Arifureta: Dark Lord

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"I need the person I trust to help me."

Reiji locked eyes with Hajime, carefully observing his body language. The unwavering determination in the boy's words resonated as truth. Reiji pondered the reasons behind Hajime's desire to play the hero. Was it driven by innate kindness? Or was it fueled by the need to prove himself to those who belittled him? 

At that moment, Reiji didn't have the answers, nor did he find them relevant. The menacing gaze that bore down on them still lingered, and despite the risks involved in Hajime's plan, Reiji had unwavering confidence in his ability to thwart whatever scheme that person had in store. 

Emerging from his contemplation, Reiji rested his spear over his shoulders and responded, "I suppose I can't really deny your request after you've said all that, can I? If I were to let down my disciple, I'd be nothing more than a piss-poor mentor, wouldn't I?"

“Be swept away, Wind wall!” Meld exclaimed, eliciting Reiji and Hajime to turn towards the ongoing battle. Meld quickly jumped back after he chanted that spell. The Behemoth smashed into the ground, pulverizing the spot Captain Meld had been standing on not even a second before. 

The shockwave and rubble were blown away by the wind wall, keeping Meld unharmed. With how imprecise the Behemoth’s attacks were, even a weak spell was enough to help avoid indirect damage. But if Meld had been forced to defend Kouki and the others he would have been utterly crushed.

“Alright then, let’s get to work,” Reiji instructed as he and Hajime jumped onto the Behemoth. The residual heat burned their skin as they landed. However, they ignored the pain as Hajime gathered his sky-blue mana, and chanted. He said no more than the name of the spell. It was, after all, the simplest, most basic magic.

“Transmute!” The Behemoth, which had been struggling to unstick its head from the ground, suddenly stopped moving. Because every time it tried to dislodge itself even a little, Hajime reformed the stone around it, keeping its head buried.

It braced its legs, attempting to use the weight of its whole body to rip its head free, only to find that the ground around its legs had been transmuted as well. The Behemoth’s legs had sunk a full meter into the ground. And to make completely sure it wouldn’t be able to break free, Hajime hardened the stone around them as well.

Assisting Hajime, Reiji positioned himself atop the Behemoth's head and placed his hands on its massive form. With a resolute focus, he channeled mana through his body, fixating on the looming shadow cast by the Behemoth. 

His thoughts coalesced into action as he invoked the spell, {Shadowbind}. Mana surged forth, manifesting as ethereal chains that shot out from the Behemoth's shadow. Swiftly and deftly, the spectral chains wove and entangled around the target's limbs, momentarily immobilizing it.

Bracing its legs, the Behemoth exerted immense force, attempting to break free from the binds Reiji had imposed. However, its efforts were thwarted as it discovered that the ground surrounding its legs had undergone transmutation. 

The Behemoth's legs had sunk a full meter into the hardened earth. To ensure its complete immobilization, Hajime fortified the stone, encasing the creature's legs, while Reiji infused his spell with additional mana, bolstering the durability of the ethereal chains.

Despite their combined efforts, the Behemoth's strength remained formidable. They understood that even the slightest lapse in concentration would provide an opportunity for the creature to break free. The Behemoth persisted, causing cracks to continuously form in its stony and shadowy prison. 

However, Hajime relentlessly transmuted the ground, swiftly repairing the fractures, while Reiji tirelessly poured more mana into the spell. As a result, the Behemoth remained trapped, unable to free its head from the unyielding confinement.

In the meantime, Captain Meld gathered the recovered knights and Kaori together, and they began carrying Kouki and the others to safety. It seemed that some of the students had finally regained their composure, as they were working in tandem to push the Traum Soldiers back. 

The one that had rallied them was actually the female student Hajime had saved earlier. Despite his weakness, he still contributed greatly. “Wait! Nagumo-kun’s still over there!” Kaori started arguing with Meld, who was trying to get everyone to retreat.

“This is all a part of the kid’s plan! We’re going to break through the soldiers and set up a defensive line so the mages can bombard it with spells! Of course, that comes after they're out of our line of fire! Then they're going to run back to us while we keep the Behemoth busy with a barrage of spells and we’re all retreating together!”

“Then I’ll stay behind with him!”

“No, you can’t! Once we’ve made it to safety, you have to heal Kouki, Kaori!”

“But—” Kaori’s angry protests were cut short by Meld’s next words. “What you’re doing is nothing more than spitting on his resolve! Reiji is there with him, he’ll be fine.”

“Ah—”

After Captain Meld, the strongest member of their party, it was without a doubt Kouki who possessed formidable power. They would need every ounce of firepower they could muster to hold the Behemoth at bay with just magic. 

Kouki's condition would determine the thin line between life and death for Hajime and Reiji, making it imperative for Kaori to focus on healing him continuously as they retreated. The Behemoth loomed, threatening to break free the moment their mana reserves depleted, and their ability to restrain the colossal creature ceased.

“O breath of life, grant succor to this injured soul, Heaven’s Blessing!” Kaori began chanting, with tears welling in her eyes. Her artifact, a white staff, emitted a faint glow, enveloping Kouki in a gentle, comforting light.

Captain Meld, understanding the crucial role Kaori played, firmly grasped her shoulders, offering an encouraging nod. Kaori reciprocated the gesture before turning her gaze towards Hajime, who was still desperately transmuting the ground. 

With determination etched on her face, she began retreating from the bridge alongside Captain Meld and the knights, who carried Ryutarou, Shizuku, and Kouki with them. The Traum Soldiers were still increasing in number. There were more than two hundred of them crowding the landing by that point.

There were so many that a chunk of them had spilled over onto the bridge itself. However, that was actually a blessing in disguise. Had they spread themselves out properly, they would have easily been able to surround and then subsequently slaughter the students who charged through the ranks. 

After all, a good number of the students had done just that when the initial hundred had appeared. The only reason no one had died yet was because of the knights. It was only because of their excellent skills that were able to cover for the students’ inexperience. However, because of how much it had taxed them to keep all the students safe, they were all covered in wounds.

And so, with the knights’ support flagging and the army of monsters only increasing, the students were slowly falling into a panic once more. They forgot all about using magic and swung their weapons blindly. In a few more minutes they would’ve surely been annihilated.

Everyone was on the verge of giving up, when suddenly—

“Celestial Flash!” A blade of pure light tore through the center of the Traum Soldiers, obliterating the enemies in its path. The ones that weren’t instantly destroyed were blown away by the force of the spell and tumbled to their deaths in the depths below. 

A new wave of Traum Soldiers rose to take their place, but for an instant, the students caught a glimpse of the stairs that led to their salvation. The hope that they had been unable to see even for a second no matter how hard they had fought.

“Everyone! Don’t give up! I’ll carve open a path for us!” Kouki accompanied his shouts with a second Celestial Flash, mowing down yet another group of Traum Soldiers. His overwhelming charisma bolstered the students’ flagging morale.

“You morons! Did all your training just fly out the window!? What the hell has gotten into you? Get back in formation this instant!”

The ever-reliable Captain Meld unleashed an attack that was arguably even more powerful than Kouki’s Celestial Flash, annihilating another line of Traum Soldiers. The students’ depression was blown away as their pillar of support returned to assist them. 

As they pressed onward, cutting through the horde of skeletons to carve a path toward the stairs, beads of sweat trickled down the brows of Hajime and Reiji. Their bodies were taxed, and their reserves of mana pills had been completely depleted. With only one remaining, Reiji turned to Hajime and nonchalantly popped it into his mouth, earning a bewildered stare from his companion.

"That was supposed to be your mana pill, Reiji! What are your reserves at this moment?" Hajime inquired, concern lacing his voice.

Reiji's focus remained steadfast on the task at hand as he replied, "Take it. Right now, you need it more than I do.” Despite his words, Reiji couldn't ignore the alarming rate at which his mana reserves were diminishing. He quickly glanced back at the bridge to ensure that everyone had safely retreated. They had regrouped and were now poised to unleash their spells.

"It seems we'll be escaping this death trap soon," Reiji pondered aloud to himself. He turned to face Hajime, projecting his voice loud enough for his companion to hear. "Prepare yourself to run. Just like we practiced, except this time your life is truly on the line."

The Behemoth continued to struggle against its restraints, but Hajime knew they wouldn't hold for much longer. They were running out of time. He needed to put as much distance as possible between himself and the monster when the restraints gave way. His heart pounded in his chest, and he couldn't help but tremble with nerves.

"Take a deep breath, Hajime. I know you're nervous, we both are, but try to calm yourself. We need to stay composed until we're out of danger," Reiji instructed, empathizing with his companion's anxiety.

Their escape hinged on perfect timing. As the cracks appeared once again, Hajime swiftly transmuted the ground, while Reiji reinforced the Behemoth's restraints as a precaution. And then, with a leap of faith, they launched themselves away from the looming threat.

A scant five seconds after Hajime had started running for his life, the ground behind him shattered, and the Behemoth roared menacingly as it freed itself from its restraints. Hajime risked a glance back and saw the pure rage in its eyes.

It looked around wildly, searching for the one who had forced it into such an unsightly struggle, and quickly found Hajime. It roared again, angrily, bringing its head down and prepared to charge Hajime. However, before it could move, a barrage of spells slammed into it.

It was like a bizarre meteor shower, where each meteor was a different color. The various spells didn’t do any damage to the Behemoth, but they definitely slowed it down.

"Keep your focus ahead!" Reiji urged Hajime. "Looking back will only slow you down."

Hajime nodded, his gaze fixed straight ahead as he sprinted forward. He could hear the spells whizzing dangerously close, but he wasn't afraid. He had complete faith in the extraordinary abilities of his classmates. In a matter of seconds, he had already put a distance of over thirty meters between himself and the rampaging Behemoth.

He unconsciously broke out into a smile.

An instant later, however, that smile froze in place.

Among the multitude of spells flying at the Behemoth, one of them had a slightly lower trajectory... And it was heading straight for Hajime. Someone had clearly aimed their attack right at him.

However, just as Hajime was about to come to a stop, a figure suddenly appeared before him, intercepting the incoming spell and causing it to explode on the bridge. Startled, Hajime quickly turned to see Reiji, who had grabbed hold of him and swiftly threw him towards the group with a powerful spin.

As Hajime was propelled through the air, Reiji regained his balance and glanced back, only to see the Behemoth growing tired of the relentless barrage. Letting out another deafening roar, it began gathering its dark red mana once again, its helmet now fully heated. 

Its intense gaze fixed on Reiji, it used the heated helmet as a shield against the onslaught of spells and charged directly at him. Summoning the last remnants of his strength, Reiji firmly planted his spear into the bridge and launched himself into the air, soaring towards the safety of the group.

A second later, the Behemoth smashed into the ground, using all of its hate and rage to fuel its attack. The entire bridge shook as it fell. Massive cracks spread out from the point of impact. The bridge groaned in protest one last time, before... collapsing entirely. The repeated attacks had finally driven it past the point of endurance.

“Graaaaaaaaah!?” The Behemoth roared angrily as it desperately tried to find purchase on the crumbling bridge with its nails. However, everywhere it latched onto crumbled as well, and after a final, fruitless struggle, it fell to the depths of hell. Its final screams echoed throughout the chamber.

Reiji's enhanced physical abilities surpassed even Kouki, ensuring his survival in this perilous situation. As he neared the moment of landing, an ominous sensation surged through his entire being, sending alarm bells ringing within him. Time seemed to slow down, and his eyes widened in front of him.

"Eh?" Reiji unconsciously muttered as his {Detect Magic} skill was triggered. Before him, a gust of wind materialized—a spell. In that split second, a chilling thought crossed his mind—someone had targeted him. But who? His eyes widened further as he scanned the group, and there, amidst the chaos, stood a hooded figure wearing a smirk.

The atmosphere turned suffocatingly tense as Reiji's heart pounded in his chest. His body, already drained of energy and devoid of mana, lacked the means to defend itself. The injuries inflicted by the Behemoth had left him weakened, his movements fueled solely by the fleeting surge of adrenaline.

‘Ah, I’m not going to make it, am I?’ Shifting his gaze toward Hajime, who appeared blissfully unaware of the danger that awaited Reiji. With a snort of amusement, Reiji flashed Hajime a peace sign and a grin, causing confusion to wash over his face. It wasn't until Hajime noticed the incoming spell that he understood the situation

With a horrifying inevitability, the spell struck Reiji, its impact jolting through his body. In that harrowing moment, his consciousness was abruptly snuffed out, and he was sent hurtling backward, propelled toward the shattered remnants of the bridge. Helplessly, he plummeted into the unfathomable abyss below.

Listening to the screams of the Behemoth that grew fainter and fainter. Listening to the bridge crumble away into nothingness. And then, all too soon, Reiji was swallowed up in the darkness along with the last of the rubble.

“REIJIIIIII!!!”