When they passed through the magic gate, they found themselves on the stage of an arena with a huge magic circle painted on the floor as well.
However, neither Ray nor Melhayes were there. They were connected to another dimension.
When I looked around, I saw red treasure balls scattered in all directions.
''If you think you've outsmarted them all, you're mistaken, Anos-sama.
Melhayes' voice echoes. But he's not there.
We're in the Azeisisis, the dimensional prison he created.
Even if the dimensions are different, it would be easy for his voice to be heard.
"A trap is a trap that is laced with two or three layers of traps.
Magic gates appear on all sides of me. When it opens, a black aurora emerges from within.
It is a fence of annihilation, emitting a vicious light and harboring unfathomable magical power.
It covers the entire stage as if it were bared teeth.
I cast an anti-magic on the 21 treasure balls scattered on the floor and myself.
It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them.
Instantly, the first layer of anti-magic popped off.
Immediately I re-stretched the anti-magic to reinforce it.
But as soon as I do, the anti-magic pops off.
This black aurora is much stronger than the magic of Ivis, who fused with the guardian god of time, Eugo La Raviaz.
The only way to protect the treasure ball is to constantly deploy anti-magic.
Hmm. That looks very familiar, with its magic and spell.
The magical wavelengths emanating from the black aurora borealis even make me feel nostalgic.
Yes, this is exactly what I had two thousand years ago.
"I am the wall that divides the world into four."
"Master Left, sir. The magic you risked your life to use is the first time you have combined the magical power of the Creator God, the Great Spirit, the hero, and the Demon King to create a wall. The magic you risked your life for is the Benno Yevhen, which was created by the combination of the Creator, the Great Spirit, the Warrior and the Demon King.
No wonder it's so powerful.
＜The Benno Yevhen rejects and destroys all.
You won't fare well if you're swallowed up inside the aurora's walls.
"Before the wall disappeared, you managed to get it inside the prison of Azesis.
It is likely that he kept giving it magical power to keep the wall of the Four Realms (Benno Yevgen) intact.
It's not impossible for Merhayth, who has the power to cross the wall, to do so.
Yes. "Yes, but I could barely keep up with the barrier, and I couldn't control it either. That's why we needed your magic power.
I see.
＜The reason why the sucking out of my magic power with the sucker's circle is not only to reduce my power, but also to obtain the magic power to control the barrier of the four worlds.
It is not a magic that can be moved by nature, but if it is in the , it can be transferred freely using the magic gate. Thus, it can be used as an attacking magic.
''However, as expected of Anos-sama. A newly reincarnated demon normally can't use even a tenth of its magic power. I'm afraid to say that you've regained your former strength after only a month or two after your reincarnation. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to prevent the Benno Yevgeny from being destroyed.
'You seem to be smooth-talking a lot, Melhayes, do you think I'm going to be beaten by my magic?
Not if you're well prepared. However, you have lost your left arm and more than half of your magic power. Not only do you have to protect yourself, but you also have to protect the 21 treasures with your anti-magic. Even for a tyrannical demon king, isn't it a bad deal?
Do you think so?
Now I'd like to make another move.
＜Images appear in front of your eyes through the magic of the Remote View (Rimneto).
It's an arena of another dimension. I see Ray holding Sheila in his arms.
"Benno Even.
As Melhayth uttered this, a black aurora rose up around Ray.
He quickly put his hands around his waist, but the sword wasn't there.
Initio was broken by me.
The Vajra Iron Sword had been thrown away earlier.
''He doesn't seem to be very good at magic. Unarmed, he won't let you get away with it.
The jet-black aurora borealis attacked Rey and the others.
Ray, who has no sword, would have no way to prevent it.
However, anti-magic was being deployed to protect them from the .
''As expected of you, Anos-sama. ＜I'm afraid that you have traced the magic power of the and deployed anti-magic in another dimension.
In a condescending tone of voice, Melhayes says, "But you can't do anything else with that much magic.
But if you use your magic to that extent, you can't do anything else. It's only a matter of time before you run out of power.
Hmm. You have a point, though.
I'm not going to get anywhere with this anti-magic stuff.
You're not going to get away with this.
I send a thought transmission (leaks) to the dimension where Rey is.
"....Anos? This anti-magic was you?
Yeah. But he's using a little too much magic. What can you do about that black aurora, the Benno Yevhen?
Ray nodded with a serious look on his face.
'Can you get your sword out?'
It won't last long.
＜Using the magic of the Creation Architecture (Ibis), he created a magical sword in front of Ray.
Ray grabbed it.
Sharpening his nerves, he looked sharply at the aurora in front of him and, as if striking the vital point of the technique, he made a single flash.
''Huh.....!
The black aurora cracked in half for a moment, then rebounded back to its original shape and attacked Ray.
As if to intercept it, he made another flash.
However, the moment he collided with the , the sword barrel shattered to pieces.
As expected, it's difficult to create a decent magic sword within the
''It seems that's as far as it goes, Anos-sama. ＜The Four Realms Wall (Benno Yevhen) is getting even denser.
Melhayes' voice that sounded triumphant could be heard.
The speed at which the anti-magic is destroyed is accelerating rapidly.
＜They must be sending the Four Realms Wall (Benno Yevhen) towards us one after another.
Just like he said, the density of the black aurora is increasing and its power is increasing by that amount.
I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. I can feel your magic, though.
'Aside from the details, it's a spell I risked my life on two thousand years ago. Melhayes seems to have taken it well.
I thought it was a tough nut to crack.
Ray stared at the black aurora that enveloped him.
'Anos. Can you break my anti-magic and make a stronger magic sword?
I can do that. If you expose yourself to the Benno Yevhen without anti-magic, even you will die.
Ray smiled briskly.
'If you keep this up, I'm going to die anyway. I'll slay this one first.'
The more he hits the wall, the more he grows, this man.
Maybe he had already gotten the hang of it with the sword he just used.
''Cut in 0.5 seconds. I can't guarantee more than that.
I created the magic sword in front of Ray's eyes again.
He grabbed the hilt.
''Ready?''
Anytime.
Then let's go.
He released Ray's anti-magic and poured his magic power into the magic sword at once.
More robustness was added to the sword's body.
''......Hah....!
A moment later, a sword flash flashed.
The anti-magic disappeared, and Rei swung her magic sword down to slice through the darkness that attacked her at the same time.
The jet-black aurora splits in two.
However, it quickly returned to its original state as it rebounded and bared its fangs at Ray's body.
''......Huh....!
Ray runs his sword and breaks it into four pieces before the aurora splits in two and returns. He splits it into eight pieces, then sixteen, and chops it into smaller and smaller pieces.
However, no matter how much he chops it into smaller pieces, the magical power of the doesn't diminish at all, but on the contrary, the repulsive force that tries to return to its original state increases.
''Ku......''
One thing, Rey failed to cut Aurora.
At that moment, all at once, the form reversed and the jet-black Aurora cracked the magic sword.
The blade wielded again dared to break and blood overflows from Ray's entire body.
He dropped to his knees in place and I re-stretched my anti-magic.
'....I was so close...'
With a rough breathing tick, Ray tries to get up.
''Huh...?''
He collapsed as his strength slipped away.
''It's funny ... my body ...''
Well, that's what you get after a decent fight with me.
"Don't relax. Your own anti-magic is weakening.
''I know but...''
While lying on his back, Ray looks like he can't move a single muscle.
''.....I can't....get any more strength...''
He tried to clench his fist, but Ray couldn't even make it.
'Whew,' he exhaled.
'Anos.'
Ray says, staring into the air.
'Well this is it for me. Can you ask my mother for help?
It would mean turning the anti-magic magic I'm using on Ray separately and getting out of this predicament.
'It's too early to whine. Get up.
''I can't move my body anymore. Even if you stand on it, you can't cut the Four Realms Wall (Benno Yevgen). It looks like you're no match for it.
As if in resignation, Ray closes his eyes.
Hmm. Is this man indeed the end of his rope?
No--
I can do it....
Before I could say the words, I heard a faint voice.
''.....Mother.....?''
"I can do it Ray I believe in you because I know that you have a sword I love you so much....
Sheila says, as if delirious.
The rumors and lore must have been erased and the spirit disease must have progressed.
And yet--
"I'm sorry. Mom, I don't feel like...
It's okay, Ray. It's okay. I'm gonna keep you safe. I'm here to help you.
...to help me...?
Sheila's body was enveloped in a faint light.
Then, the outline of the person's body became limp and distorted, and it quickly changed into a different form.
Spirits have a temporary form and a true body.
It wasn't clear if the half-spirit, half-demon had a true body, but it seemed that this was an attempt to reveal its true form.
Suffering from a spirit disease, Sheila's magical power was about to disappear at any moment.
There was no power left anywhere to show her true body, if one thought about it normally.
Nevertheless, she still wields the power from its source.
I love you, my son.
And so, Sheila has fully revealed her true body.
With the blade, the form of the sword -.
If the true body of the great water spirit Rinyon is the eight-necked water dragon, then Sheila's true body is probably the sword (sword).
In appearance, it looks a lot like my father's sword of iron vaulting.
However, the magical power that emanates from it is incomparably greater.
I see. So that's why.
So there's no need to do anything about it.
"You can stand your ground, Ray. You can still fight. Your mother didn't raise you to be a weakling who gives up halfway through a fight.
Slowly, Ray picks himself up.
"....Mother......
Whipping the whip across his weak body, he reached out frantically and grabbed Sheila's sword.
The light emanating from the sword covered him.
As if to protect him.
''I can do it Ray. Your mother knows. There isn't anything you can't cut.
Nodding, Ray stood up completely.
Then, he held Sheila's sword on the .
''Are you sure, Ray Grundley? If you use that sword, you will not have to pay the easy price of a spirit disease. Your mother will surely disappear from this world.
Melhayes' voice echoed as if threatening.
That would be true. Even spirit magic, if you use it, it's a half-spirit half-demon that won't just go away. If the weakened Sheila becomes the true body, the result is clear.
''A half-spirit, half-demon with an unstable root source can only display the power of its true body once in its lifetime. You will kill your mother with your own hands, will you?
The only reason why Melhayes threatens repeatedly is because Sheila is wary of the power of the altered spirit sword. Or maybe it could slice through the .
But quietly, Sheila's voice echoed.
It's not. I will protect you. I will protect you, my darling. I'm not afraid to give up my life for that, as many times as I can.
The brilliance of Sheila's sword increased even more.
Like a comet before it faded away, it flickered strong and fierce.
'Hey, Ray. Do you remember?
Sheila speaks softly to me as if she were reminiscing.
In a really gentle voice, as if to say that this is her last conversation--
What do you want?
When I was teaching him to cook as a kid, Ray suddenly tried to slash the pot with a knife.
Ray smiled thinly.
'That happened, didn't it?'
'You'll never cut it, your mother said. But Ray didn't listen, and he kept trying to slash the pot with the knife over and over again. Then all of a sudden he sputtered and cut the pot in half. Mom, you really startled me.
I could tell Sheila was smiling, even though her figure was a sword.
'I was going to get mad at you, but you seemed really happy about it. I figured that Ray must like swords and all that stuff.
Okay.
Ray countered gently.
'Hey. What kind of things can Ray cut up now that he's grown up? Can you show your mom?
Slowly, Ray nodded.
'Okay, Mom. Let me show you.
Quietly he closes his eyes as if to focus his attention.
As it was, he held his sword in a natural gesture.
Somehow, the sword seems like a toy, and the thinly smiling Ray gives him a childlike innocence.
He must be returning to his childhood now.
As if to retrace his memories of his mother, to his childhood when he was drawn to the sword.
Sighing, he takes a breath and stops breathing.
Taking a step, he steps in and exhales briefly.
At the same time, the sword in his hand shimmered.
Like a ray of light that dispels the darkness, the shining sword slices through the .
Faster than the black aurora returns to normal, it thoroughly cuts through it, turning it into shreds and dissipating it.
How many times did it roll out its blade in the space of a single breath?
Before a terrifying series of blows that made it look as if it was waving countless meteors, the was slashed down and disappeared.
Even so, Ray still did not stop.
''.......Anosk!
I heard Ray's voice and I magically connected this dimension to his.
''Hah!
Flashes of light shimmer.
A blade like a meteor descends into our dimension and dispels the black aurora.
In just a few seconds, the in my dimension also disappeared.
''.......''
Silently, Ray exhaled.
When he looked, Sheila's sword in his hand had become so weak and shiny that it looked like it was about to disappear.
''Well how about it, mother?''
As he uttered that, the outline of the sword huffed and distorted, turning into the figure of Sheila.
Her body had become so thin and transparent that it seemed to disappear at any moment, slightly emerging from the ground.
She placed her hand on Ray's cheek.
Sheila's body turned into a grain of light.
Finally, she gave a big smile.
''I love you....''
Ray reaches out to hug her. But his hand grabbed nothing and cut the sky.
As if snatched by the wind in a huff, Ray's mother disappeared.
''Mother......''
Gazing at the slight residue of light that remained, Rei's eyes fill with tears.
''There was still something I wanted to do for you...''
He says as he screams from his heart.
'....I still wanted to do something with you...'
He looks down and mutters in a faint voice that seems to disappear.
''I'm sorry I can't do anything more for you.....''
A single drop spilled down Ray's cheek.
'I know how you feel, Ray. It's a little early to cry.'
He looked up at my words.
'Save those tears for after your emotional reunion. If you're looking for filial piety, you can indulge in it afterwards.'