kscans

Chapter 178 - Raid on the Elven Palace and the Rematch with Wind Blade

"Mash, what's going on? You just got to Miglutt, and you've already found two new members?"

Cecily demanded.

"It's not like I found them. I only just learned who Maryanne was. Nothing's been decided. But I am taking Mo. I have no intention of letting any other man have her."

"So you came to take her by force? If you really wanted her, you wouldn't have tried to make Myra do the talking, or let Mo and the dog-ears speak for you. You would have said it yourself. Instead, you're just hiding in the back..."

She saw right through me—I had no words prepared to convince Marina. I'd thought this was a problem Marmi had to solve, that I just needed to create the opportunity for her to speak her own mind.

But Cecily was right. I had decided to take Marmi with me. So I had to be the one to act and make it happen. Otherwise, Marmi herself would lose confidence in her own decision and become anxious.

"What, are you jealous?"

Perhaps because she'd hit a nerve, the words that came out were completely different from what I'd intended.

"Yes, I am. So what? Whose fault do you think that is? Right now, you're not cool at all. You're just gross!"

"It is my fault. I am the one who accompanied Mash while hiding my identity. That is why he is also confused,"

Maryanne interjected.

"Outsiders, stay out of this. And even if that's true, I want to hear it from Mash's mouth."

Cecily's eyes scanned the room.

"I'm against Mo joining us. What about the rest of you?"

She looked at Famu first, but Famu didn't move.

"I knew Famu would be against it at first. But I expected her to come around."

A faint smile touched Cecily's lips. She then shifted her gaze to Mizuki, who also remained still.

She looked to Aira. Her long hair swayed as she took up her mace and stood beside Cecily.

She looked to Myra. Myra didn't answer, but she raised her mace and stood beside me.

"I see. Two against two, then. And just so we're clear, Famu and Mizuki, you stay out of this,"

Cecily declared.

"What are you planning to do?"

"We may be down a few members, but this is a rematch for 'Wind Blade.' We won't lose this time."

Cecily raised her staff, and a massive fireball materialized before her.

The situation I had feared was now a reality. I looked at Aira, standing beside Cecily.

"Aira, stop her!"

"I don't really mind if Mo joins us. But right now, you're just like Cecily said. I don't like it."

Aira didn't budge, her mace held at the ready.

"Think about it! Have I ever had a 'cool' side?"

"Mash, you are cool,"

Aira replied, lowering her stance and tightening her grip on her mace.

It seemed convincing her would be difficult, too. I turned to face Cecily.

"Stop it! This is a library!"

The instant my shout echoed through the room, Cecily unleashed the fireball.

"Damn it!"

Using the intermediate Water Magic I'd just learned from Marmi, I created a water sphere and fired back.

"Mash, no!"

I heard someone shout, but the water sphere was already airborne.

The two projectiles collided, erupting in a violent explosion. Flames scattered in every direction, and steam billowed up, enveloping the area in a haze of heat and white mist.

My vision was completely obscured. I couldn't see a thing.

Inhaling the superheated air burned my throat and lungs. I covered my mouth with my arm.

"Ngh!"

Just as I tried to wave the mist away, Aira appeared, her mace raised high.

I was completely unprepared for a physical attack. I willed my body to dodge, but it wouldn't respond.

In the instant before Aira's mace came crashing down, another shadow leaped in. A sharp clang of metal rang out as Myra's mace intercepted Aira's attack.

Aira pressed her assault, launching a second and third strike. Myra fought back just as fiercely, and a desperate struggle unfolded.

"I'll hold Aira off! Mash, you get Cecily!"

"Got it!"

I couldn't tell who had the upper hand, but I couldn't imagine Myra losing to her sister.

Through the swirling mist, I pulled a shield and a club from my storage and equipped them, then charged in the direction Cecily had been standing.

The mist was slowly starting to clear, but my vision was still limited.

Cecily was no longer where she'd been. She'd already moved. I scanned my surroundings, searching for any sign of her. Just then, I felt a different texture under my foot. The moment I stepped down, a sharp crack sounded, and I realized it was a thin sheet of ice.

At the same time, several red orbs appeared in the white mist.

"Crap!"

I instinctively raised my shield. I couldn't block all the fireballs, and several slammed into my body. Searing pain shot through me.

Fighting the urge to writhe on the ground, I launched a water sphere in the direction the fireballs had come from and charged. But Cecily wasn't there either. Again, the sound of breaking ice echoed from under my feet, and another volley of fireballs flew at me. I dropped to the ground to avoid taking them head-on.

Staying in one place was too risky, so I started to crawl, scanning my surroundings. The sound of clashing maces continued to ring out. Myra and Aira were still fighting.

Should I help Myra and take out Aira first? Cecily wouldn't be able to cast spells where her own ally was. As I mulled over my strategy, a sudden, intense wave of drowsiness washed over me.

Cecily's magic. Recalling the method Maryanne had taught me, I tried circulating mana within my body, concentrating it in my head to block external magical influence. It worked. The drowsiness subsided.

Her tactic was to lay down sheets of ice and then launch fireballs when she heard them break. The fact that she was firing multiple projectiles meant she didn't have an exact lock on my position. She hadn't expected me to be crawling on the floor earlier. That's why she was attacking an area, not a point.

And now she'd lost me. So instead of casting a spell that would give away her position, she was casting sleep magic in all directions. My thoughts were clear now that the drowsiness was gone.

Just then, a silhouette appeared in the mist.

Cecily...? I muttered internally, then dashed toward it and tackled the figure in a hug.

"Mash!"

Cecily's cry rang out. I quickly moved to get behind her and pin her arms.

In response, she flailed wildly with her elbows, one of them catching me in the side.

"Ugh!"

The pain almost made me let go, but I couldn't risk losing her in the mist again. As I tightened my grip, my body suddenly went airborne. It was one of Cecily's throws. She'd bent forward, hooked my leg with hers, and flipped me over.

"I know how to deal with perverts, you know!"

Cecily yelled. She pulled my arm, twisting my body, and slammed me back-first onto the floor.

"Guh!"

My vision swam, and the brutal impact knocked the wind out of me.

She tried to stand and get away. I reached out, grabbing the front of her clothes. She grabbed my wrist in return. Then, she swung her legs over, wrapping them around my arm and neck before sitting down.

A triangle choke. She squeezed her legs, tightening the hold on my neck.

"Ngh... You were hiding a move like this...?"

"I learned it from Avea. When you're adventuring with a pervert, you need at least this much self-defense!"

"You've been... saying whatever you want this whole time..."

My consciousness began to fade from her choke.

"My sleep magic didn't seem to work before, but in this state..."

This situation was already dangerous enough; I couldn't afford to get hit with another spell.

But the triangle choke was locked in perfectly, and breaking free was nearly impossible.

I struggled, trying to force myself to stand. But she shifted her weight, throwing off my balance and keeping me pinned.

All the while, I was on the verge of blacking out.

"GUOOOOHHHHH!"

I roared, putting every ounce of my strength into standing up. I managed it, with her still clinging to me. The choke loosened slightly. With my now-freer hand, I grabbed her chin.

"I'll slam you head-first into the floor!"

"Go ahead and try! I'll choke you out before you can!"

we yelled at each other. But she didn't tighten her hold.

"...Hurry up. I'm gonna slam you."

"You're the one who's gonna get choked out, Mash..."

We glared at each other, locked in a stalemate. Time passed, with me unable to slam her and her unable to choke me out.

I glanced around and saw that the steam had cleared. Myra and Aira had stopped fighting and were now watching us.

"Hurry up and finish it,"

Aira said.

"Mash, you're burned. We need to treat that quickly,"

Myra added. Their words completely drained the fight out of me.

"...Mash, if you're not going to do anything, I'd like you to put me down,"

Cecily said. It seemed her will to fight was gone, too.

"There's something I need to tell you."

"What?"

"You're not 'Wind Blade.' It's me, Famu, Mizuki, Myra, Aira, and you, Cecily. The six of us are special. The six of us are Levante."

The words felt hollow, knowing I was about to part with Cecily and Aira to take Marmi with me.

But I had to say it. They might think I was pathetic and full of regret after so readily sending them off, but I had wanted to keep adventuring with them. That feeling hadn't changed, and I wanted them to know that.

"Mo is a more skilled mage than I am, so if she joins you, I can rest easy. So please, find an ending everyone can accept. Only you can do that, Mash."

I supported her as she unwound her legs from the choke.

I set Cecily down on the floor.

"What about the damage to the library...?"

"...It's fine. Mother and I put up a defensive barrier to protect it,"

Marmi answered.

Our other companions were watching us from a distance.

"Why didn't you slam me?"

Cecily asked, smoothing down the hem of her clothes.

"Why didn't you choke me out?"

She started to say something in response to my question, but then stopped.

"No need to ask, I guess..."

she sighed.

I turned to face her and Aira once more.

"I can't wait for you two to graduate from the magic academy. I plan to live in this city, but I'm also going to the Demon Kingdom to find out about the Demon Lord. I'm taking Mo with me. I need her power."

"I heard you the first time. And I told you how I feel. You should be saying that to Mo's mother, Marina-sama. And for all we know, our academy recommendations might be gone after this little incident,"

Cecily replied.

"No, I needed to say it to you and Aira first."

"I didn't want to hear it!"

Aira placed a hand on Cecily's shoulder as she cried out.

"Mash, I'm sure you understand,"

Aira said, and I nodded.

Then, I turned back to face Marina.

At that moment, the library doors burst open. Marmi's father, Augustus, followed by Claire and a group of armed knights, stormed into the room.