Black Iron Magician

「Glint Ball!」

「Diesefilt!」

The rivalry between the sword and the staff collapsed and the two instantly moved backward. Then, the black smoke that covered everything and a number of light balls dominated the surrounding area. Both are to obstruct vision. From the outside, it’s a very fantastic sight, like the light of fireflies in the pitch-black darkness. However, within this darkness and light, a fierce exchange of attacks is going on.

Chinatsu is using Reflects in the air and moving at high speed with them as her scaffoldings. On the other hand, Haruna is moving at high speed as well with the rubbles that are soaring in the air as her scaffoldings. In the darkness and flashes of light, they repeatedly clashed while searching for signs and the magic power of each other. The two of them received wounds each time they clashed. Even so, they didn’t stop.

―――― BAAAAAAM!

However, even if they didn’t stop, the environment around them is changing every moment. The rubbles finally obeyed the gravity and multiple falling sounds began to occur in the darkness.

Unlike Chinatsu, who’s using her magic to create her scaffolding, Haruna, who was using those rubbles, can no longer stay in the air. With the sound of falling rubbles, the exchange of attacks came to a halt. Chinatsu uses her Reflect as the scaffolding, and Haruna skillfully lands on the shattered stage so that it won’t be judged as outside of the stage.

The battle so far has been advantageous to Chinatsu. It’s a matter of compatibility, but dark magic is not that good against light magic. By exchanging attacks many times, both of them are accumulating damage. However, Chinatsu can heal her wounds and can deal with abnormal statuses such as the deadly poison that Haruna is good at. In fact, Haruna was using Fume Fog to cover the stage with poison while hiding it in the black smoke. Despite this, Chinatsu doesn’t seem to be suffering at all from the poison. With light magic, there are many ways to deal with it by using things like Recover Bless, All Cure

, and so on.

(If it’s mid-air, the situation will be getting worse for me. Hmm, then――)

While glaring at Chinatsu in the air, Haruna raised the Doggan Staff as if to hide herself.

(…… She is not moving?)

In the temporary silence and darkness, Chinatsu tries to find out what Haruna’s next moves are. After confirming that Haruna has no sign of moving, Chinatsu ponders what actions she should take.

As mentioned before, Chinatsu is in an advantageous situation so far. However, it doesn’t mean that she can let her guard down. If Haruna is not going to move, Chinatsu will inevitably have to go at her or attack her using magic.

When it comes to close combat, Chinatsu has to cross a very dangerous path. In the air, they were able to fight each other almost evenly thanks to the geographical advantage. However, on the ground is different since Haruna will be able to fully use her aiki that she couldn’t use in the air. If Chinatsu were to fall even slightly into that, she would be thrown out of the ruined stage.

In addition, Haruna has her Doggan Staff. Even though it’s huge, the speed when it’s being swung is not that different from the speed when Chinatsu’s sword is being swung. And above all, the impact is tremendous. In fact, Chinatsu was considerably being pushed back when their weapons were locking each other. The reason it ended draw was because of the flame that was released from the flame magic sword attacked Haruna. Also, due to the nature of the Doggan Staff, even though Haruna was directly exposed to the flame, it only slightly burned the skin and the effect was weak.

Then, what about using magic to attack from a distance? It will be a long battle and there’s no certainty. Light magic sure is outstanding, but while it excels at healing, Chinatsu right now only has one way to attack using it. It will be a collision between magic like what they did in the early stages. Also, there are many rubbles around Haruna’s feet. So, no matter how better Chinatsu is at handling magic, she doesn’t want to have a magic battle against Haruna’s magic (physics).

In addition, there’s that Doggan Staff again. Its existence is troublesome even in magic battle. The mere presence of that staff will drop the effectiveness and power of all of Chinatsu’s magic. Even if she can one-sidedly keep firing Glitter Lance, it will be only a waste of magic power if Haruna uses her Doggan Staff as a shield.

(Haruna is clearly aiming for a counterattack. Still, if we stay as it is, it will be bad for me since I have to keep creating scaffolding.)

Chinatsu suddenly stood up and began to draw the glint balls that haven’t broken yet toward herself.

「………?」

Haruna frowns at that action, but she doesn’t move. The light balls gather on the blade of the flame magic sword and gradually unified as if to cover it. And then, the magic power that was only shining is now added to the sword. When the white flame appeared in the darkness, Chinatsu highly raised the flame magic sword overhead.

「Ah, crap――」

Without waiting for Haruna’s words, the sword was swung down at once. Haruna’s black smoke was divided at that moment, and in exchange for that, huge white flame energy was struck as a slash. It’s probably the worst attack that Haruna has ever faced so far. If that overwhelming heat hits directly, it will lead Haruna toward her death for sure. ‘Haruna will be okay, she will be able to overcome it,’ it was because Chinatsu believed in Haruna that she could launch such a merciless attack with all of her might.

「――SEEEEEEEIIIIIII!」

In response to Chinatsu’s attack, Haruna used her throwing. Just what did she throw? …… Her Doggan Staff.

「――!?」

The black staff charged toward Chinatsu while piercing through the flame. And then, that black staff, which was added with all of magics that Haruna has, finally passed through the flame and approached Chinatsu.

「Ugh…!」

It’s not the time to worry about the recoil from the greatest attack. Chinatsu desperately twisted her body to avoid the staff. The Doggan Staff then passed by right beside her face while tearing her cheek. And then, fresh blood sprayed from it. Without the protection of Alma Divine Bless, the wound would have been much deeper.

When Chinatsu returned her gaze, what remained was the slash that had been pierced by the staff. Then, the white flame scattered all over the area, burning and melting the rubbles of the stage and the exposed ground that it touched. The flames then ignited the surrounding grass one after another, dyeing the area with white flames.

―――― However, there is no figure of Haruna there.

「There!」

Chinatsu swings the flame sword she holds in one hand to the side. Haruna was in the place she aimed, but the wrist of her hand was grabbed by Haruna. When Haruna forcefully raised Chinatsu’s arm, the hand that was holding the flame magic sword was opened naturally and the sword fell to the ground. Chinatsu tries to shake off Haruna’s hand, but her arm is heavy and she can’t move it as she wants.

「Thank you, Chinatsu-chan. Thank you for taking this seriously… I’m so happy!」

Haruna, who said so with a brilliant smile, stretched out her another arm. ‘She’s going to break it,’ Chinatsu is convinced so. Immediately after, that conviction turned into reality and she felt a sharp pain in her arm. Chinatsu gritted her teeth at this first experience, but even so, she was smiling.

「Thank you too, Haruna. Thank you for fighting me seriously without showing any mercy. But, I’m sorry.」

「?」

「The one who will win is―― me!」

With her arm being grabbed as it is, Chinatsu canceled her scaffolding and jumped to the ground. Then, Haruna noticed it. After breaking Chinatsu’s arm, her arms can’t move at all. No, not only her arms. Some parts of her body are restrained by something and can’t move.

Chinatsu was chanting a certain magic while sacrificing her arm. That magic was Hard Reflect. It’s a magic superior to the one Chinatsu was using for her scaffolding and originally used as a defensive barrier. She made a hole in it and fixed Haruna’s arms together with her broken arm. Taking this as a perfect chance, she used her remaining magic power to use it on Haruna’s joints. The next step after the scaffolding is the chains that bind the target. It’s an advanced technique that’s only possible because Chinatsu can manipulate the shape of the barrier at will.

「Since I attached a lot of chains, the center of gravity is tilted toward Haruna. Changing the weight is useless now. After all, I can fix it right away…!」

「Kuh!」

The bone creaked and Chinatsu felt even more severe pain.

「… Ugh. You can, have my arm! However, you are going to fall first! Haruna!」

Haruna and Chinatsu crashed into the ground where the white flames were burning.