Chapter 272
“What are you doing! Hurry up and解除 my unique spell!”
Erica pressed an ice dagger close to Gamigin’s heart.
Her sharp voice cut through the thin layer of ice like a chilling breeze, radiating unease.
Erica was convinced that Vargan was deceiving her.
Although she couldn’t tell if the unique spell was actually activated, one thing was clear.
He was showing lies.
“…Erica.”
Vargan sighed deeply. After a brief pause, he murmured softly.
“Can’t you just pretend to be tricked?”
“…What?”
“I asked if you could just pretend to be tricked.”
“Is that even something you should be saying right now?”
Erica had steeled herself.
No matter how Vargan twisted his words to persuade her, she intended to shout for the解除of her unique spell with her ears stuffed.
However, Vargan’s words were utterly beyond her expectations. It was so ridiculous that she momentarily forgot what she needed to say.
Asking her to just pretend to be tricked was essentially admitting he’d cast a spell.
Taking a breath to calm her trembling, she asked,
She could not fall for Vargan’s rhythm. What she had to insist on was only one thing.
“解除 the spell.”
“….”
“Hurry up!”
“I can’t do that.”
He firmly cut off her orders.
Seemingly anticipating Vargan’s attitude, Erica tightened her grip on the dagger.
“Then there’s no other choice.”
“What… are you…!”
Without hesitation, she plunged the dagger into Gamigin’s heart.
Surprised by her action, Vargan tried to move the shadows to block her, but it was already too late; the blade had embedded itself in the heart.
If the core was shattered, it would become material for the Judgment Weapon, contrary to Vargan’s intentions.
Thump-thump—
The heart beats.
Thankfully, it beats.
“….”
Vargan scrutinized the heart with wide, perplexed eyes.
Upon closer inspection, there was a thin, small warp hole in the heart, just enough for a dagger to fit.
Erica had faked the motion of piercing the core. Confirming Vargan’s reaction, she became even more convinced.
“Indeed… you aren’t Vargan, are you?”
“….”
Erica spoke to Vargan… or rather to the being mimicking his appearance.
Her eyes, simmering with quiet anger, were more beautiful and cold than any ice crystal.
She had seen through Vargan’s scheme.
She read Vargan’s scheme.
“The darkness in the shadows was real. I had tiny doubts, but they weren’t enough for me to see it clearly. That means… it was personified in Vargan’s form and layered with a unique spell to enhance its completeness.”
“……”
“Arcane. Stop imitating your master.”
“…This is a bit troublesome. I shouldn’t have been found out here.”
The dark spirit Arcane, who had been in Vargan’s form, returned to her original appearance as if she had no other choice.
Absorbing the Judgment Weapon, her dark hair, now not violet but black, contrasted strikingly with her white skin and elaborate clothing.
“When did you notice?”
“Does that really matter right now?”
“True. When it started isn’t that important. Lady Erica is probably most curious about where Lord Vargan is and in what state.”
“……”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you where Lord Vargan is. I was instructed not to.”
Naturally, Arcane didn’t disclose Vargan’s location.
However, Erica could guess enough from the current situation.
Her presence here indicated that she needed to deceive and stall for time.
Vargan was definitely doing something else during that time.
Gulemashia, who died after fighting Gamigin.
The floating city of Academia, now without its master.
The events of Vargan she had been watching closely and one of the outcomes he desired.
If so, there was only one place Vargan could be.
“It’s not the time to be facing you here. I can’t afford to stall.”
Having made her decision, Erica moved boldly.
Kwah-Jajajak—!
Ice erupted around Erica.
It spread out in a straight line, intending to catch Arcane in an instant.
It was obvious that Arcane would try to hold her, so this was to stop it.
“Ugh…!”
Arcane quickly manipulated the darkness to defend.
Erica’s magic crashed into the wall-like darkness. The force was fierce, no doubt about it.
In her urgency, Erica had no intention of taking it easy.
Arcane also revealed her tail, made of bone joints, to execute the orders she received from Vargan.
“I was told I could be somewhat aggressive, so I will too…!”
But then.
Zuuuu—!
Warp spheres manifested all around Arcane.
Inside those spheres, ice spears radiating an overwhelmingly chilling aura appeared.
The spears that transcended comprehension seemed ready to freeze an opponent to death with just a brush.
Chwa-Jajajak—!
Spears poured out, all aimed at one target.
Erica looked at the scene.
Arcane, frozen as if trapped in a glacier.
The dark spirit had taken the form of a black egg, just like when Vargan was tested, embedded in a pillar of ice.
She seemed to have protected her body with darkness.
Crack—.
Before Erica could take a step, the ice that imprisoned Arcane shattered.
Arcane emerged, commanding the darkness to attempt to trap Erica.
A completely different situation from just seconds ago.
“Don’t worry. I won’t compress the darkness, at least.”
Arcane said that as she wrapped Erica in darkness.
Lukane spoke, enveloping Erica in darkness.
Then, clutching both hands as if holding a small orb, he acted as if preparing to use it.
If it were an opponent, he would have raised his power and turned it into a point. But if he did that, what horrific punishment would Vargan face?
“Not here…?”
Lukane realized that the inside of the darkness encased in a sphere was an empty space.
However, it was already too late.
—Caw!
A crow’s caw echoed from behind.
Hastily turning around, Erica was already thrusting a long spear into the air.
That long spear was more elaborate and splendid than any ice spear Erica had created so far.
—Crash!
The spear plunged into Lukane, freezing the opponent entirely.
Like a statue made of ice, Lukane was completely immobilized.
Erica saw the mana around her gathering. She knew that this seal would soon be lifted.
She had to move quickly before any further interruptions.
“……”
Erica glanced around and spotted a tall building.
The Grand Clock Tower, maintaining its complete form, somewhat distanced from the main building. She dashed straight toward it.
Her legs moved steadily, albeit with short strides.
Her heart raced, and her large eyes slowly filled with moisture.
“Wait, wait….”
Erica murmured as if making a wish.
Please let it not be too late.
If she could be a little greedier, let it not be overly precarious.
“Please wait just a little longer…!”
Thud—.
Arriving hastily in front of the Grand Clock Tower.
Everyone had been moved for the Academia’s warp, so not even a guard was to be found here.
“……”
In a moment of hope, she attempted to sense Vargan’s mana, but it was impossible.
Erica hurried into the interior of the clock tower.
Normally, intrusions by outsiders would not be allowed, but as it was already damaged, spells did not activate even as Erica entered.
Click clack click clack—.
Erica quickly ascended the stairs.
The spiral staircase rose high into the sky, seemingly endless.
“…Ah!”
One of her high heels was broken.
With no time or mental space to repair it, Erica discarded the other shoe and continued climbing the stairs.
The rough stone surface and the gritty sand left wounds on her fair feet.
Blood flowed, and the wounds opened, causing pain, but.
Erica’s eyes were solely focused on the summit of the Grand Clock Tower.
Only the frantic beating of her heart echoed in her ears.
“Hah… hah….”
As if trapped in purgatory, she ascended the never-ending staircase.
Finally reaching the top, Erica gasped.
Rumble—.
Clack clack clack—.
The many gears filling the ceiling turned against each other.
Each noise was inconsequentially small, but the harmony was magnificent, like listening to an orchestra.
“Where are you… where are you….”
Breathing heavily, Erica hurriedly scanned her surroundings.
The moonlight streamed in through the massive clock, illuminating the interior; relying on that light, she looked around but couldn’t find Vargan.
“Where are you… where are you….”
The tremors in Erica’s voice grew stronger as she called for Vargan.
The tremor in Erica’s voice grew stronger.
Searching with mana was out of the question. He wouldn’t unbind the unique spell he cast on her, so she couldn’t find him.
Erica moved her sore, wounded bare feet. Unable to see, she flailed her arms forward like someone trying to be cautious, desperately trying to find Vargan.
But all she could touch were the cold walls and railings.
Vargan remained elusive.
“……”
Erica hung her head.
Her delicate shoulders trembled.
Instable mana swirled around and formed an ice dagger in her hand again.
“Vargan… are you here…? You must be here…?”
The trembling dagger aimed at her white neck.
As Erica lifted her face, the streams of tears that had filled her eyes flowed down her cheeks, reflecting the moonlight.
She spoke.
With the world’s most feeble threat.
“I’ll say this one last time… hurry up and unbind the unique spell you placed on me and show yourself.”
The cold dagger pressed into Erica’s neck.
Blood streaming down her neck would soon freeze and fall to the ground.
“Or I’ll commit suicide.”
Erica dropped Gamigin’s heart to the floor.
That was also an expression of her will.
The cardinal’s heart was not hers, but Vargan’s.
She couldn’t destroy Gamigin’s core, or she would interfere with Vargan’s long-prepared plan.
But this life.
This fragile life that she had held back from severing after discovering the truth.
Could be used as a tool of threat and cut through at once.
However, all Erica could hear was the clanking of gears filling the ceiling.
Erica closed her eyes.
As her eyelids shut, the tears she had been holding back fell and widened the stream that had already begun to flow.
With her determination set, Erica clenched her grip on the dagger.
“…Erica. You may catch my cardinal, but you cannot win against me.”
Crash—!
The world shattered like broken glass.
With her eyes closed, Erica felt someone grasping the dagger she was pressing in the opposite direction.
The voice she heard was without a doubt Vargan’s.
“Honestly, I only hoped you would quietly wait. It seems that was just my greed.”
Listening to that voice, Erica slowly opened her eyes.
Though the tears clinging to her eyelids and retina obscured her vision, she could see Vargan clearly.
Erica’s lips quivered and moved.
“Hey… you bad bastard…”
Vargan was covered in blood. The crimson stains were particularly heavy around his mouth and ears.
Veins bulged grotesquely out of his skin, and his body was wrapped in dark bruises.
The mana surrounding him was ominously swirling and tempestuous.
Mana spilled out of him as if he had holes in his body.
“Vargan. You bad jerk…”
Yet he wore a smile, as if feeling at ease.
Erica reproached him and wept sadly.
“You should have simply confounded my expectations as usual… mocked me with a nonchalant look. Why do you look like this? Why…!!”
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