Stiyl Magnus' consciousness was still murky.
(Ugh…ah…)
His world was upside down, his jaw felt painful, and he felt that he lost his balance. It took three seconds for him to realize that he had fallen.
The strength in his hands and feet was gradually recovering, but it was still too slow.
In contrast to his large physique, he didn't have the strength required for close-ranged combat. It wasn't because Stiyl didn't train himself, but rather it was a fundamental issue.
He was using rune cards and codified spells, which required a lot of magical power. Magic wasn't created from nothing, it was a power that could only be created by undergoing different magical exercises within the body.
To an ordinary magician, this wasn't too difficult for them. But for people who used a pope-level spell like Stiyl's Innocentius, it was a different thing altogether. Repeating the same mundane motion over and over again, and the magical 'activity' would pressurize Stiyl's body. Thus, he would use up more energy. In other words, this meant that his insides and outsides were working at the same time.
Unlike Kanzaki Kaori, he wasn't a Saint chosen by God.
Unlike Tsuchimikado Motoharu, he wasn't a genius magician who specialized in a certain type of spells.
Even so, he had a reason to fight.
Thus, he had learned all about these runes from the Christian organization and got the pope-level spell Innocentius. The price was that he had to abandon any possibility of close ranged combat, to the state where he couldn't light a fire without using rune cards.
But the reaction caused by this determination was now corroding his body.
(Damn…it…)
His consciousness was wavering.
In this situation, he could hear the sound of a fist being swung and spells colliding. That amateur was still fighting. Even if he was hit, even if he was knocked down, he wouldn't back down, he wouldn't give up. He would grit his teeth and clench his fist.
The amateur who he could never be like.
No matter how much time passed, he would never be able to reach that position.
Still,
"MTWOTFFTO (One of the five great elements from which the world is constructed). IIGOIIOF (The great flame of the beginning)."
He had the spells that he had learned in order to protect a certain girl.
To fight against those who trampled on that smile. For this purpose, he had endured blood-shedding pain to learn this flame magic. This was the result of him putting in all his effort to learn this magic, with a slight feeling pushing him forward.
"IIBOLAIIAOE (It is a light of blessing that raises life and a light of judgment that punishes evil)."
Stiyl Magnus knew.
Such a spell was already useless. There was already someone standing beside that petite girl. Thus, this spell was completely useless now.
"IIMHAIIBOD (It is overflowing with calm blessings and with freezing misfortune that destroys cold darkness)."
Even so, this spell was also able to protect people other than that girl.
For example, a wide-eyed teary petite girl whose hands were dyed in someone else's blood, and had to depend on something that was so completely useless and such a stupid technique.
For example, a girl who was not a magician, but because she had a Cross on her chest, she had been misidentified as one, and was now in her own pool of blood.
"IINFIIMS (Its name is fire and its role is the sword)."
However, such an action wouldn't bring Stiyl any consolation. It was like making a cake for your favorite person, only for it to be eaten by a complete stranger who tells you that "it's delicious". No matter how someone praised you for it, it couldn't hide that empty feeling inside.
"ICR (Be manifest)."
Even so, if he helped them, he could still protect that certain girl's smile in the end.
If protecting Academy City could protect that person's smile,
Stiyl Magnus would gladly accept this task.
Using all his strength just to help some other unrelated people.
And because of this slight lingering feeling, he had to beat this enemy now.
"MMBGP (Become the power that eats into my body)—Innocentius!!"
From the insides of his robes, a large number of cards flew out. The runes flew out like a paper avalanche, and with him as the center, they stuck onto the cracked and devastated ground.
The flames shot out.
The flames were released like a red lotus, moving inwards, and disappearing. In the middle was a black humanoid figure, the 3,000 degree Celsius god was standing just beside him.
"…Go, Innocentius—"
The magician said as he slowly got up.
He supported himself with his hands and feet, standing up in a shaky manner.
Even so, he would not bend that axle of his body and soul.
He shouted out to the sky.
His magic name,
"FORTIS931!!"
The thing that he had sealed onto his soul, on this Innocentius that he had worked so hard to set up was…
(-"I PROVE WHY MY NAME IS THE STRONGEST HERE!!"-)