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SO : 29 The Advantage Is Mine!
🕑 Added 2024-09-10 03:37:03 +0000 UTC"How is this possible?!"
Aya Tokoyogi's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the devilish figure formed from inky black flames before her. Her incredulous exclamation echoed with shock.
"As a devil's servant, how can you manifest in this world devoid of magic?!"
The Witch of the Notaria was stunned.
As a fellow witch, she understood that devils were merely a concept bound by contracts.
A witch's guardian, like the devilish servants, was a manifestation of magical energy, much like the familiars of primogenitors.
This understanding was the foundation of Aya Tokoyogi's audacity to oppose the entire Itogami Island single-handedly.
In her view, even a gathering of primogenitors would be unlikely to challenge her within the realm of the Black Bible.
In a magic-free domain, it was the physically robust demon races, such as the beastmen, that might pose a greater threat than vampires.
As for witches, they were inconsequential without magic; they would be no different from ordinary humans.
Unable to cast spells or harness their guardians' powers, Natsuki Minamiya seemed to be an easy target for Aya's meticulously crafted plan.
The advantage was hers!
This was the conclusion Aya Tokoyogi had drawn from her careful calculations.
However, the sudden appearance of this devil disrupted her rhythm.
"How could this... Within the domain of the Black Bible, even the primogenitors cannot wield any magic."
"Even the primogenitors have limits to their magical power, unless..."
Aya Tokoyogi's face darkened.
This spell, activated only once a year with the power of the stars, demonstrated its formidable nature simply through its stringent requirements.
While the primogenitors possessed powerful magic, they were mere individuals and could not rival the magic bestowed by the stars.
Yet the devil before her defied this environment, retaining its magical power. This implied that the demon's magical energy not only surpassed that of a primogenitor but potentially even transcended the stars themselves?!
The former was somewhat understandable, but the latter was incomprehensible.
Aya Tokoyogi's delicate hands trembled slightly, unable to accept this outcome.
"Aya, surrender now! If you yield, I might turn a blind eye and let you leave Itogami Island."
This was Natsuki Minamiya's final ultimatum, her last hope for her friend.
At the same time, Natsuki let out a sigh of relief.
To be honest, while she knew of Zarathustra's unique nature and that he was fundamentally different from the devils of this world, she had no guarantee that he could ignore the Black Bible's power.
"I must have been somewhat arrogant recently."
Natsuki admonished herself. Though prideful, she was not one to reject criticism or self-reflection.
Since Zarathustra had become her guardian and overseer, and with his near-infinite magical power, Natsuki had naturally developed a sense of arrogance.
This was why she had dared to confront Aya Tokoyogi without any preparation, entering the school directly.
Had it been the old Natsuki, she would have first conducted an investigation and ensured she had ample intelligence before entering the school, rather than acting so boldly.
In reality, when she discovered that Aya had set up the Black Bible's barrier within the school, Natsuki had been deeply startled.
Faced with an environment devoid of magic, she, as a witch, was utterly powerless.
Yet, fortunately, Zarathustra's presence ensured her ultimate safety, reminding Natsuki Minamiya that she could never afford to be so careless again.
"Yield? Natsuki, I haven't lost yet!"
"...I admit your guardian is formidable. I'm not confident I can defeat him, but as long as I capture you and use the Black Bible's power to dissolve your contract with the devil, victory will still be mine!"
Aya Tokoyogi's teeth clenched as she commanded the black-clad knight to unleash a spatial manipulation spell, appearing instantly behind Natsuki.
The knight raised his sword, aiming for Natsuki's neck.
The terror of death loomed, but Natsuki remained unfazed, knowing the knight could not harm her.
Indeed, as the black-clad knight executed the spatial manipulation spell, Saigo used the same spell, just in time to intercept the knight's blade with a devilish hand made of pitch-black flames.
"Zarathustra, if you had been a moment slower, my head would have been severed."
Natsuki's gaze shifted slightly as she noticed the knight's blade had cut through a few strands of her hair.
Whether it was intentional or not, Saigo only blocked the sharp blade when it was almost upon her.
Despite the danger, Natsuki stood resolute, as if she had absolute trust in Saigo.
"It's fine if your head falls off. When you die, it will mean our contract is void. If you wish to see the consequences of a voided contract, I am happy to oblige."
"...So I suggest you take care of yourself, dodge the enemy's attacks. After all, I'm not your substitute!"
Saigo responded with a harsh, mocking laugh.
"You bastard!"
Natsuki's face flushed with anger. She swiftly rolled to avoid the knight's descending sword.
As Aya Tokoyogi's guardian, the black-clad knight was more than just a frightening appearance.
His dark blade was infused with immense magical power. With a single swing, the classroom was torn in half.
The aftermath of the strike didn't stop there; it cleaved through the entire teaching building!
Steel-reinforced concrete shattered, and the ground below turned into a wasteland.
Being on the fifth floor, Natsuki, devoid of her magic, stumbled and fell, watching helplessly as she plummeted from the height of the building.
Above her were fragments of concrete, below were protruding steel rebar.
If Natsuki fell from this height, not only would she be impaled by the rebar, but she would also be buried under tons of debris—there would be no escape.
In mid-air, Natsuki Minamiya finally began to panic, her limbs flailing.
Unfortunately, without magic, she was unable to cast any spells and could only desperately control her fall, trying to find a relatively safe landing spot.
In the next moment, she suddenly felt a warm embrace enveloping her. Natsuki's vision flashed with a familiar scene she often encountered when using spatial manipulation magic.
As her mind regained composure, she found herself no longer in the collapsing building but on the school's sports field.
At that moment, she was cradled in Saigo's arms, being held in a princess carry.
Saigo's devilish arm was wrapped around Natsuki's slender legs, the warmth of her skin still felt through the black cotton stockings.
Natsuki froze for a moment before struggling, "...Put me down!"
She felt incredibly embarrassed by her current position.
Saigo obediently released her, and with a startled cry, Natsuki's petite form hit the ground.
She let out an "Ouch!" as she got up, covering her rear with one hand and glaring angrily at Saigo.
Saigo, however, wore an expression of innocent compliance, as if he was merely following her orders.
Natsuki found it surprisingly difficult to decipher such emotions from the black flames.
Even in this dire situation, this damnable devil was still toying with her!
Seeing Natsuki and Saigo completely oblivious to the danger, and even engaging in what seemed like playful banter, Aya Tokoyogi's frustration reached its peak.
