“Oho? Your body is yet intact,” Nike said. “You’re quite deft, aren’t you? Perhaps an additional variable...”
“Freeze Arrow!” Magiluka chanted from another direction. In the blink of an eye, the two had used Safina’s speed spell to scatter and attack from different angles.
But Nike was undaunted. The arrows sailed in from his blind spot, yet he appeared to easily block them with his wall as he launched another attack using his gravity. Noa didn’t miss the truth, however—Nike hadn’t reacted to Magiluka’s spell, but rather, his rings activated independently to defend him from the incoming danger. That much was certain.
“Wind Blade Slash!” Safina shouted. She didn’t give Nike a moment to relax and immediately launched an attack of her own...but sure enough, yet another ring activation formed a wall to block her attack.
“Was that a spell?” Nike asked. “No, you’re utilizing a magic tool, just like I do. What an intriguing item.” Rather than become flustered at Safina’s sudden magic attack breaking his expectation that she was solely a close-combat fighter, he indulged in a calm analysis of her weapon.
“Alas...” Nike said.
He pointed at Safina as a different ring glowed. A massive stake bathed in a mysterious light jutted imposingly out of the ground she’d just been occupying. It’d emerged swiftly, such that a normal person would’ve been skewered instantly.
“Charging flames,” Safina chanted. Having reacted in time by spinning to the side and stepping back, she then jumped on the stake as a platform, made her iai pose, and aimed for Nike in the air. “Flame Sword Flurry!” she shouted.
She unsheathed her sword with perfect timing. Nike had assumed that she’d use wind magic again, so she caught him off guard. One of her slashes was blocked by his wall, but she expected as much—her slashes kept coming even after the wall vanished.
Before Safina could land a hit, however, another stake appeared from thin air, right in front of her eyes. The stake, now on its side, clashed against her blade.
“Your tool is weak and lacks endurance,” Nike declared. “Your techniques and sense for combat merely make up for where it lacks. Hmm... The concept is interesting, but the result is dreadfully mediocre.”
Safina was blown back, pushed away by the hard stake. Her blade had become a wretched sight, its edge now dulled and worn from the attack.
Nike had hardly done anything this entire time—by merely standing in the air, his magic items had automatically fought back against every incoming attack. What’s more, merely by pointing, he could fire high-order spells that required no cooldown time and posed no risks for the user. Such powerful items would’ve normally been so exceedingly rare as to be unique throughout the world, yet Nike had multiples. Presuming he hadn’t traveled the world to gather so many incredible magic items, he was a truly unparalleled magus smith, someone who defied the logic of the world—a being with supernatural powers.
Supernatural? Noa didn’t understand why that word had flashed across her mind, and because of how fleeting her resurgent memories were, she would not yet have the chance to comprehend it.
“I’ve dallied enough with this diversion from my plan,” Nike continued. “It’s high time I carry out my substitute experiment and depart. I’ve plenty of other research to attend to.” He forced Magiluka and Safina back before turning to Tutte once more.
Noa recognized the threat and knew that she had to do something, but suddenly, she was pushed away from the warm embrace that’d been supporting her this whole time—Tutte had peeled away from her so she’d be safe.
“Huh?!” Noa gasped. She was struggling to process the situation and turned to face Tutte, who only smiled back gently. The tip of a stake appeared in the air behind Tutte.
The moment Noa saw the magic pike, her reptilian irises grew narrow. Though Tutte was the one reflected in her eyes, it wasn’t the maid she was seeing—no, Noa had recalled a certain man, one who would always smile at her the way Tutte had done. She could feel this was the exact same scenario and situation she had experienced before...and as the fragments of her memories clicked together, something burst from within her.
Noa let out a shrill screech that cut through the air. She must’ve said something, but no one could possibly tell what. At the same time, the magic circle that had once been birthing an obelisk to impale Tutte was now shattering like glass, surprising even Nike.
“She...canceled my magic,” Nike muttered. “It can’t be... No, I see... I understand now. This is very interesting.”
As Nike began to form conclusions, Noa was overwhelmed by a wave of drowsiness and exhaustion. The shriek must’ve had all her mana behind it, but Noa naturally did not understand that concept, so she staggered on her feet, desperate to cling to consciousness.
“Change of plans,” Nike said. “I’m retrieving the failed experiment for further study.” His sights now set on Noa, he reached his devilish hand out to her.
“I thought I heard that annoying voice somewhere!” the water roared. “Nikeeeee! You’re there, aren’t you?! You vile creature! You better grit your teeth because I’m gonna freaking punch the living daylights out of youuuuu!” The spirit’s angry bellows were carried on a strong gust of wind. It made Noa and the others want to cover their ears.
“Good grief,” Nike said. “It seems I’ve become the focus of that nuisance. Nevertheless, this excursion has been sufficiently gainful—I retreat satisfied.”
The water giant rushed over to Nike, but Nike ignored him and smiled at Noa. When they locked eyes, a shudder ran down her spine.
“I await you in Xeoral,” Nike declared. “Y—”
The roaring sound of the waves rapidly drowned out his voice, and Noa was already exhausted as she was losing grip on her consciousness. As her vision blurred and Nike vanished, a torrent of seawater assaulted the side of the ship.