Jack of All Trades, Party of None

"...【Status Up】【Sevenfold Overlay (Septuple)】"

First, I cast the strongest buff I can handle on myself.

Then, just as Oliver was about to swing his sword for the third time, I activated the 【Reflective Barrier】 at his feet.

Immediately after, Oliver jumped about three meters into the air.

Seeing that, I gripped my beloved sword, Schwarzhase, and positioned myself directly beneath Oliver.

"【Demonic Sword Unification (Alteration)】――【Third Form (Mont Drei)】!"

I transformed Schwarzhase into a demonic sword. Then I expanded its mana to form a greatsword.

"――!"

With all my strength, I swung the greatsword Schwarzhase upward.

Oliver easily parried it with his sword, but this time I was wielding a demonic sword.

The slashing attack enhanced with 【Instantaneous Ability Surge (Impact)】 shattered Oliver’s sword into pieces. Then, it sent him flying even higher into the sky.

(Keep him pinned in the air!)

There were two reasons I chose to fight in the air.

First, if the battle continued on the ground, it would cause damage to the surroundings like before.

While I wouldn’t have to worry about collateral damage inside a dungeon, this was in the middle of the city.

I wanted to avoid destroying as much as possible.

Second, Oliver didn’t have a way to move freely in the air.

I had never seen him create an impromptu foothold with 【Mana Convergence】 like I do, and even if he could, I highly doubted he was capable now.

Oliver, already unarmed, had no means to counter me.

In the air, I would dominate.

—Or so I thought.

I pushed off the ground to close the distance and continue my assault.

Just as I was about to press the attack, Oliver’s golden aura began to stir in the air.

It gathered on his back, and the golden mana transformed into wings.

"—Wha!?"

Oliver’s wings weren’t just for show; they enabled him to move in the air. Suddenly, he dove sharply toward me.

"—!"

I activated 【Reflective Barrier】 again, and Oliver bounced off it, leaping straight up.

As Oliver adjusted his posture in the air after being knocked back, I rose to the same height and stood on a foothold created by my 【Mana Convergence】.

We glared at each other high above the city.

"Seriously, what’s wrong with you, Oliver? What happened to you?"

"......"

Knowing he wouldn’t answer, I still couldn’t help but speak.

Oliver and I had chosen different paths.

But it wasn’t a breakup.

Oliver was still my best friend.

That’s why it pained me that he had done such a thing, and why I was determined to stop him.

"I don’t want to believe you destroyed the city of your own will. If you can’t stop by yourself, then I’ll stop you. ――【First Form (Mont Eins)】"

I transformed Schwarzhase from a greatsword back into a longsword.

Previously, 【Demonic Sword Unification (Alteration)】 had a time limit.

But now I had overcome that.

There was no longer a time limit on the current 【Demonic Sword Unification (Alteration)】.

After the battle against Amuntzarse ended, I had devoted myself to improving 【Demonic Sword Unification (Alteration)】, sacrificing even sleep.

As a result, this magic was complete before the thanksgiving festival began.

Unlike before, it was no longer momentary; I could effectively maintain the demonic sword throughout combat.

However, to sustain the demonic sword, I had to periodically activate the magic like refreshing a buff, so it wasn’t infinite.

Regarding aerial mobility, Oliver, who could move freely, had an advantage over me who could only move in straight lines.

But Oliver, unarmed, couldn’t deal proper damage to me now!

I kicked off the foothold and dispersed its mana, adding the force of the impact to speedily close in on Oliver.

"—!"

Once within sword range, I swung Schwarzhase through.

Oliver wrapped his wings around his body to defend himself.

He took my slash head-on but was knocked back like a pinball.

"【Thunder Arrow】!"

Chasing after Oliver, I fired five lightning arrows.

To pierce Oliver’s wings, I enhanced the thunder arrows with 【Instantaneous Ability Surge (Impact)】, but they were blocked by the wings.