Before reaching the designated point, we held a discussion.
Namely, what should we do if we encounter a mutant?
Karen, Chocola, and I were used to this. Thanks to the versatility of our magic, we could handle most opponents. So, we could take on the task ourselves.
However—
「This is an ideal opportunity for us.」
It was Noah who spoke.
He turned his gaze to Parker-san and Karsch-san, addressing them both.
「We have Sui here. That means we can properly test whether our magic works against mutants. I won’t deny that relying on him stings my pride a little… but still, chances like this—where we can unleash our full strength—are rare. Wouldn’t it be worth trying?」
Parker-san agreed immediately. Karsch-san hesitated for a moment, then gave a firm nod. And with that, the decision was made.
Unless we encountered an enemy with a particularly bad matchup, Noah’s group would take the first fight.
※※※
「Alright, let’s go.」
Parker-san took command.
The plan had already been decided. The three of them had trained together back in the capital, so they knew each other’s combat styles well. A brief discussion was all it took to finalize their preparations.
The first to move was Karsch-san.
「…One step blind, two steps keen, three steps of slaughter, before the fourth, the eyes are red.」
As the incantation rang out, her magic power surged.
The sleeping mutant—whether it was a newt or a weasel, it was hard to tell—reacted, snapping its eyes open.
「…kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiriiiiiii」
「Returnless, pour forth. The hollow shell of the abyssal ring, its cries white, its sparks dark…」
The mutant let out an eerie rumble.
Karsch-san narrowed her eyes and unsheathed her sword. It was both a conduit for refining magic and a cannon to unleash it.
The mutant’s magic power was in utter disarray, roiling violently like a storm, shaking the very air.
Yet the 『Continuous Rain Witch』 remained unfazed. Unshaken. Neither her resolve nor her magic wavered.
Following Karsch-san’s lead, Parker-san began her own incantation.
「Brilliant and entwined with the earth, the sky echoes with the dragon’s maw.」
「Smoke and soot, sparse and pitiable. Blue lotus, wicked yet fleeting.」
And overlapping with the others, Noah began his own incantation.
「kieeeeeieeieieieeyyyyyy……」
The mutant trembled, the crucible crystal on its back flickering as sparks and sprays of water scattered. Most likely, it wielded a combined element of water and lightning—its method of attack was simple: drench its target, then electrocute it.
Behind the three, I readied myself. Chocola crouched low, letting out a low growl.
「Grrrrr……」
「Stay, Chocola. You only step in if it really gets dangerous.」
That said, a thick mist had already begun to blanket the surroundings. Karen was cutting off the flow of magic power in the area. If magic power remained exposed, other monsters could pick up on the battle and go berserk, rushing toward us. She was ensuring that no interference would come.
In contrast, Chocola and I remained on standby.
If the mutant’s attacks proved too dangerous for Noah and the others, I would activate a barrier immediately. If it attempted to flee, Chocola would bring it down in an instant.
But that was only if those scenarios played out. For now, we had decided to minimize our interference as much as possible.
—In reality, this was close to an ideal setting for battling a mutant.
With Karen’s magic preventing outside interference, my barriers ensuring their safety, and Chocola sharpening his fangs as the last line of defense, Noah, Parker-san, and Karsch-san could focus entirely on the fight. It was nearly a controlled environment—a mock battle where they could fully test their abilities.
I had once spoken with Noah and Parker-san about it.
How would they achieve their goal of reaching my home—the deepest part—on their own?
Noah had said:
He had gained confidence in his magic. His understanding of the arcane had deepened.
However, he still didn’t truly grasp the extent of his strength.
Parker-san had said:
Their time in Sidera had certainly made them stronger.
But if they were to challenge the deepest part, there was still one concern.
That was—fighting mutants.
The adventurers of Sidera avoided encounters with them at all costs.
In the forest, their highest priority was always not to run into one.
To that end, they had mastered skills of the highest caliber—reading the magic power flow of the forest, observing their surroundings in meticulous detail.
But for Noah and the others, that also meant something else.
They had never trained for the moment after an encounter happened.
If they lacked experience fighting mutants—if they didn’t have the strength to defeat them—then reaching the deepest part would be impossible.
「……Do your best.」
Before I knew it, I had murmured the words under my breath.
My clenched fist was damp with sweat. I watched the three of them from behind, as if offering a silent prayer.
Do your best—may fortune be on your side.
「ksyyyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaa！！」
The mutant roared. Its magical energy exploded, and a flash of light streaked through the air.
From its open mouth, it fired a jet of water infused with lightning—a single, beam-like blast.
If struck, it would pierce straight through. If deflected, it would discharge electricity. Even if dodged, the splashing droplets would paralyze the body.
Of course, my barrier was in place. They wouldn’t be harmed.
But if the barrier activated, it would mean they had failed to handle it on their own. The three of them would never accept that.
Almost simultaneously with the creature’s attack, Parker-san shouted.
「……『Mud Seal』！」
In an instant—
A wall of earth rose between Karsch-san and the mutant.
A muddy barrier, thick with moisture. The viscous shield absorbed the rushing torrent, dispersing the electricity and blocking the attack completely.
「kiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy！！」
The mutant shrieked in frustration. It leapt with all four limbs, clinging to a tree trunk, and in that brief opening as it prepared to fire another water blast from above—
「Too slow. ……『Scorching Rain, Fierce Scattering Blossoms』！」
The sword swung.
The magic of 『Continuous Rain Witch』 was unleashed.
It was an invisible heat, as fine as needles. Superheated air, sharpened to a piercing edge and bound by magic, then fired in a dense volley—a rain of purgatory itself.
A sound like ga-ga-ga-ga, ga-ga-ga-ga, ga, rang out.
Countless transparent blades of heat stabbed into the mutant and its surroundings.
The humid air evaporated. The trees blackened. Flames erupted here and there.
「kshhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyy！」
Yet, the mutant did not suffer a fatal wound.
Its slimy outer layer—most likely a mucus coating—caused Karsch-san’s scorching rain to slip off, neither piercing nor igniting its body.
This was nothing more than a momentary hindrance.
No—this had served as an opening.
「Celebrate, Love Letter. Unravel, Crimson Mire. Like dreams, like tongues, scatter falsehoods for eternity…」
「In the groaning tremor, white brilliance gleams, yet it licks the entrails and laments the sun.」
Karsch-san’s magic overlapped with the chants of Parker-san and Noah.
The two of them shouted in unison.
「Here we go, Noah. ……『For fleeting love, colors bloom』！」
「Understood! 『White Blaze, Shrouding Heaven and Earth』……！」
A deep rumble.
The ground trembled as a mass of mud surged upward, splitting apart like the jaws of a beast.
Then, from directly below, the mud lunged at the mutant—clamping shut.
Swallowing its massive body whole.
A Unity Magic, woven together by the two of them.
Mud and boiling water—an unassuming combination at first glance, yet together, they formed a merciless set of fangs.
「ky……、…………hh！ kkk…………i！！」
Scorching hot mud engulfed the mutant’s body.
Its mucus-coated skin made no difference.
Neither its ability to generate water nor its capacity to discharge lightning had any effect.
A mass heated to 100 degrees Celsius—enough to seal its fate.
Trapped inside, its body would be steamed and roasted.
A mere 100 degrees? Hardly.
That was more than enough heat to denature proteins. The creature inside would be slowly, inexorably, cooked alive, unable to breathe.
The thought alone was chilling.
The nobles of the royal capital had once dismissed Noah’s magic as insignificant.
They had no idea what they were talking about.
After all, in this world, how many creatures could truly survive being boiled alive—?
※※※
From that point, roughly thirty minutes passed.
The magic cast by the two was slow, methodical—delivering a deliberate and thorough execution.
Then, deep within the mud, there was a muffled boom.
The mutant’s life had ended.
Its Crucible Crystal released its elemental energy, signaling its demise.
With that as her cue, Parker-san dispelled the mass of mud.
Nothing remained inside.
Only the scars of battle—the ravaged ground and charred trees—stretched across the landscape.
「……Magnificent.」
Karen offered a brief yet firm assessment of their fight.
「I never had to activate my barrier. …There was never any need.」
And so, I spoke to them.
「Bark!」
As if to praise them, Chocola barked.
Noah, Parker-san, and Karsch-san turned around.
Their faces, though weary, were brimming with joy.
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