“Oh, what tremendous power… Magic’s effects are truly something else.”
As Yuma was lost in admiration, he heard voices from behind.
“Hey, over here!”
“Where did the Hell Garm go?!”
The Seekers were rushing over. There was no time to dawdle. Yuma immediately turned his back and fled the scene.
His physical abilities were enhanced by the “Bloody Oar.” No one would be able to catch up.
The Seekers, out of breath, couldn’t pursue the monster that had disappeared in an instant.
“Did you see that just now?”
“Yeah, no doubt about it. It’s the ‘Black Armor’!”
“Contact headquarters!”
Information about the appearance of the Black Armor was quickly shared among the Seekers. Unaware of this, Yuma entered a narrow alley between buildings and hid.
“I can’t revert for another five minutes. I’ll have to escape using that method.”
He had extended the duration of “Metallization” once when he defeated the Hell Garm and escaped from the Seekers. Therefore, he couldn’t revert for another four or five minutes.
Yuma melted his body into a viscous form, wriggled around, and transformed into a small dog.
In Mamezou’s form, Yuma trotted through the back alley.
“I won’t be found in this form. I wasn’t even noticed in the ‘Red Dungeon’.”
He would be fine once “Metallization” wore off and he returned to normal. Yuma thought so, but—
“…I see, so you can change your form like that. No wonder you couldn’t be found.”
He heard English from above. When Yuma looked up, he saw a person supporting themselves by bracing their feet between the buildings.
It was a blonde woman in military uniform.
“Eh!?”
As he was surprised, she jumped down. She held a one-handed sword with red and yellow Magic Gems in both hands. It resembled a Chinese Willow Leaf Saber.
“Yaah!!”
“Whoa!”
He jumped back to dodge the swung sword. The sword stuck in the ground was crackling with electricity.
“You’re quick!”
This time, she swung the red sword. Flames burst forth, and the blade ignited.
“Dangerous!”
Yuma ducked down, barely avoiding it.
—Two types of magic!? That’s quite rare for a Seeker.
The blonde, beautiful woman was wielding the two Willow Leaf Sabers. She was quite young, probably in her early twenties.
One sword was ablaze with flames, and the other was crackling with Lightning.
The woman in military uniform kicked off the ground and charged at him.
Yuma started running, hurrying out of the alley. Mamezou’s legs were short, so he couldn’t run very fast.
As he was panicking about where to escape, he heard a gruff male voice from behind.
“Hey, is this really the mutt that’s the ‘Black Armor’? That’s a surprise.”
The moment Yuma turned around, a jolt ran through his body. He was blown to the center of the road and rolled around.
As he quickly got up, a black man holding a long Rod came into view.
A large, bald Seeker. He had a completely different vibe from the woman, but he was wearing the same design of military uniform.
“Looks like my Lightning Strike didn’t work on him.”
“Yes, it seems he has resistance as rumored.”
They were both speaking in English. American? In any case, they were definitely Seekers who had come from overseas.
He noticed that people in military uniforms were around him.
—I’m surrounded.
They were all likely Seekers from the same Seeker Clan. Each of them had different Magic Enchanted Armaments.
A helicopter with whirring rotor blades was flying overhead, seemingly about to leave. Did they come on that?
When Yuma refocused his gaze, the blonde woman and the large man were slowly approaching.
The surrounding Seekers were also gradually closing in.
—I have no choice. Yuma released the transformation. Mamezou’s form melted, transforming into Liquid Metal.
◇◇◇
Something began to pour out from the black liquid that had formed a puddle.
The liquid eventually took shape. A black, rugged surface, thick arms, and a horned head. The small dog transformed into a humanoid figure.
The surrounding Seekers stopped and braced themselves.
It was undoubtedly the target they had confirmed in the video beforehand, the “Black Armor” itself.
Its height was probably over two meters, and its physique was muscular. Charlotte thought that its armor-like shell looked truly hard.
“He’s finally revealed his true form. If we defeat him by ourselves, we’ll have all the credit!”
“Be careful, Michael. He’s not an opponent you can easily defeat.”
“I know, Charlotte! Hey, tighten the encirclement and stop the ‘Black Armor’ from moving!!”
At Michael’s signal, the members of “Ophanims” began to move.
Michael didn’t miss the moment when the Black Armor looked around warily.
He channeled Magical Power into his Magic Enchanted Armament, the “Current Rod,” and dashed forward. As he approached the Black Armor, he thrust out the Rod and unleashed even more Magical Power.
“Magic Gem ‘Release’! Rune Pasu-a!!”
Intense Lightning flowed into the Black Armor. Not just a single strike, but repeated discharges in rapid succession.
The lightning was so bright it was blinding.
Michael desperately held down the wildly thrashing Rod. It had the power to turn even an Abyssal Monster to ash. Michael felt a response and grinned, but—
“What!?”
The Black Armor grabbed the tip of the Rod with its left hand.
Even though the discharge was still continuing, the monster didn’t seem to mind. Furthermore, the Black Armor produced something like a Longsword from its right hand.
The moment Michael shuddered, the hilt of the Rod he was holding was sliced in two.
At the same time, the Magic Gem he had released exceeded its limit and shattered.
“Seriously!?”
Michael looked at the Black Armor in astonishment. He wanted to escape from this place, but his body wouldn’t move as he wished right after using “Release.”
—I’m going to be killed!
As he was stiff with fear, there was the sound of footsteps running from behind.
“Haaaaah!!”
Charlotte passed by Michael and slashed at the Black Armor. She struck the Black Armor with a barrage of attacks with her swords wreathed in flames and Lightning.
But the Black Armor blocked all the attacks with both fists.
“No way, are you kidding me!? Charlotte is the top Seeker in England! But her attacks aren’t working?”
Michael shouted in bewilderment, and Charlotte’s face clouded over.
—Strong! More than any monster I’ve ever encountered.
She used two types of magic, Fire and Lightning, but she was often ridiculed at first.
It was said that it was common sense for Seekers to master one type of magic. Splitting Mana between two types of magic would weaken each one.
Even so, Charlotte stuck to her own way, refining her Magical Power until both Fire and Lightning were called top-notch.
Eventually, no one in England could rival her, and she was even given the alias “Two-Headed Devil,” becoming an object of awe and reverence.
“I can’t lose! Not in a place like this!!”
The Magic Gems attached to the Willow Leaf Sabers glowed intensely.
“Magic Gem ‘Release’!!”