Due to the limited time remaining, after Solitär's death, Diego quickly suppressed his anger and tried to maintain as calm a state of mind as possible.
He turned his head and stared at Mahart inside the barrier, attempting to detect even the slightest emotional fluctuation on his face.
However, there was nothing. Mahart remained expressionless, with the glowing stone ring on his wrist and his cold, emotionless eyes. He showed no expression whatsoever, even as Solitär was killed right in front of him.
No sympathy, no malice either. This was the demon race.
"...Diego Brando." Mahart murmured softly. "It's been a long time."
"You actually remembered my name this time, Mahart." Diego was somewhat surprised, then asked quietly, "What does it feel like to you when a fellow clansman dies right in front of you?"
"Dead."
"But you don't seem particularly happy about it."
"I've always been like this."
"Heh... I figured as much. I just wanted to say, you and Solitär seemed to get along quite well. She even came all the way here specifically to break the barrier the Continental Magic Association set up to seal you. Why didn't you come out to save her like last time?"
"..."
Mahart didn't speak. Instead, he took the golden trident and thrust it forcefully against the barrier.
Bang!
The barrier didn't budge in the slightest.
"Speaking of which... up until now, all of this should have been within Schlacht's plan, right?"
The World!
Time stopped flowing...
Diego crouched down, grabbed a few pebbles, raised his hand, and threw them toward Mahart inside the barrier.
"Muda!"
Whoosh!
The pebbles that entered the barrier stopped in front of Mahart.
After Mahart was defeated by Serie, the barrier set up by her disciples strengthened the isolating effect against the demon race, so it couldn't completely block human invaders or the entry and exit of some external objects.
"Then, time resumes flowing."
Crack crack crack...
The instant the time stop ended, the pebbles that had entered the barrier turned into gold and fell to the ground.
Mahart, however, showed not the slightest intention of dodging these sudden pebbles.
From the first round of probing, Diego understood two things.
First: Even when time was stopped, the All Things Turn to Gold magic still took effect.
Second: Mahart was continuously using the All Things Turn to Gold magic. The casting range was estimated to be the entire Vize. Until his magic power ran out, any creature or object attempting to enter the barrier would be turned to gold.
No opening... This was a bit troublesome. I don't know any curse reversal magic that can resist that guy's curse.
Furthermore, the All Things Turn to Gold magic persists even after the caster dies. If I rashly enter the barrier, even if I stop time and forcefully deal with Mahart, I would still turn to gold because of the All Things Turn to Gold magic.
Vize is huge, and where is the goldenized Sui? I have no idea at all.
Thinking this, Diego simply sat down on the spot and muttered in frustration: "What should I do..."
Before long, Diego seemed to have thought of a good idea. He whistled toward Mahart inside the barrier and shouted loudly: "Mahart, how long can you keep using the All Things Turn to Gold magic?"
"...I don't even know what to say anymore." Mahart slightly tilted his head. "Do you think I would obediently tell you?"
"I figured as much." Diego scratched his hair. A group of little dinosaurs suddenly appeared beside him. "Go. Scary Monsters."
"Gaaah——!!!"
Large numbers of little dinosaurs surged into the barrier one after another, charging at Mahart and biting wildly.
Crack crack crack...
The vast majority of the little dinosaurs turned into golden statues the instant they entered the barrier. Even the one or two that could move for a short while couldn't escape the fate of being easily stabbed to death by Mahart's trident.
"Spirits of fire..."
While Mahart's attention was diverted to the swarm of little dinosaurs, Diego extended his hand. Layer upon layer of magic arrays locked onto him.
A large amount of flames erupted from his palm, resembling a phoenix bathed in fire, rushing straight toward Mahart.
Before long, Mahart's figure disappeared within the raging inferno.
The burning continued for several minutes. Black smoke billowed everywhere. The grassland in front of Diego had already turned into wasteland.
Diego lowered his hands that had released the inferno and gazed toward Mahart's location.
"Tch, not a single scratch..."
Diego was somewhat displeased.
Damn Serie. I knew warriors are easy to kite!
The black smoke hadn't dispersed yet, but the appearance of a golden barrier already announced the failure of this attack. It was the cloak Mahart usually wore over his shoulders, now firmly protecting him alongside the ordinary defensive magic he had released.
Mahart stared at Diego's pitch-black eyes and said flatly: "Have you decided on your next attack method? If you're just waiting for me to show an opening, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."
But Mahart knew very well that, given the current situation, compared to the freely moving Diego, he had no chance of victory whatsoever.
Stuck inside the barrier, he couldn't launch any attacks. If Diego didn't enter the barrier, he could only passively take hits.
At the same time, however, he also had one advantage: time. He could afford to drag this out. Even while maintaining the All Things Turn to Gold magic in battle, his magic power was sufficient to last three days and three nights.
"..."
This time it was Diego's turn to fall silent.
Mahart was reminding him of the remaining time on the spirit summoning technique.
The little spirit's magic was limited and couldn't harm a fully prepared Mahart.
The little dinosaurs would turn to gold the moment they entered the barrier. A battle of attrition was meaningless.
Moreover, Mahart was some distance away from the barrier. The World's 10-meter range seemed somewhat humorous.
None of this was useful! None of it!
What should I do?
At this moment, Mahart's voice came through.
"Since you have no intention of attacking, then the pleasantries end here."
Mahart turned the trident back into a cloak, draped it over his shoulders, and turned to leave.
"Wait. Don't you want to avenge Solitär?!" Diego was somewhat anxious.
This guy already knows exactly how to provoke me the most!
"Revenge has no meaning to me." Mahart didn't look back.
Mahart walked farther and farther away. The sound of his departing footsteps was like a tolling death knell, striking again and again against Diego's increasingly chaotic thoughts.
A sense of powerlessness filled his entire body, just like when he was young and could only watch helplessly as his mother resolutely reached out to catch the hot soup.
"wryyyyyyyy————!!!"
The World appeared. Diego stopped time once more.
13 seconds!
1 second passed. Diego, holding the Inverted Spear of Heaven, charged into the barrier and rushed straight to Mahart.
2 seconds passed. The memory light screen appeared. Diego ordered the Memory Spirit to begin searching Mahart's memories.
4 seconds passed. The Memory Spirit locked onto Mahart's memories after he was sealed by the barrier.
7 seconds passed. From a large amount of tedious and worthless memories, it found Sui's figure. In the center of Vize, she had been turned into a golden statue along with other intruders.
8 seconds passed. Diego engraved the specific appearance of the surroundings into his mind.
9 seconds passed. His dinosaur claws pierced Mahart's heart. Diego headed toward the center of Vize.
11 seconds passed. Diego arrived at the concentration point where Mahart had killed and turned people into statues. His gaze continuously swept over the adventurers hanging from spikes in twisted postures.
12 seconds passed. He found Sui.
13 seconds passed. The Inverted Spear of Heaven pierced Sui's golden statue.
All Things Turn to Gold magic, forcibly dispelled!
Time resumed flowing once more...
Crack crack crack...
This wasn't the sound of a golden statue exploding. On the contrary, it was the sound of Diego's body slowly turning to gold.
Small and faint.
The process of dispelling the All Things Turn to Gold magic was more like an invisible painter coloring the golden statue. The golden yellow faded, revealing vibrant colors.
Thud...
Once the golden yellow had completely faded, Sui did not wake up. Instead, she fell straight down.
"Sui!" Diego's pupils shrank. He hurriedly caught Sui, who had just been freed from the All Things Turn to Gold magic, and held her hand, calling out, "Wake up!"
"..."
Sui continued to lie peacefully in Diego's arms, only faint breathing sounds coming from her.
Diego relaxed slightly. His tone was no longer so urgent and had softened considerably: "Just... if you don't wake up now, you really won't get to see this great me one last time."
"Suzailgillazegallnelbuzegillreagranzelga."
(ps: Directly called name, without the surname Elga)
"Mmm..."
"!!"
"Hmph hmph hmph... Turned into gold and still able to retain consciousness, huh. What a perfectly timed dream." Sui slowly opened her eyes and let out a soft sigh. "Fu hmph hmph... How silly. How could Dio possibly be in Vize?"
Looks like she hasn't fully woken up yet...
Seeing this, Diego dispelled his dinosaur form. His fierce eyes gradually softened: "It's not a dream. Kono Dio... has returned."
"Ah la, the Dio in the dream is so gentle!" Sui smiled and touched Diego's cheek. She extended both arms to hug him, pressing her cheek against Diego's hand and rubbing it back and forth. In a spoiled tone, she said, "I really wish this could just continue... It'd be better if I never woke up..."
Diego was stunned. He held Sui's hand without moving.
Sui shifted in Diego's arms, changing to a more comfortable position, and continued murmuring: "Sorry, Denken. I was talking big. I was so confident before we left, saying I'd definitely liberate Vize. But in the end... I still lost to Mahart."
Crack crack crack...
Diego's golden transformation had already spread to his ankles. He only wanted to cherish this moment of reunion properly. He said, "After all, it's Mahart. You've already done very well."
"Eh?" Hearing another voice, Sui crawled out of Diego's arms and looked around left and right. "What the hell is this place? Why is the dream scene made entirely of gold?"
Immediately after, her gaze shifted to Diego's face.
"Dio... So it really is a dream." Sui lowered her head. There was some disappointment in her tone. "What's with this dream? It's the first time I've had such a clear dream."
"But... a dream... right...?"
Sui's elven ears twitched. The corners of her mouth curved into a mischievous smile. Her cheeks gradually turned a bit flushed. Her heart pounded loudly, and she felt an intense inner excitement.
A crack suddenly appeared beside her. Space storage magic took in the armor on Sui's body, leaving only a thin layer of undergarments.
She started pulling off Diego's clothes.
"?"
Diego gradually understood everything.
Holy shit, Sui's been suppressing it for too long!
But because it was quite interesting, he didn't make any unnecessary movements and simply let Sui do as she pleased.
"Stupid beastman! Idiot! Dumbass!"
Sui was very dissatisfied that Diego wasn't moving at all.
"Really. It's rare to have a dream, why are you being so gentlemanly? Don't think you can get carried away just because it's a dream. I even took off my clothes! A beastman should pounce like a beastman!"
Diego, whose lower body had already completely turned to gold, looked very innocent.
"Awooo!"
The frustrated Sui bit down on Diego's shoulder.
Clang!
"That hurts!" Sui rubbed her cheek. Her little tiger tooth had bitten into the shoulder that was currently turning to gold. "Wait, this isn't a dream!"
Only then did she seriously observe Diego.
The golden transformation had already spread to his shoulders. Only Diego's head and two hands could still move.
"...Dio. How many years was I turned into gold?"
"Who knows? Probably around five years." Diego smiled and asked, "Did you live well?"
"Wait a second first. Why did you appear here, and why did you end up like this?!" Sui was somewhat anxious. She took out the King's God Sword from a space crack and tried to use its magic nullification ability.
[I can't. My current host is you. Moreover, this is magic that has already taken effect.]
"I was late... It's good that you still have your spirit."
The golden transformation gradually climbed up to Diego's chin.
Whoosh...
In the final moments before being completely goldenized, Diego threw the Inverted Spear of Heaven away.
"Keep this sword safe for me."
Crack crack crack...
Leaving behind a final smile, the goldenization was complete.
"Dio! Dio!! Beastman face!!!"
"What the hell is going on?!!"
To Sui, her memories were still stuck at the time she was fighting Mahart. In just the blink of an eye, Diego had returned, and he had inexplicably been hit by the All Things Turn to Gold magic.
After thinking for a long time without coming up with an answer, Sui simply stopped thinking.
She picked up the Inverted Spear of Heaven from the ground and slashed it across Diego's golden statue.
"But with the Inverted Spear of Heaven here, the All Things Turn to Gold magic is no longer an unbreakable curse."
All Things Turn to Gold magic, forcibly dispelled!
Under the effect of the Inverted Spear of Heaven, Diego gradually returned to his original state.
But...
The effect of the Inverted Spear of Heaven was to forcibly dispel all active magic. This also meant...
Spirit summoning technique, forcibly dispelled!
This body created by the Goddess instantly collapsed and dissipated into the air.
...
On the other side...
After time resumed flowing, Mahart, whose heart had been pierced, limped toward the outside of the barrier.
In the final moments of his life, he still tried to understand humans.
...Schlacht...
...This is the method of mutual destruction you found, right...
...Diego Brando entered my casting range...
...He is undoubtedly dead...
...I hope you are right...
...After all, only if the demon race still exists can I go understand human emotions...
...From the beginning, I've always been led around by the nose by you...
...The rest is up to Todd...
...Surpassing the boundary between life and death, perhaps when I obtain rebirth once more, I can understand emotions even better...
Rustle rustle rustle...
"Teacher."
An aged voice rang out.
Mahart raised his head and looked toward the short figure in front of him. He knelt on one knee and saluted, saying with some relief: "So it's Lord Denken. Did you come specifically to kill me?"
Magic power kept flowing out of his body without stopping...
I'm already beyond saving...
...At this point, where else can I run...
"Even now, you are still that teacher in my memories who could absolutely never be surpassed." Denken conjured his staff. A compressed ordinary attack spell began to gather. "So, I've come to give you a quick end."
"Do you think you can do it?"
Countless golden flakes began gathering toward Mahart, forming a high-density mass attack.
"Those are my words. Teacher."
Denken stood in place without moving, quietly watching as the golden flakes attacked him.
Puff...
Before the golden flakes arrived, Mahart collapsed to the ground first.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
The magic on Denken's staff had already finished gathering. The instant the ordinary attack spell was aimed at Mahart, Denken seemed to see a smile on his face.
Bang!
Under this strike, Mahart completely perished, turning into magic power particles and vanishing. Only the Dominion Stone Ring on his wrist remained.
Denken stepped forward, picked up the Dominion Stone Ring, and stared at it for a long time.
"It seems that in the end, you, Teacher, understood humans a little..."