The moment the words left her lips, the figure of a woman suddenly materialized behind Ai’er.
A magic circle, identical to the one used by the Apostle of the Evil God, unfolded instantly. Although it utilized the same pitch-black mana, it counterattacked with a momentum and power that was far more terrifying!
The two beams of mana collided, triggering one airburst after another. The resulting gale-force winds uprooted the surrounding trees!
This was a continuous-release spell, but at this moment, Elena’s shadow held the upper hand. The point where the mana collided was gradually shifting toward the Black-robed Woman!
Meanwhile—
**[Host command confirmed. Junior Wind Magic activated]**
**[Remaining time for Disposable Magic “Shadow of the Witch of Time”: 30 seconds, 29 seconds…]**
Braving the storm created by the clashing mana, Ai’er clutched the dagger Eve had given her and the silver badge of unknown purpose. Protected by the barrier generated by the Junior Wind Magic, she quietly moved toward the Black-robed Woman.
No matter how powerful a Disposable Magic was, it was still only for one-time use.
Once the duration of the spell expired, the situation would flip in an instant.
But Ai’er was no fool.
If she couldn’t win a head-on confrontation, the solution was simple. The revolutionary pioneers of her old world had already provided effective strategies for such problems.
If you can’t win from the front, use guerrilla tactics and launch a sneak attack!
Wearing a devious smirk, Ai’er gradually circled behind the Black-robed Woman.
‘Only a psycho would fight you head-on (â©Œ-â©Œ)! Bleh~ There’s no way I’m fighting you directly; not in this lifetime~’
At this moment, the Black-robed Woman’s entire focus was on maintaining her spell. Her face was contorted and hideous; she was confused, and she was furious!
Why was her opponent using her own magic?! Why was the magic the opponent manifested even stronger than her own?!
‘Detestable, detestable, detestable, detestable!!’
‘She must die!! This silver-haired girl who dares to try and overturn my convictions, who dares to oppose me—she must die!!’
‘Die, die, die, die!!’
The Black-robed Woman further increased her mana output. The excessive strain caused red blood to seep from the corners of her mouth and eyes—
Simultaneously, Ai’er finally reached the woman’s back.
Ai’er raised the dagger, channeling all her strength into her arm. She aimed directly for the Black-robed Woman’s heart from behind—
**[Time remaining for Disposable Magic: 2 seconds, 1 second, 0.]**
**[Activation complete.]**
As the notification sounded, Elena’s shadow and the magic circle in front of it vanished instantly.
In that heartbeat, the Black-robed Woman’s mana beam lost the force opposing it. It surged forward like a monstrous flood!
The rampaging mana roared away, swallowing everything in its path.
“Just as I thought! In the end, I am the superior one! Hahaha! Die! Die! Just die!!”
In her manic laughter, her previously airy tone had vanished entirely.
The Black-robed Woman was like a lunatic now, venting her mana forward with reckless abandon—
“Die! Go to—ghhk!”
The sound of metal tearing through flesh drowned out her heartbeat.
A sudden surge of warmth rushed up the Black-robed Woman’s throat, choking the words in her gullet.
She stopped her mana output and slowly lowered her gaze in disbelief, only to see a silver-white blade protruding from the center of her chest.
Scalding blood sprayed from her mouth.
She violently surged her mana, summoning a defensive barrier that forcefully blasted everything in the vicinity away.
She turned around with great difficulty and saw the silver-haired girl who had been clashing with her just a moment ago. Somehow, she had slipped behind her.
The moment the Black-robed Woman activated her barrier, Ai’er was also sent flying, slamming into a tree stump not far away.
The impact squeezed the air out of Ai’er’s lungs. Before she could even catch her breath while coughing violently, she was seized by the throat by the Black-robed Woman’s mana and hoisted into the air.
‘It… it hurts… I can’t breathe…’
Ai’er’s feet kicked in the air for a moment before she gradually lost her strength.
**[Warning: Host’s body is oxygen-deprived; unconsciousness will occur in 30 seconds.]**
“Do you really… have to say that! You… stupid System! Think… think of something!”
But just after Ai’er squeezed out those words, the pressure on her slender neck suddenly vanished.
Ai’er fell to the ground, coughing uncontrollably.
“What… what did you do?! It won’t heal—this dagger! *Cough!*”
Ai’er’s dagger was still lodged in the Black-robed Woman’s body.
Ai’er slowly raised her head and noticed that the dagger seemed to be emitting a faint white glow. Whenever the Black-robed Woman’s mana approached the blade, it recoiled as if it had been burned.
A moment later, the Black-robed Woman fell silent. She slumped to her knees and remained motionless.
Ai’er realized something. Back when she had attacked the Minotaur ice sculpture, the dagger seemed to have activated a special power, allowing her weak girl’s body to shatter the massive sculpture in a single hit.
**[That dagger is imbued with Holy Magic from the White God Holy Church, which interferes with the Black God Mana used by this person.]**
‘Is this little dagger really that legendary O.o?’
Having regained her composure, Ai’er blinked. She hadn’t expected the weapon Eve gave her to be this powerful.
Ai’er tried to stand up, but a sharp pain caused her to trip again.
“Ow! I… I can’t stand up!”
She had twisted her ankle when she fell, and added to the previous oxygen deprivation and the impact…
However, compared to the previous freezing cold, this was much easier to bear.
‘Forget it, I’ll just stay like this for a bit…’
‘I aimed right for her heart. Since this woman can’t use recovery magic, she shouldn’t be far from death.’
‘But my ankle really hurts QAQ!’
“Ugh… System, help me out with an Intermediate Healing Spell…”
**[On cooldown. Countdown: 17 seconds, 16 seconds…]**
“Why didn’t you tell me there was a cooldown earlier! It’s always like this! You only mention the costs after everything is done!”
“Stupid System! Piece of junk System!”
Ai’er thrashed around to vent her frustration, accidentally pulling her ankle again. After letting out a cute cry of pain, she could only sit still obediently.
Ai’er sighed and cast her gaze toward the grayish-white sky.
“Sigh. Hey, System… I guess this is over now, right? No more fighting and killing—”
“Great Mage! Look out!!”
The moment she heard Eve’s terrified scream, Ai’er snapped her eyes back toward the enemy—
And then she saw it. She saw a lance forged from pitch-black mana.
The lance was unstable, its shaft shaking due to the turbulent mana, but its black tip was aimed squarely at her.
“Die…”
The moment the Black-robed Woman collapsed, the black lance lunged toward Ai’er—
*Puchi.*
Ai’er recognized that sound. She had heard it just now when she used the dagger—
It was the mournful cry of flesh being torn apart.
‘God… why am I seeing blood spray again…’
Before the darkness swallowed everything in Ai’er’s vision once more, she saw a bloom of crimson erupting in the air—
And she heard the sound of something shattering.
*Snap.*
It was a crisp sound.
Following that sound, the silver badge that Eve had given Ai’er—
Shattered.
—
**[System self-check initiating…]**
**[Current remaining points: 3 points.]**
**[Host unconsciousness detected. Core event node completion detected. Forced consciousness transmigration initiated.]**
**[The Third Crossing, start.]**