After a brief moment of thought, Wirbel noticed a detail.
It was that every time Fíliya generated her Defensive Magic, it only existed for an instant... as if she could perfectly predict precisely how much mana was needed to just barely nullify the incoming attack.
...Just barely nullify... wait a minute.
Wirbel was startled by the possibility he'd thought of, and for a moment, an opening appeared in his defense against the Demon Race's attack.
"Wirbel? What are you doing?!"
Fortunately, he wasn't fighting alone. The sharp-witted top student rushed over the instant he faltered and protected him.
"...Sorry, Ehre. I was just... startled."
Wirbel placed a hand on his forehead, looking at Ehre with an expression of shock.
? Ehre tilted her head in confusion.
She was baffled by Wirbel's reaction; it was the first time she had ever seen him wear such a helpless expression.
"I think... I know that girl's secret."
Wirbel re-entered a combat stance and, coordinating with Ehre, once again suppressed the two members of the Demon Race.
"Hm?"
Ehre looked at Wirbel, her face full of confusion.
"Ehre, when do you typically cast Defensive Magic?"
Wirbel lightly clenched his teeth.
"When...? When I realize I'm about to be attacked, of course."
Ehre answered instinctively, a little puzzled as to what Wirbel was getting at.
"That's the problem... You, me, or any other human mage, we all realize we're about to take a hit... and before that attack arrives, we cast Defensive Magic in advance."
"The problem lies with that 'in advance.' Watch."
As he spoke, Wirbel raised a hand and blocked one of the demon's attacks with Defensive Magic.
"Tell me, this defense, from the moment I cast Defensive Magic until the attack was actually blocked by me, how much time passed in total?"
"Hm? About... two seconds?"
Ehre answered uncertainly.
"Exactly. In other words, to block that one attack, I maintained a magic shield for two seconds... but in reality, the moment the attack struck the shield was just an instant... During those two seconds, more than 90 percent of the time was actually wasted."
"Are you saying..."
After hearing Wirbel's explanation, Ehre also realized just what a terrifying thing Fíliya was doing.
"That's right... Defensive Magic is inherently a very mana-intensive spell. Maintaining a magic shield is a huge drain for a mage, but that girl is different."
"I've completely figured it out now. That girl never casts Defensive Magic 'in advance.' She can control her mana with such precision that she only deploys it for a split second when the enemy's attack is practically on her face..."
Wirbel's words left Ehre speechless.
Although she had already placed Fíliya on a high pedestal in her mind, she... she still hadn't expected Fíliya to be this terrifying.
"But... is that really something a human can do?"
Ehre couldn't help but ask.
If Fíliya were an Elf mage or a member of the Demon Race who had lived for hundreds or thousands of years, she could believe it.
But... Fíliya was clearly a girl from her own class, around her own age.
Seeing Wirbel's equally serious expression, Ehre couldn't help but continue her questions. As for the two demons, it seemed they had long been branded as 'good as dead' in Ehre's and Wirbel's minds, so they weren't paying much attention to their presence.
"You have to understand, with Defensive Magic... you can't just cast it and be done. Depending on the intensity of the enemy's attack, the mage must continuously output a corresponding amount of mana... By deploying Defensive Magic for only an instant, how can you be certain you can actually block it? Could it be that no matter what kind of attack the opponent uses, Fíliya can instantly predict how much mana is needed to withstand it? That... that's impossible, right? It's not something a human can do."
Ehre wore a look of disbelief.
"Ehre, I too wish something this bizarre wasn't happening right before our eyes, but the facts have already proven it... that girl really can do it."
"This is no longer something that can be explained by 'experience,' 'skill,' or 'proficiency'... It's a gift. This kind of meticulous, fine-grained control over mana... For her, the very concept of 'mana' is probably like an extra, innate organ she can manipulate at will."
At this point, Wirbel couldn't help but take a deep breath before bursting out with a huge accusation.
"That girl isn't human at all, is she? Huh?! She's not one of the Demon Race, is she? She must be using some weird magic to hide her identity..."
...Uh.
Ehre looked at Wirbel, who seemed as if his entire worldview had been shattered, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Fortunately, at that moment, the others had finished their work.
"Captain! Lady Ehre, we're here to help."
The six junior mages had successfully killed two demons and were now joining up with Ehre and Wirbel.
"Ahem... Good work. Now let's finish this quickly."
Seeing his subordinates approach, Wirbel let out a light cough and regained his usual composure.
Everyone then turned to look at the last two members of the Demon Race... who still showed no reaction.
"Oh? Not a single word even in this situation...? Tsk, I really don't get you monsters."
Wirbel said, preparing to cast an Ordinary Attack Magic spell.
But just then.
From the direction of the distant camp, a violent explosion suddenly erupted.
The massive roar instantly echoed throughout the forest, and at the same time, the blast wave from the explosion swept across the battlefield at extreme speed.
Countless trees were snapped in half by the oncoming shockwave. After the violent blast passed, only a pile of jagged stumps remained.
The several less powerful mages were thrown back by the shockwave and, losing control of their Flight Magic, plummeted toward the ground.
Seeing this, Wirbel and Ehre immediately began to save them, but with only four hands between them, they managed to catch just four of their subordinates.
The remaining two unlucky ones fell hard to the ground.
At this, Wirbel could only pray the two weren't dead. As long as they were alive, there was still hope if they could get them to the priest later.
...Fíliya's situation was slightly better.
Because the moment the huge explosion rang out, she was already surrounded by a crowd of people.
On the outside were the warriors, and on the inside were the ordinary soldiers.
They formed a human wall, helping Fíliya block the violent impact.
Fíliya looked out and saw that many of the soldiers had blood trickling from the corners of their mouths, supporting one another to barely remain standing.
Ah, what a beautiful moment. A perfect embodiment of 'all for one, and one for all.'
A pity... watching this impassioned scene, Miss Fíliya felt... not the least bit moved.
Seriously, who asked you to protect me...? Just follow orders obediently. What if people die because you acted on your own?
Don't mess up my no-damage run... honestly.
To this, she spread her hands in resignation.
____
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