154 be settled next.

Use your locator spell to see if there's any magic leaking from Lakra. She's completely unconscious.

An ordinary Yugra priest's warding would've blown the body off.

I'm surprised she's still alive after taking a direct hit. There's a difference even with a single warding spell.

Did you kill it?

No, it was several times harder than normal warding magic, so I just stunned him.

He spins the cudgel and checks the condition of his wrist. It's a little dinged up, but I think I can handle a couple of rounds.

Now, considering what's to come, we should kill it quickly. .......

"Brother, please help me stop the bleeding of those lying on the floor before I kill this guy.

"Oh, yeah.

It's not that they're all unconscious, but each of them is applying magic enhancement to stop the bleeding, but it's not enough to heal them.

The only thing you can do in this situation is to throw them away, but it's obvious that they will bleed to death when their energy runs out.

I'll roughly treat the wounds of my companions and drag them to a corner. Keep the severed leg cool so that it doesn't rot.

I've only got the bare minimum of general magic, so if they're left unattended too long, they might become useless. ...... Well, in that case, let's just say it was bad luck.

You're not going to be able to resist, so when the Quama soldiers come, you'll be caught and treated like an adult.

I'm sorry ...... Hark Doc. I'm sorry I slowed you down. ......

Don't worry about it. It was just a bad guy. Get some sleep.

With that, they closed their eyes and went back to their work of enduring the pain.

Considering the nature of the Quama soldiers who came in, they wouldn't just leave them to die.

I don't know when we'll be able to save them, but we'll see.

Hark-dog, are you ready?

Sorry, brother. Can you go on ahead, please?

...... pursuers?

Yeah. If we don't, he'll stop again. I'll stay behind.

Do you think he's a match?

It's a long shot. I just want to get away from him if he tries to kill me, so I need you to go first.

You've come a long way from slowing me down.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

I'm kidding. Don't die, Hark-dog. Don't let the old man spend the rest of his life with one arm.

Yes, I'll be back in a minute and work for two!

You're making me a monster.

Jestiff's brother laughed evilly and ran to the end of the aisle.

That's better. At least now I won't have to worry about you when I'm stalling my next opponent.

"That's enough. Come on out!　Ecdyke!

At the sound of my voice, a man jumps down from the top of the passage Lakra destroyed.

Needless to say, it's Ecdysius. This is the first time I've detected him head-on.

There's not a hint of carelessness in his expression.

...... I knew you'd notice.

I've been watching you since the middle of the battle.

Exduk appeared shortly after the battle with Lakra began. When he was caught by the detection spell, I wondered what to do, but he didn't seem to join in.

But the moment Lakra was defeated, he started preparing to attack me, my brother, and my friends at the same time.

I could tell he was going to do it when he was about to finish Lakra off, so I took advantage of that.

I kept my mind on my brother and cared for my friends. I was able to get him to go ahead safely.

As expected, Ecdysius continued to watch and wait.

I thought it was naive of him not to kill Lakra. "I thought you were being lax in not killing Lakra, but I guess it was a check on me.

"He's not dead, but I knew he wouldn't wake up for a while. It's the ones who are trying to move that I'm worried about, not the ones who are stuck. So you didn't interrupt me in the middle of this, did you think I was stupid? Or was that guy telling you what to do?

"My people instructed me that if Harkdok and Lakra were fighting, I should immediately attack them so as not to kill any nearby Jestaff.

Seriously, that was a bad idea: ....... I didn't think I could get out of here if my brother was injured.

And I didn't have the strength to protect my brother when he was focused on Lakra. .......

That guy is really relentless!　No, it's more than that.

So it's your idea?

Yes. I knew from the situation that Lakra was going to have a one-on-one fight with you. I didn't feel comfortable interfering with that. It's my fault that it turned out this way.

You sound like a ...... warrior. But I'll say thank you.

That thank you will be offset by the fact that you did not try to finish Lakra.

So, we're gonna fight it out here?

"So we're going to fight here?" "I'm stuck here, Lakra, with my friends.

I don't know much about Exoik's fighting style, but I'm pretty sure that chain is designed to attack a wide area.

It's not a good idea to fight with hostages in each other's hands.

"Right. I'd like to move around a bit if possible.

Then follow me a little further back.

Okay.

We start to move a little further back. As he did so, Exequik manipulated a piece of chain and carried Lakra over the hole he had destroyed.

I guess he was wary of the possibility of my people getting their hands on him.

Well, a woman who cut off her own leg could do anything if she was down.

I wanted to finish her off. I don't think I can beat her the same way, you know.

When you've moved far enough, stop walking and face Ecdysium.

Is this a good place?

You're asking me?

I don't know your attack range. I don't know your attack range. If you're going to reach my people, you'll have to let me go farther.

Don't worry about it. Even if we go at it right there, we won't get caught.

We're not moving!

Not really. We can't focus on the strongman in front of us if we're both seeing things that concern us.

A strongman, huh? Like Lakra, your initial evaluation of me is very high.

If you had been as lenient as Gilista, I could have taken advantage of you as much as I wanted. .......

I've already measured the specs of Exduk. He's not human after all.

The magic I can feel is pretty close to what I felt from the Quama demon world. I mean, it's super thick.

It's closer to a demon than a human. No, he's more than that.

If it's just magic skill, Lakra is probably better. But Lakra's other specs are quite low.

Maybe he couldn't use more than one spell at a time. Otherwise, there are a lot of moves that don't make sense.

On the other hand, Exduk's abilities are well balanced and of a high standard. Honestly, there's not much I can do about it. Oh no.

But since I call myself your right-hand man, I have to do it.

So, let's fight ......!

After a few steps, he leaps from the ground to the wall to the ceiling to close the distance.

It will at least try to stretch its chains in all directions. If you don't kill him before he does, you'll have a hard time.

Ecdysium didn't move a step, his arms still slumped down. The chains wrapped around his arms are flowing to the ground.

I know that magic is flowing into the chains. If I come within a certain distance, those chains will attack me at once, right?　It's obvious!

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'm not the only one.

"Here we go...?

Instinct warns me to stop, and I'm planning to avoid it, but can't I?　No?

On the last step, step in front of it and stop suddenly. At the same time, I'll fly backwards as hard as I can.

At the same time, the magic in the chain of ecduk that was scattered on the ground is activated. In an instant, its volume expands and fills the entire passage.

That's not good!　It wasn't enough to evade or anything!　That bastard attacked, filling the entire passage!

I kicked away the chains and landed further back. I'm sorry to say that I'm too impatient to make a decision out of the blue.

As if sensing that the attack had missed, the chains began to shrink.

You can see Exduk's figure through the pile of chains, but his expression is unchanged.

"I see. So this is when your instincts kick in to warn you. I'd say that's when your instincts kick in.

"......, don't you dare judge me by my instincts!

That attack was not meant to kill me. The Ex-Doctor measured the performance of my instincts.

This is really unpleasant!　Hey!

To be honest, the situation is worse than before. I managed to avoid Lakra's attack because I sensed the flow of magic.

It's a good thing that the slashes that came at once were single shots, even though they were at a terrifying speed.

But now that I've seen it, I don't feel like going into the pocket!

Look at the walls of the passage that had been filled with chains just now. It's cracked everywhere and doesn't seem to be able to function as a foothold.

So I'll have to take at least one step in that place to get a shot at Ecduke. That's impossible!　I'll fall!

Well, what should I do?　I'm not sure what to do.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.

I'm not sure what to do.　

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure it's a good idea. Then there's a good chance it can be defeated if you have the right moves.

But with those chains, even if we go in half-heartedly, we're bound to be intercepted.

No, wait!　If it's impossible to get to that position, then ....... Okay!

"Hey, Exduk!　Let's see if you're a good judge of human instincts!　Next time we'll go faster!

"...... You're going for something else, aren't you?

Oh my god, they know. I'm so bad at bluffing!

No, it doesn't matter. That guy never lets his guard down. He's not bluffing.　So it doesn't matter!

I'm going to do the same thing as before, leap on the spot a few times, and step in at once.

I'm going to use a little more magic power this time. It's going to be hard on your body, but it doesn't matter!

It's the same motion as the Exduke, and in this narrow passage, it's a combination of offense and defense!

One step, two steps, three steps, it's time for Instinct to alert ......!

I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.

At the same time, the magic in the chain of the exhuast is activated, and it expands in the same way, but this time the speed at which it approaches our side is much faster. Very ingenious, very ingenious!

Instinct doesn't recommend you stay here. I know that. So I stepped on ...... and leapt right on top of it!

"What?

You'll be able to see a glimpse of Ex-Doik hiding behind the expanding chains, looking surprised at my strange behavior.

In addition, my instincts are telling me to be even more alert than before. Well, if you jump on the spot, you can't avoid it!

But this is good!

I stick to the ceiling while spinning the cudgel. Instinct, sensing what I'm about to do, stops warning me. Thank you for the endorsement!

Ignoring the looming chains, I shoot my inner hand at the ceiling.

.

Same rush, but faster. Then I'll limit the direction of my expansion until I hit him with the chain faster than before.

I thought so, and launched a counterattack, but he suddenly stopped far ahead. It seems that his instincts are able to react to our response as well.

What?

But I couldn't hide my surprise at what he did next.

Rather than taking evasive action, he leapt toward the ceiling on the spot.

The previous attack could have been avoided only by flying backwards after a sudden stop.

If you don't evade this attack as well, the chain will hit you. What the hell are you after?

Just before the chain was about to hit, there was an explosion. Then I felt the chains collide. But this is .......

I hurriedly unspooled the chains and returned them to their original state. The answer was immediately clear.

"So that's what it is: ......

Harkdock's target was the ceiling, and he must have struck it with the same powerful blow that killed Lakra.

When Lakra had descended to this spot, he had used earth magic to clear some of the earth from the passage.

But Harkdock just broke it. Naturally, the earth above the passage collapsed in the aftermath of the blow.

As a result, the wall of earth prevented the attack of our chain.

That's not all. Now that a wall has been built between him and me, ...... he doesn't have to fight anymore.

I deployed my chains and chipped away at the wall of earth in front of me. At the same time, use earth magic to shovel the buried earth backwards.

Re-compress and harden the soil on the ceiling. Harden a part of the chain to support it.

There's no need to worry about it collapsing again. We need to get this wall down fast.

Given Jestaff's speed, he'll be out of the safe zone by now.

If he joins up with Harkdock, this whole operation will be for naught.

"d*mn it ......!

I couldn't help but complain. This is because I feel ashamed of my shallow actions.

My compatriot said. Harkdok would be enough to defeat Lakra. He told me to fight him with both of us, no matter what.

When I caught up with him, Lakra was already fighting Harkdock. I tried to join him immediately, but I stopped moving.

I wondered if Lakra could really be defeated.

From the looks of it, Lakra's combat power far surpasses that of Harkdok. Even if he has crisis perception beyond human level, his physical ability is not that high.

But in fact, Lakra was defeated. Luckily, she didn't die, but she could have died because of my decision.

That fact shook me, and I was too focused on protecting Lacla. Harkdock read my mind, and Jestiff got away before I could.

And now, here we are, even with Harkdock at .......

The earthen wall was broken down, and the inner passage came into view.

But of course, Harkdock was nowhere to be seen.

If I don't hurry up and go after him, my movement speed will still be enough to catch up--?

Just as he was about to step out, some of the earth he had broken exploded.

From within it, there was a harddog covered in mud. His face was smiling.

You don't mean to tell me that you were swallowed up in that crumbling soil on purpose?

So I dug in and took advantage of the opportunity to get close to ......!

That distance is on the last foot. That means he's in range.

There's the blow that blew out the defenses, or rather, the rakura wards.

If you deploy your defenses with all of your chains, you will be pierced ......!

I got you, Exdoik!

"...... won't let you!

What?

A single magic through the chain. No complicated multiple construction, just a simple command.

I ordered the chain to 'self-destruct'. At the same time, all of the chains that had been deployed burst on the spot.

I was not prepared to prevent the impact completely. Although he had used the minimum amount of physical reinforcement, the countless shards of heat pierced his entire body without mercy.

At the same time, the explosion in the small space, the shock hit them without mercy.

They grit their teeth and endure the pain while their bodies are blown apart and roll around on the ground.

Harcudok took a defensive posture with both arms at the moment the chain self-destructed. That means he may not be hurt as badly as I am.

That means if I don't get up right away, he can move first.

"--Gggghhh!

Ignoring the pain in my body, I tried to force myself to get up, not knowing the direction of the ground.

But there was no ground in the direction he had expected, and his hands flailed. He groped for the ground and forced himself to stand up.

You hold on to your body as it wobbles, and support it by slamming it against the wall.

Hurry to restore your blurred vision. Turn your attention, assess the situation!

In my vision, I see Harkdok, who is on his feet, just as battered as I am.

Unlike me, who was propped up against the wall, he was already walking towards me with his weapon at the ready.

"----, ----.

He seems to be saying something, but I can't make it out. It looks like his eardrums were injured by the explosion at close range.

He applies healing magic to his body and hearing, but it's slow. If he gets close enough, he won't even be able to defend himself.

There is a way to stop him. I still have my chains.

"What?

Activate the true Blind Eye and deploy a completely invisible chain between you and him.

Not as a defense, but as an attack. And he evades it with surprise.

He who had evaded the true "Blind Eye" ward that Lakra had used would naturally be able to detect it.

"You use the same technique as Lakra? Or is it the other way around? That power comes from a different kind of magic flowing through you.

I can hear him now that my hearing is restored. The body will take a little longer.

If so, I'll try to copy my compatriot's technique here.

You're still avoiding ...... bullshit perceptions.

Which is bullshit!　I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to do it.　Didn't you ever learn to value your life?

I'm sorry, but I was raised by demons.

...... Seriously, I'm an orphan and I feel sorry for you.

But judging by the damage from the explosion, it seems your instincts are not ...... all-powerful either.

"Nonsense, my instincts are all-powerful. But I'm the one who moves when I hear the warning. If I had been able to see that it was a self-destruct, I would have handled it a lot better.　

So that's it. His ability to sense danger is higher than you can imagine.

But it's Hark-dog's will to move when he senses it. That's where you can take advantage of him.

My body is still in ...... pain, but I've recovered enough to move. I can still fight.

Without the chains, I'll be fighting at my best distance from here. I can't help you with the invisible attack, but that technique must be very hard on your eyes, right?

"...... is a good analysis.

The weakness of the true "blind eye" is also read. It's not a decisive factor as long as it can be detected even though it is invisible. If you use it too much, it will destroy your vision and end there.

It's a shame, but there's only one thing left to do. Breathe and take a relaxed stance.

He further strengthened his magic power with his arms and legs, and faced Harkdock.

You don't like melee combat.　You're the type of person who doesn't like to fight in close quarters, which is why you're using chains.

"Yeah, I honestly don't want to have to fight at their range all the time. I'd rather not have to fight at range all the time, but I've only got four limbs.

...... Well, I don't mind giving up!

The harddog jumps in. It's probably because he judged that we were not going to use the true Blind Eye.

In fact, if you use it now, you won't make it in time. The only thing you can do is fight.

The whirling club's blow extends toward you. It may not be his deepest move, but it will be powerful enough.

Prepare yourself and sharpen your concentration.

The trajectory you see in your eyes, the pressure you feel on your skin, the sense of danger you feel in your instincts, you take all of them into account and decide on your reflexes what action to take.

You take a step forward in response to a blow to the left side of the head and strike the inside of the opponent's elbow with your left fist.

"Ow!

You can feel his bones creaking against your left arm. You can feel the bone creaking in your opponent's left arm, and with the momentum of both sides, the impact is greater than a simple puncture.

The pain stopped Harkdock's attack and he swayed backwards.

However, he immediately stood his ground, dropped deeply to his waist, and counterattacked with his left arm.

But the attack stops.

"Gah!

The left fist that I struck, I had given it magic so that it would activate the lightning strike magic in a time delay.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not.

But that's enough. He grabs Harkdock's left arm with his right hand and pulls him downward.

The back of the Hurtdog's head is pinned with his left hand, and he slams his knee into his face with all his might.

I'm not going to ...... chase after a blown up Harkdock. As long as his eyes are still alive, I won't attack aggressively.

Harkdock steps on the tatara, but does not fall. His fighting spirit shows no signs of waning.

"You're not very good at ...... fighting, are you?

I admit I don't like it, but I never said I was bad at it.

I don't remember saying I was bad at it.　There's no way you can incorporate compound magic into a combat match overnight!

Of course not. I was raised as a killer by the great demon Vegragudo without a single day of rest. Do you think a demon would teach me how to fight with a weapon?

Demons use their bodies and magic to fight better than humans.

He was given a set of weapons because he was human and was forced to learn to use them, but most of the fighting he learned from Vegragudo was in combat.

I'm not a fan of the chain. ...... It doesn't look like a weapon a human would use.

"Chains are my favorite. You got a problem with that?

It's not bad. It's rather nice.

Well, I think your whirling cudgel is in good taste. I'll try to learn it next time.

Thanks!

Harkdok's fighting skills are high, but not so high as to be overwhelming.

In terms of skill alone, he is probably of lesser quality than Parshero, who was a disciple of Gladna the Fist.

So even at this distance, I have the advantage, having beaten Parshero with my bare hands.

He has a high sense of danger. The higher the danger to his life, the more accurate he is.

That's why he uses a lot of small moves and does damage gradually without using big moves.

He carefully handles Harkdock's attacks and accumulates damage with his return attacks.

You'll be able to get a lot more out of it.　It is a common sense to take turns hitting each other because it is a martial arts battle!

This one is wearing out my spirit even more than usual. It's a match.

It's not worth it!

This method seems to be effective after all.

The attacks are missing and the counterattacks are taking a toll on Harkdok's health.

While analyzing Harkdock, who was breathing on his shoulder, I found out something.

Hark-dog has no talent. He has a high standard in martial arts, but none of it is natural.

Without the ability to sense danger, he would be no more than a reasonably skilled adventurer.

Perhaps the training to make use of his overly high sense of danger has taken up most of his time in life.

But that doesn't mean I'm going to look down on you.

Harkdock defeated Lakra, whom I was able to defeat.

He was an ordinary genius, but he surpassed his natural ability, honed through tireless effort.

It wasn't just his ability to sense danger. He used Lakra's mind to his advantage and created an opening.

Because of his ordinary talent, Harkdok has learned how to defeat the strong.

The way he is, he's more like his people. Hark-dog is more dangerous than I am, more capable of rivaling his people.

Even without power, he can find a way to defeat the powerful. It's not a talent, it's experience.

"This is ......!

Harkdok is trying to disrupt our movement with his erratic movements.

Don't go along with it. Don't be taken by surprise. Just deal with it calmly.

Don't let them make you do anything. Don't let anyone make you do anything. Don't let them break the advantageous conditions.

If you sense a strange presence, strike a light check and move away immediately. Never let him make a big move.

He's definitely weakened. He hasn't stopped bleeding from the self-destruct wound. He probably doesn't have the skill to use healing magic in combat.

On the other hand, I've recovered most of the damage to my body. He's in almost the same condition as before the battle.

What's astonishing is his mental strength. His will to fight hasn't diminished in the slightest. In fact, he's getting stronger.

He has a reason to fight so hard.

"......?　What ......?

"It is not only your physical strength that allows you to fight this far. It must be because you have a strong will that you cannot be defeated. To be honest, I'm almost overwhelmed by your spirit.

If that's what you think, let me ...... hit you at least once!

I refuse.

In response to the big blow, he strikes a small blow to the throat.

It can be avoided or defended. So the power is low.

It's also a great way to make sure that you don't get caught in the middle of a situation.

I'm not sure what to do.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

Stay like this. If you can stay like this, you can win.

No, don't try to win. Just wait until Ilias and the others arrive.

If it's Ilias or Wolfe, Hark-dog's physical abilities won't be enough to detect the danger.

Maintain the status quo, that's all I want you to do.

Make up your mind and take a new stance. Then Harkdock stopped moving.

He exhales slowly, catching his breath.

Is he trying to recover from the fact that there is no sign of movement from us?

...... You're not going to win, are you?

...... I'm going to win in the end.

Okay, so you're just waiting for that monster to cheer you up. You're being very cautious with me.

Yeah, I admit you're a dangerous guy.

Lakra was trying to win until the last second.

...... What does it matter?

You guys are brother and sister, right?

I had a creepy, bad feeling about this. But I mustn't jump into the fray here.

How did you know?

We're on the same magical wavelength. It's a common trait among blood relatives. And while we're at it, you're feeling a little guilty about that Lakra, aren't you?

"......

Don't answer that. You didn't try to join me when I was fighting Lakra. You were so sure you were stronger than Lakra, and you thought so highly of me, that you would have joined me. But you saw it through, you believed that Lakra could win, that your sister, who is better than you, could win.

I can't deny those words. That's what I meant, without a doubt.

That's why I'm fighting so carefully against Harkdock, the man who defeated Lakra.

"I've fought both of them, and I can tell you, honestly, you're stronger. But it makes sense that you'd be intimidated by Lakra. I just want to tell you why.

Let's hear it for .......

"Just before she lost consciousness, Rakura knew that her wards had been broken and that she had been damaged to the point of passing out. But in his muddled and fading consciousness was a strong will to do it alone. That's what you're lacking, Exoik.

......, I suppose.

And now you're blowing your chance to surpass your sister.　You have a chance to surpass your sister.

Harkdock has a point. But don't take him up on his offer.

That is Harkdock's trap. Just like his people, he can see into your hearts and make you upset.

I'll take your word for it. But it won't change what's happening now.

......

"Well, if you're not going to do it, then do it. I'll just swing around and hope I get lucky. I'm the type of person who has a string of bad luck followed by big luck. The big one's about to come.

"......

"Don't say anything, or you're right, but I don't want to take you up on it. Have it your way!

A hulkdock jumps into the air. The speed is almost the same as it was at the beginning, as if it is using its last strength.

But even so, this difference in skill cannot be overturned.

I evade the large swing and deliver a light blow. He has been trying to deflect some of the impact until now, but even that trickery has been abandoned.

I'm not sure what to say.

You can hear him gritting his teeth and swinging with all his might. Even if the blow hits, the situation will not move any more.

You'll be able to see it clearly.

That's when I saw it clearly. The light went out of Harkdock's eyes.

He wobbled and slowed down. He's completely unconscious. There's nothing you can do under these circumstances. If you pursue him, ...... he will fall.

The only thing that comes to mind is what I just said, the opportunity to go beyond ...... Lakra is right in front of me.

But isn't this a trap?　Yes, it must be a trap!

If we make a big swing here, he's sure to react!

If we're going to defeat him, it'll have to be a small blow to stop him from striking back!

A small blow will be enough, strike calmly!

Slam your sharp left fist into Harkdock's head. After the hit, fall back and--

"-?

"...... Whew, whew, whew, whew, whew, whew!

I'd misread something here.

I thought his instincts would be to react more strongly to an attack that threatened his life.

But no, even if it's a weak attack, it's enough to make him react if he's vulnerable.

No doubt Harkdock had been knocked unconscious. But his instincts woke him up just as my follow-up attack was about to take him down completely.

And he predicted the kind of attack I was going to make. Instead of following his instincts, he sucked on my fist with his mouth.

My left hand hurt like hell. It's eating away at my skin, eating away at my bones.

I can still get it back up. Just give him your left hand. If you don't let go, you'll break my left fist!

Hark-dog grabs my left arm. I'll read him, and I'll bring my knee up to his chin.

Huh, you're getting hot, aren't you?

What?

I hear him say as my knee hits him. That means he let go of the bite before the knee hit.

All I felt on my knee was a slight scrape of skin. He stepped back slightly to avoid my knee.

Then he tried to push me down, pressing his forehead against my knee.

As I tried to hold on, my foot slipped unexpectedly.

The slip caused my body to fall even more vigorously, hitting my back hard.

A moment later, I saw the blood of a harddog clinging to my leg.

Obviously there was a lot of it. So, when you took that big swing earlier, you purposely ......!

I tried to get up, but the harddog quickly jumped on top of my body.

I told you, it's going to be a big, lucky day.

"!

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out.

I don't have time for this!

I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've seen it before.

It was different from the blow he had struck when he had defeated Lakra, when he had destroyed the ceiling.

"-!

The whirling cudgel, with all its power, struck me in the chest.