“You... you cut through my magic? Impossible! This magic had reached the critical point of the principles! To cut through it... that shouldn't be possible...”
A voice thick with agitation leaked from Ozwell.
His shock halted the birth of any new disasters, and a momentary silence fell over the battlefield.
“Why so surprised? Didn't you personally provide the model for the critical point of the principles?”
I threw the words at him, taunting the shaken man.
Ozwell had no innate combat ability. However, a man capable of manufacturing natural disasters was a threat in and of himself. To maintain my initiative in this fight, I needed to strip away what remained of his composure.
“A model...? You don't mean—you...! You mere clown, don't you dare get cocky with me!”
It seemed my barb had struck home. Ozwell’s fury flared even brighter than I’d anticipated.
“If it pisses you off that much, try shutting me up with force!”
Firing off one last remark to grate on his nerves, I activated [Alteration], shifting Schwarzhase back into its standard magic sword form.
Gripping the longsword, I utilized my physical enhancements and [Gravity Manipulation] to close the gap in a heartbeat. The mana dragons protruding from Ozwell’s shoulders lunged at me, sensing the danger, but I hacked through them with the magic sword.
A normal blade would never have touched these dragons—masses of pure mana—but mine was forged of the same essence. A magic sword could catch a mana dragon.
Once within range, I swung.
While Ozwell’s existence was a threat, his stance and movements betrayed a total lack of combat experience. In terms of pure tactical maneuvering, the advantage was entirely mine.
My blade tore across Ozwell’s chest.
“Guh! Dammit!”
Desperate to push me back, Ozwell unleashed a roundhouse kick.
“...An attack that telegraphed? You’ll never touch me with that!”
I dodged the kick, switched the magic sword from a longsword into a pair of daggers, and carved into him again.
“Vermin! Get away from me!”
I felt mana surging around Ozwell as he screamed, and I immediately leaped back. A split second later, a massive explosion erupted from his position.
As the smoke cleared, Ozwell emerged. Though his face was obscured, he radiated a palpable, suffocating rage.
“You clown! Stop interfering with me!”
“Heh. Your mask is slipping, isn't it? Your language is getting pretty foul for a scholar.”
“Shut up! I don’t care about Beria’s plan anymore! I’m going to break you right here and now!”
The intellectual veneer and the air of superiority Ozwell had maintained were gone. His speech and behavior had devolved into those of a beast driven by pure instinct.
“That’s my line, you piece of trash. I’m going to etch every bit of pain and terror you’ve inflicted on Carol into your very soul and body. Don’t think for a second that I’ll let you die easily.”
“Gyahahahaha! Etch it into my body? I have [Self-Healing]! No matter how many wounds you give me, I’ll heal instantly—”
Believing himself immortal, Ozwell broke into a vulgar laugh, but his words died in his throat. He looked down at his left arm.
Specifically, he stared at the stump where the magic katana had severed it.
“...Why? Why isn't my left arm healing?!”
The shallow cuts I’d dealt with the standard magic sword had already closed. Yet the left arm, which should have regenerated by now, showed no signs of recovery. Not only was the limb missing, but the wound hadn't even scabbed over; blood continued to spray profusely.
“Exsanguination is far too boring a death for you. ——Ice Demon Katana.”
While Ozwell was distracted by his failing regeneration, I utilized Luna’s help to shift my weapon into a magic katana forged from ice spirits.
Then, I delivered a slash reinforced by [Impact], severing his other arm from the shoulder down. I froze the wound the instant the blade passed through, ensuring he wouldn't bleed out just yet.
“Guaaaaahhh?!”
Until now, he’d likely been able to ignore the pain because he expected it to vanish. Now that he knew it wouldn't, he couldn't bear it. Ozwell shrieked in agony.
“Stop wailing. It's pathetic for a grown man.”
“St-stop—”
Seeing me prepare to attack again, Ozwell begged for mercy, but I had neither the reason nor the inclination to grant it.
I took Ozwell’s head with a spare sword. Then, I blew his body back with [Explode], sending his charred remains tumbling across the dirt.
Luna, next I need fire spirits.
Responding to my request, Luna caused the mana around me to thicken once more. I converged the spirits until a pitch-black mass of energy burned atop my left palm.
“Don't you toy with me, you clown!”
In the short interval, Ozwell’s [Self-Healing] had brought him back. His head was reattached and his burns had vanished, but his arms remained missing from the shoulders down. He screamed in a mixture of rage and terror.
As I watched him, another massive tornado manifested and roared toward me.
“Fine. Time for the next experiment. ——[Sixth Form: Mont Sechs].”
I transformed Schwarzhase into a magic bow and nocked an arrow of converged fire spirit mana.
“Be crushed, Orun Doura!!”
“——Fire Demon Arrow.”
The pitch-black arrow shrieked from the bow, obliterating the tornado before piercing Ozwell through the abdomen.
“...Ah... gah...”
“...Are you so cornered you can't even dodge anymore? That was too quick. You haven't tasted even a fraction of Carol's suffering yet.”
I landed near him, speaking coldly to drive the fear deeper.
Looking at his torso, I saw that the wound from the fire spirit arrow was already closing.
...That confirmed it. I finally knew why Ozwell’s wounds weren't healing.
“What is this...? What the hell is this?! You were supposed to be the one who got broken! That was the plan! So why am I the one suffering?! This is wrong!”
Like a child throwing a tantrum, Ozwell spat out a stream of complaints. My anger only grew.
“Don’t start whining now. Carol and everyone else you toyed with felt far worse for far longer! It’s pathetic to start complaining the moment it happens to you.”
“Shut up! Everything I did was necessary for the evolution of humanity! If I die, the loss to the world will be immeasurable! Knowing that, do you still intend to kill me?!”
“——Yes. I shall kill you.”
As I argued with Ozwell, a man's voice—soft and mellow—interrupted from where no one should have been.
Standing there was a man with long golden hair tied at the shoulders—the same man who had transformed the former hero, Gary, into a Majin.
Suddenly, countless thin lines of light traced across Ozwell’s body, and blood erupted from every inch of him.
“Gah! Stieg... why are you... here...?!”
“Hehe. For someone known by the grand title of ‘Doctor,’ isn't that a foolish question?”
Seizing the opening while they spoke, I circled behind Stieg and swung my magic sword.
However, Stieg vanished without a sound or a telegraph, and my blade met only air.
“That was sudden. A good decision, though. Even if it was futile.”
Stieg reappeared beside Ozwell. He swung his arm casually, his hand-blade bisecting Ozwell’s body.
This time, [Self-Healing] did not activate. Ozwell would never wake again.
“............”
Cold sweat pricked my skin at Stieg’s unfathomable presence.
When we’d met before, his presence had been so faint that I felt I would lose sight of him even while looking directly at him. Now, he felt like a monster merely wearing a human skin.
“It has been a long time, Sir Dragon Slayer. Ah, I believe I have yet to introduce myself properly. I am the [Cyclamen Cult: Eighth Seat], Stieg Strom, known as ‘Rasetsu.’ I hope we can become well-acquainted.”
Stieg gave a theatrical, grandiose bow, like a noble.
The Eighth Seat, huh? That meant that even excluding him and Ozwell, there were at least six more executives in the Cult.
“First Gary, and now even Ozwell...! What are you after?!”
I knew the Cyclamen Cult was a den of filth. I knew our values would never align. But I couldn't help but demand an answer. To me, my companions were everything.
“If you ask what I am after, I simply disposed of some garbage that was no longer needed. Why must I be the target of such anger for taking out the trash?”
Stieg answered nonchalantly.
“I see. I understand now. We are completely incompatible!”
With the information I’d hoped to get from Ozwell gone, I tried to pry it out of Stieg instead. I closed the distance in an instant and swung.
But just like before, he vanished, and my sword hit nothing.
“A fine stroke.”
Stieg reappeared some distance away, sounding genuinely impressed. I immediately fired a Heavenly Flash at his new position.
“Actually, I was watching your battle with the ‘Doctor’ from a distance.”
Stieg’s voice came from directly behind me.
“—?!”
I swung as I spun around, but once again, I caught nothing.
“When we met before, your magic was little more than child’s play. I was quite surprised to see you handling it properly now. Your rate of growth truly is remarkable.”
Stieg stood outside my range, his voice dripping with mock praise.
“However, let’s end our fight here for today. I have a schedule to keep, and a stage more suitable for a battle with you will be prepared soon. When that time comes, I shall play with you. Look forward to it. Today, I was merely here to dispose of the ‘Doctor.’”
He spoke in a tone a parent might use to soothe a child.
It was infuriating. But I knew the truth—I couldn't reach him yet. I was being spared, a fact I couldn't deny. Stepping any further would be suicide.
Dammit, I’m still not strong enough!
“I’m glad my intent reached you. Until the day we meet again.”
With those final words, Stieg vanished, and his presence vanished with him.
The ending felt hollow, but Daluane was protected, the swarm was stopped, and Ozwell was gone. I wasn't happy with the process, but the results met our objectives.
I had given my disciples such a grand speech. I couldn't afford to sit here and mope.
Everyone was safe. The situation was resolved. For now, I would let that be enough to settle my heart.
“...Wait, where did Fuuka and the Black Dragon go?”
In the heat of the fight with Ozwell, I’d completely forgotten about her. I scanned the area, but there was no sign of either of them.
The Black Dragon was massive. If I couldn't see it, it was safe to assume it had already been dealt with.
Haruto-san, do you know where Fuuka is? I asked via [Mental Transmission].
Orun? Fuuka dived into the labyrinth.
...The labyrinth? Why?
Who knows? She didn't say. If you're worried, why not go after her?
Understood. I'll do that.
Armed with her location, I started walking toward the labyrinth entrance.
Oh, and Orun? I saw your fight. Some weirdo crashed the end, but don’t let it get to you. You protected Daluane. That fact won’t change. Everyone saw you cut down that natural disaster; the city is in an uproar. Expect a massive welcome when you get back, so be ready.
Haruto-san’s words of appreciation reached me as I walked. He’d clearly been watching the city and looking out for me. The consideration meant a lot.
Ahaha! Got it. I’ll be ready.