A Death Row Convict Teaches at a School of Magic

I am seriously outmatched by this guy.

Even with a glance at Matthias, I could recognize that the light of his life was already dimming. His right arm was severed at the base, his right shoulder was hanging down erratically, and his pants were discolored with his own blood. In that condition, his vision must have been affected by anemia. Yet, what was this power that I had never felt before in him, let alone that had not diminished in the slightest? Perhaps under the strain of this force, I noticed that Arti fell flat on her buttocks next to me. Even I had to confess that it sent a chill down my spine in a flash.

[Mr. Matthias!? Why are you here―]

“If anything, Xenia, you took the trouble to enlighten yourself.”

[You… dotard!]

It was during this point that Alice howled for the first time. All the demons in the surrounding area were simultaneously subjected to magic such as “Inforce,” “Gale,” “Strength,” and “Magical Eye,” as well as intermediate-class magic such as “Dragonic Soul” and “Iron Body” to enhance them, allowing the demons to sense that they have been drastically fortified. Even if wounds were all over him, the demons were still wary of Matthias, but no matter how formidable Matthias was, this was after all―

“―Six machine hands.”

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Each of the demons was penetrated in the split second that Matthias disappeared, resulting in them with a single, lethal blow.

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[―W-What the hell is that!?]

“…That’s far too haphazard.”

Alice’s voice and mine coincided incongruously.

Even Alice, who was an original first-class magician who had been through a number of rough patches, uttered a tense cry as every single demon which should have been a challenge was reduced to dust. Soon after, she kneaded up another vast amount of magical power and set about replenishing her lost forces in one fell swoop.

“But if it had been a head-to-head match, that would have been the optimal course of action…!”

Invoking Magical Eye on the spot, I searched for the place where the magical power was sharply on the rise. Alice, a magician of equal competence, was exerting her all-out effort to knead magical power. It was not long before I discovered the place where the swirling mass of magical power was being generated.

“‘Gravitation’…!”

“Oh no… argh!”

The root of this magical power―at a corner of the attic―was pinpointed and I executed gravity magic, sending Alice slamming into the living room. She was watching the situation up close, after all. Had it not been for her fondness for observing the carnage spectacle up close, catching her would not have been as effortless as it was.

Gravitation would have been ideal for capturing her, but Alice’s counter-magic intervened. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Matthias attempted to attack her but was thwarted by Rock Icicles.

Even so, she plummeted from the two-story attic to the first floor precipitously. The impact must have been mitigated by her magical power on the spur of the moment, but it seemed that the damage had been inflicted.

Staggering back to her feet, Alice’s eyes were ablaze with seething wrath.

“You pulled it off… but don’t think you won because of this.”

Even before her words were fully spoken, Matthias’ fist blasted Alice’s small frame. “Magic Mail” and “Mana Wall” that had been deployed spared her a mortal wound, but these were all broken with a single fist, and there was no way for him not to pursue Alice as she tumbled outside.

“Arti, stay here.”

Without waiting for a reply, I dashed out and pressed on to Alice, who was on the verge of rising. Even in the absence of magical reinforcement, my legs and hips, trained by daily running, will yield adequate acceleration power.

“D-Damn it, ahhhhhh!!”

Having thoroughly lost her composure, Alice sent magical power to the ring on her left hand and instantly conjured up a swarm of Flame Blades. The production of eight at once would be an accomplishment even for a third-year student, but in a wink, Alice produced approximately three times that amount.

It was already too late, though. Before releasing the deployed Flame Blades, I had plunged into her bosom. It was a kick purely based on muscular strength, lacking any boost from magical power, but it was apparently adequate to knock Alice, whose petite physique was not much to speak of, off her feet.

“―There’s no way you could take us on in melee.”

“Buuuhh!”

With a vulgar shriek, Alice bounced onto the ground after my high kick punctured her doll-like face. Matthias rushed in at breakneck speed, but to his amazement, while rolling on the ground, Alice kneaded her magical power.

“…! ‘Infinity Wall’!”

“!”

On top of that, it was superlative-class magic that was chanted. A mountainous barrier that abruptly materialized would not be destroyed unless it was smashed by another of the same superlative-class magic.

“Well, I can resolve it accordingly though.”

With one stroke, I shattered the two magic stones that were still in my pocket.

The tremendous magical power that burst forth was at a level that would have devastated my body if I had been even the slightest bit preoccupied, but having created numerous magic crystal stones, controlling the magical power of two magic crystal stones was a piece of cake for me. I touched Infinity Wall while focusing on the magical power that had flowed into my left hand.

“‘Destruction’.”

“…Decomposition magic!?”

The barrier disintegrated at once from the touch of my hand, collapsing and falling apart back into its original magical power.

“You seem to be shocked, but I just demonstrated this magic to you a moment ago, didn’t I? Or did you fail to recognize it from that one time?”

“…Kanaki!”

Trembling with disgrace, Alice’s expression hardened as I tried to strike the magic into her.

Isn’t that so, Ms. Alice? You failed because you called attention to a threat that was far greater than a minor character like myself.

“―I know it’s out of character for me to avenge my daughter’s death but…”

“‘Magic–‘”

“Crushing.”

The high-speed deployment of magic was in vain as Alice’s body was struck with a lethal blow, which served as a parting gift to the Murder Princess.