Book 5: Chapter 19

「Four Cardinal Generals……I see, so that’s how it is. So you are Demon King Vermudol’s strongest piece.」

Hearing that, Claude produced a smile.

He was certainly surprised by how he was sent flying. However, that was all.

Unless she was able to break Claude, it would be Claude’s victory. It was the same for the bunch at this fort. Repeatedly making attacks that had no effect, they would end up dying in the end.

If there was any point that was different, it was that this woman wasn’t just some footsoldier, but one of Vermudol’s pieces that were called the Four Cardinal Generals.

Claude felt that that point should be evaluated. If he were to kill her, there was no mistake that it would be of help to achieving Ykslaas-sama’s objective. That is why he would offer up his victory to the Ykslaas-sama that he held respect and affection for.

──As he thought that far, Claude was then grandly sent flying backwards.

The reason why he noticed that he was knocked off his feet was because he had an actual feeling of pain.

Fainell then grabbed Claude, who broke a wall of the occupied fort and was sent flying into the corridor, and pulled him up.

「Don’t smile. It’s unpleasant.」

At the same time she said that, Fainell lifted Claude up with one hand.

Together with the *guon* sound of wind being cut, Claude was thrown flying towards the forest.

「U, OOOOH!?」

「Voltenix!」

After driving a Voltenix into Claude who had just been sent flying while mowing down many trees, Fainell looked around inside the occupied base from the broken wall.

Seeing the disastrous scene that spread out there, Fainell grimaced.

「……How, terrible.」

Not too long ago, she had came to this occupied base.

Fainell clearly remembered the cheers and smiling faces of those that came to meet her at that time.

The names and faces of each and every soldier, she had matched all of them.

Those soldiers, they had now turned into corpses that couldn’t described within the fort.

「I am so sorry, that I didn’t make it in time.」

Since they were assaulted, it was probably impossible that all of the soldiers would be safe. She had to be satisfied with the fact that even just a few people had managed to get away.

Even so, Fainell felt her own powerlessness and hung her head down. If I had been just a bit faster, there might have been a few more people that I could have saved──that is how she felt.

However, immediately dying her face in anger, Fainell turned back towards the Lulugal Forest.

From there, a presence awaiting Fainell was transmitted to her. He was hiding himself among the trees of the forest and picking a fight with her.

Certainly, that would have normally been effective──but, his aim wasn’t achieved.

As for why, it was because the current Fainell had absolutely no intention of considering any effects that would be caused to the surroundings.

「The amount of pain that you all have suffered, I shall make him feel the same amount of pain. The amount of tears that you all have shed, I shall make him shed the same amount of tears of regret. The amount of times you all were killed, I shall kill him the same amount. His death agony, I shall offer it up as a memorial service to you all.」

Three magic formations appeared before Fainell’s eyes. Each of the magic formations were turned towards a point in the Lulugal Forest, and on the surface of them, electric shocks that were condensed into spheres sprung forth.

This was an application of the Aubade・Ice Shoot that Rokuna had once fired in the Lulugal Forest.

This was an Original Magic that Fainell developed after hearing about that magic from Sancreed.

「Aubade・Voltenix!」

That invoked three simultaneous shots of Voltenix that would blow away the opponent along with the forest in a single attack.

After the storm of lightning attacks and explosions had trampled down the area, the figure of Claude standing with an astonished expression was there.

「I purposely didn’t make a direct hit on you. You understand the reason why, right?」

Fainell walked along the remains of what was blown away.

「I don’t have a single intention of killing you so easily. Hey, you can tell, right?」

「Kuh……!」

Slipping into Claude’s guard as he was about to fire an Attack Dark, Fainell drove a fist into him.

One hit, two hits, three hits.

Her fists that continuously drove into him were accompanied with tremendous impact, and they didn’t allow Claude to make a single counterattack.

Before long, Claude was sent flying together with an intense kick, however, having immediately corrected his posture and kicking the ground, he swung his sword down on Fainell.

「As if such a large swinging attack……would hit!」

Fainell’s fist that was fired as a counter ran into Claude’s face.

The sword was separated from the toppled Claude’s hands, and fell to the ground.

The difference in ability between the two was clear.

「……What’s wrong, pick up your sword. Stand up, and show me some futile resistance.」

「Kukuku……Fufu.」

However, Claude, while still collapsed, started laughing as if he couldn’t hold it in. Without even minding that his sword had separated from his hand, he sprawled out on the ground and laughed.

「Hahaha……I see, so strong. Like this, there is no way for me to be a match for you!」

Seeing that attitude that seemed to be looking down on her for some reason, Fainell felt discomfort.

Clicking her tongue and saying “so I held back a bit too much”, she put strength into her fists.

「As expected of a subordinate of the Demon King of Chaos. So if I don’t go with the intention of swallowing up everything here, it means that I am no match for you!」

「What nonsense. You, who do you think you are.」

「Me? Now that you mention it, I haven’t introduced myself to you, have I.」

Claude slowly stood up, and spread out both arms.

「I am Claude. One of the Four Knights that are subordinates of the Demon King of Harmony Ykslaas-sama, the Black Knight.」

「Did you say, Demon King of Harmony……?」

Demon King was the title given only to Vermudol. To let anyone else wear that title, was unforgivable.

That is why Fainell sneered at that.

「So that fake Demon King called Ykslaas is the principal offender this time.」

「……What insolence. That mouth of yours become useless right away.」

The magical power within Claude’s body explosively swelled up.

As if something that was being held down was released, it was that kind of rise.

「I did not think I would bring out the technique meant to kill Vermudol here but……Taste it to your heart’s content.」

Claude entrusted his body to the magical power that was on the verge of rampaging, and chanted the words that would release the power he kept within himself.

「Bale Killer (Annihilating Evil Form)」

The magical power erupted with Claude as the center.

Receiving that which turned into a wave of destruction and assailed her, Fainell was grandly blown away.

「Kuh……!」

Raising her body, Fainell stared at the thing that was born on the other side of the cloud of sand that occurred from the aftermath of the explosion.

It was like a giant man that possessed a body made of metal, and it also looked like gigantic armor that didn’t have anything inside.

If she had to compare it to something, it was a gigantic Magic Operated Armor. That representation was appropriate for the current Claude.

However, that wasn’t all.

On its black body, something that seemed like a faint black aura could be seen. It was clear that its body was clad in powerful Darkness magical power.

Claude’s abnormal toughness and resistance to magic, Fainell made a conjecture saying that that magical power was the cause of them.

Being a Magic Operated Armor and Majin who transformed from Mazoku of that similar lineage was the reason for his defensive strength, and that defensive strength was strengthened by a technical skill that could be called Magic Armor. This was the true identity of Claude’s abnormal resistance.

And then, right now, that defensive strength had been drastically increased.

「……I shall re-introduce myself.」

From within that body that was even more gigantic than the occupied base that was at Fainell’s back, a low voice resounded.

「I am Black Lord. The one who will kill you after this, and the one who will kill Vermudol.」

Claude──Black Lord made countless bullets of darkness manifest in the surroundings.

Each and every one of the bullets were Attack Dark magic. The manner in which he made those manifest at the same time, it could even be said to be revenge towards Fainell’s earlier Aubade・Voltenix.

「……Now then, die.」

It was a downpour of Attack Dark that was like a meteor shower, however, Fainell didn’t try to avoid them.

Simply clenching her fists, she assumed a stance against the rain of Attack Dark that was headed towards her.

Comprehending that Fainell was trying to intercept the magic with her fists, Black Lord laughed.

It was futile. It would be one thing if she wore arms for Magic Fist use, but there was no way there was a technique that would allow the bare handed Fainell to resist.

「Kukuku……So you’ve gone crazy before this true difference in strength, you fool.」

「The fool here is you, Black Lord.」

A dazzling light dwelled within Fainell’s fists. It was the radiance of a Magic Fist of Light.

Normally, it wasn’t possible to invoke a Magic Fist of Light while bare handed.

However, that was possible for Fainell. It was because Fainell was the only 「genuine」 Magic Fistfighter in the world. If it was only in regards to manipulation and control of magical power, Fainell would be higher than even Rokuna.

「Wha……AHH!?」

Below Black Lord, the Attack Dark was intercepted by Fainell.

Dealing with attack magic with a different attack magic actually wasn’t all that simple. When negating attack magic, dealing with it with attack magic that surpassed its power was the minimum requirement.

In other words, this situation vividly displayed the difference in the power of their magic and their abilities.

「What’s wrong, is this all there is to that true ability of yours?」

「Guuh……In that case, how about this!」

「Not good. That’s the line of the one who loses.」

The gigantic Dark Lance that Black Lord fired, Fainell blew it away with a single attack of her Light Magic Fist.

「However, this is just perfect. I had sworn to my subordinates that I would murder you several times, see. I was worried over how I would realize that but……man, this is great.」

Lightning congregated in Fainell’s palm. That was the brilliance of a Voltenix.

「I’ll forgive you by driving a lethal-class attack several times. Goodness, it would be a lot simpler if you had multiple lives though. You’re such an awkward guy.」

Pouring in magical power that was even more powerful than the one that was fired before, Fainell expressed a savage smile.

「But still, I praise you for becoming huge. Thanks to that, even if I fire Voltenix with all of my power, it looks like I’ll be able to avoid destroying the forest that my subordinates watched over any more than this. Also, let’s see……」

The lightning in Fainell’s palm started sparking as it waited for the time it would be fired.

「So that you don’t damage the collapsed trees, die while standing. Even a blockhead like you should be able to do that much, right?」

And then, together with a thunderous roar, a gigantic lightning attack was fired.

That looked like a pillar of lightning that was rising from the earth to the heavens.