Chapter 39: Decisive Battle at Yowin

This would be the second time in my life I’d face a true, all-out battle against the demonkin.

But their method of attack was far different from anything I’d imagined.

I had thought the demons would swarm us en masse, laying waste to the town in a rampage of destruction.

“So true. If they could do that, flinging spells from a distance would be safer and a lot more efficient.”

“…Completely unexpected.”

Of course it was. The enemy’s not going to kindly stick to the plan we made.

The ones attacking the town weren’t those quadrupedal ape-like beasts we’d fought before, but a completely different enemy. Likely a spellcaster.

Just like in that prophetic dream—was the enemy in human form? Or was that vision actually of Aldebaran, being controlled?

“…If the fake Hero’s already heading for the artillery site, we’ll leave that to him. Our job is to protect the town from damage.”

“Understood.”

Karl made his decision quickly. Apparently, even while the bombardment was still going on, he’d already taken off toward the enemy.

If Karl could take the enemy down while I and Aldebaran worked to protect the town, we’d win.

This whole battle now hinged on his blade.

“Kichou, Iri… You too, Rabbit Warrior. Set up defensive magic. Inon and the rest of you, keep a close watch and be ready for an ambush.”

“L-Leave it to Aru!”

“Got it, Leader!”

Two of the spellcasters from the other party moved in behind us. They were here to back us up.

“Irine, let’s deflect the enemy’s magic cannon fire. Angle the shots away from the town—we’ll force them off-course.”

“Right.”

Prompted by Aldebaran, I summoned a small vortex with my meager magic.

Compared to a Hero or a demon, my spells were like pebbles. But even a pebble, if used right—

“Second volley incoming!”

“Got it.”

—can still make a difference. That’s what I believed.

---

A tremendous explosion sent smoke curling into the nostrils of a white-haired girl.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me. This is the Hero’s power? That’s just insane.”

Yuri stood stunned, the chaos wrought by these inhuman monsters shattering every notion of normality she’d known.

Everything was beyond comprehension. So this was what a Hero really was.

Even Irine’s “Spirit Cannon,” the most powerful human magic, was considered absurd by magic scholars. And yet, now it looked faint compared to the blazing brilliance clashing before her.

It was a nightmare. And in the face of it, Yuri forgot her duty to use foresight magic and could only stand there, frozen.

“Yuri. Can you use foresight magic right now?”

“Ah—yeah. I’ll do it.”

Urged by Maika, Yuri finally snapped out of her trance.

The battle was already underway. She needed to see what came next and inform Irine.

She steadied her breathing, trying to focus her fragile magic and look ahead—

“—Wait, Maika! Something’s falling!”

“Oh dear.”

She spotted them: countless objects flying toward them at high speed.

It must’ve been debris from the earlier blast. Trees blasted sky-high were now plummeting down right where Yuri was preparing her spell.

“Lev!!”

“…On it.”

Yuri instinctively canceled her magic, crouching with her hands over her head. But the falling wreckage never struck her.

Looking up, she saw two members of Karl’s party shielding her, knocking the debris aside.

“…Thank you. You saved me.”

“Don’t worry, just focus on casting. We’ve seen our fair share of chaos, believe it or not.”

“Yeah.”

Their swift reflexes were impressive. With them guarding her flanks, she could concentrate.

Behind Maika’s seemingly frail frame and Lev’s small but ready fists, Yuri stood quietly and began to chant her foresight spell.

---

────What she saw was ruin.

────A lifeless expanse of stone oaks stretched as far as the eye could see.

────Scattered across the earth, blackened dolls lay still.

The burning homes had long crumbled, and death blanketed everything. In the vast, devastated cityscape, nothing stirred.

Only a cruel, merciless scene unfolded. In a world where everything had ended, time continued to flow, frozen in stillness.

In the middle of that scenery, Yuri realized that among the wreckage lay the remains of the Lissel Ancient Library—the very symbol of Yowin.

In other words, this ended “world” was the future that awaited Yowin.

---

"……"

With a thud, Yuri collapsed to the ground.

This… was the city’s fate.

"Yuri?"

"Yeah."

Her voice didn’t carry.

The nightmare that Irine had seen the night before—the vision of Yowin engulfed in flames, brought to ruin.

The fact that Hero Karl had stayed behind in the city wasn’t enough to change that outcome.

If they just stood by and watched where the battle led, all that would await them was hell.

"It’s no good. …At this rate, the city will—"

"Ahh, I figured as much. I had a feeling it’d come to this."

"You had a feeling, huh…?"

Saying that, Maika tied up her hair and turned toward the front.

"I’ll go tell Irine about the vision."

"Irine?"

"Yeah. She’s the only one who can change the future, right?"

"Y-Yeah, that’s right."

"Then we need to make sure she doesn’t use up any more of her magic power."

There wasn’t much Maika could do.

At best, what she could do was calmly assess the situation from a safe distance.

"…Irine’s already started chanting for her second shot."

"Oh no. Alright, I’m going!"

Maika dashed off toward Irine.

Unlike Aldebaran, Irine only had magic power within the bounds of what a human could possess.

"Only when a spirit intervenes can the future be changed."

Though she had only heard those words secondhand from Yuri, Maika understood their meaning better than anyone.

Her sharp mind—able to grasp ten truths from hearing just one—was the weapon of Maika, the very first companion of Hero Karl.

"In other words────"

The phrase “only spirits can change the future” meant—

"There’s no way to alter the future unless Irine uses ‘Spirit Magic.’"

That’s why they couldn’t afford to let her waste a single spell.

Irine had once said she could only fire the “Spirit Cannon” twice a day. In other words, they had just two more chances to change the future.

Right now, that slightly eccentric, overly serious young lady was the only one who could save everyone here.

---

"That’s why you’re on your own for this one, Aldebaran. We’ll be the ones to shatter the future."

"Wait, what?! I’m not even sure I can block the next shot! Are you seriously—"

"Then make it work like your life depends on it. Wasn’t this always supposed to be your solo job?"

Just as I started chanting for my Spirit Cannon, Maika suddenly clamped a hand over my mouth.

From what I gathered, the future Yuri foresaw was one of complete devastation. That’s why Maika rushed in—to stop me from wasting the Spirit Cannon prematurely.

"Irine, what’s the Spirit Cannon’s range? Can it reach their firing position?"

"No chance. Even with the staff's boost, it probably won’t cover half the distance."

"Then we’ve got two options—move closer or find another way to land a hit."

"Incoming! The second barrage is coming! Damn it—flame, blaze, burn, scorch—gather unto me—"

While Maika spoke with calm precision, Aldebaran was screaming next to us, pouring every ounce of herself into her spell.

Sorry, Aldebaran. Honestly, my firepower wouldn’t make a difference here. It’d just be for show.

Which means I need to hold back—save it for the one moment it might actually change our fate.

"But seriously, what can we do? No matter how powerful Irine's Spirit Cannon is, it can’t reach them. At best, she could help the leader block some incoming fire."

"That’s not our only option," Maika said, eyes narrowing. "We might not even need to clash spells—if we can find a smarter way to stop their attacks."

"Huh?"

Without waiting, she pointed past Aldebaran—toward the scorched earth far ahead.

"Instead of putting up a barrier behind Aldebaran, raise the ground in front of her. A huge wall of earth."

"Wait... You mean build an earthen barrier before they fire?"

"Exactly."

So the plan is to use the lull between barrages to raise a wall of dirt. But... is that really enough?

"Second barrage incoming!! Let the tragedy unfold—Flame God Overlord: Aldo Break!!"

"Hang in there, Aldebaran! Just hold out until our leader finishes them off!"

"Help me, damn it!! This is seriously bad!!"

With a perfectly composed expression, Maika dumped the entire burden onto Aldebaran.

A moment later, a beam of pure destruction shot toward us—only barely held back by Aldebaran’s raging flames.

"Guuh... guh... gggghhh..."

"Yeah, I figured," Maika muttered. "Once this barrage ends, start raising the ground immediately. Stretch a long earthen bulwark with as much magic as you can muster."

"'Yeah, I figured’—what’s that supposed to mean?! Help m—gghhooaaaah!?"

"Aldeee!!"

Once again, Aldebaran was the one desperately holding back the enemy’s onslaught.

A condensed torrent of magical energy, like a focused laser. If Aldebaran lost this clash, the entire town would be obliterated.

"Gah... gahh... aaagh..."

"Hey, nice job, Aldebaran."

Finally, the beam began to thin and then faded. Against all odds—and despite her constant complaints—Aldebaran had managed to block the second barrage entirely on her own.

"Carl’s nearly halfway there. We might actually make it."

"I—I’m gonna die..."

Collapsed, panting and pale, Aldebaran looked like she had nothing left. But thanks to her, the town had been spared again.

"I’m totally wiped out... I’ve got nothing left in the tank..."

"Alright, now’s our chance! Everyone, go! Irine, Sakura—you two start casting earth magic! Irine, see if you can call on the earth spirits to reinforce the wall!"

"Y-Yes, got it."

"Wait—Maika, are you sure this is going to work?"

"It’ll be fine, trust me."

Maika's tone left no room for argument. With that, Sakura and the rabbit beastkin began lifting the ground.

The terrain, scarred and gouged from the last barrage, was steadily rising into earthen mounds.

But... is this really going to work?

"Irine, what’s wrong? You’re not casting."

"No. Maika, to be honest, I don’t think this plan is going to hold."

Even though everyone else was already forming the wall, I couldn’t stay silent. I had to say it. This strategy probably wouldn’t work.

Because—

"This’ll only protect us if they keep firing in the same trajectory. If they switch to a top-down spell, the wall’s useless."

"Yeah, that’s true."

Exactly. No matter how strong or tall a wall we build, it won’t matter.

Maika might not know this since she’s a commoner, but mages can change their casting point. They can summon magic from the sky and fire downwards. If they do, the beam will bypass our wall entirely and incinerate everything.

Normally, that’s risky—the farther the origin point, the harder it is to control the spell. But with the kind of elite mage we’re facing? That risk barely matters.

"Then—"

"But they won’t."

Maika cut me off, calm and certain.

"My eyes are sharp, you know."

"...Your eyes?"

"Yeah. I used to be a hunter. I never lose sight of my prey—no matter how far they are."

She narrowed her gaze, locking onto something I couldn’t even see.

Tens of kilometers away, the enemy was out of sight.

But Maika stared straight ahead—like she could see them.

And for just a moment... I believed she really could.

"That’s probably a mana cannon. The enemy isn’t casting spells one at a time—they’re using a weapon to launch their attacks."

"A weapon, huh?"

"Yeah. Most likely something ancient. This city was originally founded because of that mana-rich crust beneath it, right? Naturally, people came here hoping to harness or weaponize that power. That cannon has to be one of those results."

Maika’s explanation made everything click. So that’s what those absurdly powerful blasts really are.

No wonder it didn’t make sense. Normally, a Hero should be so overwhelmingly strong that no ordinary demon could even come close.

There’s no way someone like Aldebaran—a Hero—would lose in a standard magic battle.

This enemy isn’t just some overpowered mage. It’s a full-on military force, using strategic weaponry.

"Their attacks are terrifying, yeah. But if it really is a cannon, then it’s unlikely they can fire something that powerful without any limitations."

"So you're saying...?"

"The cannon’s probably fixed in place. At the very least, it can’t be repositioned easily."

I see. That explains it. If their firing point is stationary, then placing a barrier ahead of time—right where the shot will land—makes perfect sense.

"A stationary cannon... That’s why I felt off. It did seem weird to be outmatched by just a mage!"

"But those blasts carve straight through the ground as they go, don’t they? Just piling up dirt probably won’t be enough."

"That’s where Irine’s negotiation skills come in. She’ll have to convince the earth spirit to really commit."

A normal earthen wall wouldn’t cut it. We needed something far sturdier—reinforced by a powerful spirit.

...So that’s my job, huh? Yeah. Without the earth spirit’s help, we can’t change this outcome.

"Besides, we don’t have to stop the blast completely. Just redirect it away from the city."

"Exactly. She’s right."

"To minimize damage, the best move is to force the trajectory upward—deflect the shot before it hits anything critical."

Push it from below, and make it veer off course.

This is Maika.

Just a regular girl. No flashy magic. No special powers.

But what she does have is perspective—and the calm to make the smartest decision, even in the middle of a crisis.

Now I get it. This is why Karl asked Maika to join us first.

---

"Earth Rampart! Huff, huff..."

"That should do the trick, right?"

We’d taken over for Aldebaran, who was completely wiped out, and got to work reinforcing our position.

Layer by layer, we built up earthen walls—bowing to the spirits with every casting—doing everything we could to turn it into a real fortress.

"The enemy’s sure taking their time with the third shot."

"Probably running low on mana, same as us."

Unlike the second blast, which came almost immediately after the first, the third one wasn’t coming. They were stalling—for what reason, we didn’t know.

But the delay was a blessing. Every second counted. The longer they took, the more layers we could raise between us and oblivion.

"...Huh. So this is spirit magic..."

"Something wrong, Aldebaran?"

"No, not at all. I’m just impressed. This is on a whole different level from your usual barrier spells. With this... yeah, we might actually hold."

Aldebaran gave a tired nod, running her hand over the newest wall I’d summoned.

I didn’t really understand what made it special—but coming from her, that had to count as praise. All I’d done was ask the earth spirits nicely.

"Yuri, you almost ready?"

"Yeah, my mana’s coming back. I should be able to use foresight again soon."

All we could do now was wait and hope the defenses held.

Aldebaran had barely a drop of mana left. If it came to another head-on clash, she wouldn’t last. None of us would.

Everything hinged on the barrier.

"...It’s coming. The third shot."

"Took them long enough. They must be scraping the bottom of the barrel, too."

A whirlpool of magic began rising again in the distance, just like before—but something about it felt different. Heavier. Colder.

I loaded the last of my mana into the spirit cannon, just in case.

"Alright... If you’re coming, then bring it."

Even Aldebaran, unsteady on her feet, forced herself upright. She took position behind the rampart, teeth clenched, ready to face it down.

Karl should be reaching the enemy soon. If we could just hold out through this next strike, that’d be it—the final push.

We would survive. We had to.

And then—the forest tore open.

"...Huh?"

"What?"

The enemy hadn’t fired yet. The magic was still swirling, the cannon not yet unleashed.

And yet—the forest was splitting apart. The ground cracked open, groaning under the pressure.

"...Irine, what’s happening?!"

"I... I don’t know..."

Maika, without mana, couldn’t sense the full scale of what was happening.

But even I—who could feel the magical currents—couldn’t make sense of it. It was beyond anything I’d ever encountered.

So that’s why they delayed the third shot.

"...How many times stronger is this than the last one?"

"I can’t say. I can’t even guess..."

They hadn’t been going all out before.

Those first two shots? Just warmups.

What we were seeing now was the real threat. A colossal sphere of magic was condensing far in the distance—pulsing with force, sucking the air from the land around it.

"...What the hell is that?"

"Don’t ask me."

If that thing was aimed at us... even if we were at full strength... could we stop it?

No one said a word. The magic gathering on the horizon was so dense, so immense, it felt like the earth itself was recoiling.

It was the kind of magic that could crush cities. The kind of magic that broke people just by being seen.

And we were its target.

“Haa. I see… so we’ve lost.”

“Hey! Don’t say that—!”

“We likely lost the moment they set up that mana cannon in the forest. Our only chance was to detect them and strike first.”

Aldebaran’s face went pale, all life draining from her expression.

Her eyes said everything—resignation, regret, defeat.

“…Ah. I made a mistake.”

With those words, she slumped to the ground and stopped moving.

Wait. Seriously? Aren’t you supposed to be the Hero?

I get how she feels, but come on. You don’t just give up. If you’re the Hero, then act like one—stand and fight to the bitter end.

“…This really might be hopeless.”

“I’m sorry… Al, I’m so sorry.”

“If we’re going to die anyway, then maybe we should just—!!”

“Number Two! I swear, if you try that again, I will never forgive you!!”

Even the team behind me was unraveling. Usagi had already turned on her own allies.

Was this really how it ends? Was I really going to die here—out in the forest, cut down by demons?

“…No. I’m not giving up! I don’t care what magic they throw at us—my spirit cannon will blow it away!”

“Mmm… I’ll help. Irine, if we die, we die together.”

“Ugh, this is exactly why I hate people who panic. There might still be a way out of this.”

The only ones still fighting were the two original members of Karl’s party. When things get this bad, they’re the most reliable ones around.

“Irine, can you dig a deep hole with your spirit cannon? We might be able to hide in it.”

“That’d just bury us alive! And even being near those blasts could vaporize us!”

“…I’ll try cutting the spell. It probably won’t work, but it’s something.”

The three of them refused to give in. They kept thinking, searching for any way to survive.

Damn it… What am I supposed to do? How do we make it out of this alive?

“If you’re going to die, Al, then I’m going with you.”

“I’m sorry, Al. I’m so, so sorry…”

“Damn it—I don’t wanna die yet…”

Maika and Lev didn’t have any answers either. I turned forward, desperate for a miracle—

—and suddenly, I was in her arms again.

“There, there. Deep breaths now.”

“Bwuh—Sakura-san!?”

“That’s right.”

As everyone teetered on the edge of despair, Sakura stood tall. She turned her back on the looming magic and pulled me close, holding me tightly.

“Calm down. In, out. Deep breaths. You’re a mage, aren’t you? You should know there’s no way to counter that thing.”

“But Sakura-san! If we don’t do something, we—”

“Don’t try to fix the unfixable. Even if it’s hopeless, focus on what can be saved.”

As she spoke, Sakura raised her hand and quietly cast a spell, forming a barrier of earth in front of us.

There was resignation in her eyes—but behind it, a fierce determination still burned.

“But… we don’t have any options left…”

“Listen, Irine. The Tendo family passed down a resurrection spell. I’m going to try it—with a delayed trigger.”

“Resurrection… magic?”

“It trades the caster’s life to bring someone else back. I can’t promise it’ll work.”

Resurrection magic. The pinnacle of healing spells—a literal miracle.

“Resurrection magic!? That actually exists!?”

“Honestly? Probably not. It’s recorded in one of my family’s old grimoires, listed as a ‘forbidden spell.’”

“No way—if resurrection magic were real, it’d have changed the entire world by now!”

And yet Sakura claimed she could cast it.

“Technically, it’s more like an extreme auto-heal. You activate it before death. If you’re fatally wounded while it’s active, you come back once.”

“Ah… that would explain the references in old magic texts.”

“It was supposedly used in wartime. Rear-line mages would cast it on their commanders. If I use it right, one of us might survive.”

She gently wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

Then, her voice trembling like a suppressed sob, she whispered into my ear.

“Don’t move, Irine. I’ll make sure you survive.”

“…Saku…ra?”

“I’m the only one who can use this spell. So I get to choose who I save, right?”

“Wait, why me—?”

“Because you’re my friend. My Master’s not here, and if I can save anyone—it has to be you.”

The brown-haired noble girl seemed to accept her fate.

She untied her hair, then removed the ribbon tied around it—a birthday gift from her mother—and wrapped it gently around my head.

“This is my keepsake. A present from my mom. Take good care of it, okay?”

“Wha—no, Sakura-san!?”

“Maika, Lev… I’m sorry. The spell can only target one person.”

“…I’ve got a lot to say, but. There’s really no way to stop that thing?”

“None. Not even the world’s best mage could do it.”

No. This can’t be.

That would mean I’m the only one left alive. My comrades, the townspeople behind us—even Sakura, right in front of me, crying—and I’d be the one who survives.

“There has to be another way! Sakura-san—what if you used it on yourself—”

“What good would that do? The spell kills the caster, remember? …Idiot. Just shut up and accept it.”

“But… why me—”

“You saved me once, didn’t you? I’m just returning the favor.”

Saved her? Me?

The only time I ever talked to her… I was wearing that stupid monkey mask…

“The mana vortex is stabilizing. It’s coming.”

“Sakura-san…”

“Goodbye, Irine.”

She gave me a gentle, fleeting smile. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

Is this really how it ends?

Is this pitiful outcome the result of all my grand talk about protecting the town?

Would it have been better… if I’d just done what the goddess said and left?

“Because of me… everyone’s going to—”

“This isn’t your fault, Irine.”

No. It is my fault. I might as well have killed them myself.

And still… I’m the only one who gets to live?

Is there really nothing I can do?

.

.

.

.

.

.

“IT’S STILL TOO EARLY TO GIVE UP!!!”

.

.

.

.

.

.

A deep, thunderous voice cut through the air.

It crashed down like lightning, ripping apart the despair that had paralyzed us.

“Wh—Who are you!?”

“Identify yourself!”

Who was this? Who could sound so confident in a moment like this?

A man strode into our ruined battlefield, defiant and full of purpose—like he still believed things could change.

“Heh. I am the Black Lightning of Yowin…”

“…Ah.”

A black tuxedo. A ridiculously large crimson bowtie. A suspicious mustache. A silk top hat big enough to hide a bird.

“At times, he finds ecstasy in being scorned by maidens! At others, he reaches climax from being elbowed by his own daughter! Behold—the town’s greatest masochist gentleman!!”

…

Um. What.

What exactly are you doing here?

“Dr. Party Trick—Yuma☆has arrived! Rejoice, one and all!!”

This was Yuuri’s father. A pervert. A trickster. And the most eccentric scholar at the academy.

Pppfffffttttt—

A stupid fart noise echoed across the forest.

The daughter who’d been crying in fear just seconds ago—Yuri—went totally blank the moment she saw him.

All the light vanished from her eyes.