17. Ambush (2)
However, Venere had forgotten one crucial fact at that moment.
If she had remembered that it was Karla who had defeated Mercurio in one blow, she should also have recalled that Karla was unaffected by the suppression magic he had used, capable of revealing her full strength regardless.
Karla was a type of magician who did not release mana externally—a non-emissive mage, or as they are more commonly known, an internal mage.
Karla narrowed her eyes.
From the moment Venere approached, lifting her greatsword high above her head to when she swung it down—
Karla had been waiting for the exact moment Venere let her guard down. The instant Venere swung her sword down—
Karla, who had been kneeling, used the momentum of her legs to lunge fiercely toward Venere.
—BOOM!
“Gyahk?!”
Venere staggered, clutching her face.
The greatsword she had been holding dissipated into smoke as her mana source disappeared, and rivers of bright red blood flowed between her fingers.
“You… you wretched woman…”
Her two front teeth had flown off somewhere, broken.
With her left hand shrouded in black smoke, Karla grabbed Venere by the collar and lifted a fist sparking with electricity, smashing it into Venere’s face once again.
—SLAP! BOOM! PUNCH!
Each time, Venere swayed as if she were about to fall over.
It was only because Karla was gripping her collar that she hadn’t already toppled over.
Tripping Venere at the back of her legs and pushing her, both Venere and Karla toppled over.
Karla, landing on Venere’s stomach as they both fell, proceeded to mercilessly punch her face, again and again, as if trying to crush it.
Each punch was accompanied by spurts of blood.
As the horrifying sounds of impact continued, Venere’s movements gradually weakened, and Karla, breathing heavily, slowly stopped her assault.
‘First, I need to escape from here. I have no way to contact the teacher. What can I do…’
Blood was dripping from her fists.
Karla slowly stood up, taking a step back from Venere to catch her breath—right at that moment.
“…Damn bitch, your punches really sting.”
Venere was getting up.
Her face was a bloodied mess, with hardly an unscathed spot left, broken and shredded lips twitching as she rose to her feet.
“Thinking I’d lost just because I gave you a couple of hits, huh? Damn woman, I didn’t expect it would hurt this much, you know.”
Venere raised her hand and wiped her face.
When her blood-soaked palm swept over her face, it came away dripping with red.
Even the saliva she spat onto the ground was mixed with shattered tooth fragments.
“You must have thought you’d won.”
“…”
“I think it’s best to end this here. Lady Cascalta, I’ve played with you long enough.”
Karla’s instincts warned her she needed to buy more time.
Unfortunately,
Frustratingly,
Regrettably,
There was no way she could defeat Venere right now.
Karla slowly circulated her mana, trying not to make it too obvious.
‘The circuits are severely contaminated. Hardly any mana is flowing through my left arm.’
In simpler terms, the magical circuits are like road signs directing the flow of mana.
They create a pathway for the mana to follow—this way, that way—the magical circuit.
But due to some unknown erosive magic, a significant portion of Karla’s circuits were contaminated, and now almost no mana flowed through her left arm.
“…Since I’m destined to die at your hands anyway, right?”
“Hmm, something like that?”
As Venere rotated her shoulders, cracking her neck audibly, Karla questioned,
“You’re trying to buy time, aren’t you? Waiting for your instructor to come help?”
Somehow, she had to stretch this out—at least until Instructor Albina arrived.
“Venere… that’s the second star up there in the sky, isn’t it?”
“That’s true, but why I’m the second one, I have no idea.”
Karla confirmed her suspicion.
Venere wasn’t acting alone.
There must be some organization behind her, and they were after Ivan’s life.
“…You’re after Ivan’s life, right?”
“Eh, Ivan? Ah, that commoner, right? Yeah, he definitely has to die.”
“What’s the reason?”
Venere gave Karla a smirk in response.
Her lips curled up high, her eyes twisted in a perfect sneer.
“That’s a secret.”
“Huh, how amusing.”
This was likely the most crucial part. Naturally, she wouldn’t give it away easily.
“Of course it’s a secret. Would I just tell you? Anyway, is everything going according to your plans?”
She’s caught on.
Karla inwardly admitted defeat but couldn’t just agree readily. She had to keep up appearances.
“What are you talking about? Maybe you’re having a nightmare or something.”
“You’re stalling, aren’t you? You’re waiting for your teacher to get here, right?”
“…Teacher Albina? There’s no way she could get here. Didn’t you guys twist the dimensions?”
“Teacher Albina… the master of summoning magic. Even if it takes time, I know she can eventually find you.”
Her motives were already seen through.
Karla racked her brain again.
She couldn’t just admit defeat. But she couldn’t give up here either.
“Well, time’s up. But you’re too interesting to kill right away, so first things first—”
“What-”
Just as Karla was about to say something, Venere pointed her index finger at her and said,
“[Burst].”
–CRACK…
Something shattered.
THUD, chunks of flesh scattered.
Karla’s gaze fell to her left arm.
Where it should have been, it—was nowhere to be found.
Instead, from the cut surface, dark, contaminated blood was gushing out.
Extreme pain causes the mind to go blank, muscles contract rapidly, leaving one unable to even scream.
That was exactly what Karla was experiencing.
A left arm that wasn’t just severed but had exploded into nothingness.
The spot where her arm used to be was now gushing blood, her blank mind struggling to pull itself together despite all efforts.
“How’s it feel? Do you feel lighter yet?”
Venere’s voice rang out.
“Even if you don’t stop the bleeding quickly, you’re going to die soon anyway. Though, you’ll die either way.”
Karla bit her lip and gathered mana into her right hand.
Focusing every bit of untainted circuit mana, she initiated an electric surge, bringing it forcefully to the torn shoulder area and gripping it tightly.
“—!”
It felt like a scream would burst from her lips.
Still, if she let it go, she might truly die, so Karla gritted her teeth and endured it.
All the while, curled up on the ground, she trembled in pain, as Venere approached.
“So, how do you feel now?”
“You… will… definitely… die… soon… I feel it.”
“Hah. Quite a mouth on ya, isn’t it?”
Venere kicked Karla.
A loud thud* sounded as Venere’s expression shifted dramatically, shouting.
“Hey, let go! Why won’t you let go?!”
Karla didn’t respond.
Her right hand that had been stemming the gushing shoulder was now firmly gripping Venere’s ankle, refusing to let go.
“Such a crazy woman.”
Venere raised her hand high.
A crimson light flickered above her palm, quickly taking the shape of a jagged spear. As Venere wielded it, she lunged at the sprawled Karla.
“YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!”
Summoning every last ounce of strength, Karla pulled hard on Venere’s ankle, using the momentum to push herself up.
Venere yelped as she lost her balance, and Karla swiftly tackled her down.
“You crazy woman…!”
“You’re the crazy one!”
Her left arm had been obliterated from the shoulder.
Her whole body was riddled with injuries. Due to the contamination of her magical circuit, the only place where mana still flowed properly was a portion of her right arm.
Her vision blurred from blood loss, and the intense fatigue and chills were starting to hit.
Venere had fallen, and with Karla atop her, this was likely her last opportunity.
“Why go this far?!”
“I’m a… mage… and I must… kill the bad guy…!”
“Hmph.”
Despite Venere’s mockery, Karla mustered her last grains of mana, concentrating them in her right hand.
This was it—her final gambit.
“[Supercharged Pulse]…!”
From her fingertips, dense purple lightning erupted wildly. Finally, it surged downward—
—ROARRR!
Only to be blocked by Venere’s hand.
Mana pushed to its very limit gone to waste.
“Alright, that’s enough. Just die now…!”
Venere pushed Karla away in disgust as she rose to her feet.
With her mana completely depleted, the slowly collapsing Karla was shoved aside, allowing Venere to rise.
And it was from her blurred vision that Karla looked up at Venere.
That ominous crimson greatsword reappeared, being brandished by Venere.
This was it. The end was coming.
Ah, my body won’t move.
The body wouldn’t obey her will.
But she couldn’t give up.
Since something was taken from her, she would take something back. That was the way of Cascalta.
But from somewhere in the distance—
—Karla! Karla! Karlaaaaaaaa!
Ivan’s voice called out.
At the sound of it, against all odds, Karla’s tension eased slightly.
‘Why can I hear Ivan’s voice? Isn’t it supposed to be Instructor Albina? Why is it Ivan’s voice…’
Don’t come here.
Even if you’re stronger than me, this woman is tougher.
Your coming here won’t help.
Why did it have to be you?
I have to stand.
I have to stand and be a worthy Cascalta.
Since I lost an arm to her, I need to take a leg in return.
I have to stand—
—Ivan! Ivan… Karla! Karla!
Even from far away, Albina’s voice echoed alongside.
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