Chapter 221

I returned the explosion directly to Squar. Her body was engulfed in flames. There was one strange thing, though. If it were her, she could have avoided at least some of it before the explosion was returned. But she deliberately stood at the center of the explosion and took it all in.

Her upper body was burning fiercely. Yet, she was trying to close the distance toward me. I wasn’t an idiot to let her close the gap.

“You’re not going to die from that, are you? What, feeling guilty now? Or are you just cold? If you want, I can arrange a fancy cremation for your funeral.”

“Oh, how disappointing.”

[Phantom Magic – Anti]

In an instant, a searing pain and black soot appeared on my right hand. Wait, wasn’t that magic only usable for self-harm…?

“You can activate it even if you deliberately take an attack you could’ve avoided. It’s less efficient than directly reflecting the damage from self-harm, though.”

“…Think whatever you want. I’ll just do as I please.”

[Phantom Magic – Fold]

As she flicked a card into the air, it absorbed the flames burning her body. Probably some kind of magic to deal with things clinging to her. Though, absorbing the flames didn’t mean she absorbed the damage.

My hand was also a mess, but not as bad as hers. Her proud thief’s coat and shirt were mostly burned, leaving her in an embarrassing state, with her upper body covered in soot and burns.

“Just give up and die quietly. You should know by now the difference in our abilities, right?”

“Didn’t I teach you not to give up just because something seems hopeless? Every disease we cure now was once incurable, and even the most impregnable castles fall someday.”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard your petty thief’s philosophy on life.”

I combined the magic as my grandfather had taught me. To stop this monstrous woman who was still creepily trying to close the distance.

“Spear of Divine Slayer, even gods fall before you.”

[Magic That Throws Weapons at High Speed]

The Spear of Divine Slayer flew at supersonic speed and pierced Squar’s thigh. Walking fast would be quite inconvenient now.

“…This hurts. My job relies on my legs, you know. Isn’t this going to mess with my livelihood?”

“Don’t worry, the next meal you’ll eat will be at your funeral. Looks like you couldn’t dodge this one, huh? Maybe you should train that pathetic body of yours more, thief.”

“Your mouth’s gotten sharp. It feels like just yesterday you were following me around, calling me ‘older sister’…”

“Yeah, I’ve changed. Thanks to trash like you. I’ll give you my deepest, most sarcastic thanks.”

Honestly, I could’ve subdued her if I wanted to. But the dreams my grandfather showed me were holding me back.

“I heard there were people who shouldn’t have joined the Black Round Table. I saw a future where they could’ve been my friends, with someone’s help. But because of your stupid games, their lives were ruined. You mercilessly slaughtered Count Holstead’s family, killed Tristan’s master under the guise of being an assassin sent by Ricardo’s family, poisoned his disciple to make it look like an illness, and blackmailed Felinoir into joining the Black Round Table… The list goes on.”

These were truths I desperately begged my grandfather to tell me, possibilities even he didn’t want to show me.

“Oil, clad in fiercely burning flames, engulf my enemy.”

A massive amount of oil and flames hotter than before began to burn her body again. It’s still far from over. There’s still a lot left to settle the atrocities committed by trash like her.

[Magic That Enhances Viscosity]

Now the burning oil covering her body would stick like tar and wouldn’t fall off.

“Of course, not all of that was your doing. I’ll hold you accountable for all of it now, but you might feel wronged. I get that. But you didn’t care about the innocent people you hurt, did you? Compared to you, I’m being merciful.”

If the Black Round Table hadn’t existed, I could’ve met a different future—a future others could’ve shared too. That’s when I decided.

No matter what, I’ll kill all these bastards.

“I’m glad… I came to find you.”

She was laughing even as she burned to death.

“You look like some fire lizard from a myth right now. I hate reptiles. Just die already, you’re an eyesore.”

And I made another decision. I’d make the Black Round Table bastards suffer the worst pain imaginable before killing them. It was time to use the magic I developed for that purpose.

“Nails of steel, fix the fate of my enemy.”

I nailed her ankles.

“Fierce wind, tear open my enemy’s wounds.”

I tore open her wounds.

“Salt of the sea, seep into the wounds.”

I poured salt into the open wounds.

“Hungry earth, devour my enemy’s legs.”

I shattered her calves with rising rocks.

“…Just die already. How much longer do I have to watch the atrocities committed by trash like you? How many more innocent lives will you ruin? How many more people around me will you take?”

Squar was still alive, coughing up blood. It’s more accurate to say she was alive because she couldn’t die yet. It’s amazing she’s still alive in that state.

[Phantom Magic – Back Straight]

“Meaningless resistance.”

I easily blocked her card tricks.

“Fell for it again. You’re too naive.”

“What?”

[Phantom Magic – Bluff]

The woman, who should’ve been better off dead, was now standing before me in perfect condition.

“Was I just hitting an illusion?”

“Yeah, this is illusion magic. It’s different from the complex illusions using steam refraction.”

“But did you really think you could drain my mana with just that? I was just playing around a bit. Did you really think it would make a difference? You’re seriously mistaken.”

“What’s the point of having a lot of mana if you can’t even use great magic like you used to?”

“It’s enough to crush a petty thief like you. If I crush you without a trace, you won’t be able to play your stupid card tricks.”

[Magic That Enhances Gravity]

It was magic that increased gravity dozens of times within a very small range. Any living thing would be flattened like a pancake. But she didn’t flatten at all.

[Phantom Magic – All In.]

Her mana, her physical abilities, were amplified, allowing her to withstand the enhanced gravity.

“Just die already!”

She was closing the distance again. It was disgusting. I don’t know why trash like her is so loyal. If she just surrendered, she could die peacefully. I don’t get why she’s so persistent. But I don’t want to understand either.

[Magic That Reverses Blood Flow]

[Magic That Intercepts Oxygen Supply]

[Magic That Enhances Pain]

No matter how much she enhanced her body, she was still covered in sticky, burning oil. Even though she was slow, she took all the hits. Yet, she didn’t stop. It was like a zombie, giving me chills.

“Just f*ck off! Why are you doing this?!”

“I told you… my emotions are the most important…”

“Spear of Divine Slayer, even gods fall before you.”

[Magic That Creates Replicas]

I replicated nearly ten Spears of Divine Slayer. I aimed them at Squar and chanted the next spell.

[Magic That Throws Weapons at High Speed]

Eleven spears pierced her body. Stomach, chest, shoulder, arm, leg, thigh… She was skewered in various places. She should be dead now.

But then, she chanted another spell in that beautiful voice.

[Phantom Magic – Anti]

Damn, was she deliberately taking hits to reflect the damage? Even if only a part of it was reflected, considering the attacks I’ve thrown so far…

I panicked and hurriedly tried to deploy a barrier. I had to minimize the range as much as possible because the damage wouldn’t be a joke.

[Magic That Absorbs Impact…]

“Haha… idiot. You always fall for it.”

The dagger she had hidden in her chest was now lodged in my stomach.

“I told you… it’s a bluff…”

For a moment, I thought about giving up on life. No matter what, once I was stabbed by her trump card, there was no hope left for me.

But the moment I thought that, a faint light flickered in my shattered mana circuits.