LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 231.1
Chapter 231.1. The Battlefield In Chaos
The Japanese army faced the demons that had appeared, with expressions of terror. The soldiers forcefully suppressed their fear, pulling the triggers of their automatic rifles while roaring.
“Uwooo! Fall down, you bastard, fall!”
The demon had the head of a bat, the body of a monkey, and the wings of a bat — a typical creature of legend, or rather, like a weak character from a video game. However, the soldiers realized just how terrifying an enemy bearing the title of “demon” could be.
Even though every monster had fallen before their storm of bullets, the powerful AP rounds only managed to slightly wound the demon’s skin. Worse yet, the enemy deliberately took the bullets, inducing fear by proving their attacks useless. As if savoring their negative emotions, the demon’s face twisted into a grin, splitting wide in delight.
“Damn it! Damn it, damn it!”
This was the first time they’d encountered a monster like this. Sure, some enemies couldn’t be defeated even with AP rounds, but they were all large monsters. This was the first time they’d faced an enemy, roughly human-sized, who didn’t even use defensive magic but was still immune to their attacks.
Seeing the demon approach, tormenting them by taking the bullets, the soldier’s spine froze. He was sure he was going to be killed, staring at the demon’s raised arm.
At that moment, the demon’s head was blown off as if struck sideways, and its body tumbled to the ground. Looking at the fallen demon, mixing relief with astonishment, he noticed a hole in its temple.
“Move forward and take out the enemies besides the demons.”
Then, in a light, graceful motion, a massive jet-black tiger descended before him, carrying a man dressed in all black. The man was clad in a robe from head to toe, with a hood and a mask covering his face. Only his eyes were visible from behind the mask, which turned toward the soldier.
Meeting the man’s gaze, a chill ran down the soldier’s spine. Rationally, he knew it was rude to fear the man who had saved his life, but what he felt was unmistakably terror. His gaze alone was so cold it felt like it could freeze him in place, and the atmosphere around him was ominous… more terrifying than the demon that had been killed.
“Hmm? Didn’t you hear me? Ignore the demons and move forward to take out the regular monsters.”
The man, thinking his voice hadn’t reached, repeated himself. The soldier, suppressing his inner fear, nodded his head like a water-drinking bird.
“I-I got it. Who are you?”
Forgetting to even thank him, the soldier asked, and the man turned his palm upward.
“Ah, these guys have plenty of mana. I’ll wipe them out while draining their magic. They’re weak enemies, perfect for this.”
As the man laughed, he conjured numerous jet-black spheres from his palm. They floated around him, looking more demonic than the demons themselves. Swallowing hard, the soldier gripped his automatic rifle and sprinted off to rejoin his comrades at the front line. Even though he was charging toward the enemy, it looked more like he was fleeing like a rabbit.
Feeling relieved after saving the soldier, Sakimori remained vigilant of his surroundings. About 500 low-level demons were running amok, and the soldiers were clearly struggling.
One of the low-level demons noticed me and cast a spell with a hand raised.
[Fireball]
[Wave Dark Missile]
I countered immediately with my own spell. I’m not losing when it comes to chant speed.
I had learned an interesting technique, so I infused it into the spell. By synchronizing the wavelengths, I created a barrier that worked both offensively and defensively. The mana needed to create the barrier was supplied by the cast spell, so although the power was slightly reduced, there was no problem.
Normally, it would be a weak spell that would cancel out with the enemy’s magic, but just before it collided with the fireball, the tip of my [Wave Dark Missile] created a barrier that matched the enemy’s magic wavelength, dissipating the fireball upon impact.
Without losing momentum, the missile pierced the demon’s torso, leaving a large hole as it collapsed. Seeing its power, I couldn’t help but grin. The result was more powerful than I expected.
“These guys are really fragile. Relying on barriers makes them much softer than other monsters.”
I lazily waved my hand, glaring at the surrounding demons. Realizing their comrades had been easily defeated by my magic, the low-level demons started gathering around me. They’re smarter than I thought. They seem to coordinate well, definitely standing apart from the enemies we’ve faced so far.
“They’re like a magician whose tricks have been revealed.”
“How pitiful,” Yukihana said, catching up, her modified kimono fluttering as she moved. She positioned herself in front of the low-level demons that had gathered, her body turning sideways as she raised a fist.
[Demon Claw]
One demon extended its claws, aiming to slash Yukihana as it swung its right arm.
“Too slow!”
Yukihana smiled faintly and kicked upward with her right foot, deflecting the demon’s arm. Pivoting on her left foot, she spun and delivered another kick from her right leg toward the unsteady demon.
[Wave Ripple Breaking Kick]
With a small ripple of mana at her toes, Yukihana nullified the demon’s barrier and struck its jaw. With a sickening crack, the demon’s bones shattered, and it collapsed backward.
Without pause, Yukihana closed in on the remaining demons, who were shocked to see their comrade fall.
[Wave Ripple Barrage]
Moving swiftly, Yukihana weaved between the low-level demons like a flowing river, delivering powerful blows with her fists. As I watched, I couldn’t help but admire how she moved with such energy, unlike Shizuku, who fights more like a quiet stream. Yukihana had already mastered the technique of matching the enemy’s wavelength, as expected.
With each punch, the low-level demons had their heads or torsos blown away, leaving a pile of corpses. Yukihana, wild like a beast, destroyed the enemies standing in her path. While I admired her strength, I couldn’t help but think she still couldn’t surpass Shizuku.
Shizuku is quiet, her movements graceful like a dance, beautiful and elegant like a butterfly. Her attacks are precise and far more cunning than any beast, with an unwavering will to take down her enemies to the last.
It’s not about skill level — Shizuku’s character, her inner strength, is what truly overwhelms Yukihana. Though they were once equals, now I see an insurmountable gap between them.