episode_0175

“Yunoa… Are you okay?”

“… … It’s okay.”

I don’t know how many hours have passed since I focused my mind on the magic power of the demonic test subject.

I continued to concentrate my mind to control the magical power of the demonic specimen, and repeated countless times, with my will being thrown out by an unknown repulsive force.

Mileia was looking at me with worried eyes.

She took a small handkerchief out of her pocket and wiped my face.

I wondered why, and when I looked, I was drenched in sweat.

“That guy seems to be the closest to the Demon King among the existing Demons. Because I can feel the magic power of the Demon King. There is no way you can win by just fighting back. The good news is that the device is taking his attention.”

I belatedly explained it to Mileia, who was waiting for me in silence.

Mileia had been guarding me for hours, even though I didn’t even tell her why.

“I see. Is that why you didn’t lend me the holy sword this time?”

“Yes, it’s really dangerous this time.”

“I understand. Do you need more time?”

“I don’t know… I’m trying to take away that guy’s magical power, but it’s not easy.”

“If you think it will take more time, you can bring some food.”

Milleia told me.

She seemed prepared to wait for days until my work here was finished.

I am truly grateful.

“After… It certainly doesn’t seem impossible… … .”

I began to focus on the magical power of the demonic test subject again.

From what I felt, it didn’t feel like it was impossible to take away control of magical power.

This was because it felt exactly like the feeling of putting together a puzzle that you always feel when taking away an opponent’s magical power.

Thinking back on my past experiences, the moment I took control of my magical powers, I always felt as if the gears in my head were clicking into gear. Before that, it felt as if an invisible hand was reaching out to a place that seemed barely out of reach.

However, if stealing Xaviel’s magic sphere felt like solving a hundred-piece puzzle, this felt like solving a puzzle so large that just looking at it would break my will.

It’s not impossible to solve, but it feels like you can never solve it without a lot of grit.

“It’s difficult… … .”

I sighed as I looked at the demonic test subject in front of me, which was like a crystal of magical power with the magical power of a demon lord.

Is the method wrong? Is it possible that I can’t take away that guy’s magic with my magical talent?

As I was thinking about that, I heard a narration.

『Yunoa hadn’t even tried for a single day, and she was already thinking about giving up.

How can things in this world be so easy? Moreover, the opponent is a demonic test subject with the closest magical power to the existing demon lord soul.

Yunoa’s magical talent was like a unique ability in this world that not even a goddess could have.』

Well, okay.

I know that my magic talent is great, but even though I’m trying it now, it’s difficult.

『Then there was another way to just fight.

As long as the holy sword could be properly inserted into him, it was possible to destroy him like any other test subject.

But objectively, the difference in power was so extreme that it was close to impossible.

In fact, it is an act of suicide, but if you give up even though you know that it is clearly possible, that may be the way to go.』

You just want to die.

I heard that if you say something even a little bit weak, they will immediately say something like that… … .

Anyway, it’s not impossible, so let’s keep trying.

So I continued to concentrate on taking away the magical power of the demonic test subject.

The mental fatigue was great because it was not simply about concentrating on books or classes, but about seeing the other person’s magic power through magic vision and feeling it through sixth sense.

Even though Mileia was wiping away the sweat next to me, when I came to my senses, my face and body were soaked with sweat.

Doesn’t this shorten your lifespan?

The time of patience to even think like this passed by again and again.

“Yunoa, I haven’t eaten anything almost all day.”

“Umm… You don’t even know you’re hungry because you’re wrestling with that guy’s magic power.”

“It’s dangerous if you don’t eat something. Fortunately, it seems like all the monsters here have been wiped out except for that one, so can I come back for a while?”

“… … Please do me a favor. I’m sorry, Mileia.”

I’m so glad I came with Mileia.

If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have been able to handle the test subject, and she wouldn’t have been able to assist me while I focused on my magic.

A full day passed, then two days.

I ate the food that Mileia had procured, took a break in between, and accessed the magical power of the demon test subject whenever I had time.

Even though I had been trying for so long from the side, the experiment object that was staring at the central device without making a single movement suddenly became even more amazing.

Is it possible to survive semi-permanently without eating or sleeping due to the influence of the pseudo-demon spirit?

And what exactly is the device in the center that allows it to hold that test subject like that?

Let go of complicated thoughts and keep concentrating.

It was the first time that I had consistently attempted to control magic power for such a long time, especially against magic power that was difficult to control.

As I continued to try for a few days, I finally started to get the ‘feel’ that seemed like I would never get it.

A vast expanse of magic imaged as a puzzle in my mind.

If you try to touch it, it is a powerful force that immediately breaks your concentration due to strong repulsion.

However, the size of the power is only greater, and in fact, if you just look at it, it is the same as when he was imprisoned in Ludmilla’s magic stone prison in Ainblad.

When I first tried to feel and accept red magic in the magic stone prison, it didn’t work out as well as it did with blue magic.

The difference in power was so great that it felt close to impossible.

Now you know. I was definitely adapting to the magical power of the demonic test subject.

a little bit… little bit more… … .

I felt like I had rediscovered a cogwheel in my head that had been lost somewhere.

It was the third day like that.

With the pleasant feeling of the gears in my head clicking together, I succeeded in taking control of the magical power of the demonic test subject.

“… … Done!”

Its magical power did not reject my will, but naturally moved like my magical energy.

I immediately drew my sword and slowly approached the guy.

Mileia tensed up behind her and entered a fighting stance with her greatsword drawn.

But she won’t be fighting.

That’s because I control all the magic power in that test subject’s body.

“… … !”

When I got close enough to the sword to reach him, he finally looked back.

The two empty eye sockets, like a zombie, gave me goosebumps.

And then he pulled out the rusty sword on his waist.

Phew!

But before he could move any further, my holy sword pierced straight through his body.

The power of the goddess contained in the sword began to shine and break down the guy’s body.

Originally, it would not have been possible to insert the sword this easily.

Because I was suppressing all of the magical power in his body, he was unable to use his magical power as he wanted, so he was incapacitated.

If you can’t use magical power at all, you’re just like an old, dried out, twisted demon corpse.

“Phew… … .”

I looked down at the demonic test subject whose body had completely collapsed, and took a deep breath.

Now, if we have Mariel examine that central device, she might be able to find a way to lure out the Demon King’s soul.

“Hey… Yunoa? Are you okay?”

As the tension I had maintained for a long time in order to take control of my magical power was released, the fatigue I had forgotten about came all at once. And then, Mileia came up to me and asked.

“It’s okay. I’m just a little tired after fighting an invisible fight for several days.”

“The head… … .”

“Yes? What’s wrong with your hair?”

“Half of it has become white.”

I was startled by Mileia’s words, and glanced at my reflection in the shiny metal part of the central device.

“What is this… … .”

It was true.

My once black hair had split in half and turned white, just like Mariel’s.

* * *

“Uhuhuhuhuhu! you! Looks like you used up quite a bit of mental power!”

After disposing of all of Calozium’s test subjects, I visited Mariel’s laboratory in the Demon King’s Castle to ask her to investigate the mysterious device that lures the Demon King’s soul there.

Mariel listened to the whole story and burst into laughter when she saw the color of my hair had changed.

“Don’t laugh like that, why is this like this?”

“Concentrating on magical power consumes a lot of mental power. If it’s a little too much, your hair may turn gray due to extreme stress. Well, it wouldn’t be good for the health of an ordinary person if something like that happened, but for people like us who accumulate magic power in our bodies, only our outer appearance will change, so don’t worry too much.”

Is it mental exhaustion and stress? … .

It seems that the several days of trying to control the magic power of that damn demon experiment proved to be more difficult than expected.

Mariel said, pointing to her pink and white split hair.

“I ended up like this for the same reason! I stayed up all night conducting research for about 5 days, and suddenly something happened like this!”

He proudly said that his graying hair was proof of his hard work.

No, even if you say that… Suddenly half of my hair turning white is a bit… … .

I guess I’ll have to look into hair dye later.

“Anyway, there’s something I’d like to ask you to investigate… … .”

Forgetting the trivial matter, I immediately got to the point with Mariel.

In the past, one of the previous demon kings discovered a mysterious device that seemed to attract demon king souls at a facility where demon king souls were being studied. If the device is used well, it may be possible to find the real demon king soul, whose whereabouts are now unknown… … Called.

After hearing my explanation, Mariel’s eyes sparkled and she showed interest, as expected.

Then he packed his bags and said he would go to Calosium right away.

“If you find out anything, please let me know.”

After asking Mariel, I decided to return to Kubel for a while.

It was because my body and head were still tired.

I wanted to go back to my house in Kubel and rest before the other half of my hair turned gray.

* * *