Chapter 360 (Self Edited) – End of the Nightmare
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The battle began, overwhelmingly one-sided. Even Cecilia, who had little combat experience, could see the vast difference in power between the two sides. One might say they were simply talking big, or perhaps there was nothing much to say after all. The overwhelming force was with Aina and her allies.
“What’s wrong? Was it all just talk? Seems like there’s nothing much to say, huh?” (Aina)
“Hah… Keep talking. Just watch, I’ll show you my power soon enough.” (Isaac)
“…Well then, hurry up. …Looks like it’s almost over.” (Sheila)
“—What?! d.a.m.n it…!” (Isaac)
Aina unleashed consecutive spells without incantations, while in between, Sheila darted in to strike Isaac. If each individual’s strength was certain, their coordination was equally certain. Isaac was completely at a loss, unable to respond to Sheila’s maneuvers coming from blind spots, and was embarra.s.singly blown away. Yet, he barely managed to defend against it at the last moment, crashing into a wall and quickly getting up, only to find Aina’s magic already waiting for him.
“—Burn.” (Aina)
Immediately, pillars of flame rose, casting a red glow around. The sound and smell of burning filled the air, and Cecilia found herself exhaling softly as she watched the scene. Honestly, Aina and her group’s abilities exceeded Cecilia’s expectations. While she had caught glimpses of their prowess before arriving in the capital, she had not antic.i.p.ated this level.
Cecilia certainly lacked combat abilities herself, but she had observed skilled fighters in action numerous times. While she couldn’t a.s.sess an opponent’s abilities without a fight, she could generally gauge their strength once battle commenced. From her a.s.sessment, the abilities of these two were undoubtedly among the top in the country, perhaps even unparalleled. Moreover, if they fought in tandem, there might be no one who could oppose them alone. Their combined strength was truly formidable.
In contrast, Isaac was ultimately just a prince of a single country. Like Cecilia, his combat abilities were not exceptional. This stemmed from the same fundamental reason as Cecilia’s lack of combat prowess. To put it simply, it wasn’t required. Basic self-defense capabilities were necessary, but anything beyond that was excessive. Because, even if one were to attain unparalleled strength, there would be no situations to wield such power. It can be said that they shouldn’t exist.
The situation where someone eligible to inherit a country must repel enemies with their own strength. Encountering such a situation would undoubtedly be too late in every sense of the word. Moreover, acquiring power requires appropriate training and considerable time. But there are countless things one must learn to inherit a country. Therefore, Cecilia and her group could not possess anything beyond self-defense.
It seems Isaac is relying on external sources of power, but he was still just a prince after all. It was only natural that he couldn’t stand against those who held the pinnacle of a country’s power through military might. That’s supposed to be true, but…
“What…?” (Aina)
Aina looked puzzled, and Sheila, who had returned to her side, also glanced with suspicion at the place where pillars of flame had risen. Normally, taking a hit like that would result in death. At best, it would be a serious injury. However…
“That really got me a bit nervous. You guys are really something. Or… maybe it’s just that I couldn’t do it? Honestly, having power means nothing if you can’t control it. I can’t help but feel pathetic about it. But well… thanks to that, I think I’m starting to get used to it, you know?” (Isaac)
Isaac walked slowly out of the flames, without even a burn or scratch on his body. The fact that the flames weren’t just for show was evidenced by the fact that they were consuming everything around them. It was clearly abnormal.
“I did feel like he defended against it, but he should have been caught.” (Aina)
“Yeah, definitely. I mean, getting blown back to the wall, nothing went wrong, right?” (Isaac)
“…Something’s wrong. It’s strange… unbelievable.” (Sheila)
“No way? The mistake here is in your perception. Even if you hit a lump of iron with a wooden stick, you can blow it away, but you won’t hurt it, right? It’s the same thing.” (Isaac)
“…Soma could do it.” (Sheila)
“He really seems like the type to… but then, what does that mean? That I couldn’t even give a burn with my magic, is it for the same reason?” (Aina)
“That’s right. So, did you understand the difference in power now? Then let’s stop, okay? If we’re going to spend the same time, we should use it for something enjoyable, don’t you think? Oh, don’t worry. I won’t leave you out. Let’s have fun together. After all, experimenting with this kind of thing has already been done with those guys over there.” (Isaac)
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“…You’re underestimating…” (Sheila)
“—That’s why I’m saying it’s pointless, right?” (Isaac)
“―What!?” (Aina)
Immediately after Aina attempted to cast her spell, a look of astonishment appeared on her face. This was because Isaac had instantaneously moved right in front of Aina. One could say that was all there was to it, but it was natural for Aina to be surprised. Isaac’s movement just now was clearly impossible as there was absolutely no preparatory movement. No matter how fast one’s movement speed was, there would always be some sort of preparatory action.
Alternatively, if it was even a short-range spatial teleportation, it might not require preparatory movement. However, even if it was a short distance, spatial teleportation wasn’t something that could be easily achieved. It was a skill that only those with exceptional magical talent, after diligent effort, could acquire. However, Isaac’s magical talent wasn’t supposed to be that exceptional. No matter how much power he borrowed, it was hard to believe he could enhance his talent to the level of enabling spatial teleportation. If it was limited to just speed… as it was mentioned earlier, that was impossible.
Still, compared to the possibility of spatial teleportation, it might still be conceivable, but… that would mean there was preparatory movement that was executed at a speed beyond our recognition. If that was a part of the power Isaac borrowed, then that power was immeasurable. But despite Cecilia being more likely to sense such things firsthand, Sheila’s subsequent actions showed no hesitation whatsoever. The moment Isaac appeared in front of Aina, Sheila had already stepped into his blind spot. And then, her arm swung—
“Hey hey, didn’t you guys just say earlier? I’d rather you not think the same trick will work on me.” (Isaac)
Immediately, a sharp sound rang out, but Isaac’s body didn’t budge an inch from its spot, nor did he receive a single scratch. Instead, Sheila’s sword danced in the air. Not only did she block the recent attack, but she also s.n.a.t.c.hed away Sheila’s weapon. However, Sheila’s momentary fl.u.s.ter was brief.
“…If it’s a weapon, I still have one.” (Sheila)
Seizing the opportunity without hesitation, she took another step forward and swung her arm again…
“So, you still don’t get it. Realize that you can’t beat me.” (Isaac)
But Isaac, unfazed, slammed her into the ground. Furthermore, Isaac pressed his head down as if to pursue relentlessly, completely overpowering her.
“This…!” (Sheila)
The tables had completely turned at this point, but Aina showed no signs of giving up. She attempted to strike Isaac with a ma.s.s of flames… but it was to no avail. Just before she could release the magic, Isaac glanced at the spell and it dissipated.
“Are you kidding…!? But I’m not done—” (Aina)
“Getting rowdy occasionally is fine, but honestly, I’m getting tired of this. You guys are weaker than I thought. And, I prefer to enjoy myself.” (Isaac)
Still resisting, Aina’s body was struck by Isaac’s fist, and despite this situation, she tried to cast another spell, raising her right arm. However, that was as far as she got. Following Isaac’s subsequent blow, Aina, like Sheila, was slammed to the ground.
“Man, you’re stubborn till the end. Well, can’t blame you. The longer the enjoyment, the better. …Now then.” (Isaac)
Muttering, Isaac slowly surveyed the surroundings, almost as if to show Cecilia what was happening. Her companions, still trapped in the dream. Despite coming to their aid, Aina and Sheila had fallen to the ground after their second defeat. And then…
“Now, it’s time for the fun part.” (Isaac)
To make the meaning clear, Isaac smirked and deliberately turned his face towards Cecilia. Then, comparing the fallen Aina and Sheila as if deciding which one to choose, he squinted his eyes—
“W… wait…!” (Cecilia)
“Huh?” (Isaac)
The cry was impulsive, not born of deliberate thought. But immediately after, as Aina and Sheila appeared in her line of sight, Cecilia realized what she needed to do.
“Hey, shut up and watch closely. The ones who came to rescue you are about to be toyed with by me, you know? Well, that’s the situation. You’re going to have your fill of…” (Isaac)
“I… I’ll do it myself…!” (Cecilia)
“Huh? What do you mean?” (Isaac)
“N-no, I mean… it’s not that… I want to take care of it myself… before anyone else…!” (Cecilia)
They might not wish for this kind of situation. It might seem utterly meaningless. However, Cecilia couldn’t just stand by and watch as the two who had come to rescue her were trampled upon. Rather than allow such a thing to happen—
“I see… So, it turns out you were starting to enjoy watching too, huh?” (Isaac)
“Y-yes… I can’t bear it anymore, so I want to take care of it myself before anyone else—” (Cecilia)
“But that’s a no-go. I understand the eagerness to have fun, but wait a bit longer. Unfortunately, it’s just me here.” (Isaac)
“W-why…!? But I—!” (Cecilia)
“You should know, right? ――It’s more fun this way. Whether those words are lies or truth, delaying you here will make things more interesting, won’t it?” (Isaac)
“…!” (Cecilia)
At that moment, oh, it became clear to Cecilia that there was nothing more she could do. Not a single thing remained within her power. Her entire body felt drained, her clenched fist opening.
“Now then, let’s begin the fun this time for sure. First… yes, this way.” (Isaac)
As Isaac’s hand reached towards Aina, Cecilia could only watch silently, her eyes filled with helplessness. As it had always been… even in front of her companions, she couldn’t do anything.
Yet, even so.
She thought.
She prayed.
It was a helpless plea, but still…
‘―Someone, please.’
Even if she was rendered utterly powerless and foolish, she prayed for the two who had come to rescue her.
“Now then, let’s see what this one tastes like—” (Isaac)
“Unfortunately, you will never have the opportunity to find out. Don’t touch her, scoundrel.” (S???)
The words were heard simultaneously with Isaac being sent flying. Isaac’s body crashing into the wall echoed throughout the room… However, the person who acted so casually, as if he didn’t care, turned around. Suddenly, a person appeared in the room. A young man with black hair and black eyes.
“Well, I apologize for the second deception… but this time, I have truly come to help.” (Soma)
With those words, Soma gave a fearless smile.
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