Four daggers entered a cloud of black smoke.

“Farewell. Terrorist scum.”

The general still stood in the same spot since the beginning of the battle.

Out of the black smoke, Helgi walked out, holding four daggers in hand. Water dripping from his body.

“That’s unexpected..there was no way you could have stopped the momentum of my daggers, even if you had managed to block them..i put quite a bit of force into them.”

The general was surprised, yet not shaken, still standing as calm as ever.

“You sure had me worried, i worked up quite a sweat thinking of a solution!” Helgi dropped the daggers to the side along with a small card, which exploded and shattered the daggers into useless pieces.

Making a show of taking off his clothes and squeezing the water out of them, Helgi showed just how drenched in water he had become.

“I assume that all of that is not your sweat.”

“Well..you’d be surprised..but no not all of it. You see my cards aren’t limited to explosives,even if a lot of them are that. The smoke screen was to make sure your daggers headed straight for me. While i created a mass of water, dense enough that it could probably slow bullets. Your daggers are a joke, and so are your powers.”

“Bullets..?” The general raised an eyebrow “No matter. Young man, do you really think that those daggers are now useless simply because you’ve shattered them? If anything, you’ve made things more difficult for yourself.”

Smiling slightly, the general nodded toward Helgi, who felt something stab into his back.

He quickly pulled it out. Discovering it was a shard of metal.

“You can even control pieces that small..!?”

“The powers which the one who lurks below has granted us are nothing so simple!”

The rest of the daggers pieces began to float up.

“He granted us the power to control all metal! We are literal gods in his service.”

“Now you’re just being kind of pretentious. I’ve seen magic way more impressive that that. In fact i see it right now?”

Helgi glanced at the giant wall in the distance, which was slowly crumbling piece by piece.

“That? Impressive? That is nothing but destruction. Anyone can do that. Creation however. Is something much more refined..and exclusive.”

As he spoke, the dagger shards melded together, becoming one singular object. Forming a short spear. Aimed at Helgi.

“A spear? You think i can’t dodge a single projectile, when you couldn’t hit me with four before?”

“Whoever said i was only making one.”

The hands of the general were slowly raised. As they were lifted, so too was the earth around them. Something was pulled out of the earth. Pieces. Large chunks of metal. Which were what kept the island floating, were pulled out while pushing away the earth around them.

These large chunks of metal began molding, forming into many objects. Into spears. So many spears. Likely in the hundreds. All pointing towards Helgi.

“....You know i used to own a spear..” Helgi said at a lack of better words.

“Fascinating. Then it will be fitting for you to die by one. Or a few.”

The general’s hands dropped.

With that sign, the spears shot at Helgi.

“I can’t dodge all of those..” Helgi smiled awkwardly.

Activating two cards he dropped them on the ground, placing his feet over them.

“...This is going to hurt.”

The two cards cards expanded into a torrent of gigantic water which threw Helgi up into the air. The sheer force of the water pushing against his legs and the fact that his posture wasn’t completely balanced, resulted in him being flipped many times while travelling up into the air.

“WOooOOooOOOooOOw!?”

His voice distorting because of his constantly rotating body, his voice became weaker until it was barely audible to the general. Showing just how incredibly far up Helgi was.

The hundreds of spears pointed at Helgi sunk into the the earth where he once stood. Their back side also being sharp, created a bed of spears for Helgi to land onto.

“Not a bed i’d like to sleep on!”

Another card activated. This one he placed onto his own back.

It released a torrent of wind behind him, propelling him down at an angle. Toward the general.

He picked out another card and activated it. Holding it in front of himself.

“What are you..”

The general attempted to get the spears out of the ground and fire them at Helgi. He had used too much force so the spears were now firmly stuck in the ground, requiring some effort to pull out.

“You may have countless projectiles..!”

Helgi yelled out.

“But i have a single more verstaile projectile..! Myself..!”

“Fool. You will die!”

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Helgi was flying incredible quickly towards his opponent. So quick that his body was only a blur.

Time seemed to pause. Helgi was now only a few meters away from impact with his opponent. At which point both their bodies would be mutilated beyond saving due to the sheer momentum of Helgi.

Their eyes met. The general’s eyes filled with none of the calm he displayed earlier, his eyes widening further than they ever had. Helgi’s eyes were also wide, but that was due to him being unable to actually close them due to the force of the air pushing against his eyelids.

The metal card Helgi held activated.

Glancing at his opponent's eyes. Helgi winked. Slightly moving his fingers, he revealed that he was in fact holding two cards instead of one. They simply looked as one due to being held against each other.

One of the cards was flicked toward the general, while the other kept close to Helgi.

The card close to Helgi activated first. Shooting out a water torrent in all directions. While the water was still in the middle of reaching both Helgi and the general. The second card activated.

The second card began to implode before exploding outward, in an increasingly faster growing explosion.

The explosion reached the general, consuming him while pushing him away.

Once the explosion reached the water torrent behind which Helgi was still flying in mid air. The explosion began evaporating and pushing against the water, and with it, pushing away Helgi.

Then time seemed to flow at a normal pace again.

Flying toward the general, Helgi’s card exploded into an explosion of fire and water. The fire side of which, consumed the general, while the water side of explosion consumed Helgi. Pushing them both towards opposite directions.

The general was pushed down into the earth, into a small crater created by the explosion.

Helgi was flung back up again, his body spinning randomly, most likely dislocating and breaking several of his joints and bones.

While spinning wildly in midair, Helgi managed to get a card out of his pocket. It was a special card, with a spell that Yuri had deemed one of the most fundamental ones to have. He didn’t really think he would ever have a use for it. But Yuri being much more experienced in magic than he was, made him trust her words. Now he understood her reasoning.

He activated the card, despite the massive pain in his arm, which somehow managed to move despite being turned at a wrong angle.

The feather fall spell activated, and he was gently sunk to the ground. Landing a bit away from the site of the explosion.

He laid there for a long while. Breathing heavily. Some parts of his clothing were burned, while others were wet. His body was a complete mess, and he had difficulty breathing.

“But i did it..”

He breathed out.

“I just need to go get that relic piece..and be on my way to the next one..before Hikaru gets all the credit..”

He forced himself to stand. His entire body was in pain. Even worse. Some parts of his body were completely numb, which was worse than having them be in extreme pain.

Yet he stood again. After all. He managed to stand before, in much worse conditions than this, with people who did not merely claim to be gods around him.

He used another card. Which roughly healed his most extreme wounds. Moving him away from the thin edge of his death.

“You. Think. You. Can. Just. Use. A suicidal. Attack. And live...you…”

Came shallow breaths from inside the explosion crater.

“...Can’t believe you’re still alive.” Helgi was surprised there were even enough parts left of him to form words. Much less being alive after an explosion that large.

“I will not. Surrender our country. Not to the. Likes of you. Who would risk your life. Our country. Is eternal. We do not take risks..”

Helgi felt movement beneath his feet.

Black sand rose from the ground, slowly inching its way towards the crater. Ever slowly filling it. “Iron sand..?”

“....A burial…”

Helgi muttered.

“Your burial.”

The black sand began to compress. Until it was no longer visible, compressed to a dense mass at the bottom of the crater.

“We do not take risks. Projectile users do not take risks. You are a complete disgrace to all projectile users.”

A figure covered in dark metal. Created from compressed iron sand. Slowly floated up from the crater. Flying up in the air, high above Helgi and the entire city.

“How are you..even alive..”

Muttering to himself, Helgi had no more strength to fight. He didn’t even have the means to fight. Most of his most cards used up, left him with barely any chance, considering his wounded state.

“The powers which the one who protects us from below has granted us! I didn’t think i could use them like this...this is..amazing..I can control how powerful i am..”

The general’s entire body was covered in black metal. It appeared as if he was completely unharmed by the explosion.

A look inside the crater revealed a different truth to Helgi.

Inside the crater were several body parts. Limbs. Organs.

“You shouldn’t be alive. Even with whatever power is keeping you alive. The mere shock of losing that much blood and organs, would have you in a deep coma, if not die from shock.”

Looking up at the black figure in the sky, Helgi marveled at the achievement which defied humanity.

“I don’t have the luxury of fainting. Not when my country is in need of being protected. Protected against those who wish to change it for the worse, To ruin the origins of our country. To ruin its meaning of absolute solidarity...i will never close my eyes until i stop that. Even if i have to replace more of my body with cold iron. An iron heart. Pumping blood pushed by iron dust in iron arteries..being held together by magic. I won’t stop until either this country is saved or my body reverts back to the iron dust it once was!”

The spears sunk into the ground began to fly up. Along with even more iron dust from the dirt. Creating All manner of weapons beyond simple spears. All flying around the now metal black general.

“With my body now protected by iron. And with countless projectiles at my disposal..i will retake this entire country. And build it back piece by piece. I will rebuild the walls myself..! And usher our country back into its secluded and safe state!”

Something white poked out of the generals black iron chest. Where his heart was supposed to be, and now a black iron heart pumped, was a small white piece. A relic piece. Granting his body more power over metal, so that he could even replicate the biological functions of his body.

“...I failed..”

Helgi sat down.

“..Sorry Yuri. You and Hikaru can probably handle beating this guy one way or another..you’re both amazing. Me? I’m just a normal guy with some of your spells..guess this is as far as i could get.”

Looking up at the iron weapons filling the sky so it almost seemed black. Helgi felt disappointed in himself. He had not practiced using the cards. He had not considered the fact that he might have to use them against a truly powerful opponent which he could not simply escape from.

His loss was none other than his own. He had the ability to win, he could almost win. Yet he had failed at the one thing he had prided himself upon. He had failed to read just how truly his opponent was enamoured with his country. How deep his dedication was. His resolution unshakable.

His opponent was someone with a literal and figurative. Iron force of will. Those opponents are the most dangerous. He knew that. Yet he did not bother analyzing his opponent past his next action.

He had failed, and failure has a price.

He glanced at each weapon. Many of which were weapons he had no name for. Weapons that likely only existed in this world, or never existed before.

Those weapons, pointing at him, directed towards him by a man with a resolution that could defy death itself. Would be his death.

He prepared his mind.

“You have dared to destroy that which i hold most dear. My country. Now pay the price..”

The metal general pointed a finger at Helgi.

“Your price is your life-”

His words were cut short.

The generals breath was pushed out of his strong metal lungs.

Appearing out of nowhere, flying at a speed that made it unnoticeable until now. Making it fly faster than the sound it created.

Was a metal airship.

Only the airship part. The balloon was missing, yet this metallic airship, that now could not be called anything more than a simple boat made of shiny metal. Flew in over the city at a speed that surpassed anything this realm had ever witnessed.

In it’s path, which was high enough that it managed to not crash into any tall buildings in the city. Was the general, who was flying high above the city in order to further secure his safety.

His attempt to secure his safety, ended up placing him in the path of this seemingly random airship.

Which crashed into the general. Not even being slowed by him. The airship continued flying faster than sound, not even letting the general give a final scream.

The metal airship, which now had the metal general stuck on its front, almost impaled upon it. Flew over the city and kept flying on its straight path, taking the general with it.

“...What just..”

Helgi was at a loss for words, hiding beneath the roof of a nearby building, while the now useless weapons rained down, not being controlled by the general any longer.

Helgi noticed a figure on the airship, which was running around frantically.

“Is that..Ahab…?”

Upon realising that, the airship was far enough away that he could only hear a faint scream coming from it.

“HELP MEH HELGIIIii..iii...ii..i...i”

“......”

Helgi was at a loss for words, and in complete confusion at what Ahab was doing there.

“That counts as my win though..right?”