In this world, the paths of a “Mage” and a “Spirit User” diverge in their fundamental goals.
A Mage is one who masters only their own inner power, while a Spirit User is one who masters powers other than their own. Both utilize mana, and both require knowledge of magic circles.
“I suppose I am an exception in human history. After all, I am the world’s only ‘Divine Spirit User’.”
A person’s aptitude is decided the moment they are born.
As a rule, there is only one organ known as a magic circuit. Only one attribute can be obtained per magic circuit. That is the limit of humanity.
Therefore, the way of a Mage is to spend a lifetime mastering that single attribute.
Then, what of the Spirit User?
They do not use their own attribute at all; instead, they use their magic circuit solely as a path for a contract with a spirit. In exchange for abandoning their innate attribute, they borrow the attributes and magic of the spirit they have contracted with.
“To aim for the ultimate ‘One,’ or to aim for the ‘All-Purpose’?”
Researching the interpretation of attribute magic and evolving one’s own magic circuit—that is the effort of a Mage.
Researching magic circles and summoning high-ranking spirits to form contracts—that is the effort of a Spirit User.
“The approaches are different. I have mastered both. Despite possessing such talent, no one but Sugiru-sama recognized my true value.”
To me, it was never a choice.
Both were things I could achieve as a matter of course; I never felt a difference between them. I was all-purpose, yet I was also the ultimate ‘One.’
In the very concept of magic, I can declare with certainty that no talent greater than my own exists.
“To have the talent to kill a Demon King in seconds, yet be unable to defeat a mere disease… it’s quite the joke, isn’t it? Though, I suppose the theory was only completed on the verge of my death.”
Even looking only at my side as a Mage, I undoubtedly surpassed the Demon King. As a Spirit User, I had been extraordinary since long ago.
However, the theory for the magic circle to summon a Divine Spirit was completed only very recently.
“This is destiny.”
Despite saving a talent of this magnitude, Sugiru-sama asked for nothing in return.
To him, it was a mere whim; he simply granted mercy while passing by. He didn’t even have the intention to exploit me.
“Oh my, you’ve arrived quite early, haven’t you?”
“Is it you? Are you the one who did this to this city…! I will never forgive you!”
The Hero’s party had arrived.
At my irony, the Hero made a face as if he had chewed on a bitter bug. In normal terms, their arrival was fast, but it was also far too late.
There was no one left to save. This city had literally perished.
“A hero who can save no one is nothing more than a defective weapon.”
“What did you say…!”
“Take that back!”
“That’s right, we saved humanity! We exterminated the Demon King!”
The three members of the Hero’s party grew enraged.
The giant priest, the young mage girl, the elf spirit user—the heroes who saved humanity.
“Ihihi! But, but? Unfortunately, this city is…?”
“You…!”
In fact, simply reaching this place was likely a feat in itself.
Sixty-four Divine Spirits had been summoned and were currently trampling this city. Since they reached me in such a short time, they are undeniably strong.
However, even if they are strong, even if they are weapons, even if they are heroes, they could not save the people of this city.
“Heroes like you, you see? You can only save the species known as ‘humanity.’ You never save, and can never save, an individual like me.”
You cannot spend time saving the few. A Hero is an existence forced to choose to save the many whenever they have a spare moment.
Even among the few, the value of a life is not equal.
Compared to the life of a King, or even the life of a Noble, the life of a commoner is like trash. Why? Because a valuable life is an existence that can lead the masses.
“You understand, don’t you? If I were to guess the reason for your delay, were you not ordered to remain in the Royal Capital?”
“How… how do you know that…?”
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The Hero seemed shaken. What a cute reaction.
He is likely not much different from me in age.
A young talent, a weapon, a hero.
“Did you know? Because of the dragon carcasses you slew, a plague spread, and this city was already in the depths of despair from the start. I suppose it can’t be helped that you, who were busy training in high-difficulty dungeons, didn’t have the presence of mind to handle the disposal of carcasses…”
“That… that can’t be…!”
“I, too, was supposed to die. If I hadn’t been saved by Sugiru-sama, that is.”
Laughing, I speak of Sugiru-sama’s existence.
In contrast to my expression, the Hero’s face grows darker…
But he surely won’t believe my words. Because to him, I am ‘evil.’
“You think I am evil, don’t you?”
“Of course I do!”
“I won’t deny it… But you know, sometimes evil itself can be a salvation.”
There is such a thing as “euthanasia.”
There are people living with feelings that make death seem preferable.
Take disease, for example.
The Hero surely doesn’t know the despair of being unable to move, simply waiting for death. That kind of despair was commonplace in this city. The Hero cannot even imagine the people for whom being killed was a mercy.
“The minority that a Hero cannot save—I have saved them for you.”
“You’re insane… What kind of salvation is that!”
The Hero howls.
Blessed with talent, blessed with comrades, blessed with a mission.
He cannot understand the feelings or the pain of the few who are cast aside. Because he is a strongman and a hero.
“You kill demons to save humanity. I kill the sick to save them. What is the difference? Is it not the same—a solution through violence?”
“It’s different! You’re just doing whatever you want! I am fulfilling a given mission, a wish! Yours is just self-satisfaction!”
“A defective weapon that can only save through someone else’s orders must have it quite rough, mustn’t it? Ihihi! That’s just the entity giving you orders doing the ‘saving’; you merely did the ‘killing,’ didn’t you?”
“What…”
Power that is not wielded by one’s own will is worse in quality than mere violence.
To cast aside the existences one could not save by saying it has nothing to do with one’s own will… a Hero is truly nothing more than a weapon to the very end.
The existence known as Emo-Sugiru, who saved me of his own will and told me to live freely, is like a mirror. An existence located at the polar opposite of a Hero.
“Hero Order.”
“Wh-what…?”
“It is the organization Sugiru-sama recruited me into. The screening of Heroes—perhaps it is an organization meant to question weapons like you. To ask if you can truly be heroes.”
“Again… Emo-Sugiru again…! Just what is that guy doing in this city!”
“Who knows…? He didn’t tell me. That is why I must prove that I am useful. By defeating you all, you see.”
The Hero draws the holy sword from his waist.
Holy Sword Arleria—about the size of a one-handed sword, pure white in color. A special national treasure that can only be handled by a possessor of a light-attribute magic circuit.
I have heard that simply holding it increases physical capabilities to three times that of a demon.
“The three behind you are in the way.”
“…!”
“No way…”
“Impossible…”
I release my mana and draw a magic circle in the air with one hand.
What I am about to unleash is the ultimate art of a “Mage.”
To the Hero’s party, who thought I was a Spirit User, the fact that I, the caster, would fight personally must be unbelievable.
“Construction Sign—’Spiral Mana Ruin’.”
Construction Magic—the culmination of a Mage’s craft.
It manifests one’s own laws within a specific space. Unless the magic circuit is evolved to the absolute limit, it will burn out, unable to withstand the strain. It is a secret art that would kill an ordinary mage just by using it.
“That… that can’t be right!”
The young mage girl of the Hero’s party shakes her head while trembling.
the Elven Spirit User is also dazed.
The Hero and the Priest can’t even comprehend the situation.
“Oh my, for the great Hero’s party to be this shaken by something of this level… The Demon King could use this too, could he not?”
“He used his subordinates to maintain the signs with both hands! How are you…?”
True—Construction Magic has a flaw.
Because it consumes massive amounts of mana to deploy, it cannot be maintained unless one constantly forms hand signs. It is a style of fighting prized in large-scale battles.
However, those with Magic Eyes are the exception.
Aside from their unique abilities, they share a common power. Magic Eyes can visualize the flow of mana in the world and the human body. In other words—maintenance is easy, even without forming signs.
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