Chapter 43
⎯Bam!
Erica, who was surveying an area suspected to be the stronghold of the leader of the 2nd team through her familiar, Arteleon.
During her observation, she could hear loud noises like monster cries, buildings collapsing, and her familiar started circling the skies near the 2nd team’s stronghold.
“Is this really happening…?”
From the 4th team stronghold, which was quite far from the incident site.
Using her familiar’s eyes, Erica was furrowing her brows while surveying the scorched castle.
Bargan had used vast amounts of mana to control the monsters and turned the 2nd team into chaos.
Though Arteleon was absent, in reality, he had obliterated a whole class with sheer power.
Erica hadn’t witnessed the scene firsthand, but she could understand it through the remnants of mana lingering in the air.
Bargan had expended an incomprehensible amount of mana.
Recent events uncomfortably indicated his changing nature, but she never expected him to grow to this extent in such a short time.
No matter how much of a genius he was, was this the gap that would be filled when an athlete who had stopped running suddenly regained their senses and started running again?
“Tsk.”
Feeling a strange sense of defeat, Erica licked her lips and contemplated.
She couldn’t directly observe Bargan’s current situation.
If possible, she wanted to send her familiar near Bargan to confirm his status, but doing so might lead her familiar to be banished.
However, judging by the circumstances, Bargan had overextended himself.
Even though he was praised as a genius, this level of curse, where his whole body’s mana burned fiercely and overloaded, was unexpected for Erica, who had been able to gauge Bargan’s level a year ago.
The current situation was extremely perplexing for her, but at the same time, it also goaded her on.
This is an opportunity.
An opportunity to eliminate the most obstructive figure. If Bargan is eliminated, everything else will fall into place smoothly.
Wasn’t the Allied Forces formed to check Bargan?
Now the main figure is weakened and alone.
Though it might seem like a trap at first glance, the low possibility of sensing other traces of mana in the vicinity makes it unlikely that someone else is waiting.
So, now is the time to weigh the pros and cons and make a quick decision.
“Diphyelia. It seems communication will be difficult for a while. I have somewhere I need to go.”
Through the small bird perched on her shoulder, Erica conveyed her intentions to Diphyelia, the leader of the 5th team.
Diphyelia sounded flustered, but Erica had already made her decision.
“We’ve found our target. I’ll only need around five elite supports.”
⎯Erica, are you sure about this?
A voice mixed with concern was heard. Instead of looking concerned, Erica appeared to smile faintly as she replied.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Erica summons her unique magic. The magic materializes and immediately envelops her entire body.
Soon, the spell, now complete, is activated.
The energy of the gathered mana begins to disperse.
*Sigh… Will it really be okay?*
In the eyes of a small bird left alone, Erica’s figure is no longer visible.
Erica, the only current student at Academia who can use Dimension Magic, a power to manipulate space.
It was a Warp Magic.
***
*Caw! Caw!*
A crow familiar circling near Erica flaps its wings vigorously in greeting.
Like a pet happy to see its owner after a long time.
“It seems the one I gifted before still holds affection. Seeing its fur gleaming, it’s quite satisfying.”
“Be honest. It wasn’t you who adopted the familiar, but the Shugenhardt family.”
“Well, that’s that.”
Through the familiar’s sight, Erica activates the Warp Magic.
She can only move to places she sees, a natural limitation.
Frost begins to form.
Despite the considerable distance between them, a slight drop in temperature is felt in the surroundings.
The environmental factor of temperature is changing in response to Erica’s mana.
Should we really call her Erica?
It’s difficult for Vargan to recall the past levels of magic she has honed.
“A significant level of advanced ice magic. Though belated, congratulations are in order.”
She already knew from the original, but said it naturally once to gauge Erica’s reaction.
“Too noisy. I didn’t engage in conversation with you, did I?”
“I only intended to converse.”
“Sorry, but I have no intention of doing so.”
The flow of mana around Erica reverberates in reverse, like waves.
The intensity and concentration are not to be ignored.
The bouncing reaction seems to tease her, almost condescending. Objectively speaking, she is strong.
Ranked 4th in entrance exams.
Entrance exam scores don’t represent everything, but at this early stage of the story, they are quite significant.
“Well, if I may foreshadow, you’ll soon be preparing to flee.”
“Shugenhardt. I’ve watched you for a long time with our twisted fate. Do you think I’m unaware?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve already expended a considerable amount of mana. Your current state is a facade. And to me, this is an opportunity.”
As Erica raises her hand, six ice spears about 1m in size materialize and float around her.
These dazzling ice spears, almost too extravagant for one-time use, are a characteristic of transformed Elemental Magic.
The higher the proficiency in handling elements, the more intricate and splendid the transformation becomes. Just from that, one can infer Erica’s level of skill. Perhaps even moving them freely is within her capabilities.
When you read martial arts novels, there are those who are so skilled with the sword that they can freely manipulate it in the air. I wonder if it wouldn’t be a similar situation if those sharp things were swords, not ice.
“Are you trying to pierce through me with that? Well, I guess it’s possible now.”
Erica seemed to furrow her brow slightly, as if trying to ignore my words.
“After all, that dark figure lurking in your shadow is bound to emerge, right?”
“If you think that way, pulling out physical means means you want to see how much your abilities have developed, right?”
Erica let out a slightly tense laugh.
“Let’s just say that’s it.”
“Alright, give it a try.”
I spread my hands out to show off a bit, ready to properly face her magic.
The ice spears, filled with cold, were rotating rapidly.
Adding rotation to enhance accuracy and power. Indeed, it seemed to have undergone its own improvements.
Thud.
Soon, those ice spears would soar like vultures. Unaware that the figure dancing in her vision was just an illusion.
Illusion-type curse magic, the greater the gap in skill between the caster and the target, or the deeper the understanding of the target, the higher the success rate.
In Erica’s case, one could say that the latter had a more significant impact than the former.
Having cast an illusion on her the moment I saw her, I was buying time by leading the conversation.
Stealthily approaching, I was already near Erica. Her sharp face was right in front of me.
Her gaze still fixed straight ahead.
Slowly reaching out towards her to make contact.
The power and tricks seem quite formidable, but you still have a way to go, Erica.
When in battle, failing to properly assess the situation is a far cry from past standards⎯.
⎯There?
In an instant, Erica spun around, looking directly at ‘me’.
Without even a moment for me to be surprised by her unexpected reaction.
The ice spears struck straight.
This is quite dangerous.
A sound piercing through the air as the ice spears rained down immediately.
Clatter.
The ice spear reaching the target would freeze the target while piercing through it.
Cold air emanated from her mouth.
The sudden attack caused the surrounding temperature to plummet drastically. Body temperature dropped, and shivers started to run through due to the cold.
“…What are you doing now, Shugenharz?”
Erica seems somewhat displeased.
I can’t fathom why she’s making that expression. Originally, one would be pleased, not discontent.
Erica’s arms tremble softly. It’s not due to the cold. In her sharpened eyes, a sense of shame is glimpsed.
“Now you don’t even need to bring out the Executioner anymore? So… so, am I that ridiculous…?”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“Then how else would you explain the current situation…?”
Erica pinpointed my current state.
With Erica’s ice spears aimed right in front of my face, I, even with reflexes surprised, could dodge the spears.
However, even with an exceptional physique, it was impossible to avoid a single scratch unscathed.
Frost flowers bloomed on her left elbow and right thigh. Blood did not flow. The area of the wound had frozen due to Erica’s magic.
Simply put, one could say her attack was somewhat absorbed.
“The abrupt drop in temperature around me was not a waste but a measure against me. Frankly, I was amazed. Who would have thought you could use tiny ice particles floating in the air to locate my position.”
What I projected onto her was a definite hallucination, but it corresponded to an image of me from a distance, not a manipulation of all her senses.
She knew I would cast a hallucination on herself. Therefore, she used the change in the atmosphere as a countermeasure against it.
Due to my body temperature, she could pinpoint my location by detecting abnormal melting points.
It was a method that had never appeared in novels, but Erica seemed quite pleased with herself this time.
“I don’t want to hear such praise right now. Answer properly!”
“What do you mean, exactly?”
“Why didn’t you summon the shadow guy? You’re not someone who would bleed just from this level of attack!”
Just from this level.
After all the compliments, being criticized by oneself is quite a mood killer.
“You mentioned a strong belief in your fiancé, but you failed to mention if it would still hold up now.”
“Don’t skip the important parts and explain properly. I’m feeling quite off right now.”
Indeed.
From Noble mtl dot com
It seems pretty clear that she’s unusually angry. She didn’t seem this way even when I applied for lunch last time.
Since the situation in Class 1 has been resolved, there won’t be any change even if I inform her.
“I left it to someone else for a moment. Before the class, I had to send off someone who was more necessary than me with tears in my eyes.”
With Pin’s abilities, he could never match Palon, and stopping Palon’s familiar was also impossible.
So, I entrusted my precious familiar to Pin, and he devoured Palon’s familiar. I assigned him the role of protecting Pin from being eliminated.
Protection… in name.
I only gave orders to materialize when Pin was under attack, but surprisingly, he never gave Pin a chance to reveal his true form except for the initial encounter.
“You lent your familiar to someone else…?”
Erica seemed somewhat crestfallen or disbelieving, lowering her head.
Well, her reaction isn’t strange. Familiars of the shadow type particularly abhor the act of lending themselves to others out of affection for their owners.
Moreover, the bargan, who is obsessed with his familiar and knows nothing else but himself, lending his familiar to others for his own benefit might seem more like an illusion to Erica than a magical act.
“If not, as you said, there wouldn’t have been a moment where a blade passed through my body.”
Without concrete evidence, Erica remained silent.
There might have been a separate command to the familiar not to come out, but it was excluded due to its irrational and meaningless nature.
“….”
“It seems you’ve calmed down a bit now.”
Erica acted as if the current situation was inexplicable, but I felt the same way.
While others are probably fighting and shedding blood, what are we doing? Arguing like a married couple?
It was a joy to see Erica evolving, but I wanted to further confirm her current situation.
However, the flow had been completely disrupted. It would be odd to resume the battle from here on, considering the context.
As I pondered how to react, Erica began to move.
She created another spear.
This time, the spear did not rotate.
Instead, she grasped the spear shaft with white jade-like hands, seemingly oblivious to its coldness.
The atmosphere was unsettling.
“…I see. …I understand.”
Erika, with her head bowed, murmured softly. Her slender figure was slowly approaching. Despite her petite frame, there was an overwhelming darkness emanating from her.
Resembling Barugan in some way, she bore a sinister smile of a villainess.
“It was truly audacious.”
Without hesitation, she pierced through the window.