The enemy before him, a Mazoku.
What was it about it that rendered his magic so ineffective?
Looking it over, he couldn’t find anything that would grant it such a resistance. That his magic would be utterly impotent was hard to believe.
…Its mana levels aren’t anywhere near enough to resist the magic I’ve been using, but it doesn’t look like it’s an innate, physical resistance either…
His enemy definitely did not have the ability to weaken his magic enough to extinguish it, nor should the Mazoku be in possession of a body with a magical resistance of such a degree either. Even if its body was extremely durable, but from the sensation he’d felt when he’d sent it crashing into the ground, it wasn’t at a level that surpassed other lifeforms.
It was conceivable that it had innate resistance to fire, but for it to be to the extent that it hadn’t been so much as singed by his flames was not.
If he were to assume that it was not a resistance to fire, but rather the ability to extinguish its flames, then several possibilities existed.
That was because fire created by magic was quite different from the naturally occurring phenomenon.
The flames called forth by magic were unlike the naturally occurring phenomenon, which would only occur when the conditions of a fuel source and sufficient oxygen were met. Instead, it operated via the medium of a reconstructed mystery, essentially forcibly inducing the combustion phenomenon. Aside from ignition conditions, magical fire would simply burn along the path outlined by the spell.
Subsequently, unless you countered the magic process directly, the flame would never go out until its target had been completely consumed.
Of course, if it was a simple spell on the level of a firestarter, then that was a different matter, but it should go without saying that the type of magic Suimei had just invoked was of the other type.
So why was it that the fire brought about by his magic wasn’t working?
…He was thoroughly confused by this matter, but he nevertheless focused on his surroundings for the time being.
Battle was still ongoing all over, but there were no signs of having lost any ground to the Mazoku. This was because the attacking Mazoku were far outnumbered by those guarding the caravan.
The other escorts don’t seem to be having any problems. In that case, let’s try this…
Then, in that case…
Shik!
Suimei evaded the slash of his enemy’s claws. Continuously he dodged as the Mazoku continued to chain its strikes.
“In that case, there’s another reason why it’s not working—”
“You just don’t shut up, do you…”
“—Your clinginess is really getting on my nerves!”
“Hah!”
Suimei roared as he snapped his fingers.
Even though the Mazoku was subjected to his attack from close range, it was essentially unharmed. Nevertheless, he’d accomplished his goal of sending it flying.
“…You brat. Using the same magic over and over like an idiot!”
“Sorry. I don’t have that many magics on hand, after all.”
“Uaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!”
The Mazoku snarled, its figure growing hazy. Reacting purely on instinct, Suimei threw out an arm.
“Primum excipio!” (First bulwark, local activation!)
To prevent the charge of the Mazoku, accelerating nonstop toward him, Suimei activated this physical defensive magic.
As if the magic array had been granted a power of some kind, at the moment of contact, a shrill noise accompanied flying sparks.
“W-what—?!”
A thoroughly shocked expression appeared on the face of the Mazoku, seeing this defensive spell for the first time. Suimei took the opportunity to consider the strange feeling of disharmony that filled him.
…What in the world? My magic was clearly ineffective earlier, and yet the golden fortress completely stopped its attack?
If his opponent had an ability that would directly affect magic itself, then his defensive magic should have been disrupted just now. Even if it wasn’t able to completely shatter his defense in an instant, the subsequent shock should have broken through.
However, that had most definitely not happened. Its attack had been rendered entirely impotent. Consequently, an endless tide of questions streamed through Suimei’s mind.
“W-what just happened?! How could I be stopped by that thing?!”
“Ha, isn’t it obvious?!”
“Impertinent brat—”
—The Mazoku, coming to the realization that attacking wasn’t working, and concerned about a counterattack, placed some distance between them.
As Suimei frowned, the sound of an explosion came from not far off. Keeping the Mazoku in his peripheral vision, he turned in the direction the sound had come from. There, a caravan escort had destroyed another Mazoku with an explosive magic.
A fire magic.
And yet, unlike when he had done so, the Mazoku was scorched by the flames, and drew its last breath.