Chapter 47

[Side quest in progress: Kill 20 Abyss Mages (1/20), covering at least three elemental types

tip: Monsters summoned by Abyss Mages & Abyss Apostles *can* count toward other kill totals.]

"Whoa, seriously... I get a free kill credit for that?"

"Sniffing out EXP up in the sky, are you?"

Gabrielina sniffed. There was no EXP +1, only the cold night wind whipping against her face.

The fierce battle below and the firelit corner of the city wall seemed so distant and unreal to the girl.

Billowing black smoke dispersed nearby and flowed into the darkness. An ordinary person would probably have gone weak at the knees from even a sidelong glance down.

Yet not a trace of fear showed on the face of the Angel suspended beneath the moon. Instead, the corners of her lips curled into an amused smile.

"Two fire types and one water mage, three against one... and the Darknight Hero is still chasing them down." The girl chuckled, sword flashes reflected in her golden eyes. "Look, System. Black fire?"

Black fire...

A Delusion.

Gabrielina had not seen where Diluc kept his Delusion, but the feedback from the Elemental Corridor behind her alone told her keenly that the power he was using now was entirely different from what he had used in the temple.

It was like the difference between 92-octane and 95-octane gasoline, or even gasoline and diesel... perhaps more obvious still.

The three Abyss Mages seemed intent on driving him into a corner. They were not without intelligence, and they knew perfectly well this was no friendly spar, but a fight to the death.

They were giving it everything they had. Unfortunately... so was Diluc.

Clang-!!!

A sword rang out.

As though splitting space and cleaving the air in two, the strike carved out a searing yet dim line. There was no grand wave of light, nor any terrifying show of force.

Yet that seemingly feeble slash cut a shield formed from fire elemental energy clean in half. The dim line vanished almost as soon as it appeared. Then the Abyss Mage suddenly stopped moving and burst into flames with a whoosh.

Clang-!

The man delivered another backhanded slash, severing its body before the black flames could spread over it completely.

Its remains vanished in the devouring flames. Burnt ash drifted toward Gabrielina on the wind, and she immediately flipped over, conjuring a crooked black scepter with a spell formula as she dodged the filthy dust.

"I see it, I see it... A Delusion. Is that so rare? What else would it be, Amaterasu?"

"Heh."

The girl sneered and covered her left eye with one hand. "You... will never escape this ninjutsu."

"Amaterasu!"

System: How do you dodge a zero-frame startup?

Almost the instant the words left her lips, she appeared behind the Hydro Abyss Mage.

Gabrielina: Just kidding! It was Kamui all along!

Diluc stared in surprise at the Angel's beautiful smiling face, one that could captivate almost any living creature. He was still wondering why she had suddenly appeared here when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught the black construct thrusting straight out from her hand.

A sneak attack...

Shhk-

In the blink of an eye, the black scepter had pierced through the monster's shield and flesh. Even from where he stood, Diluc could clearly hear the tremendous howl of displaced air.

A humming filled his ears. Hoisted high, the monster struggled on the verge of death, forcing broken-bellows wheezes from its throat in a pitiful attempt to resist. Yet the water elemental spells it formed were dismantled by the Angel the moment they took shape and converted into her own power.

Her movements were precise, forceful, even cruel, yet her expression... held no trace of seriousness. Her eyes looked playful, almost mocking.

Diluc raised his eyebrows slightly.

Gabrielina abruptly twisted her wrist, apparently deciding not to torment the dying monster any longer, and casually churned it into ash. When she noticed the man looking over, she stuck her tongue out at him and flashed a goofy grin.

"So cool, Dark~night~He~ro~~"

Tch...

Diluc instantly abandoned any thought of saying something to her.

Suddenly, the scepter whipped around in the opposite direction, tracing a black half-moon through the air and smashing an incoming fireball to pieces.

Sparks scattered in every direction. Wisps of stray elemental energy circulated between her feathers, and her pure-white wings began to flow like water.

"Wow, wow, points for courage... Are you really not going to try running?"

"Finish it off first. The Knights of Favonius will be here any-"

Boom!!!

Gabrielina spun the scepter with one hand, blocking the pillar of fire shooting toward her.

Her silky pink hair rippled and drifted like wisps of fluff, a flower blooming in the firelight above the rippling hem of her white dress. Her graceful figure rose farther from the ground, and she lifted her free hand high, turning her palm downward:

"Cross Magic. Formula: Shoot-Down."

Humm-

Time froze in that instant. All things fell still, held in the searing cross-shaped pupils of Gabrielina's eyes.

Flying dust, splashing sparks, even the Abyss Mage chanting its spell-everything suspended in the air except the Angel came to a halt. Then, like stars falling through the night, dragged earthward by a god, they crashed down.

Bang!!!

"Bu-gah! (Abyssal Language)"

Diluc, who had been about to step forward and help Gabrielina block the attack, stopped dead, staring in shock at the bizarre sight that defied all reason.

The falling figure smashed a deep crater into the street. Yet the dirt and ash it kicked up did not rise into the sky. Instead, as though granted life and weight, they became viscous "rivers," winding along the shattered bricks and tiles.

The Abyss Mage seemed unharmed. It climbed up and waved its staff, trying to retaliate, only to slam face-first into the ground again without warning.

Diluc's fingers tightened involuntarily around his sword hilt.

...Unheard of.

What kind of power was this?

"I'll leave it to you."

As she spoke, the girl let the scepter hang casually at her side and flicked her fingertips, snapping them crisply.

The Abyss Mage immediately shot into the air like a puppet controlled by invisible strings. The corners of her lips lifted, and she turned her hand over and pressed down again, sending the floating figure crashing back to the ground.

She tapped the ground lightly with her scepter and looked down at the monster struggling in the crater, amusement glimmering in her eyes.

She looked as though she was simply playing.

"Whew..."

Diluc could not help letting out a quiet breath.

What an...

Interesting character.

"Well, then..."

As he spoke, his flaming sword carved through the night with a startling rush of air. Wrapped in surging heat, it was already sweeping toward the Abyss Mage's neck.

"Much appreciated!"

Powerless to dodge, the Abyss Mage could only raise its staff in vain. An instant later, the blade blazing with black fire chopped it to pieces, arms and all.

In a single instant, fire filled his vision.