Infinite Mage - Remake

The appearance of Shirone’s group, having escaped the valley, was a complete mess.

They had washed their faces with water, but their torn clothes were stained with blood—whether it was theirs or someone else’s, they couldn’t tell.

It was fortunate that there were no additional troops.

Considering that the fortress built in the valley was a strategic stronghold, the 40 soldiers they had just annihilated were likely the elite of the Parrot Mercenary Group.

Even if there were remnants, they wouldn’t pose a significant threat.

Amy: “This way.”

Amy pointed in the exact direction.

According to her memory of the map, they had moved approximately 12 kilometers from the point where the battle had started.

Taking into account the slope’s angle, it translated to about 7 kilometers of progress on the map.

Tess marveled at how Amy used her red eyes like a compass.

‘Karmis. Truly a jack-of-all-trades.’

As they crossed the mid-slope, a path finally appeared.

Tess took the lead and checked the traces. Though faint, there were clear marks of a carriage having passed through.

Tess: “From here on, this is their living area. In other words, we’ve broken through the outer defenses.”

It was welcome news for the exhausted group, but it wasn’t a situation where they could let their guard down.

Even though they had wiped out most of the troops, they still hadn’t encountered any of the higher-ranking officers.

Tess: “The hideout should be at the end of this path. Yuna will be there too. We have no choice but to proceed.”

At that moment, Tess’s eyebrows twitched.

Tess: “Take cover!”

From the dense forest beside the path, a projectile faster than an arrow came flying.

Shirone’s group had already dodged, but they couldn’t escape the shockwave of the explosion.

Shirone: “Ugh!”

Shirone, pushed back by the shockwave, slammed into a tree trunk before launching himself forward.

He hid in the bushes and confirmed that the spot where the projectile had landed was now engulfed in flames.

Shirone: “A fireball?”

No, if it had been a fireball, Tess would have noticed it sooner.

Amy: “Shirone! Be careful!”

The second and third attacks came flying.

As Shirone dodged, Amy’s gaze quickly moved.

‘Over there.’

Calculating the trajectory, she unleashed a series of Flame Strikes toward the depths of the forest.

“…….”

She couldn’t be sure if the enemy had been hit, but no further attacks came.

Tess: “Come out! Cowardly ambushing us like this!”

The bushes rustled, and a man revealed himself.

Judging by the distance, he had moved incredibly fast.

Man: “Not bad. It wasn’t just luck that brought you this far.”

‘Who is he?’

The man was about the same height as Rian, but his slender build suggested agility over brute strength. His pale complexion and the way he slicked back his hair gave him the appearance of a snake, even without eyebrows.

‘No, he’s stronger than that.’

Everyone felt the same.

After exchanging glances, Amy spoke.

Amy: “Who are you?”

Man: “The vice-captain of the Parrot Mercenary Group. Agado Freeman.”

The appearance of the second-in-command made Shirone’s group tense.

But conversely, it also meant that their destination wasn’t far.

Amy: “I’ll handle this. You guys go rescue Yuna.”

While numerical superiority is a basic tactic, it’s an exception when hostages are involved.

Even if they subdued Freeman, they wouldn’t be able to rescue the hostage without executing the operation simultaneously.

Shirone: “But……”

Shirone glanced into the forest.

There were 10 soldiers hiding there.

Though he had thought there wouldn’t be any more elites, their level didn’t seem inferior to the enemies they had faced in the valley.

‘Did they deploy two units from the start?’

For a mercenary group, not a formal army, to divide their forces into two branches was impressive.

In fact, the soldiers in the forest were Freeman’s direct subordinates.

Given their different tactical operations, they couldn’t mix with Falcoa’s men.

In any case, if the vice-captain and his direct subordinates were here, it meant this was the final barrier for them.

‘Even if we break through here, the hostage will be in greater danger. Someone needs to slip through now.’

As Shirone pondered, Amy pointed to the weapon in Freeman’s hand.

Amy: “Shirone, look at that. It’s a gun. The hidden soldiers will also be using guns. They might not be as strong as him, but……”

Shirone had also learned about this at school.

While bows used interchangeable arrowheads, guns were specially designed to use only magic bullets.

Though the specifications were narrow, making them more expensive than arrowheads, their rapid-fire capability made a huge difference in combat.

Judging by the design, it was a revolver with a rotating cylinder.

Shirone understood what Amy was getting at.

Shirone: “Got it. I’ll leave this to you.”

The enemies’ range was likely several hundred meters.

Even if Shirone closed the distance with teleportation, the enemies would just retreat further.

On the other hand, someone specializing in sniper mode could return fire from the same distance.

Above all, Amy, being a graduate, was the only one who had trained in this type of tactic.

Amy: “I’ll block their path with a Fire Wall. When I give the signal, slip through in the meantime.”

Shirone nodded and stepped back, while Rian and Tess finished preparing to move.

Amy, who had been glaring fiercely at Freeman, suddenly focused her energy.

Amy: “Now!”

A ring of fire raced across the ground, trapping Amy and Freeman.

Before anyone could react, a wall of flames several meters high erupted.

Even in the scorching heat, Freeman calmly observed the flames.

Fire Wall was an advanced spell that allowed flame mages to diversify their tactical options, but it consumed far more mental energy than other active spells.

After maintaining the Fire Wall at its maximum height for over three seconds, Amy released the spell, and Shirone, Rian, and Tess had already slipped away from the battlefield.

Freeman was genuinely impressed.

‘Three seconds.’

It was a short time, but enough to evacuate allies during battle.

Moreover, creating a wall over five meters high was a feat even professionals found difficult.

Freeman: “Impressive. Sacrificing yourself for your comrades.”

Amy’s pale complexion, even paler than before, showed her exhaustion.

Amy: “Hmph, don’t talk about sacrifice. I sent them away because I can handle you alone.”

Freeman: “Is that so? You seem quite tired. Sorry, but I’m in a hurry, so I can’t wait for you.”

Freeman let his left arm hang, and another gun slid out from his wide sleeve.

‘Dual guns. As expected, this guy’s a gunner.’

Among the various combat professions based on schema usage, gunners were unique.

They focused most of their physical abilities on agility and speed, compensating for their lack of firepower with magic bullets—a fusion-style combat method.

As Freeman gripped a gun in each hand, a series of clicking sounds echoed from the depths of the forest.

Amy’s eyes narrowed.

“…….”

The sound of hidden soldiers reloading.

If they were using the same model as Freeman, each gun held six bullets, meaning twelve bullets in total for dual guns.

Assuming there were 20 enemies, the firepower cycle would amount to 240 bullets.

‘This is serious.’

She thought about calling her friends back, but there was no one to joke with now.

Freeman aimed his guns.

Freeman: “Your reckless adventure ends here.”

His cold aura was the complete opposite of Falcoa’s.

A gunner who moved solely to eliminate enemies, without arrogance or pleasure.

Amy’s lips curled into a smile.

If Shirone’s role had been crucial in previous battles, this time it was her turn to shine in the fight she was most confident in.

Amy: “You’re challenging me to a duel?”

Her red eyes glowed, and a stream of flames wrapped around her.

Amy: “This time, you’ve picked the wrong opponent.”

At the northern edge of the cliff, Falcoa stared at the sea, puffing on a cigarette.

Behind him stood a subordinate with a bandaged head, wearing a grim expression.

Falcoa: “Annihilated, huh?”

The subordinate flinched and bowed his head.

Subordinate:

Even if they could have escaped using magic circles, annihilation wasn’t an excuse.

Falcoa raised his head.

“…….”

If they had passed through the valley, the only ones left were Freeman and his damn subordinates.

Though he acknowledged their skills, Freeman’s tendency to avoid dirty fights often clashed with his own men.

‘Heh, the dirty work always falls to me.’

It’s not like he was ordered to do it.

If Freeman had staked his life on the Parrot Mercenary Group, Falcoa was just living his own way.

Honestly, all I wanted was to pick up the dirt-covered loop and shove it into my mouth right away.

Falcoa bit down hard on his own wrist.

As he greedily tore into his flesh with his teeth, he began sucking the blood with a slurping sound. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, and droplets of red blood fell to the ground.

Gradually, his eyes regained focus, and he finally seemed to recover his full vitality.

He flung his arm down as if shaking something off, then tore the corner of his blood-stained mouth like a wild beast and let out a roar.

Falcoa: “Grrrrrrr!”

Tess kept looking back. Amy, whom they had left behind on the battlefield, still lingered in his mind.

‘Is this plan really going to work?’

Even if a gunner’s firepower was inferior to a mage’s, they still possessed physical abilities comparable to a swordsman.

‘Mages are high-value assets. But still…’

It would be a mistake to think that Schema users feared magic like ordinary people.

Magic focuses on specific phenomena, but Schema enhances all physical activity.

Even a simple increase in physical strength exponentially expands the range of tactics one can employ.

They can wield heavy equipment, scale cliffs hundreds of meters high, run as fast as horses, or leap between buildings.

To such individuals, magic is merely a tricky phenomenon to deal with, not something to fear.

‘Amy is also a Schema user, but they’re on a different level. They’re veterans with extensive combat experience.’

Shirone, running alongside him, spoke up.

Shirone: “Tess, don’t worry too much. Amy will be fine.”

Tess: “I can’t help but feel uneasy about leaving her behind. At least I should’ve stayed with her…”

The reason they couldn’t do that was because Falcoa was still with the Parrot Mercenaries.

Of course, Rian had physical strength comparable to a Schema user, but to handle other threats, Tess’s presence was absolutely necessary.

‘Well, he must know that.’

Shirone was probably the one most worried about Amy.

Realizing that even his anxious expression could affect the team’s morale, Tess acknowledged his mistake.

Tess: “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

Shirone: “It’s fine. Amy didn’t sacrifice herself. She sent us away because she truly believes in her abilities. While it’s a mage’s basic duty to account for all variables, Amy is exceptionally strong at long range.”

Sometimes, the safety of a comrade can unsettle the mind more than life-and-death situations, but Shirone remained unwavering.

It was unclear whether this was due to Shirone’s composure or the mindset a mage must inherently possess.

‘They’re such good friends…’

Tess began to understand why mages were often portrayed as cold-blooded in public perception.

Rian pointed ahead.

Rian: “Shirone, we’re here.”

As the terrain flattened, the sea could be seen shimmering beyond the cliffs in the distance.

Shirone spotted a brick house peeking out from the forest, its roof rising above the cliffs.

‘Yuna must be there…’

When he turned his gaze, he saw a familiar face blocking the forest path.

Shirone: “Falcoa.”

Tess’s brow furrowed slightly.

‘His aura has changed.’

It wasn’t just the blood smeared around his mouth.

If the Falcoa at the tavern palace was a rabid dog, the one before them now was like a fighting dog cured of its madness.

‘He’s still the same dog, though…’

In any case, this Falcoa likely resembled the one from the Parrot Mercenaries’ heyday.

Falcoa grinned, the corners of his mouth stretching wide.

Falcoa: “Heh, I knew you’d come. Freeman was always like that. The boss was right. The girl you’re looking for is in that building. Go in and try to take her, if you can.”

Falcoa pretended to step aside, but Shirone’s group didn’t move.

Tess realized that Amy’s decision to fight alone had been the right one.

Tess:

Shirone nodded calmly, and Tess understood Amy’s feelings.

‘He’s not cold.’

Behind the mage’s rational judgment lay a deep sense of camaraderie.

Shirone: “I’ll be back.”

With those brief words, Shirone cast a teleportation spell and disappeared into the forest.

Falcoa didn’t pursue him.

He couldn’t, and there was no need to.

‘Kid, what’s waiting for you is hell.’

Marsha was there.

Having fulfilled the boss’s orders, Falcoa finally revealed his true nature.

Falcoa: “Heh, it’s been a while since I’ve had some blood.”

Sensing the killing intent, Tess explained to Rian.

Tess: “He’s a Schema user. I’ll hold him off since I don’t know what tricks he might pull. Look for an opening to attack him.”

Rian: “No. I’ll hold him off. You attack.”

Tess: “Are you stupid? How are you going to hold him off? It’s not that I’m underestimating you, but without understanding Schema, you’ll just get crushed.”

Rian: “That’s why I’ll do it.”

Tess: “What?”

Rian: “I’m not fighting to save my life. I’m fighting to win. If you hold him off, we’ll buy time, but we won’t win in the end. I’ll hold him. You kill him.”

“……”

Tess swallowed hard.

‘Rian’s right.’

No matter how strong a shield is, if the sword is weak, you can’t win a war.

Even if it means sacrificing an arm, you have to strike the enemy.

Tess: “His Schema isn’t at the level of a student. Can you really hold him off?”

Rian: “If I can’t, I’ll lose.”

As Rian stepped forward, raising his greatsword, Tess moved to the side, trying to stay out of Falcoa’s line of sight.

Seeing the textbook two-man formation, Falcoa sneered.

Falcoa: “Looks like you’ve seen this before. But kid, do you really think you can stop me?”

Rian: “Come at me. I’ll take it…”

Before he could finish, Falcoa lunged forward, swinging his sword at Rian’s head.

The speed was dizzying.

Falcoa: “Hahaha!”

Rian hastily raised his sword to block.

The moment his vertical blade met Falcoa’s strike, a bone-jarring impact shook him. It felt less like a sword and more like a hammer slamming down.

Falcoa: “What? Are you already done?”

Before Rian could react, Falcoa’s sword slammed into his greatsword again.

Rian: “Ugh!”

All Rian could do was raise his arms to support the blade.

Falcoa let out a roar and swung with full force.

Falcoa: “Raaaaah! Raaaaah!”

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The relentless pressure forced Rian’s knees to the ground, and Falcoa kicked him in the stomach.

Tess: “Rian!”

Tess shouted, unable to break formation. It seemed like the fight was already over.

But defying Falcoa’s expectations, Rian rolled on the ground and sprang back to his feet.

Rian: “Hoo.”

Falcoa’s eyebrow twitched.

A critical hit, especially to a vital point, should have left him unable to stand.

This wasn’t just physical ability—it was something more.

Rian: “I get it now. This is your level, huh?”

Seeing Falcoa’s face twist, Rian pointed his greatsword straight at him and taunted.

Rian: “Come on, give me all you’ve got.”

Falcoa: “Heh, I’ll kill you.”

The corners of Falcoa’s mouth stretched to his ears.

This was the visage of the battlefield demon he was once known as.