Shirone: "Radiant Burst."
As a burst of light erupted around Shirone, the magic circle was obliterated without a trace.
They had already destroyed seven magic circles.
As they had anticipated, the Parrot Mercenaries attempted a surprise attack, and in the process, seven of their enemies had been eliminated.
However, Shirone's party felt a sense of regret.
Contrary to their expectation that the enemies would recklessly charge in, the mercenaries remained calm and professional, avoiding unnecessary waste of their forces.
'They're quite composed. Even though their blood must be boiling with each magic circle destroyed, they're not diving in recklessly.'
When the number of destroyed magic circles exceeded 15, the enemies' reactions began to change.
They were growing anxious, realizing that if things continued like this, all the magic circles on the mountain would be gone.
In reality, the Parrot Mercenaries were growing restless.
Mercenary A: "Damn it! How long are they going to keep this up?"
Mercenary B: "This is getting dangerous. No matter how many magic circles we have, there's a limit to how many we can use in a specific area. At this rate, we'll have to abandon some of our strategies soon."
The subordinates were eager to fight.
Mercenary C: "Boss! What should we do? It looks like they're determined to ruin everything we've built."
The boss was equally frustrated.
The money they had poured into fortifying the northern forest amounted to half of their income over the past five years.
If they let this continue, even if they managed to kill Shirone's entire party, it would still be a loss.
Boss: "…Gather everyone. We'll trap them and finish them off."
A messenger used spatial teleportation to relay the orders to the other squad leaders.
The other leaders, thinking the same, responded immediately.
Shirone's party could immediately sense the shift in the atmosphere of the battle.
The enemies' movements, even the look in their eyes, had changed.
The biggest change was that instead of guerrilla tactics, they were now focusing on a coordinated encirclement strategy involving dozens of fighters at once.
This was the situation Shirone had hoped for, but the enemies' aim wasn't annihilation. Instead, it felt like they were luring Shirone's party to a specific location using their numbers as bait.
Tess: 'It's a trap.'
On the other hand, she couldn't help but admire the enemies' tactical adaptability.
This level of skill wasn't something you developed after just one or two battles.
Tess: "This is a problem. While the situation is unfolding according to our strategy, the enemies are using it against us. We'll end up being led around by the nose unless we completely revise our strategy or find another solution."
Amy: "They have two mages. They're not foolish enough to engage in an all-out battle. In that sense, the place they're luring us to is likely a trap designed to eliminate the mages."
Shirone didn't want to retreat.
In a situation where both sides had taken a step back, what remained was momentum.
Shirone: "It's fine. Even if there's a trap, we'll break through it. It's more satisfying to move according to the enemies' intentions than to take the easy way out. This is a situation we'll have to face sooner or later anyway."
Tess: "Are you sure? The enemies are targeting us."
Shirone: "Yes. I'll find a way to break through. Cover me."
As Shirone charged ahead, Tess whistled in surprise.
Tess: "Wow. What a man."
For Amy and Rian, this was a familiar sight, but for Tess, it was clearly unfamiliar.
She had only ever seen Shirone as kind and calm, so this was unexpected.
'He's more of an action-oriented person than I thought.'
Though she had asked Rian if he could kill people, Shirone had also been concerned about the same thing. It was just that, as a mage, he didn't dwell on it.
But once the battle began, he became more aggressive than anyone else.
'His temperament is the complete opposite of a swordsman's.'
A battle where adrenaline wasn't felt.
While extreme excitement transcends the fear of death, Shirone seemed to have stripped away his emotions entirely.
It was the difference between fighting with your heart and fighting with your head, but Shirone's approach was more chilling.
Amy: "It's a bit strange, isn't it?"
Amy wore a bitter smile.
Amy: "At first, it was hard to get used to. It felt like he had become a different person. But Shirone is just hyper-focused on solving the problem. His level of concentration is so intense that it feels cold. It's like the 'remaining mind' of a swordsman, I suppose?"
In a life-or-death duel, a swordsman pours their entire being into a single strike.
As humans, it's natural to be shaken by the outcome of such a choice.
The 'remaining mind' is a swordsman's unique mental state that erases such turmoil and refocuses on the present situation.
As a swordsman herself, Tess could gauge just how remarkable Shirone's state was.
Achieving perfect 'remaining mind' in the chaos of a real battle, where blood and flesh fly everywhere, is nearly impossible unless you've reached an extraordinary level.
Tess: "A 'remaining mind' so profound that it makes him seem like a different person."
Amy: "Yes. Shirone already possesses what's most important for a mage. That's why I acknowledge him. Don't worry too much. No matter what happens, Shirone will always be Shirone."
Tess's lips curled into a smile.
She thought she understood why Amy, who seemed like she'd kick any man's butt, was so swayed by Shirone.
'Haha. You were really worried, weren't you, Amy?'
But her moment of contentment was brief. Tess quickly composed herself. That, too, was the 'remaining mind' of a swordsman.
Tess: "But breaking through a trap is no easy task, is it? It even feels reckless."
Rian: "We've lost time destroying the magic circles. If Shirone says he'll do it, I won't stop him."
As Rian moved ahead, Tess could no longer object.
Both Amy and Rian trusted Shirone's judgment implicitly.
Amy: "The men are fired up. Should we back them up this time? Keep an eye on the terrain. Something feels off."
Tess: "Off?"
Amy looked around, but nothing particularly stood out.
Tess: "The ecology is changing. If you look between the shrubs, you can see moss. Unless the terrain has been artificially manipulated, we'll soon enter a valley. But I don't hear any water. In short, the water flow has been artificially blocked."
Amy: "It's a trap."
Tess: "Yes. It's a perfect place to block the front and attack from both sides. It's textbook in warfare, but…"
Tess hesitated.
Time was indeed running short, but if it was a trap utilizing natural terrain, even a mage might struggle to handle it.
Tess: "Let's call Shirone first."
Amy nodded.
As Tess had said, the path was narrowing, and the cliffs on either side were growing taller.
At that moment, Shirone teleported ahead with Rian.
Tess stared in confusion as they quickly disappeared from view.
Tess: "What's going on? Why are they doing that?"
Amy: "Shirone knows it's a trap. He doesn't want to drag us into it."
This, too, was textbook. When checking for traps, you always need a rear guard.
But something felt off.
With Yuna as a hostage, Shirone seemed more focused than usual.
Amy: "Let's follow them."
Grabbing Tess, Amy activated teleportation, and Shirone came back into view.
As they all raced forward at full speed, the distance between them didn't close. Soon, even Rian fell behind, leaving Shirone to charge ahead alone.
Amy stopped teleporting and ran to Rian.
Amy: "What's going on?"
Rian: "He's going ahead to exhaust the trap. He'll probably use the magic that destroys magic circles."
The brilliance of Radiant Burst lay not in its defensive power but in its perfect balance of offense and defense.
While it could easily neutralize a rain of arrows, the problem was that in a valley, arrows might not be the only threat.
'That's why he went in alone.'
Tess: "What if we overtake him now?"
She wanted to, but she couldn't deny that Shirone's judgment was correct.
Amy: "No, at this point, it's better to keep our distance. If things get dangerous, I'll step in."
She didn't want to waste the one chance to pull Shirone out of the battlefield.
Amy: "I'll go ahead."
To match Shirone's speed with single-person teleportation, Amy had to move alone.
Bending forward, Amy transformed into light, and a streak of brilliance shot forward, cutting through the stream.
Blocking the V-shaped valley was a solid fortress, 20 meters high.
Ten Parrot Mercenaries were guarding it, and additional forces were arriving one after another.
Scout: "Report! Enemy spotted 2 kilometers ahead!"
At the scout's report, delivered via a magic circle, the third squad leader furrowed his brow.
Squad Leader: "Already?"
Subordinate: "They're much faster than expected. We don't have enough time to activate all the traps."
Squad Leader: "That's what they're counting on. Looking at the map, they're heading straight for the mountain peak. Not giving us time to prepare is one of the advantages of a swift strike. But…"
This valley was home to the largest trap within the Parrot Mercenaries' territory.
Squad Leader: "They're out of luck. This trap was designed to annihilate hundreds. Even activating half of it would be enough to bury four people. Signal the defense team. We'll wipe them out in one go."
Subordinate: "Boss! Over there!"
The subordinate pointed ahead.
A streak of light was rapidly closing the distance.
Squad Leader: "What? Why is he alone?"
Subordinate: "Maybe he rushed ahead in a hurry?"
With a hostage involved, that was a possibility, but the squad leader saw through Shirone's plan.
Squad Leader: "He's good at psychological warfare. It's a waste to use a large-scale trap just to catch one person."
Subordinate: "Then what should we do? Should we go out and fight?"
Squad Leader: "What do you mean, what should we do? Activate the trap. Is your brain not working? I'll admit he's gambling with his life, but he's underestimating us. If we can take out even one of the two mages, the tide will turn in our favor. This is no time to hold back."
Subordinate: "Understood."
As the subordinate sent a signal, a firework exploded inside the fortress, alerting the defense team.
Seeing the signal, Shirone looked up and spotted the archers positioned on the fortress walls.
'Arrow attack?'
Of course, it was natural for the enemy to attack, but with only ten archers, it seemed meaningless.
However, the enemies fired their arrows without hesitation, and only then did Shirone stop and look up at the sky.
The arrows looked ordinary, but the tips reflected the sunlight in a dazzling array of colors.
'Magic-infused arrows.'
Instinctively, Shirone activated teleportation and retreated repeatedly.
If he hadn't seen magic-infused arrows at the Kelgo Ruins, something terrible might have happened.
Amy: "Shirone!"
Amy's voice came from behind.
Even without hearing her frantic tone, it was clear how shocked she was, but Shirone had no time to respond as the magic-infused arrows exploded upon impact.
A deafening roar erupted as the ground was bombarded.
Thick smoke filled the area, completely blocking visibility. Shirone shouted to Amy first.
Shirone: "Don't come!"