Aoko glanced at her uniform, scorched and torn from the earlier flames and rolling. A flicker of distress crossed her eyes; clearly, it bothered her a great deal. But because of that, she was now fighting at full power!
There were still a dozen or so meters between them. For an ordinary mage, that distance offered plenty of safety and breathing room, but for Aoko at full power, it was only an instant away.
Her figure vanished from the spot again. That movement alone sent a howling, freezing wind rushing at Touko ahead of her. It struck her face like hail, stinging her flesh and carrying a chill.
Touko had no time to counter it. She could not even dodge.
Aoko's attack was too fast. With Mana Burst running regardless of the cost, her speed was enough to inspire despair, like a bolt of lightning striking down.
It did not matter if Touko still had puppets or runes hidden away. Once they entered close combat, Aoko would not need even a second to deal with them!
"I've wanted to punch that damned face of yours for ages!"
Without mercy, Aoko aimed at the side of Touko's face and swung a fist that could easily shatter stone and break metal.
At this range, Touko, who was only a mage, had absolutely no way to escape the blow.
Yet the face reflected in Aoko's blue eyes still showed neither panic nor fear.
Bang-!
A sharp note mingled with the sudden sound of something tearing through the air. The violent impact swept up the surrounding snow, filling the air with white dust.
But although Aoko Aozaki had distinctly felt her blow connect, her expression did not relax in the slightest. Her brow remained furrowed.
Refusing to admit defeat seemed engraved in the Aozaki