Chapter 115 - The Thunder Warrior
The final enemy, Ghost, faced Gradena. He was still her prey.
Gradena pointed her sword at Ghost and declared confidently,
"I’ve got one last thing to teach you, you about-to-die man. I hate people who show their backs to me! Now that there’s no one to interfere, let’s finish what we started. Come on, I’ll kill you!"
As she said this, she unexpectedly cut off her Physical Enhancement Magic.
...Ah, I see. She wanted a one-on-one fight without any interference, using only her own strength. Impressive! By cutting off her magic, she was setting herself back to a state where the potion was providing the same level of enhancement as full Physical Enhancement Magic. In essence, she was resetting the playing field to a fair fight.
She wanted to defeat a superior opponent using her own strength. She would show that she could.
It would be a tough battle. She might even die. A single strike could sever her head, and I wouldn’t be able to save her. But if this was Gradena’s choice, I would see it through to the end.
Once, she looked at me and nodded. Go all out!
No matter the outcome, Ghost would die here.
Gradena wouldn’t hold back. If she won, he would die. I believed she would win, but even if Ghost prevailed, I would finish him off.
Ideally, the Gerdodus Dukedom should have maintained a separate force from the old Brenark side, distinct from the Oversta Dukedom. But now, there was no turning back. They had chosen to fight us, and I would meet them head-on.
The two warriors, eyeing each other, were about to clash. Ghost seemed confused by Gradena’s decision to cut off her Physical Enhancement Magic while facing an enemy.
His debuff magic no longer affected her.
While using Physical Enhancement Magic, Ghost was clearly superior. Their sword skills were probably on par.
But Gradena was not just a swordsman. She excelled in close-range magic combat, and this was where her true strength lay.
"Come on, Ghost. If you beat me, you can play with Yukari!"
"...Don’t get cocky, woman."
Pride, perhaps. Or maybe he thought he could defeat all of us, even if it was a slim chance.
If he could easily take down Gradena, the younger members wouldn’t be a threat. If the only one left to worry about was me, he might see an opportunity to escape. Or maybe he thought he could beat me too.
With his words, he moved. Ghost, at full strength, was incredibly fast.
Gradena tried to keep up, but the speed difference was clear. Ghost’s first strike hit her right arm.
"Damn!"
She managed to keep her sword, which was impressive. With his speed, Ghost overwhelmed Gradena, striking her repeatedly. Even with her coat, the blows were painful and damaging.
Even someone as tough as Gradena couldn’t take much more of this.
She was quickly battered, but her eyes still burned with determination. Her toughness and spirit were truly commendable. Despite the injuries, her eyes were full of resolve.
Ghost remained calm, pressing his advantage without letting up. He kept her at a distance, where her longer sword was less effective. He seemed to have the upper hand.
A calm but overwhelming man and a woman who, despite being on the defensive, still exuded an unyielding spirit, waiting for her chance.
There was no hope of a comeback. It seemed impossible to turn the tide. Yet, her determined eyes defied the odds.
She was waiting for one chance.
As Gradena tried to back away, Ghost closed the distance even further.
---
Exactly as Gradena had planned.
At the last moment, she used her specialty—lightning-infused punches.
With her sword in her right hand, she unleashed a powerful left hook. At point-blank range, it was impossible to miss.
Ghost, in his light armor, probably saw it as just a punch. Or perhaps he was confident in his magic-resistant armor. Even if he sensed the magic, it was too late to avoid it at that moment. It was perfect.
"Roar!"
Gradena’s lightning-infused punch struck his chest, just over his heart. The crackling thunder exploded, and in the same instant, her sword severed his head from his body.
"...Heal me."
The accumulated damage had reached its limit. She asked for healing and collapsed.
"Sister! Are you okay!?"
"Gradena, you’re amazing! A complete comeback!"
The younger members rushed to her side, but she had already fainted.
With this, the immediate threat was over. Valeria had also finished her battle and was heading our way. Our mission was complete.
I used a third-grade recovery potion on the fallen Gradena to heal her wounds.
Reflecting on the battle, it was truly a remarkable comeback. The lightning magic was incredibly powerful, and it was rare to see such a dramatic turn of events.
Gradena’s magic affinity was lightning, a rare talent. While there might be a decent number of lightning mages in the world, very few could use it in combat as proficiently as she did.
The Kikyo Society had two members with lightning magic: Gradena and Albert. Despite having the same affinity, they used their powers in entirely different ways, which was fascinating.
Gradena’s lightning magic wasn’t just simulated electricity. It was more like natural lightning, or something very close to it, induced by magic.
Some of the world’s greatest mages could summon lightning from the sky with pinpoint accuracy, but Gradena’s approach was smaller and more direct.
While she couldn’t produce large-scale lightning, her magic was highly versatile. It was like carrying a powerful stun gun at all times. The output was incredibly high, capable of causing instant death or paralysis, even to large monsters.
The beauty of her lightning was that it was almost always a decisive and fatal blow once it hit.
The electric shock forced muscles to contract involuntarily, making it impossible to move, regardless of pain tolerance or willpower. The power could be adjusted to either kill instantly or paralyze, making it very versatile.
Most importantly, it bypassed magic resistance because it was real lightning, not simulated. This made it incredibly effective.
Gradena could channel the electricity through her body to a certain extent, but not to her weapons or armor. This is why she needed to strike with her fist.
The powerful lightning-infused punch delivered a current through the metal armor, directly into Ghost’s body. With her high voltage, she could have caused electrocution even through the air, but she chose the direct approach for certainty.
The end, which seemed anticlimactic, was actually a fitting conclusion for Ghost. The electric shock probably caused immediate paralysis, followed by the decapitating strike. He might have died from the shock alone. It was a clear and brutal tactic, and even I would have been in trouble if I had been hit by that lightning. Gradena’s strength as the Kikyo Society’s Acting Vice-Commander was on full display.
I couldn’t use lightning magic, as it wasn’t my affinity. I envied her magic, especially since hers was quite unique.
Nonetheless, magic without mana was incredibly strong, possibly even unparalleled. The chance of encountering someone with such resistance was slim, and the damage from the lightning and burns would be severe.
When Gradena’s lightning struck, it was a clear sign that the enemy was finished.
We gathered the enemy’s belongings, and Valeria returned. Soon after, Gradena regained consciousness.
The injured younger members and the fallen Gradena were now fully healed. Our members were ready for another battle if needed.
"Ghost was strong, right? Were you satisfied?"
"...Yeah. But if it weren’t for the initial debuff, it would have been over much sooner."
Honest and realistic. Without the potions, she probably would have lost before she could turn the tide.
Ghost’s debuff magic was highly advanced. Not many could use it so effectively, and Gradena, despite her extensive training, had struggled.
"That’s the difference in experience. We’re still young. With more basic training, we’ll eventually surpass them. Besides, as they say, the strong don’t always win; the winners are the strong."
"Ha, that’s true. I still have a lot to improve. I need to train harder!"
Overcoming a significant challenge would only make Gradena stronger.
Ghost was indeed a formidable opponent. His raw strength was impressive, but his debuff magic was particularly troublesome.
Even a powerful warrior could be defeated by such magic. If we had faced a lesser assassin, we might have been annihilated.
But that was not the case. We survived, and we learned from the experience. We trained to counteract the debuff magic, which was not an easy feat.
I, however, was thinking even further ahead.
I had trained extensively with various mana patterns and outputs, even considering random debuffs. I believed no one else in the world had undergone such rigorous training. While the possibility was low, I couldn’t ignore it. I had even shared techniques with Sophie, who had a debuff magic affinity, and she had become a formidable debuff mage. Together, we had honed our anti-debuff skills.
For me, Ghost’s debuff magic was child’s play. I understood it instantly and was confident I could counter it. I had already provided feedback to Sophie, and she had become an expert in debuff magic, thanks to our collaboration.
Regardless, our job here was done.
The Crimson Knights were still engaged, but we had no reason to interfere.
"What do you think, Onee-sama?"
"The Knights are still upstairs. Should we check on them?"
"...If there were other attacks, they would have come by now. The base should be fine. They don’t seem to be in combat upstairs, so let’s head back. I’m worried about the base."
Rosmerta had predicted a low chance of an attack on the base, but the attack from the Gerdodus Dukedom was larger than expected. Even she couldn’t be omniscient. Our base was more concerning.
"We have Ophelia, Albert, and Mia. Colette is also ready for emergencies, so I think we’ll be fine."
"But, Onee-sama, your instincts are usually right. Let’s go back quickly."
Indeed, my instincts were rarely wrong. It was best to be cautious.
"Let’s hope everything is fine, but I’m a bit worried. Let’s hurry back!"
"Yes!"
We left the chaos behind and rushed to the Jeeps, ready to return to the base.