The End of the Doctor
"…You cut through my magic...?! Impossible! This is magic that has reached the critical point of its principles! To cut through it... that's unimaginable..."
Oswell’s voice trembled with shock.
Thanks to that, no new disasters were triggered, and a brief moment of silence descended.
"What are you so surprised about? Didn’t you show me the example of reaching the critical point of magical principles...?"
I taunted Oswell, further rattling his nerves.
He never had any combat ability to begin with.
But Oswell, who can create disasters, is a threat in and of himself.
To take control of the battle, I need him to lose his composure even more.
"Example...? No way, you...! How dare a fool like you get cocky...!"
It seems my words hit a nerve with Oswell, as he became angrier than I expected.
"If you're pissed, try shutting me up with force!"
I provocatively challenged him while activating Sword-Magic Fusion, transforming Schwarzhase back into my usual magic sword.
With the longsword in hand, I closed the distance in an instant, using my physical abilities and Gravity Manipulation.
Oswell’s dragon of magic that appeared from his shoulder attacked to prevent my approach, but I cut through the dragons with my magic sword.
If it were an ordinary sword, it wouldn’t even be able to touch these magical dragons, as they are made of concentrated magical energy. But since my sword is also made of magic, it can capture these magical dragons.
As I entered sword range, I swung my sword.
Though Oswell’s very existence is a threat, his lack of combat experience was evident from his posture and movements.
In terms of battle tactics, I have the advantage.
The magic sword slashed across Oswell’s chest.
"Ugh! Damn it!"
Oswell, unwilling to let me close the gap, executed a spinning kick.
"...An attack full of openings like that can’t possibly hit me!"
I dodged the kick, switched my magic sword from a longsword to two short swords, and continued to slash.
"Damned pest! Get away from me!"
Oswell shouted, and I felt the magic around him begin to gather, so I immediately distanced myself.
Right after, a huge explosion occurred around him.
As the smoke cleared, Oswell emerged, his expression hidden, but the murderous intent radiating from him was clear as it spread throughout the area.
"You fool! Don't get in my way!"
"…Tch, you’ve gotten quite foul-mouthed. Looks like your mask is starting to slip, huh?"
"Shut up! I don’t care about Valia’s plans anymore! I’m going to crush you here and now!"
The faint trace of intellect and composure that had been left in Oswell’s voice vanished, replaced by primal, beast-like behavior, as if he was now acting purely on instinct.
"…That’s my line, you piece of trash. I’ll engrave all the pain and fear you’ve caused Carol into your own body and mind. Don’t think you’ll die easily."
"Gyahahahahaha! Engrave it into my body, huh!? I’ve got Self-Regeneration! No matter what injuries I get, they’ll heal immediately—"
Oswell, who had been laughing with a vulgar tone while talking about how he couldn’t die, suddenly fell silent. His eyes fell to his left arm.
—The wound on his left arm, severed by the magic sword.
"...Why? Why isn’t my left arm healing...!?"
The multiple cuts caused by a normal magic sword had already closed up, but for some reason, the left arm—normally, it should heal with time—was not showing any signs of recovery. The wound wasn’t closing, and blood was still pouring out.
"I won’t let you die from blood loss. Ice Magic Sword."
While Oswell was focused on the fact that his left arm wasn’t healing, I took the opportunity to transform my magic sword with the help of Luna, turning it into an ice spirit-powered blade.
Then, with an enhanced slash powered by Instantaneous Ability Boost Impact, I cleaved through his shoulder—cutting off his arm from the base.
As the severed limb fell, I immediately froze the wound, ensuring he wouldn’t bleed to death.
"Guahhh!!"
Until now, Oswell must have been able to ignore the pain, thinking his wounds would heal. But now that he realized they wouldn’t, he could no longer endure it.
Oswell screamed in agony.
"Don’t make such pathetic noises for someone your age."
"Y-You… stop…!"
As I prepared to attack again, Oswell shouted for me to stop, but I had no reason or obligation to listen.
Without hesitation, I severed Oswell’s head—using a spare sword.
Then, with a [Super Explosion], I blasted Oswell’s body into the air, sending the charred remains crashing to the ground.
“Luna, next, please summon the fire spirit.”
Luna, responding to my request, intensified the magical energy around me once again.
By concentrating the spirit’s energy, a mass of jet-black magical energy blazed atop my left palm.
"Don’t mess with me, fool!"
During all this, Oswell, having recovered thanks to Self-Regeneration, shouted in anger and frustration. His neck was reattached, and his burns had disappeared, but his left shoulder and arm were still missing.
As I observed Oswell’s condition, another massive tornado suddenly formed, heading straight for me.
"...Then it’s time for the next experiment... [Earth Style]."
After transforming Schwarzhase into a magical bow, I took the concentrated magical energy created by the fire spirit and fashioned it into an arrow, nocking it onto the bowstring.
"Crush him, Orn-Doula!!"
"—Fire Magic Arrow."
The jet-black arrow released from the magic bow blasted through the tornado and pierced Oswell’s abdomen.
"...Ah... gah..."
"You can’t even dodge it now, huh? Getting desperate already? That’s too quick. You haven’t even come close to tasting a fraction of Carol’s suffering."
After landing near Oswell, I spoke coldly, making sure to further engrave the terror into him.
As I looked at his abdomen, I saw that the wound from the fire spirit’s arrow had already sealed.
...So this confirms the reason Oswell’s wounds aren’t healing.
"What... What is this...? What the hell is happening!? You’re going to be destroyed...! It’s already been decided! So why do I have to suffer like this!? This isn’t right!"
Oswell began to whine, throwing childish tantrums, his complaints pouring out.
His behavior only fueled my anger further.
"How can you complain after all this? Carol and everyone else you’ve tormented must have endured even worse suffering, for far longer! Yet now that it’s returned to you, you whine and complain? How convenient for you!"
"Shut up! What I’ve done is necessary for humanity’s evolution! If I die, the world will lose immeasurably! Are you still going to kill me!?"
"—Yes. I will kill you."
As I was exchanging words with Oswell, a soft male voice suddenly echoed from a spot where no one had been standing.
Standing there was a man with long golden hair tied at his shoulders—the former hero, Gary, transformed into a demon.
Immediately, countless thin lines of light ran across Oswell’s body, causing blood to spray from every pore.
"Ga-ha! Stig, why... why are you here...!?"
"Heh heh heh. For someone called Doctor, that’s quite a foolish question, don’t you think?"
While Oswell and Stig were talking, I circled behind Stig and swung my magic sword at him.
However, without any sound or warning, Stig vanished from my sight, and my blade cut through empty air.
"That was sudden. But I think it was a good decision on your part. Although, ultimately, it’s futile."
Having moved to Oswell’s side, Stig spoke to me before casually swinging his arm. His hand struck Oswell’s body, cleaving him in two, from top to bottom.
And then, without Self-Regeneration activating, Oswell never woke up again.
"…………"
Cold sweat poured down my back as I stood in awe of Stig’s ominous presence. The last time I had met him, his presence had been so faint that I almost couldn’t even sense him, even when he was in my line of sight.
But now, he appeared to be nothing more than a monster wearing human skin.
"It’s been a while, Dragon Slayer. Ah, I suppose I never properly introduced myself. I am Stig Strem, Raksasa, the Eighth Seat of the Cyclamen Sect. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
With a flourish, Stig gave an exaggerated, almost theatrical introduction, one that resembled the formal greeting of a noble.
The Eighth Seat, huh? Even without counting him and Oswell, that means at least six more high-ranking members of the sect remain.
"First Gary, now Oswell... What the hell do you want!?"
I understood that the Cyclamen Sect was a den of scum. I also knew that my values and theirs would never align.
Even so, I couldn’t keep it to myself.
To me, my comrades are the most important thing in the world.
"When you ask what I want, all I did was dispose of unnecessary trash. Why should I be scolded for simply getting rid of things I no longer need?"
Stig responded casually to my question.
"I see. Now I understand. It seems we can never get along, huh?"
Having lost the information I was hoping to extract from Oswell, I decided to try and get it from Stig instead. I closed the distance between us in an instant, swinging my magic sword.
However, just like before, he suddenly vanished from my sight, and my blade missed its mark.
"Nice swordsmanship," he remarked, appearing once again at a distance.
I immediately released a thunderous strike toward his new position.
"In fact, I’ve been watching your fight with Doctor from a distance," Stig’s voice suddenly came from right behind me.
"—!?"
I whipped around, slashing with my magic sword, but once again, I failed to catch him.
"Last time we met, your magic was laughably weak. But now, you’ve managed to handle it properly. I must say, your growth rate is quite impressive."
Reappearing once more outside of my reach, Stig taunted me with his words.
"But let’s not continue the fight here. I have other plans, and the proper stage for a battle with you will be set soon enough. When that time comes, I’ll be sure to play with you. Look forward to it. For now, I’ve only come to dispose of Doctor."
He spoke to me as if comforting a child. I hated it. But at the same time, I knew that, for now, I was no match for him. I couldn’t shake the feeling that he had let me off easy, but pressing further would be reckless.
Damn it, am I still not strong enough!?
"I'm glad you understood my intentions. Until we meet again."
With those final words, Stig disappeared, and I could no longer sense his presence.
Although it feels like something is left incomplete, I was able to protect Dal Ane from the beast horde, and I managed to eliminate Oswell.
I’m not satisfied with the "process," but looking at the "result," the goal has been achieved.
I said so much to my disciples, so I can’t afford to be lingering around like this.
With everyone safe, the situation has been resolved.
Now, I’ll take a moment to soothe my own feelings with the outcome.
"...By the way, where did Fuuka and the Black Dragon go?"
Since the battle with Oswell began, I had completely forgotten about Fūka’s presence.
Looking around, I couldn’t see either Fuuka or the Black Dragon.
The Black Dragon is massive, so if it’s not in sight, I should assume it’s already been dealt with.
'Haruto-san, do you know where Fuuka is right now?'
I reached out to Haruto via telepathy to ask about Fuuka.
“Oh, it’s you, Orn. Fuuka is in the labyrinth.”
“...In the labyrinth? Why?”
“Don’t know. I don’t know the reason. If you’re curious, why not go after her?”
“Got it. I’ll do that.”
After receiving information about Fuuka’s whereabouts from Haruto, I headed toward the entrance to the labyrinth.
“Oh, and by the way, I watched your fight. There was a strange intruder at the end, but don’t worry about that. You protected Dal Ane, and that’s what matters. Everyone saw the scene where you cut down that natural disaster. The people in Dal Ane are all fired up about it. When you return, you’ll get a big welcome, so be ready for that, okay?”
As I made my way toward the labyrinth, Haruto-san spoke to me with words of praise.
He also told me about the mood in the town, and I could tell he was trying to lift my spirits.
I really appreciated his consideration.
“Haha! Got it! I’ll brace myself for the welcome.”