"Wind Wall."
Rest first cast magic on Diebl to protect him from enemy attacks.
He tried to treat his wounds, but Diebl shook his head.
"Lord Rest, don't worry about me. Please focus on the enemy!"
"Understood... Wind Blade, Fire Blade, Water Blade, Earth Blade!"
Confirming that Diebl was using healing magic on himself, Rest fired magic at the wirework man in the inverted pentagram robe... the 'Curse Caster'.
A quadruple magic cast. The four-colored blades rushed toward the 'Curse Caster'.
"Protect."
However, sand burst from the floor and walls of the building, intercepting the magic aimed at the 'Curse Caster'.
Even though it was just sand, it knocked down the four blades with a sharp sweep like a steel whip.
"Fast...!"
"Pierce."
"Tch...!"
Sand stakes shot out from the floor again.
This time, having been on guard, he succeeded in creating a wind wall and defended.
"Pierce, shoot, penetrate, sweep!"
But... the 'Curse Caster''s attacks were not yet over.
Sand stakes pierced, flew like bullets, and transformed into whips to assault Rest from the side.
The speed of magic casting was astounding. And the attacks came from all directions.
Sand magic flew from all directions, and Rest was forced on the defensive.
"Not good... Is this the enemy's territory...!"
This place was a sand castle — the home ground the 'Curse Caster' had created.
The walls, floor, ceiling, and pillars all seemed to be his weapons and armor.
The magic Rest had unleashed was blocked by the sand barrier, and several times that amount of attacks came back.
"Kill him."
The moment the 'Curse Caster' gave that bland order, the sand writhed like a living thing and assaulted Rest.
"In the first place... is this really magic?"
While fending off the sand, Rest ground his teeth at the abnormal phenomenon unfolding before him.
Rest possessed infinite mana, but at the same time, he also had an exquisite sense of perception and observational ability that allowed him to mimic any magic he saw once.
But even with that God-given talent, he couldn't understand what the 'Curse Caster' was doing.
He intuitively realized that this was not ordinary magic.
It was a mystery outside common sense, caused by a mechanism different from magic.
"No way..."
One possibility rose in Rest's mind.
Once he noticed that possibility, he couldn't help but think it was the truth.
But... no, that's right. If this isn't magic, then there's no other possibility...
"Pierce through."
Countless grains of sand turned into a barrage and pressed in.
Rest conjured a barrier of wind and continued to receive the sand bullets.
The sand bullets kept flying, no matter how many times Rest blocked them. His wind wall was on the verge of shattering, but he tirelessly repaired it with his infinite mana.
(I've never seen the real thing, but… this is just like the barrage from a Gatling gun. The mana consumption must be insane, yet the attack shows no sign of letting up.)
…Guess I'll try something.
Rest maintained the wind wall while watching for a chance to strike back.
At the same time, he locked onto the enemy's form… opened his mouth, and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Jugemu Jugemu Gokō no Surikire Kaijarisuigyo no Suigyōmatsu Unraimatsu Fūraimatsu Kūnerutokoro ni Sumutokoro Yaburakōji no Burakōji Paipo Paipo Paipo no Shūringan Shūringan no Gūrindai Gūrindai no Ponpokopī no Ponpokonā no Chōkyūmei no Chōsuke!"
"Wha…!?"
The stream of lengthy words had been spat out in a single breath.
The 'Curse Caster''s reaction to hearing that incantation-like string of words was stark.
He halted the sand bullets, and through the gaps in his long bangs, his eyes shot wide open in shock.
"Japanese… 'Jugemu'!?"
"[Thunder Cannon]!"
"Guh…!?"
The moment the opponent's attack faltered from the shock, Rest unleashed a precisely aimed blow.
A fierce bolt of lightning pierced through the 'Curse Caster', kicking up a massive cloud of dust.