Clang!
A steel bullet tore through the air, only to be blocked by a Bird Familiar that suddenly emerged from thin air.
It was a thread spun from mithril and refined steel, woven into the shape of a bird through superb alchemy—a Familiar capable of autonomously protecting its master.
"So there really was no chance of reconciling!"
The silver-haired girl grabbed her suitcase and ran. A string of sparks chased after her. The mage lurking in the shadows was an experienced fighter; rather than casually wasting Mana and Mystic Codes, he first used convenient automatic firearms to pressure the girl, forcing out her trump cards before unleashing his killing blow.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
The Bird Familiars fired Magic Bullets in succession as well. They possessed automatic target-seeking capabilities and could lock onto enemies despite the darkness.
One Familiar was not enough, so the girl summoned another. This time, however, it transformed into a shield before her, defending her against attacks from every direction.
"Sword!"
This was the third Familiar. It transformed into an ornate longsword, piercing through the darkness and breaking through the enemy's defenses, successfully taking down one target.
But that seemed to enrage the hounds. Rustling sounds came from the darkness as spiders the size of medium dogs dropped from the ceiling one after another. One nearly enveloped the girl, only to be pierced through by a Bird Familiar at the critical moment.
"This is... dangerous."
The girl endured the scorching pain surging through her body. It felt as though her nerves had been laid upon an iron plate and roasted, leaving her face pale and drenched in cold sweat.
Her alchemy was exceptional, and her Magic Circuits were top-tier, but her body was simply too fragile. Once she used magecraft beyond her limits, it would gradually collapse...