The Tides of Battle

Even just running for a short while makes me sweat and out of breath, but there's nothing I can do about it. 

I had to be grateful that I could at least move my legs like other people. 

Boom! Boom! 

Only an ear-splitting roar echoes through the harbour at midnight. 

After crossing the night sky where more than ten containers were flying, Leo arrived at the end of the port, which was located right next to an empty lot and had a clear view of the sea. 

An escape that lasted less than a minute. From Leo's perspective, it was the result of his own skill. 

The man said with a blank laugh, as if he found it ridiculous. 

"Contrary to my looks, I can swim quite well. Swimming in the night sea is not that easy." 

"Hoo, Hoo… … What are you talking about?" 

"Didn't you come all the way here to escape to the sea? If not, I can't understand why you've been running at such a fast pace until now." 

Leo, who had been catching his breath for a long time, made a pitiful expression at those words. 

"You don't have any thoughts. If you go into the ocean in this weather, do you think you'll be able to survive for two hours?" 

"Well, there's no way that's possible with that body." 

The man quickly agreed and smiled. 

"So, you're saying you came to see the night sea just to find a good place to die…. You're more emotional than I thought?" 

"… … … " 

Not long after, a figure that seemed very angry stepped forward. 

Crunch-!! 

An empty container slides down a diagonal path, and a man with a vein in his head walks in from beyond it. 

The man looked at Jude and chuckled. 

"So, you chased him all the way there and couldn't kill him properly? That's why you can't properly protect your target." 

"Shut up." 

Jude's eyes sparkled as he shot her a sharp look. 

"The Cybride Echo side is even trying to use Bio transmission to save that woman. What do you want me to do?" 

"Oh… that's definitely unexpected." 

Bio transmission.... It seems that even the man knows something about it, so it seems that her organization suffered a lot of blood loss to save her. 

Jude looked back at Leo and, as if he had roughly figured out the situation, smirked and spoke. 

"It looks like you didn't run very far, but your expression looks pretty good. Have you accepted death already?" 

"I have a question." 

Instead of responding to the mocking remark, Leo asked, 

"You have no reason to kill me, do you? Your work would have ended the moment Paul Ackerman died." 

"… That's a pretty useless question to ask right before you die." 

Jude tilted his head, then opened his mouth without hesitation. 

Should we consider it leisure? The answer came in a straightforward tone, as if he was certain that Leo would not be able to return alive from this place. 

"Since my escort is dead, I should at least get revenge to save face. And…." 

"And?" 

Jude Russell, who had been quietly watching Leo, smiled cruelly. 

"Because the person who entrusted me with this escort mission was none other than Juice Master. If I failed to protect him, wouldn't I have an excuse if I took the criminal's balls with me?" 

"… … .." 

"Of course, the boss on the other side of the earth won't cut off my head just because one of his men died, but it's not something I can just let go of." 

Was it true that the rumours were true that Paul Ackerman was under Juice master? 

If the person was sent directly by the drug lord to protect his people, he would definitely not be an ordinary person of power. 

I only heard that he was a former mercenary, but the movements he showed earlier were also quite impressive. 

As expected, it was necessary to kill him all at once here. 

Since we've come this far, everything is already ready. 

Leo nodded, his resolve firm, and lightly raised his magical power. 

tide 

A flow that is so secretive and quick that the two people don't even notice yet is also light-hearted. 

Build it up magically all at once. 

[Reverse Gravity] 

Woooooooooooo!!! 

Immediately afterwards, gravity in all directions is precisely reversed, and surrounding objects, including containers, begin to rise upward all at once. 

The bizarre sight of the laws of physics being turned upside down as the direction of gravity is reversed. 

It was only in an instant that the expressions of the two people who had been standing firmly on the ground until then changed. 

"… ..!!" 

But the response is quick. 

BANG!! 

A man with one hand planted on the cement floor, and Jude with his sword drawn and planted in the ground, glaring at Leo. 

Leo nodded his head indifferently at the sight. 

It wasn't expected that simply reversing gravity would cause much damage. 

[Reverse Gravity] is famous for its outward appearance and powerful effect of reversing gravity, but it is a magic that consumes a lot of magical power and has little practical effect. 

If you want to bind your opponent, it is more reasonable to use [Gravity Bind]. 

But even so, there was a reason why Leo reversed gravity in this place. 

The first to notice the abnormality was Jude Russell. 

"…. Wait a minute, this direction!!" 

The direction of gravity is not exactly reversed. 

Jude Russell's mind began to race as he saw five or six containers floating in the air around him, all moving away from the sea. 

Leo grinned. 

"I have a good feeling." 

Kwaaaa ... 

As soon as he finished speaking, a wave rose from the harbour, swelling its body like a madman and reaching up toward the sky. 

Leo reversed gravity in this area, and at the same time included the sea behind him. 

The waves stretch out and tilt so far that they cover the sky for a moment and cast a second shadow in the middle of the night. 

At the same time, Leo moved his magic once more. 

This time, unlike before, he took over the space in an instant and distorted the source of the power that the two people were stretching out. 

Woodduduk!! 

"Ugh…!! What the fuck is this...!!" 

"Magic power…?!" 

If they are as skilled as you, there is a high chance that they will never be defeated again after being defeated once, but that is precisely why you have to seize the best timing. 

Even though I had several opportunities to kill the man while running away, I held back and ran all the way here, all for this moment. 

In that brief moment, the movements of the two people trying to avoid the oncoming waves changed into those of ordinary people. 

A huge amount of seawater covers the three people. 

Kwaaaaahhhh!! 

The saltiness that soaks the harbour's edge. 

Before the moisture had even evaporated, Leo drew forth his magical power with all his might. 

I feel the magical power building up in my stomach and returning to my body as a burden, but I grit my teeth and push it all the way up to the top of my head. 

The burden of continuously using high-powered magic powers was not something to consider in the current situation. 

In this place, a cold air like frost flows out, carrying a lot of moisture that has spread thickly. 

[Ice Round] 

Oh my gosh!! 

In the blink of an eye, the sea water flowing between the ports freezes, catching and binding everything floating in the air. 

A huge chunk of ice, hardened into a wave-like shape, swept over and crushed the entire visible open space. 

It is less powerful than [Frost Horn], which is used as a personal freezing magic, but assuming there is moisture beforehand, the casting time is extremely short, and the range is wide. 

Magic that can be used most efficiently and powerfully only at this moment. 

Leo quickly pulled out the revolver from his waistband, blowing white steam from between his teeth. 

[Aiming Correction] [Fire Boost] [Rotation Acceleration] 

In the blink of an eye, the muzzle of the revolver, which had three auxiliary magics stacked up, was aimed at one of the two people who had instantly frozen. 

Given the skills of the bandits and Jude Russell, it won't be long before they can be held captive. 

If you have to deal with it for sure, who should you kill first? 

The worries were already over. 

Leo didn't hesitate a moment and pulled the trigger hard. 

Taang!! 

Sparks flash through the barrel of the gun, and smoke billows. 

At the same time, half of the head of the bandit man who had been frozen in a strange position was shattered. 

Phew!! 

Hot blood spurts out with a dull sound, like a snowball breaking. 

Only then did the man break free from his bonds and stare at Leo in disbelief. 

"T, this can't be happening. Just because I couldn't move for a little while…!!" 

Can you still think and speak properly after losing half your head? 

Proof that men are not low-level warriors who would die so meaninglessly. 

But Leo didn't respond and immediately pulled the trigger again. 

What does it matter how strong or skilled a warrior he is? 

The man let his guard down and failed to properly assess Leo's abilities. 

That was the only defeat. 

Leave no regrets. 

The strength of the bandit-like man who summoned the spirits of his ancestors and strengthened his muscles was so strong that even Leo would not be able to handle him head-on. 

It is unclear how strong Jude Russell is, but it was right to eliminate the visible danger first and then calculate the next battle. 

Taang!! 

"Oh, Baal…!!" 

As the man's body, with only the neck down, falls, Jude Russell is freed from his cold, icy bonds. 

Whew!! 

At the same time, his body disappeared in an instant, leaving only a blurry afterimage, and appeared before Leo's eyes like a flash of lightning. 

A bold decision aimed at the moment immediately after a wizard uses magic. 

It's an incredibly good choice, considering that just a moment ago my whole body was freezing. 

Kaaaaang!! 

You probably thought you could break the shield in one try. 

Of course, he would have tried to seize this golden opportunity by using all his magical power. 

But Leo didn't give in to the same attempt to shatter the shield twice. 

Wooooow...!!" 

If the shields that were simply placed together are destroyed by the powerful force, all you have to do is change the shield placement. 

By leaving a subtle gap between the shields, and slightly altering the direction when an attack approaches, the direction of the force that strikes is misaligned each time one is destroyed. 

If I hadn't prepared like before, I wouldn't have known, but if I had known, I could have dealt with it. 

It requires a bit more attention to magic control, but it is sufficient for situations where you are only focusing on defence. 

"Ugh…!!" 

Just like the bandit man had done earlier, he probably wanted Leo to look at him with the same bewildered expression. 

But it was Jude Russell who bit his lips hard. 

The moment he realizes that his advance is blocked, Jude's new form makes a strange noise and disappears in an instant. 

The moment I saw Leo's power, I instinctively felt that there was no answer in a head-on confrontation. 

Paaaaat!! 

Quickly moving around in all directions, desperately trying to find a gap in the shield created by Leo. 

In that short time, he realized that the shield Leo had deployed could not operate in all directions, and he came up with the most effective countermeasure. 

Shhh…!! Shhh…!! 

The only sound that can be heard is the sound of the fresh wind blowing across the ice in the chaotic harbour. 

Tutter tutter!! 

The hollow sound of footsteps as you step on empty containers dozens of times, and cargo that has corners cut off, unable to withstand the pressure. 

In that invisible wind of murder, Leo waited for him to approach, clutching his revolver.