The Strongest Villain Sets Out: Reincarnated into a Merit-Based Clan, I Become the World's Strongest Swordsman - Chapter 71: Growth

Following Sheila and me, now Lucia and Cornelia would clash aura against magic.

Cornelia was the first to move.

She housed aura in her body and kicked off the ground.

Her aura-enhanced leg strength closed the distance between her and Lucia in a single stride.

Cornelia appeared before Lucia with her wooden sword ready.

However, before Cornelia could swing her sword, the ground beneath her feet glowed red.

“—⁉”

Immediately after, Cornelia was enveloped in light.

Red light. Then, a thunderous roar.

It was the same magic Lucia had used on me before.

A landmine-type spell.

The moment anyone other than Lucia entered the magic’s range, it would detect them and automatically trigger an explosion.

It was somewhat troublesome magic that required pre-adjusting the activation point, power, and magical energy amount, but its performance was highly effective against aura users who excelled in close combat.

As proof, Cornelia, who took the explosion head-on, was blown to the edge of the ring by the blast.

“…Not bad. It was a little hot though.”

“Between you and Luka, it’s cheating how you both act so nonchalant after taking my magic.”

“I’m just sturdy.”

Saying this, Cornelia readied her sword again.

But this time, Lucia moved.

She formed three spheres above her head.

All fire-attribute magic. Incredible mana was concentrated in them.

“This feeling… that’s composite magic, isn’t it~”

“Yes. I’ve combined wind magic with all of them. You’d better dodge. All the way out of the ring.”

“Like that’s possible!”

Composite magic combining fire and wind attributes that Sheila had used earlier.

Lucia was controlling three of them simultaneously.

As expected of a magical genius. Even among geniuses, her firepower was incomparably higher than Sheila’s.

Taking those hits would deal massive damage even to Cornelia.

That’s exactly why she charged forward.

Cloaking herself in enormous aura, planning to involve Lucia in the explosion.

But she was naive.

Landmines were set beneath Lucia’s feet.

While placement-type magic had the weakness of being easy to avoid once the location was discovered, it also had the advantage of not requiring magical control once activated.

In other words, consciousness wouldn’t be divided while using other magic, and the spells wouldn’t disappear.

They obstructed Cornelia’s path at every turn.

“Tch! Your underhanded fighting style hasn’t changed~!”

“I don’t want to hear that from someone underhanded.”

“You talk big. But I won’t lose. I’ll crush you head-on!”

Cornelia roared. She wouldn’t stop now.

She took Lucia’s landmine magic head-on—and pushed forward even further.

“What⁉ Monster…!”

At this point, strategy meant nothing.

Cornelia was utilizing aura’s defensive enhancement to the fullest.

She planned to break through Lucia’s tactics with brute force.

It was the correct judgment.

While Lucia was a more powerful mage than Sheila, she always lost to Cornelia, who focused on polishing her aura.

The cause of defeat was insufficient firepower.

Even Lucia couldn’t break through Cornelia, an aura genius’s, defense.

If she couldn’t break through, she’d get close.

If Cornelia’s approach continued like this, Lucia would become unable to use big techniques to avoid self-destruction.

Eventually she’d be worn down and finished.

I was slightly disappointed by the unchanging outcome.

The ring restriction was working against Lucia.

That’s what I thought, but…

“—Fufu”

Facing Cornelia who had closed in, Lucia showed a fearless smile.

The next moment.

The three suns floating overhead fell almost simultaneously toward Lucia and Cornelia below.

“Huh?”

Even Cornelia let out a puzzled voice.

Then hellfire filled the entire ring.

The tremendous explosion and blast reached even the spectator seats.

The audience was in an uproar.

Vision narrowed, and they were confused that the ring had been destroyed again.

Plus, incredibly powerful magic had exploded. Might one of them have died?

Of course, they weren’t fragile enough to die from that level of attack.

But unfortunately, Lucia wasn’t sturdy enough to withstand a suicide attack.

Even if she survived, she’d be seriously injured. She wouldn’t have enough strength left to stand properly.

Along with my sigh, smoke gradually rose into the sky and vision cleared.

When the ring became visible again…

“—⁉”

I widened my eyes slightly.

“Fu, fufu… ahaha! Mission accomplished.”

In the central area that barely maintained the shape of a ring, Lucia stood unharmed.

“Unharmed despite taking that much attack at close range? …No, that’s not right.”

Looking closely, I could see something faintly black beneath her feet.

That was the forbidden magic she’d shown when we fought.

I see.

The forbidden magic had two effects.

One was absorbing mana itself.

The other was… healing wounds.

Strictly speaking, it might not be healing, but either way, she’d used that ability to recover instantly.

Not a bad move. At least it had surprise value.

Cornelia, who had taken the magic direct hit, groggily raised her battered body.

Her expression was grim.