Ifrit (4)

"Our opinion still won't change, we will believe in Haruto."

Selianna drew her admantine broadsword from the sheath and pointed it against Bryan. Rikka moved closer to her side and did the same with her katana.

"We're going to take back Asami-san, she's neither you nor this country's toy. She was herself and her place belonged at Sugimura-kun's side."

"...." Bryan was silent.

"Now, Granger- No, Bryan Granger. For the suffering my family been through 12 years ago, I'm going to slay you. Not as a knight, but as my father's daughter."

"You better prepare yourself..." Rikka glared.

Even though they never known at each other before, neither have they introduced themselves with each other, but right now they were strangely in tandem. One was a former assassin while the other was a righteous knight. It was so ironic. And yet it was brought from their share of common enemy and also from the young Saiyan's trust in them.

"Fu, Fufufu...HAHAHAHAHA!"

Bryan burst out laughing like mad.

"...You shouldn't try to act tough Bryan Granger, I know of your strength ever since I was a child. And even right now you should not improve much. Unlike my father, you never bothered to train yourself." Selianna said coldly.

Rikka too agreed in her mind. She already observed the power of this noble man ever since they stayed at his mansion.

The result of a few days of constant investigation was that he's not a lot stronger than a normal guard at his house.

"No, I'm not acting tough. It was indeed as you said, right now my situation was very unfavorable. My strength cannot match both of you neither can I use Asami to fight since Ifrit was away chasing after that boy. Now what should I do, it's so troubling...." He said that with an amused face, clearly did not match the content of his saying.

"...."

Not wanting to see his sickening expression any longer, Rikka charged forward with her katana placed on her side. With her nimble steps and agile legs, she closed the distance between them in an instant.

The noble middle aged man did not show a reaction from her movement. That prove he couldn't see through her speed with his senses.

Putting herself below him, Rikka slashed fiercely against Bryan's flank.

*Clank!!*

"What!?"

A thin blue barrier appeared right in front of her eyes. It blocked her katana about a few centimeters away from Bryan's body. Rikka was flabbergasted from having her attack stopped.

"...Is that, a magical barrier...?"

Selianna voiced her suspicion by observing the barrier.

"Oh dear you really are such a barbaric woman, even since a week ago you already rampaged on my house countless times, aiming for my head." Bryan said mockingly.

"Kuh!" Rikka gritted her teeth and brandished her katana to release a triple attacks from the left and right before ending it with a strong thrust to the middle.

Selianna joined her too and used her broadsword to strike against the barrier.

*Clank!* *Clank!* *Clank!*

Once again their attacks were stopped. The barrier was so tough and it was Rikka's katana instead that was chipped from clashing against the magical shield.

It couldn't be helped, her katana was brought from armory for common guards after all so the quality of the blade was not that high.

Thinking there's no use in continuing the same kind of attacks, Rikka and Selianna retreated back.

"How about this then? Power Cannon!!"

Selianna sheathed her sword and extended her hands forward, charging an orange energy with most of her power before launching it against Bryan.

*BOOM!!"

The energy blast struck Bryan's barrier and exploded. Rikka was a little worried about Asami next to him but Bryan should not let her be harmed as he still needed her.

"That's not bad at all Selianna-kun. You have indeed improve a lot since years ago. But it's useless.

The smoke cleared, revealing the blue magical shield covering both Asami and him, unperturbed.

"Ugh!"

*BOOM BOOM BOOM*

Not giving up, Selianna fired more attacks to him but the result was still the same, the barrier remained still without any scratches.

"I told you it was useless." Bryan sneered.

"How did you create a magical barrier....?" Selianna asked, dumbfounded.

"The answer for that question is because you girls are misunderstanding something."

"What?" Rikka raised her eyebrows.

"Since when did I ever say I was a fighter?"

"-!? You mean...?!"

Selianna appeared to have guessed what Bryan's was trying to say and became shocked.

"Hehe, that's right Selianna-kun. I'm not a fighter, I'm a magician."

"!!"

Rikka could not hide her surprise. Magician? He meant THAT magician? People who fought with magics and spells?

"Impossible! I clearly did not sense any mana from your body!!"

She squinted her eyes again and observed Bryan's body thoroughly. Once again, she could not detect any mana so she couldn't help but refuted Bryan's statement as falsehood.

"It's because of this, a gift from my late grandfather."

Bryan put his hands inside his collar and took out a green necklace.

"That's, an artifact..?"

"That's right. It's an artifact from the elven country. My grandfather's army once fought and killed a prestigious elven Sage and plundered their belongings. This necklace was one of them. It's function was to conceal the mana inside the body and made them look like ki instead. He gave this to me ever since I was born, as a present."

"Guh! But that still didn't explain how you could block our attacks, a human magician could not possibly be that strong!" Selianna shouted frustratingly.

Magicians. They exist on all the three nations except for the dwarves who only consist of pure fighters. But even if other races have their own magicians, only an elf could become a very powerful wizard.

This was because their body constitution automatically enhanced the quality and quantity of their mana, strengthening their magic and quickening their casting time, far better than beastman and humans.

Not only that, they also possessed a brilliant mind to conjure complexes spells like compound magic for example. It was known that the smarter you are, the better the magic you unleash become.

Human was the second best in terms of magicians but it was still far off against elves. Only they could unleashed terrifying earth-shaking magics and spells. So naturally, Bryan as a human could not possibly had that such strong barrier to deflect their attacks multiple times effortlessly without any sign of distortion.

"You're exaggerating Selianna-kun, our dear princess could also do the same as easy as breathing you know?"

"That's because she's not considered as a 'human' any longer!"

"I really hope she won't ever hear your words...." Bryan said with amazed look at Selianna, even he did not dare to badmouth that abnormal princess.

"*Cough* In any case, about your question. I indeed could not replicate what Luminette-sama could do. The reason my barrier being this strong was because I use the same mana reserve I injected on Asami's body. It was still left a lot so I decided to use it for myself."

"....Even how you could 'reserve' mana was simply absurd. It looks like your house was full of treasures isn't it?"

"Huhu, my grandfather was quite adventurous during his youth after all."

In any case this did not resolve the situation. Rikka was so frustrated, if she had a stronger and tougher weapons then perhaps she could give it a try once again.

Selianna's sword was far tougher than her but it was a completely different weapon. A broadsword and a katana, even if Selianna's was tougher, Rikka wouldn't be able to use it properly because she lacked the experience needed.

In terms of physical attacks, Rikka was better than Selianna so if Rikka's slashes could not put a scratch on the barrier, neither would her.

"Kukuku, I don't think I'm going to use any spells against you girls. I'll just stay here and wait to see if you can broke through my barrier." Bryan said crossing his arms while smirking. The two girls could not help but bit their lips frustratingly.

They're running out of time like this.

Right now they could hear sounds of explosions and pillars of flames rising through the sky from afar. The ground around them was shaking heavily. They realized Haruto must currently having a fierce fight with the flame demon beast.

They knew that soon enough the fight will be over. The case of Haruto ended up being defeated did not cross their mind now, they believed in him.

But what about them?

Haruto already entrusted the task of dealing with the other enemy to them, are they going to betray that trust? No way, such thing was not tolerable, not for Rikka.

Thinking of another way she turned her gaze at the still controlled Asami and spoke emotionally

"Asami-san, is this alright with you?"

"...."

Asami stared still with her hollow eyes.

"Right now Sugimura-kun was fighting you know? In order to save you."

"Are you alright with this? That beast was summoned by you, are you trying to kill your own little brother?"

When she mentioned about 'killing' Haruto, Asami's eyes trembled in an instant before becoming still again. Rikka did not miss that so she decided to continue her words, hoping that they could reach her heart.

"He's finally here you know? Alive and well. Are you going to waste this second chance and kill him?"

"...."

"I admire your effort, young girl but it's no use, she won't be able to break free. I'm really proud of this controlling device, such a feeble girl like her would not possibly to-" Bryan said with a mocking tone but stopped.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!!"

Rikka screamed.

"What do you bastard know about her!? I maybe only spent an entire month with her but I know how care she was with Sugimura-kun!! Even when he died in our world, she was so devastated that her mind was broken!! And you're telling me that kind of little shitty machine could control her feelings!? DON'T YOU FUCKING JOKE WITH ME!!!"

She shouted with vulgar words, unlike her.

Bryan was taken aback from Rikka's emotional outburst, even Selianna too.

She could glint on the relationship between Haruto and Asami through Rikka's word so she was shocked upon learning the truth. To think Haruto is Asami's younger brother, no that's wrong, he 'was' her younger brother.

"And you Asami-san, what are you doing being defeated by a toy like that!! Is your will that shallow!? Is Sugimura-kun not important to you!? WAKE UP!!"

"....!"

Asami finally shown much more reaction. Her body was shaking heavily while she's clenching her hands so tightly that blood could be seen dripping from them.

"AREN'T YOU HIS OLDER SISTER!?"

"! U-Uuu...!!"

"What!? Impossible!"

Finally, light began to return to Asami's eyes. Bryan was extremely shocked seeing that. Selianna too was impressed by her willpower, she knew about the bracelet from a book before so she knew how strong the mind control from the device was.

Asami's eyes now were letting out tears, wetting her face and with all of her effort, she tried to open her stiff mouth.

"Ah, Aaa...."

"...."

"....R-R-Rik..ka.."

"Asami-san!"

*Bzzt* Bzzt* Bzzt*

"Uuu..gghh....!!

She could see Asami already regained her senses but her body was still stiff and the bracelet on her wrist was sparking with red electricity, showing her defiance from it's control.

But Ifrit still not stopping, as expected she still did not regain control on her body. Bryan too look relieved seeing that, her mind may returned but her power was still in his grasp!

Asami bit her lips until it bled and tried to resist further but her entire body felt like burning. He brained felt roasted and all her flesh and blood was boiling from defying against the control of the bracelet.

No matter how much she tried she couldn't stop Ifrit and instead from her emotional turmoil and the malfunctioning device, the beast was instead getting more agitated and going to use his ultimate attack!

'No, this is bad!!' Asami screamed loudly in her mind.

And then they all saw it.

High in the sky a small sun was formed brightening the night sky. It was gathering all the magma and flame from the ground and compress it into a small sphere, ready to be launched.