While casting Dark Heal upon the beast soldiers behind her, Swan found herself unable to tear her gaze away from the “scene unfolding before her eyes.”
“S-so incredible…”
As the elf launched holy spells while retreating, zombie warriors shielded by the dark aura emanating from Alaya’s back closed in on her. Around them, the blinding radiance of holy power clashed violently with the consuming darkness of malevolent magic.
“To think someone could match that elf in battle…!”
For one of the Demon Nation’s high-ranking officers, this might not be surprising. But Alaya was human—not even a warrior, but a Dark Healer. His frail body was far weaker than that of a demon, so delicate it seemed it could shatter from a single blow.
…Isn’t he afraid!? How can he keep pushing forward like that!?
“—Tch, an illusion, huh?”
As a zombie warrior reached the elf, Alaya’s outstretched hand swiped through empty air. The elf’s form vanished like mist.
“It seems she won’t let me touch her so easily.”
“Don’t you think it’s improper to reach for a lady like that, Dark Healer?”
The elf spoke while standing farther back, her staff poised as she fired beams of light. Alaya casually dispelled them, but the distance between them grew once more.
“You’ve been reaching out quite a lot. Are you aiming for a simple ‘Demon’s Lightning’ attack, or is there some other goal…?”
“…”
“Whatever it is, you won’t get close. Don’t even think about it.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
With a shrug, Alaya smirked.
In the next instant, a shadow darted from behind the elf. A female knight of the demonic race, wielding a holy sword and serving under Alaya—Shes—raised her blade high to strike.
However—
“I figured as much. A hidden pawn. I had a feeling I was being cornered.”
The elf didn’t even glance back. Her staff remained aimed forward, yet Shes was suddenly repelled by a wall of light that had appeared out of nowhere.
“Do you really think a holy magic specialist like me wouldn’t prepare for close-range combat? I can activate spells without pointing my staff, you know.”
The elf struck the ground with the butt of her staff.
Immediately, a golden light spread out in a circular pattern, encasing Shes, Alaya, and their allies. The zombie warriors and Shes were pressed downward as if an enormous weight had been placed upon them.
“Aah!!”
Swan gasped involuntarily.
It was the same overwhelming large-scale holy magic—“The Great Rain of Light”—that Swan had experienced earlier.
“The side that believes it’s cornering the other often turns out to be the one actually cornered. This is a common tale. Regardless, this concludes the fight.”
The elf, a cruel smile on her lips, raised her staff toward the heavens.
Within the golden circle, above Alaya and his allies, countless holy spears began forming in the air, drawing upon the elf’s vast reserves of holy power. They multiplied endlessly, prepared to rain down until everyone within was annihilated—
Or so it seemed.
“There’s a saying: ‘Complacency is humanity’s greatest enemy.'”
Even as the spears were about to descend, Alaya’s smile never wavered.
Revealing a piece of parchment from the pocket of his white coat, he held it aloft toward the elf and spoke.
“Anything holy magic can do, dark magic can replicate. Let me demonstrate—here’s a little gift for you: ‘Demonic Word Bullet.’“
A densely packed sphere of violet magic surged forward, tearing through the golden light as it raced toward the elf. No wall of light appeared to block it.
“So that’s the latest holy spell—The Great Rain of Light, isn’t it? You’re not yet proficient enough to switch to a different spell on the fly, are you?”
“Tch—”
The Demonic Word Bullet struck the elf directly. Her body convulsed as the magic coursed through her, crackling with violet lightning. It was the phenomenon known as “Demon’s Lightning,” triggered when malevolent magic invades someone aligned with holy energy.
“You underestimated me, relying on a wide-scale holy spell without fully revealing your hand. You thought staying out of reach would keep you safe, didn’t you?”
“Ugh—gyaaaah!!”
“The experimental item I used—infused with Dark Heal—was originally meant for remote healing. However…”
Gradually, the golden light encasing the area faded.
The Demon’s Lightning had disrupted the elf’s magic, canceling the spellwork behind The Great Rain of Light.
“Now it’s over.”
With her freedom restored, Shes once again raised her holy sword and charged the elf. A hastily conjured wall of light appeared in desperation, but it was too fragile to withstand Shes’ full-powered strike.
“—Gah!”
Shes’ blade cleaved through both the wall of light and the elf’s body, delivering a decisive blow.
