Infinite Mage

Chapter 154: The Second Encounter (2)

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Translator/Editor: Ryuu

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INFINITE MAGE

"Can you hold out? His Schema isn't just at a student's level."

"Even so, what choice do we have? We just have to give it a try."

Rian let his greatsword, a symbol of Ogent, hang low as he advanced slowly. Tess, on the other hand, moved sideways, slipping out of Falcoa's line of sight.

Their positioning was textbook for a two-person team, but Falcoa seemed unfazed.

What would the spirits of those slain by his blade think if he were to be swayed by mere fledglings?

Rian boldly extended his greatsword and declared, "Come at me. I'll take you on."

But before he could finish, Falcoa had already closed the distance with an astonishing burst of speed, laughing maniacally.

Rian, who managed to block the vertically descending longsword, felt a sting in his nose. It wasn't the clash of swords, but rather the impact of a hammer.

"Already giving up?"

Falcoa furiously grated against the greatsword, and with each impact, Rian's knees buckled until he was finally brought to his knees.

"Kugh!"

The muscles in the arm holding the straight sword spasmed, and in that moment, Falcoa's kick struck Rian's solar plexus.

Rian's body rolled away like a ball.

"Rian!"

Tess cried out in despair. The situation seemed to have concluded, but defying Falcoa's expectations, Rian managed to rise again.

Not only his extraordinary strength but also his resilience was one of Rian's specialties.

"Phew, I get it. So that's your level?"

Falcoa's eyebrows twitched, but Rian didn't stop there. He aimed his greatsword straight and provoked his opponent again.

"Alright. The real fight starts now. Come at me all you want."

"Kekkek, I'll kill you."

A grin spread across Falcoa's face, reminiscent of his days as the battlefield fiend.

***

Shirone entered the building, revealing a tidy living room, uncharacteristic of a place used by mercenaries, with rows of potted plants under the sunlit windows.

"Where is Zis's sister?"

Shirone wandered from room to room until, upon opening the third door, he froze with his hand on the knob.

The room smelled pleasant, with a red carpet and furniture arranged in an orderly fashion.

Shirone looked at the woman sitting on the bed. He had been vaguely aware of her when Tess spoke, but seeing her in person was a shock.

"Oh, you're here, Shirone. How have you been?"

"Marsha

Marsha was indeed the leader of the organization that kidnapped Yuna. Yet, her kind face and smile made it hard to hold such thoughts.

"Did you get home okay that day? Did you make up with your friend?"

Shirone swallowed the response that had risen to his throat. It seemed Marsha knew he was coming but still didn't hand over Yuna.

"You already know, don't you? You must have heard everything."

"Oh my, why so serious, Shirone? Are you angry with your sis? I'm sorry for deceiving you that day."

As Marsha coquettishly approached, Shirone kept the same distance between them, stepping back.

"Phew, you really are angry. How can I make it up to you? Should I kneel and beg right here? If that's what you want, I'll do it."

"Please return Zis's sister. That's all I ask."

"Ah! Was that it? You should have said so sooner. I thought you came to fight me. Well, it's not like kind-hearted Shirone would do such a thing. I'm relieved."

Shirone was confused. Who was this person, really? Her behavior, as if from another world, was incomprehensible.

"Where is Yuna?"

"She's upstairs. You can take her if you want."

Shirone turned away, not wanting to think about Marsha anymore. He just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

"Ah, right. But shouldn't you take something to cover her with?"

Shirone stopped in his tracks. When he turned back, Marsha was smiling playfully.

"It would be awkward to see a stranger's naked body, right? That's why I'm telling you in advance. Don't be too shocked. She might be out of her mind, you know. My men can be quite rough."

As Shirone's gaze turned icy, Marsha spoke even faster.

"I was there, you know. The screaming was no joke. Thinking about it now, it might have been too much. But Shirone, do you know? I ordered all of it. But you'll understand, right? Because you're the kind Shirone. Right?"

Shirone remained silent, which seemed to bring immense joy to Marsha.

"How does it feel, Shirone?"

"What feeling? What exactly do you want to hear?"

Shirone no longer saw any value in respecting Marsha, but to her, this was an exhilarating moment.

"Hohoho! Are you really angry? Why are you mad at me? You used to say my thievery would eventually be okay, but have you changed your mind? Maybe you should have scolded me harshly back then. Then, perhaps I wouldn't have kidnapped Yuna. Honestly, you were so annoying."

Shirone fully faced her. Yuna was no longer the issue. Marsha had crossed a line that should never have been crossed.

"Huh? Answer me. How does it feel? Are you going crazy? Does it feel miserable that your once-beloved sister has turned out this way? Do you feel like there's nothing left to believe in this world?"

"To play with someone's emotions like that... Do you need to hear it out loud to be satisfied?"

Marsha's laughter stopped as Shirone posed his question.

"If you really wanted that, you could have just done it. But why care about my feelings? Afraid I might be disappointed?"

"Stop talking nonsense! I'm mocking you!"

"Really? Then shall I tell you what I think of you right now?"

Marsha's face stiffened, waiting for Shirone's response as if deprived of the power to choose her words.

"I don't hate you. In my memory, you're still a good person."

Marsha's expression changed in real-time. From perplexity to disappointment, and then to anger.

"Don't spout nonsense. If that's true, can you forgive me? Can you smile at me like before, even after I've trampled over Zis's sister?"

"No. You've done something unforgivable. If you really did what you said, I could never forgive you."

"Ha! You think I'm lying? But what if I'm telling the truth? Go upstairs and see for yourself."

"Even if it's true, I won't hate you. It's just..."

Shirone bit his lip as he looked at her.

"...sad that someone who should understand that pain better than anyone else would do such a thing."

Sparks flew from Marsha's eyes. Her expression twisted into a fierce scowl, and her teeth gnashed.

If she had really trampled Yuna, she might not have felt unjustified. But she couldn't stand it. The way Shirone spoke as if he knew everything about her was infuriating.

"You! You really piss me off!"

Shirone hastily backed away. The sharpness of Marsha's aura, infiltrating his empathy, was palpable.

A star-shaped Zone.

It was a unique sensation exclusive to those with offensive Schemas among the Four Symbols.

As Marsha prepared to attack, Shirone countered with a defensive stance. However, Yuna on the second floor was at stake.

Urban environments posed quite a challenge for mages. It wasn't as simple as reducing the range of their Spirit Zone.

To a swordsman, it was akin to abandoning a longsword, their primary weapon, for a short dagger in combat.

'What kind of mage could she be...'

While Shirone observed Marsha, preparing for any incoming attack, he pre-emptively cast Photon Transformation, ready to evade instantly.

But Marsha's magic exceeded Shirone's expectations. As she narrowed her eyes and unleashed a piercing scream, an overwhelming roar assaulted his eardrums.

"Kugh!"

Shirone staggered under the mental assault. It felt as if a needle had pierced through one ear and exited through the other, sending a jolt of pain.

'Sonic Cannon. She's a sound mage. This is dangerous.'

Sound mages specialize in acoustics. They create various sound waves by vibrating the air, not necessarily through human voices. A prime example of their offensive magic was the Sonic Cannon Marsha had just cast.

The pressure from a Sonic Cannon exceeds 150 decibels. At close range, it could rupture eardrums and cause deafness.

Being a directional magic that amplifies sound waves, it doesn't spread widely like a laser but remains concentrated, making it one of the more challenging magics to counter due to its invisibility.

'This is a disadvantageous position.'

Just as the efficiency of Shirone and Amy could drastically vary depending on the situation and environment, so too was a confined space practically Marsha's home turf in dealing with sound.

Shirone racked his brain for a way out of the current predicament. He finally opted for ultra-fast short-range teleportation within the cramped space.

Mixing Spacial Warp and Rainbow Drop, he moved around the room, the complex patterns of light confusing Marsha.

Shirone then attempted to strike from behind with a Photon Cannon. However, Marsha easily dodged the magic coming from her blind spot with a mere twist of her body.

'How?'

Unless she had eyes on the back of her head, there was no way to detect an attack from a blind spot.

And even if she did, evading a Photon Cannon at this distance would be impossible.

"Huhu, surprised? You didn't think that was all I had, did you?"

"Could it be... Sonar?"

"Wow, befitting a magic school graduate. Studying hard, aren't we?"

Sonar is the ability to perceive sound. Though primarily maximized underwater, mages can fully mediate their Zones to manifest it anywhere.

A master of Sonar can outperform a Seer in terms of detection capabilities, making it only natural for Marsha to react to the Photon Cannon instantly.

"Amplification magic is so tedious. It lacks finesse."

Shirone tilted his head. It was odd to hear a mage belittle their own learned magic. After all, no mage would degrade their own spellcraft.

"But this, I like this.

If she had mastered Sonar, there was no need to amplify sound at all. As Marsha spread her arms, Sonic Cannons fired from both sides.

Shirone urgently teleported, but the sound was faster than his reflexes.

The high-decibel sound waves scrambled his mind, disrupting his magic. Such sound-based magic was perilously effective against mages, who rely on mental focus.

Marsha then employed Sidelooping to encompass the entire building.

It was a magic similar to how dolphins emit sound waves and interpret the echoes, allowing the detection of existence, direction, and distance, regardless of obstructions.

Shirone was cornered. The Sonic Cannon was indefensible, and Sidelooping's instant detection made even Photon Cannon easily avoidable.

'It's so strange. Sound magic is highly specialized. How could Marsha, a mercenary, wield such spells?'

Sound mages dedicate their lives solely to the study and collection of sounds. Even encountering a unique opportunity wouldn't suffice without academic knowledge, making sound magic an intricately complex field.

"Enjoying the look on your face. It's as if you're wondering, 'How could someone like you...?'"

Shirone faced a crucial moment, caught in a battle where his usual strengths were nullified, against an opponent whose abilities seemed beyond the realm of ordinary mercenaries.

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***

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