Chapter 43: Malfunction

Leave a Comment / Level 999 / By IX

Chasing after the green-haired female student, I witnessed her plight firsthand.

Without thinking, I intervened to help, but perhaps it wasn’t an act of kindness but merely an attempt to imitate someone else.

If it were that person, they would surely do the exact same thing in this situation.

The green-haired girl who was saved had a complex expression, but she accepted the current situation without uttering a word of complaint.

Seeing that she appeared uninjured, I wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible.

Just as I was thinking that, the surrounding ice sculptures suddenly sprung into action with a loud noise.

“Shaaa!!”

“――Huh?!”

The previously frozen ice was shattered, and the fragments danced in the air.

Against this backdrop, the enraged giant serpents swung their heads around.

Although I had held back the power of my magic, I seemed to have completely failed to freeze them solid.

All dozen or so magical beasts stripped away the ice and glared at us, and I readied my right hand, beginning an incantation.

“[The Winter’s Arrival――Transparent Ice Pillars――Pierce the Fool Suspended in Heat]――[Ruthless Ice Spear, Chandel Glace]!”

This time, I would surely take down the giant serpents. I generated enormous ice pillars around me.

However, right after that, I noticed something abnormal.

The ice pillars created by the magic were “smaller” than usual.

Moreover, their numbers were few, and I could sense that the quality of the ice seemed poor.

Sure enough, the ice spears I unleashed shattered with only a slight scratch on one of the serpents.

(My magic isn’t working properly…!)

Even the previous spell, [Frozen Land of Niflheim], didn’t display its usual power.

Normally, magical beasts like these should be easily defeated with a single blow.

Is there some kind of anomaly in the magical essence?

I don’t know the cause. It doesn’t seem to be a characteristic of this forest or the abilities of the serpent magical beasts…

In an instant, a certain conversation resurfaced in my mind.

Recently, it had been heard that many students from the Magic Academy failed to complete their extermination quests.

The reasons given were often excuses like “my magic wasn’t working properly” or “I couldn’t activate my magic.” Now, at this very moment, I was convinced that their words were not lies.

The students who had failed their quests were all disturbed by magic, just like this.

It is likely that something is affecting the magical essence within their bodies, limiting the power and effectiveness of their magic.

Considering this, it is certainly understandable why they failed their quests without their usual abilities.

(However, if it’s me…!)

I don’t know the cause.

There is currently no known way to restore the balance of magical essence.

But even if my magical power is restricted, I can still unleash sufficient magic with my own magical power, which is said to be among the top five in the history of the Magic Academy…

“[Snowfall――Pure White Flower Bed――Bloom from the Depths of Ice and Snow]――[Frosty Rose, Rosewood Noel]!”

As Mil placed her hand on the ground, ice vines burst forth as if an electric current surged through them.

In an instant, they wrapped around the bodies of the giant serpents, tightly constricting them and freezing the areas they touched.

The ice thorns persistently entangled the serpents’ bodies, gradually siphoning away their life force.

Eventually, the serpents turned into ice sculptures once again, completely frozen and motionless.

“Amazing…”

The voice of the green-haired girl could be heard from behind.

I had thought that due to the poor condition of our magical essence and uncertain control of magic, she might have been caught up in it, but fortunately, it didn’t seem to affect her.

With [Frosty Rose, Rosewood Noel], which boasted astonishing freezing power despite having a lower range and slower freezing speed than [Frozen Land of Niflheim], I was able to defeat them with a single strike. I was truly relieved.

(Somehow, it worked…)

Clang!

The moment of respite was short-lived as a sound rang out from nearby.

I instinctively turned to look, and one of the serpents was attempting to break free from the ice by moving its body.

It seemed I had once again failed to completely freeze them.

“Kyaaaa!”

In a similar fashion, the other serpents wriggled their bodies, forcefully trying to break free from the ice.

Witnessing the sight of the ice sculptures of the serpents cracking and bursting one after another, Mill couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease.

(Are these magical beasts getting stronger…?)

It wasn’t just their toughness. Their strength and the venom oozing from their fangs seemed more potent.

The same kind of magical beasts that we fought near the entrance of the forest could have been defeated much more easily.

While it could be attributed to the magic being in better condition, even if it were in its prime, I couldn’t imagine being able to defeat the serpents before me in a single blow.

Could these magical beasts be gradually growing stronger through battle?

However, the same species of magical beasts that we had defeated before didn’t possess such abilities.

Moreover, the serpents thrashing around in front of me seemed to be “struggling” as if they couldn’t control their overflowing power.

Could this extraordinary power be an inherent ability of the serpents?

“[The Winter’s Arrival――Transparent Ice Pillars――Pierce the Fool Suspended in Heat]――[Ruthless Ice Spear, Chandel Glace]!”

There was no time for contemplation.

Right now, we needed to escape from this predicament at all costs.

With that in mind, I unleashed the magic of ice pillars, only to have it repelled by their sturdy scales.

I no longer felt the same sense of impact as before.

(At this rate, there’s no way out…!)

I had to find a way to break through.

Taking advantage of that moment of urgency, one of the serpents swung its long tail.

“Watch out!”

Caught off guard, Mil and the green-haired girl were blown backward.

With just that single strike, it felt like my consciousness was about to fade away, but I gritted my teeth and managed to endure it.

“Ugh… Guh…!”

Rolling on the ground, covered in mud, Mill resolutely stood back up.

(If it were the person I admire…!)

I will never give up in this situation!

Even if my magical essence is in poor condition and I can’t use magic properly.

Even if the magical beasts have grown stronger and seem unbeatable.

I am not someone with a weak heart who would admit defeat so easily.

Mill tried to chant a spell without giving up.

But…

“[Snowfall――Pure White…]”

There was no sensation of magical power gathering in her hand.

There was no magical essence left at all.

Cornered to the point of despair, Mill was at a loss for words.

In order to devour her, one of the serpents leaped forward with great force.

“Shaaa!!”

Mill had no means of resisting, and she stared blankly at the approaching jaws of the serpent.

“[Death’s Message, Death Notice]!”

In an instant, the movement of the serpent halted.

“Huh?”

The magical beast, which had come so close, froze as if time had stopped.

Immediately after, it collapsed lifelessly to the ground, not moving at all.

It was clear that it had stopped breathing and was completely lifeless.

This unique way of death was reminiscent of something.

It was the same as the distinct instant death magic unleashed not from extraordinary magical power, but from luck…

“You did great, Mil.”

A familiar voice was heard from behind, and Mil turned around in an instant.

There stood the silver-haired girl she was familiar with, and Mil’s eyes welled up with warmth.

It wasn’t a hallucination caused by despair. She was undoubtedly there.

“Sachi…san…!”

“It’s all right now, Mil. Leave the rest to me.”

How did she end up in this place?

How could she come to our rescue at this precise moment?

The explanations for all of these reasons could simply be summed up as “because she’s Sachi Mulburry.”

Therefore, without asking anything, Mil decided to entrust this situation to Sachi.

“Shaaa!!”

Whether in anger at it’s fallen comrade or for some other reason, the serpents let out loud cries.

In contrast, Sachi furrowed her brows in an unusual show of anger as she glared at the serpents.

“For scaring my friend, I’ll make you regret it!”

In an instant, Sachi grabbed hold of Mil and the green-haired girl and kicked off the ground with all her might.

She dashed through the serpents at an incredible speed, and before they knew it, they had escaped from the group of serpents.

It seemed like she was already using that body-enhancing magic that relied on luck, determining success or failure.

Thanks to her, we managed to break free from the surrounded situation, but the serpents immediately bounced back like springs and leaped towards us.

“[I am the Judge――Hammer of Judgment――Impose Righteous Punishment upon the Great Sinner]”

With a swift incantation, Sachi raised her right hand and recited.

“[Hell’s Gate to the Abyss]”

A jet-black magic circle appeared directly beneath the serpents, clearly visible even in the dark forest. It emitted a sinister aura that seemed like a curse wrapped around the serpents.

In an instant, the giant magical beasts writhed in agony and collapsed to the ground.

The sight was truly breathtaking.

The massive horde of magical beasts that I had struggled so much against were now all prostrate on the ground, gasping for breath.