It is unforgivable for adults who should be role models for children to exploit promising young people for money and corrupt politics.
"Heh heh heh, what nonsense are you spouting? Well, this one might reveal our location on their own. Let's move quickly before reinforcements arrive. You may kill anyone except Princess Eliza the Third! Go!"
"Crimson flame, become a sharp spear and strike down my enemies! Fire Lance!"
"Torrential wind, become a raging storm that engulfs my enemies! Wind Burst!"
"Drop dead!"
"...!"
At the signal of the injured man, those around who could use magic unleashed spells with complete incantations. Simultaneously, others attacked with knives and arrows. When there are allies to protect oneself, complete incantation spells increase in power.
...However, is this all? This poses no problem.
*Snap*
"...!?!"
I could have stopped their incantations by releasing a spell with a discarded incantation, but I waited until the enemy's magic was complete. In a battle between mages, being first is not always advantageous.
I am alone. I shouldn't reveal my hand by firing magic indiscriminately.
"Hmm, if you can't kill Eliza, this is the extent of your power. Though, it seems some of you managed to crack the first layer."
Three semi-transparent dome-shaped barriers are set up around me, Eliza, and Sophia.
All magic, knives, and arrows were deflected by the first layer of the barrier. However, the first layer of defensive magic is cracked. While the number of attackers is significant, it appears the enemies are indeed on a different level than the academy's students.
"Im-impossible!? There's no way for multiple complete incantation spells to be blocked by a mere discarded incantation defensive magic!"
*Snap*, *snap*, *snap*
"Wha-?!"
"...Aaaagh!"
My large-scale, wide-area fire, ice, and lightning magic, unleashed outside the barrier, activated one after another, and about half of them hit their targets.
However, the enemy mages, who are the core of their attack, seem to have evaded by using physical enhancement magic. Well, they seem to possess basic combat skills, even if we were caught off guard with our small numbers.
"W-what speed and power in spell construction! In addition to that defensive magic, three Great Magic spells of that magnitude simultaneously without incantation... Despite your appearance, are you a renowned mage!?"
"A white coat is proof of the ultimate mage. It seems you have no understanding of such things!"
"Wh- I've never heard of such a thing!?"
"..."
I feel two gazes from behind, but I don't have time to worry about them now.
*Clang*
The defensive magic repels the enemy's attack again.
The enemy seems to have some skill. Instead of projectiles, they are attacking the defensive magic directly with powerful weapons.
Are they trying to penetrate the magical defenses by repeatedly attacking the same spot? They are also moving quickly to prevent us from targeting them. This is indeed the kind of experience that criminals and assassins who have abundant practical experience possess, unlike students.
*Snap*, *snap*
"Gaah!"
"Guh!"
However, their movements are visible. As they attacked the defensive magic, I used earth magic to create pillars from the ground, like a counter-attack, and sent them flying. This should discourage them from rashly charging into the defensive magic again.
"Damn you, what a guy... Hmph, use that! In this situation, there's no other way, kill them all, including Princess Eliza!"
"O-okay!"
"Understood!"
At the injured man's signal, the remaining attackers distanced themselves from us. The others formed a wall to protect the mages.
It seems they would be able to counter magic cast from here.
"...Fire's power, accept the burning passion from our depths and grant us the power to incinerate all..."
"Hmm, a large-scale magic activated by the incantations of multiple people. Quite competent."
Large-scale magic composed by the incantations of multiple people. While the difficulty is far higher than composing magic alone, and the incantations become considerably longer, the drawback is that the power of the resulting magic increases dramatically.
They are mages so competent that I can't understand why they'd be involved with such a criminal organization. If they used their magical skills for good, they could have benefited the world.
"Pr-Professor Geek... is he alright...?"
"Sh-shouldn't we run away...?"
Eliza and Sophia are worried. They also understand that a genuine attack, different from the one they've been holding back until now, is coming.
Certainly, while the long incantation leaves a significant opening, the others won't let them escape so easily. Besides, I have no intention of fleeing.
"It's fine. Yes, it's a bit early for you two, but this will be a perfect extra-curricular lesson. Watch my magic closely as I cast it."
After the safe practical exercise of defensive magic class, we plan to conduct practical training, actually fighting monsters and the like. I shall show you a glimpse of the profound magic beforehand.
"Heavenly thunder, earthly vibration..."
"Hey, he's planning something! Stop his incantation quickly!"
"Roger!"
"Leave it to me!"
To stop the complete incantation magic I'm constructing, which I'm showing for the first time, the remaining bandits protecting the mages launch a simultaneous attack.
"Roaring purple lightning..."
*Crack*, *crack*
"Alright, just one more defensive magic layer left!"
The cracked semi-transparent wall of defensive magic shattered, and the other defensive magic layer also broke.
Unlike before, the enemy seems to be serious now. But――
*Snap*
"Wh-?!"
"Impossible! To be casting unincanted magic while constructing a complete incantation spell!"
The two layers of defensive magic were broken, but with a snap of my fingers, two new layers of defensive magic are reconstructed.
One of the advantages of unincanted magic is not only its rapid construction but also its ability to be activated simultaneously with complete incantations. However, this greatly increases the difficulty of constructing multiple spells at the same time.
"...Become a wave that incinerates all and engulf my enemies, returning them to ash, 'Scorching Wave'!"
"...Respond to my call, manifest here in the form of a beast, 'Purple Lightning Wolf'!"
The enemy's long magical incantation ended, and shortly after, my magic construction was complete, and our respective spells were activated.