My feelings proved correct.
I metastasized to an unknown passageway, some of the magic formations that I marked had moved, and it seemed that I was naturally being driven towards another demon's den.
The moment I saw, I realized it was impossible.
Demons were piling on the corpses of the other dead demons onto the magic formation.
Is it because the demons don't metastasize into that narrow a room after all?
Since it's become like this, then there is no option left other than to get ready to take the plunge.
[All while fighting this crowd?]
I did think their formation was beautiful.
A heap of corpses, defending the metastasis magic formation that leads to my refuge, the demons are deployed radially around it.
At the vanguard are the [Iron Crawler], who have moved in front and devoted themselves as the front line of defense. On top of them are the [Death Road Tarantula], evil red spiders, moving and stopping occasionally to spit out threads while on top of the backs of the [Iron Crawler].
At the rearguard is what looks like a huge clay doll standing there, the Mad Skull, shooting out clumps of rock.
I began to weave my magic while thinking, [This is clearly an army.]
"Oh, armor of the majestic land, gather around me and become my trappings, 『Earth Fortress』!"
The surrounding soil began to take the form of a fortress around me.
Eventually, it covered the top of my head, I became protected within the dome.
However, I had to stop once it reached a certain height.
I don't need it to reach the ceiling.
If it's to the extent of my chest-height, it is enough to block the charge of the Iron Crawlers.
"Oh, falling rain, I call upon you to scatter, and flood the whole world! 『Water Splash』!"
Innumerable drops of water suspend themselves aloft around me, and then become bullets which tear through the area.
However, as the offensive power of this magic is extremely low, the demons were barely kept at bay by this spell.
I understood that, though.
So, I began chanting the next spell immediately.
"Blue Goddess, fly down from heaven and wave the scepter which would frost the world! 『Icicle Field』!"
All the demons' exteriors, which were covered in the sticky water droplets from before, made a hard sound as they quickly froze solid.
[Water Splash] and [Icicle Field], and then the melded magic [Frost Nova]. The entire forward guard of the demon army came to a complete stop.
I still had to hammer more magic in there. Advanced level magic.
"King of Frost. Supreme ruler of the great snowfields.
Clad in white, oh King of Naught, who reaps all passion.
Cold-hearted king, which rules the frozen death! 『Blizzard Storm』!"
The magic that I shortened was complete.
A spear of ice shot out towards the entire area.
It flies out in a wide arc before me.
The spear of ice pierced into the demons behind the frozen vanguard, one after another.
I did not manage to defeat the enemy vanguard.
While statues of ice play the role of the wall, I chant advanced magic, and instead struck at the back row.
When I traversed the labyrinth near Shirone, this was the strategy I learned.
The strategy of victory.
However...
[...Just as I thought.]
At the same time the demons in the back row are dying, demon after demon springs up from the metastasis magic formation.
Stepping over the pile of demons I just defeated, the new wave of demons filled the room at a surprising pace.
[Is it no good after all?]
The room quickly became full of demons in no time.
My heart quickly became full of despair, as well.
At the same time the room filled, I began to lose my composure.
This is bad.
I can't break through if I don't first do something about that mountain of dead bodies.
However, I don't have enough hands.
[Kuu~!]
From the distance, the Mad Skull sends a rock bullet flying.
Part of the Earth Fortress is destroyed, and the Iron Crawlers who had their movement dulled, began to restlessly squirm through the gap.
A cold sweat slowly rose to the surface of my spine.
"Flaming sword of my charge, tear my enemies to pieces! 『Flame Slice』!"
The blade of flames sprung forward, and the shell of the Iron Crawler is made red-hot.
The Iron Crawler writhed around as it died.
Iron Crawlers are weak to fire.
However, it is not a good idea to use fire in a cavern.
It's like something is tied around my neck.
I have no choice but to use it.
"Oh, armor of the majestic land, gather around me and become my trappings, 『Earth Fortress』!"
Once more, I create a wall of soil.
The residual amount of magic I possess steadily decreases.
I must hurry.
What's the best way to do it?
How can I survive?
Think.
I defeat demons absent-mindedly while I think about how to survive.
However, I cannot think of any way.
Have I finally been checkmated?
Is it already time for it to end?
Is it here that I am to die, after all?
Even as I continue working to kill demons, I think so.
[...~Aah~]
My feet stagger.
My head swims.
I feel the magic power inside of me beginning to dry up.
I know I will faint after I fire off a few more spells.
[I don't want to...]
I grab on to my staff.
I do not want to die.
I do not want to die.
Even though I think this, in my mind, one thing after another begins to re-surface.
Soon after I was born, I remembered my parent's disappointed faces.
In the quiet village I lived in, I was the only one unable to talk with the others.
My parents pitied me and taught me words.
I was impressed by the magician who came to visit my village, and so I learned magic.
I rushed out of the village, knowing only beginner rank water magic.
After I headed out, I met three boys.
I traveled with them as an adventurer for many years.
One of the companions died, and so the party dissolved.
Then, I traveled to Central Continent.
I had met many people, and thereby came to know of the Magic Academy.
I then entered the academy.
I took a class for the first time, and I was impressed.
I got a good score on a test, and the results of my practical skills test made others jealous.
I talked about many things with my friend in the dormitory.
When I became advanced-rank, I met my Shisho.
From Shisho, I learned saint class water magic, and it came to the point where I could easily use it on the spur of the moment.
My Shisho said this and that, and got angry.
I graduated around then, and left to travel without saying anything to my Shisho.
I thought myself good enough to work in the Asura Capital City, so I traveled there.
However, with no work to be had, I gradually moved towards the border.
And at the border, with no work to be found either, I was at a loss.
But, it was then that I found the piece of paper asking for a tutor.
I met Paul and family, and I had also met Rudi.