Phil’s Engraved Name was [Freedom Bound by No One].
Kahlua’s Engraved Name was [Power to Be Close to the One I Desire at Any Time].
Ilya’s Engraved Name was [The Means to Reach That Great Sky].
A battle between mages was like a research presentation, pursuing each other’s ideals and announcing the results of their research.
It wasn’t about being physically strong. It was about how much one researched and delved deep into themes aligned with their ideals. It was also a place to show who was closest to their own ideal.
Therefore, the three had absolutely no intention of holding back even in a little sparring match.
And then, without anyone sending a clear signal… all three moved simultaneously.
Kahlua used the magic of [Closeness] to leave the area.
Ilya dropped her body upward with gravity.
Phil generated waves of shadow across the entire area.
(Well, Kahlua is as expected… after all, game over the moment she steps even one foot into the shadow.)
The shadows generated by [Binding] magic could all become gateways to the space Phil created.
Therefore, the moment you stepped in, you’d sink, and forcible deportation to the binding space would begin.
The reason Saint Kira could run on the shadow swamp was because her power was automatically boosted to exceed the shadow swamp’s power; normally, anyone would sink without exception.
Kahlua’s speed increased by constantly moving, and the more it increased, the more her power rose proportionally. For the first step or two of initial movement, she could overcome the shadow’s power and walk, but therefore she needed to break through the speed that was only permitted up to that point.
Hence, securing speed for stepping in and distancing herself from Phil who had expanded his territory was the best move. That’s why leaving this place was as expected.
“Now now, if you’re in a place like that, I’ll see your panties, you know?”
“Nyaa!?”
Ilya, who had escaped into the sky, hurriedly pressed down her clothes.
Ilya was flying… or rather, floating would be the correct expression? Every time she moved, she moved slowly at the same speed, exposing herself regardless of up or down.
“P-pervert!”
“But black is surprisingly sexy contrary to appearances—”
“It’s fine as long as I don’t take your life, right? I’ll crush your brain enough to make you lose your memory!”
“That ignores the rules you’re trying to follow and I’ll die!?”
Ilya’s face turned bright red as she said something scary.
She seemed quite upset about having her black panties seen.
Phil was surprised for a moment, then smiled wryly.
(So it’s gravity, meaning she made the surroundings weightless and floated her body? That’s quite a romantic magic, isn’t it?)
Phil extended multiple hands from the shadows toward Ilya.
First, he would deal with Ilya.
After all, Kahlua was moving around the area at a speed he couldn’t follow with his eyes. No matter how much he aimed and extended his arms, there was no way they’d hit.
But the same was true for Ilya.
The moment the arms extended near Ilya, they were violently slammed into the ground.
“You can’t reach me with such a shabby attack! If you’re going to escort a girl, you need to be more forceful!”
Ilya swung her arm down.
At that moment, Phil’s body was suddenly pulled to the ground—
“Huh!?”
Just when it seemed a dull sound would echo, he sank straight into the ground.
And immediately showed his face from another location.
“Hey, what if I get a crick in my neck!? My neck almost bent!?”
“Stay sleeping on the ground forever so you won’t notice your crick!”
Ilya slammed gravity onto Phil by swinging her arm.
But even so, he just sank into the ground the same as before. He showed his face from another location again immediately.
—Getting beaten one-sidedly wasn’t in his nature.
Phil sprouted arms from the entire extended shadow and launched them into the sky without aiming at Ilya.
If they were going to be knocked down, he just needed to swing them down assuming they’d be knocked down. The raised arms changed angles and this time rained down toward Ilya.
However, this time the arms were launched into the clear blue sky.
(I see, she can change the direction of gravity not just down but up too… she’s genuinely troublesome to face.)
Phil pondered while watching.
Ilya, floating in the sky, was also pondering the same way while forming walls of gravity around her.
(Now then, how should I defeat Phil-Salemabart… just slamming him won’t defeat him, as proven by those two attacks.)
No, more than that.
That wasn’t what she should be thinking about.
(It’s when that woman will come, isn’t it?)
(It’s when Kahlua will appear.)
Right now, the sparring had inevitably started as a face-off between Ilya and Phil.
But the longer time passed, the more power Kahlua would have in this place. Like in the North-South War, an attack that ignored the gravity walls might be slammed from a distant location all at once. It might reach her body ignoring the swamp’s coercive force.
That’s why their policies didn’t change.
(While attacking the opponent in front of me)
(Don’t neglect vigilance toward Kahlua)
Phil created hundreds of arms centered on himself and extended them into the sky. At the same time, Ilya immediately formed a gravitational field at the location where Phil had been.
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However, it was directed upward, not downward. It was in a form that assisted the arms Phil had extended.
If they wouldn’t be slammed down, just launch them upward so they can’t escape into the shadows. Then create gravity to crush from all directions and consciousness could be easily taken.
—Phil showed himself from within the arms launched into the sky.
“Now now, I’ll make you sandwich filling! Minced, of course!”
Gravity that could easily crush him to death attacked Phil from all directions. He couldn’t dive into the ground like before. Ilya thought there was no escape anywhere, give up—that’s what she thought.
But just before being crushed, Phil hid in one of the arms he had extended.
“Damn it! The arms are entrances too, how gross!”
The gravity that lost its target just crushed the shadow arms. Shadows were like images without mass. Even if crushed, nothing would remain.
—That’s when it happened.
“You’ve been getting quite cozy with Phil while I’m not around, haven’t you?”
Kahlua’s figure appeared right before Ilya’s eyes.
Probably, she had kicked off the ground and flown up to the sky with the speed she’d built up. Before she could even think that, Kahlua’s kick exploded into Ilya’s solar plexus.
Even though the power was somewhat dampened by the gravity wall, the force added by her speed was no ordinary thing.
However, while spilling blood from her mouth, Ilya’s lips curled up slightly.
“I won’t… make the same mistake…!”
Ilya’s body flew in the direction she was kicked. That momentum didn’t diminish at all.
Of course. Ilya was constantly creating zero gravity within the gravity wall. Therefore, the impact of the kick could be somewhat deflected by the wall being lost, and Ilya somehow managed to maintain consciousness even after taking the maximum blow.
“Now that bitch has lost her momentum too! If she comes to the same playing field, she’s mine!”
“Tch!”
Kahlua’s plan had been to take down Ilya in one blow at the timing when Phil wasn’t on the ground, then move again before Phil appeared to generate speed, and further take down Phil in one blow—a hit-and-run strategy.
However, it goes without saying that if she couldn’t defeat in one blow, it would be the worst situation.
After all, Kahlua was automatically increasing her speed by constantly moving her body. Therefore, it was difficult to move her body in midair, and she couldn’t secure the same kind of speed.
Moreover, this was Ilya’s playing field.
It was clearer than day that she’d be cornered in aerial combat.
(First I’ll take an attack and somehow get back to the ground! My magic includes physical enhancement, so I should be able to endure it!)
(Now then, I don’t know what that woman’s magic is like, but I’ll slam her into the ground with all my might! I’ll get both revenge and retirement here!)
Both their consciousnesses were directed at each other.
Kahlua taking a defensive posture preparing for the attack, and Ilya raising her arm with a smile.
Then—
“Thanks, it was really easy thanks to you two crushing each other.”
From somewhere, Phil’s voice could be heard.
At that moment, something like black chains wrapped around Ilya and Kahlua’s bodies.
“”—!?””
“Kahlua came to the sky where she can’t increase her speed. Ilya’s annoying gravity wall disappeared too. If that’s the case, then my shadow can reach you too.”
The two who realized the location of that voice looked up.
Phil in a form like sitting on a black sphere, looking down at them. A fierce smile floated on his face.
“Now then, let’s have you come to the same world as me. It’s not a pleasant and fun free place, but bear with it a little, would you?”
The chains gradually expanded their area, covering both their bodies.
By the time they had covered everything—both their bodies had cleanly vanished from the sky.
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