—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
BAM!!
Despite the mana reinforcing my forehead, the impact sent a jolt of pain through me, and I winced.
But I gritted my teeth and twisted my body mid-air.
I landed hard, my bruised arms supporting my weight, and then unleashed a surge of lightning.
The blinding flash forced Nick Iron to shield his eyes. He wouldn’t be able to see for a while.
Unlike muscles, eyes couldn’t be trained.
I imitated Dorothea’s fighting style.
Tap! Tap!
I tapped my heels together like a tap dancer.
Metal lumps, created with transmutation magic, rose from the ground.
I kicked them towards Nick Iron, sending them flying in all directions.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
Nick Iron shouted, but I didn’t bother answering.
I tapped my heels again.
The metal lumps, imbued with a delayed activation spell, transformed into magnets.
“You said magic doesn’t work on you?”
Then I would incapacitate him with a different method.
Bzzzz!
The metal lumps vibrated, glowing red hot.
They had become electromagnets.
Unlike Ozma’s Hellfire Katana, Nick Iron’s body couldn’t interfere with the molecular structure of magic.
In other words, he couldn’t dispel externally applied magic.
And chrome, the metal his body was made of, was ferromagnetic.
“Ugggggh!”
He groaned.
The powerful magnetic force from the surrounding electromagnets had immobilized him.
I focused mana into my orichalcum knuckles and asked,
“What are you going to do now? You can’t even run.”
“…You think you can defeat me with this?!”
“People who say that usually change their tune after this.”
I prepared Little Boy, the same spell I had used to trigger the avalanche on the Eastern Front.
It was an aether-based spell that consumed almost three times as much mana as ordinary magic.
I usually avoided using it due to its long casting time, but against a stationary target, it was perfect.
If its power was reduced, I could always cast it multiple times.
A sphere of light, a pure, white-hot concentration of mana, formed on my knuckles.
Even his high magic resistance wouldn’t be able to completely nullify a high-tier spell.
“Ugggh! Ugggggh!”
Nick Iron strained against the magnetic force, trying to move, but he only managed a few steps.
It was an impressive display of willpower, considering the strength of the magnetic field, but he had chosen the wrong opponent.
He hadn’t anticipated that I would be able to exploit his weakness.
If he was so upset, he should’ve covered his body with orichalcum instead of chrome.
A soft click.
The sphere of light detached from my knuckles and floated in front of Nick Iron’s chest.
It was harmless on its own. Aether was just highly compressed mana.
The problem was the devastating explosion it would trigger when combined with another element.
Gulp
I heard Ozma, watching us from a safe distance, swallow nervously.
The tension was palpable.
Nick Iron, looking back and forth between the sphere of light and me, finally gave up and lowered his head.
“…I’ve lost.”
“You should have surrendered sooner.”
I scoffed and dispelled the Little Boy spell.
Both Dorothea, my former colleague from the Eastern Front, and Nick Iron, whom I had just met, seemed to share a common weakness: overconfidence.
It was a classic villain trope, letting their confidence blind them to their own vulnerabilities. And even Nick Iron, known for his “absolute defense,” wasn’t immune.
“I’m truly impressed by your power, Patrasche. I apologize for my earlier rudeness.”
The world of demons was a meritocracy.
Having acknowledged my superior strength, Nick Iron’s initial arrogance vanished. His tone was now respectful.
With the hierarchy established, the rest of our interaction went smoothly.
I asked Nick Iron how he nullified magic.
While he couldn’t completely negate high-tier spells, his ability was still impressive, especially from a mage’s perspective.
Nick Iron, scratching the back of his chrome head, explained,
“It’s not nullification, per se. I absorb mana through contact.”
He opened his chest cavity, revealing not internal organs, but several cylindrical devices. The transparent cylinders were filled with a blue liquid.
I instinctively knew it was my mana.
“The blacksmith who modified my body, Ku Klip, is incredibly skilled. He can even create new life from the bodies of the dead. I was practically reborn at his hands.”
This was another unexpected secret.
His ability to absorb mana wasn’t a natural talent, but a modification installed by the blacksmith.
So, his own efforts had only contributed to his physical strength?
I decided to keep that thought to myself. There was no point in antagonizing him after having already won.
Having learned what I wanted to know, I turned to Ozma, who had been patiently waiting.
“Let’s go.”
“A-Alright.”
Ozma seemed strangely subdued after we left Nick Iron’s house.
When I asked her what was wrong, she said awkwardly, scratching her cheek,
“Kaldrash, I didn’t realize you were such a powerful mage.”
“Ah, that.”
“You can treat me normally. There’s no need to be so formal.”
While I had been acting as her magic instructor, she wasn’t officially my disciple.
She was the Demon Lord’s daughter, and I was a new recruit. It was only proper to show her respect.
But Ozma seemed uncomfortable with the formality.
“But you’re strong enough to defeat one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Wouldn’t you be angry if you weren’t treated with the respect you deserve?”
Those were the words I wanted to say to my former companions in the Hero’s party.
I smiled and said,
“As long as no one crosses the line, I’m fine. And I’m a functioning member of society. I don’t go around destroying things just because I’m angry.”
Ozma, seeing my easygoing attitude, nodded, still looking slightly troubled.
I added,
“Well, it’s the difference between demons and humans, isn’t it? For demons, strength is the ultimate measure. But humans also consider social status. I’m just a lowly commoner, not worthy of disrespecting the Demon Lord’s daughter.”
“…Alright, then I’ll continue to treat you as before.”
“Thank you.”
After our brief conversation, Ozma remained silent until we reached our quarters.
The next day,
We headed to the Colosseum for the main tournament.
““WOOOOOOO!””
The crowd was even more excited than yesterday.
Unlike the preliminaries, which were open to everyone, the main tournament featured only the strongest contestants.
I parted ways with Ozma, still in her male disguise, at the registration desk and headed to the waiting room.
It was already filled with participants, waiting for their turn.
The round of 32, round of 16, and quarterfinals would be held today.
While there were a few demons with ordinary physiques like mine, most were either monstrous or incredibly large.
It was a true gathering of demons.
Thump, thump.
As I entered the waiting room, my footsteps confident, all eyes turned to me. But thanks to my mask, my expression remained unchanged.
I had experienced far more intense scrutiny and hostility, so I was immune.
I sat down in an empty seat, crossed my arms, and closed my eyes.
While the other contestants were sizing each other up, eager to gather information, I wasn’t interested in such theatrics.
Then, a commotion erupted outside.
The main tournament had begun.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
