Chapter 34: Muppets, Lappets, Marionettes (Part 2)

The black sphere of “Oborotsuki” approaches in front of me. Slowly but surely, it gets closer.

Even though a single misstep could mean certain death, I feel no fear. My anger toward the monster in front of me far outweighs any fear.

“You’re leaving it to me… But, Itsuki, my magic…”

“Do you remember, Nina-chan?”

As you can see from the fact that my magic power dissipated when I tried to weave the “Guiding Thread Silvate”, I am in the influence range of the “Oborozuki” and cannot combine my magic power.

“Do you remember when I couldn’t use magic before?”

It was one year ago.

That was when I had just met Nina-chan.

It happened when we were at school, fighting monsters to dispel Nina-chan’s trauma related to monsters. We were suddenly locked in the school at night. In that confined space, there was a moment when I couldn’t use magic.

Irena-san explained it to me.

It was the inverted-phase “Guiding Thread Silvate” that cancels out my magic power.

In other words, it was the black-stained “Guiding Thread Silvate.”

Why couldn’t I use magic back then?

Irena-san explained it to me.

It’s the inverted-phase “Guiding Thread Silvate” that cancels out my magic power.

In other words, it’s the black-stained “Guiding Thread Silvate.”

Looking back on it, I now understand why I couldn’t use magic when caught in the ‘Compound Attribute: Night.’ It’s because combining the five attributes messes up the magic wavelength, causing the magic of the captured person to be canceled out and rendered unusable.

So, I’ve always been anxious.

If a monster with the ability to use “Oborotsuki” or magic cancellation dispel were to appear, would I be able to properly exorcise it? Magic canceled, helpless, and just killed?

That’s why I needed a counter.

What was needed was overwhelmingly powerful magic that surpassed the canceling effect. In the case of Oborotsuki, it required magic power exceeding 810,000 times the normal.

But on the flip side, just that much was enough.

That’s why I could prepare a counter.

A counter against “Oborotsuki.”

And now is the time to use it.

“—Come.”

I supported Nina-chan with one hand while reaching down forcefully.

My shadow dissolved with a slurping sound. Using my shadow as the “core,” I coated it with an overwhelmingly powerful magic that solidified around it almost like a solid. Doing so not only canceled the inverted-phase magic of “Oborotsuki” but also left excess magic, turning it into a fairy.

A fairy created based on the shadow.

—Shadow.

Then, the fairy I created ran across the ground and reached out to the “Oborotsuki” created by the worm-like monster.

“Oh my! Is this a desperate move?” “Is it just a child’s shallow wisdom?” “You know, Oborotsuki” “Crushes and swallows everything approaching” “That’s how it works, you know?”

Various voices of the monster reached my ears.

An angry voice resounded in my ears.

I didn’t need monsters to explain the nature of “Oborotsuki.” That magic crushed and swallowed everything nearby. It looks like a moon because it covers itself with a black sphere in the process of swallowing.

As if to confirm the monster’s words, the hands of the shadow began to break apart, shattering finely and being swallowed by “Oborotsuki.”

“There you go!” “See!” “Your magic is” “Absolutely powerful.”

“If only it were absolute, that would be great.”

The moment I replied like that, the Shadow grabbed “Oborotsuki.”

Simultaneously grabbing it, it was plunged into the world of shadows.

Not sending the monster but sending the magic—a “Shadow Send.”

『『『…………？』』』

“I’ll tell you two things.”

By kicking the ground toward “Oborotsuki,” my body accelerated.

“One thing.”

Even if it suddenly disappears, inertia remains.

So my body continues toward the monster behind “Oborotsuki.”

“Even if I’m reduced to powder, a shadow remains a shadow.”

The shadow fairy, Shadow.

They appear to manifest bodies in the real world by lifting them from the shadows, but it’s the reverse. For them, the physical body in the real world is a shadow, and the shadow is their true form.

So, even if they reach out to “Oborotsuki” and it falls apart—no, precisely because it falls apart—the range of shadows expands. If it expands, they can cover “Oborotsuki’s” shadow with Shadow. And if they cover it, they can use “Shadow Send.”

No matter how you look at it, it’s a straightforward logic.

“And this is the second.”

As I reach out my hand, my shadow overlaps with the shadow of the bagworm-like monster.

“In the world of shadows, the nature of magic is reversed.”

A wet sound, like a squish, echoed. Looking at the monster in front of me, where the shadows overlapped… in the middle of the monster, as if I had drawn a circle with a compass, there was a hole.

I created it.

“There you go.”

『……っ！』『Oborotsuki』『should be』『the strongest!』

“If that’s the case.”

What I did was twofold.

“I haven’t been practicing magic right now.”

First, I used fairy magic to send Oborotsuki to the shadow world. Second, I released Oborotsuki from the shadow world onto the monster’s body. This caused the nature of magic to reverse, creating a repulsive force that blew the monster’s body apart, leaving a hole in it.

“It’s the exact opposite of ‘Oborotsuki.’ That’s why this magic is called Hakuyo.'”

“…..” “…….”

The moment I said that, the expressions on the masks seemed to contort, with fear apparent in their faces.

“Oh, and one more thing,” 

My legs move. The voice gets louder.

So that Nina will feel safe.

Teach them that monsters like this are insignificant.

“I can still use ‘Oborotsuki.'”

As soon as I said that, intending to fire ‘Silvate Threads’ to release ‘Oborotsuki,’ the monster suddenly turned on its heels.

“As a thank you for teaching me magic!” “As a return, let me tell you something important.”

As soon as I replied, with tremendous force, my body was sent flying. As my body was thrown backward, the scenery in front of me folded away as if folding a piece of paper.

As it distanced itself, the voice of the monster echoed.

“When it’s a dangerous time, fleeing is winning!”

Before I can shoot magic.

“…Don’t miss,” 

Nina-chan, who I had been holding for a long time, let out a leak.

“In front of me…”

Nina-chan shouted, and then she cried. 

“Bring it here!”

Ding! A sound reminiscent of a tuning fork resonated.

At that moment, the world was flooded with pixies. In the blink of an eye, they multiplied from one to two, then to four, and eight. Every time they moved or took a breath, they multiplied, as if they were the ocean.

“…!?”

I was so surprised that I couldn’t find words. This was the first time Nina-chan had created an infinite number of fairies.

`The fairies” “No matter how many we connect” “Our enemies…! ”

One pixie latched onto a bug-like monster. This marked the beginning of all the pixies Nina-chan created, seizing the monster’s body. At that moment, the amusement park returned to its original state.

As it returned, a bagworm-like monster that couldn’t escape due to the sheer number of pixies was brought in front of us.

“…! ” “This kind of thing” “Let’s stop it! ” “It’s not fun” “There’s no wonderland”

The monster writhed and shouted loudly.

“If I die here” “If I die here” “If I die here” ”the amusement park will disappear! ” “It’s a waste! ”

The monster’s voice echoed sharply in my head.

“Itsuki, do you still have magic power?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Then, please, exorcise them all.”

“Leave it to me.”

If I knew that they wouldn’t run away, I could use ‘Oborotsuki.’ With this thought in mind, I attempted to extend ‘Silvate Threads,’ but I saw the masks trembling and the terrified monster as I did.

Their selfish behavior left me angry and filled with questions.

“Is someone’s death amusing to you?”

So, while weaving ‘Silvate Threads,’ I told the monster. 

“Then, go ahead and laugh.”

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