This cold feels a bit off, doesn't it?
Ain slowly opened his eyes, only to find that a layer of frost had already blanketed his surroundings at some point.
Dazed, Ain stared at the thick sheet of ice beneath him. He couldn't help but feel like he had seen this scene somewhere before.
“Ai... n?”
Turning his head, he saw a young girl with tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.
“Huh? Erylin?”
What Ain didn't know was that the potion he had brewed was simply too effective.
His voice was incredibly weak. To Erylin, he looked like a dying man using the last of his strength just to call her name.
At that moment, the layer of frost beneath Erylin's clothes grew thicker and thicker, until it completely encased her neck.
Without a word, Erylin slowly raised her wand. With her at the center, countless ice spikes began to spread outward endlessly.
Then, the girl snapped her eyes open. Tears burst forth, filled with pure hatred, as she glared at Remy and Harrison.
Her choked voice reached their ears.
“Just die, all of you...”
Behind Erylin, an ice-blue magic circle suddenly manifested. The frost beneath her feet instantly transformed into chilling ice spikes that erupted from the ground, growing larger by the second.
Gasps erupted from the crowd. Several students scrambled backward in terror, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.
“This is insane! Isn't she just a student? How can she cast magic of this level?!”
“Can students nowadays already reach Tier 4?!”
The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, but the most shocked person of all was Ain.
No way...
This... isn't this the magic Erylin isn't supposed to master until Act Four?!
Why is she casting it now?!
Who provoked her?! Who on earth provoked her this time?!
No one even died...
At that thought, Ain's mind went completely blank.
I forgot to tell Erylin about the plan!!!
During his first playthrough, when he executed this plan, Erylin hadn't been by his side!
And even if she had been, she shouldn't have had much of a reaction...
But the situation now seemed completely different!
“Erylin, stop!”
Finn looked at Erylin anxiously.
The usually sweet and obedient student did not heed his command this time.
Seeing Erylin's magic continue to expand, Finn panicked as well.
It's like this child has become a completely different person!
She wasn't like this before!
Ain also hurriedly tried to stop her. “Erylin, don't...”
Because the potion's effects were still active, in Erylin's eyes, Ain was swallowing his pain and resentment, desperately trying not to drag her down with him.
Erylin's magic flared even more violently.
Finn was utterly dumbfounded.
Ain, maybe... just maybe...
You should just shut up?
Cold sweat dropped down Remy's face. He gripped his hilt tightly, warily watching the girl's magic.
“Mr. Harrison, what do we do now?”
Harrison closed his eyes, his expression highly relaxed.
“Just take the girl's magic head-on.”
“And let ourselves get slightly injured in the process. That way, the academy won't have an excuse...”
“But!”
Remy said in a panic, “This doesn't look like a spell we can just easily take...”
Harrison sighed and slowly opened his eyes.
He had mostly finished regulating his breathing.
“She's just an academy student. How strong could a child's magic pos—”
But when Harrison saw the countless ice spikes hovering in the air, he couldn't help but gasp.
This scale... it was definitely Tier 4!
And it wasn't some ordinary Tier 4 spell, either!
Harrison had fought countless mages, and he had only ever seen magic of this caliber from a few highly accomplished experts.
Yet, the one standing before him was just a student.
Remy was already regretting taking this job.
All he had done was insult a few students and destroy their things...
Getting framed for no good reason was one thing...
But now, the other party looked like they wouldn't rest until they killed him!
Remy felt completely wronged.
He hadn't done anything, yet he was about to get brutally beaten.
Worst of all, he couldn't even fight back!
At this moment, not only Remy, but Ain was also in despair.
All because he saw a brilliant ice crystal forming in Erylin's pupils.
A derivative of the Ice of Aret, a special state used to increase mana capacity and magical precision.
Lament of the Frosty Breath.
Huh?
HUH!!!
Isn't this the cheat she only gets at the end of Act Three, when she fails to obtain the holy spear, Grace dies, and she's consumed by overwhelming grief?!
Why is she getting it now?!
This plot is totally wrong!
Miss Erylin, please calm down!
I'm not dead yet! I'm still alive!!!
In the next second, the countless ice spikes behind Erylin finished solidifying, locking onto Remy and Harrison in unison.
“Glacio, Sukto...”
“Falu...”
Countless ice spikes shot toward Harrison at breakneck speed. He reacted in an instant.
Channeling his body's mana, he took a slow step forward, intentionally letting some of the ice spikes strike him to mitigate the spell's overall impact.
But what he didn't expect was that Erylin had adjusted her attack as well.
The ice spikes in the air rapidly converged onto a single point, while the frost on the ground solidified into a massive ice lance.
Brimming with immense killing intent, both attacks shot toward him in an instant.
Harrison instinctively reached for his hilt, but quickly abandoned the idea.
A Tier 4 martial technique should be enough...
And I can't resist too obviously.
Harrison slowly raised his hand and clenched his fist.
A powerful aura erupted from his body, but to his shock, Erylin's attack instantly tore through his defense without losing any momentum.
What?!
Shocked, Harrison raised both hands, letting the two attacks slam violently into him.
He was instantly sent flying backward. Gritting his teeth, his chest buckled under the impact.
Still mid-air, Harrison's face was a mask of utter astonishment. The ice lance and massive ice spike dragged him along, smashing him heavily into the city wall behind him and kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
“Hey... is this the Erylin you said could take down monsters all by herself without us lifting a finger?”
“This seems even more insane than what you described...”
The other student replied in equal bewilderment, “To be honest, this is the first time I've seen Erylin like this too...”
“Her anger is absolutely terrifying!”
“Does it feel like Erylin is actually trying to kill those two?”
“It's probably because of Ain... After all, her boyfriend was hurt so badly by them...”
“Hey! Since when is he her boyfriend?! I don't accept this!”
The surrounding chatter grew louder as many students discussed Erylin's magic.
Amidst the dust, Harrison struggled to his feet, limping miserably. He spat out a mouthful of dark blood, his pupils dilating.
Damn it, is this really magic a student can cast?!
At this moment, Ain's eyes were filled with helplessness.
It's over...
My plan is completely ruined...
Why has the plot gone off track again!!!
In the crowd, Grace silently watched this scene and pulled out a Magic Letter, writing a message on it.
[Lady Angelica, the person harboring the witch is here. Please come quickly!]
...
Ain couldn't even remember how he ended up in the infirmary.
To play his part to the end, he had to keep his eyes closed the entire time.
He could faintly feel Erylin weeping uncontrollably beside him.
Once he was placed on a hospital bed and sensed the potion's effects fading, Ain slowly opened his eyes, the color returning slightly to his face.
If I had known, I wouldn't have used that potion!
Ain sighed. As his vision came back into focus, he realized it was already night.
I need to ask the instructor what their final decision is...
And then revise my plan going forward...
At the very least, Harrison must die!
“Huh?”
Ain suddenly noticed someone sitting beside his bed.
Erylin was gripping his right hand tightly with both of hers. Tears rolled down her face onto the back of his hand, quickly freezing into crystals.
Beneath her skirt, the frost spread even more violently than before, bone-chilling crystals creeping aggressively through the seams of the fabric.
“Ain...”
“I hate it when you're like this...”
Rate on N.U.
