The Fundamentals of a Mage
"Hahaha..."
Ms. Solitär smiled.
Noticing the excited look in her eyes, as if she were eyeing her prey, her lips unconsciously curled up, and her hands hovered beside her face, as if trying to stop herself from screaming out of excitement.
Her right eye had a scar that was almost identical to Frieren's left eye.
After all, they all originated from Scattering Magic.
"Ah, this is wonderful, Frieren." The battle-damaged Ms. Solitär. So got up from the ground. "I've lost count of how many conversations and experiments I've conducted. But fighting like this is probably a first in my life."
"Whoosh!"
She reappeared in front of Frieren in an instant, unleashing Scattering Magic, which Frieren dodged. Frieren retaliated, but that was also dodged.
"Ha ha."
"Bang!"
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
"Hmm, I guess I couldn't break through her magic defense." Frieren wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. "I can't keep engaging in a magic battle with this kind of monster. Her control over magic is much better."
"This is going to turn into a protracted war," Ms. Solitär. So began again. "By the way, is there something I can ask you?"
"You really are a talkative person, what a waste of time," the silver-haired elf said, but she thought it wouldn't hurt to gain some time to think.
"I know very well how powerful humanity is as a group. You have wisdom, courage, and the ability to evolve through shared magical technology." Ms. Solitär placed her left hand on her chest, touching her slightly sore breast. "I'm not so arrogant as to think that the day I'm hunted by humans won't come."
"So I've decided that when that day comes, I will kneel down, weeping and begging for mercy." Ms. Solitär made that familiar, girlish prayer gesture. "If that day is today, and you are the one who will kill me, please tell me how you feel."
"Ah~ I'm so sorry, I'll turn over a new leaf, I don't want to die, I just wanted to be friends with you all..." The girl made a "please" and "please" face, "But I just didn't know how, that's why I did something wrong, please give me a chance to make amends, Solitär will change, I will try my best..."
"I've heard you say that many times before." Frieren stood up.
"Oh, is that so?" Solitär seemed a little taken aback. "Then it seems you're no longer human in spirit."
Frieren looked at Solitär didn't say anything.
"When an individual with a human appearance and speaking human language begs for your mercy, you remain unmoved and kill her without hesitation?" The girl revealed a barely perceptible, somewhat adorable expression. "Then, between the two of us, who is the monster?"
Frieren's eyes were half-closed, as if she were glaring at Solitär, but she remained silent.
If they could have won, they probably would have already made their move; unfortunately, they couldn't.
"Ah, your expression right now is amazing, Frieren. Please tell me how you're feeling."
"Hmm, so this hardly qualifies as a conversation, Solitär," Frieren replied. "I understand now; you are the most insightful Demons I've ever encountered."
"But right now, you're furthest from coexistence."
"All you've done is stimulate the animals in the cage and observe their reactions."
"And then? Can you tell me how you feel?"
"I'm glad to be fighting a ruthless Demons like you. After all, it's been a long time since I've been able to kill an enemy, even Demons, without feeling any pain."
Even if it's Aura, she thought.
"The accuracy of your magic has improved again, Lord Duncan."
As usual, Macht grabbed the golden coat from his left shoulder, seemingly about to deflect Duncan's magic with his broadsword, but more than that, he simultaneously fired a golden dart at Duncan before finally deflecting the magic with his broadsword.
But it was evaded.
Why did he change his fighting style in such a short time, and even see through my attacks?
No, that's not quite right. It would be more accurate to say that he recalled some of my fighting styles.
But...
Facing the oncoming Hellfire Magic, Macht cleaved it in two with a single stroke, then slashed it down.
He leaned on his knife, his back to Duncan.
A bloody gash appeared on Duncan's body, but he did not fall.
As expected, neither powerful magic nor large-scale magic could hit him... Just like back then, my magic has never struck Macht...
Except for that one time.
"Whoosh!"
The accelerated Ordinary Attack Magic flashed by.
Macht was struck in the left abdomen, and a small piece of his body turned into magic and slowly dissipated.
This trick worked!
"Killing Magic?" Macht asked expressionlessly. "What kind of speed is that?"
The underlying principle is probably the same as what Frieren said...
For long-lived species, Ordinary Attack Magic is a relatively new type of magic. They cannot yet defend against it subconsciously using only reflexes. They need to think about it in any case. Although this process only lasts for a moment, thinking means that their reaction will be slower.
No matter how skilled Macht is in magic, Ordinary Attack Magic is merely something it "knows how to use," and it will never have an instinctive reaction to it.
For humans, this kind of magic exists almost from birth; it is the most basic of all magic and one of the most useful.
Most importantly, Professor Macht was unaware of the decades of painstaking research humanity had devoted to developing Ordinary Attack Magic during his imprisonment.
And it has undergone layer upon layer of improvements in order to counter Defensive Magic.
"Swish!"
One after another, Ordinary Attack Magic rained down on Macht.
Macht dodged, but it was grazed again.
"Ordinary Attack Magic, what a fine name, Teacher Macht. Let's put an end to this."
This is a completely different kind of magic now, Macht thought.
"It seems my opponent is the history of human magic itself." Macht's broadsword transformed back into a coat, then into a magnificent trident. "I understand. Let's end this. I am both your teacher and your enemy."
Macht smiled, a smile he hadn't shown in a long time, a genuine one.
"It's been so long since I've had such Elation battle."