Böse had been standing the entire time. Aside from the moment when the building beneath him collapsed and he rode his barrier to flip and land, he had never once left his spot.
One of the Seven Sages of Destruction, the Undying Böse—an absolute defense that was nearly impossible to breach, and now, once again, a revived undying wraith!
"?"
The barrier that should have been flawless suddenly began to tremble violently, and the mana infused within it was rapidly draining away.
In his previous life, Böse had never witnessed such an extraordinary sight.
At that moment, inside the barrier, the "Flash Sky Strike" was perfectly imitated by Linie—the ultimate technique of Eisen, hailed as the strongest warrior. A single blow shook the barrier.
Himmel was not about to be outdone either. That already-worn Sword of the Hero carried a faint trace of mana clinging to it, and with a fierce slash, the barrier—which had just begun to settle—trembled violently once more.
One demon and one human took turns attacking, and the entire semi-transparent barrier shook without cease, yet it still had not been broken through.
And it was precisely during this process that Nanoda, relying on her instinct to absorb mana, seized upon the barrier's weak point.
Just as she had done to Aura before, she absorbed the mana Böse had left within the barrier.
The already semi-transparent barrier, under both the attacks and Nanoda's absorption, saw its mana rapidly disintegrate, growing thin and unreal.
Linie and Himmel noticed it too—this barrier really did seem to have weakened!
"That's Eisen's move, isn't it? It's exactly the same. I'm starting to suspect you're some demon apprentice Eisen secretly took in."
Himmel laughed, swinging his sword without pause.
That feeling of adventuring alongside comrades had returned—traveling together with a demon, something that in the past would have been utterly impossible.
Himmel had once considered reaching out to the Demon Race and reconciling, but the facts, along with Frieren, had told him that it was an impossible thing, a useless hope.
The rift between Humans and the Demon Race was like the barrier before his eyes—a wall that could not be broken.
And yet, in the very next instant as he thought this, the blade slashing against the barrier magic suddenly grew light, the stubborn recoil transforming into the momentum of a breakthrough.
"Let's charge out together!"
Nanoda's voice rang out beside his ear.
With a backward leap, Linie grabbed the female monk who sat praying on the ground, then kicked off into a sprint. Himmel, meanwhile, took the lead and charged out through the crack that had split open in the barrier.
"We meet again, Böse!"
This time, the sword finally struck Böse. Unable to dodge in time, he had half an arm cleanly severed.
The brief fatigue brought on by breaking through the barrier kept Himmel from landing a killing blow.
The wounded Böse moved for the first time, rapidly retreating while raising his other arm.
And it was at this moment that Nanoda, having thoroughly "devoured" the barrier's original mana, unleashed her "Motion and Stillness" Paradox Magic. Perhaps because it now contained Böse's mana, the range of the Paradox Magic's influence had expanded considerably.
In the instant of stillness, the pitch-black broken horn carrying Severance Magic swept directly across Böse's two long legs, cutting away everything below his thighs in one stroke.
By the time Böse came to his senses, he had already lost his support and plummeted from "midair."
Stumbling slightly, Himmel let out a sigh of relief.
"Looks like I have no choice but to admit I'm getting old."
In the past, he would never have felt this weary and sore in the back from just this much action.
"Lady Nanoda, are you all all right?!"
Yuna, who had been observing from a distance the whole time, came running over with the squad formed from the followers of the New God.
Now, the outcome was decided.
The dying Böse was already on the verge of collapsing and dissipating. Had Nanoda not held back some of her power, the broken horn would surely have struck his head, becoming a fatal blow.
"Hero, don't forget our agreement."
"Mm, of course. I'll leave him to you to deal with."
Himmel propped himself up with one hand on his sword, patting his back straight with the other, and nodded toward the approaching Nanoda.
"Undying Böse, I can give you a chance to keep living. Tell me where that Great Demon who seized Kinton is, then become my subordinate and obey my commands."
As she picked up the broken horn, she laid the choice before Böse.
"..."
Böse, collapsed on the ground, gave not the slightest response—not even the breath of respiration remained, as if he were a puppet with several strings cut, propped in place yet unable to move.
"The old Böse really could speak, but this one now—apart from the magic he uses, everything else about him feels off. Perhaps he was a dead wraith to begin with."
Himmel leaned in for a look and offered his opinion and conclusion.
"I see."
Nanoda's own intuition agreed with Himmel's view.
Watching Böse gradually dissipate into Mana particles before her eyes, Nanoda felt a certain amount of regret—Böse's barrier magic really was convenient and strong. At the same time, she began to grow curious.
Someone able to manipulate so many wraiths, even a dead one of the Seven Sages of Destruction—who on earth could they be?
What Aura had said after her defeat was indeed no lie.
After confirming that Böse had completely vanished, leaving not a single trace of mana behind, and that there was no more danger in the surroundings, Nanoda decided to rest until near dusk before entering the inner city.
"Thud!" "Kyaa!" The sound of a fall and a scream rang out at the same time.
Before she could even let go of the hand holding the female monk, Linie had dragged her down along with herself.
"Linie, are you all right?!"
"Lady Linie!"
Nanoda and Yuna both came running over.
After a simple examination, the female monk was found to be fine—only a corner of her clothing had torn, faintly revealing a bit of skin.
Linie, on the other hand, seemed to have exerted herself far too hard while smashing the barrier. Her limbs were now trembling faintly. Her mana was nearly exhausted as well, and the moment her weapon vanished, she promptly fell unconscious.
"Yuna, I'll leave Linie in your care for now. I need to go process the mana I just absorbed."
"Mm, please rest well too, Lady Nanoda."
"Don't worry about me. Have everyone rest here where they are for now. You've all worked hard."
She came over to Himmel, who had sheathed his sword and sat cross-legged on the ground, taking a short rest.
"You're really something. It took Frieren nearly a month to crack this barrier. You may just be a genius mage who surpasses even her."
The Hero praised a demon from the bottom of his heart.
"It was just luck. I wasn't entirely certain either. And besides, I'm not a mage."
For now, Nanoda was still the one in the best condition of everyone. With the Hero serving as vanguard, she hardly needed to do much of anything.
Perhaps this was the mindlessness that came with sheer power.
"It seems there's an even stronger enemy in there. Can those old bones of yours still hold up?"
Though it wasn't exactly a kind remark, it was the first time Himmel had heard words of concern for others come from the mouth of a demon.
"No problem. A Hero won't give up so easily, nor will he flee so quickly."
"You, honestly."
Looking at the aged Himmel, Nanoda felt a pang of admiration—from their first clash, to their chance encounter during the medicine incident, and now this.
Though she had met Himmel only three times, he truly was a Hero worthy of respect.
____
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