I channeled mana into the spell formula I had prepared.
A [Thunder Arrow] streaked toward the robed woman.
With her level of agility, she would likely dodge it without much trouble. In fact, it would be a problem if she didn't—ideally, she would avoid it with the bare minimum of movement.
"You spent all that time just to construct intermediate magic? Are you that bad at spell construction? No, that can’t be it," she muttered, dodging the bolt just as I’d hoped.
That was fine. Right now, she was likely convinced that the [Thunder Arrow] was a feint and that my real attack was coming from somewhere else.
Keep your eyes on my every move.
In a duel, I believed the most important thing was catching the opponent off guard. A single surprise attack could decide the entire match—just as I had taken down the other three with [Earth Shock].
The bolt of lightning passed the robed woman, struck the [Reflective Wall] I had positioned behind her, and arced back to attack her from the rear.
"—!?"
She noticed the arrow a split second before impact and managed to dodge it again.
But I wasn't finished. I activated multiple [Reflective Walls] to surround her. Each time the lightning struck a translucent barrier, it changed direction, lunging at her repeatedly. After a few narrow misses, the robed woman gave up on evasion and blocked it with a magic barrier.
"[Status Up], [Septuple]...!"
The moment her movement stopped, I activated [Septuple]—the maximum [Stacking] I could currently handle. With my physical abilities bolstered, I kicked off the ground and closed the distance in an instant.
Petty tricks and rapid strikes will probably be blocked. In that case, I’ll just have to overwhelm her with pure power!
I entered my sword's range and swung Schwarzhase from left to right. As she had done before, my opponent moved to intercept the blade with her staff.
Just like that... I’ll cut through you and the staff together!
Just before Schwarzhase made contact, I prepared to activate [Impact] to crush her defense entirely. However, the robed woman didn't take the attack head-on this time. She jumped back lightly as she received the blow. As a result, the force of the strike sent her flying backward, creating distance between us once again.
"The match is over," she declared with a faint smile while drifting back.
[Explode] was about to trigger from my front, back, left, and right, while [Mjolnir] loomed in the sky above.
I’m far short of the time required to complete the spells, so they’ll likely dissipate immediately, but I don't have time to worry about that!
"—Guh! [Alteration]! [Fifth Form: Mont Fünf]!"
Realizing I couldn't dodge, I converted Schwarzhase into mana and shaped it into a shield. I held it over my head as pitch-black mana enveloped me. I activated [Impact] the moment the spells hit; the air vibrated with a thunderous roar, but I managed to endure the onslaught.
As I dispelled the dark mana, the acrid scent of scorched earth stung my nostrils. Smoke filled the area.
"Using reflected magic to counterattack... that was quite an interesting style. But this is my win. No one could survive that many special-grade spells at point-blank range. ...I'm sorry, but this is for the sake of the world. I hope this buys us some time..."
The robed woman spoke as if her victory was already a settled matter.
"Master!"
"No... please don't die, Orun-san..."
I heard the screams of my disciples. I wanted to reassure them immediately, but I had a priority. My opponent had completely lowered her guard.
She was even stronger than I had anticipated, but I had seized a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I couldn't let it go to waste!
The moment the robed woman shifted her gaze toward her companions, I struck.
"[Space Leap]...!"
I vanished and reappeared in her blind spot.
"—!?"
"[Zero Form: Mont Null]."
I dissolved Schwarzhase into formless, fluid mana and used it to bind her.
"Wait, this mana...?" she murmured.
As I restrained her, the hood hiding her face fell back. What I saw was a young woman, roughly my age, with shimmering, lustrous silver hair. The moment our eyes met, I felt something unexplainable well up inside me.
What is this feeling...? No, now isn't the time for that.
Just as I prepared my next move, an intense surge of bloodlust radiated from the side. A figure had entered through the hole I’d smashed into the wall earlier, charging at me at high speed. It was a girl I had never seen before.
"—!"
I dodged her attack and put distance between myself and the silver-haired woman. The new girl stood protectively in front of her, glaring at me.
Reinforcements, huh...
The girl and I stood in a tense standoff. It was the silver-haired woman who broke the silence.
"Aha, ahahaha! What is this? What does this mean? No, it’s obvious. It’s definitely the work of that old geezer and that vile woman. Ahaha! —Don't screw with me! Just how far are they going to toy with people!?"
She screamed with raw emotion, but I got the sense her words weren't directed at us, but at someone else entirely.
What’s wrong with her...? And for that matter, what is this feeling in my chest!?
I was bewildered by her sudden change, yet for some reason, she looked like she was in such pain that I felt an impulse to reach out to her. I forced my emotions down with logic, pulled a spare sword from my storage magic tool, and took a stance.
"Wait, Orun. I no longer have any intention of fighting you. I can't fight you, Orun. ...Will you let us go? I promise I'll make the others withdraw from the Great Labyrinth as well."
The silver-haired woman pleaded in a voice so calm it was hard to believe we were in the middle of a battle.
Why are you talking to me so familiarly!?
The emotions I’d suppressed bubbled up again. Simultaneously, something deep inside me urged that I should finish her off here and now.
As I struggled with my internal confusion, the situation worsened. My black mana reverted into a sword, undoing her restraints. Furthermore, the three subordinates I’d knocked out were starting to wake up.
I had little chance of winning a five-on-one fight. If she was willing to retreat, it was the best outcome I could hope for.
"................"
I lowered my guard and stored the sword. However, I remained hyper-vigilant of their movements and mana flow, watching for any sign of a surprise attack.
"...Thank you. I hope that the next time we meet, we won't be in a position where we have to kill each other. Until then, Orun."
As she spoke, the figures of the five people began to shimmer, like reflections on a rippling pond. Gradually, they faded into nothingness. I couldn't detect any unnatural mana or air currents in the area. They had truly vanished.
"Master..."
After retrieving Schwarzhase and returning to my disciples, I found that Carol had regained consciousness.
"Carol, I'm glad you're awake. How are the three of you feeling?"
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"I am as well."
"Me too. Master's [Heal] worked wonders."
None of them had visible injuries, and they didn't seem to be hiding any pain.
"I see. ...I'm sorry for putting you in such danger. I'll listen to all the complaints you have later, but for now, let’s just go home."
"Complaints? We would never! We were the selfish ones who insisted on coming. You didn't do anything wrong, Orun-san!"
"She's right. We're just grateful you came to save us..."
"U-Um, Master... do you know that person in the robe?"
"——No, I don't. I've been in the newspapers quite a bit lately, so she probably just recognized my name from the press."
I could have handled the first three subordinates or the girl who intervened at the end, but that silver-haired woman had been in a league of her own.
I didn't think I was being arrogant, but there really is always someone better... At this rate, I won't be able to protect the things that matter. I have to get much, much stronger...
Right then and there, I resolved to reach new heights of power, if only to ensure the safety of those precious to me.
Author's Note: Thank you for reading to the end of the chapter!
Who do you think won this battle between Orun and the silver-haired woman?
Orun feels like it was close to a defeat, but from my perspective, he saved the three students and forced the enemy to retreat. So while it wasn't a total victory, I feel it was a win of sorts.
To the readers who were hoping for Orun to win in a landslide, I apologize!
Now, the next chapter will be the final one for Orun's perspective in Volume 2. After that, I plan to include two chapters from a new character's perspective before starting Volume 3.
If you thought this was interesting or want to read more, please support the work by rating it below! Five stars if you liked it, one star if you didn't—I appreciate honest feedback. Also, bookmarking the series would make me very happy.
Thank you for your continued support!