Unable to hold himself back with her attitude, Kairos put the unprepared sword aside and swung his shield up. Since the shield was also a spirit arm, it would cause plenty of damage when used as a weapon.
But right after, a moment before Mira’s fist would collide with the armor, she sent a small stone the size of a marble flying with her thumb.
「Wha-」
Before Kairos could finish asking what that was, the stone flew straight at his shield without missing its mark, releasing a strong shockwave with a huge amount of energy unthinkable of a stone so small. It sent the shield flying upwards while pulling at Kairos’ arm.
The impact felt like his arm was being ripped off, his shield breaking and flying away from him.
With the shield gone, he was freed from the impact and fell back to the ground. The spirit shield was supposed to be safe from those attacks, but the effect kicked in a bit too late. A second after he hit the ground, the remains of the shield with no semblance of its former self fell too, as if a revelation of the future also awaited him.
When he reached that impossible realization, Kairos desperately looked around for Mira.
But there was no need for that, Mira was standing right in front of him. This time it was Kairos’ turn to look up at her, as he still lay on the ground. Mira was clearly looking down on him, her eyes cold. In her hand, he could see a glimpse of multiple Magic Bomb Sealing Stones, the source of that unexpected destruction.
Magic Bomb Sealing Stones were a product of Refining. They stored elemental power and then released it all at once when activated.
「Damn ittt, the hell’s up with you!」
His ragged voice came out as he dragged himself back. But Mira heeded no attention to him, her eyes focusing on another spot. Kairos followed her gaze to see.
She was looking at his right hand. The spirit sword he gripped was internalizing all the elemental power around, distorting light like a mirage. It was completely unbothered by the earlier disturbance, just like the calm before a storm.
(I still have this. I can still win! I’ll just knock her measly pebbles away!)
Just a glance at its odd appearance was enough to tell that the energy the blade assembled was abnormal. And Kairos’ shaken heart seemed to sync with it as it calmed him again. When he thought of snatching the victory for himself with this overwhelming power he had felt for the first time, it pushed away all the fear in his heart.
(I guess I was too wishful to think I could pull through this without any danger, so that leaves only one option for me.)
Mira was also aware that the sword was dangerous. Even if she had the magic resistance to damp an elemental attack that vastly surpassed what a regular person could do, that sword when used correctly would cause obvious damage. Because of that, she could only think of one option.
The instant Mira’s gaze shifted to a point beyond him, Kairos sprang to his feet by instinct as a deep grunt came from his throat, readying the sword in his hand.
The distance between them was around five meters, but because of her sage skills, he knew she could leap onto him in an instant. In that case, his only option was to attack without hesitating before she could react. Thinking that, he struck while she was standing still.
The sword released the power it had amassed, seemingly reading Kairos’ intent. The swerving blade like a mirage was gradually tinted black. Its shape looked unnatural, like a solar eclipse, like the jaws of a wolf that devoured any and all light.
The pulsating sword released a loud roar, leaving the impression in Kairos that it was leading an entire army that would award him victory.
Then for an instant, something else happened. A swirling gale like a hurricane appeared above Kairos, the violent winds snatching the sword from his hands like diving punishment on a rogue beast. The source of that instant storm were the Magic Bomb Sealing Stones Mira threw. When Kairos was possessed by the immense power concealed in the sword, he stopped paying attention to what was happening in front of him and severely underestimated the threat from the stones. His eyes had only been focused on her feet, trying to avert the possibility of her getting closer while ignoring what her upper body did.
「Why… why why whyyyyyyy!!」
Nothing went the way he wanted. He began screaming like a child throwing a tantrum as he searched for his sword. When he saw it, he found it had been blown away a considerable distance away from him, but the sword still had that black glint to it.
Kairos broke into a run trying to regain his sword. His armor let heavy metallic clangs, but his feet were surprisingly quick.
But his hopes would once again be entirely dashed.
As his feet stepped forward looking for salvation, they were overtaken by an explosion as if he had stepped into a minefield. He fell down rolling miserably before ending on his back and looking up at the grey sky.
(What… why…?!)
Even though his feet were supposed to be covered by spirit armor, all he could feel was a burning pain that wrecked his nerves and mind.
His vision was blurry and dark as he reincorporated his upper body and checked what happened with his legs. He saw them covered in dirt, followed by the smashed and crumbling tassets, cuisses and greaves.
When he hesitantly looked up again, he shuddered seeing Mira walking to him completely composed.
「Damn it, damn it all! That’s it, get her!」
Kairos screamed as he dragged his legs while increasing the distance with Mira. In response, two figures jumped out from blindspots in the rubble.
They came from both sides towards Mira, wearing black clothes and black masks, holding daggers treated in a way to dull their reflections. They ran towards Mira while holding their bodies close to the ground, looking like the stretched shadows produced from a light that fell down.
When those silent and mute twin snakes were about to swing their blades efficiently and without hesitation, a thundering explosion enveloped them and they were sent flying and rolled on the ground like tattered cleaning rags.
「So they were your last resort? What a foolish plan.」
Mira did not stop walking towards Kairos, lowering the arms she had just stretched out, until she was standing right in front of him and looking down at his face.
It was impossible to discern his expression through the helmet, but she could not feel any will to fight from the man shaking making the armor clatter.
Mira had entirely broken through Kairos’ plan. Barriers that sealed one’s spells were rather common in high level dungeons, so it was impossible for a spellcaster at the level of the Nine Wisemen to be unaware of countermeasures, not to mention experience being alone fighting multiple foes under those circumstances. Mira had been through countless battles like that, time and time again, to the point there was no novelty to them anymore.
She had also been aware of the ambush from the start. The first time she used Life Sensing, she had seen three readings included the armored man. There was not a single shred of surprise in their attack.
「What the hell, what is up with you…」
Kairos could only mumble hesitantly before finally realizing just what kind of people the Nine Wisemen, the heroes of Arkite were, namely-
「You’re a monster.」
Seeing the girl claiming to be a wiseman’s pupil in front of him with an apathetic expression, Kairos could only scoff at himself.
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