Chapter 17: Confusion
Iris was surprised. Her mentor in magic and long-time acquaintance, Shu, had been captured by Zamus.
"Why Shu-san?" she wondered.
"Do you know him, Iris?" asked a senior female Holy Knight.
"Yes."
Iris nodded in response. However, it was incomprehensible to her why Shu would be in such a place.
As she was perplexed, the remaining Holy Knights began to gather around her one after another.
Including Zamus, who had been there from the beginning, there were a total of sixteen assembled Holy Knights.
Initially, there had been twenty, so there should have been four remaining.
However, a Holy Knight skilled in sensing magical power tilted her head and murmured, "Huh? There are no magical powers from four people?"
Upon hearing that, the Holy Knights became agitated.
Not sensing magical power was synonymous with being dead. Although there were several Greater-class beings in the demon village this time, they were not opponents that Holy Knights would lag behind against.
That's why it was hard to believe they were dead.
However, Zamus, whose companions among the Holy Knights were killed right in front of him, silenced everyone with a loud voice.
"Everyone, calm down! It's probably this guy who killed our comrades."
"Guh..."
Zamus had transformed his left arm into water, capturing Shu. He kept it entangled around his neck and suspended him in the air. Shu, a spiritual-type monster, couldn't escape from the water infused with magical power.
Thus, he had been captured while remaining in his physical form.
(This is a Holy Knight... Too strong...)
Zamus, who could transform his body into water, was the worst enemy for Shu. Even his ultimate magic, "Dividing Sky Domain Line," was nullified, and other magic was forcibly destroyed by Zamus's magical power.
The remaining magic power also had little meaning against an opponent with this much magical power.
While he had been gradually depleting Zamus's magic power with "Life Drain," he was caught before he could drain it all.
Then, Iris was surprised by Zamus's words and voiced her denial.
"T-That can't be true! I object!"
To that, Zamus widened his eyes, but he remained calm and asked in return, "Is there a reason for that?"
"Yes! Shu-san is my mentor! I can use all magic thanks to Shu-san's guidance!"
"Is that true?"
"Of course!"
Certainly, from Zamus' perspective, he had witnessed the use of bizarre and extraordinary magic. It was a peculiar form of magic that didn't fit into any of the four elemental attributes, yet it was effortlessly activated without any incantations. Zamus couldn't help but believe that his magical prowess was of an exceptional caliber.
However, Zamus never expected that Iris, a skilled knight, would possess such remarkable magical abilities.
Zamus loosened the water restraints slightly and turned to Shu, seeking clarification.
"Is what Iris is saying true?"
"...I don't know," Shu deliberately denied.
Shu understood that affirming Iris's claims at this moment could lead to unfavorable consequences. Hence, he distanced himself from the situation by asserting that it had nothing to do with him and Iris.
Yet, Iris, the spirited girl, cut through Shu's evasions.
"Shu-san, that's not fair at all! Didn't you protect me from monsters and teach me about mana and magic control?"
"...That's what you're saying? Shu, was it?"
"I don't know. Maybe you just misunderstood?"
Shu tried to convey his thoughts through a meaningful glance, urging Iris to read the atmosphere. However, his intentions went unnoticed by Iris. Their charade of deception was gradually losing its effect.
Nevertheless, Shu believed he was trapped in an inevitable situation.
Unable to defeat Zamus himself, he found it difficult to imagine overpowering the remaining knights.
Shu had already resigned himself to the likelihood of not surviving this ordeal.
Thus, he resolved to navigate the circumstances in a way that would least disadvantage Iris, the girl he had grown fond of.
"Look, she's human, and I'm a monster. We're incompatible beings. There's no way we can be friends."
Shu revealed his hidden ace and assumed a spectral form.
He swiftly employed "Life Drain" to siphon off Zamus' magical energy, transforming the water-based magical apparatus into mere water. Taking advantage of his intangibility, Shu slipped away. However, this method could only be employed once, and if he were caught again, his fate would be sealed.
Hence, for the time being, Shu insisted that there was no connection between Iris and himself, focusing on his escape. Though success depended on fortune, he refused to resign himself to inaction.
"If he's a monster of the spirit type... Could he be an elemental spirit?"
Zamus was taken aback not only by Shu's effortless evasion of their magical apparatus but also by the revelation that Shu was a monster. As Shu ascended into the air, intending to flee, Zamus infused his left arm with magic, converting it into water and causing it to ripple like a whip. He directed the attack toward Shu.
The strike followed an unpredictable trajectory, cutting through Shu's attempt to unleash an acceleration magic array. Even as a spirit, Shu couldn't evade an attack infused with magical power, and he was forcefully knocked down.
"If he's a monster, we must eliminate him! Everyone, attack!"
"Oorah!"
Each of them used magical armor and attacked Shu, who had fallen to the ground.
First, the Holy Knight who used a bow shot an arrow. The arrow flew at a terrifying speed, but Shu narrowly avoided a direct hit. However, the arrow exploded and blew Shu away. He quickly floated up and regained his posture, but then a large rock flew towards him.
If it were a physical attack, he could have passed through it without dodging, but unfortunately, it was an attack using magic armor. Since it was filled with magical power, he would suffer damage if he was hit.
"Reflection."
Immediately, he drew an acceleration magic circle and reversed the acceleration to deflect the large rock. The rock itself did not contain enough magical power to cancel out the magic circle, so the magic circle functioned without being destroyed.
"What?! It bounced back!?"
"Be careful. This guy uses strange magic."
After witnessing it firsthand, Zamus also warned everyone except Iris, and they all became more alert. On the other hand, Iris learned that Shu was a magical creature and was at a loss.
Even after being together for five years, she had never realized it.
Although there were some things he didn't know about common sense, she had admired him without thinking too much.
That's why she couldn't keep up with the understanding of the truth and was frozen in place.
(Shu-san... a magical creature? But...)
She knew that magical creatures were enemies that needed to be defeated. However, Iris couldn't bring herself to attack Shu. But that didn't mean she could help Shu, who was being cornered by the Holy Knights.
She was a Holy Knight, an existence that hunted down magical creatures that instilled fear in people.
She knew what she had to do.
"...I can't attack Shu-san."
Inadvertently, she let out such a murmur.
The other Holy Knights were attacking Shu, so they didn't hear Iris' words. However, if they had heard her, they would have frowned. According to the teachings of the Church of the Demon God, magical creatures were absolute evil. It was inconceivable for a Holy Knight serving the church to say such a thing.
Iris couldn't move, she could only watch.
(What should I do...)
A battle unfolded that she couldn't even see if she hadn't enhanced her visual perception with body reinforcement. Shu was trying to find an opportunity to escape, but he couldn't break through the encirclement of the fifteen Holy Knights. Gradually, he was being cornered.
If Iris, who excelled in wind magic, joined the battle, it would have been decided much earlier.
It might be good to prevent escape with a barrier of solar magic.
In that way, while understanding what she had to do, a feeling of wanting to help Shu welled up within Iris. Shu was Iris's benefactor who had changed her and her mastery in magic.
This conflict was stopping her in her tracks.
"Guah!?"
"Gyaaaaaaah!"
"Hermes! Aaron!"
Shu killed a Holy Knight with his "Slash Sky Territory Divider Line" technique. Currently, if used in a calm state, it could create a radius of thirty meters for the "Slash Sky Territory Divider Line." However, in the heat of the moment, the range would become extremely narrow, so it was impossible to defeat all the Holy Knights in one fell swoop.
Nevertheless, Shu thought that by steadily reducing their numbers, there might be a chance to escape.
At least, with Shu's abilities, he couldn't defeat Zamus.
"Water's Third Staircase, Aqua Jail!"
"Take this, Earth's Second Staircase, Entwining Vine Plant Chain!"
"Good, keep him captured like that!"
And finally, Shu was captured by a restraining type of magic. Water formed a cage, capturing Shu, while vines entwined his whole body, making sure he wouldn't escape.
One of the Holy Knights then prepared his staff.
He was a user of weapon-type magical armor, manipulating flames with his staff. More accurately, he was a magic armor user who manipulated heat. Heat began to accumulate through the staff imbued with magical power.
(This is clumsy.)
While trapped, Shu immediately deployed a magic array.
Right after, the Holy Knight swung his staff, firing a beam of heat.
The white flame-like heat beam was attempting to break through the Aqua Jail and the Entwining Vine Plant Chain to crush Shu.
However, the heat beam missed Shu, slightly evaporating the Aqua Jail and flying in a different direction. The house of a magical creature that was in its path instantly burned down, shocking the Holy Knights.
"You missed? What are you doing?"
"It's not... I didn't mean to miss."
"What do you mean?"
The reason it missed was that Shu had instinctively used vibration magic. By manipulating the refraction of light, he had slightly deviated the aim.
And during that opening, Shu activated vibration magic once again, reducing the molecular vibrations of water and freezing the Aqua Jail. At the same time, he tore through the ice with the Slash Sky Territory Divider Line, breaking it apart and escaping.
"Don't let him get away!"
Zamus shouted as he raised his Halberd with his right hand, transforming his left hand into water and wielding it like a whip. Then, the Holy Knight with a bow fired explosive arrows to provide cover and prevent Shu from escaping into the air.
The remaining Holy Knights prepared their respective magical armors to respond at any time, and those with room to spare began chanting their spells.
Even if he found a slight opening, the experienced Zamus would quickly seize the opportunity.
There was no time to escape.
No, rather, it was abnormal for Shu to be able to fight against a high-rank Greater Class opponent like the Holy Knight here. Normally, he should have been subdued long ago.
Furthermore, perhaps wary of the "Slash Air Territory Divider Line," Zamus had increased the frequency of attacking with magic without getting close to Shu. It was only Zamus who actively approached like that.
(Halberd passes through, so it's ineffective, but the water magic armor is too troublesome.)
Zamus's magic armor, which allows for versatile attacks, was the worst for Shu. He wanted to freeze it using vibration magic, but Zamus moved too fast to hit. Moreover, Zamus's magic armor contained abundant magical power, making magic almost ineffective.
As time passed, Shu was being cornered.
And finally, Zamus's attack hit directly.
"I've captured you!"
Zamus transformed his left arm into a tentacle-like shape and pierced Shu's body. Sewn into the ground, Shu was unable to move.
At that moment, a Holy Knight wielding a greatsword-type magic armor leaped forward as if delivering the finishing blow.
His ability was "Crushing."
When he cut with his greatsword, the target would be sliced while crumbling apart. He was what could be called an invincible magic armor user.
Weapon-type magic armor was impervious to reflection and would cut through even magic formations, rendering them meaningless. Even if Shu used movement magic to raise the ground and create walls, it would be useless against "Crushing."
(Is this the end?)
The "Slash Air Territory Divider Line" wouldn't make it in time either. While feeling the approaching greatsword in slow motion, Shu became convinced of his own death.
He had only lived in this world for six years, but there was no helping it.
Because he had killed Holy Knights himself to survive.
Sometimes, he had even killed aspiring magic armor users.
This time, it was his turn, just a story of that sort.
However, when the greatsword approached right before Shu's eyes, an unexpectedly resolute voice reached his ears.
"Impact!"
An invisible impact struck the Holy Knight's greatsword, causing its trajectory to deviate. As a result, when it was swung down, it tore through the ground right beside Shu, shattering it with "Crushing."
The ground was shattered by the power of the magic armor, and Shu was blown away by the impact. The magic armor of Zamus, which had been sewn into him, came off at that moment.
Even Zamus himself was taken aback by this.
And immediately, he turned towards the source of the interference and shouted in anger.
"What do you think you're doing?! Iris Silverbullet!"
The one who saved Shu from the brink of death was Iris.