Yup, Tamaki took the #1 spot. Next chapter is t.i.tled as an Extra chapter, though DON’T WORRY as this volume still has more story chapters after it! (It’s a popularity contest extra. MUST TL IT! … will probably be lower quality though. Don’t want to waste much time before going to the main story again!)

Aaand… this chapter took so long because Stellar Transformation exists. Read all 11 volumes in 2 1/2 days of no-life. It was glorious T_T

Story 3-23『s.h.i.+eld』

"Orah oraah!" (Lily)

Lily bombarded me with fireb.a.l.l.s one after another.

I continued to desperately dodge them.

"Where did that power from a moment ago go!?" (Lily)

"Leave me alone! This is part of my strategy!" (Tamaki)

Using magic would be a waste. I can somehow avoid this level of attack.

"Even if you say that…" (Lily)

There was a group of three fireb.a.l.l.s. I dived and rolled forward. The b.a.l.l.s I left behind struck the wall and exploded.

“As expected, I have to attack too!” (Tamaki)

I took out knives and threw them. This time they would head to the left and right of Lily. I jumped to follow them.

"Phew-!" (Lily)

Lily deftly took care of the knives with her hands. During that, I drew close and drove my fist into her abdomen. Additionally, I fired off magic.

"Saying you could avoiding it at this range would be unreasonable. Ice Lance!" (Tamaki)

A spear of ice manifested from my hand and pierced through Lily's waist—I thought.

However, she didn't even have a scratch. No way… she melted it?

"Oi oi, it's dangerous to contemplate in the middle of combat you know? Moreover leaving an opening like this!" (Lily)

She swung her thick muscles from overhead. I immediately crossed my arms in order to defend and went to my knees. It was an explosive front kick.

"Kya-!?" (Tamaki)

Abandoning myself to flying, welling up with nausea, I desperately raised my arms to endure it. At that instant, I brought back the attached knife that had dropped near Lily.

On the way, it stopped at and entangled with the obstacle. [TN: Obstacle read as 'Lily'.]

"Mu-!?" (Lily)

"Icy Wind!" (Tamaki)

Revolving once in the air, the transparent thread that connected the knife to my hand caused it to fly through the ice and bite into Lily's body, doing some minor damage.

"Hmph… thread, was it? Well, something to that degree just itches. If you want to seal my movements, you're going to have to give it a bit more strength." (Lily)

It seemed that it turned out the same as the Ice Spear earlier.

Though I wanted to save it for a little bit longer… it's not going too well.

"… Now then, it's my turn next. Fireball." (Lily)

A fireball appeared in her hands when she spoke.

“… Still trying to hit me?" (Tamaki)

"Yeah. Though, it'll be somewhat different this time. You know, something like this." (Lily)

She hit two fireb.a.l.l.s together. They absorbed into each other, becoming one large fireball.

"Fireball."

She repeated the process again. It became slightly larger. Lily repeated it. Eventually it grew half her body in size.

The heat reached me from there.

"Next will be with this ball. You should run." (Lily)

The huge fireball launched from her strong arm. I immediately flew backwards from the blast when it came into contact with the ground.

"It's not over yet!" (Lily)

"Triple Guard!" (Tamaki)

I hurriedly put up an ice s.h.i.+eld, but it took away control of my body and I wasn't able to avoid it completely.

"Ah-…!" (Tamaki)

"Watch out! Here's another big one!" (Lily)

Before I knew it she attacked with a gigantic fireball she made. I chanted to make another triple ice s.h.i.+eld to stop the blow. However, it wasn't stopping the force of the attack. The fire was also melting the ice.

Meanwhile, she was beginning to chant another magic.

"Emperor of Flame. Thou, burn those that hinder this one's n.o.ble path." (Lily)

"-!?" (Tamaki)

This is bad. Getting hit by an Emperor-cla.s.s spell is very bad. I can't let her finish that spell no matter what.

However, the approaching fireball won't let me do that.

"Scream, evil inferior species. Become food for the blackened scorched earth." (Lily)

"Aah!" (Tamaki)

The fireball finally disappeared.

Lowering my waist to get a better view, I saw Lily draw back her arm. A scorching flame was coiled around her arm.

Sensing what the significance of her posture, I immediately enclosed myself in a layer of ice.

"—Chaos Spiral." (Lily)

Emperor-cla.s.s magic was shot out from her extended fist.

It was a masterpiece.

The h.e.l.lfire could extremely easily break through the bulwark and burn me to death.

Although I invoked the ice magic several more times, even that was practically meaningless.

"Ah… …" (Tamaki)

Barely making it through h.e.l.l, I could do nothing but collapse. I didn't even have the power to stand up.

Looking at my left arm, it was burned until it became brittle like black charcoal. Already, the blood had disappeared. I couldn't feel any pain either.

As a small mercy, my right arm could barely move. Seeing that, I smiled.

"What is it, that smile. It's unpleasant." (Lily)

“… N-nothing. It’s just that I wish I could have been more useful…" (Tamaki)

I was unable to speak clearly. Like this, I may not be able to chant magic well.

Lily noticed it and sighed.

"… Looks like you are out of tricks.  Well then, shall we put an end to this?” Lily)

There was a thunderous roaring sound as Lily's magic caused flames to wrap around her body. The power was concentrated, moving to her arms.

"No… it's not over yet…" (Tamaki)

Little by little I turned my quivering finger towards Lily. She probably thought that it was useless struggling. She sighed.

Lily took a step, then another towards me. Flames coiled around her arms in a spiral like from the magic earlier.

If she fires it, it'll be game over.

I don't want that.

Therefore, therefore, I—

"… Bang." (Tamaki)

—shot an『Ice Bullet』at Lily's chest from my finger.

"Kaha-…!?" (Lily)

The flame disappeared into a mist with her concentration was cut, replaced with bright red blood scattering out instead.

I've been hiding it until now.

I believed that I would without fail have a chance at some point and didn't use『Chant Subst.i.tution』. When I obtained it on that floor I set the trigger to invoke『Ice Bullet』to the action of『Shooting a gun』.

Because I thought that it wouldn't be possible to win the first bout by fighting normally, I didn't dare to use it.

Because Lily would be vigilant if I used it, I wagered on that.

I won the bet.

"Y-you… the heck was that!?" (Lily)

Lily's blood was pooling at her feet. Red liquid endlessly overflowed from the empty gaping hole.

"I have no obligation to tell you!" (Tamaki)

Stand up! Run through it! My legs!

For the sake of being next to that idiot, I can't afford to be defeated by someone like that with only this much difference in power!

"Ya-!" (Tamaki)

I threw the knife that was in my clothes. After that I formed the shape of a gun with my fingers and repeatedly shot it. Ice Bullets were shot.

"Not yet…!" (Tamaki)

The Ice Bullets followed the Knife so she couldn't stop them. They dug into her shoulders and legs. [TN: One bullet per area. Not sure how to say that, sorry.]

"Guh…! No way, are you using THAT!?” (Lily)

"Now, to top it off! Frozen Earth!" (Tamaki)

I filled the distance between us while taking something out of the pouch by once more covering the floor in ice with『Frozen Earth』to seal her movements.

“Kuh! I’m telling you that that trick won’t work on me!" (Lily)

Lily opened her mouth wide and moved her chest to take a breath, she was trying to breath fire.

"Flamethr—" (Lily)

"I won't let you!!" (Tamaki)

"—Gah-!?" (Lily)

In one go, I kicked the ground and ran at her with all my strength while clenching my teeth to endure the pain.

I had predicted how she would use『Flamethrower』to react to『Frozen Earth』and made use of what was in my right hand, forcing it into her wide open mouth.

"Gopu-!?" (Lily)

"Thoroughly savor it!" (Tamaki)

I hit her chin from below with my palm. She crunched everything inside her mouth.

Since there's no way it's durability would stand her human beast fangs, it easily pa.s.sed into her throat in small pieces.

"W-what did you!?" (Lily)

"… I put this into your mouth." (Tamaki)

I took out the goods that were in the pouch and showed them to Lily.

Knowing what she had eaten, her face paled. Because, it was something that was enough to endanger her life.

"T-that's… Crystal Stone!?" (Lily)

As one would expect she was fl.u.s.tered from the effect of improperly using the Crystal Stone.

"Yeah. Furthermore, Fantra prepared it. That guy was one of the Six Demon Generals like you." (Tamaki)

"Fantra… is it? Y-you defeated him!?" (Lily)

"Finished him off… that's right. I don't know after that… well, here's the question." (Tamaki)

I put away the Crystal Stone, raised my index finger and forcibly started to act like a quiz show host.

I forgot the pain in my throat from the excitement.

"Magic that the body cannot withstand has been poured into it. What happens to that body? The answer please, Lily!" (Tamaki)

I confidently laughed in my victory. Now I'll surely have a horrible smiling face that wouldn't lose to Katsuragi's.

However, that's not bad.

"… They'll explode." (Lily)

"Correct!" (Tamaki)

As I said that, I moved to a far distance away from Lily.

"… My loss?" (Lily)

Her amount of magic was large from the start. She didn't explode immediately, and she bit her lip in vexation. However, she also looked glad.

"Sorry, since I can't lose here." (Tamaki)

"Don't worry about it… Oh, one more thing. Will you listen?" (Lily)

"What is it? I'll answer as a reward from earlier." (Tamaki)

"Is your reason to follow Hero-sama『Because I love him』?" (Lily)

Lily's question relieved me. The tension melted, and I smiled slightly.

"Yeah, that's right. I love Katsuragi. Though, there's one more reason." (Tamaki)

It's something that Katsuragi calls me on a regular basis. A role that only I can do.

Although I'm sure that idiot doesn't mean it, I know.

I do what I want, go the way I wish.

Because I—

"Because I am the s.h.i.+eld that protects him." (Tamaki)

And so, smiling, I threw out my chest in pride and answered.