“What’s up, Master?”
What kind of precious relationship could there possibly be between me and her? This is madness!
I just can’t understand her way of thinking.
Is she really a masochist?
“Is she actually out of her mind?”
I can’t help but curse.
“Did you just call me Master?”
The eyes of the Mad Hatter tremble.
For once, I can sympathize with the villain’s feelings.
Why is this even happening?
This is driving me crazy, really.
“Your Master has a bad habit of charming other women the moment he gets distracted, even for a second.”
Slithering in.
A shadow elongates, and out rises an expressionless beauty with a brown bob cut.
It’s Bella.
“What nonsense are you spouting? Have you eaten something weird?”
Who charms whom?
Are you kidding me?
I’d never go for Nishizawa Eri or Shinozaki Rin.
Olivia’s not completely terrible, but I can’t get used to her tsundere meltdown that comes in without signaling.
“If you didn’t know, then that’s enough.”
Clank, clang.
Bella stands next to me with a portrait weapon in the form of a chain blade.
Ching!
The Mad Hatter swats Nishizawa’s chain scythe away with his magic stick.
“Looks like negotiations have broken down.”
The Mad Hatter’s expression stiffens.
Brrrrr.
Orange magic energy erupts from his entire being.
“Then I have no choice but to fight you with all my might from now on!”
The Mad Hatter’s gaze turns to Nishizawa Eri.
“My daughter, you will regret missing out on this opportunity.”
The Mad Hatter speaks with a serious tone, holding up his magic stick.
“Shut up, trash! Just the fact that you dared to insult my Master means you deserve to die a thousand times over!”
Nishizawa Eri’s brow furrows.
What kind of insult did I even give to get that reaction?
A sigh escapes me.
This could only be a catastrophic battle.
Swoosh!
Nishizawa Eri throws the chain scythe again, and the Mad Hatter swats it down.
“Should I take care of this, Master?” Bella says in a cold voice.
“When you’re ready.”
The magic-themed villain, Mad Hatter, specializes in illusion magic.
His portrait weapon, the magic stick, is equipped with an ability called Illusion Sight, which allows him to cast illusions in the surrounding area, deceiving the opponent’s senses.
In the original volume 3, the Mad Hatter used this illusion magic to toy with Nishizawa Eri and the protagonist by triggering their traumas.
But unlike volume 3, the current Mad Hatter has not awakened his gift of ‘Illusion Projection.’
He can’t handle tangible illusions, making him obviously weaker than in the original story.
“The original protagonist had the ability to see through illusions with transcendent magical sensing by blocking out all five senses.”
I don’t have such a talent.
But there is a way to compensate for it, just like when I faced Nishizawa Eri.
Done.
I close my eyes.
Through Durandal, I spread the darkness.
The spiritual energy synchronized with the darkness seeps out through the dark mist released by the Gift.
“Then, let me invite you. Cadets! To this Mad Hatter’s Illusion World!”
The Mad Hatter’s greasy voice echoes.
The same line as when he appeared in the original volume 3.
Hearing such cringeworthy lines from a sleazy middle-aged man makes my stomach churn.
It’s even worse than Vulture.
Holding back my nausea, I recall the original setting.
Illusion World.
A lethal skill that triggers the trauma of anyone within a certain radius, rendering them unable to fight.
This skill is ineffective when the senses are sealed, and it loses power when sight and hearing are blocked.
After all, it’s a technique that deceives the physical senses of the target.
“Bella, block sight and hearing and synchronize with the shadows and spiritual energy!”
“I will obey the command, Master’s Master.”
The moment I heard Bella’s reply, a familiar voice rang in my ear.
“Hey, what are you doing right now?”
“I’m watching anime. If nothing’s up, hang up.”
“Your mom collapsed. Get to the ER right now.”
The urgent voice of my dad.
A memory from my third year in college, just finishing my military service and receiving a call from my dad in my apartment.
I can’t forget it, that memory that I buried deep in my heart because it hurt too much.
I can’t believe I was watching some nerdy anime at that moment; I feel pathetic.
Guilt and self-loathing surge within me.
“Teacher. My mom is going to be okay, right?”
“I think we have to see how the surgery goes, but unfortunately…”
The conversation at the hospital continues.
I feel disgusted.
I never understood why people have meltdowns when their traumas are triggered in web novels or light novels.
Now I think I get it.
“This sucks.”
The curse spills out of my mouth.
I channel my magic to block my hearing.
The sounds of conversation fade and then disappear.
I activate my spiritual sense synchronized with the dark mist.
Countless pieces of information flood into my mind. I process the incoming data.
“Ugh.”
My head aches.
The magic core in my chest and the black stone heat up fiercely.
The processed information appears visualized in my darkened field of vision.
I see Nishizawa Eri, who has collapsed, the Mad Hatter shooting magical bullets from his magic stick, and Bella wielding her chain blade to deflect those bullets.
[Allow me to face you with my Shadow Blade!]
[You are… that famous ‘Phantom Thief’ from France! What an honor. But the Illusion World is my domain. Even if you’re a renowned thief, when your senses are blocked and only magic perception remains, you are no match for me!]
The voice resonating through the magic perception synchronized with the dark mist buzzes in my head.
I didn’t bring Bella along for no reason.
Bella’s Gift is Shadow Master.
Her ability to manipulate shadows is a perfect match for my Gift of Darkness.
Moreover, with the dark mist surrounding us, the area is now saturated with shadows.
The situation, contrary to the Mad Hatter’s pompous words, is gradually turning in Bella’s favor.
I can just sit back, enjoy the show, and occasionally counter-attack when needed.
Once again, it’s an easy win for me.
At that moment.
[Ugh! This false illusion…! I will overcome it! I must be of help to my Master. I must prove that I am more useful than Shinozaki or that expressionless maid with the big chest! Eri-ring can do it. I can do it!]
Nishizawa Eri’s muttering echoes in my head.
At this point, it’s beyond disgusting; it’s downright scary.
At this point, it’s almost terrifying beyond repulsiveness.
[Master, I must… protect you! Eri-ring will keep you safe!! Master! Please watch over Eri-ring! I’m coming now!]
What in the world is going on?
Has she completely lost it?
I feel like my stomach is turning.
Wham.
An overwhelming wave of magical power emanates from Nishizawa Eri’s body.
Her eyes sparkle with orange magical energy.
[Shadow Dance!]
[Is that all you’ve got? Thief! Let’s play a little more! Illusion Bullet Barrage!!]
Bella and the Mad Hatter are battling it out while shouting their skill names.
Pretty sure I told them not to shout the skill names.
In this crazy world, if I say 100 things, it’s a miracle if they understand 10.
I let out a sigh.
From the tip of the Mad Hatter’s staff, dozens of magic bullets rain down like a machine gun, and Bella unfurls her casual sword to deflect the bullets.
Boom!
The explosion continues to echo. The magical wave sweeps through the area.
[The ultimate technique of Shadow Swordsmanship, I shall end you in Shadow Hell, Mad Hatter.]
Swoosh.
Just as Bella unfurls her casual sword, the dense shadows around them start to take form.
[Die! Die! Die! The enemy of my Master, the obstacle to my Master, the trash that insulted my Master, die already!!]
Flash.
Nishizawa Eri appears in the sky behind the Mad Hatter, accompanied by an orange flash of light.
Blink.
Using the ability of her signature weapon, the Kusarigama, Nishizawa Eri unleashes explosive magical power and hurls her chain-sickle at the Mad Hatter.
[Eiiight!!!]
With her peculiar battle cry, the chain-sickle imbued with orange energy flies straight for the Mad Hatter’s exposed chest.
[Urgh!]
Crack!
As the magical control device shatters, a scream erupts from the Mad Hatter.
The Illusion World collapses.
He opens his eyes and frees his suppressed hearing.
“How…”
The Mad Hatter’s eyes shake.
“This can’t be, this can’t be! No way this Mad Hatter can lose, it’s absurd!”
The Mad Hatter wails.
He brandishes his magic stick and fires an orange magic bullet.
“It’s futile.”
Swoosh.
The shards of Bella’s casual sword flutter bizarrely in the air, deflecting all the magic bullets.
“Well done, Miss Nishizawa. It seems you do have your uses.”
“I don’t want to hear praises from a flat-chested maid.”
Nishizawa Eri lands with a frown after hearing Bella’s compliment.
“Still concerned about your breast size? Very well. Let’s discuss this after we deal with that rude person over there.”
Even in this situation, obsessing over chests, seriously.
This is maddening.
I’m embarrassed to death.
The sins of Shinozaki Rin flaunting her chest are profound.
“There’s no such thing as loss in the vocabulary of this Mad Hatter! Master, witness the moment I fulfill your command!!”
The Mad Hatter gathers his magic.
Sparks fly from the shattered control device.
The orange magical energy begins to gather at the tip of the magic stick he’s holding.
In that moment.
Swoosh!
Bella’s casual sword strikes the ground.
“Be consumed by shadows and disappear. Shadow Hell!”
With that, the shadows surrounding her swarm like a swarm of bees.
Tangling shadows transform into numerous tentacle-like appendages and engulf the Mad Hatter.
“Gyaaaaaaaah! No! No way!!”
The Mad Hatter’s horrific screams echo around as he is attacked by the shadow tentacles.
The sight of him being thrashed by tentacles is truly a horrifying visual level.
An middle-aged man getting caught in tentacles, what a sight!
What a sight to see an uncle getting assaulted by tentacles.
“Ugh.”
Seriously, this is making me feel queasy.
KABOOM!
A series of explosions goes off.
“GUAAAAAAAH!!”
With a scream, his full-body armor is released, and the magic stick falls from his hand.
The combat mode of the Portrait Weapon has been forcibly disabled.
“It’s over. Shadow Binding!”
Swoosh.
Bella’s casual sword binds the Mad Hatter completely.
“The Portrait Weapon is confiscated too. I feel sick. Trash. The fact that you, a piece of trash who dared to insult my Master, exists is shameful to me. Rot in hell for a hundred or a thousand years.”
Nishizawa Eri retrieves the fallen Mad Hatter’s Portrait Weapon, the magic stick.
“Mmm, mm-mm-mm!!”
The Mad Hatter, bound up to his mouth by blades, writhes his body.
Seeing he’s not using any magic tricks, it seems he doesn’t have an emergency return device after all.
Well, that Messiah wouldn’t have given such a precious device to a mere B-rank villain, much less a newbie minion.
Pop!
With a flash of orange light, Nishizawa Eri appears before me in a blink.
She presents the magic stick to me and says, “Here, Eri-chan has dealt with all the enemies blocking Master’s path. Did I do well? Praise me. I want to hear Master’s praise. It’d be even better if you pat Eri-chan’s head… Would you? Heeheehee.”
Nishizawa Eri blushes and leans her head towards me, closing her eyes.
I sigh.
I snatch the magic stick from her hand and flick her forehead with my finger.
“Have you gone mad? What a performance, what a performance. What the hell is ‘Eri-chan’? Hey, Nishizawa. Stop with the disgusting flattery and just clean up with Bella.”
“Hiiing…”
With her eyes opened, Nishizawa Eri droops her shoulders and heads toward Bella.
Where does she get off acting cute?
“Truly the master’s master. Such a man who has the noble French princess, Olivia, as his personal maid. Your training skills are something else.”
Bella says expressionlessly, staring at the scene.
What? Training skills?
My head spins and nausea rises.
How can she combine such a ridiculous word to stab at someone’s gut like that?
“Damn it. Don’t talk nonsense either, just get to work.”
“Understood. Master’s master.”
I’m going crazy.
I don’t smoke.
So I never understood why people do it.
I mean, it’s bad for your health, why would anyone smoke?
I thought that until I fell into this crazy world.
Now, I understand the feelings of smokers 100%.
The dizziness still hasn’t worn off.
I really crave a cigarette.
Sighing, I type a message on my Hunter Watch.
[Situation concluded. Mad Hatter has been subdued.]
Just then, the message is sent.
[KYAAAAAA──!]
Koooom.
With a horrific scream, the entire model gate shakes.
The student council president and that protagonist have succeeded in defeating Yatagarasu.
[Message received. This situation has also been settled. Good work, Kim Deok-Sung.]
Immediately, I receive a reply from Aris.
It was the moment when the first episode of the original’s Volume 1 comes to an end.
Now it’s time for Imgan School.
Say whatever you want (Illustration included).
A roundtable conference room with stained glass.
The highest-ranking member of the New World League, Apostle 13, clad in a black robe, sits rigidly.
An uncomfortable silence weighs down the meeting room.
The only one sitting in a white chair is a handsome man in a white suit with black hair, Messiah, who speaks in a gentle voice.
“So, the Mad Hatter has failed his mission.”
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