Chương 74: Chapter 44:”Alice VS The Masked Woman”

Running ahead, I eventually came to a room structured similarly to the one where I had encountered Clam. Waiting there, as expected, was a figure wearing a mask.

"You came nonchalantly one after another. You are rats in a trap. You can never escape." I spoke first." Please take off that mask. Karla-san."

"I see... You knew too." She took off her mask easily and threw it at her feet. Exposing her true face, although I didn't want to believe it after all, she was truly unmistakably Karla-san. A little prone to running wild, taking good care of others, and loving her juniors—that Karla-san. It's not that I'm not shaken again by that fact. But I was already prepared to accept it.

"I heard from Argus."

"Only that man surviving was a miscalculation." Naturally, I and Karla-san took stances simultaneously. A tense atmosphere on the verge of exploding fills the place. What to do was decided. It can no longer be solved by words alone. Still, I asked. Wanting to know Karla-san's true intention even a little.

"I'll ask just one thing before fighting. Why did you leave Milia alive for the time being?"

"That's decided. As bait to lure you out—""No. Even without doing such a thing, there should have been plenty of other ways if just to lure us out. Like Yu, you could have kidnapped Milia as a hostage and killed her secretly behind the scenes."

"... What do you want to say?"" Karla-san, you couldn't kill her after all, could you?"

"Who knows. I wonder." Although she feigns ignorance with her mouth, looking at her face, I understood because of our long acquaintance. Karla-san has a conflict. Setting aside the history and purpose so far, currently, there is no doubt that her heart is wavering towards us. Because she hasn't been able to be completely heartless as she has been towards others until now. At this rate, surely Yu is safe too. Then. What I should do is not killing each other.

"I understood veery well. I came to have a quarrel with you." My feelings solidified. Punish you, have you turn Milia back, and listen to your story even if forced. Have you expose your inner heart. I'll think again after that. Karla-san made a slightly surprised face, and then smirked with a deliberately villainous face.

"A quarrel, you say? You say interesting things. You know you'll die if you lose?"

"If that happens, it happens. But I won't lose! I'll take revenge for half a year ago! I came with that intention!" Receiving my declaration, Karla-san opened her eyes wide and looked down. I wonder what she is thinking. Then Karla-san started laughing loudly, trembling her shoulders.

"Kuku... fu, fufu... Ahhahhahhahhahha!" The laughter echoed to the corners of the room where no one else was but the two of us, reverberating and returning. Every time it echoed, I felt like the unpleasant tension that filled this place was unraveling little by little.

"You are really interesting! But you are that kind of girl."" Being positive is my only redeeming feature." I puffed out my chest. Although I have no chest at all, I puffed it out with all my might. I received an impression that something possessing her fell off a little from Karla-san's face.

"Fine. If that is your wish, I'll go along with you. Come at me. I won't allow surrender this time!" I brace myself again. A battle. No, a quarrel begins. Wind. Grant me that speed like a gale. [Falspeed]. Seeing me clad in the power of wind, Karla-san shows admiration.

"[Falspeed], huh. I was made to struggle terribly with that. To think you would devise magic with almost exactly the same effect as our Lost Magic." Karla-san also uses some magic to counter. Judging from the feeling of Magic Power, is it Time-Space Magic? From the flow of the story, she might have cast the magic she used to dodge [Delrain] during the Magic Tournament. I tried to use Fire Magic immediately. Suddenly remembering that I got scolded by Yu the other day, I looked around properly. Yeah.

Since this building seems to be made of stone with fire resistance magic applied, there is no worry of fire. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Scorching flame. [Volarkeron]. I activate Super-High-Ranking Fire Magic. Hellfire, likely several times that of [Volark], closes in trying to wrap up Karla-san. In contrast, Karla-san tried to offset it using Superior Water Current Magic— [Tiloum]. But this is Super-High-Ranking Magic of my specialty system.

It's not something that can be erased so easily. As expected, Karla-san couldn't extinguish the fire completely. When the momentum of the flame dropped, she went around to the side and dodged to deal with it. Karla-san, who completely entered combat mode, was clad in a glaring atmosphere.

"It seems you are above me in Fire Magic. Truly impressive growth." While praising with words, Karla-san unleashed Wind Magic mercilessly. This is— [Fallancer]! Magic that the previous me could only endure clumsily. It was a barrage of wind blades that Yu also specializes in. But, the current me can manage somehow! Fire. Capture the wind depending on its heat, make it my power and make it a servant! [Volfreed]. The flame released in front of me sucks in the wind.

All the wind blades released by Karla-san were swallowed. [Falrenser] has small blades one by one instead of being large in number. That's why, even though it was difficult to dodge, it was easy to suck them in. Moreover, it doesn't end with just preventing. Inside this flame is my territory. The opponent's magic loses control, and conversely, I can manipulate it. The air heated by fire changes its form into more powerful blades.

Reversing the direction of the attack, I conversely sent countless wind blades flying back toward Karla-san. Surprisingly surprised, Karla-san hurriedly crouched down trying to put her hands on the ground. She intends to use Earth Magic and use the stones here as a wall. I won't let her do that. I also put both hands on the ground without delay. What I use is Lightning Magic to seal touching. Lightning current. Run through the ground. [Delplague].

Lightning strikes occur on the ground at her feet and run straight to Karla-san. Lightning Magic is fast. Karla-san has no time to use Earth Magic slowly. Frowning, Karla-san reluctantly released her hands from the ground. There, the strengthened [Falrenser] flies in. Karla-san had no choice but to cross her arms in front of her face and prepare for the attack with her own body. Contrary to that time, it was Karla-san whose body was being hurt by wind blades. I can see her distorting her face in pain.

Of course, I don't intend to watch silently forever. She's not such a sweet opponent. Now that Karla-san cannot move and has no choice but to defend is a chance to attack. I press on further! Super-high-speed fireball. Shoot through that person. [Volket-Lemil]. Keeping the power as is, I tried making it even faster than Yu's [Volket-Shot]. It's a Complete Superior Magic of [Volket], a different type from [Volket-Dara]. A great fireball closing in before her eyes in an instant.

Just when this seemed to be the decisive blow, Karla-san shouted." Don't get carried away!" Instantly, a strange thing happened. What a thing. The speed of [Volket-Lemil] dropped rapidly. It has become slow enough for anyone to dodge. It wasn't just that. When I realized with a start, the speed of [Falrenser], and even my movements had become dull! In that, only Karla-san was moving at normal speed. Trouble. She must have used some kind of Time-Space Magic!

"Die." Karla-san used Earth Magic. Creating two huge pillars made of metal from both hands, she threw them with all her might at me whose movements were dulled! At this rate, both will hit the core of my body. Death is inevitable. Move! Please! Whether my prayer was answered, my body movement returned to normal in the nick of time. I, who had increased speed with [Falspeed], step to the side desperately utilizing physical ability to the maximum. Still, I couldn't dodge completely.

I could avoid one, but the other pillar gouges out a part of my left arm. It hurt so much that I couldn't even scream. Intense pain enough to make me lose consciousness runs. No strength enters my left arm. Blood flows down dara-dara along the arm. Drops drip on the stone floor, forming a pool of blood. Looking fearfully, the flesh around the bottom of the shoulder was scraped off heavily, and raw bloody flesh was exposed. Only that the bone is not visible is the only salvation, perhaps.

Seeing me distorting my face in pain, Karla-san floated a smile as if triumphant.

"Oh my. You dodged well. But—Ahahahaha! It seems the tide has turned!" Certainly, it became difficult at once. Still, it was good it was the left arm. If my dominant arm is safe, I can still fight.

"If you think you won with this, you are greatly mistaken. You understand at least my unyieldingness, right?"

"Yes. That's why I'll finish you off properly so you can never talk like that again!" Karla-san produced metal pillars one after another and sent them flying. I was full just desperately running away while enduring the pain covering my left arm.

"Come on come on! Run about in confusion!" I continue to dodge desperately. Although preventing direct hits, I scraped here and there, and I was out of breath enough that my heart seemed to break. When I noticed, Karla-san had already put her hands on the ground. Floating sadness in her eyes.

"Goodbye. Alice." In the next moment, stone was deployed in a dome shape around me, covering me. I was completely trapped inside it.

"You will be crushed and die there. In just a few more seconds." As told, in the situation with no escape 360 degrees, the walls gradually approached. At this rate, I will be crushed. A desperate crisis. But I didn't give up. I was sensing calmly. If nearby, I know. If it's a person I know that well, I know. Even if I can't see, Karla-san's presence. 『Inea-san. 』 『What is it. 』 『Can you teach me Qi just a little after all? 』 『Why. I don't think you'll reach a practical level even if you try hard. 』 『That's fine.

Perhaps, it might be useful someday, right? Like grasping the location of nearby allies when attacked by enemies in the dark. 』 『Hmph. Is that so. Well, fine. 』 『Thank you very much! 』 Inea-san. It was properly useful. I prepared the final magic. If this doesn't decide it, I die. But I had a conviction that it would be decided. I didn't want to use only this. Because I can't afford to lose here. Above all. Because I don't want you to hurt people anymore. 『Hey, Yu. I want you to teach me a little.

I want to think of stronger magic. Is there more powerful fire on Earth? 』 『There is. For example, the blue flame of a tool called a burner that emits fire. 』 『Hee. But [Vol-Burner] doesn't sound very cool. 』 『You're the type to care about such things. 』 『Yeah. Can't it be something cooler? 』 『Let's see. The flame of a burner feels like gushing out go-. If you make that into more powerful magic, it might become like a heat ray that penetrates various things. 』 『Heat Ray. That's cool! The rest is the name. 』 『Umm.

Maybe you should just add "Ray" which represents such a thing in my world to the original magic. 』 『Ah! That might be good! Alriiight. I want to refine the image, so tell me in detail! 』 『Okay. Then come here a little. 』 Fire Magic Power is condensing in front of my right hand. Becoming a sphere shining like a small star, waiting for the time to be released. I won't take your life. The aim is the shoulder. Reach!" [Volarkray]!" And the released high-speed heat ray easily penetrated the thick stone wall.

Spreading radially once, while converging gradually, it flies straight toward the aim. I know by Qi. Karla-san hadn't been able to move a step. You cannot react to a sudden attack from outside your vision. Confining me because you " didn't want to see" me die backfired on you! Before long, seeing the stone wall that stopped moving pikuri, I realized the settlement. I crawl out somehow from the hole opened by [Volarkray].

In front of me, there was the figure of Karla-san collapsed in a miserable state with her right shoulder pierced. Powerlessly, she is turning a regrettable face here.

"No way... To think you had, such magic..."" Trump cards are to be kept until the end." My aim was accurate, if I say so myself. First of all, I feel relieved that Karla-san's life doesn't seem to be in danger. Seeing me like that, she asked with a face that she couldn't be convinced no matter what.

"Why didn't you kill me? With that magic, if you hit the heart, you could have killed me easily, right?" I laughed while thinking she didn't understand.

"I told you, didn't I? It's a quarrel. Though it became much more intense than I thought."

"Fufu. I see..." Karla-san shed tears. It was beautiful tears as if washing away various things accumulated in her heart.

"It's my loss."