Immediately after, these fireballs rained down like a deluge, tearing through the air with shrill whistles, aimed precisely at Natsuki Subaru!
"Whump! Whump! Whump!"
Natsuki Subaru's figure moved in an instant, darting and weaving at extreme speed through the gaps in the dense rain of fire. His movements were so fast they left only afterimages; each sidestep and leap narrowly evaded the scorching explosions, his agility far surpassing normal imagination.
After a round of incredibly fierce bombardment, the deafening explosions gradually subsided. The area where Natsuki Subaru had stood was utterly disfigured, as if repeatedly plowed by dozens of cluster bombs, the ground riddled with charred craters and cracked traces, with scorching heat waves still rising from the scorched earth.
"Attacks of this caliber still can't harm me in the slightest."
"Roswaal, staying airborne, is like a mobile turret, relentlessly attacking me on the ground, not giving me any chance to approach!"
Natsuki Subaru thought to himself, staring at Roswaal in the sky.
"If this continues, I'll just keep taking passive hits; I need to find a way to bring him down!"
He knew very well that Roswaal, capable of using "Flight Magic," was one of the few individuals in the world who could fly independently.
Although Roswaal's flight speed and maneuverability were far inferior to that of a Dragon, whose natural ability is flight, there were noticeable delays when turning and stopping abruptly.
Even so, for a warrior like Natsuki Subaru, who specialized in close combat, Roswaal in the sky remained a significant threat.
Because Natsuki Subaru couldn't touch his opponent at all, he could only passively dodge, and over time, his stamina would eventually be depleted.
"How is it, Subaru-kun?" Roswaal's voice drifted down from the sky, tinged with a teasing tone. "How does it feel to fight on the ground? Are you already feeling—helpless?"
"Don't get carried away up there," Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but snort, deliberately using a taunt in response. "What kind of skill is it to hide in the sky? If you have the guts, come down, and let's have a proper showdown!"
"Haha—Natsuki Subaru, I look forward to your success more than anyone else!" Roswaal let out a strange and prolonged laugh, his heterochromatic eyes glinting with an eerie light in the sunlight, locking onto Natsuki Subaru below.
"For you, it's always a choice. Life or death, success or failure, everything depends on your choice, so—I eagerly await your answer."
"Tch!" Natsuki Subaru impatiently clicked his tongue, sarcastically retorting to Roswaal in the sky, "Roswaal, are you only capable of chirping like a sparrow, hiding far away and spouting baseless boasts?"
Of course, Natsuki Subaru clearly understood the deeper meaning behind Roswaal's words.
It was a hint for him to use the power of Return by Death, to find the optimal solution through continuous trial and error.
Unfortunately, Natsuki Subaru didn't want to rely on the ability of Return by Death to constantly amend the world and seek a perfect solution.
To be precise, he wanted to clear it in one go.
Because excessive reliance on Return by Death would only lead one to gradually disregard death, even toy with it, and that could never truly make one strong.
Facing Roswaal, Natsuki Subaru's heart was perfectly calm at this moment.
In the past, he might have been apprehensive, but that was then and this was now.
Since coming to this world and gaining the player system, his strength had gradually increased, and after successfully becoming the Shadow Monarch, Natsuki Subaru had simply experienced too much.
Magic Beast attacks, the White Whale subjugation, the Witch Cultists' harassment, the death match with the Sin Archbishop of Sloth, and countless solo delves into dungeon instances, battling various fierce Magic Beasts and even boss-level monsters...
All of this was the fundamental reason Natsuki Subaru had grown increasingly powerful.
It was exactly as the saying went—"That which does not kill me makes me stronger!"
"I must admit, this situation—is indeed not entirely fair to you~" Roswaal's voice, as peculiar as ever, echoed across the open battlefield.
"But precisely because of this, it allows me, in my role as a mage, to fully—utilize my abilities."
A moment's thought revealed that by maintaining long-range, one-sided attacks on an enemy, one could essentially stand in an invincible position.
This was, after all, Roswaal's most customary combat style.
Fully utilizing the advantage of magic range, fighting from an extreme distance where the enemy cannot reach—this is a mage's most fundamental winning tactic.
The problem arises when the opponent's effective attack range is greater than yours; then, the situation can reverse.
The current one-sided suppression would instead become a weakness for the opponent to exploit.
If one is at a disadvantage in range, one typically needs to actively close the distance to the enemy, and after eliminating the disparities caused by distance, rely on pure strength to determine victory.
However, Natsuki Subaru's current combat conditions did not allow him to do so.
Because he simply did not possess the ability to fly.
Unless, in the future, he could tame a flying Magic Beast or Dragon, or extract the shadow of a flying Magic Beast and transform it into a ridable Shadow Soldier, otherwise Natsuki Subaru wouldn't be able to gain aerial mobility.
"Subaru, let Betty help you..." Emilia looked up, her golden twin-tailed hair swaying.
"That narrow-minded Roswaal is just hiding in the sky, afraid to come down and fight head-on..."
Of course, these were matters for later.
"Facing a powerful enemy, yet having to fight him at his most proficient range and with his tactics."
Natsuki Subaru quickly pondered countermeasures in his mind.
As Roswaal had said, most of the Skills he possessed indeed could not effectively reach an opponent floating hundreds of meters high in the sky.
This feeling was like someone holding a sword empty-handed, helplessly watching a bird circle in the sky, unable to reach it no matter how much they swung; all close-combat methods felt pale and powerless at this moment.
In fact, facing Roswaal's aerial attacks, Natsuki Subaru felt no fear.
This stemmed not only from absolute confidence in his own strength, but also from the fact that these attacks simply couldn't truly harm him.
"Roswaal, that guy," he really didn't dare to come down for close combat. After all, a mage being cornered by a warrior meant defeat; he should know that better than anyone.
"However, this stalemate isn't a solution either... he can't hit me, and I can't hit him yet..."
Natsuki Subaru frowned slightly, looking at Roswaal in the sky, thinking to himself.
"Natsuki Subaru, don't look at me like this, a Court Mage isn't just—for show, you know~"
At this, Roswaal let out a wild laugh, and several brilliant magical lights instantly burst forth from his entire body, with six different elemental magic energies circulating around him.
One must know, over four centuries of accumulation, Roswaal had become a grand mage capable of mastering all six magic attributes.
His mastery of magic had long since reached the peak attainable by mortals, enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his teacher, the Witch of Greed, Echidna, and perhaps even surpassed her in certain practical aspects.
Among these, Roswaal, driven by his insane magical talent and obsessive desire for self-improvement, had modified and created numerous unique spells.
Many of the magical arts he used, even if not entirely self-created and recorded in his manuscripts, had at least undergone significant personalized modifications.
Nevertheless, he never bothered to name these newly created or modified spells.
In the realm of magic in this world, Roswaal L. Mathers was undoubtedly one of the strongest figures standing at the pinnacle.
"Al Goa!"
With that, Roswaal's mana surged, and in an instant, he summoned dozens of fireballs, each flickering with a bizarre, different-colored glow.
They could not only attack collaboratively from all directions but also instantly transform into towering pillars of fire or agile fire snakes darting across the ground.
This unique spell could penetrate most conventional magical defenses, making it extremely difficult to block by ordinary means.
Facing magical fireballs assailing him from every angle, Natsuki Subaru knew he couldn't completely dodge them, but his composed face showed no trace of panic.
"Shadow Exchange."
Just as the scorching flames were about to engulf Natsuki Subaru, his figure suddenly blurred—
"BOOM!!!"
A violent explosion deafened the ears; flames and shockwaves raged furiously, leaving behind a charred crater over ten meters in diameter and two meters deep. Rolling dust and thick smoke spread, obscuring everyone's vision.
"Subaru!"
Emilia gasped, her hands unconsciously clutching her mouth, her amethyst eyes instantly filled with undisguised worry and panic.
"Subaru..."
Beatrice's call also escaped her lips almost simultaneously.
"How could this be, Subaru..."
Even the usually calm Ram showed a rare look of concern, her wine-red pupils slightly contracting.
However, in the very next second, Natsuki Subaru's familiar and calm voice sounded beside them.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Natsuki Subaru had appeared unharmed beside them at some point, not even a crease in his clothes, and said to the girls,
"Attacks of this caliber still can't harm me in the slightest."
"Subaru, let Betty help you..." Emilia said, looking at Natsuki Subaru.
"Subaru..." Ram also spoke up proactively, a rare occurrence, though her tone remained as flat as ever, yet a hint of concern was faintly visible.
"Lord Roswaal has the aerial advantage; does Ram need to create an opportunity for you to close in? Perhaps it would help you cope better."
"No need." Natsuki Subaru shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the concerned faces of the three girls one by one.
"Dealing with Roswaal, I can handle him alone, and besides..."
As he spoke, a confident smile played on Natsuki Subaru's lips.
"I've already thought of a way to deal with that Roswaal who likes to hide in the sky."
After saying this, Natsuki Subaru's figure vanished from his spot, reappearing directly beneath Roswaal once more.
"What's wrong, Natsuki Subaru-kun? Have you run out of tricks—already?" Roswaal asked leisurely from the sky. "Your little tricks seem to be quite useless against my absolute advantage in distance, don't they~"
"Don't get carried away up there!" Natsuki Subaru calmly looked up and retorted, his gaze growing sharper. "Just because you're flying a bit high, do you really think I have no way to deal with you?"
"This is a mage's irreplaceable advantage—you see." Roswaal replied with a smile, as if stating a simple fact.
"I'm in the sky, you're on the ground. Even if you possess immense power, if you can't hit the target, it's all in vain—you see."
"Who says I can't hit you just because you're in the sky?"
Natsuki Subaru's lips curled into a slight, confident smile.
"What are you sayi—"
The next second, Roswaal's heterochromatic eyes suddenly constricted, and for a moment, he was speechless.
"Come forth, Shadow Soldiers!"
Natsuki Subaru's mind stirred, and the shadow energy around him surged violently like boiling ink.
Immediately, a dense black shadow separated from the shadow beneath his feet, quickly coalescing and taking shape. A Shadow Soldier, clad in jet-black armor and wielding a shadowy blade, abruptly appeared.
"Is this your new trick—Natsuki Subaru-kun?" Roswaal stabilized himself in the air, his heterochromatic eyes filled with scrutiny and bewilderment.
"Do you think summoning a few shadow puppets will turn the tide of battle?"
"Of course, I can!" Natsuki Subaru declared, stepping forward and leaping up, precisely landing on the solid shoulder plate of the Shadow Soldier. "Next, I'll let you witness firsthand what true three-dimensional maneuver warfare looks like!"
Immediately, Natsuki Subaru's legs suddenly pushed off, using the stable support, and he shot upwards like an arrow from a bow.
In mid-air, a second Shadow Soldier had precisely appeared in his descending trajectory, providing the next relay point with a steady posture.
"I see—so you intend to approach me this way? However, that's quite naive~"
Understanding Natsuki Subaru's intention, Roswaal chuckled and flicked his finger, and a volley of fireballs immediately whizzed out.
"Whoosh!"
Natsuki Subaru, however, deftly twisted his body in mid-air, lightly tapping the shoulder of the newly appeared Shadow Soldier with his toe, using the leverage to leap again.
"It's useless—in the air, you're a sitting duck!"
Roswaal raised his right hand, further increasing his mana output, and more fireballs wove into a dense barrage, blocking all of Natsuki Subaru's possible movement routes. Concurrently, a continuous chain of Shadow Soldiers had been summoned in the air, forming a dark staircase leading upwards.
Natsuki Subaru weaved through the rain of fireballs, shouting back:
"Whether I'm a sitting duck or not, you'll only know if you try!"
Thus, Natsuki Subaru used his loyal Shadow Soldiers as aerial footholds, continuously leaping upwards. Like a phantom, he moved through the air in a series of six consecutive zigzags, carving out an unpredictable path, swiftly closing in on Roswaal with astonishing speed.
"To forcibly close the distance in such an unprecedented manner—typical of you, always full of surprises—Natsuki Subaru~"
Roswaal hastily pulled back, a flicker of astonishment in his heterochromatic eyes. He continuously waved his arms, releasing dozens of scorching magical projectiles, weaving a dense net of fire in an attempt to block Natsuki Subaru's incredible approach.
"Child's play!" Natsuki Subaru scoffed, dense shadow energy appearing on his arms. Using the ability of Ruler's Authority, he easily batted away the incoming magical projectiles, his eyes burning with fierce battle intent.
"Is that all you've got, Roswaal? Just wait patiently up there! I'm coming to drag you out of that turtle shell and grind you into the dirt!"
______
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