“Hoo…”
My abdomen felt a gradual heat, but after a while, the heat subsided.
It seemed I had absorbed all the Magic Gems.
“How do you practice Wind Magic? I can’t really picture it.”
Unlike fire or water, I didn’t know how to handle “wind,” which has no shape or color.
“I’m not very familiar with it either, but I think you’re supposed to create a ‘whirlwind’ on your palm. I’ve heard that if you can do it well, you’ll get better at controlling the wind.”
“Is that so…”
As Rui said, I put my palm up and concentrated. I couldn’t use fire or water very well, but—
“Ah!”
Yuma opened his mouth, looking at his hand. Wind was swirling around on his hand.
“Oh!?”
“Amazing! Yuma, you’re doing it!”
Akito and Rui couldn’t help but exchange glances. Knowing Yuma’s clumsiness, they thought it would be difficult for him to master magic.
But what Yuma created was undoubtedly a “whirlwind.” Moreover, the whirlwind was repeatedly getting bigger and smaller on his palm.
Yuma was fine-tuning his Magical Power.
“Even though it’s the basics of Wind Magic, it should be difficult to reproduce this quickly.”
Akito nodded at Rui’s words.
“Yeah, it took me an hour to learn the basics of ‘Thunder Magic.’ I remember being told that was fast.”
“Is that so? Does that mean I’m getting used to magic? Either way, it feels good to be able to create magic freely.”
Yuma was overjoyed that he could use magic. But Rui looked at the magic Yuma was creating with a serious expression.
“Could it be…”
Rui pointed to Yuma’s palm. Yuma looked dubious, saying, “Huh? What is it?”
“Yuma, your aptitude magic… isn’t it ‘Wind’?”
◇◇◇
Three days after the large-scale Monster attack, Seekers gathered from all over India.
Strong men, women with intense eyes. There were also older middle-aged men, but their sharp eyes didn’t betray their age.
Those gathered here were all strong individuals who had survived hellish battlefields.
Dasha looked down from the third-floor window of the school building at the Seekers gathering in the town of Asgard. The decisive battle was fast approaching. She felt the tension acutely.
She moved away from the window, sat down in a chair, and took a breath. Then, there was a knock on the door.
“Enter.”
Kaira turned the knob and entered. “Excuse me,” she said, walking up to the desk.
“The Seekers who went to investigate the area around Dvarapala have returned.”
“How was it?” Dasha asked, looking at Kaira with her fingers interlaced.
“According to those who investigated, there were no Monsters near the Dungeon. They said there wasn’t a trace of them, and they were wondering about it.”
“I see…”
Dasha leaned back in her chair and folded her arms.
“It’s unnatural for over a thousand Monsters to disappear suddenly. They couldn’t have died from a mere wildfire.”
“Yes, I think so too… but they definitely couldn’t be seen within five kilometers of the Dungeon. Could they have returned inside the Dungeon?”
“Well, I wonder. I don’t know.”
No matter how much I think about it, the answer won’t come. There are too many things about Monsters and Dungeons that haven’t been clarified.
It’s possible that they simply scattered and fled, so I can’t say anything rashly.
“More importantly, Kaira—”
“…What? Sister.”
Kaira raised an eyebrow and looked at Dasha, who had called out to her in a formal tone.
“Aren’t you putting too much pressure on yourself? Your stern face is becoming even scarier.”
Dasha’s face had changed from that of a Seeker Clan leader to that of a gentle older sister.
Kaira averted her face, saying, “W-What’s with you all of a sudden!?”
“I’m the vice-captain of the Seeker Clan. Since the decisive battle is approaching, it’s only natural that I have more tension than anyone else!”
“You’re as stiff as ever… Oh well.”
Dasha’s face broke into a smile. For Dasha, Kaira was the only blood relative she could confide in. She trusted her more than anyone else.
However, it was painful to order such a dangerous mission to Kaira.
“You understand, right, Kaira? You will be at the forefront of the Dungeon Conquest. If this fails, India will have no other options. Everything rests on your shoulders.”
“Of course, I understand.”
There is no one left in the area around the Green Dungeon. Not civilians, not government officials. It’s too dangerous because Monsters are spawning in large numbers.
The only ones there are the Seekers who have come to conquer the Dungeon. About three hundred people in total.
In the operation, two hundred and fifty people will enter the Dungeon, and Kaira will take command. The remaining fifty will be on standby on the ground, providing rear support to the conquest team.
The three who came from Japan will naturally be part of the conquest team.
“The three hundred people who came here are the top-ranked Seekers in India. I hope they can return alive as much as possible, but…”
Dasha said with her eyes downcast. Kaira understood what she meant.
“I want as many people as possible to return alive, but if we’re serious about conquering ‘Dvarapala,’ there will inevitably be a corresponding sacrifice.”
At worst, there could be total annihilation. That was their shared understanding.
“Even if we can conquer the Dungeon, we won’t be able to defeat the Green Lord if we lose most of our forces. It’s truly a battle with little hope.”
Dasha laughed self-deprecatingly.
“Even so, it’s far better than just waiting for death. Kaira… let’s be sure to get revenge on the Green Lord… on the monster that has destroyed our country.”
“Yes, definitely—”
◇◇◇
A corner of the university grounds. Akito and Yuma stood facing each other at a distance.
Thin Lightning crackled and attacked Yuma. Yuma, who was imbued with “Wind Magical Power,” held up his hand, and the Lightning was deflected in front of Yuma and dissipated.
“I did it, Akito! I defended against your Thunder Magic with a ‘Wind Barrier’!!”
Akito scolded Yuma, who was overjoyed, saying, “Don’t get too excited!”
“That was Lightning shot with a very weak power, there’s no need to be so happy about it.”
“It’s okay, even so. This is the first time I’ve put up a ‘Magical Barrier.’ The important thing is that I was able to use it!”
Yuma puffed out his chest with a triumphant look. Then, Rui, who was a little further away, called out.
“Yuma! I’m ready. Try releasing a ‘Wind Blade’ at this target.”
Rui had set up several bricks in a row. Yuma confirmed that Rui had evacuated to a safe place, then poured Magical Power into his right hand, which he raised high.
“Please hit it~”
A powerful “Wind Blade” was released from the hand chop that was swung down with all his might.