Magic Maker - How to make magic in another world

Magic Maker – How to make magic in another world –

Chapter 66 Demon Einzwerf

Glast-san spoke in a reassuring tone.

“Gathered the adventurers! I’ll lend a hand!

You bastards! Whether it’s invisible or an unknown monster, don’t be scared!

Shion brought us this far, show the spirit of adventurers!”

“OOOOOOHHHH!!!”

When I turned around, sturdy adventurers raised their spirits.

They appeared one after another at the main gate.

About a few hundred adventurers had gathered.

“Why, how come you’re here?”

“It’s so noisy. Besides, we got a message from Duke Balkh.

Adventurers were summoned. The knight squad folks are hesitating around the town, though.”

Glast-san showed his usual innocent smile.

Because it was so natural and just like always, the tension in my legs seemed to fade away.

“Oops, are you okay? You pushed yourself, didn’t you?”

“Ah, haha, I pushed myself a little too hard.”

“…It’s fine now. We’re here from now on.”

“But, those guys can’t be defeated without magic.”

“Well, just watch. We’ve thought about various things.

I met the gatekeeper’s brother on the way and heard the story. Hey! Let’s do that!”

The adventurers behind us simultaneously drew their bows.

They touched the tips of the arrows to the blue flames of the candlestick.

The tips were wrapped in white cloth.

“Ah!”

I understood what they were trying to do with that action.

“Shion, where are the Wraiths?”

“A little further! They’ll be within the effective range of the arrows in a few seconds.”

“Alright, understood! …First shot! Fire!”

The adventurers aimed their bows and released into the sky.

Fire arrows were shot into the air.

Some hit wraiths, but the rest missed.

However, it seemed like they weren’t aiming for wraiths specifically.

Thanks to the first shot, Wraiths’s figure became visible for just a moment.

“Second shot! Fire!”

Immediately, the second shot was released.

It seemed like they aimed for the wraiths, who was briefly visible with the first fire arrow.

A scream from the monsters rose.

Compared to the first shot, the accuracy of the second shot was overwhelmingly high.

“Alright! Good! Keep repeating the same method and defeat the monsters!

Third shot, fire!”

Following Glast-san’s instructions, the adventurers’ arrows were released.

I stared up at the fireworks-like scene in astonishment.

“It seems like we might make it.”

Rafina, who was somehow next to me, murmured with a small sense of relief.

She had been supporting my shoulder.

The flickering orbs of light adorned the sky.

Despite the situation, I couldn’t help but feel it was beautiful.

Magic was born and vanished, and flames disappeared in the same way.

Amidst this, the lives of wraiths left this world.

“Can your body move?”

“Yeah, just a bit tired, used up too much magic.

If I want to move, I can move.”

“I see. You’re reckless. Don’t shoulder everything by yourself.”

Rafina said with a mix of amazement and frustration.

She held a torch for guarding against wraiths.

It seemed like she was trying to protect me.

She appeared more knightly than anyone else.

At first, I had the impression of her being unreliable, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“Thank you, Rafina.”

“What, it’s natural as a knight. I’ve been told to protect Shion.

…Though I haven’t been of much help.”

“That’s not true.”

A sense of self-blame appeared on her face. And with determination in her eyes, she stood up.

“…I need more training. I have to become stronger. Strong enough to cut down wraiths with a sword!”

“No, that’s impossible.”

“Saying it’s impossible before even trying won’t get you anywhere! Maybe it’s possible!”

Certainly, that might be true. I, too, have a sense of pride in achieving things considered impossible.

So, I shouldn’t deny Rafina’s words.

“I see. It might be possible.”

When I said that, Rafina showed a smile. However, she didn’t let her guard down, raising the torch to drive away wraiths as they approached.

Thanks to adventurers led by Glast-san, the situation rapidly moved toward resolution.

And then.

The wraiths that had filled the sky were swept away by the fire arrows.

“We did it! They’re all wiped out! We won!”

“OOOOHHHH!”

The adventurers cheered.

If we couldn’t defeat that horde of wraiths, what would have happened?

Many people might have died, and the town might have been completely destroyed.

But that future changed.

Through everyone’s efforts, the town was protected.

A few lightly injured.

Zero casualties.

Looking back, it was quite anticlimactic.

“It looks like we somehow made it. Shion, thanks. It would have been bad without you.”

“Not at all. We managed because Glast-san and everyone else were here.”

“You’re still as humble as ever. Anyway, the danger has passed. We should demand plenty of rewards from the Duke!

You guys! Tonight, we celebrate! Let’s drink heavily!”

In response to Glast-san’s hearty laughter, other adventurers raised their voices. Despite it being after the battle, they were already discussing a feast—a resilient bunch.

With a wry smile, I felt reassured and relaxed. It’s over. As tension eased and laughter echoed, the area near the main gate became lively.

“What are you all doing!”

The voice belonged to Captain Roland, the highest commander of the town’s defense force. It was questionable why someone like him held a position of authority in Istria’s military.

However, the defense force was a hastily assembled unit, and Duke Balkh held military power. Considering the absence of the punitive force and the rest of the soldiers on leave, I assumed he was temporarily in his current position.

But the action he took was…

“Suspicious people! Could it be you guys, disguised as invisible monsters, causing this disturbance!?”

To those unexpected words, everyone had a puzzled expression, including Rafina, Glast-san, and me.

Defenders started coming out in succession from the main gate. Everyone was unharmed. Roland, who was at the forefront, distanced himself from the main gate and headed towards us.

We were standing on a flat ground about a dozen meters away from the main gate, facing wraiths alongside the adventurers. Roland glared at us and drew his sword.

“Shion Ornstein. Are you also allies of those people over there!?”

The tense atmosphere among the adventurers shifted. Rafina stood up, saluted, and answered confidently.

“They are adventurers who lent a hand in repelling the invisible monster, Wraiths! Thanks to their efforts, we just finished subduing hundreds of wraiths moments ago!”

For Rafina, Roland was a superior. While her response was expected, her face clearly showed signs of dissatisfaction.

“Wraiths? Fool! Have you also been deceived? Such creatures don’t exist! I’m tired of just playing along with Duke Balkh’s farce, were you causing a commotion!?”

“What, on what basis—”

“What basis, you say!? Can’t you see? Arrows shot everywhere! And yet, there’s no corpse of this so-called Wraiths! If this isn’t a farce, then what is it!?”

We defeated all the wraiths. It seemed to have backfired. Indeed, there were only arrows stuck in the ground on the flat ground. Since wraiths had disappeared, there was no proof of their existence. For him, a monster was something that left behind a corpse. I had a preconceived notion from games and manga where monsters that disappear upon death exist. Hence, I didn’t question the wraith’s existence. However, for Roland, monsters were real creatures, and if they were defeated, a corpse should remain. Yet, with so many people, it’s unlikely they would all lie. He seemed convinced that all testimony regarding invisible monsters was a fabrication. In reality, if he had seen for himself, it would have been different, but there were no wraiths around us.

“Well, there were wraiths in the town, right!?”

“There weren’t. There were no monsters like wraiths!”

What’s going on? There were at least dozens of wraiths in the town. The number was small, but some unit should have encountered them.

“Maybe the wraiths moved towards us. They moved quite conspicuously.”

Glast-san’s words might be right. We didn’t know if the wraiths had a sense of companionship, but if they had a habit of acting in groups, it was possible they naturally gathered. Perhaps because we urgently headed to the main gate and fought desperately, the defense force miraculously didn’t encounter wraiths. If that were the case, how would we appear? A large group gathered at night, shooting fire arrows in front of the main gate, causing a commotion? If there were reports of invisible monsters appearing, and then we were causing a disturbance, it might lead to the assumption that we were the cause.

It was all presumption and forced interpretation. But people with strong preconceptions tend to interpret things on their own and unfairly criticize others. An uneasy atmosphere loomed. Roland undoubtedly considered us criminals. At the very least, we would be pulled in for the crime of causing a disturbance.

“Don’t move, everyone! Capture them all!”

“H-Hey! This is going too far! Didn’t you receive a report from the gatekeeper!?”

“Hmph, I don’t know. You adventurers probably said something to stoke fear. After all, you’re a bunch of ruffians.”

He directed blatant contempt towards us. If things continued like this, we might really get caught. Duke Balkh would likely defend us and investigate the truth, but being labeled as criminals was inevitable, and I didn’t want to be thrown into jail on false charges.

Soldiers began surrounding us, drawing their swords, openly showing hostility. Why were humans fighting each other? Suppressing my frustration, I desperately racked my brain. We had to do something. But in a situation where magic couldn’t help, and being just a powerless child, I felt helpless.

“Capture them! Don’t let anyone esc—”

It happened suddenly.

Everyone’s attention was seized by the scene before them.

The sight in front of our eyes.

“Wha-what? What’s go—”

Roland’s words, incoherent, were accompanied by his head unnaturally turning.

Clockwise, his face rotated, the crown of his head pointed downward, and he limply lost strength, falling to the ground.

A hand was in the air.

In an instant, it became clear that the hand had broken Roland’s neck.

The hand extended from the darkness, visible only up to the elbow.

Everyone was left speechless, their gaze captivated by that hand.

Amidst this, I alone looked up at the sky.

Red.

The red sky was vivid, changing from black to red as if soaked in blood.

The scene was so surreal that I even entertained the illusion that it might be a dream.

But it was reality.

In the next moment, the intensely red sky abruptly lost its color.

As if particles of red gathered, they converged in both hands before me.

A massive curtain condensed, swallowed by both hands.

The ominous shades that extended for kilometers suddenly returned to black and were absorbed into the base of both hands.

And then, the hand emerged with a smooth motion.

Elbow, shoulder, and face.

Long, pure white hair.

Red eyes.

Sharp fangs.

Adorned in a luxurious shirt and coat reminiscent of nobility.

He resembled a person but was not human.

Closer to a human appearance than a wraith.

Yet, undeniably different.

The man who emerged from the space.

He brushed off the dust from his body, surveyed the surroundings, and then took a deep breath, his demeanor changing.

“It’s been a while since I was outside. Finally got out.”

Everyone remained silent.

Roland had been killed.

By this man who appeared out of nowhere.

Who was this man who suddenly appeared?

Such questions floated in their minds, and reality was hard to accept.

“Oh, is this our welcome? My, my, quite perceptive for a ‘human,’ aren’t you?”

“Wh-who the hell are you!”

Glast-san shouted as if driven by something, lacking his usual composure and sweating all over his face.

I felt the same way, and so did Rafina and the others.

Everyone understood.

This figure in front of us was a dangerous presence.

And probably, I understood the clear reason for it the most.

Red particles clung to his body.

That dense scent and presence were undoubtedly ‘magic.’

The red aurora floating in the sky—the one that had been ‘poured into the man in front of us.’

Yes, it was magic itself.

A membrane of immense magic, covering several kilometers, resided only in this man’s body.

How much of it there was, no one could estimate.

Normally, a person’s magic is minimal, and the slight overflow of light indicates the amount of magic.

Among them, I had a considerable amount of magic.

By looking in a mirror, you could somewhat gauge your magic quantity.

There was only about a one-centimeter thickness of light emanating from my body.

The man in front of me exuded magic, causing particles of magic to rise into the air.

If my typical magic quantity was around ‘ten thousand,’ then the man’s magic was probably… ‘Over ten million.’

Who he was didn’t matter.

Just having that much magic within him was a threat.

Having formidable magic meant possessing a powerful body and extraordinary vitality and mental strength.

He was a monster.

“You want me to introduce myself? Very well. I am generous. I will forgive even those who do not reveal their names and instead ask for the opponent’s name, as it is a rude gesture. I am Einzwerf, a noble demon.”

A demon?

I’ve heard the term ‘demon’ in Japan, but it’s not something I’ve encountered here. I wondered if it was just my ignorance, but looking at Rafina and Glast-san, they showed no reaction.

“A demon… you say? What’s that?”

“Ignorant humans. Have you not heard of it? Hehe, humans are truly foolish. Have you all been forgotten over the ‘thousand years’?”

“W-what are you talking about?”

“There’s no need to discuss this further. I’ve been imprisoned for a long time. Being released feels refreshing. Now, I’ll kindly put an end to you.”

Einzwerf chuckled, and simultaneously, everyone present raised their weapons. It was a reflexive action, but it was meaningless. I shouted, “Run!”

Einzwerf’s red magic writhed like a living creature. As it filled the surroundings, Einzwerf snapped his fingers. Flames erupted. Heat and roaring sounds accompanied the birth of flames, scorching the area around us. I swiftly moved with Rafina in my arms, narrowly avoiding the danger. Those who remained in place were engulfed by the flames.

“Aaaah! It’s hot!”

“Help, help meeee!”

In an instant, the surroundings turned into hell. Due to Einzwerf’s attack—or rather, magic—soldiers and adventurers in the vicinity were being burned. I had been mistaken. I had been distracted by the idea that a new monster had appeared due to the omen given by the shining night. However, that was not the case. It was just a mere prelude before this monstrosity appeared. Resolving that omen was just a warm-up. The real showdown was about to begin.

“Gu!”

Rafina and I landed in a distant place, rolling upon impact. Due to the forceful leap, we couldn’t make a proper landing. Without time to groan in pain, I got up and pulled Rafina’s arm.

“Le-let’s run!”

“But what about everyone!”

“We can’t beat that! We can’t defeat something we can’t see! It’s using magic!”

Realizing the terror from the perspective of an enemy, an unseen magic entity is nothing but a threat. Even if it were visible, evasion would be difficult, and confronting an opponent’s magic without knowing its nature is too dangerous.

“Shion!”

Glast moved towards us. It seemed he had managed to avoid the attack successfully. I breathed a sigh of relief.

“What’s that thing!? Is it using magic!?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know, but there’s no doubt it’s using something like magic. Its surroundings are filled with magical energy. It possesses more than dozens, even hundreds of times my magical power!”

“Seriously… Damn it! You guys, get back to the city! I’ll hold that thing off!”

“Glast-san, don’t be reckless! You’ll get killed!”

“That may be true, but we can’t let that thing into the city!”

Yes.

If that thing enters the city, what will happen?

Everyone will be killed.

Mom, sister, everyone.

There’s no point in running away now.

In that case, there’s only one thing to do.

“I’ll do it too. Because I’m the only one who can see its magical power.”

If I can see the magical power, maybe I can avoid its attacks.

Magic consumes magical power, and if I can see the movement of magical power, I might be able to anticipate its actions.