However—
“Secundum Perfectus! (Second bulwark, strengthen!)”
The tyrannical tempest winds howled as they attacked in succession. Each individual strike far surpassed Suimei’s compressed air explosions in destructive might, not to mention there were more than ten or twenty in number.
Time and again the storm slammed into Suimei’s newly strengthened, even more brilliant barrier.
—Consecutive shots (Rush).
As the name suggested, within a moment’s time, attacks poured down like rain.
The winds struck his bulwark magic, resisting for a moment before disappearing. This scene repeated itself over and over, though Suimei remained completely unharmed, his defensive magic as unyielding as a mountain.
Finally, the tempest magic gradually came to an end. It had likely been an area-of-effect magic, as smaller whirlwinds continued to dance nearby.
Formerly at the center of the storm, Suimei’s bored gaze fixed upon the speechless Enmarph.
He continued to grip his staff, but could only stare dumbly in disbelief, as if there was nothing left for him to try.
Suddenly, Raikas leapt at Suimei, standing with his back to him, with full strength.
“Don’t get too…!”
Gripping his two-hander, he flew at Suimei like a bullet. He’d perfectly timed his ambush for the precise moment when Enmarph’s magic had ended, but from Suimei’s point of view, his attack could only be seen as slow.
Suimei flipped around, his arm hanging loose. Following Raikas’ movement with his eyes, he activated his first bulwark.
“Primum Excipio!”
“Full of yourself!”
Sword and fortress wall collided, causing the high-pitched, metallic screech of metal scraping against metal. Looking more closely at the point of impact, there was the material blade that had come swinging in, and the immaterial fortress wall many grades its better. Neither gave way to the other, and sparks flew in all directions as they crashed into one another.
Nevertheless, Raikas’ attack proved every bit as futile as attacking a real fortress wall with a sword would. The fierce collision hadn’t affected the magic wall in the least, but the same could not be said for Raikas’ sword, from which shavings had fallen.
“It’s impossible for an attack of that level to touch me.”
“S-shit…”
—Suimei merely stood in place, calmly awaiting the next attack while he watched his opponent’s full force attack with contempt, as if he were watching a comedy sketch unfold. Catching sight of Raikas’ dejected expression, he determined that it was a perfect opportunity to attack. Seizing upon the moment when Raikas’ abandoned his ineffective attack, he suddenly stepped to the left.
As Suimei casually strode forward, Raikas swept his blade across.
Suimei calmly adjusted his direction, watching Raikas’ attack out of the corner of his eye as he activated another defensive magic.
“Quartum Excipio! (Fourth bulwark, local activation.)”
Blocking Raikas’ desperate attempt to the reverse the situation was the fourth fortress wall. This fourth bulwark was designed to reflect any and all external attacks.
This fourth defensive wall’s terrifying reflective power sent Raikas flying toward Enmarph.
“Uwa—”
“What—?!”
A flying figure, the sound of collision and surprise. Suimei wasn’t the least bit moved. This magic, easily capable of fully reflecting physical force, had of course effected this result.