palm.
The two stared each other down in the sky as time seemed to compress into a dense, heavy silence.
"—!"
Seconds—or perhaps nearly a minute—later, the man named Baramov moved.
Gripping his broken sword, he charged forward with the speed of a diving falcon.
"[Amaterasu]."
Lest’s magic flashed.
The beam shot straight through the center of Baramov's chest as he lunged, piercing clean through to his back.
"For the... glory of the Empire..."
He murmured the words faintly as his momentum carried him past Lest. Then, his body went limp and plummeted toward the ground below.
"......"
Lest fell silent for a long moment.
A strange sense of poignancy, something akin to sadness, washed over him.
"The Magic Knight Order has been defeated...!"
"Impossible! They were the Empire's most elite unit!"
Shouts erupted from the ground.
The soldiers of the Imperial Army were screaming in shock. They had been attacking with fierce determination, but seeing their Mage Division neutralized and their elite Magic Knight Order slaughtered by Lest caused their morale to shatter.
"Withdraw! Fall back for now!"
The Imperial soldiers who had been pushing into the west began to retreat toward the east like a receding tide. The brutal struggle atop the Great Bridge ground to a sudden halt.
"For now, I suppose that settles things... Hm?"
Looking toward the Western Fortress, Lest spotted a red cloth being waved back and forth from one of the battlements.
The one waving it was the Sky-Demon who had accompanied him to the town.
"So that's where she is..."
He had requested that the Sky-Demon confirm Urula’s safety. She was likely at that location.
Manipulating the wind, Lest descended toward the spot where the Sky-Demon was signaling.