Chapter 49: Eyelids (21)

Chapter 49: Eyelids (21)

Youre smarter than I expected, though. An attack using the mutes strength and an unknown factor called the void stone.. This again must mean our choice was correct, isnt it?

K-st-tchk! Wht-ttch!

Every time the streams of water behind Isaacs back whipped around, the air in the room became hotter and hotter.

The attacks are heating up the room with just the heat from the friction. The weird sounds must have been from that spell. It wont end with just a normal injury if I get hit by that.

It was weird. If all of those whips had attacked him simultaneously, even he would have had a hard time surviving, but Isaacs whip only hit the air as if it had no intention of moving toward him.

Isaac seemed to think the fact that I was just watching the situation carefully was fascinating.

Incredible. It isnt exploding into a rage, even in a pressing situation. Its even.. observing me? It must be thinking of a way to kill me! Its still learning, even in this situation! I must say, mutes are..

Bang!

Extraordinary!

With his exclamation, Isaac shot two of the whips toward me and Rakshasha.

Damn, if I dont do something, this fights going to end in a one-sided massacre!

As I leaned my body forward to protect her with my body, Rakshasha pushed me back with her arm.

Can you wait for a moment?

Why?

To my question, she just smiled and raised her hand,

Skkkkree!

Tsumugi Style(), Amrit()

And pulled it into the air. Not figuratively, but the space at the tip of her hand was rippling like water, slowly crushing inward.

Skill? And a magic one at that? Wasnt Rakshasha an assassin?

With the spell, the space was becoming cracked. No, when you looked closely at it, there were countless numbers of strings connected at her fingertip that split the area between her and Isaac. The whip that shot forward like a bullet scattered into the air with a sound similar to a string instrument being plucked.

Im not weak enough to die from an attack like that.

The string-plucking sounds continuously rang out, and Isaacs whips started to move at a faster pace.

Was it that he wasnt hitting the air but blocking Rakshashas strings?

Looking closely, the thin, cobweb-like strings covered the entire room and were slowly closing in on the mages under her control.

Tsumugi Style(), a martial art utilizing string.. I have heard there are those who use this art in the far eastern tribal countries beyond the Great Desert. Whats an eastern native doing here in Rodrick?

Oh my, are you trying to pry out a womans secret? Thats a disappointment as a gentleman.

Krrkrk!

With the sound of the string being pulled, the thin strings that were scattered around the room joined together and tightened around the mages in the back, making a visible white line.

I should have already shown you. that those weak spells of yours wont do anything!

Spppt!

Isaacs right hand pointed towards Rakshasha, and when he closed his hand into a fist, a small water drop was sucked out of Rakshashas skin and into his hand. The area where the water drop came from started turning into another red spot.

..!

Rakshasha bit her lip and shifted her strings to ventilate the air in the room. With her efforts, cool air came in from the hole Professor made and lowered the temperature inside the tower.

This heat. Damn it! Hes using our sweat to attack?

Professor finally realized what the blood spots on Rakshashas body were. If hes a Level 6 mage, then his control over water must be incredible. Even with that level of control, it would be hard to extract the water from a persons body, but for the water outside the body, he should have enough power to control sweat even with his weakened mana.

Its a relief that he isnt using a lot of magic, though. Rakshashas attacks and the void stone weakened him. Isaac isnt exactly at his best right now either.

The strings that were directed towards the mages in the back reluctantly turned back towards Isaac, and Isaac pulled back the hand extended towards Rakshasha and used a hand motion to resummon the water whips.

Hardening the defenses while simultaneously making the environment more advantageous to oneself and whittling away at the enemys ability to fightthis was the standard fighting style of a water elemental mage.

Strings wrapped around the internal bleeding wound on Rakshashas arm. Even while getting wounded, she was still in front of Professor, protecting him, and the reason why she did so was crystal clear.

Shes taking a risk and attacking in order to give me information.

While checking his left arm and seeing that his hand had regenerated up to his wrist, he tried to organize the situation in his head.

Tight and limited space. The place is covered in Rakshashas string. But she also cant use mana right now, so it cant make a decisive blow. The enemy is defending while creating an environment that makes it easier to use magic, and if the rooms temperature goes above a certain level, he uses an unavoidable attack. The large sphere of water in the middle must be the source of magic that flows out to make the eight rivers in the city. That must be Isaacs source of magic.

The random bits [Sensitive Observation] picked up were organized and became useful information.

Rakshasha aimed her attack at the mages in the back with her string. And Isaac hurriedly changed the direction of one of his whips to defend the mages.

Isaacs cold-blooded enough to wipe out an entire city to get what he wants. There isnt a heartwarming reason why hes protecting his disciples during the battle. He needs them. That spell, and that flow of mana. Ah. Its Level 1 magic, [Flow Manipulation].

Although barely, Professor was still a mage that had his awakening. He could see the mana flowing from the mana core to the disciples and from the disciples to Isaac.

Its difficult to absorb mana while also using it in this situation. The disciples in the back must be acting as the medium to absorb the mana and direct it to Isaac in the most efficient way possible.

Professor checked the time on the system page.

[Jokemans Month, 18th. 1 AM]

We dont have time. The Tobrune troops are going to come to the tower soon. We need to deal with those guys to start with the next step.

On the floor he was standing on

Crack, craaaack!

I thought it would break by now. but its holding up better than I thought.

But it was almost there. Under Isaacs feet, the light from the lower floors was seeping through the splintered flooring.

From the position he collapsed in, Professor arched back his body as much as possible into a bow shape.

My head.. I dont know if itll survive even with Mutation Blood Lust but.. I dont have a choice now!

Breaaaaaaaak!!!

Professor anchored his left leg on the ground and, after arching his elastic and muscular body back, swung his head down like a sledgehammer.

Craaash!

With Professors final head bang, the wooden floor, which had taken the impact of Isaacs whips slashing the ground, along with the impact from his previous two attacks, completely gave away and crashed down.

Rumble!

As the floor collapsed, everyone that was on the 7th floor and the magic core that was the source of the mages mana fell down with it.

The first one to react was Rakshasha. She released her strings and took control over the entire area, and then caught Professor who was still falling, and gently placed him on the ground.

Professor was completely unconscious, looking more like a corpse than living.

I know you have a special ability. but will all of this really heal?

Professor was in a dire condition. Both arms and a leg were gone, and his face was quite literally smashed inward.

She needed to start fighting again right away. The most dangerous mage is one that has time to prepare, and Isaac was capable of preparing his surroundings even during the battle.

The advantage of water elemental magic was its detailed but flexible nature, which also connected to other elements. You could transmute the water from a water sphere into an ice field, and from an ice field to a heat absorber.

As the humidity of the 7th floor increased, it became difficult to even move their bodies. If any more time was wasted, he wouldnt have been able to use this final resort.

Tsssssss

A red mist was still shooting out of Professors drying body. Rakshasha wrapped his body with string and looked around the new area.

This is.. a laboratory?

The place they fell down into was quite a grotesque setting. There were several organisms preserved in containers, and mysterious vials and knives surrounded the walls. If Professor saw it, he would have said This place looks exactly like that place!.

Bang!

On the other side of the laboratory, the buildings debris rose up with a wave of water. Behind Isaac, who had a thick barrier of water around his body, were his disciples and the towers mana core. Counting the number of mages, it seemed like a couple of them passed away from the falling debris.

As Isaac returned the barrier of water back into the mana core, he started to speak.

Incredible. If a mage sets up their field, change the setting. Has he learned about magic battles in the past? No, he must have felt it instinctively. He is surely one of the best pieces the Queen has produced.

Snap, snap, snap!

Isaac quickly finished his hand motions before Rakshashas attack was completed. Isaac wasnt the only one who lost their setup. Rakshasha quickly sent out her strings, but Isaac was a few seconds faster.

Bort Igers [Heavy Rain]

.!

The spell was cast, and behind Isaac, small droplets of water that splattered out of the mana core created a mass that looked like a school of small fish as it followed the hand motions of its conductor. The individual sizes were small, but each droplet contained the awakening of weight. There was enough force to break and crush anything within just one of the many droplets.

Krrgcrkgrr!

Hup!

Heavy Rain destroyed everything in its path as it chased Rakshasha around the laboratory.

The vials with mysterious liquids broke and emitted vapors, the sturdy tables made of metal, the bookshelves with the precious records of research material, the luxury lightings, and

Bp-pt-rck-t!

Bodies of mutes. Everything was destroyed as the attack passed through.

The mutes bodies were thrown into the air because of the overwhelming attacks. Through the chaos and debris, the mutes blood sprayed everywhere, and those droplets all started to rise up to one place in the area.

The small string of mute blood was heading up towards the white cocoon on the ceiling.

Shhhhh

Isaac, who was busy attacking Rakshasha, and Rakshasha, who was very busy dodging those attacks, both started to stare at that one corner in the laboratory ceiling. The blood that came from the dozens of mutes in the laboratory was all flowing towards one place.

What is this.?

Oh, is this a new ability? Right. Its strength was a bit disappointing compared to the rumors. I knew it wouldnt go down without a fight!

Not long after, the red cocoon that absorbed all of the blood in the laboratory turned white again, and it slowly unraveled to reveal the body inside.

Hahhhhh.

A deep breath, as if taking in the smell of the air after his long death.

As if he was still comprehending what was happening, Professor scanned his dried up arms and legs, as if he couldnt believe it was his.

So this. is the outside.

Professors eyes were filled with joy, as if he were a criminal that was finally released after years of imprisonment.