Chapter 80
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: New Moon
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Laina's eyes filled with shock.
Because of the sudden moon rising before her.
And then.
"Found you, you fucking bitch."
Because Kim Siyul appeared as the moon vanished.
'How?'
She simply couldn't comprehend it.
The spot where Laina now stood was the ceiling.
Precisely right above Kim Siyul.
It was a perfect blind spot.
There was no way to spot her unless he looked straight up. And even accounting for that, she'd shifted slightly to the rear.
Even the footprints from her magic were only now etching into the floor far away, making noise as they did. No five senses could possibly detect her.
Yet Kim Siyul had seen through it all.
"I've dealt with scum like you more than once or twice."
Of course, she could guess the method to some extent.
The magic Kim Siyul had just cast was one Laina knew well. Not exactly the same as what she knew, but extremely similar in nature.
Magical Phase Shift
A spell that used magic power to relocate one's body to specific magical coordinates.
But what truly shocked Laina was something else.
'Is he insane?'
Magical Phase Shift was a forbidden spell.
To be precise, it wasn't outright banned, but everyone had tacitly agreed not to use it, making it effectively prohibited.
Why was it forbidden?
The reason was simple.
It was extremely dangerous.
Casting it required flawless magical calculations and precise magic control.
But if even a tiny mistake occurred?
Twisted limbs would be fortunate—practically a miracle. Most ended up with their bodies torn apart. And the parts that stayed intact weren't unscathed either.
Including the head, naturally.
'It was in the magical accident videos, for sure.'
That wasn't all. Bodies often got embedded in magical obstacles like walls or ceilings.
It was a spell impossible to practice, let alone use in real combat. Even mature magical girls never touched it.
Yet.
Kim Siyul had used Magical Phase Shift.
Perfectly, in a way Laina had never seen better.
'How?'
There were two possibilities.
He'd cast it on a gamble and gotten lucky.
Or.
He'd mastered it to that level.
With Kim Siyul's intellect, the first couldn't be entirely ruled out, but it was probably the latter.
How much pain had he endured from his body being forcibly twisted and ripped? How many times had he crossed the line between life and death in magical boundaries?
'What kind of...'
Life had he lived? Laina couldn't even begin to imagine.
In truth, she had no time to.
Because Kim Siyul spun his body and began swinging his sword in sync.
Laina reflexively cast her spell.
"Protection."
That would hold.
His opening move was New Moon, wasn't it? A spell like that couldn't break her guard.
So.
'Just block this once.'
And she could cast her own spell right after.
But what Laina hadn't anticipated.
Was that he'd slam her into the ground from that stance.
"Falling Moon."
The moon plummeted.
Laina plummeted too.
A beat later, her mind grasped what had happened. Kim Siyul had skewered her—defense spell and all.
There was nothing wrong with the barrier spell, yet her arms throbbed. It meant it couldn't handle the output.
And that wasn't all. The impact was so fierce her spine creaked. Standing was out of the question; even breathing was excruciating.
And in the midst of it, her spell canceled.
Dangerous.
Truly dangerous.
For the first time in her life, instinct screamed wildly in Laina's heart.
But her opponent wouldn't even allow that cry.
By the time Laina barely staggered to her feet, Kim Siyul was already upon her, sword raised to swing.
Laina desperately cast again.
"Protection!"
Unstable as it was, it wouldn't hold like before. Still, she'd endure.
The perfect opening would come once.
"New Moon."
A thin line etched across her barrier with a tick.
A sharp sliver of a crescent moon rose.
"Crescent Moon."
A foreboding groan emanated from the spell.
"Half Moon."
A poignant half-moon formed.
The barely holding spell finally shattered.
Through the scattering fragments, the brilliantly glowing sword moved.
Silently, and fiercely.
'Now!'
In that instant, Laina accelerated her magical girl's body to its limit, thrusting her sword spear long and deep.
The next spell Kim Siyul would cast was Full Moon.
It required unusually long preparation compared to others, leaving a big opening.
That was her target.
'A bit of a magical gamble, but.'
Laina's judgment was spot on.
Laina's judgment was spot on.
"Shattered Moon."
- Schluck!
- Stab.
The sound of flesh piercing rang out from Kim Siyul's chest. Twice, in succession.
Laina flashed a triumphant magical smile.
'In the end, a magical success.'
Breathing was crucial in spellcasting.
Since power varied wildly with incantation, it was a magical essential.
But what of Kim Siyul now?
His left chest pierced by the sword spear, a hole in his lung. Breathing impossible.
Meaning no incantation for spells.
She was certain. The sensation of piercing his lung lingered vividly at her fingertips. The thrust had made two sounds from the start—
'Huh...?'
Two?
Not one?
The moment that doubt surfaced, tiny shards clung to Laina's body.
What the hell—
"...Exploding Moon."
Her thoughts cut off midway.
Her vision flickered wildly, consciousness blinking irregularly.
"...Ah?"
Overwhelmed by pain beyond limits, Laina's brain shut down briefly. Even her body, trained through intense magical regimens, couldn't withstand it.
'Just now... what... was... that...?'
Laina desperately pieced together her fragmented thoughts.
This had to be magic.
Nothing else could pack such power.
Kim Siyul must have cast it.
'H-how?'
But how? His lung punctured, no breath for incantation—and he hadn't even spoken it.
Still, the answer came quickly.
"Ah."
Her recovering vision sharpened on Kim Siyul.
His left chest was indeed pierced by her sword spear.
Blood trailed from the wound to the spear in her grip.
But his right chest was pierced too. By a drastically shortened sword.
Yes.
Kim Siyul had magically self-harmed.
A stubby blade made by shattering most of his sword's edge.
With it, he'd stabbed his own right chest.
'The original sword wouldn't work for self-harm...'
To balance the holes in both lungs, forcing breath.
And incantation to cast the spell.
The magic concentrated in the shattered blade fragments—the shards that clung to her body.
Laina was genuinely stunned.
'Is he really insane?'
The spell itself wasn't odd. Such magic concentration was common.
Gold Retriever from the same dorm used something similar.
Nor was self-harm unusual. Laina would have done the same in his shoes.
It was the execution that was inhuman.
The sounds of the sword spear piercing him and his self-stab were consecutive.
The instant he knew he'd be stabbed, no hesitation—pure magical self-harm.
Defying a living being's instincts.
Did he not value his life?
Or had his instincts broken beyond ignoring?
Then, her stalled pain receptors fired back to life.
"Urgh!"
The delayed vertigo of agony made Laina grit her teeth.
Her whole body ached like it'd been pummeled.
A few bones felt dislocated.
At least no deep cuts or amputations—small mercy, but no real comfort.
Aside from the start, things had only worsened, never improved.
And.
Kim Siyul was swinging his sword now.
Gripping a lengthened blade once more.
Bleeding profusely from his torso.
Looking like a magical demon.
"Full Moon."
A radiant full moon bloomed.
She absolutely could not let that sword complete its arc. She'd desperately blocked the prior chaos for good reason.
If she let it land.
'This is dangerous!'
It wouldn't end cleanly.
Laina's decision was swift.
Her action even swifter.
"Lion's Roar!!!"
A fierce magical roar erupted, yellow magic bursting from Laina in waves.
It had some effect.
The sword's momentum faltered slightly.
But only that.
The blade still traced a brilliant full moon toward her.
Laina gritted her teeth and threw herself forward.
Not back, up, or aside—but into his sword path.
To block with her magical breastplate, preventing the full moon's completion. Concentrating magic in her sword spear for the next spell.
Laina steeled her magical resolve.
'I'll pay the price!'
Soon, the sword met her breastplate.
Then came the ominous screech as it tore through.
Something razor-sharp slicing skin, invading her body.
And.
"Grk!"
A sticky, sharp agony surged up.
Even incomplete, Kim Siyul's sword had pierced her magical breastplate and struck her flesh.
But it was fine.
'A bargain at this cost.'
The chance had come.
With his sword lodged, Kim Siyul couldn't cast another spell.
His magic worked on slashes only.
Stalemate like this? Impossible.
Pull the sword out?
Futile struggle. Her spell would activate several times faster.
And no exploding moon this time. There'd been distance before; now it was point-blank. He'd get caught too.
Punches or kicks? Useless. A normal fist against a magical girl just hurts the puncher.
Flee?
The worst option. Her prepared spell tracked until hit.
And it was nearly ready.
Soon, total victory.
"How the hell is even this the same."
Then Kim Siyul's voice tapped her eardrum. Calm, reminiscent, slightly relieved—like recalling the past.
"That bastard blocked with armor at the end too."
His gaze was on Laina, yet not truly.
"Took so much to break through that thing."
Seemed like reminiscing.
"Well, we didn't settle it then."
Laina couldn't fathom these sudden words.
Finally, she spat her question, forgetting her spell mid-cast.
"What the hell does that—!"
But before she finished.
"Remnant Moon."
A frail new moon erupted chaotically.
"Ah...?"
When Laina came to, she lay on her back on the ground.
Her first thought: bewilderment.
'How...'
Am I alive? She truly wondered.
His final strike looked conditional, but its power was undeniable. She'd half-expected death on impact.
Yet here she was, somehow alive.
Though her body wouldn't move. Agony flooded her entirely.
Still, alive. Limbs attached, thoughts coherent.
Incomprehensible.
Shouldn't she be permanently crippled?
Honestly, dead long ago wouldn't surprise.
Then, from nearby, Kim Siyul's flat voice.
"What're you surprised about? Thought you'd die?"
His condition looked better than before.
Face paler, but fatal magical wounds temporarily sealed. Probably magical first aid via mana flow.
Made sense. One who perfected Magical Phase Shift wouldn't fail at that.
Then, he spoke again.
"Of course I held back. Gotta keep you alive."
Laina narrowed her eyes at his words.
Not just mercy.
He had a purpose.
The unease stemmed from total paralysis despite sensation.
This screamed magical violation.
Obvious. Kim Siyul was male. Lewd intent explained keeping her like this.
Laina bit her lip.
"Kkh! Kill me!"
"What?"
Kim Siyul looked baffled.
Laina wore humiliated fury.
"You've spared me to violate me! Then grant me death instead!"
"What the fuck are you on about. Seriously."
"You can't fool my eyes!"
Ignoring his exasperated face, Laina pressed on.
"Even if my body suffers magical defilement, my spirit shall never break!"
"Did this crazy bitch learn from knight doujinshi or what."
Kim Siyul sighed deeply, approaching with sword in hand.
Then, a trickle like running water.
- Drip drip.
From Laina's lower body.
His approaching figure overlapped with the earlier magical demon, and she'd involuntarily magical-bladdered.
- Drip drip drip.
Twice.
"..."
"..."
Brief silence.
Finally, rigid Laina blurted desperately.
"Th-this, this isn't...! Not magical incontinence...!"
"Shut it. Pretend I didn't see."
Kim Siyul rubbed his eyes.
"I-it's just magical lemonade!"
"Please shut the fuck up. My head hurts."
He rubbed deeper.
Then, his gaze returned to her, darker than before.
"Anyway, question time."
His voice sharpened subtly.
"Who gave your group orders?"
A blade-honed edge, beyond mere killing intent.
Probably asking who tormented that magical girl Taishi.
But Kim Siyul was slightly off.
Laina's group never targeted Taishi. She was mere magical bait.
The real mark: Kim Siyul.
"Who was that bastard."
Laina stayed silent. No strength or reason to answer.
How could a knight betray her lord? Better to be ravished or die—
'...Huh?'
Something felt wrong.
The knight she aspired to be wasn't some tail-wagging cur.
But this thought—what was it?
Her swordsmanship felt off too. She'd learned it to protect, never to kill.
'Since when...?'
Sudden dissonance. Unpleasant.
Her thoughts branched elsewhere.
Who was the "lord" she'd named?
Recently met via magical orders, so face at least should be—
"...Huh?"
—not recalled.
She remembered when, where, what was discussed. Even gaining magical authority.
But lord details? Nothing.
Appearance, build, voice, age, gender.
All invisible in memory.
'Can't see...?'
Like obscured by something.
"Hey, who."
Kim Siyul growled sinisterly, gripping his sword, but Laina ignored it.
Couldn't focus.
"Ah? Ah! Wh-what! What is this!"
Anomaly raged in her mind.
Memories of the "lord" faded bit by bit.
Silently, slowly.
But surely.
A near-scream escaped.
"N-no! Don't do this! Please!"
Her essence dissolving against her will. Losing herself unknowingly.
Like rotting from unknown corrosion.
"I-I can't! Be desecrated like this!"
Arms unresponsive, she bashed her head on the ground repeatedly.
To preserve memory, even slightly.
But nothing changed.
Memories kept vanishing.
Now, only vague remnants: tormenting Taishi for unknown reasons, trying to kill Kim Siyul.
Finally, Laina voiced her doubt.
"Why...?"
A profoundly loaded question.
Why here, like this?
What was the mind's anomaly?
What had her sword served all this time?
No one could answer.
Kim Siyul before her wore confusion. The mind's corrosion gave none.
And Laina, having endured it, couldn't answer either.
Ultimately, all she could muster was a despair-dripping sigh.
"Defiled... in the end..."
With that, her consciousness faded.
Meanwhile, Kim Siyul watched it all with hollow expression.
"What the fuck was that bitch babbling to the end."
Then he collapsed to the ground, eyes closing.
"I ain't ever sticking it in a magical girl."
Murmuring with mixed complaint and relief.