Chapter 80

My abilities surged dramatically thanks to Victor’s blessing.

Previously, I could barely endure with the bare minimum of blessings, but now I could handle it considerably well.

The increase in my total magical power and the accompanying physical enhancement.

Sena looked at me with awe.

‘I had heard rumors, but seeing it in person is truly incredible. If we experiment on you, we could probably achieve demonization.’

‘That’s none of your business.’

I already have a troublesome demon at home. What would I do if I became a demon myself?

‘By the way, have you already made a contract with a demon? Well, that’s only natural.’

‘What are you talking about?’

Sure, I’ve taken care of them, but I don’t remember signing any contract.

At this point, I realized I was merely playing along with Sena’s stalling tactics.

Enough talk. I raised the Heavenly Sword.

‘I wanted to chat a bit longer, but just until the gate opens.’

With that, Sena floated and began firing magic from a distance.

A long-range, one-sided attack. The most common strategy for a mage against a warrior.

Unfortunately, Victor’s blessing doesn’t extend to defense. I had heard from both Mastema and Victor that unless I gave up being human, it wouldn’t work, so I gave up on that.

This must be what they call the ‘sky domain.’ Not that I care. I just want to become a mage since I’ve already achieved results as a warrior.

I gathered magic into the Heavenly Sword and deflected the magic. Every spell that came my way seemed weak compared to the enhanced Heavenly Sword I wielded.

The problem was how to catch Sena.

The gate was slowly opening, so I couldn’t afford to waste time. Although I had also learned levitation magic, it wouldn’t let me catch up with the more experienced Sena.

So, I decided to boost my output. I set a general direction, used levitation magic, and kicked off the ground with all my might.

Instead of levitating, I flew through the air like gliding.

Sena saw this and ascended even higher. I drew the Fire Sword, channeled magic through it, and threw it at Sena.

The now-white Fire Sword had become a powerful weapon in its own right. With my current strength, throwing it packed a massive punch.

Sena quickly deployed several barriers, but the Fire Sword pierced through them all. The last barrier deflected the trajectory slightly, only burning Sena’s left arm a bit.

That was enough. Sena’s left arm hung limp. It was now useless.

It would take some time for the thrown Fire Sword to return to the ground.

‘What power… I’m stunned. Then again, I suppose it’s no surprise. You’re the kind of human crazy enough to fight upper-level demons head-on.’

‘That’s rude of you.’

I don’t do this because I want to. I’m just always prepared.

Sena tried to regenerate, but the Fire Sword had burned the wound, preventing it from healing. She would have to gouge out the charred flesh, but it seemed she was hesitating.

Funny how she’s willing to play around with others’ bodies, but when it comes to her own, she hesitates. What a selfish person.

The gate opened further.

I descended to the ground and launched myself at Sena. She raised her right arm, unleashing magic toward me, but I deflected it all with the Heavenly Sword.

‘Are you really just an adventurer?’

‘I am. Just an adventurer with the title of the Empire’s strongest.’

Now they’ll add ‘mage apprentice’ to the list. Titles just keep piling up.

If the princess heard, she’d probably laugh and mock me. She’d gladly come up with some new nickname.

‘Heavenly Knight’ was at least a decent one… but that was thanks to the church.

Sena’s magic wasn’t weak—it was just that Kasugal was abnormal.

If it were Kasugal’s magic, I probably couldn’t deflect it all. Plus, for some reason, Kasugal’s specialty fire magic burns blue.

And each shot is far heavier than Sena’s.

‘A wall of shock, block him.’

Sena cast shock magic to push me, trying to trap me by attacking with a surface rather than a point.

A clever move.

An invisible wall pressed against me, trying to force me back to the ground.

I touched the unseen wall with my free left hand. It felt like solidified air—a strange sensation.

I pressed my palm against it and used levitation magic to resist the pushing force.

Sena had more magic power than I did. Her magic seemed further strengthened by her devotion to demons.

Levitation magic alone wasn’t enough to counter it.

So, I grabbed the wall with my left hand. Shock magic, in essence, solidifies air through magic.

In terms of elements, it falls under wind.

You can’t normally grab air, but if it’s solidified, that changes things.

As my grip strength surpassed the hardness of the shock magic, I felt it start to crack.

‘No way…’

Sena’s face twisted in disbelief. The wall formed by the shock magic shattered under sheer force.

She tried to quickly distance herself with levitation magic, but she moved in the direction where Sepia was.

I’ll let her have a bit of the spotlight.

Sepia, held by Victor, extended her hands toward Sena.

Above Sena, a massive chunk of ice appeared.

Simultaneously, a cage of lightning surrounded Sena, preventing her from escaping.

‘Damn it!’

With Sepia’s fierce shout, the ice chunk fell toward Sena. Sena hastily cast a barrier above her, but the sheer weight of the ice pushed her down to the ground.

It seemed that Sepia’s magic and Sena’s barrier were evenly matched.

I couldn’t tell if Sepia was just that powerful or if Sena was lacking.

I grabbed the fallen Fire Sword and landed.

Then, I walked toward Sena.

She was barely holding off the ice, but it was clear she had no room to spare. It was probably because she could only use one arm.

‘Close the gate.’

‘No way.’

‘I see.’

‘…Why is it that, even though the gate has opened this much, no demons have come through?’

‘I don’t know.’

The gate was already half-open. Yet nothing seemed to be coming through.

I raised the Fire Sword and pointed it at Sena.

‘Even if you kill me, the gate will still—’

Those were her last words. Sena’s head fell.

Even a witch will die if you take her head off.

Sena’s last words… People like her never think about the consequences. The demon worshippers I met in the kingdom were the same.

If only they used their brains and power for something more productive.

Victor, Sepia, and I stood before the gate.

The gate was large and black. I tried slashing it with both the Fire Sword and the Heavenly Sword, but neither left a scratch.

I also tried closing it by force, but that didn’t work either.

Just as Sena had said, the gate continued to slowly open.

‘It’s strange… Usually, even if the gate opens just a little, lower demons would rush out from hell.’

Victor muttered as he gazed at the gate.

Sepia was inspecting the gate thoroughly.

As I was wondering what to do, Mastema appeared from the red sky.

It looked like she had come to join us.

‘Is it over?’

‘This is all that’s left.’

In response to Mastema’s words, I pointed to the gate.

‘The gate’s really opening.’

Mastema seemed impressed. She stuck her head inside the gate.

‘Ah.’

Mastema muttered and pulled her head back out.

‘Our Demon Lord is in there.’

Seriously?