My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 151

“It seems this is a city in the Baron’s territory.”

Iris looked up at the city walls as she spoke. By the time we arrived at the Baron’s estate, it was already night.

Perhaps due to the time that had passed since the Marquis’s death, we had become the official wanted criminals of the Aioum Kingdom, and I heard from Ariel that the Empire’s envoy was currently imprisoned.

Thanks to the Naiad nearby, we were able to communicate without needing to use a transmission scroll. Given the circumstances, the Naiad also decided to help us.

“We’re heading straight to the Baron’s estate.”

Though she said that, the entrance was heavily guarded by knights. Being wanted criminals, we couldn’t simply walk in through the entrance, so we had to choose an alternative route.

That was to leap over the castle wall.

However, my body was weak. No matter how much I jumped, one meter was my limit. If I possessed Pasma, I could jump a little higher, but overcoming the castle wall was impossible.

“Are we going to climb over? At this height, it seems I could make it in one go.”

“…Iris, I have something to say.”

Seeing Iris ready her stance, I cleared my throat subtly.

*

“Hehe… Hehehe!”

“Don’t laugh.”

With her hand tucked under my leg, Iris shook her body.

“But I can’t help but laugh!”

…Are you starting to resemble Tina too?

Turning towards me, her smirking face was quite distressing. Was this really the same girl who had just been so timid a moment ago?

Feeling my ears grow warm for no reason, I rested my chin on Iris’s shoulder.

“Shut up and just climb.”

I should clarify to avoid misunderstandings. I concluded that my body couldn’t leap over the castle wall, let alone even hanging from it, so I told Iris to carry me. There was absolutely no ulterior motive behind it.

“This is unavoidable! Thinking of you on my back makes me want to laugh!”

I hadn’t asked.

“Do you think the same, Teacher?”

Don’t ask for my sympathy…

“But can’t you climb the castle wall, Teacher?”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

‘Because I’m weak.’

“I can’t climb the high castle wall in one go. But you can go up in one go. I just thought it would be more efficient to ask you.”

Did you have to say it that long to say you’re weak?

“Is that so!”

Her face was bright. Given that I’d just said I was weak, one would expect her to be disappointed, but instead, she looked pleased. That felt a bit unsettling.

“Hehe, I will assist you, Teacher!”

In the end, I entrusted my body to Iris.

With a squelching sound, cracks spider-webbed from where her feet stood, and dust rose into the air. She pushed off from the ground.

“We’ve arrived.”

In an instant, we reached the top of the castle wall.

[Praus, being carried by a little girl… how embarrassing.]

“…Shut up. I know.”

I covered my flushed ears as I stepped down from Iris’s back.

“Please carry me again next time!”

“…No way.”

How much humiliation do you intend to make me endure?

“Hurry to the Baron’s estate.”

“Yes.”

Now that I think about it, don’t I also need to be carried down from the castle wall?

Oh crap, how annoying.

*

“Is this it?”

“That’s right.”

Maria landed on the roof where Tina was standing.

Currently, Maria was borrowing the eyes of Orient. By sharing her senses, she could detect magic much better than before.

Having precisely pinpointed the faint magic emanating from inside the Count’s mansion, Maria prepared a barrier.

“This time, I’ll make sure they can’t escape.”

“If you give them no chance to run, isn’t that enough?”

Tina said while adjusting her hood.

“Are you going to try to bring the whole building down?”

“That could kill others, right? Even if they’re dying anyway, it’s not like we need to handle it ourselves.”

“So what do we do then?”

“We just need to move faster than that demon tribe.”

It was a simplistic idea typical of Tina, yet Maria couldn’t help but agree. She well understood that Tina had the power to make even unreasonable thoughts a reality.

As Tina drew the All-Cutting Sword, mana began to leak out. The leaking mana soon enveloped the All-Cutting Sword, creating an Aura Sword.

Seeing the much clearer aura than before, Maria realized that Tina had grown even stronger.

“Set up the barrier just in case.”

“Are you… upset?”

Maria asked Tina, noticing her unusually strong tone.

“Um… a little? Iris is the first friend I’ve ever made after being born. I can’t stand it when a friend is being bullied. Ah, but you’re my second friend too, okay? Don’t feel sad or anything.”

“What could possibly make me feel sad about that…?”

“Then it’s settled. Hehe.”

A brief laughter echoed from beneath the pitch-black hood.

Then, as if to match the hostility seeping from the hood, Maria spread a wind-type barrier around the entire Count’s mansion.

It was an eight-tiered barrier that could be set up by the Spirit King. Not even most demon tribes could possibly break through it.

“If this were outside the city, I would have trapped them in the barrier and unleashed magic on them.”

Maria said regretfully as she licked her lips.

“I’ll bring them out. Prepare the binding magic.”

“Got it. They’re in the basement of the largest building.”

“Okay.”

With that, Tina lightly touched the ground. With a sound that cut through the air, she rushed into the Count’s mansion.

Boom!

Breaking through the door of the Count’s mansion, Tina frowned at the unpleasant magical scent.

‘So it’s the basement, huh?’

Tina raised her sword high.

“‘Falling Flowers’!”

Boom!

Another loud explosion followed.

The impact shattered the entire basement, causing the entire building to shake, and outside, knights and servants began to rush towards the noise.

“Who are you? When did you…?!”

KyouKyou suddenly emerged from the dust, shocked to see Tina.

“I’m here to kill you, my dear student.”

Without a sound, Tina closed the distance between herself and KyouKyou.

‘This guy is way faster than that beastman I saw during the day?!’

Boom!

Swinging her sword aimed at KyouKyou’s neck, it barely missed as KyouKyou evaded. But not entirely; blood started to trickle from KyouKyou’s neck.

Caught off guard by Tina’s sudden ambush, KyouKyou hurriedly dashed outside the Count’s mansion. Just then, chains rained down from the sky.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“Don’t dodge, you piece of trash.”

Maria unleashed chains while dodging the knights present in the Count’s mansion, but KyouKyou protected himself with magic and managed to evade.

“‘Entangling Chains’.”

Binding magic activated again. KyouKyou faltered in the face of Maria’s intimidation.

‘This is the disciple of the heroes? Damn it! If this continues, Lord Habito’s plan…!’

Thinking it best to get away, KyouKyou quickly took to the air, only to be stopped by the barrier that Maria had set up. Though she knew that the barrier surrounded the Count’s mansion, she had forgotten it while dodging Tina’s attacks.

“Damn it!”

Immediately dispelling the unexpected barrier, there was no way Tina would miss that opportunity.

“You trash, are you going to run away again?”

“Tch! ‘Magic Condensation’.”

Tina released the gathered magic onto the sword strike she swung, throwing off its trajectory.

Bang!

Magic and aura pushed against each other, repelling.

“…!”

‘Did it repel the aura?’

Propelled back, Tina barely managed to grab onto the All-Cutting Sword that she almost dropped. It didn’t matter to her whether she held onto it or let it fall. Because…

“If I can see it, I can cut it.”

She swung her sword in the air.

“‘All-Cutting Sword’.”

If the target is within the trajectory of her blade, regardless of how powerful a demon tribe’s magic they possessed, none could stop her sword.

KyouKyou was cut precisely from her chest to her side. Splattered with blood and guts, KyouKyou fell to the ground without even a chance to resist.

“Good, I got her.”

Approaching the sprawled-out KyouKyou, Tina removed her mask. Although facial features were present underneath, the skin was completely marred, as if with burns.

“Did you think I’d die this easily?”

As her eyes flipped, her body began to radiate dark light. Tina quickly tossed KyouKyou’s head away and pushed off the ground, but it was too late.

“‘Magic Explosion’!”

Boom!

*

“Damn it, I need to replenish my spent magic and report to Lord Habito quickly.”

‘I have to let him know these idiots are not to be underestimated…!’

KyouKyou thought she might have been cut in half had she delayed dispelling the barrier any longer and held her side. Blood seeped out from her body. Healing was not easy due to the aura-induced cut.

Thanks to having designated coordinates for teleporting in case of danger, she had managed to keep her life, but she remained in a dire situation.

“Damn it, but how did those hero’s disciples know I was hiding in the Count’s mansion?”

As she muttered to herself, just as she was about to lift her body, the magic leaking from her body suddenly dissipated.

“What’s going on? Why is my magic…!”

From the darkness, Iris appeared, her white hair and tail swaying.

“I was waiting for you.”

“What…! How did you get here?!”

“This time, you won’t escape.”

With beast-like eyes gleaming from the darkness, her sword swung toward KyouKyou’s neck.

“What—”

Swish!

The light stroke of the blade cleanly severed KyouKyou’s neck, and blood gushed forth as her headless body staggered before collapsing.

“You almost made me earn my teacher’s disdain.”

“Why is my magic….”

Just before losing her life, KyouKyou gazed at the pure white sword stuck in the ground.

“Thanks to the sword protecting the sanctuary.”

Praus, stepping out from the shadows, said.

The skill of the Guardian of the Sanctuary, the second function of Absolute Domain.

It was to annihilate all magic within a certain range when the earth and sword made contact.

“Now disappear, KyouKyou.”

Crush!

Without leaving a shred of possibility, Iris stomped down and crushed KyouKyou’s head.