Full encouragement
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After leaving Dal Ane, I walked north with Fuuka.
As soon as I spotted the group of magical beasts heading south, I contacted Selma-san via telepathy to report the situation.
<We will make contact with the first wave of beasts in about five minutes. The distance is 1500 meters north-northwest of Dal Ane.>
<Understood. Haruto, how is the movement of the magical beasts? Are they still all heading toward Dal Ane?>
Selma-san, responding to my telepathy, asked Haruto-san, who was acting separately, to gather more information.
<As expected, some of the beasts have changed course toward a nearby village. I'll handle it, so I'll intercept them here.>
<Thanks. As we discussed earlier, I'll leave the frontlines to the three of you. Feel free to cause as much havoc as you like. Even if some slip through, we'll make sure the city remains safe, so don't worry.>
With the battle against the magical beasts approaching, Selma-san once again gave me permission to fight freely.
Her voice sounded like usual, but recently, I had felt that her attitude toward me had been somewhat distant. Maybe it was just me overthinking it.
Thinking about it, considering everything that had happened at her home, it made sense that she’d be on edge.
"Fuuka, let's go all out like we planned. Cut down every magical beast that survives!"
I called out to Fuuka, and she nodded with the same expression as always.
"That's my specialty. Leave it to me."
After confirming Fuuka's response, I began advancing toward the approaching beasts while mentally constructing my spell.
Once the spell was complete, I spoke in a voice charged with energy.
"――【Seal Release】"
My incantation and the energy circulating within me removed the constraints binding me.
The first strike would be a flashy, wide-area explosion that would wipe everything out in an instant.
Of all the attacks I knew, the one most suited for this was the continuous bombardment Shion used against the dragon horde in the Regurif territory.
Explaining how she set that up is simple.
By activating the【Super Explosion Explode】in rapid succession, it only looked like the explosions were spreading due to chain reactions, when in reality it was just a rapid series of detonations.
Although Shion’s spell construction was fast, no human brain could withstand the rapid casting of high-tier magic like that in such a short amount of time.
It was safe to say that it was impossible with conventional methods.
What made it possible was her unique ability, [Time Reversal].
How exactly she interprets her ability to cast high-tier magic consecutively is something I don’t fully understand, but I realized that, with an expanded interpretation of my own ability, I could recreate it...
When I delved deeper into my own ability, [Gravity Manipulation], I realized something.
Gravity can interfere with time...
Well, I can't exactly travel through time or stop it, but still...
"――【Time Inflation】"
After realizing this, I came up with a way to extend my perception of time.
In other words, everything appears in slow motion.
There are a few restrictions on using this ability, so I can’t use it all the time, but when the conditions are right, the advantage it provides is immeasurable.
For this battle, I would channel that advantage into spell construction.
"――【Super Explosion + Chain】!"
With each completion of my spell construction, I activated the【Super Explosion Explode】. However, to everyone else, it would feel like a large number of【Super Explosion Explodes】had been set off in a short time.
A barrage of explosions slammed into the horde of magical beasts.
"Not yet! 【Thousand Blades Tornado】!"
While repeatedly activating the 【Super Explosion Explode】, I simultaneously cast the wind-based high-tier magic 【Thousand Blades Tornado】, expanding its range as much as possible.
Once my perception of time was aligned with the surrounding world, I surveyed the area and saw the first wave of magical beasts utterly destroyed.
"Haah... Time for a short break. I'll leave the stragglers to you, Fuuka."
As I turned to Fuuka, who was behind me, to ask her to handle the cleanup, she shot me a deadpan look.
Fuuka usually maintains her usual nonchalant attitude, but this time, she couldn't help but comment.
Yeah, I admit, I might have overdone it a bit.
"Well, this is my way of motivating the disciples. I have to give it my all."
"That might make them more nervous, actually... Well, I’ll go finish off the leftovers. You take your break, Orn."
Fuuka said with a hint of exasperation, unsheathing her sword and dashing toward the remaining magical beasts.
<Orn-san, we’ve arrived at the dungeon! We’re starting the Strategy!>
As I watched Fuuka fight with her usual grace, like a beautiful dance, I was thinking about the next move when I heard Sophia’s voice in my mind.
I wanted to say, “Don’t overdo it,” or “If it gets too tough, you can always come back,” but I knew that the disciples were already well aware of that.
So, the only words I could offer were…
<Got it. I’m rooting for you all. You can conquer the dungeon. Don’t worry about things here, just focus on your mission!>
<Yes! We’re off!>