Why was the killing so slow? What was the reason?
Simply put, her attack power was still overwhelming, but she lacked functionality.
"I took it for granted before. Crushing vermin is more troublesome than I thought."
Good and vermin were mixed together. She had to kill vermin while sparing the innocent.
"It's not exactly hard—my control is precise. However, compared to indiscriminate annihilation, this way is far slower."
"Even if each controlled strike only costs a little time, the sheer number of vermin makes the impact significant."
"Seven days, and only three million dead."
Zeroy sighed, face full of worry.
"Forget thirty days and seven hundred million… I don't know how long it will take to purge the world."
She had sat atop the corpse mountain, brooding over this.
"..."
Still, how bizarre... too bizarre.
Listening to Zeroy's lament, Patchouli nearly rubbed her forehead.
Her head ached. The dissonance was too strong.
Such words should come from a grotesque monster, the kind to make children weep at a glance.
Or at least from someone visibly cruel and savage.
However, Zeroy was a lovely girl.
"Patchouli?"
Zeroy noticed her odd look, tilting her head with concern.
"Nothing... just not used to this kind of talk yet."
"So, can you help me with your wondrous magic?"
Zeroy clasped her hands, eyes sparkling, leaning forward like a pleading kitten, golden hair swaying.
"Wondrous... magic?"
Patchouli's amethyst eyes flickered with resignation. "That sounds strange... but fine. The kind of spell you want does exist."
"Really?!" Zeroy's eyes lit up.
"—!!"
Patchouli, anticipating her, quickly raised a hand to stop Zeroy from leaping at her.
But...
Though no child, her petite frame stood shorter than Zeroy.
So her hand pressed against something soft, springy... perfectly fitting her palm.
"...?"
The sensation froze them both, as if time stopped.
Patchouli jerked her hand back. Zeroy stepped away. Both averted their eyes, suddenly unsure where to look.
Patchouli's fingers tingled with warmth. Sunset lit Zeroy's cheeks, her ears flushed red.
Awkwardness filled the air, tinged with a faint pulse.
But neither was easily flustered. Just caught off guard.
"Ahem…"
Zeroy coughed, breaking the silence. "So, about the magic."
"Alright..."
Patchouli paused, then steadied herself.
"You need a spell to speed your purge. I can design one to rapidly transfer selected targets. That way, you can gather those you'll kill, or remove those you won't."
"Design a spell... You mean now?"
"Yes."
"Amazing! You can just create a spell? And such a complex one?"
"It's difficult," Patchouli admitted, lips curving faintly. "Though not for me. And it's not from scratch—just a modification."
Plainly spoken, but pride showed. Zeroy, though ignorant of magic, knew her pride was justified.
She'd heard of magicians boasting of power, of mastering spells—yet, never inventing one on the spot.
"It will take time."
"How long?"
"Depends on your requirements."
"...Ok." Zeroy worried it might take a week or more. Despite that, even that was better than nothing.
"Range must be wide, activation fast, targeting precise. Most importantly—the conditions must match my definition of vermin."
"Got it. Don't disturb me."
Patchouli stood, pondering for three minutes.
Zeroy almost offered her a seat when she looked up.
"I'll give you the spell tomorrow."
"So fast?!" Zeroy exclaimed.
It was already night. She'd finish such a spell in a night. Her conditions had seemed troublesome.
"What do you think my knowledge is for?" Patchouli chuckled. "And I'll inscribe it in a grimoire. You won't need to learn it—just activate the book."
"Great!"
"But you must supply the mana. How much do you have?"
"Not much."
…Too vague. Patchouli frowned.
Zeroy thought, then raised her hand. Mana flared, a light cannon shot into the sky.
Crude, wasteful, but clear.
"That's about a tenth of my mana."
"..." Patchouli frowned. "And recovery?"
"If I drain it all, half an hour to recover. If I leave a tenth, full in ten minutes."
...
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