The second encounter (1)

"It's definitely true that we were close. Just one more kilometer left..."

Just as Amy was about to explain, she saw a fireball emerge from the forest, making a ferocious noise.

"It's an ambush! Scatter!"

Shirone and the group dispersed in different directions. The flame hitting the ground grew larger as it absorbed the air and then dissipated in the form of heat.

"A fireball?"

"Amy! Be careful!"

The second and third attacks came simultaneously.

But Amy didn't dodge it. Instead, she took a combat stance and pierced through the fireball with an equal amount of Flame Strikes.

"Show yourself! Stop ambushing like a coward!"

"Your skills are quite impressive. Getting this far wasn't just luck."

Shirone and the group looked towards the mountain trail. A man emerged from the forest. He was similar in height to Rian, had a slim body emitting a sense of agility.

Although he lacked eyebrows, he had a serpentine aura with his confidence and the pale impression of his slicked-back hair.

"Who are you?"

"Vice-leader of the Parrot Mercenary Band. Agado Freeman."

Tension filled Shirone's group at the word "vice-captain." But, on the other hand, it meant their destination was not far away.

"Shirone, let me handle this. When I give the signal, take Rian and Tess and head to the cliff."

"I can't do that. It's too dangerous."

"And you? Have you forgotten that you've already walked into a trap alone? Are you going to keep ignoring me like this?"

"I'm not ignoring you. There are about 20 more people hidden in the forest."

Amy had confirmed this with Spirit Zone. But that's why she wants to dismiss Shirone first.

If they were held back here, they would only buy time for reinforcements at the first checkpoint.

Amy, trying to somehow persuade Shirone, raised her hand and pointed at Freeman.

"Shirone, look at that man's weapon. It's a firearm."

Shirone turned his head and took a close look. The man clearly held a weapon that was exactly like the one he had seen in the book.

The magical projectile fired with a bow required replacing the arrowhead, but the weapon was specially crafted to use only magical projectiles.

It's a device that loads a small amount of magical bullets and shoots them forward. In terms of design, it was a kind of revolver that could continuously fire by rotating the cylinder.

"Do you see? You know what a firearm is, right? It can replace the bullets faster than the bow and is a direct firearm. Unlike arrows that explode upon impact, it is shot in an already activated state, making it specialized for medium and long-range combat. Probably all the types hiding in the forest are also using that weapon."

Shirone understood what Amy meant.

"Alright. I'll leave this to you."

Rian and Tess looked back with puzzled eyes. They had heard the explanation about the weapon, but it only made the situation seem more dangerous. Why would Shirone suddenly change his mind and leave Amy alone?

"I'll create a wall of fire to gain time and avoid their pursuit. Take that chance to make your way through."

"Got it. Ryan, Tess, get ready."

If it were Shirone's judgment, Rian could only follow suit. He didn't feel good about leaving his colleague alone, but Tess also swallowed and prepared to run because it wasn't a situation to take time to discuss.

"Now! Go!"

Amy, who had finished concentrating, opened her eyes and shouted. While Shirone cleared the way and ran, Rian and Tess followed him to the left and right.

As expected, sparks from the weapons flew from all directions in the forest.

Amy launched a wall of fire in the form of a huge circle.

The ground began to boil like porridge, and the flames that started under their feet rushed with a terrifying momentum and pierced through the forest.

Then, she amplified her mental strength, causing the Fire Wall to blaze violently, obstructing the enemies' view.

At the same time, Shirone grabbed Rian and Tess and initiated the teleportation. Its range was shorter than that of a high-ranking mage, but it was effective enough to suddenly vanish before the enemies' eyes.

After hearing the sound of Teleportation, Amy stopped casting Fire Wall and gasped.

The Fire Wall, known as a mana-consuming spell, required continuous mental concentration to maintain.

The reason it wasn't overpowered despite being powerful was that the casting cost was too high.

But Freeman was genuinely impressed. The girl standing in front of him was at most a teenager.

As far as he knew, it was extremely rare for a mage of that age to cast a Fire Wall of that scale.

"Impressive. Sacrificing yourself for your comrades."

"Hmph! Don't talk as if it were a sacrifice. I sent him because I can handle this myself."

"Really? You look quite exhausted. Sorry, but we're also in a hurry, so we can't wait."

As soon as Freeman's words fell, his subordinates appeared.

The fact that nobody was able to extinguish the fire in the forest was proof that none of them were mages. However, they were all Schema users and, like Freeman, carried weapons.

A combat method that mixes Schema and magic. On the battlefield, such people are called gunners.

Amy had never observed a gunner's combat, but she could guess what it was like. She herself had the ability to use long-range magical skills and Schema simultaneously.

Freeman's subordinates opened the cylinders and loaded Magic Projectiles. It seemed that each cylinder could hold at least six Magic Projectiles.

A total of twelve Magic Projectiles could be equipped on both sides, and the number of enemies was 20. Therefore, the cycle to reload the enemy's firepower was 240 magic bullets.

"I'm sorry, but your immature adventures end here."

As soon as Freeman's words fell, his subordinates raised their weapons.

Certainly, his subordinates had a different disposition compared to Falkoa, perhaps due to his leadership.

They showed no complacency or arrogance; they were solely focused on eliminating their opponent.

Amy chuckled softly. It might have been because Shirone played a significant role in this battle, but she didn't expect such a low assessment of herself.

"So you're planning a shootout with just 20 people against me?"

Amy concentrated, putting strength into the lower part of her abdomen as if she were about to cast a spell.

She blew a gust of wind, and fist-sized rocks rose around her, igniting with a whistle.

"This time you've chosen the wrong opponent."

The pupils of Amy's eyes gleamed in a reddish hue.

***

Tess kept looking back as she ran. She had followed Shirone based on his words, but she felt it was a reckless strategy.

Though the gunners were inferior to mages in firepower, they had physical abilities comparable to swordsmen.

The idea of Amy fighting among them made her stomach churn.

"Shirone, shouldn't we go back? I'm worried about Amy."

"Everything will be fine. If we delay, it'll be a disadvantage for us. We might be pursued by forces that survived the first checkpoint. The priority is to quickly reach the hideout somehow."

"I know, but what about Amy? Wouldn't it have been better for you to deal with the enemies?"

Shirone, noticing Tess's thoughts, smiled bitterly.

"Things don't work that way. A mage's ability isn't simply measured by power. It depends on the situation and affinity. When dealing with gunners, Amy will be several times stronger than me."

Tess seemed unable to believe it.

Of course, she knows Amy is in a higher class, but Shirone's performance when they arrived was truly astonishing.

Could there really be a situation where she was several times stronger than Shirone?

"Is that possible? No matter how excellent each one's skills are, there's the question of numerical superiority."

Much like a swordsman, Tess thought, focusing on physical strength.

Certainly, the total sum of quantifiable physical strength is an important matter.

However, when it comes to magic, the situation changes a bit.

For a mage who uses numerous phenomena through a combination of Omnipotence and Omniscience, the number of enemies isn't as crucial.

What matters more is the exceptional calculation ability to induce a situation where their honed abilities reveal optimal efficiency.

"The properties of photons and flames are different. Also, the four-way zones are different. Amy is a mage specialized in long-range. Because she can maximize the advantage of Red Eye. If Amy confronts them in her own domain, no matter how strong the enemies are..."

Shirone spoke confidently.

"Even if their numbers are large, they won't be able to defeat Amy at all."

Tess swallowed hard. Normally, when dealing with Shirone and Amy, she felt like she was looking after her stubborn and immature younger brother, but in actual combat, they were like an icy field: cold and serene.

"Both of you are truly amazing. How can you be so confident?"

"That's Tess's misunderstanding. Instead, I think Tess is amazing."

"Tch. What about me? After all, you pierced through the fortress, and I haven't been of any help."

Shirone didn't think that way. After all, the ability of a sword warrior and a mage will surely differ from the start.

In mental faculties, individuals who show results that surpass their age often appear, but sword warrior fighters, who require physical growth as a backing, relatively reveal their prominence later on.

Tess and Rian would become stronger in the future. And they would follow their own paths, infusing their individual beliefs into a single sword.

"Shirone, we've arrived."

Emerging from the forest, a sight opened up where the blue sea stretched beyond a paradisiacal cliff.

On the eastern side of the cliff, there seemed to be a house made of bricks. That place was probably the hideout. However, to get there, they had to pass through the last gate.

The interim leader Falkoa was waiting for Shirone and his group.

Tess frowned, puzzled. If he was the character she had evaluated, he should have drawn his sword and jumped into the battlefield long ago.

"What's this? Why is this guy still here?"

"Hehehe, it's much more fun to cause havoc from the beginning. However, we also have circumstances on this side."

There were instructions from Marsha. It wasn't a strategy suitable for his temperament, but Falkoa obediently followed. Because these were the words of the person who turned someone discarded as evil in society into a battlefield hero.

"Anyway, you've made it here. The commander was right. The woman you're looking for is in that building. Go in and get her out."

Falkoa stepped aside as if to clear their path. However, Shirone and his group couldn't move. A killing intent, completely different from what they had seen in the Royal Palace, blocked their way.

Tess understood Amy's feelings. In the end, fighting an expert like this also meant they had to take some risks on their part.

"He's trying to disrupt us. Rian and I will take care of this. Shirone, go in and bring Yuna back."

Shirone obediently nodded. In response to his clear agreement, Tess realized why Amy had smiled. Far from feeling abandoned, it moved her heart.

"So, after all, it's not such a cold world. Is this what it feels like when someone trusts you?"

With Shirone's abilities, escaping alone was not a problem. After briefly looking around, he cast Teleportation and his body disappeared in a flash of light.

But Falkoa didn't even glance at him.

From that look, Tess realized. He had planned to send Shirone away from the beginning.

"Why?"

"Well, the commander's orders are there, and besides, I prefer having women nearby."

Falkoa drew his sword and aimed at Tess. It's clear he's a man of turbulent temperament. But his drunken and staggering appearance had vanished.

Without taking his eyes off Falkoa, Tess explained the strategy to Rian.

"He's a Schema user. While I hold him off, you attack."

It was possible to guess how outstanding Falkoa's skills were just by observing his momentum. Therefore, the way to increase the survival rate was for Tess, the same Schema user, to defend herself.

"That won't work. I'll hold him off; you focus on attacking."

"Idiot, how can you hold him off? I hate to say this, but it's impossible for you to stop that guy alone."

"If it's impossible, then I guess I'll have no choice but to die."

"What?"

Tess raised her eyes in disbelief. But Rian was serious. Moreover, he hadn't given up the fight. He was simply fighting his own battle.

"We'll stay here to defeat him, not to save our own lives."

Tess couldn't refute.

"If you hold him off, we might gain some time. But you know, right? We can't win that way. We'll both end up dead. So, I'll hold him off. You focus on attacking."

Rian was right. Sharpening the sword and strengthening the shield wouldn't win the battle.

In the end, the rule was to sharpen the sword even if it meant giving up life.