5-9. Shadow and Magician (1/2)

5-9. Shadow and Magician

Satou's here. The one who's weak to horror movie, Satou.

I'm fine with ghost or apparition, but I'm scared with faces of the characters who got into spasms in terror.

◇

The enemy who suddenly springs up comes from the direction of the owl just before.

Appearing from the stretched shadow behind the owl, it's a figure of a person wearing black robe. I can't see its face because its wearing a hood and long sleeves.

”I've come to pick you, Mia.”

Mia who's beside me is trembling.

”...No.”

This man with the bent back is, without a doubt, the magician. The owl from earlier is nesting on the man's shoulder. Is it a pet or a familiar?

I put myself to protect Mia behind me, and check on his status. His name is Zen, level is high at 41. Skill is--- [Unknown].

This unpleasant feeling, is he the same kind as Arisa and the heroes?

While agitated I continue to read his status--- What is this?!　Skill [Unknown] also appears there.

Mia is trembling behind me.

I can roughly understand the details. This guy is too dangerous for anyone but me. Let's deal with him carefully. It seems impossible, but I'd like to settle this with discussion if possible.

”Nice to meet you, magician-dono. I'm Satou, a merchant.”

”I don't have business with someone like a merchant.”

The magician doesn't seem like he'd even bother to introduce himself.

I wonder if it's because he looks down on merchants or he just has low communication skill.

”Even if you don't, I have a duty to protect this girl. I won't pass her to a suspicious man.”

”Fumu, you seem to be protected by generous and skillful mercenaries, but if they stand before me it will become a bloodbath, do you understand?”

The magician points his cane here while keeping his back bent.

”It's no good! Master, this guy is too strong.”

Arisa warned me from behind.

”I am the great King of Night. It's good that you know your place, but trashes don't have any place to call me 'this guy'.”

This is bad, the magician's attention is directed toward Arisa.

”■■■■　■――”

The magician begins to chant magic toward Arisa.

I don't want to leave Mia, but I can't afford not to now. I rush toward the magician, and strike his stomach with my fist.

But the strike is unable to stop the magician's chant. My fist has penetrated the magician's robe, but there is no response at all. Is it this guy's unique skill?

”---Shadow Whip.”

When the magician finishes his chant, shadow stretches from his foot to form something that look like a spear that plunge toward Arisa. Is that the shadow whip?

I'm back stepping away from the magician, and I cut myself between the shadow whip and Arisa.

>[Shadow Magic Skill Acquired]

>[Shadow Resistance Skill Acquired]

What do you mean with shadow resistance.

Ah, it's been a while since my scientific blood denies the fantasy.

But I'm profiting from this trouble.

I feel like the resistance skill will be of small importance in this situation, but let's increase the chance to protect Mia even if only a little.

I allocate points to shadow resistance and activate it.

◇

”Fumu, that's an unbelievable body. Are you really a merchant?”

”A friend of mine calls me nimble merchant.”

From behind our conversation, I can hear Arisa whimper.

”It's useless, it really didn't work.”

Did Arisa counterattack when the magician started to chant? Her magic power decreased for a bit. There is absolutely no change to the magician, he probably has resistance.

”To put yourself in front of a woman to protect them from my attack, you have my praise.”

”If you admire me then won't you back down?”

”That's a different story. Mia is needed to achieve my goal.”

I'm finally able to free myself from the shadow whip. This shadow whip only gives me insignificant prickly damages but it had no substance and no reaction so I couldn't tear it off. Yet it could be used to restrain thing, some fantasy substance it is.

”What is your goal?”

”There is no meaning to tell you that. If you want to save Mia, then bring a hero along.”

”Do you have some grudges on heroes?”

The magician doesn't answer and laughs loudly while looking up the sky.

Accompanying his laughter, countless shadow whips appear from his feet. Does the spell earlier retain its effect?

It's going to abduct Mia who stands listlessly. If physical attack isn't working then how about magic attack.

I take out magic guns from the pocket, equip them on both hands, and set the power scale to the MAX.

For someone of this guy's level, this much probably won't kill him.

”Way off the mark.”

Following the magician's word, the magic whips expand toward me and Mia.

I intercept the shadow whips with the magic guns. Dual wielding guns feels like a chuunibyou from somewhere, I don't like it.

It's working.

I succeeded in destroying every magic whips that had went toward Mia, while I let the one that came toward me to coil itself on me. I wasn't able to destroy them all as expected.

”Those are quite good weapons.”

”Is that so? If you leave Mia alone then I will give you one, how about it?”