"How rude. I'm a human no matter how you look at it aren't I?"

  I swung my left arm around to show him.

  Even I couldn't have immediately reattached my arm if it was cut without any preparation.

  I had already anticipated that my left arm would get cut in the exchange just now.

  That was why I had put two magic into my arm.

  One was a magic that made it easy to restore my arm back after getting chopped off.

  And the other one was an analyze magic that took in a slight amount of enemy's mana when my arm got cut.

  Since the range of the analyze was short, I had to read Arias's movement well and accurately positioned myself to get cut.

  There would have been no need to take proper countermeasures if the enemy were only at the same level as Elhart… However I can't afford to be careless against this demon.

  I've got to gather information well right from the start.

  "You do look like a human outwardly… Nevertheless, you are still inferior compared to me! Haaaa!"

  I parried the swinging sword while activating Physical Reinforcement and Mana Slash, and thrust my sword during that chance.

  Since I've finished analyzing Arias, I can predict most of his moves from the mana, so the fight is considerably easier now.

  However, demons are sturdy.

  I couldn't give a telling blow while my mana kept decreasing.

  And after exchanging dozens of slashes, with only half of my mana remaining——Arias suddenly fell on his knee.

  "Mu!?"

  Arias immediately tried to rebuild his posture, but it didn't go well.

  He looks flustered and perplexed to see his body not moving as he wanted.

  "…You bastard, what did you do?"

  "Nothing?"

  Of course it's a lie.

  I used the developed version of the tactic Ruli and Alma used against Elhart.

  The one used on Elhart is only effective against relatively weak demons… But this magic works against Arias too.

  In exchange, I need to precisely analyze the enemy's mana through methods like earlier.

  "You think I'll believe you?"

  "You don't have… to!"

  I cut down the distance and swung my sword.

  Arias blocked my sword.

  "It appears you are using some odd magic… But it's nothing once you know it."

  Arias attacked back as he said that.

  Moving as well as he did in the start of battle.

  Just as he said, the movement jamming magic I used on him isn't that special.

  If it was Elhart, this magic alone could completely bind him, but against Arias, it can only disarray his sense for a moment at most.

  However, the true merit of this magic will take a bit more time to manifest, so this is enough for now.

  I just need to buy some time until it show its effect for real… Doesn't seem like my opponent will quietly let me do that though.

  I'm constructing a magic while thinking that.

  "It's time to end this fight!"

  Arias strengthens the control of the mana inside his body.

  Next moment, Arias's mana increased all at once.

  【Magic Circuit Overdrive】.

  A type of reinforcement magic usable for demons higher than middle rank.

  The effect is similar to 【Evilize】 with heavy recoils… But unlike with 【Evilize】, the probability of dying from it is low.

  Thus, it was known as one of demons' trump cards in my past life.

  Just as I thought, he intends to end this quick.

  Even if accumulation-type magic isn't well known in this era, it won't be strange for him to notice the fact that I've been using one.

  …But there's no reason for me to play by his rule.

  "Hey now, why don't you take it slowly?"

  I shot the magic I constructed just now at Arias.

  And then Arias's mana rapidly withers——to the level before he used 【Magic Circuit Overdrive】.

  I've nullified the activation.

  "H-how did you nullify it at this timing! There should be no general-purpose magic that could nullify 【Magic Circuit Overdrive】 even in myth!"

  Arias started to get upset after his 【Magic Circuit Overdrive】 got destroyed.

  It's only natural.

  Because the magic I built looked like it nullified 【Magic Circuit Overdrive】 after it had been activated.

  "Who knows? Maybe it was a coincidence?"

  I began to construct the next magic as I said that.