"……【Status Up】【Septuple】."
I started by casting the strongest buffs I could currently manage, layering a septuple-strength Status Up on myself.
Then, just as Oliver prepared to swing his sword for a third time, I manifested a 【Reflective Wall】 directly beneath his feet. Oliver reacted instantly, leaping nearly three meters into the air.
I didn't miss the opening. Gripping my favorite blade, Schwarzhase, I moved to position myself directly under him.
"【Alteration】——【Third Form: Mont Drei】!"
I transformed Schwarzhase into its magic sword state. I forced the mana to expand, elongating the blade into the shape of a massive greatsword.
"——っ!!"
With every ounce of my strength, I swung the transformed Schwarzhase upward.
Oliver blocked the strike with his sword as if it were nothing, but this time, he was dealing with a magic sword. Returning the favor from earlier, I infused the slash with 【Impact】. The resulting shock shattered Oliver's blade into fragments and sent him hurtling even higher into the sky.
I’ll keep him pinned in the air!
I had two reasons for choosing an aerial battle.
First, if we continued fighting on the ground, the surrounding area would keep taking collateral damage. Inside a labyrinth, I wouldn't have cared, but this was the heart of the city. I wanted to minimize the destruction.
Second, Oliver had no way to move freely through the air. I had never seen him use 【Mana Convergence】 to create makeshift footholds like I did, and I highly doubted the current Oliver was capable of such a feat.
Without a weapon and without the ability to maneuver, Oliver should have been helpless. In the sky, the advantage was entirely mine.
——Or so I thought.
I kicked off the ground to close the distance and pursue him. But as I prepared to follow up, the golden aura surrounding the airborne Oliver began to writhe. The golden mana coalesced at his back, sprouting into something that resembled shimmering wings.
"——What!?"
The wings weren't just for show. They granted him flight, and he suddenly banked into a steep dive, charging straight at me.
"——っ!"
I threw up a 【Reflective Wall】. The moment Oliver touched it, he was repelled upward. While he was regaining his balance high above, I rose to his altitude and stood firm on a foothold created via 【Mana Convergence】.
We hung there in the sky, glaring at one another.
"What is really going on, Oliver? What happened to you?"
"…………"
I knew he wouldn't answer, but I couldn't help calling out to him anyway.
Oliver and I had chosen different paths. But that didn't mean we were enemies. He was still my best friend. That was why seeing him like this pained me—and why I was determined to stop him.
"……I don't want to believe you’re destroying this city of your own free will. If you can't stop yourself, then I’ll have to do it for you. ——【First Form: Mont Eins】."
I shifted Schwarzhase from its greatsword form back into a longsword.
Until recently, 【Alteration】 had a strict time limit. But I had overcome that hurdle. After the battle with Amunzaas, I had spent every waking moment obsessing over the spell's construction.
By the time the Thanksgiving Festival began, the magic was complete. It was no longer a fleeting burst of power; I could maintain the magic sword state for the duration of an entire battle. Of course, it still required periodic infusions of mana to maintain, much like refreshing a buff, so it couldn't last forever.
In terms of aerial mobility, Oliver—who could move freely—held the advantage over me, as I was limited to straight-line movements between footholds. However, Oliver was weaponless. He shouldn't have been able to inflict any significant damage!
I kicked off my foothold, dispersing the mana to add the force of the explosion to my momentum. I closed in on him at high speed.
"——っ!"
The moment I entered range, I swung Schwarzhase. Oliver wrapped his wings around his body like a cocoon. When my blade connected, he was sent flying like a pinball.
"【Thunder Arrow】!"
I fired five bolts of lightning to pursue him. To ensure they pierced his wings, I imbued the arrows with 【Impact】, yet the golden feathers held firm.
Those wings are hard enough to stop an attack that pierced a Black Dragon's scales? How tough can they be?
While I was reeling from the sturdiness of his defense, Oliver vanished. A second later, he was directly above me.
"——っ!?"
He brought his right fist down. I managed to dodge the punch by a hair’s breadth, only to be smacked aside by one of his wings.
"Guh!"
I was sent tumbling horizontally for several meters before I managed to stabilize my flight.
"This is getting seriously bad..."
Cold sweat broke out at the sight of Oliver's abnormal strength. Then, as if to mock my concern, he evolved even further. Mana gathered in both of his hands, shaping itself into massive, beast-like claws.
"I’d really appreciate a break right about now."
I muttered a quick complaint and forced my focus to sharpen. If I let my guard down for a second, I was finished.
"【Flash】!"
As I closed the distance, I triggered a burst of blinding light right in front of his eyes.
While he's blinded——!
I circled to his flank and delivered a horizontal sweep with Schwarzhase. But before the blade could reach him, his wings snapped shut to block it.
He can still react even without his sight?
Oliver’s right arm swung upward in a motion like a rising sword strike.
"【Reflective Wall】!"
If I can just repel this, I’ll have a clear opening——!?
The 【Reflective Wall】 had bounced back the fireballs of a Black Dragon at point-blank range without cracking. But Oliver’s claws shattered the barrier as if it were glass. The clawed strike tore into me.
"……!"
I managed to twist away just enough to avoid a fatal blow. Bleeding heavily from four deep gashes, I retreated to put distance between us. I immediately cast 【Exheal】 on myself.
As I was recovering, three tails made of pure mana sprouted from Oliver’s waist. They whipped through the air, lashing out at me.
"っ. 【Second Form: Mont Zwei】!"
I split the magic sword’s mana, shaping it into two daggers to intercept the incoming tails. As I parried the multi-directional lashing, I felt a massive surge of mana gathering in Oliver’s raised right hand.
"Dammit!"
With the tails pinning me in place, Oliver brought down his glowing golden hand. Five golden slashes of energy tore through the sky toward me.
"【Fifth Form: Mont Fünf】!"
I manifested a shield larger than my own body between us. I triggered 【Impact】 at the moment of contact, barely managing to hold the line against the golden shockwaves.
But I couldn't rest. The shield was only in front of me. The tails were still attacking from every other direction.
"【Second Form: Mont Zwei】!"
I instantly reverted to the twin daggers, desperately parrying the tails as they lunged at my sides and back.
◇
The struggle continued for what felt like an eternity. In reality, only about fifteen minutes had passed, but every second felt stretched to its limit.
"Haa…… haa…… haa……"
"…………"
I hadn't landed a single effective blow, while Oliver had reached me several times. My wounds were closed thanks to recovery magic, but my clan uniform was a tattered mess that no spell could fix.
I can’t win like this. I have to change my tactics.
As I racked my brain for a way through his defense, a voice resonated in my mind.
『This is Selma Claudel of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky. I am addressing every explorer currently in Tsutrail. I am using my Ability to speak directly to you. This is a sudden development, but please, listen to me——』
Selma-san's voice echoed clearly. Oliver’s movements stopped, perhaps because he was hearing it too. I didn't know why the voice gave him pause, but I took the chance to catch my breath.
Thank you, Selma-san.
Her broadcast continued.
『I believe many of you have noticed Orun and the leader of the Hero Party, Oliver, fighting in the sky. I will omit the details for now, but Oliver has begun destroying the city, and Orun is fighting to stop him.』
We were at a considerable height, but clearly, the battle hadn't gone unnoticed. Between the golden and black mana clashing, anyone who had seen the tournament finals would have recognized us immediately.
『I would like to ask for everyone's help in assisting Orun, but we have a more pressing crisis. Just moments ago, a Stampede was confirmed from all five labyrinths surrounding Tsutrail.』
A Stampede!?
A Stampede—or an overflow—was a phenomenon where a massive wave of magic beasts emerged from a labyrinth. Normally, the crystals at the entrance of every floor and the labyrinth itself prevented beasts from leaving their designated areas. On very rare occasions, those defenses failed for reasons still unknown.
When an overflow occurred, the nearest city was almost always the target. Cities were dense with humans and magic tools—meaning they were full of magic stones. It was only natural for the monsters to swarm toward them.
Oliver loses his mind, and then five labyrinths overflow simultaneously? That’s too convenient to be a coincidence. This has to be man-made. Oliver is just a pawn in someone's plan.
『The Guild is currently transporting large quantities of magic stones to the four gates. We, the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky, will take responsibility for the East Gate. I ask everyone else to head to the other three gates and halt the monster advance. The Guild will handle the assignments. B-rank parties and above, follow Guild instructions. C-rank parties, please cooperate with the army to lead the evacuation. This is our city. Let’s protect it together!』
I could hear the faint, confused shouting of the people far below.
『Orun, I’m sorry we can’t send reinforcements. I’m leaving Oliver in your hands.』
I couldn't tell if that last part was meant only for me, or if everyone heard it. But my answer was the same either way.
Leave Oliver to me. Take care of the magic beasts!
If Oliver had been dragged into some kind of twisted conspiracy, then I was the only one who could save him. No matter how absurd the situation, I would protect what was precious to me. That was my vow.
I'll push through this, no matter the odds!
I readjusted my grip on Schwarzhase and charged at Oliver once more.