Chapter 272: Kahar (6)

After we decimated all the forces that shot up from the castle, we raised our altitude and shot up above the clouds. The enemies didn't try to chase us, but I could feel an enormous amount of energy gathering in one place on the ground. Was this the magical tool Ellos was talking about? The heck? Did the continent's allied force operate a squadron of dragons or something? Why did they focus so much on aerial battle?

"There was a kingdom that raised griffins and operated a group of knights called the Order of the Griffin Knights. The kingdom was located on the edge of the continent, and they were the first to fight the invaders. With their speed and power, they drove the invaders into a corner, but in the end, they fell before Cravis Kingdom could become an empire."

"Because of that weapon?"

"Yeah. At first though, the invaders tried to use flying magical tools rather than the huge energy-consuming magical tool they're using now."

Ellos shrugged. It probably meant their flying magical tools couldn't be used for some reason. To investigate, I spread my mana out into the atmosphere. There were huge clusters of dense mana in several places. Natural mana was overflowing in these places.

"There's so much mana in the atmosphere. So much that it might hinder others from releasing mana."

"It's not like that in your world?"

"Earth isn't like that at all. We haven't had mana until a few years ago, and it's still tiny compared to here."

With all the Event Dungeons and monster corpses, Earth's atmosphere was beginning to hold a fair bit of mana. Still, compared to dungeons or other worlds, it was a miniscule amount.

However, even taking this into account, Edias continent's mana was strange. The mana on land could just be thought of as bountiful, but the density of mana was too high in the skies. It wasn't just bountiful, but even prevented other mana from coming out. If someone tried to release mana in this place, he would have a hard time because of the atmospheric mana suppressing all foreign mana. That was why the invaders couldn't use their flying magical tools.

I could understand why the energy they were gathering on the ground was so large. That giant energy would most likely become weaker as it shot through the atmosphere. They were overflowing it with energy so that it could shoot down anything they wanted even if the attack was weakened by the atmosphere.

What was really strange was that I only realized it when I attempted to detect the mana around me. With such a high density of mana, I usually wouldn't have had to do such a thing.

After thinking about it for a bit, I finally came to a conclusion. I had gotten too familiar with this high mana density. Only after hearing that the invaders had trouble using their magical tools and detecting the surrounding mana did I realize that the atmospheric mana could disturb others. But why? Why was I so familiar with this mana? Why was it disturbing others, but not disturbing me?

"Dear Husband!"

When I was lost in thought, Licorice violently shook my shoulders. I was so focused on thinking about this issue that I didn't realize that the energy on the ground was ready to explode.

With the amount of energy we were facing, going higher would most likely be useless. This wasn't a problem we could solve by just flying up.

"That's quite impressive. Lotte, can you dodge it?"

[I can, but not that one.]

Ah, this is where that wyvern holds us down. In that case, we can throw away that wyvern and move Ellos to... No, I promised Lotte I wouldn't let other men ride her. I couldn't just go back on my promise.

"Then I'll just deal with it directly. Licorice, can you help me?"

If I were on ground, I wouldn't have the confidence to face that much mana. However, it was different up here. I was confident that the atmospheric mana wouldn't hinder me, and that energy missile would undoubtedly lose half its power before it reached me.

"I'd love to. It's a bit hard to use magic here, but if I'm careful, it'll be more powerful than it normally is. Trust me, Dear Husband!"

Licorice replied confidently and gave me a wink. Immediately afterwards, she reached out with her arms and began to murmur incomprehensible words. I also stood up and pulled out my Chaotic Spear. Pointing at the spot where the energy was gathering, I began to gather my own energy. Because I was holding my spear like I was holding a gun, Ellos looked at me with curious eyes.

"You're attacking and not defending?"

"Defending is for after you fail your attack."

"I guess you're right."

I smiled at Ellos' half-impressed, half-dejected comment and fixed my posture.

The other day, I managed to shoot Heroic Strike like a cannonball. I still remembered that feeling.

It was a technique made possible by combining my family spear technique and mana, one that required Peruta Circuit in order to work. This was because Peruta Circuit captured the energy released by the technique and trapped it within its powerful spin. When the energy struck its target, its energy shot up in one point and detonated.

For a simple reason, it was better to hold my spear like I was holding a gun. It was because I didn't need to use mana to protect my body. It was the same when I shot my spear out with the energy, but that required me to use more energy and prevented me from concentrating all energy into one point.

"Peika, I'm going to shoot just the energy."

[Huhu, I like that.]

After Peika entered my spear, I pushed in more lightning energy with Lightning God's power. Strengthened by Peika's power, golden lightning traveled across the spear shaft like a sweet sap and gathered at the spear tip. Peruta Circuit took the gathered lightning and created a small bead-like whirlpool. The materialized ball of energy made me smile. Without kidding, we would all die if it exploded here.

I would love to add the power I used when I didn't use mana, but that was out of my capability at the moment. I didn't know how long it would take until I got to that point. All I knew was that I needed time to obtain it for my own.

"For now, I'll do what I can."

"Dear Husband, now!"

Licorice shouted sharply. The invaders had also fired their concentrated energy at this moment.

Immediately after Licorice's shout, a giant ring of mana appeared, piercing the clouds and connecting us to the ground. I instantly recognized what it was.

"This is... trajectory assistance?"

"Hurry!"

I didn't have time to hesitate. I shot my Heroic Strike straight through the center of the concentric trajectory. The ball of whirlpool quickly left my spear tip and accelerated as if it was boosted by a rocket. I didn't know what Licorice did, but she was taking the atmospheric mana and strengthening my attack.

"She made the mana hers...! Isn't she a succubus!?"

"She's a special succubus."

Didn't I tell you she was a Succubus Queen? I made a wry smile at Ellos' surprised expression and followed the trajectory of the energy I released. Herioc Strike flew like a cannonball as it continued to accelerate. On the other hand, the giant energy flying up from the ground was losing its destructive power and speed as it traveled through the ring Licorice created.

I wondered how that was possible, then I realized that what Ellos said was the answer. Licorice had turned the strange atmospheric mana into hers. With that, she was strengthening my attack while weakening the enemy's. By a large amount too!

Its unexpected effect even caused Licorice who casted the magic to widen her eyes.

"Dear Husband's energy amplification factor is too high! What's happening?"

"Is it because the whirlpool form is good at absorbing energy?"

"That's good. Because of its speed, it'll clash much closer to the ground than we antici... Look!"

Immediately afterwards, the two energies clashed and caused an enormous explosion. As Licorice said, the explosion occurred fairly close to the ground. Without stopping at just the explosion, the energies' clash rocked surrounding mana and even caused the mana in the air to detonate. Like throwing a match in a powder keg, the explosion spread like wild fire. Just what was this mana!?

As expected, the chain explosion reached the invaders' castle. Although I couldn't see it well, I could still hear the explosions and screams of the invaders. The castle walls were bound to fall, and the invaders and buildings within were likely to be annihilated. The only problem was...

"Isn't that explosion still continuing?"

"... It might reach us too."

While Ellos and I exchanged a look, Licorice shouted in horror.

"Birdbrain, fly! Quickly!"

[This is your fault, bat! You, over there! You better follow me like your life's on the line! Otherwise, you'll die!]

[Kurraaaaak!]

The wyvern made a pitiful cry at Lotte's command. Lotte and the wyvern both flapped their wings urgently and escaped from the chain explosion. It was thanks to being so far from where the explosion took place.

Once things settled down and everyone sighed a breath of relief, Licorice shoved her face towards mine with sparkling eyes.

"Dear Husband, this seems like a great idea! Let's do this for every castle we see!"

[Do you want to die, bat?]

"But that was pretty fun... Kuhum, I mean, this is a good way to weaken the enemy's forces! They'll even have to bring back the troops they sent out to search for the Hero!"

I lightly smacked Licorice's head.

"I heard you calling it fun, you bomb maniac."

"Hmph, they're the ones who used a bomb. We just made use of it!"

"I like it too."

[Hero!?]

I thought it was fun too.

"Ellos, how do they communicate?"

"They have a magical tool for communication, but its range isn't big."

"Good, let's see..."

I smiled and opened the continental map. I pointed at the half destroyed, or perhaps fully destroyed castle on the map and looked at Ellos.

"Do you know how far it reaches specifically?"

"Give it to me."

Ellos approached me on his wyvern, and I threw the map at him. When Ellos began to point at castles out of range from the destroyed castle's communication magical tool, Lotte screamed.

[W-What's wrong with you all!? Didn't you just experience that terrifying explosion!?]

"Lote, if you work hard, we can weaken their forces and secure our safety. As a Blaze Queen, you should be able to do it, right?"

With the honor of her Blaze Queen title challenged, Lotte shouted with teary eyes.

[S-S-Shameless, Hero...! B-But I can do it! Nothing's impossible for this Blaze Queen!]

"Yeah, Lotte, you can do it. If you succeed, I'll plume your scales and wash you."

[Ku... P-Prepare yourself, Hero. Let's test if you can withstand my speed!]

Lotte was practically wailing. With a mischievous smile, I began to calculate how many castles we could destroy. At the same time, another wyvern was pitifully crying.

[Ku... Kurraaaaak!]

Three hours after that.

After destroying twenty seven castles, we safely entered Peruta Mountain Range.