Demon-Hunting Genius Mage

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]

Chapter 101

If hell exists, it might feel something like this.

Fwhooooosh!

Crimson flames engulfed the battlefield, and the demons leaped and shrieked in agony.

Kyaaagh!

Groooan… Gwaaaargh!

Their pain echoed through the air.

This was on a completely different level from the [Flame Path] she had used before.

Pillars of fire erupted from the ground, far surpassing mere flames licking the earth.

Boom! Fwoosh!

The flames devoured every demon on the battlefield.

This wasn't some negligible fire.

Not even for demons amplified by the [Succubus]'s power.

Kieeeegh—!

The situation had completely changed with just a single spell.

Despite such a dramatic result, Kayla remained calm and collected.

This was all within her expectations.

'I practiced this spell for over a hundred hours, you bastards.'

[Blaze Field].

She had trained relentlessly under the tutelage of Ziren Renata, a professor at a prestigious academy and a 7th-circle mage.

She had poured her heart and soul into mastering this spell, even to the point of nosebleeds.

Even the stern Professor Ziren had tried to dissuade her.

He had said that this technique was too difficult for her current level and impossible to learn in a short time.

But she never gave up, and her persistence had finally borne fruit.

She had perfected this spell.

"Haa..."

A sense of accomplishment welled up within her.

A thrilling sensation spread through her body.

This was the first time in her life that she had put so much effort into achieving something.

If she had discovered this joy and fulfillment earlier, if she had been a little more tenacious... would her life have been different?

Would she have had a loving family instead of one whose fate she didn't even know?

Such questions surfaced in her mind, but she quickly pushed them aside.

Whatever the answers, they weren't her concern right now.

'...There's not much time.'

[Blaze Field] was a powerful field spell, strong enough to easily wipe out those low-level demon grunts.

However, it didn't last very long.

More precisely, Kayla herself didn't have the capacity to maintain it for long.

The proof was in her trembling hands.

Tremble, tremble, tremble—

Just maintaining the [Blaze Field] for this short time was making her hands shake.

This also meant that the spell would soon dissipate.

Fortunately, she had someone she could rely on.

"Mister, I can't hold it for much longer...!"

Her fellow mage, Thompson, might be a bit slow, but he was more reliable than anyone else.

"Okay! Leave it to me!"

Immediately understanding Kayla's meaning, Thompson jumped into the [Blaze Field].

As expected, the flames immediately began to move, attacking Thompson.

It was as if they had a will of their own.

Fwhooooosh!

Thompson gritted his teeth as the intense heat scorched him. [Blaze Field] was a magic spell focused solely on power and range, after all.

Even though Kayla saw Thompson being attacked by the flames, there was nothing she could do.

All she could do was pray that Thompson would safely break through the flames and defeat the [Succubus].

Meanwhile, Thompson...

Whoosh! Fwoosh!

"Uhaha! This stings quite a bit, doesn't it?"

He was feeling a sense of pride amidst the flames Kayla had conjured.

Although the unexpectedly strong firepower made him frown, his joy outweighed any negative feelings.

After all...

"...At first, I only saw you as a child, but you've grown so much, lass. I should start calling you a fiery lass now, shouldn't I?"

It's always a joy to witness the growth of a comrade, isn't it?

"I can't lose either!"

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

Thompson's competitive spirit ignited in the face of the scorching flames, and he charged forward with terrifying speed.

His destination was, of course, the [Succubus], the mastermind behind this situation.

Although she was a high-ranking demon... somehow, he wasn't afraid of her in the slightest.

And the reason for this wasn't much different from why Kayla remained calm even after successfully casting [Blaze Field].

"Haaa!"

At the same time as he let out a battle cry...

Swoosh!

Thompson's right arm became covered in gray skin.

This was the 'Body Transformation Magic' he had learned from the dean of the Asion Academy.

This was the source of his confidence.

There was no way a mere high-ranking demon could withstand this technique.

'The dean said he even used this to knock down a Legion Commander!'

Asion Gale did tend to exaggerate a bit, but having experienced his Body Transformation Magic firsthand...

The story about defeating the Legion Commander couldn't be a lie.

Asion Gale's Body Transformation Magic was so formidable that anyone would believe it.

In other words, having learned such a technique, he, as the disciple, should be able to defeat a [Succubus] without much trouble.

Now it was time to experience it firsthand.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Boom!

"Haaaa!"

Thompson mercilessly tore through the flames and the demon horde's minions, leaping high into the air.

It was to perform his signature move, the Hamburger.

Of course, it wasn't the same Hamburger as before.

As he mastered Body Transformation Magic, this technique had also evolved to another level.

A little more powerful, a little faster.

Hence the name:

"Megaton- Hamburger!!"

Crash—!

Thompson slammed his right arm, transformed into something gigantic and gray, into the ground.

Crack, crack! Crackle, crackle!

The very ground where Thompson landed screamed as if begging for mercy.

The ground cracked and split apart.

It was an unbelievable display of power, something you'd never expect from a single mage... no, from a middle-aged man nearing forty.

Of course, this power didn't solely originate from Body Transformation Magic.

In fact, even Asion Gale was left speechless when he witnessed this power.

-"...Have you been focusing on physical training instead of magic all this time?"

According to him, Body Transformation Magic activates in accordance with the caster's tendencies.

Simply put, if a nimble mage uses it, their speed increases, and if a strong person uses it, their power intensifies.

And Thompson was the latter case.

For some reason, his strength was amplified several times beyond the normally expected effect, but in any case...

How many demons could possibly survive such an attack?

From the demons' perspective, the result was devastating.

Cough, cough!

Kie...

Gik, giik...!

Demons coughed up blood, their eyes rolled back, and some even went into seizures.

Not only the demons at the point of impact but all living creatures within a 15-meter radius were affected.

In short, they were all incapacitated.

However, Thompson narrowed his eyes, seemingly dissatisfied.

"Tsk, are high-ranking demons really that different? Should I have aimed for the head...?"

His original target, the [Succubus]...

She was still standing firm.

Well, not exactly firm.

She was barely managing to stand on two feet, supporting herself with her tail.

Pant... Pant...!

The [Succubus] gasped for breath, and the reddish membrane surrounding her body dissipated.

The effect of the [Blood Veil], the [Succubus]'s last resort, had worn off.

The [Blood Veil], which protected the body by densely condensing demonic energy...

With that secret technique shattered, the [Succubus] was thrown into a panic.

[W-What are you, human! What kind of power is this...?]

The enraged [Succubus] shouted in a raised voice.

But Thompson just tilted his head without answering.

After all...

'...What is she saying?'

He had never learned the demon language in his nearly forty years of life.

Who would even bother to learn such a thing?

Anyway, it didn't really matter to Thompson what the [Succubus] was babbling about.

'I'll finish her off now!'

She was a demon and an enemy, after all.

That fact remained unchanged.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

Thompson started running again.

He resembled a predatory dinosaur facing its prey.

The [Succubus], witnessing this firsthand, couldn't help but feel desperate.

[...D-Demons! Protect me!]

Kieeee!

At the [Succubus]'s cry, dozens of fallen demons sprang to their feet.

And they immediately began to gather in front of the [Succubus].

As if they were trying to act as shields.

But...

They barely lasted a few seconds.

"Get lost!"

Wham! Bam! Pow!

With a single swing of his fist, Thompson swept them away like a tsunami.

[Grrk...!]

Seeing her subordinates effortlessly knocked aside, the [Succubus] bit her lip and tightened her grip.

In her grasp was a thick, long, black whip.

[I won't go down that easily!]

Despite her appearance, she was a recognized high-ranking demon.

If her underlings couldn't protect her, she would fight herself.

Crack!

The [Succubus] slammed her whip menacingly against the ground, then immediately lashed it towards Thompson.

Whoosh!

The black whip surged towards the charging Thompson.

It struck his right arm, making him flinch with a grunt.

Seeing this, the [Succubus] smirked, continuously whipping at him.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

[Hmph. Just as I thought!]

No matter how strong he was, it would be difficult to withstand this black whip.

This wasn't just any whip; it was a special one she had crafted over decades, meticulously pouring her demonic energy into it.

Unless something was incredibly durable, it wouldn't even be able to take a step, let alone attack...

Just then.

[...Huh?]

The [Succubus]'s face contorted in surprise.

Something unexpected was happening.

Crack! Crack...

Thud, thud, thud!

Slow but sure.

The human in front of her was advancing, step by step.

He was taking every lash of her whip without any intention of dodging.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

[H-How...?]

She couldn't comprehend it.

Was his body made of stone or something?

[W-What in the world are you!!]

Whack! Whack! Whack!

Incredulous, the [Succubus]'s whipping became faster and sharper.

But the more she whipped, the faster Thompson advanced.

Only one thought occupied his mind.

'I must get hit. I must get hit. I must get hit...'

You need to get hit.

Those were the words of Asion Gale right after he mastered Body Transformation Magic.

Simply put, it meant that endurance was crucial for future growth, and he needed to constantly endure hits to develop it.

'...Thanks to that, I got beaten like crazy.'

Because of that, Asion Gale had beaten him to the brink of death.

Compared to that, this was like being bitten by bugs.

He decided that this was the perfect opportunity to build up his endurance.

"This tickles! You demon!"

What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.

That was Thompson's newly ingrained motto.

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]