Duncan vs. the Great Demon Charas

The middle-aged man jumped down from the stone pillar and walked toward the young man, tidying his messy hair as he went.

Even in a situation like this, he was so meticulous? Just how proud was he of his hair? And he really had made me get the wrong idea!

He had never noticed Galan hiding nearby. He had rushed in this direction because he had sensed the fluctuations of the other man's mana.

"Thanks a lot, young man! I'm Reed. What should I call you?"

"Duncan."

Duncan's face was as calm and impassive as ever.

"To think I'd run into Duncan here..." Galan had recognized him the instant he saw him.

He had only meant to scout out the Red Mirror Dragon's nest, yet not only had he stumbled into a chaotic chase, he had also encountered an unexpected "acquaintance."

The bonds between people really were mysterious. Maybe an [omniscient and omnipotent goddess] really did exist, guiding the threads of so-called "fate."

Come to think of it, wasn't this Duncan younger, rather than the frail old man he was when he took the First-Class Mage Exam with Frieren and the others?

After all, that exam was still more than thirty years away.

It was a terrifyingly long time, enough to wear a vigorous young man down until his temples turned gray and he lost his ambition.

At least Duncan's face was not yet covered in wrinkles, and his carefully groomed yellowish-brown hair was glossy.

Only those deep eyes betrayed a boundless sorrow and maturity that did not belong to someone his age, as though he had endured some great upheaval or lost something precious.

They were also like a bottomless pool, concealing a desire called ambition within, like a [bone-eating fish].

But shouldn't he be busy with court affairs in the empire at this point? What was he doing in the Northern Countries?

"Judging by the way you carry yourself, you're not with the mage corps, are you?"

"No, I have nothing to do with the Northern Countries' armies. I just happened to be passing through... Also, another troublesome fellow is coming. Get ready."

Ignoring Reed's endless chatter, Duncan looked past him into the empty distance.

The birds that had been chirping away fell silent, as though someone had pressed a mute button. The entire area became unnaturally quiet.

Suddenly,

An extremely powerful mana presence appeared in both men's senses almost instantly.

Though it was still some distance from them, Galan also abruptly sensed a powerful fluctuation of mana, far greater than that of the three monsters from before. Clearly, its owner had no intention of hiding his presence.

Another monster?

But this was close to the Red Mirror Dragon's nest. There shouldn't have been so many monsters around here. So that map really was a scam sold by a crooked merchant?

"Whoosh—!"

While Galan was still thinking, two bright beams of light tore across the sky and shot toward the two men like meteors. Their overwhelming force left him momentarily dazed, and the hand gripping his weapon trembled.

He was actually afraid.

This was the first time Galan had felt fear from the bottom of his heart since reincarnating.

His keen senses were all flashing red, as if urging him to leave.

"Bang! Bang!"

Fortunately, Duncan had warned him. Once the man sensed the attack, he quickly cast defensive magic. Hard slabs of rock rose from the ground to protect them both, blocking the formidable beams.

But when the dust cleared, deep cracks had appeared in the thick rock wall.

After a single exchange—perhaps only a probing attack—his defensive magic was already teetering on the brink of collapse.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all, human mages."

A horned man wearing an ornate, gilded silk mage's robe emerged from the shadows.

His steps were slow and light, making no sound at all as he walked. Though his face was filled with a benevolent smile, it conveyed no emotion whatsoever.

His hollow, dark eyes made it feel as though one were staring into the eyes of a cold puppet.

He stopped not far from the two men and bowed to them like a true gentleman.

"I am Charas, a great demon, and a friendly person who wishes to become friends with you all. I look forward to getting along with you."

"Friendly? Your actions haven't given me any sense that you're sincere about making friends."

Duncan remained expressionless, but his slightly furrowed brow betrayed how tense he was.

His opponent was strong. The demon's vast, almost terrifying reserves of mana made the unease in his heart swell.

Charas... I've never heard of this demon. Is he really a great demon no one's discovered?

No, it wasn't that no one had discovered him...

Galan knew exactly what that meant.

If the world did not know of him, that meant everyone who had encountered him before had been killed. Not one had survived.

The fighting here had only just ended, and now another [hell]-level boss had shown up? By comparison, the Red Mirror Dragon I was looking for was practically a well-behaved baby in a stroller.

If I stayed here to watch the drama any longer, it felt like things were going to go very badly.

"Speaking of which, the Northern Countries' armies are wiping out the remnants of the Demon King's Army. One of their mage squads unexpectedly disappeared among the ruins outside Falling Moon City. When the main force arrived later, all they found was a massive crater and a vast amount of residual mana—you were responsible, weren't you?"

Duncan spoke unhurriedly as he slowly took a few steps forward, putting himself between Reed and the demon.

After Reed's defensive magic had been nearly shattered, the remaining force had still done him considerable harm. He was now breathing heavily, trying to steady his disrupted mana.

He had used nearly forty percent of his mana over the course of the battle, and it was rather dangerous to let him face this unknown great demon directly.

"Well, battle is the quickest way to get to know someone. Habits, preferences, fears—they all reveal themselves in battle. How wonderful—"

Charas seemed entranced by his own words. He raised his hands and embraced the empty air, like a conductor bringing a piece of music to its climax.

"So you killed them all?"

"Killing them is the only way to understand them better, isn't it?"

"Demons really are all unreasonable beasts."

Whoosh—

A blinding beam of light burst forth.

Duncan struck first. He had already prepared an attack spell halfway through his speech. It was a despicable tactic, but it certainly seemed like his style.

But the sudden attack did not disturb Charas's composure.

He simply stood there with his hands behind his back, smiling as he faced the powerful beam of magic head-on.

"Bang!"

The attack struck the enormous mana barrier in front of Charas. The barrier's immense mana stopped the spell in its tracks, and it finally dissipated in midair, failing even to stir a speck of dust at his feet.

"Judgment Light Magic!"

After unleashing one attack, he did not pause to think. He immediately cast another powerful offensive spell, striking from the mana barrier's blind spot.

He knew those tricks alone could never hurt the demon before him. Even a mage squad from the Northern Countries had perished at his hands. This enemy might rank as the second most troublesome opponent he had ever encountered.

As for first place,

It was undoubtedly his childhood magic instructor, Macht, the culprit who had turned Weise into the [Land of Gold] and one of the Seven Sages of Destruction, the strongest under the Demon King.