The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

The dark magic of Korga Dingal, commander of the 2nd Legion of the Demon Lords.

His way of fighting could not be easier or more troublesome for me.

Sora!

"Hmph!"

Koga throws a kick and I block it with my cage hand.

I try to return the favor by slamming my left fist into his gut, but before I can do so, his gnashing sword closes in on me and I am forced to defend myself.

I was always on the back foot in the fight against him.

Koga's movements are ever-changing.

He runs, leaps, and makes sharp attacks as if he were cutting through a gap in the defense. I try to move along with him, but I can't seem to get into the attack.

I can't get anywhere at this point.

If we can't go on the offensive now, we have no choice but to change our ways.

I decided so, and released my right fist, which was equipped with a cage, and stepped forward as hard as I could.

"What?

If you can't attack with a counter-attacking strategy, don't use your head and just go for it.

You can keep on jumping and stabbing while you still can!

He defends against a kick, grabs it, pulls it back, and this time, he slams a healing punch into its flanks.

The healing punch that broke Ferrum's dark magic should work on Koga who has the same dark magic.

With that in mind, I hold on to his leg to see how he reacts, and he looks up with a horrified voice.

"It won't work on me!"

I had a bad feeling about this, and just as I was about to let go of his legs, Koga's legs swelled up and threw me out of his body, as if his strength had increased many times over.

"What the hell?

"Unfortunately, my dark magic is different from Ferrum's."

Landing on the ground, I was speechless at the sight of Koga.

His feet, which I had held on to earlier, had turned into beastly legs reminiscent of wolves.

"What do I look like to you?"

Coga continued, his hands turning into sharp, thick claws and thicker arms.

His words made my voice half tremble.

"A ...... beast, right?"

"Yes, it is. My dark magic is . Not so bad compared to Ferrum, is it?　I'm not as invincible as him, and I have to be a little more creative. But still..."

Korga, with all four limbs on the ground like a four-legged beast.

A black band extends from the shadow beneath his feet, its sharp tip pointed at me.

"You're as fierce as ever, aren't you?"

"......!"

I chose to evade rather than defend against the black belt that was shot out all at once like a beam of light, and I dodged the oncoming belt and ran across the square to find an opening for my opponent, but..,

"Don't let me distract you."

"What the hell?

When did he move to the rear? His swollen, strong legs delivered a powerful kick that struck him directly in the back.

I clenched my teeth and remained conscious as I landed on the ground, clad in healing magic. I rebounded from the continued claws with my fist, but was struck in the side of my head with the back of my other hand.

My vision is shaken, but I do not stop moving and deal with the next attack.

"Gugg!"

There you go!

You're the one who keeps turning into ......!

Just when you think you've morphed, you morph even more!

He swears as he dodges Koga's attack, but Koga swears back at him.

"It's like you're just a shape-shifter!"

"No way, you idiot!"

The situation is unprecedented and I am in such a hurry that my words come out as a reflex.

I'm going to go ahead and do everything without defense!　Even if you get hit a little, hold on and fight back!

I ignore the attack and move into his pocket at once, and as if to repay him for what he just did to me, I hit him with a powerful knee kick to the side of his head.

However, I feel a gnarly sensation coming from my leg.

I looked at the spot where the knee had hit, and I saw a layer of black strips that had appeared when he had attacked me.

"If you know where it hits, there's nothing you can't do to prevent it."

That's not possible!

He had also shown it when he blocked my fist the first time... But it was just a defense without any special ability?　

That's really different from the magic of Ferrum!

I try to move away as quickly as I can, but I realize that my knees are caught in the belt.

You look up to see Koga raising his banded claws as if to slice you open from below..,

"Mazu!"

"You can't protect this guy with just a basket hand!"

Claws and sashes were raised up like blades, threatening to cut me open.

I could barely defend myself against the claws with my baskets, but the band around my body was like a blade.

"That's enough!"

I endure the pain with my willpower, and push Koga's body with my unbounded leg, as if kicking it, in order to escape. As he does so, he slams his fist into Koga's body in the shape of a blowout.

"I'll hit him before he grabs me!"

"Oh?

I pull my fist back instantly, and at a certain distance from Koga, I check my injuries.

I have a small cut on my forehead, blood is dripping, but it can be quickly healed with healing magic.

The rest of my body is covered with a few cuts from the band.

...... finally, it's ripped..."

Looking at his shoulder, he saw a rather large cut on his troupe uniform.

We've been traveling and fighting together for a long time without a tear, but ...... this time it didn't seem to be that way.

"You're going to have to stay with us a little while longer.

It doesn't help that the group's uniform is damaged.

I'm not going to be so effeminate as to bemoan it, and what I need to focus on now is Koger.

He turned his attention back to me, temporarily putting his limbs back together.

"I never thought you'd be able to keep up with my fighting style this far..."

"Huh?"

"Most guys... Most guys, when they see how powerful I am, they want to keep their distance and fight, you know?　I know I'm not that good looking and you don't want to get close to me. They don't even realize that keeping your distance from me is a rather bad idea."

I'd rather fight away from you, too.

"Ha, that's a terrible thing to say."

Korga's dark magic is a dark armor that transforms the user into a deformed beast.

The black bands that make up its body can be used for both offense and defense.

If I try to fight such an opponent at a distance, I will either be closed in by his physical capabilities or penetrated by the black belt that attacked me.

...... Can I win against such an opponent?

"......, no, no, no!"

Shake off negative thoughts.

You can't do anything if you're losing in spirit.

Every ability has a weakness. ...... I hope so.

"Well, let's continue."

"...... huh."

With a sigh, he faces Koga, whose limbs have once again been transformed into those of the beast.

Even though his injuries are almost healed, Koga's attack power is still tremendous. The only thing to do is to avoid being caught in the belt as much as possible.

In order to find a way to survive, I once again challenge a battle of attack and defense that is on the very edge of my limits.

I am not going to let the enemy get to me.

I wonder how long it has been since we resumed fighting.

I had been concentrating on the battle and just fighting with Koga, but I could not see any way to win the battle.

I have been using a large area and doing my best to outwit Koga's attacks, but I still do not know what the bottom of this man is.

I mean, how long can he keep up his strength? This guy.

What is this guy's mysterious endurance, aside from me with my healing magic?　He hasn't even moved a single breath even though he's moving as fast as I am.

I can't see his complexion because of his mask, but ...... you don't think he's forcing his body to move with magic, do you?　Please let it be so. ......!

As I was about to be defeated by the dreary defense, a voice emanated from behind the black mask.

"By the way, how is Ferrum?"

"Huh?

I let out a stunned voice even though I was in the middle of a battle.

What is this, a trap to upset me?

"I'm so energetic that every time I see you, you beat me up!"

A black belt shoots out from his outstretched hand, almost piercing my head.

I just barely avoid it and head-butt Koga's mask as hard as I can. Koga staggers back in surprise, perhaps from the unexpected blow, but he still starts laughing happily.

"Ha-ha-ha, I see!　That's good!　He just wanted someone to accept him!"

"What?

Himself!

Laughing while being attacked is really too much.

Ignoring my somewhat reticent reaction, Koga continues his story.

"Dark magic . A technique that reverses the attacker's attack just as it is. It's a foul magic that can defeat almost anyone if you put your mind to it, but where do you think it gets its characteristic from?"

"I wouldn't know!"

"I'm lonely!　No one loves me, no one sees me. I want someone to see me, to understand me, to love me, to touch me!　After locking up the feelings that I wished for from the bottom of my heart, I have created a different kind of magic!"

"......!"

At that moment, my mind recalled the image of Ferrum shedding tears in the prison.

I didn't know why she cried at that time, but I knew that ...... she had been through a hard life too.

I'm not in a situation where I can be so careless as to get sentimental about it now, though!

"Her magic is a mirror. Hostility is returned with hostility, and ill will with ill will. You hit him with the kindness of your healing magic. You can't imagine how shocking that was to him.

Coga let out a laugh as if he remembered.

I took advantage of that slight opening and tried to fight back.

"You're a talker, you know that?

"Whoa!"

I thrust a kick at him, intending to hit him in the jaw, but he avoided it.

Koga backflips to avoid it and makes a gesture as if he were wiping off his mask, which is still free of sweat.

"I'm finally relieved. I'm glad he's doing well.

"You ......."

Even from behind his mask, he sounded relieved.

I could tell that it was not the kind of battle-enjoyment he had been enjoying.

"No, it's just sympathy. "No, it's just sympathy. As a former superior officer, I cared about them enough to be concerned about them."

"...... what about you?"

What?

How did you perfect your dark magic?

At that moment, for the first time, I asked a genuine question that had nothing to do with the battle.

I knew that Ferrum's magic came from loneliness.

Then what does the magic of Kåga come from?

"Not as much as Ferrum. I just wanted to be a beast."

You wanted to be a beast?

A creature of instinct, a fighter. My magic took on this form when I realized that the real me is probably the ugliest beast anyone could ever imagine."

Coga points to his transformed self.

Looking at him again, I saw that his appearance was severely distorted.

A mask that hid his true face.

A black band that wraps around his body like a restraint.

And deformed, animal-like limbs.

"It's a lie."

I naturally said those words.

Coga looked up, surprised.

What are you holding?　You are not a beast, you just look like one.

"......"

I'm not sure.

But it seemed different.

"Ha...... hahahaha."

Coga begins to laugh, holding the mask with his hand that has been put back on his human arm.

Maybe I said the wrong thing?　If so, I'm quite embarrassed.

I am in a hurry, but my attention is pulled back when Kåga's laughter suddenly stops.

"I have been alone since birth. Abandoned in a dark forest, alone and deprived like a beast, I grew up without knowing human emotions. That's why I don't know. Except to fight."

Then the mask disappeared from Koga's face, and his mouth was smiling, but that was all.

"Oh, yes. I was lying. I didn't want to be. I was born a beast. Even before I woke up to this magic, I've been living like a beast and fighting alone."

His smile was too painful to be fake, and I honestly could not look directly at it.

"Ever since I became involved with the demon tribe, I have been suppressing my beastly self. To those with normal sensibilities, I was an anomaly. I have spent my life in the world as a human being, suppressing my beastly nature. But I still couldn't understand the joys of being human."

Live as a beast.

I don't understand what it's like, but I know how horrible and sad it is.

This guy probably doesn't know anything else.

"I'm having fun now. Fighting you. There are stronger men than me in the army of the Demon Lord. But he doesn't see who he's fighting. He sees someone who isn't there. So you're the first one who looks at me and fights me as an equal."

I silently raised my fists.

Now I've made up my mind. I must fight him and beat him.

All he really knows how to do is fight. And he's not going to understand anything else. So the only way to end this fight is to defeat him.

I look sideways at Amaco.

I take a little courage from her, who is looking out for me from a safe distance.

"Koga. I really, really hated to fight you, but ...... I will fight you. But be prepared for a lot of pain."

"Maybe you're the one who's ready, huh?　Now that you've exposed my secret, I can finally fight with my beastly nature exposed."

"Oh, what's that?"

At the moment he muttered this, the black band around Koga's body loosened and shimmered.

As the band loosened, Koga's hawk-like mask cracked open, creating a gaping maw with sharp fangs peeking out of its cheeks.

Well, I haven't heard of another stage of transformation, but is such a thing possible?

Koga, now in full-blown monstrous form, holds his limbs on the ground.

"...... No choice. I guess I'll just have to use it on the spur of the moment."

I came up with the idea during the fight with Jinya-san and immediately sealed it off, deeming it dangerous without even trying it out.

I really don't want to show it.

This is because it is a dangerous technique that is clearly out of the way of the lifeguard corps.

But I have to use it against this man.

"The next attack will be my last."

"...... yeah."

At the same time me and Koga jump out.

As we run, a black band, gaining momentum from Koga's back, approaches us in a zigzag trajectory.

Without any tricks, I went straight ahead and threw a healing magic bullet, forcibly changing the trajectory of the belt and plunged into it.

"If you can play it, play it!"

The black belt and claw swung around like a tornado, and I dealt with them with only my right arm.

He catches them with his healing bursting palm and pops them with his basket hand.

Koga's newly released power has changed his movement into one specialized for close to medium range with the black belt and his limbs together. If I fall back halfway, my defeat is assured at that moment.

Then, I have no choice but to get into the pocket, even if it is a little dangerous.

"Oh, oh, ......!"

I catch the protruding claw with my slap hand, grab it from here, and swing it with all my might and slam it to the ground.

Coga, who is breathing out as if he had been hit by a stone, avoids my heel drop, which I slam into him as he rolls on the ground.

I unintentionally click my tongue at him.

"d*mn!　He dodged it!"

"That was close!　I'm a badass, but you're a badass too!　Especially your face!

Shut up!　It only hurts a little!　Just take the beating!

You were going to crush me!

You're always making light jokes in a situation like this.

Unlike me, who's using healing magic, you're fighting with the intent to kill!

Koga stands up with his belt as a support and throws his right fist with all his might.

Koga, in response, thrusts out a claw covered with the belt.

"Oraaaa!"

Soraaaa!"

The claws and fists collide.

The air vibrates, and a shrill, high-pitched sound rings out. A fist covered by a cage destroys Koga's claw, but it is instantly regenerated by the black belt that surrounds it.

"You're really something, aren't you?"

"Oh?"

So this was the only way to win.

What are you talking about?

Just as I was about to say those words, I felt a sharp pain in my left shoulder, stomach, and left leg.

As soon as I looked down, I saw three black strips protruding from the back of Koga's leg, piercing my left shoulder and stomach, and my left leg from the knee up.

"But, is that ......!"

"You were completely focused on your hand. Well, that's all I did. ......

I got hit ......!

The belt is pulled out from the place where it was impaled, but the movement still stops due to the injury received.

I stop moving for a moment, and he raises the claw with which the belt is bound.

Oh no!　I have to avoid or defend myself!

My head tries desperately to move, but my body is too rigid to allow it.

"This is the end!"

"......!"

I can heal him with healing magic, but I can't avoid the next one.

This one is sure to be fatal. I can't avoid it, but my body won't let me.

So much for ......!

Just when we were about to give up, something like an explosion happened on our side.

"What the hell?

"What is that?" "It's a ........."

I looked over in surprise and saw that a section of the wall of flame surrounding us had been cut into a cross.

From behind the wall, I could clearly see Mr. Alc, Bulrin, and Nair.

"Usato!

Usato!

Usato!

Guare!

I was sure I heard a voice calling my name.

Amaco.

Nea.

Aruk.

Bulrin.

The voices of my friends, whom I will never forget, even in the midst of my pain.

"Yeah, that's right, isn't it?"

I've always had someone to help me along the way.

Just with that, an inexpressible power moves through my whole body.

After applying a light healing spell and sealing only the wound, I hold out my left hand in the opposite direction of Kohga's, keeping the right side of my body visible to him.

"Healing ...... burst palm!"

"You accelerated in that position ......?

"Whoa!"

I kicked the ground and slammed my right fist into Koga with all my might, regardless of the blood splattering from my hand due to the fact that I had gone in there alive.

My fist, covered by a cage, dug into Koga's body, but it felt resilient.

The belt blocked it just in time.

Looking down at his feet, the belt was driven into the ground like a stake, suppressing the impact of the blow itself.

"You can't expect that level of attack, can you? ......!　No way, that's your last plan!　A man of your stature can't be this ...... crude!"

"......"

Ignoring his words, which showed some disappointment, I silently tried to force my way through his body.

Coga is bewildered by my actions.

"Hey, you can't just--"

You stopped him, didn't you?

What?

You would have defended yourself the moment my fist hit you.

You would have braced yourself so that the force of my fist wouldn't knock you off your feet.

That's what I was trying to do.

"Please. Please hold on."

"What?"

I warn Kohga as if I wish with all my heart.

I release a zero-range healing flying fist from my cage, regardless of Koga's stunned voice.

"Ugh!

Koga's body breaks in a heap with an onomatopoeic sound, but he is still surprised and tries to counterattack me.

"It worked, but that's not going to help me--gasp!

You can't do anything now."

He silently strikes a second blow with a healing flying fist, which shreds some of the belts connected to the ground.

In doing so, he pushes his fist out with his body to keep it from releasing, so that the belt is stretched to its limit.

The third blow, when all the belts are broken, he pushes Koga's body out with his fist and starts to run.

"Goooooooooooooooooooooo!　What the hell are you doing?

"This was the only way to penetrate your defense!　I'm pouring most of my magic power into you, so we're even!

There's no way I can be such an unreasonable partner!　Bogo?

Then, with the fourth blow, he breaks through the band that protects his body, silencing Koga at the same time, and he continues to push forward, unleashing his healing flying fist.

"Oh oh oh!!!"

The seventh impact ......!　With that, he finally breaks through Koga's defense completely!

Now there is nothing left to protect him!　All that's left is the body!

He screams and pushes straight ahead with a yell, regardless of the intense pain that runs through his entire body.

"Knock yourself out!

"Huh?

As soon as my fist pierced into his body with a cry of anguish, I put all my healing magic into my fist and slammed him into the wall of the plaza.

The wooden wall shatters, and I punch Koga behind it.

"I'll never, ever use this kind of ...... technique ...... again."

This is the forbidden secret, the healing punch Ni-no-Kata<> a.k.a. <>.

While slamming your fist into your opponent, you repeatedly hit him with a healing flying fist from zero distance, a healing punch to break his defense.

I just used it and found out its power, and I never want to use it again. It consumes a lot of magic power, but above all, it is too dangerous.

I was able to use it because my opponent was Koga.

I could not beat him without it, and moreover, I had to do so.

"Huh. ......"

Breathing a sigh of relief, I head toward Mr. Arc, healing my body minimally with the little magic I have left.

When I saw him earlier, Aruk-san was also badly injured. I have to heal him first, I think, and turn my back to Koga, who is still lying on the ground.

"I didn't think you could get this bad..."

"What!"

I heard a third person's voice behind me and turned around to see a red-haired demon woman who had been with Koga looking down at him.

I can't believe that another demoness is coming this way now. .......

The woman sighed in exasperation, as if she had no hostile intentions toward me, while I was in a hurry.

"Well, it's not my place to say. ...... how long are you going to stay down!"

"OGE!"

Koga, who had been kicked by the woman, rolls over with a cry of anguish.

When I looked at him, he was scratching his head apologetically.

He scratched his head apologetically. I was really out of it for a minute. The world is a big place, isn't it? I didn't expect to get hit like this. Ha-ha-ha, you really are a ...... crazy guy, aren't you?"

"...... still going at it?"

I'm at my limit.

My body hurts all over and I have almost no magic power.

I'm in pain all over my body, and I have almost no magic power.

He shook his head with a satisfied expression on his face.

"I lost this time. I was unconscious for a little while. But, well, it was ...... fun. I look forward to the next time we fight."

I never want to see you again."

"No, I don't think so."

Coga stands up and exchanges glances with me, his smile fading.

"Next invasion, I'll be there."

So what? It doesn't matter.

I said no once and for all.

I'm a lifesaver. I have more important things to do than fight you.

Kåga laughed funny at my clear reply.

"Oh, yeah. He really doesn't get his way, does he? Well, that's okay, we'll just have to drag him out when we do."

"huh?"

Let's not talk about this guy anymore.

I really don't like it.

"Well, I'd better be going home. I have my men waiting outside. Right, Amira?"

"Yes, they are good men who follow my orders."

"You're so sarcastic, man. ....... Till we meet again, be strong."

After saying these words, the two jumped up and disappeared in a flash.

I was left there, looking around, and when I finally realized that I was safe, I sat down, my strength drained from my body.

"It's over, isn't it?　It's over, isn't it?　No evil dragon successor is going to appear out of nowhere, right?　The curse that lies beneath the country won't be awakened, right?

I said to myself that I had no idea what I was talking about, but I was that physically and mentally exhausted.

Today had been a day of too many things.

Who would have guessed that we would be fighting head-on with the commander of the army of the Demon Lords?

"...... but we still have things to do. Good."

I stand up, whipping my body, and turn around and start walking.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see my friends running toward me.

"......You're really a group of people I can count on."

I wasn't the only one who was able to fight back then.

Seeing them, I thought to myself once again, and with a smile on my face, I moved forward to my trusted companions.