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Sixty seconds, one full minute. It sounds short, yet it’s a long stretch of time.

A boxing round lasts three minutes, while an amateur Muay Thai round lasts only two. There’s plenty of time to move around and attack, so the task of keeping Igoronak pinned in the same spot for an entire minute is a daunting challenge indeed.

Trying to catch him off guard and stop his movements with another Ultimate Attack — Jet-Black Dark Meteorite (aka Bartholomew drop) would likely be futile. He wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice, and, worse still, there’s the risk of dragging Bartholomew into the blast of the so-called Ultimate Arcane Armament. In this case, it’s the kind of “don’t mix these two things” danger, because although Bartholomew might return as if nothing happened, I’d been warned about potential risks.

“I cannot predict what might happen if something weird gets in the mix. We would be lucky if it just ends up with an uncontrolled explosion that takes out the entire region. However, there is a chance that we could see the very fabric of space collapsing like dominoes, which could spell the end of the world,” explained Coppelia, with a knowing smirk. “Well, as long as I can take Igor down with me, I am not too concerned about what happens after that.”

So that idea was scrapped. I’m not so reckless as to gamble the fate of my life and the whole world on a shot in the dark. That leaves me with the only option of overpowering Igoronak and forcing him into a prolonged kneeling position for a solid minute…

I reconfirmed the conditions.

“By the way, regarding the activation requirements for this Ultimate Arcane Armament of yours, is there anything beyond keeping him immobilized for a set amount of time that I should be concerned about? For instance, could interference from the four major elemental magic domains—Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind—cause any adverse effects if used to restrain him, or if there’s a sudden shift in the ambient mana?”
“None at all. This weapon operates completely independently on my—Coppelia’s internal mana engine, so you do not need to worry about those kinds of conditions.”
“One more thing, would there be any issues if I used the ‘……’?”

At this point, I had every intention of going all out with my hidden moves. I’d openly revealed a trick I hadn’t shown anyone except the headmistress. However, from what Coppelia explained, this technique might interfere directly with her ultimate weapon.

Coppelia stroked her chin thoughtfully, her expression serious.

“Hm… it would likely have some impact. That said, it is not a physical entity, and as long as the effect is continuous, I could probably fine-tune it accordingly… It may require us to extend the immobilization period somewhat—say, to about a minute and twenty-five to thirty-nine seconds.”

With that, the difficulty shot up by one and a half times, but given the tightrope we’d be walking, I figured it was within acceptable bounds.

“Understood. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Igoronak restrained, so please make sure the weapon is ready to fire during that window.”
“Indeed. Also, remember that this Ultimate Arcane Armament is a one-shot deal. If we fail, there is no second chance.”
“It’s the same for me. I’ll be using up all my cards for the setup, and nearly all the mana I’ve stored for this one strike.”

This isn’t so much a plan as it is a reckless gamble.

Honestly… Why did a trip meant to be a casual study and sightseeing tour turn into a life-or-death struggle for our lives—and the fate of the world? I have a sneaking suspicion it’s all due to some fallout from the Saintess and my mother, but lamenting my unfortunate birth won’t solve anything right now. Surviving this crisis is the priority.

“「O Prison of Ice, engulf all into your frozen wasteland」 — 「Freeze」” For now, I launch a quick preemptive strike at the advancing Igoronak.

“Hmph…”

With a simple stomp, he shatters the frozen ground under his feet and keeps advancing. As expected, it barely slows him down.

“Grrrr!!” At that moment, Vier swoops in from above, taking advantage of her wings to launch a three-dimensional maneuver attack.

“Tch… Annoying little flying pest.”

Igoronak lashes out with his left hand, extending his claws in a slicing motion, trying to swat Vier away. But he can’t keep up with her movements, and most of his strikes miss, landing on the trees and causing further destruction to the forest.

Using this golden opportunity, I summon my shield (Bartholomew) with non-elemental magic, and while moving counterclockwise, I make sure to release bursts of Purify spells

“Megiddo.” Igoronak wields the black flames like a whip, aiming to close in on Vier as she presses her attack, while also retaliating against me as I try to keep my distance.

Given what I’ve observed so far, it seems Igoronak relies on his immense magical power, deeming defense unnecessary. His physical movements are amateurish, revealing many openings. I pinpointed this as his weak spot and discreetly started preparing.

“Woof!”

With a fierce roar, Vier blasts away the tip of Igoronak’s black flame whip. She leaps, and in a brief clash, she either bites or slashes at Igoronak’s hood, pulling it off before quickly retreating to face him again.

Meanwhile, the remaining part of the black flame coming my way dissipates harmlessly against Bartholomew’s armor.

“Grrrrr… I underestimated you all, assuming you were mere pests. Now, I must expose my hideous face, tainted by darkness,” Igoronak growls, covering his now-exposed face with his sleeve. Then, with a tone full of contempt, he removes his hand and raises his head.

“Oh my, it is as awful as you say!” Coppelia beams with delight, her eyes sparkling. “Kahaha! You have revealed your true form, have you not, Igor? So, in exchange for becoming the No-Life King, you have lost your proud face! Serves you right, you puffed-up monster! … Ugh, blast it, it is too dark to see anything. Hey, Clara! Shine some light, would you? I will never rest in peace without seeing just how hideous he has become!”

As I reluctantly oblige, I can’t help but think how childish this “adult” can be. I conjure a single orb of light and direct it towards Igoronak.

“You’re an Automaton, why aren’t you equipped with night vision or something? Funny how human-like you are in all the inconvenient ways… 「Let light illuminate this hand of mine.」— 「Light」.”

The glowing orb hovers near Igoronak, casting a stark white light and revealing the hideous face that he’d kept hidden until now.

“Hmph…” Igoronak frowned in displeasure.

As the No-Life King, his face must have been tainted by darkness and miasma… I watched with a bit of a horror-movie thrill.

He stood about 190 centimerte tall, appearing to be in his prime. None of the features I remembered from his portraits—the chestnut hair, the calm eyes, the intelligent face—remained. His hair, now a pitch-black tangle, hung unkempt and wild, while a dark beard covered his chin and mouth.

His double-lidded, narrow eyes, with irises dark as night, glinted coldly beneath strong, well-shaped brows. His face had a sharp, aquiline nose and a firm jawline, all with a gaunt, life-drained look typical of someone who’d lived in a harsh world. This change from his former elegance had lent him an untamed, raw masculinity.

To sum it up in one word:

“Wow, so cool. If I had to describe it… I’d say it’s like an untamed beast of a man hiding behind a cold demeanor.” He was strikingly handsome.

“Do not be fooled!” Coppelia yelled, shaking me by the shoulders, clearly upset that I’d been momentarily taken by this rugged figure. “That guy has a rotten personality, I guarantee it!”

Men can be so petty, can’t they? Then again, they say people with difficult personalities often get the job done.

Author’s Note:

Igoronak’s face is based on King Kashue from Record of Lodoss War

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“Charge! Follow Lady Clara’s lead!”

Right on cue, the adventurers, soldiers, exorcists, and instructors unleashed their assault. Enhanced swords and spears, arrows infused with elemental magic, throwing knives—all hurled forward. Lightning crackled, beams of light shot forward, wind blades, fireballs, and ice shards—an overwhelming barrage.

“Physical attacks alone will not do much good,” Coppelia muttered with disdain, standing beside me as we both withdrew to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. She squinted at the flashes of light, explosions, and the dust cloud that obscured Igoronak.

“So, it’s still up to my purification spells to break through. Though it feels like a perilous gamble to take him on alone.”

Somewhat to my surprise, Coppelia nodded thoughtfully at my admission, uncharacteristically agreeing with me.

“Indeed. Even with your inhuman abilities, the enemy is a genuine monster whose core has partially shifted from the physical to the astral plane. It’s no surprise this is such a struggle.”

It’s good that she’s being understanding, though did she just imply that I’m a bit of a monster too?

“But even if the standard four elemental magics—Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind—are ineffective, the higher-tier magics of Sky and Will can still work wonders, even against spiritual or incorporeal foes!”

Incidentally, the healing magic I use is considered a branch of Will, and my usual Close spell falls under the Sky tree.

“Sky, you say? Well, I can use it to some extent, but I haven’t learned any offensive magic under that domain.”

Or rather, Sky-related attack spells are classified as forbidden arts, accessible only to top experts in magic, priests versed in ancient magic, or the highest levels of the military. Ordinary folks like me wouldn’t even have the chance to study them.

“I have!—Well, to be precise, that is the one and only weapon this body is equipped with, held in reserve for just such an occasion!”

Coppelia puffed up her chest proudly. Rocket punches don’t count as weapons?

“Keh keh keh! Just you watch, Igor! For stealing my research, murdering me, and parading your endless parade of women before my eyes—I’ll finally exact my revenge!” And there it is. A slip of pure motive. “Once I unleash this Ultimate Arcane Armament, an area with a one-kilomerte radius will be completely swallowed into the void! Nothing can survive. I guarantee it!”

“Don’t use such a dangerous weapon here!!”

I retorted immediately, and Coppelia crossed her arms, nodding thoughtfully.

“Indeed. To use it, I’d need to hold him in place for at least a minute and specify the exact coordinates. Even if I wanted to use it, I couldn’t. You see, the original intent of the device was to bring two-dimensional waifus into three-dimensional reality, but somehow it turned into a weapon.”
“Too much information! Anyway, I’ll lure Igoronak away from here to a secluded area, and once there, I’ll do whatever it takes to immobilize him so you can deploy your secret weapon.”

Before I’d even finished speaking, Igoronak’s eyes flashed ominously, and adventurers and soldiers caught in his gaze crumpled lifelessly to the ground, one after another.

“—ugh!”

I felt a moment of chill, but thanks to the protection of the Robe of Sant’Angelo, I was able to evade quickly without taking much damage.

“Napalm!”

Though I already knew it wouldn’t be effective, I unleashed a barrage of Napalm spells to serve as both a distraction and a blazing spectacle, drawing his attention as Coppelia and I slipped from the church grounds into the forest.

“Hmm… planning something, are you? But in your current state, what could you possibly achieve?”

Igoronak advanced with ease, moving as fast—if not faster—than me, though whether he was walking or floating beneath his dark robes, I couldn’t tell.

“Napalm, Napalm, Napalm, Napalm, Purify!”
“Megiddo!”

Igoronak ignored the incoming Napalms, charging forward with an air of indifference. When I mixed a Purify spell into the attack, he conjured a black flame in his left hand and countered, causing both flames to cancel each other out.

“Megiddo!”
“Watch out, dodge it!”

Just as Igoronak launched a stream of black fire at us like a flamethrower, Coppelia shouted her warning. I immediately dove into the underbrush, and the black flames passed overhead, leaving the trees in their path to rot instantly, snapping like twigs and disintegrating into dust before hitting the ground.

“You won’t escape… Megiddo!”
“Gah!?”

Thanks to the thick layer of fallen leaves, I managed to avoid injury, but Igoronak continued his attack, scattering the black flames like water from a watering can.

There’s no way to dodge this!

As I scrambled through the forest with Coppelia, Igor’s voice rang out again.

“This ends now… Megiddo!”

A massive wave of black fire surged, blanketing the area, and when the flames cleared, the once-verdant landscape was now a lifeless wasteland, devoid of any sign of life.

“…Is it over? A bit underwhelming, but…”

He muttered as he turned his back, certain that no one could have survived. And that’s when I took my chance, striking at his unguarded back.

“Purify!”

I unleashed a concentrated blast of purification, hitting him dead on.

“Gwaaaaaaah!”

Igoronak let out a scream of pain, clearly shaken by the blow. He quickly pinpointed my location from the trajectory and launched another wave of black fire.

“Megiddo!”

But—

“That won’t work! Purify!”

I held up a sturdy shield and saw his black flames disperse uselessly against it. My counterattack, the Purify, struck him again, causing Igoronak to stagger back.

“Im-, impossible. How can you…?”

His gaze narrowed as he peered through the darkness and caught sight of the shield I’d held up with non-elemental magic. He looked shocked.

“Go ahead. If you think you can break through this ridiculously tough shield, be my guest!”

Standing before him was the towering shield—the soul-less form of the gigantic Death Knight, Bartholomew. Igoronak stared at it, speechless.

“…Are you sure you’re still human, doing this?” muttered Coppelia, safely huddled behind me.

“There’s no time for sentimentalism in battle! If Bartholomew had any consciousness left, he’d no doubt be proud to serve as a warrior in this way!”
“Would he, though…?”

Coppelia tilted her head, and I could almost imagine Bartholomew looking somewhat reluctant. But that was probably just my imagination.

Translator’s Note:

I have a confession to make. We have been pretty inconsistent in how we translate 〈空〉magic domain. The kanji itself means empty, void, and sky, but the author treated it like it means space. Not outer space, but “space” as in time and space.

It took me an embarrassing amount of time to realize that Author just arbitrarily took the first kanji from space (空間) for it. Thing is, these two kanji are inseparable if you want to express “space”. It’s like trying to say Venus (金星) but only use the first kanji (金) which means money/friday.

So, yeah. If you would, please continue to treat the Sky magic domain as Space in this novel. Besides, the Will (識) magic tree never existed until this chapter. It was Illusionary (幻) before.