[V12C30] A Friend and Junior to be Proud Of

A black mist spread gradually to cover the harbor. This was coming from Gluttonous Zoe, which had enclosed itself in a shadowy birdcage to protect itself and Theodore.

Silas temporarily dispelled his flight magic and cast ten lightning arrows via shortened incantation, aiming for Theodore through the gaps in the cage.

In response, a portion of the cage transformed into a shadowy arm that swept away the lightning arrows. This made his attack look as weak as a child throwing sticks.

Silas distanced himself, reactivated flight magic, then began chanting again.

Given his mastery of spear techniques, Silas did not need magic to outmaneuver a human opponent. However, the shadows were far more difficult to predict. Flight magic was required to engage Theodore in close combat.

(Like I thought, only high mana density attacks will work.)

Spells with enough power, such as Silas’s lightning spear and Monica’s multiple reinforced magic, were capable of damaging the cage.

(The Barrier Mage’s disciple definitely has the mana, but his skills aren’t developed enough to destroy the shadows. On the other hand, the Library Society guy brought a greater spirit with him… but she’s focused on stopping the water dragons. The guy himself may be decent at magic, but that’s not good enough.)

In other words, only Silas and Monica were capable of breaking through Gluttonous Zoe’s defenses.

And yet, all the damage they inflicted to the cage was being regenerated immediately.

That said, their efforts were not meaningless, as forcing the enemy to consume mana was good progress. As evidence, Gluttonous Zoe seemed to be causing a commotion.

——”HUNGRY! HUNGRY! HUNGRY!”

“Hang in there for now… Just a little bit longer, and our wish will be granted.”

Theodore was busy soothing the clamoring artifact with a troubled expression.

Meanwhile, Silas continued slamming his spear into the cage.

“Black Dragon of Minerva!” Silas shouted. “You got anything to say for yourself!?”

When Silas chose the alias of Dragon Slayer, he made a vow to annihilate all of dragonkind.

However, that vow shifted into a slightly different direction. Now, he intended to annihilate only the dragons that sought to harm humans.

The Black Dragon of Minerva clearly fell into this category. It was only a matter of time before humanity brands Theodore as an evil dragon.

Even so, Silas wanted to hear his reasoning.

“Confessions or excuses, let’s hear it!”

“Nothing,” Theodore answered.

His tone of voice was far too casual, containing neither anger nor sorrow. There was only a lonely sense of resignation.

“There’s nothing I want you guys to understand,” Theodore continued.

“…That so.”

There must have been a complicated history that led Theodore to reach this conclusion. Silas did not expect to understand all of it, even if Theodore was willing to talk.

Nevertheless, both sides had already given up on dialogue. The path of coexistence was closed off.

Silas swung his spear to knock down the incoming shadows arrows, then declared his conclusion as the Dragon Slayer Mage.

“Fine by me, no more hesitation then. In accordance with the laws of humanity, I’ll put an end to you, Black Dragon of Minerva!”

Meanwhile, Silas caught the sight of his childhood friend approaching at the edge of his vision.

Judging by the daggers in his hands, he intended to join the battle. Silas panicked internally.

(Ike, you dumbass. Even if you’re the disciple of a Sage, that’s way too reckless…!)

Against Gluttonous Zoe, their only options were to attack from a distance like Monica, or to employ flight magic for evasion in close quarters like Silas and Glenn. Charging in with two daggers was simply foolhardy.

It would be a different story if Isaac at least knew flight magic, but Silas could faintly make out Isaac’s incantation. He was casting a different spell.

(Wait, that chant is…!)

Silas widened his eyes as Isaac leapt into the air.

＊　＊　＊

Once Isaac finished the incantation, he turned toward the white lizard, Wildianu, perched on his shoulder.

“Wil, make some platforms for me.”

“Yes, Master.”

Wildianu used his powers to lift several chunks of water into the air, each about the size of a human hand.

However, they were solidified with magic, allowing them to withstand the weight of being stepped on.

Isaac hopped from one platform to the next, closing into Gluttonous Zoe.

Once the artifact noticed the approaching enemy, it launched a volley of shadow arrows.

Isaac knocked them all down with his water-cloaked daggers.

“Ike, that’s…!” Silas exclaimed in surprise.

Glenn, who had been circling around with flight magic, also paused his attacks to observe Isaac.

“Oh, that’s, um… the imbuement thing used by the Randall Knights! The magic sword technique!”

Isaac readjusted his grip on the daggers and responded to Glenn in the tone he used during their study sessions.

“Correct.”

Magic swords lacked the range of offensive spells like Glenn’s fireballs, but in exchange, they possessed higher mana density. In other words, this made it possible for an apprentice mage like Isaac to deal with the shadows.

As a technique requiring proficiency in both magic and swordplay, magic swords were considered incredibly difficult to master. However, Isaac was exceptionally talented in both aspects.

In addition, Isaac’s affinity was with water magic, which possessed the property of being easy to morph into other forms.

“Master, do you require additional support?” Wildianu asked.

“The platforms will do for now. Conserve your strength as much as possible. Also…”

“Yes?”

“I’ll be moving around a lot, so hang out tight.”

Without waiting for Wildianu’s response, Isaac leaped onto the next platform, closing in on the shadow cage.

From this position, moving platforms was enough to dodge the shadows. For anything impossible to dodge, he could simply parry with his enchanted daggers.

(None of my attacks are powerful enough to damage the cage. In that case, my job is to grab the attention of the shadows. That will make things easier for Monica and Silas-niisan.)

Theodore was probably getting anxious by now, having noticed the presence of Nero and Thule.

Thule remained seated on Cyril’s shoulder in weasel form, but Nero had disappeared from view.

Perhaps he intended to lurk in the black mist until the right moment.

(He’s probably waiting.)

Isaac glanced at Monica.

Even after losing her memories, she had marched onto the battlefield of her own accord. She could be seen casting a series of offensive spells, but Nero was nowhere in sight.

Isaac had assumed that Nero would rush to Monica’s side at the first opportunity, but then he realized what Nero was waiting for: the moment when Monica reclaims everything for herself.

…Well, considering Nero’s personality, it’s possible that he was simply waiting for the perfect opportunity to swoop in and steal the spotlight.

(That seems more plausible.)

The shadow arrows came flying in again. Dodging them was simple enough, but Isaac was worried about the possibility of a stray shot hitting Cyril or Monica, who were behind him.

Instead, he knocked the arrows off course with a swing of his water-cloaked dagger, then used the remaining momentum to leap to another platform.

(…Good thing I’ve recovered my sword for protecting others.)

What Isaac needed now was the power to protect everyone precious to him.

After a whisper of gratitude to Anthony for training with him, Isaac swung his daggers again.

＊　＊　＊

The sight of Isaac dancing through the air on the levitated platforms of water made the situation painfully clear to Cyril. The weakest one here was clearly himself.

Cyril understood that his ice magic was powerless to stop the shadows.

In addition, he had neither Glenn’s flight magic, nor Isaac’s athletic talents. This meant he lacked the mobility to serve as a distraction.

Cyril looked down at his right middle finger and asked, “Sophocles, can you seal Gluttonous Zoe from here?”

“Not at this distance. In addition, we must close the lid first.”

The Key of Knowledge was capable of deploying a powerful seal, but only under the correct conditions. Cyril had to wait until the time was right… However, was waiting really all he could do?

Pikeh was busy holding back the water dragons, and it was too dangerous to reveal Thule’s original form here. There was little Cyril could do on his own.

(Think, think… How can I contribute in this situation?)

As Cyril began getting anxious, the great sage on his finger voiced the answer he was searching for.

“Boy. Your expertise lies in ice magic.”

“Right, but my magic lacks the power to stop Gluttonous Zoe…”

“What if your target is not Gluttonous Zoe? The eyepatched man has revealed the true identity of our foe.”

Cyril lifted his face with a start.

They were up against a black dragon taking the form of Theodore. The cage of shadows was protecting him from all angles, but this defense was not perfect.

Cyril turned to the white weasel on his shoulder.

“Sorry, Thule, I need to ask you for something a bit dangerous.”

“I’m the White Dragon of Mount Kalug, remember? I love the cold, so I’ll be fine.”

“…Right.”

Cyril answered with a wry smile, then glanced at Monica.

The girl was still silently bombarding Theodore with spells. Her magic was far stronger than Cyril’s, and she cast all of them without incantation.

However, her face was pale and covered in sweat. The fear of standing on a battlefield without your memories must be unimaginable.

——It was a duty of a senior to blaze the trail for his juniors.

After reminding himself of that, Cyril began a lengthy incantation.

＊　＊　＊

Glenn bombarded Theodore with spells from the air. That said, these were just his usual fireballs, without the double reinforcement formula.

His high mana meant that even regular fireballs had some effect on the shadows; they were just not strong enough to destroy the cage.

Doubly reinforced fireballs were supposed to be Glenn’s trump card, but he also possessed the two other trump cards Karina entrusted him with.

Being armed with so many trump cards left Glenn at a loss, since he had no clue when to use them.

(Master would know the perfect timing…)

If only there was someone nice enough to tell him exactly what to do. The naive thought crossed his mind for a moment.

But deep down, Glenn understood that this was a battlefield. It wasn’t going to be that easy.

——Do not assume that there will always be someone there to give you the answer. In a true crisis, the only one who can save you is yourself. The foolish always end up getting the death they deserve.

Glenn recalled the unusually sensible teachings of his master, Louis. Well, the last sentence was more of an insult than a teaching.

——If you don’t want to be the one dying, then pay attention to your surroundings. The key to cooperation is expanding your field of vision. Keep an eye on both your enemies and your allies.

Glenn dodged the attacks from the shadows while observing his surroundings.

Theodore was simply standing there, holding Gluttonous Zoe within the cage of shadows.

Isaac was hopping around on the water platforms, grabbing Theodore’s attention. Silas and Monica were taking advantage of this opening to chip away at the cage with spells.

Closer to the shore, there was a spirit in the form of a blonde girl. She was fending off the water dragons with icy blades, keeping them away from the wall of ice. Apparently, Cyril’s golden weasel was a spirit rather than a familiar.

(The Vice President contracted with a spirit already. That’s amazing.)

Then, Glenn glanced at Cyril and noticed something. Cyril seemed to be performing a long incantation.

The two locked eyes for a moment, and Cyril performed what seemed to be a slight nod.

(This is probably the right moment.)

Glenn continued evading the shadows as he began the chant for a doubly reinforced spell.

＊　＊　＊

(…Hmm?)

Isaac leaped around on platforms created by Wildianu, parrying the shadows with his daggers. Even so, he quickly noticed that Cyril and Glenn were performing a long incantation.

This meant they had some sort of plan. In which case, Isaac needed to ensure that Theodore didn’t catch on.

Isaac deliberately moved up front to make up for the loss of Glenn’s pressure.

Noticing Isaac’s sudden approach, Gluttonous Zoe spewed out five shadow spears. However, two of them suddenly transformed into large scythes.

The three spears were on track to impale him, and the two scythes were sweeping horizontally. Meanwhile, Isaac only had five platforms nearby.

Isaac observed these lethal threats as he would a chessboard, then calculated his escape route.

(There aren’t enough platforms to dodge the last spear. I could jump down and have Wil catch me with water, but that would put Cyril in Theodore’s line of sight. I need to land on the other side instead.)

After making that judgment immediately, Isaac threw the dagger in his right hand.

The water cloaking the blade extended into a long and thin rope, drawing a parabolic arc in the morning sky.

Magic swords of water were not as powerful as those of fire, lightning, or ice. In exchange, their shape and hardness were easily adjustable.

The dagger flew right past Silas, who was levitating with flight magic. After realizing Isaac’s intent, Silas wrapped the water rope around his staff, then stabbed the spear part into the roof of a nearby warehouse to secure it.

“Dammit, Ike!!”

While listening to Silas’s angry shout, Isaac dodged the last spear and swung on the rope of water.

By adjusting the length of the rope mid-swing, Isaac kicked off the wall of the warehouse to kill his momentum, then landed safely on the ground.

Silas was looking down from the roof with a vein bulging on his forehead.

“Ike, you idiot! Don’t scare me like that!”

“I thought my trustworthy Leader would understand.”

“…Well, I guess I did!”

Additional spears and scythes got sent flying in their direction. The next instant, Silas jumped off the roof with flight magic and sliced through all of them with his lightning spear.

As expected from one of the Seven Sages, he did not need to parry or dodge them like Isaac did.

After the last swing of his spear, Silas glanced at Wildianu on Isaac’s shoulder.

“That lizard on your shoulder… Is that your spirit?”

“Yeah, he’s my partner. Cute, right?”

“Now I think about it, you’ve been a fan of lizards and small snakes since you were a kid…”

Silas suddenly switched out of his nostalgic tone and glared at Isaac.

“…So? You got any other secret weapons?”

Isaac deflected a few arrows with his dagger, then replied “Maybe?” with a completely serious face.

“Dammit, Ike! By the way, what happened to that black cat?!”

“He’s probably waiting for the chance to steal the spotlight.”

“Didn’t you say he was attached to you!?”

Even throughout this exchange, Silas kept tearing through the shadows with his lightning spear.

While keeping an eye on Theodore, Isaac parried the shadows and whispered to Silas in a low voice.

“Cyril and Dudley-kun are planning something… Can you help me buy some time?”

“Making a Sage play the decoy, huh? They’ve got guts, I’ll give them that.”

Despite his complaints, Silas was smiling. Isaac, too, lifted the corner of his lips.

“Yeah, they’re a friend and junior I can be proud of.”

“You’ve always been the athletic type, Ike… Ever since we were kids, you were the only one who could keep up with my adventures.”

“Well actually, your mom asked me to go with you and keep you out of danger.”

(Mom…! Why would you say that to a younger kid!?)

The young Isaac cheerfully observed small lizards and snakes, and at the same time, pulled the thoughtless Silas away from a few cliffs.

Isaac had always loved small reptiles, but dragons and bigger snakes were a different story.

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