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Blue magical light overflowed all around.

Within that magical light, Myril’s silhouette began to warp into that monstrous form.

When the magical light finally burst and vanished, a merfolk stood there.

“…………Uh, um… a, a merman…?”

Tatsumi, helped to his feet by Calcedonia, let those words slip upon seeing the figure.

“Ah, that’s a variation of the ‘Beast Transformation’ magic… I suppose you could call it ‘Merfolk Transformation’…?”

Calcedonia, too, seemed unsure and tilted her head in confusion.

“……I suppose it’s probably a lower-tier derivative of the Water element—something we might call the Fish element……”
“I’ve heard of higher-tier derivatives, but I didn’t know there were lower-tier ones too… And Fish……”

Supported by Calcedonia, Tatsumi sat up and wondered if it was even appropriate to call it a “lineage.”

Upon closer inspection, the remains of the clothes Myril had been wearing were scattered around her as she stood transformed into a merfolk.

When she transformed into a merfolk, her clothes must have become too small and burst.

Or perhaps they weren’t torn simply because they no longer fit, but were destroyed by the mana released during the transformation into a merfolk.

That must be why Myril had thrown away her belongings beforehand and entrusted her companions’ mementos to Calcedonia.

As Tatsumi pondered this, the merfolk’s expressionless face turned toward him.

The merfolk awkwardly bobbed its large head up and down. Perhaps it was meant as a gesture of thanks to Tatsumi for bringing the situation under control.

When the merfolk turned back toward the Great Snow Lizard, it—no, she—dashed toward it like an arrow shot from a bow.

.

Once in a lifetime.

Those were the words Tatsumi had spoken to her, and Myril agreed.

If they failed to take down the Great Snow Lizard here and let it escape, it would be difficult to capture this fiend again. A fiend wary of humans would surely leave this area, go into hiding elsewhere, and attack humans even more cunningly.

—That’s why she’s going to settle this once and for all right here.

Having made up her mind, Myril pushed off the ground and charged furiously toward the Great Snow Lizard.

It was just like a fish swimming through water. Though her superhuman speed wasn’t quite on par with Tatsumi’s “Acceleration,” it still surpassed even that of the Great Snow Lizard.

In the blink of an eye, Myril closed the distance between them. Once it had entered her striking range, she wielded the tough, razor-sharp fins that extended from her wrists to her elbows on both arms. These fins were the very weapons of Myril, now a merfolk.

The Great Snow Lizard’s scales—which Tatsumi had been unable to do more than scratch with his sword—were effortlessly sliced open by Myril’s fins.

Dark, viscous blood gushed from the Great Snow Lizard’s body, staining the surrounding snow in patches.

“Gii!” the Great Snow Lizard let out a cry of agony.

Then it leaped backward in a single, powerful bound. Its well-developed hind legs propelled its massive body nearly ten meters backward in a single leap.

Yet, even so, the distance between the Great Snow Lizard and Myril remained unchanged.

For every step the Great Snow Lizard retreated, Myril closed the gap at an even greater speed.

Another “Gii!” escaped from the Great Snow Lizard’s mouth.

Was that sound born of frustration at being unable to create distance, or was it a cry of resentment toward an enemy trying to harm it?

Having closed in on the Great Snow Lizard, Myril swung her fins once more.

Her right fin slashed deeply into the Great Snow Lizard’s chest, while her left fin wounded the fiend’s right hind leg.

.

“…W-wow…”

The merfolk’s speed and power were simply overwhelming.

While it certainly didn’t match Tatsumi’s “Instant Teleportation” or “Acceleration,” Myril’s speed in her merfolk form was staggering.

And as for her physical strength, she would likely easily surpass even Juddock, who prides himself on his strength.

“W-well, even though she’s that amazing… why didn’t Myril want to talk about this?”
“Well, that’s obvious, isn’t it?”

It was Juddock, still with his back turned to them, who answered Tatsumi’s question.

“Do you think a girl her age would want strangers to see her like that?”
“Ah, uh, I guess you’re right…”

Hearing that, Tatsumi was convinced all over again.

A stocky body with slender limbs, an expressionless fish-like face, and scales covering her entire body.

That appearance was certainly far from being described as “cool” or “beautiful.” If anything, it could be called “bizarre” or “strange.”

Exposing herself like that to others wasn’t exactly something a young girl would willingly do.

Moreover, she ended up naked every time she used this magic. That, too, must have been part of the reason she didn’t want to talk about it.

But Myril, transformed into a merfolk, was truly astonishing.

Even though the snow-covered terrain had become less treacherous, she possessed the agility to effortlessly keep up with the Great Snow Lizard’s movements, as well as the overwhelming strength to slice through even its tough scales.

She was truly a fearsome warrior, combining both power and speed. That was Myril right now.

“Well then, Tatsumi-pie. You can’t let Myril outdo you, can you?”

With those words, Juddock held out the sword that Tatsumi had thrown aside earlier.

“You still have one last job to do, don’t you, Tatsumi-pie?”
“……Ah. You’re right.”

Tatsumi nodded at Juddock. Then he turned to the woman he loved, who was supporting him.

“Calcie. Just a little bit will do. Restore my stamina. Just enough to… eliminate the specter one last time.”
“Understood, my husband.”

Responding to Tatsumi’s request, Calcedonia began chanting a spell.

And when the chanting ended, Tatsumi’s stamina had recovered—albeit only slightly.

.

The Great Snow Lizard’s agonized roar echoed through the surroundings.

With its right hind leg wounded and its mobility drastically reduced, the monster was no longer a match for Myril.

Though it lashed out with its whip-like, powerful tail, Myril effortlessly severed it.

Blood gushed like a waterfall from the severed tail, yet the Great Snow Lizard bared its sharp fangs and attempted to bite the merman’s body.

However, its beak-like snout, sharp as a fully grown set of teeth, was slashed open by the merfolk dorsal fin.

In response to the Great Snow Lizard’s bite, Myril had raised her dorsal fin to meet the attack. As a result, the monster’s fangs proved to be no match to Myril and its beak-like mouth was torn to shreds.

Its chest, right hind limb, tail, and mouth—the Great Snow Lizard, forced to bleed profusely from every part of its body, staggered, its massive form swaying.

At that moment, the merfolk’s expressionless, round eyes flashed.

Myril crouched low and slipped beneath the Great Snow Lizard’s massive body, then swung her arms as if crossing them.

With a sharp “whoosh” that sliced through the air, the Great Snow Lizard’s right hind leg was cleanly severed.

Even the mighty Great Snow Lizard could not remain standing after losing a limb.

The Great Snow Lizard collapses to the ground with a thud. When the fiend raises its head to survey its surroundings, the scene is reflected in its red eyes.

The merfolk’s body soared through the air. Curling up mid-flight, she began spinning forward with great momentum.

Her erect dorsal fin acted like a rotating saw as she plummeted toward the fallen Great Snow Lizard’s body.

There was no thud as she hit the ground. Instead, a strange, screeching sound—like something being severed—echoed through the area.

Then, a moment later, came a soft “thud.” It was the sound of the Great Snow Lizard’s severed head landing on the snow a short distance away.

.

“Tatsumi!! I’m counting on you for the finishing touch!!”

Myril, her magic exhausted and having returned to her human form, shouted. Naturally, she was completely naked at the moment, but she had no time to hide it or feel ashamed.

In response to Myril’s voice, Tatsumi’s figure—which had been supported by Calcedonia—vanished.

His eyes—the eyes of Tatsumi, a Perceiver—clearly saw it: the form of a monstrous specter separating itself from the fallen giant snow lizard’s body.

This form was not like the Gaki he had seen before; it was a tiny specter, less than 30 centimeters in total length.

It had a disproportionately large head with no horns, and its body and limbs were extremely small compared to its head. Presumably, compared to the specter Tatsumi had fought before, this specter was of a “lower level.”

Perhaps because it saw Tatsumi suddenly appear before it, the invisible little specter’s face contorted into a spasmodic expression.

Taking advantage of the fact that humans couldn’t see it, the specter had likely intended to escape just as it was. But the human who had suddenly appeared right in front of it was definitely staring intently at it. There was no doubt that the human could see it.

The little specter flapped its tiny limbs frantically, as if in a panic. But that didn’t make it move any faster.

“────!!”

Without a word, Tatsumi swung his sword, which glowed with a golden light. The golden blade sliced effortlessly through the imp’s tiny body, meeting no resistance whatsoever.

Leaving behind a high-pitched scream audible only to Tatsumi, the imp vanished as if dissolving into the air.

After confirming this, Tatsumi sheathed his sword and turned back to his companions.

His companions were staring intently at him, their faces filled with anxiety.

Tatsumi smiled brightly, as if to dispel their worries, and gave a thumbs-up with his right hand.

Seeing this, his companions let out a collective sigh of relief. The specter had been vanquished by Tatsumi.

.

The moment he saw the expressions on his companions’ faces brighten, Tatsumi’s body swayed unsteadily.

Having pushed his physical stamina to the absolute limit—not to mention his mana—he no longer had the strength to even stand.

Tatsumi collapsed to the ground. But he never got to share a “warm embrace” with the ground.

Someone quickly rushed over to him and caught him before he hit the ground.

It wasn’t, of course, the woman he loved—no.

It was simply the person who happened to be closer to Tatsumi than Calcedonia; upon seeing him fall, they panicked, rushed over, and caught him.

“────Thank you, Tatsumi. Thanks to you, I was able to avenge my comrades. And… you looked kind of cool, too.”

Whispering softly into his ear—so that only Tatsumi could hear—that person—Myril—spoke.

Myril had been completely captivated by the sight of Tatsumi wielding the legendary Heaven magic as he battled the Great Snow Lizard.

However, it was unclear whether those words actually reached Tatsumi. That’s because, due to extreme physical exhaustion, he had already lost consciousness by that point.

“────────!!”

From behind the two of them, a silent scream erupted.

Still supporting the unconscious Tatsumi, Myril turned around to find Calcedonia beaming with an incredibly bright smile.

But when Myril saw that smile, she felt a chill run down her spine. Why?

With that smile still on her face, Calcedonia strode purposefully toward the unconscious Tatsumi and Myril, who was supporting him, without letting her expression falter.

When she reached them, she gently took Tatsumi from Myril.

“…A young woman of your age shouldn’t be clinging to a gentleman when dressed like that, you know? Ufufu.”

Chalcedony said this with a smile still on her face. But Myril sensed an indescribable, almost intimidating presence emanating from her.

“D-dressed like… Huh, n-now that you mention it…!!”

Though cold sweat beaded on her brow from the mysterious pressure, Myril’s words made her realize her current state of undress.

As a result of using magic, she was completely naked, not a single thread on her body. And in that state, she had been embracing—or, more accurately, supporting—a man her own age.

As she recalled the situation, Myril’s face turned bright red.

“O-oh, that’s right…!! I’m completely naked right now…!!”

She frantically looked around: Eru was leaning against a tree with a troubled expression, and Juddock was shrugging his shoulders in exasperation.

Still bright red in the face, Myril frantically scanned her surroundings, completely forgetting to cover herself.

“H-h-h-haha, clothes!! M-my clothes!!!!”

Myril dashed off through the snow. Her destination was likely the spot where she’d tossed her belongings on the way here.

“────Because I’m the only one who gets to hug my husband, and the only one he gets to hug…!!”

And so, Calcedonia’s whisper—uttered as she puffed out her cheeks—reached no one’s ears.