Chapter: 89
As Joy watched the concentrated magic gathered in the strange man’s hand, the first word that popped into her mind was “I’m going to die.”
“I will block it. I will counter it. I will fight back.”
But those thoughts didn’t even surface. She thought it was impossible.
How could she resist that colossal power?
There was no complex ritual or high-level technique; the man’s magic was simply overwhelmingly violent.
Confronted by him, Joy had no choice but to feel defeated.
But Lucy was different.
Despite seeing the man’s power, she stood in front of Joy with a smile.
Her state was a wreck.
Her body was drenched in blood.
Her limbs trembled as if just standing was a limit.
She couldn’t even muster the shield she usually conjured with ease.
Nothing was in working order.
Yet, she smiled.
She got up as if it were no big deal and looked at the magical power pooling in the man’s hand.
And she said, “Damn brat. It’s okay.”
What do you mean it’s okay?
There’s no way we can block that power.
We’re both going to die.
We’re going to get killed right here, with nothing accomplished!
There’s no way it can possibly be okay!
Joy had countless things she wanted to say to Lucy.
“Trust me.”
But all her complaints evaporated with the one line Lucy uttered next.
In any other situation, Joy would have thought that line was just empty bravado.
She’d have dismissed it as a desperate attempt to put her at ease.
But for some reason—
When Lucy Alrn said those words, they felt so reliable.
Joy nodded and looked towards Lucy’s back.
And before long, the strange man hurled his magic.
An overwhelming wave of force, as if intending to erase the entire alley from existence, surged towards Lucy.
In that instant, Lucy pulled something from her robe and held it out.
Then, a bizarrely-shaped magic circle unfolded around Lucy, forming a blue barrier.
The barrier looked incredibly flimsy.
With the minuscule amount of power contained within it, how could it possibly be sturdy?
But, unexpectedly, the magic unleashed by the man couldn’t break through that barrier.
The dark force evaded the blue shield as if light was fleeing darkness.
What on earth is this?
It looked like a miracle as Joy’s eyes widened, while Lucy turned her gaze with that infuriating smile she always had.
“See? I told you it’d be okay. Right?”
“…Yes.”
*
“Scroll of Magic Distortion.”
The effect of this item is quite simple.
It causes all magic entering the area of the scroll to go astray.
It sounds like a broken item, and it really is one.
Something seems off?
What’s wrong with having a broken item?!
It has a short activation time, sure.
And during its activation, anyone inside the magic circle can’t cast any spells.
Plus, you can only carry one of them at a time.
It even wipes out any mediocre magic attached to it.
And it’s not something you can retrieve unless you have connections with folks from the underworld.
Though it has its drawbacks, it’s undeniably broken.
Just being able to negate a single powerful spell from an enemy is a significant advantage.
Once you get past the early stages, it’s categorized as a must-have item for boss fights.
It was a lifesaver that prevented a total party wipe when a failure to break a pattern would’ve otherwise meant annihilation.
And this broken item was effectively living up to its purpose right now.
As that giant, world-crushing magic gradually dissipated, Naklad’s face became visible beyond the blue shield.
He was gritting his teeth, but he no longer had any options left.
It’s true he’s a strong guy in this universe, but that doesn’t mean he can smash through all the veterans at Soul Academy.
Just looking at how that divine magic bestowed by the god shattered within three minutes proves that, right?
If Taliki regains power later, things might change, but for now, he’s just a standard little bully.
“Yo. You should’ve killed me when you had the chance, huh?”
Why did he just use some half-hearted magic?
Were you trying to give me absolute despair because you found my actions such a pain?
Haha. In that case, you’ve been totally taken down by a mesugaki.
As I smiled, Naklad’s frown deepened, but instead of retaliating, he ascended into the sky and fled.
Thinking about the story, well, I guess he’ll make a reasonable escape.
Watching him leave, as the magical backlash faded, the blue barrier lifted.
The stench of blood, burned flesh, and dust invaded my nostrils.
Gradually fading vision and an unending ringing in my ears. I could hear the voices of Joy and the old man.
And behind them, countless footsteps mixed in.
Is this the end of this incident?
Just as relief washed over me, things I had been forcing down rushed in.
With no more reason to hold on, I surrendered to that wave and lost consciousness.
The last moment I saw was a multitude of messages appearing before me.
*
“Lady Alrn?!”
Seeing Lucy’s figure collapse forward, Joy rushed to catch her.
No, no, no. This can’t be happening.
I haven’t even paid back that great debt to you yet, so don’t leave me like this!
I know you have an annoying personality, but don’t be selfish!
Don’t think of leaving me with nothing but debts!
As Joy tried to check Lucy’s state with trembling hands, another hand touched her shoulder.
Startled, she stepped back but held onto Lucy tightly.
As if she couldn’t possibly let go.
However, it wasn’t an enemy.
It was a priest in white robes.
“I am a priest of the Church of the Lord.”
He showed the necklace around his neck while looking into Joy’s eyes.
“I need to check your friend’s condition. Could you please lay her on the ground?”
“…Yes. Yes.”
As Joy carefully laid Lucy down, the priest began to use his magic.
While Joy prayed for Lucy’s safety, someone else spoke up from nearby.
“Lady Partan.”
Turning her head, Joy finally noticed the people behind the priest.
Professors from the Academy. Guards. Priests. The mages who worked here.
It was as if everyone who could engage in a spontaneous operation from the Academy had gathered.
The representative among them was one of the professors.
“What’s going on…”
“Am I in a position where I need to be interrogated?”
Even when she spoke softly, many people found Joy’s tone intimidating.
Now, if she were to gather her seriousness, how would they react?
Seeing even a seasoned professor lose words and fumble made Joy turn her head back to Lucy.
In the silence she created, she watched as the priest examined Lucy and, as soon as the magic completed, she spoke up.
“How is she?”
“Lady Partan, I regret to inform you, but…”
Joy sighed deeply as she noticed the priest trailing off.
This can’t be good.
It’s only natural.
She had walked a tightrope before death.
If she was fine, that would be strange.
“She’s fine. Just some superficial wounds, that’s all.”
“What? But Lady Alrn has collapsed right now!”
“She’s merely asleep.”
As the priest continued, he asked Joy to listen for Lucy’s breathing.
Joy thought it was absurd but complied, concentrating on the sound.
Surprisingly, it was peaceful, like the sound of a small child sleeping.
“Hah.”
In the absurdity and simultaneous relief, Joy’s legs gave way, making her slump to the floor.
“Really, don’t scare me like that.”
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