Chapter 123

Episode 123 – Buying Time (Petra’s Perspective)

A blinding flash of light made me instinctively shut my eyes.

I understood, vaguely, that it was meant as a distraction—but without any means to counter it, I had no choice but to let her have her way.

“D-Dammit… I can’t see a thing…!”

I heard Stiano’s pitiful voice beside me and forced myself to focus every sense I had—except sight.

The sounds echoing through the tunnels.

A faint shift in the scent of the air.

The vibrations underfoot.

“──!”

Sharpening my senses, I picked up a faint trace of hostility behind me.

I called out to confirm Stiano’s position by voice alone, guessed where he was holding his sword, and reached for it.

“Wha—?!”

“Borrowing this!”

I yanked the sword from his hand without waiting for permission and swept it behind me, shielding the back of my head.

A heavy jolt of impact reverberated up my arm.

“…Huh.”

“Heh. I read you like a book, third-rate mage!”

I forced a cocky grin, but cold sweat was pouring down my back.

How the hell did she circle around like that?

Even if I couldn’t see, I should’ve sensed something. But there hadn’t been the slightest hint she’d moved.

All I’d felt was a sudden surge of hostility from directly behind.

I’d managed to block her attack on reflex, but…

“…Not bad,” she said.

The light faded.

When I opened my eyes, she was standing exactly where she had been before she triggered the flash.

Just as I thought…

“…You okay?” Stiano asked, eyeing me with concern.

I handed him back his sword and took a deep breath.

“I’m fine. Thanks.”

No time to waste organizing my thoughts.

Still, the way she got behind me—and the complete lack of any detectable movement…

I didn’t want to believe it, but the possibility that crossed my mind sent a chill down my spine.

“You… can you use teleportation?”

At my question, the robed woman revealed her pitch-black eyes beneath her hood.

“And if I said yes… what would you do?”

“────!”

Teleportation. Still in the experimental phase in every nation.

The magic consumes too much mana to be used practically—no mage has ever been able to handle it.

But the smirk on her lips confirmed it for me.

No doubt about it.

She’s a monster.

On par with Aldia… maybe even more dangerous.

“Just my luck… First Aldia, now this. What is today, cursed or something?”

“Hey, Petra. We fighting or fleeing?”

Stiano raised his sword, ready for either option.

The enemy was overwhelmingly powerful.

This mysterious mercenary band that appeared in the port town had seemed manageable at first.

But this? This was far beyond what we’d expected.

If she could teleport, escape was impossible. And facing her head-on didn’t seem like a winning strategy either.

My magic didn’t work on her.

Even if Stiano went in with close-quarters combat, our odds were—

“…Ugh.”

No point thinking about it. I already knew the answer.

There was only one thing I could say.

“Stiano, let’s go! We take her down—together!”

We had to hold our ground here.

“Oh? So you’re choosing to fight a battle you can’t win.”

“A battle we can’t win? Ha! Don’t make me laugh. There’s no way I’m losing to the likes of you! I’ve got a goal—to become the top mage in the newly formed elite special forces!”

I don’t have time to falter here.

I’ve got places to go—heights to reach!

“Let’s go!”

“You got it!”

Stiano lunged forward, swinging his sword in wide, confident arcs.

“Hrah!”

“…”

“Aw, man! Missed every swing! Petra, what now?”

“Keep pressing her!”

“On it!”

—So far, just as I expected.

The robed woman dodged every one of Stiano’s strikes with uncanny precision.

She moved with ease, and yet still wielded powerful magic. That alone was unbelievable.

And she didn’t slip up once when casting.

The moment she began her next spell, I felt the ripple of mana building around her.

“Stiano! Dodge!”

“Gah! That was way too close…”

“Don’t worry. I can see everything from here. Just focus on the fight.”

“Much appreciated.”

Magic casting creates distortions in the air—subtle ripples of mana I could detect.

That let me call out warnings in time.

“Hyaaaah!”

“Too slow.”

“Take this—!”

“I can read your movements too, Petra.”

“Tch…!”

I aimed a spell while she was focused on Stiano—but she dodged it without effort.

Then came her counter: a blast of wind magic.

I braced myself and started building my next spell.

“Oh, come on! She nullified my magic again!”

“Petra! I haven’t landed a single hit!”

“Neither have I!”

Not one of our attacks had landed.

But neither had hers.

—Wait. Why not?

She outclassed us.

If she wanted to take us down, she had countless ways to do it.

But now that I paid attention, she was only using low-risk spells—ones that wouldn’t cause serious harm.

Even the dangerous ones gave off extra mana ripples before firing.

As if she wanted me to sense them. But why?

“Hey, Petra. You’re frozen. What’s wrong?”

She didn’t look desperate. Just… patient. Almost entirely on the defensive.

—No way.

“Stiano! She’s stalling for time!”

“Huh?”

She’s not trying to beat us—she’s just holding us here!

She could end this any time.

She’s just choosing not to.

And as a fellow mage, I could feel the truth of it.

“Well done. You’ve got good instincts—at least I can give you that.”

“Cut the crap! What’s your goal?!”

“Why would I tell you? That’s what the stalling is for. You should be grateful I’m not killing you.”

Infuriating.

Her smug tone, like she had nothing to worry about—it boiled my blood.

I’d land a hit. Just one. I’ll make her feel it!

I took a step forward and raised my hand—This time, for sure—!

“──What the hell is that tremor?!”

The underground canal shook violently.

I’d been hearing noises from above for a while, but this was closer—and stronger.

The robed woman looked upward but said nothing.

“…Hey. You know something, don’t you?”

She didn’t answer.

“What now?” Stiano whispered, returning to my side.

He looked uneasy. I wanted to reassure him, but… there was nothing I could say.

“Sorry, no plan. If she’s not coming at us with full force, that means she’s not giving us any openings either.”

“Yeah… and we can’t run.”

“If anything’s going to change this, it’s backup. Or her finishing whatever she’s stalling for.”

“Feels like we’re just getting pushed around.”

“…Unfortunately, yeah.”

For the first time in a long while, I felt truly powerless.

We couldn’t beat her.

She probably wouldn’t kill us—but we couldn’t stop whatever she was trying to do.

We came to investigate the mercenary rumors. And now they were walking all over us.

It felt like we’d already lost.

“…Pathetic.”

At this rate, I’ll never catch up to Aldia.

He’d find a way—no matter the enemy, no matter the odds.

He always did.

Calm and resolute, even in the worst situations.

“…Still a bit longer, I think. Sorry, but I’ll be keeping you company down here for a while.”

Is there really nothing I can do?

I couldn’t win. That fear had started to creep in.

But then—

“…Petra.”

A warm hand touched my back.

Stiano.

He wasn’t downcast. He smiled like he always did.

“It’s not over yet.”

“──!”

“People like us—we give it everything we’ve got. We don’t just roll over here, right?”

“Stiano…”

“You’re not the type to run from someone stronger. That’s not you, Petra!”

He’s right.

That is me.

Back in the academy, I was fearless.

I believed effort could overcome anything.

That confidence… where did I leave it?

I see now.

Getting older doesn’t mean getting stronger.

The moment you stop pushing forward—that’s when growth ends.

“…You’re right.”

“Of course. The Petra I know would never give up.”

“Then I’ll keep fighting.”

Until I can’t move anymore.

It’s not about whether we can win.

It’s about never losing the will to win.

“Now that’s more like it. I like this version of you way better.”

“Funny. So do I!”

I won’t stop trying.

If I give up now… I wouldn’t be me anymore.

“…You really don’t know fear, do you? How foolish.”

The robed woman scoffed, clearly exasperated.

But I didn’t care.

“Hmph. This is who we are. And don’t act like you know us—you don’t know anything about us!”

“…”

She fell silent.

But I could see it clearly in her eyes—they’d grown colder.