Published: January 22, 2026
As I remained alert for attacks from the "hero" who had me in his sights, a floating tree trunk turned toward me.
"...Hey, no way—"
The massive object, easily over ten meters long, came flying straight at me.
"Damn it!"
I swung my magical sword, Schwarzhase, sending out several jet-black slash attacks.
I also combined offensive magic to intercept the attacking tree, but I was overwhelmingly outnumbered.
(Should I have used Seal Release (Calmination)? That would have allowed me to use advanced or top-tier magic. Maybe it would have been easier to fend off the attacks then, but who’s to say I wouldn’t have ended up in the same situation...?)
Finally, a tree I failed to intercept plummeted straight toward me.
I stopped swinging Schwarzhase and dodged.
Unable to counter with black slashes anymore, more trees began falling.
If there was any small mercy, it was that the surrounding dust cloud covered me, likely causing the "hero" to lose sight of me again.
The "hero" switched to area suppression using the trees.
Careful not to leave the dust cloud, I desperately kept dodging.
After a while, it seemed the "hero" ran out of ammunition because the barrage of falling trees stopped.
(It's my turn to counterattack—!)
The "hero" probably believes we’ve both lost sight of each other within the dust.
But I still have him locked in my sights.
Since participating in a joint hunt this February, my spatial awareness has dramatically improved.
I don’t know why.
But with a vastly expanded field of view, I can now observe the battlefield from a bird’s-eye perspective.
This is why I was able to accurately fire magic at the "hero" while hiding behind trees earlier and continue dodging trees within the dust.
"Fourth Form (Mont Vier)"
Schwarzhase shifted shape into a spear.
"—!"
I hurled the spear straight at the "hero."
The spear shot toward him at high speed.
A focused attack like this might pierce through the "hero’s" force field.
However, such hopes were quickly dashed.
The spear, like my previous offensive spells, was deflected by the force field.
"Not yet!"
The spear suddenly burst apart, dispersing magical energy.
A jet-black shockwave engulfed the "hero."
Still, I knew it wouldn’t reach him.
As expected, the "hero" emerged unscathed from the black magic.
Then, he swung his sword at the spot where the spear had been thrown.
(This is it—!)
It’s almost certain that the "hero’s" supernatural ability creates a force field that blocks all attacks.
And if he can even convert it into an offensive weapon, then at the moment of attack, my own attack should be able to get through!
The jet-black mana gathering around the "hero" concentrated in my right hand, which had space-leaped behind him (・・・・・・・), shaping into a longsword.
I swung the magical sword.
However—
My sword was caught in the "hero’s" force field.
What’s worse, where before it had only been pushed back, now when I tried to pull the sword away, it was instead forcibly pulled back, completely trapping me in place.
(My guess was wrong.)
I quickly released Schwarzhase and tried to move away alone, but I too was trapped in the force field and couldn’t move.
"A unique array of attacks; quite enjoyable. Personally, I’d like to draw this out a bit longer, but—"
This restraint by the force field holds me in place by applying a force equal and opposite to the one I exert.
If so, then a sudden unexpected force might allow escape.
Thinking this, I ignored the "hero’s" muttering and circulated qi throughout my body.
"Calmine—"
Before I could even say "Seal Release (Calmination)," I was yanked to the ground and slammed face-down.
"Ugh, ahh..."
Something pressed down on me from above.
My entire body was crushed; I couldn’t move a single finger as sharp pain coursed throughout.
(Breath... I...)
That alone was agonizing, but the pressure on my body made breathing difficult.
The "hero" quietly landed beside me and spoke.
"Experience the agony of suffocation as you hover on the edge of life and death."
With that, the "hero" turned his back and walked away.