chapter 89
89 – Compromise-4
“Think about it. The fact that you’re going to go to such lengths to convince me could also mean that you need me in your plan.”
“To some extent.”
In fact, Katharine was not someone who could not be replaced.
If she gathered more party members and expanded her power, she could have stopped Kazot even if it wasn’t her.
But, not now.
Progress is too fast. There was no time to gather more power, much less time to gather warlocks.
‘Even if it is Katarin who destroyed Baal’s holy relic…’
It’s important that we can use her her her her power her her her, but it’s also important that we don’t lose her to her her her her her her her her her.
If she moves separately, Kazot will claim her. Even if that weren’t the case, she would move impatiently to gain strength. We will slaughter innocent people.
“Then, surrender to me. All you have to do is be afraid of me. Like you said, let’s stop Kazot together.”
“…”
“Wade… After all, you can’t do it, right?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help it.”
“Then let’s test it. “Who is afraid of whom is the better choice?”
It’s black magic. The fight has begun.
“Everyone be nervous!”
If it’s an output battle, I won’t lose.
‘Right now, it’s a bit dangerous, but…’
Of course, it was much better than Katarin using Baal’s holy relic ‘right now’.
If that had happened in reality, I would have had to suffer great damage.
We decided that we could not win against her in a situation where she was not immediately prepared, and we had no choice but to fight with the imperial knights and princess party, risking the destruction of her entire city.
To that, it was much better. Although Asmodeus gave Katharine many things in return for this ‘tremendous loyalty,’ there was still room to fight somehow.
No, I deserved to win. No matter how powerful she is, she cannot defeat me with her output.
Even if a contingency plan had been prepared, there was not much chance that it would be effective.
A fragment of the void. The basis of my power flows from that pure mass of magical energy.
There was no legacy that could be a weakness, and there were no restrictions that had to be maintained in order to fully demonstrate its power.
The strategy of ‘weakening the enemy by creating a wedge between the devil and the warlock’, which is common among very strong warlocks, also could not be used.
If you use a type of ability that ‘rejects all evil forces’ like Wilhelm, you can effectively deal with my power, but even that is not a perfect strategy.
Before that, it was also a strategy that Katharine could never use. Because she was a warlock too.
‘No matter what I do… This won’t work!’
Even with all my gaming knowledge her her her, there was no way she could win against me.
I confidently raised my strength
“Let’s try it.”
It shoots a black blade.
A dangerous and terrifying magic that can tear apart a monster’s body just by touching it.
Numerous magic spears sprouted from behind my back and rained down on Katarin.
The speed of the shot was so fast that even a fairly skilled knight had difficulty reacting, and the power contained within was strong enough to be difficult to block even with a castle wall.
Her aimlessness her her her, her magic energy her her her spread like a mist just to oppress her.
An ordinary person would be suffocated by this magical energy, and an ordinary warlock would fall into overwhelming despair the moment they feel this. I will immediately kneel down, admit defeat, and express my surrender with my whole body.
“It’s funny. After all, you’re a beginner, right?”
“…?”
And Katharine prevented it all.
A defensive wall made of demonic energy blocked the blade. However, rather than simply blocking my attack with its defensive power, it was using a strange structure to block my attack while minimizing its destructive power.
The huge window was avoided. It seemed easy at first glance, but it was not something that could be done as lightly as it sounds.
There were quite a few spears that I could create, and I didn’t hit her with such a sharp spear that she was able to dodge it by just taking a few steps back.
‘… Twisted the trajectory.’
In theory, it is not impossible.
It’s not like I completely controlled my demon energy. It’s just a matter of distorting some information and confusing the direction of the magic.
‘Is that… Possible?’
However, if you think realistically, it was nothing short of a miracle.
A huge amount of calculation would have been required. I must have consumed dozens of times more mental power when I used this black magic.
But she did it, and my spear did her no harm.
The fog made of demonic energy also did not pose any threat to her.
‘It seems like something is blocking it…’
It’s black magic. Something of a shape I had never seen before was blocking my demonic energy from spreading.
“Why? Is this your first time seeing real black magic, Wade, a first-year student at the academy?”
“…!”
Now, I finally understand.
The output of my demon energy is close to infinite. However, the technique does not reach that level.
I also tried. Like when I first entered the academy, the days of not learning anything and only trying to control magic energy are long gone.
Nevertheless, there were limits. I was not a genius, and no matter how hard I tried, I could only spend less than a year studying ‘black magic’.
‘Damn… The way!’
The experience is different. What you have learned, what you know, and what you can do are very different.
‘It wasn’t me… It was an attack on black magic itself!’
My experience in learning black magic was limited, and I did not have much time.
My choice was to focus on the basics. Anyway, I had enough magic, and I was able to defeat quite a few, or almost all enemies in this world, with that ‘basic magic’.
If there is a swordsman whose strength is 10,000 times that of an ordinary human, it is not very meaningful for him to learn and practice swordsmanship.
There was no need to learn techniques such as how to block the enemy’s sword, how to pierce the gap in the armor, how to knock the enemy off balance with footwork, or how to use the crossguard when sword meets sword while maintaining a gap.
Stabbing and cutting. Holding a sword in your hand, you just need to learn how to make it touch the opponent’s body.
The moment the sword and sword touch, the enemy’s sword will be cut off, and even if he is wearing armor, the enemy’s body will be distorted and destroyed by the armor.
However, it does not work on Katharine.
‘Genius…’
Her affinity with demons and demons, and the evil she accumulated, were enormous, but her talent for black magic also put her in the category of genius.
Each thing was analyzed one by one. With endless hard work added to her talent, she has an endless understanding of ‘the black magic I can use’.
‘If this is the case… There’s no way I could know!’
I was Ethan. There were many people with the background of ‘possessing tremendous magical energy but being beginners in black magic’, but when fighting them, it was more common to attack the demons that had made a contract with them rather than the black magician himself.
For those who made a contract with a specific devil, it was an easier and more reasonable choice to attack that weak point through a sacred relic, prayer, or black magic that was overwhelmingly effective.
If a warlock was well-defended enough to compensate for such weaknesses, there was little chance of being shaken by such ‘basic defense measures’ in the first place.
This is a contrast to Katharine’s persistence her, prepared just for me.
If I had a little more black magic at my disposal, or if I had the talent to apply black magic and provide variables on my own, Katharine’s response would have been meaningless. But, not now.
“Are you embarrassed?”
I bit my lip tightly.
‘This is why I didn’t want to fight with Katharine and give her her information her her her her…’
Dealing with a prepared wizard is tricky.
Just like when we first fought, defeating Katharine, who thought, ‘Of course my Magi status will be stronger and nobler, right?’ Was a one-time opportunity to use it.
“I’ll try that suggestion again. Your attacks won’t reach me anyway. Stop, don’t you plan on kneeling before me?”
She suggested to me. At that moment, I gained confidence.
“It must be hard for you too.”
Nevertheless, I had a chance. Even Katharine can’t block my attacks like this forever.
Blocking a blade made of demonic energy or distorting the trajectory of a gigantic spear will consume tremendous mental power and concentration.
The moment there is an error, even for a moment, I am the one who wins.
“Well, would you like to test how long you can last?”
“Of course.”
She did not miss even a moment of leisure. Katharine casts black magic.
It’s clever. It was an incredibly complex black magic that could not be believed to have been cast with a single hand gesture without chanting.
‘That… Like that.’
I knew that. It was a magic with great power that could be used as a main weapon until the late game.
The floor was stained blood red. A hole appeared in the air, and within it, dark red magic energy, like a drop of wine, took shape and shot towards me.
Nevertheless, the attack never reached me.
“…Ah. It’s solid.”
“Well, this much.”
Interfering with my defensive magic is much more difficult than interfering with my offensive magic.
It may not be impossible for Katharine, but even if she succeeds, it will require much more effort, more magic energy, and more concentration.
“Let’s see who can last longer.”
I smiled slightly.