Gloomy and Dank, Yet Pure and Innocent. (5)
“Ain!!”
I shouted that as I burst through the door beyond.
A blood-soaked scene unfolded before me. Scholars lay crumpled nearest the door, twitching and jerking with clack-clack spasms. A bit farther off were Ain's dwarf companion, the oddball, and the children.
But even more dire than their grave conditions was the one crying out in an even worse state.
Ain.
Ain was right there in front of me.
“Gray witch!! Tearing through magic to barge in—you cursed abomination, how dare you!”
There was Ain, limbs torn asunder yet still biting down on the sword hilt, bellowing on. His eyes were hollow, nearly vacant, his body shuddering in convulsive tremors from all the blood he'd lost.
“Ain, Ain!! Get a hold of yourself…! Ain!!”
I blocked the incoming spells and desperately scooped up his body, screaming. His frame—so deficient it barely qualified as a body anymore—was frighteningly light.
Thump-thump. His heartbeat was so faint. Unlike my own heart, pounding wildly and fiercely as if it might burst, his fluttered with the barest whisper.
I poured healing magic into him at once, but even amid my boiling emotions, the mending progressed sluggishly. No doubt because of the ancient mages around us—eyes wide in horror, staring at me as they hurled spell after spell.
And in that chaos, Ain's unfocused eyes turned toward me.
“Ain!!”
His gaze, so unlike him—cloudy and murky—stared blankly at me as if beholding the unbelievable.
“…, Ah, Sha…?”
His voice, cracked and spewing bloody froth unlike his usual tone, dreamily murmured my name.
“Yes, it's Asha. I came to save you, so, so…!”
Of course, after that gaze and those few words, his head finally dropped limp.
Whoosh—whoosh. Gray ash swirled in the air.
“Gray witch, don't meddle with destiny! As if a wretch like you could alter what isn't yours to touch…? Urk, why is my mana…!”
I seized the arm of the mage standing right in front of Ain's face and ripped it free.
“Until I kill every last one of you…”
Wishing his wide, panicked eyes crushed in agony, I grabbed his leg next and tore that off too.
“Grk…! Die, you cursed spawn!”
But even with limbs shredded, rather than writhe in pain, he began sketching a massive magic circle in the air. The ancient mages' murmurs swelled; some flinched back in shock at my presence, shoulders trembling.
But most did not.
“Aaah, bring down judgment!”
They were the progenitors who had built the foundations of magic long ago in distant antiquity. Even if not the central figures, any ordinary ancient mage would hold the highest seats in modern mage corps by today's standards.
Or so I knew.
Thus, the spells rained down. Unknown, bizarre arcana alongside familiar modern incantations—all poured toward me.
But.
“Until I slaughter you all and claim vengeance.”
My voice sounded calm, yet it dripped with viscous malice. My gray eyes glinted coldly at the oncoming magic, dark tears mingling with ash streaking down.
“Just hold on until then, Ain.”
For a gray witch, emotions were the wellspring of power.
So this was different from facing the black mages in Tebris's underbelly. Mages who stagnate are culled; clinging to the same tricks won't do.
No defensive spells, then.
Instead, I simply grip the empty air and rrrip—shredding it, tearing spacetime apart in all directions to devour the incoming magic.
“ΦΩβεΞΘ!!”
“…, ξωℑℇøöä!”
⟨ ANCIENT INCANTATION ⟩
I couldn't even say how I managed it myself.
But I knew for certain that I could.
“Vile gray witch… We should have exterminated you all before you could awaken your power.”
The ancient mage, regenerating his limbs, glared at me and spat that. I glanced at him sidelong, then erased every door left in this space.
No one would escape.
No one.
No one would leave this place alive.
So thinking, I tore at the air again. Each forced rift gulped down massive chunks of mana, but with emotions raging endlessly, I was a disaster without end.
I reopened the spacetime where those spells had come from, hurling them straight back at their casters' faces.
I wondered what manner of magic they were, but the mystery resolved swiftly.
Arms still intact crumpled and shredded in an instant. Tongues and teeth ripped free, eyeballs gouged, ears pulverized.
They took their own spells, bodies twisting into grotesque parodies, collapsing without even proper screams.
One by one, writhing in torment before shuddering violently and dying.
“ⳜⳒⳢⳠ⳪ⲮⲜ…!! ⳜⳒⳢⳠ⳪ⲮⲜ…!”
“ⳜⳒⳢⳠ⳪ⲮⲜ…!!”
⟨ DESPERATE INCANTATION ⟩
Incomprehensible words spilled from their lips.
Pointless wails.
Some even bashed their heads against the floor, begging mercy in that state, but I merely looked down with icy eyes.
Absolutely, not one would I spare.
These ancient mages who dared try to kill Ain—I would eradicate them all, cruelly.
Then.
In the moment I glanced away, a few pried open the doors I'd sealed and fled. But it didn't matter.
“The gait of time.”
“The dimension of space.”
“Mend what has diverged.”
⟨ SPACETIME RIFT ⟩
I simply rrrip the dimensions barehanded again, snatching the crawling escapees by the scruff and dragging them back.
Their limbless wriggling to survive was almost memorable.
But no. Escape was not permitted.
For daring to touch my Ain.
For ripping off his arm, crushing his leg.
For making him shed tears of blood, pushing him to death's door.
For shattering the bracelet I gave him and the two orbs.
The debt piled so high.
They hadn't paid it yet.
“Grraaah… Damnable gray witch…! I curse you, curse you a thousand times!!”
Come to think of it, amid all the other mages dying, one remained—deflecting spells, seething with rage.
“How dare…! How dare a mere gray witch rampage like this!!”
The one who'd stood closest to Ain, sneering down at him.
So I stared at him impassively.
“You will not leave alive…! I will kill you!”
Screaming that, he unleashed every spell before charging at me. Probably figured melee since spells would just get devoured by spacetime rifts again.
But I merely devoured his magic, spat it back, coated his charging form—forgetting I was gray—in ash, and erased his limbs.
I looked down at him as he flopped splat at my feet.
Formed mana into iron spikes and drove them one by one into his spine.
“Grk…! Graaah!!Hrk, heh heh…”
I hammered more spikes into his body as he began laughing madly, then dusted his severed limbs with ash to prevent regeneration.
“We should have killed that brat ages ago… So fate twists again, does it…? Heh, hah…”
I couldn't grasp his mutterings.
Nor did I care to.
He was Ain's enemy, after all.
I wanted no words with him.
“Pretending to care for people… Hah hah… The perfect cursed abomination. Repulsive gray witch…!”
So.
“Doesn't matter. I'll live for Ain alone.”
With that, I crushed his skull.
The space, even more drenched in blood than when I'd entered.
I stood alone there.
Only now did the healing magic take proper hold. Warm green light—not my mana—descended.
Ain.
Ain was breathing.
Thank goodness. He was alive. Thank goodness.
“Ain.”
His severed arm and leg began slowly restoring; the spilled blood returned to its place.
“Ain.”
Still unconscious from shock, but his breaths evened out.
“Ain.”
The bracelet reformed on his wrist; the orbs rounded and nestled back in his arms.
“Ain.”
Perhaps impossible under normal circumstances.
But.
Right now, with emotions surging and mana inexhaustible, I was a calamitous gray witch.
So I could manage it now.
“Ain.”
Thus.
“My Ain.”
I'd never leave your side again.
You are mine.
And so, cradling Ain, I tore open another spacetime door and emerged outside—to a welcome of countless staves and swords.
The ash I'd billowed had settled after saving Ain, returning me to normal, but they still stared at me in terror.
“…, Make way, please.”
But with scholars and Ain's companions floating out behind me on mana, I had no time for them one by one.
I ignored the weapons and strode forward. At this point, they couldn't even hope to restrain me; a few spells or sword swings were no issue.
Probably need a Hero or Saintess-level foe to kill me now.
Who knows.
So I simply extracted the last scholars from spacetime, gathered Ain and his companions, and strolled the streets.
Gazes pierced me—some aghast, some suspicious.
“Paladin Order!! Assemble!! For the gods, we purge the gray witch!”
And such voices rose behind me.
I paid them no mind. Even as thud-thud-thud boots marched grandly toward me.
I just advanced down the street, opening doors one by one, seeking cozy spacetimes fit for rest, and slipping into one.
The one-hour limit? Meaningless to me now.
I headed to a snug inn where Ain and the others could recover well.
Hm. Come to think of it.
Where was Eileen?
With Ain still in my arms, emotions thumping yet settling calmly.
Only now did she cross my mind.
“Kyaaahhh!!! Eeeek!!”
The carriage is racing! A carriage I've never driven before is barreling madly down the mountain path!!
I mean!
“Imperl, Imperl!! Nooo!!”
Right after Asha vanished, a pack of Imperls appeared out of nowhere!!
The horde chasing us hates not just me but the horses too!!
We're just flying down the winding road like maniacs, Asha!! Save me, save me!!!
“Kyaak!! Please, stop!! The ruins are too far, Asha!!”
I haven't slept, what is this…!?