The strongest sage of disqualified crest

Chapter 72 Strongest Sage, Inserts Poison

"Alma, here's another arrow!"

"Un!"

I continue to parry Elhart's attack while Alma and Ruli shot him with arrows.
Fighting while using as little mana as possible, and being careful not to get shot and get pushed back is unexpectedly tough.

Apparently, being a vanguard in a practice battle isn't easy.
The sole consolation here is the fact that Elhart's brain has been damaged by the traceback, so his magic construction is very coarse and easy to nullify.

However, this tough fight is worth it as the two's prowess clearly rise in the midst of this fight.
Ruli's magic engraving speed becomes remarkably faster and Alma rarely misses her shot now.

The difference in running tension between fighting monsters in a dungeon and fighting a demon is big.

"Kuh... Why's my magic disappearing! My power shouldn't have fallen this much!"

Elhart doesn't notice that I'm nullifying his magic as he keeps trying to use them.
It's true that I've been doing stealthily.... But having it this unnoticed is a problem in itself.

If the situation becomes too stable, the tension decreases and the effectiveness of this battle training turns weak.
If we get another chance, I should get myself wounded on purpose and stir the situation a bit.
....Well, this fight is about to end soon.

『Looks like the effect is starting to manifest.』

I informed the two while continuing the fight.

『...Effect?』

『I feel like my arrows hit easier... or rather, he's slower?』

『Correct.』

The magic circle I gave to Ruli this time is an arrangement of poison magic called 『Magic Poison』 which interferes with demon's mana, stiffening them.
The effect is slow-acting, or rather it will demonstrate itself once the accumulated amount of poison passes a certain mark.

The fact that he's slower now means that the amount of poison Alma shot has passed that mark.
It's only a matter of time before the demon completely loses its ability to move.

"...Nu? Since when did you bastard became faster--No wait! It is I who turn slow!"

After a slight delay, Elhart himself noticed the effect of magic put on him.
However, the pattern he showed afterward is quite an unusual one amongst what I predicted.

"Me, beaten by a sham.... I won't allow thaaaaaaaaaaaaat!"

"Mu? This is...."

Elhart's dull movement suddenly turned fierce unlike what he showed up until now, I immediately activated Physical Reinforcement magic.
However, Elhart's change didn't end with just that.

"Damn you--damnyoudamnyouuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

The moment Elhart's speech crumbled, his eyes shined red, and his whole body was wrapped in mana.
It's a phenomenon called 『Evilize』.

"....『Evilize』 huh. Been a while since I saw that."

When a demon is cornered, this situation may happen rarely.
The amount and intensity of mana of demons who have undergone 『Evilize』 increase tremendously, and their physical ability becomes incomparably higher than their usual state as a result.

Demons who undergo 『Evilize』 die at the same time the effect of 『Evilize』 ends.... However, that doesn't change the fact that demons who use 『Evilize』 is a force to be reckoned with.
I'd better stop the practice and deliver the finishing blow here.

"KILL!"

Looks like the 『Evilized』 Elhart is targeting the two behind me.
His evilized feet kicked the floor and he jumped above me.

Seeing that, I constructed a magic while giving order to the two and shot it at Elhart.

『You two, don't move from where you are.』

『I understand!』

『G-gotcha!』

They probably couldn't catch up with the sudden turn of event. The two remained in place as they nodded.
And the two--moved ahead, before the coming Elhart.

"DIE, DIEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Elhart easily caught up with the two who didn't act as ordered.
My magic also missed its target, destroying the ceiling.

And Elhart's sword reached the two--slipping through them.

"...Aa?"

Elhart looked surprised as his sword slipped through nothing.

I had expected this move.
The things Elhart cut just now were illusions I created with magic.

It was an impromptu illusion, I merely hid the two with an extremely simple magic.
If Elhart still retained his sanity, he would have immediately noticed the oddity.

However, Elhart didn't notice it.
Because his awareness was turned at my magic instead of the two slow-moving girls.

"This is how you use camouflage magic."

And it's not just an illusion.
I've put highly concentrated 『Magic Poison』 inside it.

With how much 『Magic Poison』 has accumulated inside his body, even an 『Evilized』 demon can do nothing about it.
As he swings his sword, Elhart hardens--and perish in that position.