[[God’s Blessing] has leveled up! It is now Lv. 45]
[[God’s Blessing] has leveled up! It is now Lv. 46]
[[God’s Blessing] has leveled up! It is now Lv. 47]
[[God’s Blessing] has leveled up! It is now Lv. 48]
[[God’s Blessing] has leveled up! It is now Lv. 49]
[[God’s Blessing] has leveled up! It is now Lv. 50]
[[God’s Blessing] has reached Lv. 50. A new [Free Slot] has been unlocked.]
[Note: [God’s Blessing] has reached level 50, and the first set of [Free Slot]’s have been unlocked. The second set of [Free Slot]’s will become available starting at level 100.]
[[God’s Blessing] has leveled up! It is now Lv. 51]
[[God’s Blessing] has leveled up! It is now Lv. 52]
[[God’s Blessing] has leveled up! It is now Lv. 53]

This was the string of notifications Micah had received after waking up at Ellie’s camp. She’d already taken the time to evaluate the information during the days she spent traveling with Ellie, but right now, at the cusp of battle with the mysterious woman in white, she felt it was important to evaluate the information one more time.

The level ups from battling with Talahanan were one thing, but the most important part of it all was the fact that she apparently wouldn’t get any more [Free Slot]’s until she reached level 100. In other words, including those she’d already used, she had a total of six to work with for the time being. Eight if you counted the default Abilities.

…

…

Haaaa?! Are you screwing with me?! Say that sooner, you stupid system! How was I supposed to know there’d be this kind of limit?!

Somehow, even as she went over the information again, it still pissed her off as much as it did the first time. It wasn’t even all that surprising that there were certain limitations to [God’s Blessing], but it felt extremely unfair that she wasn’t notified of things like that in advance.

Regardless, it meant that she’d made the right call in conserving her remaining [Free Slot]’s, and that she had to be extra careful in how she used them going forward, as she wouldn’t receive a new one until she’d gained another fifty levels all over again.

Well, whatever. Right now isn’t the time to worry about that. For now, I should focus on…

“...Hm? Is something wrong? Didn’t you want to subdue me?” The mysterious blonde woman taunted the two girls, her lowered parasol still gripped in both hands as she watched them both. Micah, who was on Ellie’s flank, briefly glanced over to see the older girl’s face set in a hard glare, completely focused as she gripped her sword tightly. This was the most serious she’d ever seen her thus far, and from Micah’s perspective, she even looked a little nervous.

“...Mariel,” Ellie suddenly muttered under her breath, still looking ahead. “When I give the signal, I want you to run as fast as you can, okay?”

“What? Why?”

“Do you know what a contracted servant is?”

“Huh?”

Contracted servant? Why is she bringing that up now?

“Contracted servants are humans who submit themselves to a demon master in exchange for a fraction of that demon’s power. They sell their souls for it, becoming completely subservient to that demon, and it never ends well. Contracted servants are considered highly dangerous and any found are immediately locked away, or killed if they show resistance.”

“Then, are you saying that woman is…?”

“Yeah, it looks like she’s one of them. Contracted servants aren’t easy to spot, but you see her eyes, right? They’re glowing red, which is a telltale sign for when a contracted servant is making use of their corrupted mana.”

“Corrupted… mana?” Micah already knew most of that information, but that just now was an entirely new term to her. What was “corrupted mana”? Was it something only known within the Hero Association? How did it differ from normal mana and miasma?

Ellie dismissed all of the unasked questions with a shake of her head. “Sorry, I know that’s confusing, but there’s no time to explain it all now. Just know that it means she’s extremely dangerous and unpredictable. It’s impossible to judge how powerful she is like this, so promise me you’ll run when I give the signal, okay?”

Micah went quiet for a moment, considering her options. Even if the woman really was a contracted servant, that didn’t necessarily mean Micah couldn’t take her on. After all, she’d just gone head to head with a demon not too long ago, and contracted servants only possessed a fraction of a demon’s power. Of course, there was a lot more to take into account than that, such as the demon-in-question’s power and the individual servant’s own strength to which that power is added. Like Ellie said, that made it rather difficult to guess how strong a contracted servant was, plus Micah had long learned from her last encounter with a contracted servant that it was better to be cautious than carelessly underestimate an opponent.

There was also the fact that this woman was all alone, and likely had been for quite a while. Surviving in this monster-filled wilderness wasn’t something a normal person could do easily, as even she and Ellie had had some close calls in the days since their journey began. Adding onto that, if she really was aiming for [Baphomet] like the two of them were, that meant she was confident enough to survive an encounter with a legendary monster, regardless of what her actual intentions for it were.

With all of that in mind, it was hard to tell how a fight against her would go, but their odds weren’t all that great.

So if even Ellie, who was fearless at the prospect of taking on [Baphomet], was wary enough to deem escape the best option, then she’d happily trust the judgment of the Hero-in-training. Still… “What about you though?”

“It’s okay. I’ll buy you some time to get away, then find an opening to retreat later. I’ll be right behind you, I promise.”

“What? You want to take her on by yourself?” Micah sent an incredulous glare her way, but all she got in return was the same smirk Ellie always seemed to put on in the face of danger.

“What, worried about me again? C’mon, did you forget already? I’m pretty strong, ya know!”

Her bright expression was a comforting sight, and probably would have made her seem wholly reliable if she’d been speaking to an actual child. But Micah wasn’t so dense as to miss the bead of sweat running down the side of her face, or the subtle shaking of her hands as they clutched her sword’s hilt just a little too tightly. No matter how much she tried to pretend, Ellie was nervous. Clearly, she also had no idea how this fight would go and wanted to at least ensure Micah’s safety before anything else.

“H-Hehe, don’t be surprised if I end up calling you back after I’ve taken her down in one blow. I’m just trying to make sure you don’t get in the way so I can fight at full power.”

Was it her duty as an aspiring Hero driving that courageous smile? Or maybe her personal sense of justice to protect a child younger than herself? Or…

“...I’ll be fine Mariel, really. Please, just go…”

…was she trying to protect her friend, even at the cost of her life?

…

…

…That just wouldn’t do.

“No way. Not in a million years.” Micah stepped forward, coming to a stop alongside her partner to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her. “I get that you’re strong, but I told you before too, didn’t I? I’m pretty strong too. And I’m not leaving you behind.”

“M-Mariel…” Ellie breathed, eyes wide.

There was absolutely no way Micah would run in this situation. Letting Ellie fight alone would defeat the purpose of coming with her in the first place, not to mention it’d just make her feel even more like trash than she already did. Plus, if this woman really was responsible for unsealing [Baphomet], then she was partially responsible for the tragedies that befell the local villages. In other words, she could pay back Talahanan by dealing with her too.

“C’mon, I’ll back you up. A contracted servant is nothing compared to a legendary monster, right?”

“B-But, you…” Ellie looked concerned, to say the least. But a bit of Micah’s optimism must have rubbed off on her, as she quickly shook her head and refocused her attention on the woman before them, her own determined expression appearing. “Right… You’re definitely right! Contracted servants, legendary monsters, it doesn’t matter what tries to stop us. We’ll just blow ‘em all away together!”

“Hmph.” The woman let out a disgruntled sigh, shaking her head. “How truly vexing… I suppose I should commend your courage here, but I’d hoped to have intimidated the both of you enough to avoid such a pointless fight. In that case, I suppose my only choice left is to- kh.”

It was just the briefest of noises, but Micah caught it. As the woman had taken a step towards them, she faltered for just a moment, and her breath caught. Visibly, there was no change in her demeanor to suggest anything strange, but that noise alone was enough to tip her off.

After all, stifled as it may have been, it was clearly a grunt of pain.

She’s injured…?

Ellie seemed to have the same suspicion, as seconds later she rushed in with her sword held low, ready to strike. Micah was once again reminded that the girl was not hampered in the slightest by the large weapon’s weight, and in the blink of an eye she’d closed the distance and brought her blade around in a wide swing.

A cloud of dirt kicked up from the force of the motion, but to Micah’s surprise, the woman was faster. In just as quick a motion as Ellie’s had been, she’d jumped, planting a hand on the sword as she somersaulted over it with ease.

“Attacking with the flat of your sword, hm?” she noted in the short time her stiletto heels were skyward. “You really are a Hero, aren’t you. Fufu, how precious.”

Ellie’s eyes were wide as she watched the woman land gracefully, returning to her former posture as if nothing had happened. Any trace of pain in her demeanor had vanished entirely, almost as if it were merely a bluff. That thought twisted Ellie’s face into a scowl, and without hesitation she swung again.

And again, the woman dodged, this time leaning her body to the side to avoid the upwards slash. Ellie didn’t let up though, and soon a barrage of sword strikes were blitzing through the air, all aimed for the woman in white. But with amazing reaction time she continued to avoid them one by one, looking completely at ease as she ducked and twirled around each attack. Every so often she would bring up her parasol, using the shaft to deflect any swipe that came a little closer than others. Micah hadn’t even expected that something like that could be used in such a way, and yet she showed surprising skill with it.

“You’re certainly adept with that sword, leagues beyond what any child your age should be capable of. But your inexperience is showing. The wind resistance is slowing down your attack speed, and as it stands, I doubt you’ll be able to hit me.”

“Grgh…! Darn it!”

The attacks continued, this time with more fervor as Ellie put her full body weight into each swing of her sword. From where Micah was standing, it looked like she was acting out of fear; trying desperately to end the fight before the woman had a chance to retaliate. It made sense on a superficial level since her capabilities were unknown...

But that was a bad move. “Hey, calm down! I can’t hit her if you’re that aggressive, and you’re just wasting your energy!”

Micah’s shouting was enough to stop Ellie’s assault, as with only a moment’s hesitation, the girl leapt back to return to her side. “Haa… Haa… Haa…”

As she took a moment to catch her breath, Micah lowered her voice and spoke to her. “Listen, I know you probably don’t want to attack her with lethal force, but as long as you’re using the flat of your sword it’ll be difficult to land a solid hit. Like she said, the wind resistance will slow you down.”

“I… I know, but…”

“We outnumber her right now, which means we have the advantage. But if we’re fighting with a handicap, that advantage goes out the window. If you find an opening to subdue her, go for it, but promise me you’ll stop holding back. That’s the only way we can avoid a definite loss. Okay?”

Ellie’s face betrayed her inner conflict. It was plainly obvious that she wasn’t used to fighting to the death against human opponents, and likely had never killed a person before. But Micah had seen the girl chop up dozens of monsters at once, so she was well aware of how proficient Ellie could be at it if only she put aside her moral inhibitions and focused on survival.

Perhaps Micah was the one in the wrong here for trying to corrupt Ellie’s pure, justice-ridden heart, but no matter how she looked at it lethal force was necessary to compete with an opponent comprised of so many unknowns. It turned what could be a definite loss into a possible victory.

Ellie seemed to understand, and despite the reluctance in her face, she tightened her grip on her sword once again. “Alright… fine. But if it comes down to it, let me strike the killing blow. I don’t know what kinds of things you’ve been through until now, Mariel, but as a Hero-in-training I can’t let you be the one to dirty your hands here. Got it?”

Micah wanted to argue that she’d killed plenty of people before now and would have no trouble doing it again, but doing so would raise difficult questions and potentially ruin her cover, so she too expressed her reluctant agreement. “...Alright, I got it.”

“Finished already?” The woman asked, bringing their attention forward once more to see her casually brushing off her dress. “Then, I suppose we should call this the end of your turn and move on to mine.”

“Ellie, brace!” Micah shouted, then immediately threw both hands forward. What emerged from her palms was a fireball three times her size, which she’d been preparing since Ellie and the woman’s earlier exchange.

[Fire Ball], at intermediate-to-advanced rank. This was the most powerful spell Micah had ever casted to date, and it showed in how over half of her mana was lost in an instant. The result was worth the effort though, as the huge ball of flames quickly covered the distance between her and her target and collided right with her, sending a small shockwave and a burst of heat going in every direction.

The two girls shielded themselves from the blast—Micah with her arms and Ellie with her sword which she stabbed into the ground for leverage—and waited for it to subside. As the surrounding wind calmed and the smoke cleared, both of their eyes soon went wide with shock.

W… What the…?

“...Now that was rather rude. I believe I told you it was my turn now, did I not?”

Against Micah’s wildest expectations, the woman was completely fine, looking no different than before the explosion. Her parasol was open now, pointed forward and smoking from the top, but other than that she hadn’t moved an inch. And yet… she wasn’t even dirty.

A spell of such high rank, stopped like it was nothing. Was that even possible?

“Krrgh!” Ellie let out a strong growl and once again dashed forward. She jumped, sword raised high as her eyes glinted with murderous intent. The sword came down, blade side first.

Clang!

Micah’s ears told her that blades had met, but the sight before her eyes contradicted that. The woman had brought her parasol up to meet Ellie’s strike, and the two collided. She could even see sparks flying from the point where the blade and canopy met.

What…? But… that parasol is… a weapon?

The woman looked a bit strained beneath the weight of Ellie’s downward attack, but ultimately she thrusted the parasol and the girl was tossed back in shock, landing unsteadily before toppling to the grassy floor.

Wordless, the woman then rushed in, and as her heart leapt into her throat Micah prepared a spell as quickly as she could to save Ellie from being killed. There was no time to think, so what came out was [Gust] at beginner rank. At the same time, Ellie hastily brought her sword around in a clumsy slash. To their mutual surprise, the woman evaded both at the same time, leaping over Ellie’s slash while holding her parasol out to stop the small blast of wind with ease. Micah’s mind went into a deeper panic as the momentum led her to land right on top of Ellie, where she brought her now-closed parasol up by the shaft, then slammed the handle down into the girl’s mid-section.

Ellie’s eyes widened from the pain, and a shot of spittle forced its way out of her mouth. But the woman’s assault continued as she then flipped the weapon around to hold it by the top, then smashed the same handle across the girl’s cheek, flinging her head to the side with an audible crack.

The parasol swerved around again right at that moment to stop the next incoming [Gust] Micah had sent, and at the same time her other hand raised to block Ellie’s punch from below, throw it aside, and retaliate with one of her own that forced her cheek against the grass once again. The girl went still after that.

By that point, Micah’s mind had caught up to her, and she realized that ranged attacks were useless against the impenetrable shield her parasol seemed to act as. Right away her scarf ends stretched to attack from both of the woman’s flanks. Her efforts proved successful in forcing her away, and she flipped back several times with one hand to dodge one scarf end while deflecting the other with her parasol. Micah didn’t let up though, even as the woman continued to duck and dodge to avoid the subsequent attacks. At the very least, it allowed Micah crucial time to think.

I think I understand her fighting style now. So her parasol acts as a defensive weapon to block and deflect not just conventional attacks, but spells too. And it’s at least strong enough to stop an intermediate-to-advanced ranked [Fire Ball] point blank with ease. That, plus her unexpected agility, gives her a major physical advantage and allows her to battle opponents in melee even while being attacked from a distance at the same time.

In other words, she was the perfect counter for mages who fought in formations like the one Micah and Ellie used. Their luck really couldn’t have been any worse to have encountered her like this. Still, there had to be a weakness somewhere to exploit…

“Hmph. This really is a troublesome Ability,” the woman commented as she continued to block and avoid the scarf ends. Her gaze traveled for just a moment to meet Micah’s. “...I see. Then that girl must be…”

Oblivious to her mutterings, Micah’s own eyes traveled to Ellie, who still laid inert a short ways away.

I can hear her breathing, so she’s alive thankfully. But after taking a strong blow to the stomach and two to the head, it’s safe to say she’s been incapacitated. But why not just kill her? She had the perfect chance to, but instead left her alive. …No, that doesn’t matter. What’s important now is figuring out how to survive.

Ellie was unconscious, meaning there was no reason to hold back her strength at this point. It wasn’t an ideal situation to have lost her partner like this, but it definitely helped their chances of winning now that she was uninhibited. After all, Micah had had a long time to get used to fighting, and while she certainly enjoyed using magic, experience had proven her physical abilities to be far more effective at catching people off guard and ending conflicts before they had a chance to escalate. That would be how she’d win this time too.

Okay… I have a plan on how I can end this. But for it to work, I’ll need to use one of my [Free Slot]’s. Can’t be helped though, since it’ll definitely open up my options for attacking in the future.

[Use [Free Slot] to create a new [Ability]?]

[Yes.]

[Please decide on the conditions of the [Ability]. Whether or not the conditions are accepted is dependent upon the current potential of [God’s Blessing].]
[Note: The potential of [God’s Blessing] is increased as it levels up.]

[The scarf can regenerate lost parts of itself automatically.]

[Rejected.]

Tch. Always with this damn system…

[The scarf can regenerate lost parts of itself automatically in exchange for mana.]

[Accepted. A new [Ability] has been added to [God’s Blessing].]

Alright, that should do it. Now if I can just create a momentary opening, I can leave her vulnerable and end this in one go. Here goes nothing…!

With her plan of action ready, Micah waited for the woman’s attention to return to the scarf ends, then quickly rushed in at full speed. She covered the distance far faster than Ellie had and, with a leap, brought her leg around in a roundhouse kick aimed for her temple.

Even with her attention elsewhere, the woman reacted as if she’d seen it coming and used her parasol’s shaft to deflect it and the follow up kick from her other leg, but wasn’t expecting Micah to plant the scarf ends into the ground to keep herself afloat, then bring her legs around again for a third kick. Startled, she hastily ducked under it and looked up to see Micah still being suspended, her foot raised high for an axe kick. The heel glowed a bright orange as the girl glared down at her.

“You’re dead.”

The fiery heel came down, leaving an arc in its wake until it smashed into its target, sending another blast of heat bursting in all directions. Once the shockwave came to an end, Micah’s brows knitted to see the parasol’s canopy between her foot and her target.

The woman's masked face peeked out from the side. “And you’re quite reckless. To think you had this much power stored away and only chose now to make use of it. You could have spared that girl some pain if only you’d acted sooner, you know?”

“Khh!” Micah leaned her body to the side to allow one scarf end to come up, racing for the woman’s exposed head.

“Useless.” She reacted calmly, and raised her hand in preparation to snatch it out of the air. Instead, the scarf end suddenly shifted at the last second, sliding past her palm and spiraling along her arm all the way down to her shoulder while leaving lacerations all the way. Her eyes went wide to see her white sleeve staining with blood. “What?! It can act as a blade too?! Ah-?!” Her surprise was cut off as the scarf end made one last move, extending from her shoulder to her face. Or more specifically, to dig itself beneath the side of her mask. “No!!!”

Reacting in a panic, the woman threw her face to the opposite side, and it was at that moment Micah reacted.

Now!!

At that moment, the scarf end that was wrapped around the woman’s arm exploded, forming a mass of rocks that completely covered her arm as she screamed out in pain. It was [Harden], cast with her scarf acting as the medium—her “wand” in other words. At the same time, she planted her foot more firmly against the top of the parasol and extended her other one out, then brought it back up in a fierce kick against the point where the woman’s fingers gripped the handle of the parasol.

The result was a second explosion, this one of wind that came rushing from below with enough force to shake the treetops high above. The woman’s calcified fingers shattered instantly, freeing the parasol to get caught in the surge of wind and fly skyward. Meanwhile, the momentum from her kick brought Micah into a backflip, and she used the opportunity to snag the parasol with her other scarf end.

She also ripped the first one away from the woman’s arm, and as expected it broke off and became noticeably shorter as a result. Thankfully, the Ability she’d added worked like she’d intended, and the damage repaired itself in a matter of seconds as she reeled it in until both were at her side once again.

It’s just like I suspected! The only reason someone would wear a mask is to keep their face from being seen, and THAT’S her weakness! She may be skilled at fighting, but if her identity is at risk of being exposed, she’ll have no choice but to make protecting it her top priority. That could mean she’s an agent acting on someone else’s orders, just like I am!

“Grrngh!!! Krrgh…!” The woman looked to be in great pain as she gripped her solidified arm and writhed in place. For the first time, a discrepancy between her mask’s expression and her attitude had appeared, as there was nothing short of absolute fury in her eyes as she glared at Micah. But that only served to feed another of her suspicions.

With this, she’s in check. If I attacked her now, I could finish her in no time, so the best thing to do would be to use a spell as cover and escape… So why isn’t she doing it? I think I can take a guess. It’s the same reason why you fight purely defensively, and why you haven't casted a single spell so far. You…

“...can’t use magic, can you?”

“Huh…?” The woman’s eyes widened when Micah spoke to her. While passing the parasol from her scarf end into her hand, she continued.

“That’s why you use a fighting style that relies on a weapon that can defend against both magic and conventional attacks. You can only attack physically, so being able to keep up in a close quarters fight while also being able to close the distance on ranged fighters is especially important for you. Am I wrong?”

“Haa… Haa… Haa…” A long pause followed as the woman took several haggard breaths. Soon enough though, she calmed down enough to level a calculated stare her way. “...And? What of it?”

Hmph, I knew it.

“Well, you have a point. I suppose there’s no reason to draw this out any longer with pointless talking.” Micah shook her head from side to side in reproach, then after letting the parasol hang on one arm, raised her palm forward while gripping her wrist with her other hand. “I’ll just finish you off quickly.”

She wasn’t far off from Mana Depletion, but it was still better to be safe and attack with magic from a distance. Physical attacks were her specialty after all, and without the parasol to protect her now, she was completely defenseless. Still, to ensure she wouldn’t miss, Micah sacrificed another chunk of her mana to prepare two spells—[Gust] in one hand, and [Flame] in the other.

The actual process by which this worked was a tad complex, but essentially she had the mana flowing up her left arm converted into wind magic, which then fed into her right arm which was charged with fire magic. The combination was not properly done in the slightest, and she was sure a mage with more proficiency in either area could do it better, but it served her intended purpose well enough.

In her right palm there was a brief crackle… then a huge burst of magic erupted outwards in a short, but wide arc, blanketing the immediate area before her in scalding flames.

I see, I see. So this kind of thing really does work. The flames are generated right above my hand, and the wind magic pushes it outward at almost the same time, creating an effect not unlike a flamethrower. I kind of made this up on the spot but… I guess [Flamethrower] is as good a name as any for this spell?

In any case, it was the first thing that came to mind for an attack that couldn’t be easily dodged, and its effect was staggering. It did drain nearly the rest of her scarf’s mana in one go, and it was definitely a hazard to the surrounding area too, but it was well worth the cost to eliminate such a dangerous person. With this, there wouldn’t even have been time to scream before she died.

But just to be extra, extra safe, Micah let the flames spray out for as long as it took to drain her mana down to just barely enough to avoid Mana Depletion before deactivating the Ability. As the torrent died down and the smoke slowly dissipated, Micah let out a brief sigh and waited to confirm the woman’s charred corpse with her own eyes.

However, what she saw instead were the last flickerings of a bright light as it faded along with the smoke…

…and the woman—palm extended, having closed the distance.

What-

Micah couldn’t even voice her surprise before a tattered glove seized her by the jaw and hoisted her upwards with a painful yank.

“...My oh my, was it alright to go that far? You’ve wasted so much mana on a futile attack.”

“Fmmf…?!” Sh-She survived?! But how?! I know she’s a contracted servant, but don’t tell me her resilience is equal to a demon’s?! That’s just too crazy!

Micah grunted in pain as she struggled to free herself from the grasp of the woman’s still-usable arm, but it was no use. With [God’s Blessing] deactivated, she no longer had access to any of the special powers it granted, rendering her effectively useless. She still had her own body’s mana which kept her from going into Mana Depletion, but there was barely any left at this point. If she activated it now, she might have only a few seconds to act before she’d be wracked with incredible pain. It was impossible to guarantee a fatal strike in that little time, and anything less would just put her in an even worse position.

“...No retaliation? Fufu, then it’s really true. Seems you’re fresh out of mana now. Meanwhile, I…” Micah’s eyes traveled down in response to a strange fleshy noise, and found that the woman’s arm which should have been turned to stone was not only separated at the shoulder, but quickly regrowing at a fast pace. The burns visible through the parts of her dress that had sustained heavy damage from the flames quickly regenerated as well, until not a single one was in sight. “...have not sustained a single lasting injury. And with that, the victory is mine.”

Damn it…! Even with all the precautions I took, it still wasn’t enough. I should have done more; should have been more careful with how I used my mana. Or was running away the better option after all? Shit, why did I get so damn cocky?! If we had just found a chance to run away…!

Micah berated herself over and over, helpless as the woman’s newly-regenerated arm retrieved the parasol that had fallen to the ground in the scramble. With both her glove and her entire sleeve gone, her bare arm was exposed, revealing slender, white fingers that danced as they twirled it for a few moments before gripping it tightly. The woman gave her one last look at the blood red eyes beneath her mask, then a bright light began to grow from within the hand that was clutching her by the mouth.

It was hot, incredibly so, and only increased in intensity as the light grew. At that moment, Micah understood her fatal mistake: Her deduction was completely wrong. The woman could use magic. It was just another part of her fighting style, to avoid using it in order to lead opponents to that false conclusion, and Micah had taken the bait perfectly. She’d been completely outsmarted, and now the woman planned to use that hidden magic to put an end to things and achieve a flawless victory.

As the heat emitted by the light reached a point where it began to burn her cheeks painfully, Micah’s muffled breathing picked up at the prospect of dying this way, feeble and powerless, and her heart beat so hard that it felt like every pore in her body was throbbing. With genuine fear flooding her senses, she could only watch as the light grew further, enveloping her face, filling her view…

“HaaaaaAAAAAA!!!!!” A sudden, primal scream echoed through the trees, and a flash of movement in the corner of her eye was the only warning before a giant sword came slashing down, burying itself into the ground beneath them and severing the woman’s arm at the wrist in the process.

Micah heard a cry of agony as she dropped to the ground, and as she grabbed at her scorched face, she looked up in shock to see Ellie standing there, with both hands gripping her sword’s hilt and an intense expression on her face. She immediately turned to the woman, who’d stumbled back a step, and Micah watched as a familiar glow surrounded the edge of her blade.

“[Bisecting…” The ground surrounding the sword crumbled to dust as she reangled it, then brought it up in a massive horizontal swing. “...Slaaaash!]”

“...!” A brilliant blue arc was left in the path of the blade as it split the air in two, racing towards the woman’s torso to do the same. Reacting with a start, she just barely managed to leap away, flipping several times with her hands to stop the backward momentum.

The fatal strike didn’t connect, unfortunately, but it put some much needed distance between them and their enemy. Ellie took a stance in front of Micah, then spoke without taking her eyes off the woman. “Are you okay, Mariel? You must have used up all your mana to burn the forest like this. Do you have enough left to keep fighting?”

“Auh- ukk-...” Micah tried to answer, but was met with intense, stinging pain from her lips and tongue. The burning light had damaged even the inside of her mouth, and now it seemed that she could no longer talk effectively. So instead, she did the best she could. “Uh-... uh-uh.”

That definitely did not appear to be the answer Ellie was hoping for, as she let out a small, shuddering breath before nodding. “...Alright. Then you’re gonna have to trust me, okay?”

“Wuh-”

“My team,” she continued quickly, in a louder voice, “should have noticed this commotion by now. They weren’t that far behind us, so they’ll be here soon. My mom and auntie are with them, so just hold on, okay?”

W-What? Her mom and…

“Eveline of the [Bisecting Slash] is my mother. Although she’s better known as Eveline the Executioner, or Eveline of Two. And my auntie is called Alma of the Skies.” She was speaking to the woman now, staring her down with a nervous grin. “You know them, right? They’re two of the most famous Heroes of their generation, said to be equal to the members of the Five Legendary Heroes in terms of power.”

“...” Surprisingly, the names did seem to have an effect on the woman, who took a hesitant step back. She opened the parasol up, and for a moment, it looked like she would attack again as she slowly raised it. But instead, she pointed it towards them and did nothing more. Just as both Micah and Ellie wondered what it was she was doing, a sudden noise caught their attention.

They both looked down to the space between the two of them, just in time for a small object hidden in the grass to light up and explode, producing a shrill noise as it blanketed their visions in white.

Micah thought she heard Ellie scream, but was too focused on the pain flooding her eyes and ears. Even when she closed her eyes everything was still white, and her eardrums were ringing so loud she couldn’t tell at all what was happening.

W-What the?! A flashbang?! No, it’s a spell that acts similarly! But when did she place the mana crystal down?!

For a moment, the image of the woman rushing at her from within the smoke after Micah had used [Flamethrower] appeared in her mind, followed by the image of Ellie’s timely appearance and her flipping away to avoid the girl’s strike.

Was it then? Or then? No, that’s not important. This kind of attack renders anyone caught in it disoriented and unable to properly defend themselves, so if Ellie got hit too, we’re both screwed. Come on, please…

After a short while of waiting out the pain, Micah eventually felt it start to fade, then carefully uncovered her ears and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Ellie stumbling around in a daze, but the woman was nowhere to be seen.

She… ran away? But why? Was it because Ellie used the names of famous Heroes?

In any case, if she’d planned on fighting further she would’ve attacked them while they were blinded. It was safe to say she really was gone, so Micah got to her feet and hesitantly approached Ellie.

“Wawawawa-what’s goin’ onnn?!” The poor girl seemed to have fallen into a panic, and was clumsily swinging her sword around while just barely staying on her feet. Since she couldn’t talk well, Micah waited for an opening and tapped her on the shoulder. “GYAAAA?!?!?! WH-WHO’S THERE?! Mariel?!”

“M… Mhm.”

“Mariel! Is it safe?! Is she gone???”

“Mhm.”

“Phewwww~” Ellie’s shoulders relaxed instantly after hearing that, and Micah took the opportunity to reach up to her face. She held her hands there for a while until the girl eventually opened her eyes. “...Thanks. What kind of spell was that, anyway? I’ve never seen anything like it!”

Micah had an idea, but explaining it was impossible, so she just shook her head. The motion brought Ellie’s attention to the burns around her mouth. “Whoa, your face! H-Hold on, I’ll heal you.”

She stabbed her sword into the ground and leaned in to touch Micah’s cheek with one hand. Her eyes fell shut, and after a second, a blue glow emanated from beneath her fingers that brought Micah instant relief. They stayed like that for only a short while before Ellie broke away, panting slightly. “H-How’s that? Better?”

“Ah… Y-Yeah.” Micah gripped her jaw. It was slightly numb, but most of the pain had vanished. “Thanks, I feel much better.”

“Good. I’m not very good at using [Cure], but it really comes in handy in emergencies like this.”

“I see…” Micah glanced around, noting the extensive damage to the area (that was caused by her). “We should probably get out of here. Your team’s gonna be here soon, right?”

Ellie rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “Ahh… W-Well, maybe. I got a pretty good head start on them, so it probably won’t be as fast as I made it out to be. But yeah, this smoke will draw their attention. Let’s get some distance and find a place to rest.”

Micah nodded her agreement, and with one last glance back at where the woman had been standing, the pair set off with Ellie in the lead.

That magic she used was…

…

…

…Nah, it couldn’t be.