Aslan had originally thought that this hot-tempered old lady would rush forward and cut down these annoying pests with the sharp sword in her hand. The blade would dance, blood would bloom like flowers, and in the end, the corpses would be engulfed by red flames, reduced to ashes, and vanish without a trace.
But who would've thought she actually intended to eliminate all the black-clad magicians in one go?
Powerful magical energy continued to surge within her body, as though someone were pouring water into a balloon. The flow kept expanding the vessel, inching it closer to bursting. And if that internal stream began to swirl or shake, the explosion would only come faster.
Now, this grumpy old lady was like a balloon on the verge of popping—her magic roiling and unstable. A blood-red glow radiated throughout the cave. The black-robed magicians couldn't help but widen their eyes. She looked like she was about to self-destruct!
"Is it that serious?!"
Seeing the grumpy old hag prepare for self-detonation, Aslan couldn't help but shout. He immediately used a magic burst technique to widen the distance between them, then summoned a shield. Fairy script adorned the road-sign-shaped object, and as the inscriptions activated, the shield expanded rapidly, projecting a powerful magical barrier.
Realizing what Aslan had done, the black-clad magicians instantly understood the girl's plan. From their perspective, she was simply sacrificing herself to buy time for another's escape. But then again—how strong could a student's magic burst really be?
"Set up defenses, now!"
Several of the men in black huddled together and pulled magical tools from their pockets. Since they had been dispatched for this mission, the boss behind the scenes had ensured they were well-equipped. Some of the items were even tailored to implicate Kayneth after they killed Aslan and the others.
To that end, the mercury-based weapons they carried could form protective barriers—defensive structures similar to those generated by Kayneth's own mystic code. Of course, given the different manufacturers and wielders, these knockoffs paled in comparison to Kayneth's originals.
If Kayneth ever became a Heroic Spirit, his mystic code would undoubtedly rank as a high-grade Noble Phantasm. Even if its rank wasn't sky-high, its comprehensive functionality would still place it in a class of its own.
After hastily deploying their mercury shields, the magicians peered at Akuta Hinako through refracted light, preparing to strike down the remaining boy—Aslan—once the girl exploded.
They knew the value of the fairy script. But since the boss had ordered them not to fail, they shoved that knowledge aside. If they couldn't obtain the fairy script, then no one could. Out of sight, out of mind.
Besides, the characters hadn't been compiled, nor had they been passed down. So if they were destroyed here and now, it would be as though they had never existed. From a certain point of view, that was ideal.
"I, who have been abandoned even by the fate of destruction, weep eternally. O sky! O clouds! Curse life with your tears of sorrow!"
Akuta Hinako raised her arms high. Then, in a burst of gore, her entire body exploded upward. Of course, "sky" was a metaphor—they were in a cave. But as her blood reached the cavern ceiling, it cascaded downward and bloomed into poppy-shaped flames.
Fiery. Beautiful. And soaked in death.
The inferno, infused with overwhelming magical force, shredded through the mercury shields and tore into the bodies of the black-robed magicians. When the flames finally subsided, not a single scream remained. Just charred husks lying silent on the floor.
As the fire faded, the blood on the ground began to congeal and reform. Moments later, the black-haired girl stood once more in the center of the cave, staring down at the corpses with envy in her eyes.
"Just get killed and you're dead. How lucky."
Immortals generally fall into two categories. The first, like Aslan, seeks pleasure and novelty to stave off the emptiness of eternal life. They're cautious, wary of losing their humanity—and yet, one careless moment and they might begin to view mortals as toys.
The second type is like this "girl." After centuries of watching loved ones turn to dust, the heart weeps. Even immortals feel pain. Even they grieve.
Loss consumes them, eroding the will to live. They might grow suicidal, even if they know true death is forever out of reach. So they linger—bitter, tired, hoping for a miracle that may never come.
Until she found peace within herself, this black-haired "girl" was clearly one of the latter. She looked young, but inside, her spirit was already hollow.
Perhaps, before she self-destructed, Akuta Hinako had still clung to a foolish hope—that this time, she wouldn't come back. That this would finally be the end.
But of course, it wasn't. As a spirit born of nature, no matter how shattered her form, she would always reform. She could choose to return to the Throne of Heroes. Yet she remained here, haunting the world, chasing a miracle.
Aslan dismissed his shield. What had just moments ago been a towering defense reverted into a palm-sized hand shield and slipped away.
Then, suddenly, a loud crash echoed from a nearby wall. Silver light burst through crumbling stone. With the aid of his mystic code, Kayneth broke through the cave wall and stepped inside.
"I heard a loud noise. Looks like you've handled the situation," he said. "Seems you didn't need my support after all. As expected of a genius."
-End Chapter-
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