The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

......Usato has gone?

I see his presence fade away from the icy wall behind me, and I turn my attention to the formidable enemy before me.

Amira Berggred, a warrior who wields fire.

A demon tribe, not the leader of the Legion, but equally powerful.

This brief battle has made me realize just how powerful she is.

"You were right to let her go?"

"......"

"If I had fought with him, I would have had the advantage."

She was silent, perhaps genuinely wondering, when Amira, who had just paid the sword with flames, said, "I'm sorry, but I don't know.

She is probably right.

With Usato, the battle would be fought to an advantage, even against Amira.

He has the ability and the healing magic to do so.

"Because I believe in him."

"Huh?"

"If it's only offensive power, I'm probably better than you. But even so, I have been given courage by the way he corrects the mistakes of one human being, me, and by the way he honestly tries to move forward.

I remember the battle with Kalon in Mearaq.

I was knocked unconscious by a blow from Kalon, and when I awoke, I saw Usato desperately trying to save the rampaging Kalon, who was disintegrating his own body with the power of the dragon.

He inspired me in my broken heart and desperation.

I longed for him.

"It is true that he sometimes acts out of the blue. He did turn into a demon earlier and throw soldiers to the ground, but that's only part of it.

"...... just part of it?　That's it?"

I felt a twitch at the corners of Amira's mouth.

But I will not correct him, for it is true that the devil is only part of the story, even in this short journey.

"His actions always go far beyond what I expected. Even my friends who have been fighting with him for a long time still do."

"Isn't that a problem for an ally?　Shouldn't you tell them that beforehand?"

I can think of things on the spot, you know.

"Isn't that more of a problem?　Is that OK with you? ......"

Outbursts of Lineage Reinforcement.

Applied by resilience .

Most of the techniques he uses are far from existing.

That's why it makes sense to let him go.

"Even if it's against the Demon Lord?"

No, he will not change even if he faces the Demon King. That is the man Usato is.

When I assured her of this, Amira let out a somewhat dismayed smile.

"I see, you are just as troublesome as your master Rose. But even if I let you go first, don't think you'll be able to reach the Demon Lord straightaway, okay?"

I suppose so.

The fact that Amira, who was watching me and Usato separate in front of her, did not show any signs of stopping me means that there is another corps leader who is just as capable as she is ahead of us.

That person is probably... someone who has a history with Usato.

"Still, he will go on. All I have to do now is to defeat you here.

"Hmph, pull it out. It's not me that's going down, it's you."

The flame armor, which had been made to wear thinly, burns strongly.

As the sword he is holding turns a burning color, I condense cold air onto it and wrap it around me.

A moment of silence.

In the next instant, the flame and the cold air, and the slash that each of us has launched, collide right before our eyes.

I brought Amira and I came face to face within a stone's throw of each other, and I dared her to do me a favor while we were locked in a duel.

You haven't told me your name yet!　I am Leona ......!　I am the brave one who will defeat you here!

Let's see how long your bravado lasts!　Leona!

I emit cold air to counteract the fire that is about to engulf me, and Amira continues to turn up the heat to turn the cold air that is trying to freeze her into flame.

"It seems that you and I have magic with opposing attributes, after all!

"......!"

The other side has the advantage in physical ability.

He handles his sword without meeting her head-on, and strikes her with a sword that has gathered the maximum amount of cold air.

"Freeze!"

As soon as they are a few steps away from each other, he thrusts the tip of his sword into the ground and releases his magical power.

A huge icicle appears from the ground and attacks Amira.

"The same move over and over again!　Your ice won't work on me!

But with a single swing of her sword, Amira melts and vaporizes the icicles in an instant.

---!　The vapor blocks his vision!

She sends her power into the armor of the brave, clutched in her right hand, creating eight swords around her, and charges at Amira, who is beyond the wall of vapor.

"---!!!"

Nine slashes with intense cold air.

Just as he was about to unleash them, which would surely inflict a fatal wound if they hit, Amira, who was beyond the vapor, was about to unleash a sword with a red sheen as if to intercept him.

---I guess we were thinking the same thing!

We can't afford to back down!　I'm going to smash it!

Take it!

Burn up!

A flash.

In the next instant, my body was hit by an impact that could have been mistaken for an explosion, and I was blown backward.

"Ugh!

I was blown so far that my back hit the wall that I had built to send Usato out.

I managed to land before falling to the ground, and checked my body.

Thank goodness, I don't seem to be badly hurt.

"I guess you are a swordsman like me after all. ......"

He stands up, propping up his sword, and looks ahead.

Amira Berggred is a swordsman who fights in a similar way to me.

Her skill, magic, and experience in battle have made her an exceptional fighter.

And he has the physical abilities of a demon tribe, which makes him troublesome.

"It's hard to play, but it's also easy to fight ......."

He looks ahead, where the dust and vapors have cleared, uttering contradictory words.

Ahead of me, a nearly unharmed Amira is about to stand up.

She is, without a doubt, the most formidable opponent.

But even so, we must not be cowed.

We cannot let anyone pass us by from this point forward.

We cannot let anyone pass us by from here on out.

After neutralizing the soldiers of the demon tribe who stood in my way, I found a spiral staircase.

I went down the spiral staircase, which led me to the same wide passageway as before.

I release Bulrin's ability to detect the enemy, and find that there are many soldiers on this level, and that he is one of them.

"The enemy is here, but I can't see him..."

<

We proceed down the passageway, keeping a watchful eye on our surroundings.

The marble walls and pillars are dotted with lights and fixtures, so it does not feel dark.

It seems to be inconvenient in many ways, as you almost forget whether it is day or night outside when you are here.

"It's like that."

>

Ferrum responds to my mutterings.

"No, it looks like the ruins where the Demon King and the heroes are said to have fought. ......"

That would explain the complexity.

It's quite causal that they're using the same tactics against us as they did against the heroes before us.

The Demon King...

The first time we encountered them was at those ruins, but they had a tremendous presence.

But in other words, the Demon King---the Demon Tribe was still trying to fight us even though he was so worn out.

The reason for this is nothing but the survival strategy of the demon tribe born in a dying land.

I have been consciously trying not to think too much about it, but hearing Hannah's story that I missed earlier made me think about it even if I don't like it.

"......"

We are past the stage where the two forces can be reconciled unscathed.

We can't afford to be so naive.

But if there is a choice that leads to the future of the two races, humans and demons...,

"!"

As I was thinking this, Nair called out to me.

I come back to myself and reply with a wry smile.

"No, it's nothing.

Nair lets out a disgusted voice as if he had guessed something.

Ferrum is the next to speak.　

>

"......Yeah, I had the same magical feeling you did."

If there is a new dark magician or something here, it will only be a nuisance.

Coga alone would be the least of our worries.

"And they're being so polite as to not put any enemies in our direction.

There are no soldiers in the corridor in front of me.

They are within the range of Bullyn's sense of smell, but they seem to be concentrated in another part of the hierarchy, not in this corridor.

<>

"And stop assuming I can break this wall, will you?"

You won't know until you try. ......?

I can tell from the enemy's scent that there's another room, but breaking down the wall to get to it isn't a very realistic plan.

"No, he's going to come after me even if I smash through the wall anyway. If I'm not careful, he might go to Leona who is fighting Amira.

"And he will threaten me with it if I try to avoid combat."

<>

It is bad because they know my character and use such methods.

That's what I call the worst kind of character.

As I walk down the passageway, fed up with what is about to happen, I see a large door ahead of me.

It is a door with a solemn atmosphere that is clearly different from anything you have ever seen before.

Someone is standing in front of the door.

"...... huh?"

I sigh, not even needing to look closely to see who I expected to see.

The man standing in front of the door --- just as I get close enough to get a clear view of Koga's figure, I stop.　

"Yo, I've been waiting for you."

He waves to me with the same casualness as if he had been my friend for ten years, and I drop my shoulders.

No, I knew he was waiting for me, but part of me wished he would take me off.

"Huh. ......"

"That reaction hurts my feelings too, you know?　A sigh of disapproval is more hurtful than a normal sigh of disapproval, right?"

"Tsk."

"You're so weird, you know that?"

Hinomoto, land of the beastmen.

The battle against the demon king's army.

Encounter at the Demon Lord's ruins.

This guy's a real enemy of mine.

It was worth the wait.

"......"

"But I was sure. A man like you would have come all the way here."

Coga smiling.

I remove my hand from my forehead and look forward.

"Hey."

"Hmm?　What the hell?"

"Don't act like we're friends."

"You'll cry by the end, you know."

You glare at him, but don't say it out loud.

That's fine if all you want to do is talk.

But from what I've experienced so far, they are not the kind of people you can just talk it out with and let it go by.

"You didn't wait here to talk to me."

"Well, yes. Of course, we're going to fight you now.

"......"

...... What is it?　This isn't the usual Kohl's.

If he had been the same, he would have attacked us with gusto. .......

What's he up to?　What are you up to?

"I'm not plotting. I'm just trying to figure out what I'm going to do."

"...... is that what happens to demons?"

"No?　No, but..."

No, you're not.

If you think about it, this guy who loves fighting more than anything else can't possibly be so auspicious as to worry about the fate of the demon tribe.

...... Is he really the leader of the army?

I still don't have an answer in my mind when I look at you. Then there's only one thing to do next.

"!"

The atmosphere surrounding Coga finally changes to its usual belligerent one.

I, too, ready my fists, ready to move at any moment.

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. I will fight you to make it clear.

It's not good for us.

"We're enemies, aren't we?　Then there's no reason for me to accommodate you.

As if no further words were needed, black magic seeps out from under Koga's feet and envelops his body.

The black magic, which covered him from his toes to the top of his head, made his body more than twice as large as before, and furthermore, transformed his figure into a deformed one.

The dark magic of the beast.

We have fought with him many times, but even now that he has grown up and become stronger with the help of his friends, he is not an opponent you can let down your guard against.

Ferrum, Nair, Bulrin...... will give it our all."

>

>

Black magic envelops his limbs, and the ears of a bear sprout from his head.

From there, the reflection of the black magic power strengthens further, and jet-black fur made of black magic grows from the elbows of my arms and from my neck to my cheeks, giving my body the appearance of a beastman.

As soon as we finish the transformation of each other's body, I and Koga leap forward with all our might.

"I'm going to hit you with everything I've got!"

Let me have my fun!"

Fists collide.

The air shakes with the impact.

I'm going to end this with Koga right here, right now!