[The Spacetime That Might Exist] Attack and Defense

The moment Lutine received the order, she lowered her body and lunged forward.

The hem of her black dress scraped against the ground with a short, sharp sound. She approached Ubel, her right hand reaching out, fingertips like hooks, aiming straight for his throat.

Ubel swung his staff horizontally.

The magic, Nothing Is Uncuttable, erupted silently, unleashing an invisible, sharp slash that swept forward.

The corridor was filled with smoke and dust.

The instant Ubel unleashed his magic, Lutine sidestepped, the hem of her black dress tracing a sharp arc. The invisible slash grazed her side, slicing through the stone pillars, walls, and even the ceiling behind her.

Gravel and dust fell in a flurry.

Ubel swung his bat again.

Lutine leaped backward, her toes lightly touching the rubble, dodging again. But this time, as she retreated, her gaze swept over the corridor—the decorative full-body plate armor statues, still standing amidst the aftershocks of the slash that had sliced through the walls and ceiling.

The longsword and shield in his hand were intact.

Her movements paused for a moment.

Ubel's third strike arrived. Lutine did not dodge, but instead suddenly turned to the side, snatching the heavy metal shield from the nearest soldier statue and holding it up in front of her. Her center of gravity lowered.

"Clang--!"

A dull thud echoed through the corridor. A shower of sparks flew from the shield's surface, but the shield remained perfectly still, without a crack or dent.

Lutine against the shield, was pushed back half a step by the impact. She looked at Ubel through the observation slit at the top of the shield.

Ubel's smile deepened. She tilted her head, her purple eyes gleaming with amusement.

"... ha."

Lutine remained silent. With her left hand holding the shield, she reached for another statue with her right and took the equally intact longsword.

She gripped the sword in her hand, adjusted her grip, and felt the cold, solid touch of the hilt.

She could cut through walls, pillars, and ceilings, but not this armor and shield.

Although I don't know the principle behind this magic, the shield can defend against her attacks, and that's enough.

As her thoughts clearly surfaced in her mind, Lutine charged forward once more. Her shield protected her upper body, her longsword concealed behind it, her steps swift and silent, like a dark shadow skimming the ground.

Ubel swings his cane.

Lutine raised her shield to block. The slash was deflected again, sparks flying. But in the instant the shield deflected, Lutine felt a cold touch above her right shoulder—the fabric of her dress had been silently cut open, leaving a shallow gash, from which blood seeped.

Ubel's voice was tinged with laughter.

"I think you've figured me out... This is tricky, looks like this is going to be interesting."

Lutine ignored her wound. She stared at Ubel, her gaze passing through the edge of the shield, calmly observing the opponent's staff-wielding movements, the point where his gaze fell, and every subtle tilt of his shoulder.

--The trajectory of that invisible slash was completely unpredictable.

But she was indeed intentionally avoiding the shield.

On the other side.

Lanto's staff had been Lutine's high kick at the start of the battle and now lay a few meters away in a pile of rubble. He raised his right hand, his palm crackling with fine blue arcs of electricity.

An electric arc coiled around the long, black needle that had been knocked from Iris's hand. The needle trembled slightly in the electric light, emitting a low-frequency hum.

With a flick of his wrist, the long needle, crackling with electricity, shot towards Iris was hidden in the shadows of the second-floor railing.

Iris leaned back lightly, the long needle grazing her nose before embedding itself in the stone wall behind her, its end still trembling. Her sweet, innocent smile remained, her pale golden braid swaying with the movement.

"What are you doing? Don't use my needles to poke me! It hurts a lot if you get hit."

She lightly touched the railing with her toes, her body gliding to the side like a feather, dodging the second and third arcs of electricity that followed. Her movements were almost supernaturally agile, each dodge precisely timed to the last moment before the attack arrived.

--This is tricky.

Iris gently bit the tip of her right index finger with her teeth, as if chewing on the thought.

--He specifically targets areas with weak magic resistance, that's such a despicable tactic. Most importantly, this guy is immune to poison? My needles are clearly coated with a toxin that can instantly paralyze an elephant, yet he shows no reaction whatsoever.

--And those two possess reaction speeds that mages shouldn't have. An ordinary mage would have been taken care of at this distance long ago.

She turned to the side again, and an arc of electricity grazed her dress below her ribs, leaving a scorch mark on the fabric.

We need to figure out why, or we'll lose.

She hooked her toes and pulled another spare long needle from a gap in the shadow of the railing, holding it in her hand. Her gaze never left Lanto.

--Ubel seems to act on instinct, using magic before even thinking, which is why his reaction speed is so fast. But Lanto's problem is clearly not reaction speed.

--The poison had no effect on him either. Why? He didn't seem like the type of person who was immune to toxins...

With a casual flick of her wrist, she precisely struck a cunning arc of electricity.

Iris bit her finger harder, her eyes narrowed slightly, and her gaze swept quickly over Lanto.

--ah.

She loosened her teeth, the corners of her mouth widened, and her eyes brightened.

--Could it be that this Lanto... isn't the real Lanto?

The moment Iris had this thought, Lanto appeared before her without warning.

The next second, Iris felt a tightness around her neck.

Lanto's right hand gripped her throat, slamming her against the cold stone wall. The impact on her back wasn't heavy, but it was enough to momentarily freeze her.

Iris was startled at first, her pupils contracting slightly, but almost immediately, that sweet smile returned to her face, even brighter than before.

"Ah... I see."

Her voice squeezed out from her choked throat, carrying a hint of sudden realization and lightness.

"You and Ubel are completely opposite. She doesn't think, while you think, which makes your actions faster."

Lanto's gaze behind his glasses was calm, his right hand tightening slightly.

"Is that so? I thought no one other than a mage could see through my clone, but I didn't expect you to be able to."

His voice was steady, devoid of emotion.

"Now that you've figured it out, there's no need for me to hide it anymore."

Fine blue lightning crackled and surged again between the five fingers of his right hand that gripped Iris's neck.

"Go to sleep."

The electric arc exploded.

However...

As Iris finished speaking, her left wrist, which was pinned against the wall, flicked, and a long, black needle, its tip tinged with an unnatural dark blue, slipped from her fingers. Her movements were so fast they left only a blur; the needle pierced straight for Lanto's face.

Lanto moved his left hand to the side, using the back of his hand to block the thrust.

"Pfft."

The needle pierced through the skin and flesh, naturally penetrating Lanto's palm, instantly injecting dark blue toxin. At the same time, Iris grabbed Lanto's right arm with her left hand and flung him away violently.

Lanto grunted, adjusted his posture in mid-air, and with a flick of his right hand, a bolt of lightning shot towards Iris in retaliation.

After landing, he pinched the end of the needle with his right thumb and forefinger, pulled out the poisoned needle, and casually threw it on the ground. A small string of blood beads came out of the needle tip.

"I didn't have time to use Defensive Magic... They're really fast."

He looked up at Iris. The other woman had already retreated to the edge of the railing, rubbing her neck where she had been strangled, her smile unchanged, even carrying a hint of smugness as if to say, "See, I told you so."

"Luckily, it was me," Lanto muttered to himself. "If it were Ubel, he might be dead already."

He looked at Iris again, who was tilting her head and looking at him, her index finger back to her lips, gently biting it, her eyes full of inquiry.

What should we do?

Lanto thought.

"Previously, Falsh's intelligence only indicated that she had resistance to poison, but I didn't expect her to have such a high tolerance to electric shocks?"

He raised his right hand, and arcs of electricity once again gathered in his palm, but this time he did not attack immediately.

Iris smiled and spoke, her voice sickeningly sweet.

"Um, this isn't your true form, is it?"

She extended a finger and pointed at Lanto's head from a distance.

Why protect your vital organs?

She blinked.

Lanto was silent for two seconds.

--I knew she saw through me. I was hoping to use this trick to mislead her.

The situation on the other side of the battle changed at this moment.

A thin, long bloodstain ran from above Ubel's right eye to her temple. A drop of blood slid down her cheek, leaving a glaring red mark on her fair skin.

She parried Lutine's powerful vertical slash with her staff again, but the impact from the sword still made her slide half a step back, her boots scraping against the gravel with a harsh sound.

Lutine's sword struck the stone pillar behind her. Spiderweb-like cracks erupted on the pillar's surface, sending shards of stone flying.

Ubel raised his hand, wiped away the blood that had slid to the corner of his eye with his thumb, and glanced at the red on his fingertips.

--This is not a good sign.

Her gaze fell on the shield in Lutine's hand. The heavy metal shield was now being used by Lutine with impeccable skill, each strike being precisely blocked, while the sword behind the shield thrust out from various tricky angles, fast, accurate, and with deadly force.

--I didn't expect the Shadow Warriors to be so fast. It's a bit beyond my expectations.

Ubel tilted her head slightly, and another flash of sword light grazed past her ear, severing a few strands of her hair.

--It was difficult enough to keep up with her movements with my eyes; I couldn't completely block out her path.

She swung her staff again, the invisible strike forcing Lutine to raise her shield in defense. With a clang, sparks flew.

That shield is such a nuisance.

Ubel's gaze swept quickly over Lutine's entire body. She was wearing a black evening gown, the hem of which was slightly torn, but it still covered her body completely. Only her left arm, which held the shield, and her right hand, which gripped the sword, were exposed; her neck and above were covered by the top edge of the shield.

--Gaze Restraint Magic... requires the entire target to be within sight before it can be activated.

She narrowed her eyes.

In my understanding, clothing is undoubtedly part of the "whole body." However, the shield is clearly an obstacle, and I can't cut through it.

She watched as Lutine thrust her sword out from behind her shield again, the tip aimed straight for her throat. Ubel leaned back, the tip of the sword grazing her skin, leaving a chilling mark.

--Tsk.

She lightly touched the ground, widening the distance once more.

--If I charged in with the intention of dying together with her, I could probably take her place, right?

The thought only lasted a moment. She glanced quickly out of the corner of her eye at the battle situation on Lanto and Iris's side.

Lanto was still using that monotonous arc-based ranged attack, while Iris skillfully dodged, occasionally biting her fingers, tilting her head in thought, looking completely at ease.

--But the Glasses Guy will probably feel bad. Hmm.

She withdrew her gaze and locked it back onto Lutine. Lutine had adjusted her stance, her shield slightly lowered, revealing calm, dark eyes that were fixed on her through the strands of hair framing her forehead.

--We really have to wait for them to change the course of the battle.

Ubel thought.

--Unlike us, we fight back and forth.

She unleashed another slash, which was once again blocked by the shield. This time, she saw it clearly: at the instant the slash was launched, Lutine's gaze was fixed on the trajectory of her staff's swing, her shoulder and arm muscles adjusted accordingly, and the shield moved to the most precise position at the last moment.

--However, isn't the Glasses Guy's attack method too simplistic?

Ubel frowned slightly.

--It's easy to predict the flow of magic power...

Just then, she saw Lutine, after blocking another slash, shift her shield slightly to the side. Her dark eyes, peering through the gap, were fixed on Lutine's face, her arms, her staff, observing the rise and fall of her breath, the twitching of her muscles, and the point where her gaze fell.

Ubel understood instantly.

--Ah, I see.

The corners of her mouth curved upwards very slightly.

These guys are pure warriors.

In other words... they don't use magical perception to determine my location and movements; they rely entirely on their eyes and ears—their "sensory organs."

--So, my advantage is that my "vision" is free.

She gripped her staff tightly.

--kindness.

--We need to seize the right opportunity.