--Tina''s side--


    I was still using my magic to heal Uncle Dian''s wounds.


    Compared to when I started, uncle''s wounds have almost completely closed up.


    However, the blood that was shed does not return, so uncle is still in danger.


    ''''Eric.......are you okay?''''


    I just heard an explosion coming from the direction where Eric and the guy were fighting.


    But I think that explosion was probably caused by Eric.


    I''ve been practicing magic with Eric, and I''ve seen him practice fire magic before.


    So I think that''s it because I heard what sounded like that explosion.


    And before the explosion, I could feel Eric''s magic power swelling all at once, even at this distance.


    With the sound of that explosion and the amount of Eric''s magic power that I felt, Eric caused an explosion that was unlike anything I had ever seen before.


    That''s why Eric is in a dangerous situation...!


    If you use that much magic power all at once, it will definitely hinder your subsequent actions.


    If you use too much magic power, you''ll instantly lose your strength and become unable to move.


    Eric and I have both experienced this.


    I''ve never seen Eric use such an amount of magic power all at once.


    If he was able to defeat the other man with that explosion, I hope he was able to defeat him........


    If you weren''t able to defeat him........!


    As I think about it, I start to hear another metallic sound that echoes in my ears from the direction Eric is in.


    The fact that I heard this sound means that the fight between Eric and that man has begun again.


    But Eric is absolutely nearing the end of his strength from the magic he just used...!


    We''ve been fighting demons for an hour straight.


    I suppress my impatience as I continue to treat Uncle Dian.


    When all the wounds are almost closed up and they will be in a state where they won''t bleed anymore........


    ''Oh, Uncle!　You''re up!


    Uncle opened his thin eyes and let out a small voice.


    ''Are you okay Uncle!''


    "Tina-chan... yeah, that''s it...!　I''m going to...


    Oh, don''t move!


    Uncle woke up and immediately remembered the situation, he opened his eyes and tried to get up, but the pain in his body made it impossible for him to get up.


    I lightly hold him down and keep him lying down while I activate my magic.


    ''''Uncle was injured to the point of death, you need to rest for a while!


    ''Where''s Eric.......Tina, where''s Eric.......?


    My uncle looks into my eyes as he sleeps and asks me where Eric is.


    I look away a bit and respond honestly.


    ''Eric is ... fighting with a man.


    ''　Shit I can''t do this!


    So don''t move, Uncle!


    My uncle tried to get up, but he was still wobbly and couldn''t get up.


    I''ve already healed everything I could with my magic, so Uncle''s wounds have been sealed up, but if I go to fight again, this time I might actually die.


    ''''Stay here, Uncle!　I''ll go for it!


    "Tina-chan is...!　It can''t be that way!


    My uncle would object to me going, but of course I''d be more useful to him than such a seriously injured uncle!


    I tried to persuade him to do so, but his uncle wouldn''t nod his head.


    ''Oi!　Both of you!


    What''s going on here?


    As Uncle Dian and I were talking, two men came from inside the village.


    Both men were fellow hunters of Uncle Dian''s.


    ''''I heard a loud explosion earlier, so I thought something had happened...''''


    ''Di, Diane!　How much blood is that!


    One man is astonished to see the blood on Dian''s clothes.


    Since he was covered in so many wounds, that''s a lot of blood on his clothes, and at a quick glance, it looks like he''s hurt badly.


    In fact, it was a really big injury and I healed it, but the two of them don''t know that, so they still assume that Uncle Dian has that big injury even now.


    ''Oh my God!　Mr. Diane is going to die!


    Hey, you go back to your people in the village and get your medical kit!　I''ll just patch you up!


    Okay!


    ''No, no, you guys!　This is going to get better...


    Uncle Diane flinches a little as they act without listening to him.


    I saw it as an opportunity.


    ''I''m going to go help Eric!　You take care of Uncle Diane!


    Oh, Tina, wait!　Hey guys, I''ll be fine!


    ''What are you talking about with all that blood!


    Ignoring Uncle''s voice to stop me, I run quickly towards the direction where Eric is fighting.


    If I don''t get there quickly, Eric is in danger...!


    -- Eric''s side --


    ''Hah!''


    Oraaaaah!


    I shout and shove my sword at the man and then at Felix, shouting a yell and swinging my sword.


    Felix also shouts and lunges at me, swinging his sword in time with mine.


    I tilt my sword slightly at the moment when it collides with my sword.


    Then the sword flows outward from my body to escape.


    I succeed in deflecting it and swing my sword at his body, but he ducks due to his amazing physical abilities.


    And then the deflected sword is deflected again and the guy swings it at me.


    I''m reading this and just barely managed to duck by tilting my head.


    I''ve been fighting this guy one-on-one for a while now, but I''ve been on the edge of this situation for a long time and haven''t been able to settle.


    I''m a bit of a technical expert.


    The way I move my body, the way I let my opponent''s power slip away when we cross swords.


    All of these things give me the upper hand.


    And experience.


    I''m just as skilled, and I''m better at this, too.


    I''m only 16, but I''ve fought many deadly battles in my past life.


    That experience is ingrained in my body and gives me strength.


    But it''s not an exaggeration to say that the most important thing in battle is physical ability.


    This is by far the best.


    They can duck when they see my sword.


    I can''t help but notice that he''s so powerful that he''d blow me away if I crossed his sword.


    This may be a difference in race, but that''s where the difference is too great.


    I''m not going to be able to tell if I''m going to be able to read the actions of my opponent and attack him, but it''s useless if he sees it and then ducks.


    I''m not going to duck.


    The way we duck and the way we attack requires a tremendous amount of concentration.


    I''m trying to predict and anticipate every move my opponent makes.


    I''m thinking in my head as I attack and avoid, and frankly it''s very tiring.


    If I make the slightest mistake, my sword will strike my body and be a fatal blow.


    I''m not going to be able to get a good look at it.


    Then it hits Felix''s sword and blows up against the power, but since he was aiming for it, I regain my position and land without difficulty.


    I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make it work. It''s like a cockroach.


    ''That''s a compliment to me...''


    That was sarcasm, you son of a b*tc*.


    I can see the man is out of breath and tired, too....


    I can barely stand up anymore.


    This isn''t good if I don''t do something about it........


    We have to do something about it, or this guy still has a lot of.......!


    Well I''m getting tired of this, so let''s get it over with.


    The man pointed his palm at me, who was away from him again.


    Yes, the man still has a means of attack called magic.


    I can''t do that anymore.


    Even if I could, there is a pure power difference between this guy and my magic.


    I''m not going to be able to say that I didn''t duck before, but this time I won''t. I''m going to give you a wide range of magic.


    I feel a stronger amount of magic than the magic I just struck.


    ''''But I''m not very good at magic among the demon race. So you need to accumulate this much magic to be able to do it. It''s the only weakness I have, but I have more than enough power to make up for it.


    Even this guy who''s bigger than my magic, it seems that he''s not good at magic among the demon race.


    I see, I''ve seen Irene many times because she''s good at it, but she''s so much bigger than this guy.......


    Irene.........that''s right, I have a reason why I shouldn''t lose......


    If I lose here, Irene will have to flee the country.........


    And meet me.........?


    That...................... The reason I was able to meet with Irene is because he became the king........


    When I think about it, it''s not so bad for him to be king....


    If I can escape from here, and this guy destroys the Begonia Kingdom and becomes king, then Irene can flee the country and meet me........


    What''s wrong with that........?


    So I should think about running away.


    --You''re not!


    I blame myself for realizing that the thoughts in my head are trash content.


    What the hell am I thinking...!


    You don''t remember what I felt like in my past life!


    Have you forgotten the loss of this village and the loss of your father, your mother, and Tina when they destroyed this village!


    And I''m sure I know how much suffering Irene has lived through since she fled the country!


    The butler, maid, and family she trusted to help Irene escape were killed by Felix!


    Had I forgotten the tears she shed when she told me about it!


    You saw those tears and you swore you''d protect them!


    He won''t be able to see Irene until he becomes king...?


    I don''t know about that.


    Of course it''s better to not see him now than for Irene to be sad when this guy becomes king!


    I''m fine with that, as long as she, Irene - as long as she''s happy.


    Determined to do so, I stare at the man in front of me.


    But this guy''s magic won''t stop now.


    It''s not a good idea to have a good time. Flame Wave.


    The front of my eyes were filled with flames.


    There is no way to escape from it no matter how you scramble, it''s a wide range of fire-attributed magic that is sure to hit.


    But ... if it''s the fire attribute, I can withstand it.


    I''m sure you''ll be able to find a way to make it work.


    It''s a faint hope, but I can''t afford to die.......!


    With that thought in mind, I was prepared to breathe in the burning air of the flames, hold my breath so that my lungs wouldn''t burn, and then I was ready for the intense pain - and then - I was ready.


    ''''Ice Wall!''''


    Such a magic name reached my ears and a wall of ice appeared in front of me.


    As I froze in surprise, the flames collided with the ice, and flames filled the air around me and passed by.


    But the flames didn''t reach me at all.


    The wall of ice in front of me is protecting me.


    I''m not going to be able to get a good look at it, but I''m not going to be able to get a good look at it.


    This magic is....!


    I look at the familiar magic and look in the direction of the voice chanting the name of the magic I''d heard.


    Then there was Tina standing there, out of breath and sweating, with her hand pointed towards me and protecting me with her magic.