“...High Heal.”

My left arm was enveloped in a green light, and the pain began to subside.

It's been a long time since I last bled. The last time was when I was bullied, and Isozaki punched me, giving me a nosebleed. But of course, this pain was nothing compared to that. The adventurers of this world live with this kind of pain every day—truly, they have my respect.

After my exchange with Ande, the entire grassland around us was in ruins. No—at this point, I couldn’t even call it a grassland. The soil had been ripped apart, and all the green grass and flowers had completely vanished.

I stole a glance in the direction of Sara and the others. The Edwards Kingdom's forces seemed unharmed, having moved even further away from us than before. During our fight, the range of my magic attacks had extended significantly. I'm sorry, Sara and the others, but I don't have the luxury to protect you while fighting Ande.

“...You're quite capable, but the difference in combat experience clearly favors me. How about surrendering now?”

…As frustrating as it is, Ande is right. It's astonishing, but his magic is equal to or even superior to the power I inherited from the Grand Mage. On top of that, he utilizes blinding tactics, selects the most effective spells for each situation, and dodges or blocks only when necessary. Without a doubt, his battle experience surpasses mine.

If I stop moving for even a moment or fail to launch counterattacks, he’ll crush me with an endless barrage of magic, just like earlier. If not for yesterday’s training, I would have been finished already. I can only be grateful to everyone.

But at this rate, I have no chance of winning. My only hope is for Ande to run out of magic power before I do. Yet despite casting so many spells in succession, he shows no sign of exhaustion. If this turns into a battle of attrition, I’m the one who’ll collapse first. In that case...

“Not a chance! ULTIMATE MAGIC—AQUA VALGUINIR!!”

A massive magic circle formed in the sky. Unlike other spells, ultimate magic conjures a supplementary magic circle in the air when activated.

If I’m outmatched in speed and experience, then I’ll end this with an overwhelming, decisive blow. There’s no room for hesitation or holding back against Ande. I’ll unleash the strongest magic I can!

“...I never imagined you'd reach this level. Very well, I shall answer in kind! Ultimate Magic—Aqua Valguinir!!”

“What!?”

A second massive magic circle appeared, overlapping with a section of mine.

Before my eyes, an enormous dragon made entirely of water took shape. The ultimate spell, Aqua Valguinir, creates a massive dragon composed of water.

“GAAAAAAAAA!!”

And before Ande, an identical water dragon emerged. The dragon’s form varied based on the caster's mental image, so the one I conjured looked different from Ande’s. Mine resembled the dragon I had defeated when I first met Lilith and the others.

Ultimate fire and wind magic are wide-range attacks, ideal for exterminating large groups of monsters. However, if I tried using them against Ande alone, he would simply escape the spell’s range with his super speed before it could activate.

But with this water-element ultimate magic, the dragon will relentlessly pursue its target until it hits. Given its enormous size, it will eventually strike its mark. I had heard that Ande could use ultimate fire magic, but I never knew he had mastered ultimate water magic as well.

“GAAAAAAAA!!”

Both water dragons lunged at each other, ramming their claws into their opponent's body and sinking their fangs into their flesh. Though their appearances differed, their sheer size was nearly identical. Despite being made of water, these dragons were pure magic. Their giant claws and fangs were fully solid—taking a hit from them would deal tremendous damage.

“GAOOOOOO!!”

For a while, the two water dragons clashed fiercely. I considered attacking Ande while they fought, but the dragons were battling right in front of us. If I got caught in the middle of their fight, even I wouldn't escape unscathed. Both Ande and I stood our ground, unable to act recklessly.

After a brutal exchange, the dragons simultaneously vanished. It seemed Aqua Valguinir was perfectly matched.

“...It appears we are evenly matched when it comes to ultimate magic. However, I never expected you to be capable of using it. Truly a shame—if you were a High Elf and had more time, you might have surpassed even me.”

“Then, in honor of that praise, how about surrendering just this once?”

Even my ultimate magic was countered. ...Despite having equipped some overpowered magical gear, I had already expended a significant amount of mana. To be honest, this situation was looking pretty grim.

“...You say the most amusing things. I've never had such an exhilarating battle before. There's no way I'd let it end here.”

“............”

What kind of battle maniac finds this fun!? I’d drop to my knees and grovel if it meant saving Sara and the others!

“...Come now, let’s continue our fight!”