Sir Hero, It’s Time to Train!

“Does it have no other ability besides mana devouring? It’s distinctly different from the power Uncle Zephrys used.”

Handling feathers and using the mana of the wind were unique traits of the Harpy race. Observing the demon beast incapable of any other abilities brought some relief.

Becoming a demon had seemingly transformed it; while its hard and sharp feathers were bothersome, there wasn’t a lack of a strategy to deal with it.

“Fuuup!”

Christian took a deep breath and tightened his grip on his sword.

Despite the surrounding chaos of feathers and the fierce storm, Christian didn’t lose his balance.

Perfect balance of the upper and lower body. Adhesion that kept his soles firmly on the ground, and the body activation which enhanced his physical abilities.

The grueling effort he had put into tormenting his body to build strength was not in vain.

“Ha!”

A single swing. What seemed like a plain and simple strike was, to the eyes of those deeply versed in swordsmanship, a mysterious, astounding movement.

Ka-gaang—! Ka-gak! Kwajik—!

The sharp feathers flying on the harsh wind were mostly neutralized by twisting the air.

However, Christian was not satisfied with the result. Discontented that he had not perfectly neutralized all the feathers, he clicked his tongue and swung his sword again.

“Tch.”

It was tougher to fend off the feathers than to neutralize them.

‘These are damn tough!’

Even though he couldn’t cut them all, he aimed to render at least half useless. Yet, only two were severed, and only a few were destroyed.

– Ha, hahaha!

Even witnessing its attack being easily countered, the Harpy did not panic. Instead, it actively lunged towards Christian, unlike before.

Although its behavior pattern suddenly changed, Christian focused on evasive maneuvers without being flustered.

The Harpy’s sharp talons gouged the ground where Christian had stood moments earlier, leaving deep scars behind.

– Ka, ka-ka! You can’t escape!

Though far from supersonic speeds, the Harpy’s sluggish attacks could be dodged with body activation and momentary acceleration utilizing waves.

The Harpy, realizing its attacks consistently missed by a narrow margin, picked up fallen feathers and aimed them at Christian’s expected path.

‘This could become serious if this drags on.’

His body had already reached its limit, while the Harpy’s attacks were growing more precise. Despite focusing solely on evasion, the devouring of stamina and mana was burdensome.

He never imagined a situation where he, who once possessed boundless mana like a vast sea, would worry about mana devouring.

‘Perhaps it would be wiser to retreat for a moment. Should I fall back to Flamme and call for reinforcements?’

Even if the knights stationed in Flamme were lacking in numbers, swarming against it could still work.

There are beings in the world who can’t be overcome by numbers, but the Harpy in front of him was not one of them.

However…

‘Haah. With its obsession with the essence of Wings of Zephrys, it surely wouldn’t let me enter the city.’

Seeking refuge in the city would certainly lead to massive casualties. It’s an unavoidable outcome, and it’s the worst choice among the options available now.

This monster subjugation was under the pretense of ‘restoring the prestige of the Count Worden’.

Rumors had likely spread through a few merchants, and if large-scale damage were inflicted, everyone would criticize the Worden County for failing to exercise administrative power promptly.

This was an opportunity to show that the Worden County was still substantial, matching the dignity expected of the Rangar region’s leader.

Rumble.

Christian nonchalantly deflected feathers flying toward him, organizing his thoughts. For now, it was crucial to hold out until Garcia and Melissa recovered their mana.

“Well, if worse comes to worst, I might have to give up an arm.”

Christian’s blue eyes clearly saw the Harpy’s figure. His gaze focused on the gaps among the Harpy’s densely layered feathers.

‘Right, if I can just widen that small gap…’

Christian couldn’t afford to fall until that gap grew larger.

– Kyaah?!

But just as he resolved himself, something appeared between Christian and the Harpy, blocking their approach to each other.

“Huh?”

The abrupt intervention made both Christian and the Harpy pause momentarily.

『Close your eyes. No, block your vision with mana.』

Masaya…?

The sound transmission resonated in Christian’s mind. However, he wasn’t foolish enough to look around wasting time seeking the owner of the voice.

Following Masaya’s instructions, he closed his eyes and blocked his vision with mana. Even with a life-threatening enemy before him, he trusted Masaya and hesitated not to relinquish his sight.

Puuung—! Hwaak—!

A luminous sphere, like the moon pulled down from the night sky, briefly expanded and burst. Simultaneously, the surrounding darkness faded entirely.

– Kyaaaah?! Kyahhh—!

The radiant sphere created by Masaya emitted a glow so intense, it turned night into day. The Harpy, its vision accustomed to darkness, was tormented by the abrupt brightness.

It was an attack without any substance. Masaya’s visual attack couldn’t be devouringed by the Harpy’s vaunted mana devouring nor blocked by its hard wings.

No creature could match the speed of light, rendering escape futile.

『You can open your eyes now.』

“Thank you, Masaya!”

Christian quickly opened his eyes.

He then saw the Harpy, wailing in agony, shielding its eyes with its wings flailing wildly.

『The effect on its vision is only temporary, so it won’t last long. So…』

“Don’t worry!”

“Don’t worry!”

Huh…?

Christian was so startled by hearing Aira’s voice at the same time as his own words, he turned his head towards where the sound came from.

Seeing Aira, who had supposedly been recovering beside Masaya, swinging her sword energetically, Christian’s eyes widened.

There she was, wielding her sword in a vibrant manner, unscathed and barely a difference from before.

“… Masaya, did you somehow cast an illusion spell on me?”

『What are you saying right now? Are you just going to sit back and watch?』

Even though Christian understood Aira’s talents well, seeing her lively appearance was nonetheless surprising.

“… In this situation, who’s the monster and who’s human?”

“What, did you just insult me?!”

“I was talking about the monster.”

Sensitive, aren’t we?

Even as she shouted in frustration, Aira leaped off the ground to strike at the Harpy’s head. Simultaneously, Christian moved to thrust his sword into the gap in the Harpy’s chest.

The coordinated attack seemed as if it had been synchronously practiced for a long time.

– Kahat!

“Eek?!”

However, the Harpy had no plan to succumb easily.

Seemingly sensing the threat despite its temporary blindness, it beat its wings, blocking Aira’s sword while generating a whirlwind to blow her away.

“Aira! Tsk!”

The Harpy waited for Christian to close in, then simultaneously shot feathers at him.

Christian rolled to the ground, withdrawing his sword, and quickly gained distance to regain his stance.

‘Damn it, is this thing starting to understand strategy and tactics?’

『Have you noticed, young master? It’s a territory-type. Well, since it abandoned its territory, we can no longer call it that. It seems to have lost much of its power, yet its intelligence appears high. Stay calm and I’ll support you.』

Masaya sent a sound transmission as if understanding Christian’s concern.

Although Masaya was nowhere to be seen, her status as a mage from the Logia Magic Tower only led to greater trust.

‘Seems Masaya also believes it can be subjugated now. Indeed, it would be dangerous if we don’t finish it here.’

A territory-type monster so mad that it left its territory. This led to a significant loss of power, but its intelligence rose in tandem.

Hunters deemed the cleverest beasts the most perilous. The same held true for monster hunters.

A cunning beast possessed the ability to overturn the premise of hunters and prey.

If it were just strong, one could overcome it with greater strength, but intelligent monsters could lay deadly traps for hunters.

“Aira!”

“Christian!”

It was a moment of telepathic understanding. By calling each other’s names, they mutually understood and rushed at the Harpy simultaneously.

Thereupon, illusions mimicking Christian’s mana pattern emerged, and exhibiting different maneuvers, they all charged at the Harpy.

They had only one target. The feathers hovering around the Harpy, seemingly guarding it.

– Prey, my prey!

As if its vision hadn’t yet fully recovered, the Harpy squinted at Christian. Upon seeing the three Christians appear, it seemed pleased, roaring exuberantly.

Christian felt the same.

As the Harpy had left its territory drawn by the scent of Wings of Zephrys, the mana essence within Christian, yet to be digested, pounded and raged.

Just like his master’s Ether Weapon that ran rampant when crafting a mana reservoir for Aira.

‘You desire that creature too, huh.’

Its hard wings and feathers would make excellent materials for armor.

Its talons, if refined well, could become quite useful weapons.

The Harpy monster’s crimson eyes would certainly fetch a high price as alchemical ingredients.

“Let’s see who’s whose prey, shall we?”

Christian licked his lips while staring intently at the Harpy.

It was the same gesture, the same look the Harpy had when it gazed at Christian.