A voice calls as we try escaping the burning forest.
"Not that pattern again. Who are you!?"
"Hey. Just ignore and run."
"Yeah, that's right. Dunno who you are, but not dealing with this again."
Ignoring the voice, we try to flee.
But she circles around to the front. I click my tongue loudly.
"How cold~ Play with me a little~"
"Crap..."
A woman stood there.
Long, wavy red hair, and demonic traits like the earlier man. One broken horn, but minor details don't matter.
She swirled with magical power on a different level from the man.
"You killed that man over there, yes?"
Glancing at the charred body, she says.
"No, wrong. He was like that when I arrived. Wanted to help, but hard in this situation."
Honestly, my magic power feels insufficient. Or rather, she seems dangerous even at full strength. Gotta bluff.
But hearing that, she giggles.
"Lies~ I watched~ The fight just now."
She's bad news.
Didn't expect her to see through it, but no time to retort as I barely dodge her surprise attack.
"Oh my~ Any normal person would've been ripped to shreds~"
"I just tripped."
Not good. I evaded the first strike, but can't keep up with her speed. She's not even at full power yet.
The lifeline magic has little power left either... No choice then.
It's reckless, but here goes.
"Phoenix! Buy some time!"
"Can't be helped. Five minutes! Get an amazingly hot chick ready later!"
Leaving the female demon to Phoenix, I withdraw behind.
He'll manage somehow. Distracting her shouldn't be a problem if just running away. —
"Burn baby, burn!"
"Oh~ This bird can use magic. And talks too~"
Firewall, compile.
I start compiling the difficult advanced magic.
Difficult means the process till activation is complex.
But it's on the simpler end of advanced magic. Should be fine. Now how to get her...
"It was fun seeing this rare bird, but I'm bored now~ Ending this~"
Before my eyes, her fiery spear pierces Phoenix's wing.
"Phoenix!"
"It hurts! Ahhh!"
Phoenix crashes down shrieking.
Good, he's alive it seems.
My magic just a little more... There!
"Oh~ Finally came out? Show me the magic you used on that man~"
One chance.
"RUN"
She nimbly dodges the Fireballs.
As expected, she's no ordinary demon. Her power and magical energy dwarf the earlier man's.
"No chanting again... Well, I can use Fireball without chanting too!"
She reflects my chantless Fireballs, damaging me some.
But I charge in.
Overwhelming difference in strength. My only chance while she's off guard.
"Ugh. RUN"
I break through the Fireballs she unleashes.
I shielded my face with crossed arms, burning them.
Not painfully, but now in range, I unleash Firestorm on her.
"Intermediate magic? And chantless!? But!"
She blocks the Firestorm with some water shield covering her whole body.
Her magic activation is considerably fast, if not chantless.
But I don't expect to win easily. That's just delaying.
"Firewall RUN"
Firewall makes shielding flame walls, blocking vision.
Just one does that, but I simultaneously cast four.
"No way, this magic too!? But more importantly!"
"Yeah. You can't move now, right? This is the finisher! Fifty Fireballs barrage, RUN!"
I'll call it Fireball Meteor Swarm in my heart! Too embarrassing to say aloud.
Countless fireballs rain down from right overhead, inside the flame walls. —This should do it.
"Ahaha! Ahahahaha~!"
Her shrill scream echoes amidst the flaming forest. Gotta escape quick.
"Phoenix?"
Retrieving Phoenix's body, I walk on.
I've hit my limit. I can feel my body faltering.
Well, at least I beat her—
In that moment I let my guard down.
"Ugh!"
Her fiery spear pierces my gut.—She survived that?
Clicking her tongue, I hastily shoot Fireball behind. But it misses, passing her face.
"Too bad. Ahaha~! Much more fun than expected~ Your chantless magic, that barrage using your remaining power... Very intriguing, but you'll die now~"
Coughing up blood mixed with phlegm, I say.
"I'll...teach you...later...so take this out... And kindly heal me..."
"Fufu~ I just wanted to play a little, but letting you live seems troublesome~"
I see, so that's how it is. Unable to talk back as my strength fades,
It's been about two years since coming to this world. I kinda wanted to live longer...probably would've been fun.
I lose consciousness.