316 That's why I'm picking you up.

One by one, the undead are defeated. Shishou is heading to Princess Hilmera's place to finish the job.

If Princess Hilmera is at a disadvantage, these undead might gather to Shisho. It's not that I don't believe in the Iliad, but I have to eliminate any danger that might befall Shisho.

"Phew ...... phew .......

The magic is fine, but the physical exhaustion is a little more difficult. You can usually use simple magic to reduce the burden on your body, but since you can't use magic now, the repercussions of using magic will be directly on your body.

If this were you, you might be able to use the minimum amount of magic you need, but I don't have that kind of dexterity. At times like this, I'm thankful that I'm a bastard.

I look for the next target while catching my breath. The smell of death doesn't help my nose much, but it should still be easier than everyone who can't use magic.

"Aah!

I stopped in my tracks, realizing that among all the smells, there was one I knew. It was--

"Hello, Wolfe, are you going your separate way?

"......mur......st

It was Murscht. His appearance was a little different from what I normally saw, his armor was partially broken and he had bloodstains all over his body. The smell of blood wafting from that man ...... this is Harkdok and Masetta's .......

Take a stance and raise your guard. This man is the enemy. He's on the side of Princess Hilmera, who Shisho is trying to stop. Not only that, but he's on the side of Harkdok and Masetha. .......

It's a no-brainer. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

...... You look like you don't think about it at all.

I'd like to make an effort to think about it.

I'd like to make an effort to think about it," he said, "but I'm not sure if those two are still alive, or if ...... I should be thinking about this person in front of me right now.

I don't know if I should call it instinct, but something inside me is telling me that this person is dangerous. I had a vague feeling from the first time I met him that it would be better to kill him if I could.

Mursht, this person will surely be bad for Shisho. It's because I've had this premonition for a long time that I'm able to accept this person in front of me as an enemy.

However, there is one question that remains in my mind. It is because I have understood this person a little bit that I cannot understand something.

...... Why does he seem to be having so much fun when he chose to antagonize Shisho?

This person likes Shisho. People who like Shisho can clearly see that. But this person is not the least bit hesitant to become the enemy of Shisho. I can't for the life of me figure out how that's possible.

This is not the kind of thing to ask someone who has become your enemy, but knowing your opponent is necessary to win.

This person is probably strong, maybe even stronger than me. So I need to know him a little better.

So I need to know a little bit about this person. - Okay, so you're the type of person who suppresses your emotions.

"......?

"You don't have a clear idea of what you want. You want him, but you're not trying to figure out what it is you want from him.

Mursht drew his sword and pointed the tip towards me. The eyes behind him did not contain hostility or disgust, but even a hint of pity.

"If you loved someone, you would want them all. But what would you choose if you had to weigh them all? Would you be able to answer that question without hesitation?

"I don't understand what you're saying. What are you trying to say?

I'm saying...

With the same expression on his face, Mursht told him his own purpose. He told me what he was going to do in this battle, what he was going to do to Shishou, and how he wanted it to end.

When I heard that, I understood. I sympathized with him. I envied him, if only briefly, for being able to bring about that end myself.

"You ...... are ......!

But more than that, I felt an emotion move deep inside me. I have to kill this man here. I must not let this man see Shisho.

"Oh, I knew this would happen. I knew this would happen. That form of jealousy mixed with murderous intent is very appealing.

Murscht's sword blocked his fist as he spewed his magic and closed the distance.

It was heavy, as if it were blocked by a hard piece of iron. It's not that he's heavy, it's just that he's completely taken the impact of my fist.

The magic reinforcement used by Ilias, Kara and the other knights of the TARDIS is not simply hardening, but it also has the flexibility to pass the impact. But Ilias and the others don't rely on that alone, they use their skills in handling armor to pass the impact. Even the mighty Scarlet Witch King deployed multiple wards.

Similar is the Blue Demon King, who also stopped my fist with his bare hands. But I could feel that there was some kind of unfamiliar power at work.

Mursht, he didn't use any technique or special power to stop my fist. He just absorbed the impact with his body, which he obtained by strengthening his magic. This fact alone conveys the fact that this person is an abnormal being.

There is something about this person that makes him a monster like me. This is probably due to the hardness of his body.

The way you use your magic is very powerful. I'm surprised you're not out of breath.

"Hmph!

This man caught my fist, but his movement was not that fast. So if you can increase your speed, you should be able to hit him directly.

It repeatedly shoots back and forth, moving quickly around Mursht to disrupt him. I know you're following me with your eyes, but you're not reacting as well as Ilias and the others.

It was the bastard of Yugra, ......, wasn't it? In terms of flamboyance, your talent stands out more than Ark Real.

Just as Murscht's gaze was about to drift to the side, he shot his magic in the other direction. He slips to the front, at his feet, and makes a fist.

You're not ready, and you don't have a clear view. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

I'm sure you've seen it.

I'm not sure what to do. It's a good idea to keep your mind occupied until the end of the battle.

You can't always blow up your opponent just because you hit them. If you are within striking distance, then so is your opponent. This is what Shishou called zanshin.

Because of his advice, I was able to avoid this counterattack. I attacked from a position where he couldn't have seen me, but the blade came at me just as my fist hit him.

This man had read how I was going to attack, and swung his sword as if he was anticipating.

He's fast. His fists are also very heavy. It's a good thing I ate light.

"......

The fact that it was attacking me meant that it had read my movements. I'm not sure what to make of it.

But the blow that was struck was a serious one. That's the same power that blew the dragon's head off in the Tarzian Realm, so there's no way it didn't work. .......

Mursht has more use for his talents as a bastard than I do. I'd have to agree.

Don't worry, it's working pretty well. Don't worry, it's working pretty well, though Harkdock's aim is better at the vital points.

The damage to that chest area was caused by Harkdock's ....... I'm sure you'll find a lot of people who'd like to know more about this.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'd like to know what you think. However, even though he was attacked, he did not try to avoid it. I was wary that he would read me if I aimed for the vital points too easily.

"Yes. You've absorbed a lot from a lot of good people. You wanted all the power you could get for him, to give to him. The shape of your heart is like a tree growing upside down. ...... I don't need to wait and see.

"What?

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

I felt the wind pressure of the sword caressing my skin, and I broke out in a sweat. The current speed of the Iliad ......, or perhaps even more than Ragdoll .......

I'm not sure what to make of this.

You can't avoid a blow like that from a harddog. If he had his bastard sense of danger, he might be able to evade before the attack took place, but he still wouldn't be able to do it in time.

Even I can't avoid it that easily. But if you take even a single blow, you're finished.

"Phew, phew ...... phew!

I'm not sure what to do. It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a problem with this.

I'm sure he can't make fine movements at that speed, though that speed is a threat. When he jumped into the air, his attacks were very monotonous, and he didn't seem to anticipate my movements.

So, if you don't position yourself directly in front of it, and stand on its left, right, or back, it won't be able to make that attack.

So that's how it's coming. Then let's run!

What?

When I thought that Mursht took off in the wrong direction with his sword sticking out in front of him, he turned while maintaining his speed. He continued to turn once, twice, without slowing down, and ran through the surroundings in all directions.

Even when I evaded an attack that was about to reach me, it immediately adjusted its direction to my direction and jumped in. This is not just running around like crazy. It must have some kind of intuition and is hunting me down.

"d*mn!

It's not enough to just strengthen the magic, you have to use magic spew to avoid it. This evasion method is very nerve-wracking to use in succession because of the large movements. Evade, check the next move, evade, evade. ...... No, I'm going to lose Murscht from my sight. ......!

I'm not sure what to do.

You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

"Kah!

My breathing stopped. I feel like I'm going to lose consciousness. But if I don't, I'm going to die. Stay conscious, don't lose sight of the situation, and don't accept death!

I clench my lips to keep my vision clear. Bite your lip and clench it to keep your vision clear. Figure out where you are in the air, spew your magic, and reorient yourself.

"Oh, did I hit it?

Mursht reacted to the sensation of hitting me and stopped his rush. The shoulder part of his armor was cracked wide open. My gauntlet must have smashed into that part.

But there's no sign of injury in his movements. I was at .......

I didn't feel any pain, so I thought I wasn't seriously injured, but the condition of my left arm, which caught the impact, was terrible. The gauntlet is still intact, just a lump of iron dripping with blood.

It seems to be able to spew out magic power, but it is no longer possible to lift it properly. His elbows and shoulders are probably broken as well.

"Phew ......! "Huh. ......!

"Nice eyes. The eyes of a beast that hasn't given up yet, that still has the will to kill.

Murscht readies himself again. The next time it strikes, he won't be able to stand. You can avoid it by jumping to the nearby wall and sticking to it. However, if that action was read, he would receive a direct hit from that rush in a precarious position.

You can't kill this guy if you focus on evasion. There is no way to stop that move, so you have to think of a way to defeat him.

"......

Use the jet to get distance. If you're not sure what to do, you can always ask for help.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it. The amount of magic power that can be spewed out at once has been memorized by my body through experience. If you try to exert more power than that, even your magic-enhanced body will not be able to withstand the recoil.

But if you want to, you can. If you don't think about what will happen to your body, you can surely use more magic than the limit.

This is a compromise between what Shisho doesn't want me to do and what I can do for him.

"--Good. I'll go with you, I'm ready.

Murscht also drops his body deeply and rushes straight at me. It's faster than before, but at this distance you can time it well enough.

I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do this, but I'm going to have to.

I'm not sure what to do.

I unleashed all the magic power I had stored in my right arm and struck Murscht with all the blow I could muster.