The Girl and the Dolls

A vast, surging tide of magical power swept through the dense forest. Such formidable magical power was exceptional even among all magi. An ordinary Dead Apostle would likely have been no match for Alice Kuonji.

Unfortunately, Michael had never been an ordinary Dead Apostle.

The pig-shaped Familiars hopped closer to Michael. He took a step back, drew an ancient Cross Longsword from his Imaginary Pocket, and split the foremost Familiar in two with a downward stroke.

However, he did not press his advantage. Instead, he leaped backward and flexed his limbs.

"Since you're a summoner, this will be easy..."

Michael sighed softly, circulating magical power to clear the frost from his limbs. At the same time, he watched as the pig Familiar he had cut in half transformed into a crocodile-headed creature and lunged at him with a savage bite.

He did not continue tangling with the Familiars. Though the magical power flowing through his body was nearly depleted, his superior physique as a Dead Apostle and the Mage's Garment in his hand were more than enough to deal with a summoner whose true body was weak.

Displacement Magic activated, and Michael vanished. In the next instant, the pig Familiar pounced on empty air, its crocodile jaws biting straight through the middle of an ancient tree. With a mouthful of old wood, the pig Familiar stared blankly ahead, completely unaware of what had just happened.

The next instant, his figure appeared ghostlike behind Alice Kuonji. The cross sword in his hand shot toward her back like a striking viper.

Sensing a faint prickling pain, Alice Kuonji suddenly turned her head. Her pitch-black left eye turned ruby-red, and Michael's charging body abruptly froze, like a robot that had suddenly lost power.

Yet the sharp blade still sliced through her clothes, leaving a long, narrow wound on her left arm. Warm blood gushed forth and soaked her sleeve, while a faint scent of blood spread through the chilly air.

"Mystic Eyes that can seal movement. Golden rank—no, enhanced by this spell, they're already approaching the power of Jewel rank. Unfortunately, you can't completely restrain my movements."

A soft laugh rang out, and Michael vanished once more. Two dejected pig Familiars stood where he had been. If he had truly been immobilized by the Mystic Eyes just now, he would have been in for a relentless beating.

He forcibly broke free from the Mystic Eyes' restraints. His body still felt somewhat heavy, but it quickly returned to normal.

He closed his eyes and heightened his remaining five senses. Everything around him was reflected in his mind. Michael launched another attack, the Cross Longsword in his hand tracing a perfect silver arc like a crescent moon in the sky, aimed at the girl's slender, fair neck.

This time, the two pig-shaped Familiars stood before her on either side like two shields.

"My apologies, but we have to say goodbye just after meeting."

The Familiars rapidly enlarged in Michael's vision. Displacement Magic activated once again, and he abruptly appeared in front of the girl. He activated the Rune Script engraved on the blade, flames roaring up to envelop its edge, then hurled it at the defensive spell she had prepared.

Crack—

A series of crisp sounds like shattering glass rang out amid the blazing firelight. The defensive spell before Alice Kuonji exploded under the powerful impact, sending her slender body flying.

Michael casually drew a new cross sword from his Imaginary Pocket. These disposable self-destructing Mage's Garments worked unfailingly against defensive spells. A thin barrier of magical power covered his body, blocking the flames and shockwave to prevent him from being caught in the blast.

Alice Kuonji reconstructed her defensive spell in midair, but because of the powerful impact she had suffered earlier, she formed it more slowly than usual.

The sound of howling wind reached her ears. She instinctively looked up and saw a pair of clear azure eyes.

The magical power flowing through her Mage Circuits suddenly spiraled out of control. The half-formed defensive spell vanished, and her slender body slammed heavily into a tree trunk that would have taken two people to encircle.

"Cough, cough..."

Alice Kuonji coughed softly. Her modified body was largely unharmed; her greatest injury was the backlash from her earlier loss of magical control. If she continued forcing herself to use magical power, it would only inflict irreversible permanent damage upon her Mage Circuits.

She needed time to straighten out her magical power. But would the intruder before her really give her enough time? Alice Kuonji had serious doubts about that.

Seeing that his Magic Reversal had worked, Michael could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. For at least four or five minutes, the girl before him would be unable to use magical power again—unless she truly wanted her Mage Circuits to collapse completely.

Though he had not seen the full extent of the girl's power, the vast magical power alone spoke volumes. Even at the Clock Tower, many magi might not have been able to defeat her.

And if he was not mistaken, this girl was a genuine witch. In today's Mage's world, witches were even rarer than giant pandas—a truly endangered species.

Alice Kuonji took a deep breath. The intruder before her clearly looked as though victory was already in his grasp. The noisy twins could not even buy her time, and even if it damaged her Mage Circuits, she would not simply sit and wait for death.

She forcibly brought her magical power back under control. Tearing pain shot through her Mage Circuits, but her face remained as calm as ever, as if the pain did not exist.

"You're my precious trophy now. I can't let you get damaged."

A quiet laugh sounded beside her ear. Michael abruptly appeared before Alice Kuonji, then gently tapped her forehead with a finger.

Her slightly turbulent magical power settled once again. Hundreds upon thousands of tiny rune symbols formed a necklace-like spell around the girl's neck.

"All right. Now, sleep for a while."

A crisp snap echoed out. Heavy drowsiness surged over her like a tide, drowning Alice Kuonji's consciousness as boundless darkness enveloped her.

The Displacement Magic Michael used was a lower-level basic spell derived from the principle of Degraded Exchange. Few people used it, but he had obtained the results of the ancient mage family known as Enzworth's research into Displacement Magic.

The Enzworth family's Displacement Magic transcended conventional magical knowledge in scale, precision, and range of application. It was also extremely convenient to use, and they had once caused Michael considerable trouble.

After dealing with the witch, he turned his attention to the pig Familiars. In order to rescue their master, these normally giggling Familiars had become unusually silent, and their attacks were far fiercer than before.

Yet they could not even touch the corner of Michael's clothes. He toyed with them until they finally fell into a prepared trap and were bound by Rune Script, just like their master.

Next, he would use Spirit Evocation Magic to examine this witch's memories. I hope she brings me some surprises.

A sharp whistle through the air interrupted Michael's thoughts. A green Magic Bullet tore through the dark forest, trailing Rainbow Light as it flew toward him.

The Magic Bullet possessed enough power to crack a thick concrete wall, but Michael merely reached out casually and caught the speeding projectile. Then he gently closed his hand, and the violent magical power silently dissipated in his palm.

Mystery often yielded to greater Mystery, and the Mystery contained within Michael himself was not something a mere Magic Bullet could compare to.

Another Magic Bullet flew in from the side. Clearly, the caster had changed positions. Their awareness seemed decent enough, but what could a mere Magic Bullet accomplish?

Michael casually slapped at it, intending to erase it. This time, however, the Magic Bullet exploded prematurely in midair. Thick, viscous fog enveloped him, so dense that he could not see his hand before his face.

This is... Smoke Trick?

As he thought this, the magical power coiling around his fingertips spun rapidly and transformed into a howling gale, mercilessly tearing apart the fog before him.

"Hm?"

Michael instinctively narrowed his eyes, as if he had discovered something interesting. The unconscious witch from before had vanished. Clearly, the person who had used Smoke Trick had taken her away.