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Even though both were called magic cannons, the concepts behind them were fundamentally different.
Aoko's was based on the principles of modern magecraft, while her opponent's, fueled by High-Speed Divine Words, drew upon the mysteries of the Age of Gods. According to the fundamental rule that the older the mystery, the greater its power, the Witch's divine-era magic cannon should have completely overwhelmed Aoko's modern technique.
But, the current Aoko was no longer the girl she was ten minutes ago.
She was Aoko the Magician.
The Aoko from ten years later had achieved godlike mastery over destructive spells. In an instant, she superimposed four layers of construction before her, raising the weapon's destructive power to its absolute, terrifying limit.
In modern magecraft, a spell that contains four layers of structure is classified as High-Grade Magecraft. Even the most celebrated Reality Marbles, those elegant and fashionable manifestations of inner worlds, are technically composed of four-layered magecraft, though those are "high-grade among high-grade," the level of forbidden spells.
Aoko didn't know such complex systems, but by stacking the processes through pure, furious willpower, she elevated her cannon to that same destructive level. Her talent in this field was nothing short of monstrous.
"BOOOOOOOM!!"
The air itself roared like a released dragon.
A colossal turquoise beam erupted from the fourfold circle centered around Aoko, soaring upward like an intercontinental missile, a lance of light daring to strike down a god.
That unshakable will burned clearly within Aoko's eyes.
"BOOM!!"
The Witch in the heavens was not to be outdone. Pouring every ounce of her remaining stolen magical energy into her massive array, she unleashed her own magic cannon, a blade of light falling from the heavens like the Sword of Damocles, colliding head-on with Aoko's beam!
"KRRRRRRRRRRAAAAASH...!!!"
The collision point in midair exploded like an earthquake, a deafening roar rolling outward in all directions.
The shockwave shook the very atmosphere, blasting the surrounding forest in a wild storm that tore trees from their roots. The flood of magic and light forced even Aoko and Ryoji to brace themselves, each step back pressed by the overwhelming surge.
"Impressive… she can actually match me blow for blow?"
Aoko gritted her teeth, holding steady the output of her cannon, but even the enhanced version of herself was astonished.
Only by experiencing it firsthand did she realize how monstrously powerful her opponent was. The Aoko of ten years later could shatter earlier spells with a single strike, and yet, even after pushing her cannon to its absolute peak, she still couldn't instantly crush this witch.
What kind of monster is this woman?!
"But still...!"
Aoko shouted.
Every magical circuit within her body flared to life. The pseudo-nerves within her spun like drill bits, sucking the leyline's magical energy into her body like a black hole.
Aoko's natural magical reserves were small, even weak, on par with Ryoji's, but her conversion efficiency was terrifyingly high. Aoko could absorb and convert the ambient mana around her at a rate few humans could even imagine.
"BOOM!!"
The magic cannon rising from the earth swelled instantly, its power surging severalfold in just a heartbeat.
The turquoise beam expanded, roaring upward to suppress the Witch's descending cannon, forcing it back, inch by inch, until it began to collapse!
The Witch let out a silent scream.
Having lost control over the leyline, she could no longer strengthen her spell. All she could do was watch as Aoko's devastating blast closed in.
Vmmm...!
In that instant of crisis, the woman flung open her cloak, and her body shattered into countless luminous fragments, scattering like a swarm of butterflies.
Aoko's cannon roared through the sky, piercing the heavens in a blinding explosion of light.
She escaped?
Aoko's sharp eyes caught that fleeting anomaly, and a cold killing intent spread across her face.
"Bang!"
But before she could react further, the boy beside her suddenly leapt upward...High into the air, the silver longblade in his hand flashed like moonlight, and then..."Shiiiing!"...he brought it down in a single clean strike.
In the seemingly empty sky, there came the distinct sound, of something being cut apart.
The black-robed Witch's invisibility dissolved.
A great torrent of blood poured from her mouth, staining the ground beneath her. Her robe split open with a massive tear, through it, her shattered internal organs were faintly visible.
The Witch staggered in midair for a moment before tumbling helplessly to the ground with a heavy crash.
Her breath was shallow and fading. The outcome was already clear.
"How is it?"
Aoko rushed over at once, finding Ryoji, who had just descended from the sky.
For some reason, his expression was unusually grim.
Beside him, Aoko spotted the Witch lying on the forest floor, severely wounded, barely alive. The hood had fallen from her face, revealing the visage of a beautiful, mature woman. Her ears were long and slender, the refined shape of an elf or spirit.
But in her eyes, there was not a trace of life.
Recalling how the woman had never spoken a word, never reacted to anything, Aoko couldn't help but suspect she might have been nothing more than a puppet from the very start.
"Huh? Wait… this woman looks kinda familiar…"
Aoko stared closely at the Witch's face, a strange sense of familiarity rising within her, but she couldn't remember when or where she had seen her before. It felt like something from a long time ago.
After turning into her twenty-seven-year-old self, even her mind and memories seemed slightly distorted.
"Homeroom teacher of Class 3-3… Medea-sensei."
Ryoji spoke the Witch's true name in a low voice.
"Medea-sensei…?"
Aoko furrowed her brows, and then her eyes flew wide open.
"Wait a second, isn't that the name of the Witch from Greek mythology?!"
"That's right."
Ryoji shot her a wry, almost teasing glance.
"What's the matter? You just now figured it out?"
Figured what out?
Aoko froze, thinking for a moment, and then suddenly gasped sharply, the breath catching in her throat.
"What… what's going on here?! My home's supposed to be in Misaki Town, right? What's this Kinoko City nonsense?! Where did this TYPE-MOON Academy come from?! And why am I the Student Council President instead of the Vice President?! And who the hell invited all these Heroic Spirits into the school?!"
Her arms flailed wildly as she spoke, a chill of dread creeping up her spine.
The world, without her even realizing it, had quietly transformed into something completely unfamiliar. And the fact that she hadn't noticed until now filled her with terror.
"Ryoji, do you know what's happening here?"
Aoko looked to him with pleading eyes.
"If you're asking me, who the hell am I supposed to ask?"
Ryoji rolled his eyes.
"You're the first person, besides me, who's noticed something's off about this world."
"Ugh…"
Aoko let out a long, weary sigh.
"Perhaps you should ask me."
At that moment… A third voice entered the forest.
It was a voice like that of a queen, proud, commanding, and utterly unyielding. Just hearing it made one instinctively feel its overwhelming authority.
"That voice…?"
Ryoji froze for a second, then turned toward the direction of the sound, disbelief flashing in his eyes.
From the shadows of the forest, she appeared: the Queen of the Land of Shadows.
With calm, regal strides, she walked forward beneath the night sky. Her long violet hair shimmered faintly in the darkness, her black high heels clicking softly against the earth with every elegant step. The sleek lines of her stocking-clad legs caught the moonlight, a sight both graceful and dangerously powerful.
"Scáthach-sensei?"
Aoko recognized her at once, the renowned Queen Teacher of the academy, and couldn't help but groan aloud in disbelief.
"Just what the hell is going on in this world?!"
(End of Chapter)