Death Game 2
"No!"
Esmi reflexively aimed her staff.
She converted all the mana she'd gathered for offense into a defensive spell.
"Arcane Shield!"
Boom!
The mana orb slammed into the shield and exploded.
"Kuhuhu! Joa! Thuper joa!"
Alexia crowed in delight.
Esmi's weakness was crystal clear.
That pointless morality and sense of responsibility.
Use them as bait, and Esmi turned into a punching bag.
"Keep blocking! Wet's thee how long you can watht!"
Alexia unleashed a frenzy of spells.
Every single one of those attacks poured not toward Esmi, but at the villagers behind her.
"Ugh…!"
Esmi threw up shield after shield without a moment's rest.
If she took her eyes off even for a second, the people behind her would die.
Her great-uncle would die.
"Hey! Block properly!"
"Sparks are flying! What the hell are you doing, witch?!"
And yet, curses flew from behind.
Instead of thanking Esmi, who bled to protect them.
The villagers screamed over a single stray spark.
Their ugliness hurt her more than Alexia's magic.
"Ehehehe! Thoo cool! Ethmi! That's what the people you're pwotecting look like!"
Alexia sneered, drawing up even more mana.
At this rate, Esmi would collapse from exhaustion—it was only a matter of time.
Victory was in sight.
'Hide Mana & Shadow Bind.'
But in that instant, the fight was decided.
Shadows extended from Esmi's hand, slinking forward to bind Alexia's limbs.
"Huh?"
They weren't ordinary shadows.
A binding spell that severed mana flow.
Hidden by Hide Mana, it had approached undetected and ensnared her.
"Wet go! Wet me go!"
Alexia thrashed, but it was useless.
In an instant, sharp thorns pressed against her throat.
The shadows binding her had formed thorns aimed at her neck.
One twitch, and they'd pierce clean through.
"It's over, Alexia."
Esmi declared victory.
The outcome was clear.
"Ugh…"
Alexia looked ready to die of rage.
Her face ruined, and now beaten in a straight fight.
By the coward she'd despised, no less.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
She hadn't anticipated a spell that fooled her senses so completely.
"Aju shi. The match ithn't over yet."
Alexia grinned.
Even with her crumpled face, her eyes weren't those of a loser.
"Kill them."
Thorns at her own throat, and she ordered an attack on the villagers.
"Graaah!"
"Raaargh!"
The monsters that hadn't fallen yet charged at the villagers.
"Agh, stay back!"
"Help meee!"
"Gyaaah! Get out of the way!"
The villagers descended into chaos.
Facing monsters lunging for them, they fled for their lives.
Some even shoved others aside.
Using them as bait to escape.
"Agh, you bastard…!"
In the pandemonium, Esmi hurried to save them with her magic.
But she couldn't.
Alexia was disrupting her defensive spells, drawing up her own mana.
"You have to kill me to thtop thith! Do it!"
Alexia didn't launch any lethal strikes.
She just interfered with Esmi's spells.
Her goal: prevent Esmi from protecting the villagers perfectly.
Direct attacks might provoke a counter.
The cunning ploy worked.
"Gyaah!"
"My arm! My arm!"
Men screamed as mere grazes from monster fists shattered their bones.
Even the women who'd come to kill the witch alongside them wailed.
"No!"
Esmi's desperate cry burst out.
Her gaze locked on Alexia.
Just thrust the thorns into her throat.
One motion to eliminate her.
"Waaah! It hurts! Save me!"
"You witch! What are you doing? Trying to get us killed?!"
"Hurry and clear those things! My leg's broken!"
The injured villagers bawled like children, cursing at Esmi.
Blaming her for failing to protect them.
Even though they'd come to kill her.
Acting like it was her fault she wasn't shielding them.
"It's your fault we're hurt!"
"Take responsibility! Take it!"
The barrage of blame and resentment.
It stabbed deeper into Esmi's heart than Alexia's spells.
"Puhehehe! Thee? That's the true face of the people you're saving!"
Alexia cackled.
Her gamble had paid off.
Esmi was crumbling.
"Haa… haa…"
Esmi's breathing steadied.
She withdrew her wavering gaze.
Cold eyes looked down at Alexia.
"You're right."
Esmi's voice was dry.
Perhaps the resignation of a pure, fragile woman facing the world's cruelty.
"They might not be worth saving. But…"
Vmmm!
Explosive mana surged from her staff.
It flew toward the villagers in their hellish frenzy.
"I won't let them die. That's my fight. Shadow Swap!"
Boom!
The ground beneath the villagers turned into a black swamp in an instant.
A shadow mire.
Dozens of black tentacles erupted, wrapping around the ankles of the monsters lunging at them.
"Kieek?!"
"Grrr…!"
The monsters flailed, but the shadow swamp sucked them in like quicksand.
At the same time, Esmi tightened the shadows binding Alexia.
"Guhk!"
Alexia's breath cut off.
Not pierced by thorns.
Choked to knock her out.
"W-Wait…"
"Sleep, Alexia."
Alexia's eyes rolled back.
As the summoner fainted, her summoned monsters froze like puppets.
Remodeled by Outer God power, they had no independent will.
"Haa… haa…"
The situation was resolved.
No deaths.
But the villagers groaned, bleeding.
Esmi staggered, mana depleted.
"I… did it…"
Yet pride held in her eyes.
No killing.
And she'd saved everyone.
Clap, clap, clap.
Kang Jin-ho, watching it all, applauded.
"Gotta acknowledge the talent."
His gaze shifted to the injured villagers.
"Death game where a few need to die for the dopamine hit… tsk."
Tongue clicking, he looked down at the fallen Alexia.
"So, you still not gonna kill this one?"
"Y-Yes… I won't kill her…"
Esmi remained firm.
She didn't even resent Kang Jin-ho for teaching Alexia the method.
Sadly, she understood his mood.
Even she found the villagers' endless abuse and shamelessness horrific.
She could see why he wanted them dead.
"E-Esmi!"
The village chief rushed over, checking her condition.
"Great-uncle… I'm so glad you're safe."
Esmi smiled in relief at his survival.
But she felt it too.
He could no longer live in this village.
The villagers still glared murderously at him and Esmi.
"Tsk. Saved 'em, and that's the thanks you get? No regrets?"
"…No regrets. I didn't expect any. Sniff."
Her voice trembled with tears.
Tension released after the fight, reverting to her crybaby self.
Surprisingly, she was tougher inside than out.
"Fine. Respect that. You're the winner."
Kang Jin-ho squatted, grabbing Alexia's collar.
"But cleanup's on me."
"Huh? What do you…"
"Send her off like this, she'll crawl back and be a pain. Got some questions anyway."
As he spoke, he placed a hand on her abdomen.
Shoooo!
Vast aura poured from his palm.
It flooded her body.
Then mercilessly crushed her mana circles.
"Gaaaaah!"
Alexia woke screaming from her faint.
Black smoke billowed from her body.
Not dark magic.
The Outer God energy inside her was being pulverized too.
"Huh. Tough one."
Kang Jin-ho amped the output, intrigued.
"G-Guhk…!"
Pain of severed mana circuits.
Collapsing circles.
Her life as a mage ending.
Even the Outer God's power fading into despair.
Alexia foamed at the mouth, unable to scream.
But her dazed mind flooded with terror.
'The Outer God's power is gone!'
No energy she'd heard of could shatter Outer God power head-on.
Only one possibility in her knowledge.
"Ou… Outer God…?"
Finger pointing at Kang Jin-ho, she passed out limp.
But her words instilled fear in Esmi's eyes.
"O-Outer God? N-No way, you're an Outer God? Th-That's how you can erase another Outer God's energy…"
"As if."
Kang Jin-ho refuted with disbelief.
The death game's ridiculous result: a misunderstanding painting him as an Outer God.