Chapter 27: Beyond 13 Seconds

– The night of the strategy meeting.

I said I would make her shoot [Orgostra], and Kirishima-san grabbed my shoulder, shaking me as if to mince my brain.

“…No, I mean, shooting is the last resort. I have other plans.”
“Say that first!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

I reflected on startling Kirishima-san and the others, and began organizing my thoughts.
First, I needed to talk about the nature of the undead.

“I think the wraiths’ bodies are like balloons… or something like that. Mana inside and outside their bodies push against each other across a membrane, keeping a balance. So breaking that balance could be fatal.”

“That’s the ‘Winter Echoes’, right?”
“Yes. The magic itself doesn’t have killing power, so I guess the undead shriveled due to something related to their ecology.”

Shiraishi-san held her head and didn’t join the conversation.
Kirishima-san patted her on the shoulder.

“Are you feeling sick?”
“No, I’m fine, but… yeah, that magic was weird, wasn’t it?”

“That magic is weird.”
“Both of you!?”

I knew I was doing something strange, but I didn’t expect even Shiraishi-san to react that way. Kirishima-san always treats me like a monster, you see.

“Haruka, explain it to him.”
“Well, um, Isshiki-kun. For example, imagine mana flow as a river, and using magic as a waterwheel turning.”

“I kind of get it.”

The mana we use for magic gets replenished quickly. Unless the timing overlaps greatly, our spells hardly ever fail—something I learned after fighting cursewood.

So, that time, I was just really unlucky.

” ‘Winter Echoes’ is a magic that withers the water itself so the opponent’s waterwheel doesn’t work. I understand the logic, but you’re basically drinking the entire river.”
“Yes, that’s true.”

Shiraishi-san’s explanation was spot on.
It turns mana supplied from the outside into magic immediately. That prevents the opponent from using mana.

“I guess it’s fine since it’s you, Isshiki-kun.”
“Haruka, it must have been hard for you too.”

For some reason, Kirishima-san comforted Shiraishi-san. I wasn’t doing anything wrong, right?

“So, Haruka, you believe you can beat it with that magic?”
“Hmm, I wonder. But it’s hard to land—”

Shiraishi-san suddenly went silent, staring at me intently. She blinked several times and then abruptly picked up a piece of paper. She looked at it seriously and lifted her face.

“Maybe we should target [Orgostra]. Look, here…”

Kirishima-san frowned.

“I know that. Before [Orgostra] is used, the Undead king stops moving for about 13 seconds. But, during those 13 seconds, its defense power is unusually high.”

She said that, then widened her eyes.

“Isshiki, could it be that you…”
“If we can win without getting to that point, that would be best. However, even if [Orgostra] were fired—”

I paused and then continued.

“With 13 seconds of chanting, my magic will win.”

◆

The first of my trump cards.

“Winter Echoes.”

I reduced the power to shorten the activation time. I seized 70% of the mana required for the spell. It wasn’t a clash of spells. hence, my magic wouldn’t push against anything.

The undead king’s [Valgodea] is a wide-ranging attack magic utilizing the mass of debris. It has high firepower but demands substantial mana. Reducing the usable mana’s total volume greatly impacts it, visibly diminishing the storm’s vigor.

“Let’s advance!”

The undead king is still too far away to hit with this magic. At least 5 meters… no, I want to get within 4 meters.

Kirishima-san struck down the slowed debris, and Shiraishi-san started chanting the next spell. I ran between the two while maintaining my magic.

The debris storm abated.

The undead king readied the next spell. Black flames formed in its left hand, spreading across the ground.

“Re-be..gu..rakio.”

Shadow soldiers emerged, as if rising from the flames. The ghost king quickly transitioned to the next spell, and the shadow soldiers started acting independently.

But at the same time, Shiraishi-san’s chanting ended.

“[Innocent Thunder]!”

A tingling sensation on my skin—then, in the next moment.
Countless bolts of lightning rained from the skies onto the monsters.

The shadow soldiers had low durability. They were obliterated in one strike.

I can reach it.
From the undead king’s movements, I can predict the next spell. Kirishima-san can handle that.
I simply need to keep moving forward to bring the undead king into the range of [Winter Echoes].

—But something is off. What is it?

The undead king stood with its scythe raised diagonally, not lowering it.

—It’s setting a trap.

“The shadow soldiers aren’t gone!”

As I shouted, shadows poured from the cloth shrouding the undead king.
Kirishima-san collided with the shadows. At that timing, the undead king swung its scythe.

A magic that sends slashing waves.
Intending to slice through Kirishima-san along with the shadows.

“[Lagu..na]!”
“– [Frostbite]!”

I rushed forward to intercept the slice from the undead king. It had more power than it seemed, and I was knocked backward.

“[Lightning Flash]!”

Shiraishi-san didn’t look back. She immediately cast magic to suppress the undead king, allowing Kirishima-san to obliterate the shadow soldiers.

I stood up, taking a deep breath.

“Isshiki-kun, are you okay?”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t get close enough.”
“It can’t be helped. We’ve managed to get through all its spells once. That’s something.”

As Kirishima-san said, we drew out the undead king’s magic and countered them all. There were no decisive blows, and the battle had reached a standstill.

The undead king stood watching us with its scythe in hand, the black flame in its eyes flickering.

A rattling noise echoed through the palace. A sound like a tremor or perhaps something lighter echoed against our eardrums.

“…Is it laughing?”

Kirishima-san muttered.
I nodded confidently.

Now, the emotion flowing from the undead king wasn’t transparent. It was sheer murderous intent, fiercely turbulent, focused directly at me.

Both players had played their remaining cards.
If that didn’t settle the game――

Everyone present understood the next move.

“Isshiki-kun. The undead king didn’t like your magic… Hang in there.”
“I’m counting on you, Isshiki.”

I slowly exhaled, deactivating [Marine Snow]. To pour all resources into the next spell.

“Here I go.”

I stepped forward.
The undead king and I stood facing each other in the center of the vast room. Looking up, a skull glared down at me.

Our thoughts intertwined.

—Show me your magic.

The undead king raised its scythe, stabbing it into the ground.
Interweaving, I began chanting.

“The color of your world shall be of one hue.”

Darkness gushed from the rift, enveloping the undead king’s massive body. An impenetrable defense that won’t be dissolved until just before firing [Orgostra].

The world above was turning hazy white.

Black and white overlaid one another at their borders, continually overwriting each other’s colors.

In 13 seconds, this battle will be decided.

“Stagnation — Restraint — Eternal Shackles—”

The air creaked audibly. A piercing pain stabbed into my skin. Unforgettable scenes. Memories I’d rather erase. Lost warmth. Yet, I carried a faint hope that remained.
Beyond that winter.

“—Nonetheless, onward on a never-ending path.”

The dark veil peeled off, revealing the undead king.

“[White Underworld Path]”

“[Or…go…stra.]”

In the next moment.
The world turned white.

Knee-deep snow piled beneath my feet. Falling snow was remnants of mana. Within this magic’s effective range, mana didn’t exist. Thus, no matter how powerful the spell, it couldn’t be unleashed.

The snow melted quickly. Even using 13 seconds for chanting, the magic lasted only a few seconds.

Mana flowed back in. Yet, the undead king couldn’t adjust its misfired [Orgostra]. With the disturbance between its internal and external mana, its apparition distorted in various places.

“…Luuuuu…”

The undead king let out agonized groans.

“[Lightning Flash]!”

A bolt of purple lightning streaked through the sky, piercing the undead king.

In it’s normal state, the undead king had a defense akin to an impregnable fortress. Breaking through was a tremendous challenge.

But in the attack state initiated by [Orgostra], its defensive magic must have collapsed. As a magic user myself, I knew. Allocating unnecessary resources is nonsensical for a mage. It’s the focused spells that are effective.

That correctness becomes its downfall.

The interrupted [Orgostra] and its morphing body meant ensuing magical defense was impossible.

“Do it… Kirishima-san.”

The Undead King, still immobile, was struck by a colossal pillar of fire.

“[Mystic Fire Slash]!”

In an instant.
The Undead King vanished.

It wasn’t behind us. Nowhere.

“Why…!”
“That’s unfair…”

The Undead King floated in the air. It clattered its skeletal teeth, having stabbed itself with its own scythe.

By piercing itself with the scythe, it allowed mana to spill from inside, ensuring minimal external mana. It likely evaded lethal damage from [White Underworld Path].

The destination of its teleportation was far above, beyond the reach of Shiraishi-san’s spells.

That information wasn’t in what Kirishima-san had gathered.

But—
Before despair set in, my brain spun rapidly, and my body moved.

Now I knew.
The magic to accelerate by stepping on the empty sky.

Those mere 10 seconds of confrontation burned the vibrant red vividly into my memory.

The magically constructed muscles extend outside the body.
A membrane is formed to provide a foothold for stepping forward.

By incorporating the undeads’ magic, this spell achieves completion.

“[Flexible Enhancement – Red].”

I heard both of their voices as I leapt.

“Isshiki-kun!”
“Isshiki! The curse!”

I sensed death’s presence behind me.
Memories tugged at my hair.

–In a competition, the one who doesn’t lose wins.

I know, Dad.
But there are some games you must win.

I chose the top. I wouldn’t give him time to recover.
Using the expanded magic as a foothold, I accelerated sharply.

No matter how many curses we dispel, Kirishima-san and Shiraishi-san won’t be saved.

Undead King.
I’ll kill you and break the curse.

“…Lu…ah!”

The Undead King, seeing me ascending the sky, showed fear for the first time.

The tear in its body membrane by the scythe—right by the Undead King’s core.

“Gimme that mana.”

I plunged my arm in, grabbing the core. Forcefully pulling the mana constituting the Undead King.

The curse behind me and the Undead King swung down their scythes simultaneously.

“Frostbite.”

Ice fangs pierced the Undead King from within.

The curse in my palm shattered.
Light overflows from the massive core――