Chapter 43
"Ah! Fireball!"
She poured magic power into it and let it fly.
But,
"I see."
—It couldn't reach him.
Every spell Iris cast was blocked by the man's shadow.
His freely moving shadow snuffed out her fire magic.
(That can't be...)
Iris had thought he couldn't possibly be this far away.
"Hah... hah..."
No matter how hard she tried, could she still not reach him?
Was this all her strength amounted to, no matter how hard she worked?
Her breathing grew ragged.
(No... I can't let him overwhelm me. Whoever he is, I have to—)
That's right. She had to fight.
To survive.
"Aaaaaah!"
She had no choice.
Iris began gathering magic again, all of it, without holding back, even if it meant she burned herself out—
"Now, I have some bad news for you—"
The man spoke, as if to pile on the despair that had overtaken Iris.
"I've fought that 【Oni】 before."
"—What?"
"We fought for three days, but neither of us could finish it. We were both battered and bloody. After that, they started calling me the shadow that cuts through everything. That's why they call me Baldo the 【Severing Shadow】."
"No... way..."
Her vision went dark.
It was common for adventurers to boast of their strength by naming someone famous and saying, "I'm just as strong as him."
Even so...
"You... were as strong as that 【Oni】?!"
Enrique.
Iris knew that name, too.
It wasn't unusual for an S-rank adventurer to leave the Guild.
But that usually meant they'd earned recognition from the kingdom and been granted land, joined the knights, or been admitted to an academy after proving themselves as a mage.
As far as Iris knew, hardly anyone had ever been kicked out of the Guild for being too unruly.
In other words, he was that crazy.
A former S-rank monster.
That was how Iris had come to think of Enrique.
And this man, Baldo, was his equal.
Could she win?
Something dark spread through Iris's heart.
(Someone like me—)
Even her one source of pride, her strength, was about to disappear.
But,
Before despair could swallow Iris, she heard a certain sound.
Baldo was the first to notice.
"Hm?"
The man frowned suspiciously.
Iris noticed a moment later.
The clack of footsteps.
The sound drew closer, step by step.
"Who is it? I told you not to come near this room—"
Another clack.
Before long, Iris sensed someone behind her.
"Run!!!"
In that instant, Iris cried out before she even knew whether the person behind her was friend or foe.
To be honest, Iris was battered and exhausted. She couldn't possibly win.
But there was a chance someone else could get away.
That's why she shouted.
"I'm the one he's after!"
Please, just run.
It was the bravest front Iris could put on.
She had to warn them of the danger.
That man was on the same level as the infamous 【Oni】.
So please, just survive.
"I see."
The voice from behind sounded surprisingly young.
"So he's Enrique's equal?"
"Yes, exactly, so hurry—"
—But the owner of the voice did something unexpected.
"You did well."
Saying that, he patted Iris lightly on the shoulder and stepped in front of her.
"...Huh?"
Iris was caught off guard.
The man wore an odd gray mask and pitch-black clothes.
The masked man's incomprehensibility aside, why was he standing in front of her?
As if he meant to fight in her place.
"...I don't know who you are, but... are you trying to die?"
Iris asked, trembling.
"No. I have no intention of dying."
The man stated firmly.
"But there's nothing to gain by saving me here... I'm a concubine's child..."
That's right. She was a concubine's child.
Even if he saved her—
But the man denied even that.
"This isn't about whether there's anything to gain."
"But, I mean, that man is... a wielder of Extra-Domain Magic, magic beyond human understanding..."
"Oh, is he?"
The man's tone was light.
From the outside, Iris might have wondered if this man was an idiot.
"Well, none of that matters at all."
And yet.
Iris realized then. This person was different.
He wasn't unaware of the enemy's danger.
(It's the opposite...)
The man's imposing bearing.
Even knowing his enemy was as strong as that 【Oni】, the masked man remained completely at ease.
"But... why...?"
Iris asked, her voice barely audible.
Because, yes.
Why was he helping her?
He had nothing to gain by saving her.
It had been the same in Lyon.
She'd wanted someone to help her.
But no one had listened.
Duke Randall had at least heard her out sympathetically, but when she asked the other nobles for support, most of them had only leered and asked, "What do you have to offer?"
That's right.
She had nothing to offer.
Even if someone like her were saved—
The man opened his mouth.
"—Because you looked like you were asking for help."
"...Huh?"
What came through that mask was a reason so sweet it was almost ridiculous.
Someone needed help, so he would help them.
The simplest, most hopelessly naive ideal.
The sort of reason everyone discarded as they grew up.
"...That..."
It couldn't be. As Iris began to say it, she suddenly remembered her grandfather's words, words she had long since forgotten.
'—Iris. You are blessed with greater talent than anyone.'
"...Ah."
'—That's why you must use your strength for others.'
"...Ah!!"
Her grandfather had always said so.
Noblesse Oblige.
It was the duty of those who wielded power. Those with strength must fight for others.
For others, and no one else.
—That strength is for others.
The masked man walked unhurriedly toward Baldo.
"Why...?"
Iris's gaze was now fixed solely on the masked man's back.
—On that ideal back embodying 'Noblesse Oblige,' the duty of the strong.
And then.
"Well, it's my turn now. You don't mind, do you?"
"Hmph. You had your chance to run, and you threw it away. Pathetic."
Baldo and the masked man faced each other. Iris watched them anxiously.
The reason was simple.
Baldo was spewing such dark magic power it felt like it might crush her.
But she couldn't sense anything from the masked man.
That's right. She could barely sense any magic power at all.
"Let me teach you something, brat!!! On the battlefield, the first to die are those who fight for others—what's the point of getting into a fight when there's nothing to gain!!!!"
Baldo charged.
Iris desperately followed his attack with her eyes.
But,
"Huh?"
What Iris saw was the man calmly blocking that blow.
◆
The fierce clashing of swords echoed all around them.
Iris could hardly believe the battle unfolding before her.
The amount of magic power one had was innate; everyone was born with a certain amount.
And the more magic power you had, the more of it leaked from your body.
So to anyone watching, Baldo, who was radiating such oppressive magic power, seemed to have more magic and the advantage.
(And yet...)
She tracked the masked man with her eyes.
The two men crossed blades, swapped positions, and swung their swords as if dancing.
But Iris couldn't believe it.
Gradually,
"Is he... winning????"
The one gaining the upper hand was the masked man, whose magic power she could barely sense.
Cut, slash, cleave.
Since Baldo could use his own shadow as a shield, he should have had a massive advantage, plain and simple.
And yet.
"Hah...!"
The masked man swung his sword, and Baldo's blade was blocked by the shadow.
"Tch...!! You bastard!"
Baldo was barely managing to block with his shadow, but he couldn't keep up with the masked man's speed.
He must have realized he was being pushed back, too; Baldo's face twisted.
He was being pushed back.
Why? Iris wondered, her mind growing calm.
By all accounts, Baldo should have been at an advantage...
(Wait... could it be?)
A certain theory suddenly occurred to Iris.
It was impossible.
But it was the only explanation.
"—Is a way of controlling magic power like that even possible...?"
――――――――――――――――――――――――――――
Iris
→ Though you'd never guess from her strong-willed personality, she's a talented young woman who learned Third-Tier Fire magic almost entirely on her own. She's very quick-witted. Her only flaw is that she thinks too deeply, because her mind works too fast.
Baldo
→ His battle against Enrique was the stuff of legend. If Enrique was the powerhouse type, Baldo was the technique-focused type.
He fights by combining his superb swordsmanship with his Extra-Domain 【Shadow】 magic, which automatically defends him, making him unmatched in close combat.
Iris's grandfather
→ He taught his granddaughter how a noble should conduct herself, though he may have ended up saying something he shouldn't have.
Protagonist
→ Only his back looks good.